Our Father, God in heaven, is the ruler over all the earth and as His children, adopted into His royal family through our faith in Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, we are all royal heirs to all of God’s promises.
We were designed by our creator to be the glory of men and the mothers of all living things.
At the end of creation, we were the final “cherry on top” as I’d like to say to the problem of loneliness in mankind.
Why, I repeat, why have so many of us women allowed ourselves to fall from that place of honor and esteem?
It grieves me to see women hiding in the shadow of their churches, shamed and saddened by secrets that they wish they could conceal from their past.
Christian women should be restored to their place of wholeness. Their place of dignity, quality and honor before God so that their testimony may be a true blessing and will draw all women back to the Lord.
Unfortunately, many Christian women are still hiding, still carrying heavy baggage’s of hurt, fear, guilt and shame.
They go about their daily routine concealing their true royal identity, pretending not to notice their filthy condition.
Their light isn’t shining, and no one can see the Queen within them whom their Father created them to be.
All signs of their royal inheritance have been covered with the degradation of abuse, mistakes and unfortunate incidents that happened sometime in their lives.
Love works like a magnet since everyone wants to be loved. Jesus shared a big secret with His disciples-the secret to winning more souls for Him. When Christians love one another, anyone who sees them will want to join them because everyone is looking for love.
When they find it, they will want to stay there. This is the very thing the enemy hates!
The devil and his cohorts of darkness will do everything possible to put confusion in the midst of those who love one another. This is why the church should be on the look out to identify the strategies of the devil when members who once loved begin to do otherwise.
The devil will want to use talebearers, backbiters, and critics to cause love in the church to fade away. These groups should be identified and prayed for as well as counseled so that the love in the church can remain active.
Charity within the church must also be encouraged as it encourages kindness. When we back up our love with action, those in the world will find it easy to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
How do You identify Yourself?
How do you identify yourself? Are you just a boy or girl, or do you see yourself as a Queen or King?
Your gender identity is a deep-seated, internal sense of who you are as a gendered being. It is the gender with which you identify yourself.
The National Geographic(www.nationalgeographic.com) has done research on what’s being called the “gender revolution”.
Some people identify themselves as LGBTQ an acronym used to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals in our community.
Affirming pronouns however or the most respectful and accurate pronouns for a person as defined by that person.
It’s best to ask which pronouns a person uses to avoid offenses.
Gender Identity in Children
Once young children learn to talk, most will declare a gender identity, boy or girl, that aligns with their biological sex.
According to research drawn from www.HealthyChildren.org around two years old, children become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls.
By age four, most children have a concrete sense of their gender identity.
During this same time of life, children learn gender-role behavior-that is, doing “things that boys do” or “things that girls do” when they choose toys, clothes, activities or friends.
There are many paths to becoming a woman or a man.
The History of Miss Universe
In 1952, Catalina established the current Miss Universe as we know it. The first competition was in Long Beach, California. It was an instant hit.
Armi Kuusela of Finland was the first winner. Before her reign was over, she had to give up her title to get married to a Filipino tycoon, Virgilio Hilario
The Miss Universe beauty pageant has come a long way since 1952, but its ethos has remained the same:
Finding the most beautiful woman in the entire universe.
Who was Catriona Gray, Miss Universe 2018?
According to Rappler.com, The Miss Universe 2018 coronation night on December 17, 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand saw fan favorite, the Philippines’ own Catriona Gray bringing home the coveted crown.
Catriona Gray, succeeds 2017 titleholder Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa, and is the fourth Filipina to wear the crown. Even before her pageant run, she has been advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness, and education, particularly for impoverished youth.
Author Kim Clement stated in his book, “Secrets of the Prophetic” that a promise is not as effective as the product. A promise lingers in our thoughts and minds but the product of that imagination is what will shift our lives and the lives of those around us.
He also states that we are always living in some form of process
and this spiritual process is the space between the promise and the product.
The process of re-evaluating what was once considered “Godly
practice” will result in the rejection of a powerless tradition that has no
application in this present generation.
Tradition is simply continuing the old franchise of the past but
essentially that old franchise becomes irrelevant.
Chained to tradition, the church will never be able to discover
the creative forces they were meant to possess.
Louis Dupre, professor of Philosophy at Yale University wrote that
“Christianity has become a historical factor subservient to a secular culture,
instead of functioning as the creative power it once was”.
It is clear that too much of Christianity has become absorbed by
the culture, rather than functioning as the creative power of the culture.
Let us become the creative power that is affecting the culture,
rather than a mountain of garbage consisting of boring nonsense that has no
relevant word for a dying culture.
There are enough people in the church to infiltrate and shift the
whole course of our present culture.
But first we must be willing to give up all our religious,
traditional nonsense and allow ourselves to become God’s creative word to the
world.
Historic Truth vs. Creative Truth
There is a difference between historic truth and creative truth. Think on this! It was truth at one time (maybe) and it had its effect but now it’s dead; it is not truth that is creative. It has no potential unless it was transferred into this hour by the creative power of birth- which we now call re-birth.
Creative truth is lacking in the church today. We are all
hanging on to what we used to do rather than doing what we should do.
It might be a comfortable place but it is not a spiritual
place.
Historical truth is not as important as creative truth.
Inside of you is a creativity to bring something forth-not to re-invent the
wheel, but to do something that has never been done before.
Its call the power of invention.
Truth resurrected has a whole lot more to say. In the name
of the older and more cherished people, we will do greater things!
Creative truth means we are going to do greater things than
were done yesterday. Authors, Poets, Entertainers, Musicians, Presidents,
Senators, Kings and Queens, they are all going to feel the Kingdom in its
dominion.
We need a bunch of Daniels and Esther’s who will reach up to heaven and bring down God’s creative power in the midst of an alien culture and shift the balance of power towards the righteous.
The Bible calls Divination an
Abomination
In Leviticus 20:6, and I paraphrase, God told the children
of Israel that “the person who turns after mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute
himself/herself with them, I will set my face against that person and cut them
off from his people.”
Also the priest Ezekiel condemned false prophets in the book
of Ezekiel Chapter 13 as follows:
False
Prophets Condemned
13 The word of the Lord came to
me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the
prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out
of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 3 This
is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who
follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Your
prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You
have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people
of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 Their
visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has
not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to
fulfill their words. 7 Have you not seen false
visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,”
though I have not spoken?
8 ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divination's. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.
10 “‘Because they lead my people
astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a
flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore
tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come
in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent
winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses,
will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”
13 “‘Therefore this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and
in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with
destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the
wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so
that its foundation will be laid bare. When itfalls, you
will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So
I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with
whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who
whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who
prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no
peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’
17 “Now, son of man, set your
face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their
own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say,
‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic
charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in
order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve
your own? 19 You have profaned me among my
people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my
people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and
have spared those who should not live.
20 “‘Therefore this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare
people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the
people that you ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear
off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall
prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because
you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no
grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways
and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no
longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my
people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
No power on earth is able to overcome the children of the
Lord. When we confront the powers of darkness, the Lord is there to shine His
light and confuse our enemies.
Isaiah 44: 24-25 states:
24 “This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself, 25 who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense.
Remember that not only has God given us a creative nature, he has
also given us His divine nature and power.
When we are confronted by the powers of darkness, we must use the
power of his word and be sensitive to the Spirit of a person’s heart.
One of the gifts God has made available to us is the “discerning
of spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10).
However, sometimes we may use the wrong measuring stick to judge
people. They may have personalities that do not please us. They may have a disposition
that is usually angry or calm. They may have voices that we find to be too loud
or soft or maybe we find them to be too colorful or conservative. Lol!
But that is not what counts. What really counts and the question we should be asking ourselves is, what about their hearts?
Some women feel unseen and invisible. They feel like their taking care of everybody else, but nobody is taking care of them.
Most women can barely get through the day, let alone find time for pleasure or intimacy.
Elizabeth Davis is an author, women’s health care specialist, educator, consultant, and Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). She is a resident of Sebastopol, California and a mother of three children.
Author
Elizabeth Davis states that women of today are beyond busy. They precariously (love
that word!) juggle the demands of work, their primary relationships, their children,
their friendships as well as their personal needs.
In her book
as seen above, she also highlights the additional duties included in a woman’s
household.
Running
errands
Paying
bills
Purchasing
groceries
Shopping
for clothing for the family
Supervising
household repairs
Cooking
Doing
the Laundry
Helping
with children’s home work
These are
just a few of the many responsibilities in a home for a woman.
However,
imagine also adding a full-time job to that ever-expanding list of
responsibilities. I’m flustered just thinking about it. Lol!
Even if a
woman is blessed to have a loving and supportive partner, it usually takes two
wage earners to make it in today’s economy.
Equality, this is even more difficult in a society that may refuse to grant women equal rights and privileges to those of men.
It is
therefore now extremely stressful and frustrating for women as the society has
already precast their gender roles.
Men as a
group have a higher pay scale, greater benefits, more travel and free-time and more opportunities to play than women.
On the flip
side, women’s role as “Servant to all” in our social structure is greatly
evident in the institutions of marriage, education, health care, business and
even religion.
For years we women have been taught to be the peacemakers, to soothe and heal the emotional problems of others to the exclusion of our own.
We are
constantly being accused of being angry and reactive and let’s not forget “thin
skinned”.
However, how
many of you realize that our angry really stems from inequality, injustice,
being overwork and maybe an unsupportive social structure?
For men,
society is basically supportive and therefore they are not the target, but we
women frequently are.
Rape is a prime example of this as well as the promotion of violent pornography.
The stress of competing in a man’s world has led some women to adopt male characteristics almost to the exclusion of their own. Women no longer want to be stereotyped as weak, indecisive and irrational.
The Estella Scott-Roberts Foundation was set up on 31 October 2008 by the husband (Rayle Roberts) of the late Estella Scott-Roberts.
He created the foundation with the intention that it will carry on her work of creating a country free from violence and the advancement and empowerment of women.
Mr. Roberts has requested that any initiatives being formulated by individuals or groups that are considering using Mrs. Scott-Roberts name or image in relation to their project to contact the foundation prior to finalizing any plans.
For more information on the foundation, call 938-6300, email: esrfoundation@gmail.com or mail correspondence to P.O. Box 84 Grand Cayman KY1-1501, Cayman Islands.
Becoming
Lover’s not Fighters
I take great
pride in being a lover and not a fighter. I also have great respect for the
many roles that men play in our society today.
It is my
intention to remind my readers about the positive features of a woman and why
God made us the way he did.
Let’s
remember our sensitivity (which is so needed in our society today), our
flexibility and our creativity to discern and chart our own course.
I strongly
believe as a mature woman that it is time to reincorporate those feminine aspects
back into our way of life, our approach to problem solving and our intimate
relationships.
The Art
of Loving Another
People are
different. In practice however, we do not fully acknowledge that people are
different from us. Instead we are bent upon changing one another. We resent, resist, and reject each other’s
differences.
We tend to demand that the people in our lives feel, think and behave as we do. When they react differently, we make them seem wrong or invalidate them. Many times we try to fix them when all they really need is understanding and nurturing.
What is
Love?
Some people
believe that love is only the acceptance and appreciation of a person only when
they have fulfilled our expectations.
Some people also believe that love is the act of changing a person into
what we want them to be rather than what they choose to become.
Is love
caring for or trusting a person because they think and feel the way we do?
It may feel like love to the giver but not to the receiver. Real love is unconditional. It does not demand but affirms and values.
Unconditional
love is not possible without the recognition and acceptance of our
differences. As long as we mistakenly
believe that our loved ones are better off thinking, feeling and behaving the
way we do, true love will always be obstructed.
Once we
realize that not only are people different, but they are supposed to be that
way, the obstacles to real love begins to fall away.
To love
someone is to acknowledge the goodness
of who they are. Love is also a connecting feeling. Love relates you to another. It says you are
like a part of me. Love is an attitude that embraces another as one would
embrace oneself. It upholds, nurtures, and
supports.
I strongly
believe that whenever we are truly feeling loved, there will also emerge a
selfless desire to serve the well-being of the loved one.
13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Unity in Diversity
According to author John Gray Ph.D., accepting our psychological differences frees us to experience an underlying oneness that permeates our relationships.
He believes in
an abstract way, we are all the same. He also believes that in every spiritual
teaching is an acknowledgement of that oneness.
Deep within we feel a spiritual oneness with our fellow humans. When we read of children suffering from hunger, we feel in our hearts the pain we would feel if they were our own children.
Dr. John
Gray also believes that the quest to open the heart takes a variety of forms:
The
path to enlightenment
The
quest for God
The
dream of a happy marriage
Finding
one’s soulmate or
Creating
a loving family
The
Seeker of Enlightenment
The Seeker
of Enlightenment is drawn to a teacher because the teacher embodies something
within the student that the seeker is to realize. Through loving and
understanding the teacher or the teaching can indirectly assist the seeker in
loving and accepting those very qualities within themselves.
Gradually
the seeker finds what they seek within their own being. In this way, they are
inevitably drawn to that which they need to awaken within themselves.
Union
with our Soulmates
Dr. John
Gray also believes we may seek to find yet a deeper union with our soulmate, a
special person with whom to share our lives, as if ordained by the heavens.
We are drawn
to this person not because they are similar to us but because they are
different.
He believes our soulmate embodies qualities and attributes that we unconsciously seek to find within ourselves.
Through
loving this person, we begin to accept and awaken those same qualities hidden within
our own beings.
This
discovery of self brings us greater fulfillment.
Attraction:
White and Sizzling Hot!
Intense
attraction to someone is a sign that there are many differences to harmonize and
many conflicts to resolve.
We are drawn
to that which is different. Therefore
our challenge is to understand, accept and appreciate those differences.
Who we find
ourselves attracted to is beyond our control. We can be sure we like a person,
but when there is attraction; rest assure that there are lessons to learn and discoveries
to be made!
Let’s
talk about Men
His complexion
Fair, dark,
ruddy, pale as the moon, dark as the night or caramel, men come in many shades
and flavors that are appealing to various women.
Do not
despise what someone else may celebrate!
His Hair
Now they all
have different textures, lengths and colors of hair.
I find it fascinating sometimes to watch a
beautiful head of hair being set a fire by the sun’s morning light.
Sometimes their course textures are artfully designed and inspiring.
Or we may
prefer the rich, silky waves that are tenderly groomed.
His Body
Let’s be real,
we all have different parts of the body that we like. Me especially! My thing
is to accentuate the positives and downplay the negatives.
He may be
tall, short, pleasantly plump or athletically slender. A man who is confident in himself knows how to
work with his God-given package.
I find a
confident man to be very attractive.
Almost irresistible.
He’s
Enjoying Life
Everyone
loves to see a parade. To go to a party. To share a joke or to just enjoy
life. Everyone wants to be a part of a
celebration.
When a man
enjoys life, it is the greatest way to attract interest. From the simple pleasures to more complicated
delights, a man who embraces opportunities and experiences that put a spark in his
eye and a bounce in his step is intensely appealing.
Joy is irresistible!
Everyone is always seeking more, and if you have a surplus to pour out, believe
me, someone will come for a drink!
Joy speaks of more than the ability to amuse yourself. It speaks of wholeness, confidence, a settled heart that is comfortable.
Sean John Combs (P. Diddy)
Puff Daddy, also known as ‘Diddy’ or ‘P. Diddy’ is a three time Grammy Award winning American rapper, record producer and entrepreneur. He is one of the biggest names in the American music industry, who has successfully carved out a niche for himself. Born in Harlem, New York, tragedy struck his family when he was still a child. He lost his father who was shot dead and was later raised by his single mother. After dropping out from Howard University, where he was studying business, he later established the Bad Boy Records, a record label, which launched the careers of many successful artists in the music industry. After a series of successful productions, he came out with his debut album titled, ‘No Way Out’, which became a massive hit. With the success of his debut album, he reached the pinnacle of his music career and went on to produce more hit albums and also launch his own albums. Some of his albums include, ‘Forever’, ‘The Saga Continues.’, ‘Press Play’ and ‘Last Train to Paris’. He also owns a clothing line.
F.Y.I.(411)
P.Diddy’s birthday is on the 4th November
Joy acts
like a magnet, drawing others to itself.
When a woman sees joy in a man’s eye’s, this is translated as promises
or pleasures that have yet to be revealed.
Promises she
will be determined to discover.
His
Originality
Even though
there are many men out there, they are all different. The question is how do they stand out?
Everyone
should embrace their originality, especially men.
There are
unexplained things that every woman
likes in a man, from the way he unconsciously
rakes his fingers through his hair, to
the colorful and fun-loving socks he wears.
Why? Because
his quirks make him unique. There is no one else like him, and every other man now
seems boring in comparison.
His
Willingness to Grow
Don’t expect
perfection from him, we are all unfinished products. It is the experiences in life and our
interactions with others that cause us to grow and become better people.
Accepting a
man for who he is, seeing his vast potential, and allowing him to grow into it
is a rare gift that delights a man when he finds it.
Why? Most
men are not really expecting this. They
have grown used to women and even the society judging them. Their judged by what
they do and what they have acquired.
If he is
already wealthy, they society might not be as supportive of his dreams of
acquiring more wealth. Many may even be deceitfully envious.
If he is
highly intelligent, they may not understand his continuous need to acquire more
knowledge.
If he is a
philanthropist, they may scrutinize and critize his motives for all his
charitable deeds.
The bottom line is most men want to build a future filled with all the people and things they desire and a life they can share.
Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.
Anton Ego, in Pixar’s Ratatouille
It is becoming more and more evident that group creativity is becoming more and more necessary.
We now live in a world of very complex and global challenges. Many of the most important and pressing issues exceed the capacity and capability of one individual.
As a result, it is clear that in order to find solutions, collaboration with other people has become increasingly necessary.
Concepts of Intelligence
Most of us grew up with a concept of intelligence based on the traditional IQ test. The IQ test was originated by Alfred Binet (1857-1911) to measure, objectively, comprehension, reasoning and judgement.
Alfred Binet was motivated by a powerful enthusiasm for the emerging discipline of psychology and a desire to overcome the cultural and class prejudices of the late nineteenth-century France in the assessment of children’s academic potential.
The Past vs. The Present
The Past
Research indicates that many studies in different fields were done by single individuals who made significant strides and produced inventions, works of art, formulas, and other various pursuits.
A great example of a man that history has crowned as one of the “Great Renaissance Men” was Leonardo Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, military engineer and draftsman — the epitome of a true Renaissance man. He is famously known for paintings like “The Last Supper” and “Mona Lisa,” and for inventions like a flying machine.
Gifted with a curious mind and a brilliant intellect, Leonardo da Vinci studied the laws of science and nature, which greatly informed his work. His drawings, paintings and other works have influenced countless artists and engineers over the centuries.
Mona Lisa
In 1503, da Vinci started working on what would become his most well-known painting — and arguably the most famous painting in the world —the “Mona Lisa.” The privately commissioned work is characterized by the enigmatic smile of the woman in the half-portrait.
The Present
The best research now emerges from groups and many science papers are co-authored, many works of art-creatively collaborated among individuals, even recent inventions and great ideas bear testament to the “great minds” behind them all.
Why is this you may ask? The reason is simple: many of the biggest problems that we need to solve now require the expertise of many people from different backgrounds who can bridge the gap between each discipline.
Creative Thinking and Accelerated Learning
Michael J. Gelb is a world-renowned innovator in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning and leadership development. He is also the author of How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci- Seven steps to Genius Every Day.
In his book, he states that at the time of the IQ test conception, the concept was considered a breakthrough, however, contemporary research now shows two significant flaws.
Flaw 1
The idea that intelligence is fixed at birth and immutable (unchanging overtime or unable to be changed).
He believes that although individuals are endowed genetically with more or less talent in a given area, researchers such as Buzan, Machado, Wenger and many others have shown that IQ scores can be raised significantly through appropriate training. Yeah!!
Flaw 2
The second weakness is the idea that the verbal and mathematical reasoning skills measured by IQ test (and SATs) are the sine qua nons ( an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary) of intelligence.
Managing and Growing your Creative Dreams
How Management relates to growth
One of the most powerful things about growing your creative dreams is that growth requires management. This especially applies to you if you plan on making your creative dreams public or bringing it to the marketplace.
The manager part of you is different from the creative worker part of you. The creative worker only knows how to physically work directly on the creative dream. It’s the part that sews, paints, sings, dance, write or physically does something.
The manager part of you is the one who looks ahead, designs a system, or hires assistant for the creative worker.
Growth involves change, focus and strategy. Growth isn’t necessarily good if the system that supports that growth is faulty or becomes strained.
Also remember that growth in business doesn’t always match human growth.
Camana Bay
Farmers & Artisans Market
As a vibrant town center constantly growing, Camana Bay is a must-visit for international visitors and locals alike. This event, taking place on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., will allow for 40 local vendors to showcase and sell a mix of their produce, local specialty food items and artisanal and craft products.
CAMANA BAY
A destination within a destination, Camana Bay is a vibrant town located in the heart of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory.
Situated on 685 acres between Seven Mile Beach and the North Sound, this mixed-use master-planned community is one of the first examples of New Urbanism in the Caribbean.
Developed by Dart Real Estate, Camana Bay offers more than 650,000 square feet of commercial office and retail space as well as 63 luxury apartments available for long-term lease, public spaces for all to enjoy, world-class shopping and dining, as well as family-friendly entertainment, events and attractions.
Another part of managing and growing your creative dreams is assembling a team to help you. We form teams all the time without calling it that. The dictionary states that a team is: “A group of people working or playing together as a unit”.
Did you also know that families are a kind of team? Growing creative dreams calls for us to form teams because we can create more in a community than we can by ourselves.
When you make a creative dream real, it is then separate from you and needs support in order to grow.
A team is an excellent kind of support, and the right kind of team is the best type of support.
Marketing
Growing your creative dreams may involve marketing. If you are at a public stage with your creative dreams and wish to share it with more people, you will need to know something about marketing.
If you choose to involve your creative dreams in the world of trade and commerce, use some of your energy to become informed about what that means.
Marketing Essentials by Michael Ferrier
It can be extremely exciting and rewarding to share your creative dreams with the world and receive compensation in the form of money.
You can then use that money to fund more creative dreams.
Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney World
Types of Success
Success can: • Isolate or remove you from friends or familiar things • Distort your values • Overwhelm you • Cause you to quit your creative dream
The dictionary defines success as: “The gaining of position, fame, wealth, achievement or satisfaction.
Tyler Perry
Success however is not the answer or the solution, but part of a greater system. Your response to and management of your success is pivotal in nourishing yourself and your creative dreams.
Success can also: • Expand and accelerate your creative dream • Cause you to choose to be apart of a team • Bring you in contact with wonderful people and things • Assist you in making your other creative dreams real • Support other people’s creative dreams • Activate brand-new creative dreams
Success can also activate arrogance, egotism and entitlement.
Teachers and Mentors
We can be self-taught and taught by others. Teachers can appear in books, videos, films or by our experiences.
Micheal Jackson
Michael Jackson ruled the 80’s so dominantly, it’s easy to forget that the adorable pre-teen Jackson was a Motown sensation in the 70’s.
A child prodigy with cheerful charisma and natural dance talent, he led his band of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon.
With four singles hitting the top of the Billboard charts, the Jackson 5 were among the first black groups to appeal to a racially diverse audience. With hits like “ABC” and “I Want You Back,” Jackson established his path to global stardom.
So remember, being teachable is important. We can need or want to learn, yet be essentially unteachable. If we are stubborn, or unwilling to listen or change, we can be unteachable.
However we receive teachings, our creative dreams will benefit from learning.
A Mentor
A Mentor is already doing/living something you want to do or live. I’ve learnt that the mentoring process is both a practical and alchemical process.
Practical, because you can imitate or practice what he or she has done and apply it to your own life.
Alchemical, because his or her energy and your energy merge and change both of you.
Mentors can mentor very briefly or over a lifetime. It is a gift that continues to give throughout generations.
Pyramids at Giza
Multiple Intelligences
In his modern classic, Frames of Mind (1983), psychologist Howard Gardner introduced the theory of multiple intelligences, which concluded that each of us contain at least seven measurable intelligences.
And guess what else I learnt? In Gardner’s later work with his colleagues (another prime example of group effort), they catalogued twenty-five different sub-intelligences. Wow!
Let me add my own intelligence to the following prime examples (7 being a prime number after all. Get it? Lol!).
Seven Types of Intelligences and Genius Exemplars other than Leonardo da Vinci
Meaning of Genius Exemplar: 1 : extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity. 2 : a person endowed with transcendent mental superiority specifically : a person with a very high IQ.
7 Types of Intelligences
• Interpersonal/Social- Queen Elizabeth I, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi • Musical- Mozart, George Gershwin, Ella Fitzgerald • Verbal/Linguistic- William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Jorge Luis Borges • Logical/Mathematical- Stephen Hawkins, Isaac Newton, Marie Cutie • Spatial/Mechanical- Michelangelo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Buckminster Fuller • Interpersonal (self-knowledge)- Viktor Frankl, Thich Nhat Hanh, Mother Teresa • Bodily/Kinesthetic- Morihei Ueshiba, Muhammad Ali, F.M. Alexander
The theory of multiple intelligences are now accepted widely and when combined with the realization that intelligence can be developed throughout life, offers a powerful inspiration for aspiring Renaissance men and women.
The patent system is the oldest form of intellectual property right. Since its development, the concept has been featured in many of the world’s major political upheavals.
Testimony of this fact can be traced back as far as the late Middle ages where the element of monopoly conferred upon the holder of a patent has at least the potential to provide very significant economic benefits.
Brunelleschi’s Dome: The story of the Great Cathedral of Florence
Brunelleschi’s Dome
The first recorded patent was issued in Florence in the fifteenth century. According to the 5th Edition of Information Technology Law by Ian J. Lloyd, Filippo Brunelleschi, the architect of Florence’s remarkable cathedral won the world’s first patent for a technical invention in 1421.
Filippo Brunelleschi was a classic man of the Renaissance: tough-minded, multi-talented and thoroughly self-confident. He claimed he had a new means of conveying goods up the Arno River (he was intentionally vague on the details), which he refused to develop unless the state kept others from copying his design.
Florence complied and Brunelleschi walked away with the right to exclude all new means of transport on the Arno River for three years.
When adopted in England, the purpose of the patent system was somewhat different. Unlike Brunelleschi’s patent, the technology covered by the patent was new to the country rather than new in itself.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the system fell increasingly into disrepute because unfortunately the system was frequently being used to boost the Royal revenues by conferring a monopoly in respect to basic commodities for a fee.
It was another hundred years however, before it was settled that in return for the award of a patent, the inventor was required to specify details of the manner in which the invention functioned and not until the enactment of the Patent Act 1902 that even a rudimentary form of examination of the patent applications was made with a view to establishing novelty.
In recent United kingdom statutes, it has been made absolutely clear that the element of invention is critical for any award and that a balance is to be struck whereby in return for putting details of the manner in which the invention functioned into the public arena, the inventor is to receive a temporary monopoly in respect of its exploration.
Description of the Modern System
The basic theory of the patent system is simple and reasonable. It is desirable in the public interest that industrial techniques should be improved. In order to encourage improvement, and to encourage the disclosure of improvements in preference to their use in secret, any person devising an improvement in a manufactured article, or in machinery or methods for making it, may upon disclosure of the improvement at the Patent Office demand to be given a monopoly in the use for a period of years.
After that period it passes into the public domain, and the temporary monopoly is not objectable, for if it had not been for the inventor who devised and disclosed the improvement nobody would have been able to use it at that or any other time, since nobody would have known about it.
Furthermore, the giving of the monopoly encourages the putting into practice of the invention, for the only way the inventor can make a profit from it (or even recover the fees for his/her patent) is by putting it into practice, either by using it themselves, and deriving an advantage over their competitors from its use, or by allowing others to use it in return for royalties.
United Kingdom’s Patent System- Patent Act 1977
Today the United Kingdom patent system is based primarily on the Patent Act 1977. This statute was enacted in part to reform and update the United Kingdom law relating to patents but also in order to bring domestic law into conformity with the provisions of the European Patent Convention, opened for signature in 1973, which provides for a measure of harmonization in matters of substance and procedure amongst signatory statutes.
There is no doubt that inventiveness is a key requirement of the patent system, what has been more debatable has been the application of the system to soft-ware related inventions. these are innovations where novelty resides primarily or exclusively in software components.
Concerns:
1 Does the software developments fit conceptually into the industrial nature of the system?
2 Does the library and related resources exist to allow claim to novelty to be adequately assessed?
Patents in the International Arena
According to the 5th Edition of thew Information Technology Law by Ian J. Lloyd, the patent systems tended to be found only in the developed world. However, since the introduction of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it has resulted in many more countries introducing systems of patent protection.
The oldest international instrument is the Paris Convention, an instrument signed by ninety-six states, including all of the major industrial states. This provides that the submission of an application in one signatory state will serve to establish priority for the applicant in the event that equivalent applications are submitted in other signatory states within twelve months.
Although such a facility is of considerable value for inventors, the practical problems involved in obtaining patent protection on anything like a worldwide basis are immense, and a number of subsequent agreements have sought to ease the task facing applicants.
For a good description of the history of the United Kingdom Patent System, see the Patent Office Website at:
The Convention was first opened for signatory on the 20th March 1883, with the most recent revision occurring in Stockholm in 1968.
Intellectual Property in GATTS and WTO
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade has provided a legal mechanism for international trade. Reform to the system in the 1990’s brought service into the international agreement for the first time and also introduced provisions relating to the intellectual property rights.
The Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Protocol, which was adopted in 1994, entered into force on the 1st January 1995. For more information on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) requirements and signatures to make patents, visit:
A patent may be awarded in respect of an invention. The invention may relate either to a new product or to a novel process (perhaps Blockchain Technology?).
The Patents Act 1977 does not define the word ‘invention’, but it does specify attributes that any invention must possess. These require that:
Software-related inventions can be patented. In the United Kingdom, approximately 100 patent applications in their name are published each year. In proceedings before the European Patent Office, this figure rises to 100 per month.
The report of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology on Patents, research and Technology indicates that in the last 10 years the (EPO) European Patent Office has granted around 10,000 patents for software-related inventions, and has refused only 100 applications.
In 2003, it was estimated that up to 30,000 software patents had been issued by the European Patent Office, although, in part because the existence of the statutory prohibitions requires that software-related inventions be cataloged by reference to their field of application rather than the software component.
Matters excluded from patent protection
In addition to defining the elements that most be found in an invention, the Patents Act 1977 lists a number of features which will not qualify for the grant of a patent.
Section 1(2) which mirrors Article 52 of the European Patent Convention, provides that patent are not to be awarded for:
A discovery, scientific theory or mathematical method (I wonder if STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math is included?)
A literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or any other aesthetic creation whatsoever;
A scheme, rule or method for performing a mental act, playing a game or doing business, or a program for a computer; or
Over the past few centuries, a certain ideal has become very popular: that of the intelligent person.
In traditional schools, the intelligent person would master classical languages and mathematics.
Gifted Children
In a business setting, the intelligent person would anticipate commercial opportunities, take measured risks, build up an organization, and keep the books balanced and the stockholders satisfied all at the same time.
Kind of like a Renaissance Person. (Lol!) or maybe a Supercomputer!!!
Supercomputers
I was highly stimulated by my most recent research on Supercomputers. Guess what I found out? Supercomputers and mainframes are not competing solutions as you might think!
Quantum Computers vs. Supercomputers vs. Mainframes
Supercomputers vs. Mainframes
Both Supercomputers and mainframes address a particular type of need. The difference between supercomputers and mainframes is best described as follows:
Mainframes – Computing power used to perform billions of small transactions. Wow!
Supercomputers – Used for focusing on solving a single big problem. Hhmm..very interesting.
When it comes to measuring how powerful supercomputers are, a unit of measurement referred to as “floating-point operations per second” or “flops” is used.
Apparently, the authority when it comes to keeping track of who has the fastest computer is the TOP500 project.
Ever since 1993, TOP 500 has been using the Linpack benchmark to measure relative performance among supercomputers to determine who has the fastest computer. The list they produce every six months contains the top-500 computers in the world, along with some really interesting metrics. See the diagram below:
We can see that the fastest computer in the world is the Sunway TaihuLight, one of the greatest sources of Chinese national pride after the giant panda. With a ridiculous price tag of $273 million. Lol!
The TaihuLight is built entirely on Chinese engineered semiconductors as part of a program to decrease China’s reliance on foreign technology.
Countries with the most Supercomputers
When it comes to the country with the most supercomputers, the USA and China are now in a dead heat when measured by total GFlops (251 million vs. 235 million) and by number of machines (168 vs. 160).
Please also note that 88% of the computing power in the TOP 500 list is owned by just 10 companies:
Supercomputers vs Quantum Computers
When quantum computers are complete, they will be expected to work on the same sort of problems that supercomputers work on today – everything from designing better airplanes to discovering new drug molecules, to assisting people with their love life! Lol!
Let’s talk about Money
The Bible gives a prime example of the stewardship of money in the book of Luke,
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.
21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them,
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
Wow!
The Ideal Human Being (Renaissance Man/Woman)
Every society features its ideal human being. The ancient Greeks valued the person who displayed physical or athletic agility, rational judgment, and virtuous behavior (good luck with the last point!) Lol!
The Romans highlighted manly courage, and the followers of Islam prized the holy soldier.
Under the influence of Confucius, Chinese populations traditionally valued the person who was skilled in poetry, music, calligraphy, archery, and drawing.
I was even fascinated to discover that even among the Keres tribe of the Pueblo Indians today, the person who cares for others is held in high regard. That’s my favorite and most encouraging! Maybe I’ll try for that one!
The Symbol Analyst and the Master of Change
Fast forward to the 21st Century where a premium has now been placed on two new intellectual virtuoso’s or types of prodigies: the “symbol analyst” and the “master of change”.
Symbol Analyst
According to my studies, a symbol analyst can sit for hours in front of a string of numbers and words, usually displayed on a computer screen, and readily discern meaning in that maze of symbols.
This person can then make reliable, useful projections.
Cool!
Master of Change
On the other hand, a master of change readily acquires new information, solves problems, forms “ties or partnerships” with mobile and highly dispersed people, and adjusts easily to changing circumstances.
Even cooler!
It should also be noted that those charged with guiding a society or community have always been on the look out for intelligent young people.
Intelligence and Family
In the late nineteenth century, Frances Galton, who was one of the founders of modern psychological measurements, thought that intelligence ran in the family.
Based on that assumption, he looked for intelligence in the offspring of those who occupied leading positions in the British society.
However around 1870, he began to devise and create more formal tests for intelligence, ones consistent with the emerging view of the human mind as a subject for measurement and experimentation.
Now in today’s modern world we have countless people avidly pursuing the best ways of defining, measuring, and nurturing intelligence.
Alfred Binet was a psychologist who was commissioned by the French Government to devise an objective method for identifying children who were not doing well in school.
He designed the first comprehensive intelligence test in the early 20th century.
Then later on in 1916, Lewis Terman and his colleagues at Stanford University revised Binet’s test for use in the United States, resulting in the administered test gaining wide acceptance during the 1940s and 1950s.
From there, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale was introduced and is still widely used. (Fourth Edition SB-IV).
IQ = MA/CA X 100
I was also intrigued to find out that as time progressed test researchers developed a formula for expressing a child’s intellectual level that made it possible to compare children of different chronological ages (CA), which apparently are expressed in how old in years and months the children are.
This measurement was called the intelligence quotient (IQ) and is defined as follows: IQ = MA/CA X 100
The computation of IQ made it possible to understand how a child’s intellectual ability compared to that of peers of the same chronological age. However, there were problems with this ratio approach to IQ and now IQ is assessed using the deviation IQ approach.
This approach assigns an IQ score by comparing an individual’s test score with the scores of other people of the same age range.
David Wechsler is primarily known for developing this technique and was applied to IQ tests that both he and his colleagues developed.
The test for early childhood is the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, or WPPSI.
The test for childhood and adolescence is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or WISC and the test for adulthood is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale or WAIS (“wace”).
An individual who takes any of these tests obtains a score that is compared statically to the scores of other people of the same age.
The Wechsler IQ test is widely used although there are many other intelligence tests being used.
IQ is assumed to be normally distributed around an average score of 100, with about 2/3 of the general population scoring between 85 and 115 and almost 96% of the population scoring between 70 and 130.
That leaves roughly 2% of the population scoring below 70 and another 2% scoring above 130, which is a popular cutoff point for defining giftedness.
Liberal Education, the University and the Truly Educated Person
The Board of Governors of the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) made history in June 2018 when it announced the appointment of the institution’s first Vice President and Provost, Dr. Livingston Smith.
It is quite fashionable for the new student, just entering university, to have the view that making lots of money is the imperative of education and so begins to focus on what he or she is to do, rather than who he or she is to become. A fixation on specialization as the key to this end may cause that student to miss out on an education. It may turn out that study gets in the way of education.
For the typical college student, a specialty such as accounting, computing, economics or marketing is pretty straightforward, but why, in addition, courses in literature, history, philosophy, psychology, etc.
Getting to see beyond mere specialization is the challenge of liberal education. The view that the education process should develop the person not just as a businessman, farmer or physician – but as a human being – is easily sidelined, especially in the context of globalization and the urgent need for ‘belt-tightening measures’ even in education
In lean times, the humanities come into question and so areas like languages, the arts history, cultural studies, philosophy and religion are usually hardest hit. The ‘idealistic’ notion that critical thinking, civic and historical knowledge and ethical reasoning, areas the humanities especially develop, are necessary for effective participation in a free democracy regardless of career choice, becomes sidelined for the ‘urgent’ and the ‘now’.
And, yet, the purpose of education must be to prepare the student to think, to adapt, to be creative, especially knowing that job skills learnt today soon become irrelevant. A liberal education is vital.
A liberal education is one that ensures that a person becomes more than a specialist or technician. It is education that takes the long-range view and so concentrates on what shapes a person’s understanding and values, rather than on what he can use in one or two of the changing roles he might later play. As Marshall Gregory says in his article ‘A liberal Education Is Not A luxury’ published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept.12, 2008, students overriding concern should be how to develop as fully as possible their basic human birthright: their powers of imagination, aesthetic responsiveness, introspection, language, rationality, moral and ethical reasoning, physical capacities and so on.
Liberal education focuses on developing the students as fully as possible as human beings, as human persons, reflective, thinking beings and as responsible agents thus ensuring that a person becomes more than a specialist or technician. It trains but it also educates.
In explaining its devotion to a liberal education, Yale University says ‘At Yale you are required to learn broadly and deeply. Depth is covered in your major. Breadth is covered in three study areas: the Humanities and the Arts; the Sciences, and the Social Sciences and three skill areas: writing, quantitative reasoning, and a foreign language.”
Yale University Website – Fareed Zakaria in his excellent book on the subject – In Defence of a Liberal Education, says that “A Liberal Arts education teaches you how to write, how to speak your mind, and how to learn, immensely valuable tools no matter your profession.
Technology and education are actually making these skills even more valuable as routine mechanical and even computational tasks can be done by machines or workers in low wage countries.”
‘Students are clamouring for degrees that will help them secure jobs in a shifting economy, but to succeed in the long term, they’ll require an education that allows them to grow, adapt and contribute as citizens. And this is why many schools are shaking up their curricula to ensure that undergraduate business majors receive something they may not even know they need – a rigorous liberal arts education.” The Atlantic, June 28, 2016.
“Business majors seem to be graduating with some of the technical skills they’ll need to secure their jobs, but without having made the gains in writing or critical skills they’ll require to succeed over the course of their careers, or to adapt as their technical skills become outdated and the nature of the opportunities they have shifts over time.” Yoni Applebaum – Business Majors and the Liberal Arts, June, 2016.
Because by our very nature, human beings desire to know, the first task of liberal education is to fan the spark and ignite the natural inquisitiveness. Arthur Holmes, in one of my favorite books on education, The Idea of a Christian College, explains that if the mind is to be formed, the imagination stretched, the vision enlarged, the intellectual powers sharpened, then courses in reading and writing are mandatory.
With reading, he explains, comes the gaining of input, the fertilization of imagination, conceptualization, and evaluation. To write trains one to become articulate, to express, to expound, to argue, to explore relationships, to have a sense of the whole.
Friendships, marriage, family, work, recreation, political involvement, social action, technology, etc, requires understanding and right values. These all need reflection informed not only by the natural and social sciences, but also by the insight and sensitivity about human affairs which the humanities afford.
So values and facts must be taught together. The student must be exposed to ethics, to social problems, to aesthetics and to the logical structure of value judgments.
In modern societies, career mobility, rather than a job held for a long time, is critical. Career preparation, therefore, requires large understandings, rich personal qualities and lasting values. A liberal education contributes greatly to this. It does this by attention to thinking and values and by its emphasis on breadth of education
These underlie the understanding of management processes; historical perspectives on sociopolitical institutions and values as a precondition to understanding labour unions, free enterprise and alternative economic structures; cross cultural awareness and foreign area studies are essential in firms that have international relationships; the humanities , especially literature and philosophy, demand clear thinking, precise writing, and scrutiny of one’s own values that prepare one for any career involving careful communication and continued self examination.
The broadly integrative character of liberal learning moves the student beyond narrowly focused analytic techniques to see the overall picture.
In the end, it is liberal education, steeped in the thinking that education should develop the human being as an entire person that is best able to produce an educated person. The truly educated person possesses moral virtues – the qualities of character such as love and fairness, integrity and the courage of one’s conviction.
It includes intellectual virtues – what Holmes calls qualities of mind, such as breadth of understanding, openness to new ideas, intellectual honesty about other views, analytic and critical skills, and a sense of history, freshness of imagination, independence and creativity of mind.
An educated person is characterized by his or her responsible action in all areas of life. This person is conscientious, helpful, decisive, self-disciplined and has the ability to correct his or her course and start afresh.
The educated person also possesses qualities of self-knowledge. He or she is capable of an honest appraisal of his or her strengths and weaknesses and harbours no false modesty or overconfidence. Instead, he or she is willing to address weaknesses, to invest in his own strengths and, importantly, to learn from others.
The educated person is widely read and alert to the issues of the day. He or she continues to read and to grow, aware that however large the circumference of his or her knowledge, just as large are the borders of his or her ignorance.
Arthur Holmes is dead right. At the end of the experience, the university education should sharpen the mind, heighten the imagination, deepen the understanding, broaden the sympathies and kindle new interests. It should produce in the student the anxiety to shoulder his load of responsibility for himself and society.
Individuals with Disabilities
Many children with disabilities around the world have either been hidden out of shame, misunderstood or mistreated.
Nevertheless, in the United States of America, the passing of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-97), the re-authorization of this act in 2004 (IDEA-04), and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002, we can safely say that they are making considerable steps to the needs of their most vulnerable citizens.
Within the Cayman Islands, the Government and the general population has also been working diligently to make improvements were necessary in this regard and I strongly believe this will only facilitate more unity, hope and ambition for the people of the Cayman Islands.
His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper toured the Sunrise Adult Training Centre (SRC) in West Bay on Thursday (12 September) and gave a “surprise performance”.
The Pursuit of Intelligence
It is obvious that efforts to measure intelligence will continue and become more widespread in the future.
Gifted Children Continued….
Across cultures we see young children excelling in various pursuits, some mastering certain capabilities a lot faster than their peers.
When such children stand out, we call them talented or gifted and when they are performing at an adult level, we call them prodigies.
There are literally hundreds of books, dissertations or theses, and thousands of popular scholarly articles on the theory of intelligence, and other human cognitive capacities, such as creativity, expertise and genius.
Nobody really wakes up and say, “Today I am going to save the world!”
Many of us are just too tired, stressed-out and ridiculously annoyed with various affairs in our life to add additional duties to our ever-expanding list of community goodwill. Lol!
Don’t get me wrong, I like to acknowledge people in our community who clearly are deserving of recognition, but I know many of them were not doing it for recognition in the first place, they were really just being who they inherently were created to be.
Many times, in life we might have committed to do something in our community and our commitment started with a “bang” but along the way we encountered obstacles like discouragement, rejection, suffered poor self-esteem, sickness, financial struggles or even spiritual warfare.
But how many of you know that with the Holy Spirit you can make it?
I have learnt that unclean spirits, without exception and regardless of their names or where they act, are all agents of death.
But how can you distinguish between the Spirit of God and the spirits of the devil if many of them talk about love, light and good works?
Here is one clue:
• Demonic spirits always cause problems that deprive people of any joy, especially on special occasions. In fact, they never allow their followers to have peace. The Holy Spirit, however, is peace. He rejoices when we are happy. It is written,
“For the joy of the Lord is my strength” Nehemiah 8:10
We must learn how to bind the strong man in our lives.
Jesus gave us his authority over the devil and his evil cohorts, yet I have learnt that we must be motivated to use it if we want to see results.
Let us consider what Jesus taught his followers:
In the book of Matthew Chapter 16:19, it says,
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
To bind evil spirits means to restrain them by addressing them directly and forbidding them to continue their destructive activity.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our words will weaken or remove the person from the enemy’s bondage and in prayer we then ask the Holy Spirit to minister to his or her needs.
Our prayers should then be directed to God, and our warfare at the enemy.
According to the authors, Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock of A Woman’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare, this tactic of binding evil spirits is especially effective when praying in agreement with a prayer partner.
The following is a hypothetical story to illustrate how we can become more effective in our everyday life:
Cadia is a spiritual warrior who’s learned to use this important tactic. One day she went to visit her twenty-year-old daughter Lisa, who had gone away to college. Not finding her at her designated residence, she went on in.
Appalled at the mess she found, she began to clean the apartment-straightening, dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing. She even cooked a meal, then washed all the dirty clothes lying around.
She knew her daughter was still adjusting to college life, but she was shock that her normally tidy and preppy daughter would have allowed her apartment to be reduced to such a deplorable state.
While putting things in order, Cadia found a bundle of torn and bloody undergarments amongst a small bag of “unknown substance” beside a used syringe and a small hand gun. It had one bullet in it.
At that moment, Cadia knew her daughter’s intent was to shoot herself and based on the evidence, the reason was obvious.
As a mother in the natural, she was devastated, but as a prayer warrior in the spirit, she was furious!
At that very moment, Cadia began to do serious spiritual battle for her daughter’s life. She said,
“Thank you, Lord, for giving us authority to use your name to set captives free. I plead the blood of Jesus over Lisa, and ask you to protect her life.
I come against the strong man of rejection operating against my daughter, and bind your power over my daughter in Jesus’ name.
I come against the spirit of suicide, you will not have my daughter.
I come against the spirit of deception and psychosis, you will not have my daughter.
I bind all spirits of rejection, madness, hate, anger, murder, and suicide, in Jesus’ name.
I command the spirits that are binding and controlling her to release her, in Jesus’ name.
Lord, let your peace permeate her apartment. Show Lisa how much you love her and desire to set her free from the bondage of the enemy.
Thank you, Lord, for protecting her life and drawing her into fellowship with you in Jesus’ name.
Amen”.
Cadia then began singing and filling the apartment with praises to the Lord as she continued to cook and clean.
Before leaving that day, she left a note:
“Lisa- I did this today because I love you. No strings attached. Mom”.
A few weeks went by before Lisa decided to visit her mom in person and upon arrival her mother noticed she had lost weight and seemed nervous.
But Cadia did not judge or harass her daughter because she knew if she had not prayed for her daughter’s deliverance and shown unconditional love, her daughter might not have been alive today.
Perhaps one day her daughter will find the courage to share her story and seek professional help.
For now, she was glad Lisa had come home for the holidays. Cadia also knew she was greatly missed by her friends in the community and at church.
Many people go to church just for the service- the feast, or ceremony- and some go to meet with God.
Some go only for the lavish worship while some truly worship by the Spirit of God.
Some people go to church because they like the pastor’s eloquent and obviously gifted way with words, while some people truly need to hear from God.
I have learnt that sometimes God remains silent and withholds communication in order for Him to receive the glory once a promise has been fulfilled.
Have you heard of prophetic jealousy?
It’s similar to professional jealously and I believe it exist among those who have a reputation for being gifted with a word of knowledge, or prophecy.
I strongly believe that people who are known for their prophetic gift sometimes are placed under pressure to perform and maybe also pressured to deliver ‘a word from the Lord’.
After-all the people expect it!
Then after a while their followers or the people in the congregation take it for granted and if someone other than their leader has a word that doesn’t include them – or confirm them- they are often ungracious or downright hateful.
Many may say, “It can’t be from God, or I would know”.
God was powerfully at work in Jerusalem and Jesus was the center of it all.
Not even his own parents- or those who knew him best- were aware of what was happening.
Hear me when I say, God can use you yesterday, but remain silent today.
He can use me today, but speak through someone else tomorrow.
It may be someone everybody has heard of- but don’t particularly like or even someone who no one has heard.
Why? God is sovereign.
Being used by God does not require any of the following:
Ed.D. – (Doctor of Education), Th.D. (Doctor of Theology), Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), LL.D. (Doctor of Laws) or any other sophisticated titles we all have sacrificed to attain.
I believe it’s important to have a purpose in life and as soon as you have figured it out-get moving!
The Bell Curve
The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life is a 1994 book by psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and political scientist Charles Murray, in which the authors argue that human intelligence is substantially influenced by both inherited and environmental factors and that it is a better predictor of many personal dynamics, including financial income, job performance, birth out of wedlock, and involvement in crime than are an individual’s parental socioeconomic status. They also argue that those with high intelligence, the “cognitive elite”, are becoming separated from those of average and below-average intelligence. The book was controversial, especially where the authors wrote about racial differences in intelligence and discussed the implications of those differences.
According to my recent studies, the normal curve, also known as THE BELL CURVE because of its unique shape, is said to be shaped like a bell and is often the way in which certain characteristics such as intelligence, weight or height may be represented in the population.
The highest point on the curve typically represents the average score in any distribution.
Now distributions aren’t always normal in shape, just like people! Lol!
Some distributions are described as skewed. This occurs when the distribution is not even on both sides of a central score with the highest frequency.
Instead some scores are concentrated toward one side of the distribution.
For example, we might observe a study of people’s water drinking habits and it eventually reveals that most people drink between 4 and 8 16oz bottles of water daily, with no one drinking more than 8 bottles.
So, you may be asking, how does the above information tie into my message?
Well, if we were to start sieving through an enormous pile of professional profiles of people in our community who have been nominated for awards on Heroes day next year, one of the requirements should be- how have they used their intelligence to make a difference in their community.
National Heroes Day is a public holiday celebrated in the Cayman Islands on the fourth Monday in January.
Unlike other National Heroes Days in the Caribbean, the same people aren’t always celebrated on this day each year.
Instead, a committee comprised of public and private sector representatives meet to choose the theme for the following year’s holiday.
Different award categories are then established and the public is then allowed to nominate suitable individuals.
The National Heroes Day committee is then entrusted with the awesome but serious responsibility of deciding on all who are deserving recipients of the awards. Cool!
The theme chosen for 2018 was sports, with members of the public being invited to nominate people in the community who had made outstanding contributions to sports in the Cayman Islands.
National Heroes Day has been a public holiday in the Cayman Islands since 2003.
Jamaica
Every third Monday of October is National Heroes Day in Jamaica. This public holiday is dedicated to the memory of Jamaica’s seven official national heroes.
On National Heroes Day, six heroes and one heroine will still be remembered for their heroic deeds that led to greater freedom and economic growth and prosperity for their homeland.
For example, Alexander Bustmante was Jamaica’s first prime minister. Three other heroes were hanged after leading revolts against oppression and “social injustice”. And heroine “Nanny of the Maroons” led a group in resistance and raids against the British colonialists. Wow!
Jamaica celebrates Independence on August 6 each year, in commemoration of its first Independence Day on August 6, 1962. The period leading up to the public holiday is crammed with parties and activities celebrating the island’s culture.
For more exciting and educational information about the beautiful Island of Jamaica see my previous article:
Every 1st February is National Heroes Day in Rwanda and it is a day selected to remember numerous officially designated national heroes who lost their lives in the cause of their country.
Rwanda’s previous flag was a red-yellow-green tricolor with a large black letter “R” (to distinguish it from the otherwise identical Flag of Guinea). Derived from the flag of Ethiopia, the colors green, yellow, and red represented peace; the nation’s hope for its development; and the people.
What does the Rwandan flag mean?
Now the green is symbolic of the country’s prosperity, the yellow is symbolic of potential and real economic development, and the blue is symbolic of happiness and peace. The sun and its rays are said to represent enlightenment. Awesome!
I have learnt that Rwanda is a country with a diverse culture and rich heritage. The Rwandan cuisine is famous all-over East Africa, with its signature East African dish – Ugali and vegetables. Yum-Yum in my tummy!
How wealthy is Rwanda?
Rwanda is reported to have the 35th-highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) among African countries (20.32 million International dollars).
The top 10 African countries by GDP (PPP) are: Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania. Wow!
France
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the flag of France (French: Drapeau français) is a tricolor flag featuring three vertical bands coloured blue (hoist side), white, and red.
It is known to English speakers as the French Tricolour or simply the Tricolour (French: Tricolore).
The Tricolour has become one of the most influential flags in history, with its three-colour scheme being copied by many other nations, both in Europe and the rest of the world.
The royal government used many flags, the best known being a blue shield and gold fleur-de-lis (the Royal Arms of France) on a white background, or state flag. Early in the French Revolution, the Paris militia, which played a prominent role in the storming of the Bastille, wore a cockade of blue and red, the city’s traditional colours.
According to French general Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, white was the “ancient French colour” and was added to the militia cockade to create a tricolour, or national, cockade.
This cockade became part of the uniform of the National Guard, which succeeded the militia and was commanded by Lafayette.
The colours and design of the cockade are the basis of the Tricolour flag, adopted in 1790. The only difference was that the 1790 flag’s colours were reversed. A modified design by Jacques-Louis David was adopted in 1794.
The royal white flag was used during the Bourbon restoration from 1815 to 1830; the tricolour was brought back after the July Revolution and has been used ever since 1830.
The French National Day is the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution, as well as the Fête de la Fédération which celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France.
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was one of many world landmarks illuminated in the French flag colors after the November 2015 Paris attacks.
During the Hundred Years’ War, England was recognized by a red cross, Burgundy, a red saltire, and France, a white cross.
This cross could figure either on a blue or a red field. The blue field eventually became the common standard for French armies. The French regiments were later assigned the white cross as standard, with their proper colours in the cantons.
The French flag of a white cross on a blue field is still seen on some flags derived from it, such as those of Quebec and Martinique.
The flag of Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years’ War is described in her own words,
“I had a banner of which the field was sprinkled with lilies; the world was painted there, with an angel at each side; it was white of the white cloth called ‘boccassin’; there was written above it, I believe, ‘JHESUS MARIA’; it was fringed with silk.”
Joan’s standard led to the prominent use of white on later French flags.
From the accession of the Bourbons to the throne of France, the green ensign of the navy became a plain white flag, the symbol of purity and royal authority. The merchant navy was assigned “the old flag of the nation of France”, the white cross on a blue field.
The Panthéon
The Panthéon is a building in the Latin Quarter in Paris, France. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens.
The Panthéon houses the ashes of Les Grands Hommes de la Nation. Illustrious French citizens from all walks of life – politicians, writers, defenders of the nation – are buried here upon approval by the French president.
In 1885, when the ashes of Victor Hugo were brought there in honor of that great man after the national outpouring of emotion caused by his death, the Pantheon became the final resting place of those who have become known as Les Grands Hommes (The Great Men).
The Panthéon is also home, in its immense entrance hall, to Foucault’s pendulum, named after a French physicist, designed to demonstrate the Earth’s rotation in relation to a frame of reference by Galileo. Cool!
72 illustrious personalities reside there today:
Among them:
– Jean Jaurès (1859-1914), the father of French socialism, assassinated in 1914. – Emile Zola (1840-1902), an important writer and journalist. – Jean Moulin (1841-1941), a hero of the French Resistance during the Second World War. – André Malraux (1901-1976), writer and minister for Culture, whose ashes were brought there in 1996. – Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), an important popular writer, whose ashes were brought there in 2002. – Jean Monnet (1888-1979), a politician who worked to create the European Community in the wake of World War II. – René Cassin (1887-1976), the spiritual father and principal author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948. – Pierre (1859-1906) and Marie (1867-1934) Curie, Nobel prizewinners for physics for their work with radium.
What was the Pantheon used for?
Roman Pantheon. The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved and influential building of ancient Rome. It is a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome. As the brick stamps on the side of the building reveal it was built and dedicated between A.D 118 and 125.
What is the pantheon made of?
The Pantheon that Hadrian created is a circular temple made of concrete faced with brick, with a Greek-style façade and a magnificent dome rising from its walls. The most striking feature of the building is the 27-foot circular hole (the oculus, or eye) atop the dome.
What does the pantheon symbolize?
The Pantheon is still discussed today as a building clouded in mystery. The original purpose of the building is unknown. Although the temple is dedicated to all Greek gods the scale and size of the temple emphasized power and Roman duty. There is also celestial symbolism present in the temple.
What does the pantheon say above?
Above the entrance, carved in stone, are the words M. AGRIPPA L. F. COS. TERTIUM FECIT which is translated, “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in his third consulate, made it.” This basically says that “Agrippa built the Pantheon.”
Here is some history that I was pleased to locate:
In 1744, Louis XV decreed the building of a prestigious basilica in honor of Sainte-Geneviève to whom he attributed his healing after a serious illness.
The architect Soufflot was awarded the project in 1755. This project was also part of the political will of Louis XV. The basilica had to rival that of Saint Peter’s in Rome and above all re-establish the prestige of a divided church.
Soufflot placed the basilica in a monumental square in the very heart of the area of religious contestation, where the Jansenists officiated at Saint-Médard.
The architecture of the basilica is a sign of the architectural renewal and experimental research that was prevalent at the time and during the centuries of the Enlightenment.
Indeed, the ornamental vocabulary and the central plan in the shape of a Greek cross were inspired by ancient Greek architecture, the lightness of the structure of the vault is evocative of gothic art and the dome speaks of the Renaissance. The light entered through forty-five tall windows.
During the Revolution: the basilca become the Panthéon National.
In 1791, the basilica became the Panthéon National to house the ashes of the nation’s great men: Voltaire in 1791, Jean-Jacques Rousseau in 1794, great men from the century of Enlightenment whose writing contributed to the changes wrought by the Revolution.
The high windows were also sealed to emphasize its role as a tomb. Very interesting.
When all is said and done, I like learning and I like sharing what I have learnt.
A few years ago I acquired more information regarding making a valid will in the Cayman Islands.
The execution requirements for making a valid will in the Cayman Islands are set out in the Wills Law (2004 Revision).
It is also a requirement of Cayman Islands law that a testator must have testamentary capacity at the time of creating his or her will.
The test for testamentary capacity, known as the “golden rule,” was first explained in the English case of Banks vs. Goodfellow and it remains good law in the Cayman Islands today. Here are the facts:
(a) Does the testator understand the nature and effect of what he/she is doing;
(b) Is he/she aware, broadly, of the extent of his/her estate;
(c) Does he/she appreciate the claims of those who might reasonably expect to benefit from his/her estate; and
In summary, the Wills Law provides that a will must be in writing; it must be signed by the testator or by some other person in his/her presence, at his/her direction.
If the latter, the testator must acknowledge such signature in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time.
If the former, the testator’s signature must be attested to by two witnesses present at the same time in his/her presence.
Subject to only two exceptions for soldiers and sailors on active service, the execution requirements must be complied with; if not, it will be invalid.
Holographic Wills
Unfortunately, the Cayman Islands law does not, as a general principle, permit holographic wills.
Holographic wills are documents that are usually handwritten and do not comply with the strict requirements for proper execution as a will but have nevertheless been written as testamentary documents, often in extreme circumstances.
Famous Holographic Will
The most famous holographic will was that of Cecil George Harris, a Canadian farmer who in 1948 suffered the misfortune of becoming trapped under his tractor and fearing that he was about to die, carved a will into the fender which read, “In case I die in this mess I leave all to the wife. Cecil Geo. Harris.” The fender was submitted to probate as his valid holographic will.
Testamentary Capacity
Apparently in the common law tradition, testamentary capacity is the legal term of art used to describe a person’s legal and mental ability to make or alter a valid will.
This concept has also been called sound mind and memory or disposing mind and memory. Cool!
I also learnt that Testamentary intent refers to a testator’s intention with respect to a particular instrument that functions as his/her last will.
Testamentary intent is required for a will to be valid.
Then we have to consider the person’s legal capacity to enter a contract:
Here is a definition and example:
One of the elements of a contract is capacity. Capacity means that a person is legally able to enter into a contract.
There are several things that make a person legally able to do so, including age and state of mind.
A person who is in the end stages of Alzheimer’s disease probably does not have the requisite capacity to sign legal documents.
However, a person with a diagnosis of dementia may very well be able to sign legal documents. Generally speaking, capacity is usually analyzed situationally.
The other way to change your will is by adding what is called a codicil. A codicil is like an amendment or addition to your will.
Use a codicil to revoke part of your will or add a new provision.
To be valid, they must be dated, signed, and witnessed just like a legal will.
I learnt that it is extremely important to keep your will updated. As life changes, so do potential beneficiaries and heirs.
Updating Your Last Will and Testament
If you do not keep your last will and testament updated, it may not reflect your wishes given your new circumstances. The following are good situations in which changing a will may be wise.
Marriage:
When you get married, both you and your spouse should each create a new will.
Most states have laws that award a percentage of your estate to your spouse upon your death.
However, if you want to devise your will differently, you should specify this in your will.
Furthermore, adding your spouse to your will may change the percentage of your estate, or of a specific asset, that another beneficiary or heir was previously written to receive.
Changing a will should reflect this new proportion as you see fit.
Common Law Marriage:
The following information was all I could find that would classify eligibility:
Any person who has been married to a Caymanian-
v for at least five years immediately preceding the application, where the marriage took place prior to the 1st January 2004; or
v for at least seven years immediately preceding the application, where the marriage took place on or after 1st January 2004
v whose marriage is not a marriage of convenience;
v who is not living apart from his spouse under a decree of a competent court or under a deed of separation;
v who has not lived apart from his spouse for an aggregate period of three months
v out of the five years immediately preceding the application where the marriage took place prior to 1st January 2004; or
v out of the seven years immediately preceding the application where the marriage took place on or after 1st January, 2004.
v who is legally and ordinarily resident* in the Islands immediately preceding his application; and
v who has not in any country been convicted of an offence for which a sentence of imprisonment not exceeding twelve months has been passed other than for non-payment of a fine unless-
1. the conviction has been quashed on appeal or has been the subject of a free pardon;
2. the act or omission giving rise to such conviction would not be an offence if done or omitted in the Islands in similar circumstances; or
3. the conviction is one which, in the interest of justice, the Board directs to be ignored for the purposes of this section,
Obtaining a new partner, without marriage:
Only if married will your partner automatically receive assets from your estate.
So, if you find yourself with a new loved one, changing a will to reflect what you would like to leave that partner is necessary.
Divorce:
Upon divorce, some states revoke any gifts you leave your spouse in your will. Other states do not.
Changing a will upon a divorce is very important.
You will want to either specify what you want to leave your former spouse, or else specify how those gifts should now be distributed.
A new baby:
There are laws in some states that give children some portion of your assets upon your death.
However, not everyone wants their property to be distributed the way the state laws specify.
If you welcome a new baby into your family, be sure to specify what gifts, the baby shall receive, by changing a will.
Perhaps more importantly, be sure to appoint a guardian for the baby.
This will be the person who will care for your baby should anything happen to you.
New stepchildren:
Stepchildren are not automatically entitled to inherit a share of your property in many states.
Therefore, if you would like for your stepchildren to inherit any of your property, be sure to specify your wishes by changing your own will.
Moving from a community property state to a common law property state:
The laws governing what each spouse owns vary depending on whether the couple lives in a community property state or a common law property state.
Therefore, if you are planning on moving to a new state, check that states laws.
If it differs from the one you currently reside it, be sure to change your own will, according to your new property ownership status.
i.e. Persons of independent means:
The Cayman Islands Government offers five Immigration products for wealthy, private investors and senior executives who are seeking long-term residence in the Cayman Islands.
1. Certificate of Permanent Residency for Persons of Independent Means (Form R5) – Persons who invest a minimum of two million Cayman Islands’ Dollars in developed real estate in the Cayman Islands may apply for a Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means.
As the Certificate title denotes, a holder has the right to reside indefinitely in the Cayman Islands.
A holder will also have the option of seeking naturalization as a British Overseas Territories Citizen and, thereafter, the right to be Caymanian.
A holder and his spouse may also have their permission to remain varied to allow the right to work in the Cayman Islands.
2. Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means Form R2 – This facility is for persons who wish to reside long-term in the Cayman Islands without the right to work.
Applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have invested a prescribed minimum amount in developed real estate in the Islands and that they meet certain financial standing requirements.
A successful applicant will be granted permission to reside in the Islands for a period of 25 years (renewable). This residence type cannot be varied to allow the right to work.
3. Certificate of Direct Investment Form R8 – The Certificate of Direct Investment is for persons who invest, or propose to invest, a minimum prescribed amount in a licensed employment generating business in the Cayman Islands and in which he/she will exercise substantial management control.
An applicant must demonstrate a substantial business track record or an entrepreneurial background, including specific professional, technical and other knowledge relevant and necessary to carry on the business.
4. Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) Form R6 – This facility is for persons who invest in, or who are employed in a senior management capacity within, an approved category of business in the Cayman Islands.
A successful applicant is granted a Residency Certificate valid for 25 years (renewable) which entitles him to reside in the Islands and to work in the business in which he has invested or is employed in a senior management capacity.
Changing your mind about heirs: Of course, things can happen in life that cause people to change their minds about the way in which they’d like their property distributed. Changing a will to reflect these new wishes is important.
New or disposed of assets: Perhaps in your will you would like to leave all of your property or a percentage of your property to your heirs, then what you own changes and there is no need to change your will. However, if you have willed certain gifts to people in your will, and you no longer have those properties, be sure to remove said property from your will. Additionally, when you acquire new property, be sure to account for that in your will.
Ways of changing a will
The easiest way of changing a will is simply to make a new will. It is imperative that you revoke the old will.
To do this, simply write a statement in the new will that states that you revoke all wills and codicils that you have previously made.
This is sufficient to revoke any previous wills, but it is wise to also destroy any of your previous wills in order to avoid confusion or challenges to your new will.
The other way to change your will is by adding what is called a codicil.
A codicil is like an amendment or addition to your will. Use a codicil to revoke part of your will or add a new provision.
To be valid, they must be dated, signed, and witnessed just like a legal will.
Codicils were an efficient way of changing a will before there were computers and printing was a hassle.
Today, codicils should be avoided wherever possible. They can cause confusion, be lost, and are sometimes even a means to challenge wills.
That information is definitely worth remembering!
Changes to other estate documents
Much of your property passes by law to beneficiaries, despite what your will says.
Property such as retirement proceeds, life insurance proceeds, joint bank accounts, payable-on-death bank accounts, and stocks registered with a transfer-on-death form all pass directly to a specified beneficiary.
If you change your mind about who the beneficiary should be, change the names using the forms on which you named the original beneficiaries.
Do not change the named beneficiaries through your will, for it will have no effect.
Living trusts are also not affected by the terms of your will. If you decide to change the terms of your living trust, add an amendment to the original trust document. Then, transfer property in or out of the trustee’s name, accordingly.
You do not need to worry about having to revoke a trust and create an original one, like when changing a will.
Living Trust
What Is a Living Trust?
A living trust is a legal document, or trust, created during an individual’s lifetime where a designated person, the trustee, is given responsibility for managing that individual’s assets for the benefit of the eventual beneficiary.
A living trust is designed to allow for the easy transfer of the trust creator or settlor’s assets while bypassing the often complex and expensive legal process of probate. Living trust agreements designate a trustee who holds legal possession of assets and property that flow into the trust.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A living trust designates a
trustee to manage assets for the beneficiary, while the grantor is still
alive.
Trustees with fiduciary duty
manage trusts according to the beneficiary’s best interests.
Living
trusts can be either irrevocable or revocable.
How Living Trusts Work
Living trusts are
managed by a trustee who typically has a fiduciary duty to manage the trust
prudently in the best interests of the trust’s beneficiary or beneficiaries
designated by the trust settlor, also called a grantor. Upon the death of the
settlor, these assets flow to the beneficiaries according to the grantor’s
wishes as outlined in the trust agreement. Unlike a will, however, a living
trust is in effect while the settlor is alive and the trust does not have to
clear the courts to reach its intended beneficiaries when the settlor dies
or becomes incapacitated.
Types of Living Trusts
Living trusts can be irrevocable or revocable.
Living Revocable Trust
With a living revocable trust, the trust settlor can designate himself or herself as the trustee and take control of assets within the trust. However, this stipulation means the assets in the trust remain a part of the trust settlor’s estate, meaning the individual may still be liable for estate taxes should the estate be valued beyond the estate tax exemption at the time of death. The trust settlor also has the power to change and amend trust rules at any time. This means the trust settlor is free to change beneficiaries or undo the trust altogether.
Irrevocable Living Trust
With an irrevocable
living trust, the settlor relinquishes certain rights to control over the
trust. The trustee effectively becomes legal owner, but the individual would
also reduce his or her taxable estate. Once the trust agreement for an
irrevocable living trust is made, the named beneficiaries are set and the
settlor can do little to amend that agreement.
Wills and Trusts
Wills and Trusts are both estate planning documents used to pass assets on to beneficiaries at death. … Here are five ways in which a Trust is better than a Will to pass your estate to your beneficiaries. A Trust can be used to Avoid Probate – a Will cannot.
When you die, this creates a change of beneficiary or beneficiaries. The person or persons you named in your trust documents to inherit from you become the new beneficiaries upon your death. They now own the assets you placed in your trust, according to the terms you decided when you made it.
Advantages to using a Trust over a Will
Wills and Trusts are
both estate planning documents used to pass assets on to beneficiaries at
death. However, there are distinct advantages to using a Trust over a
Will. Here are five ways in which a Trust is better than a Will to pass
your estate to your beneficiaries.
A Trust can be used to Avoid Probate – a Will cannot. Probate is the process of changing the title on assets when someone passes away. Assets that are owned in a deceased person’s individual name and for which there is no named beneficiary are no longer accessible once the owner of the asset has died. In order for family members to gain access to accounts or other assets in the deceased’s individual name, they must file a petition with the probate court and wait for the court to approve the Will and appoint the Personal Representative. This can be a long and costly process during which bills cannot be paid and assets cannot be managed. A Trust is an excellent probate avoidance tool because assets that are owned in the name of a Trust are immediately accessible to the trust-maker’s designated successor.
A Trust can provide Creditor Protection for the Inheritance you Leave to Beneficiaries – a Will cannot. Many people worry that the inheritance they leave to their children will be lost to their children’s creditors such as a divorcing spouse, unpaid credit card bills, a bankruptcy, a business loss, or a lawsuit. Sadly, this is often the case when assets are distributed to beneficiaries via a Will. A Trust allows the maker to safeguard an inheritance from the reach of the beneficiaries’ creditors by keeping the assets out of the name of the beneficiary. Ownership of the assets remains in the Trust. The beneficiary will have access to the assets in accordance with the directions you leave in your Trust. You may also allow your beneficiary to serve as Trustee, allowing the beneficiary to manage her own inheritance. By leaving assets to your beneficiaries via a Trust rather than outright via your Will, you can ensure that the assets you worked so hard for will be available to your children and future generations.
A Trust can Protect Governmental Benefits for a Person with Disabilities – a Will cannot. If you have a child, grandchild or other beneficiary with disabilities, then a Trust is a must. If you leave assets to a person who receives needs-based governmental benefits via your Will, it will place your beneficiary in the difficult position of either losing those benefits, or transferring the inheritance into a Trust of which the state must be the beneficiary at the beneficiary’s death. Unless the inheritance you are leaving is so significant that the monetary and medical benefits available to the person through programs such as Social Security and Medicaid are no longer important, then making sure that those governmental benefits continue to be available is vital. Leaving assets to a person with disabilities via a Trust is the best way to ensure those governmental benefits are preserved and that the inheritance you leave will be available to pay for expenses that are not covered by these governmental benefits, which while vital to many, are limited in their scope.
Trusts can Reduce Estate Taxes – a Traditional Will cannot. Many married couples have so-called “I-love-you” Wills, which leave all assets outright to the surviving spouse upon the first death. If you have an estate of more than $1,000,000, then using “I-love-you” Wills means that money you think you are leaving to your beneficiaries will in fact be going to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the form of estate tax payable at the surviving spouse’s death. If you would prefer that your assets pass to your family, create Trusts to reduce estate taxes. Estate tax planning via Trusts for married couples is standard planning and permissible under both state and federal tax laws.
A Trust can Administer Assets for Minor Beneficiaries without Court Intervention – a Will cannot. Leaving money directly to a minor creates an administrative nightmare because the law provides that a minor does not have the legal capacity to receive assets. The parent of the minor also does not have the ability to act as the child’s legal representative until the court says so. As such, if you die with a Will that leaves money to minor beneficiaries, the court will need to appoint a Conservator to receive that inheritance for your children. The Conservator will be required to report annually to the court and the court will appoint an overseer (guardian ad litem) to make sure the Conservator is doing his or her job for your minor beneficiaries. This means huge costs and long delays in administering funds for minors. It also means that when the minor turns 18, he or she will be entitled to receive all of those assets and will be free to do with them as he or she wishes (think fast cars, spring break, and lots of shopping). Creating a Trust to receive assets passing to a minor, or even to a young adult beneficiary, is the best way to ensure that the court is not involved in the process, that the person you want to manage assets for the beneficiary is able to do so, and that the beneficiary can use the assets only for purposes you decide are important and/or at ages that you dictate.
These are just five ways in which a Trust is superior to a Will.
When There is no Will
According to Robert Mack, HSM Chambers, most people know that making a will is the “adult thing” to do, especially when children and other dependents are involved.
However, like most unpleasant things in life, we tend to put it off for as long as possible.
In some tragic cases life can end suddenly and unexpectedly, or a person can be struck down by illness and lose their mental capacity which would otherwise prevent them from creating a valid will.
Let’s also not forget that digital assets fall into two broad categories: valuable and sentimental.
Valuable digital assets include such things as cryptocurrencies, online investment/bank accounts, online store credits, intellectual property, and anything else which has a tangible dollar value attached to it.
Sentimental digital assets, on the other hand, include photographs, personal videos, blog posts, social media accounts, and information held in email messages.
So how can a Will manage these two distinct types of digital assets?
There is no peace when you serve Satan! What is caging you may ask?
It is when a person is literally put in a cage spiritually, so that they cannot see the wrong actions of someone, or so that they will believe lies about someone. It’s kind of like putting mental blinders on someone. Like the blinders you’d put on horses so they see in only one direction.
We must be ever vigilant as Christians so that we can discern if a person is a true servant of Jesus Christ. Once a person is caged, it is easy to place all kinds of wrong thoughts into their minds and they will not realize that the thoughts are inconsistent with God’s word.
This is one way in which demonic doctrines can get accepted in the Christian Churches today.
As Christians, we must refuse to accept anything or anyone at face value and test everything against God’s word. Don’t fall for someone just because of his or her charisma. Unfortunately, in today’s society we are easily susceptible to following people with a lot of charisma.
I believe that is perhaps one of the greatest problems within our churches today. Too many people may obtain positions of leadership simple because they have very charismatic personalities which naturally attract people.
Satanism is a big problem around the world and it is beyond anything that has been portrayed in the press. Every city, town or country has its covens, groups or community of people who directly worship and serve Satan.
Unfortunately, it also appears that even some High schools, Universities, Colleges and even Christian schools have their own covens.
In addition to this, did you know that many Asian religions practice another form of Satanism like Egyptians and Caribbean cults?
It doesn’t matter how you pretty it up and make it look glamorous, every religion that worships and serves demons is a form of Satanism. Some people refer to them as energies, vibrations, pagan gods, spirit entities etc.
I don’t care! They are still demons!
In 2 Timothy 4:1-5 it states,
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministries.
The Appeal Renewed
2 Timothy 2:1-13
1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others
3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.
6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,
9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
And I forward to verse 19
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription:
“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.
21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Types of Doorways
Inheritance
Ouija board
Ritual sex
Tarot cards
General occult games
Animal sacrifice
Murder
Horoscope
Blood contracts
Witchcraft
Drugs
Kung fu
Karate
Human sacrifice
Drinking blood (animal & human)
Hypnosis
Incest
Palm reading
Yoga
Rock music
Occult & horror movies
Rebellion
Drunkenness
Multiple sexual relationships
Cannibalism
Astral-projection
Blasphemy
Curses can also be placed on mirrors and this can be used as a doorway for demons to enter into a place. Mirrors are a common doorway frequently used to establish communication with the spirit world. All Christians must be alerted to this source of trouble, especially pastors and Christian leaders.
Terrible damage is being done within Christian churches and in relationships between people because of these curses and incantations. We must always be alert and sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Put on the whole Amor of God and ask the Lord to show you how to use it. Even though we may not be able to see the armor of God, it is real armor in the spirit world. We can use it in the physical world with the help of the Holy Spirit.
So, what exactly is the Armor of God you may ask? In Ephesian 6:10-18 it says,
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
And I say personally, “ 19 Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Amen”
Psalm 35 New International Version
1 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. 3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, “I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. 5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; 6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, 8 may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation. 10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. 12 They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved. 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, 14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother. 15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing. 16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.
17 How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you. 19 Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. 20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22 Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. 23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. 24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me. 25 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. 27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.
I believe there is power in God’s word and we can still act upon His word today as the Holy Spirit shows us where to set our feet.
Please note however that it is important that we keep an attitude of humility and grace as we pray. John Dawson reminds us,
“As you stand in the gap for your city, allow the Holy Spirit to shine the bright light of truth into the inner rooms of your soul.
In Los Angeles, humans live with orcs and elves in a world where fantasy creatures do exist. LAPD police officer Dayl Ward is the first human cop having the orc police officer Nick Jakoby as a partner. When Ward is shot by an orc and Jakoby does not capture the shooter, he questions whether Jakoby lets the fellow orc escape. During a patrol, Ward and Jakoby arrest a man that tells that there is a prophecy and Ward is blessed. Meanwhile, Internal Affairs press Ward to find the truth about the escape of the shooter so that they can fire Jakoby. The magic department of the FBI interrogates the man that belongs to the terrorist Shield of Light group which protects brights so that they can prepare for the return of the Dark Lord that will destroy the world. Ward and Jakoby are summoned to attend a disturbance and they stumble upon a Shield of Light safe-house where they arrest the elf Tikka and bag her magic wand. Soon they learn that Tikka is hunted down by the evil and powerful rogue elf Leilah and her Terrorist group Inferni which are the ones actually trying to resurrect the dark lord and they need to protect Tikka and the wand; otherwise the world will be destroyed.
Women in the Church
A big obstacle that we as women face in maintaining an effective prayer life is the persistent and ever popular questions of,
“How can my prayers possibly make a difference in my life, my family, my community, my country or the entire world?”
This hesitation may possibly be Satan’s most effective method of discouraging us from pursuing prayer. Yet scripture clearly shows us that when believers pray on earth, they activate activities in the heavenlies.
The prophet Daniel had an angelic visitation after three weeks of prayer and fasting, and repenting on behalf of his people. The angel told Daniel that on the first day he humbled himself to pray, God had heard his words. In fact, the angel had been dispatched with a message in response to Daniel’s prayer, but had encountered interference from the “prince of Persia.”
Ultimately the messenger angel had to get help from the angel Michael to get his message through and he delivered a prophetic message to Daniel. If there were rulers or principalities in the spiritual realm trying to stop Daniel’s prayers from being answered then, who are we to believe we are immune!
I still believe there are hostile spiritual forces trying to block our prayers from being answered and scripture implies that these principalities rule over different geographical locations.
The Book of Daniel
The book of Daniel illustrates how God protected and promoted four young men.
When Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrated their faithfulness to God, they are delivered from deadly perils by God’s mighty acts.
In the bible, Daniel was given the ability to interpret dreams and in the second part of the book of Daniel, it describes visions and messages that Daniel received from God through angelic messengers. These visions are represented in the cryptic language and symbolic terms typical of apocalyptic literature.
The End Times
12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
The gift of the Holy Spirit empowers us to be strong women of God, even in our moments of weakness. In the bible, Jesus promised his followers, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, or Strengthener) that He may remain with you forever; the Spirit of Truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27)
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:1-15 New International Version (NIV)
16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Jesus Prays for His Disciples (John 17:6-19)
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers (John 17:20-26)
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
God in His marvelous grace, began revealing His will for man right from the beginning, in Genesis 3:15, which is the first prophecy related to God’s redemptive plan for the salvation of mankind.
From there onward, through the pens of many writers, including myself, I strongly believe that God will continue to reveal more and more of His plan, which we can still find in the Bible today!
The Power of Three: A Perfect Testimony
During the third month of the calendar year (March), we shall celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, also known as Easter Sunday. Some churches may also celebrate Palm Sunday, which is the final Sunday before Easter Sunday.
Did you know that it is said that Christ died and rose again on the third day and that there is a symbolic meaning for the number (3) three?
Biblically, three is the number of the Godhead and the number of Divine completeness?
Regardless of the countless curses people may place on you in your life, distractions, fears, and setbacks, if you are a fighter and ready for warfare, you will always be resilient and tenaciously focus on the vision or goal that you have created for your life.
I highly recommend writing out your vision or dream and cementing it with a mission statement so that it becomes clear and compelling.
Next, you may want to review it occasionally and record the different lifestyle changes that have taken place and make necessary adjustments as unforeseen events inevitably might occur and reshape the basic logistics of your vision.
A formidable queen causes a rift between Maleficent and Princess Aurora. Together, they must face new allies and enemies in a bid to protect the magical lands which they share.
Reviewing and adjusting solidifies your original foundation and helps you to ascertain whether or not you are thriving within your environment.
Thriving and Surviving!
Speaking of thriving and surviving- Did you know that fighter pilots in World War II had different methods and tactics of survival they developed in order to remain steadfast through every mission they had to fly?
In order to get through the numerous moments of being tired, stressed and on the verge of panic at the sight of each new enemy plane, the fighter pilots would leave behind or carry sentimental objects that reminded them of loved-ones or they would make promises to their loved ones that they knew they had to keep.
For example, a letter that remained unread or a promise of marriage to someone they left behind.
See my previous article which also gives examples of other times of war in history:
Directed by Angelina Jolie As a boy, Louis “Louie” Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander
The above movie Unbroken: Path to Redemption, which was directed by Angelina Jolie is a magnificently portrayed example of survival and the strength of the human spirit in spite of numerous obstacles.
Also, in addition to the fighter pilots in the World War II story I mentioned previously, I learnt that not only did the fighter pilots leave something or someone behind to look forward to, they might have also left something to complete.
That way their minds could focus on that thought and arouse or stimulate the necessary motivation to face one more “dogfight”, or survive another loss of a dear friend on the battle field and get through one more mission.
Just like in the movie Unbroken: Path to Redemption, the story I read illustrated where the real battle begins and ends.
The fighter pilots knew that while in battle the temptation to give in to physical wariness and breakdown under various psychological traumas was extremely high. The real war wasn’t on the battle field- the real war was in their mind.
Even though we celebrate our veteran’s heroism, the ugly truth is many of them both locally and around the world have been exposed to numerous traumatic events.
PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
Many Research Experts have agreed that most of the times, PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) develops shortly after exposure to the traumatic event. Sometimes, it may even be delayed months or even years later and may be triggered by something that is reminiscent of the original stressor. Wow!
However, please note that not everyone who is exposed to a terrible event goes on to develop PTSD. It really depends on the individual and the nature of the event.
Some people, particularly those with preexisting emotional or personality problems, are naturally more susceptible to being scarred by traumatic events.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder was born originally on the battlefield and was known by a number of names such as “shell Shock”, “combat fatigue”, or “war neurosis”.
However, according to Allen Frances M.D. and Michael B. First M.D., horrifying experiences are by no means restricted to only warfare.
Community surveys that were done uncovered the fact that the majority of us have been exposed at some point in our lives to an event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury.
For example, car accidents, natural disasters, torture, concentration camps, rape, sexual or physical abuse and other crimes.
Additional Articles
See the three following articles which illustrates behaviors and circumstances:
Let’s also not forget other forms of psychological manipulations such as gas-lighting.
Gas-lighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity.
In order to gain more power, the person or entity makes the victim question their reality.
It works much better than you may think. Anyone is susceptible to gaslighting, and it is a common technique of abusers, dictators, narcissists, and cult leaders.
It is done slowly, so the victim doesn’t realize how much they’ve been brainwashed. For example, in the movie Gaslight (1944), a man manipulates his wife to the point where she thinks she is losing her mind.
A gas lighter will tell you that you’d be a worthy person if only you didn’t have such a long list of negative traits. They attack the very foundation of your being.
When dealing with a person or entity that gaslights, look at what they are doing rather than what they are saying. What they are saying means nothing; it is just talk. What they are doing is the issue.
Occasionally, they may throw in positive reinforcement to confuse you.
This person or entity that is cutting you down, telling you that you don’t have value, is now praising you for something you did. This adds an additional sense of uneasiness. You think, “Well maybe they aren’t so bad.” Yes, they are!
This is a calculated attempt to keep you off-kilter—and again, to question your reality.
Also look at what you were praised for; it is probably something that served the gas lighter.
Gas lighters know that confusion weakens people.
Gas lighters know that people like having a sense of stability and normalcy. Their goal is to uproot this and make you constantly question everything.
And humans’ natural tendency is to look to the person or entity that will help you feel more stable—and that happens to be the gas lighter.
They often project their opinions on their “prey”.
Many times, they are drug users or cheaters, yet they are constantly accusing you the victim of that very behavior. This is done so often that you start trying to defend yourself, and are distracted from the gas lighter’s own behavior.
Unfortunately, they may even try to align people against you.
Gas lighters are masters at manipulating and finding the people they know will stand by them no matter what—and they use these people against you.
They will make comments such as,
“This person knows that you’re not right in your head or have a tendency to ‘go crazy’”.
Or
“you’re always gazing off in space,” or “This person knows you’re useless too”
or
“This person does not trust you either and we have heard that you carry an incurable disease.”
or
“We’ve heard that you’ve slept with so many men. Your a Whore!”
or
“This person also does not believe you are capable of holding down a regular job consistently”.
Keep in mind it does not mean that these people actually said these things. A gas lighter is a constant liar.
When the gas lighter uses this tactic, it makes you feel like you don’t know who to trust or turn to—and that leads you right back to the gas lighter.
And that’s exactly what they want: Isolation gives them more control.
Once again, they love telling you or others that you are crazy. This is one of the most effective tools of the gas lighter, because it’s dismissive.
The gas lighter knows that if they question your sanity, people will not believe you when you tell them that the gas lighter is abusive or out-of-control. It’s a master technique.
The more you are aware of these techniques, the quicker you can identify them and avoid falling into a gas-lighter’s trap.
Additionally, my bible tells me the following in Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version) NIV
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
According to Commonweal Magazine, The New Testament’s extensive language concerning malevolent spiritual forces is never humorous.
Apparently, the terminology varies and some texts speak of the Devil or Satan, while others speak of demons or unclean spirits which represent powers and principalities.
There are also such descriptions as the Ruler of the Power of the Air and the Dragon or Ancient Serpent.
Regardless of the description, when taken together, these terms point to a conviction, broadly shared by the writers of the New Testament, that a cosmic power, lesser than God but greater than humans alone, inhabited the world and worked against human good in a manner that was far from funny or creatively orchestrated like in the movies.
Satan hates ALL humans and he does not discriminate!
At the personal level, the bible says that Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, speaks of Satan as a constant threat, one lying outside the community yet capable of causing damage within.
More cosmically he envisions “powers and principalities” which, though conquered by the death and exaltation of Christ, remain capable of opposing believers, who must continue to do battle “against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Once again, as I mentioned from Ephesians 6:12).
Similarly, Peter pictures the Devil as a ravening beast out to destroy unwary believers, and counsels them to “be sober and watch, because your adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
In the bible, Luke imagines Satan as the arrogant ruler of a kingdom counter to God’s own, capable of granting great power to those willing to worship him, and commanding a vast army of demonic spirits.
John declares that “the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.”
Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Ephesians Chapter 1, vs 3:13, New International Version (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,
9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Finally, the Book of Revelation imagines the world caught in a cosmic battle between Christ and Satan, the great beast waging ceaseless war against the saints in unholy alliance with the corrupt power of an empire that buys and sells human lives and brands them with its mark.
The Thousand Years
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.
2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.
They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
The Judgment of Satan
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.
9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Now, many of the previous paragraphs and links illustrated negative behaviors and their affects, however, how many of you know that God’s correction is different.
With God’s correction-conviction is concerning the attitude or deed of the person and then there is a call for repentance.
Next, there should be an assurance of forgiveness and restoration to remind the individual of their value as God’s child.
7 Deadly Sins
People have always been known to be immoral, shiftless, and self-gratifying. For ages, humankind struggled to find a conceptual system to understand their spiritual shortcomings.
Wrath
Wrath is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Anger.
As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king’s successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora — realizing only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.
Qualities Needed in Trials
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Doers—Not Hearers Only
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
Christian Faith: From Elementary to Maturity
Hebrews 6 New International Version (NIV)
6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting,we will do so.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
The Certainty of God’s Promise
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Speaking of wrath; from another biblical perspective, the New Testament also has references regarding the Great Tribulation and the wrath of God.
The Wrath of God and the three angels (Revelation 14:6-13)
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth- to every nation, tribe, language and people.
7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgement has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
8 A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand,
10 they too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Envy
Envy is the desire for others’ traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Directed by Angelina Jolie As a boy, Louis “Louie” Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander
Being envied means that one is constantly under attack and
rendered helpless by it. To be envied is not always fun. When you are envied by
someone upon whom you are psychologically, financially or emotionally dependent
isolates and paralyzes the envied one.
According to Professors Ann and Barry Ulanor, in Cinderella and Her Sisters: The Envied and the Envying, the envied one grows increasingly desperate. Why? Nothing succeeds in warding off the envy.
If the envied person renounces all hope of being seen and accepted as themselves in all their natural, God-given talents, beauty, intelligence and grace, they are accused of being cold and aloof. They are also accused of being disconnected from the community, anti-socialist or branded as, “thinks they are better than everybody else”.
If on the other hand they try to share their brilliant
ideas, talents, or anything that is of value, they are attacked and accused of
showing off or being patronizing. Being envied is no fun!
If the envied person also tries to defend themselves by explaining
their abilities or seeks comfort when things go wrong in their life, they are
not listened to, for explanations will not fill up the empty heart of the Envier.
“What do you have to complain about? You have everything”,
or “Your life is better than most people I know, so stop complaining.”
Even if some of the above melodrama is lacking, the envied
person is still in the position of being held hostage as if they were being
held by terrorists. Terrorist whose only purpose is to exploit them and demoralize
them and laugh at their weaknesses.
There is nothing the envied person can ever do or say to appease their captors.
The envier’s enjoy the torture and manipulation of their victims too much and have no intention of letting go of the envied. They refuse to let their hostages get away.
Pride
Pride is excessive belief in one’s own abilities, that interferes with the individual’s recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise.
Pride is also known as Vanity.
In the age of heroes, a mighty warrior named Beowulf (Ray Winstone) arrives at the court of King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and offers to rid the kingdom of a vicious demon called Grendel. He successfully slays the beast but thus incurs the wrath of Grendel’s mother (Angelina Jolie), a creature as vicious and vengeful as she is seductive
Pride Promotes Strife (James 4: 1-10)
4 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Humility Cures Worldliness
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Greed
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Babylon The Great, The Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth (Revelation 17)
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her; I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Lust
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Luis (Antonio Banderas) and Julia (Angelina Jolie) are bound together first by matrimony, and then, by fierce love and desire. But the closer Luis becomes to Julia, the more enigmatic she seems to be. For Luis, the loneliness which led to love becomes a passion which transcends reason and defies convention, as he and Julia engage in a dangerous dance that takes them across the landscape of Cuba, into obsession, eroticism… and perhaps even murder.
Loving God Under Trials (James 1: 12-15)
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Gluttony
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Like other bears, pandas spend most of the day eating and sleeping. Bamboo is the most important plant for giant pandas. They spend at least 12 hours each day eating bamboo. Because bamboo is so low in nutrients, pandas eat a lot of it daily
Po might just be the laziest, clumsiest panda in the Valley of Peace, but he secretly dreams of becoming a kung fu legend. When the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung threatens Po’s homeland, the hapless panda is chosen to fulfil an ancient prophecy and defend the Valley from attack. Training under Master Shifu, Po embarks on an epic high-kicking adventure as he sets out to thwart Tai Lung’s evil plans.
Angelina Jolie as Master Tigress in Kung Fu Panda
Sloth
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
A lazy scene, featuring Angelina Jolie’s character called Lisa
Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, “Girl, interrupted” is the searing true story of Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder), a young woman who finds herself at a renowned mental institution for troubled young women, where she must choose between the world of people who belong on the inside — like the seductive and dangerous Lisa (Angelina Jolie) — or the often-difficult world of reality on the outside.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
One-time surgeon Eugene Sands loses his license for the negligent death of a patient for drugs addiction, and his life spirals into chaos. He finds himself in the employ of a shady gangster and soon becomes embroiled in dark and dangerous dealings.
The final sin as mentioned above was sloth and is said to be the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. Remember faith without works is dead!
However, how many of you know that once you have been called, it is then critical that you share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ?
The End Times
According to Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, coauthors of Left Behind and Charting the End Times, it is difficult for non-Christians to understand that a God of love would allow the tribulation.
But I agree with them that God really wants to draw as many people as possible to Him before Jesus returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom, and He will use the Tribulation to get their attention.
They believe that in grace and love, He will give more supernatural signs and leadings of His Spirit than at any time in the history of the world, proving that he is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
In the book of Revelation, Chapter 3, the Bible says to the angel of the church in Sardis:
1 These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.
3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Then to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
7 These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 I will make those who are the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars- I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Revelation 3:11)
Now in reverse, the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3)
3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:3)
Mr. Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice states that in Revelation, we find the seven years divided into two periods of 1260 days, or 42 months, or three-and-one-half years, or “time and times and half a time” (Revelation 11:2-3;12:6,7,14; 13:5).
Every one of those time spans totals up to seven years. The first half, or first 42 months, is the Tribulation, while the last half is called by our Lord “The Great Tribulation.”
The Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-24)
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.
13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray continually,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt
21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,
22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more Ishake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
John Forbes Nash Jr. (June 13, 1928 – May 23, 2015) was an American mathematician who made fundamental contributions to game theory, differential geometry, and the study of partial differential equations. Nash’s work has provided insight into the factors that govern chance and decision-making inside complex systems found in everyday life.
His theories are widely used in economics. Serving as a Senior Research Mathematician at Princeton University during the later part of his life, he shared the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with game theorists Reinhard Selten and John Harsanyi. In 2015, he also shared the Abel Prize with Louis Nirenbergfor his work on nonlinear partial differential equations.
John Nash is the only person to be awarded both the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and the Abel Prize.
Mr. Nash was appointed a C.L.E. Moore instructor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 1951. While at MIT, he solved a classical unsolved problem relating to differential geometry. He taught classes, and met and married MIT physics major Alicia Larde (S.B. 1955). And it was during his tenure at MIT that he began to be consumed by the disease that he would later almost miraculously overcome.
In 1959, Nash began showing clear signs of mental illness, and spent several years at psychiatric hospitals being treated for paranoid schizophrenia. After 1970, his condition slowly improved, allowing him to return to academic work by the mid-1980s.
His struggles with his illness and his recovery became the basis for Sylvia Nasar’s biography, A Beautiful Mind, as well as a film of the same name starring Russell Crowe as Nash.
Paranoid Schizophrenia
Paranoid schizophrenia manifests itself in an array of symptoms. Common symptoms for paranoid schizophrenia include auditory hallucinations (hearing voices or sound effects) and paranoid delusions (believing everyone is out to cause the sufferer harm).
What are the symptoms of a paranoid schizophrenic? Symptoms can include:
hallucinations and delusions.
disorganized thinking.
lack of motivation.
slow movement.
changes in sleep patterns.
lack of attention to hygiene.
changes in body language and emotions.
lack of interest in social activities.
Disturbia
People are fascinated by people-especially when they are acting in a way that does not seem to make sense.
Unpredictability in a fellow human is as unsettling as unpredictability in the weather, especially during hurricane season, lol, and almost as dangerous.
Our ancestors lived in what could be perceived as a “small world” but now with the ‘world wide web’ the world had become very small.
In ancient civilizations, there were the spiritual leaders of the group whose job it was to diagnose and interpret the illnesses within the tribe.
They would then prescribe the appropriate antidote intended to ward off the problem so that the sufferer and the whole tribe could return to normal everyday life.
However, as the great civilizations emerged from places like Egypt, India, China, Greece and Mexico, the following two new professions were created.
The Physician group was responsible for physical health while the Priesthood was responsible for spiritual health.
A physician’s power comes from their ability to classify symptoms into meaningful categories.
A doctor’s knowledge conveys a comforting sense of order, predictability and control.
This along with time, a good bedside manner and the prescribe medications usually works for most patients.
During my ongoing research, I learnt that our personalities are a pattern of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Outwardly we display our unique personalities in the special way we think, love, feel, make decisions, and take action.
If you think about it as I have- the extraordinary range of human personality is what lends special color to our lives and is the woven fabric of tragedies, comedies and melodramas.
The systematic study of personalities had its origins very early in the history of medicine and philosophy.
However, I don’t want to focus so much on that as I would like to highlight a few Personality Disorders.
Personality Disorders
According to Allen Frances, M.D. and Michael B. First, M.D. research on mental health, you have a Personality Disorder if:
You have and enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that puts you at odds with the expectations of the world around you.
This shows itself in the following ways:
1. How you perceive and understand yourself and others
2. How you respond emotionally
3. How you interact with people
4. How you control your impulses · You are unbending and inflexible and cannot adjust your behavior to the needs of a particular situation, activity, or relationship.
Your personality problem started early in life (by adolescence or early adulthood) and has persisted in a pretty stable way over time.
Your personality is upsetting to you or limits your success at school, at work, or in relationships
The behavior is long-standing and is not caused by another chronic or recurrent psychiatric disorder, by a medical condition, or by substance use.
Having a personality disorder means you are not the kind of person who can adapt smoothly to the normal give and take of everyday life.
Instead you expect the world and people to change for you rather than being able to adjust to the requirements of different situations and relationships.
However, there is a silver lining in this otherwise stormy cloud.
I’ve learnt that some of the personality disorders’ characteristics can be adaptive and even necessary if they occur at the right time in the right place, and in the right measure.
Antisocial Personality Disorder
A person with Antisocial Personality Disorder is known for their ruthlessness and aggression, however that same tendency, if well-modulated may be your saving grace if that person is your trial lawyer, politician, corporate raider or combat hero.
Things that make you go Hhmmmm.
On these rare occasions when a personality disorder is combined with enormous talent and perhaps great luck, a world historical figure or a modern day tragic hero may emerge- but more often, these disorders create unfulfilled hopes and stormy relationships.
Dissociative Identity Disorder or Multiple Personality Disorder
The idea that people can have very distinct, independent and rapidly alternating personalities has captured the imagination of the general public and have been exploited on TV talk shows, written in books and have had all types of movies created.
Most of those suffering from true Dissociative Identity Disorder have been exposed in childhood to extremely traumatic events like chronic physical or sexual abuse, torture, or severe neglect.
Each personality fragment (usually referred to as an “alter”) develops its own characteristics and its own memories.
Often the person is not consciously aware of shifting from one personality fragment to the other and the evidence of multiple personality comes only when someone actually sees the change occur or from frequent gaps in memory that result from different personality fragments being active at different times.
The label “multiple personality disorder” is very stigmatizing and people labeled as such often feel less responsible for and in control of their behavior.
A Factitious Disorder
A Factitious disorder is the term used to describe when a person fakes their symptoms, or an illness in an attempt to maintain the role of a sick person.
People with these disorders may go through extraordinary lengths and elaborate means to falsify and fabricate medical histories, intentionally produce physical symptoms or bruises for illustrations or even take excessive amounts of medication which is suppose to be for the perceived illness.
Interestingly enough, Munchausen’s disorder is a classic example of a factitious disorder and was first describe in 1951. According to studies done, the individual would intentionally produce physical symptoms or signs of a disorder but the disorder may also include self-inflicted wounds and the exaggeration of already existing conditions.
Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy
There is also Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy, and this is defined as the fabrication of an illness in a child by a parent (most often the mother).
Studies also believe that approximately 20% of the patients with Munchausen’s by proxy themselves, also had mothers who were diagnosed as having Munchausen’s syndrome.
However, knowledge is still power and we must be vigilant of people who blame their criminal or irresponsible behavior as the product of a mental disorder or victim-hood. Unfortunately, the exploitation of these illnesses makes it very problematic for people and their loved ones who are actually suffering.
Teneisha Johnson has a Dream 