Learnings from the book of James

The main idea of this post is to share with you my reflections on the book of James and how it taught me few most important lessons. In our sunday school at Church, we studied the book of James and today we were reflecting on what each one of us have learnt through this study.

First of all, I want to write the things which were given in the prologue of this book in my study bible.

1. Putting faith into action through words and deeds.

2. Submitting to God under God's care.

3. Prayer needs to be a priority in our lives.

For me I found the book of James as a great instructory blessing. The words written are very simple and gives a clear instruction on how to be our walk with Christ as a Christian in everyday life. Few verses have become my favorites.

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness"

It taught me that having no faith in God is a sin. Also, believing God brings blessing into our lives. Trust in him makes us righteous. Abraham was called God's friend. How amazing it is to be a friend of God - who is the almighty!

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,"

It taught me to be more patient to listen than to speak quickly. I feel that there is a great gain in listening. It makes the other person happy that we are giving him/her attention to what she is speaking and also, we can learn and improve our understanding about different things. Also, the verse says slow to become angry. In this modern world, I feel it is one of the toughest things. But surrendering ourselves to God and lean on him will help us able to follow HIS instructions through HIS word.

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble"

This teaches us to be humble to gain the grace of God in our lives. Also, as we see in the book of Proverbs, "pride walketh before fall", if the grace of God is not in our lives, our lives will be shattered and meaningless.

"Is anyone in trouble? He should pray"

Gives us an instruction that prayer is an important tool to face the troubles of everyday life. Taught me the importance of prayer to survive in this competent world.

Hope these verses are a blessing to you too.

Thanks,

A sinner saved by grace.

Tips on Time Management and Writing E-mails

Found it interesting!

Tips on Time Management and Writing E-mails

IN GRADUATE STUDY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005),
Gregory Colon Semenza notes that “poor time management and inadequate organization skills” often create the major barrier to a successful graduate school experience. To help you manage your time and your work materials, we’ve summarized some of his suggestions.

DATE BOOKS may be out of date (or style) but...it’s important to have something that will help you keep track of your appointments and deadlines. Here’s a great tip: create a one- page weekly TO-DO listing of your deadlines, appointments and tasks, and post it somewhere that’s
easily accessible.

USE YOUR COMPUTER AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL TOOL. Create a folder for each area of your work: research, teaching, coursework and your academic portfolio. In your research folder, begin developing your list of references and keep copies of any papers you’ve written for any seminar you’ve taken. Bookmark important websites and electronic databases like Academic Search Premier available on the UNL Libraries resources page. In your teaching folder, keep copies of your syllabi and lesson plans for every course you teach. Begin developing your teaching statement and save each draft (you never know when you’ll want to return to an earlier
version). Save future job search materials like your CV and other documentation materials in your academic portfolio folder. The time you put into organizing these materials now will save you a great deal of time later.

ESTABLISH A ROUTINE. As much as possible try to follow a regular daily schedule so that by the time you are ready to write your dissertation your work habits will be well established. Doing so will allow you to coordinate your activities with those of your adviser, graduate
colleagues, and family and friends, and will alleviate the feeling that someone is always demanding your time.

PRIORITIZE. PRIORITIZE. PRIORITIZE. In graduate school, you need to be very protective of your research and writing time. It doesn’t matter when you set aside time to write or plan your next teaching lecture. It DOES matter that you recognize that these tasks are more important than some of your other tasks, like checking e-mail. Save the more mundane tasks for low energy times. If you’re a doctoral or master’s student who is expected to complete a thesis, spend the bulk of your day on research-related activities. And learn to say “no” — to friends, family, maybe even your graduate adviserJ. Managing your time in one area of your professional life will help you do it in other areas, too.

Having said that, BE REASONABLE ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO AND WHEN. If you have to work at night or on weekends, try to choose a time thatminimizes disruptions of your personal and family time.

USE HOLIDAY BREAKS TO FOCUS ON RESEARCH. Stay near the university during the summer. If you stay on campus and spend time on your research and writing, you’ll have a much better chance of finishing in a timely manner.

MAINTAIN SOME SORT OF DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY during graduate school. Exercise can help you structure your day and release stress, contributes to greater confidence, keeps you healthy and clears a space in your mind for those “aha” moments that help you break through barriers in your thinking. Hobbies are good, too. Go to a UNL basketball game. Attend a
show at the Lied Center. Learn to knit (yes, there are health benefits to knitting). Like people who exercise regularly, people who take time to enjoy their favorite hobbies tend to experience less stress.

BEGIN WORKING ON YOUR CURRICULUM VITAE NOW. By building your vita early in your graduate career, you’ll be able to track your accomplishments while noting the gaps in your experience.

FIVE QUICK TIPS FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE E-MAILS

E-MAIL IS AN INCREASINGLY PREFERRED TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION between students and faculty. When communicating with your professors via e-mail, it’s important to remember that many faculty view an e-mail message as a letter that was delivered quickly rather than a quick conversation. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing e-mail
messages to your professors.

USE APPROPRIATE SALUTATIONS AND TITLES.
Like letters, e-mails should begin with a proper salutation. If “Dear Dr. Smith” seems too formal, begin your message with “Hello Dr. Smith,” but avoid the kinds of casual greetings you would use with friends (e.g., “Hey”) or no greeting at all. When in doubt about using Dr. or the professor’s first name, use Dr.; the faculty member will let you know when it’s okay to use his or her first name.

IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
Faculty interact with a large number of students every semester. At the beginning of your message, refer to the class you’re taking with the faculty member or how the faculty member knows you, especially when you’re contacting someone who doesn’t know you very well. Conclude your message with more than just your first name. Provide your full name and NUID number.

AVOID TEXT ACRONYMS.
If you’re responding to e-mails on a Blackberry or smart phone, it’s tempting to abbreviate or shorten words and phrases (e.g., u instead of you). However, abbreviations are easy to misinterpret or may be completely misunderstood.

BEWARE OF YOUR TONE.
Perhaps the most difficult part of writing an e-mail is achieving the right tone. If you’re writing an especially sensitive e-mail, let your final draft sit overnight and reread it before sending to make sure the message is appropriate. You also can ask a colleague or friend to read your message and offer feedback about how the message might be perceived. Remember, e-mail creates a permanent record of your communication that you have no control over after you click the send button. So if you’re worried about the tone of your e-mail, you might want to skip the message altogether and ask for a meeting with the faculty member.

KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Long e-mails with too many questions can get confusing. If your message is more than one or two paragraphs, rethink the purpose of the message. You may want to start with the most important question or topic. A lengthy e-mail may be a signal that the subject warrants a meeting rather than a written communication. E-mail communication is an important part of building positive relationships with your professors. It’s always worthwhile to take the time to make sure your messages are clear and appropriate.

RESOURCES
Jerz, D. & Bauer, J. (2000, December 12). Writing effective e- mail: Top
10 tips. Retrieved October 7, 2010 from
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/etext/e-mail.htm#message. Toth, E.
(2009, April 28). Don’t e-mail me this way. The Chronicle of Higher
Education. Retrieved October 8, 2010, from
http://chronicle.com/article/Dont-E-Mail-Me-This- Way/44818/.

I was carried

From morning I was just humming Roma Waterman's tune... beautiful lyrics describing the love of Jesus who always carries us in his arms...

If you ask me how I'm feeling
I broke to pieces
Now I'm healing
If you wonder
How I get through
Something stronger than me and you
As I look back I keep smiling
Coz through the heartache I kept fighting
I'm not perfect, some days I fall
I don't give up through it all

There has been a kiss of grace on
my weary tearstained face
And I cannot walk away
From this truth I know

I was carried in the arms of a stronger man
I was lifted by the angel's gentle hand
I was rescued from the eye of a raging storm
I was given wings to fly over it all
There's no other way to say it
Oh I was carried

I had given, life had taken
Till I had nothing but my aching
But in the desert, a river flowed
Until freedom had all I owned
There has been a kiss of grace on
my weary tearstained face
And I cannot walk away
From this truth I know

I was carried in the arms of a stronger man
I was lifted by the angel's gentle hand
I was rescued from the eye of a raging storm
I was given wings to fly over it all
There's no other way to say it
Oh I was carried....

My fav chapter from Bible - Psalm 34.

¹ I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

² My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³ Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹² Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

¹³ keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

¹⁶ the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

²⁰ he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

²² The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

When a women lies... good one...

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river.

When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, 'My dear child, why are you crying?' The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family. The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

'Is this your thimble?' the Lord asked .

The seamstress replied, 'No.'

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.

'Is this your thimble?' t he Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, 'No.'

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

'Is this your thimble ?' the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, 'Yes.'

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, 'Why are you crying?'
'Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!'

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney.

'Is this your husband?' the Lord asked.

'Yes,' cried the seamstress.

The Lord was furious. 'You lied! That is an untruth!'

The seamstress replied, 'Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt. Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.

And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is: "Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others."

Disclaimer: I strongly believe that is wrong to lie under any circumstance. Btw I'm not the writer of this story and this post is just intended as a subtle humour.

Dedicated to all my friends in research :D :D :D

One politician, One thief & One Scientist died and went straight to hell.

Politician said "I miss my country. I want to call my country and see how everybody is doing there." She called and talked for about 5 minutes, then she asked "Well, devil how much do I need to pay for the call????

The devil says "Five million dollars". The Politician wrote him a cheque and went to sit back on her chair.

Thief was so jealous, he starts screaming, "My turn! I wanna call the my group members, I want to see how everybody is doing there too". He called and talked for about 2 minutes, then he asked "Well, devil, how much do I need to pay for the call????

The devil says "Ten million dollars". With a smug look on his face, he made a cheque and went to sit back on his chair.

The scientist was even more jealous & starts screaming, "I want to call my institute and talk to my fellow Scientists, Project Leaders, Research fellows, Project fellows/assistants. He called all those people and talked for twenty hours about promotions, publications, impact factor, CRs, inter-departmental and intra-departmental politics. He talked & talked & talked,
then he asked "Well, devil how much do I need to pay for the call????

The devil says "Ten dollars". The Scientist is stunned & says "Ten dollars??? Only ??"

Devil says "Hell to Hell is a Local Call " :D :D :D

Study tips for GRE-CBT

Few tips based on my personal experience which are useful for acing gre..

1. For verbal, Barrons is more than enough. But make sure you are acquainted with the synonyms for the words over there. An easy way to learn the synonyms is to install softwares like WordWeb on your computer. While reading the word lists it is good to follow this website to measure your ability.
http://learnwordlist.com/tests/gre-word-list-test-letter-a/2 -> This is for 'a'. For all the alphabets, tests are available.

2. For maths, Novas material is good and should suffice. If you are from Maths background, you will not find any difficulty in answering the questions.

3. Check the above(learnwordlist.com) website for different other practice tests like Synonyms, Antonyms, sentence completions, etc.

4. Check online communities of gre for more info about recently appeared questions n other suggestions from the past test takers.

5. Once u r done with wordlists, for practice:
5.1. Install GreBible on ur system.Contains numerous tests and are very helpful.
5.2. Kaplan tests are a bit tough but you can give them a try.
5.3. While doing these tests, you should practice BIG BOOK. This book was compiled by ETS guys.

6. For revision of important words you can go through this website: http://majortests.com/gre/wordlist.php

7. One or two days before the actual GRE exam, install powerprep by ETS and practice the 2 tests. They are helpful in predicting your score( by +/- 100 marks).

8. Last but not the least tip: "STAY CALM!"

Good luck!