A factor that is driving the trend towards automating the sales department is the extent to which speed has become a strategic advantage in the selling process. Once, it was acceptable for salespeople to promise to get back to customers with answers to questions. Increasingly, those salespeople are finding that by the time they get back to their customers with the necessary information, the sales opportunity has evaporated. The ability to respond to customers quickly is crucial to success, and the tolerances are narrower than ever before.

Similarly, the ability to compress the sales order cycle is becoming an extremely significant factor in a competitive situation. Your customers, who are under the same competitive pressures as you, are placing more and more emphasis on increased cash flow and reduced inventories. Reducing your sales order cycle from four days to two can make an important and measurable difference, certainly enough of a difference to determine whether or not you get the order.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

Not really, but that is the best way to describe a stricture. Strictures, abnormal narrowing, are common in people with Crohn’s Disease. Think of an hourglass, the part that gets narrow in the center would be the stricture. Resulting in the slow passage of food, which is the top of the hourglass and bloating in the bottom half of the hourglass.

www.diet-blog.com/archives/bodyshape.gif

Flare out,
No Whey Crohnnie

Higher exports to the EU helped narrow Canada’s trade deficit to $927 million in September, Statistics Canada said Friday.(Jason R Zalasky/Associated Press)

Canada’s exports were 3.5 per cent higher in September, narrowing the trade deficit to $927 million from $2 billion.

Statistics Canada says exports rose by $1 billion to $30.3 billion in September, as volumes increased 4.5 per cent. Imports were largely unchanged, edging down 0.1 per cent to $31.2 billion.

Exports have been on a downward trend since July 2008 and reached a low point in May 2009 before increasing in three of the past four months.

Automotive products, industrial goods and materials, and machinery and equipment were the main sources of growth for exports. Energy products mitigated the gains.

Higher exports to the European Union were largely responsible for the overall increase in exports.

“The big story in this report was Canada?s diversification away from the United States,” BMO economist Benjamin Reitzes said.

Exports to the EU and other OECD countries jumped 34 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, he noted. “As U.S. consumption is likely to lag the global recovery, a shift towards other markets will be a key to Canadian exporters? success,” he said.

Exports to the United States increased 0.5 per cent while imports grew 1.7 per cent. As a result, Canada’s trade surplus with its largest trading partner shrank to $2.1 billion in September from $2.3 billion in August.

“With the U.S. still Canada?s largest customer, trade deficits are likely to persist,” Reitzes said.

U.S. trade deficit grows 18.2%Gov. Bredesen leads second mission to China

For those reading this blog for the first time, I invite you to know some things about me. You may know some of them, or you may not, or maybe you have just heard certain things. Maybe you don’t know me at all. In any event, the bottom line is this: my life is changing. Over the course of the last couple years, it has changed dramatically. And for the better!

It started when I discovered that in my walk with God that there was less and less clean pleasure left in this world as a follower of Christ. When He said the road was narrow, He really meant it! And I never realized the gravity of that statement until I accepted the fact that there were a lot of things in my life that did/do not glorify Him and that was the pivotal point. I shudder to think all the things I was doing 5 years ago, and it hurts to think what I allowed in my life even a year ago. Now, I am at a place where I don’t want to play games anymore. Playtime is over and a ministry must begin.

I’m learning that when you choose to follow Christ and walk with Him every single day, when you ask Him to show you His ways, to show you what’s not glorifying (you might be surprised) in your life, where your hidden sin lies, He truly DOES. And the bad news is is that you may not like it. But that’s okay! It’s what the sactification process is all about and the end result is getting closer to God! When you realize how worthless your life is without Jesus and turn to Him, this happens:

__________________________

“But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie. So continue in what he has taught you, and continue to live in Christ.” 1 John 2:27 (NLT)

If you want to be serious in your walk, or if you are serious about simply knowing God, or who He is and what He is capable of showing you and teaching you, then ask Him. Ask Him for the strength and the courage to handle it. If nothing frightens you more than the thought of God saying this to you:

“But… I do not know you, [or] where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.” Luke 13:27 (NKJV)

Then I would suggest you get to know Him now. Get busy and pick up your cross. Get busy picking it up and following the Lord Jesus with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength and all your soul. When you seek Him with all your heart, He will answer you through His Word. He will reveal His will for your life and what it is that He would have you to do.

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:38 (KJV)

What the Lord has shown me first is that I need to: grow in grace and knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18). Second, be ready and willing to serve Him. Because we each have been given a spiritual gift; as the Apostle Paul says,

_____________________

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God…

So we , being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether;

• Prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or
• Ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or
• He that teacheth , on teaching; or
• He that exhorteth, on exhortation:
• He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity;
• He that ruleth, with diligence;
• He that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.

_____________________

That is a passage from Romans 12 (very good chapter by the way). It has taken me many years to study God’s Word and actually apply it to my life. That is the KEY: application. You can read the Word day in day out (which is good by the way) and never live it (and that is not good). I know this because I did it myself. I’ve gone so many years living in the “infant” stage of Christianity and it was not good! I might have touched on becoming a “young man (or, woman )” as spoken of in the first book of John a few times, but more frequently that not, remained a newborn… floundering and starving and crying out for the milk of the Word.

It is true that we have no need of a man to teach us anything when we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, however, after we accept His free gift of salvation and make Him Lord of our lives, we MUST have the desire to learn more about Him or we grieve Him. There must first be a fear of the Lord and what He can do because that is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). And once you are in that place of wanting to learn His ways and live in them, He will reveal to you what it is that He wants you to do, what His will is, what gifts He gives, i.e., whether that’s ministering, teaching, exhorting, giving mercy, etc. as stated above. For me, all I want to do is minister to the persecuted church (the main topic of this blog), be a prayer warrior and witness to others all the things He has done in my life.

The point of this post is to tell everyone here and now, that I am not who I was. Words could never describe how many years I lived shamefully… how many times I messed up… how many times I flaunted my own sin and lived under the guise of “Christian”. Professing the name of Christ, yet abusing drugs and alcohol, unsavory speech, sexual sin, adultry, gossipping, railing, accusing, deceit, lying, you name it, I’ve probably done it. But mark my words hear and now. THAT’S OVER. All of that is DONE. I do not and will not let those past grievances define me. I have sought forgiveness. I stand on the promises of God, He IS faithful to forgive us and I have sought it out and accepted it. I am no longer the person I was. There is no more shame and guilt. I no longer want to live like a “secret Christian”!! My life is now devoted to picking up my cross, following Christ and fulfilling this burden in my heart for the persecuted.

That is how you will know me now. Born again, blood bought, purchased at Calvary, follower of Jesus Christ and I am not ashamed. Call me a holy roller. Call me a religious fanatic. Call me a Jesus Freak. I am all of the above.

So with that being said, I want to touch on something I read on a message board the other day about some people betting on the fact that they would be “surprised” to see certain people in heaven. That thought took root in my mind and I cultivated it a little bit. The question is will I be surprised to see certain people heaven? One part of me says, “Well, maybe I will be surprised.” And then the indignate part of me says, “I certainly hope I’m not surprised!”

I tell you a truth; there are certainly exceptions, but it shouldn’t be the rule where anyone is surprised to see individuals who name the name of Christ in heaven! And with all seriousness and heavy heart I fervently pray that it isn’t any surprise for my friends and family to see ME there. What a shame that would be! What a disgrace! And is that even possible?! For one to go their whole life following Christ in secret? That it’s a surprise for the world to see them in heaven and that they were a follower of Christ on earth? Folks, I just don’t know. I shudder to think of the consequences of being wrong. Living like the world, yet a devoted Christian in secret?

I don’t want that to be me. So now, I declare: I am not afraid to be held accountable. I am not afraid to look in the mirror. I am not afraid to be shown my faults. And now, I want to live up the huge responsibility of this high calling and devote myself to the ministry God has granted me. This is my Decleration of Dependence on Christ and to glorify Him in all things. To everyday grow in grace and to grow in the knowledge of Him. I can do no less. I love Him because He loved me first, when He loved me enough to give His life for me. He is my everything and I truly, love Him more every day. And then when the time comes that He calls me home and I enter His Kingdom, it won’t be a surprise to anyone.

What I ask now to you all is; will people be surprised to see you there, or will they even see you at all?

YSIC,

Joy

A controlled power outage in all of Huanchaco has delayed this post about ten hours. You may now revel in its glory.

Welcome to the Market. Peru’s markets are a great place to get food, supplies and even voodoo remedies. They offer a look back in time, and yet their currents still run deep within the community. For two months we have observed and participated in the craziness, and I am now just beginning to feel the pulse. I will show you here what crossed my vision in the myriad of underworlds called, in Peru, the Mercado.
Flickr SLIDE SHOW.

All markets start small

Long and skinny

Low clearance

Light and sweet

Everything you could need can be found at the Market

Olives and Jessie

Apples and Jessie

Remedies?

Fake flowers bring light to the darkness

What'chu want, I got it

Overhead

Tough guy, then, food

The inside scoop... Chicken

Bonito Fresco

Kathy Kwak said: Dinner, anyone?

Breakfast now makes me sick

Not your supermarket varieties

Where you from

Even at the game

Chose. No you chose.

Adjacent to the Market.

Photo Essay.
Flicker Page.
Slide show.

Some photographs that attempt to describe urban Indian streets at night.

No one really knows why shoe infatuation is associated with the female gender. It’s not like we make that much of a fuss over men and their Nike Jordans, so why pick on women and their shoes? For some, there is just something about slipping into a nice 4 inch strappy heel for a night on the town. Ironically, the shoes that women love so much are actually putting a toll on their feet, as well as the rest of their body.

What is the culprit? Foot doctors and surgeons have been alerting the public for years now about the harm that shoes with high heels can cause. The worst of the bunch are the ones that present narrow toes. These can lead to health problems without a woman even knowing the damage they have done to themselves. Some cases even result in deformities of the foot that just will not go away. There is even evidence that suggests that high heels also cause arthritis of the knee, as well as other joint disorders. Who would have ever thought that a shoe could bring down your health?

This has led to the efforts of numerous foot experts, who wish to bring better healthcare measures to women who simply cannot part with their shoes. Several orthopedic foot and ankle specialists have gotten together to approve a variety of products that will help in foot care. They will also assess which shoe selections are reasonable for the maintenance of knees, ankles and feet.

High heeled shoes have been the leading cause bringing women to visit orthopedic doctors, who seem to be seen by these type of doctors four times more than their male counterparts. The constant wearing of shoes with high heels or narrow toes have led to a high incidence in corrective foot operations. This is what happens when women choose fashionable footwear over health and many of them aren’t even aware that they are doing it.

The results of repeated narrow or high heeled shoe wear of today’s latest fashion trends have been compared to the Chinese practice of foot binding. Although women who endured this practice showed signs of joint problems, they never sustained any bone deformities. It is usually the front of the foot that reveals common foot problems. Years of wearing improper footwear lead to bunions or other infractions of the toe. These signs often surface in middle aged women. These problems are caused by increased foot compression and pressure when wearing narrow shoes or high heels.

To avoid these foot problems, women don’t need to discard their love of shoes, but instead make wiser choices when it comes to footwear. That means settling for a shoe that is light and comfortable and doesn’t have a tight area for the toes. Also, women must stray from tempting selections with a high heel. In the long run, your feet will thank you for your efforts.

I really liked Darjeeling. Really liked. It was a good place to go. Really good. Darjeeling to put simply, was one of the most fun packed places a traveller could visit. But a bit of history is needed before I continue this blog post.

Darjeeling is a British invention. The hills and surrounding countryside has been there since India smashed into Asia 50 million years ago, but it was the cold loving British, needing a place to rest from the heat of their old capital that founded Darjeeling as a hill station and a centre of tea growing. In 1835, the lease was secured on Darjeeling by the British and so begins the history of one of India’s oldest tourist resorts. Right from the beginning, Darjeeling has attracted a multitude of visitors from both far and near to take in the hills, enjoy the cooling climate and to revel in some of the best tea grown anywhere on Earth.

Of course, being perched on top of a hill, people needed a way to get to the hill station. You could have taken a horse and cart. You could have walked. But it was an 80km hike uphill. And there was a need to get the tea off the estates and to Calcutta for export. So in 1881, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway opened for business. Granted UNESCO heritage status in 1999 (later joined by the Nilgiri and Shimla Railways) it represents one of the finest examples of 19th century engineering to be found on Earth and is fully operational. It is also fantastic fun to travel on!

I have never seen so many people smile as when the steam train puffed into the platform. Whether they were jaded local or train spotting geek, there was never a scene of so much happiness as that surrounding the steam filled frolics around Darjeeling station. Shunting away, whistling to and fro and with the local traffic playing a cat and mouse game with the locos, the Darjeeing Himalayan Railway is probably the happiest place on Earth. Or one of the happiest. You see, we humans do not care about speed and efficiency (the railway takes twice as long as the equivalent road journey), we just want fun! And there is plenty of fun to be had by riding the rails here in the hills of North East India.

And my goodness, do the staff of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway put on a show! Despite the multitude of languages thrown at them (remember, this is world famous railway) they handle us passengers with remarkable patience and skill. Spectacular in every way, my only complaint about the railway is that there are not enough trains put on. Demand far outstrips supply, especially in the peak tourist season for the ‘toy train’ as it is locally known. Whether you want to take the little tourist ride around Darjeeling or the full seven hour journey down onto the plains, make sure you are ready to wave at all passer-byes on your rail journey. Despite the daily running of the train, the local people are very friendly and are obviously proud that this train passes right in front of their homes.

To be honest, I was happier than a kid in a sweet shop. Like every other person, I love trains! My father was a fireman while in Sri Lanka, my Uncle was a train driver and my Grandfather was a station master. So this form of transport has always resonated with me. Plus compared to any other form of transport, the train is infinitely more civilised. Gently trundling through the countryside, with complete right of way, able to stretch the legs and chat with my fellow passengers, the train is the most enjoyable way to travel India. Whether a quick rattle on a local train, a long distance journey or even a mountainside treat, the train is the only way to see India. And the only way to see the hill country of Darjeeling is by the toy train!

Getting there and away:

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs pretty much everyday from Siliguri to Darjeeling calling at every station en route. In the monsoon (May to September) there are plenty of landslips and interruptions, but outside this, it will pretty much run come what may. There is also a special tourist train that does a loop around Darjeeling, taking in the war memorial at Batasia and the museum at Ghum. Tickets can be purchased anywhere on the Indian Railway network, online or through travel agents.

A narrow mountain road on a rainy, misty morning in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

© 2009 D L Ennis, All rights reserved.

NOTE: Permission for the use of my images is granted for personal websites and blogs but is to include a link back to this site and proper credit given to me, D L Ennis. Link to be used…(Visual Thoughts http://dlennis.wordpress.com/)

NOTE: Commercial use, and the creation of prints, must be purchased! For more information you can contact me here.

TP Mazembe are in a great position to lift the Champions League despite going down 2-1 away to Heartland in the first leg of the final…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: football player. The blog is also related to: division 1 soccer.

My mother taught me to be polite.  So, the next time I am with the moon, I say, Please?  And she says: No.  I cut the first letter, and I heard, O.  And that was better.  Because all night I heard the hum of something underground.  And the water moving from where it was sleeping to where it comes to be awake.  The bees say rise.  The wasp says sting.  And still I am polite.  This is balm, I say.  This is the ointment.  This makes everything that shouldn’t be, okay.  Okay.  Indeed, the world is a wide place.  And the grave a narrow bed.   But look how old we must get before we come to fit that space.  And how young I am.  And how a flowering will, is the right word emanate?  No.  It’s something else.  O, yes.  Unfold.  And how a flowering will unfold even from the place the shovel scored last year.

Going into the light on a curve on a narrow back road in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

© 2009 D L Ennis, All rights reserved.

NOTE: Permission for the use of my images is granted for personal websites and blogs but is to include a link back to this site and proper credit given to me, D L Ennis. Link to be used…(Visual Thoughts http://dlennis.wordpress.com/)

NOTE: Commercial use, and the creation of prints, must be purchased! For more information you can contact me here.

There are few things that I love more than satire — the more biting, the better. And few things are more capable of being mocked than network television. Network execs are playing to particular tastes, and the expectations of the audiences are narrow.

Therefore, satirical skewerings of television, when done well, make me giggle like a little girl in a tickle fight. A few years ago, satirical newspaper/website The Onion had a feature of made-up television shows on established TV networks, with titles that could easily pass for respective television shows on said network. Because I miss them so much, I’ll occasionally make one of my own:

These sorts of things amuse me, and I want to share them with y’all. Also, I’m easily amused.

Live option – open for debate and vote

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_Map

Divide and Conquer is the oldest strategy we know of. In an effort to show people how we are not separated by vast oceans from East to West but rather by a narrow straight North to South we begin to use Fuller’s map instead of the distorted Cartesian map where Greenland and Australia are the same size.

Women are destined to look elegant in form-fitting dresses. Dresses are supposed to flow with each movement and accentuate a woman’s natural feminine beauty. Womens narrow dress shoes add grace to an already graceful formal ensemble.

Dress shoes in general add a certain flair to formal wear. Womens narrow dress shoes are just one of the many kinds of shoes that can be paired up with an elegant evening gown, or a chic cocktail dress. Wide dress shoes are also available for women with broader feet – given the endless options for a female shopper looking for the right footwear, one need not fear that the size of her feet will hamper her from achieving any “look” she wants.

When you have narrow feet, say AA or AAA size, a lot of the more popular styles out in the market may frustrate you. But don’t fret! Just because those shapely high-heels you saw on the cover of a certain women’s magazine happens to be too wide for you, you can always pick out other styles of high-heeled shoes that will better suit your size and purposes. The important thing is to take your time shopping. Try out all the available styles and see which one would provide the best fit.

One’s prime concern when picking out a pair of formal shoes ought to be comfort. Say you may not be a real social butterfly, and you tend to shy away from most formal gatherings, excepting the ones that are really, really necessary to attend (such as your own wedding!), you still need to pick out shoes that are not just pretty, but also comfortable. If you really want to make the affair memorable and enjoy it to the fullest, you won’t sacrifice comfort for anything.

If you have narrow feet, your main concern is probably to find a good pair of shoes that looks good and at the same time doesn’t threaten to slide off at every step! On the other hand, if you have wide feet, you should not try to squeeze into narrower shoes just because those slender-footed shoes models make them look so irresistible. The point of wearing snappy dress shoes is to look gorgeous, and can you really do that while trying hard not to wince while going around the room talking to people?

Besides, even if you ARE a social butterfly, there’s no rule that says you aren’t entitled to comfortable formal wear, such as womens narrow dress shoes. It’s not true that the worse-fitting a shoe is, the better it looks. If you REALLY want to look good in a dress, you’ll pick out shoes that are right for the size of your feet.

Here’s the question that I want to ask right now: Why is repentance and faith so hard? Why is there so much violence evolved? Why are there a lot of people seeking to enter in who won’t be able to? Why?!

Now listen very carefully, I am going to tell you another verse. This verse comes from the very end of the Bible and listen very closely as the Bible is finished up and the last book of the New Testament is coming to completion. And the last thing that the Lord Jesus Christ wants to leave with this world is this: Let the one who is thirsty come! Let the one who desires to take the water of life without price.

Let me tell you something, “Is the door into heaven, the Kingdom of God, is it narrow?” Yeah it is narrow. It’s very narrow. But I tell you this: It is wide enough and broad enough and open enough for every single person who desires to go through it, to go through it!

Guarantee folks! Everyone, if you are thirsty go through and drink. God hasn’t shut the door from you for been saved. Just the opposite, He throws it wide open for all who are thirsty. He says, If you have a desire to come in, Come in!

Here’s the thing, Does He say that? He does say Come in. If it’s so easy .. Don’t you wonder about this? If it’s so easy why does it sound so hard? Right? If it sounds so easy? Here’s the door, we are beckoning to go through – Kingdom of God in our midst. All who desire can go all through. So easy and yet, [phew!] and it sounds so hard!

Here’s the thing, the door of the Kingdom of God is like a monkey trap. Now I know that some of you have heard about this. Listen to me, this monkey trap deal that I am going to tell you about is no urban legend. This thing is real. This thing is real and monkeys are really like this.

Now listen, trappers, you know obviously if you want to kill and monkey because you want to eat the monkey. You don’t have to be concerned about preserving the monkey. Just stick a arrow through it and put it on your plate but for those who want to capture monkeys for zoos and that type of thing where they want monkey unharmed. They have a way of trapping them. Well how? Well basically they take a gourd or a coconut or a bottle.

Let’s use the bottle in the illustration, it’s a good one. They basically get a bottle where has an opening to it where the monkey can get his hand in and they put nuts inside – delicious nuts. Just the kind the monkeys love to eat. Well what happens? The monkey puts his hand through the neck of the bottle where he can fit then, he reaches in there and grabs hold of one of the nuts. Well there’s a problem now. Now the nuts in the hand, his close fist; it’s too big to come out of the neck of the bottle.

Now you would think, “Okay, monkey drop the nut, monkey goes free!” That’s exactly right but guess what they found, the monkey will never drop the nut. And so, even when the trapper comes, the monkey sees him and is just going crazy trying to get away. He still won’t drop the nut!

Trappers got him, in the bag he goes. And you know, I’ll tell you again, this is no urban legend. This is how they trap – I read about it on the internet, well I never seen it done but I take it on good account that this actually happens.

The door way to the kingdom of God is just the same, it’s big enough for you to get through if you tarre out these eyes and drop those nuts of repentance – that Christ calls you to drop. That’s the whole point. If you don’t tarre out the eye – you don’t fit through. If you don’t drop the nut, you won’t go through.

Listen if one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33). Its big enough for you to get through if you do let go the stuff. But if there’s even one thing in your life that you are not willing to get rid of, a idol in your life that you won’t give up. You can’t go through. Idols and sin are too big to go through that door. You are willing or you are called to go, you are ask to go, you are bid to go, you are pleaded to go, you are commanded to go. You are commanded to repent and believe. You are commanded to go through that door.

In some places, God pleads with the sinner to go though that door. In some places, God pleads through His servants to you to go though that door. He bids you. He does it in commandment, He does it in some most affectionate terminology imaginable. He says. He actually comes down to the level of the sinner and says, “Come let us reason together!” I mean He is, He will even reason with sinners. He bids us “Come”. He provided a way in.

The problem is, look folks, God hasn’t shut the door on anybody. The thing is, there’s a nut that most people have and you know what the thing is? The thing is, most people will give up many things to have heaven but they won’t give up everything. They have that one or two special nuts and the won’t given up. They will not let go! And even if they hear that there is danger. Even if they hear that there is such a thing as hell. Just like the monkey when he sees the trappers coming. I mean that there is the danger just before their face and this guy will take me away, he is going to throw me in a place that I don’t want to be! And even when the sinner sees God is going to come for me and He is going to throw me in a place that I don’t want to be. Even when they see the danger, they won’t let go! Why won’t they let go? That’s the thing, why won’t the sinner not let go? Because as we find in Hebrews, what is it? Hebrew 3:3, the deceitfulness of sin.

You know what folks when you really boil it down on why people won’t repent? Because they don’t believe. That’s the issue, they don’t really believe. You see to believe a lie is to be a unbeliever. Sin is deceitful. Basically every sinner that will not enter. Why do have all these crowded people that think they will enter in when they will not enter in? I will tell you why because they have an nut in their hand.

They will come around and say, “I am trying to be saved. I calling upon God to be saved.” Let me see your hand. Yup that’s what I thought, can’t get their hand out because they have a nut in their hand and they will come around and they will be in tears and you know I am called upon the Lord and you know, He won’t save me. And I am doing this, and doing that and I coming to church and He won’t save me. You know why because of the nut in the hand. The monkey let go of the nut he is out right now!

You know what, 19 years ago, I had certain sins in my life I didn’t wanted to get rid of and I knew, I knew God showed me “You are going to hell for these sins”. And I knew that I deserved it and I sobbed and danger stared me at the face but there were certain sins that I didn’t wanted to get rid of. Now I will tell you this, the very 9th of July 1990, when I opened my hand – BANG like that I was saved. That fast!

Let go of your Sin or Perish by Tim Conway

One of the beauties of software prototyping is the way that we can fine tune the level of ‘richness’ of the prototype to suit its audience.

We can create ‘wide and shallow’ prototypes, which are used to provide a broad impression of an entire system without implementing specific detail. These can be used to gauge the overall navigation, feel and ’shape’ of a proposed system.

This approach is more common during the early stages of prototyping, where much of the fine detail has yet to be established. The ‘width’ refers to the scope of a system – for example, a ‘wide’ prototype of a payment system would generally include the full user interface, menus and such. However, being ’shallow’ there would be very limited functionality built into the prototype. So, though htere might well be a full set of menus, they wouldn’t normally do very much, beyond perhaps opening placeholder forms or very simple navigation.

Contrast this with a ‘narrow but deep’ prototype, which is essentially a prototype with a far narrower scope but with increased functionality and detail.

This can be used to provide a very rich user experience of a particular slice of a system, with a very close approximation to that of a developed solution. This can include things like mock data, logic-based branching and all of the polish that one might expect in the end product.

Richer ‘deep’ prototyping tends to follow ‘wide and shallow’ prototyping. It needs a basic foundation to build in the richness of functionality, and that foundation is normally provided by an existing ‘wide and shallow’ prototype.

Of course, it’s not unusual to have ‘full feature’ prototypes, which incorporate both full scope (‘width’) and functionality (‘depth’) – but these are large and complex to create and are generally the preserve of high visibility, big budget developments.

More typically, creating a ‘wide/shallow’ prototype or two for basic requirements formulation and design, followed by some enhancements to key areas in terms of ‘depth’, provides enormous benefit to most projects.

The slim silhouette of the 2009 New Year’s knee Impressive denim leather patch spider web ! Good enough to cool black denim is processed USED vintage tone. Unique texture is unique attractive neighborhood. N-back-pocket stitching also nice point !

defeated option

]]> http://charismaticreformed.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/loving-the-pure-word-of-god-all-of-it/ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:34:35 +0000 charismaticreformed http://charismaticreformed.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/loving-the-pure-word-of-god-all-of-it/

As a minister, I know how easy it is to preach your “favorite” subject.  Usually your favorite subject is a subject that has changed your life.  I even see this in Reformed churches.  They seem to talk a lot about “God’s Sovereignty,” “Election,” “Grace,” etc.   I think you get the point.   I am tempted to do the same,  all 3 of the subjects I listed have changed my life: therefore, I speak of them often.  BUT we need to be careful  not to go to such an extreme that we NEVER speak on anything but these subjects.  It is hard to get away from hitting on these subjects when they are so much a part of the Bible message.  Yet, I think we need to make sure that while these subjects will come up (often), that we make sure we teach the “whole counsel of God“  (Acts 20:26, 27).

Let’s not make the same mistake as many denominations and movements have made.  They get stuck on ONE subject, and see the Bible only from that angle.  Confession time - I was once (not anymore) part of the “Faith Movement” and all you ever heard was faith, faith, faith.  Everthing had to do with faith.  I have been in what I’ll call a grace church, everything was, grace, grace, grace.  I eventually found out it was really “cheap grace” as the pastor and others in leadership were having sex with multiple members (true grace doesn’t do that – See Titus 2:11-12) .  Then, in  some Pentecostal or Charismatic groups the most important thing is “tongues.”  Another church, the theme is miracles.  The list is endless.  We get stuck in a rut, and we see no further. 

I praise God I have been exposed to the Reformed teachings (which is Biblical) in the last 10 years, but I don’t want to just become a little R.C. Sproul (love him), or a little John Piper (love him, too). 

How do we teach the whole counsel of God?   I personally believe in teaching in the church mainly verse-by-verse through books of the Bible.  I do more topical or segments of scripture on the road, but with a local congregation, I believe expository teaching is the best way to give a well-rounded message.   You can try to pull in your “favorite” doctrine even in expository teaching, but if you are truly sharing the meaning of a book and the verses IN CONTEXT it will minimize that from happening.   Let’s make sure we don’t lose the message/theme of a given book. 

I encourage you all to get in a church that teaches mainly expository (verse-by-verse).  Also, try to find a pastor who hears from God as he studies these passages, and is not just copying his favorite preacher.   Don’t get me wrong, I have my favorite ministers (mostly dead), but while I may quote them and learn from them, when I get in the pulpit I have personally received my message by spending time in the Word (the Bible).   Nothing makes for a more anointed sermon than allowing God make His Word a part of you, and thus, a part of your message.  

While a lot of this is being said from a ministerial angle, this is also true in our daily lives.  Keep the word fresh and alive by personally spending time with God and letting Him open your eyes.   How exciting to cry out to God AND MEAN IT  when you say, “LORD teach me to LOVE the PURE Word of God!”  What an exciting time the Word of God will be to me (and can be for you). 

I do want to say I am so thankful for “Reformed ” teaching as it has opened the Word in so many areas, as for years I read passages in the Bible and just totally missed some treasures that were there. 

As you read the Bible, ask the LORD to teach you to LOVE the PURE Word of God.  AMEN!

Hello,

Ok so the previous post was merely a summary of my basic life plan, and now I’m beginning to sound like an ultra-dork, but I promise you it will get better from here on in. So the beginning of September came and went and I found an apartment in the South end of the city with my friend Caitlin. We moved in on the first, and I was also fortunate enough to acquire a somewhat serious job at a delightful little candy store downtown, called Sweet Jane’s. I had always had secret or maybe not so secret dreams about working there when I was a student, so now I am living out those dreams.

With that taken care of, I could move on to my city exploration task. I think I should tell you all that I am not exceptionally great at many things, so am often finding that I need to learn and practice even the simplest things over and over. For example, I still have no clue how people do their shoe laces up with the one loop method, I only understand bunny ears.

While we traveled in Asia, I found myself in many clubs and bars and experiencing the nightlife. I realized very quickly that I have no idea how to dance, or at least don’t feel comfortable with myself dancing for fear or being ridiculed by those better than me. Solution? Learn to dance. 

Number one on my list became to search out dance classes in Halifax. I figured that it would be unfair to only take one, as there are so many different kinds of dance. So I chose two. For the last two weeks I have been attending a Latin dance class at Shake It Dance Studio on Cornwallis Street, up in the North End, which runs for ten weeks in total.  And this coming week, I begin eight weeks of Uganda dance at the Maritimes African Dance Centre.

Now that I have covered the dance portion of my life, I thought to myself, “I’m going to need more cardio physical activity!” so I followed that search up with a kijiji search for classes. I have found that Kijiji can be real inspiration to anyone who is bored and looking for something to do. Not only did I learn about a lot of fun stuff to do in the city, but I also learned that I could purchase a male llama for $1000 and get a free female one! (Too bad I don’t have a backyard, or $1000)

On Kijiji, I was once again provided with a brand new set of ideas. Boot camps. Now I am not one for discipline, but I can tell you this, I hate going to the gym, so I would much rather have someone boss me around for an hour while I exercise. In the Halifax area, there are several women’s workout boot camps that I could attend, but I have chosen to take the Core Essentials boot camp on Saturday mornings for first timers. Some of you may be wondering why I chose this one, and to be honest it was a combination of the time and the cost. The other boot camps require you to bring supplies like weights and yoga mats, which are things that I don’t have and they also give you a bunch of “free stuff,” like shirts and books and recipe calenders. I say “free” in quotes because the cost of these boot camps are almost $60 more than the Core Essentials, which is as I understand the same kind of workout. I am there for the workout, not the fluffy stuff.

Boot camp doesn’t start until next Saturday, October 2nd, and I am pretty excited

Just when you thought I had a full schedule, I signed up for more classes. Tomorrow, Sunday, September 27th, I start a Hula Hoop class at In Essence studio on Barrington Street. It is apparently one of the best workouts you can do for yourself, and also sounds like a blast. I’ll let you know how I do, because as of this moment, I can’t keep a hula hoop going for longer than 6.3 seconds.

I promise you that this is the last addition to my after work life for the next couple of weeks, but I was also fortunate enough to discover and get accepted into a DJ program with Reachability. I started the class last week and I will make a separate post to let you all know how it went, otherwise this is just going to get crazy! 

So there you have it, a mass overview of the fun things to do in Halifax. These are all activities that I know little or nothing at all about and am going to fill you in on all the details. 

Check back soon for updates on all the fun stuff I’m doing. Don’t worry I’ll be sure to include all the other fun stuff I do, like nights on the town, and random trips and of course bad photos of funny things.

Spec

Symmetry in the tracks and sidings of a narrow gauge railroad.