November 26th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
50 Cent, of his real name Curtis Jackson, is an American rapper born in the Queens of New York, July 6 1978.
The origin of his pseudonym, 50 Cent, comes from a New York gangster. When rapper 50 Cent was 8 years old, his mother dies, his father abandons him and rapper 50 Cent begins to sell cocaine to survive, while rapper 50 Cent was brought up by his grand mother. Despite this difficult childhood, rapper 50 Cent hopes to one day have the money and the glory that he has always dream as a rapper.
After a few forth and back in jail, it is 1996 that rapper 50 Cent meets Jam Master Jay of group Run DMC which label is JMJ Records. But the association with Jam Master Jay didn’t last, what is more rapper 50 Cent agreed with another label Trackmasters, already known in New York as a powerful label and having already worked with artists such as NAS or Jay-Z. Label Trackmasters signs rapper 50 Cent, who prepares his first album Power Of The $, with Columbia Records in 1999.
There are some rapper 50 Cent singles with success such as: « Your Life’s on the Line » and « How to Rob». Because of this last single, rapper 50 Cent was almost dead in front of the house of his grand parents in Mai 2000, people shot at him 9 times, and 3 bullets hit him, one in his hand, one in his back and the last one in his face, without physical damages but would have given rapper 50 Cent his style of voice. rapper 50 Cent still keeps sequels of this attack. However, a number of rappers hardly believe him.
Columbia Records, who was about to release rapper 50 Cent album, gives up. The two following years, rapper 50 Cent sets up his own group G-Unit with Tony Yayo as well as Lloyd Banks, two artists with whom rapper 50 Cent will perform in freestyle and mixtapes and afterwards, when Tony Yayo goes in jail, Young Buck joins the group.
In 2002, rapper 50 Cent meets Eminem, who, after listening to some mixtapes of the artist, immediately signs him at Shady/Aftermath (Label of Eminem and Dr. Dre). His first success is the single “Wanksta” which was on the original soundtrack of film 8 Mile.
In 2003, rapper 50 Cent releases his first LP with label Shady/Aftermath, with songs such as “P.I.M.P”, “In Da Club” or “21 Questions”. The success is instant: 800 000 sales the first week. It is also the biggest success of 2003 with nearly 12 million copies sold. The same year, rapper 50 Cent releases his first LP with his group G-Unit, the album Beg For Mercy. Once again the success is there. In 2005, rapper 50 Cent follows with his second LP with Shady/Aftermath, The Massacre, 1,14 million albums are sold in 4 days. It is the sixth best performance of sales ever. Rapper 50 Cent also establishes another record (like the Beatles) with 4 singles in the top 10 sales. The rapper 50 Cent albums are sold at more than 8 million copies.
Rapper 50 Cent then creates his own clothing line named like his group: G-Unit Clothing, signs contracts with Reebok and other brands and set up his own production label, G-Unit Records. In 2006, is released the film about his own life and of same name as his first album with Shady/Aftermath, “Get Rich Or Die Tryin’”. Despite a certain success with the public, this film has been found several weeks in the top 50 of the worse films noted by site IMDB.
Rapper 50 Cent has had a child before becoming famous between two stays in jail, which gives him the wish to stop dealing cocaine and to invest himself in rap music. Rapper 50 Cent has had a relationship with actress Vivica A. Fox. But she was so jealous of the other girls that were around rapper 50 Cent, especially in his video clips, that she leaves rapper 50 Cent.
Rapper 50 Cent counts today as many fans that as many enemies. Indeed, his rap is the object of numerous critics. The real hip hop fans found rapper 50 Cent too commercial, because most of his sounds are made for the clubs, and his rhymes are more and more easy. What is more, rapper 50 Cent put some rappers back, especially New Yorkers: Jadakiss, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Nas, Sheek Louch and Styles P. Rapper 50 Cent doesn’t hesitate to provoke and criticize them in his titles such as “Piggy Bank” from album “The Massacre” (2005). His power and his notoriety allowed rapper 50 Cent to compromise the career of rapper Ja Rule, with whom rapper 50 Cent was in serious conflict.
Since a few months, rapper 50 Cent is in conflict with rapper The Game (Los Angeles), protected by Dr. Dre.
The situation is therefore very complicated, it is one of the very few times that two artists from the same labels are in open conflict. The 2 rappers have collaborated together in the past and they have even sold quite a bit of their singles « How We Do » and « Hate It Or Love It ». The Game has denied on the radio that 50 Cent has contributed to the success of its album “The Documentary” (2005) while according to rapper 50 Cent, it is thanks to him that the album did sales.
Despite all these problems, rapper 50 Cent can still count on a good number of producers such as Dr. Dre, Cool & Dre, Scott Storch, Eminem, and Havoc, with whom rapper 50 Cent entertains good relationships. The rapper from the Queens has also many friends in the rap since he kept signing talents like on his label G-Unit records, which has in no time become very big. As a result, rapper 50 Cent has already signed and collaborated with Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Ma$e, Spider Loc, R&B singer Olivia… Finally rapper 50 Cent still entertains good, not to say very good relations with Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Young Buck (the 3 initial members of G-Unit), as well as with Jay-Z and Missy Elliott. Rapper 50 Cent belongs to the Crips, a street gang present in Los Angeles, and a little bit everywhere in North America.
If you are a rapper 50 Cent fan and love to listen to rapper 50 Cent, then you can customize your cell phone by downloading rapper 50 Cent ringtones. Ringtone Jam Jam Famous Singers has it all: 50 Cent music, 50 Cent lyrics, 50 Cent pictures, 50 Cent videos, 50 Cent songs, 50 Cent g unit, 50 Cent wallpapers, 50 Cent news, 50 Cent album, 50 Cent biography, , 50 Cent posters, 50 Cent movies and 50 Cent ringtones.
November 10th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
If you are looking for a fanciful tale, then the Chinese zodiac symbols can definitely satisfy that mythology craving. It is the story of a Jade King asking twelve animals to come to court. These twelve animals were used to form the Chinese zodiac signs.
The twelve animals were the rat, ox, tiger, dragon, rabbit, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and the pig. Instead of the pig, the twelfth sign should have been the cat but that rat was tricky and “forgot” to invite him.
All story telling aside, the Chinese zodiac symbols are represented by the twelve aforementioned animals. Each sign is for one year and you are given the symbol based upon your birth year. The signs rotate according to a twelve year cycle.
2008 is the year of that devious and clever rat. One website that explains more about your sign is “Chinese Astrology”. It is full of informative data regarding the Chinese zodiac.
One aspect of it that people do take seriously is the compatible zodiac signs to their own sign. Sometimes, the sign compatibility factor plays a major role in personal relationships, because with such signs, there are different personality characteristics that are said to represent the person’s true self.
Whether or not this is true and should be believed is for you to decide. Sometimes the Chinese zodiac sign is accurate and people really base their worldly decisions on whatever the prediction is for that day, month or year.
One important note: if you are a fan of zodiac signs tattoos and want to get your Chinese zodiac sign tattooed on your body, then make sure that the symbol is accurate. Words in a foreign language often do not translate into the same meaning in other languages.
On the website mentioned, there are zodiac pictures that you will find to be quite unique. It would be terribly unfortunate for you to get a tattoo of your zodiac symbol and later realize that it has no relation to it.
Chinese zodiac symbols are rife with history and legend. Everyone interested in a Chinese zodiac sign should know about the Jade King and his tricky rat that outsmarted the cat. The cat would have been one of the twelve signs had it not been for the rat failing to give him his invitation.
That rat was crafty and so the pig got the cat’s spot. If you are interested in learning more about the mythology and the mechanics behind the signs and how they cycle through time, then you can always find more information on the internet.
A free gift awaits you at our portal site, where you can enrich your knowledge further about the chinese zodiac symbols. Your comment is much appreciated at our horoscopes blog.
November 9th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
One of the most popular young stars in Hollywood today is Miley Cyrus. As most people know she is the star of the wildly popular Disney Channel television series ‘Hannah Montana’, as well as the daughter of country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus. She burst on the scene in 2006 and her fame soared like a rocket along with the popularity of her TV show. Though she comes from a showbiz family of sorts, the amount of fame and popularity she has achieved in just her first couple of years in the public eye is astounding.
Her Name
Many people wonder where she got the name Miley from and some are surprised to find out that it wasn’t her birth name. She has legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus now, but she was born Destiny Hope Cyrus. Her parents called her Miley as a nickname because she was such a “smiley” baby.
Her Career
She has stated that she had wished to be an actress from the time she was about nine years old. She got her start in acting when she appeared in her Dad’s television show “Doc”, sometime later she made her film debut in the movie “Big Fish”. She auditioned for the role of Hannah Montana and also the role of her best friend and at first was turned down because she was so young. She eventually won the role with her personality and her stage presence. On the show she also sings many songs, some of which she has written herself. She went on to put out a couple of albums based mainly on her television persona, but has gone on to release material under her own name now. Her initial concert tour and movie made about the concert tour were huge hits as well.
Her Personal Life
She has an incredibly close relationship with her family and for that reason as well as her young age is with them a great deal. She has made many friends with co-stars of her show, stars of other Disney Channel shows, and also people associated with her live performances. Like any young star in Hollywood, she has had to deal with her share of scandals too, but none so bad that they have wrecked her squeaky clean image as Disney’s teen star of the moment.
With her incredible personality and huge popularity, there is nothing that can keep her from achieving all the career accomplishments she wishes for herself. She has shown the talent and drive that is guaranteed to serve her well long after she finishes her run as a teen pop culture icon.
Mark Allen writes about a number of subjects, some of which are even interesting. You can find out interesting stuff that you don’t know about a number of subjects by visiting 7Things! Including 7 things you don’t know about: Miley Cyrus
November 8th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
If you were born in the Year of Monkey (1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004) as per Chinese Astrology Horoscopes, know your Destiny in 2008 in your Career/Business, Health, Wealth, Harmony, Love and Studies. Be aware of your strengths and be warned of the negative energies that you may have to face, to plan your strategies well ahead. Get to know the Feng Shui Enhancers and Cures that can help you, too.
Annual Forecast & Feng Shui Remedies for 2008 : Wu Zi, Year of Yang Brown Earth Rat – Monkey Sign (Chinese Zodiac)
The Chinese Zodiac Astrology is ancient, interesting, accurate and loved by millions across the world. The Chinese Zodiac is based on cyclic concept of time : a cycle of 12 years, repeated again and again. The 12 Years are associated with 12 Celestial Animals : Rat (or Mouse on Mongoose), Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), Tiger, Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), Dragon, Snake (or Serpent), Horse, Goat (or Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster (or Hen or Cock or Chicken or Phoenix), Dog and Pig (or Boar or Hog). The animal names occasionally differ with the Oriental Country they originate. The Chinese Yearly Horoscopes are basically built around these 12 Animal Signs.
Your Chinese Astrological Zodiac Animal Sign is directly based on the Chinese Lunar Year of Birth that you were born. The Chinese New Year is mobile and could start anywhere between 21st January and 20th February, depending upon the year. If your Date of Birth falls into any of the following Chinese Lunar Years, then, because you are born in the Year of the Monkey, you are symbolically identified by your Celestial Animal, the “Monkey” :
From 02 Feb 1908 to 21 Jan 1909
From 20 Feb 1920 to 07 Feb 1921
From 06 Feb 1932 to 25 Jan 1933
From 25 Jan 1944 to 12 Feb 1945
From 12 Feb 1956 to 30 Jan 1957
From 30 Jan 1968 to 16 Feb 1969
From 16 Feb 1980 to 04 Feb 1981
From 04 Feb 1992 to 22 Jan 1993
From 22 Jan 2004 to 08 Feb 2005
In Chinese Hsia Calender, 2008 is the 4705th year and significantly, is also the fifth year of the New Feng Shui Land Luck Cyclic Period 8. The forthcoming new Chinese Lunar Year is from 7th February 2008 to 25th February 2009. The next Chinese New Year, Ji Chow, the Yin Brown Earth Ox will begin on 26th January 2009.
Enjoy the Annual Forecasts and learn about the suggested Feng Shui & Crystal Remedies that you may need for the coming “New Lunar Year 2008 : Wu Zi, Year of Yang Brown Earth Rat” :
CAREER
An year of highly fluctuating fortunes and changes in all aspects of life. Accept the changes happily, willingly and open-mindedly. Many opportunities will come your way, but you will have to cross many obstacles too. In spite of systematic planning, careful supervising and hard work in implementation, it will be quite tough to reach the set targets. This year the office politics will be quite severe and many devious characters will go out of the way to point finger at you, spread rumors and gossips about you, hurl accusations at you and stab you in the back mercilessly. Do not allow them to distress you – just ignore them. Place a Rose Quartz Crystal Ball or Egg in the West, to downsize these negative energies. Your inventiveness and loyal contacts will see you through the year. Take the opportunity to observe and learn through enrichment courses, pick up new skills and do some serious research. The intellectual adventures that you indulge in this year will pave way and pay dividends next year. The salaried workers will face many setbacks in their achievements and those in business will struggle to sustain the existing clients. Install the special Sacred Geometry Yantra for Career/Business Success and for Overcoming Obstacles/Blocks. Carry a set of 3 Fortune Flower Coins to help you stay in focus of your targets. Certain scheming, shady, vile characters are “eyeing” you this year. Wear an Evil Eye Beads bracelet and carry the genuine, energized photograph of the White Tiger for your protection.
MONEY
Average money luck. Try and preserve what you have. Plan your budget properly. Avoid lavishness and put off large purchases. Cut down expenses and save up for the rainy day. Invest wisely. Do not go for loans and if you definitely have to, make sure you have understood the terms and conditions of the loan. Do not lend money. Do not stand guarantor for anybody. Do not indulge in illegal money schemes, as you may end up with a legal suit. You don’t have much windfall luck this year, so avoid gambling and the share market trading. Plant a Double Phoenix Coin Tree for new financial opportunities and carry a set of 3 Batlock Coins for a better cash flow.
HEALTH
High stress and emotional instability coupled with long hours of hard work lands you with sleeplessness and a deteriorated mental and physical health. You need to relax and take a lot of rest. Meditation and TaiChi will help you too. Quit worrying and cut down on tobacco, hot drinks and sex. Infections and problems related to nerves, liver, kidneys and eyes are areas of concern. While the males may get bladder problems, the females are likely to have gynecological problems. Avoid cold, raw, canned food. Watch out for traffic accidents. Place a set of 3 Sau Health Coins under the bed.
LOVE
Good romance luck. Singles should propose only with serious intent of settling down, as the proposal is likely be accepted. Careful selection of an auspicious wedding date is a must. The married monkey should be loyal to the mate and resist infidelity. Third party involvement and love triangle problems will surface easily, with such strong Plum Blossom Luck. Add to this the intentional spreading of rumors and gossips and you are looking at a very disharmonious picture. Install the statues of Male QuiYong on Dragon and Female QuiYong on Phoenix in the South West of your bedroom and place a set of three Harmony Coins under your bed, for increasing the marital harmony.
STUDIES
Natural biological changes, daydreaming and unwanted relationships will contribute to the fall in your marks and ranks. Self-confidence and trust in your tutors and elders will turn the tide in favor of you. Be wary of new comers around you. Do not get involved in gossips and rumors. Some of you might be subjected to stressful interrogations from officials. To regain your motivation and concentration, display the Dragon Head Turtle carrying Pagoda Tower in the North East. To resist the rebellious thoughts welling from inside you, carry a set of 3 QuiYong Coins with you.
Compatible Sign for 2008 : Rat, Dragon
Auspicious Direction for 2008 : North, South East
Auspicious Color for 2008 : Black, Yellow
Auspicious Number for 2008 : 1, 5
Wealth Gods to pray in 2008 : Tian Hou Sheng Mu, Yu Huang Da Di
NOTE ABOUT REMEDIES : The above analysis has suggested some remedies/cures for reducing the impact of negative energy and has recommended certain enhancers for increasing and improving upon the beneficial energy of the year. For the remedies/enhancers to be effective, they should be cleansed, energised, blessed and programmed not only for the particular individual/family but also for the specific purpose/problem. They should also be placed in the indicated location, to derive the maximum benefit. Any or all of these remedies can be reused for the forthcoming new years, but they may have to be repositioned according to the specific new year.
Janarrdhana Guptha is an Energy Consultant, Kabbalah Energy Numerologist, Crystal Master, Vaastu/Fengshui Researcher, Tarot Reader & Clairvoyant Karma Reader. He channels Cleansed, Blessed, Energised & Programmed Remedies like Feng Shui Enhancers & Cures, Crystals and Sacred Geometry Yantra Talismans, which are directly Programmed to the User, for best possible results. His speciality is permanent Karma Energy Correction through custom-built Crystal Energy Fields. His E-Mail : crystalvaastu@yahoo.com His websites :http://www.crystal-vaastu.com/home.htm, http://www.newage-kabbalah-numerology.com & http://www.fengshui-remedies.com.
September 3rd, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Is it ok to legalize abortion? This is a question that provokes a lot of debate. Abortion and homosexuality are relationship moral issues that have caused a lot of collision between the church leaders, human rights activists and medical practitioners. What is right in public eye is sometimes hard to tell but there are some laws that govern such moral issues. In January 22 in the year 1973, the supreme courts released its vital decision to legalize abortion. But this should not happen without some supporting rules. Young girls are supposed to ask for parental consent before they engage in abortion. The same court insisted that under the parenthood laws that a woman should not seek a spouse’s consent before carrying out an abortion. It is a dangerous procedure and it exposes the victims to some health risks and that is why in November 5 in 2003 president of USA signed a partial birth abortion ban act. It was meant to ban a late-pregnancy abortion.
Same sex marriage is another subject which has turned out to be among great relationship moral issues. Where is it in the legal stand point? President Bill Clinton signed a defense of marriage act which was to ban same sex marriage. It defined marriage as a legal association between a man and a woman. That concerns marriage for homosexuals but in 2004, Massachusetts Supreme court ruled that a ban on homosexual marriage was not according to the constitution of USA. This pushed president Bush to support amendment on the constitution that was banning same sex marriage. Vermont supreme court made a ruling that homosexuals should be given the same rights as heterosexuals. This saw the first same sex marriage performed in Massachusetts in may 17, 2004.
However legalizing same-sex marriage has never been a smooth process. In September 30 in 2004 the house voted against amendment of a ban on homosexual marriages. Three months later, the house voted and passed constitutional amendments that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. To try and push for homosexuality acceptance, the governor for California Arnold Schwarzenegger voted for legalization of same-sex marriage. Alabama was among the first state to pass an amendment banning same-sex marriage. It is evident that the legalization of same-sex marriage was among great relationship moral issues that it kept going in and out of the kitchen.
The house kept on rejecting and passing amendments on the constitution banning same-sex marriage. Some of the relationship moral issues such as abortion and homosexuality will remain as debates as long as the world exists. They are all subject to personal opinion. People can never be the same and they have different opinions. The problem is, in a society there must be some rules and regulation that govern how people behave. The legal standpoint of homosexuality and abortion is a difficult conclusive sweeping statement to come up with. Each and every individual has a different statement concerning these moral issues. If something is done to contribute to general positive wellbeing of a human being then it is worth if looked at it in any angle.
Francis K. Githinji Is An Online Dating Expert. His Latest Project Relationship Moral Issues Shows How The Power Of Online Dating Can Be Harnessed Internationally and With Great Success,
July 10th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Astrology is a wonderful science of sorts. Unfortunately, the astrology that most people are exposed to is very watered down and inaccurate. I am speaking of the various astrology forecasts published in newspapers and magazines today. The writers of such articles use a method called a sunrise chart to make predictions about the various signs which tries to say something accurate about each sign, which is a group of people all born in a 30-day period of time. These predictions are rarely accurate and if they are accurate at all, it is more of an accident than intentioned. The problem with these published predictions is that they give astrology a bad name. Most people laugh about these things and essentially what was regarded as a sacred science in ancient times is now a ‘gimmick’ or some form of perverse amusement. This is sad when one considers that true astrology, and other sciences such as the Science of the Cards, can give truly amazing predictions and information that can make a big difference in people’s lives.
Your birthday is essentially a blueprint of the life you are leading. A skilled astrologer or card reader can tell you things about yourself that would astound you. I have performed thousands of readings using astrology and the cards together and I have helped these clients with a wide range of challenges they face. The most common and usually most important issue is relationships, usually the intimate relationship with a partner. What some people do not know is that each birthday of the year has a particular relationship pattern associated with it. Some of these patterns are quite distinct and easy to identify. For example, some birthdays of the year are prone to marriage while others are not. Some of what I call these ‘un-marriageable’ birthdays will often get married, but rarely make a lasting success of it. Some birthdays should never get married at all really. But some people of these birthdays will usually try it anyway, often to give in to family pressure or to prove something to themselves. But ultimately these marriages fail. When I do a relationship reading for someone, the first thing I look at is their marriage-potential or commitment potential as it were. It makes the difference and helps frame everything about their love life in the proper context. It is not a curse to be born on a day that doesn’t really like commitment. It is just a choice, like all others, neither positive or negative. Some birthdays are highly sexually oriented while others are very security oriented. Some are creative while others are more practical and organized.
Most of the information I use about relationships and birthdays comes from the Science of the Cards. In this system each day of the year is assigned one of the 53 playing cards (52 plus the Joker). And that card holds the key to their lifetime destiny, just as much or more as one’s astrology sign. It not only reveals information about one’s love life potential and patterns, but identifies key personality traits and patterns of experience that are unique. Often one can even tell what professions would be best and just how one’s life can be expressed in its highest and most satisfying way. Below I give a glimpse of just some of what is offered by this amazing system. You will see a list of birthdays, some of which are the most marriageable and some who are the least. I will also include here, for your enjoyment, the specific Birth Card of each birthday and one or two celebrities who exemplify those qualities mentioned.
The list below is by no means complete. Every birthday has a rating that is highly accurate. This is just a sample. Keep in mind as you read that the Marriage-ability number starts with 0 and goes to 10, where 10 is the most marriageable and 0 the least.
• 1/1=King of Spades; Marriagability Rating–5; Celebrities born on this day–J. Edgar Hoover, Verne Troyer; Comments–The most Powerful card in the deck!
• 1/5=Nine of Spades; Marriagability Rating–8; Celebrities born on this day–Walter Mondale, Robert Duvall; Comments–Giving and highly organized.
• 1/11=Three of Spades; Marriagability Rating–4-5; Celebrities born on this day–Amanda Peet, Mary J. Blige; Comments–Highly creative and artistic.
• 1/16=Jack of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–5; Celebrities born on this day–Kate Moss, Aaliyah; Comments–Inner conflict between freedom and commitment.
• 2/22=Three of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–4; Celebrities born on this day–JDrew Barrymore, Michael Chang; Comments–Probably not marriage material.
• 2/25=King of Clubs; Marriagability Rating–9; Celebrities born on this day–Tea Leoni, Carrot Top; Comments–Highly intelligent.
• 2/22=King of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–9; Celebrities born on this day–JDrew Sharon Stone, Prince Edward; Comments–Strong willed/business minded.
• 3/10=Five of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–2; Celebrities born on this day–Queen Latifah, Vanessa Williams; Comments–Freedom, freedom, freedom!
• 4/5=Three of Spades; Marriagability Rating–3; Celebrities born on this day–Amanda Mike McCready, Jane Asher; Comments–Artist and travel oriented.
• 4/28=Six of Clubs; Marriagability Rating–9; Celebrities born on this day–Jessica Alba, Jay Leno ; Comments–Love and sex, what else!
•5/7=Queen of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–3; Celebrities born on this day–Tracy Lords, Amy Heckerling; Comments–Creative and indecisive.
• 6/18=Queen of Clubs; Marriagability Rating–7; Celebrities born on this day–Paul McCartney, Isabella Rossallini; Comments–Psychic and highly intelligent.
• 7/23=Five of Clubs; Marriagability Rating–2; Celebrities born on this day–Paul Woody Harrelson, Stephanie Seymour; Comments–Freedom means everything.
•8/5=Eight of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–5; Celebrities born on this day–Patrick Ewing, Anastasia Horne; Comments–Multiple marriages very possible.
• 8/22=Four of Clubs; Marriagability Rating–8; Celebrities born on this day–Tori Amos, Layne Staley; Comments–Organized and grounded.
• 9/15=Nine of Clubs; Marriagability Rating–7; Celebrities born on this day–Prince Harry, Dan Marino; Comments–Very sexy and love prone.
• 9/29=Eight of Hearts; Marriagability Rating–7; Celebrities born on this day–Natasha Wagner, Andrew Dice Clay; Comments–Playboy/playgirl.
• 10/12=Ten of Clubs; Marriagability Rating–6; Celebrities born on this day–Kirk Cameron, Hugh Jackman; Comments–Independent and powerful.
• 10/31=Four of Hearts; Marriagability Rating–9; Celebrities born on this day–Durmont Mulroney, Jane Pauley; Comments–Family oriented and powerful.
• 11/1=Six of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–7; Celebrities born on this day–Jenny McCarthy, Anne Donovan; Comments–Marry a rich guy/lady!
• 11/27=Six of Hearts; Marriagability Rating–8; Celebrities born on this day–Robin Givens, Caroline Kennedy; Comments–Long-lasting relationships.
• 11/1=Ace of Diamonds; Marriagability Rating–1; Celebrities born on this day–Jay-Z, Jeff Bridges; Comments–Should never marry.
• 12/18=King of Hearts; Marriagability Rating–8; Celebrities born on this day–Brad Pitt, Katie Holmes; Comments–Strongly family bent.
• 12/31=Joker; Marriagability Rating–Who Knows?; Celebrities born on this day–Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer; Comments–A mystery unto themselves.
Ginny Heenan is working on the Science of the Cards with Robert Lee Camp. Robert is a professional astrologer and author of Your Birthday Your Card, The Cards of Your Destiny, and Love Cards, all found in most major bookstores. You can find the perfect match for love at his new web site, http://www.lovecardsdating.com
July 2nd, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
It is interesting to consider that some of the most memorable and effective horror villains in our favourite films from the genre actually have very little in the way of screen time. Perhaps the fact we only get glimpses of them encourages us to fill in the blanks with our own imaginations, after all we fear the unknown above all else.
There is certainly a relationship between how much we see of a character on screen and how scary they are to the audience, a brief appearance often just whets the appetite and fans frequently go to sequels in the hope of seeing more of their favourite baddies. Typically in sequels the villain will tend to feature more prominently and become less feared as a consequence.
The villains who featured in the classic horrors of yesteryear have completely lost their impact through over-exposure. Dracula is no longer seen as a frightening character, a parodied version of him appears as the Count on Sesame Street indicating his absorption into popular culture is complete. Frankenstein’s monster is often portrayed as a sympathetic character nowadays and certainly doesn’t scare audiences anymore. Even the wolf man has become a joke, take films like Teen Wolf where far from being a scary monster he is an ordinary teen and his lycanthropic transformation has become a thinly veiled allegory for puberty.
More recent horror films and the characters they spawned have undergone the same process. Take Clive Barker’s 1987 film Hellraiser for example, a film which is largely remembered for Pinhead, who features prominently on the cover. The character actually has less than 10 minutes of screen time in total. Naturally in the endless slew of sequels Pinhead has been given more and more screen time and his ability to scare has decreased proportionately.
Freddy Krueger is another good example, he is a serious character in A Nightmare on Elm Street who lurks in the shadows and appears only fleetingly throughout the film. In the sequels, as original creator Wes Craven complained, the character appears on screen far more often and begins to spout comedy one-liners. He is transformed from a child murdering nightmare man into a lovable rogue.
In Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien the creature never appears fully on screen, we only get glimpses of it and quick flashes as it stalks and kills the crew of the ill fated Nostromo. However despite the fact the aliens get a lot more screen time in the sequel they do remain powerfully scary, maybe because the original artistic design by Giger is so good.
Perhaps the best example of a recent horror character who gained instant fame despite less than 20 minutes of screen time is Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. The performance from Anthony Hopkins was extremely memorable and in fact remains the shortest performance in a film ever to win a best actor Oscar. There is no doubt with more screen time in the sequels and appearances in parodies Hannibal’s fear factor has been diluted over the years.
So when it comes to scaring an audience with a memorable villain less is definitely more.
Simon J Hill watches too many horror films and reviews them at http://www.eathorror.com/
This article can also be found here http://www.eathorror.com/lessismore.php
June 30th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
About the Author: Arianna Huffington, is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of eleven books. She is also co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” public radio’s popular political round table program.
In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet.
In 2006, she was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
“On Becoming Fearless….in Love, Work and Life” is Huffington’s most recent and most personal book to date, offering a road map for achieving fearlessness in every aspect of life, a straight-to the point manifesto on how to be bold, how to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done in order to find the freedom to love, lead and succeed.
“Fanatics and Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America”, offers a scathing portrait of our contemporary political landscape with a bold, inspiring and practical approach to restoring America to the promise envisioned by our greatest leaders. It was published in 2004.
“Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption are Undermining America,” a New York Times bestseller, was published in 2003.
“How to Overthrow the Government,” on the corruption of our political system and the need for reform, was published in 2000.
“Greetings from the Lincoln Bedroom,” a political satire, was published in 1998.
“The Fourth Instinct,” on the longing for meaning in a secular world, was published in 1994.
“Picasso: Creator and Destroyer,” a biography of Pablo Picasso was published in 1988. It was a major international bestseller, translated into 16 languages. The book was made into a film starring Anthony Hopkins as Picasso and produced by Merchant-Ivory for Warner Bros.
“The Gods of Greece,” celebrates the power of myths as guides to forgotten dimensions of life and ourselves. Atlantic Monthly Press republished it with paintings by Françoise Gilot
“The Woman behind the Legend,” published in 1981, a biography of Maria Callas quickly became an international bestseller.
“After Reason,” on political leadership and the intersection of politics and culture was published in 1978.
“The Female Woman,” on the changing roles of women, was published in 1974 by Random House and translated into 11 languages.
Huffington has made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including “Charlie Rose”, “Oprah”, “Nightline”, “Real Time with Bill Maher”, “Inside Politics”, “Larry King Live”, “Hardball”, “Good Morning America”, the “Today” show”, “Countdown” and “The O’Reilly Factor”.
She serves on several boards that promote community solutions to social problems, including A Place Called Home, which works with at-risk children in South Central Los Angeles. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Archer School for Girls.
Arianna Huffington lives in Los Angeles with her two teenage daughters.
About the Book: “On Becoming Fearless: …in Love, Work, and Life” is a definite excellent source of concrete ways to deal with fear. In this book you will read and open your mind to many ways to battle just about every type of fear known to womankind. The information and helpful tips are not from a person that has read a book or heard about fear, this book brings its reader, first hand experience and advice based on those experiences.
This book will talk about so many fears such as: love, parenting, childbirth, relationships, divorce, being alone, finding the best friend in you, failure and success, work (overworking), money, illness, aging, freedom to dream forever, letting go, God and death, loss of a person deemed to be your strong hold and foundation, leadership, speaking out, and changing the world.
“ON BECOMING FEARLESS” will help its reader to identify and understand the how’s and whys of certain fears we as women are forced to deal with every day. It will teach you how to find your self-esteem that you once had and strengthen it so that no challenge life offers will taint it again. The author speaks through experiences of a normal everyday women, with every level of issues that we ourselves at one time or another have come in touch with. You will read about be an female activist in a, “mans world” and how the author has managed to overcome her fears in yet another battle against the, “Old School” way of thinking. Arianna Huffington also tries to reach her readers through this book with her insights in the political world and as a women who dared to say, “SO WHAT” and show them that they can be that women of fearlessness!
Womensselfesteem.com highly recommends, “On Becoming Fearless” to anyone that has ever wasted a single minute of their lives in fear and doubt.
Book reviewed by DorothyL@womensselfesteem.com
Personal Note from Dorothy:
Thank You Arianna Huffington for sharing your life experiences with us!
June 15th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Anna Nicole Smith was famous for being herself. She led a self-created extravagant, loving-every-minute lifestyle. She was constantly in the tabloids pertaining to her mood swings, slurring speech, choices of male companions, and greater-than-life persona. Her sudden death, on February 8, 2007 (Anna Nicole Smith 2007), made the public wonder who this voluptuous woman truly was.
Anna Nicole Smith, born Vickie Lynn Hogan, never seemed to be happy in her environment as a child. She would continuously change her name (Anna Nicole Smith, 2007), trying to be someone else. She used this defense mechanism to flee the emotional inhibitors present in her childhood home. Anna’s half sister has reported that their father had sexually and physically abused Anna and her sisters (msnbc.com, 2007). Anna’s mother removed her from that environment and ended up poor in a trailer park. Anna seemed always to want better, and would do what she needed to achieve her goals.
As described in the Cognitive/ Social Theory (Kowalski & Westen, 2005), Anna felt that by creating a different persona, she would escape her reality and achieve these goals of her ultimate dream of stardom. She believed that by reflecting certain over-exuberant behaviors, she could achieve her pie-in-the-sky dreams. Most anyone who watches television would say that she strived to be the next Marilyn Monroe. This is called a behavioral-outcome expectancy (Kowalski & Westen, 2005). Self-efficacy expectancy explains that Anna knew that she was in control and capable of achieving these goals. She set high personal goals in order to change her life into a dream she had always hoped would come true.
The Humanistic Theory explains that personality is created by one’s environment and societal experiences. Rousseau clearly states (Kowalski & Westen, 2005), “man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” (pages 447-448). Anna was a compassionate, life-loving person, but felt held back by society and economics. She found employment in all work environments, from a chicken fry, to Wal-mart, to a strip club, in order to achieve her goals.
While working at the chicken fry, she wed a boy one year younger than she; he was sixteen at the time. They divorced shortly after; she also had a son by this man. Anna Nicole began stripping at a club, while mailing in body shots to Playboy Magazine (Anna Nicole Smith, 2007), trying to get into the Hollywood scene. She was aware of her true self, but was willing to delve into a false self in order to escape her binds (Kowalski & Westen, 2005). She wanted to be accepted and loved by all, literally. Anna met an oil tycoon while stripping, and married him years later. This marriage and relationship was extremely controversial because the gentleman was eighty-nine at the time, she was only twenty-seven. Many, including the man’s son, thought of Anna as a gold digger, but Anna stated that she was self- sufficient and truly loved this man (Goldman, 2001). Again, Anna was making a name for herself and placing herself into the tabloids. She was continuously creating an ideal self. The presence of an ideal self is the complete absorption of the false self, and the complete suppression of one’s true needs and personality (Kowalski & Westen, 2005).
Anna became a widow only one year later. Her husband’s son took Anna to court, preventing her from getting any money. She demanded that she loved him, and he loved her. He wanted her to be taken care of (Goldman, 2001). The case was still dancing in and out of the court system at the time of Anna’s death.
Anna’s death was sudden to everyone. However, she did suffer from depression continuously. She did not hide from the public the fact that she took antidepressants. She had been shown on television obviously mixing alcohol with antidepressants, slurring her speech and flailing her arms in the air (msnbc.com, 2007). Anna especially suffered from depression close to her demise. She had lost her first-born child, twenty years old, and given birth to a daughter, just months before. Anna had not stated who her daughter’s father was; this was discovered after Anna’s death (Anna Nicole’s Afterlife, 2007). Even though she wanted to paint the tabloids with her life, Anna seemed to want this part of her life kept secret. It seemed that she wanted different for her new family.
The Humanistic theory best supports Anna Nicole Smith’s personality. Her childhood was filled with unavoidable situations of her environment. Her adulthood was built on self-created drama and stardom. Anna buried her true self as a young child, renaming herself several times until finally settling on Anna Nicole Smith. She was willing to share her ups and downs with the nation through the ever-honest tabloids, and never flinched when exploited. The one trait Anna never did hide was her big, loving southern heart. She wanted the world to love and remember her for who she was and for what she came from.
References
Anna Nicole’s afterlife. (2007, June 4). Maclean’s, Retrieved October 18, 2007, from Academic
Search Premier database.
Anna Nicole’s half-sister’s tell-all book. (2007, April 12). Msnbc.com, Retrieved October 19,
2007, from www.msnbc.com.
Anna Nicole Smith. (2007, February 17). Economist, Retrieved October 18, 2007, from
Academic Search Premier database.
Goldman, D. (2001, March). The millioraire and the playmate. Biography, 5(3), 28. Retrieved
October 18, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Kowalski, R. M., and Westen, D. (2005). Psychology; The Study of Mental Processes and
Behavior, (4th Edition). USA: John Wily & Sons, Inc.
Summer Willis writes about various psychological topics.
December 2nd, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
Introduction
Many people have assumed leadership positions in the Church based on the claims that they had a “call”. This ‘call’ has been generally understood to come from God, which made it quite easy for them to be accepted as leaders. But Oswald Sanders said, in his book ‘Spiritual Leadership’, that, “in many cultures today where Christian leadership carries prestige and privileges, people aspire to leadership for reasons quite unworthy and self-seeking.”1 Such people hide their true motive under the guise of ‘call’.
It can be proved from scripture that God has been calling people to be leaders, but the way the Church understood and acknowledge the call has given rise to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Merrill F. Unger, in the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, classified the biblical concept of call under the following three headings: a) To call for help, b) Divine call, C) Call to salvation. With respect to the subject matter of this article, the ‘Divine call’ should be the area of concern. Unger further divided the divine call under three sub-headings: a) In the sense of ‘to name’ or to designate (Gen: 16:11) and in the sense of ‘to be’ (Isa. 9:6);b) In the designation of individuals to some special office or work, as the call of Bezalel (Exod. 31 : 2)), of Judges, prophets, apostles etc. and c) A condition of life (1 Cor. 7 1 Cor. 7:20)2
N.R.W, Farrer, in his article in the New Bible Dictionary, further commented on the divine call. He pointed out that when God called an individual to serve in some capacity and for some particular purpose, that call both described and indicated a relationship between God and that individual or group, e.g. as in the case of the nation of Israel.3
With this background idea of the concept of divine call, in both the contemporary Church and the Bible, the call to leadership, is divided into three main sections: a) The call of leaders in Bible times, b) The call of leaders in the contemporary African Church, c) Conclusion.
The Call of Leaders in the Bible Times
The Bible gives account of how most leaders came into leadership positions. Key leaders in the Bible are selected and grouped under four categories for this examination. The grouping is based on differences seen in the way they were called.
A. Group One
The first group comprises Leaders who had direct personal call from God. They include Abraham, Moses and Paul.
Abraham
Alan P. Ross, in his commentary on Genesis, cites Gen. 12:1-9 as the call of Abraham. He states that the passage recorded how God called Abraham out of a pagan world and made astounding promises to him, promises that later became part of the formal Abrahamic covenant.4 In addition to the text cited by Ross, Harrison and co-author, cites Acts 7:2-3 and Heb. 11:8 as additional passages from which Abraham’s call can be understood. The Acts passage reveals that God had a personal encounter with Abraham and told him to leave his country and people and go to a place he would show him. The Hebrew text reveals that Abraham obeyed. But as Harrison further pointed out, the call of Abraham was renewed in the Gen. 12 account.5 It was quite clear that obedience on the side of Abraham up to that point was partial. Ross pointed out two imperatives in the Gen. 12:1-3 account. The first was that Abraham was asked to leave his country and go to the land of Canaan, and the second was that he would be a blessing to others.6
Biblical records show how Abraham had been a leader particularly with respect to his faith and how the Jewish nations and later other nation of the world were blessed by imitating that same faith of Abraham.
Moses
K.A. Kitchen, in his article on Moses, introduced him as, “the great leader and law-giver through whom God brought the Hebrews out of Egypt, constituted them a nation for his service, and brought them within reach of the land promised to their forefathers.7 One can never dispute the fact that Moses had been a great leader. An important phrase of the quote above, ‘whom God used’, focuses on the relationship between Moses and God. The starting point of this working relationship was that it was God who called Moses whilst he was tending his father-in-Law’s flock at mount Horeb.8 Howard F. Vos, in describing this divine encounter of Moses said the angel of the lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush which would naturally have burned in a moment, but remained unconsumed. He continued by pointing to a two-fold revelation made to Moses. The first was the eternal self-existence of God, and the second was God’s mission to deliver his people.9 All that Moses did in his life as a leader had a direct bearing on this encounter.
Paul
The third and final person to be discussed in this group is the apostle Paul. In Act 9:1-9, the Bible describes a remarkable encounter that he had with God. F. Foulkes agreed with the biblical writer of Acts that Paul’s encounter was an experience of a healthy mind and can be adequately interpreted only as a miraculous act, which transforms Christ’s enemy into his apostle.10 It must be noted that commentators, like Stanley D. Toussaint, discussed the text above under Paul’s conversion. But Toussaint went further than just discussing conversion experience. He also mentioned Paul’s acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus Christ and the instructions the Lord gave him as to what he expected him to do.11 It was clear, from the point of Paul’s miraculous encounter onwards, that his role and mission as a leader was directly related to this experience.
Summary
The three leaders mentioned in the section above – Abraham, Moses and Paul, had personal divine encounter with God. In addition they were given specific instructions as to what they were supposed to do. It was upon the basis of these experiences that these men accepted God’s call. Finally, it must be noted that God has a specific mission in mind for each of these men when he called them.
B. Group Two
The second group comprises leaders God called through human mediators. In this group David and Joshua would be discussed.
David
In 1 Sam. 16:1-3, God instructed the prophet Samuel to go and anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king because he had rejected Saul. Later in that same chapter David was identified as the son and anointed. In his commentary on the text mentioned above, Eugene H. Merrill said that, “Samuel was commissioned to seek out the one who would succeed Saul on the throne of Israel. This one had already been identified as a man after God’s own heart”. David had been chosen from eternity past to be ruler of Israel.12 One could rightly say that David did not have a direct encounter with God but his call to fulfill a particular function in life came from God through Samuel.
Joshua
Four other people carried this name in scripture. The Joshua to be discussed was the one called Hoshea in Num. 13:16. He was the assistant and successor of Moses. From Deut. 31:14,23, God revealed to Moses that he would soon die and that he should appear with Joshua before him in the tabernacle. It was in the presence of God that Moses gave his faithful minister his commission. Joshua was told that he would lead Israel to the promise land, which he later did.13
God’s call to Joshua was mediated through Moses, and it also carried with it instructions for Joshua to take up a new position within Israel and a charge with the responsibility to take Israel to the promise land.
C. group Three
The third group comprises leaders who were called to leadership in response to a need. In this group James and Mathias would be discussed.
James
According to Gal. 1:9, James, the Lord’s brother was an apostle. When or how he got his apostleship was not recorded in scripture. However, he featured as a prominent leader in the early Church. Merrill F. Unger, in his article in the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, acknowledge that James was indeed a prominent person in the Jerusalem Church (Gal. 2:2), was president of the council (Acts 15:13) and with the elders received Paul upon his return from his third missionary journey (Acts 21:8).14 Two things can be said about James: first, that his leadership role was recognized by the other elders and those he led; second, that he surface as a leader during a time of need or crisis.
Mathias
In Acts 1:15-26, Mathias was chosen as an apostle to replace Judas. As it is rightly pointed out Peter laid down the essential qualifications of the apostolic office. He continued by saying two men were qualified for the post, but the ultimate decision was referred to God himself by the casting of ‘lot’ and prayers. Unger further commented that nothing reliable was recorded of his (Mathias) life, nor was he mentioned again in the New Testament.15 No one can deny that Mathias held a leadership position, but again no one can truly account for what he did, nor point to his following.
D. Group Four
The fourth group of leaders God called through visions or dreams. Joseph, son of Jacob, and Samuel would be discussed in this group.
Joseph
R.K. Harrison rightly stated that Joseph was appointed ruler over Pharaoh’s house and over all the land and in actual fact was next to Pharaoh.16
According to Gen. 37:3-11, Joseph had two separate dreams, which his brothers and parents understood to mean that he would rule over them. It happened that indeed he became ruler. It should be observed that Joseph’s brothers and parents understood the interpretation of the dream and noted that God had that personal unique encounter with Joseph. So Joseph maintained a good spiritual relationship with God throughout his lifetime.
Samuel
In I Sam. 3:1-9, the Bible recorded a strange experience that Samuel had whilst serving Eli. He was asleep and he heard a voice calling him by name. He thought it was Eli. Later, after Samuel had gone to Eli twice, Eli realized that God was the one calling Samuel, so he instructed Samuel as to how he should respond. Merrill F. Unger, in his article on Samuel in the New Bible Dictionary, commented on this strange experience that Samuel had. He said, that at the time when Samuel served the lord before Eli, both as a boy and as a young man, word from the lord was rare and visions were infrequent.17 It seemed that the medium God used to speak to Samuel was very appropriate and necessary for that time.
The call of Leaders in the Contemporary African Church
Having looked at ‘call’ from the biblical perspective, it would now be appropriate to examine this same concept from the contemporary African Church’s perspective. In doing so one must take into consideration that the Church is also an institution. As an institution there are laid down procedures for recognizing and accepting leaders. With the exception of some of the independent Churches, all Churches seemed to have been structured like western Churches because they were actually established by western missionaries. Therefore, in recognizing leaders three major things had to be given consideration. These are:
The kind of leadership position
The kind of Church government that exists
The constitution and bye-law of that Church. The three factors listed above
would now be examined individually.
A. The Leaders
Since the Church is also an institution, leaders are considered in terms of offices or positions. Wilbur O’ Donovan, in his book, Biblical Christianity in African Perspective, observed that there are two types of leadership positions in the Church, with qualification given for each position. These are the positions of elders and deacons. But he also said that some Christians feel that there are four positions of leadership mentioned in the New Testament. The additional two are that of bishops (overseers) and pastors.18 In the contemporary African Church the list of leadership positions would be much longer, e.g.,. Sunday school superintendent, women’s leader, men’s leader etc. The approach of the Church with respect to these leadership positions have always been two fold:
a) To select or appoint the person qualified to fill a post;
b) To select or appoint the person highly favored to fill post.
At the point of deliberation to fill a particular post, an aspiring candidate may indicate that he or she had been called by God to fill that post.
B. The Church Government
The Church government is another thing that needs to be taken into account in recognizing leaders in the African Church. Again Wilbur O’ Donovan, cited three main types of Church governments. These are:
a) The Episcopal – This type of government is hierarchical in structure with an individual leader at the top. This leader may be referred to as Pope, bishop or archbishop. Sometimes distinction is made between clergy and laity. Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist Churches have this system;
b) The Congregational government – this form of Church government as O’ Donovan stated, has a strong association with the political idea of democracy. In this type of government, Church administrative business is carried out in congregational meeting in which everyone has an equal vote. The Baptist and most independent Churches have this system.
c) The Presbyterian government – This form of Church government relies on the
leadership of a group of elders in each local Church.
These elders are either elected or appointed and they represent the interest of the rest of the congregation in Church business meeting.19
No one can assume leadership position in the contemporary African Church by simply declaring that God has called him. Every aspiring candidate for leadership positions has to go through the filter of the Church government.
C. Constitution and Bye-Laws
These are Church drawn documents necessary for both administrative and legal purposes. These documents have been a major tool to enthrone or dispose of leaders. Church constitutions and bye-laws have been used in such a way that the Bible is left with little authority over who should govern the Church.
In summary a question can be asked, How does the Church understand the concept of Call, with respect to her leaders? It seems to be understood this way: there must be a vacant position in the Church and there must be people aspiring for that position. Depending upon the kind of Church government and constitution, someone will either be appointed or elected into that position. In the end it would be concluded that God has called that person to that particular leadership position. On the contrary, most independent Churches in Africa started when an individual said he had a personal call from God to start the Church. Most times they start, as a small ministry, which ends up, being a comparatively big Church.
CONCLUSION
It has been seen that in Bible times God used divers ways, such as personal miraculous encounter, vision, dreams and human mediators to call people into leadership. When he called an individual, he always gave clear instructions as to what he wants that particular individual to do. He does not look for qualified men but rather men who will be obedient to his will.
God still calls people to leadership today. But the administrative structure of the Church and polices make it very difficult to determine those who have been called. In fact documents like the constitution and bye-laws make it difficult for the Church to give considerations to individual’s personal call. The documents seem to have a higher authority than the Bible in choosing Church leaders. This may be one of the main reasons why the Church still suffers from lack of God called leaders today.
END NOTES
1 Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership (Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), P 14.
2 Merrill F. Unger, Abraham: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), P 119.
3 M.R.W. Ferrer, Abraham: New Bible Dictionary, second 00. (Leicester: Inter-varsity Press, 1982), p 199.
4 Alan P. Ross, Genesis: The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Colorado: Chariot Victor Publisher’s 1984), P 46.
5 R.K. Harrison, Abraham: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Michigan: Moody Press, 1988), P 12.
6 Alan P. Ross, Genesis: The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Colorado: Chariot Victor Publisher’s 1988), P 47.
7 K.A. Kitchen, Moses: The New Bible Dictionary. Second, ed. (Leicester: Inter-varsity Press, 1982), P 794.
8 John D. Hannah, Exodus: The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Colorado: Chariot Victor Publisher’s 1984), P 111.
9 Howard F. Vos, Moses: The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Colorado: Chariot Victor Publisher’s 1984), p 887
10 F. Foulkes, Paul: The New Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-varsity Press, 1982), P 890.
11 Stanley D,Toussaint, Acts: The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Colorado: Chariot Victor Publisher’s 1984), PP 375/7.
12 Eugene H. Merrill, I Samuel: The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Colorado: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1984), p 447.
13 Merrill F. Unger, Joshua: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-varsity Press, 1982), P 714.
14 Merrill F. Unger, James: The New Unger’ Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-varsity Press, 1982, p.
15 Merrill F. Unger, Matthias: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-varsity Press, 1982), P 827.
16 R.K. Harrison, Joseph: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1982), p 711.
17 Merrill F. Unger, Samuel: The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter.Varsity Press, 1982), P 1121.
18 Wilbur O’ Donovan, Biblical Christianity in African Perspective (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 1996), P 17o/1.
19 Ibid. P 168/70.
Dr. Leopold A. Foullah is currently Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Mount Aureol, Freetown. He is also the General Superintendent of the Missionary Church of Africa, Sierra Leone Conference. He holds the following academic qualifications: Dip.Th., B.Th., M.Div., M.Th. and Ph.D (Leeds University, England). He is interested in Biblical Theology and Social Issues. He is External Examiner for both The Evangelical College of Theology (TECT), Jui and the Sierra Leone Theological College & Church Training Center in Freetown. He is married with three children.
Next »