Personal motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal motivation - Essay Example However, all humans are small parts of a large plan. Thus, one cannot assess the long term impact of momentary hardships, bottlenecks and despairs in life. Unless, in any stage of life one evaluates optimistically that these demises were to make, nourish or groom one’s potential or to determine his life objective for him. Thus, in mature age I accepted reality and despite of becoming gloomy about my shortcomings, accepted them whole-heartedly. Therefore, I received my pleasure of life by getting married to a great man and am fortunate to be the mother of three. However, my passion for higher studies never dwindled and at the age of forty and a mother to fourteen year old daughter, I decided to resume my studies as a radiologist. I want to become a role model for my children and provide them with evidence as age is not an obstacle in achieving aims, only perseverance and personal motivation in any form is required. Therefore, I plan to join The University of Texas –MD Anderson Cancer to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in radiation. God has plan for all, I found my personal motivational element in the success of others and by aiding my family members in their time of need, I found my objective of life. I believe, living for oneself is easy and not much rewarding in its true sense, the most gratifying moments are savored when one becomes a cause of others pleasure or become a source of their ease through eliminating their pains or miseries. Therefore, I feel most fortunate to be a daughter of my beloved father, wife to my loving man and a fortunate mother who can still look after family without being pessimistic or

When I change my major Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

When I change my major - Essay Example Since my childhood, I have always dreamt of becoming a successful businessman in my country if not the entire world. I had grown passion for reading business-related articles to expand my knowledge in the filed I considered would significantly shape my future. Consequently, I decided to major in business management during at the beginning of my sophomore year. However, the situation in my country contributed a great deal to the dwindling interest in pursuing business course any further. â€Å"Hey, what do you think about pursuing an engineering course?† It was after this statement from a close family friend, rung a bell in my mind that eventually made me to change my major to engineering. In my country, bio medical engineering graduates have a lot of job opportunities and make handsome cash. Also, they have the opportunity to help the community by preferring to work in hospitals. It has been my dream to engage in activities that give back to the society and I reflected on changing my major to the field of bio medical engineering as a great opportunity to achieve this dream. Now, I cannot be happier knowing that I will soon graduate as a bio medical professional and get numerous job offers in my country and also that it will enable me to help people in

The church: An agent for transformation

The church: An agent for transformation Introduction With an overwhelming reality with regard to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in South Africa there is an urgent response needed to assist these children. According to various authors the local church does possess the potential and mandate to be a key role-player and catalyst in creating sustainable livelihoods. Such an involvement could assist in improving the quality of life for the communities and its children in question (Makoko, 2007; Mitchell, 2001; Singletary, 2007). According to the Bible (Matthew 28:18, 19; Matthew 22:37-39), the mission of the church is to declare and demonstrate the gospel to a sinful and a suffering world, with the primary aim to build the Kingdom of God. Perkins (1995:111) refers to a time when the church was the primary source of care and help for the needy of society and concludes that the church surrendered this role to government agencies and welfare programmes. He makes a profound statement by stating that Today, in many ways, the lost world does a better job of caring for the needy than the church does. (1995:111) Within this chapter, a theological perspective and foundation for the churchs mandate to be involved in the community and the lives of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) will be investigated. Secondly the churchs potential and call towards a holistic, integrated missional approach for effective community development will be explored. Thirdly, the churchs methodologies and approaches within their current praxis of community involvement as well as possible shortfalls will be considered. This investigation will be based on a literature study, primarily using the work of Kysar (1991) which is acknowledged as a relatively old source, but used due to the large extent of his work in both Old and New Testament literature relating to the mandate of the church for social ministry. Other authors such as Kumalo (2001), Liebenberg (1996), Mathole (2005), Myers (2004) and Myers (1999a) will be consulted and reflected in this chapter and used to evaluate Kysar (1991). Due to the limitation of this study, no exegesis will be done. The sources used in this study will be compared in order to identify similarities and contradictions in order to formulate a theological foundation. a theological perspective and foundation for the churchs mandate to be involved in the community and the lives of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) The churchs involvement in the community has been motivated from various authors viewpoints (August, 1999; Dreyer, 2004; Hessel, 1992; Kumalo, 2001; Liebenberg, 1996; Mathole, 2005; Myers, 1999b; Myers, 1999a; Mitchell, 2001 Perkins, 1995; Pierce, 2000; and Vilanculo, 1998). Various conclusions have been made, but primarily it has been stated that the church has a responsibility and not merely an option to be involved in the lives of the local community. The focus of this study is not the church as such, and therefore this chapter will be directed towards the role and mandate of the churchs involved in the marginalized and poor. The primary purpose of this discussion serves as an understanding of firstly, the revelation of Gods concern regarding the poor and marginalized and secondly the mandate and role of the church. Firstly, we need to explore the biblical imperatives for the involvement of the church in the lives of the poor, suffering people and marginalized of society with the aim to establish a perspective for a theology of development. This will be done by establishing a basic overview for understanding some of the biblical images and attributes of God as well as some of Jesus teachings in this regard. Secondly, biblical imperatives for the involvement of the church specifically towards orphans and children will be explored. Due to the limitation of this study, the overview and discussion provided within this section are by no means comprehensive and are primarily focussed on the attributes of God as revealed in both the Old and New Testament as a means to understand the divine concern relating to the reality of the poor (poverty). Various Old Testament attributes of God Kysar (1991:7) calls for phrases such as images of God and attributes of God to be understood as at best, a human perception of a reality that lies beyond the boundaries of language and conception. To Kysar, all the ways in which God is referred to, represent efforts to understand the absolute unknowable in terms of the known. The images of God in Scripture are mere metaphors as they attempt to speak of the divine reality parallel to the human reality. For Kysar (1991:8), Mathole (2005:70) and Van Til (2004:444) within the interpretations of the images and characteristics of God, there is a remarkably consistent theme of the biblical God who cares passionately about the total welfare of all human beings. These images of God will be shortly discussed and evaluated in light of other authors in order to establish a perspective for a theology of development for the individual Christian and the church in general. God the Creator Kysar (1991:8), Myers (1999a:25) and Van Til (2004:444) refer to Genesis 1 and 2 that endorse the image of the Creator God who forms reality through the power of divine word or act, or as explained by Myers (1999a:25) making something out of nothing. God is depicted as the Creator of this materialistic matter (creation) and included in it, is the human being that is created to the image of God (Befus Bauman, 2004; Gordon Evans, 2002:17; Kysar, 1991:8; Myers, 1999a:25, Van Til, 2004:444). Both Kysar and Myers (1999a:26) confirm the origin of the human reality as revealed in Genesis 1 and 2, as from the craftsmanship of God. They further consider the creation stories as honouring and celebrating the physical realm as a result of such a divine creative act. To them, the image of God portrayed in these stories of creation is that of a Creator who is in a continuing relationship with creation. Within this creation, human beings are placed in a system of relationships: with God, with sel f, community and the environment. God defines the physical dimension of life and existence for people in the calling to be fruitful and productive stewards of Gods creation (Myers, 1999a:25). God is presented as one who is concerned for the full range of human life including the physical welfare of all people (Kysar, 1991:8; Myers, 1999a:26). According to Kumalo (2001:133) at the centre of a theology for development lies the truth that every human being is made in the image of God. This promotes the task of a theology of development to restore and recover Gods image in humanity by helping each other to reflect human wholeness or image of God. For him, this human wholeness implies a concern for life that includes all aspects of human existence, the spiritual and physical dimensions. Kumalo (2001:134) defines a theology of development as the comprehensive progression and well-being of individual humans as well as of the whole of creation, to include the immanent needs for human survival and well-being, the transcendent needs of human beings (the right to existence and empowerment in order to find meaning in ones life); and a personal relationship with God. This is within the understanding that salvation presupposes human needs. With a holistic understanding of salvation it implies that the well-being of creation is central to a theology of development (Kumalo, 2001:134). God of the Exodus Both Kysar (1991:10) and Myers (1999a:31) refer to the course of history as altered by the intervention of God through the prophetic agent Moses. For Kysar, the ultimate revelation of the God of Israel is a historical one and it means that God attends to the historical conditions for humans. These historical realities of human existence are precisely where humans encounter God the material reality of time and space becomes the medium through which an encounter with God is experienced. According to Myers (1999a:30), the divine revelation experienced by Israel in the exodus is typical of the way in which God works in human life. To him, the exodus is more than a past event; it portrays a model for how God always and everywhere acts for human well-being on a multiple level. Firstly, on a spiritual level, God is revealing himself and demonstrating his power in order for Israel to have faith and be faithful. Secondly on a socio-political level, it is the moving from slavery to freedom, f rom injustice to a just society, from dependence to independence. Thirdly on an economic level, moving from land owned by somebody else, to freedom in their own land and fourthly on a psychological level it is about self understanding as enslaved people and discovering the inner understanding that with Gods help, they could be free people and become a nation (Myers, 1999a:31). With the understanding of the role of the church as an agent for change and transformation, a theology of development includes the church that understands and fulfils the realities of human existence. This would imply the active role of the church within the understanding that human well-being is enhanced through Gods involvement on a multiple level (spiritual, socio-political, economic and psychological level), through the dynamics of the churchs involvement. The Passionate God According to Kysar (1991:12) and Myers (1999a:31), Moses is called to the task of being the human agent in Gods liberation and the words and language of God. Kysar refers to Exodus 3:7 12 and 6:2 8 where we find attributes of God in human perception and emotions which portray an important image of the divine God. The verbs used are filled with sensitivity to the conditions of the people: observed, heard, known and come down and the implications of these verbs reveal a God that is moved by the plight of the people. To him these verbs also suggest Gods attentiveness to human welfare, and that God is moved by the physical, (social, economic and political) conditions of the people. Kysar (1991:12) refers to the Hebrew verb yadah used and interpreted as know in this text that means more than knowing in the sense of a cognitive perception. The Hebrew verb means to know in the sense of sharing in the reality of the known. In knowing the suffering of the people, God is quickened to declare that the divine reality participates in their life conditions. The image of God is not portrayed as a passive figure but of a God who is moved by the plight of people and He declares the intention to act on behalf of the people (Myers, 1999a:31; Kysar, 1991:12). The act of God to free Israel is designed with one purpose in mind, namely to change the conditions of the people. The mode of this action is through human agency when Moses is sent to execute Gods plan of action. The passionate God acts through humans who are commissioned to represent the divine will (Myers, 1999a:31; Kysar, 1991:12). With the understanding of the role of Moses as a human agent in Gods liberation, it affirms the vital role to which humans are enlisted for the liberation cause to assist others for the sake of their own liberation. A theology of development includes the awareness of Gods understanding of the plight of people and his declaration and intent to act on behalf of the people through humans who are commissioned to represent the divine will. Advocate of Justice Kysar (1991:18), Donahue (2006:1) and Van Til (2004:449) refer to the justice of God for human welfare as being evident in many ways in the Old Testament legal materials, but state that it is nowhere more radically portrayed than in the provision of the sabbatical and jubilee years. The sabbatical and jubilee years are related traditions in the Hebrew Scriptures to be found within the covenant code in Exodus 21 23 and in the Deuteronomic code (Deuteronomy 15). To Kysar, Donahue and Van Til, within the Sabbath year God is pictured as the monarch of the people and as their social liberator. There are a number of provisions within the legislation for the seventh year. Slaves are to be released along with their families (Exodus 21:2 6). The land is to be given a sabbatical rest by leaving the fields fallow and any spontaneous produce during this year could be harvested by the stranger or the poor as in Exodus 23:10 11. Within the Deuteronomic code there is provision for the care of th e poor (Deuteronomy 15:1 18) which includes the cancellation of all debts, lending to the poor and the freeing of Hebrew slaves (Kysar, 1991:18; Van Til, 2004:449). Van Til (2004:449) reflects on the covenant code and the laws, and concludes that one senses a special concern for those who experience the greatest need the widow, the orphan and the alien as a number of laws are enacted to provide for them. He refers to Deuteronomy 15:4 5 as evidence that if the commandments concerning the provision for the poor were kept, the absence of poverty would result. He also relates this as the mandate that Gods people must serve the neediest among them by keeping the laws that relate to the covenant legislations of the Pentateuch. These were provided as laws, and not as options for compassion. He also refer to Thethe keeping of these and other covenant stipulations that would result in blessings for the whole nation of Israel, including material prosperity and the failure to keep them would result in a series of curses (2004:452). While the means for these principles and responsibilities differ from society to society, they are still valid and ongoing as they demonstrate the just and merciful character of God (Van Til, 2004:452). The God of the law that stands in solidarity with the poor and insists on their rights and dignity is portrayed through the legislations of the Old Testament law (Van Til, 2004:452). God speaks in this legislation as one who identifies himself with the poor, the enslaved, and the dispossessed, as well as one who is concerned for the welfare of the natural environment. It can be interpreted as Gods way of indicating indebtedness and responsibility towards the poor and assistance that needs to be provided by the church to free them from poverty or to liberate (Kumalo, 2001:134). Within this understanding of Gods attribute, a theology of development should be people-centred, based on their needs and dependent on human resources. Within Gods concern for social justice, a responsibility and bias is implied towards the suffering, the marginalized and the poor; with the coexistent task of restoring their human wholeness. For Kumalo it is imperative to have a focus and bias towards the poor within a people-centred theology of development (2001:314). God of the Prophets Kysar (1991:20) and Donahue (2006:3) refer to the classical prophets concurrence through their insistence that Gods rule of Israel encompasses the social life of the people. Demands for the just treatment of the needy, the obligations of the leaders of the nation for justice, the interrelatedness of worship and social morality, and the inclusiveness of Gods care for humans are among the prominent themes of the prophets. According to Kysar and Donahue, the prophets offer us an image of a God whose rule extends to the social realm. They further refer to the importance of this social rule of God that the prophets are forthright in declaring that the violation of that rule can only result in the punishment of the people. Hence, the prophets of the eighth and sixth centuries understood that the exiles of both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah are the direct consequences of social injustice (Amos 3:1 2). To them, the violation of Gods will for social relatio nships is a matter of utmost significance. Its punishment arises from the very nature of God, for whom societal structures are of paramount concern. Kumalo (2001:135) emphasizes the role of the church as the voice of the poor and to speak on their behalf to government and society. He relates this to the role of the prophets, and it means that the church might at times be unpopular within the wider society or powerful, but it should not discourage, as a theology of development includes the voices of the poor to be echoed in public policy for justice and the responsibilities of government towards the poor and marginalized. God of the psalmists and Proverbs The social concern of the God of the Hebrew Scriptures is further confirmed by the informative nature of the wisdom literature, where it is clear that it is in worship that people give clearest expression to their image of God (Kyser 1991:23) How worship is done tells us something vital about peoples understanding of the one to whom worship is addressed (1991:23). For him, within the variety of themes and moods depicted in the Psalms there is a consistency in the portrayal of God, which in turn fits the pattern of the images mentioned above. He (1991:23) refers to the God addressed in the psalms as frequently represented as an advocate for and a rescuer of the poor. He emphasises passages such as God rising up the needy (107:41) and him being the saviour of the poor (34:6). Also, the afflicted are defended by God (140:12); he is present with the needy (109:31); he reverses the human conditions of want and deprivation (113:5 9) and he rescues the needy (149:5 9). According to him (1991:23) the psalmists who address God in these hymns repeatedly portray themselves as poor (9:9-10; 86:1 2, 7). The Psalms are the petitions of the afflicted (25:16), the needy (35:10), the lowly (147:6), the downtrodden (74:21), the orphans and widows (68:6), the children (116:6), and the barren woman (113:9). For Kysar, the impression one gains from this overview of the self-identification of the psalmists is that God is one who hear the cries of the needy and the oppressed (1991:23). Indeed, it is God of the exodus, who declares in Exodus 3:7 8: I have observed the misery of my peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and have heard their cryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (NLT:1996). For Myers (1999a:33) the literature from the Proverbs and Psalms is also a summary of learnings and wisdom of Gods faithful people concerning right and just relationships and demonstrates these peoples experiences of Gods rule as the absolute. Social relationships reflected as Gods concern, surface throughout the Psalms and Proverbs. It demonstrates Gods interest in the everyday things of life such as eating, drinking, playing, crying and laughing. The human inability to see God as being active and interested in daily life is referred to by Myers (1999a:33) as a serious weakness, it is as if we believe that God is absent from or disinterested in this part of life. He further refers to this inability as a cause of a serious blind spot that is often reflected in the churchs practice and interpretation of development. For Kumalo (2001:136) a theology of development must generate a spirituality that encompasses the total human existence, which further brings hope, strength and power to the people and marginalized within the understanding that God is involved and interested in the everyday things of life. The attributes of God in the development of spirituality should stress issues such as freedom, love, holiness, dignity, power and creativity; as these elements are all part of human existence and should be the basis of all peoples lives (Kumalo, 2001:136). The attributes of God, revealed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ According to Kysar (1991:31), within the New Testament, the dynamics of the Old Testament attributes of God are enhanced by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus whole earthly existence echoed his and his Fathers love and care for the poor and needy, which included children. For Kysar, the attributes of God revealed through Jesus Christ teachings and primary concerns, directly relates to Gods concern for humanity. For Kysar, the nature of Jesus ministry, further relates to the nature of Gods mission in the world. Kysar (1991:32) reflects on the ministry of Jesus, as a revelation of the attributes of God and believes that when seen in its totality, it is a clear expression of Gods concern for the whole human existence. Both Kysar and Myers (1999a:35) reflect on Jesus actions and words which addressed every aspects of human life, which made it a holistic mission. Kysar primarily seeks to confirm three aspects within the New Testament. These aspects are firstly the God who cares for the whole person, secondly the God who cares for all persons and thirdly, the God who identifies with suffering humanity. Due to the inter-related nature of these aspects, they will not be separately discussed, but be referred to within an overview of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the attributes of God evident from it. A concern with humanitys physical welfare Jesus concern for the physical welfare of people is considered by Kysar (1991:32) and Mathole (2005:92) in light of the numerous healing stories, which dominate the Gospels both in number and strategic locations (Mark 1:21 2:12). These healings ranged from a fever (Mark 1:30 31) to the raising of the dead (John 11), which according to Kysar suggests that any physical affliction evoked the attention of Jesus. Further to the healing stories Kysar (1991:32) considers the accounts of Jesus feeding the multitudes, recorded by all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13 21, Matthew 15:32 37, Mark 6:30 44, Mark 8:1 10, Luke 9:10 17 and John 6:1 13). He acknowledges that these accounts have meaning beyond the satisfying of hunger, but appeals for the primary meaning not be lost and refers to these accounts as demonstrating Jesus care for the fulfilling of a basic human need (1991:33). To both Kysar (1991:35) and Mathole (2005:92) this reveals God as centrally concerned with the physical conditions of humans and further reveals Gods acting to reverse bodily suffering. A concern with humanitys emotional welfare Kysar (1991:35) relates Gods care for the emotionally afflicted to the several acts of forgiveness (Luke 7:36 50). According to him, the forgiveness of sin is addressing the emotional affliction of guilt (1991:36). He also considers Jesus acts of exorcism as emotional healing and interprets these as neurosis or psychosis (1991:36). He refers to the physical affliction demon possession could have, such as infliction of wounds (Mark 5:5), the loss of basic skills such as speech and hearing (Matthew 12:22), seizures and convulsions (Luke 4:35; 9:42), and multiple personalities (Mark 5:9). Due to the limitation of this study, Kysars interpretation of exorcism and demon possession will not be elaborated, but primarily considered in light of the pain and suffering demon possession entailed both physically and emotionally. Both Kysar (1991:36) and Mathole (2005:92) concludes that through Jesus acts of exorcism he expressed Gods concern for emotional health in the same way as he offered the message of the Kingdom of God to pitiful and hopeless people. It meant healing, forgiveness, acceptance and hope for people that were entrapped by their emotional conditions and societal standards. A concern with humanitys economic welfare For Kysar (1991:37) Jesus attention to the poor, relates to the expression of Gods care for afflictions that resulted from impoverishment. Both Kysar (1991:37) and Mathole (2005:75) mention that Jesus spent a lot of time among the common people of Palestine (Luke 6:17) which was according to Kysar, considered a land with vast numbers of poor residents. Secondly, Kysar considers that Jesus spent much of his time with the poor, as reflected in the way Jesus spoke of poverty through the parables. To him, these parables were very believable as they were realistic pictures of the common life and clearly understood by his audiences. Such parables would include the parable of the tenants (Matthew 21:33 43), the lost coin (Luke 15:8 9) and the figure of Lazarus as a common sight of such a pitiful creature (Luke 16:19 31). While Kysar (1991:38) acknowledges other teachings of Jesus that relate to poverty and health, both Donahue (2006:5) and Kysar emphasise Lukes presentation of Jesus. For them, Lukes account reflects Jesus extensive attention to questions such as the dangers of wealth (Luke 12:13 21), the proper use of riches (Luke 19:1 10) and the call to surrender possessions for the kingdom of God (Luke 18:18 -23). While acknowledging the controversial debate over Jesus own background of poverty, both Kysar (1991:38) and Mathole (2005:74) considers Jesus shared solidarity with the poor of his time, in light of his ministry as a ministry for the poor by the poor. They relate this to their understanding of Jesus and his followers lives of poverty during his time of ministry and promote them as a group that depended upon each other for shelter and sustenance (Luke 8:1 3). Kysar refers to Walter Pilgrim while Mathole refers to Padilla who considered Jesus and his disciples as belonging to a group in society that did not produce their own economic sustenance, but lived from the respect, gratitude and charity of others. Van Til (2004:452) does not consider Jesus and his disciples amongst the poorest, as he reflects on the fishermen of Galilee as business owners, and Jesus and his disciples giving alms, rather than receiving them. While no clear conclusion in this regard could be drawn, the primary m essage of all the authors considered, referred to Jesus total solidarity with the poor. In the work of Carillo (2008:n.p), he relates the ministry of Jesus to the ethos of the way in which Jesus lived his life. Carillo (2008:n.p) considers the poor the hallmark of his true identity as the healing, feeding, preaching to the poor was prophesied by Isaiah as evidence of Gods presence. For Kysar (1991:39) and Mathole (2005:91) the message of Jesus had a particular relevance to the poor. To both, the establishment of the Kingdom of God meant transformation and implied a time of prosperity and abundance as the reign of God in the world was believed to bring changes in society. The message of hope related to the poor as a change in their circumstances and was perceived as the good news for the poor (Luke 7:22). Kysar concludes that the attributes of God reflected in the ministry of Jesus are one who cares for the economic welfare of the people (1991:39). To Kysar, Mathole and Van Til (2004:452) the outpourings of Gods heart that feels the pain of entrapment of poverty is evident in Jesus words and deeds. A concern with humanitys social welfare For Kysar (1991:40) and Mathole (2005:93), the social implications of sickness and demon possession, and the social integration as a result of Jesus healings and exorcisms, represented Gods concern for the marginalized of society. Both Kysar and Mathole refer to the practice where physically afflicted persons were removed from mainstream society which was due to legislation regarding holiness and cleanliness. Accounts reflecting Jesus acts of healing that resulted in social integration are the leper (Mark 1:40 44) and the woman with the flow of blood (Mark 5:25 34), to name but two. Both Kysar and Mathole conclude that Jesus healings besides being physical, also represented Gods concern for the marginalized of society and embodied Gods actions to liberate humans (Mathole, 2005:92). Kysar (1991:40) also considers the implications of Jesus persistent failure to observe social custom as he generally acted in ways that contradicted the social divisions of his society. Both Kysar and Mathole (2005:93) emphasise this by referring to accounts such as Jesus touching the leper (Mark 1:41) by which he violates the social and religious law regarding leprosy. Furthermore they refer to Jesus using a Samaritan as the hero of his parable (Luke 10:30 37) and Jesus conversation with a Samaritan woman (John 4: 26) which in essence challenged the hatred of the Jews and Samaritans of one another. To Kysar and Mathole Jesus brought down a social barrier by having dinner with people that were questionable in their religious purity which could endanger Jesus own purity (Mark 2:15 16), he treated women with dignity, respect and equality and included them among his disciples (Luke 8:1 3). Kysar (1991:46), Gordon and Evans (2002:7) reflect on the inclusive behaviour Jesus revealed by ministering to all and his affiliations with those that are excluded by society due to political, religious and social reasons. Kysar refers to Jesus being called a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners because of his free associations with social outcasts (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). In their understanding of this, Kysar, Gordon and Evans consider accounts that reflect Jesus spent a good deal of his time with the despised class of workers. These included Jesus calling such to take a place among his followers (Matthew 10:3), he associated himself with those labelled as sinners (Mark 2:15 17, Luke 7:38; 15:1) and with the tax collectors which was despised and hated in the first-century Palestine (Matthew 9:10 11; 10:3). Over and above this, Jesus advocated for a prostitute (Matthew 21:31) and accepted the love and gratitude of such (Luke 7:37 50). Kysar (1991:46) considers Jesus advocacy on behalf of women in Lukes account of Jesus rejection of the custom of divorce of his time (Luke 7:37 50) and Jesus protest against the inhumane treatment of women in the divorce process (Mark 10:2 9, Matthew 19:3 8). He considers this not just as a mere rejection of the common view of women, but as acts in protest against it. By no means are these a comprehensive overview, but they are considered sufficient accounts for Kysar (1991:50), Gordon and Evans (2002:7) to reveal the inclusive nature of Jesus ministry. For Kysar and Mathole (2005:93), the understanding of the inclusive nature of Jesus ministry relates to the nature of God, as a God who is concerned with all persons, regardless of their social, moral, religious, economic, or ethical standing. Through these accounts, Jesus demonstrated Gods divine solidarity with humanity and which also confirms Kysars aspect of a God who cares for all human beings. Kysar (1991:51) and Mathole (2005:93) also consider these same accounts as evidence of Jesus identification with the poor and a demonstration of his solidarity and identification with those he served. For Kysar and Mathole, Jesus illustrated with his own life what is meant by being a servant of others (Mark 10:42 45) which also confirms Kysars aspect of a God that identifies with the suffering of humanity. The metaphor father for God as used by Jesus, was according to Kysar (1991:41) considered as an assault on the authority and role of fathers in the structure of the household. He refers to Jesus statement in Matthew 23:9 And dont address anyone here on earth as Father, for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father (NLT:1996). For him, the attribute of God invoked by this statement was a direct denying of the absolute authoritative role and power of the father in the basic unit of a family. This held the promise of liberation for women and children and their oppression from an absolute patriarchal figure of their time. Kysar (1991:51) refers to this same metaphor of father in Jesus invitation to address God with this intimate term (Luke 11:2) as an indication of a God who identifies with human needs and therefore also relates to Kysars aspect of a God who identifies with the suffering of humanity. Kysar (1991:41) concludes Jesus role as social protester with many implications for Chri

WORKPLACE CO-OPERATIVE PROJECT REPORT :: Education

WORKPLACE CO-OPERATIVE PROJECT REPORT As part of the Workplace Co-operative Project (WPCP) I was expected to participate in sixty hours worth of classroom experience and this report provides a summary of this time. Throughout the duration of the WPCP I kept a journal of my feelings and thoughts, which I make reference to in highlighting what I feel to be the key aspects of my placement in the commentary. Firstly I provide a concise report of my participation in the Workplace Co-operative Project, stating the aims, approaches, methods and outcomes of my placement. AIMS The aim of my placement was to introduce the Geography Department at Lawnswood High School to the Internet as a geographical resource, specifically to:  · Locate and review topic based sites for classroom use  · Create specific Internet based exercises  · Display the benefits of the internet as a geographical resource for both pupils and staff APPROACH The approach was deductive in nature, assuming that the Internet is indeed a valuable geographical resource and that achieving the aims specified above would prove this. My approach was also pragmatic consisting of a basic process of trial and error in investigating websites that could potentially be used as part of learning and teaching geography. Due to the nature of the WPCP the approach was interactive, meaning that I tackled the challenge of the aforementioned aims by having continuous interaction with pupils and staff. METHOD I identified a series of useful topic based websites, which I explored with different age groups in order to collect data on different topics for classroom projects. In addition I collated and reviewed a selection of sites that can be used in teaching and learning each and every one of the twenty four units that make up the Key Stage 3 syllabus In respect to the second aim I created a number of worksheets that asked pupils to explore the website of the Meteorological office. These can be seen in the appendix of the pack of materials. The bulk of the method was to produce this pack that also displays the benefits and methods of Internet use for younger students, older students and staff, as well as covering elements of each aim. OUTCOMES The main outcome of my placement was the creation of a pack that allows staff and students alike to make better use of the Internet. It introduces them to the idea of the Internet as a geographical resource and demonstrates how easily it can be incorporated into classroom teaching and how essential it can be to various elements of the education/learning system. In producing this pack and the work carried out at the school I feel I have successfully achieved the aims that were established at the

Stephen King, Christine – Text Analysis

Stephen King is perhaps the most widely known American writer of his generation, yet his distinctions include publishing as two authors at once: Beginning in 1966, he wrote novels that were published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. When twelve, he began submitting stories for sale. At first ignored and then scorned by mainstream critics, by the late 1980’s his novels were reviewed regularly in The New York Times Book Review, with increasing favor. Beginning in 1987, most of his novels were main selections of the Book-of-the-Month Club, which in 1989 created the Stephen King Library, committed to keeping King’s novels â€Å"in print in hardcover. † King published more than one hundred short stories (including the collections Night Shift, 1978, Skeleton Crew, 1985, and Nightmares and Dreamscapes, 1993) and the eight novellas contained in Different Seasons (1982) and Four Past Midnight (1990). King has published numerous articles and a critical book, Danse Macabre (1981). King’s detractors attribute his success to the sensational appeal of his genre, whose main purpose, as King readily confesses, is to scare people. Like Edgar Allan Poe, King turned a degenerated genre — a matter of comic-book monsters and drive-in films—into a medium embodying the primary anxieties of his age. He is graphic, sentimental, and predictable. His humor is usually crude and campy. His dark fantasies, like all good popular fiction, allow readers to express within conventional frames of reference feelings and concepts they might not otherwise consider. is vision articulates universal fears and desires in terms peculiar to contemporary culture. King is â€Å"Master of Postliterate Prose,† as Paul Gray stated in 1982—writing that takes readers mentally to the films rather than making them imagine or think. On the other hand, King’s work provides the most genuine example of the storyteller’s art since Charles Dickens. He has retu rned to the novel some of the popular appeal it had in the nineteenth century and turned out a generation of readers who vastly prefer some books to their film adaptations. He encountered two lasting influences, the naturalist writers and contemporary American mythology. Stephen King may be known as a horror writer, but he calls himself a â€Å"brand name,† describing his style as â€Å"the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and a large fries from McDonald’s. † His fast-food version of the â€Å"plain style† may smell of commercialism, but that may make him the contemporary American storyteller without peer. From the beginning, his dark parables spoke to the anxieties of the late twentieth century. King’s fictions begin with premises accepted by middle Americans of the television generation, opening in suburban or small-town America—Derry, Maine, or Libertyville, Pennsylvania—and have the familiarity of the house next door and the 7-Eleven store. The characters have the trusted two-dimensional reality of kitsch: they originate in cliches such as the high school â€Å"nerd† or the wise child. From such premises, they move cinematically through an atmosphere resonant with a popular mythology. King applies naturalistic methods to an environment created by popular culture. This reality, already mediated, is translated easily into preternatural terms, taking on a nightmarish quality. King’s imagination is above all archetypal: His â€Å"pop† familiarity and his campy humor draw on the collective unconscious. As with his fiction, his sources are the classic horror films of the 1930’s, inherited by the 1950’s pulp and film industries. He hints at their derivations from the gothic novel, classical myth, Brothers Grimm folktales, and the oral tradition in general. In an anxious era both skeptical of and hungry for myth, horror is fundamentally reassuring and cathartic; the tale-teller combines roles of physician and priest into the witch doctor as â€Å"sin eater,† who assumes the guilt and fear of his culture. Christine †¢ In Christine, the setting is Libertyville, Pennsylvania, during the late 1970’s. The monster is the American Dream as embodied in the automobile. King gives Christine all the attributes of a fairy tale for â€Å"postliterate† adolescents. Christine is another fractured â€Å"Cinderella† story, Carrie for boys. Arnie Cunningham, a nearsighted, acne-scarred loser, falls â€Å"in love with† a car, a passionate (red and white) Plymouth Fury, â€Å"one of the long ones with the big fins,† that he names Christine. An automotive godmother, she brings Arnie, in fairy-tale succession, freedom, success, power, and love: a home away from overprotective parents, a cure for acne, hit-andrun revenge on bullies, and a beautiful girl, Leigh Cabot. Soon, however, the familiar triangle emerges, of boy, girl, and car, and Christine is revealed as a femme fatale—driven by the spirit of her former owner, a malcontent named Roland LeBay. Christine is the medium for his death wish on the world, for his all-devouring, â€Å"everlasting Fury. † LeBay’s aggression possesses Arnie, who reverts into an older, tougher self, then into the â€Å"mythic teenaged hood† that King has called the prototype of 1950’s werewolf films, and finally into â€Å"some ancient carrion eater,† or primal self. As automotive monster, Christine comes from a variety of sources, including the folk tradition of the â€Å"death car† and a venerable techno-horror premise, as seen in King’s â€Å"Trucks† and Maximum Overdrive. King’s main focus, however, is the mobile youth culture that has come down from the 1950’s by way of advertising, popular songs, film, and national pastimes. Christine is the car as a projection of the cultural self, Anima for the modern American Adam. To Arnie’s late 1970’s-style imagination, the Plymouth Fury, in 1958 a mid-priced family car, is an American Dream. Her sweeping, befinned chassis and engine re-create a fantasy of the golden age of the automobile: the horizonless future imagined as an expanding network of superhighways and unlimited fuel. Christine recovers for Arnie a prelapsarian vitality and manifest destiny. Christine’s odometer runs backward and she regenerates parts. The immortality she offers, however—and by implication, the American Dream—is really arrested development in the form of a Happy Days rerun and by way of her radio, which sticks on the golden oldies station. Indeed, Christine is a recapitulatory rock musical framed fatalistically in sections titled â€Å"Teenage Car-Songs,† â€Å"Teenage Love-Songs,†and â€Å"Teenage Death-Songs. † Fragments of rock-and-roll songs introduce each chapter. Christine’s burden, an undead 1950’s youth culture, means that most of Arnie’s travels are in and out of time, a deadly nostalgia trip. As Douglas Winter explains, Christine reenacts â€Å"the death,† during the 1970’s, â€Å"of the American romance with the automobile. † The epilogue from four years later presents the fairy-tale consolation in a burnedout monotone. Arnie and his parents are buried, Christine is scrap metal, and the true Americans, Leigh and Dennis, are survivors, but Dennis, the â€Å"knight of Darnell’s Garage,† does not woo â€Å"the lady fair†; he is a limping, lackluster junior high teacher, and they have drifted apart, grown old in their prime. Dennis narrates the story in order to file it away, all the while perceiving himself and his peers in terms of icons from the late 1950’s. In his nightmares, Christine appears wearing a black vanity plate inscribed with a skull and the words, â€Å"ROCK AND ROLL WILL NEVER DIE. From Dennis’s haunted perspective, Christine simultaneously examines and is a symptom of a cultural phenomenon: a new American gothic species of anachronism or deja vu, which continued after Christine’s publication in films such as Back to the Future (1985), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), and Blue Velvet (1986). The 1980’s and the 1950’s blur into a seam less illusion, the nightmare side of which is the prospect of living an infinite replay. The subtext of King’s adolescent fairy tale is another coming of age, from the opposite end and the broader perspective of American culture. Written by a fortyish King in the final years of the twentieth century, Christine diagnoses a cultural midlife crisis and marks a turning point in King’s career, a critical examination of mass culture. The dual time frame reflects his awareness of a dual audience, of writing for adolescents who look back to a mythical 1950’s and also for his own generation as it relives its undead youth culture in its children. The baby boomers, King explains, â€Å"were obsessive† about childhood. â€Å"We went on playing for a long time, almost feverishly. I write for that buried child in us, but I’m writing for the grown-up too. I want grownups to look at the child long enough to be able to give him up. The child should be buried. † â€Å"sometimes ownership can become possession† The story is set in a middle-class suburb of Pittsburg, in 1978. Dennis Guilder and Arnie Cunningham vie for the attentions of the new girl in town, Leigh Cabot. But when Christine, a 1958 Plymouth Fury, enters the picture, the course of action changes drastically. As Leigh neatly observes, â€Å"cars are girls†. Arnie’s love affair with Christine turns from a love song to a death song. As soon as he sees her he wants her. Her name is Christine, she is 1958 Plymouth Fury, and Arnold Cunningham has fallen head over heels in love with her. Arnold's best friend Dennis Guilder is not quite so impressed by the rusting rolling iron with the custom paint job. Dennis looks at the cracked windscreen and the damaged bodywork, the flat tyre and torn upholstery, and his heart sinks even before he notices the pool of oil underneath the car. Arnie might as well be looking at a different car though. He sees something else. Maybe a little of what the car once was, and perhaps a little of what it could be if the work was put in. He is a man in love and first loves can often become all consuming things. There is nothing that Dennis can do to stop Arnie from buying Christine and in the end he goes along with his life-long friend. He lends him some money towards a deposit on the car and even takes him to pick the car up, the next day, after work. Sometimes the company a person keeps can have an effect on them and almost from that very first meeting between Arnie and Christine Dennis can see changes in his best friend. Some of them good, like the fact that his acne seems to be miraculously clearing up. The other changes though, are not so positive in nature. Arnie's whole attitude takes a turn for the worse and he develops an uncharacteristic mean streak. All of his life Arnie has been the guy who was targeted by the bullies of this world, but when Buddy Repperton takes a jack handle to one of Christine's lights the worm not only turns, but turns on Repperton leaving him with a bloody nose and a score to settle. As I clocked up the chapters in Christine I watched Arnie's relationship with his parents and with his friend Dennis start to fall apart; and his relationship with the beautiful Leigh Cabot form and then fail. It was all because of the car and from the very first chapter, as a reader, I was aware that there was something not quite right about that Plymouth Fury. Christine is just a little under 600 pages long. It is written in memoir form and is split into the three parts. Part one, Dennis Teenage Car Songs, is written in the first person and from Dennis' point of View. In part two, Arnie Teenage Love songs, Dennis is still telling the story, but it is now written in the third person because all of the events in that part of the book occurred while Dennis was lying in a hospital bed and does not concern things that he experienced first-hand. For part three, of the book, Christine Teenage Death Songs, the story returns to the first person perspective because Dennis is on his crutches and out and about, all be it at a bit of a hobble. A nice touch to Christine is that every chapter opens up with a few lines from a different song that involves cars, which is probably why the three parts of the book are named the way that they are. I enjoyed Christine. King brings all of the characters to life for his readers and it was easy for me to look at Arnie's mother, for instance, through both Arnie and Dennis' eyes and think: what a bitch! But it was just as easy for me to look through the mother's eyes and feel the pain and fear as she watched her family being torn apart. The characters seem real and the unreal situations feel real.

An Old Man’s Winter Night

An Old Man's Winter Night by Robert Frost All out-of-doors looked darkly in at him Through the thin frost, almost in separate stars, That gathers on the pane In empty rooms. What kept his eyes from giving back the gaze Was the lamp tilted near them in his hand. What kept him from remembering what it was That brought him to that creaking room was age. He stood with barrels round him†at a loss. And having scared the cellar under him In clomping there, he scared it once again In clomping off;†and scared the outer night, Which has Its sounds, familiar, like the roar Of trees and crack of branches, common things,But nothing so Ilke beating on a box. A light he was to no one but himself Where now he sat, concerned with he knew what, A quiet light, and then not even that. He consigned to the moon†such as she was, So late-arising†to the broken moon As better than the sun in any case For such a charge, his snow upon the roof, His icicles along the wall to keep; And sle pt. The log that shifted with a Jolt Once in the stove, disturbed him and he shifted, And eased his heavy breathing, but still slept. One aged man†one man†can't keep a house, A farm, a countryside, or If he can,It's thus he does it of a winter night. An Old Man's Winter Night is written by the American poet Robert Frost in 1916. He went through a lot of tragedies during the whole life. After experiencing the death his mother, his grandfather and his 2 children, the sense of helpness inevitably worked to shape and color the views of life's possibilities. It's unforeseeable for Frost to predict what will happen tomorrow so that he was called a poet who terrifies†. That's why the peotry is a mix of the calm and rural.The peaceful surface with an underlying darkness is an uncommon feature in this poetry. Symbolism Forst is representative of cold winter, â€Å"separate stars† showing hope and comfort of the mysterious and dangerous outer world at night. â€Å"ga thers on the pane†lmpersonate the forst to make the atmosphere warmer and more quiet. â€Å"cellar†, â€Å"branches†, â€Å"log fired†create some scaring sounds In the winter's night to emphasize the peaceful and lonely environment. The dark colours of these ugly and hard images snow tne repressed emotions. lamp† â€Å"Tire† make Teel warm ana peaceTul, Drlng llgnt to the dark and cold night to eliminate the feeling of scare. The poet tells us how he as â€Å"a light for no one but himself†, yet again confirms how isolated he is. Frost uses many different literary devices throughout the poem. Imagery which appeals to our sight, touch and hearing senses. Frost has used Imagery such as â€Å"In clomping there, he scared it once again† which appeals to our touch because you can almost feel how he has stomped the floor to try and frighten off the unknown.He has appealed to our hearing senses by using personification, â€Å"like the roar of trees† lets you almost hear how the trees were thrashing around on the cold winter night. Using contraries and ontradictions is another characteristic of this poetry. For example, the scaring sounds and the peaceful and quiet atmosphere make the old man feel more threaten and lonely. The warm light and fire in the room is on the contrary to the dark and cold winter to convey the scare of the unknown outer world of the old man. Also, Frost determinde to continue his old syle of using common, everday speech.It is simple to understand the superficial meaning of his poetry instead of the underlying theme. The poetry tells that an old man stands alone in his house in the middle of winter. His memory and legs crippled by old age ambles around his house without remembering who he was or even what he was doing. At one point, he becomes frightened by the cellar beneath his feet and the dark night outside, and he stomps his feet loudly to frighten away the unknown. Eventually th e old man dozes in front of the fire, after being disturbed by a shifting log, falls into a deeper sleep.The rural images like â€Å"forst† â€Å"cellar† â€Å"tree† â€Å"lamp† â€Å"moon† to convey his emotion of scaring and isolation. An Old Man's Winter Night creates a concrete view ofa lonely and amnesiac old man in the wooden house. I can see an old man who is trying to get away from the scaring environment and finally he succeed in sleeping beside the warm fire. An Old Man's Winter Night deals with the predicament of an old man who is dying on a cold winter's night. From the title of this poem, the reader might expect a warm and cozy narrative about an old man in front of a crackling fire.Frost denies this comforting expectation and instead creates a haunting narrative. What is the most scaring point is that the old man has lost his memory and it seems nonsense to exist in this world. But he still keep a house, a farm in the countryside. As to the emotion author wants to express, I think, it's relative to the life story of him. At that time, he still didn't sell his farm and enjoyed the life being a farmer in the countryside. However, the death of his children make him to imagine the future life in his old age.He is afraid that people will forget him and he will die by himself without accompanying by his children. This kind of depressed emotion influence the poem. The readers will find a poor old man struggling to prove his value to live. From my perspective, I feel merciful to the old man. He was place at the position of finding o clues to who and where he is. Maybe he is in his home but he cannot find the sense of belonging and he would like to risk for the dangers. He absolutely knows that the outer night is dangerous and he still goes out and talk to the moon.I can feel the old man is who really wants to get cares and love from other people but he cannot know what is going on. He is representative of the Frost and they are all want to escape from the scare of death and company. Obviously we can see from the poem, Frost treasured his country life and this kind of life really give him sparks in wrltlng poems mos OITTerent Trom tneme 0T otner Frosts poems, tney focus on the isolation from the modern society, on the contrary, this poem doesn's want to express this kind of meaning.http://www.studymode.com/essays/An-Old-Man's-Winter-Night-Analysis-1602199.htmlhttp://www.gradesaver.com/the-poetry-of-robert-frosthttp://www.english.illinois.edu/Maps/poets/a_f/frost/frost.htmhttp://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/oldman.htmhttp://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/A_f/frost/fireice.htm