Robert Welch 1974 Speech about Bilderburgers
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Promover o Pensamento CrÃtico em Sala de Aula!
Por: Donald Ewert
o Oklahoman
7 de março de 2012
Dois projetos de lei antes que o Legislativo, House Bill 1551 e Senado Bill 1742, têm por objectivo incentivar professores de ciências para ensinar totalmente controversos assuntos cientÃficos, protegendo-os de castigo por isso. Os opositores afirmam que as contas a intenção de promover o ensino da religião. Mas a intenção de quem criou estas contas é para libertar o ensino da ciência da influência polÃtica, criando um ambiente onde os alunos a compreender a diferença entre fatos e sua interpretação e os limites da investigação cientÃfica.
No campo acadêmico foi mais abusada por polÃticos, sociólogos e causas comerciais do que ciência. A razão é simples: Ciência dá credibilidade a uma agenda porque é reverenciado como o bastião da objetividade e da verdade.
A história está repleta de exemplos de ciência sendo abusadas para alcançar agendas polÃticas ou sociais. No final do século 19, a agenda progressista polÃtica desenvolvida nos Estados Unidos com base na visão de que os governos seleção natural implÃcitas não estão fundamentadas em princÃpios duradouros, mas deve evoluir à medida que o homem evolui. No inÃcio do século 20, os movimentos de eugenia na Europa (erradicação de Hitler dos deficientes e judeus) e os EUA (Margaret Sanger e Planned Parenthood) encontraram semelhante justificação "cientÃfica" para a idéia de que os seres humanos (o Estado) deve assumir a responsabilidade por sua própria evolução.
Na década de 1930, agricultor TD Lysenko foi promovido dentro da Academia Soviética porque suas idéias não comprovadas sobre como melhorar o rendimento das culturas apoiado idéias soviéticas que o Estado poderia melhorar a raça humana e criar utopia. Mais recentemente, um juiz do Reino Unido concluiu que o filme de Al Gore "Uma Verdade Inconveniente", que foi distribuÃdo pelas escolas em os EUA eo Reino Unido promovendo a teoria de que o aquecimento global é causado principalmente pelo homem, estava sendo usado "para fazer uma polÃtica declaração e para apoiar um programa polÃtico. "
A National Science Teachers Association observou que "a polarização polÃtica da educação a mudança climática eo efeito sobre o seu ensino."
A questão não são os fatos da ciência, mas a sua interpretação para promover agendas particulares. O cidadão médio está mal equipada para fazer essa distinção. Os meios de comunicação são frequentemente cúmplices no mau uso da ciência para suas próprias agendas, repetindo afirmações sem uma análise equilibrada.
Como é que o cidadão comum sabe quando ele está sendo manipulado pelo uso indevido de informações cientÃficas? Ela pode começar na sala de aula onde as habilidades de pensamento crÃtico são ensinados e onde fatos da ciência são distinguidos de retórica e filosóficas, interpretações religiosas. Isso só pode acontecer quando os professores e alunos são livres para entrar em discussão aberta de todos os pontos de vista sobre um assunto controverso. Para isso, os alunos e os professores devem ter a liberdade de se envolver em discussões de temas polêmicos, sem a ameaça de represálias por parte dos pais ou administradores.
Os projetos de lei antes de o Legislativo dar um passo importante para a criação de um ambiente onde as habilidades de pensamento crÃtico pode ser desenvolvida em sala de aula. Temos de parar de educar nossos filhos a se comportar como ovelhas, mas como pensadores crÃticos que possam tomar decisões boas para a sociedade.
Ewert, de Edmond, é um cientista da pesquisa.
o Oklahoman
7 de março de 2012
Dois projetos de lei antes que o Legislativo, House Bill 1551 e Senado Bill 1742, têm por objectivo incentivar professores de ciências para ensinar totalmente controversos assuntos cientÃficos, protegendo-os de castigo por isso. Os opositores afirmam que as contas a intenção de promover o ensino da religião. Mas a intenção de quem criou estas contas é para libertar o ensino da ciência da influência polÃtica, criando um ambiente onde os alunos a compreender a diferença entre fatos e sua interpretação e os limites da investigação cientÃfica.
No campo acadêmico foi mais abusada por polÃticos, sociólogos e causas comerciais do que ciência. A razão é simples: Ciência dá credibilidade a uma agenda porque é reverenciado como o bastião da objetividade e da verdade.
A história está repleta de exemplos de ciência sendo abusadas para alcançar agendas polÃticas ou sociais. No final do século 19, a agenda progressista polÃtica desenvolvida nos Estados Unidos com base na visão de que os governos seleção natural implÃcitas não estão fundamentadas em princÃpios duradouros, mas deve evoluir à medida que o homem evolui. No inÃcio do século 20, os movimentos de eugenia na Europa (erradicação de Hitler dos deficientes e judeus) e os EUA (Margaret Sanger e Planned Parenthood) encontraram semelhante justificação "cientÃfica" para a idéia de que os seres humanos (o Estado) deve assumir a responsabilidade por sua própria evolução.
Na década de 1930, agricultor TD Lysenko foi promovido dentro da Academia Soviética porque suas idéias não comprovadas sobre como melhorar o rendimento das culturas apoiado idéias soviéticas que o Estado poderia melhorar a raça humana e criar utopia. Mais recentemente, um juiz do Reino Unido concluiu que o filme de Al Gore "Uma Verdade Inconveniente", que foi distribuÃdo pelas escolas em os EUA eo Reino Unido promovendo a teoria de que o aquecimento global é causado principalmente pelo homem, estava sendo usado "para fazer uma polÃtica declaração e para apoiar um programa polÃtico. "
A National Science Teachers Association observou que "a polarização polÃtica da educação a mudança climática eo efeito sobre o seu ensino."
A questão não são os fatos da ciência, mas a sua interpretação para promover agendas particulares. O cidadão médio está mal equipada para fazer essa distinção. Os meios de comunicação são frequentemente cúmplices no mau uso da ciência para suas próprias agendas, repetindo afirmações sem uma análise equilibrada.
Como é que o cidadão comum sabe quando ele está sendo manipulado pelo uso indevido de informações cientÃficas? Ela pode começar na sala de aula onde as habilidades de pensamento crÃtico são ensinados e onde fatos da ciência são distinguidos de retórica e filosóficas, interpretações religiosas. Isso só pode acontecer quando os professores e alunos são livres para entrar em discussão aberta de todos os pontos de vista sobre um assunto controverso. Para isso, os alunos e os professores devem ter a liberdade de se envolver em discussões de temas polêmicos, sem a ameaça de represálias por parte dos pais ou administradores.
Os projetos de lei antes de o Legislativo dar um passo importante para a criação de um ambiente onde as habilidades de pensamento crÃtico pode ser desenvolvida em sala de aula. Temos de parar de educar nossos filhos a se comportar como ovelhas, mas como pensadores crÃticos que possam tomar decisões boas para a sociedade.
Ewert, de Edmond, é um cientista da pesquisa.
Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom:
By Donald Ewert
The Oklahoman
March 7, 2012
Two bills before the Legislature, House Bill 1551 and Senate Bill 1742, aim to encourage science teachers to fully teach controversial scientific subjects by protecting them from retribution for doing so. Opponents claim the bills intend to promote the teaching of religion. But the intent of those who created these bills is to free the teaching of science from political influence, creating an environment where students understand the difference between facts and their interpretation, and the limits of scientific enquiry.
No academic field has been more abused by politicians, sociologists and commercial causes than science. The reason is simple: Science lends credence to an agenda because it's revered as the bastion of objectivity and truth.
History is replete with examples of science being abused to achieve political or social agendas. In the late 19th century, the progressive political agenda developed in the United States based on the view that natural selection implied governments are not founded on lasting principles, but must evolve as man evolves. In the early 20th century, Eugenics movements in Europe (Hitler's eradication of the disabled and Jews) and the U.S. (Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood) found similar “scientific” justification for the idea that humans (the state) must take responsibility for their own evolution.
In the 1930s, agriculturalist T.D. Lysenko was promoted within the Soviet Academy because his unproven ideas about improving crop yields supported Soviet ideas that the state could improve the human race and create utopia. More recently, a judge in the United Kingdom found that Al Gore's film “An Inconvenient Truth,” which was distributed to schools in the U.S. and U.K. promoting the theory that global warming is primarily caused by humans, was being used “to make a political statement and to support a political program.”
The National Science Teachers Association noted “the political polarization of climate change education and the effect on their teaching.”
At issue are not the facts of science but their interpretation to promote particular agendas. The average citizen is ill-equipped to make this distinction. The media are often complicit in the misuse of science for their own agendas by repeating claims without balanced analysis.
How does the average citizen know when he's being manipulated by the misuse of scientific information? It can start in the classroom where critical thinking skills are taught and where facts of science are distinguished from rhetoric and philosophical, religious interpretations. This can only happen when teachers and students are free to enter into open discussion of all views on a controversial subject. To do that, students and teachers must have the freedom to engage in discussions of controversial issues without the threat of repercussions from parents or administrators.
The bills before the Legislature take an important step toward creating an environment where critical thinking skills can be developed in the classroom. We must stop educating our children to behave like sheep, but rather as critical thinkers who can make good decisions for society.
Ewert, of Edmond, is a research scientist.
The Oklahoman
March 7, 2012
Two bills before the Legislature, House Bill 1551 and Senate Bill 1742, aim to encourage science teachers to fully teach controversial scientific subjects by protecting them from retribution for doing so. Opponents claim the bills intend to promote the teaching of religion. But the intent of those who created these bills is to free the teaching of science from political influence, creating an environment where students understand the difference between facts and their interpretation, and the limits of scientific enquiry.
No academic field has been more abused by politicians, sociologists and commercial causes than science. The reason is simple: Science lends credence to an agenda because it's revered as the bastion of objectivity and truth.
History is replete with examples of science being abused to achieve political or social agendas. In the late 19th century, the progressive political agenda developed in the United States based on the view that natural selection implied governments are not founded on lasting principles, but must evolve as man evolves. In the early 20th century, Eugenics movements in Europe (Hitler's eradication of the disabled and Jews) and the U.S. (Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood) found similar “scientific” justification for the idea that humans (the state) must take responsibility for their own evolution.
In the 1930s, agriculturalist T.D. Lysenko was promoted within the Soviet Academy because his unproven ideas about improving crop yields supported Soviet ideas that the state could improve the human race and create utopia. More recently, a judge in the United Kingdom found that Al Gore's film “An Inconvenient Truth,” which was distributed to schools in the U.S. and U.K. promoting the theory that global warming is primarily caused by humans, was being used “to make a political statement and to support a political program.”
The National Science Teachers Association noted “the political polarization of climate change education and the effect on their teaching.”
At issue are not the facts of science but their interpretation to promote particular agendas. The average citizen is ill-equipped to make this distinction. The media are often complicit in the misuse of science for their own agendas by repeating claims without balanced analysis.
How does the average citizen know when he's being manipulated by the misuse of scientific information? It can start in the classroom where critical thinking skills are taught and where facts of science are distinguished from rhetoric and philosophical, religious interpretations. This can only happen when teachers and students are free to enter into open discussion of all views on a controversial subject. To do that, students and teachers must have the freedom to engage in discussions of controversial issues without the threat of repercussions from parents or administrators.
The bills before the Legislature take an important step toward creating an environment where critical thinking skills can be developed in the classroom. We must stop educating our children to behave like sheep, but rather as critical thinkers who can make good decisions for society.
Ewert, of Edmond, is a research scientist.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
ATRAVESSAR A TEMPESTADE
Subject: Livro: De Jesus Com Amor: Para Os Momentos DifÃceis (pagÃna 7)
ATRAVESSAR A TEMPESTADE
Não posso prometer que te pouparei das tempestades da vida, mas sim que te ajudarei a atravessá-las. Esa ajuda pode ser de várias maneiras. Às vezes talvez não seja como esperas, mas virá. Jamais te abandonarei na luta.
Quando Me pedes por ajuda em oração, Eu atendo. Se estiveres com temor dar-te-ei fé para confiares em Mim; paz de espÃrito e coragem para seguires adiante. Se sentires fraqueza e cansaço, apoia-te em Mim e dar-te-ei uma força que nunca sentiste. Se o teu coração estiver quebrantado, consetá-lo-ei.
Não posso impedir que passes pelas dificuldades e provações inerentes à vida, mas posso torná-las viáveis e fazer com que contribuam para o bem. Tenho condições de adjudar o teu espÃrito a elevar-se acima das tempestades de vida. Acima das nuvens, nos lugares celestiais onde Estou, o Sol brilha sempre. Eu sou a luz do Sol num dia de chuva, a calma depois de tempestade. Sou o raio de esperança resplandecente que te devolve a algria de viver.
A tempestade passará. Entretanto deixa-Me que te acompanhe.
Dennis John: PROJETO PEQUENO ESTUDANTE; www.pequenoestudante.com; ou www.fightforyourfatith.blogspot.com 915016534/253987451
ATRAVESSAR A TEMPESTADE
Não posso prometer que te pouparei das tempestades da vida, mas sim que te ajudarei a atravessá-las. Esa ajuda pode ser de várias maneiras. Às vezes talvez não seja como esperas, mas virá. Jamais te abandonarei na luta.
Quando Me pedes por ajuda em oração, Eu atendo. Se estiveres com temor dar-te-ei fé para confiares em Mim; paz de espÃrito e coragem para seguires adiante. Se sentires fraqueza e cansaço, apoia-te em Mim e dar-te-ei uma força que nunca sentiste. Se o teu coração estiver quebrantado, consetá-lo-ei.
Não posso impedir que passes pelas dificuldades e provações inerentes à vida, mas posso torná-las viáveis e fazer com que contribuam para o bem. Tenho condições de adjudar o teu espÃrito a elevar-se acima das tempestades de vida. Acima das nuvens, nos lugares celestiais onde Estou, o Sol brilha sempre. Eu sou a luz do Sol num dia de chuva, a calma depois de tempestade. Sou o raio de esperança resplandecente que te devolve a algria de viver.
A tempestade passará. Entretanto deixa-Me que te acompanhe.
Dennis John: PROJETO PEQUENO ESTUDANTE; www.pequenoestudante.com; ou www.fightforyourfatith.blogspot.com 915016534/253987451
The Morning Watch
A compilation
The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day.—E. M. Bounds
+
I ought to pray before seeing any one … Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: “Early will I seek thee”… I feel it is far better to begin with God—to see His face first, to get my soul near Him before it is near another.—Robert Murray McCheyne
+
In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone. It is not in society that the soul grows most vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in days of company with others. It is in the desert that the dew falls freshest and the air is purest.—Andrew Bonar
+
George Williams was 23 years old when he started the YMCA. At 73 he was knighted by Queen Victoria. Another young man in the YMCA movement, John R. Mott, was, at age 30, one of the founders of the World Christian Student Federation. At 81 he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
George and John both had a prayer practice that in part powered their success. That practice was the foundational practice that started the YMCA movement. John Mott wrote of that practice in a short pamphlet entitled The Morning Watch.
Simply stated, the morning watch is half an hour at the start of the day in prayer and Bible study. It is amazingly similar to the ancient Christian spirituality practice called Lectio Divina, Sacred (or Holy) Reading.
Here's what Mott says about this practice:
• The keeping of the morning watch is the secret of the largest and most enduring achievement in life and in service.
• The morning watch prepares us for the day's conflict.
• Many persons begin with a few moments of prayer, follow this with a season of Bible study, then spend some time in meditation, and close with special prayer.
• After praying and during Bible study, it is well to pause and listen to what the Lord shall say.
Without doubt our failure to prevail with man and against evil in the world during the day is too often due to our more fundamental failure to prevail with God at the beginning of the day. When Miss Havergal was asked to explain why the church does not accomplish more, she attributed it to the fact that Christians are not spending the first hour of the day alone with God.
Let us never forget the vital truth expressed by Faber that “the supernatural value of our actions depends upon the degree of our union with God at the time we do them.” Therefore, if our lives and words and acts throughout the busy day are to possess supernatural value, we must take the earliest opportunity in the day to establish a vital and complete union with God. Why delay the forming of this union a single hour? Why be satisfied with having man work a part of the day if the energy of God may be manifested all the hours of the day?
Tradition teaches that the observance of the morning watch was widely prevalent among the early Christians. Rev. Webb-Peploe has said that “all the great saints have been early risers,” and he might have added that they rose early primarily to begin the day with unhurried communion with God. There come to mind such men as Rutherford, McCheyne and Andrew Bonar, Wesley and Whitefield, David Brainerd and Henry Martyn, George Mueller and Hudson Taylor.
Next to receiving Christ as our Savior, and claiming the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we know of no act attended with larger good to ourselves or to others than the formation of an undiscourageable resolution to keep the morning watch. If our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Master was whole-hearted, if our prayer for and claiming of the Holy Spirit to guide and control was sincere, surely there can be no thought of not giving God each day sufficient time, our very best time, for receiving and increasing in us what is indispensable to a life for Christ's glory and in His service.—Author unknown1
+
If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.—Martin Luther
+
He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.—John Bunyan
+
Ten minutes spent in the presence of Christ every day, aye, two minutes, will make the whole day different.—Henry Drummond
+
The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day. It is a blessed baptism which gives the first waking thoughts into the bosom of God.—Henry Ward Beecher
+
Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.—Daniel Handler
+
Meeting with God is not an appointment on a clock but an appointment in your heart.—Warren Wiersbe
+
When you awoke from sleep this morning,
Though the hour was rather late,
Did you stop to speak with Jesus,
And His benediction wait?
Did you thank Him for His mercy,
For His care through all the night,
That no evil had befallen,
That no tears now dim your sight?
Did you ask Him for the blessing
Of His presence through the day,
For His leading safely onward,
For His guiding, lest you stray?
Did you tell Him that you'd gladly
Go wherever He would lead;
That you'd try to do His bidding,
Helping every soul in need?
If you go without these blessings
As you start another day,
Be assured your strength will fail you,
And you'll faint along the way.
Oh, live closer to the Master;
For unless you're very near,
Words of love He whispers to you
Will not reach your listening ear.—Author unknown
+
The great revival among British college students (started largely by John R. Mott) in the late 19th century began with those historic words: “Remember the morning watch!” So we need to tune ourselves up at the start of each day as we remember the morning watch.
If Jesus is really in first place in our lives, we ought to give Him the first part of our day. We are to seek His kingdom first.2 Doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It often determines our energy levels, alertness, and even moods for the day. Likewise, we need a “spiritual breakfast” to start our day off right.
Finally, in the morning our minds are uncluttered from the day’s activities. Our thoughts are fresh, we’re rested, tensions have not yet come on us, and it’s usually the quietest time. One mother sets her alarm clock for 4 a.m., has her quiet time, goes back to bed, and then rises when everyone else in the household gets up. Her explanation is that with kids around the house all day, early morning is the only time when it’s quiet and she can be alone with God. It works for her; you need to select a time that will work for you.—Rick Warren
Compiled by Philip Martin. Published on Anchor April 2012.TFI
1 Credited to both Andrew Murray and John Mott.
2 Matthew 6:33.
The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day.—E. M. Bounds
+
I ought to pray before seeing any one … Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: “Early will I seek thee”… I feel it is far better to begin with God—to see His face first, to get my soul near Him before it is near another.—Robert Murray McCheyne
+
In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone. It is not in society that the soul grows most vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in days of company with others. It is in the desert that the dew falls freshest and the air is purest.—Andrew Bonar
+
George Williams was 23 years old when he started the YMCA. At 73 he was knighted by Queen Victoria. Another young man in the YMCA movement, John R. Mott, was, at age 30, one of the founders of the World Christian Student Federation. At 81 he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
George and John both had a prayer practice that in part powered their success. That practice was the foundational practice that started the YMCA movement. John Mott wrote of that practice in a short pamphlet entitled The Morning Watch.
Simply stated, the morning watch is half an hour at the start of the day in prayer and Bible study. It is amazingly similar to the ancient Christian spirituality practice called Lectio Divina, Sacred (or Holy) Reading.
Here's what Mott says about this practice:
• The keeping of the morning watch is the secret of the largest and most enduring achievement in life and in service.
• The morning watch prepares us for the day's conflict.
• Many persons begin with a few moments of prayer, follow this with a season of Bible study, then spend some time in meditation, and close with special prayer.
• After praying and during Bible study, it is well to pause and listen to what the Lord shall say.
Without doubt our failure to prevail with man and against evil in the world during the day is too often due to our more fundamental failure to prevail with God at the beginning of the day. When Miss Havergal was asked to explain why the church does not accomplish more, she attributed it to the fact that Christians are not spending the first hour of the day alone with God.
Let us never forget the vital truth expressed by Faber that “the supernatural value of our actions depends upon the degree of our union with God at the time we do them.” Therefore, if our lives and words and acts throughout the busy day are to possess supernatural value, we must take the earliest opportunity in the day to establish a vital and complete union with God. Why delay the forming of this union a single hour? Why be satisfied with having man work a part of the day if the energy of God may be manifested all the hours of the day?
Tradition teaches that the observance of the morning watch was widely prevalent among the early Christians. Rev. Webb-Peploe has said that “all the great saints have been early risers,” and he might have added that they rose early primarily to begin the day with unhurried communion with God. There come to mind such men as Rutherford, McCheyne and Andrew Bonar, Wesley and Whitefield, David Brainerd and Henry Martyn, George Mueller and Hudson Taylor.
Next to receiving Christ as our Savior, and claiming the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we know of no act attended with larger good to ourselves or to others than the formation of an undiscourageable resolution to keep the morning watch. If our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Master was whole-hearted, if our prayer for and claiming of the Holy Spirit to guide and control was sincere, surely there can be no thought of not giving God each day sufficient time, our very best time, for receiving and increasing in us what is indispensable to a life for Christ's glory and in His service.—Author unknown1
+
If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.—Martin Luther
+
He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.—John Bunyan
+
Ten minutes spent in the presence of Christ every day, aye, two minutes, will make the whole day different.—Henry Drummond
+
The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day. It is a blessed baptism which gives the first waking thoughts into the bosom of God.—Henry Ward Beecher
+
Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.—Daniel Handler
+
Meeting with God is not an appointment on a clock but an appointment in your heart.—Warren Wiersbe
+
When you awoke from sleep this morning,
Though the hour was rather late,
Did you stop to speak with Jesus,
And His benediction wait?
Did you thank Him for His mercy,
For His care through all the night,
That no evil had befallen,
That no tears now dim your sight?
Did you ask Him for the blessing
Of His presence through the day,
For His leading safely onward,
For His guiding, lest you stray?
Did you tell Him that you'd gladly
Go wherever He would lead;
That you'd try to do His bidding,
Helping every soul in need?
If you go without these blessings
As you start another day,
Be assured your strength will fail you,
And you'll faint along the way.
Oh, live closer to the Master;
For unless you're very near,
Words of love He whispers to you
Will not reach your listening ear.—Author unknown
+
The great revival among British college students (started largely by John R. Mott) in the late 19th century began with those historic words: “Remember the morning watch!” So we need to tune ourselves up at the start of each day as we remember the morning watch.
If Jesus is really in first place in our lives, we ought to give Him the first part of our day. We are to seek His kingdom first.2 Doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It often determines our energy levels, alertness, and even moods for the day. Likewise, we need a “spiritual breakfast” to start our day off right.
Finally, in the morning our minds are uncluttered from the day’s activities. Our thoughts are fresh, we’re rested, tensions have not yet come on us, and it’s usually the quietest time. One mother sets her alarm clock for 4 a.m., has her quiet time, goes back to bed, and then rises when everyone else in the household gets up. Her explanation is that with kids around the house all day, early morning is the only time when it’s quiet and she can be alone with God. It works for her; you need to select a time that will work for you.—Rick Warren
Compiled by Philip Martin. Published on Anchor April 2012.TFI
1 Credited to both Andrew Murray and John Mott.
2 Matthew 6:33.
Friday, April 13, 2012
5 New Ways to Network!
5 New Ways to Network (That You Won't Dread)
Forbes, April 10, 2012
If you want to groan every time you hear the word “networking,” well, I don’t exactly blame you. The word conjures images of uncomfortable schmooze-fests, where suit-clad business executives work the room, wine glass in hand, feigned interest at the ready. Who would enjoy that?
But guess what? Networking doesn’t have to be that bad—in fact, it shouldn’t be. The goal is to meet new people and expand your professional network, and there’s no reason those activities have to be confined to conferences and industry happy hours.
All it takes is a little imagination, and networking might even be kind of fun. These five ideas will help you get started.
1. Reinvent the Meet-and-Mingle. Is there an activity you’ve been wanting to try, or a new skill you’d like to learn? Pick an activity—like taking up golf, learning to make your own wine, joining a book club, or anything else that other stressed-out professionals might do to unwind—and try it out! (Groupon is a great place to look for new ideas.) People in a relaxed, social setting are usually more open to conversation, which makes this the perfect opportunity to open up, ask questions, and build new relationships.
2. Be In With the In Crowd. In nearly every big city, there are at least a few restaurants where the politicos, the PR people, or the state workers like to go to mingle with their own. Even professional chefs have their favorite after-hours haunts. And a little legwork or friendly conversation with a knowledgeable bartender will give you some ideas of the hot spots in your industry. So, pick your place, grab a friend, cozy up to the bar, and strike up a conversation with the person next to you. Putting yourself (literally) next to other people in your field will increase your chances of networking success.
3. Take Up a Cause. Consider volunteering your time where your heart is. Pick a local church, animal sanctuary, or non-profit where you can put in a few hours after work or on a weekend alongside other people in your area. Or, lend your professional expertise to a neighborhood school: Put together a presentation (complete with handouts) about your field for career night, when parents (read: new contacts) are also in attendance.
4. Work It. Fundraisers usually have no trouble finding people who are happy to fork over $200, get dressed up, and enjoy the wine and hors d’oeuvres—what they really need is extra hands. So call your favorite charity and offer to work the registration desk. You’ll get to be there for the entire event, you’ll have a built-in chance to meet and talk with the (often high-profile) attendees, and you won’t have to pay a dime to do so.
5. Reconnect With Your Past. College and high school reunions or alumni events are the hidden gems of the networking world. They offer a room full of people with diverse interests and careers who you already know (or at least, who you have something to talk about with)! So, after you reminisce with your former classmates, club-mates, and sorority sisters, strike up a conversation about their careers, and talk about yours. Your old friends could be (or at least put you in touch with) valuable connections.
Face-to-face networking is still one of the best job search tactics out there. And if you’re willing to think outside the box, it might actually be fun, too.
Forbes, April 10, 2012
If you want to groan every time you hear the word “networking,” well, I don’t exactly blame you. The word conjures images of uncomfortable schmooze-fests, where suit-clad business executives work the room, wine glass in hand, feigned interest at the ready. Who would enjoy that?
But guess what? Networking doesn’t have to be that bad—in fact, it shouldn’t be. The goal is to meet new people and expand your professional network, and there’s no reason those activities have to be confined to conferences and industry happy hours.
All it takes is a little imagination, and networking might even be kind of fun. These five ideas will help you get started.
1. Reinvent the Meet-and-Mingle. Is there an activity you’ve been wanting to try, or a new skill you’d like to learn? Pick an activity—like taking up golf, learning to make your own wine, joining a book club, or anything else that other stressed-out professionals might do to unwind—and try it out! (Groupon is a great place to look for new ideas.) People in a relaxed, social setting are usually more open to conversation, which makes this the perfect opportunity to open up, ask questions, and build new relationships.
2. Be In With the In Crowd. In nearly every big city, there are at least a few restaurants where the politicos, the PR people, or the state workers like to go to mingle with their own. Even professional chefs have their favorite after-hours haunts. And a little legwork or friendly conversation with a knowledgeable bartender will give you some ideas of the hot spots in your industry. So, pick your place, grab a friend, cozy up to the bar, and strike up a conversation with the person next to you. Putting yourself (literally) next to other people in your field will increase your chances of networking success.
3. Take Up a Cause. Consider volunteering your time where your heart is. Pick a local church, animal sanctuary, or non-profit where you can put in a few hours after work or on a weekend alongside other people in your area. Or, lend your professional expertise to a neighborhood school: Put together a presentation (complete with handouts) about your field for career night, when parents (read: new contacts) are also in attendance.
4. Work It. Fundraisers usually have no trouble finding people who are happy to fork over $200, get dressed up, and enjoy the wine and hors d’oeuvres—what they really need is extra hands. So call your favorite charity and offer to work the registration desk. You’ll get to be there for the entire event, you’ll have a built-in chance to meet and talk with the (often high-profile) attendees, and you won’t have to pay a dime to do so.
5. Reconnect With Your Past. College and high school reunions or alumni events are the hidden gems of the networking world. They offer a room full of people with diverse interests and careers who you already know (or at least, who you have something to talk about with)! So, after you reminisce with your former classmates, club-mates, and sorority sisters, strike up a conversation about their careers, and talk about yours. Your old friends could be (or at least put you in touch with) valuable connections.
Face-to-face networking is still one of the best job search tactics out there. And if you’re willing to think outside the box, it might actually be fun, too.
