Reading is to the mind like exercise t the body Essay

Long before the invention of printing people valued books as treasure troves of the human knowledge and experience. Hand-written manuscripts took months of writing and were collected and kept in monasteries with all utmost care. Why are they so precious? To my mind, a book is one of the greatest wonders in the world. It gives us a unique chance to link up with authors who lived hundreds and thousands years ago. Thanks to the books we can talk to people who lived in different ages and countries. Books are the surest way to bring nations together. They give us an insight not only into the past but also into the future. A book is a faithful friend. Books stir my imagination, expand the boundaries of the familiar world. Some books teach us to live, form our moral values, some entertain us and give pleasure, some are very helpful in difficult situations. Even in the modern age of rapidly developing information technology I still feel the greatest and most efficient way of expending our knowledge is by reading. Reading is like doing exercises. It’s very important for people to have some regular exercises. This is very good for the posture, which I believe greatly affects the general health of the body and makes you stronger, and makes you feel good. After doing some strenuous exercise followed by a shower, you can really feel that your life is renewed and you have a fresh vigor with which to face the day. It seems to me that the more you exercise, the more you want to exercise. When you want and when you are able to use your body, you don’t feel so much like sitting around being lazy. The same can be said about reading. It develops a person’s logical and analytical thinking, it enriches a person’s vocabulary and gives a lot of life experience. It helps to understand other people, teaches how to behave in difficult situations, helps to avoid problems. Books serve the purpose of learning, teaching and instructing. They influence our emotions and form our moral values. After reading an interesting book I can really feel to my life is renewed and I have a fresh vigor with which to face the day. The more I read, the more I want to read. I feel thirst for new information, emotional effect and good piece of advice which can be obtained through reading. There are different kind of books, such as historical novels which show people’s life in old times; adventure stories which tell us about brave and clever people and their adventures; popular science fiction books which create imaginary worlds; detective stories which show crime, criminals and clever detectives; romantic novels which tell us about happy and unhappy love, people’s feelings; psychological dramas which show how people behave in different situations; and fairy-tales with imaginary heroes who fight for the good against the evil. I have always had a lot of books to read. But it’s difficult for me to choose my favorite writer out of a range of talented authors. Frankly speaking, I’m not keen on reading women’s novels, one-day fiction and tabloids. I am interested in real literature, the books that are to be â€Å"chewed and digested†. In my view, a good writer must have an ability to portray life truthfully, to describe nature with love and understanding. A good writer can always make people laugh or cry. He has a sense of humor, great lyrical power rich imagination.

Paradigm Shifts of Church History Essay

As described by Bosch in his foreword he talks about the title as ambiguous. â€Å"Transforming† can be an adjective used to describe â€Å"mission†. Mission can be understood as not the enterprise that transforms reality, but something that is itself being transformed. Let’s now look at the first paradigm shift. 1. Primitive Christianity †¦. go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. â€Å"[2] The great commission has to be taken into account with the rest of Matthew’s gospel where we see the â€Å"road† of mission to the gentiles is open. The Mission of Jesus was to breakdown boundaries and to include all, even those who were seen as enemies. God invites all and it is those who respond that are accepted. Early Christian mission was focused only on the Jews. Mission to the gentiles came as a spin-off mission. Early Christian mission involved the person of Jesus and it was political and revolutionary. The revolutionary aspect was seen in the new relationships it brought among Jews, Greek, free, slave, rich, poor, women etc. The early church had to seal their witness (martyria) with their blood; â€Å"Martyrdom and Mission† says Hans von Campenhaussen â€Å"belonged together†. [3] 2. The Patristic Period (The Eastern Church) Mission in the Patristic (first fathers) period is thoroughly church centered which means that the church is the aim; the fulfillment of the Gospel, rather than the instrument or means of mission[4]. In Orthodox thinking, mission is the place of liturgy (public worship). A witnessing community is a community of worshippers. Also Orthodox mission is founded on the love of God as seen in John 3:16. The church began to progress too, the apostles and itinerant preachers were replaced by bishops and deacons and later too was the monastic movement (which was the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one’s self to spiritual work). Mission to the non-Roman Asia spread mainly by the Nestorian monastic orders (who emphasized the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus). In 1054 the great schism took place between the Eastern and Western church. This was the beginning of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. Constantine moved the headquarters of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople and the church began to compromise with the state politically. The church became secularised and Salvation was a gradual progress that leads to the divine. 3. The Medieval Roman Catholic Period â€Å"Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. [5] Where the early church took its missionary text from John 3:16 talking about the love of God, the Roman Catholic Church had the focus of ‘compelling them to come in’. They argued that there was no salvation outside the formal membership of the RC Church. The Roman Empire had become linked to the RC Church. The Catholic Church became extremely influential over the State and loyalty to the state meant being loyal to the church. Islam became increasingly popular in the East leading to the capture of Constantinople in 1453. Pope Alexander VI divided the colonized world into two for mission purposes. One was under the King of Spain and the other under the King of Portugal. The mission of the church was linked to the mission of the state. They sent Missionaries to the colonized territories. Europe was broadly seen as Christian and therefore no real need for evangelism. The monastic movement may have been the reason was so much authentic Christianity evolved in Europe’s ‘dark ages’. Reformation Period (the Protestant Paradigm) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 6] Martin Luther had a realization that God’s righteousness did not mean God’s punishment and wrath, but his gift of grace and mercy in which anyone could be saved. Bosch noted that the Protestant missionary paradigm tended to vary from various extremes. Bosch shows that although the idea of mission was there among the Protestants, their involvement was limited. This was due to; (a) their primary task was to reform the church; (b) contact with non-Christians was little (c) they were struggling to survive; (d) denial of the monastic orders meant they denied themselves access to important services and (e) their own internal struggles. Luther’s reformation made little sense of this world, Calvinism in Holland (developed Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith) and Puritanism in England (the Protestant church regarded the Reformation of the Church of England as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship) did. Bosch then refers to Gisbertus Voetius’s threefold model of the theology of mission. He sees these dimensions as; (a) conversion of the Gentiles (b) planting of the church and (c) the glory and manifestation of divine grace (he saw the churches of old and new standing as equal)[7]. Enlightenment Period Mission during this period was diverse and multifaceted than ever before. The change from medieval to enlightenment thinking made the supernatural redundant and the natural attracted more attention. God, the church and the nobles were no longer revered, but nature was. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [8] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 9] Then Jesus came to them and said, â€Å"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. â€Å"[10] During this period as you can see from the scriptures above, the main sense of mission was the urgency o f the coming of the new millennium. The modern missionary enterprise has been greatly influenced by the enlightenment’s concept of ecclesiastical and cultural expansion. These were in the church and state. Colonisation and Christianisation went together, and were two sides of the same coin. Later, during the enlightenment the two went onto separate paths, forces of renewal and the second awakening. 6. Ecumenical Period The church turned from being an institution to being the body of Christ with its outlook on mission being revitalized and seen afresh. Missionary conferences began to emerge as Bosch referring to Gunther; â€Å"ecclesiological reflections of missionary conferences from Edinburgh 1910 to Mexico City in 1963†[11]. The ‘Missio Dei† concept first surfaced in 1952 at the Willingen Conference[12]. The idea of God as a missionary God[13]. Mission as stated by Bosch is as follows; meditating salvation; the quest for justice; evangelism; contextualization, liberation, inculturation; common witness; ministry by the holy people of God, witness to people of other living faiths; and as action in hope. Bosch looks at the life of Jesus with what we can learn for mission today.

An example of community engagement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

An example of community engagement - Essay Example However, for purposes of this paper, the example that is going to be given emphasis is a case study of Ethiopian youth participation in a national HIV/Aids program. The project had the objective of planning the actions needed to address the menace of HIV/AIDS (Communities Scotland, 2012). The initiative employed a participatory, learning and action paradigm with 51 young people being chosen to facilitate the process. They then identified youth groups and networks in every region and held workshops and interviews. After this was accomplished, three-day long National Youth Conference was held, in which volunteer participants attend the event. The Youth Charter was launched on a one-day event (Communities Scotland, 2012). This example of community engagement had a number of strengths. To begin with, the approach created youth ownership of the process. In addition, it developed knowledgeable, vigorous youth stakeholders in the realm of sexual health. It also built youth capability to act in response to HIV/AIDS in an effective manner (Communities Scotland, 2012). Despite these strengths of the initiative, the project had a number of limitations. For instance, it required a lot of time, and this may be a limiting factor because many youths may be busy with studies. In add ition, support from experts in the field of sexual health would also have been a welcoming idea, but appeared to be lacking in the project Communities Scotland. (2012). Youth participation in a national campaign: involvement in the HIV/AIDS program in Ethiopia. Retrieved on 4th May, 2012 from

America's Heros and PTSD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America's Heros and PTSD - Research Paper Example It will also discuss the benefits of the program, which has led to the well-being of these true American heroes (Coach, 2004). There are a number of economic issues facing this program. Funds dispensed by the government are hardly ever enough to meet the needs of the program. Furthermore, the target group of this initiative; returning service members and veterans is widespread throughout America. This means that great expense has to be placed on travelling to meet these people. It is also vital to note that this group of people has a unique set of skills that they learnt in training and combat. It is therefore necessary for them to get employment since idleness may lead them to wrongdoing. Returning service members and veterans normally have special needs in different fields. When it comes to health, some of these returning service members may have serious injuries inflicted upon them during combat. This means that they need constant medical checkups. These checkups may interfere with there work schedule, hence their employees need to be understanding and provide a flexible work schedule. Some of these returning service members’ maybe amputees. It means that wherever they seek employment should provide them with handicap parking, lifts, and easy access to their workplace. It is also important to note that these service members normally face a frustrating time when seeking for their benefits and treatment. This is due to a number of bureaucratic setbacks they meet along the way (Vaughn, Colley, Chairperson, & Pound, 2009). Certain accommodations need to be made especially for service members and veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that occurs in soldiers as a result of experiencing intense traumatic actions such as serious injury and military combat. Due to PTSD, these employees suffer from memory loss, for that reason employers may need to

Thomas Paine's theory (in Common Sense) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thomas Paine's theory (in Common Sense) - Essay Example Conversely, the government refers to an institution with a sole purpose of protecting the people from their own vices. The originality of the government can be traced to man’s evil. In this case, government is a needed evil to man. Apparently, the sole purpose of the government is the protection of life, property and liberty. Therefore, the judgment to a government should be based on its ability to fulfill this goal (Wilensky, 2010). Paine uses several imageries to pass his point. He considers a scenario in which some people are isolated in some island from where they are very detached from the rest of the rest of the society. With time with people will have to develop relations with one another and make laws that govern them. According to Paine, when persons are allowed to make their own laws, they will become much better off. This is because they pride of assuming responsibilities for the creation of their laws. He sees this as the best way for the American colonists to use. Therefore, the British reign over America and the whole system of government of Britain is a total flaw. The system used by the British to run their government is full of complexities and contradictions. Although, it claims to provide a reason system of the government, the British system is impractically wrong (Paine, 1995). Paine is also concerned with hereditary succession and monarchy notions. Naturally, man was born as equals and therefore such distinctions that occur between a king and a subject are unnatural. Although the world was created without kings, the ancient Jews insisted to have a king. Paine argues that God did not approve to this but just allowed them to have kings. Later on, God descended his wrath on the Jews because of their insistence on having a king. Paine therefore opines that monarchy as an institution has its origin from sin that is condemned by both the Bible and God. He goes ahead to condemn hereditary succession by arguing that even with the decision of having a king, the child of the king has no legitimate authority of becoming a future ruler. Hereditary progression has been a source of many evils like civil war, incompetent kings and corruption. Theoretically, America has thrived under the British rule. This makes them mandated to be under the rule of a king. However, the practical reality is that America has since evolved and no longer needs help from the British. Therefore, the claim that Britain protected America and should automatically seek allegiance is false since its mission is majorly to protect its economic interests. In most of Britain’s colonies, the British have been carrying out several attacks. Consequently, they do not deserve any loyalty from America. These attacks leave so little gains to the colonies. According to Paine, America or any other British colony can better do commerce with other countries in the rest of Europe. However, this will require that America first becomes independent. Past problems c annot be solved if colonies continue with their attachments to Britain. The only solution now for America and other British colonies is to seek independence. Otherwise, their problems will continue to persist (Paine & Slaughter, Common Sense and Related Writings, 2001). As a solution to this kind of mess, Paine offered to provide the form of government that can be adapted by

Education in South Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Education in South Korea - Essay Example Yet, in this period, it has taken a back seat to short-term needs in investment priorities and has failed to receive support. Educational reform does not only entail designing a reform plan but also providing administrative/financial help and the government’s active interest and investment to support it. In an interview of two tutors fully involved in the Korean education system, it reveals many problems as well as some of the recommendations, which should be accorded to the Korean education system (OECD 2005, 38). Recommendations if implemented can achieve a perfect education system, which does not only give a burden to the parents but is also fair to the whole population. In terms of education, Korea leads in having best education parents spend. Korean parents want the best for their children and, therefore, spend a fortune just to ensure the children get the best. The wife to one of the tutors is not in the country with the children but is in the US where the children are r eceiving their education a sign that the Korean does not trust the education system of Korea themselves (Seth 2010, 195) Historically, both large and small Korean educational reforms have been already implemented. Korea is not alone in undertaking educational reform; many countries are reforming their educational systems. Educational reforms targeting the 2000s began in the early 1980s, and advanced countries tended to put a top priority on it. According to him, scientific writing and parents’ great zeal for children’s education gave the people the world’s lowest illiteracy rate and high mathematical ability, leading to the strongest competitive advantage in a labour-intensive industry,... This essay approves that the Korean educational system is now in crisis. Unfortunately, the government’s educational reforms offer no hope. Instead, students are alienated from their schools, while teachers lose their pride and happiness in teaching or are the target of reform from a low-ranking government employee. In addition, parents, who harbour great anxiety about their children’s happiness, are worried and confused, due to communications gaps and their own poor schooling. Worst of all, poor students and their parents, who should receive support from their country and society, are now being devastated by an increasingly unfair educational structure. This report makes a conclusion that education is a tool for improving society education is a process of forming a desirable human and making his or her personal, family, and social lives happy and valuable, as the individual pursues social development. All activities, organisations, and operations in education should be conducted to meet the purpose of education, or to establish an ideal human quality. Education makes a person more human-like and desirable to a society and a nation. Based on a democratic constitution designed to make people and society happy, while respecting the freedom, equality, and creativity of each person and helping them to exhibit their best competencies under equally given opportunities, education begins in most nations with free and mandatory elementary school. This is enforced through education laws, which preserve the education system and its operation.

Christian Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Christian Ethics - Research Paper Example Consequently, the organization implemented the policy of organizing morning prayers for all workers before the start of operations thereby ensuring that the spirit of evil desires and impurity are put at bay through prayers. The policy is successful since nearly all the workers in my organization are religious with most being of Christian faith. Â  In order to ensure that my organization implements better ethical practices at the workplace, I would recommend for gradual implementation of the ethical practices. First, all the workers need to be informed of the intention of introducing the ethical practices in the organization. Secondly, the workers should have a say or decide on the practices they feel should be implemented, and this requires brainstorming, soberness, understanding, and sacrifices. This is helpful since it ensures that workers play a role in the creation and implementation of policies and ethical practices that will affect their lives while serving in the organization. When workers accept the anticipated ethical practices, they feel bound by their decisions and, therefore, strive to abide by them. Such decisions will serve as guidance to their relations at the workplace and to some extent their daily lives since they spend most of their time.

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Management - Essay Example In order to cope up with this era of efficient and advanced technology NYSE has an advanced computerized system and more than 50% of its trading takes place electronically. (Stock Market Investing Guide) National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) dates back its origin to 1790. It became a public company in 1987. It is the first company that sold and offered its own technology to empower other exchanges of the world. NASDAQ is also the first exchange to offer double listing and it has also consolidated the Global Market to great extents. NASDAQ has improved its technology, trade and business magnificently since last few years. Innovation lies in the roots of the company. They work to collaborate the dreamers with the doers. After a consistent and efficient growth rate since last 10 years NASDAQ now operates in 26 different locations with in 17 countries. To control the functions of such an immense organization scientific technology is a necessity therefor e NASDAQ has a completely computerized system where all the trading takes place electronically. (NASDAQ OMX) Whenever there is a discussion about stock market the two names that strike one’s mind urgently are NASDAQ and NYSE. The two of the biggest plat forms where trading of stocks takes place. Both of these organizations have a major share in worldwide or Global Market. The major similarity between both these organizations is that they deal with the trading that is buying and selling of stocks. These are the platforms where buyers and sellers meet each other and have transactions settled between them. Another common factor between NASDAQ and NYSE is that both of them are public entities where different companies can get enlisted. (The NYSE And Nasdaq: How They Work). Apart from these factors there is a large difference between the working mechanism and operating system of both the organizations. The basic difference between NASDAQ and NYSE is their â€Å"location†. L ocation here does not refers to an address but instead it’s the place or floor where trading takes place. In NYSE trading takes place on physical floors that is the traders (buyers and sellers) gather on New York trading place and buy or sell the stocks physically by themselves. Where as in NASDAQ trading of stocks takes place through an electronic medium (telecommunication). People here do not meet each other at some place to make arrangements and decisions about the value and price of their stock but instead investors and buyers or sellers have direct transactions among them through telecommunication. Another difference is that NASDAQ is a dealers market where buyers and sellers do not transact with each other directly but instead there is a dealer who facilitates trade among them. On the other hand NYSE is an auction market where individuals (buyers and sellers) physically indulge in trading and an auction takes place in which the maximum offered price is matched with the minimum demanded price. In NASDAQ the dealer who is also known as the market maker deals with the problems, flaws and errors that might hinder company’s growth and progress. Whereas, in NYSE there is a person, known as a specialist, who is responsible for taking care of such issues. There is also a difference between the companies which are listed in both the markets. In NASDAQ there is a higher ratio of technology oriented companies that deal in electronics. However, most of the

Which aspects of McDonald's organisational culture are considered to Dissertation - 1

Which aspects of McDonald's organisational culture are considered to be strong compared to competitors - Dissertation Example Organizational culture is a topic that is well-studied, and it basically means that organizations have a certain set of values and beliefs that are unique to that organization. Because culture needs to be spread, and there must be a method for this method to spread, this is a topic of consideration and is the focus of this paper. In particular, a vision is something that permeates organizations and, if this vision is positive and committed to by the employees of the company, the vision can make the organization great. This vision thus guides the organization, and underpins the culture. Another variable is that of leadership, as leadership has a great effect on organizational culture. Toxic leaders may lead to toxic work environments, so the organizational culture would be adversely affected. Conversely, effective leaders may lead to effective teams, and this would positively affect the organizational culture. The different kinds of leaders, and how these leaders operate, is another f ocus of this paper. Lastly, since McDonald’s is a multinational corporation, the concept of cultural distance must be touched upon. This is another focus. The results sections will extrapolate the data that was found on McDonald’s and relate this data to the information presented in the literature review. Hence, it can be shown why McDonald’s is the dominant player in the fast food market around the world. The literature review is divided into four sections – literature regarding organizational culture in general, followed by literature regarding vision, literature regarding leadership, and literature regarding cultural distance. The research section is next, and describes the kind of research undertaken, which is secondary research, and how the particular topic was researched. Next comes the results, which are tied into the literature found in the literature review. A conclusion tying it all together concludes the paper. Literature Review The Meaning of Organizational Culture Organizational culture is â€Å"the coding of values and deeply-held beliefs that mold an organization's decision patterns, guide its actions, and drive individual behavior† (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). An organizational culture is made up of patterns of belief that are rooted in the values, norms and informal activities of the organization (Ivancevich et al., 2008, p. 503). Both members and outsiders are cognizant of a particular organization’s culture, as the organization makes its organizational culture visible (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). At the same time, because it is comprised of beliefs, values and attitudes, all intangible qualities, it is subtle and invisible. The culture may be either beneficial or destructive. If based upon a positive vision, which is discussed below, the cultural organization is beneficial to the organization. Alternatively, if the belief system upon which the organizational culture is based is flawed, and does not fit the vision, then it can be destructive and will drive the organization on to mediocrity, not greatness. Moreover, the organizational culture is often driven by the bottom up, as opposed to top down, according to Dauphinais & Price, as the ways that the broad masses of the organization behave dictates the culture of the organization. Therefore, the organizational culture may be created by rewards, measures and â€Å"carefully structured people practices† Vision as a Part of Organizational Culture Part of the organizational culture is the vision that permeates throughout the organization, especially if the organization is strong and is able to have a shared vision. According to Senge (1990), a shared vision is vital for a successful company and should be one of the top priorities. The company’s vision is one to which the people of the organization must commit themselves. Yet, the successful company also realizes that there are thousands of individual vis ions for the companies, or, in the case of McDonald’s, millions of different visions, as each employee may have their