CHIJ SJC values

2007-09-17T21:19:00.000+08:00

ystd went bowilinq.
wif my parents.
it was so much fun larrhs.
den now still lookinq forward to da next tym i can go again.
budd sadly.
i scored scored so badly.
budd..is my first tym.
so...yarrhs.
who first tym can so pro derrhs rites?
rites(:
k0r sae wan teach me derrhs.
den he sure i can become pro.
which is lyk...
i dont tink can lorrhs.
budd nvm.
as lonq as i can win my bro can lerrhs.
hees.
budd at nite hors.
some kinda bu kai xin derrh thinq happened.
jus now went to popular buy asessments ferr maths & science.
although a bit too late.
budd nvm.
i do those i dunno derrh first.
hehes.
i guai rites?
i mus kao hao hao lai dis tym.
so dat if i wanna change my life i can(:

2007-04-24T11:41:00.001+08:00

Maximising Your Potential
When Perfect Isn't Good EnoughM Antony & R Swinson, New Harburger, 1998, £12
Perfectionism becomes a problem when it interferes with completing a task, impairs relationships or otherwise interferes with life. This book explores the causes and offers cognitive behavioural strategies for overcoming it and helps to challenge unrealistic expectations.
Just Do It Now: How to become the person you most want to beLynda Field, Vermillon, 2001, £7
Just Do It Now is about how to create the reality you want, overcome obstacles and realise the powerful effects of your own thoughts. It shows how you can overcome a natural fear of change by going ahead anyway and doing whatever you would secretly love to do.
Emotional IntelligenceDaniel Goleman, Bloomsbury, 1996, £8
In this book, the author argues that our IQ-idolising view of intelligence is far too narrow. He makes the case for self-awareness, altruism, personal motivation, empathy, the ability to love and other emotional attributes as being stronger indicators of human success.
The Nice Factor BookJo Ellen Grzyb & Robin Chandler, Pocket Books, 2000, £7
Explores techniques to help people choose a different way of behaving than they are used to; intended to put them back in control of their lives.
Self-MotivationGael Lindenfield, Harper Collins, 2000, £7
A self-help guide attempting to reveal what it is, how exactly it can help us and why it is so often elusive. Aimed at encouraging the reader not to procrastinate.
Success from SetbacksGael Lindenfeld, Harper Collins, 2000, £7
The author sets out to show how this skill is something that can be developed, and how apparent disasters might be converted into opportunities for success and personal growth.
Block - Getting out of Your Own WayAbigail Lipson & David Perkins, Lyle Stuart, 1990, £17
Seeks to answer to some common questions such as "Why can't I get out of bed in the morning?" or "Why can't I get my work done on time?" This book doesn't offer instant solutions but provides a framework for changing some of the failures of will-power many of us face.
A Life of One's OwnMarion Milner & Joanna Field, Virago, 1986, £8
How often do we ask ourselves, 'What will make me happy? What do I really want from life?' Marion Milner, the author of this remarkable book, first published in 1934 under the pseudonym Joanna Field, set herself to grapple with this problem. Written in the spirit of a detective story searching out clues, the reader quickly becomes involved in the chase.
The Road Less TravelledM Scott Peck, Vintage/Ebury, 1999, £7
Suggests ways in which facing our difficulties might enable us to reach a higher level of personal understanding. The author discusses the nature of loving relationships: how one might recognise true compatibility, distinguish dependency from love, and become one's own person.
Isn't It About Time: How to overcome procrastination and get on with your lifeAndrea Perry, Worth Publishing, 2002, £9
Full of useful ways to overcome procrastination, and to create a more satisfying, exciting and productive life. Andrea Perry shows how to identify how you block your natural tendency to be effective and creative, and how to build on your strengths and give your tendency to procrastinate something better to do.
It's About Time: the six styles of procrastination and how to overcome themL Sapadin & J Maguire, Viking, 1996, £8
Understand why you procrastinate and how to change! Through self-diagnostic quizzes, this book can help you define your procrastination style(s), be it Perfectionist, Dreamer, Worrier, Defier (including passive-aggressive), Crisis-Maker or Overdoer, and give you ideas about how to motivate yourself to stay on track, no matter how discouraged you may feel.
Life and How to Survive ItRobin Skynner & John Cleese, Hutchinson Children's Books, 1996, £9
Seeks to act as a "map" to guide people through their everyday lives and help them retain their individuality while co-operating in joint endeavours. It also explores the nature of competition and sportsmanship, of humour in relation to health, and of change and how to except it.
Change For The BetterElizabeth Wilde McCormick, Sage Publications Ltd, 2002, £17

source: http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/books/potential.html

2007-04-24T11:38:00.001+08:00

Justice is the ideal, morally correct state of things and persons. For many, justice is overwhelmingly important: "Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought."[1] For many, it has not been achieved: "We do not live in a just world."[2]
This problem of uncertainty about fundamentals has inspired philosophical reflection about justice, as about other topics. What exactly justice is, and what it demands of individuals and societies, are among the oldest and most contested of philosophical questions. For example, the proper distribution of wealth in society — should it be equal? meritocratic? according to status? — has been fiercely debated for at least the last 2,500 years.[3] Philosophers, political theorists, theologians, legal scholars and others have attempted to clarify the source, nature and demands of justice, with widely various results.
Some may picture justice as a virtue — a property of people, and only derivatively of their actions and the institutions they create — or as a property of actions or institutions, and only derivatively of the people who bring them about. The source of justice may be thought to be harmony, divine command, natural law, or human creation, or it may be thought to be subordinate to a more central ethical standard. The demands of justice are pressing in two areas, distribution and retribution. Distributive justice may require equality, giving people what they deserve, maximising benefit to the worst off, protecting whatever comes about in the right way, or maximising total welfare. Retributive justice may require backward-looking retaliation, or forward-looking use of punishment for the sake of its consequences. Ideals of justice must be put into practice by institutions, which raise their own questions of legitimacy, procedure, codification and interpretation.

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice

2007-04-24T11:37:00.001+08:00

Fearing God
Deuteronomy 5:29
In Deuteronomy, chapter 10, Moses is speaking to the children of Israel. They were near the end of a long journey. For almost 40 years they had been wandering about in the desert on their way to the promised land. He is preparing them for his departure and for their entry into the promised land - telling them how they are to live their lives as God's covenant people. And as he does, he teaches us also how we are to live our lives as God's chosen people.
If there is one thing that Moses wants to impress upon them and upon us, it is that they and we are to fear the Lord. He mentions that they are to fear the Lord 9 times in Deuteronomy.
He has been telling them what God has done and then he says this:
Deuteronomy 10:12 (NKJV) "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
How does the Lord ask us to respond to Him and what he has done for us? The response is to be one of attitude - we are to have a proper attitude toward God, an attitude that will affect all that we do.
This morning I ask you to consider your attitude; how you look upon God, how you respond to Him. The attitude we are to have is to fear the Lord our God. I ask you, "Do you fear the Lord?" Is it the fear of the Lord that is the motivation of all that you think, say, and do?
Revelation 15:4 (NKJV) Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested."
God desires that we should fear Him.
Deuteronomy 5:29 (NKJV) 'Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!
Certainly the fear of God is not characteristic of a pagan culture. Sadly, all too often a proper fear of God is not a prominent part of the Christian's life, either. Fear of God just isn't part of the culturally correct - which means mainly psychologically correct view of the healthy, satisfying religious life. Fear is viewed as harmful by our culture. Children have no fear of their parents. Citizens have no fear of lawful authorities. And yet the Bible tells us to live out our lives in fear.
This is a subject that isn't preached about much in our day, but it is still vital to the Christian's faith. We desperately need to recover a sense of awe and reverence for God in our day. We must begin to view Him in the infinite majesty that belongs to Him who is the Creator and Supreme Sovereign of the universe. There is an infinite gap in worth and dignity between God, the Creator, and man, the creature. The fear of God is a heartfelt recognition of this gap.
The Bible teaches us that God is Holy and we are to fear Him. Would you classify yourself as a God fearing man or woman? As God dealt with the children of Israel, he continually stressed that they were to fear Him:
Deuteronomy 4:10 (NKJV) "especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
The fear of God is not strictly an Old Testament concept, it is very much a part of the New Covenant. Speaking of the New Covenant that was to come, Jeremiah said:
Jeremiah 32:40 (NKJV) 'And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.
Paul and Peter both speak of "the fear of the Lord." Referring to those people who did not know God, Paul said:
Romans 3:18 (NKJV) "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Speaking of believers, Paul said:
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:21 (NKJV) submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Speaking to believers, Peter said:
1 Peter 1:17 (NKJV) And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV) Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.Honor the king.
Speaking of Christ, Isaiah said:
Isaiah 11:3 (NKJV) His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
If Jesus, in his humanity, delighted in the fear of God, surely we need to work on having this attitude in our lives.
The Bible uses the expression "fear God" 17 times; the expression "fear the Lord" 35 times; and the expression "the fear of the Lord" 27 times. As Christians, we are called to fear God. Do you?
If so much emphasis is placed on fearing the Lord, then I believe that we need to know what it means, and how we can go about doing it. Therefore, I would like to take a few minutes this morning and talk to you about fearing God. I believe that the Lord wants to teach us what this matter of fearing Him is all about. He wants you and me to grow in our relationship with Him and in our knowledge of Him; and the way knowledge begins is with the fear of the Lord.
What does the phrase "the fear of the LORD" refer to? When we think of fear, we associate the word with terror. Webster's Dictionary defines fear as: "a feeling of anxiety and agitation produced by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, pain, etc." For many, this would describe the feeling you get when you see a snake, go to the doctor or dentist, or when you find yourself in a time of extreme danger. It is dread of the unknown. Surely, this is not the sensation the Bible is referring to.
In our modern vernacular, the "fear of the lord" is often defined as "reverence" or "awe" - which is fine as far as it goes. But I wonder if this definition truly goes far enough. According to Paul, the "fear of the lord" should include a place for "trembling"!
Philippians 2:12 (NKJV) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Paul combined "fear and trembling". The Greek word for "trembling" is tromos, and means: "a trembling or quaking with fear". Just as one would likely tremble in the presence of one who could take our life, so Jesus taught us to fear the Lord:
Matthew 10:28 (NKJV) "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
What, then, does it mean to fear the Lord? When we truly fear the Lord, we will recognize that He is the Creator, and we are the creatures. He is the Master, and we are the servants. He is the Father, and we are the children. This attitude will manifest itself in our having a respect for God, and in our having a desire to do what He tells us to in His Bible. We can relate this kind of fear to that which a child has for his parents. If the right kind of fear is present, the child knows that his parents can hurt him if there is disobedience, but overriding that fear is the knowledge that disobedience hurts the parents, and the child loves and respects his parents and does not want to hurt them. To put it simply, the fear of the Lord is a deep seated reverence for God that causes men to want to please Him at all costs.
Fear of the Lord is always demonstrated in obedience to the Word of God:
Proverbs 16:6 (NKJV) In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.
This verse tells us that the fear of the Lord promotes holy living. The person who truly reverences and respects the Lord as he should will not do anything that brings disgrace, dishonor, or pain to the heart of the Lord. People who genuinely fear the Lord will flee from evil. And people who do not flee from evil do not fear the Lord, regardless of what they profess with their lips. Therefore, when we fear the Lord, there is an elements of dread at what His wrath can do, but there is also such a respect for Him and for His will that nothing else matters but doing that which pleases the Lord.
In scripture, wisdom is inseparably linked to fearing God:
Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
If "wisdom" and "understanding" are parallel in this verse, and I believe they are, then the "fear of the Lord" and the "knowledge of the Holy One" are parallel also. If we fear God, we will walk in wisdom; and if we know God, we will walk in understanding. To know God is to fear Him, and to fear Him is to walk in obedience.
What is wisdom? True wisdom, for man, is adjustment to and acceptance of God's revealed truth. It lies in seeing himself, the creature, in right perspective to God, the Creator, and in acting accordingly. To the Hebrew, wisdom is right living, responding correctly to life's situations. So, when you fear God, you will begin to live right, you will walk in obedience.
Would you describe your life as one lived in the fear of God? Does the dread of His wrath prompt you to holiness? Does respect for Him and for His will propel you toward obedience and godliness? If not, you must ask, how can we grow in our fear of the Lord? How can we learn more about God so we will come to fear Him?
THE "FEAR OF THE LORD" COMES THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD!
Proverbs 2:1-5 (NKJV) My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
Just as "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17), the same can be said for the "fear of the Lord"! No wonder there is so little fear of God today among His people, it is because there is so little time spent in His word.
Deuteronomy 31:10-13 (NKJV) And Moses commanded them, saying: "At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 "when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 "Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 "and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess."
Notice that the children of Israel were told to gather every seven years to read and hear the Word... "that they may learn to fear the LORD". As you spend time in the Word of God, you will gain a healthy degree of the "fear of the Lord".
Have you ever felt an awe or fear for the Lord as you've read of His judgments in the Bible?
Leviticus 10:1-3 (NKJV) Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified [or honored].' " So Aaron held his peace.
What did they do wrong? The text tells us they didn't regard God as holy. This display of God's wrath is not an isolated incident. Do you remember what happened to Lot's wife when she looked back at Sodom?
Genesis 19:17 (NKJV) So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed."
Genesis 19:24-26 (NKJV) Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
God said to not look back, and Lot's wife disobeyed, and God turned her into salt! God is very serious about obedience, and our obedience is motivated by our fear of Him.
Jeremiah 21:3-7 (NKJV) Then Jeremiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them in the midst of this city. 5 "I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger and fury and great wrath. 6 "I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence. 7 "And afterward," says the LORD, "I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence and the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword. He shall not spare them, or have pity or mercy."'
Zedekiah was the last king of Judah (596-586 B.C.). He was made king in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (2 Kings 24:17). When he rebelled, the Babylonian army besieged Jerusalem and destroyed it.
Jeremiah 39:6-7 (NKJV) Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
The last thing Zedekiah saw was the execution of his sons before his own eyes were blinded. Then Zedekiah was taken to Babylon where he was imprisoned until the day of his death.
In 2 Samuel 6, Uzziah steadied the ark to keep it from falling, and God struck him dead! We look at the Old Testament and see God's judgement on sin and it causes us to fear Him. The Bible teaches us that God is Holy and He is to be feared.
In the New Testament, we see an ever-increasing fear of the Lord Jesus the more men came to understand who He is. The disciples feared when they witnessed the stilling of the storm:
Mark 4:41 (NKJV) And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
Men became fearful at the raising of the widow's dead son:
Luke 7:15-16 (NKJV) So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. 16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."
When Jesus healed the paralyzed man it caused those who witnessed it to fear:
Luke 5:24-26 (NKJV) "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
When Jesus healed the demon possessed man, it caused all to fear:
Luke 8:37 (NKJV) Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
The disciplining of Ananias and Sapphira produced a healthy fear in the church and outside:
Acts 5:5 (NKJV) Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
The disciplining of the Jewish exorcists brought fear to those who lived in Ephesus:
Acts 19:17 (NKJV) This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
As we spend time in the Word of God, we will learn to fear Him. It is important to emphasize, however, that we must read ALL of God's Word. Some read only those portions that will reveal God's love and mercy, and have no "fear of the Lord". Others emphasize the "fire, hell and brimstone" passages, and know nothing of God's everlasting loving kindness and love. The one develops an attitude of permissiveness that belittles God's holiness and justice. The other develops a psychosis of terror that forgets God's grace and compassion.
To "fear God" is an instruction to stand in awe of God. I draw your attention here to Israel's crossing of the Red Sea. Once God had led Israel through the sea on dry land to the other side, and then drowned the stubborn Pharaoh and his army in that Sea, we read this response from the people:
Exodus 14:31 (NKJV) Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.
This fear was not panic or horror or terror of God; this fear was rather awe, respect, reverence for God. On the far banks of the Red Sea the people stood in amazement at the wonderful things the Lord in wisdom had done for their deliverance. Do you stand in awe at the power and wisdom of God?
DIVIDENDS OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD:
The fear of the Lord is accompanied by tremendous blessing. According to the book of Proverbs, the fear of the Lord will produce certain benefits in your life and mine. When we fear the Lord, we will find certain things to be true:
It Prolongs Life:
Proverbs 10:27 (NKJV) The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Approximately 60% of human illnesses can be traced directly or indirectly to fear, sorrow, envy, resentment, guilt, hatred, or to any number of emotional stresses. Add to that the awful pain caused by alcohol (cirrhosis of the liver), tobacco, (emphysema, cancer, heart disease), and immorality (venereal diseases and AIDS), and we can see that a life lived in the fear of the Lord with obedience to His Word will result in a much healthier existence.
It Produces Satisfaction And Safety:
Proverbs 19:23 (NKJV) The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
The person who lives in the fear of God will be a satisfied person. They will have one goal in life; pleasing the Lord, and it will have been met. Therefore, they will have all their needs met, and they will be happy. When we must have other stuff to make us happy, we never will be! When we learn to be satisfied with the Lord and with the privilege of walking in His fear, we will be permanently satisfied. Nothing will matter but the smile of God, and it will be upon our lives.
A life lived in the fear of the Lord will tell on you. If you fear Him, then you will want to honor him in everything. He will come first and His will will be paramount in your life. It is easy to see those who walk in the fear of the Lord. His House is a priority, prayer and the Scriptures are priorities, everything God says in His Word take priority and precedent over one's personal will and desires. The Lord's way becomes the only way.
To stand in awe of such a God, to respect this God highly on account of what He has done, implies automatically that one obeys His commands. To have high thoughts of God; to marvel at His greatness, His power, His mercy, His kindness, to stand in awe of this God on account of His works for us, implies that one has appreciation too for His instructions. It's certainly a contradiction to fear God on the one hand and to disregard His commands on the other.
The Bible teaches that God is holy, and that He is to be honored. We desperately need to recover a sense of awe and reverence for God in our day. Notice how John responded when he saw Christ in all his glory:
Revelation 1:17 (NKJV) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
Do you remember Isaiah's response to seeing God?
Isaiah 6:1-5 (NKJV) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."
Whenever men in Scripture were in the presence of God their response was always fear. God is Holy, He is just, He is righteous, and we are to fear Him. As we study the Scriptures, we will see God in all His majesty and glory, and it will cause us to stand in awe of Him, which in turn will cause us to live in obedience. Solomon put it this way:
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NKJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

source:http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/topical/fearing_god.htm

2007-04-24T11:33:00.000+08:00

"Grace and Graciousness"
The roots of a godly man must be cemented in the warehouse of God' grace. We might think of a godly man as fully occupied keeping from the touches of the world through self control, but this is not godliness. A negative portrait of godliness is like believing there are only negative numbers in the world. Godliness is better described as the person who lets the person of God transform him by the glorious truths God has revealed in this world. Jesus was full of grace and truth. He lived life to the fullest. Each step in Christ's life was overflowing with the goodness of God pouring out so that others would also come to experience God's goodness.
Grace astounds us with its powerful story of God's love. Grace shines through all the pages of scripture amazing us with an awesome but puzzling picture of God. Grace is a truth which is like a sea where we cannot reach the bottom. The more we understand grace, the more we stand humbled in its shadows convinced we will never well understand it.
Graciousness is a character quality born from a true understanding of grace. Although the Reformers had rediscovered grace, we hear of many cases where God's grace was not extended in the form of graciousness. Many today are proclaiming grace from their pulpits, but the willingness of many to tolerate bitterness and politics in the church embarassingly reveal how little we know of God's grace. The parable of the mean steward speaks louder than many of us would want to admit. May God use this web series to kindly expand our insight into His grace that will make us all the more gracious in our dealings with man.
FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION OF GRACE
Grace is bringing God's goodness into the life of the undeserving.
To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens!Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He shall be gracious to us(Psalms 123:1-2).
Purpose of this study on grace:
That we may bring the greatest amount of glory to God as possible;
That we may joyfully serve our fellow man with all diligence.
That we may keep from stumbling because of arrogance.
That we may have the greatest joy in serving God.

source:http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Grace/Grace00.html

2007-04-24T11:30:00.000+08:00

Truth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Truth (disambiguation).
A common dictionary definition of truth is "agreement with fact or reality".[1]
There is no single definition of truth about which the majority of philosophers agree. Many theories of truth, commonly involving different definitions of "truth", continue to be debated. There are differing claims on such questions as what constitutes truth; how to define and identify truth; what roles do revealed and acquired knowledge play; and whether truth is subjective, relative, objective, or absolute. This article introduces the various perspectives and claims, both today and throughout history.

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth

2007-04-24T11:26:00.000+08:00

Integrity in modern ethics
There exists, however a more formal study of the term integrity and its meaning in modern ethics. It is often not only understood as a refusal to engage in behavior that evades responsibility, but as an understanding of different modes or styles in which some discourse takes place, and which aims at the discovery of some truth.
One of the best definitions of integrity ever is from the situation comedy "Scrubs". Note that in this definition one can "sacrifice your own ethics". Rather than the rigid definition of "integrity" being an adherence to ethics, perhaps it is better defined as the ability or drive to do "the right thing" in spite of the ethical or personal distress it may cause.
"There comes a time when every man has to make a choice, whether it's a professional choice or a personal choice. In the end, it's all about integrity. And it's about chasing after what you really want; even if that means you both care a little.
And sometimes, well, sometimes you just have to do what's right for a friend; even if it means sacrificing your own ethics. When it comes down to it, you just have to be proud of the decision you make."
J.D. "Scrubs" ca 2004.

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrity

2007-04-24T11:19:00.000+08:00

You Are What You Eat
Better food habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. A healthful eating plan means choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way.
Fats and Oils
AHA Recommendation
Choose from:
Vegetable oils and margarines with liquid vegetable oil as the first listed ingredient and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. Examples are canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, soybean and sunflower oils.
Liquid or tub margarines that are low in saturated fat and trans fat. Trans fats raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol and total cholesterol.
Reduced-fat and no-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise with no more than 1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon.
Shopping and preparation tips
Use fats and oils sparingly. And use the ones lowest in saturated fat and cholesterol for cooking, baking and in spreads.
Use hydrogenated shortenings sparingly. And choose those made from vegetable fat such as corn oil or canola oil. They're lower in saturated fat than those made from animal- or vegetable-fat blends.
Use reduced-fat or no-fat salad dressings with salads, for dips or as a marinade.
Use cooking styles that add little or no fat to food, and request foods cooked that way when you eat out.
Remember to count the "hidden fat" in bakery and snack foods as well as the fats used in cooking and on vegetables and breads. Read food labels.
Remember that coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil are high in saturated fat, even though they're vegetable oils and have no cholesterol. Read food labels carefully.

source:http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4668

2007-03-30T16:46:00.001+08:00

What Exactly Is Freedom?
by David MacGregor
Everybody loves freedom. Everybody wants it. At least, that is a common assumption. But a lot of questions need to be answered. For example: What is freedom exactly, and can it be accurately defined?
Is freedom the same as democracy?
Is freedom the the right to do anything I want - regardless of the impact on anyone else?
Should I have the freedom to:
* Enter your house and steal your money?* Smoke marijuana or inject heroin?* Drive at 150 km per hour?* Say anything I like?* Kill someone, if they ask me to?
These are troubling moral questions. All the more so, because they deal with highly contentious issues.
Is there any received moral code that can answer such questions unambiguously?
In our technologically advanced, but socially backward societies, the answers are usually provided by religious or traditional belief systems. And as such, such issues often end up in a mess of contradictions.
If you subscribe to Proudhon's statement, "property is theft", then you would obviously think your freedom entitled you to take other people's money. If you are a welfare-statist, you probably don't consider a person to have the freedom to take drugs, not when the taxpayer has to pick up the tab. And if you are a fundamentalist Christian, it would be safe to say you wouldn't agree that you have the freedom to kill someone, even if they asked you to.
The truth is, all existing systems of belief and morals are simply not up to the task of clearly defining personal freedom and its limits. That's why we have such a moral and legal mess where the issue of freedom is concerned.
The question is always: "At what point does my freedom impinge on another person's freedom - and therefore nullify such freedom?"
If this "point" could be nailed down, unequivocally, then there would be a rock-solid point of reference for dealing with such thorny issues.
Fortunately, there IS such a "point of reference" - property rights.
After years of thinking deeply about the issue of freedom, both in a personal and social context, I believe that only by reference to property rights can order be brought to the existing chaos.
Enforcement of property rights is the foundation of justice. Justice is a prerequisite for freedom.
Andrew Galambos - the astrophysicist who formed the Free Enterprise Institute in the 1960s - came up with a neat and precise definition of freedom. He said:
"Freedom is the societal condition that exists when every individual has full (i.e. 100%) control over his own property."
This is certainly a radical statement. And I believe it to be 100% true.
Provided the word "property" is understood, then there can be no misunderstanding as to how to apply this dictum.
So, what is property? Well, first of all, you are your own property. Your body is your property. Your mind is your property. When you apply your mind to the creation of a physical good, that is your property. When you apply your mind and body to working for someone else, the money you receive in exchange for your effort is your property. When you buy something off someone else, it becomes your property.
The whole free market is the mechanism by which property is exchanged by voluntarily agreed means. If there was no property, there would be no market.
In fact, proper protection of property is a necessary precursor to any economic advancement. And it is this little-understood fact that is causing so much lack of progress in most of the undeveloped world.
If you establish a foundation of justice, based on the protection of property - then a market economy is the natural consequence.
I don't believe the concept of property is hard to understand, and in fact, it has been understood for millennia.
You could say that property is just common sense. Even children have no problem understanding the concept.
Moral dilemmas arise when my property rights come up against yours. And they can be easily sorted out by reference to exactly whose property is at stake.
Obviously, as my body is my property, then I can smoke marijuana and it's nobody else's business - unless I smoke it in your house without your permission. As for driving at 150 km/hour, that depends on who owns the road - and whether they mind or not. And a reference to property rights also sorts out the issue of euthanasia.
In fact, the beauty of enforcing property rights is that everyone is then 100% free to do whatever they want with THEIR property, and equally 100% NOT free to infringe on anyone else's.
This is the ONLY definition of freedom which ensures that every individual can attain it.
The issue of taxation is easily dealt with. Your money is your property, and no one has the right to force you to hand it over against your will.
What about a really contentious issue - like immigration? What does property rights have to say in that regard?
Well, under a property rights based society, you would have the right to emigrate only if you were invited by the owner of the property concerned. And in the case of a town, or city (for remember, everything would be privately owned - the roads, the buildings, the open spaces), then such an invitation would need to be consistent with whatever "body-corporate" bylaws everybody had voluntary signed up to.
Under a property rights based society, there would be no such thing as the "national" interest - only the interest of the individual property owners.
Property rights morality sorts out the problems of free trade. If I want to sell you something, or buy something from you - then no matter where on earth you are - it is nobody else's business as to what you and I agree to.
What about smoking in restaurants? Easily fixed. Who owns the restaurant? That is the only question needing answering, because the restaurant owner is the only one with the right to determine whether his customers smoke or not.
Are you a landlord? No problem, by reference to property rights, you have absolute control as to who you will rent to - and under what terms.
Every currently divisive social, political and moral issue can be rationally solved by applying the question of, "Whose property is it?"
Once the essence of property rights is grasped, and how such rights define the nature of justice, it becomes apparent that freedom is the natural consequence.
On the basis of property rights, there is no such thing as freedom from hunger, freedom from illiteracy, or freedom from unemployment. All these bogus freedoms are unable to be upheld when put under the microscope of property rights.
In the same way, democracy is NOT freedom, and in fact is most inimical to it. Democracy rests on the notion of majority rule, and of the right to determine morality by counting heads.
More often than not, the democratic system is used to undermine property rights - not protect them.
In a society where property rights were 100% protected, there would be no need for democracy, or voting of any kind. The law would be sufficient to cover all contingencies. Everybody would have equal rights - equal property rights.
But the very term "property rights" has been attacked incessantly by those with a vested interest in looting.
How many times have you heard the cry, "But property rights must take second place to HUMAN rights!".
The fallacy of that statement is in the fact that property rights ARE human rights. More fundamentally, it is impossible to have any genuine human rights, without accepting the preeminence of property rights.
Equally fallacious is Proudhon's statement, "property is theft". For how can you have theft - if there is no property to be stolen?
Under a property rights based society, you wouldn't need a judicially proactive government, forever creating new laws. No, the law could be stated simply and forcefully once and for all. And all that remained would be the need to interpret different situations in the light of the foundational respect of property rights.
Property rights also solves another problem - how to achieve genuine justice. Justice can be defined as respect for, and the enforcement of, property rights. No other justice is required.
So called "social justice" is just a figment of the looters' imagination.
So there you have it - the solution to moral greyness, moral equivocation, judicial activism, and a host of other current social evils.
Next time you read or hear of any contentious issue, try applying the question, "Whose property is involved here?", and you'll be surprised how much clarity it brings to bear.
Don't fall for the idea that equates democracy with freedom, and don't fall for the raft of bogus "freedoms" tossed around with abandon. Protection of property is the anchor of justice, and this would result in all the freedom you'll ever need.

credits:http://www.strike-the-root.com/4/macgregor/macgregor1.html

2007-03-29T21:51:00.000+08:00

Chapter One
Family History
That the generation to come, "might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God."~ Psalm 78:8 ~
Time may heal all wounds, but the scars can last a lifetime. Whether physical or mental, we all carry the baggage of the past with us into the present.However, there are people who do not have the burden of baggage. Two days after Jerome Overholt's thirtieth birthday, his fifty-two year old father was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's disease. Like a burglarized house being stripped of its valuables, the memories that Arnold Overholt had accumulated over the fifty-two years of his lifetime were slowly being cleared away. There was no cure. With only the faint hope of some unforeseeable breakthrough in medical science that would halt his descent into madness, Arnold Overholt and his family prepared themselves for the unthinkable.Charles Dickens once wrote, that "time and tide waited for no man." The same could be said of Arnold's family. Life ran its course, even though the world seemed to be an alien one. Vera, Arnold's forever-timid wife, now fought with the insurance company to pay for her husband's expensive medication. Jerome, their eldest son, was actively pursuing his career in the health care business back East, a desire he had since graduating from college. Jerome dreamed of bettering America's failing health care system-- a dream that would tarnish through the coming years.Three years after Arnold's diagnosis, Charlton, the Overholt's only other child, married Martha McEntire. Charlton and Martha settled in Los Angeles, California. Since Arnold and Vera had lived in Southern California for most of their married life, the proximity of their youngest son was a great comfort to them both.God always does things for a reason. Nothing ever happens without one. Two years later, though, Charlton no longer made the pretense that he believed in providential reasons. He had endured his father's heartbreaking diagnosis and remained close to home so that he could help his parents. All this he felt could be endured. Then Martha died an hour after giving birth to their only child. Before dying, she had named the new baby girl after him. His daughter, Charlotte, had come into the world at the cost of his wife's life. Charlton never blamed Charlotte. No, he blamed God instead.After Martha's funeral, Mrs. Janice McEntire, Charlton's mother-in-law, insisted that Baby Charlotte should return to North Carolina to be raised by herself and Mrs. Angela Goodman, Janice's surviving daughter. Mrs. Vera Overholt disputed that the baby's place was with her father's family, while the McEntire family and the Goodman family disputed otherwise. Angela Goodman had a daughter that was one year older than Charlotte. The two girls could be raised together. Martha, they insisted, would want it. The families stood divided. Jerome, who had flown in from the East for the funeral, ducked and ran for cover whenever anyone asked for his opinion on the matter.Feeling as though the only remnant left him of his wife, was now trying to be taken from him, Charlton packed up Baby Charlotte and moved to Butte, Montana. There they lived for the next fifteen years, until God, once again, stood in Charlton Overholt's way.Charlotte Overholt, now fifteen, unlocked the apartment door and dumped her school books on the sofa. Exams were tomorrow and she had a lot of cramming to do. Last week, Charlton had pulled her out of school and taken her with him on a camping trip with his group that lasted for five days. The group consisted of six stressed out city people paying a total stranger to take them out to the middle of nowhere, in hopes of forgetting their troubles. Charlotte usually enjoyed these camping trips with her father, even though she was expected to cook for eight people. Lately, however, Charlotte had noticed that her absences from school were biting deeper into her grades than she had previously thought. Charlotte arranged her books on the kitchen table and tried hard to concentrate on the text before her.Charlton glanced up at the clock over the store counter. It read four fifty-two."Time to close shop, Chuck," announced a voice from the back room. Charlton lowered the steel shutters over the store windows, secured the back door, and locked the cash register. "When you're finished, you can leave," said the voice, it's redheaded owner appearing from behind the back room door."Bye, Frank," called Charlton as he exited the door. Charlton had worked as a salesman for a camping equipment store called, "Venture Outdoors" for the past three years. He enjoyed the work, and the pay didn't hurt either. Once in a while, Frank, the owner of "Venture Outdoors," would collect the names of a few people who wanted to go camping, but were too inexperienced to go by themselves. After each person had paid a nominal sum, Frank would furnish the required supplies. As Charlton for a guide, he would lead them to the best camp sights and instruct them in the do's and don'ts of outdoor survival. Depending on the humor of the city dwellers who were unused to "roughing it," the camping trip would last three to five days.Charlton inhaled a deep breath of fresh Montana air and started his sports utility vehicle (SUV).Back at the apartment, Charlotte was still consumed with her homework. The telephone rang, breaking into her concentration. It was the landlord reminding all the tenants to leave the light on in the hallway at night. There had been two break-ins lately, and the landlord attributed it to the fact that everyone kept turning off the hallway light at night, making it possible for thieves to skulk about in the dark. Charlotte promised she would pass the message on to her father and hung up the receiver. Before then, she hadn't noticed that he wasn't home yet. It was ten o'clock."Daddy got off work at five," she thought. "Maybe he went out with Frank and forgot to call," she reasoned. Charlotte called Frank, who said he hadn't seen Chuck since they closed the store. He told her not to worry."He's probably out having a good time somewhere and just forgot the time," said Frank. Charlotte muttered something in the affirmative and hung up. No matter what Frank said, it was not like her father to be this late. She grabbed her red windbreaker and headed out the door.The sun had long ago retired behind the steep Montana mountains, leaving a dark blanket of black to cover the sky. Not even the moon could be seen tonight. Charlton looked up from the steering wheel. It was dark outside. He was parked on the side of the road. Where was he? None of his surroundings looked familiar. Charlton noticed his hands were trembling. He rubbed them together and started the engine. The dark trees whizzed by his window as Charlton made the long drive back home. He tried to reason away the thoughts in his mind."To much stress," he thought, "that's it. It has to be stress."It was one in the morning by the time Charlton was back in front of his apartment building. After thinking up a reasonable excuse, he went in."Daddy, where have you been?" demanded Charlotte. "You had me worried to death!" Charlton gave his daughter a hug, which was not reciprocated."I was with Frank," he explained, "and just forgot the time. That's all. Nothing to be concerned about," he added, disappearing behind his bedroom door. Charlotte knew her father was lying.Since father and daughter were close, this holding back of the truth hurt her more than she liked to admit. She knew she never told her father everything that was on her mind, but she always had the assurance that he would. Charlton shared everything with her."He's OK," she thought, "that's the important thing."The next morning, both acted as if nothing had happened the night before. Charlotte kissed her father and went to school. Even though Charlton pretended that it was an ordinary morning, it was just that-- pretend. He had spent the night in wakeful fits, half afraid to admit to himself what he was thinking. Charlton called in sick, and made an appointment at the doctor's office for that afternoon.Dr. Estrada was a short man with white hair that stuck out every side of his head, excepting the top. His small mustache sat perched on his upper lip as if to defy gravity. When children sat in his office, their thoughts would be momentarily diverted by the hypnotic movement of Dr. Estrada's cookie duster.One look at Charlton's face told the doctor that he was dealing with a very concerned man. After the doctor did a general examination of Charlton, he led the patient into his office."Well, did you find anything?" asked Charlton, nervously."Was I supposed to find something?" asked the doctor, raising his eyebrows."Didn't you find something wrong with me?" Charlton asked."Chuck, I did a general examination of you. You passed with flying colors." Dr. Estrada looked at his clipboard. "You are forty-two years old and exercise more than most on a regular basis. Did I leave out anything?" Charlton rose up from his chair, and then sat down again."It's probably nothing," he began, "but I've been having a few memory problems.""Over how long a period?" asked the doctor."Just the last few months." In actuality, Charlton's memory lapses had been occurring much earlier than this, but he hadn't been aware of it until recently."What kind of memory problems? Are you misplacing keys and forgetting appointments?" smiled Dr. Estrada. "This is perfectly normal." Then Charlton told the doctor, in detail, the events of the prior night."And you don't remember driving to that location," asked the doctor, "at all?" Charlton shook his head."From five in the evening to about ten at night is a total blank. I don't remember a thing. I remember that I was on my way home from work and the next thing I know, I'm in an unfamiliar place, late at night." Dr. Estrada leaned back in his chair."Have you been under stress lately? Maybe at work?" asked the doctor."Yes, exactly!" exclaimed Charlton. "That's exactly what I thought! I knew there was nothing to be concerned about!" Charlton was about to get up from his seat when Dr. Estrada stopped him."Well, are you?" the doctor repeated."Am I what?" Charlton asked, his voice overcome with frustration."Chuck, calm down. Are you under stress at work?" Charlton slowly shook his head."I've never had a better job than this one. I talk to the customers about things I enjoy talking about. And just about every month I go camping, and get paid for it.""You came in here expecting me to find something wrong with you. Why don't you tell me what you think it might be, and I'll tell you whether your worries are unfounded or not." Charlton explained that his family history was the source of his concern."My grandfather died of Alzheimer's when he was eighty-two. My father was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's when he was fifty-two," said Charlton. "I'm forty-two.""So, you think it's your turn next?" asked Dr. Estrada."Alzheimer's is hereditary, isn't it?""Yes, it is. But that doesn't mean you have to have it also. It just means that you are at a greater risk. I have a rule," explained the doctor, "always to look for the easy solution first. There are many things that could have triggered these memory lapses, including stress.""But how can I know for sure that it isn't Alzheimer's," asked Charlton. "Isn't there a test I can take?""Alzheimer's can only be diagnosed by a series of medical, neurological and psychological tests to rule out other possibilities. I would like to schedule you for the first of the tests sometime tomorrow," said the doctor. "Make an appointment with my secretary." Charlton went to the door, his face betraying the anxiety he was feeling. "Try to relax, Chuck. Forty-two is a very early age to have Alzheimer's. The odds are against it."
"Yet [he] hearkened not unto Me, nor inclined [his] ear, but hardened [his] neck: [he] did worse than [his] fathers."~ Jeremiah 7:26 ~
"Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto Me."~ Jeremiah 35:14 ~

credits:http://acacia.pair.com/Journey.of.the.Heart/greatest/G_1_c.html