Faith Outside the Box

Betsy St. Amant

I grew up in the church—literally, I was there every time the doors were open for most of my childhood and beyond. There are so many blessings that come from a strong Christian heritage—but there are many challenges as well. Challenges that stem from routine and absorption, rather than life and certainty. I knew what I believed—I just had no idea why.

You see, as a Christian from a young age, I knew all the buzz words, the lingo, the native language of “church-ese”. I knew all the popular Bible verses and hymns by heart, which is fantastic in one sense, but devastating in another. When we get too familiar with something, it loses its impact. And the life-giving words tended to fly over my head and miss my heart completely.

“Heaven’s Solution to Our Emptiness” Part V

EXPLORATION:

I Find All My Joy In You

“I find all my joy in you,
like a friend
who invites
a beloved friend
to a garden
to breathe together
exotic air and sweet fragrances
to delight in lovely flowers
to hear an exquisite concert
and feast on luscious,
delicious fruit.”

Gertrude the Great

Do I believe God has designed a bountiful harvest in my empty life?

What do I believe that harvest will yield?

INSPIRATION:

“All the great blessings of my life are present in my thoughts today.”

Phoebe Cory
My Blessings

The Broken Way

Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today ... the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13-14, NIV).

Friend to Friend
While at a football game of my son Preston's, I had a moving conversation with another team mom. It was the first time we'd ever dialogued beyond socially expected niceties. Between cheers that went up to our football-playing boys, she stumbled upon the fact that I was a Jesus-loving girl and was excited to share about how God has intimately drawn her heart to his over the past five years. How He met her where she was, ministered to her through the hands of others. How He sparked life into her soul through His Son Jesus Christ. She was radiant and she spoke with excitement, joy in every sentence, praise on her tongue for the God who gives her strength and life. This dear lady opened her heart and told me of her grueling battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Destructive Criticism

Author: Creflo Dollar

Have you noticed how easy it is to murmur and complain about things that upset you or that you don't particularly agree with? While going about your daily routine, the challenges you face may tempt you to complain and speak negatively. What you may not realize is God's strong opposition to murmuring and complaining.

In Numbers 11:1, the Bible describes how the Israelites' complaints angered the Lord. They had been journeying in the desert under Moses' leadership and their impatience caused them to begin complaining. God certainly didn't appreciate their words and it was demonstrated by His response to them—fire raged among them and destroyed the outskirts of the camp.

When You Don’t Know What To Do

Written by Gail Rodgers

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:12-15)

Life is not always easy. Everyday letters come to this website from those of you walking through complex, confusing, and even tragic things that have unexpectedly imposed themselves on lives with little or no warning. If you find yourself arising to a day that is in turmoil, consider getting dressed for your day according to scripture.

Racing Toward Your Dream

God has placed special gifts, talents, and specific dreams inside each one of us; things He knows not only will define who we are, but also help us reach our full potential in life. In this new year, let's lay hold of those dreams and start pressing toward the finish line! 


Recently I was talking to a friend of mine who shared a motivating story about pursuing dreams. He told me that not too long ago, he found himself in the hospital facing a life-or-death situation regarding his health. While contemplating all of the serious “what ifs” that were going through his mind at the time, he remembers agonizing the most over one particular thought—the fact that while he was pleased with his life’s accomplishments, he still had one burning desire which, up to that point, he had not yet pursued.

As he shared his story with me, I couldn’t help but think about some of the desires and aspirations the Lord has put on the inside of me. Things I’ve wanted or dreamed about doing for years—things I know I am fully capable of doing—but up to this point, are things I still have not pursued.

Riding Out Life's Difficulties

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." - Psalm 107:29 NIV

If you're past the age of 10, you've probably already figured out that life is not free of challenges. Difficulties, pain in relationships, and even tragedies are part of every day life. As a matter of fact, Jesus told His disciples, "Take courage. There are many storms in this life. (Here's the good part...my emphasis added). But take heart, I have overcome the world." Wow. Now, that's a scripture to hang your hat on!

Whenever you face a storm, your first urge may be to scream, "Why?" Certain storms do come into our lives because of our own sin, but many challenges occur when we're right in the middle of God's will. We're not doing anything wrong. We're doing what God wants us to do. Certainly, that was the case for the disciples. Jesus told them to get into the boat and row across the Sea of Galilee. They were obeying Jesus when they suddenly found themselves in a horrific storm. It was so bad, they didn't even know if they'd survive. But here is the important message from that event - they did survive. With the help of Jesus, they survived.

Overcoming Obstacles

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil" — Job 1:1

Israel’s Moran Samuel made her country proud when she won the gold medal at the international rowing competition in Italy earlier this spring. She made us even prouder when she sang Israel’s national anthem, the Hatikva, on her own.

Apparently, the Italians did not have a copy of the right recording. When Moran realized that there would be no anthem played as she received her award, she asked for the microphone and simply began singing it herself, completely cool and collected.

When Moran was interviewed by the news shortly afterwards, she had this to say: “If you look at an obstacle as an obstacle, there’s a good chance it will knock you down. If you look at an obstacle as a challenge, then you’ll do the maximum to overcome it. There can be small challenges, like the anthem and me taking the mic and singing, and there can be bigger challenges.” She should know. She’s been paralyzed from the chest down since she was 24.

Choosing Change

 Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

      

Recommended Reading Ruth 1:16-17

Do you like change? Some people dread the very word. Change can be as life-altering as a job relocation. Or it can be as simple as someone sitting in "your" seat at church or your grocery store rearranging its aisles. But even creatures of habit must admit that some changes are beneficial and, in fact, life changing.

One of the most unassuming characters in Scripture is a heroine who radically changed the course of her life, impacting the Davidic messianic line. Widowed at a young age, Ruth could have returned to the protection of her mother's family. But Ruth didn't pick the easy way. Facing enormous obstacles, this brave Gentile woman committed to a big change: "Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God" (Ruth 1:16). By embracing change, Ruth was blessed far beyond what her finite mind could have imagined. Her son would be part of the messianic lineage.

3 Critical Tools for Paying Off Debt

Written by Gary Foreman stretcher.com

This is the time of year when many people look at their debt situation and shudder. They dream of what it would be like to be out of debt. And, if they’re brave, they begin to plan a strategy to reduce the amount of debt they carry.

They’ll begin with high hopes. But many of them will quit before reaching their goal, disappointed, discouraged and defeated. Is there something that they could have done differently that would have given them a better chance at success? I think so.

You can find all kinds of advice about how to get out of debt. The web is full of the stuff. But, when you boil it all down, there are three things that form a foundation for a get out of debt effort.

1. Don’t expect immediate results. You won’t be getting out of debt in a matter of days or weeks. The only way to eliminate your debts quickly is to inherit a large sum of money, win the lottery or declare bankruptcy. The first two are unlikely. The third may remove debts quickly, but you’ll suffer with a lower credit score for years to come.

Going through financial struggles? Ask for prayer
How much does success mean to you?: Getting over a business failure

Recognize that it will probably take about as long to get out of debt as it took you to get into it. You can speed up the process but you won’t eliminate debt that took 10 years to accumulate in 10 months. You can shorten the time by being aggressive in your payback plan, but it still will be a long process.

What’s the take-away? You need to be prepared for a marathon race. This is not a sprint. If you’re prepared for the long haul you won’t be disappointed and discouraged when a year passes and you haven’t eliminated all your debts. You’ll expect a long battle and be ready to fight it.

2. You need a good plan. A good plan will stand the test of time. The longer you work with a good plan, the more you appreciate its usefulness. There are a number of good plans readily available. You may find that one is particularly well suited to your situation.

Any good plan will have a number of characteristics:

1. It will include all your debts. That’s important to help you see the whole picture.
2. It will help you evaluate exactly how bad your debt situation is. Not only will you know how much you owe, but you’ll know how much it’s costing you in interest each month/year.
3. It will include a priority of which debts to pay off first – smallest to biggest? Highest to lowest interest rate?
4. It will allow you to know how much money you’ll have each month to repay debts.
5. It will free you from having decisions to make each month. You know how much money you’ll have and which debt is being reduced first. The decision is already made. It’s just a matter of executing your plan.
6. It will allow you to calculate an approximate date that you’ll be debt free.
7. It will help you monitor your progress. You should be able to predict where you’ll be 6 months from now. And, then compare your actual results to that prediction.
8. It will take your personality into account. Some people need the motivation of seeing many small accounts being repaid quickly.
9. Others are happier watching the average interest rate their paying decrease each month. A good plan will be tailored to your personality.

A good plan will do all those things. Some offer other bells and whistles. But any good plan should do all of the above things. If your plan doesn’t do them, keep looking for one that does. This job is hard enough with a good plan. Don’t weigh yourself down with a bad one.

3. Find a way to keep yourself motivated throughout the process. Once again, you’ll need to know what would encourage you when you’re thinking of quitting. For some people, rewards along the way work well. Perhaps a nice dinner or that coffee maker you’ve wanted would be a good reward when your car loan is repaid. Knowing that a reward is within reach could be enough to keep you going.

For others one big reward at the end is the best motivation. I know of people who’ve wanted to go on a cruise for years. They’ve added the cost of the cruise to their debts. And when it’s all paid off they’ll be packing their bags. To remind them now, they’ve posted pictures of cruise ships around the house as a continual reminder.

Getting out of debt is a tough challenge, but it’s a worthwhile one. And it’s one that you can accomplish with the right tools and sufficient determination!

Take the next step:
Managing debt starts with a plan
Digging out of debt 
Take a lesson: How to beat stress

http://powertochange.com/world/tools-for-paying-off-debt/

The 6 Hottest Tech Careers of 2012

By Jessica Harper | U.S.News & World Report LP

As our reliance on computers and Web applications grows, so does the demand for technology professionals. The surge will create more than one million new technical positions by 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects. The U.S. News Best Technology Jobs list includes software and Web developers, database administrators (DBAs), and computer systems analysts. Several of those jobs also wove their way onto this year's list of the top 25 jobs.

If you're interested in entering this profession, here's more information about the six best tech careers:

1. Software Developer. Tasked with writing code and designing or customizing computer applications, software developers top this year's list of best technology jobs. The U.S. Labor Department reports that software developers earned a median salary of $87,790 in 2010.

2. Database Administrator. DBAs create security mechanisms to protect company data and also ensure that databases run efficiently. This occupation is on track to experience 30.6 percent employment growth in the next decade, the BLS reports.

3. Web Developer. Web developers spend much of their days designing and maintaining websites. The BLS predicts a 21.7 percent employment increase for this profession over the next decade.

4. Computer Systems Analyst. These professionals are tasked with configuring hardware and software as well as designing and developing computer systems. Employment growth for computer systems analysts is expected to reach 22.1 percent by 2020, the BLS projects.

5. Computer Programmer. Computer programmers, who rely on languages like C ++ and Python to write software applications, earned a median annual wage of $71,380 in 2010, according to the BLS.

6. Civil Engineer. The average civil engineer doesn't earn as much as our No. 1 job, software developer, but this profession earns a spot on the roster of Best Technology Jobs. Civil engineers raked in an impressive median salary of $77,560 in 2010, according to the BLS.

Here are tips for those interested in working in the technology field:

Hit the books. Whether it is a bachelor's, master's, or certificate in a computer science-related field, some form of post-secondary education benefits those interested in breaking into a technical field. Some of the most commonly earned bachelor's degrees include management information and information technology. Continuing education courses in Web or information systems (for which some employers are willing to foot the bill) are also encouraged. Available through universities and community colleges, these classes provide technology workers with a meatier understanding of the equipment and platforms they work with daily.

Build an online presence. Nelly Yusupova, the chief technology officer for Webgrrls International (an international online and offline community for women interested in new media) and founder of DigitalWoman.com, says building an online profile like a JavaScript-crafted or html-encoded personal Website is the first crucial step to applying for a technology job. By maintaining an online portfolio, applicants can differentiate themselves from their competitors and gain an edge in the application process.

Showcase your digital skills. If you're a JavaScript developer, Yusupova suggests you "build a cool, little app" written completely in that language to demonstrate what you can do. "Or if you're an html or Web developer, build some websites and showcase your expertise," she says. "That way you can actually point to something you've built and talk about it in the interview."

Get the training. Eileen Hasson, president of Connecticut-based information technology solutions firm The Computer Company, Inc., urges those interested in pursuing a career in technology to match book knowledge with hands-on training. "Until you actually touch it, feel it, go through all the nuances, you don't know the experience," she says.

Get certified. Even if you earn a computer science-focused certification at the most basic level, some training is better than none at all. The credential is not required as experience trumps all (even age), Hasson says. But earning certification can still help.

Enhance troubleshooting prowess. Hasson says viruses aren't the only dangers that threaten computer system productivity. Internet connectivity hiccups and other factors play a role, too, and technicians should know the difference.

Cultivate customer-service skills. Some might not realize it, but personality is a major component in the information technology (IT) field. "Most people think of IT as people sitting in a corner," Hasson says. "Don't be afraid or so shy to use those customer-service skills. To explain to other people what's going on in layman's terms helps as well."

Embrace the challenge. Finally, breaking ground quickly can provide tech workers with a sense of satisfaction and excitement. This is certainly the case for Stephanie M. Cockerl, a computer programmer and Web developer for 15 years, and the founder and principal of Web consultation company nextSTEPH. "The exciting thing about what I do is how relatively quickly everything is built," she says. "I studied architecture in college. However, my work-study job was in a computer lab. It's relatively faster to build a website than a building. That explains it all."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-hottest-tech-careers-2012-150811609.html;_ylt=AsO0hxJlql70PfzdJ7H8ukQX34dG

Want to Be More Creative? Get Bored

By Martin Lindstrom | FAST Company

Quick: Survey your friends, your family, and colleagues and ask them when it is that they get their best and brightest ideas. How do they come to solve insurmountable challenges? And when despairing over the unsolvable, how does their breakthrough moment occur?

Don’t be surprised if many of those you ask say something like: "I sleep on it. Then as soon as I get in the shower in the morning… voila!"

For what it’s worth, the shower doesn’t do it for me--I’m a pool man. When my head is cluttered and I can’t think straight, I don my goggles and go for a swim. After the first couple of laps, the confusion begins to lift, and the answers start emerging. What the shower and the pool have in common is they’re both places where you’re rarely disturbed, allowing solitary contemplation. The warm water sure doesn't hurt, either.

This is all related to a phenomenon that’s been identified by Edward de Bono, the legendary creative thinker. He calls it the "creative pause." In de Bono’s book Serious Creativity, he asserts that even when things are going along, well, swimmingly, "some of the best results come when people stop to think about things that no one else has stopped to think about."

Although most people are unaware of the name for it, creative pauses are happening wherever people are solving problems. They occur among harassed CEOs, design directors, and small-business entrepreneurs. The creative pause allows the space for your mind to drift, to imagine and to shift, opening it up to new ways of seeing.

There’s just one small problem: The creative pause might soon become a thing of the past. When was the last time you remember being bored? Or even having a moment free from distractions?

I know it sounds strange, but I welcome boredom. It forces me to ponder. But to make sure we’re on the same page, when I speak of boredom, I’m not referring to killing time on your smartphone, your iPad, or your laptop. I’m not even talking about paging through a book. I mean bored as in doing absolutely nothing.

Because here’s the rub--when we’re at our most bored we’re forced to push our creative boundaries, and unearth the root of whatever problem we're working on. A quick glance around and you’ll notice that it’s almost impossible to be bored in our 21st-century environment. Every bar now has at least one television blaring. And just as night follows day, your eyes will be drawn to the moving pictures above, sapping whatever creative thoughts you could be having. Or take, for example, the last time you were alone at a restaurant waiting for a friend to join you. Chances are you reached for your phone and did something with it, anything to avoid appearing like the lonely loser in the corner.

If you’re still struggling to remember your last bored moment, consider the younger generation. When you were younger, perhaps you hung out on the street with other neighborhood kids. Or maybe you shot a few hoops or cycled down to the drugstore. There were no PlayStations, Xboxes, Wiis, or the latest game apps to play on or offline. Have you noticed how quiet suburban streets are these days?

Back in the 1990s, when Lego asked me to explore the consequences of digital play versus physical play, I discovered how many kids were preoccupied with the tactile aspects of play--how kids were already preoccupied with Tamagotchis, those handheld digital pets that need regular feeding, walking, and sleep. Tamagotchis hit the toy world like an out-of-control virus, making a huge dent in Lego’s Christmas figures. It seemed the more kids played with a screen, the greater their chances of losing their creative skills. Digitized pocket toys have a set sequence of steps to follow, and as soon as kids get the gist of the game, they fall into a passive-interactive mode.

This new development in the toy market was potentially disastrous for Lego, who, in principle, requires a user to bring their imagination to the connecting plastic bricks in order build the object of their fancy. However, as I was busily conducting experiments with interactive play, I accidentally stumbled upon a small realization. It began as an ordinary day. The children were involved in interactive play on a computer screen, and I was handing them the Lego bricks, asking them to create something. But then something extraordinary happened. The entire network broke down, and it took a long 20 minutes for the IT engineers to restore the system. Then it was back to business as usual. Except this time, when I handed over the bricks, the activity level increased. I began seeing Lego castles, trains, bridges, roller coasters, and monsters being built. Those 20 minutes of boredom gave rise to a remarkably productive output, and taught me the value of being bored.

Boredom, however, is becoming an endangered activity. Once lost, it’s not likely to return, because being entertained 24/7 is what kids have come to expect. In fact, by the time I began researching the power of word of mouth for my book Brandwashed, a frenzy of digital toys, apps, games, and screens had become endemic.

These days, I schedule a regular dose of boredom into my day. Furthermore, I don’t check messages if I’m waiting for a friend. I choose, instead, to watch people in bars, cafes, and restaurants. I don’t play games on my phone or my computer. I carry an old Nokia that no one would dream of stealing. More often than not, I hit the pool at the end of the day. As I power up and down the lanes, I rethink what I’ve learned. I now have the time and space to solve whatever problems have arisen. It’s an important meeting with myself, and I keep it religiously. Because the day I lose it, I’ve lost myself.

gotquestions  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/want-to-be-more-creative--get-bored.html;_ylt=AnExTy8o.2ghPD1H947xxfAX34dG;