Importance of Software Quality and methods for assessment Essay

Importance of Software Quality and methods for assessment - Essay Example The above stated definitions are preliminary and important from different perspectives; even if they share the related essence. The clear understanding of customer needs by software products by means of operating requirements. No doubt, the software quality directly affects the operation as well as maintenance of software; however the question of how to impartially and scientifically assess software quality is turning out be a hot spot in field of software engineering. Software quality evaluation requires a lot of dedicated tasks which are really essential to be performed during software life cycle and it also provides a standard for evaluating software quality that is generally applied and maintained throughout software development procedures and practices. During the entire process of software quality assurances to get the utmost quality and performance we have to persistently found software quality throughout techniques and measures of software development. In the present situatio n, we are required to disclose current status of the software, provide effective and best possible means for buyer, developer and evaluator and thereafter foresee follow-up development trend of software quality (Bawane & Srikrishna, 2008; Aimin & Wenxiang, 2009; Mohanty, 1979).In this section I will highlight some of the main views of the software quality assurance from the perspectives of different industries. So in this analysis we will be determining some of the main characteristics of software quality assurance from the viewpoint of several stakeholders.

Winters Bone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Winters Bone - Essay Example Ree sets out to look for her father, where she goes through the world of a drug user as his father is a drug producer, and Ree ends up consulting the local crime boss. She is told that her father died in a met lab fire or could have left town to avoid the trial for which he is out on bail. Ree’s father fails to show up for trial and the bondsman looks for Ree and informs her that there is about a week before their property is seized, where she then explains her findings about her father being dead. Ree then visits the local crime boss again to ask about her father and gets a beating by the boss’s women, who then offer to show her dad’s bones. They take him to the place where takes her father’s badly decaying body, which she takes to the sheriff, and she receives the bond and her uncle Teardrop tells her he knows who killed her father. This sad movie dwells on the issues of family and drugs, as well as crime as a whole and how the two vices affect a family. The drugs affect Ree’s family in that her family becomes dysfunctional following the charging of his father on account of being part of a methamphetamine manufacturing ring. The effects on the family go deeper in that even Ree’s uncles are part of the drugs world to the point that they cannot play a part in assisting Ree to find her father. In addition, the theme of drugs is also seen in the role of the local crime boss whose women are on drugs too, for which Ree’s father is killed. In relation to crime, the local crime boss, seems to be aware of all occurrences revolving the activities and whereabouts of Ree’s father. This is as seen in the case where he refers to Ree’s father as having died in a fire or even left town to avoid charges. Crime goes on to be portrayed in the murder of Ree’s father, where they find his remains under a boat. The issue of family is also shown in how Ree is dedicated to protecting her family even at a young age, where she

Swot Analysis Guide Essay Example for Free

Swot Analysis Guide Essay SWOT Analysis Guide The comprehensive guide to the SWOT analysis method In the following guide we will introduce you to several widely used strategic planning methods. They enable business executives and strategists to evaluate options, plan for the strategic goals and implement the changes necessary to achieve those goals. The evaluation version of the guide Distribution note: You may NOT distribute the original or modified version of the document. Check more information about licensing in license.txt BSCDesigner.com AKS-Labs SWOT Analysis Guide Copyright  © AKS-Labs Page 2 SWOT analysis: introduction and use of the method in the business environment If you are even remotely familiar with a business world, you have certainly heard about the competitive environment, strategic planning and business analysis. There are several different methods currently used in the business world and one of the most popular st strategic evaluation tools is the SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats SWOT can be further classified in to internal and external factors. Strength and weaknesses belong to the internal factors, and the opportunities and strength are classified as external factors. Why use SWOT analysis you might  ask? Well, it is a very useful and highly effective tool when useful planning for the strategic goals, when trying to analyze the environment the company operates in, and it is a good visual illustration of the challenges company faces. What is unique about SWOT is that it enables managers and executives to lists the key advantages and disadvantages of the company and matches them with the external factors that will influence the company’s performance in the short and the long run. To give you a better understanding of the method, let’s look at some of the examples of strength, look weaknesses, opportunities and strength. Strength †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Rights to intellectual property; patents. Strong brand. High customer satisfaction. Cost effective methods in operations. Availability of cheap resources. Advantage of a highly efficient and effective distribution networks. AKS-Labs ââ€" ª 2501 Blue Ridge Road Suite 150 ââ€" ª Raleigh ââ€" ª NC ââ€" ª 27607 www.measurebusiness.com [emailprotected] Business Analysis Methods Guide SWOT Analysis Guide Copyright  © AKS-Labs Page 3 Weaknesses †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ No patents. Weak or no brand developed. Low customers satisfaction. High cost structure. Expensive natural resources. Poor distribution networks. As you have probably noticed, strength and weaknesses are exactly the opposites of each other. It is true in a lot of real cases when the strength for one company is a weakness for another. If one has an access to cheap energy and other company doesn’t, the former has the strength over the latter. Strengths Strong brand Cheap resources Weaknesses High costs No patents Opportunities Technology Low trade barriers SWOT Threats Regulations -Trade barriers Opportunities †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Underutilized customer market; there is a room to grow and generate revenue. Modern technologies. Relaxed regulations. Globalization. Since there are fewer barriers, companies may expand. Threats †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Changing consumer needs and wants. Substitute products and new entrants. Regulations. Trade barriers. Business Analysis Methods Guide AKS-Labs ââ€" ª 2501 Blue Ridge Road Suite 150 ââ€" ª Raleigh ââ€" ª NC ââ€" ª 27607 www.measurebusiness.com [emailprotected] SWOT Analysis Guide Copyright  © AKS-Labs Page 4 As you can see, the method can be universally used for almost any condition and environment. It is a tool that can be used in a broader sense and can be as specific as the problem requires it to be. A simple SWOT analysis graphic is shown below for illustrative purposes. Stakeholders of the SWOT analysis are several. They are: management, employees, suppliers and distributors, and customers. Let’s not forget that the ultimate goal is to deli deliver the highest customer satisfaction possible in order to generate revenue and  maximize profits. SWOT provides adequate procedures and guidelines for the management to practice. It states clearly the tactics and communication patterns management has to implement in order to achieve the strategic implement goals. Employees are directed and trained to increase productivity and reduce errors. Suppliers and distributors are considered in order to design highly effective and efficient supply chains and distribution networks; and finally the customer satisfaction and loyalty is one of the most rks; important aspects that SWOT helps to evaluate and plan for. Who uses the method? SWOT is used by the managers and top executives in the evaluation, planning, and implementation proce process. In the evaluation process, top executives review the available resources, measure the revenues and the target cost structures, and once ready, set out a strategic plan that stipulates the direction that company is going to take. In this process, they evaluate all four characteristics and plan for an appropriate course of action. For the planning process, upper and mid level management reviews the graph, and gets familiar with the key objectives as well as the resources available to them in order to ac achieve the strategic goals. In the implementation process, thanks to the clear definitions of what is going to affect the company’s performance, employees have the advantage of knowing what to expect and what is going to challenge them. SWOT helps them anticipate the future hurdles and plan appropriately in anticipate order to overcome the barriers. As you can see, SWOT is an illustrative method of business planning and evaluation. It enables the management to clearly identify the advantages and disadvantages they are faced with, and design the realistic goals in order to achieve overall organizational success. Advantage of the method is that it is versatile, it creates clear visual picture of the situation and can be modified and adjusted fairly easily. One of the biggest advantages of the method is that it is very inexpensive and biggest provides highest results per dollar invested in to the analysis. Cost efficiency and performance effectiveness is one of the reasons why the method has been popular among the business executi executives sine the 1960s. Business Analysis Methods Guide AKS-Labs ââ€" ª 2501 Blue Ridge Road Suite 150 ââ€" ª Raleigh ââ€" ª NC ââ€" ª 27607 www.measurebusiness.com [emailprotected] SWOT Analysis Guide Copyright  © AKS-Labs Page 5 SWOT and Balanced Scorecard Before we go in to the details of the balanced Scorecard method and compare it to the SWOT analysis, let’s take a look at the BSC (Balanced Scorecard) and define what it is, what it does and ) how it differs from the SWOT analysis. s BSC is a strategic planning and implementation tool that assists management in the process of achieving organizational goals. It is a method that enables cooperation and synchronization in the business procedures. Typically, balan balanced Scorecard consists of several fields (usually 4), which lists the subject of interest and the steps that would allow the company to reach highest results in the listed fields. A simple version of a basic BSC is illustrated below. Balanced Scorecard As you can see, there are four fields: financial, internal business procedures, learning and growth and customers. We will discuss each one of them in little more detail in order to give you a better understating of how the method works. Financial; in this section managers list some of the key steps and goals they need to achieve in s order to succeed in their ultimate goal. Steps might be lowering fixed costs, low leverage, possible IPO etc. As for the internal business process, it might involve training, b better communication, changing organizational structure, etc. For the learning and growth, it might outline the process of training, growth strategies (acquisition, franchising), and target market share. As far as the Business Analysis Methods Guide AKS-Labs ââ€" ª 2501 Blue Ridge Road Suite 150 ââ€" ª Raleigh ââ€" ª NC ââ€" ª 27607 www.measurebusiness.com [emailprotected] SWOT Analysis Guide Copyright  © AKS-Labs Page 6 customers are concerned, management might define the strategy for increasing customer might satisfaction, brand development, and advertising. What is important to understand is that, there is a difference between the SWOT and BSC. While the SWOT analysis is mostly used in the broader planning procedures, such as strategic goals for procedures, the organization, BSC is a tool that has often been used in the process of achieving a specific goal. To make it clear, SWOT is used to define the goal, and the BSC is used to design a plan to achieve that goal. BSC is not strictly limited to this particular purpose and can be successfully used in a broader planning; but we have found that the method is most appropriate and useful when planning for a particular strategy and steps for implementing it. While the design presented above is not a standard one, most frequently we encounter 4 field ted designs. An alternative design is presented below. SWOT and BSC have been in use for several decades and have proved to be effective and efficient methods in business planning. The two methods have frequently been viewed as competitors, but the consensus has been emerging in the academic as well as the professional community that the two are more complementary to each other than they are rivals. Both methods are relatively cheap to design and implement, and provide a valuable insight in to design the key aspect that will determine the organization’s success. In conclusion it has to be mentioned that, BSC and SWOT are two methods that help define goals, steps, and an overall organizational strategy; they both have been used successfully for several strategy; decades. Even in the modern age of technology and alternative methods, these two simple graphic charts have been very popular among the top executives. Business Analysis Methods Guide AKS-Labs ââ€" ª 2501 Blue Ridge Road Suite 150 ââ€" ª Raleigh ââ€" ª NC ââ€" ª 27607 www.measurebusiness.com [emailprotected] SWOT Analysis Guide Copyright  © AKS-Labs Page 7 More in the full version of the Business An Analysis Methods Guide Guide: †¢ 29 page SWOT guide (Adobe PDF file): †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Alternative methods to SWOT analysis Steps in solving problems using Porter’s Five Forces for Competitive Position Solving problems using the SWOT analysis 5 examples in format: Problem, Response with SWOT, Result SWOT analysis: conclusions SWOT FAQ SWOT checklist †¢ 21 PowerPoint templates (.pptx file; check examples below) for SWOT analysis presentation †¢ 32 page PEST Analysis Guide (Adobe PDF file) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Introduction to the method and problem of PEST PEST and SWOT PEST and its extensions Step-by-step guide on how to use PEST for solving business problems step Key success factors of PEST Examples of real-life usage of PEST life Conclusions PEST FAQ Checklist for PEST Other aspects related to PEST Review of the most popular business analysis methods The review includes introduction to the method, step step-by-step algorithms, pros and cons, best step practices. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 80/20 Pareto Analysis (4 page) Break-even Analysis (4 page) even Competitive Analysis (4 page) Key Ratio Analysis (3 page) PEST Analysis (3 page) SWOT Analysis (4 page) Variance analysis (4 page) What if simulation (4 page) Learn more online: http://www.measurebusiness.com/ Business Analysis Methods Guide AKS-Labs ââ€" ª 2501 Blue Ridge Road Suite 150 ââ€" ª Raleigh ââ€" ª NC ââ€" ª 27607 www.measurebusiness.com [emailprotected]

Encountering God And Excuses Excuses Religion Essay

Encountering God And Excuses Excuses Religion Essay Theres a story of a Scottish discus thrower from the nineteenth century. In the days before personal trainers, he developed his skills by himself in the Scottish highlands near his village. He made his own iron discus from a description he read in a book. What he did not know was that the discus used in competition was made of wood with an outer rim of iron. The discus he made was solid metal and weighed three or four times as much as the ones used by his would-be competitors. This committed Scotsman marked out in his field the distance of the current record throw for all of Britain and trained day and night to be able to match it. For nearly a year, he labored under the self imposed burden of the extra weight. He became very, very good. He reached the point where he could throw his iron discus the record distance, maybe farther. He was ready. He traveled south to England for his first competition. When he arrived at the games, they handed him the regulation wooden discus, which he p romptly threw like a tea saucer, like wed throw a Frisbee. He set a new record, a distance so far beyond those of his challengers that no one could touch him. He thus remained the uncontested champion for year after year after year. From that moment on his life had a defining image: Train under a great burden and you will be so far beyond the rest of the world you will be untouchable. Each one of us has a story that tells us who we are. Every life is defined by a narrative. There was a time when our culture had such a defining story. The hours of the day were marked by the ringing of church bells. We lived Anno Domini in the year of our Lord. Our role models were the lives of the saints. When we left we said, God be with you, which we have today compressed into our word, Goodbye. But todays role models are movie stars and sports celebrities. Our greeting is Have a nice day. Oh, once in a while a story will come along, like the terrible tragedy or a terrorist threat, and pull us all together for a moment or two. Or we find a kind of togetherness in cheering for a sports team. I dont know about you, but I yearn to hitch my itty bitty life to some grand story that makes every moment throb with meaning and purpose and excitement and adventure. Ive found that story for me in the pages of this book the Bible. This book tells me the hunger in my heart corresponds with the reality of the universe. Thats why I like the name of our radio programme Word Alive. Theres a God who wants to enlist you and me to join him in loving, redeeming, and restoring the world. And this God comes to you the same way he came to an aimless wanderer named Moses centuries ago. To meet this God is to discover why youre alive and on this planet. So how big an adventure are you up for today? Are you ready to stop watching other peoples reality shows and star in one of your own as one of Gods everyday heroes? Lets step into Gods story today as we continue a series of messages on the foundational event of the Bible, God leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. Jane Thank you for joining us for todays Word Alive with Dr. Derek Stringer and Im Jane Moxon Ill be commenting from time to time. Derek has been teaching from the life of Moses and explaining how we can encounter God today and get His direction for our lives making it significant and of value. Heres Derek Derek And thanks for your help Jane. Have you ever been reluctant to take a call? I think weve all have been there, especially now that many of us have caller ID on our phones. Have you ever gotten a call, looked at the ID and then were reluctant to take the call? I am so thankful for the ex-directory in England because I think every salesman in the country knew when I sat down for a meal. They would decide thats the time were going to call Derek Stringer. Incidentally, someone has come up with a list of twenty responses to use with these telemarketers. I like several of them, but one is my absolute favourite and one of these days Im going to get up the courage to do it. It suggests: Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment and ask him if he will give you his home phone number so you can call him back. When the telemarketer explains that they cannot give out their home number, say, I guess you dont want anyone bothering you at home, right? When he says, Yes, then you say, Me neither! Lets face it weve all had calls at times that we just didnt want to take, and we were reluctant to answer. I want us to consider the fact that sometimes were reluctant to answer the call even when we know that its God whos doing the calling. I want to talk a little bit about what it means to be called by God. Jane As we study Gods call of Moses at the burning bush, we understand that God doesnt call us the same way that he called Moses, but he does call us. Derek In fact, you may recall that the Greek word for church is ekklesia. It literally means, the called out. We are the called out people of God. Peter said, You areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. I know that this broadcast will reach people who make no claim to be Christians. And I want you to understand that God is calling you this very day, calling you to make the decision to become a child of God. Many who listen to this broadcast are Christians whom God is calling to greater heights of service. There are things that God wants you to do for him. There are people that God wants you to talk to. God is calling you to proclaim the praises of Him who brought you out of darkness and into the marvellous light. As we look at the call of Moses, I want you to consider how God is calling you. Jane Were going to look at the first part of Exodus 4. Derek When I say Moses, what comes to mind? The old Hollywood Movie with the piercing blue of eyes of Moses Charlton Heston standing before the throne of Pharaoh Yul Brenner? When we glamorize Moses we create distance between ourselves and him. The more distance you put between yourself and any Bible character, the less help the character provides us in our life before God. The real Moses? He was probably a lot more like Charlie Brown. In one of my favourite Peanuts cartoons Lucy says, Life, Charlie Brown, is like a deck chair. Like a what? he says. Havent you ever been on a cruise ship, Charlie Brown? Passengers open up these canvas deck chairs so they can sit in the sun. Some people place their chairs facing the rear of the ship so they can see where theyve been. Other people face their chairs forward. They want to see where theyre going. On the cruise ship of life, Charlie Brown, which way is your deck chair facing? Charlie thinks a minute and says: Gee, Ive never been able to get one unfolded. Ever feel like that? Like people all around you are going somewhere in life and you cant even unfold the deck chair? Yet as the curtain rises on the man who will become the most important person in the Bible, second only to Jesus, Moses is a foot-dragging loser. Moses had it made in Egypt, then killed a man and fled for his life. Ever since, hed been going nowhere. What do you say to someone 80 years old who doesnt know what he wants to be when he grows up? (Someone has said the reason adults are always asking children what are you going to be when you grow up? is because we dont know ourselves and were looking for suggestions.) Moses was tending his father-in-laws sheep not even his own in the desert of Midian. He squinted out across the parched landscape in search of shrubs for the hungry animals and noticed a bush on fire that did not burn up. As he came closer to investigate, suddenly a voice spoke to Moses out of the fire. Moses mouth fell open at a bush ablaze with God: I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians. Jane Youll recall from our past couple of lessons that Moses is at the burning bush. Derek God has revealed to Moses his sacred name I AM, Yahweh and God has announced that he has chosen Moses to go to tell Pharaoh to let His people, the Hebrews, go. Jane Then Moses answered and said, But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, The LORD has not appeared to you.' So the LORD said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod. And He said, Cast it on the ground. So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the LORD said to Moses, Reach out your hand and take it by the tail (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you. Derek Furthermore the LORD said to him, Now put your hand in your bosom. And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, Put your hand in your bosom again. So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. Jane Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. And the water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land. Derek Then Moses said to the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. So the LORD said to him, Who has made mans mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say. Jane But he said, O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs. Derek God comes to Moses with a job to do. I want you to understand that when God has a job he wants you to do, he doesnt ask you; he tells you. He doesnt extend an invitation; he gives a commission. God said to Abraham, You go to this place I will show you. He said to Elijah, Go, present yourself to Ahab. Jesus said to his disciples, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. But now the call of God comes to Moses and Moses doesnt want to answer the phone. And I can understand a little bit of what Moses is thinking. Have you ever been asked to go back to the place of your absolute greatest failure? I would imagine that everybody can think of a place or think of a person that frankly you wouldnt mind if you never saw that place or that person again. Because it brings back a memory of a time when you blew it on a scale you dont even like to think about. And when we dont want to do something, we tend to make excuses, and thats exactly what Moses does here. Lets look at some of his excuses and as we do so, were going to notice that were still making the same excuses today. The first excuse Moses made was, I dont have any credibility. Jane He said in verse one, What if they dont believe me and they say, The Lord did not appear to you? DS Now Moses question may seem to be valid, but its actually a denial of Gods clear promise because if you look back in chapter 3, verse 18, God said, The elders of Israel will listen to you and Moses says, in essence, Yes, but what if they dont? Now that shows you what failure can do to a mans thinking. If we have tried and we have failed, it has a way of inhibiting us, it has a way of paralyzing us for years to come. In Moses mind, he was certain that he was damaged goods. There was no way that he could ever go back to the Hebrews and effectively exercise any authority in their eyes. He says, Lord, youve got the wrong guy. Ive got no credibility with those people. Now God graciously recognizes what Moses is worried about and the difficulty hes facing. So what God says is, All right, Moses, heres what were going to do. Im going to give you some authenticating miracles so that you can be convinced that you do have my credibility and you can be a man they can listen to. The first thing God says is, Take that staff and throw it down. So he did. It became a snake and the Bible says that Moses ran away from it. Now theres finally one thing that Moses and I have in common. If we see snakes, we both run away from them. I do not understand people who want snakes for pets. Snake experts will tell you that most snakes are not poisonous, and you can tell the pit vipers theyre the poisonous ones they have these little pits behind their snouts. I remember hearing that for the first time and thinking, You idiot! I dont ever intend to be close enough to the face of a snake to see if hes got pits! You dont take any chances. You see a snake, you run. Now God knows exactly what hes doing with Moses. Hes got to deal with Moses fear. So that thing becomes a snake. And then what did he say next? Pick it up by the tail. You dont do that to snakes! But God said, Pick it up by the tail. And Moses obeyed. And it turned into a staff. Jane Then God said, Put your hand in your cloak. Derek And Moses did, and when it came out it was covered with leprosy. You need to remember you couldnt cure leprosy in those days. Leprosy was fatal. You dont think Moses was afraid? Whats God doing? Hes teaching Moses, Listen, the things that you think are deadly are nothing in my hands. Like Pharaoh. The things that frighten you dont need to frighten you. You dont need to be afraid. And God says, Moses, you dont need to promote your authority. You just need to report and represent my authority. God has all the credibility he needs to deliver people from their bondage. You and I dont need to worry about credibility. Sometimes I make the mistake of thinking, Theres nothing I can say that will change this persons life. Who am I that he should listen to me? Folks, the authoritys not ours. Its Gods. Were just his ambassadors. We need to go and tell people what God said they need to hear, and Gods got enough credibility to take care of both of us. Jane Paul said to the Thessalonians, For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God. Derek And so, the second excuse. He said to God, I dont have the ability. Jane Verse 10, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. Derek Its strange that Moses should say that, because Stephen said in his sermon in Acts 7 that Moses was powerful in speech. So either Moses didnt want to admit his ability, or Moses had forgotten about his ability, or maybe after 40 years in the desert, he felt like he lost that ability. But at any rate, Moses is absolutely persuaded, God, youve got the wrong man. I dont have the gifts. I dont have the ability. And it sounds as if Moses is being very humble. Lord, Im just not good enough. Jane He said the same thing back in chapter 3 when God said to Moses, Im going to send you to Pharaoh, and Moses responded in verse 11, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Derek Now that sounds very humble, doesnt it? I hear Christians say the same thing all the time, Id love to teach a church class, but Im just dont have the ability. Id love to do this or do that, but I just dont feel qualified. And that sounds so very humble. After all, doesnt the Bible say we shouldnt think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think? I want you to learn something. Be careful not to confuse the virtue of humility with a spirit of inadequacy that causes us not to do Gods will. Now were supposed to deny self. So if youre talking about a humility that denies self, thats good. But if youre talking about a humility that denies Gods ability to use you, thats not real humility. But thats what we often do. We often refuse the call of God under the guise of humility, when thats not what it is at all. When Moses says, I dont have the ability, this is not Moses being humble. This is Moses displaying a lack of faith. And again, Gods patience with his servant is amazing to me. Jane So God says to Moses in verse 12, You go, and I will help you speak and Ill teach you what to say. Derek Well I want to make three quick points here about our feelings of inadequacy. First of all, God is aware of our weaknesses when he calls us. When Moses said to God, Im not eloquent, Im not a very gifted speaker, do you think God went, Oh, I forgot. Somebody pull up the file on Moses. If you say, God, you shouldnt choose me because Ive got a lot of weaknesses, well then who in the world is he going to choose? Who doesnt? Jane Paul wrote, We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. Derek Lets admit it, were all clay pots. Lets just admit our inability, dont hide it, but lets not be paralyzed by it. God knows our weakness when he calls us. Second point God never abandons us after he commissions us. You can search the scriptures all you want, but youre not going to find one time in the Bible where God gives a call and then he says, Now youre on your own. When he said to Abraham, Go to the land he said what? He said, that I will show you. Jane When Jesus said, Go into all the world he said what? He said, I will be with you always. Derek This whole matter of saving the Israelites doesnt depend on Moses eloquence or his lack of it. It depends on the presence and the power of God. God says, Moses, you may not have all the answers, but youve got me, and thats all you need. Third thing If God commands you to do something, if God calls you to do something, he will empower you to do it. God does not ask the impossible, it just seems that way if you try to do it without God. But and this is very important God usually chooses to supply the ability only after youve stepped out on faith to answer the call. You say, God, I cant do that because I dont have the ability. God says, Well, Ill give you the ability. And we want to say, God, you give me the ability, and then Ill go do it. God says, No, thats not how it works. You go do it, and Ill give you the ability. Let me give you an example of what I mean by that. I wonder how many times Ive stood outside a hospital room knowing that someone inside was suffering, needing a word of comfort. And if I waited outside that room until I felt adequate, I would never go in. But I pray, God help me to say what needs to be said and you step in by faith and you find that when you act by faith, God will not let you down. But if you wait outside the door and say, Im not going in until I have something profound to say youll never go in. And so, what God often does is to say, I know you dont have the ability, I know youre just a clay pot, but if youll obey me, if youll step out in faith, then I will not let you down. I believe the key to self-confidence is to have the right view of God-confidence. Paul said, I can do all things. now thats self-confidence. But thats not what he said. He said, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Its not humility to deny that God can use you. Rather, its a blatant insult to his grace. Now Gods been patient with Moses. Moses has had some legitimate concerns. Lord, I dont think I have any credibility. God says, Ill deal with that. But Lord, I dont think I have the ability. God says, Ill deal with that, too. Then look at what Moses said next: Lord, please send someone else to do it. After all the legitimate concerns are met, Moses finally just blurts out the truth. What he said was, I dont want the responsibility. Its a good plan, Lord. The Hebrews need to be delivered. Pharaoh needs to be confronted. Its a great plan, but find somebody else to do it. By the way, have you ever noticed that all of us want to serve God, but most of us want to do it in an advisory capacity? Were quite willing to sit back and tell God how it ought to be done. Now God has been willing to work through all the specific objections that Moses has had, God has been patient, but the Bible says that finally the Lords anger burned against Moses. And I think the reason that God was angry is because basically Moses was saying, God, you told me youre going to be there for me, you told me youre going to give me the authority I need, you told me youre going to be speaking through me, but I just dont think thats going to be enough. But even in his anger, God was gracious to Moses and gave him Aaron. Jane Let me ask a question why do you think God was so patient with Moses, and why is God so patient with us when we act the same way? Derek Now one answer is obviously because he loves us. But I think theres another answer. I think its also because he loves the people whose prayers hes calling on you and me to answer. Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought about the fact that the reason that God is calling you is because somebody else has been calling God? Back in Exodus chapter 2, the Hebrews were calling out to God, and God was concerned and he heard their prayers, so God turned to Moses and said, Ive a job for you to do. And I wonder how many times God has called you and said, OK, Ive got a lot of people praying for someone to help them, someone to teach them, and so Im calling on you to do something about it. Ill give you the ability. I just want you to go be my messenger. And you were reluctant to answer the phone. You had all sorts of excuses ready as to why you couldnt do it. Be assured that God is patient, but dont take his patience as an inability to see through our flimsy excuses. Moses said, Oh, come on now, be sensible, not me, Im a terrible speaker. Theyd never listen to me. And God said, Oh, for crying out loud, OK, Ill use your brother to help with the speaking. And Moses led Gods people out of disintegration. And Jonah said, Oh, come on now, be sensible, not me. Im not the type. And after a rather unexpected vacation in the fish just thinking things over, he talked to Gods people and led them Gods way. And Zechariah said, Oh come on now, be sensible, not me. My wife and I are too old to have any kids. And God said, Oh shut up. And he did shut up. For nine months. And John was born, and the way for the Christ was opened up. And I heard a child say, I cant serve God. Im too young. And I heard a boy say, I cant serve God, Im not good enough. And I heard a woman say, I cant serve God, Im not skilled enough. I wonder if God ever gets any new problems? What is it that Gods calling you to do? I heard once about a fellow that was going to preacher training school. They were sending them out on weekends to preach in different churches. He was asked to preach at this one country church with just a few old people but he felt it was beneath his considerable skills. He made the mistake of actually making that comment out loud. It seems there was a young lady who overheard him and she said, You know, the worlds a better place because Michelangelo never said, I dont do ceilings. Think about it. This worlds a better place because Noah never said, I dont do animals. Because Abraham never said, I dont do travelling. Because Ruth never said, I dont do mothers-in-law. Because David never said, I dont do giants. Im glad Paul didnt say, I dont do correspondence. Im glad Jesus never said, I dont do crosses. And I think the world would be a better place if God didnt hear, I dont doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ quite as much. Jane Paul wrote, We have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. Derek Gods only option is to use clay vessels. Thats all hes got. And thinking about the audience for Word Alive, Id say theres nothing but clay vessels that listen. Its simply a matter of whether or not were willing to allow God to work through us. I love the story that is told of the famous Polish pianist, Padarewski, who went on to become prime minister of Poland. He was touring the United States, and was going to give a concert one night. There was a mother who was trying to get her little boy interested in the piano, so she bought tickets to hear this master pianist. The show was supposed to start at 8:00 and prior to that people were standing around and visiting. This mother didnt realize that her son had slipped away. Imagine her shock when she heard and saw her son at the piano playing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. As the story is told, Padarewski walked out in his tux, sat down beside the boy and whispered, Dont stop playing. He put his left hand out and played some bass notes, put his right hand out and started playing, and he made this beautiful sound out of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I want you to see that this describes so well what God does with you and me. God says, What do you have in your hand? A staff? Give it to me. And when God calls, you just give him whatever youve got in your hand. And once you allow God to use your life, he does things with it you would never dream possible. Maybe you need to respond to God and say, OK, here I am. I want to follow you. I want to serve you. I want to dedicate my life to you. No more excuses, no more delays. Just what do you want me to do? Jane Dr. Derek Stringer is our Bible Teacher here on Word Alive and this is a Good News Broadcasting Association production. Derek My thanks to Jane Moxon and my thanks to you for being with us today. Please join us again next time as we continue to explore the life of Moses and how we can encounter God today. Jane Thats Derek Stringer and Phil Critchley has been our Producer. From all here at Good News Broadcasting Association we send you our greetings. Good-bye and God bless.

economic Essay -- essays research papers

Globalisation - Economic Growth and Development and development indicators. â€Å"Outline the differences between economic growth and economic development. Discuss how economic development may be measured. Outline how globalisation may impact upon a nation’s development. Where appropriate make reference to a relevant case study.† Although economic growth and development are similar in meaning, they have some essential differences. Economic growth refers to the increasing ability of a nation to produce more goods and services. Economic development basically implies that individuals of that nation will be better off and takes into account changes in economic and social structures that will reduce or eliminate poverty. Economic development can be measured in a number of different ways including the Human Development Index, a Gender Empowerment Measure, a Human Poverty Index and a Human Freedom Index. All of these measures were developed by the United Nations Development Program. The World Bank also has its own indicator called the World Bank Development Indicator. Globalisation can have both negative affects on a nation. It can impact on the levels of economic growth a country may experience, impact on levels of unemployment or it may impact on a country’s quality of life. Economic growth is the expansion of a country’s productive capacity. This leads to a rise in total national output. Growth can occur in two different ways; the increased use of land, labour, capital and entrepreneurial resources by using better technology or management techniques and increased productivity of existing resource use through rising labour and capital productivity. While theoretically having an increasing national output means greater material welfare and a rise in living standards, it does not equate to having higher levels of well being for individuals in that nation. Economic growth can, in fact, have negative impacts on a nation including environmental degradation and the loss of traditional cultural values. It also may mean there is greater inequality between different classes in society, that is, the gap between the rich and the poor may grow. It is for these reasons that economic development measurements are also used. Economic growth as a measure fails to account for other important social and economic factors such as the size of the black market, domestic work ... ...e strong progress. Although in the very early nineties Poland experienced a sharp decline in GDP, it has since resumed steady growth. In 1999 its GDP growth was 4.1%. The private sector now accounts for over 55% of the total GDP. In early 1990, Poland was experiencing hyper-inflation with levels of up to 1200%. In 1999 the inflation rate was lowered to 7.3%, which although is still high by developed world standards, is slowly dropping. Also in the early nineties, Poland had huge unemployment rates with most sectors at around 30%. This has now been lowered to 13%, which again is high by developed nations’ standards but is a lot less than the rates experienced early in the decade. Essentially, the difference between economic growth and economic development is that one is a quantitative measure (growth) and the other is a qualitative measure (development). Economic development can be measured using a variety of indicators, mostly developed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), though another widely used indicator was developed by the World Bank. Globalisation can have many affects on nations, depending on their government policies and also on their economic status.

Negative Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup on the Human Body Essay

The Negative Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup on the Human Body Excluding Obesity, Diabetes and Kidney Failure Abstract: This research paper investigates the effects of high fructose corn syrup on the body without discussing obesity and diabetes. While obesity and diabetes are two major consequences of an unhealthy consumption of high fructose corn syrup, they tell only a fraction of the story. Many of the lesser-known effects of high fructose corn syrup are the result of a trickle down effect. When high fructose corn syrup changes the balance of nutrients, it also can lead problems with vitamin and mineral deficiency. The most noticeable effects of high fructose corn syrup include problems with the liver disease, heart failure, minerals, osteoporosis, micronutrients, accelerated aging, and copper deficiency. One of the organs that is most affected by high fructose corn syrup is the liver. High fructose corn syrup is composed of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. This differs from table sugar which is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. Researchers have found that high fructose has the same effect on the liver as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As fructose is absorbed by the second part of the small intestine, the jejunum, the liver has the task of converting the fructose to triglycerides which is easier than converting glucose into triglycerides. Elevated levels of triglycerides lead to an increased risk of heart disease. A study conducted by the University of Minnesota published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000 concluded that "men, but not in women, fructose â€Å"yielded significantly higher blood levels" than did glucose. The researchers found that "diets high in added fructose may b... ...06, from Osteoporosis: A debilitating disease that can be prevented and treated. Web site: http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/index.htm (2006, July 30). American Heart Association. Retrieved July 30, 2006, from Understanding Heart Failure Web site: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1593 Beyer , PL, Caviar, EM, & McCallum, RW Fructose intake at current levels in the United States may cause gastrointestinal distress in normal adults. PubMed, Retrieved July 23, Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16183355&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum. Sanda, Bill (2004, February 19). The Double Danger of High fructose Corn Syrup. Retrieved July 24, 2006, from The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup Web site: http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html Squires, Sally Sweet but Not So Innocent. (2003, March 11). The Washington Post, p. HE01.

Message of the Mountain

THE BOOK REPORT Message of the Mountain [pic] Submitted by Gertrude Beatriz Lim 6-6 Submitted to Mrs. Miriam E. Rana Message of the Mountain is a Christian fiction written by Matilda Nordtvedt. The book has 135 pages with 30 chapters. The story takes place in Bellingham, Washington in the early 1900s. It was settled, the Johnsons were relocating to Bellingham, Washington; since Papa cannot sustain the work in the country. John liked the idea of moving to the city, but Hilda and Lois were not so thrilled. Their house in Bellingham was modern, and John was delighted.From the window, you could see the magnificent Mount Baker. Papa and Hilda started talking about how Mount Baker was like God, making John feel awkward. The girls were a bit worried going to school even with John’s encouragement. After class, John’s classmate, Marvin, led him to the railroad tracks where he got him to smoke a cigarette brought by a fifth-grader named Pete. As they parted, John ran home in dism ay, anxious that his parents might find out. When he got home, John saw Mama chopping down some onions, so he ate a piece to take the smell of the cigarette out.John felt guilty for smoking, but thought that at least he did something to please his father by chopping down some wood. There are some lessons that can be picked up from Message of the Mountain. One is about learning to accept change, because change is the only thing permanent in our lives. Everything changes in this world, so there is no way to resist it anyways. Another is that we should learn to say no. Saying no to wrong things will always be the right thing to do even if doing so means losing everything. Lastly, we should not lie, because lying could lead to broken trust and relationship. I don’t think we have to worry about bears and ghosts, Lois. God protects us from other things we meet each day and accidents maybe, and especially from evil. † That was what Mama told Lois. It means that God will always guard us from things that may endanger us. It’s one of my favorite lines in the book. It makes me feel secure in the times of trouble knowing God will not leave us, but He will be there protecting us. The best part in the chapters is when they arrived in Bellingham. It was about the time when things were about to change.It was nice because it described how John felt towards making new friends and adjusting to a new life. Message of the Mountain is a Christian fiction book written by Matilda Nordtvedt. Chapters 5 to 14 have forty-four pages in all. The story takes place in Bellingham, Washington, in the early 1900s. In Chapter 5, the Johnson family went to church. John still could not decide on what to believe in, creation or the theory of evolution; but after Mr. Strom’s discussion, he believed in creation. While in Chapter 6, John was convinced by Mr. William’s lecture that everything evolved from something.After class, the trio: John, Marvin, and Pete were do wn by the tracks smoking. Marvin suddenly asked for John’s share of tobacco, but John said he did not afford tobacco and Papa does not smoke. Marvin shrugged and suggested him to steal some at Mr. Thorsen’s store. John was astonished by his suggestion; he could not steal now or could he? In Chapter 7, Mama had a big announcement: Hilda could take piano lessons if Mama would clean Mrs. Lavine’s house once a week. The girls were squealing from excitement but all John felt was hugging someone and getting some tobacco.In Chapter 8, Mr. Strom showed his complex watch and related it to the wonderful creations of God. John then reconsidered believing in creation. In the next chapter, Lois eavesdropped on Marvin and John’s conversation. She heard all their plans! John made Lois promise to not tell anyone anything but he would have to give her some Life Savers. When Marvin and John proceeded to their plan, John was given a Life Saver. When John went home, he saw M arvin being pushed in a wagon by a police man. That night, Papa talked about the boy who was caught stealing tobacco.The next day, Marvin did not show up at school. When John came back from school, Lois was curled up in his bed wanting more Life Savers. During supper, Lois was not present. She had gone to Mr. Thorsen’s store and stole a Life Saver. Marvin was back by the next day. John was relieved to know Marvin did not tell on him. Lois and John were going to Mr. Thorsen’s to apologize but did not. They went back home, and Mama told John to ask Marvin to have supper with them. John hesitated but eventually asked Marvin. Our lies will find us out. No matter how we try to hide it; the truth will be revealed.We should also be a good example to others. Our actions may affect others’ actions. There are some people who do wrong things because of their peer pressure in being called a chicken or whatsoever, but we should learn to be stand up to do the right thing. â⠂¬Å"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. † This line affected me most because it reminds me that God is a forgiving God. It assured me that if I confess my sins to Him, I will be cleansed.