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GatorMoto Low Speed Vehicles Qualify for Extensive Tax Credit

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:13:00 GMT

Receiving up to a $5,335 tax credit for purchasing an electric vehicle in 2009 may seem hard to believe, but is possible. In effort to go green, from now till December 31, 2009, the government is offering the tax credits of up to $5,335 for qualified street legal electric vehicles. After the New Year however, the electric vehicle tax credit will lower significantly.

Although most of the low speed electric vehicles look like golf carts at first glance, they are completely different. These vehicles are street-legal on roads that have speed limits up to 35 mph, have seat belts, turn signals, windshields and wipers, can travel 40 to 50 miles on a single charge, and can go up to 25 miles per hour.

Justin Jackrel, owner and president of GatorMoto at 7065 NW 22nd St, takes pains to point out that they aren’t the same carts used on golf courses or darting across streets in gated communities. GatorMoto sells street legal golf carts and a line of low speed vehicles, named the Bubble Buddies. They range from two-passenger to eight-passenger and come in an assortment of colors. With prices starting at only $6,995 for a fully loaded vehicle, the end cost after the credits can be as low as only $2,160.

“We cannot build them as fast as the orders are coming in,” Jackrel said. “We placed large orders to make sure we have enough in time for the holidays, but the last few weeks have been crazy around here. Our current inventory is low and most of the vehicles on the future build schedule are already pre ordered!”

There is no better time than now to purchase an electric vehicle, and with gas prices on the rise, you are sure to love the fact that they only take one cent of electricity to go one mile.

What makes my Mocha Special

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:31:00 GMT

I am at Gloria Jean's Coffee last Wednesday sipping my mocha-latte when a question just popped out in my mind. I am thinking where did mocha come from and how it was made. We know chocolate comes from cacao beans and coffee comes from coffee beans. I was in this state when Jill one of my girl friends handed me a research paper about coffee and it's variants. I learned that mocha got its name from a port city in Yemen. It also has an Arabic descent and it's taste was derived from a coffee bean that is generally from Mocha, Yemen. What I really love is the aroma of mocha and when it's mixed with cream, it really soothes my senses. Mocha-latte always keeps me up especially at night where I assist my sister in homework help task. The best part of mocha is that it can be made in other products other than a beverage. It can be a flavor of an ice cream, cake and other sweets.

November Monthly Meeting - CFHFDP Chap 3: The Decorator Pattern

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:31:00 GMT

This meeting will be a continuation of our series: Head First Design Patterns for ColdFusion (CFHFDP). We are taking each chapter out of the HFDP book and writing ColdFusion implementations of each pattern that is covered. So far we have broken down the Strategy Pattern and the Observer Pattern. November brings us to Chapter 3 - The Decorator Pattern. Adrian Moreno will be presenting this topic as our main session of the night.

We have had some great feedback on this series, so make sure to join us as we continue. If you wish to catch up on Chapters 1 and 2, you can watch the recordings of those sessions at the links below:

Dave Shuck - CFHFDP - Chapter 1: The Strategy Pattern
http://experts.na3.acrobat.com/p50727167/

Adam Presley - CFHFDP - Chapter 2: The Observer Pattern
http://experts.na3.acrobat.com/p34878675/

The intro topic for the first hour is currently TBA as of the time of this posting. If you have a topic you would like to share, please contact Dave Shuck.

Additionally, we may be tackling 2 chapters, so if you are interested in presenting on Chap 4 - The Factory Pattern or Chap 5 - The Singleton Pattern please contact Dave Shuck.

Date and Time:

November 10, 2009 from 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Address:

Paladin Consulting, Inc.
3030 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1140
Dallas, TX 75234
google map

Pushing Weight: Back to Basics

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:21:00 GMT

This post is going to be the kick-off for a new series of blog posts tracking my strength and fitness progress. In the past I have followed complex body-part split routines that focused more on bodybuilding, with a secondary goal of getting stronger.

Back to Basics is my simple plan. Eat enough food to keep the scale moving up (.5 lb to 1lb per week) and strive to get stronger in a few basic lifts. This approach is very different from what I am used to in terms of volume and variation. As long as strength continues to increase, then I will consider this a successful routine.

The Routine consists of four workout days with a focus on Squat, Deadlift, Bench, Overhead Press.

Workout 1 - Lower

Squat (6 sets / heavy)
Deadlift (4 or 5 sets / moderate)
Calves

Workout 2 - Upper

Bent over Barbell Row ( 3 sets / moderate)
Bench (5 sets / heavy)
Overhead Press (4 or 5 sets / moderate)

Workout 3 - Lower

Deadlift (5 sets / heavy)
Squats (5 sets / moderate)
Calves

Workout 4 - Upper

Pull - ups (4 sets / bodyweight)
Bench (5 sets / moderate)
Overhead Press (6 sets / heavy)

I have created a log here proglog.instantspot.com to track my progress and updates.

Warwick Castle

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:11:00 GMT

Bevor es heute Abend nach Dublin geht, will ich mich noch einmal bei euch melden. Letzte Woche hat mir leider eine Erkältung zu schaffen gemacht, so dass es nicht viel zu berichten gab.
Am Samstag ging es mit dem Computer Science Department nach Warwick Castle, eine traditionellen, britische Burg ...
Am besten ich lass die Bilder für sich sprechen. Obwohl es am Morgen nicht so aussah, war natürlich wieder wunderschönes Wetter :)

The Mound und die Library

Warwick Castle Park mit Bootshaus

Halloween Witch

Für den Moment soll es das erstmal gewesen sein, ich muss erstmal zur Vorlesung. Ein bissl studieren tue ich natürlich auch noch, irgendwie brauch ich auch ein paar Aufgaben für die Woche.
Ende der Woche gibt es dann sicher wieder ein paar Eindrücke aus Dublin und eine Fahrt nach Wales steht auch bald auf dem Programm :)

Grüße aus Bham

Strategy Games - Strategic - RPG

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:15:00 GMT

Here you will find some really great strategy games. These games can′t be played so fast, but they are really tremendous. You will enjoy them. All these online strategic games are some kind of a simulation, you always need to build up something to defeat your opponent. We also list RPG games (Role Playing Games) in that category.

The following games previews are not arranged alphabetically. Simply click on the picture of the game you′d like to play below or have a look at the alphabetical order on the left side, if you search for a special game. Enjoy our online games and have fun!

If free games online is your passion or the way to escape from reality for some minutes, then here you will find a wide range of games to play of different genre. One of most favorite games of all time - of course, action games! You are welcome to spend a few minutes shooting and catching bad guys or fighting with space monsters. And we are proud to offer you action games to play online free.

If you are a fan of classic arcade games, the oldest from game's genre, I bet you have found the right place here! There are still many people who enjoy the way arcade games are played. On GamezHero game portal you will find an excellent choice of arcade games for your pleasure.

But if you enjoy playing sports games online, we are trying hard to develop best and most realistic sports games available today. You may find here more than just normal sports games like on other games websites, we've got a great collection of funny sports games, extreme races and many others.

Perhaps you love adventures games where you will dive into a whirlpool of crazy adventures full of risks and perils. Or to become a real business woman in online gaming for girls, building own company and making money and kids games where they can feel themselves grown.

We want your gaming experience to be one of most funny time you had changing any bad mood to a good one. Switch back and forth between all of addicting games we have developing dexterity, eye sight and having fun along the way. We hope that GamezHero will be a first website where you'd like to come over and have some pleasant and funny moments with your friends playing free online

STRATEGY GAMES

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:14:00 GMT

Free online strategy games and so much more fun on warheroonline.com

warheroonline.com has games for everyone, including free strategy games that will keep you playing non-stop. We offer tons of game categories like Action, Adventure, Card & Board, Jigsaws, Kids & Family, Music & Photos, Puzzle Games, Racing, Shooters, Sports, Strategy, Word Games, and more. warheroonline.com also features game reviews and ratings of your favorite free strategy games, a community full of gamers, and plenty of exclusive member perks. The best part is that the content is updated daily, making our game library virtually endless!

Can't seem to get enough strategic thinking? Join Club Shockwave! Even better than free online strategy games, you'll have access to exclusive versions of online games and downloadable games like Free Cell, Mahjong, Bingo, Daily Jigsaw, Solitaire, and much more. You'll also earn tokens, win trophies, and have a chance to play Instant Win Scratchers or enter our sweepstakes for big cash prizes!

You can also subscribe to Shockwave? UNLIMITED for access to exclusive online games and downloads for a low monthly fee. You'll enjoy unlimited play on all downloadable games, no ad interruptions on all online games, and new Flash games each week. You'll also have full access to all of the great online features of Club Shockwave, including multiplayer games like Bingo.

Welcome to the best place for free online strategy games!

Article quarry: http://www.warheroonline.com

Acts - Session 31

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:17:00 GMT

ACTS STUDY – SESSION 31

The Captivity of Paul – Part 1: Jerusalem

(Acts 21:27-23:11)

The last major section of Acts deals with the captivity of Paul. From Acts 21:17, where Paul is taken into custody by a mob at the temple in Jerusalem, to the Acts 28:31, where Paul is in Rome awaiting trial before Caesar, he is in constant custody. While he may not have been chained in a dungeon during all of this period, he was not free to come and go as he pleased. This period of captivity lasted between four and five years, and during this time Paul wrote numerous letters, some of which are in the New Testament. Almost all New Testament scholars say Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (the so-called “prison epistles”) during this period of captivity. Some contend that 1 & 2 Timothy as well as Titus was written during this time as well. The last part of Acts can be broadly outlined as follows:

Acts 21:37-23:11 – Captivity in Jerusalem
Acts 23:12-26:30 – Jerusalem to Caesarea
Acts 27:1-28:31 – Caesarea to Rome

CAPTIVITY IN JERUSALEM (Acts 21:37-23:30)

Verse 27 tells when this event occurred and who instigated it.

“when the seven days were almost over” – This refers back to the rite of purification that Paul agreed to undergo in the previous paragraph. This event took place about a week after Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem.

“the Jews from Asia” – They were in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. They brought their jealousy and seething anger toward Paul with them to Jerusalem! When they saw him in the Temple area, they saw their opportunity to silence him.

Verses 28-29tell of the accusations they made against him. Their accusations were false but effective. Essentially, they accused him of two things:

· Preaching against Jews, Jewish Law, and the Jewish Temple. Such an accusation was a gross, deliberate distortion of the gospel Paul preached. Paul understood Jesus to be the fulfillment of his Jewish heritage not the destruction of it.

· Bringing a “Greek” (meaning uncircumcised Gentile) into a prohibited area of the Temple. They had seen Paul in the company of Trophimus (see Acts 20:4 and 2 Timothy 4:19) in Jerusalem and assumed that Paul brought him into the Temple.

Verses 30-31a tell of the reaction to these false accusations. Paul was seized by an angry mob, dragged out of the inner courts of the Temple, and was beaten.

Verses 31a-40 tell of the intervention of the Romans.

In the northwest corner of the Temple area was a structure known as the Tower (Fortress) of Antonio. It was built by Herod the Great as a residence and as quarters for the guard. Pilate’s judgment hall was probably located in this structure. In the first century a cohort (battalion) was stationed there to keep peace in Jerusalem. The Romans rightly assumed that if trouble were to break out, it would be in the Temple area. The “commander” referred to in verse 31 was a “chilliarch” or commander of 1000 thousand soldiers. He would have had ten “centurions” under his command, each commanding 100 soldiers.

The “commander” actually rescued Paul from being beaten to death by the crowd. From the crowd’s reaction to Paul, the commander assumed that Paul was guilty of something and had him placed in chains. He tried to discern from the crowd who Paul was and what he had done, but in all the confusion he was unable to get any real facts about Paul. So, he ordered that Paul be carried into the barracks. As Paul was being carried up the steps by the soldiers to shield him from the mob, Paul spoke to the commander in Greek. This surprised the commander because he made an assumption that Paul was an Egyptian who had led some kind of revolt in Jerusalem and who had not yet been captured. Paul requested the commander to allow him to address the mob, and the commander agreed, probably curious about what Paul could possibly say to silence the crazed crowd.

Acts 22:1-21 summarize Paul’s defense before the mob. Essentially these verses are a recounting of Paul’s personal religious experience from his birth to the present day. Throughout this address is the implied question, “In light of how the Lord has spoken to me, how could I have done anything other than what I have done?” There are four main parts to his address:

· Verses 3-5 summarize the prominent facts of Paul’s life before his conversion to Christianity. He was born as a Jew. He received the best training available in Jewish law and customs. He was violently opposed to Christianity, doing all he could to persecute Christians.

· Verses 6-11 relate his conversion experience. He stressed the fact that he was confronted by the Lord as he was on a mission to persecute Christians.

· Verses 12-16 tell of the role Ananias played in Paul’s conversion. Paul stresses that Ananias was a “devout Jew” (v.12)and that he was “well spoken of by all of the Jews”(v.12) in Damascus. It was through Ananias that Paul was first informed that he had been set apart by the Lord to be “a witness for Him to all men”(v.15).

· Verses 17-21 describe the events that took place in Jerusalem on Paul’s first visit there after his conversion (see Acts 9:26-30). The Lord told Paul in a vision to leave Jerusalem because the people there would not accept his testimony about his conversion experience. Paul insisted the people knew of his past persecution of Christians and the implication is that he believed they would be convinced of the truth of his testimony by the radical change that occurred in him. However the Lord insisted that Paul leave Jerusalem and focus his ministry on Gentiles.

Acts 21:22-29 describe the various reactions to Paul’s defense.

Verses 22-23 describe the reaction of the mob heard Paul say the Lord sent him to Gentiles, they erupted in anger. Remember, the primary accusation they had raised against Paul is that he advocated the abandonment of Jewish traditions and that he had defiled the Temple by bringing a Gentile into a restricted area.
Verses 24-29 describe the reaction of the Roman commander. Since Paul had addressed the crowd in “the Hebrew dialect” (Acts 21:40) which is Aramaic, the Roman commander did not know what he had said. But when the crowd erupted in anger, he decided to get to the bottom of this conflict by having Paul flogged. This was a process by which a person was beaten with a leather whip that had pieces of stone or metal tied into it. If often crippled and sometimes killed the person being flogged. It was such a cruel punishment, it was not legal for a Roman citizen to be flogged. The punishment, much like crucifixion, was reserved for foreigners and slaves. When the commander learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, his treatment of Paul changed dramatically.

Acts 22:30-23:11 summarize Paul’s defense before the Jewish Sanhedrin.

Verses 22:30-23:1 – The Roman commander learned that the charges against Paul were religious in nature. Since the Jews were allowed by the Romans to handle their own religious disputes, the commander “ordered” the Sanhedrin to assemble to deal with Paul. As we have seen previously in this study, the Sanhedrin (the word means court) was the Jewish high court that dealt primarily with religious matters. It consisted of the high priest and seventy others.
Verses 2-5 report the conflict between Paul and Ananias, the high priest. F.F. Bruce says that Ananias was one of the most disgraceful high priests in the history of Judaism. He was once suspended, and in 59 A.D. he was deposed. Ten years later he was murdered by the Jews for his pro-Roman policies. Paul’s claim in verse 1 that he had lived with a “perfectly good conscience before God” so angered Ananias that he ordered Paul to be struck. Paul responded by calling Ananias a “whitewashed wall” which was a metaphor for a weakened wall about to topple the condition of which was disguised by a coat of whitewash. The statement by Paul in verse 3 that he “was not aware … that he was high priest” had been interpreted in various ways:
- Paul may have been speaking with sarcasm and irony meaning, “He does not act like a high priest.”
- Paul may not have been looking at the high priest when the order to strike him was given and did not know from whom the order came.
- Paul’s poor eyesight may have been the reason Paul did not recognize the high priest.
- Because this was not a regular session of the court but one called by the Roman commander, the high priest may not have been in his usual place or wearing his priestly robes. Since Paul had been away from Jerusalem for many years, he probably would not have recognized the face of the high priest.

Verses 6-10 describe how Paul threw the assembly into chaos.

Realizing the best he could hope for was a hung jury, Paul played upon the division that existed on the Sanhedrin between Pharisees and Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and the Pharisees did. This was a source of bitter argument between the two groups. Paul declared that he was a Pharisee being persecuted for his belief in the resurrection. The other Pharisees on the Council quickly came to his defense. As a result, the Roman commander had Paul removed from the Council and put into protective custody.

Verse11 tell of a vision of encouragement the Lord gave Paul.

This is reminiscent of the vision Paul had in Corinth (see Acts 18:9). That the vision was necessary is an indication that Paul may have been discouraged or at least troubled by all that had happened to him in Jerusalem. The Lord assured Paul that his mission was not yet completed and he would be protected until it was.

Practical application of Acts 21:27-23:11:

There is no guarantee that just because we are faithful we will have no adversity in our lives. This is a recurring theme in Acts and demonstrated many times in the life of Paul. Sometimes doing the will of God is the most difficult thing we can do. Gethsemane is a reminder of that truth. Those who teach that Christianity is an easy road to prosperity and general well-being are peddling heresy.
Jumping to conclusions about people is always dangerous. The Jews “assumed” Paul took Trophimus into the Temple simply because they had heard rumors that Paul no longer observed Jewish traditions and they had seen him with Trophimus in the city. The Roman commander “assumed” Paul was the Egyptian who had earlier led a revolt in Jerusalem. It is dangerously easy to make erroneous assumptions about people!
A closed mind will never learn new truth. The mob Paul faced in the Temple was not teachable because the minds of those people were completely closed to what Paul had to say.
Simply because one has a title does not mean that person is in touch with God’s will. Ananias had the title of high priest but had no clue about the will of God in relation to Paul.
God has a way of sending encouragement to us just at the moment we need it the most.

Marc Cenedella - Seven Deadly Interview Sins

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:14:00 GMT

How to Deal With Stress During Unemployment / Job Search

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:12:00 GMT

It’s normal to feel hurt, vulnerable, or angry after losing a job. The good news is that despite the stress of job loss and unemployment, there are many things you can do to take control of the situation and maintain your spirits.

You can get through this tough time by taking care of yourself, reaching out to others, and focusing on your goals. Losing your job can also be an opportunity to take stock of your life, rethink your career goals, and rediscover what truly makes you happy.

Losing a job is stressful

Our jobs are much more than just the way we make a living. They influence how we see ourselves, as well as the way others see us. Our jobs give us structure, purpose, and meaning. That’s why job loss and unemployment is one of the most stressful things you can experience.

Beyond the loss of income, losing a job also comes with other major losses, some of which may be even more difficult to face:

• Loss of your professional identity
• Loss of self-esteem and self-confidence
• Loss of your daily routine
• Loss of purposeful activity
• Loss of your work-based social network
• Loss of your sense of security

Grief is normal after losing a job

Grief is a natural response to loss, and that includes the loss of a job. Losing your job takes forces you to make rapid changes. You may feel angry, hurt, panicked, rejected, and scared. What you need to know is that these emotions are normal. You have every right to be upset, so accept your feelings and go easy on yourself.

Also remember that many, if not most, successful people have experienced major failures in their careers. But they’ve turned those failures around by picking themselves up, learning from the experience, and trying again. When bad things happen to you— or going through unemployment—you can grow stronger and more resilient in the process of overcoming them.

Coping with job loss and unemployment stress tip 1: Face your feelings

Fear, depression, and anxiety will make it harder to get back on the job market, so it’s important to actively deal with your feelings and find healthy ways to grieve. Acknowledging your feelings and challenging your negative thoughts will help you deal with the loss and move on.

Surviving the emotional roller coaster of unemployment and job loss

• Write about your feelings. Express everything you feel about being laid off or unemployed, including things you wish you had said (or hadn’t said) to your former boss. This is especially cathartic if your layoff or termination was handled in an insensitive way.
• Accept reality. While it’s important to acknowledge how difficult job loss and unemployment can be, it’s equally important to avoid wallowing. Rather than dwelling on your job loss—how unfair it is; how poorly it was handled; things you could have done to prevent it; how much better life would be if it hadn’t happened—try to accept the situation. The sooner you do, the sooner you can get on with the next phase in your life.
• Don’t beat yourself up. It’s easy to start criticizing or blaming yourself when you’ve lost your job and are unemployed. But it’s important to avoid putting yourself down. You’ll need your self-confidence intact as you’re looking for a new job. Challenge every negative thought that goes through your head. If you start to think, “I’m a loser,” write down evidence to the contrary (“I lost my job because of the recession, not because I was bad at my job.”).
• Look for the silver lining. Losing a job is easier to accept if you can find the lesson in your loss. What can you learn from the experience? Maybe your job loss and unemployment has given you a chance to reflect on what you want out of life and rethink your career priorities. Maybe it’s made you stronger. If you look, you’re sure to find something of value.

Beware of Pitfalls

• Taking refuge in your “cave” may provide temporary comfort, but is little help if your time spent there is not constructive. Surrounding yourself with positive, supportive family and friends may better help your self-esteem.
• Venting your anger and frustrations may only make you feel worse if you find yourself in the middle of a “pity party.” There are people who actually enjoy misery and the misfortune of others.
• Drinking is at best a temporary relief, and for some people, can lead to a crippling addiction.
Source: Surviving Tough Times (PDF), The University of Georgia

Coping with job loss and unemployment stress tip 2: Reach out

Don’t underestimate the importance of other people when you’re faced with job loss and unemployment. Be proactive. Let people know that you lost your job and are looking for work.

Taking action will help you feel more in control of your situation—and you never know what opportunities will arise. Plus, the outpouring of support you receive may pleasantly surprise you. Simple words of sympathy and encouragement can be a huge boost in this difficult time.

Turn to people you trust for support

Share what you’re going through with the people you love and trust. Ask for the support you need. Don’t try to shoulder the stress of job loss and unemployment alone. Your natural reaction may be to withdraw out of embarrassment and shame or to resist asking for help out of pride. But avoid the tendency to isolate! You will only feel worse.

Join or start a job club

Other job seekers can be invaluable sources of encouragement, support, and job leads. You can tap into this resource by joining or starting a job club. Being around other job seekers can be energizing and motivating, and help keep you on track during your job search.

To find a job club in your area, check out:

• Your local public library
• College and university career centers
• Professional networking sites
• The classifieds or career section of the newspaper

Stay connected through networking

The vast majority of job openings are never advertised; they’re filled by word of mouth. That’s why networking is the best way to find a job. Unfortunately, many job seekers are hesitant to take advantage of networking because they’re afraid of being seen as pushy, annoying, or self-serving. But networking isn’t about using other people or aggressively promoting yourself—it’s about building relationships. As you look for a new job, these relationships can provide much-needed feedback, advice, and support.

Coping with job loss and unemployment stress tip 3: Involve your family

Unemployment affects the whole family, so keep the lines of communication open. Tell your family what’s going on and involve them in major decisions. Keeping your job loss or your unemployement a secret will only make the situation worse. Working together as a family will help you survive and thrive, even in this difficult time.

• Keep your family in the loop. Tell them about your job search plans, let them know how you’re spending your time, update them on promising developments, and let them know how they can support you while you’re unemployed.
• Listen to their concerns. Your family members are worried about you, as well as their own stability and future. Give them a chance to talk about their concerns and offer suggestions regarding your job loss and unemployment.
• Make time for family fun. Set aside regular family fun time where you can enjoy each others’ company, let off steam, and forget about your job loss and unemployment troubles. This will help the whole family stay positive.

Helping Children Cope with a Parent’s Unemployment

Children may be deeply affected by a parent's unemployment. It is important for them to know what has happened and how it will affect the family. However, try not to overburden them with the responsibility of too many of the emotional or financial details.

• Keep an open dialogue with your children. Letting them know what is really going on is vital. Children have a way of imagining the worst when they write their own "scripts," so the facts can actually be far less devastating than what they envision.
• Make sure your children know it's not anybody's fault. Children may not understand about job loss and immediately think that you did something wrong to cause it. Or, they may feel that somehow they are responsible or financially burdensome. They need reassurance in these matters, regardless of their age.
• Children need to feel they are helping. They want to help and having them do something like taking a cut in allowance, deferring expensive purchases, or getting an after-school job can make them feel as if they are part of the team.
Source: New York State Department of Labor

Coping with job loss and unemployment stress tip 4: Take care of yourself

The stress of job loss and unemployment can take a toll on your health. Now more than ever, it’s important to take care of yourself. That means looking after your emotional and physical needs and making stress management a priority.

Tips for managing unemployment stress:

• Maintain balance in your life. Don’t let your job search consume you. Make time for fun, rest, and relaxation—whatever revitalizes you. Your job search will be more effective if you are mentally, emotionally, and physically at your best.
• Make time for regular exercise. Exercise can be a great outlet for stress and worry while you’re unemployed and looking for work. It is also a powerful mood and energy booster. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
• Get plenty of sleep. Sleep has a huge influence on your mood and productivity. Make sure you’re getting between 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. It will help you keep your stress levels under control and maintain your focus throughout your job search..
• Practice relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga are a powerful antidote to stress. They also boost your feelings of serenity and joy and teach you how to stay calm and collected in challenging situations—including job loss and unemployment.

Staying positive during a long job search

A long job search can wear on your attitude and outlook, especially if you’re unemployed. If it’s taking you longer than anticipated to find work, the following tips can help you stay focused and upbeat.

• Keep a regular daily routine. When you no longer have a job to report to every day, you can easily lose motivation. Treat your job search like a regular job, with a daily “start” and “end” time. Following a set schedule will help you be more efficient and productive while you’re unemployed.
• Create a job search plan. Avoid getting overwhelmed by breaking big goals into small, manageable steps. Instead of trying to do everything at once, set priorities. If you’re not having luck in your job search, take some time to rethink your goals.
• List your positives. Make a list of all the things you like about yourself, including skills, personality traits, accomplishments, and successes. Write down projects you’re proud of, situations where you excelled, and things you’re good at. Revisit this list often to remind yourself of your strengths.
• Volunteer. Unemployment and job loss can wear on your self-esteem and make you feel useless. Volunteering helps you maintain a sense of value and purpose. And helping others is an instantaneous mood booster. Volunteering can also provide career experience, social support, and networking opportunities.
• Focus on the things you can control. You can’t control how quickly a potential employer calls you back or whether or not they decide to hire you. Rather than wasting your precious energy on things that are out of your hands, turn your attention to things you can control during your unemployment,, such as writing a great cover letter and resume tailored to the company you want to work for and setting up meetings with your networking contacts.

Women, Job Search & Fear The 4 Little Voices That Run Around In Women's Head

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:56:00 GMT

      Since most women are not “Professional Job Seekers,” emotions tend to run high when things are not going as planned in a job search. Getting laid off, looking for a job month after month, staying in a job where there is no growth or where they feel attacked, is extremely discouraging. For a woman, these emotions can be fuel to a fire of fear that is burning in her soul.

      Most women say, “If I can get in the door, I always get the offer.” Unfortunately, that is not happening in this market. Women have a tendency to look at themselves first and ask “What am I doing wrong?” or “Is something wrong with me?” The pain they can feel in this current job market is causing a shake up in the very core of their being and have allowed “the little voices” to take over their mind.

1. The nurturing side comes out of a woman and she says to herself, “You are doing the best you can right now.”

2. Women feel defeated and stop looking for a new position or just dabble in their job search, “because it’s not the best time to look for a job right now.”

3. Women put themselves on automatic pilot, like they do for a lot of things in their life, and just “keep on going.”

4. A woman’s ego comes to her defense and she says, “No wonder no one is calling. The economy is terrible. No one is hiring.” This gives her all the reasons in the world, other than looking at what she is currently doing, in order to move ahead in her job search.

       For a single woman, putting her head in the sand, can mean financial disaster, since they are usually the only breadwinner in the household. The fear of being alone and not knowing what to do can feel like a “death threat.” For women that are married, with or without children, it can reign havoc in their homes, finances and in their relationships. For all women, it can have long term effects on future jobs and career marketability.

       The bottom line is: Women are strong, resilient, have great intuition and really can “make things happen.” If a woman faced her fears and treated her job search like a business project, she would be able to see that the rules have changed and that she needs to do something different to reach her goal of a new job.

Ode to Crushed Red Pepper

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:48:00 GMT

I love crushed red pepper and I use it in large quantities every day.

In fact, I am going to write a haiku about it right now:

Oh crushed red pepper

So spicy, hot and awesome

Please never run out

Uncovering Opportunities in Your Backyard

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:29:00 GMT

One of the top challenges executives share with us is, "How do I find a job in my area?" In a recession, this challenge is even greater. As Mark Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet points out, "Companies are less likely to advertise openings in this environment given the sheer volume of talent in the market and their focus on improving existing leadership teams."

This means infiltrating the hidden job market will be more important than ever before. But how do you find these jobs?

When embarking on a job search, executives have numerous decisions to make, but an initial bit of self-reflection is necessary to help plan a course of action. Then, a strategy must be created, one which will help them achieve their career goals.

"One of the most critical areas in marketing is correctly identifying and understanding our potential target audience _ those who will be most apt to respond favorably to our message and our product," says Rick Balsiger, president of Balsiger Partners LLC, a California-based executive search, brand integration and organization design consultancy. "The same is true for us as a job seeker. It's really a multistep due diligence process _ macro to micro.

"The first step is really to identify and inventory as many local companies as possible that could be a potential fit, either because of their industry or those with potential compatibility based on our functional experience," adds Balsiger. "Once we have the big list, we can begin the research and vetting process with our primary goal of trying to assess overall compatibility and potential fit."

CREATING A TARGET COMPANY LIST

While knowing what type of position you want is important, knowing the type of company for which you would like to work is just as crucial when planning the next stop on your career journey. For many executives, a target list gives them a starting point, a direction for their job search they might not have had before, as well as a clear message to others who could shed additional insight on these potential employers. Executives seem to find that target lists give them clarity around their careers and the entire job search process.

BUILDING THAT LIST RESOURCES YOU NEED

Most job-seeking executives mistakenly spend much of their time online looking for job postings listed by companies to which they can send their résumés, but those postings are better utilized to provide insights into who is hiring and for what positions. In addition to the job boards, Balsiger suggests taking a close look at the websites of potential companies to begin learning more about each one, its leaders, competitive position and culture. "Reviewing potential openings that companies have posted may give us a clue as to their needs, their overall requirements as well as clues about other potential opportunities that may exist."

There are other online resources that can help expand the list of possibilities. ExecuNet member Louise Stix notes that while online databases can help you locate companies that meet your established criteria, they can also automatically generate a list that contains "hidden companies" you hadn't before considered. Stix relies on Hoover's, a business information site that contains free (and paid) research offerings.
Online research is certainly a great place to start, but experts agree that executives need to implement a multichannel approach to target and market themselves, especially if they want to find opportunities within local companies that perhaps may be lesser known in the marketplace. Chandlee Bryan of New York City-based Best Fit Forward, suggests executives spend less than 40 percent of their job search time online. "Prior to the recession, many mid- to senior-level executives achieved great career success not just due to their computer proficiency but their interpersonal skills. While the fastest growing demographic of users of Facebook and Twitter may be over 30, old-fashioned [face-to-face] networking still trumps the online job board as one of the quickest ways to get hired."

LOOKING FOR LOCAL LEADS

Stepping away from the computer and conducting some face-to-face research through networking is critical in cultivating a target company list, and ExecuNet's 17th annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report found combining referrals with research and face-to-face meetings builds the strongest foundation of networking contacts.

Balsiger suggests reading community newspapers and business journals and following the websites of local organizations. "This will not only help identify local companies, but understand what challenges they may be facing and how you could potentially become a solution for them," he says. In assessing compatibility with an organization, Balsiger suggests learning about companies' history, business performance, product offerings, organizational structure, personality and culture and challenges they are facing.

Karen Armon, founder of Colorado-based MarketOne Executive, says an excellent way to identify local companies is to attend ExecuNet meetings, held in nearly 50 markets every month and other networking meetings in your local area, as well as some unlikely venues. "Don't ignore your local 'lifestyle' groups. Sometimes information can be found at your children's soccer game, your church group or any other gathering."

TIME TO REFOCUS

If you haven't already started building your target company list to gain a stronger focus on your job search, you're not alone. Many executives don't know how to identify "backyard" opportunities, which requires skills they may not have utilized in years. Where exactly should they begin _ before they are even officially in job search mode? "I would suggest they bone up on what is happening today about what companies do to find top talent," says Armon.

"It is better to know the lay of the land before rushing out and making a bunch of mistakes."

Armon says that her clients are typically surprised by the "nuanced and intricate steps it takes to market and sell oneself as a top talent. There are many steps from point A to point Z. Today, the term 'top talent' is subjective and is based upon perceptions about what one brings to the table for their business. There are so many executives who think that their past proves their worth, while most companies are seeking someone who can prove their worth today."

Balsiger concurs that most people are unsure about how to approach their job search. "I always counsel candidates to begin with strategy, then move on to tactics," he says. "A critical component of our marketing strategy is identifying all relevant target audiences, including those in our own backyard. Clear understanding of who we are and where we want to go must come before deciding how we want to get there."

kpk

Mixing a little Flex with my Mach-II

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:11:00 GMT

One of my latest projects was to create a little contact manager / sales tool to integrate with an existing system (written in Mach-II). Requirements dictated that I needed to have access to my already logged in user (must be aware of client session). "Down the road" requirements, are that we'd like to make an AIR port of this new feature as a standalone application. As a big fan of Flex, I thought it would be a great opportunity to test the efficacy of writing this new feature as a drop in Flex mini-application.

Since security is handled by the existing application, we needed to make sure the functionality of this app respected the existing security guidelines. The best way I could think of was also the easiest...just start calling events and see what happens.

Lucky for me, it all just worked. So here are a few examples that might help get you started if you are working on the same sort of project.

On creationComplete I call a method named "init()" to get that user's set of contact data:

private var myLoader:URLLoader;

public function init():void
{
	var myReq:URLRequest = new URLRequest('/index.cfm/event/GetContactData);
	myLoader = new URLLoader()
	myLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, dataComplete);
	myLoader.load(myReq);
}

Important: Notice the event listener I added to call the dataComplete method once the request was completed.

Once we have that initial set of data, all that is left is to start POSTing the create/edit/deletes the user is making to his contacts.

Here is an example of doing an HTTP POST request and passing my Contact object to a Mach-II event:

private function saveContact(Contact:ContactVO):void {
	var myHTTPService:HTTPService = new HTTPService;
	myHTTPService.method= "POST";
	myHTTPService.url = '/index.cfm/event/SaveContact';
	myHTTPService.addEventListener(ResultEvent.RESULT,function():void{init()});
	myHTTPService.send(Contact);
	Alert.show('Contact has been saved.');
}

Note: Check out how we send the Contact object without doing anything tricky? All of the properties of my ContactVO are available as event Args in my Mach-II listener.

Here is another example of doing an HTTP POST request, but passing individual variables:

private function submitNote(htmlText:String,plainText:String,Contact:ContactVO):void
{
	var myHTTPService:HTTPService = new HTTPService;
	var obj:Object = new Object();
	myHTTPService.method= "POST";
	myHTTPService.url = '/index.cfm/event/saveNote';
	obj['notetext'] = htmlText;
	obj['notepreview'] = plainText;
	obj['contactid'] = Contact.ContactId;
	myHTTPService.addEventListener(ResultEvent.RESULT,function():void{init()});
	myHTTPService.send(obj);
}

Note: Notice how we create an object and define the properties we want to send, and then pass that new object in the POST.

Acts - Session 30

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:06:00 GMT

ACTS STUDY – SESSION 30

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Part 4

(Acts 21:1-26)

Acts 21 is a chapter of transition. In this chapter we see the Apostle Paul traveling back toward Jerusalem after completing his work with the churches in Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia on the third missionary journey. Acts 20 ends with Paul saying an emotional good-bye to the leaders of the church at Ephesus. They had met with Paul in the seaport town of Miletus. Chapter 21 quickly moves Paul toward Jerusalem. In the portion of the chapter on which we will focus in this session there are four main movements:

The trip from Miletus to Tyre (Acts 21:1-6)
The trip from Tyre to Caesarea (Acts 21:7-14)
The arrival in Jerusalem (Acts 21:15-16)
The meeting with the James and the other church leaders in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-26)

The first part of Acts 21 provides an interesting picture of travel by boat in the 1^st century. In Acts 20 we saw Paul and his companions traveling by coastal boat that put in at seaport towns along the way. That mode of travel continues in the first part of Acts 21. At the various stops cargo would be loaded and unloaded and passengers taken on and off the commuter ships. These short trips from town to town were normally made during daylight hours. Because there were very few lighthouses and navigation tools were very elementary, it was extremely difficult and dangerous to navigate these coastal ships at night.

From Miletus to Tyre (Acts 21:1-6)

Verse 1 mentions three ports of call made by the ship on which Paul was traveling.

“Cos” – This is a small island about 40 miles south of Miletus. Hippocrates, who is often referred to as the father of medicine, was born on Cos.

“Rhodes” – This island was famous for its great lighthouse that was known as the Colossus of Rhodes. The giant figure straddled the entry to the port of the city of Rhodes and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Rhodes became a key stopping place for the crusaders on the way to and from the Holy Land. To this day, there is an elaborate restored crusader city at Rhodes.

“Patara” – This port was located on the coast of the province of Lycia.

Verse 2 tells us that at Patara Paul and his companions changed ships (probably going to a larger vessel) to make the long trip to Phoenicia that is just north of Judea where Jerusalem is located.

Verse 3 this was a non-stop voyage all the way from Patara to Tyre.

Verses 4-5 describe a moving scene with some disciples in Tyre. We have no record of Paul previously ministering in Tyre, but he found a Christian community there and spent a few days with those believers. Some have speculated that the church in Tyre was made up of Jewish Christians who had been forced to flee Jerusalem after the persecution that broke out following the death of Stephen. Saul, now known as Paul, spearheaded that persecution! If that is the case, this passage is a beautiful example of Christian forgiveness and reconciliation. Luke mentions several things about the brief stay in Tyre:

When the Christians in Tyre heard of Paul’s plans to go to Jerusalem, they warned Paul not to go. Luke tells us this warning came “through the Spirit” or as a result of impressions made by the Spirit. Paul apparently interpreted this warning not as a prohibition from going to Jerusalem but as a warning that the outcome was not going to be good.
Paul made such an impression on these people in just the few days he was there, they and their families accompanied him all the way to the beach and knelt with him to pray before he departed.

From Tyre to Caesarea (Acts 21:7-14)

The ship on which Paul and his companions were traveling made an overnight stop in Ptolemais. This city, which is one of the oldest in the world, was called Acco in the Old Testament and is known as Acre today. It is located in northern Israel on top of a the bay on which Haifa is located. This is one of the best natural harbors on the Palestinian coast. As Paul did in Tyre, he found the Christian community in Ptolemais and visited with the believers there.

From Ptolemais the party sailed to Caesarea. This city, also known as Strato’s Tower, began in the 3^rd century B.C. It came under Roman control in 63 B.C. Herod the great rebuilt the city and named it in honor of Caesar Augustus. In the 1^st century it was the Roman capital of Judea and the official residence of the governor. Luke tells us two things about Paul’s stay in Caesarea:

He stayed in the home of “Phillip the evangelist” (v.8). We were introduced to Phillip in Acts 6 (about 20 years earlier than the events in Acts 21) when he was chosen to be one of the seven helpers of the apostles in serving food to the widows. In Acts 8 we see him preaching the good news to the Samaritans. Verse 9 tells us that Phillip “had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.” As we have seen elsewhere in this study, the word “prophet” was used to describe someone who not only foretold future events but who told forth the word of God. One writer says the word describes those who “had the gift of speaking for God utterances given them under the immediate direction of the Spirit.” In other words, Phillip’s daughters were preachers!
Agabus, a prophet from the area of Jerusalem, joined the chorus of people who were raised up by the Lord to warn Paul that trouble awaited him in Jerusalem. We met Agabus earlier in Acts (see Acts 11:28) when he prophesied that a famine would come to Judea causing great suffering among Christians. As in Tyre, Paul interpreted this warning not as a prohibition from the Lord of going to Jerusalem but as intended to prepare him for what was ahead. Paul was convinced the Holy Spirit was leading him to go to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22).

From Caesarea to Jerusalem (Acts 21:15-16)

Jerusalem is 64 miles southeast of Caesarea. The journey, either by foot or on horseback, probably took between two and three days. Paul and his traveling companions were joined by some of the believers from Caesarea on this journey. Perhaps they went to introduce Paul to Mnason in whose home they were to stay. Mnason is described as “a disciple of long standing” (v.16). This means he was probably one of the original Jerusalem Christians, perhaps converted on or near the Day of Pentecost. This has led some to speculate that he was one of Luke’s sources for the events that occurred in the early days of Christianity.

Paul’s Meeting with the Leader’s of the Jerusalem Church (Acts 21:17-26)

The James mentioned in verse 17 is the half-brother of Jesus who became one of the key leaders of the church in Jerusalem. The fact that none of the other original apostles are mentioned may mean that by this time they had scattered to other parts of the world. This meeting with leaders of the Jerusalem church included the following:

Verses 18-19a – A recounting by Paul of the way God had moved among the Gentiles in Asia and Greece and probably a presentation of the offering given by the Christians in Greece for the Christians in Judea.
Verses 19b-21 – An expression of concern about how the Jewish believers in Jerusalem would respond to Paul’s presence. False rumors had been spread that Paul was urging Jews to forsake their religious traditions.
Verses 22-24 – The proposal from the church leaders to diffuse the situation. They asked Paul to take a Nazarite vow of purification along with four other believers and to pay the expenses of the four in taking such a vow. The process would take seven days and according to Numbers 6:14-15 would require two lambs, a ram, bread, cakes, and meat and drink offerings from each person. So this process would require a substantial time and expense commitment from Paul. Earlier in his life Paul may have balked at such a requirement. But now, being older and more mellow, he saw the wisdom in the suggestion and agreed to do it.
Verse 25 confirms the original decision the church had made some years (see Acts 15) earlier concerning what to require from Gentile believers.
Verse 26 reports that Paul followed through on his commitment to undergo the rite of purification.

Practical Lessons from Acts 21:1-26:

Following God’s will for one’s life is often difficult and demanding. While the Lord led Paul to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22), He did not promise the reception there would be pleasant (Acts 21:11).
We should actively seek the fellowship of other believers. At virtually every stop along his journey Paul intentionally sought out the Christian community.
We must be careful about placing limits on the people the Lord can and cannot use in ministry. In an era when women were treated more like property than people, Phillip had four daughters who had been given by the Lord the gift of prophecy.
Following Jesus is a life-long commitment. Perseverance in the faith is what the Lord desires from us. Phillip and Mnason are examples of two disciples who stayed committed for the long-term.
We should go out of our way to accommodate other believers. Paul did not have to take the purification vows but did so to foster peace in the fellowship.

Programmers and Gluteal Atrophy

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:40:00 GMT

As a man approaching my mid-30's and having had an office job for right at 10 yrs now, I was very surprised what awaited me the first time I went back to deadlifting and squatting. I was weak! So shocked was I by this that I thought that surely something must be wrong and/or broken inside me. Not only did I feel weaker than I thought I should be, but I was extremely inflexible. Ten years of sitting around was causing me problems.

From wikipedia:

Sitting for long periods can lead to the gluteal muscles atrophying through constant pressure and disuse. This may be associated with (although not necessarily the cause of) lower back pain, difficulty with some movements that naturally require the gluteal muscles, such as rising from the seated position, and climbing stairs.

About a year and half ago, I started to get myself back into the routine of working out. I mainly focused on running at first (more on that in another post) but eventually realized that I hated running :) and I loved moving heavy weights. It has taken me several months of dedicated deadlifting and squatting to begin to feel like I am approaching a good baseline strength (totalling 1000 lbs between bench/deadlift/squat) and my back is feeling better than it has in probably a decade.

So to all of my fellow programmers out there, get into the gym and deadlift. You will be glad you did!

How to leave a great impression with your potential employer?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:09:00 GMT

    Confirming an interview invitation from a company you applied to is very important and should not be taken for granted. The whole interview process will assess if you are able to do the job, if the job available is something that you are willing to do, and if you are the right fit for it.

    Personal interviews are even better than phone interviews because you will be able to interact better with the interviewers. When you attend an interview, you need to be prepared and have the right mental attitude.

    Below are some tips to guide you when you get an interview appointment.

Confidence

Nervousness or being jittery are common feelings experienced by a candidate during interview. Avoid feeling inadequate for the position you are applying to. The fact that you were requested for an interview means that you were pre-qualified by the recruiter based on your resume alone. It also means you have bested some of the other candidates for the position.

Another way to gain confidence is to research information about the company before your interview. Gaining knowledge about the company would give you the confidence when you are asked what you know about the company.

Learning opportunity and Improvement

Treat every interview as a learning experience and a way to improve. If you have not been successful from your previous interviews, do not let it frustrate you. Try to remember what questions you had difficulty answering, and learn how to come up with a better answer. When similar questions are again asked, you will be prepared to come up with a better answer.

Interviews can also be a way an opportunity to learn something about the company, other people and even your self. If you are given the chance to ask, do not be afraid to ask about the company or the position you are applying for. This will give the interviewer the impression that you are interested to learn more about their company.

Showing up for a confirmed interview

Being late for an appointment or failure to show up for an interview on an agreed time will create a negative impression against you. As a candidate, it is your responsibility to show up to an agreed schedule. If for some unforeseen reason, you will not be able to attend the interview, you must inform your interviewer 24 hours before the appointment. But make sure that you have a valid reason in resetting the appointment.

Mit ordendlich Krach in den neuen Tag

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:15:00 GMT

wohhh war das eine Nacht, mir ist gestern Abend erstmal richtig bewusst gewurden, wieviele Inder hier in England bzw. in Birmingham leben. Die haben es gestern Nacht so richtig schön Krachen lassen, wie man es bei uns auch nur Silvester erlebt. Grund war ihr Diwali Fest. Entsprechend verschlafen gings heute früh aus dem Bett ;)

Das solls natürlich für heute nicht gewesen sein, ich hab gestern wieder eine kleine Reise unternommen und will natürlich auch wieder ein paar Bilder um die Welt schicken :D
Gestern gings in die größte Felsenschlucht Englands nach Cheddar Gorge.

Wir hatten uns vorgenommen unseren alten Freund "Cheddar man" mal zu besuchen.

das hier sieht wohl eher nach einem Hippi aus

Der sich vor 9000 Jahren ein nettes Heim in den Felsen gebaut hat.

ich glaub, ich hätte mich hier auch ganz heimisch gefühlt, wenn es nicht so feucht wäre...

Nach unser Reise in vergangene Tage gings, dann weiter nach Wells, was gleich um die Ecke lag.

Die wirklich beeindruckende Kathedrale von Wells

Der Bischof braucht natürlich ein angemessenes Heim und wollte auch gleich 5GBP für das betreten haben.

Vicars Close

Zum Abschluss hab ich noch ein nettes Bild von unseren Cheddar men.

Bis die Tage...

Eco-friendly Bionicle

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:28:00 GMT

T has built a new Bionicle model and came to show it.

"You see it is really good for environment."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Y said so. Maybe because it does not use any fuel. Anyway, it has got these lasers and machine-guns here..."

Acts - Session 29

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:31:00 GMT

ACTS STUDY – SESSION 29

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Part 3

(Acts 20:1-38)

In this chapter we see several major movements:

Acts 20:1 - Paul’s Departure from Ephesus
Acts 20:2-3b – Paul’s Return to Macedonia and Greece (Achaia)
Acts 20:3a-6 – The Beginning of Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem
Acts 20:7-12 - The Incident Concerning Eutychus at Troas
Acts 20:13-16 - The Journey from Troas to Miletus
Acts 20:17-38 – The Farewell to the Christian Leaders of Ephesus

Acts 20:1 - Paul’s Departure from Ephesus

We concluded our previous session by focusing on the near riot instigated by the silversmiths in the city of Ephesus. The silversmiths were upset because so many people were turning to faith in Christ that it was hurting their business of making idols and trinkets for the worship of Artemis (Diana), the goddess of fertility, for whom a great temple had been constructed in Ephesus. After the incident, Paul decided it was time to end his three year stay in Ephesus and check on the churches he had established on his second missionary journey. Paul called together “the disciples” in Ephesus for two reasons:

· “he … exhorted them” – That is, Paul encouraged them to continue in the faith.

· “he had … taken his leave of them” - That is, he told them good-bye. At this point, he did not know when or even if he would see them again. Later in this chapter we see Paul meeting with some of the leaders of the church in Ephesus, but at this point in time Paul did not know that he would have that opportunity.

Acts 20:2-3a – Paul’s Return to Macedonia and Greece (Achaia)

Macedonia is the province in northern Greece. That is where the churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea are located. We do not know precisely how long Paul stayed in Macedonia, but it was probably a matter of months. During this time he was raising money from the churches to be given to the suffering Christians in the area of Jerusalem. He also gave the Christians there “much exhortation” just as he had given the disciples in Ephesus before he left.

Leaving Macedonia “he came to Greece” (v.2). In this case “Greece” refers to the southern province of Achaia where Corinth was located. He was there for three months, probably during the winter of 56-57 A.D. Most scholars believe that it was during that time that Paul wrote the great letter to the Romans.

Acts 20:3b-6 – The Beginning of Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

Paul planned to sail directly from Achaia (probably from the port of Cenchrea) back to Syria. However, he was alerted to a plot against him by some of his Jewish adversaries. Perhaps they planned to murder Paul once they were at sea. So instead of sailing from Achaia, Paul traveled by land back to Macedonia to sail from there.

Paul was not making this journey to Jerusalem alone. Verse 4 mentions seven traveling companions. Some of these men were from the churches in Asia (Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus) and some were from the churches in Macedonia (Sopater, Aristarchus, and Secundus). The ones from Macedonia were probably going to share in the presentation of the offering for the Christians in Judea that had been collected from their churches. The ones from Asia were probably going to allow the Jewish Christians in Judea to be further exposed to their fellow Gentile believers.

2 Corinthians 8:19 indicates that Titus was also among Paul’s traveling companions on this journey. It is interesting that his name does not appear on the list, nor does Luke’s name who obviously accompanied Paul from Philippi (verse 6). Some have speculated that Titus was Luke’s brother and out of family modesty Luke left both their names off the list.

Except for Luke and perhaps Titus, the rest of the party went on to Troas while Paul remained in Philippi until after the Passover. Verse 6 indicates it took five days to sail from Philippi (the port of Neapolis) to Troas which indicates the winds were not favorable (Acts 16:11-12 indicates Paul previously made the journey from Troas to Neapolis in two days).

Acts 20:7-12 - The Incident Concerning Eutychus at Troas

This incident is interesting for several reasons:

· This is the first mention in Scripture of Christians gathering “on the first day of the week.” As the hostility between Christians and Jews increased and Christians moved out of the synagogues, Christians gradually moved their day of worship from the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) to the first day of the week (Sunday) which was resurrection day.

· The phrase “were gathered together to break bread” is probably a reference to the “agape feast” that included a fellowship meal and a reenactment of the Last Supper.

· Paul apparently sensed he would not have the opportunity to address these people again, so “he prolonged his message until midnight.”

· Some have questioned whether Eutychus was actually dead or just knocked unconscious. The statements in verse 9 (“he was picked up dead”) and verses 12 (“And they took away the boy alive”) indicate that he was actually dead and brought back to life. This story is reminiscent of the raising from the dead of Tabitha by Peter in Acts 9:36-42).

Acts 20:13-16 - The Journey from Troas to Miletus

While the rest of the party went by sea from Troas to Assos, Paul traveled overland. Luke does not tell us why Paul chose those travel arrangements, but there are several possibilities:

· Perhaps he desired to remain behind for a short time to give additional instruction to the Christians in Troas

· Maybe he wanted some time alone before starting in earnest his intense journey back to Jerusalem

· Perhaps there were some friends he wanted to see along the way

· Maybe this was an attempt to confuse the Jews who were constantly plotting against him

For whatever the reason Paul traveled by land to Assos where he boarded what appears to be a commuter boat that skirted the rugged coastline of Asia stopping it key towns along the way. Because Paul desired to reach Jerusalem in time for the Feast of Pentecost, he decided not to return to Ephesus which he knew would not be short visit.

Acts 20:17-38 – The Farewell to the Christian Leaders of Ephesus

While at Miletus, Paul sent for “the elders of the church” at Ephesus. In verse 28 these people are referred to as “overseers” which is the word sometimes translated as “bishops” in the New Testament. The word means “guardians” and referred to those who had the responsibility of leading the church. It is my opinion that the New Testament uses the words elders, bishops, overseers, and pastors interchangeably to refer to a single office.

Paul was convinced that this would be the last time he would see these dear friends in this world (see verses 25 and 38). This is one of the more moving scenes in the New Testament. In these verses we see the Apostle Paul bidding an emotional farewell to the leaders of the church at Ephesus with whom he had spent three years in ministry.

This speech by Paul is the only one Luke recorded that is addressed to Christians. His other sermons recorded in Acts were delivered to Jews or unbelieving Gentiles. While in this chapter we see Paul addressing Christians in several places (see Acts 20:1, 2, and 7-12), Luke does not give us the content of what he said. But in these verses we have the content of his message.

Verses 18-21 – Paul begins by reminding the Ephesians of the example he set for them in ministry. He shares these things as an encouragement for them to follow his example (compare Philippians 3:17). Basically, Paul says four things about his ministry in Ephesus:

1. He served with humility, even in very difficult times (vv.18b-19)

2. He taught the whole truth, not holding back anything (v.20a)

3. He taught publicly as well as privately (v.20b)

4. He called all people to repent and turn in faith to Jesus (v.21)

Verses 22-25 speak of Paul’s plans for the future and his understanding of what was before him.

Verses 26-27 reiterate Paul’s practice of preaching/teaching the whole truth – redemption as well as judgment, encouragement as well as exhortation.

Verses 28-31 contain a charge to the leaders of the Ephesian church.

Verse 32 is a beautiful benediction in which Paul commends these dear friends to God.

Verses 33-35 refer back to the topic with which Paul began this message – his personal example.

Verses 36-38 describe the emotional farewell.

Practical Lessons From Acts 20:1-38:

1. Every person needs to be encouraged from time to time. In this one chapter we see Paul encouraging the believers in Macedonia, Achaia, Troas, and Ephesus. It is not a sign of weakness to be in need of encouragement; it is part of our human nature.

2. Every believer needs to be alert for opportunities to be an encourager of others. People are naturally drawn to those who build them up, not with false, empty flattery but genuine encouragement.

3. We need people in life who will “share the journey” with us. As Paul’s friends accompanied him on his journey to Jerusalem, our lives are diminished if we do not have around us people who share our journey.

4. It is not an act of love to minimize to others the demands God makes on our lives. While we should not be angry or delight in hurting others, neither should we shrink from declaring God’s truths given to us in Scripture.

To breathe is to make poetry

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:26:00 GMT

That's something I just read in a book about Native American religion. According to this book, the word for "to breathe" and the word for "to make poetry" are the same, because they both come from the word for the soul.

And later, the author points out that "to make song is an act of vitality, of the breath. It is rooted in the heart, the seat of life and center of emotions. It is not only a sign of life, but -- as important -- an act of life."

What a beautiful description of song. I think of Daddy talking about his grandmother, whom we called Mama. She was our Cherokee ancestor, brought down from Cherokee, NC sometime in the 1800's. Daddy said that once he got his driver's license, he had to take Mama to "singings," or as he said it, "to sangins." I used to think these were essentially church revivals, but I've since learned that they weren't revivals at all, but simply "singings." A place where people came together to sing. I'm pretty sure they were mostly singing hymns, but still the essential point is the same -- people were going out of their way to come together to make music, the breath of life.

Precursor, I guess, to concerts. :)

gotta go. I've promised Llyr I'll take him to the creek to discover his own totem animals.