The worm

BEWARE THE WORM IN THE APPLE

In this day and time wee see and experience many harsh realities of life and we will deal with people who may truly not be very supportive of us. So it becomes vital that you show that you are a mature, responsible person by performing acts of responsibility with integrity and purpose. Making excuses or passing the buck on to others does not give the impression that you are accountable and can be trusted. Being supportive does. It show's you care enough to get involved and to take some positive action that will make a difference.

Just because you may feel that others are not polite or courteous does not mean you should not be respectful to others; rather than becoming rude and antagonistic you should strive for mutual respect for one another. You may not need to give in to accomplice this. One should strive to separate personalities from the problem and focus on what is in the best interest for each and not the “status” of the individuals involved. Try to attack the problem not the other person, this can be very difficult because of our natural instinct is to defend when we feel threatened, but using an objective standard can be much more fulfilling.

For others to be worthy of your trust you must feel their motives are pure, not selfish, devious or partisan. When put to the test will they respond reasonable? Viewing other as trustworthy means you are willing to take risk and be vulnerable. This is a vital dimension of productive social interaction. The three characteristics of the other person should. Ability, benevolence and integrity. These are are a major portion of trustworthiness.

Ability is a group of skill and experiences that show competencies to perform a task. Benevolence is wanting good things for the partnership and all that is involved and integrity is the observation that the other person adheres to a set of principles that are acceptable and honored to best seek justice.

When you are just you believe in treating others fairly and you strive to be impartial and to restrain personal biases. To show due appreciation and advocate appropriate consequences. Justice is based on appropriate measure and responses with actions. These are subjective ideas and you will always hear persons saying “life isn't fair”. But when people see you performing justice and act accordingly you will build a base of positive influence and others will trust you.

What do you think?

ECONOMY

So now I find myself seeking this “knowledge” that I am hoping to find that will give me some understanding that I hope will elevate to the level I am aspiring to not only for myself but for my loved one and those who depend on me. So I start reading and studying, researching book like “Think and grow rich Napoleon hill”. This was a excellent book, it not only dealt with making money but the very nature of the philosophy of making money and relationship a very good book to read. Next I dove into these books, Start late and finish rich, the magic of thinking Big, Rich dad poor Dad, The automatic millionaire, positioning, the Tipping point and some others and I must some of the tactic that they teach are very useful, like the idea of paying yourself first, Taking a percentage say ten percent of what you make (it can be what you are comfortable with) and setting that aside for personal or investment needs or like using the saving plans offered by your employer to put away a set amount without noticing it and having your employer match what you put into a retirement account.

It did seem interesting to me that the concept of compounding explained in “The slight edge” ran straight through many of the concepts I studied in these books, but I still didn't really understand how economics, the power of economics actually worked. How did it control our daily live and the thing we used without a second thought. Who was in charge and how did they come to the decisions that controlled many aspect's of modern life.

So I decided to take a more simple approach and look for a book that would give the very basic ideal of modern economics and I came across “Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell”. This is a common sense guide to the economy, at least that what it said. As I started to read and study these 684 pages of wisdom I began to get a clearer picture of how thing actually work and how the “market” set's prices if it is not being manipulated by politicians. I began to understand that economics is more than just a way to see patterns or unravel puzzling anomalies, it is a fundamental concern with the material standard of living of society as a whole and how it is affected by particular decisions made by individuals and institutions. Economics is the study of the use of scarce resources which have alternative uses.

Armed with the new weapon of knowledge and understanding I pointed my attention to current events and understanding intentions and motivations of the powers that be, and it seemed like a light came on, I could almost see through a fog and the more I evaluated things the brighter the light got until it got so bright it blew out. I understood why certain policy's were discarded before they were even given a chance to work, why particular product were priced the way they were and why some were not allowed to make it to market and to be honest it made me depressed. So I got the answer I wanted but I didn't feel better even though I picked up a few tool's that would help me and my family along our financial journey (I hope), I still felt like something was wrong, like something was missing a piece to a puzzle that was missing after all more intellectual people than me have been studying this subject for century trying to get a handle on it, who was I to think I could do any better?

My name is Jerry, and when I find myself stuck I turn to the one source that has carried me through life this far the worlds best seller the Bible.

It seemed fitting to look in the book of ECCLESIATES for the answers I was looking for since I was viewing this this newly acquired knowledge sceptically and a grain of salt. First a little history about the book of ECCLESIATES: These are the collected words of a “teacher” or “preacher”, he is described as having been King over Israel in Jerusalem, And was the son of David. All of this means he was in the royal line of Judah, he is not further identified. In the book the word “vanity” or “meaningless” is a repeated phrase that warns us that life's rewards are uncertain and ultimately unsatisfying. The teacher shifts his speech between poetry and straight forward language. The book makes observation and poses questions, returning to themes like 'the wind round and round it goes and ever returning to it's course, or “vanity of vanity, all is vanity and chasing the wind”.

Then I came across this passage here which put much of what I had absorbed into perspective, at least for me it did, this is what I read.

ECCLESIATES 9:11-12, I have seen something else under the sun: - The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all (12) Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

To me this put everything in perspective that know matter what we do or accomplish if it is not aimed for a greater purpose or to the honor of the God it is all useless. As the writer put it,” God is sovereign over all things and it is our duty to follow his ways for living, since God will bring every deed into judgment.

The Good News.

Secrets:


mankind is for ever seeking it's origin, what was he created for, why is he here now on this planet, to what end is his existence? I will first delve into these question with what ever I have at my disposal, to me sometime the most simple answers are right in front of you  in plane sight. first let us explore what the Bible Say's about heaven. Genesis chapter 1:1-10 gives an account of God creating the heavens and earth. The Hebrew word for “heavens” is shamayim, it is in a plural form, meaning “heights,” “elevations.” It is found in the first verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1; 2:1). The Bible teaches in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, he did not make another heaven after this time. The phrase “heavens and earth” are used to indicate the whole universe (Genesis 1:1; Jeremiah 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish tradition from the Bible there were three heavens. All are attributed to God as the creator. Psalm 102:25 “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.”There are several other words used in the Hebrew, the word marom is also used (Psalms 68:18; 93:4; 102:19, etc.) as equivalent to shamayim. Hebrew galgal, literally a “wheel,” is rendered “heaven” in Psalms 77:18 (RSV, “whirlwind”). Hebrew shahak, is translated “sky” (Deuteronomy 33:26; Job 37:18; Psalms 18:11), plural “clouds” (Job 35:5; 36:28; Psalms 68:34, “heavens”), referring to the firmament. The Bible speaks of three heavens not 7 and these are not dimensions). The first being our immediate atmosphere, the second is outer space as far as it stretches, and the third is the place where God himself dwells. What Jesus called the “Father's house.”First heaven - The firmament, Earths Atmosphere -which is the immediate sky, where the “fowls of the heaven” (Genesis 2:19; 7:3,23; Psalms 8:8, etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lamentations 4:19), it is our atmosphere that surrounds the earth. Gen 1:14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of
the heavens to divide the day from the night.” The first heaven consists of the clouds and the atmosphere, the heavens above us, until we come to the stars. Psalms 78: 23-23 “Yet He had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven.”The expression doors of heaven or windows of heaven involved the firmament, our atmosphere. Descriptions used of this heaven is from where God would provide food or rain. Genesis 7:11-12: “the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.” Genesis 8:2: “The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained” Malachi 3:10 Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.” In reference to an abundant harvest of crops.“(Deuteronomy 11:17 “Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce....” Deuteronomy 28:12: “The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.”Second Heaven - Outer Space, the starry heavens (Deuteronomy 17:3; Jeremiah 8:2; Matthew 24:29).The second heaven is the starry heavens, where our atmosphere ends. It is the heavens in which the sun, moon, and stars are fixed in orbit. The stars are seemingly endless and the distance between all of them is staggering no wonder the Bible states Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” In ancient times people were in awe of the starry expanse, today we know how immense this really is. The firmament, or expanse, raqiya` “In which the sun, moon, stars, and constellations are fixed.” Genesis 1:17: And God placed them in the Firmament of heaven. Isaiah 40:22: He stretcheth out the heavens as a CURTAIN, and spreadeth them out as a tent to
dwell in.”(Psalm 19:4,6) - “In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun... It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;...” (Jeremiah 8:2) - They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens which they have loved and served....”Third Heaven - This is where God and the holy angels (and creatures) and spirits of just men dwell. It is called “The heaven of heavens,” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 115:16; 148:4). (1Kings 8:27) - “The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.” (Psalm 2:4) The One enthroned in heaven laughs; The LORD scoffs at them.”The third heaven is beyond the space and stars. Where no man has seen by telescope. This heaven is the dwelling-place of God, to which Paul was taken, and whose wonders he was permitted to behold-this region where God dwells. It is specifically named “the third heaven” by Paul in 2 Cor.12:2. Paul mentions being caught up to paradise in 2 Corinthians 12:4 the word “paradise” describes a different facet of “the third heaven.”“2 Corinthians 12:4 The word “paradise” paradeisos (NT:3808) occurs but three times in the New Testament; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7. It occurs often in the Septuagint, as the translation of the word garden; Genesis 2:8-10,15-16; 3:1-3,8,16,23-24; 13:10; Numbers 24:6; Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 28:13; 31:8-9; Joel 2:3. And also Isaiah 1:30; Jeremiah 29:5; and of the word pardeec (OT:6508) in Nehemiah 2:8; Ecclesiastes 2:5; Song of Solomon 2:13” (from Barnes' Notes).Heb 4:14 “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, (Jesus ascended to the place he was before he became man) Heb. 7:26 “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” meaning he is more important than the dwelling place of God and angels. Heb 8:1 As our high Priest, he “is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.”The word “heavens” is also used for visions or a spiritual event. Stephen said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at
the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:56) Mark 1:10 When Jesus was baptized “He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.”The term heaven is used in a metaphor Isaiah 14:13,14; “doors of heaven” (Psalms 78:23); heaven “shut” (1 Kings 8:35); “opened” (Ezekiel 1:1). (The “kingdom of heaven” (Mt.25:1; Jms 2:5). The “eternal kingdom” (2 Pt.1:11).The “eternal inheritance” (1 Pt.1:4; Hebrews 9:15). The “better country” (Hebrews 11:14, 16).Heaven is the abode of the righteous who are in possession of “everlasting life,” “an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17), where they are delivered from all sufferings for ever, a deliverance from all evils (2 Corinthians 5:1,2). Christ calls it his “Father's house” (John 14:2), also “paradise” (Luke 23:43).2 Cor. 12:4; Revelation 2:7). It is the location of “The heavenly Jerusalem” before it comes to earth (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 3:12).Heaven is the inheritance of all believers where there is “fulness of joy,” everlasting blessedness. The “place, of our inheritance where Jesus went ahead to “prepare” for us (John 14:2) that we may be with him, where he is.