Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example It is indisputable that marijuana smoking has many ill effects not only to the smoker but also to the community surrounding a smoker. Consequently, while confronted with such a dilemma, there is the need to engage in ethical decision making to make the choice that best fits a person. The theories of normative ethics are superior tools of decision making when an ethical dilemma arises. The theories of Utilitarianism and the deontological ethics have been highly regarded in the philosophy of decision making, especially when individuals seek to choose between right and wrong actions in the society. While the Utilitarianism theories express that human beings will make a choice depending on the end effects, the deontological theory proposes that human beings have primary â€Å"duties† that they have to fulfill in every decision that they make. The objective of this paper is to critically apply normative theories in solving the ethical dilemmas that come along with smoking marijuana . In this case, smoking marijuana is an ethical issue that is surrounded by both legal and moral issues that can only be solved through critical decision making techniques. ... Currently, the drug has found application in treatment of cancer patients, as an anti-pain drug to reduce headaches, improving appetite among HIV patients and with treatment of the side effects of chemotherapy. However, in the field of medicine this drug is administered in small portions as the medical experts recognize the effects that come along with the use of the drug in large quantities (Jabelle, 2013). From this perspective, it is indisputable that this drug has many positive effects that are beneficial to the human race. On the other hand, the use this drug in the social circles has generated a lot of heat in its use and abuse in the social circles. The government in many states has waged war against marijuana use and laws have been enacted to prohibit its consumption in the society. While many states such as the United States have opposed any move to legalize this substance, other nations such as Jamaica have legalized its use in the public (Jabelle, 2013). Of more concern is the use of this drug as a means to get high in the entertainment circles in the society. The side effects of this drug in its excessive use are the risk of loss of short term memory and development of diseases of the nervous system (Souryal, 2010). Consequently, the proponents of its illegalization have proposed that this drug has long term consequences on the public and only regard its use under the prescription of a medical expert. Smoking marijuana as an ethical issue has both legal and moral consequences that come along with it. In the moral perspective, it is wrong since its abuse in the long term causes the user to suffer from diseases of the heart and the nervous system. In addition, the users of this drug are specific social groups that exist in this

Effect of Cultural Differences in Global Marketplace

Effect of Cultural Differences in Global Marketplace Abstract This paper proposes a study on the threat the new entrants in global markets encounter mainly about the trouble arising from cross-cultural differences. This proposal investigates some of the applicable background work on the topic and sets some of the aims, objectives and research methodology that help for the better understanding of the topic. The main emphasis in this research is focus on the cross-cultural threats most businesses face during their plans to enter into the international markets. The expanding of business operations into external markets is very important in this competitive world. But this expansion into international markets is associated with high degree of risk. This research considers two countries Europe, Middle East and North America and the mode of internationalization are the Export business. Background: Business who enter new markets face many problems and this threats faced by new entrants is faced from many years. This is extensively considered in the literature but unlike nuances from this topic can be analysed. If there is risk connected to the reality that a business enters a new international market, huge levels of uncertainty could be associated when business go into new markets in different countries, this due to the existence of cultural aspects may weaken the achievement of the new business. In a situation in which Globalisation plays a most important role in home economies, the focus of going into new international markets is an additional and more pertinent. Apart from this in some of the industries the national market is not sufficient to cover up every aspect of the production of the business, and consequently, there is a need for such business to enter into new markets, for example, find the financial support for growth and development. Thus, the entry in international markets in this perspective may not be a choice but relatively it is an obligation. Business decisions are extremely surrounded in a sociological framework where culture plays an important role. To that degree, the significant threat of entering international markets can be differences in the culture that may weaken the progression of entering the new market of the achievement of the international project. For every business to decision of entering into a new international market requires huge resources, more often than not there are resources that require to be assigned to the decision of global entry, and that managers need to execute to the procedure of entry. But large investments into the new ventures in international markets does not in reality give success to the firm, the crucial lies only if the business enters the new markets before its competitors as these cultural aspects of the new markets can hinder performance in the beginning and to understand the culture, manage peoples preferences and to be successful requires a long-term process (Mascarenhas 1998). Moreover, the study also demonstrates that new entrants typically require placing smaller amount of capital in the procedure of entering the new market, and consequently this plan can be pursued by business with few resources if they are initial entrants. There are quite a lot of patterns that business can choose when entering in new trade places, and the pattern or the procedure the business adopt during entry may describes the success of the decision. In addition to this the pattern of entry also has an significant impact on the consequence of the new project. This framework identifies three underlying constructs that influence the entry mode decision. These constructs are linked to considerations that have been previously discussed in the literature. It is argued that a businesss choice of entry mode depends on the strategic relationship the business envisages between operations in different countries. A particular entry decision cannot be viewed in isolation. It must be considered in relation to the overall strategic posture of the business. Further, the paper argues that different variables often suggest different entry modes, and that resolving these differences involves accepting trade-offs. Hill et al. (2006: p. 117) Different types of entry refer to the procedure the business decides to enter the market. There are different types of expanding its business globally like Export its good to the new markets international also is a form of international business, these Exports may be Direct or Indirect, business can even start its global business through Contracts like licensing and franchising; and Foreign Direct Investment this includes funding of business in other countries either as a whole or a part of the business (Armstrong and Sweeney 1994). There is also a significant feature that the business needs when going globally, learning. The importance of organizational learning for a companys survival and effective performance has been emphasized in the literature (Barkema and Vermeulen, 1998; Barlett and Ghoshal, 1987a, 1987b; Hitt, Hoskisson and Ireland, 1994; Huber, 1991). According to Zahra et al. (2000) New ventures competing in international markets, for instance, draw from multiple knowledge bases in their different business operations and learn new skills that augment current capabilities. This viewpoint serves to emphasize the reality that later the primary experiences in terms of new ventures in international markets, helps gives the business an opportunity to learn, and with the help of this knowledge which the business gains in the process of learning can help them to be confident and which in turn helps them to reduce the level of risk associated with international business. Yet, a key problem the new entrants fac e is the distance of culture among the countries. Within each of the management disciplines there is a Significant literature which assumes that each nation has a distinctive, influential, and describable culture it shapes everything' (Hickson and Pugh, 1995: 90) A very important aspect of the process of internationalization is the distance between certain cultures. This issue is very central to the international Business literature, as it can be conbusinessed by Sousa and Bradley (2006: p. 49) Cultural distance and psychic distance are two factors that are widely used in the international business literature. A large number of studies use both concepts interchangeably with no clear distinction between them. The authors propose a new model to assess cultural distance and psychic distance separately. Through the use of survey data of more than 300 managers, this article shows that both concepts are conceptually different and that psychic distance is determined by cultural distance and the individual values of the managers. Hofstede is a pioneer in explaining the cultural distances among the countries with his work cultural consequences in 1984. He worked on the employees of IBM in different countries and identified four cultural dimensions, even though the scope of his research is limited as there no IBM offices in some countries, but his work is widely accepted in the study of national cultural differences among countries . The existence of cultural problems can be to some extent eliminated by adopting a evolutionary process by business during the process of entry into international markets. Hashai and Almor (2004: p. 465) demonstrate this gradual process of entering the market that can be used as an argument in favour of the actual difficulties in entering international markets, since three levels of entry are referred. Results show [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the following internationalization sequence over time: (1) exports are employed initially in order to serve customers in psychically close international markets; (2) subsequently, greenfield marketing subsidiaries are established in these markets; (3) finally, businesss engage in mergers and acquisitions, create subsidiaries that incorporate several value-adding activities and penetrate psychically distant international markets. Hofstede (1989), states that the main risk in internationalization is: signifying that in spite of the existence of a few cultural gaps, which may not be very troublesome or are even opposite, differences among two cultures in terms of uncertainty avoidance can turn into a possible foundation of problems for business who are looking for international markets due to the linked gap in acceptance of the level of risk, formalization, and the approximating. This viewpoint is very significant, and it can be linked with the resource- based viewpoint. In order to spend in global markets, business requires also investing in their information and adjustment to the host countries culture. However, as a consequence of the internationalisation process, business are expected to obtain awareness regarding global sites, organizational features and other country specific information (Barkema et al., 1996) as there should be more open to communication with fresh cultures. Ultimately, as an instance of threats of entry into international markets, there are five factors which are identified with the export of goods among the countries. From the analysis of the prior experiential literature, five common export threats have been identified. The prior among them are the non-exporting business tends to recognize obstacles in a different way from export trade. They put additional importance on factors inhibiting the commencement of export actions, while exporting trade stress operational, practical and market associated troubles. Next, the character, as well as the level complexity of export impediments varies not only among export stages, but also between businesses at the equal stage of export growth process. Next, the outside environmental aspects widespread in every nation mainly control perceived export problems. Next, industry-specific aspects are often accountable for variations in the supposed level of export threats across industry. Lastly, the level of the industry frequently determines the characteristics and pressure on export threats, with minor business feeling their inhibiting impact more powerfully. Smit h et al. (2006: p. 54-55) Aims The main aim of this piece of research is to find out the processes which national business adapt while entering into new international markets and to calculate the degree of which cross-cultural characteristics of the host country can contribute to the decision making. Therefore, in this research it will be required to find a connection between the cultural distance of the two countries and the power of their global business. In other expression, one can aim to study whether: are the firms more expected to invest in nations that are culturally closer? As a result, the intention of this research is to estimate the degree to which the cultural distance plays an significant part on the choice of participating in the economy of a certain country. To that extent, this research is evaluating, finally, if the cultural closeness of certain countries is a feature of magnetism by business for a venture. In order to find out the part of cultural closeness, one will calculate the cultural threats business encounter in going into global markets. The centre of this research is businesses who are the first time entrants into the new international markets. For that motive the problem of cultural distance is understood so closely. This is also based that business going into new markets with a little experience in global ventures are less affected by the risk when entering into a new global market. The basic theory in this research is that cultural distance plays a significant role for the first time entrants when compared to other business. In order to believe in this objective, a viewpoint on the resources that are necessary to enter a global venture will be the base for the explanations sought after. The main hypothesis is that, venturing into new markets where there is a high degree of cultural distance embodies high degree of risk and, consequently, huge investments is required to understand and bridge a gap between these cultural distance among countries. Research Methods: Data As the main focus of the research is to find out the relation between the cultural differences among nations and course of internationalisation of the company, different sources of statistics and information will be used. In order to know the relation we need to under the cultural differences among the countries, as this will enable the research with better understand of the concept. To get this information, Hofstede (1984) work is used to get the information on cultural distance. The model developed by Hofstede (2001) provides a set of variables that permit the relationship of cultures with respect to various business approaches. The study of cultural consequences of Hofstede is performed using data gathered from IBM workforce in different countries around the world. In spite of being a good method for understanding the cultural distance among countries, the model itself has some draw backs, as the staff of IBM are not only influenced by the national cultural but also are influenced by the organizational culture and hence this study may not reveal the pure information on the national culture, as the employees are also inclined by IBM policies and procedures. But however the framework depicts the cultural difference among the countries in five dimensions: They are The first among them is the power distance: this depicts the distance between individual of different ranks. The next is Individualism this reflects the extent to which an individual relies on a group or collective approach to issues, or the extent to which the individuals takes individuals initiative to solve problems. Uncertainty avoidance, which reflects on peoples attitudes on ambiguity in a society or country. The third is Masculinity, the gender differences, in more masculinity, results in assertiveness, competitiveness and need to achieve results; low masculinity suggests co-operation and more caring approaches. Lastly, the fifth dimension which is the result of the work of Hofstede, with the Chinese cultural connection group (1987) which resulted in another dimension called the Long term orientation, more Asian culture prefer long term bond and oppose short term contracts. The subsequent resource of information is associated with the exports. Information will be collected from the World Trade Organization (2008) and contain data about the selected countries for the research, North America, Middle East and Europe. Ultimately, the information required is different sources of information about the flows of foreign direct investment among each pair of groups of countries. The data for this dataset will be gathered for each pair of countries in isolation and thus different sources will be used. To understand the proximity of the relationship among the pair of countries can be understood from the information gathered about the cultural distance with the help of Hofstede framework. This understanding of the closeness of the culture will help to answer the question whether business are only ready to trade with those countries which are narrow in terms of cultural distance. The methods used for analysing are: In order to assess the level to which the aspect of cultural distance plays a significant part on the business decision on the new ventures with certain nation, can be analyzed with the help of analysis of the pair of countries from the selected parts of the world. This examination will integrate assess of the comparative distance of the two countries, and an evaluation of the relative influence of the exports and of Foreign Direct Investment in the total exports and Foreign Direct Investment of each country. The information will provide a chance to spotlight on the connection between the cultural distance and the actual international link of business in the two groups of countries, with numerical techniques. This examination will be complimented with relative details of the culture of the both the countries. 5. Expected Outcome It is expected that countries with similarities in terms of culture verify higher levels of international trade, not only in terms of exports, but also in what regards to international trade. The theory on the resources applied in the participation of a new joint venture can also provide a contribution in this respect. Countries with higher similarities may embody a lower risk of investment and therefore, businesss will be seeking to invest firstly in countries in which they know what to expect. However, it is also certain that after having invested in a number of countries to which cultural similarities are found, a business may be seeking to expand to other countries, culturally more distant. This may be due to two reasons: the first one is related to the need of expansion, and once all countries to which cultural proximity is found already have the presence of the business; the second one is related to the international experience and the confidence of investment the business has gained in the countries it has invested previously, and is now ready to take a step further and to operate at a higher risk.

Optics :: essays research papers

Aim: To examine characteristics of a converging lens and the images they create. Also to examine the focal length and how the focus point may be found and developing rules for locating an image via ray drawings and the intersection of rays. Chromatic aberration will also be explored and why it happens. Theory: Both lenses and mirrors have a principle axis, yet a lens has two focal points as opposed to a mirror that has only one. When considering converging lenses, the primary focal point (PF) can be found on the opposite side of the lens in regards to the light. The secondary focal point (SF) being on the same side as the light source. Focus points on thin double convex lenses are located at either side of the lens, measured from the middle of the lens itself (see below). Chromatic aberration is a problem of converging lenses that will also be explored in this experiment. A description of each image produced will also be given (attitude, type, magnification and location). Apparatus: The main tools (apparatus) used in the experiment consist of a ray box containing cards which allow one, two, three or four rays onto a sheet of paper at a time so that rays path from the box to the mirror will be able to be traced. Also two (2) different types of converging lenses, one being cylindrical while the other being spherical, the difference being that the spherical one is used for viewing, the cylindrical one for use with the ray box. These lenses are one of many different sorts of lenses in the "lens box". The use of a ruler would also be helpful so that accurate measurements may be taken. Method: 1. A cylindrical lens was placed on paper and traced around, a principal axis was drawn making sure that it's at rights angles to the lens. The ray box was switched on (exposing only one ray) and lined up parallel to the principle axis, a mark where the ray leaves the box was made as well as where it hits the lens (on both sides) and where the ray bisects the principle axis. After this, the ray box was removed and using a ruler, rays were accurately drawn. The focus point (f) was measured to be of length 7.3cm (7.25). 2. The lens was replaced back on a sheet of paper with ray box emitting three rays, the middle ray lined up on the principle axis, marks were made where the ray's intersected at on the principle axis and this was measured to be the primary focus point.

Shawshank Redemtion

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank redemption is all about relationships, there are many that influence Andy (the main character). He changes in many different ways throughout the book, these relationships influence the different ways Andy changes. The relationship I would like to discuss is one between Red and Andy. The relationship between Red and Andy is more brotherly like because they look out for each other.During the opening of the book Red and Andy aren’t very close they talk but not very much. Andy only asks Red for small things like a rock hammer to make small figurines, and later we find out that Andy used the hammer to dig out of Shawshank. But as the story progresses Red and Andy’s bond grows stronger until the day that Red is released from prison. This relationship is strong and when they find out that Red has killed himself, Andy punishes himself.This Changes Andy because Red looked after Andy and felt that it was his fault that Red killed himself. Another r elationship that changes Andy is the one he has with Brooks. This relationship started when Andy was down in the basement doing some work and discovered that Shawshank had a library. This is how Brooks and Andy’s relationship became to be. Once they began to work together things began to change, Andy began to influence other prisoners to read.He and Brooks begin to â€Å"hang out† in the exercise yard. They discuss new ideas for the library, like expanding it and bringing a program to get inmates their high school diplomas. This changes Andy by giving Andy something to look forward to everyday, and something to achieve while he’s in prison. The final relationship that has a major impact on the way Andy changes throughout the book is the one he has with Warden Norton.This relationship is a kind of relationship that isn’t one I’d appreciate as a person because Warden Norton treats Andy like a piece of garbage. Warden Norton wants Andy to stay in the prison because he balances the finances the prisons money. Warden Norton also wants Andy to stay in the prison because he doesn’t want Andy to find out that he was set up for the murder of his wife and her lover, by the Warden Norton himself. This relationship changes Andy by making him glum and gloomy and wanting even more to get out of Shawshank.

Diabetes Education

Nowadays, in the field of the diabetes, it is a common scenario that more and more people consider type 2 diabetes as a primary health concern.   For people working with or taking take of persons with diabetes, they are thankful that diabetes care is now getting nationwide recognition.   However, in certain matters, we can observe a lack of investment in continuing learning prospects for practitioners.According to Cooper et al. (2002), in the year 2000, the Audit Commission recognized a discrepancy in knowledge and understanding regarding diabetes among patients, and a scarcity of evidence-based practice as well. In view of this fact, Cooper et al. (2005) carried out a study to determine the effects of a diabetes-specific health education program. Their research centered on what patients recognize to be valuable and beneficial to them in the educational approach espoused.The study stressed the necessity for an interdisciplinary method to patient education with regards to diabetes . Cooper et al. (2005) said that diabetes nurses have long been leading the activities in underatking such programs. The authors further asserted that the role of these diabetes nurses in cmoing up with a standardized approach to patient education training has to demonstrate good practice founded on research evidence of what works best and what is most applicable.Furthermore, Cooper et al. (2002) claimed that education has been stressed as a primary component of the treatment for diabetics. As a consequence, attention has therefore centered on the necessity for effective and efficient provision of education services that are both accessible and inclusive. Nevertheless, the Audit Commission has recognized gaps in present service provision. In addition, as stated earlier, the Commission likewise discovered serious and critical deficits in knowledge and understanding regarding diabetes among patients, and a scarcity of evidence-based practice. At present, the findings of the Commission are upsetting and disturbing, and this issue is expanded by the concentration on diabetes nurses as the major players in providing such treatment (Cooper et al., 2002.)Given these conditions and because of the constraints in continuing educational prospects it is now a concern if how could we maintain and preserve an informed and dynamic workforce for diabetes care where diabetes practitioners are under pressure (Phillips, 2006). It is also a question if diabetes is not interesting enough for workforce investment save for the pharmaceutical giants.   At present, several diabetes practitioners consider that this source of funding is the lone source that allows further or additional study.Meanwhile, Guirguis et al. (2006) declared that pharmacists could play a significant part in the health of diabetics. They said that an increasing body of research has showed that pharmacists could effectively and successfully offer care to diabetics and in several instances enhance their health o utcomes as well.   In addition, Guirguis & Chewning (2004) claimed that supposed pharmacy students’ role beliefs and patient reactions were strong predictors of pharmacy students’ reported purpose to inquire regarding the diabetes ABCs someday.In terms of diabetes education, Anderson et al. (2005) said that diabetes educators employ theories constantly, even if they are not conscious of it. The authors said that in order to teach, one should first have certain suppositions regarding how people gain knowledge of the matter and what comprises effective and successful teaching. Hence, the purpose of their study is to assist diabetes educators concerned in research and evaluation on how to choose the proper theories.Their study assessed the four (4) rationales of theories, specifically, description, explanation, control, and prediction, in addition to the extent to which a theory has been expressed and expanded. The authors also evaluated the significance of a theoryâ₠¬â„¢s explanatory power, its personal resonance, and its utility. Moreover, their study assessed how to employ one or more theories at every period of an evaluation or research or project.Moreover, Anderson et al. (2005) maintained that theories could be vital instruments for the purpose, comprehension, and carrying out of diabetes patient education research. The authors emphasized that they could be particularly useful in the design and assessment of intervention research as well. Furthermore, educational researchers will take advantage of the implementation of theories that reverberate with their experience, have been expanded by way of reflection and argument with their peers, and have been experimented by means of research.They likewise said that such theories would offer a coherent, powerful, and strong base on which to perform research studies. Moreover, Anderson et al. (2005) claimed that diabetes educators derive benefit from theory-based interventions that can be successful ly converted into various settings numerous diabetes educators. Theory-based research that is the basis of effective interventions provides greater understanding of how to be effective educators and enhances the credibility of the profession.SynopsisBased on these studies, I can say that as diabetes received national public health recognition, it is somewhat confusing why investment is not being made to support and also protect the workforce involved in diabetes education in improving excellence in care and upholding care on the cusp of evidence-based delivery.Furthermore, I have learned that diabetes education must not be viewed as a luxury, but instead it should be regarded as a necessity because it is definitely a significant part of the clilical governance program of constant learning. Moreover, it will definitely be advantageous and beneficial for people with diabetes to recognize that the care that is being given to them is up-to-date and that they are being given the best alt ernatives. #ReferencesAnderson, R. et al. (2005).   Choosing and Using Theories in Diabetes Education Research.   The Diabetes Educator.Cooper, H. et al. (2002). Diabetes education: the patient's perspective.   Journal of Diabetes Nursing.Guirguis, L. et al. (2006). Evaluation of Structured Patient Interactions: The Diabetes Check. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.Guirguis, L. & B. Chewning. (2004). Talking to pharmacists about diabetes: How to ask about monitoring clinical targets. Journal of American Pharmaceutical Association.Phillips, A. (June 2006).   Developing the diabetes workforce: no longer a priority? Journal of Diabetes Nursing.    Diabetes Education Nowadays, in the field of the diabetes, it is a common scenario that more and more people consider type 2 diabetes as a primary health concern.   For people working with or taking take of persons with diabetes, they are thankful that diabetes care is now getting nationwide recognition.   However, in certain matters, we can observe a lack of investment in continuing learning prospects for practitioners.According to Cooper et al. (2002), in the year 2000, the Audit Commission recognized a discrepancy in knowledge and understanding regarding diabetes among patients, and a scarcity of evidence-based practice as well. In view of this fact, Cooper et al. (2005) carried out a study to determine the effects of a diabetes-specific health education program. Their research centered on what patients recognize to be valuable and beneficial to them in the educational approach espoused.The study stressed the necessity for an interdisciplinary method to patient education with regards to diabetes . Cooper et al. (2005) said that diabetes nurses have long been leading the activities in underatking such programs. The authors further asserted that the role of these diabetes nurses in cmoing up with a standardized approach to patient education training has to demonstrate good practice founded on research evidence of what works best and what is most applicable.Furthermore, Cooper et al. (2002) claimed that education has been stressed as a primary component of the treatment for diabetics. As a consequence, attention has therefore centered on the necessity for effective and efficient provision of education services that are both accessible and inclusive.Nevertheless, the Audit Commission has recognized gaps in present service provision. In addition, as stated earlier, the Commission likewise discovered serious and critical deficits in knowledge and understanding regarding diabetes among patients, and a scarcity of evidence-based practice. At present, the findings of the Commission are upsetting and disturbing, and this issue is expanded by the concentration on diabetes nurses as the major players in providing such treatment (Cooper et al., 2002.)Given these conditions and because of the constraints in continuing educational prospects it is now a concern if how could we maintain and preserve an informed and dynamic workforce for diabetes care where diabetes practitioners are under pressure (Phillips, 2006). It is also a question if diabetes is not interesting enough for workforce investment save for the pharmaceutical giants.   At present, several diabetes practitioners consider that this source of funding is the lone source that allows further or additional study.Meanwhile, Guirguis et al. (2006) declared that pharmacists could play a significant part in the health of diabetics. They said that an increasing body of research has showed that pharmacists could effectively and successfully offer care to diabetics and in several instances enhance their health ou tcomes as well.   In addition, Guirguis & Chewning (2004) claimed that supposed pharmacy students’ role beliefs and patient reactions were strong predictors of pharmacy students’ reported purpose to inquire regarding the diabetes ABCs someday.In terms of diabetes education, Anderson et al. (2005) said that diabetes educators employ theories constantly, even if they are not conscious of it. The authors said that in order to teach, one should first have certain suppositions regarding how people gain knowledge of the matter and what comprises effective and successful teaching. Hence, the purpose of their study is to assist diabetes educators concerned in research and evaluation on how to choose the proper theories.Their study assessed the four (4) rationales of theories, specifically, description, explanation, control, and prediction, in addition to the extent to which a theory has been expressed and expanded. The authors also evaluated the significance of a theory†™s explanatory power, its personal resonance, and its utility. Moreover, their study assessed how to employ one or more theories at every period of an evaluation or research or project.Moreover, Anderson et al. (2005) maintained that theories could be vital instruments for the purpose, comprehension, and carrying out of diabetes patient education research. The authors emphasized that they could be particularly useful in the design and assessment of intervention research as well. Furthermore, educational researchers will take advantage of the implementation of theories that reverberate with their experience, have been expanded by way of reflection and argument with their peers, and have been experimented by means of research.They likewise said that such theories would offer a coherent, powerful, and strong base on which to perform research studies. Moreover, Anderson et al. (2005) claimed that diabetes educators derive benefit from theory-based interventions that can be successfull y converted into various settings numerous diabetes educators. Theory-based research that is the basis of effective interventions provides greater understanding of how to be effective educators and enhances the credibility of the profession.SynopsisBased on these studies, I can say that as diabetes received national public health recognition, it is somewhat confusing why investment is not being made to support and also protect the workforce involved in diabetes education in improving excellence in care and upholding care on the cusp of evidence-based delivery.Furthermore, I have learned that diabetes education must not be viewed as a luxury, but instead it should be regarded as a necessity because it is definitely a significant part of the clilical governance program of constant learning. Moreover, it will definitely be advantageous and beneficial for people with diabetes to recognize that the care that is being given to them is up-to-date and that they are being given the best alte rnatives. #ReferencesAnderson, R. et al. (2005).   Choosing and Using Theories in Diabetes Education Research.   The Diabetes Educator.Cooper, H. et al. (2002). Diabetes education: the patient's perspective.   Journal of Diabetes Nursing.Guirguis, L. et al. (2006). Evaluation of Structured Patient Interactions: The Diabetes Check. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.Guirguis, L. & B. Chewning. (2004). Talking to pharmacists about diabetes: How to ask about monitoring clinical targets. Journal of American Pharmaceutical Association.Phillips, A. (June 2006).   Developing the diabetes workforce: no longer a priority? Journal of Diabetes Nursing.

Galley or Corridor Kitchen Layout

Galley or Corridor Kitchen Layout The galley or corridor kitchen layout is one of the standard kitchen layouts that decades of ergonomic research developed. This layout is the most efficient layout for a thin kitchen space. A galley kitchen consists of work space on two opposing walls. There is a single traffic lane between them. There is an opening on one or both ends. A galley kitchen can be as long as you want. You will just need to divide the kitchen into different work sites. The best width for a galley kitchen is 7 to 12 feet. Kitchens over 10 feet wide can utilize the U-shaped kitchen layout. Galley Kitchen Benefits Great for rectangular spaceEfficient for a small kitchen spaceCan adjust to any lengthCan easily divide the kitchen into multiple work sites Galley Kitchen Drawbacks Through traffic can cause congestionNot efficient for large kitchensNot good for multiple cooksDoes not work well for open floor plans Placing the Work Triangle The basic kitchen work triangle can be placed anywhere along the length of the galley kitchen provided you keep the elements grouped together. An equilateral triangle works best with two elements on one wall and the third centered between them on the opposite wall.

Free Essays on Consumer Buying Behavior

Characteristics of Consumer Buying Behavior When it comes to consumer buying behavior, consumer’s purchase for a couple of reasons. Usually final consumers purchase for personal, family, or household use. I think we first need to understand what consumer buying behavior actually is though. Consuming buying behavior is easily defined as the decision processes and acts of final household consumers associated with evaluating, buying, consuming, and discarding products for personal consumption. We could look at an example of purchasing an automobile to illustrate my point. When it comes to buying a car, you generally will not consider different options until some event triggers a need, such as a problem needing potentially expensive repair. Once this need has put you out in the market, you begin to ask your friends for recommendations regarding dealerships and car models; at least this is what I do. After visiting several dealerships, you test drive several models and finally decide on a particular model. After picking up your new car, you have doubts on the way home, wondering if you can afford the monthly payments, but then begin to wonder if instead you should have purchased a more expensive but potentially more reliable model. Over the next five years, the car has several unexpected breakdowns that lead you to want to purchase a different brand, but you have been very happy with the services of the local dealership and decide to again purchase your next car there. In this particular case, the following model of consumer decision making appears to hold the following characteristics of buying behavior: need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post purchase behavior. To start, there are many group influences on consumer buying behavior. First, there is culture. Culture is basically the set of basic values, beliefs, norms, and associated behaviors that are learned by a mem... Free Essays on Consumer Buying Behavior Free Essays on Consumer Buying Behavior Characteristics of Consumer Buying Behavior When it comes to consumer buying behavior, consumer’s purchase for a couple of reasons. Usually final consumers purchase for personal, family, or household use. I think we first need to understand what consumer buying behavior actually is though. Consuming buying behavior is easily defined as the decision processes and acts of final household consumers associated with evaluating, buying, consuming, and discarding products for personal consumption. We could look at an example of purchasing an automobile to illustrate my point. When it comes to buying a car, you generally will not consider different options until some event triggers a need, such as a problem needing potentially expensive repair. Once this need has put you out in the market, you begin to ask your friends for recommendations regarding dealerships and car models; at least this is what I do. After visiting several dealerships, you test drive several models and finally decide on a particular model. After picking up your new car, you have doubts on the way home, wondering if you can afford the monthly payments, but then begin to wonder if instead you should have purchased a more expensive but potentially more reliable model. Over the next five years, the car has several unexpected breakdowns that lead you to want to purchase a different brand, but you have been very happy with the services of the local dealership and decide to again purchase your next car there. In this particular case, the following model of consumer decision making appears to hold the following characteristics of buying behavior: need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post purchase behavior. To start, there are many group influences on consumer buying behavior. First, there is culture. Culture is basically the set of basic values, beliefs, norms, and associated behaviors that are learned by a mem...

World War II - Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

World War II - Curtiss P-40 Warhawk First flying on October 14, 1938, the P-40 Warhawk traced its roots to the earlier P-36 Hawk. A sleek, all-metal monoplane, the Hawk entered service in 1938 after three years of test flights. Powered by a Pratt Whitney R-1830 radial engine, the Hawk was known for its turning and climbing performance. With the arrival and standardization of the Allison V-1710 V-12 liquid-cooled engine, the US Army Air Corps directed Curtiss to adapt the P-36 to take the new power plant in early 1937. The first effort involving the new engine, dubbed the XP-37, saw the cockpit moved far to the rear and first flew in April. Initial testing proved disappointing and with international tensions in Europe growing, Curtiss decided to pursue a more direct adaptation of the engine in the form of the XP-40. This new aircraft effectively saw the Allison engine mated with the airframe of the P-36A. Taking flight in October 1938, testing continued through the winter and the XP-40 triumphed at the US Army Pursuit Contest staged at Wright Field the following May. Impressing the USAAC, the XP-40 demonstrated a high degree of agility at low and medium altitudes though its single-stage, single-speed supercharger led to a  weaker performance at higher altitudes. Eager to have a new fighter with war looming, the USAAC placed its largest fighter contract to date on April 27, 1939, when it ordered 524 P-40s at a cost of $12.9 million. Over the next year, 197 were built for the USAAC with several hundred being ordered by the Royal Air Force and French Armà ©e de lAir which were already engaged in World War II. P-40 Warhawk - Early Days P-40s entering British service were designated Tomahawk Mk. I. Those destined for France were re-routed to the RAF as France was defeated before Curtiss could fill its order. The initial variant of the P-40 mounted two .50 caliber machine guns firing through the propeller as well as two .30 caliber machines guns mounted in the wings. Entering combat, the P-40s lack of a two-stage supercharger proved a great hindrance as it could not compete with German fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 at higher altitudes. In addition, some pilots complained that the aircrafts armament was insufficient. Despite these failings, the P-40 possessed a longer range than the Messerschmitt, Supermarine Spitfire, and Hawker Hurricane as well as proved capable of sustaining a tremendous amount of damage. Due to the P-40s performance limitations, the RAF directed the bulk of its Tomahawks to secondary theaters such as North Africa and the Middle East. P-40 Warhawk - In the Desert Becoming the primary fighter of the RAFs Desert Air Force in North Africa, the P-40 began to thrive as the bulk of aerial combat in the region took place below 15,000 feet. Flying against Italian and German aircraft, British and Commonwealth pilots exacted a heavy toll on enemy bombers and eventually forced the replacement of the Bf 109E with the more advanced Bf 109F. In early 1942, DAFs Tomahawks were slowly withdrawn in favor of the more heavily armed P-40D which was known as the Kittyhawk. These new fighters allowed the Allies to maintain air superiority until being replaced by Spitfires that were altered for desert use. Beginning in May 1942, the majority of DAFs Kittyhawks transitioned to a fighter-bomber role. This change led to a higher attrition rate to enemy fighters. The P-40 remained in use during the Second Battle of El Alamein that fall and until the end of the North Africa campaign in May 1943. P-40 Warhawk - Mediterranean While the P-40 saw extensive service with the DAF, it also served as the primary fighter for the US Army Air Forces in North Africa and the Mediterranean in late 1942 and early 1943. Coming ashore with American forces during Operation Torch, the aircraft achieved similar results in American hands as pilots inflicted heavy losses on Axis bombers and transports. In addition to supporting the campaign in North Africa, P-40s also provided air cover for the invasion of Sicily and Italy in 1943. Among the units to use the aircraft in the Mediterranean was the 99th Fighter Squadron also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The first African American fighter squadron, the 99th flew the P-40 until February 1944 when it transitioned to the Bell P-39 Airacobra. P-40 Warhawk - Flying Tigers Among the most famous users of the P-40 was the 1st American Volunteer Group which saw action over China and Burma. Formed in 1941 by Claire Chennault, the AVGs roster included volunteer pilots from the US military who flew the P-40B. Possessing a heavier armament, self-sealing fuel tanks, and pilot armor, the AVGs P-40Bs entered combat in late December 1941 and had success against a variety of Japanese aircraft including the noted A6M Zero. Known as the Flying Tigers, the AVG painted a distinctive sharks teeth motif on the nose of their aircraft. Aware of the types limitations, Chennault pioneered a variety of tactics to take advantage of the P-40s strengths as it engaged more maneuverable enemy fighters. The Flying Tigers, and their follow-on organization, the 23rd Fighter Group, flew the P-40 until November 1943 when it transitioned to the P-51 Mustang. Used by other units in the China-India-Burma Theater, the P-40 came to dominate the skies of the region and allowed the Allies to maintain air superiority for much of the war. P-40 Warhawk - In the Pacific The USAACs principal fighter when the US entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the P-40 bore the brunt of the fighting early in the conflict. Also widely used by the Royal Australian and New Zealand Air Forces, the P-40 played key roles in the aerial contests associated with the battles for Milne Bay, New Guinea, and Guadalcanal. As the conflict progressed and distances between bases increased, many units began to transition to the longer-range P-38 Lightning in 1943 and 1944. This resulted in the shorter-range P-40 effectively being left behind. Despite being eclipsed by more advanced types, the P-40 continued to serve in secondary roles as a reconnaissance aircraft and forward air controller. By the final years of the war, the P-40 was effectively supplanted in American service by the P-51 Mustang. P-40 Warhawk - Production Other Users Through the course of its production run, 13,739 P-40 Warhawks of all types were built. A large number of these were sent to the Soviet Union via Lend-Lease where they provided effective service on the Eastern Front and in the defense of Leningrad. The Warhawk was also employed by the Royal Canadian Air Force who used it in support of operations in the Aleutians. Variants of the aircraft extended to the P-40N which proved to be the final production model. Other nations that employed the P-40 included Finland, Egypt, Turkey, and Brazil. The last nation utilized the fighter for longer than any other and retired their last P-40s in 1958. P-40 Warhawk - Specifications (P-40E) General Length:  31.67 ft.Wingspan:  37.33 ft.Height:  12.33 ft.Wing Area:  235.94 sq. ft.Empty Weight:  6.350 lbs.Loaded Weight:  8,280 lbs.Maximum Takeoff Weight:  8,810 lbs.Crew:  1 Performance Maximum Speed:  360 mphRange:  650 milesRate of Climb:  2,100 ft./min.Service Ceiling:  29,000 ft.Power Plant:  1 Ãâ€" Allison V-1710-39 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,150 hp Armament 6 Ãâ€" .50 in. M2 Browning machine guns250 to 1,000 lb. bombs to a total of 2,000 lb. Selected Sources Aviation History: P-40 WarhawkP-40 WarhawkMilitary Factory: P-40 Warhawk

Hospitality Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospitality Company - Research Paper Example The company’s values include customer satisfaction. In order to achieve this, the company promises to offer a wide array of services and tailor others whenever possible in order to enhance customer satisfaction. The company takes customer’s suggestions seriously and has a functional customer service department to deal with the complaints and suggestions from the customers. This way, it interacts with its customers thereby ensuring that it keeps abreast with the prevailing trends in the market thereby beating its competition. My call portrayed the seriousness with which the company responds to every call. As stated earlier, the line did not keep me waiting. The phone rang for about three seconds before the attendant respondent. Given the large number of customers the company serves on a daily basis, it was right to assume that the company has an efficient customer service. The woman observed all the etiquette beginning with a salutation and according to the time to speak to her. As irrelevant as my call could have sounded, she did not express any disgust. Instead, she responded and tried to explain the company’s vision the best way she could. She did not refer to any literature yet her explanation represented all the vital points in the company’s vision as presented on the website and other marketing literature materials. The attendant did not rush me at any time. Instead, she answered my questions and proceeded to ask if I had any other. This proved the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction.

Explain the process for planning and evaluating work-family programs Essay

Explain the process for planning and evaluating work-family programs - Essay Example Prior understanding of the preceded discussion clearly necessitates efficient planning and evaluation of work-family programs. It is imperative to understand that children are the future of tomorrow and whos emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing depends on the care given by the parent. Planning and evaluation of work-family programs requires a survey among workers in all sectors. Information from the survey will enable the relevant bodies create a program that enables the employees who, in this case, are the parents to take care of family matters and have family time. Evaluation of such a program can be achieved through analysis of statistics in daycare and other care services. Also, the productivity of employees can be a good method to evaluate the programs (Poelmans,  2005). Better solution of the situation can be achieved through companies adopting measures to ensure better-working environment for the employees. Companies should be able to enact programs and strategies such as enough maternity leave period to allow a mother to take care of the infant. Care given to an infant is important as it is a foundation to the wellbeing of the individual concerned. Also, companies should review working conditions, hours, and workloads of the employees. Provision of a better situation would ensure parents get enough time and strength to spend and watch over their kids. Furthermore, enough rest would enhance in increased productivity of the employees with families. In conclusion, it is imperative for companies inclusive of private and public companies to review working conditions of the employees in general bearing in mind they have other responsibilities. Quick solution to the quagmire can be having a day care service in a company whereby kids to the parent employees are taken care of as they work. Having ones child close provides the peace of heart increasing

The UK has two legal professionals, solicitors and barristers. should Essay

The UK has two legal professionals, solicitors and barristers. should the professions be fused - Essay Example As perceived by the general public solicitors spend their time sitting in an office surrounded by legal tomes, whereas barristers lead a rather more active life. However there times when a barrister can act without being asked to do so by a solicitor, as so on such occasions does his own office work, as when for instance he is instructed by barristers in employment, when acting for patent agents or when instructed by Officers of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. (The Bar Council, undated). At the same time solicitors can, under certain conditions, represent clients in court. Should this practise of differentiation between these two ways of being a British continue or should the two professions become united and act as one? Discussion There are always those who want change and those who will always prefer the status quo. In 1990 the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (Act)2 became legislation. Thurman ( 1993) described this as a monumental change. The aim was to give the public of the United Kingdom a greater choice of legal practitioners. The act, a controversial one, especially among lawyers, gave not only suitably qualified solicitors , but also nonlawyer members of other occupations. There are a number of other important changes such permission being given for the establishment of multi-disciplinary law practices which could nonlawyer members. Even international legal firms were allowed using lawyers from other lands. The Lord Chancellor stated that the aim of the bill was â€Å"ensuring that ... a market providing legal services operates freely and efficiently ....† Green Paper, supra note 10,  § 1.1 as quoted by Thurman .( page 4) If solicitors are allowed to represent clients in the magistrates court why can they not do so in other courts? Firstly many would not wish to do so. They may have an excellent knowledge of the law , but would not want to be seen on a public stage, which to some extent is what a high court is. S econdly a solicitor’s company may have a wide variety of clients with an equally wide variety of legal needs. They will have a wide knowledge of the barristers available and their particular abilities and specialties – there may be those for instance who specialize in commercial law or be excited by criminal practice. Also many cases are heard in London or other large cities, whereas the magistrates courts are much more local for the majority, as well as dealing with by far the bulk of cases, 95% according to HM Courts and Tribunal Services ( 2009). Only when a case is considered to require a sentence exceeding 6 months in duration are cases passed on to the higher courts. Even then much of the work leading up to the actual court case is done by the solicitor, the barrister taking over for the actual higher court appearance. Another point is that advocacy is only a small proportion of the work undertaken by solicitors according to UK Law Online 1998 which describes how much more time is spent on other tasks:- Litigation is only a small part of the work of the solicitor’s profession as a whole. Most are involved in commercial work relating to business eg dealing with commercial transactions, corporate matters, land, share and other property dealings. There is also a large amount of private client work which does not involve any litigation (if all goes to plan!) such as the conveyancing of houses, making wills, advising on tax matters:- Apart

Effects of Mass Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effects of Mass Media - Essay Example Adequate information is important because they prevent people from making errors or poor comparisons when getting information from different sources, and in prevention of poor conclusions. Mass media revolution has swept through the economy and no company that is capable of escaping the effects of information conveyed in new age media. Therefore, mass media can be a tool used by companies to obtain competitive advantage in various forms, which include reduction of time of obtaining, processing and transmitting business information in organizations. During the process of obtaining the information that has been found, there has been a setback, which involves the creation of an environment that allows people who take advantage of unsuspecting victims by giving false information, and if an individual researcher obtains information without careful selection, one may use information that is not relevant. Advantages and disadvantages of social media Social media has facilitated open communication between people of different cultures, creation of new friends, and communication with loved ones in different parts of the world. In promotional campaigns, people from different geographical locations are able to express, share and promote various global products (Sznitman et al, 2011). Social media has enabled people to get connected at a broad level making it easy to know and find information about almost anything from different parts of the world through the use of the media.... Social media has enabled people to get connected at a broad level making it easy to know and find information about almost anything from different parts of the world through the use of the media. Students have had the opportunity of getting technological exposure, which has enabled them to become connected to interaction options from a broad base; besides this, the media has helped students in working together and creating their own meaning on social contexts and academic environment. The use of social media helps in the development of simple skills since social media relies on advanced forms of information and communication systems that require technological literacy. Technological literacy helps in connecting people to the economy as well as making people make vulnerable contributions to the economy. The use of social media is a fun and creative way of doing business because it provides an opportunity for employees to share ideas, share links, ask questions, minimize advertising co sts of the business and improve the reputation of the business. However, there is a high probability for social media to open opportunities for hackers to commit crimes such as virus attacks and fraud making people fall prey to online frauds that eventually end in data theft. The third disadvantage of social media is the damage it can to on one’s reputation especially when using the wrong online branding strategy. Worker productivity is affected using social media at the work place; lost productivity may result using social media in ruining the reputation of a company. Instead of workers concentrating on their duties during the time of work, they may spend a lot of time on

Budget analysis assignment Ctiy of Lebanon Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Budget analysis Ctiy of Lebanon - Assignment Example The process of managing the financial statements includes the design, implementation, and the maintenance of the internal control that has relevance during preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements. The financial statements need to be free from any material mistreatment, irrespective of error or fraud. In June 30, 2014, the total net position of the Lebanon City did amount to $44,799,068. Pert of this amount, $27,614,924 was subject to invest in the capital assets, which was net of the related debt. The remaining balance that was including of $9,449,690 was subject to restrict for various purposes, and the remaining $7,734,454 was of the unrestricted net position. The basic financial statement of the Lebanon City comprises three components. These are government-wide financial statements, the fund financial statements, and notes to the financial statements. The government-wide financial statements are with the design of providing readers with the broad overview of the City’s finances through a manner that is similar to the private-sector business. The over time increase or the decreases in the net position may be useful tools for indicating whether the City’s financial position is on the improving or the deteriorating track. The business-type of activities that the City engages in may include water, sewer, and the storm drainage services. The fund financial statements are with the design of demonstrating the compliance with the related finance legal requirements while overseeing the use of fund accounting. All of the funds of the Lebanon City can be subject to divide to three categories, namely the governmental funds, property fu nds, and the fiduciary funds. Just as earlier mentioned, the net position may be helpful at serving over time as being the useful indicator when it comes to the City’s financial position. The total assets of the

How women experience battering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

How women experience battering - Essay Example At the same time, social ostracism, shame and sense of hopelessness discourages them to question the violence in the relationship. Another critical issue and probably the key factor that continues to hound women is their lack of confidence in their ability to survive without their partners. They often submerge their identity in order to maintain social norms and therefore become economically and emotionally dependent on partners who abuse them. Moreover, Battered women often fail to perceive the abuse as an act that needs to be addressed urgently and therefore become victims of circumstances. The abuse is also so discordant with their expectations of love filled life that they refuse to acknowledge it as such (Ferraro & Johnson, 1983). This results in low self esteem, depression and apathy that dissuade them to rationalize the violence as such and take corrective measures. Indeed, often lonely future also becomes crucial issue which does not let them take risks and remain in abusive

Budget analysis assignment Ctiy of Lebanon Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Budget analysis Ctiy of Lebanon - Assignment Example The process of managing the financial statements includes the design, implementation, and the maintenance of the internal control that has relevance during preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements. The financial statements need to be free from any material mistreatment, irrespective of error or fraud. In June 30, 2014, the total net position of the Lebanon City did amount to $44,799,068. Pert of this amount, $27,614,924 was subject to invest in the capital assets, which was net of the related debt. The remaining balance that was including of $9,449,690 was subject to restrict for various purposes, and the remaining $7,734,454 was of the unrestricted net position. The basic financial statement of the Lebanon City comprises three components. These are government-wide financial statements, the fund financial statements, and notes to the financial statements. The government-wide financial statements are with the design of providing readers with the broad overview of the City’s finances through a manner that is similar to the private-sector business. The over time increase or the decreases in the net position may be useful tools for indicating whether the City’s financial position is on the improving or the deteriorating track. The business-type of activities that the City engages in may include water, sewer, and the storm drainage services. The fund financial statements are with the design of demonstrating the compliance with the related finance legal requirements while overseeing the use of fund accounting. All of the funds of the Lebanon City can be subject to divide to three categories, namely the governmental funds, property fu nds, and the fiduciary funds. Just as earlier mentioned, the net position may be helpful at serving over time as being the useful indicator when it comes to the City’s financial position. The total assets of the

Poetry Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poetry Assignment - Essay Example The poem however took a deeper meaning when the â€Å"rain† in a â€Å"long line† is taken figuratively. For it meant feeling blue in waiting in a long line not to mention the inconvenience brought by rain while â€Å"waiting at Ford Higland Park†. This complaint, grievance or poignant disposition of the writer serves as the thesis of the poem where the rest of the poem take its cue and argument of a narrative of a complaint. The workplace is not only inconvenient and difficult but can be cruel as well. With work and employees making a living, most of course would want more than they want. This want to have more can turn â€Å"your own brother† as â€Å"someone else’s brother† Evident with this line when â€Å"You rub your glasses /with your fingers,/and of course it’s someone else’s brother†. This suggests that man will turn against another just to get ahead ten paces ahead of us. This has been true during the time of Levine and is still true today not only at work but also in other aspect of life. Some will step on another or will do anything even to the detriment of a brother just to have a leg up. Work however is not only about drudgery and a never ending quest to endure. There must be a reason why people endure even the most back braking of work. Levine explained this in the poem why a man has to work. Poignant as the poem may sound with all the difficulty and impersonal rat race at the place of work, people work because of concern and love for the people they love. This love for someone else in their lives make them endure the drudgery of work no matter how hard it is. Levine may address that person in the poem as â€Å"brother† in the line â€Å"the love flooding you for your brother†, but it can be applied to anyone where a worker finds a reason to endure those long hours of repetitive work. The person may be a father or a mother working to provide for their family, a brother or a sister providing

Strategy And Operations Management At Dell

Strategy And Operations Management At Dell Dell Computer Corporation was started in 1984 by Michael Dell, who had the simplistic view that personal computers could be built and sold directly to customers (Suite 101, 2009) alongside this ideology that Dell, could best understand consumer needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solution to tailor those needs (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So Dells mission is to be The most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve (Dell, 2010(a)).In doing so, Dell aim to meet customer expectations of: So, Dell, since the last 26 years, has become a mass producer of standardised products and has evolved dramatically since they were first formed in 1984. The company, at first, merely took orders on the phone to help fulfil their policy of building custom built personal computers (PCs) (Dell,2010, (b)).However, the company then gained first-mover advantage in the mid 1990s, when it became one of the first companies to offer PCs online (Chaffey, 2007, p.239).In 2008, Dell was one of the market leaders in the worldwide PC market with sales around US$41 billion (lynch, 2009, p.789) and since their evolution, Dell, have diversified their product range and scope from small desktop computers to large server computers-to individuals, businesses and other organisations (Schneider, 2006, p.108). In 2009 in they owned a global market share of 12.4% in the number of PCs shipped worldwide, with only Hewlett Packard (21%)and Acer (13.4%) preceding them during this period (Bloomberg, 2010). Notably, this was the first time Dell had fell behind Acer in the second spot as the worlds largest computer-maker and this was primarily due to Acer producing low-cost net books and other inexpensive home computers at a reduced operating margin (Bloomberg, 2010).However, recently, in 2010,they did move back into second place in the global PC manufacturing market ahead of Acer but only slightly as they had a 12.8% market share compared to Acers 12.4% (Afterdawn, 2010).So this level of competition has been intense since 2006 as companies such as HP and Acer were vastly reducing the cost of their global network suppliers, which forced Dell to enter into new global markets such as in China ( George and Jones, 2009,p.195). However, Dell, see their strengths in the commercial and corporate market ( Techeye, 2010), as this is still their dominant market, even though home consumers are an ever growing element of their strategy. So, Dells competitors now include both, domestic manufacturers of PCs such as Apple and HP as well as, overseas competitors such as Sony, Acer and Lenovo in Asia (Jones George, 2009, p.195). This essay will therefore explore Dells generic hybrid strategy and the activities which constitute this strategy. This will then lead to a value chain analysis of the company, which can be used as a tool to emphasise the linkage between the primary and support activities which are used to create value within Dell. This will then pave show how these added values create a distinctive competence within Dell, which, overall, have lead to competitive advantage since the company began to aggressively cut its costs and prices to increase their global market share in the 2000s (Jones and George, 2009,p.195). Dells Generic Strategy Michael Porters Generic Strategy Model (1980) was created to specify how companies use generic business strategies, to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. This encompasses how companies use cost reduction and/or differentiation within their product and services to appeal to a particular broad or narrow segment of the market, in order to gain this competitive advantage. Overall Dell, operate a hybrid broad focus strategy and this can derived be from Porters Generic Strategy Model obtained from the Mind Tools website (2010): In order to understand Dells generic strategy we must explain the different segments of this model Firstly, cost leadership occurs when a company achieves lower costs than its rivals and competes across a broad range of segment (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). On the other hand, differentiation is when a company has a range of clearly differentiated products which appeal to different segments of the market (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). However, Dell, appear to operate on a hybrid strategy, similarly to the car manufacturing industry, which incorporates both the cost leadership and differentiation elements of Porters model. A hybrid strategy, overall, seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and a price lower than that of competitors (Johnson et al, 2008, p.230). So, Dell, use both of these aspects, but in a broad focus since they offer their products on a wide scale, as explained earlier, as they offer both corporate and commercial solutions to small, medium and large sized enterprises but also satisfy the needs of users within different spectrums such as within the public sector right down to the home user. This is explained by on their homepage when they state: For more than 26 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, customers and people everywhere to use technology to realize their dreams. Customers trust us to deliver technology solutions that help them do and achieve more, whether theyre at home, work, school or anywhere in their world (Dell, 2010(c)). So the focus is very much broad, but Dell has this direct business model which involves gathering customer needs and tailoring that solution to meet their requirements For instance, Premier Dell.com offers technological solutions to businesses which helps them manage all phases of computer ownership such as purchasing, asset management and product support(Chaffey, 2007, p.97) So their broad direct focus helps simultaneously create both cost leadership and differentiation strategies and helps explain why, perhaps they have been one of the most successful PC manufacturing corporations in the world. So how does Dell use both of these strategic elements of Porters model? Firstly, with cost leadership, Dells direct business model involves purchasing standardised components which ultimately minimises the need for expensive research and development and sales are then made direct over the Internet to customers (Ogden Wersun, 2007) thus eliminating retailers that add necessary time and cost, or/who can diminish Dells understanding of customer expectations. (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So this results in low costs and is a very aggressive pricing policy which helps gain market share from any competitor whom has taken their eye of the ball and has let their costs increase (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.60). Consequently, Dell have lower manufacturing and distribution costs than most of their competitors, thus they have achieved a cost leadership strategy over their rivals. However, another school of though can equally argue that within Dells generic strategy lies a differentiation strategy. This also exists within their direct business model as consumers can design their own computers which tailor their own unique needs and specifications. This is differentiation as Dell not only offers differentiated products to specific users, but also to specific markets(small, medium, large-sized, public sector, businesses, etc), thus reinstating this concept of the company having a broad focus. Hence, Dells direct sales model has allowed it to differentiate its PC products by allowing customers to design their own computer system and offering complementary services such as online customer support, three-year-on-site warranty, web hosting, installation and configuration of customers hardware and software (Grant, R.M, 2005, p272).Furthermore, Timmers (1999, p.227) stated how Dell, on their website, dont merely offer the best PC offer of the month approach but rather an approach which offers discounts for large purchases which are tailored to that particular individual or company, as well as having support which is customised to users needs (Dell, 2010 (c)). However this whole concept could be challenged as many people would be reluctant to buy a Dell PC without testing it in store first, however this argument becomes less relevant as more and more of us know people who have bought a Dell computer, since we can inspect theirs (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.61). Notably, Schneider (2005,p.305) also argued that because Dell made most of their sales online, they often unintentionally left themselves exposed to the laws and ethics of the banking industry and in this case, in1999, they had offered monthly payment setups to customers without disclosing the full details of the lease plan associated with this payment scheme. So, this pinpoints how despite Dell having a successful online strategy, they could be left vulnerable to changes in the legal environment, which could clash with their online customisation policy. Nevertheless, Dells hybrid strategy was a clever one; not only did it conjunctively produce cost effective manufacturing policies and customised products, but it also overcame the barrier of having access to new suppliers or distributers which can be arduous for companies gaining and sustaining success within an online market. This factor can be analysed in more depth from the companys value chain activities. The Value Chain of Dell Overall, the following value chain model by Michael Porter helps analyse the type of activities within Dells value chain and how they interlink with one another, to fulfil their generic strategy. Dells customisation policy of tailoring technological solutions to satisfy individual or company needs, has provided the company with the two main advantages of being able to reduce marketing and sales costs by eliminating their intermediaries and building to order which, overall, reduces inventory costs (suite 101, 2009). This originally led to soaring profits, as the internet has, ultimately, allowed Dell to extend the scope of their sales at a reasonably low marginal cost This following diagram allows a more definitive insight into how Dells value chain operates: (Dedrick and Kraemer, 2001) Dell, unlike their competitors, actually eliminates the need for distributors and retailers to sell their product, which as mentioned earlier creates cost leadership. Hence, this direct PC value chain, works around this built to order (BTO) strategy. The BTO process begins with the customer placing an order through the internet, phone or email and then it takes approximately one day to process the order (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). This then corresponds to this concept of just-in-time management as here Dell, only purchase the necessary parts which are needed for that particular order with the result being that inventories are kept to a minimum. Michael Dell emphasised this whole idea when he stated: We tell our suppliers exactly what our daily production requirements are. So its not, well every two week deliver 5,000 to this warehouse and well put them on the shelf, and then well take them off the shelf. Its tomorrow morning we need 8.562 and deliver them to door number seven by 7am. (Mhhe,1997). So, in the Dell manufacturing process, parts come into their factory to fulfil actual customer orders hence no PCs are made for stock, so there is no cost of hiding stock (Lynch, 2009, p.789). This also has the advantage that if a supplier such as Intel, launches a new computer chip, then Dell is not caught with high stocks of the old chip (Lynch, 2009, p.789), allowing the company to efficiently keep up with changes in technology. Therefore Dells procurement support activities i.e. purchasing of stock, play a pivotal role in executing these strategies of BTO and JIT, both, before and after the product has been sold. So what are the exact support and primary activities that Dell has used, in conjunction with one another, which has lead to them adding value to their activities? A traditional firm usually incorporates a make-to-forecast strategy in which products are produced from long-term demands of consumers. Hence, when considering Porters value chain activities, here the primary activities of the value chain move from inbound logistics to operations to outbound logistics and then to marketing and sales (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). However, since Dell manufactures the product only after an order has been given, then the marketing and sales support activity is moved to the front of the value chain (Turban et al, 2006, p506). Notably the inbound logistics element is important since the correct parts have to be delivered but since the holding of stock isnt necessary with Dell due to their JIT system, then it becomes less meaningful. Therefore the operations segment which transfers the supplies into the finished customised product and the service segment which Dell exemplifies to help the end-user(s) maintain their products i.e. the PCs value after the PC ha s been delivered, are the key primary elements of Porters Value Chain in which Dell uses. However, without the marketing and sales aspect these primary activities couldnt be executed since customised orders wouldnt be known and this has a direct link to the support activities of technology and procurement, as technology i.e. the internet allows Dell to sell their products to their customers and without it, it would be arduous to establish their hybrid strategy and procurement mechanisms are pivotal in maintaining their BTO and JIT policies since this deals with the acquisition of supplies in the more efficient way. There are though some criticisms of Dells value chain activities. Such as, the BTO strategy is sensitive to short term changes in demand. For example if a particular computer component suddenly becomes wildly popular or temporary unavailable, the standard supply in inventory may diminish fast, and customer orders will not be completed on time (Turban et al, 2006, p.507). Also, in terms of their service function. Orman (2007) argued that despite Dell providing one of the most effective support systems to its customers the company, fails to provide comparisons to the products of other vendors such as HP and also fails to compare products from one class to another such as desktops in relation to notebooks., Nevertheless though, Turban et al (2006, p.507) highlighted that by using key value chain activities such as operations and technology, Dell showed the world that when these are used effectively and efficiently, they can be used to gain a competitive advantage creates a distinctive c ompetence and therefore leads to competitive advantage.

Edna Pontellier’s Broken Wings in Kate Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Broken Wings in The Awakening  Ã‚  Ã‚   Between the caged parrot with a huge cage â€Å"outside the door† that repeated â€Å"Get away! Get away! Damnation!† and Mr. Pontellier ‘s rebuke to his wife that she was â€Å"burnt beyond recognition,† and the description of him looking at his wife as â€Å"a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.† the antenna went up. There is not a welcoming beckon in the very beginning and we are alerted to the dysfunction of a marriage all with a page or two. It is a sad beginning. The introduction of Robert Lebrun along with Edna sets up the triangle. We are told that â€Å"Robert talked a good deal about himself. He was very young, and did not know any better. Mrs. Pontellier talked a little more about herself for the same reason. Each was interested in what the other said.† Robert from the onset has â€Å"plans† although he and Edna talk she has none. When Mr. Pontellier returns from Klein's hotel and awakens Edna, with criticism about her care of the children , after a night out with the boys. We begin to see him as thoughtless and as eligible as Edna for the same criticism. She goes into the adjoining bedroom and cries. This indifference on the part of her husband triggers, â€Å"An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish.† At this point the antenna were up and the story began to accelerate. We are told that Mrs. Pontellier was not a â€Å"mother woman†. The mother women in the story are easy to know â€Å"they (were) fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood.† They grew wings as â€Å"ministering angels†. I noticed along with the caged birds in the opening of the story the number of bird images throughout. It is Mademoiselle Reisz that tells Edna, â€Å"The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.’†Edna refers to her new home as â€Å"the pigeon-house†. It pleased her. â€Å"It at once assumed the intimate character of a home, while she herself invested it with charm which it reflected like a warm glow.

Does the FBI have the right to use Carnivore? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Does the FBI have the right to use Carnivore? Carnivore is an unnecessary system that should be replaced by one that infringes less on the privacy of Internet users, such as one that records the data of certain subscribers and sends only that information to the FBI. The methods used for intercepting communications, from simple wiretapping to the NSA’s ECHELON satellite surveillance system, have been designed as a means of intercepting information concerning criminal and terrorist plans and using that information to apprehend suspects before they cause any harm. Carnivore, the FBI’s email â€Å"wiretapping† system, is used to scan emails on a specific ISP that is believed to be hosting a suspected criminal. Carnivore was designed to scan packets of information passing through a router in search of suspicious activity. It looks for keywords and names in the headers of emails and other data that may lead to the prevention of crimes or apprehension of suspects. It is believed that Carnivore was derived from commercial online detection software known as Etherpeek. [Tyson] In February 1997, the system known as â€Å"Omnivore† was proposed to run on Solaris X86 computers. In June 1999, it was replaced by the Carnivore system, which runs on Windows NT-based computers. [Konrad] Carnivore is part of a system known as the DragonWare Suite. This system contains three parts: Carnivore, the system that captures information; Packeteer, which is believed to be used as a packet reassembler; and Coolminer, an application that is thought to be capable of analyzing the data collected. [Tyson] It was recommended that Carnivore’s name be changed because its current name caused people to infer that it would aggressively invade their privacy. Because of its job as a â€Å"digital collection system,† it was recently renamed DCS1000. [Luening] It has also been said that the FBI has merely â€Å"dressed its online wolf in sheep’s clothing† [Luening]. When a suspected criminal is detected, a court order for investigation must be issued, and then a Carnivore machine is set up at the suspect’s ISP. It then scans all incoming and outgoing data for every user on that ISP. It is claimed that only the headers of emails are scanned for information and that the contents are left alone, but there are questions as to whether or not this is true and, if it is not, whether citizens can trust the government not to read personal email while searching for their suspect.

Heart of Man

THE HEART OF MAN OR THE SPIRITUAL HEART MIRROR (An Allegorical Representation in Ten Pictures) This booklet originated in France in 1732, was revised and re-written for the mission fields of Africa by Rev. J. R. Gschwend in 1929, and has subsequently been translated and printed under copyright in over 250 indigenous languages by All Nations Gospel Publishers who are distributing it today in 127 mission countries.People of all languages, classes and religions are being led by this booklet to experience the deep spiritual truth and significance of God's message to mankind as expressed by the prophet Ezekiel 586 years before Christ, â€Å"I will give you an new heart and a new mind †¦ then you will be my people, and I will be your God! † Ezekiel 36:26-28. THE HEART OF MAN THE TEMPLE OF GOD OR THE WORKSHOP OF SATAN 1 John 3:4-10 As you read this book, please bear in mind that it is like a mirror in which you will be able to see yourself.Whether you are a heathen or a Christia n, one who does not believe in Christ or a backslider, you will see yourself as God sees you. â€Å"Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart† (1 Sam. 16:7). God sees us as we really are. Satan is the father of all lies. He is the prince of darkness and god of this world, who disguises himself as an angel of light to lead men and women the wrong way. In these days, as in times past, there are many false apostles who disguise themselves, pretending to be apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself is transformed (disguised) into an angel of light (2 Cor. 1:13, 14). Satan, the god of this world, keeps people in the dark so that they cannot see that God loves them or that Jesus died to save them (2 Cor. 4:4). All sinners and those who do not believe are spiritually dead and blind concerning God. They are ruled by the evil of this world (Eph. 2:1-2). Unless their eyes are opened in some way to their lost condition, they are heading for eternal destruct ion. The person who says, â€Å"I have never sinned† is deceiving himself. For â€Å"The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the devil had done† (1 John 3:8). â€Å"So then, submit to God.Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come near to God, and He will come near to you† (James 4:7, 8). As you read this book and study its pictures, you will be able to see your own heart. Allow God's searchlight to show you the condition of your heart. Acknowledge your sins and do not deny their existence, for God's Word tells us that â€Å"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is 3  © Copyright by: ALL NATIONS GOSPEL PUBLISHERS P. O. Box 2191, PRETORIA, 0001, SOUTH AFRICA REG.No. 61/01798/08 ISBN 0-908412-16-9 right: He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing† (1 John 1:1-10). â€Å"The blood of JE SUS, His Son, purifies us from every sin. † . You are ruled either by Satan or by God; you are a slave to sin or a servant of God. If sin controls your life, do not deny it, but cry out to God. He will set you free through Jesus Christ who came to this world to save sinners, to break the power of Satan and sin over us, He is our Saviour. You are in the presence of a holy God who knows all the secrets, the hidden thoughts and actions of your life.It is impossible to hide yourself and actions from God, for â€Å"God made our ears – can't He hear? He made our eyes – can't He see? † (Ps. 94:9). â€Å"The Lord keeps close watch over the whole world, to give strength to those whose hearts are loyal to Him† (2 Chron. 16:9). â€Å"He watches every step men take. There is no darkness dark enough to hide a sinner from God† (Job 34:21, 22). â€Å"But Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew them all† (John 2:24). Therefore â€Å"happ y are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. Happy is the man whom the Lord does not accuse of doing wrong and who is free from all deceit† (Matt. 1:28-30). Explanation of the Pictures THE FIRST PICTURE This picture shows the heart of a worldly, sinful man or woman, described in the Bible as a sinner, that is, one who is controlled by the evil of this world and by the natural desires and cravings of the human nature. This is a true picture of the heart as God sees it. The bleary, red eyes speak of drunkenness as described in Proverbs 23:29-33: â€Å"Show me someone who drinks too much, who has to try out some new drink, and I will show you someone miserable and sorry for himself, always causing trouble and always complaining.His eyes are bloodshot, and he has bruises that could have been avoided. Don't let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, though it sparkles in the cup, and it goes down smoothly. The next morning you will feel as if you have been bitten by a poisonous snake. Weird sights will appear before your eyes, and you will not be able to think or speak clearly. † Below the head in this picture, the heart of man can be seen occupied by various animals which speak of the many different sins in the human heart, as the heart is the centre and breeding place of our sins.God tells us by the mouth of His prophet Jeremiah, that â€Å"Nobody can understand the human heart. There is nothing else so deceitful: it is too sick to be healed† (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus Himself confirms this by saying, â€Å"For from the inside, from a person's heart, come the evil ideas which lead him to do immoral things; to rob, kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride, and folly – all these evil things come from inside a person and make him unclean† (Mark 7:21-23). 1.THE PEACOCK While the beauty of the peacock is admired by everybody, here in the heart of man, it speaks of the sin of pride. Lucifer, once God's special angel of light, lost his position through pride and so became God's enemy – the devil (Isaiah 14:9-17; Ezekiel 28:12-17). 4 5 Pride comes from the very centre of hell, and reveals itself in many ways. Some people pride themselves on their riches, their standard of education: fashionable clothing by which they expose their bodies in a shameless way: the wearing of jingling ornaments, bracelets, rings, etc. , as is so clearly described in Isaiah 3:16-24.Some pride themselves on their forefathers, nationality, culture, sport, etc. , forgetting that â€Å"God resists the proud, but shows favour to the humble† (1 Peter 5:5). God hates pride and self-importance (Proverbs 8:13). â€Å"Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall† (Proverbs 16:18). 2. THE GOAT represents bodily desires, immorality, adultery. The sins mentioned here have increased in these modern, but last days, to such an extent, that we have to admit the truth of the words of Jesus when He predicted, nearly 2000 years ago, that the last days will be like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.Not only has this sinful way of living gripped men and women and come into the homes of religious people and institutions, the schools and hostels, but this wickedness shamelessly and in a subtle way enters the hearts of people by means of cinemas, theatres, obscene literature, and in so many other ways, that what God calls sin is being looked upon as modern morality. Millions of young people form their idea of an ideal life from the cinemas and novels, only to find themselves in trouble, shame and regret.Immoral an loose-living actors and actresses become the heroes and heroines of the younger generation. The dance-halls, too, are very often the breeding places of immorality. God's heroes of purity, like Joseph (Genesis 39) and others, are no longer taken as examples. Even the old Zulu heathen, who would put an adulterer or a dulteress to death, could teach our so-called civilised generation a lesson and stand up against us in condemnation at the day of judgement. God tells us not to play with immorality but to avoid it. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body; but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body: Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God† (1 Cor. 6:18, 19); â€Å"So if anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are His temple† (1 Cor. 3:17). 7 1. The sinner's heart 6 3. THE PIG speaks of the sins of drunkenness and gluttony.It is a dirty animal eagerly swallowing up everything in its way, clean or dirty, and in the same way a sinful heart devours every immoral suggestion, expression, picture, literature, etc. The body, intended to be the temple of the living God, is made uncl ean by harmful food and filthy habits such as the smoking or chewing of tobacco, the use of opium and harmful drugs and tablets, etc. The habit of smoking tobacco and even â€Å"opium† has gripped men and women as never before. Only the power of God can free such poor tobacco victims and slaves of the devil.While most religiously inclined people would not dare to smoke in a church-building, considering it almost an insult to God, they nevertheless have no hesitation about soiling through this stinking weed, that which is actually the temple of God, i. e. , their bodies. â€Å"Surely you know† says the Apostle Paul, â€Å"that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you! So if anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him† (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:18, 19). A greedy person is hateful or worth nothing in the sight of God. We eat in order to live; we do not live in order to eat.Hunger can be satisfied by eating wholesome food, but greed will always cry à ¢â‚¬Å"Give, give! † , Greed will never be satisfied, will never be filled. According to the Old Testament law a glutton and a drunkard had to be stoned to death (Deut. 21:18-21). â€Å"Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags. † (Prov. 28:7). Remember that a certain rich man, a glutton and a slave to his desires, died and found himself in hell in great pain. The evil of drink need hardly be mentioned.It is only too well known to be taken lightly. God tells us clearly in His Word that no drunkard will possess the Kingdom of God. Beer is not a food, it is a drink that confuses and affects the mind, so that those who drink it act foolishly. They become immoral and even kill and murder one another which they would not otherwise have done. â€Å"Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk† (Prov. 20:1). Those who make and sell strong drink are just as guilty before God, for God says, â€Å"You are doomed! Heroes of the wine bottle!Brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks! † (Isaiah 5:22). â€Å"You will be condemned if you give drink to your neighbours, 8 giving it to them till they are drunk† (Hab. 2:15). â€Å"Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves – none of these will possess God's Kingdom† (1 Cor. 6:9, 10). The sins of our human nature are unmistakable.These are some of them: â€Å"immorality, filthy and indecent actions, worshipping of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. Those who do these things will not possess the Ki ngdom of God† (Gal. 5:19-21). â€Å"Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit† (Eph. 5:18). Jesus gives the following invitation to everyone who is thirsty concerning spiritual matters. Whoever is thirsty should come to me and drink† (John 7:37, 38). â€Å"Come everyone who is thirsty here is water! Come, you that have no money – buy corn and eat! Come! buy (spiritual) wine and milk – it will cost you nothing! † (Isa. 55:1). â€Å"Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring which will provide him with live-giving water and give him eternal live† (John 4:14). 4. THE TORTOISE speaks of laziness, sluggishness to obey and witchcraft. Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23). A lazy man who refuses to work is only killing himself, all he does is think about what he would like to have† (Pr ov. 21:25, 26). Joshua had to say to the Israelites, â€Å"Don't stay here doing nothing; hurry! Go on in and take it over! † (Judg. 18:9). Human nature is very lazy and slow to obtain the things of God. Jesus said, â€Å"Do your best to go in through the narrow door† (Luke 13:24). â€Å"Anyone who seeks will find† (Matt. 7:8). The Kingdom of heaven has suffered violent attacks, and violent men try to seize it† (Matt. 11:12). Carelessness concerning the salvation and spiritual welfare of our souls leads to eternal death.It keeps us from praying, from searching for the deep things of God, from accepting God's rich promises; it leads to destruction. When God speaks to you, urging 9 you to give your heart to Him today, the devil tells you to do it tomorrow, or some other convenient day, which unfortunately, may never come; and you will die without salvation and without Christ. God says, â€Å"If you hear God's voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancesto rs were when they rebelled against God† (Heb. 3:7, 8). How many people have died spiritually by putting off salvation for some more convenient day which never came? The day tomorrow is not yours.The shell of the tortoise is often used by witch-doctors for the practising of witchcraft, and points here to the sin of trusting in and practising witchcraft, fortune-telling or magic or voodoo, instead of trusting the living God. Especially in times of testing and sickness, suffering and bereavement, we are told to call upon the living God, who is ready to help, instead of trusting in good or bad luck; for â€Å"The Lord guides a man in the way he should go† (Psalm 37:23). â€Å"Is there anyone who is ill? He should send for the church elders who will pray for him and rub olive-oil on him in the name of the Lord.This prayer made in faith will heal the sick person; the Lord will restore him to health, and the sins he has committed will be forgiven. So then confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed† (James 5:14-16). God commanded the Israelites saying, â€Å"Don't sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars; and don't let your people practise divination or look for omens or use spells or charms (or consult fortune tellers), and don't let them consult the spirits of the dead (such as spiritism). The Lord your God hates people who do these disgusting things† (Deut. 8:10-12). Outside the (heavenly) city are the perverts and those who practise magic, the immoral and the murderers those who worship idols and those who are liars both in words and deeds† (Rev. 22:15). â€Å"Do not go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead. If you do, you will be ritually unclean. I am the Lord your God† (Lev. 19:31). â€Å"But people will tell you to ask for messages from fortune-tellers and mediums, who chirp and mutter. They will say, ‘After all, people should ask for message s from the spirits and consult the dead on behalf of the living. You are to answer them, ‘Listen to what the Lord is teaching you! Don't listen to mediums – what they tell you will do you no good'† (Isa. 8:19, 20). While you are reading this little book, God is speaking to you, calling you to turn from your sins and to give your life to Him, but the spirit of the tortoise, which is in your heart, makes all kinds of suggestions to you to put off making this decision, and tries to fill 10 your heart with fear. â€Å"What will my family, my friends, and other people say, if I become a real Christian? What will happen if I cannot take part in the dances, parties and worldly amusements any longer?Instead of seeing the great riches in Christ Jesus, His wonderful peace, His joy which words cannot express, His glory, eternal life so full of happiness, you begin to see all the things which you may lose or â€Å"give up† when you allow Christ to come into your heart , while fear of man as well as fear of death keeps you a slave to the devil. But Christ came to set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. (Hebr. 2:14, 15). The spirit of sluggishness to obey is making you so stubborn that your heart will be as hard as the shell of the tortoise. 5. THE LEOPARD is a very savage and cruel beast.Hatred, anger and a bad temper often rule the heart of man and many times lead to murder. You may try, and even manage, to control that bad temper of yours, until it breaks out in all its fierceness. It is better to admit that it is in your heart, and ask Jesus to set you free. â€Å"Don't give in to anger; it only leads to trouble† (Psalm 37:8). â€Å"Anger is cruel and destructive† (Prov. 27:4). â€Å"Keep your temper under control; it is foolish to harbour a grudge† (Eccl. 7:9), â€Å"Get rid of anger† (Col. 3:8). Many cowards drink to encourage themselves to carry out some evil deed or revenge, but it is â€Å"like wine made from the venom of snakes† (Deut. 2:33). Revenge is sweet to the sinful heart, but God is the one who punishes all wrongdoing. Jesus said, â€Å"Love your neighbour as you love yourself† (Mark 12:31) and â€Å"Love your enemies† (Matt. 5:44). God promised to forgive the wrongs we have done, if we forgive others for the wrongs that they have done to us (Matt. 6:12). A sulky, grumbling spirit is hated by God. The awful desire for bloodshed and war is in the heart of man, and therefore real peace must be established in the heart if it is to last. 6. THE SNAKE tricked Eve in the garden of Eden and broke up the sweet fellowship and friendship with God.Satan, was very jealous of Adam and Eve, when he saw them as rulers over the world, living in perfect unity with God, taking his place. Out of jealousy Satan 11 planned their destruction, and succeeded in breaking up their wonderful friendship and life with God. The same devilish jealousy and envy in the human heart destroys happiness in the hearts of some when they see others are happy and living comfortably. Jealousy brings evil thoughts into the heart to destroy the happiness of others and can even lead to murder. This is especially the case in some married lives. A husband is never angrier than when he is jealous; his revenge knows no limits† (Prov. 6:34). In business as well as in all other walks of life it causes untold suffering and hatred. Even Christian workers, preachers and ministers are not free from jealousy should God use another of His servants more than themselves. They should be constantly on guard, and filled with the pure love of God which He has poured out into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5), otherwise their usefulness to God and their ministry will be spoilt by a jealous nature. 7.THE FROG speaks here to the sins of greediness and the love of money which is the source of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). Certain frogs in the Congo have been seen eating ants by the hundreds until they burst and died. A greedy person is not willing to open his hand to help the poor and needy, but tries by all means, honest and dishonest, to get more of the riches of this world. Jesus Himself said, â€Å"Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal.For your heart will always be where your riches are† (Matt. 6:19-21). Achan and his family were stoned because he loved gold and silver and clothes (Joshua 7). Judas Iscariot, the disciple of Jesus, hanged himself because the love of money had made him betray his Lord and Master. It is not the money that is evil, neither the gold, but the love of money which lies hidden in the human heart. Thousands of men and women of all classes and races are ruining their lives and the lives of thei r family by the awful desire to obtain great and sudden riches by means of gambling and betting for large sums of money at horse and dog races, etc.The desire to become rich without much trouble leads to stealing and murder as well as suicide. Love of money and greediness have many companions, such as love of fame, of power, it may be political power to rule over 12 others, financial power to oppress the poor; religious power, being more concerned for the name of a church organisation than for God, disapproving of any child of God who has the courage to follow Christ without belonging to his particular church (Mark 9:38).Jesus said, â€Å"Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because a person's true life is not made up of the things he owns, no matter how rich he may be† (Luke 12: 15). The story of the rich man is told like this: â€Å"There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. He began to think to himself, ‘I haven't anywhere to k eep all my crops. What can I do? This is what I will do,' he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store my corn and all my other goods. Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years.Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself! ‘ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself? ‘ This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight† (Luke 12:16-21). â€Å"Does a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life? Of course not† (Mark 8:36). â€Å"And so I tell you not to worry about the food you need to stay alive or about the clothes you need for your body †¦ Instead, be concerned with His Kingdom, and He will provide you with these things †¦For your heart will always be where your riches areâ₠¬  (Luke 12:22-34). 8. SATAN, the father of all lies and of them that tell lies, is the one who persuades us to sin, and is the ruler of the heart. Jesus said, â€Å"You are the children of your father, the devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies† (John 8:44). A small lie is as bad as a big one.There are lies which are spoken, written, acted. A hypocrite is a liar for in reality he pretends to be what he is not. God cannot lie – neither can a Christian (Titus 1:2). â€Å"If, then, we say that we have fellowship with Him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions (1 John 1:6). â€Å"But outside the (heavenly) city are the perverts and those who practise magic, the immoral and the m urderers, those 13 who worship idols and those who are liars both in words and deeds† (Rev. 22:15). â€Å"God hates a witness who tells one lie after another† (Prov. :19). 9. THE STAR speaks of the conscience in the heart of every man. Here it is, dirty and evil, probably dead through continual and deliberate sinning; blinded and sinful, so that it can no longer judge its own actions. This evil conscience may sometimes be quiet, sometimes troubled. It accuses when it should excuse, and it excuses when it should accuse. It may be dead, as if burnt with a hot iron, and have lost all sense and feeling through abandoning the faith, obeying lying spirits and following the teachings of demons, and listening to teachings spread by deceitful liars (1 Tim. :1, 2; Hebr. 10:22). 10. THE EYE of God sees everything that goes on in the heart. Nothing can be hidden from His flaming eye, and therefore He knows and sees all the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart. Whether you do your evil deeds in the darkest night, in the thickest forest, in the deepest ditch or wherever it may be, God sees it. (The eyes in these pictures also agree with the expression on the man's face. ) 11. THE LITTLE TONGUES OF FIRE round about the heart show the love of God surrounding the sinful heart.While God hates sin He loves man and does not want the death of a sinner, but that he should turn away from his sins and live (2 Pet. 3:9). Jesus came to save sinners. There is great joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:7). The little tongues also speak of the blood of Jesus Christ, â€Å"the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world† (John 1:29). 12. THE ANGEL represents the Word of God. God wants to speak to those who have been deceived and are carrying heavy loads of sin, so that they 14 may turn from their sinful ways and let the light and love of God come into their hearts. 13.THE DOVE is a sign of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who reveals the truth abou t God, about sin and what is right, and about God's judgement (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit is shown here outside the human heart. He cannot live where sin rules. Should the picture of this heart be the same as the condition of your heart, cry to the Lord, open your heart to Him, let the light of His Word shine in. â€Å"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved† (Acts 16:31). God is willing, yes, He has promised to change your heart, to give you a new heart and a new mind (Ezek. 11:19). This is explained in the second picture.THE SECOND PICTURE This picture shows a repenting heart that is beginning to look for God. The angel is holding the sword, the Word of God, which is â€Å"alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of man's heart† (Hebr. 4:12). The Word of God reminds him that â€Å"sin pays its wage – death† (Rom. 6:23) and that â€Å"everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God† (Hebr. 9:27). The place for the sinner and unbeliever will be in the lake burning with fire and sulphur† (Rev. 1:8). THE HEART CONVINCED OF SIN In this other hand the angel is holding a skull. This is to remind the sinner that we will all die. Our body which we love so much, clothe, feed and beautify, give such care and attention to in order to satisfy its desires and longings, is going to die and decay, and the worms will destroy it while our soul and spirit live for ever, and will one day appear before Christ, to be judged by Him (2 Cor. 5:10). 15 Here we see the sinner beginning to take notice of the message of God and to open his heart to the love of God. The Holy Spirit begins to shine into the dark and sinful heart.The light of God comes into his heart to drive all darkness away. When God's light comes in, darkness has to go. Sin, described here by all the various ani mals, has to go. Therefore, dear reader, allow Jesus, the Light of the world, to come into your heart, and darkness and the evil actions of darkness must leave the heart, as shown in this picture. Jesus said, â€Å"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness† (John 8:12). You will never succeed in driving sin out of your heart by your own efforts, your own wisdom, or by the wisdom of people.The easiest, surest, quickest and most effective and only way, is to let Jesus, the Light, come in, and darkness, which is sin, must leave. The moon and the stars may give us some help on a dark night, but when the sun has risen, then darkness as well as the smaller lights disappear. Jesus is the Sun of righteousness. When He went into the temple at Jerusalem, He drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the stools of those who sold pigeons, saying, â€Å"It is w ritten in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My temple will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a hideout for thieves! † (Matt 21:13). Your heart is intended to be God's house, God's temple. He wants to live in it, make it beautiful, fill it with light, love and joy. Jesus not only came to forgive us our sins, but He came to deliver us and set us free from the power and domination of sin. â€Å"If the Son (Jesus) sets you free, then you will be really free† (John 8:36). THE THIRD PICTURE This picture shows us the heart-condition of a really repentant sinner. He now sees the greatness and awfulness of his many sins for which Jesus died on the cross.As he sees the cross which the angel, the Word of God, shows to him, it breaks his now sorry heart, and he is moved with deep, heartfelt regret and sorrow over his many sins. As he sees the great love of God expressed in Christ Jesus, this love melts his heart, especially as he begins to realise that Jesus Chr ist, the Son of God, came to take away his many sins, as He was willing to die in his place on the cross. The fact that Jesus was whipped, crowned with thorns, had nails driven through His hands and feet and died on a cross for our sins, 17 2. The heart convinced of sin 16 s brought home clearly and deeply to the repenting sinner, completely changing his heart and life. As he reads God's Word in which he can see himself as in a mirror, he realises more and more how far he has turned away from God and disobeyed His commands. He is overcome with feelings of great sadness and sorrow, and as he pours out his heart before God with tears and bitter crying, Jesus draws near to him. The love and peace of God enter his heart as he begins to realise that â€Å"the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from every sin† (1 John 1:7). â€Å"Create a pure heart in me, o God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me† (Psalm 51:10).Again God's Word says, â€Å"I am pleased with those who a re humble and repentant, who fear me and obey me† (Isa. 66:2). The Holy Spirit makes the words of Jesus clear to him, â€Å"Courage, my son (daughter)! Your sins are forgiven† (Matt. 9:2). While he still looks to the cross and to the blood of Jesus which was poured out on the cross, believing that it was all done for him, he begins to realise that the load of sin has been taken away, for Jesus has endured the suffering that should have been ours; that â€Å"because of our sins He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did,† that â€Å"the Lord made the punishment fall on Him† (Isaiah 53).The Holy Spirit and the love of God take control of the purified heart. As he believes in Jesus, he realises that his sins have been forgiven, and so he finds the assurance in his heart that the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, has purified him from all sin (1 John 1:7). He is now sure that everyone who believes in Jesus will not die (spiritually), but will have eternal life (John 3:16). â€Å"For by the sacrificial death of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven† (Eph. 1:7). The sinful desires of the human nature have now given place to a deep desire to live for God and to serve Him â€Å"who first loved us† (1 John 4:19).Instead of loving the world and the things of the world, he loves God and the things of God. In this picture therefore, we find that the animals which represent sin, are now outside his heart, although Satan does not want to leave his former home, looking back and hoping to find an entrance once more. That is why the Lord Jesus warns us to keep watch and pray; to resist the devil so that he will run away from us (James 4:7). THE FOURTH PICTURE 3. The repenting heart 18 This picture speaks of a Christian who has found perfect peace and eternal salvation through the death of our Lord and Saviour, 19 4. Dying with Christ 20Jesus Christ, and so boasts in nothing else except â€Å"only about the cross o f our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of His cross the world is dead to us, and we are dead to the world† (Gal. 6:14). Jesus died on the cross so that we too, might â€Å"die to sin and live for righteousness† (1 Peter 2:24); a Christian dead to the world. We are commanded to â€Å"let the Spirit direct our lives, and we will not satisfy the desires of the human nature† (Gal. 5:16, 25). The pillar to which the Lord Jesus was bound after they had taken off His clothes, is shown in this picture of the heart, as well as the whips with which they cruelly whipped Him.He was punished for our sins because â€Å"we are healed by the punishment He suffered† (Isa. 53:5). Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, and after having whipped Him, they pressed a crown of thorny branches on His head – instead of crowning Him with a crown of gold, and put a stick in His right hand – instead of the sceptre of a king, and they bowed before Him and mocked Him, saying. à ¢â‚¬Å"Long live the King of the Jews! † They spat on Him and took the stick from Him, and hit Him on the head. After they had so shamefully and cruelly mocked Him, they led Him away to be crucified (Matt. 27:27-31).There are many so-called Christians who pray, share in the sacrament of holy communion, sing the songs of God and yet, by their sinful actions, are constantly crucifying the Son of God again (Heb. 6:6). â€Å"Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do† (Matt. 7:21-27). In this picture we also find the bag of money belonging to Judas, who betrayed the Lord Jesus and sold Him for thirty silver coins, because the love of money had taken hold of his heart and that was all he could think of.The lantern, chains, etc. , were used by the soldiers who took Jesus prisoner by night. The dice, so often used for gambling, were used by the soldiers when they gambled for His clothes. â€Å"They gamble for my clothes and divide them among themselves† (Psalm 22:18). They took everything from Jesus, but Himself they rejected, saying â€Å"We don't want this man to be our king†. People in general want to receive all the blessings from God, all the rain and all the sunshine, but they do not want to commit themselves to serving God as their Lord and Master.To many, God is only good enough to help in times of trouble and despair. With the spear, the soldiers pierced His side and heart â€Å"and at once blood and water poured out† (John 19:33-37). Before the cock crowed, Peter said three times that he did not know Jesus, but 21 later he repented weeping bitterly (Matt. 26:69-75). Do you declare openly that you have given your heart to Jesus Christ, by what you say and do? Or are you ashamed to let others know? Jesus said, â€Å"If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will do the same for him before my Father in heaven.But if a nyone rejects me publicly, I will reject him before my Father in heaven† (Matt. 10:32,33). Jesus also said, â€Å"Whoever does not take up his cross and follow in my steps is not fit to be my disciple† (Matt. 10:38). Happy are those who find protection in the Rock, Jesus Christ! â€Å"Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Cleanse me from its guilt and power. † THE FIFTH PICTURE This picture shows the clean and purified heart of the sinner saved by God's abundant grace and mercy.It has become a true temple of God, the home of God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, according to the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ, â€Å"Whoever loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and my Father and I will come to him and live with him† (John 14:23). God honours, blesses and uplifts man through Jesus Christ (Luke 1:52). The heart has now become a true temple of God. Sin has been driven out. Instead of the various animals controlled by Satan, the father of lies, we see the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, living in the heart.Instead of being the breeding place of sin, the heart has become a beautiful, fruit-bearing tree or garden, bearing the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, humility, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self control and others which are acceptable and pleasing to God and man (Gal. 5:22-23). He has now become a fruit-bearing branch of the real vine – our Lord Jesus Christ. The secret of this fruit-bearing is that he remains united with Christ, and Christ and His words remain in him (John 15:1-10). As he has been filled and baptised with the Holy Spirit, he has power to 22 . The temple of God 23 defeat the human nature and its desires, and to put it to death (Gal. 5:24). The Holy Spirit directs his life, and he does not satisfy the desires of the human nature (Gal. 5:16). He no lo nger lives by what he sees, hears and feels, but by faith – for â€Å"we win the victory over the world by means of our faith† (1 John 5:4). He lives with assurance and hope and is strengthened by the expectation of the near return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He lives experiencing the love of God, which remains for ever. Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God! † (Matt. 5:8). King David, in spite of all his riches and his victories over his enemies, knew that the greatest battle was taking place in his own heart and recognizing his deep spiritual need, prayed, â€Å"Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me† (Psalm 51:10). Nobody is able to purify his own heart, or to create a clean heart, unless through truly repenting he comes to God as David did, asking God to create a pure heart in him. God wants to do a new thing in your life.Mending the torn, tattered clothes of your own goodness with false promises and securities wi ll not make your heart a worthy dwelling-place for God. He is only too willing to help you, because He has promised, â€Å"I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone, and give you an obedient heart. I will put my spirit in you and I will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you† (Ezek. 36:25-27).This is the message of the New Testament which God has given to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. In this picture we also notice the angel re-appearing. Angels are appointed to â€Å"guard those who honour the Lord and rescue them from danger† (Psalm 34:7; 91:11; Dan. 6:22; Matt. 2:13; 13:39; 18:10; Acts 5:19; 12:7-10). The devil is also seen in this picture, standing close to the heart, as if watching for an opportunity to re-enter his former home. For this reason we are warned to â€Å"be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour† (1 Peter 5:8).Very often he is disguised as an angel of light, tempting careless children of God with the desires of this world, trying, by his cunning, to deceive even God's chosen people. If, however, we resist the devil, he will run away from us (James 4:7). THE SIXTH PICTURE This is the sad picture of a backslider. One eye is beginning to close, showing that he is beginning to grow cold and sleepy in his Christian life, while the other eye is shamelessly looking around, making love with the world. The light inside has grown dim, and the pictures in his heart, showing his readiness to suffer with Christ have fallen and are no longer upright.He is surrounded by temptations to which he is slowly giving in instead of resisting them. Instead of listening to God's voice he now begins to listen to the devil’s cunning suggestions and false promises. Altho ugh he may still be a church-goer, hiding his desires for the things of the world under a form of religion, the love for God has grown cold in his heart. He has become undecided, standing still between two ways. He begins to play with the things of the world, and only pretends to love God. The star in his heart, the conscience, grows dim.The cross is no longer carried with a smile, but becomes an unwelcome, heavy load. His faith begins to shake, he stops communicating with God in prayer, becomes unconcerned and careless about his heart's condition and slowly makes room for the devil who is waiting outside his heart. He enjoys the company of sinful people more than the company of true children of God. The peacock, representing pride, begins to look for a way in again. He may have forgotten that he was saved by grace alone, and becomes a proud Christian. The desire for drinking alcohol knocks at the door and wants to come in.It may be on a special occasion, in the company of sinful fr iends, where he is ashamed to be thought different, a weakling, or unsociable, that the devil tells him that this one occasion will not hurt his spiritual life. Unspiritual thoughts and desires make themselves felt. Perhaps he begins to enjoy dirty jokes, to look again and again with pleasure at indecent pictures, and enjoy the wrong company, going to dance-halls, evil worldly entertainments, taking to heart sinful suggestions from the devil who tells him that this is human nature and that one sin is not really wrong.Truly, we cannot help it if the wild birds of evil and bad thoughts fly over our heads, but we are guilty if we allow them to control us and make their nests in our hearts, breeding out their evil deeds. If we give the devil our little finger, he is sure to grab the whole hand, dragging soul and spirit into everlasting hell. Therefore God's earnest warning to us, is to avoid the passions of youth and not to 25 24 play with sin, no matter in what way it may come. Run to Jesus, the protector and defender.The man seen in this picture stabbing the heart with a dagger, speaks of those who mock and resist Christianity. With their false tongues and mocking lips they stab and wound the hearts of Christians – attacks which a divided heart cannot survive. He begins to fear men more than God and because of fear of what man will say and do, he becomes the slave of men, and drifts away from God. Anger and bad temper show themselves in times of trouble and disappointments, and force their way in.That evil snake of jealousy, which appears when others are more successful and prosperous, will creep in without warning, and if given half a chance, will open the door to hatred and pride. It is so easy for the love of money to creep into our hearts unless we obey the warnings of our Lord Jesus when He says, â€Å"Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation† (Matt. 26:41). â€Å"Whoever thinks he is standing firm had better be careful that he does not fall† (1 Cor. 10:12). We must put on all the armour that God gives us, so that we will be able to stand up against the devil's evil tricks (Eph. :11-18). THE SEVENTH PICTURE This picture reveals the condition of the backslidden heart of man, who after he was once in God's light and had tasted heaven's gift and received his share of the Holy Spirit, has abandoned his faith (Heb. 6:4). It also shows the condition of a person who has never repented or given his life over to God, in spite of the fact that the truth of the Gospel, called the â€Å"Good News†, has been offered and revealed to him. A man who is stubborn when God speaks to him, will grow worse and worse in spite of his useless efforts to change himself.Jesus Himself described the backsliders' condition when He said, â€Å"When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house. â⠂¬Ëœ So it goes back and finds the house clean and tidy. Then it goes out and brings seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in a worse state than he was at the beginning† (Luke 11:24-26). â€Å"What happened to them shows that the proverbs 27 6. The tempted and divided heart 26 7. The backslidden or stubborn heart 28 re true; ‘A dog goes back to what it has vomited' and ‘A pig that has been washed goes back to roll in the mud'† (2 Peter 2:22). These Scriptures clearly explain the condition of a backslider's or the unrepentant sinner's heart. Sin in all its deceitfulness has come again to stay and control the heart. Even his face reveals, in a certain way, the condition of his heart. The Holy Spirit, that gentle dove, is forced to leave the heart, as sin and the Holy Spirit cannot live together. It is impossible for the heart to be a temple of God and at the same time a hideout for Sata n.The angel, the Word of God, has to leave sorrowfully, still looking back, hoping that he or she may still repent like the lost son, who â€Å"wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. At last he came to his senses and said, ‘I will get up and go to my father and say, Father, I have sinned against God and against you. 1 am no longer fit to be called your son'† (Luke 15:16-20). The father, on seeing his sorrowful son, forgave him and received him joyfully. The heart in this picture shows no sign of true repentance, no turning to God, no searching for forgiveness at the feet of Jesus.His conscience is as though burnt with a hot iron and put to silence. He has ears but cannot hear the pleading voice of Jesus. He has eyes but cannot see the bottomless hole of hell open wide at his feet. He no longer feels ashamed of continuing in his sins. Satan has come to rule in his heart and is seated as a king on his throne. It is possible that he may still boast of being outwardly decent and respectable, of having a religious appearance, like a whitewashed tomb â€Å"which looks fine on the outside but is full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside† (Matt. 23:27). The father of lies occupies the place of the Spirit of Truth.Every animal, every sin goes hand in hand with a special demon and evil spirit and occupies his heart. Although he would like to set himself free from these evil tormentors, they keep him bound. â€Å"Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty on the evidence of two or more witnesses. What, then, of the person who despises the Son of God? who treats as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified him from sin? who insults the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment he will deserve! † (Hebr. 10:28,29; 2 Peter 2:1-14).Should this picture agree with the condition of your heart, dear friend, cry to God without delay, from the depth of your heart. â€Å"He is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through Him† (Heb. 7:25), and is also able and willing to forgive all sins, if 29 you come in true repentance. He can restrain the devil and all his demons, and drive them out of your heart, if you are only willing to let Him do so. Come like the leper who came to Jesus and said, â€Å"‘If you want to, you can make me clean. ‘ Jesus was filled with pity, and stretched out His hand and touched him. ‘I do want to,' He answered. ‘Be clean! † (Mark 1:40, 41). But if you continue to be stubborn, and love darkness rather than light, there is no hope, no help, because you are choosing death instead of life – â€Å"sin pays its wage-death† (Rom. 6:23). THE EIGHTH PICTURE Here we find the stubborn sinner who has postponed making a decision to follow Christ, approaching death, his body may be full of pain and his soul fille d with the fear of death. Death (the skeleton) has come at an unexpected and unwanted time. The false pleasures of sin have disappeared, and the awful reality of the high and dreadful cost of sin now has to be faced. The agonies of hell are becoming real to him.Although he now longs to pray, he finds he cannot communicate with God whose love he has rejected for so long. His friends are afraid to stand at his bedside, and their empty words of comfort cannot help him now. His riches can neither lengthen his life, nor save his soul, nor reduce the agony of his soul. He finds it impossible to concentrate on God because the devil does not give him an opportunity to do so. Everything he once loved and lived for, seems to mock him and even his unreliable, probably unsaved minister, priest or church leader cannot help him now, as he has rejected the love of God and has come under His judgement.He begins to realise that â€Å"it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God ! † (Heb. 10:31). He had hoped to give his life to God when it suited him, or on his deathbed, but now he finds it is too late. Thousands of people die suddenly, without having a chance to turn to God on their deathbeds. It is therefore essential to turn to God while He is near. Instead of hearing the comforting and saving words of God, this dying sinner who rejected the forgiveness and love of God during his lifetime now has to hear the voice of his Judge, the Saviour whom he rejected, saying â€Å"Away from me, you that are under God's curse!Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! † (Matt. 25:41). â€Å"Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God† (Heb. 9:27). 30 8. The sinner's judgement 31 THE NINTH PICTURE This picture represents a Christian who remains faithful and wins the victory over painful tests and temptations. While he is tempted on all sides, he remains firm and holds out to the end, being victoriou s through Jesus Christ. He has not only entered the Christian race, but he is continuing in it, running with determination, â€Å"keeping his eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end† (Heb. 2:1,2). Satan with all his demons surrounds the believing heart, trying without success to lead the child of God the wrong way. Pride, the love of money, immorality, and others, are also represented. In the place of the leopard we now see a donkey, for often sin comes to us in another way, and hides itself in a different form or name. But the watchful Christian knows it is sin even when it comes in the form of religion, or as an angel of light, for the Word of God and the Holy Spirit lead him to the truth.A man, holding a glass of wine in the one hand, dances around the Christian and tries to tempt him with the false pleasures of the world. It has, however, no effect on the dedicated Christian, as he has been put to death with Christ as far as sin and worldly de sires are concerned. The second man in the picture, is stabbing the Christian with a dagger. Insults, gossiping, mocking and threats through unbelievers – and very often through so-called believers – are constantly stabbing the heart of the true believer. But he does not listen to what people say and cares only about what God says.He remembers the words of Jesus. â€Å"Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven† (Matt. 5:11, 12). Our sinful nature and the devil, are constantly trying their best to separate the Christian from the love of God. But with great joy and confidence he can truly say, â€Å"Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? (Rom. 8:35). No, in all these things we have complete victory through Him who lo ved us! † (Rom. 8:37). Having put on all the armour of God, he is able to resist the devil's attacks, when the evil day comes, and after fighting to the end, still to hold his ground through Jesus Christ, who won the victory over all kinds of trials and temptations, that through Him we should win the victory and receive a glorious crown which will never lose its brightness (Eph. 6:10-18, 1 Pet. 5:4). 32 9. The victorious heart 33 THE STAR of his conscience is clear and bright. His heart is full of faith and filled with the Holy Spirit.The angel, as the Word of God, reminds him of the rich blessings given to them that win the victory and hold out to the end. â€Å"To those who win the victory I will give the right to eat the fruit of the tree of life that grows in the Garden of God. † â€Å"Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death. † â€Å"To those who win the victory I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give each of them a whit e stone on which is written a new name. † â€Å"To those who win the victory, who continue to the end to do what I want, I will give the same authority that I received from my Father. â€Å"Those who win the victory will be clothed like this in white, and I will not remove their names from the book of the living. In the presence of my Father and of His angels I will declare openly that they belong to me. † â€Å"I will make him who is victorious a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it. † â€Å"To those who win the victory I will give the right to sit beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and now sit by my Father on His throne† (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). THE OPEN BAG OF MONEY shows that not only his heart, but also his money is dedicated to God.Instead of wasting his money, he is helping the poor, giving his tithes (the tenth part of his income) and offerings or even all he possesses, to God, using everything for the glory of God. THE LOAF OF BREAD AND THE FISH indicate that he lives a clean and self-controlled life. He does not spoil his life with strong drink or by eating unclean food (Acts 15:20). He does not waste his money, neither does he destroy his body (which is the temple of God), by chewing or smoking tobacco in any form, neither does he use drugs or harmful medicines, but eats wholesome, clean, nourishing food.His own heart has become a house of prayer. He also attends church services regularly and respectfully, in all kinds of weather and under all circumstances. He loves prayer, whether it be in the church or with his family, or in his own room, for he knows that a Christian cannot grow without communicating with God in prayer. THE OPEN BOOK indicates that the Bible is an open book to him, and he reads and studies it daily, finding wisdom and strength, life and light, and countless riches in it. It has become a lamp to guide him and a sword with which he defeats the devil. It is the daily spiritual food for his soul, water to put an end to his thirst, a bath in which to clean himself, and a mirror in which he sees himself. 34 He loves to carry his cross, for he knows that there will be no reward without the cross. As he knows that he has risen with Christ so that he might live a new life, he sets his heart on the things that are in heaven, keeping his mind fixed on things there, not on things here on earth (Col. 3:1-2). He is ready to meet God and is like a tree that grows beside a stream; that bears fruit at the right time (Ps. :3); like a branch of the real vine, bearing much fruit. He does not know the fear of death, for the perfect love of God, which he has received through the Holy Spirit, has filled his heart. THE TENTH PICTURE Jesus said, â€Å"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die† (John 11:25, 26). â€Å"Whoever hears my words and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life. He will not be judged, but has already passed from death to life† (John 5:24). Death holds neither fear nor punishment for the Christian. Death is destroyed; victory is complete! Where death is your victory? Where death is your power to hurt? †¦ Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! † (1 Cor. 15:54-57). A person who has lived and walked with God is not afraid of death. When the time comes for him to die, he will go gladly, as the Apostle Paul puts it, I want very much to leave this life and to be with Christ, which is a far better thing† (Phil. 1:23). A Christian longs to see the face of Jesus who died for him and paid the price for his sins on the cross.The Holy Spirit also reminds him of the words of Jesus, â€Å"Do not be worried and upset. Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house †¦ I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am† (John 14:1-4). â€Å"What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). There is no language on earth by which one can explain or describe the splendour of the heavenly city prepared for them that walk in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth.Instead of the fearful skeleton (death), the angel or messenger of God is seen in this last picture. He is waiting to carry the clean spirit back to God. Soul and spirit are set free from the imprisonment of the mortal body, and ascend through the open gates of heaven to 35 Jesus who loves him and who died for him on the cross. A happy welcome waits for him in the presence of God where he is greeted by his Lord and Master with these words of praise, â€Å"Well done, you good and faithful servant! †¦ Come on in and share my happiness! † (Matt. 25:21).Satan has no control over him any more, for â€Å"Th e poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in heaven† (Luke 16:22). â€Å"Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Happy are those who from now on die in the service of the Lord! ‘ ‘Yes indeed! ‘ answers the Spirit. They will enjoy rest from their hard work, because the results of their service go with them† (Rev. 14:13). LAST ADMONITION Dear reader, may God help you to give your heart to Him who loves you, for He is speaking to you now saying, â€Å"turn back to Me with all your heart† (Deut. 30:2).Give Jesus your tired, disappointed, aching heart, and He will give you a new heart and a new mind. Do not be deceived by your deceitful heart or follow its desires, for â€Å"from a person's heart, come the evil ideas which lead him to do immoral things †¦ † (Mark 7:21). Leave your sins and hold onto what is right, â€Å"for sin pays its wage – death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord† (Rom. 6:23). And you who have given your life to God, â€Å"hold firmly to the true words that I taught you, as the example for you to follow, and remain in the faith and love that are ours in union