Improving tips Information

I don’t know about you, but for me, the technological age in which we’re living seems to have increased the speed of life. If we are properly programmed, there is not a minute of our life that we are out of communication. As a result, the world has put us on notice to be available On Demand.

The ridiculous thing is we respond as if it were true. Pagers, email, text messaging, Instant Messaging, cell phones, call waiting and call forwarding may have been intended for convenience, but we let them create a very false set of urgency in our lives. At one time, when the fax was a new invention, if you received a fax you acted upon it immediately. It didn’t really matter if the content was urgent, the delivery system made us think the message must be very important, IT WAS FAXED.

We can trace each new technological invention and see the false sense of urgency that each conveys in it’s own way. Don’t you just love the feature on your cell phone that lets your caller page you? As if you don’t have a busy enough life, thank you very much. Your callers, invited or not, can now demand your attention at whim.

The electronic static in our lives has short-circuited our true power. True power only comes from being silent. Connecting to God and the source of the Universe only happens by still waters. When was the last time you had quiet?

There are two words in language that summon power beyond our human comprehension: I am, Ik ben, Je suis, Ich bin, Είμαι, Sono, Eu sou, Soy. When we speak I Am we open a vortex, both on the earth and in the heavens. “I Am” places us at the helm of responsibility for our lives. I Am shuts the backdoors we usually leave, “just in case”, which always lead to failure. I Am creates our world, good or bad.

In a worldly way, I Am, creates our experience of life. Try some of these phrases on:

I Am Tired

I Am Angry

I Am Sick

I Am Poor

I Am Struggling

They don’t feel very good, do they? Well that is your clue that you are creating the very thing that you don’t want

Now, try these on:

I Am Committed

I Am Honored

I Am Beautiful

I Am Sexy

I Am Funny

I Am Smart

Isn’t it wonderful how you can just feel your power surging!

In a more esoteric way, I Am, speaks to our power to create and manifest from our words on the invisible plain. Jesus understood the power of I Am as he spoke:

“I Am the way, the truth and the life.” John. 14:6

Is there any doubt? Of course not, it is a declaration not open for debate for millions of Christians around the world. In other cultures and religions, the aah sound is the name of God.

In the Sanskrit language, Diva means “the light of the Divine”. If we carry within us the light of the Divine, and are the children of God, there is nothing for us to do to get good enough to create and live a life we love. We are “Good Enough” just the way we are. Accepting it makes all the difference.

Starting from this place, build on your power and set the wheels of the universe in motion for your good and the good of all. When you speak, I Am, you are making a statement of fact, defined as knowledge or information based on real occurrences: You are in the NOW, not the future. Most of all you are speaking the truths that live in our hearts and spirit. All there is to do is let your conscious minds hear it. That is why affirmations of I Am are the most powerful.

To support your journey into the I Am world, I have created a worksheet of 10 I Am statements for you. Just follow the link to www.distinctivelydiva.com/index2a.html and click on the I AM link. You’ll be able to print the list and decorate your life with the only power and urgency that counts–YOURS!

Maureen O’Crean is the Founder and Publisher of http://www.DistinctivelyDiva.com, an international online community of women, for women. Maureen is the co-author of I Am Diva, Every
Woman’s Guide to Outrageous Living (Warner Books) and speaks
on issues of self-acceptance and self-esteem for women. Maureen can be contacted at maureen@distinctivelydiva.com

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What is CPTED? The official book definition is “the proper design and effective use of the built environment that can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime and an improvement in the quality of life.” It is simply a goal to reduce opportunities for crime that may be inherent in the design of structures or in the design of neighborhoods. In other words, make your home or neighborhood unappealing to burglars and thugs.

Cities and Counties throughout the country are adopting CPTED ordinances requiring site plan reviews with crime prevention in mind. Law enforcement officers who are specially trained in CPTED are now working closely with Planners, Architects, City Officials, and Educators to ensure the proper design of structures, schools, and neighborhoods. These experts know how the design and use of the environment can control human or criminal behavior and reduce the fear of crime. They used natural means such as landscaping to deter criminals. Access control, natural surveillance, different aspects of lighting and its effects on human behavior, all deter crime.

Many landscape specialists incorporate CPTED into their layout & design of landscapes. Each of the following CPTED strategies are low cost guidelines that they apply to reduce the fear and incidence of crime and improve the quality of life.

1. Natural Access Control guides people entering & leaving a space through the placement of entrances, exits, fences, landscaping & lighting. Access control can decrease opportunities for criminal activity by denying criminals access to potential targets & creating a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways & landscaping should direct visitors to the proper entrance & away from private areas. The design should create a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways should be installed in locations safe for pedestrians & keep them unobscured.

2. Natural Surveillance is the placement of physical features, activities & people in a way that maximizes visibility. A potential criminal is less likely to attempt a crime if he or she is at risk of being observed. At the same time, we are likely to feel safer when we can see & be seen. The landscaping should be selected and installed to allow unobstructed views of doors & windows. The front door should be at least partially visible from the street. Shrubs & bushes near windows should not restrict full visibility of the property. Sidewalks & all areas of the yard should be well lit.

3. Territorial Reinforcement is use of physical attributes that express ownership such as fences, signage, landscaping, lighting, pavement designs, etc. Defined property lines and clear distinctions between private & public spaces are examples of the application of territoriality. Front porches or stoops should create a transitional area between the street & the home. Property lines & private areas should be defined with plantings, fences or retaining walls. Use thorny plants along fence lines and under windows to deter access by intruders.

4. Maintenance is a well maintained home, building or community, and creates a sense of ownership. A well kept area tends to make someone feel like they will be observed by neighbors or business owners as it is obvious people care about the area. Keep trees & shrubs trimmed back from windows, doors & walkways. Keep shrubs trimmed to 3 feet & prune the lower branches of trees up to 7 feet. Use exterior lighting at night & keep it in working order. Keep litter & trash picked up & the yard neat & free of items that might attract theft.

You can find links to more CPTED resources at www.kicklighter-landscaping.com.

John Kicklighter is the owner of Kicklighter-Landscaping. His business is near St. Louis, MO.

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If one didn’t look at the title of Dr. Tyler’s book, “Jesus Christ: Self-Denial or Self-Esteem,” they might think they were reading a book about the life of Christ instead of a refutation of the self-esteem movement. Dr. Tyler takes a different approach that’s characteristic of some of the other books on critiquing self-esteem. He doesn’t exclusively argue that the self-esteem position is defective from a humanistic psychological approach as Paul Vitz does. Nor does he attempt to contrast each heretical thought and compare it to an exhaustive look at scripture references. Instead, he compares the notion of selfism to the life and practices of Jesus Christ. By so doing, he demonstrates that self-esteem flies directly in the face of what Christ was teaching others, especially His very own disciples.

In the introduction, Dr. Tyler makes the case that the new pop culture words, self-image, self-esteem and self-worth have one central focus: self. This being a recent phenomena (within the past 25 years), it has had a significant influence on the church and its teachings. He quotes Robert Schuller who says that a new reformation is needed and that being one centering on self-esteem. (It’s ironic that Schuller uses the word reformation. “The Reformation,” nearly 500 years ago, affirmed the utter ruin and insufficiency of man’s condition and reinforced the complete sufficiency of scripture, grace, faith and Christa complete and utter opposition of what Schuller wants.) Dr. Tyler seeks to declare that the Bible’s emphasis is on self-denial, a concept that is apparently anathema to modern day authors. And where are, Dr. Tyler asks, the words of Jesus when he supposedly tells his followers to “love themselves, esteem themselves, accept themselves, believe in themselves, develop a healthy self-image, or nurture feelings of significance and worth?” Dr. Tyler looks for them in the next three chapters of his book as he explores the words, works, and parables of Christ.

Dr. Tyler explores Christ’s encounter with various people. Jesus was always other-oriented in that He was continually about His father’s business. His baptism, the cleansing of the temple and the meeting with the Samaritan women are just a few examples that Dr. Tyler cites as proof. The most striking evidence appears in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount where Jesus tells the crowd how to obtain blessedness (happiness). One would expect to find here Christ giving exhortation on seeking self-affirmation if the self-esteem zealots were true. However, Dr. Tyler cites five Beatitudes that Christ preached which further disappoints the selfism crowd. Christ proclaimed blessedness would occur to those who are poor in spirit, mourn, practice meekness, are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, and are merciful.

Leaving Christ’s words, Dr. Tyler explores the miracles of Jesus Christ. Jesus used miracles as proof of His divine authority, to give substance to His words, and also to demonstrate his other-oriented attitude by offering love and sympathy for mankind. Dr. Tyler gives several examples, healing of the leper and the Roman centurion’s servant, the calming for the Sea of Galilee, the demon-possessed man, to name a few. This shows Christ was focused on meeting the needs of others. Dr. Tyler also leaves the self-love advocates with a question as to where was the person who cried “I hate myself, I feel inferior and inadequate; heal me Son of David;” (not in Galilee apparently).

Dr. Tyler uses the parables to further prove that Christ was other-oriented. He gives a brief explanation on the purpose of parables. He explains the dilemma that many find as to why Christ spoke in parables, i.e., Christ intentionally hid from the disobedient and rebellious His mysteries. Dr. Tyler’s quotation from G. Campbell Morgan seems out of step however as Campbell’s quote muddies the water. It appears inconsistent with Matthew 13:15b. “lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

Dr. Tyler closes his book by acknowledging that undeniably self-esteemism is found in the scriptures. It’s origin is in Genesis 3:6, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” This was the beginning of mankind becoming self-oriented. It’s clear to the reader that support for current selfism philosophy cannot be gleaned from the teachings or the life of Christ. Christ was certainly focused on doing His Father’s business as well as relieving the suffering of others.

Johnny Kicklighter is a counselor at Gateway Biblical Counseling & Training Center.

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