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Browse published articles attributed to Anton van den Berg, with full-archive search.
Most people familiar with my organization know that Future Trust's professionals have always addressed issues from a cause and not a symptom perspective. This relentless pursuit of excellence brought inevitable success and a deep understanding of how people, groups, teams, and organizations work.
We see a very clear-cut request coming from Jesus on many occasions. The message is always the same – “Follow me”. We also notice many objections and answers to this simple request, and with it His response. We will look at this request today and the various responses, and find out where we are… Firstly the people that listened.
As we move through lent, it is a time of reflection, introspection, self-evaluation and a moment of truth with the person in the mirror. This is my spiritual highlight of the year. I live in the southern hemisphere and now it is autumn. To experience lent in a time where the earth is “going to rest” must be different from experiencing it in spring. To us the loss of leaves, colour, fruit, ado ment and a return to absolute basics is evident wherever we look.r
I am one of those fortunate fathers who were present at the birth of my children. At that moment, a bond that is beyond description is formed and I would freely recommend this to any prospective father. In an instant, you become ferociously protective, unrelentingly giving, and unconditionally loving. I believe that when any parent holds their baby in their arms for the first time, they realize that they would die for that child. They move beyond themselves and subjugate their personal desires to the welfare of a defenseless, helpless and dependent being.
Recently I became aware of a specific concept. A Christian missionary commented that they could not “introduce” God Almighty to the people that they encountered as God was already there. He just chose to reveal Himself to them in a different way until the missionaries showed up to share the message of salvation through Jesus. Genesis 2:7 (NIV) Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
What makes the forgiveness that Jesus brought to earth unique, different and why is it so important? Forgiveness is a fundamental building block of Christianity and every major religion in the world places a lot of value, esteem, and honor on forgiveness. This is well known and could seem like we have all heard this before except if we look a little deeper.
Freedom of choice is a right that we fight for, it is something that we cherish, and it is something that we believe defines us as human, differentiates us from animals and it is something that we have been told is our right. I’m a father and as my children were growing up, I had to modify the amounts of freedom to choose I granted my children. As I became aware that they were capable of more responsibility, I tried to grant as much as I thought was “safe”. Just because a 3-year-old has taste preference, does not mean that he or she can design their own diet.
This week’s post has two parts. In the first part I will explain why we need to struggle, and in the second part, I will use a piece from another online site to focus on our attitude during this struggle. We are sent to this world by God as a unique expression of His existence. We come here to experience life and to learn and grow.
As researchers have dug deeper into the roots of rejection, they’ve found surprising evidence that the pain of being excluded is not so different from the pain of physical injury… Being on the receiving end of a social snub causes a cascade of emotional and cognitive consequences, researchers have found. Social rejection increases anger, anxiety, depression, jealousy, and sadness. – The pain of social rejection, American Psychological Association
I don’t know if it is just in my specific environment but I see a lot of people that are suffering. Everybody does not suffer the same way; some are old, some are sick, some are lonely and others are financially crippled. As a Christian my heart bleeds for these people and I want to jump in and help, but I have to be honest, there is only so much I can do. I can only do so much… But my Father in Heaven… James 5:16 (NIV) – Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. This simple text is an invitation to transform your life, belief system, moral compass, social reference and simply everything you think you understand. It requires us to attempt something that is impossible to achieve – yet noble and good to strive for. But most importantly, it is a journey. This journey singular in purpose, intentionally moving you closer and closer to God Almighty. For this post to work we have to agree on some elements:
As I sat there listening to the resurrection message, the strangest thought occurred to me. We are all familiar with the life of Jesus. We know about the prophesies foretelling His coming, His immaculate conception, His birth, we know some portions of His life, His ministry, His message, His teachings, His temptation, His betrayal and His crucifixion. We know that He rose on the third day and we know that He appeared to multiple people before His assentation.r
As Christians, we are aware of sin. We have sinned, we are sinning and we will continue to sin. These are realities of life, inescapable and undeniable. We all know that Jesus came to earth to overcome the burden of sin for all humans, but as believers, we often end up in a position where we feel guilt because of the sin we continually commit. 1 John 1:8 (AMP) – If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.]
As Christians, we are called to faith, Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) – Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].
Ok, so someone that you know knows someone that did a project once and you have just inherited something that everybody calls a project… What do you do, where do you start? This post is aimed at addressing the most basic elements of project management. These topics are: What is a project? What are the most important things to know? What are the most important things to do? Whoooooo… slow down… Let’s make sure you are busy with a project… NOTE: I have included project speak (terminology) in brackets and italics. What is a project?
How many times have you prayed for a better job, relief from financial struggle, a good car, enough food, a secure environment, relief from pain, healing of a disease, a life-partner, clients for your business, and a change in the behavior of your spouse, parents, children or friends? How many times have you prayed for other people who are asking God for one of these things? How many times have you reminded God of his promises throughout the Bible where He promised that He would provide abundantly?
For most of us, our faith is on a level where we evaluate our behavior, we consider our relationship with God, we remain humble and grateful for the grace and blessings we receive, one breath at a time. We seem to lose the everyday realities - until we face a crisis, or loss, or deep emotional anguish. It is when we feel most vulnerable that God becomes the absolute center of our lives. It is then, when we have no choice left, that we BELIEVE. It is when we cry out in desperation, tears flowing and knocked to the ground that God finds himself at the center of our attention.
On this beautiful day, let us try to understand what project management really is. Some definitions: Project management, then, is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently. It’s a strategic competency for organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals — and thus, better compete in their markets. – PMI.org
We live lives that are overwhelming us by screaming for attention. We all have to do so much – Work, partners, children, friends, family, social activities, finances, acceptance, success – We each have these internal personal struggles in growth, acceptance, self-worth, self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, self-realization – all competing for our time, attention, money, dedication and commitment. O and God must be in there somewhere – Right?
Have you noticed how everyone is getting busier and busier? Every year seems shorter than the last, days are packed with activities and tasks to the brim, and then the stress hits... If I could show you how to start winning in both your personal life and profession in just a few simple steps (that you can learn in 5 minutes), would you please not buy the product I’m not selling? My aim is to help - you - today! Management is not a profession but a skill. If you breathe, you are human and have to complete anything by a certain time, you are already doing management.
Very few people on earth live unconstrained, free, prosperous and fulfilled lives. It is one of the most fundamental promises that Christianity makes to those that we approach to adopt our faith, yet some Christians are not free. It is a fascinating situation where we sometimes believe that our earthly constraints hold us back. Oddly enough, when we talk about God setting us free, we “see” this picture:
You should already know that you have a project and you can do some planning to get things done – From the previous post – Project Management 101. Now moving swiftly along… There are many standards and approaches available to manage projects: (From Wikipedia) APPROACHES 1. Phased approach 2. Lean project management 3. Iterative and incremental project management 4. Critical chain project management 5. Product-based planning 6. Process-based management 7. Project production management 8. Benefits realization management 9. Earned value management INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
We all know that one of my favorite topics revolve around trust. I often ask people and myself if I really trust God. Almost invariably the answer is Yes. However…. There is a gap between what we say and what we do. Sometimes a big gap. We are not alone in this as there are numerous verses in the Bible where this topic is discussed (James 2:14-17, 1 John 3:18, James 4:17), but these are the ones that I use to drive me: James 1:22 (NIV) – Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Genesis 1: 27 – 30 (NIV) So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
If you are reading this, my inside is smiling and I want to welcome you to the battle. What battle would that be? You ask… Flesh against Spirit!!! Yup – the big one! God Created man! And the earth, and the universe, and… Genesis 2:7 – Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Please notice – NOT Rock, diamond, steel, gold, thunder, water, or air, but dust… If you want to understand why…
If there is any doubt in your mind about the divinity of Jesus, you only have to look at scripture that quotes what He said. He has an extraordinary economy with words, that cut right to the core of the matter. The simplicity and mostly hidden complexity of statements speak of someone with intimate knowledge of the matter at hand, even though evidence suggests that He received no special education within the existing Jewish “school” system.
It is something that I cannot begin to understand. Not of myself, or anyone that I have ever met. The profound truth contained withi “I’ve never met a strong person with an easy past” (some attribute it to the poet Atticus). Why do we as humans persist to learn only when we are in pain? Why couldn’t we observe others and learn from that? Why do we have to have our hearts torn out, our lives derailed, our livelihood threatened before we pay attention?