Qualities of Servant Leadership

QUALITIES OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP (From the life of Nehemiah) If we look around the world today people are crying for leaders who will be able to bring changes for the betterment of society, community, organizations, and nations. This has been true in the secular world and Christian organizations throughout history. Today, specifically talking about Christians, we know that different churches and Christian organizations are in need of good godly leaders, and this has been one of the greatest needs since the beginning of the Church. So we know that leaders are vitally important for the well-being and growth of the Church.Leaders play an important role in churches and societies, yet their responsibilities are not easy at all. Throughout history we can see that leaders have played an important part in leading, guiding, encouraging, and leaving a heritage for the generations to come. Many leaders fail to do the task they were responsible to perform, and some perform with flying colors but last for only a short time. But no matter how good a leader is, he does not stay forever. So, the most important thing a leader can do is leave a heritage for the generations to come and glorify God in all he does.Good leaders will always leave godly footprints which will guide future generations in the way they should go. If one were going to talk about good leaders in the Bible, Nehemiah would be a prominent one. There are not many leaders like Nehemiah who completed the task of leadership successfully. Many leaders in the Bible are known as good ones, but they failed at certain points in their live. However, the Bible has no record of failure for Nehemiah. So in this paper, my intention is to present qualities that made Nehemiah a great leader.It is my prayer that we will be encouraged and learn something from the life of Nehemiah. I hope we will truly be applying these principles in our lives and be challenged and transformed. I believe we will be effective servant leaders if we prepare our hearts to do God’s work as Nehemiah did. Background History of Nehemiah To talk about Nehemiah it would be good to begin with his historical background and a brief history of the Israelites so that we can better understand him. Nehemiah was the son of Hachaliah. He was born of Jewish parents in exile. His name â€Å"Nehem-Yah† means â€Å"the comfort of Jehovah. From this it is possible to assume that Nehemiah’s home was a godly one. (Jensen, 46) He also had a brother Hanani (Neh. 1:2) Looking back on the history of Israel, we know that after King Solomon reigned in Israel, the nation split into two kingdoms in 931 B. C. – the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). After that there were no good kings in Israel, but in Judah there were a few partially good kings. Kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, and a few others followed God’s will for some time; but they did not continue to follow God fully and wholeheartedly. So they failed at some time in their lives.Josiah was the only good king without blame that Judah had after Israel became two kingdoms (2 Kings 22:2). Due to their wickedness God punished Israel and Judah. The two kingdoms were taken into captivity several times. The Northern Kingdom fell first, and the people were taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 772 B. C. After a few years, the southern kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians, and they were taken into captivity in 586 B. C. After forty-eight years in captivity, in 538 B. C. , the Israelites first returned to Judah from captivity under the leadership of Zerubbabel (Ezra 1:1-2:2).The second return was in 458 B. C. led by Ezra (Ezra 7:1-10). In 444 B. C. Nehemiah returned to Judah, and God used him to guide Judah in rebuilding the city walls and reordering the people’s social and economic lives (Zuck, 673). So there is a possibility that Nehemiah’s great-grandparents were taken into captivity in 586 B. C. when Jerusal em fell into Babylonian hands. This tells us that Nehemiah was born in Persia. Dr. Knoblet says, â€Å"Nehemiah was probably born in Persia around Susa sometime during or soon after Zerubbabel’s ministry in Jerusalem. (Knoblet, 19) Apart from all this information Nehemiah’s genealogy is not known. Nehemiah was just a mere man; but he left his mark on history because he was an available man. (Stewart, 22) We don’t know how a Jewish born, son of a slave become a palace servant; but we do know that Nehemiah was the king’s cup bearer while he was in Susa. (Neh 1:11). When Artaxerxes, the king of Persia gave permission to Nehemiah to return to Judah with his people and rebuild the wall, Nehemiah returned to Judah and served as the governor of Judah and led his people in rebuilding the city wall.Though there are different views on the chronology of the years of Nehemiah’s service as governor, it is probable that he was in Jerusalem for twelve years (444 -432 B. C. ), went to Susa for two years (432-430 B. C. ), and returned. (Knoblet, 129) If we are going to find a man in the Bible who shows us what true leadership is really all about, it is no doubt Nehemiah. (Knoblet, 150) Now, the question is – What made him a great leader? Why was he so effective in his ministry? Let us discuss the qualities that made Nehemiah a great leader. Qualities of Nehemiah Without spirituality one cannot be a good leader.Jenses says, â€Å"Nehemiah was not a priest, scribe, prophet, rabbi, theologian or pastor. As a public official his vocation was secular, not religious. And yet, he clearly demonstrated in his service that spirituality is for the secular as well as for the religious vocation. † (Jensen, 64) So, what makes Nehemiah a good and effective leader must obviously be his spiritual walk with God. Let us discuss some of his qualities – 1. A Man who Feared God: Nehemiah’s qualities of leadership are all tied to his fea r of God. It would not be possible for him to do what he did without the fear of God.When Nehemiah returned to Judah he found the Jews were going through hard times. Talking about the condition of the Jews in Judah, George and Syme said, â€Å"There had been drought, poor crops and recession. But people had to eat, and taxes inexorably fell due. Many were so heavily in debt that, having no more property to mortgage, they were reduced to selling their children into slavery. † (George and Syme, 92) All these things happened due to the corrupt practices of the leaders and moneylenders; but Nehemiah, unlike the other leaders, stayed pure.So, it is evident that when Nehemiah was the Governor of Judah, he did not practice any corruption because he feared God. (Neh. 5: 15) Not only in reference to corruption, but in everything Nehemiah feared the Lord; and as a result, he lived a life which was pleasing to the Lord. His fear of God gave him boldness for he knew God was happy with hi s life. So, when Shemiah told Nehemiah to meet him in the house of God, intending to kill him, Nehemiah was not scared because he knew that God was with him. Seume comments on Nehemiah’s boldness by saying, â€Å"He feared man little because he feared God much. (Seume, 71) That’s the secret of his success in his leadership. 2. A who Knew God’s Word: Though Nehemiah was born and brought up in the land of captivity, it is evident that he read and learned God’s Word and knew God’s promises for his people. This is evident because he quotes the book of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Exodus in Nehemiah 1: 8-11. It would not be possible for Nehemiah to enquire about his brethren in Judah from Hanani who returned from Judah, if he was not aware of God’s promise for His people. 3.A Man of Right Burden: When Nehemiah heard that the survivors who were left from the captivity in the province were there in great distress and the wall of Jerusalem was also broken down, and its gates were burned with fire, he was burdened by it. (Neh. 1:3) This was the right burden because he knew God’s promises for the Israelites. But what he heard was the opposite of what God had intended for the Israelites. Since Nehemiah knew God’s promises for the Jews he was burdened because the Israelites were in distress and Jerusalem wall was broken. He was so burdened that the king Artaxerxes could see it in his face. Neh. 2: 2) He wanted to rebuild the wall and point his people back to God’s promises and commandments. That’s the right burden because it is God’s burden. It is not possible to have the right burden without knowing the Almighty God and His promises. If Nehemiah’s burden was not right he could have just enquired and been emotionally sad but never acted upon it to put things back in order. What a leader was by having a burden about God’s work! 4. A Man of Prayer: When Nehemiah heard about the situat ion of Jerusalem and the Jews in Judah, he prayed to God. (Neh. :5-11) He interceded for his people and begged God’s forgiveness for himself and his people. Paul N. Benware says, â€Å"Nehemiah spent about four months in prayer. He confessed the sins of Israel and prayed for the favor of king Artaxerxes. † (Benware, 152) This makes it clear that before Nehemiah did something he saught God’s will first. 5. A Man of Patience: After Nehemiah heard about the reproach and distress of the Jews and the broken down wall of Jerusalem, he prayed to God and wept. (Neh. 1: 3-4) He also prayed to God so that the king would have mercy on him and llow him to go to rebuild the city wall. (Neh. 1: 11) But four months passed, and Nehemiah was patient to wait for God’s time. Wiersbe comments on Nehemiah’s patience saying, â€Å"†¦Nehemiah patiently waited on the Lord for directions; because it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promise (Heb. 6:12 ). He that believeth shall not make haste. (Isa. 28:16). True faith in God brings a calmness to the heart that keeps us from rushing about and trying to do in our own strength what only God can do. We must know not only how to weep and pray, but also how to wait and pray. (Wiersbe, 638) 6. A Man of Action and Example: Nehemiah not only interceded for himself and his people, he prayed to God that he would find favor in the sight of the king. (Neh1: 11b) Moreover, he boldly told his burden to the king and asked his favor to go to Judah to do the business of the Lord. (Neh 2: 3-8) God never fails those who seek His will and do His work. It is because of God’s work that Nehemiah found favor in the sight of the king. (Neh. 2: 8b) As a leader Nehemiah did not just give commands, but he associated himself with his people, and he took part in rebuilding the wall. Neh. 4:21-23) Moreover, he did not depend on people, but he used his own things for his business. (Neh. 5: 15-16) It is be cause of his actions that he was respected as a leader. He guided and led his people by setting an example. He put into practice what he said. 7. A Man of Careful Planning: As a leader Nehemiah studied the problems before he did the work. He was careful to select a few men along side of him, and they enquired about the walls and gates at night and told no one before they knew what needed to be done. Neh 2: 12-16) Before Nehemiah began the work, he already had an inspection of the place and knew what the situation was and what needed to be done. (McGee, 86) Secret goals and plans are what leaders should have in any ministry. Also, be careful not to make the secret too concealed that no one will know anything about it and it will bring no fruit at all. Nehemiah carefully handled this. Though he had a secret, he knew when and what to share about his secret plan. In the right time he revealed enough things to his people so that they would get to work and be able to achieve the set goals . Neh. 2: 16) Commenting on Nehemiah’s secret plans Swindoll says that before Nehemiah began his work, he did not say anything about his plans for three days. (Swindoll, 49) This shows that Nehemiah kept secrets when he planned, and after he carefully studied and made an architectural plan of the way to achieve the goals, he shared the plans with his people. That showed his incredible ability to balance things at the right time and in the right place. 8. A who Motivates: After Nehemiah studied the problems and had a plan, he motivated his people to build the wall of Jerusalem.It is because of his preparation that he knew what to say and the people understand his intention. So, without any hesitation all the Israelites followed his leadership. (Neh. 2: 18b) The source of his motivation was in the Lord. Nehemiah trusted the Lord in all things. He had seen many things that the Lord had done for Israel and he believed that the Lord would continue to do so. In motivating his peopl e Nehemiah said, â€Å"Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome! † (Neh. 4: 14) By saying this Nehemiah meant to say that, â€Å"God helped us before and He’ll help us again! He is our covenant God! That’s why I’m here!That’s why the wall is half up! He is great! He is awesome! Let’s continue to trust Him! Let’s not give up now! † (Getz, 81) What an encouragement for the Israelites, having such a leader who motivated in the right way! 9. A Who knows well his People: When the time came to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah appointed leaders in different areas; and they began the work. Looking at the work strategy, it is evident that Nehemiah knew his people’s ability, talents, and strengths. (Neh. 3) This is an extraordinary ability of Nehemiah. As a leader it is important to know well the people that we serve.This also tells us that Nehemiah was good in building relationship because it would not be possible to kn ow people well without knowing them well. 10. A Man who is ready to face Challenges: As rebuilding of the wall began there was opposition from enemies. Nehemiah was not afraid of them, and he was not discouraged. In the midst of challenges Nehemiah prayed to God and was ready to defend. (Neh. 4: 9) But that was not the end for him. It is important to pray, but it was not the only thing they needed. To have prayed only would have been presumption and to have watched only would have indicated a lack of faith. Campbell, 39) Nehemiah balanced it all, and he was ready for challenges that came along his way. 11. A Man who relies on God: When the Jews were opposed, Nehemiah turned to God and prayed to Him. Not only that, he directed his people to rely on God’s strength and readied to fight for the Lord. (Neh. 4: 14) Throughout the course of rebuilding the wall, opposition came. But Nehemiah always prayed to God which tells us that he always relied on God for God’s work. Foull ah says that, â€Å"as a godly leader, Nehemiah was dependent upon God from whom he received his personal support and encouragement, which motivated him enough to succeed. Foullah) What a leader, seeking God’s will and relying on God’s strength rather than self confidence! 12. A Man of Compassion and Justice: With the poverty situation among the Jews, there were richer people who did business with their fellow brothers. When the rich oppressed the poor in many unjust ways, there was an outcry of the poor against their own Jewish brethren, and Nehemiah acknowledged that. So, he assembled all his Jewish brethren and rebuked all those who treated others unjustly. (Neh. 5: 9) Nehemiah was bold to stand up for the poor and rebuke the sins of the rich because of his compassionate and just heart.His justice resulted in taking action against any sin immediately. Commenting on Nehemiah’s instant reaction with sin Kidner says, â€Å"Ever realistic, Nehemiah leaves no ro om for postponement or for second thoughts, and make sure that the promises are upgrade into oaths, properly sworn in the presence of the priests. † (Kidner, 97) Nehemiah was a leader who was impartial. He valued all people equally. 13. A Man of Generosity: Nehemiah not only spoke for the poor he also shared what he had with others. He fed one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers.Moreover there were others from the nations around them. So, Nehemiah prepared one ox and six sheep daily for them. Also, fowl, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was prepared. (Neh. 5: 18) 14. A Man of Wisdom: When Nehemiah was invited by the enemy to meet in the house of the Lord to talk about business, Nehemiah sensed that he would be in trouble if he went there so he decided not to go. (Neh. 6) This is wisdom. Leaders should be sensitive of dangers and should deal with things carefully and wisely. That’s the wisdom Nehemiah had as a leader. 5. A Man who Respects others: Though Nehemiah was the governor of Judah and knew God’s Word, he had a high respect for Ezra the scribe and worked together with him. (Neh. 8: 1-9) Nehemiah did not ever rule his people as his property but allowed others to serve in different ways. Moreover, he also appointed many leaders in different ways. (Neh. 3) This makes it clear that Nehemiah highly respected others. This is a good attitude for leaders. 16. A Man who is bold for God: After Nehemiah returned from Jerusalem he found that Eliashib repared a room for Tobiah in the courts of the house of God. Nehemiah was angry and threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room and commanded the room to be cleansed. He also found out that the Levites had not been given their portions. So, Nehemiah gathered the leaders and commanded that portions for Levites should be brought to the house of the Lord. (Neh. 13: 1-13) Moreover, Nehemiah strongly forced the people to observe the Sabbath, and gave warning to those who broke the law. (Neh. 13: 21) He also contended with the Jews who married foreign women.Nehemiah cursed them, struck some of them, and pulled out their hair, and made them swear in God’s name that they should not allow their sons and daughters to intermarrying with foreigners. (Neh. 13: 25) It is evident that Nehemiah was bold for the things of the Lord. His actions would not be necessarily bad for that time period, in that culture and with the situations. If Nehemiah was bold enough to do that, it shows that he was right in doing what he did because no one was against what he did. As a leader, dealing with problems takes courage and Nehemiah did it successfully.Moreover, he cleansed every pagan thing and assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service. (Neh. 13: 30) 17. A Man with a Thankful Heart: After the wall was completed they dedicated it to the Lord. They celebrated the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgiving and singing. (Neh. 12: 27) Neh emiah brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. (Neh. 12: 31) This shows that Nehemiah always remembered how he prayed to God from the very start, and now he came to God with a thankful heart because God allowed him to complete his project.The city was full of joy at the day of dedication. McIntire comments of Nehemiah’s joyful heart saying, â€Å"The fullness of the joy of Jerusalem is in the heart of Nehemiah, too. Speaking of the people upon the walls, he says, ‘So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and half of the rulers with me. ’ Jerusalem is a city of joy. Jerusalem is the city of the king. Jerusalem is the holy city. † (McIntire, 99-100) A godly leader will always remember God’s goodness and will worship God with a thankful heart. 18. A Man of Humility: In whatever he did Nehemiah did not seek fame or popularity.He did what he ought to do with humility. Talking about Nehemiah’s humility Maciariello says it well – Whatever his strengths or weaknesses of character, Nehemiah does not seek temporal rewards. Although, after completing the city wall, he leads remarkable religious and social reforms during his two terms as governor of Judah, his account ends with a simple request that God remember his deeds on behalf of the people: â€Å"Remember me, O my God, for good† (Neh 13:31). Nehemiah's behavior exemplifies the Christ-exalting characteristics of leadership enumerated in this article (sincerity, tenacity, mood, scope, realm, and rewards).His example endures as proof of the wisdom of godly principles of leadership and management. (Maciariello, 8) What can we Learn from Nehemiah The story of Nehemiah gives us an extraordinary example of a servant-leader motivated and acting for God's ends. It also provides an example of the use of godly means in the pursuit of excellence in leadership and management, and the focu s upon achieving positive results. Looking at the footsteps Nehemiah left for the generation to come is incredible. What a great model of leadership he was! Today in the Christian and secular world, there are great things that need taken care of.How are we going to begin the process? I believe the only way to begin is to turn our hearts to the Lord as a leader, and motivate others to do so. It is so evident from Nehemiah’s life that without God nothing is possible. Man’s strength is fallible and weak in itself, but God is infallible, mighty, and powerful. So, leaders should trust God in everything. That’s what Nehemiah did! The leadership qualities of Nehemiah mentioned above are important for leaders in communities, Churches, and any Christian organization. The only way to begin is to fear the Lord and submit ourselves to Him.If we honestly take God seriously, I believe the other leadership qualities will be evident in our lives. The problem with leaders today in the secular and Christian world is the lack of the fear of God. We fail time and time again because we try to do things by our own strength. The Psalmist says it well in Psalm 127:1, â€Å"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. † Let us remember that God is the source of every good thing, and to make the world better we have to turn to the Lord.Leaders should seek God first for wisdom and understanding in all they do. I believe there will be a difference in community, society, churches and any ministry if God is the first and foremost priority that every leader seeks as Nehemiah did. Bibliography Benware, Paul N. Survey of the Old Testament. Chicago, Il: Moody, 1993. Campbell, Donald K. Nehemiah Man in Charge. Wheaton, Il: Victor, 1979. Foullah, Leopold A. â€Å"The Characteristics of Good Leadership. † Ezine Articles. Web. . Getz, Gene A. Nehemiah A Man of Prayer and Persis tance. Ventura, CA: Regal, 1981.Jensen, Irving L. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Chicago, Il: Moody, 1970. Kidner, Derek. Ezra, Nehemiah. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity, 1979. Maciariello, Joseph. â€Å"Lessons in leadership and management from Nehemiah. † BNET, Oct. 2003. Web. . McGee, J. Vernon. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Nashville. TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991. McIntire, Carl. The Wall of Jerusalem is Broken Down. Collingswood, NJ: Christian Beacon, 1954. Stewart, Paul A. Nehemiah the Involved Layman. Glendale, Ca: Gospel Light, 1974. Sueme, Richard H. Nehemiah God's Builder. Chicago, Il: Moody, 1978. Swindoll, Charles R.Hand Me Another Brick. Nashville, TN: W Group, 1998. Syme, George S. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Denver, CO: Accent-B/P Publications, 1981. Walvoord, John F. , and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: The Old Testament, Colorado Springs, Colorado: Victor, 1983. Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary: Ole Testament History (Joshua-Esther). Colorado Spri ngs, CO: Victor, 2003. Williamson, H. G. M. Israel In The Books of Chronicles. New York, NY: Cambridge UP, 1977. Knoblet, Jerry. Exile and Restoration. Bradley, WV: Appalachian Bible College, 2010.

Acceleration

In this lab, my group and I main focus was to find out the acceleration of an object that is dropping while thinking that there are no force acting on it due to gravity. Guess what? Galileo was the first famous philosopher that had experience and observe acceleration due to gravity back in the 1700s. Acceleration is an increase in the rate or speed of something. For instance, in this experiment my job was to measure the value of the acceleration of an object in â€Å"free fall†. To be specific a free fall is a falling object that is falling under the sole impact of gravity. A free-falling object has an acceleration of 9.8 m/s/s, downhill. According to experiment 2, there were two different steel balls that was getting tested. One steel ball was bigger than the other one. First, we used the large steel ball to measure trial 1,2 and 3 with a balance scale, then we used the smaller steel ball for trial 4 and 5. The procedure for both was the same. The total mass for the big ball had a mass of 28.4 grams while the smaller one had a mass of 16.4 grams. Next, the height was measured from the release mechanism to the target pad. According to the data sheet the height was provided for us. For trial 1, we had to release the ball from the height of 0.75(m), 1.0(m) for the second trail, 1.5(m) for the third and fourth, and 1(m) for the last trial. Before anything the elapsed time must be on zero while the ball is grip on the release mechanism because I noticed that if the number was different from zero, that means that there's a bad contact between the ball and the mechanism. To avoid that situation, it is important to tighten the ball with the release mechanism. we had to release the ball four times before calculating the average time of flight. When the ball dropped on the time pad, I had received the time of .390 secs on my next three tries we had acquired an estimation close to the amount of seconds as my first try. When we calculated the average by adding all the numbers and dividing it by 4. The average time came up to 0.389 secs. This shows that the time of flight wouldn't change as bad. As we continued the process with the rest of the trails, I notice that the average for the small ball was actually comparable with the big ball. That was really shocking and exciting to me. Once we were finish with the average for 1-5 trial, the most interesting part was finding the calculation for each trial combine. Now I know you wondering, how would you do that? Well it's really not difficult. All you have to do is multiply 2 from the height of your measurement than divide it by the total average than multiply the total average number twice to get the average â€Å"g† g=2s/t^2. The average came up to 9.8 grams.

CRITICAL THINKINKG Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRITICAL THINKINKG - Annotated Bibliography Example From the survey, only 505 boys and 390 girls had the acceptable levels of fat content in their skins. The research measured the fat content in three major skinfolds which were the triceps, abdominal fat and subscapular fat. The research indicates that 14.3% of all boys examined were centrally obese, whereas 18.2% fell in the same criterion. The research which largely centers on BMI of children indicates that childhood obesity is a central cause of adulthood obesity. Rawlins, E, Baker, G, Maynard, M, & Harding, S 2013, Perceptions of healthy eating and physical activity in an ethnically diverse sample of young children and their parents: the DEAL prevention of obesity study, Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 26, 2, pp. 132-144 This research focuses on obesity among children between the ages of 8 and 13 years. The research assesses the dietary intakes of 70 children, 31 male and 39 female. The research equally compared the results from the survey to the interviews of 43 parents, 34 of whom were mothers and the remaining 9 were single or divorced fathers. Rawlins et al (2013), show that the lack of education on healthy living in the school curriculum, in the UK and the rest of the world, is the core cause of morbid and central obesity among students. However, the research also focused on ethic and cultural education or dietary preference and the linkage between ethnicity and obesity among students in the United Kingdom. In addition to ethnicity, social-economic backgrounds were a variable used in the research. The paper concludes that diversity in most cultural frameworks shaped the lifestyle of children in various schools due to the peer influence. In the UK, as Penn and Kerr (2014) present, 30% of all children aged 2-25 years are obese. The paper further indicated that obesity in early childhood translated in increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer later in life.

Liberal Art Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Liberal Art Studies - Essay Example This may include seeking new opportunities that are more fitting to the individual person and are able to make that individual more fulfilled as a person. After years of living his life according to the carnal pleasures of the body, Augustine felt there must be something more to life than the way he was living it. He thus began a quest for a more fulfilling life. Similarly, a more fulfilling career should always be the goal of the professional. A better career often requires difficult changes, but a professional should be willing to make those changes in order to realize a better life. In addition to benefiting the individual, a more fulfilled person is better able to improve society as a whole. A modern professional’s career journey is similar to the spiritual journey of Augustine. A career does not always go according to plan. There are difficult problems to work through in nearly every job. There are also times when it is better for an individual to move on from a current j ob and obtain a better, more fulfilling job. Like a spiritual journey, a professional is confronted with difficult situations which are often unpleasant. These situations often lead to changes and, although difficult, they can lead a professional to a better path in which they are able to grow as an individual as well as a professional.

Discuss the impact of social media on traditional media in relation to Essay

Discuss the impact of social media on traditional media in relation to news production,delivery and consumption - Essay Example This role as well as the role of gatekeeper to information is being redefined in the light of social media usage patterns. This paper discusses how social media has influenced the way in which users consume and experience news as well as the ways in which traditional media organizations produce and distribute news content. The discussion in this paper highlights the challenges posed by social media to the authority of traditional media. It also identifies the opportunities for collaboration between the two. Social Media and User Engagement Crowe (2012) describes five types of user involvement in citizen journalism, with varying degrees of involvement and objective reporting. Blogs, discussion boards, tweets, etc. have become common tools to share news items within social networks. These tools allow users to create editorial content for others. Crowe (2012) argues that citizen journalism has had considerable effects of the traditional media in terms of profitability. He explains that although the content produced by citizen journalists does not go through the rigorous vetting of traditional media channels, the sites encouraging such form of journalism collect information from a large number of similar sources which results in validation of the information. This is particularly true in emergency situations when reporters may not arrive for some hours. Crowe (2012) notes that these developments have inspired traditional media organizations to collaborate with social media platforms for delivery of news content. Organizations entering into such collaborations include Newsweek and AOL. Changes in News Production The way in which news is produced on social media is dramatically different from the traditional methods of news production. Kerrigan and Graham (2010) note that the Internet and Web 2.0 technologies are having a huge impact on the production and consumption of regional and local news. In the social media environment, news is increasingly produced by blogger s and citizen journalists in a way that encourages the consumers to participate in the news generation process. On the other hand, in the traditional media, the production function is performed by the journalist and the news is then offered to the consumers as information. Kerrigan and Graham (2010) note that it is a competitive disadvantage for traditional regional news media if they do not exploit the potential for engaging readers in the production of local and regional news. Traditional media have been affected by reduced entry barriers and advertising share to more engaging social media sources. News consumers can act as reporters and editors of news content in the new media which leads them to prefer new media news sources over traditional ones. Thus, there is a need for traditional media sources to overcome resistance to change and embrace the new social media environment. The advent of social media has had considerable impact on the credibility and power of traditional news media sources. O’Connor (2012) notes that the role of traditional media as gatekeeper of information has been considerably weakened. In addition, the perception of a news media organization as a brand has eroded to some extent in favour of the personal branding enjoyed by citizen journalists, bloggers and others in the social media. O’

Autobiographical Paper on Religious Affiliation Essay

Autobiographical Paper on Religious Affiliation - Essay Example I was baptized and grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in New Orleans where I thought almost everyone is Catholic as I grew up, and I never felt that we were a "minority within a minority" (Carey, P. in Phelps, 1997, p.7). I had an uncle who is a Catholic priest, and the way he lived his life as a servant of Christ in the Church had an impact on me. His kindness towards others made me see a bit of how Jesus was when he walked this earth two thousand years ago. His preaching, his life of prayer, and his dedication to his flock drove home the message that there was something, and someone, greater and beyond this life. Of course, my young mind never looked at events from a theological or religious view, because to me he was just my uncle who would visit and shower us with cheer and tell us stories about where he'd been, what he'd done, and the thousand and one things that a priest is supposed to be doing. My parents were a huge influence on my beliefs. The way they cared for me taught me how to love and use my heart and mind to face the mysteries of this world. How they loved each other despite the trials and joys of family life were for me a sign of how God takes care of us. They taught me how to pray, and more importantly, they told me why. Allow me to briefly discuss one case in point: the Trinity as a Family where God is a Father, Jesus is the Son and my brother, and the Holy Spirit is Love. I can never explain fully how there can be three Persons in One God, but I understood as I grew up that maybe God is a family too where everyone loves each other, just as we did in my family. We did things together: prayed at home and went to Sunday Mass; spent time having fun, laughing and talking and enjoying each other's company. Maybe God has been doing it for all eternity, and that is why He is happy and wants us to share in that happiness (Mt. 11: 25-30). My Mom and I also prayed the Holy Rosary at home to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. Many non-Catholics never understood the Rosary, because they think it is a form of worship, but it is not (Cavendish, 2000). Like people in love who never tire of saying the same things to one another, we Catholics who love the mother of Jesus also do the same. We show her honor, not worship, in the same way I show mom and dad the honor they deserve for being good parents. Novenas and other devotions to the saints are the same thing. We see them as paths to God, the same way that if we want to get a job we ask the help of someone close to us so that we do not have much of a hard time. Going to the saints and to Mary is the same thing. Of course, some people get carried away and give too much time to Mary and the saints that they forget Jesus, but the Catholic Church keeps on reminding us about this danger. So yes, my religious upbringing had a strong impact on my faith, helped by the examples my mom, dad, and uncle showed me that we can be happy doing the good things we enjoy, being men and women of virtue, prayer, and faith (Copeland, 2000). Search for Meaning Hunt et al. (1975) discussed the presence of a religious factor in secular achievement of African-Americans and investigated the presence of Protestant and Catholic

The General Images and Perceptions of Liverpool from an outsider Essay

The General Images and Perceptions of Liverpool from an outsider (tourist or international student) - Essay Example This paper discusses the many areas of development which Liverpool undertook to grow its economy. The various features of its development have also been elucidated. These, plus those made within her tourism industry has greatly contributed to Liverpools economy and what we see as modern Liverpool of today. As shown in the UK map above, Liverpool, a coastal city lying alongside the north shore of river Mersey, is an important city and seaport of England. The centre of the city forms the nucleus of Merseyside County, and constitutes a part only of the greater Lancashire. The proper city of Liverpool, therefore, makes up for a borough of the metropolitan county of Merseyside forming an irregular crescent along the estuary of river Mersey, only a few miles away from the Irish Sea. The population of Liverpool is 439,476 and its met. area population is 1,362,034. Liverpool city is a large manufacturing and commercial place in England and is the major city of the metropolitan area of Merseyside. Liverpools City Centre district is one the biggest shopping centres in the United Kingdom. Since it lies on the banks of river Mersey it has many buildings that form UKs important landmarks. These conspicuous buildings include the Royal twin-tower Liver Building with each of the tower crested by the "liver bird" sculpture. It was after this mythical bird that the city is known to have been named. The other notable buildings within the premises of commercial area include: Liverpools inner city area is located at the outskirts of commercial center. The centre of inner city, which in the past was considered a suburban area, abounds with many old buildings and houses. Nevertheless, one part of the inner city area also has the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral; the Liverpool University, and the Anglican Church, while the suburban area now lies outside the inner city. There is a Walker Art Gallery within the Liverpool city, which has one of UKs remarkable collections of

LUCID DREAMING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LUCID DREAMING - Essay Example Our focus will be on how these lucid dreams occur along with the research analysis of Lewis; Lewis has discovered that while our body rests the brain starts to revise the tasks performed during the day, the second part of the discovery shows how it focuses more on the traumatic events and modifies them and finally she reveals how the mind forces a connection between distant concepts (Lewis, 2013). We would merge the symptoms of occurrence of lucid dreams with the Lewis discoveries in our examples below; and would conclude how these commercial and public messages emerge known dreams. Women of today age are easily distracted by the beauty product advertisements and often have lucid dreams; I would discuss about L’oreal total repair 5 shampoo ad; the ad states that the shampoo can repair five issues and would give the hair restored fiber, stronger grip, vitality, silky and shiny touch. Women especially young girls with hair problems start to consciously dream about such hairs as shown during the ads; they would take bad hairs as a weak area would modify it with thinking of them as healthy hair and would relate the two concepts. They would start to dream that they have long and shining hairs that could be easily taken out of a pony and would attract so many people around them. This is how the ad plays with that section of the body that the mind wants to change or has been changing constantly (Shen, 2010). Bharia Town is considered as one of the pioneers in development and construction work; it has made its advertisements in a manner that would make the buyer believe that they are just a drive away from their dream town and dream place; in the article under discussion about Sector D of Lahore; it is shown that the plots are ready to for possessions; Bharia would provide them with easy installment plans and the sector is develop with all the facilities such as commercial area and entertainment areas

Credibility of Business Negotiations between the U.S. and China Essay

Credibility of Business Negotiations between the U.S. and China - Essay Example Business negotiations in China are challenging, particularly for international businesses because of the very intricate business practices of the Chinese. For one, networking is different in China where the government is almost always involved such that the range of decision makers is wider, and the process more collaborative. The Chinese culture promotes loyalty and conformity to family structures, where agriculture is regarded as the root of society and commerce as the branch. Their Confucian principle on the importance of society being organized under a benevolent moral code is both prosperous and politically stable, as well as their reverence for scholarship and kinship. Concepts such as guanxi (personal connection), renji hexie (interpersonal harmony) and chiku nailao (endurance, relentlessness) are practices or the Chinese way of doing business. Before business can be done, the Chinese believe that trust should be established first. Trust is built through guanxi and renji hexie, concepts that are ingrained in Chinese societal relationships both at home and abroad. Chinese spend a large amount of effort and time in establishing personal relationships, often through mediators known to both parties, as an antecedent to any business dealings. This is more often than not mistaken by a Westerner as a frustrating delaying tactic, but considered very important for the Chinese since this process develops trust between the parties, paving the way for the relationship of both parties to be strengthened and deepen beyond mere acquaintances to something resembling family. The Chinese have a thorough, in-depth due diligence before consenting to any agreements, looking at their numbers and gathering more information. Usually, the average time it takes to do deals in China, from initial contact to contract signing may be from 12 to 18 months, possibly longer for institutional deals. The concept of yin and yang, where finding the way (the Tao) is more essential than finding the truth (the means is more valuable than the end supports the above-mentioned practices. And the Chinese are prepared to work hard to reach this compromise, especially since they are famous for their work ethic, instilling it from childhood. The distinction however is that the Chinese take diligence one step higher- to endurance (chiku nailao) because for them, relentlessness and endurance are deemed far more honorable in society than talent. B. U.S. view of credibility in business negotiations Free trade leads to higher economic growth, better living standards and more and better job opportunities. The United States has been the forerunner in economic development, trade relations, etc. maintaining its status as a superpower. Perhaps this position has been achieved in part through the Americans' shrewd business negotiation techniques especially in dealing with their business interests in the global arena. Among the cultural traits that Americans are known for in negotiation is that they are meticulous about punctuality, getting things done when promised and not wasting time. They are known for their impatience to get down to business after a few pleasantries. During negotiations, Americans are