F A I L I N G TO T A K E A R I S K, IS A L S O A R I S K.......(PART 1)

2 Kings 7:4 “If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.”

 Throughout the ages, many have tried to put into words exactly what risk is and what it means to them. Some have been more successful than others—cutting to the heart of the matter, appealing to sensibility, or just putting an idea that’s difficult to explain into words we all can understand.
 Today, I want to share some  quotes that have had the greatest impact on people  and how I think about the concept of risk.

The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there’s no risk of accident for someone who’s dead. – Albert Einstein

Unless you choose to do great things with it, it makes no difference how much you are rewarded, or how much power you have. – Oprah Winfrey

No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being, to risk his body, to risk his life in a great cause. – Theodore Roosevelt

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T. S. Eliot

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. – Jim Rohn

Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. – e. e. cummings

The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open. –Chuck Palahniuk

It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win. – John Paul Jones

You can measure opportunity with the same yardstick that measures the risk involved. They go together. – Earl Nightingale

Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing. – Denis Waitley

It is better to risk starving to death then surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left? – Jim Carrey

Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free. – Paul Tillich

I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood. – Audre Lorde

The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision. – Maimonides

It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen. – Herodotus

If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business because we’d be too cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down. – Annie Dillard

God richly bless us .
To be continued,
Atta's Blog.  

2 Kings 7:4 "If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die."
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/buzzvine/10-bible-scriptures-about-positive-and-negative-risks-134592/#Dr2tYIRhZMRSZm2D.99

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/buzzvine/10-bible-scriptures-about-positive-and-negative-risks-134592/#vLAcAKTiFJHri6SQ.99

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/buzzvine/10-bible-scriptures-about-positive-and-negative-risks-134592/#8WRZboz1lKx

2 Kings 7:4 "If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die."
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/buzzvine/10-bible-scriptures-about-positive-and-negative-risks-134592/#Dr2tYIRhZMRSZm2D.99

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/buzzvine/10-bible-scriptures-about-positive-and-negative-risks-134592/#vLAcAKTiFJHri6SQ.99

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/buzzvine/10-bible-scriptures-about-positive-and-negative-risks-134592/#8WRZboz1lKxyH

LEARN THESE 8 STEPS TO MAKING YOUR KIDS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL(LAST PART)

1. TEACH  WILLPOWER  AND  SELF-CONTROL

There are two sides to willpower and self-control: keeping a rein on your temper and emotions and learning how to delay gratification by pursuing that difficult or boring task that will have long-term payoff rather than watching TV or playing video games. Teach your child calming strategies, like taking a deep breath, counting to ten, or simply walking away during an emotionally intense situation.
Play games that encourage self-control or planning ahead, like red light, green light, or puzzle games. If your child has trouble with self-control, praise them extravagantly for making disciplined decisions. Give your child an allowance (whether to give it by itself or as a reward for chores is a whole other discussion) so they can begin to learn the concept of saving their money for something terrific rather than frittering it away on inexpensive things that they won’t enjoy. Self-discipline and self-control will help your child immeasurably to reach future success.

2. TEACH INTEGRITY
None of us want our children to lie, cheat, and steal their way to success. Reward honesty and integrity in your child and teach them the difference between right and wrong. If you’re watching a movie or TV show, ask your child questions about why the hero’s behavior is so heroic and the villain’s behavior so villainous. Talk about people you admire and why you admire them.

3. TEACH THROUGH YOUR OWN ACTIONS
The best way to teach every one of these lessons? Walk the walk. You can talk about integrity until you’re blue in the face, but if your child sees you rolling through stop signs, telling white lies, or “forgetting” about the items under your grocery cart, they’re going to emulate that behavior. If you lose your temper with your child, they won’t learn the lessons about self-control that you want them to learn.
If you constantly mock and gossip about the stupidity of people who disagree with you, empathy is going to be the last thing they learn from you. Be the person you want your child to be. Of course, you’ll fail sometimes. In that case, do exactly what you hope your child would do in that situation – apologize for your mistake, explain why it was wrong, and do your best not to do it again.
Have a nice weekend.
God bless u.
Atta's Blog

LEARN THESE 8 STEPS TO MAKING YOUR KIDS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL(PART 2)

1. Teach Responsibility And Consequences
In order to become responsible, your child must learn that actions, both good and bad, have consequences. On the plus side, this means paying attention to your child’s good behavior and giving them praise and rewards when they do right.
On the negative side, this means consistent discipline – something that doesn’t always come naturally to parents. However, if you let your child get away with behavior that they know is wrong, or if you simply buy them a new toy every time they break or lose the old one, they’ll never learn that their actions have consequences.
A frequently lost and replaced toy at six can turn into a frequently crashed car at sixteen or frequently unpaid rent and utility bills at twenty-six.
2. Teach Perseverance
Some children are naturally timid and afraid of failure, preferring to stick to what’s comfortable rather than taking risks and trying something new at which they might fail. Others will stick a toe in something new but immediately back out when it’s harder than expected.
Don’t force your child to stick with an activity they genuinely don’t enjoy, but if they’re only backing out because it’s too hard, hold their feet to the fire and encourage them not to give up. This means praising your child for trying hard and failing as well as for success – and meaning it.
A child can instantly feel the phoniness of a halfhearted “good try, sweetie” and come away feeling even more discouraged. On the other hand, if you truthfully say, “I love how you keep trying and not giving up even when it gets hard,” your child will be more likely to see that perseverance as a positive quality.
3. Teach Problem-Solving
Like the old adage says, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Teaching your child perseverance is a good start, but if you don’t help them learn how to change their approach so they’ll be more successful next time, they’re bound to become frustrated.
If your child keeps hitting a wall, sit down with them and help them brainstorm solutions. This will help them learn to think creatively to overcome their problems rather than trying the same old methods over and over again. When they reach a hurdle as an adult and can’t figure out how to jump over it, they’ll remember that they need to try a variety of different solutions.
To be continued.....
God bless you.
Atta's Blog 

LEARN THESE 8 STEPS TO MAKING YOUR KIDS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL

We all want our kids to be successful, not necessarily in the sense of becoming President of the United States or CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but certainly in the sense of wanting them to succeed at whatever path they choose in life. However, it’s hard to know how to do this; push too hard and risk becoming a stage parent, or adopt a laid-back approach and risk raising a slacker.

 What’s more, if you don’t have the resources to get your child a fleet of private tutors, you may worry that they’re going to fall behind. However, there are certain universal qualities that you can instill in your child that will help them grow into a responsible, healthy adult.

1. Teach Gratitude And Respect For Everyone And Everything

You’re probably already teaching your child to respect authority, to respect other human beings, to respect animals – all important things. However, you should be sure to teach your child to respect other things as well, from people to property.

If you teach your child to take good care of their room and their possessions, they’ll have a greater sense of responsibility for their own things and be less likely to take them for granted. This will, in turn, help them to see that they have to work for and earn the things in life.

Along with this respect, teach gratitude; remind them to thank the people around them, whether it’s for a birthday gift or for helping with homework.

2. Teach Empathy

In order to be successful, your child needs to work with other people. That means understanding where those people are coming from and why they think or act the way they do. It doesn’t do your child any good to look down on others, whether because they think those others are unpopular losers or because they think they’re stupid bullies.

This doesn’t mean teaching your child that bullies are acting in an okay way, but it does mean teaching your child that all people have reasons for acting the way they do; maybe the bully picks on others because they are picked on at home, or the girl with the dorky unpopular clothes has to get them from Goodwill.

To be continues.......

Have a nice weekend.

Atta's Blog

 

THE HEROES OF THE AGE: (Electricity And Man)

"... Thomas Edison was more responsible than any one else for creating the modern world ....  No one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of  present day civilization.... Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the millennium...."  

     Unfortunately, this experience had some negative affects on the highly impressionable boy. He was  so disillusioned by how Newton's sensational theories were written in classical aristocratic terms -which he felt were unnecessarily confusing to the average person -he overreacted and developed  a hearty dislike for all such "high-tone" language and mathematics....  On the other hand, the simple beauty of Newton's physical laws did not escape him. In fact, they very much helped him sharpen his own free wheeling style of clear thinking, proving all things to himself through his own method of objective examination and experimentation."    Tom's response to the Principia also enhanced his propensity towards gleaning insights from the writings and activities of other great men and women of wisdom,   never forgetting that even they might be entrenched in preconceived dogma and mired down in associated error....

 Oddly, a factor that  shaped Tom's personality in both a negative and a positive way was  his  poor   hearing.... Even though this condition -and the fact that he had only three months of formal schooling - prevented him from taking advantage of the benefits of a secondary education in contemporary mathematics, physics, and engineering, he never let it interfere with  finding ways   of  compensating.... More precisely,  it was this his  highly individualistic  style of acquiring knowledge that eventually  led  him to  question scores  of the prevailing theories on the workings of electricity..... Approaching  this complex field  like a "lone eagle," he  used his kaleidoscopic mind  and his legendary memory, dexterity, and patience to  perform  whatever experiments were  necessary to  come up with his own   related      theories...    "I accept almost nothing dealing with electricity without thoroughly testing it first." he often  declared.

 Returning to the story of  his youth, by age 12, Tom had  already  become an  "adult." He had  not only talked to his parents into letting him go to work selling newspapers, snacks, and candy on the local railroad, he had started an entirely separate business selling fruits and vegetables.....  And at age 14 -during the time of  the famous per-Civil War debates between Lincoln and Douglas -he exploited his access to the associated news releases that were being teletype into the station each day and published them in his own little newspaper.  he quickly enticed over 300  commuters to subscribe to his splendid little paper:  the Weekly Herald....   Interestingly, because this was the first such publication  ever to be type-set, printed, and sold on a train,  an English journal now gave him his first exposure to international notoriety when it related  this story  in 1860. 
Ultimately, Tom  became totally deaf in his left ear, and approximately 80% deaf in his right ear. Poignantly, he once stated that the worst thing about this condition was that he was unable to enjoy the beautiful sounds of singing birds.  Indeed, he loved the creatures so much, he later amassed an aviary containing  over 5,000 of them. One day while he was on the train, the station master's very young son happened to wander onto the tracks in front of an oncoming boxcar. Tom leaped to action.  Luckily - as they tumbled away from its oncoming wheels - they  ended up being only slightly injured.......TO BE CONTINUES...

Have a nice weekend.

God bless you.

Atta's Blog

THE LIFE OF THOMAS EDISON( Electricity And Man)

"... Thomas Edison was more responsible than any one else for creating the modern world ....  No one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of  present day civilization.... Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the millennium...." 

 Surprisingly, little "Al" Edison, who was the last of seven children in his family, did not learn to talk until he was almost four years of age.  Immediately thereafter, he began pleading with every adult he met to explain the workings of just about everything he encountered. If they said they didn't know, he would look them straight in the eye with his deeply set and vibrant blue-green eyes and ask them "Why?"

Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Edison was not born into poverty in a backwater mid-western town. Actually, he was born -on Feb. 11, 1847 - to middle-class parents in the bustling port of Milan, Ohio, a community that - next to Odessa, Russia

At age seven - after spending 12 weeks in a noisy one-room schoolhouse with 38 other students of ll ages - Tom's overworked and short tempered teacher finally lost his patience with the child's persistent questioning and seemingly self centered behavior.  Noting that Tom's forehead was unusually broad and his head was considerably larger than average, he made no secret of his belief that the hyperactive youngster's brains were "addled" or scrambled.

If modern psychology had existed back then, Tom would have probably been deemed a victim of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and proscribed a hefty dose of the "miracle drug" Ritalin. Instead, when his beloved mother - whom he recalled "was the making of me...  [because] she was always so true and so sure of me...  And always made me feel I had someone to live for and must not disappoint." - became aware of the situation, she promptly withdrew him from school and began to "home-teach" him.  Not surprisingly, she was convinced her son's slightly unusual demeanor and physical appearance were merely outward signs of his remarkable Intelligence

  It wasn't long thereafter that the serious minded youngster developed a deep interest in world history and English literature. Interestingly, many years later, Tom's abiding fondness for Shakespeare's plays lead him to briefly consider becoming an actor ,Tom especially enjoyed reading and reciting poetry. His life-long favorite was Gray's Elegy In A Country Churchyard. Indeed, his favorite lines - which he endlessly chanted to himself and any within hearing distance - came from its 9th stanza: “The boast of heraldry of pomp and power, All that beauty all that wealth ere gave, Alike await the inevitable hour. The path to glory leads but to the grave.”

Unfortunately, in spite of their noble efforts, Tom's dedicated parents eventually found themselves incapable of addressing his ever increasing  interest in the  Sciences.  For example, when he began to question them about concepts dealing with Physics - such as those contained in Isaac Newton's great "Principia" - they were utterly stymied.  Accordingly, they scraped enough money together to hire a clever tutor to help their precocious son in trying to understand Newton's complex mathematical principles and unique style.....

TO BE CONTINUES.

Have a nice weekend,

God bless you.

Atta's Blog 

     

     

THE LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON:(GIDEON'S NEW NAME)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZGzu6oI9b4&list=RDMMmZGzu6oI9b4

(JUDGES 6:11-23)

As Gideon came creeping out of his cave to process his meager supply of food, he never realized he was standing at the door of the greatest moment of his life. At that moment, his highest aspirations were to survive another day under the mailed fist of the ravenous armies of Midian. The Lord, however, had other plans.“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon hardly bothered to turn around. Maybe there was someone else hidden in the cave. After all, who would call a coward like him a “mighty warrior”?Yet, when the angel of the Lord sat down in front of him, Gideon knew he was the one who had been addressed. As the angel continued to look at him, it was as if all the unbelief and pain in his soul began to bubble up and gush out of his mouth.“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Gideon replied. “I have never seen a miracle, and if that’s not bad enough, you have abandoned me. The Lord’s reply so stunned him, it momentarily pierced the shroud of unbelief and death which had strangled him for years. “Gideon, go in the strength you have, and save Israel…” Gideon couldn’t believe it.

“How can my weakness be my strength?” Gideon wondered. At that point, desperate to realize what he now perceived as the looming call of God on his life, he did everything to disqualify himself in God’s sight.“Well, Lord,” he whimpered, “what about my family? You know they are considered the weakest clan in all of Israel. And I’m even thought of as the dumbest of my brothers.” Still the Lord was not shaken. “Together we will accomplish this mission,” the Lord replied.Finally, something broke in Gideon. “Maybe there really is hope for someone like me,” he wondered to himself. “Lord,” he whispered, “if this is really you, don’t disappear, but wait and let me prepare you a sacrificial meal.”

After the Lord had consumed the meal, with flames of fire springing up from the tip of His rod, He disappeared into the flames. Gideon fell trembling to the ground, for he knew he had seen  the Lord. 

WHAT LESSONS CAN YOU AND I LEARN FROM THIS AMAZING ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS GOD? 

First, no matter what condition you find yourself in today, God will address you by faith. Even though Gideon was a spineless, craven coward, God addressed him as a mighty warrior.

 Second, no matter how weak you may feel, never forget God’s mighty strength is made perfect when we are weak. Paul himself said in( II Corinthians 12:10b)

Third, like Gideon, all of us need a deep revelation of God’s love. One of the most beautiful exchanges between God and a man in all of Scripture may be when Gideon begged the Lord not to go away while he went to cook a meal for Him.
BE A BLESSING TO YOUR GENERATION .
Have a nice mid/week
Atta's Blog.

HEROES OF FAITH(SUSANNA WESLEY)

Fame does not always accompany heroism. Susanna Wesley is a wonderful example of a true heroine who lived a quiet, yet influential life. Throughout her lifetime, Susanna exemplified perseverance, strength, and humbleness, constantly honoring God, especially in her role as a mother. Born in 1669 and the youngest of twenty-five children, Susanna. Never had the opportunity to obtain a formal education. Nonetheless, she devoted herself to the task of teaching her nineteen children at home. Susanna kept a strong faith in God, enduring with grace the devastation of losing nine of her children to early deaths and the complete destruction of two horrible house fires, one of which necessitated placing her children into separate homes for nearly two years, afterward when the family reunited, Susanna was mortified at her children's improper speech, neglected studies and worst of all, lack of daily fellowship with God. Quickly taking charge, Susanna taught all her children Latin and Greek, tutored them all in classical studies, and helped them mature in their Christian faith.

       Susanna continues to inspire many others today, Two of her sons, JOHN  and CHARLES, became famous enough and influential men in the Christian church.

Susanna embodied all the qualities, her parenting changed the WORLD.

God bless you,

Have a nice weekend.

Atta's Blog

THE 5 STRONG WOMEN IN THE BIBLE( ABIGAIL)

(1 SAMUEL 25 : 1- 44) PART 3

Abigail was the wife of a wicked and self-centered man named Nabal. David (who had been anointed king, but had not yet taken office) sent servants to kindly ask Nabal to show hospitality to him and his servants. David’s servants had been companions and protectors of Nabal’s shepherds. Nabal’s response was that David was lazy and presumptuous. David, who was traveling with his men after the burial of Samuel, was angered at Nabal’s reply. David prepared his men for a fight.

Abigail heard what transpired between Nabal and the servants of David. She loaded up a feast and went to meet David along the way. She had hoped that her actions would calm David so that he would spare her family from death. David agreed to spare the family for Abigail’s sake.

Nabal, thinking himself to be someone special because he told David to take a hike, threw a big party for himself. He was drunk and unable to protect himself. The next morning Abigail told Nabal that she had taken an offering to David and by doing so turned back the king and his 400 soldiers. Nabal was shocked to learn that his whole household could have been destroyed. So shocked, in fact, that the Bible says his heart died within him and he became as a stone. Within 10 days he was dead.

When David heard the news that Nabal was dead he sent for Abigail to become his wife. David saw within her a virtue of honesty and desire to protect her family.

OUR GOD BLESS US ALL.

Have a nice weekend.

Atta's Blog

LOIS AND EUNICE

(2 Timothy 1:1-18)

The Bible does not tell us much about Lois and Eunice, but what little it says speaks volumes for their character. One verse, 2 Timothy 1:5 says: (Speaking about why Paul gives thanks to God for Timothy) “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

Paul was telling Timothy that he was thankful for the young man and that he saw the great character in who Timothy would become. The book talks often about the things Timothy had been taught or the things he had learned. Certainly, Paul was talking about the things that Timothy learned from Paul, but it can also be assumed that Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice taught Timothy many things about the Bible as they seemed to be diligent students of God’s Word as well.

These stories of great women in the Bible are still inspirational to women today.

GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU.

Have a nice day,

Atta's Blog

5 STRONG WOMEN IN THE BIBLE(PART 1)

(JUDGES 4 V 15-24)There are many great examples of strong women in the Bible to learn from. Here are five strong women with a summary of their story.

Jael – Judges 4

Sisera was pursued by the people of Israel at the request of Deborah the Judge. When the Israelites came at Sisera with 10,000 men, Sisera fled. Israel was routing Sierra and his army when Sisera broke off from his men and fled alone. He came to the tent of Jael.

Jael knew who Sisera was and invited him into her tent to hide. He asked for some water to drink. Jael, in her cunningly kind way, gave Sisera a bottle of milk. After enjoying his milk—like many people—he went fast to sleep.

Jael sneaked into the tent with a tent peg and hammer. The Bible says that she drove the nail through his temple and pegged his head to the ground. Of course he was dead by the time the pursuing army found him.

GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU.

HAVE A NICE MID-WEEK. TO BE CONTINUES .

Atta's Blog