Sunday, September 20, 2015

How to Extract Wisdom from a Christian Children Story #PersonalStory




As told by Mark Arens, owner of ThumbPeople, Inc.


We all know that reading is a vital life skill and certainly a gateway to all manner of knowledge -- it's no wonder that we can hardly wait to expose our children to the written word as early as possible.

Surely the Bible is the very best of any Christian children story and the best of the best books for children I can think of - so off I went reading away. Researchers confirmed that babies hear fairly well from about the midpoint of pregnancy on and can well recognize their mother's voice even before they are born. Chinese researcher, Dr Kisilevsky of Zhejiang University in China tested 60 babies at term. They were played a two-minute audiotape of their own mother reading a poem, and another 30 babies were played the voice of a female stranger reading the poem. The researchers found that the little ones responded to their own mother's voice with heart-rate acceleration, and to the stranger's voice with a heart-rate deceleration. The responses lasted during the two-minute tape as well as for at least two minutes after the offset of the voices.* Yes, they were listening to their mothers all along.

So with this knowledge we are armed with all of the motivation we need to ensure that what our little ones are taking in aligns with the eternal values we seek to pass on to them both before and after they are born.

Without ever asking, new parents are often given a multitude of "suggested titles" of the best books for children or "must haves" for the yet to be avid readers. Many are a joy to read and you can well see why others would want your little one to hear you read what are considered the best books for children.

Some of the books others are working so hard to promote are geared entirely at one aim: to make them as brilliant as possible as soon as possible!

Knowledge, education and wisdom are important but it doesn't mean we should value intelligence above all else. As a Christ-following parent I know that the ideal that is most cherished in our faith is to encourage our children in the way that they should go, to show them the love of the Father, and to speak truth to them in love. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are called to go forth and make Baby Einsteins.

I do think it's a gift to encourage the love of learning in our children and use everyday occurrences as teachable moments - but it is not what my heart cries for. At night as we pray over our kids we are not pleading that the Lord please let them have unimaginably high IQs and be the top of their class throughout each of their school years. Instead our prayer is that their hearts would beat wildly for Jesus, that they'd come to know and love Him at an early age, and that the book they would love the most would be the very Word of God.

To aim for godliness over braininess is a charge that one has to approach with great intentionality in this culture. Over and over we will hear the ever growing list of the best books for children. Many of them we'll read to our children and many we won't. But what we have to be mindful of above the content of our children's bookcases is the content of our motivation. Are we trying to blend with a world that is not our home or are we trying to be an influence to take as many people with us to the eternal home the Lord has prepared for all who accept Him as Lord.

Our aim is to be wise - not knowledgeable. Yes, there is a difference. Sometimes we think we already "know" everything but still can't figure out what to do next. That's because we lack wisdom - which in its biblical form, is the only sure foundation on which we can make any sound move. So the next time you're looking for the perfect book to choose from the latest list of the best books for children or the latest best-selling self-help book for yourself, ask the giver of all wisdom for a little help and direction. He promises to offer a page-turning, riveting approach to life that you won't want to put down.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
James 1:5






Sunday, September 13, 2015

Just How Much Will it Cost to Retire in the Philippines? #PersonalStory




Just How Much Will it Cost to Retire in the Philippines? #PersonalStory

My friend from Destination Philippines told me some interesting facts about our country which I readily closed my eyes in desperation. What? why like this, I am a Filipino! But that was a year ago when I lost my sense of humor...ha..ha..ha..and being an OFW before. Will I retire in the Philippines? Of course because this is my native land and love to retire here!

A great deal of Americans contemplate on retiring overseas for various reasons - much better climate, new adventures, or a lower price of living. The Philippines is slowly rising as a retirement nation of option because of its tropical climate, gorgeous beaches, and naturally, the low cost of living.

Arranging for a budget for retiring inside the Philippines in fact depends on you. What kind of lifestyle do you actually want?


The Philippines is produced up of much more than 7,000 islands, and also you can expect that the nation has a diverse culture and life style. Do you choose the massive city living and reside in Manila, exactly where you have immediate access to huge buying malls, nightlife, commercial establishments and offices, and heavy traffic jams? Or would you rather reside inside a quieter and mid-sized urban city like Cebu or Davao? Do you desire a more rural life style, including in Subic, Dumaguete, or Bacolod? Or would you prefer to reside in a tropical paradise like Boracay and Palawan, which has the very best beaches in the world?

Regardless with the location that you choose, living inside the Philippines will cost you about a quarter of what it would cost you for the same way of life within the U.S. or in Europe. A modest budget of $1,000 to $2,000 a month can currently go a long way. Just uncover an region that fits your budget and you can retire twice as wealthy as well as a lot happier, appreciate a warm, tropical weather all year round, possess a property helper and a driver, and live healthier with less pressure. You are able to even travel, have your individual organization, and be financially totally free.

As in most places, the greatest expense that you will have in the Philippines is housing, and it depends upon which location and kind of dwelling you choose to reside. You'll be able to opt for a townhouse, high rise condominium, studio apartment, or a detached home. In case you decide on to reside in Manila, anticipate to pay much more. Though there's an excellent range of housing charges within the city, in general it ranges from $500 to $1500 per month. It charges somewhat much more than $1500 in case you decide on to live in upscale regions for example Makati or Ortigas location.

Should you chose to reside in cities positioned in provinces like Cebu City in the Visayas or Davao City in Mindanao, housing would price from $300 to $900 a month. Within the more rural cities like Tacloban, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, or Butuan, you would pay around $200 to $700.
For the utility along with other household expenditures like electrical energy, telephone, world wide web, cable Tv, medical and dental costs, groceries, dining out and entertainment, and other miscellaneous expenditures are quite significantly the same in all of the places inside the Philippines. Public transportation and taxis are readily offered and affordable, and there exists really no have to acquire your individual vehicle. But should you opt to have your own vehicle and driver, it would cost you about $60 to $100 a month for fuel, repairs, and the driver.

The most effective point about retiring in the Philippines [http://www.destination-philippines.com/] is the fact that it is possible to adjust your life style to your pension or price range. A good deal of happy expat retirees in the country are living on an earnings of $800 to $1,000 per month. Due to the low cost of living, some chose to open their own business and are living opulent lives on a $2,000 to $2,500 revenue range.

In case you are planning to retire in the Philippines [http://www.destination-philippines.com/], set your price range according to the way of life that you simply want also as your daily requires, and do your individual investigation to prepare you inside the huge move which you are about to generate.