As Christians there are sometimes things that we don’t want to hear. Personal responsibility is one of them. We usually want to put our delays on God, another person or circumstances, but recently the Lord showed me how my own behavior was holding up my blessing. People say that they are waiting on God all the time, but could it be that God is waiting on YOU?

It like’s a man who wants a mate and is waiting for her to manifest in his life. But he still has his many “friends” on the side. He is leading many women on making them all think that they are the ”one”. This man is showing God that he is not ready to be blessed. So until he closes all doors nice and tight, his blessing will be held up.  As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. We have to show God that we are prepared and ready for what he has for us. Life is not one-sided. Our actions send messages to God and to people also. 

Sometimes we have sin in our lives and it is a hinderance to receiving what we need from Him. So let’s stop acting like spoiled brats with the Lord. Instead of looking at what you are waiting on happening, take a look at what God may be waiting for you to do.

It’s time for some doors to be shut and never opened again because God is waiting on us! It’s when we do this that our blessing will be dispatched to us without delay.

 Romans 15:22:

 22 For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

Mary has come into work late at least once a week for the past two months.  She said that her husband has left her and that she has a difficult time getting the kids to daycare by herself.  When you talk to her, she starts to cry and tells you all about her personal problems.

Mike has been very touchy.  He is quick to anger and expresses frustration with his co-workers.  When you talk to him, he tells you of his financial problems, how he has to work a part time job and is hoping he does not have to file bankruptcy.  He confides in you that he doesn’t know what to do and looks to you for advice.

We all have personal problems especially in today’s economy, but when the personal problems affect the work place, many managers are torn between the need to address the behavior and/or performance issue and the concerns they may have for the employees.

What do you do?  These are good employees, but their behavior is disruptive and impacting productivity.

1. Acknowledge the problem and show genuine concern.  Give the employee an opportunity to talk.  Base the length of the talk upon your relationship with the employee and the problem. This is simply an opportunity for the employee to vent.
2. Do not let the employee give you information you do not want to know.  If they start telling you things that are much too personal, politely ask them to stop and tell them that you feel this information is inappropriate for you to know.
3. Suggest the employee seek professional help with their problems.  This is where an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is very helpful.  Most programs are designed to work with employees on resolving a host of problems, such as substance abuse, financial problems, and marital problems.
4. If an EAP is not available, provide resources through the community or through your health care provider.  There are many organizations, profit and non-profit, that are available to employees.
5. Discuss the performance or behavior problem with the employee, handling it as you would any other disciplinary action.  Start with a verbal discussion, explaining the expectations of performance and then advising the employee, with examples, of their failure to comply with these expectations.  This conversation should be as empathetic as possible while still addressing the need for the behavior problem to stop.
6. If the unacceptable behavior continues, step up the discipline.  Continue to allow them to talk, but put more pressure on them to make improvements in their performance.  Make sure they understand that their job may be in jeopardy if they cannot stop the behavior from disrupting the productivity of the company.
7. Do not take on employees’ problems.  Do not lend them money.  Do not find them day care.  Do not call them in the morning to make sure they wake-up.  Do provide them with resources and allow them to solve their own problem.  This is important.   But force them to solve their own problems.
8. Discourage the employee from bringing his or her problem to other employees.  If the employee’s behavior (talking about the problems to co-workers) becomes disruptive, counsel the employee.  If it continues, however, this behavior may need to be addressed as a disciplinary issue.  Again, the goal is to help the employee but to keep the problem separate from work.
9. Continue to work with the employees from both ends.  Make sure the unacceptable behavior discontinues and provide resources that will them help deal with the personal problems.

Be patient.  We all go through some tough times.  If you want a dedicated staff, you need to be dedicated to them.  Provide guidance, encouragement, and support.  This is especially true with employees who have a positive work history with your company.  Understand, however, that it is up to the employees to resolve their personal problems and if the behavior has too great a negative impact on the work place, you as a manager must take the necessary action.

By:  Toni Talbot, SPHR and Andie Creamer, CHRS

Additional Information on Community Health Services

   I have found myself in a season of listening more intently to the whispers of God. He has been teaching me to hear his voice, to trust that His is the first thought that comes to me. Sometimes, I need to take action upon what I am hearing the Lord whisper to me, either sharing it with another person or exploring it in writing. I have found that listening to the gentle guidance of the Lord, yielding to His direction and taking action upon it has broadened my life exponentially. Rather than asking God what He can do for me, I am entering into a partnership with Him, to accomplish what His plan is. In yielding by faith and joining with Him in purpose, life has a new dimension of design. God whispers a gentle nudge and I move in that direction; He then opens the doors of blessings that flow into my soul. There is no experience on earth that compares. I know I am in the perfect will of the Father. He confirms my step of faith with blessings like no gift on earth could. It is life-changing to listen to the whisper of God.

President Boyd K. Packer: Saturday Afternoon Session, October 2009

Full Text |  MP3 Audio |  Video: Quicktime |  WinMedia

No Father would send His children off to a distant, dangerous land for a lifetime of testing where Lucifer was known to roam free without first providing them with a personal power of protection. He would also supply them with means to communicate with Him from Father to child and from child to Father. Every child of our Father sent to earth is provided with the Spirit of Christ, or the Light of Christ. (D&C 84:46) We are, none of us, left here alone without hope of guidance and redemption.

There is a perfect manner of communication through the Spirit, “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

The Holy Ghost communicates with our spirits through the mind more than through the physical senses. This guidance comes as thoughts, as feelings through promptings and impressions.

The gift of the Holy Ghost operates equally with men, women, and even little children. It is within this wondrous gift and power that the spiritual remedy to any problem can be found.

“And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned” (Alma 32:23).

You can know the things you need to know. Pray that you will learn to receive that inspiration and remain worthy to receive it. Keep that channel—your mind—clean and free from the clutter of the world.

One of the adversary’s sharpest tools is to convince us that we are no longer worthy to pray. No matter who you are or what you may have done, you can always pray.

Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10; see also Luke 11:2; 3 Nephi 13:10).

God’s guidance comes in many ways. It is up for us to open our eyes, to open our mind, to open our heart, and to open our spirit to all He has set before us. He speaks through the wind. He speaks through the birds in the sky. He speaks through the swirling clouds and the falling rain. He speaks through the trees. He speaks through the insects and the mountains. He speaks through the kindness of strangers. He speaks through silence. He cuts through the deafening clutter of our minds. Most of all He speaks through our hearts. If we would but listen, His guidance is there. There are no secrets. There is no secret book or hidden text. His guidance is there, if we would just take it. It is there. It is not for the special among us. It is not for the chosen. It is not for the elite. It is not for the poor or the humble. It is for everyone. Guidance is given to everyone, but by our own choosing, we shall seal our own fate.

My emotions were all over the place yesterday. Honestly I think I am having a hard time making a change and it is making me miserable. Sometimes we get stuck in our ways and God wants a better life for us but we have to move. 

I have been feeling that I need to make a geographical change and my first excuse was that I don’t know anyone there. Well right after I said that some long time friends contacted me on my facebook page and they are living in the city where I am supposed to move.  Well there goes that excuse…But it’s still not easy. I need provison as well. But if I know God where he guides he will provide.

I realize that I need to be careful about my emotions and it’s connected to this change. Honestly I’m embarrassed about my behavior yesterday. I think acted like a emotional nutcase and what I really need to do is keep my mouth shut and work on a plan to obey God. I will keep you posted.

 Ruth 1:16:

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God

Vulnerability management is a never-ending process. You need to develop a vulnerability management life cycle to ensure that new vulnerabilities are quickly discovered and mitigated, no matter what size your business is or the industry that you are involved in.

 An effective vulnerability management program will:

• Establish essential security controls.
• Identify and eliminate causes of vulnerabilities.
• Continuously monitor and detect internal and external vulnerabilities.
• Provide a documented process for the remediation of identified vulnerabilities.
• Establish a vulnerability management policy for the organization.
• Help to identify vulnerability owners and track the remediation status of the vulnerabilities.

Successful network vulnerability management balances the demands of security against the demands of individual business units. It includes these eleven steps:

1. Current policy review relative to generally recognized standards and compliance guidelines.

2. Asset inventory:

• By type.
• By owner.
• Specifications.

3. Data classification to create an asset criticality profile, defining the importance of each asset.

4. Vulnerability assessment.

• What can be exploited and when is exploitation likely to occur?
• How can exploitation be achieved?
• Vulnerability classification.

5. Threat correlation.

• Worms, exploits, wide-scale attacks, new vulnerabilities.
• Correlation of high-profile threats with the most important assets.

6. Determination of risk level based on the intersection of assets, vulnerabilities, and threats.

7. Remediation.

• Factoring the cost to remediate versus the cost to ignore.
• Zeroing in on must-have remedies.

8. Development of Metrics and Identification of KPIs.

• Accurate metrics for more informed and more effective management.
• Evaluation of current security state against baselines and ideal conditions.

9. Training needs.

10. Communication.

11.  Definition of organizational roles and responsibilities.

The high-level plan is to assess the organization in the eleven best practice areas.  Based upon the gaps identified, build a more comprehensive vulnerability management program that addresses areas of concern identified.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  The development of these processes and the program’s lifecycle is never ending, and based on the premise of continuous improvement.

According to Gartner, “Enterprises that implement a vulnerability management process will experience 90 percent fewer successful attacks.”

T.J. Maxx and Marshalls clothing chains recently suffered an online intrusion of its processing networks that the company admits resulted in the theft of data connected to at least 45.6 million credit and debit cards.  TJX agreed to pay up to $40.9 million in a settlement with three bankers’ associations.  As compliance demands grow and headline-making attacks increase, executives are demanding a new type of CISO. One who understands how IT risks play into the bottom line and can justify security spending.

The fastest way become that person is to get a handle on vulnerabilities.  Visionary security players are warming up to the notion that vulnerability assessment does not mean merely probing the network for flaws.  It means examining every aspect of the organization’s attack surface, networking and application environment, even their physical and information security stance, and transforming those findings into actionable results.

According to the NIST publication SP 800-30, Risk Management Guide for Information Technology Systems: “Risk is a function of the likelihood of a given threat-source’s exercising a particular potential vulnerability, and the resulting impact of that adverse event on the organization. To determine the likelihood of a future adverse event, threats to an IT system must be analyzed in conjunction with the potential vulnerabilities and the controls in place for the IT system.”

Vulnerabilities are an essential part of the basic risk equation.  Threat is very difficult to determine as it is a constantly fast moving target, but vulnerabilities are something that’s fairly straightforward to measure, and to address.  When you’re talking about risk, vulnerabilities are generally the easiest factors to assess.

• Vulnerability: A flaw or weakness in system security procedures, design, implementation, or internal controls that could be exercised (accidentally triggered or intentionally exploited) and result in a security breach or a violation of the system’s security policy.
• Threat: The potential for a threat-source to exercise (accidentally trigger or intentionally exploit) a specific vulnerability.
• Threat-source: Either (1) intent and method targeted at the intentional exploitation of a vulnerability or (2) a situation and method that may accidentally trigger a vulnerability.
• Threat Analysis: The examination of threat-sources against system vulnerabilities to determine the threats for a particular system in a particular operational environment.

Simple Vulnerability Assessment: 

As IT becomes aware of and interested in managing its vulnerabilities and attack surface, it will introduce rudimentary measures to gauge and improve these areas:

• Create a spreadsheet to map, assess and prioritize vulnerabilities.
• Perform regular penetration tests.
• Ensure compliance with government regulations.
• Produce metrics & reports to show progress.

Metrics are a new trend in vulnerability assessment products because they provide the type of information that people can use to express the IT department’s risk posture to the C-level suite  and demonstrate progress — in easy-to-understand language.  It’s always a struggle to find funding inside an organization for IT and especially security projects.  When the CISO can actually demonstrate the risk to an organization they will look like they are in control.

Basic Vulnerability Management:

As the vulnerability management process matures, it generally includes these steps:

• Policy definition is the first step, defining the desired state for device configurations, user identity and resource access.
• Baseline the environment to identify vulnerabilities and policy compliance.
• Prioritize mitigation activities based on external threat information, internal security posture and asset classification.
• Shield the environment, prior to eliminating the vulnerability, by using desktop and network security tools.
• Mitigate the vulnerability and eliminate the root causes.
• Maintain the environment for deviations from policy.
• Monitor the environment to identify new vulnerabilities and access attempts.

Mature Vulnerability Management:

A fully mature vulnerability management program will introduce vendor products that can be used to automate various aspects of the vulnerability management process. The four main technology categories are:

• Vulnerability scanning & assessment.
• Security configuration management and policy compliance measurement.
• IT security risk management.
• Security information and event management (SIEM).

Vulnerabilities are on the rise

Risk is potential damage to an organization’s value, often from inadequate management of processes and events.  IT touches all areas of the business.  IT simultaneously reduces and introduces new risk to the organization.  IT risk is emerging as a significant component of total business risk as IT assumes a more prominent role, and can account for more than 50% of total capital expenditure at some companies.  If a business has a handle on IT risk, chances are it is meeting compliance demands.

MITRE, a nonprofit organization, has been working since 1999 to maintain a standard for gauging risk in the context of network vulnerabilities.  2008 gave rise to about 7,000 unique vulnerabilities captured within the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure  (CVE) list, a dictionary that provides the common names and ratings for known security vulnerabilities.  Since 1999, MITRE has tracked some 28,000 vulnerabilities in packaged software.  While the sheer number of bugs is certainly cause for concern, these flaws do have one positive attribute: they provide a tangible way to assess risk.  When you get to the board room, you can’t talk tech, but the numbers are understandable.  Each CVE listing in the National Vulnerability Database supports the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), an open framework that standardizes the severity of vulnerabilities across heterogeneous platforms.  Version 2.0 of the CVSS, managed by the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), was released in 2008.  It rates the severity of weaknesses on a scale of 0 to 10. 

CVSS takes into account three factors:

• The base score represents the constant characteristics of the vulnerability.
• The temporal score measures the possibility that the bug could change over time.
• The environmental score accounts for characteristics in a particular environment.

CVSS scoring provides a consistent risk metric.  All vulnerability scanning tools, IDS’ and other alerting tools will use some form of risk definition, so if they’re not using CVSS, you might get multiple interpretations of how significant a single vulnerability is.

Listing vulnerabilities in the network, both client-side and server-side, may be one of the easiest ways security administrators can get a handle on the health of their operating infrastructure.  But they are not the only places to look.
 
The SANS Top 20 consistently lists four other major risk categories:

• Security policy and personnel, including excessive user rights, phishing and unencrypted portable devices.
• Application abuse, including instant messenger and peer-to-peer programs.
• Network devices, including VoIP phones and servers.
• Zero-day attacks, for which there is no patch.

Change & Configuration Management

These days, any robust vulnerability management platform is able to flag unauthorized network alterations and ensure critical network components are properly configured.  As the flaws increase, making it more and more difficult to catch every network weakness, many organizations are turning to change and configuration management as part of their defense-in-depth strategy.

A configuration management program sets the standard for what’s acceptable for systems, providing cost and time savings.  You don’t have to re-assess to find out there’s ‘x’ number of vulnerabilities.  You have a baseline for what’s already acceptable, and an understanding of the organization’s compliance.

Protecting against known vulnerabilities is important to defend against targeted attacks, but focusing on system configuration is equally critical.  For example, a company may have deployed all the latest patches, but if a user’s machine is inappropriately running as an IIS server, the unauthorized services could permit an attacker to drop a piece of malware for which there is no signature, and possibly take advantage of the non-standard configuration weaknesses due to the lack of hardening performed on the system.

Benefits of Change Control

Change Management is a process that seeks to review and approve changes that are known.  It relies on the change requestor to submit changes to be reviewed for strategic, tactical, technical, and security concerns.  Change Control is a more mature control, allowing security teams to learn whether any changes — either by a malicious outsider or, more likely, an accidental insider — created a vulnerability or exposure within the organization’s controls.  Change Control looks at the last known configuration for all of the devices under its view, identifies changes that have been made, compares the found changes to records within Change Management, and flags those that do not match for review, investigation and potential reversal.

According to Gartner, “Enterprises that implement a vulnerability management process will experience 90 percent fewer successful attacks.”

T.J. Maxx and Marshalls clothing chains recently suffered an online intrusion of its processing networks that the company admits resulted in the theft of data connected to at least 45.6 million credit and debit cards.  TJX agreed to pay up to $40.9 million in a settlement with three bankers’ associations.  As compliance demands grow and headline-making attacks increase, executives are demanding a new type of CISO. One who understands how IT risks play into the bottom line and can justify security spending.

The fastest way to become that person is to have a handle on vulnerabilities.  Visionary security players are warming up to the notion that vulnerability assessment does not mean merely probing the network for flaws.  It means examining every aspect of the organization’s attack surface, networking and application environment, even their physical and information security stance, and transforming those findings into actionable results.

According to the NIST publication SP 800-30, Risk Management Guide for Information Technology Systems: “Risk is a function of the likelihood of a given threat-source’s exercising a particular potential vulnerability, and the resulting impact of that adverse event on the organization. To determine the likelihood of a future adverse event, threats to an IT system must be analyzed in conjunction with the potential vulnerabilities and the controls in place for the IT system.”

Vulnerabilities are an essential part of the basic risk equation.  Threat is very difficult to determine as it is a constantly fast moving target, but vulnerabilities are something that’s fairly straightforward to measure, and to address.  When you’re talking about risk, vulnerabilities are generally the easiest factors to assess.

• Vulnerability: A flaw or weakness in system security procedures, design, implementation, or internal controls that could be exercised (accidentally triggered or intentionally exploited) and result in a security breach or a violation of the system’s security policy.
• Threat: The potential for a threat-source to exercise (accidentally trigger or intentionally exploit) a specific vulnerability.
• Threat-source: Either (1) intent and method targeted at the intentional exploitation of a vulnerability or (2) a situation and method that may accidentally trigger a vulnerability.
• Threat Analysis: The examination of threat-sources against system vulnerabilities to determine the threats for a particular system in a particular operational environment.

Simple Vulnerability Assessment: 

As IT becomes aware of and interested in managing its vulnerabilities and attack surface, it will introduce rudimentary measures to gauge and improve these areas:

• Create a spreadsheet to map, assess and prioritize vulnerabilities.
• Perform regular penetration tests.
• Ensure compliance with government regulations.
• Produce metrics & reports to show progress.

Metrics are a new trend in vulnerability assessment products because they provide the type of information that people can use to express the IT department’s risk posture to the C-level suite  and demonstrate progress — in easy-to-understand language.  It’s always a struggle to find funding inside an organization for IT and especially security projects.  When the CISO can actually demonstrate the risk to an organization they will look like they are in control.

Basic Vulnerability Management:

As the vulnerability management process matures, it generally introduces and links these process steps:

• Policy definition is the first step, defining the desired state for device configurations, user identity and resource access.
• Baseline the environment to identify vulnerabilities and policy compliance.
• Prioritize mitigation activities based on external threat information, internal security posture and asset classification.
• Shield the environment, prior to eliminating the vulnerability, by using desktop and network security tools.
• Mitigate the vulnerability and eliminate the root causes.
• Maintain the environment for deviations from policy.
• Monitor the environment to identify new vulnerabilities and access attempts.

Mature Vulnerability Management:

A fully mature vulnerability management program will introduce vendor products that can be used to automate various aspects of the vulnerability management process. The four main technology categories are:

• Vulnerability scanning & assessment.
• Security configuration management and policy compliance measurement.
• IT security risk management.
• Security information and event management (SIEM).

Vulnerabilities are on the rise
Risk is potential damage to an organization’s value, often from inadequate management of processes and events.  IT touches all areas of the business.  IT simultaneously reduces and introduces new risk to the organization.  IT risk is emerging as a significant component of total business risk as IT assumes a more prominent role, and can account for more than 50% of total capital expenditure at some companies.  If a business has a handle on IT risk, chances are it is meeting compliance demands.

MITRE, a nonprofit organization, has been working since 1999 to maintain a standard for gauging risk in the context of network vulnerabilities.  2008 gave rise to about 7,000 unique vulnerabilities captured within the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure  (CVE) list, a dictionary that provides the common names and ratings for known security vulnerabilities.  Since 1999, MITRE has tracked some 28,000 vulnerabilities in packaged software.  While the sheer number of bugs is certainly cause for concern, these flaws do have one positive attribute: they provide a tangible way to assess risk.  When you get to the board room, you can’t talk tech, but the numbers are understandable.  Each CVE listing in the National Vulnerability Database supports the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), an open framework that standardizes the severity of vulnerabilities across heterogeneous platforms.  Version 2.0 of the CVSS, managed by the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), was released in 2008.  It rates the severity of weaknesses on a scale of 0 to 10. 

CVSS takes into account three factors:

• The base score represents the constant characteristics of the vulnerability.
• The temporal score measures the possibility that the bug could change over time.
• The environmental score accounts for characteristics in a particular environment.

CVSS scoring provides a consistent risk metric.  All vulnerability scanning tools, IDS’ and other alerting tools will use some form of risk definition, so if they’re not using CVSS, you might get multiple interpretations of how significant a single vulnerability is.

What leads to risk?

Listing vulnerabilities in the network, both client-side and server-side, may be one of the easiest ways security administrators can get a handle on the health of their operating infrastructure.  But they are not the only places to look.

The SANS Top 20 consistently lists four other major risk categories:

• Security policy and personnel, including excessive user rights, phishing and unencrypted portable devices.
• Application abuse, including instant messenger and peer-to-peer programs.
• New technologies, network devices, including VoIP phones and servers.
• Zero-day attacks, exploiting vulnerabilities for which there is no patch.

Benefits of Change/Configuration Management

These days, any robust vulnerability management platform is able to flag unauthorized network alterations and ensure critical network components are properly configured.  As the flaws increase, making it more and more difficult to catch every network weakness, many organizations are turning to change and configuration management as part of their defense-in-depth strategy.

A configuration management program sets the standard for what’s acceptable for systems, providing cost and time savings.  You don’t have to re-assess to find out there’s ‘x’ number of vulnerabilities.  You have a baseline for what’s already acceptable, and an understanding of the organization’s compliance.

Protecting against known vulnerabilities is important to defend against targeted attacks, but focusing on system configuration is equally critical.  For example, a company may have deployed all the latest patches, but if a user’s machine is inappropriately running as an IIS server, the unauthorized services could permit an attacker to drop a piece of malware for which there is no signature, and possibly take advantage of the non-standard configuration weaknesses due to the lack of hardening performed  on the system.

Benefits of Change Control

Change Management is a process that seeks to review and approve changes that are known.  It relies on the change requestor to submit changes to be reviewed for strategic, tactical, technical, and security concerns.  Change Control is a more mature manifestation of change and configuration monitoring and reporting, allowing security teams to learn whether any changes — either by a malicious outsider or more likely, an accidental insider — created a vulnerability or exposure within the organization’s control suite.  Change Control looks at the last known configuration for all of the devices under its purview, identifies changes that have been made, compares the found changes to records within Change Management, and flags those that do not match for review, investigation and potential reversal.

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

Monday October 26, 2009, 2:02 pm

The company says it is now in the last stages of

due diligence

over the de-merger, which will see the building

materials division

retain the name

CSR

, but the sugar and

renewable energy business

re-branded, except for its retail sugar sales which will retain the

CSR

brand in Australia.

The capital raising through a fully underwritten share offer allows existing investors to buy seven new

CSR

shares for every 40 existing shares they hold, at a price of $1.66 per share.

The company says the new shares are at a 15.3 per cent discount to the dividend adjusted closing price on Friday.

CSR

will give Mackay Sugar an 8.77 per cent interest in the new sugar and

renewable energy business

in return for its current 25 per cent stake in

CSR

’s

sugar refining

operations.

CSR

also posted a half-year net loss of $155.6 million, largely due to another sizeable write-down in the value of its Veridian

glass business

, but has re-affirmed its full year guidance.

The company says, excluding the one-off write-downs, earnings before interest and tax were 22 per cent higher than the previous corresponding period.

Most of this rise was due to high

sugar prices

and increased volumes, while the residential and

commercial construction

slowdown

continued to weigh on the building products division.

Source: CSR raises capital, posts loss

Angels are Everywhere!

Angels are everywhere! Look for them in beautiful places in nature, in the sky, in the clouds, in the sunrise and within all the people you meet!

This is the the Angel of Protection and Guidance whose message to all of us is, “Unseen forces guide and protect you in all that you do. You are never given more than you can cope with. Trust in the Universe and fear not.”

Click Here for another Inspirational Message from the Angels.

Copyright Glenyss Bourne 2009

After a long week of work in setting up a renewable energy social venture in South Africa, I was relaxing at the Kruger National Park with world famous guide and game reserve owner – Vic Wilkens – of Simbavati Lodge in South Africa.  In this video, Vic, me and my wife Sommer were in an open Landrover only 10 feet away from these 8 lions.  It was breathtaking – for more reasons than one!

For assistance in setting up and structuring social ventures, contact Ray Dinning, JD, LLM at (757) 232 -2619.  The initial consultantion by phone is free.  Thanks for watching.

Let’s face it. Sometimes God requires us to do things and go places and we may not be happy about it. If anyone ever told you that you would always want the will of God, they did not tell you the truth.

Sometimes transistioning with God is not going to be easy. It may call for you to have to change vocations, or even your geographical location and let’s be honest, most of us are creatures of habit and the familiar.

I remember when I moved to Florida from New York more than 4 years ago. I did not really want to leave, but the circumstance of my life forced me to make a move. And it was a quick one. I got fired from my job for no legitimate reason (was told I was the best church secretary ever). That was on a Wednesday and by Sunday I was on my way to Florida. It didn’t feel good at the time but when I look back on it I know that it was a part of the plan of God for my life at that time.

Sometimes we won’t leave voluntarily, so God allows circumstance to get us to move. Well I find myself in a similiar predicament now and it’s possible that soon I will have to make another move.

God has brought me to the point where I am not only accepting God’s will but I desire it. (okay, a little bit). It’s a process.  Where He leads I will follow.

Genesis 12:1:

 1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

For there is nothing that will separate you from love
who you are
what you are
what is around you in you as you
you are love
an extension of love
interpret that in whatever way helps you feel the true power feel the true nature of who and what you really are
not the identity you have come to accept for yourself as this name or that
this person or that person
this behavior or that
you are in true essence God
Understand this is true
it is not blasphemy
it is what is
your social conditioning is the only reason you resist this
but that social conditioning is not working for you to manifest fulfilment on every level
correct?
thus let go of this conditioned thinking that limits your nature
and realize you are limitless love
limitless God
limitless knowledge
limitless
power
limitless presence
you are all of this and more
you are the Christ
the Buddha
the Krishna
the Shiva
you are all that is needed in this world to affect the change you want to see
the change within
that will spread without
for all around you is source
all within you is source
blameless and pure
yes
feel the love and let it fill you
allow it to emerge fully within you through the practices we have shared and you will
melt away the limiting beliefs just as you desire
breath deep
allow source to move allow your cells to be filled with the energy and abundance available at all times
be rejuvenated by source energy
and be refreshed and relieved by trusting in this power this life force
this energy this essence of your true nature
your consciousness and higher and best self
to bring about all that you desire
follow the inspiration and guidance you receive from within
be aware of all that is occurring within you in this moment
and let go of worry, concern fear
resistance
give in to all the beauty and blessings life has bestowed upon you now and know that you are already blessed with every good thing
yes
appreciate your life now
fully
do whatever necessary to maintain this gratitude
this vibration of love for what is
and seek to enjoy even more
expanding your ability to benefit from who and what you and this experience is
you are all that you need
the answer
the light
the love
the guidance
it is all within you
and so it is

- Morning stream of consciousness writing from John Stringer

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I figured I’d write just a few words to stay in the habit of it… It’s so damn easy to get inundated by everything else in life and let the poor blog go to shit. I had a calculus test this morning, an informational interview at [Insert Name Here] pharmaceutical company (which went fantastic, by the way), a research presentation tomorrow (with no data because I’ve been troubleshooting a UPLC/MS that keeps going down for the last 15 weeks), and final exams next week. Whew! I’m exhausted!

Oh, if there are any students out there reading this blog, I want to share a little wisdom that has been handed down to me. About the informational interview, it’s such great advice! I don’t think people promote them enough. One thing is for sure – only uploading your resume to a database will NOT get you a job. The chances are reeeeaaally slim. You really have to get out there, meet people, and show initiative. Particularly in this economy, being smart and skilled just isn’t enough! It’s really competitive out there. Professionals that are hiring want to know that you can do the job right AND that they aren’t going to get sick of working with your ass in close quarters.

So anyway, my last informational interview was with a pharma engineering consultant. He’s the director of operations for his company in this state. I met him at a conference (another must-do to meet people). He liked my enthusiasm I suppose because he offered me a co-op for the coming semester to get me some experience and help me with my job search. The one yesterday was great because I interviewed the director of manufacturing sciences and he asked me for my resume at the end, which of course I came prepared with. He’s worked at a couple other major pharma companies and knows lots of people with hiring power. His company isn’t hiring so he is personally going to send it to some of his contacts. Yay!

Not only does the informational interview open the door for new opportunities but if you interview the right people, there is a lot of guidance and advice to be taken. Both have given me great insight into how I will focus my career plans. The great thing is that although these people are VERY busy, they are happy to squeeze in 30-45 mins to help out a student looking to get into the business. I think most of them recall being in the same position before and can sympathize. Not to mention that you can create a favorable and longer-lasting impression than just going to a job fair. Anyway, just thought I would share that. It’s been of tremendous help to me and I truly believe that it’s the type of networking that will help land me a great job next summer.

Jesus says in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, shall guide us into all truth.  This lets me know a couple of things.  First that truth exists contrary to the relativism that is accepted so readily by our culture.  Secondly, that truth is knowable.  Thirdly, that we need a guide to discover it.  And fourthly, that God has provided us with the guide we need.

The other day I was reminded of how valuable guidance can be when I went with some guys to shoot clays at Owen’s station.  I was having a good day but when the clays came from a certain direction I had a hard time hitting them.  One of the guys that was with us stepped up beside me and in a low and gentle voice told me that I was shooting behind the clays and needed to lead them a little bit.  I followed his instructions and immediately hit the next two.

This is a good illustration of how the Holy Spirit works in the life of a Christ follower.  If we will listen He will guide our lives into the truth we need.  When that happens Jesus says in John 8:32 that we will become free.  Or to put it in today’s language, we’ll hit our clay targets.

TODAY’S VERSE
“Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.” – “Praise the LORD! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”
Psalms 28:2, 7-8

TODAY’S THOUGHT
David knew what it was like to be tormented. He knew the pain that comes with great need. He experienced difficulties that had no escape, except by the mercy of an Almighty God. So David came to God and he cried out for mercy and help. That was the beginning of today’s passage. Verses later David is praising God. God had heard his cry. As David faced his situation, we see that God became his strength and protection. David trusted God with all his heart. The result was a deep spiritual joy. God did not take David out of his situation. David still faced his problems, but instead of doing it on his own, God provided David with strength. God protected David like a shield. Do you have a story similar to David? Are there times when you need to cry out to God for His mercy? Rest assured He hears you. You too can end up praising God for He promises that He will be your strength. He will be your shield. You can trust Him with your situation. When you do, you too will experience the deep joy that can only come from Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I come to You today asking for Your mercy in my life. I thank You for hearing my cry and offering to be my strength and shield. I accept this promise and put my all my trust in You. Thank You that I will not be disappointed. Fill my heart with a deep joy today so that I too will burst out with thanksgiving. In Jesus name I pray.
AMEN

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*Pearl of the day: Pass down, repurpose and pass on

*When my sister was asked to draw a picture of her family in elementary school she drew my mother in a prim and proper dress with a beautiful white string of pearls around her neck.

 *My mom is not the quintessential 50’s mom, she is more the 60’s jeans and t-shirt mom, who has pearls but wears them on special occasions. Yet my mom always has incredible pearls of wisdom to dole out which rolled right passed me when I was younger.

 *Now as a mother, I am in search of the pearls I let slip by. Before stringing the pearl, it must first pass inspection by my mom and friends.

 *I realized that our birthing process is similar to that of a pearl. A pearl’s life begins as a grain of sand or other foreign body that finds its way inside a living shelled mollusk, embeds itself and over time morphs into a pearl which is cast open as a new gem into the world. Like the pearl, children are our most precious gems and we cast them out into the world in whatever shape or form to collect their experiences and find their way.

 *If a pearl necklace represents a lifetime of wisdom and experience, then each individual pearl signifies a chapter or life lesson. When my in-laws gave me a pearl necklace as a wedding gift, I had but a glimmer of what the next chapter in my life would bring. Seven years and two kids later, each day is a new adventure. True to my string, some days are beautiful, bright and smooth, some are okay, and others are cloudy and imperfect.

*Eventually, I will pass on my pearls along with my parent’s and grandparent’s pearls to my children to repurpose and pass further down the line. To tap the collective wisdom of your ancestors and loved ones, repurpose it and pass it down is the ultimate green initiative for mothers.

*For my grandmother’s pearls looked very different on her then on me. My grandmother passed away recently and I inherited a few pieces of her jewelry, nothing fancy but pieces wonderfully imbued with her essence and experiences. Interestingly, each piece I have worn or attempted to wear has broken. I mentioned this to my sister who said the same thing was happening to her!!

*We think grandma is still casting her opinion on whether our outfits work with her pieces. Yet this reinforces that what is passed on must first be remembered and then repurposed so it can have new experiences – or just find someone who handles repairs!

*It certainly seems that my pearls never seem to look as good as my momma’s pearls, yet they will hopefully look more beautiful on my daughter!

 Copyright © 2009 Cynthia Litman d/b/a Tigris Imprints. All Rights Reserved.

Matthew 5:45b  He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

God’s grace will always remain a mystery to me. I want life to be fair, for the wicked to be punished and the good to be rewarded. I want righteousness to be blessed and brazenness to be condemned. I want the arrogant to be humiliated and the humble to be exalted. I want the pious to become powerful and for the unholy to be diminished. In other words, I want God to do what I want to do, instead of applying His grace to those who least deserve it.

When I stand up on my self-righteous pedestal and reproach others for being sinful, I seriously forget that I need God’s grace more than anyone else. When I feel smug about my faith in Jesus, I go down a road that ends up in pride and perdition. Instead of recognizing my sins and bowing before God, I shamefully roar and berate others for their godlessness. I am a hypocrite, in need of help and healing, humility and holiness, godliness and grace.

Each day, God causes the sun to rise on the evil and good. He does not separate them. He allows His grace to shine on all. Each year, He brings rain to the righteous and unrighteous. He does not distinguish between them, but rather God refreshes all. It’s both a mystery and a miracle to me. It’s a wonderful way of applying grace to an undeserving world full of undeserving people like me.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You died for this whole world in order to redeem it from sin and restore it to God. Sometimes we want to limit Your grace and define Your love. Forgive us for failing to truly recognize that grace is both completely unmerited and totally undeserved. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Good morning Big Mama (aka God),

I need your support this morning. I have an idea that I would love to bring to fruition, but I don’t know where to begin or how to really get it done. I’m nervous about starting something and not completing it because I’ve done that many times in the past. I know that when I make a commitment, I mean really make a commitment, that the entire universe will support me in accomplishing my goals. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do right now, Big Mama. I commit to completing this project, no matter what. I pray that everyone who is beginning or working on a project that is important to them is blessed with the ability to complete it, Big Mama, and that the entire universe –  angels and all — rushes in to support their success. I pray that each person is divinely guided, that everything that needs to be  done is completed with ease, that everything that is needed for their project’s completion is provided, and that divine momentum keeps the project flowing towards success until it is done. Thank you for your loving support, Big Mama.

Love & Gratitude,

The Prayer Girl