Education, education, education

Love them or hate them, beauty pageants produce some interesting people, ideas and opinions. This video has been seen all over the Internet and viewed by more than 4 million people world wide. I was not surprised watching it as Mr Bush sets a very high standered to answering questions on the spot, so I do not blame Miss South Carolina for her answer. So just in case you did not see it, here it is, so funny, enjoy!

Superstitions

It has been some time since I updated my blog, I was so busy with so much. However, today I came across some of the most commen superstitons things and wanted to share few of them. Some you will know and some I am sure you will laugh out load about. Enjoy!



-Toads cause warts
-A cricket in the house brings good luck
-Crossing your fingers helps to avoid bad luck and helps a wish come true
-It is bad luck to sing at the table
-It is bad luck to sleep on a table
-After receiving a container of food, the container should never be returned empty
-A lock of hair from a baby's first haircut should be kept for good luck
-A bird that comes in your window brings bad luck
-To refuse a kiss under mistletoe causes bad luck
-Goldfish in the pond bring good luck
-Goldfish in the house bring bad luck
-For good luck, wear new clothes on Easter
-An acorn at the window can keep lightning out of the house
-If the bottom of your feet itch, you will make a trip
-When a dog howls, death is near
-It is bad luck to chase someone with a broom
-A sailor wearing an earring cannot drown
-To find a penny heads up, brings good luck
-To cure a sty, rub it with a gold wedding band
-Animals can talk at midnight on Christmas Eve
-A drowned woman floats face up, a drowned man floats face down
-A person cannot drown before going under three times
-To drop a fork means a woman will visit
-To drop a knife means a man will visit
-Smell dandelions, wet the bed
-To give someone a purse or wallet without money in it will bring that person bad luck

Confused.com

This is a famous car insurance and they have their adverts everywhere now. I thought about them today as I read this article about the local rotary club that has been forced to fit a belt to the sleigh that SANTA uses there - or face a £200 increase in its insurance premiums. I am sure this is essential as going about 2 miles/hour in a sleigh is pretty dangerous for a big guy like SANTA. I just hope that SANTA will find good insurance for his deers on Christmas eve, I hear that they leave the sleigh parked in double yellow line while SANTA is delivering gifts!

What is next for Christians?

I received this article with just one example about Christians treatment in Egypt. The article is published in Arabic in Arabia Net and here it is in English. All i can say is that we keep praying.


Egypt Copt jailed.. 45 years after father's conversion

(AFP) — An Egyptian Christian woman has been jailed for three years
because her father's brief conversion to Islam 45 years ago made her
legally a Muslim while her official papers said she was Christian, her
lawyer said Thursday.

Shadia Nagui Ibrahim, 47, was charged with fraud for stating
Christianity as her religion on her marriage certificate, unaware that
her father's conversion to Islam in 1962 had made her officially a
Muslim, Michael Maurice told AFP.

Nagui Ibrahim left home in 1962 when daughter Shadia was two years
old, converted to Islam and took on the Muslim name Mustafa.

Three years later, after a reconciliation with his wife, he moved home
and re-converted to Christianity. In the process, he got someone to
forge his documents back to say he was Christian.

State reluctance to allow citizens to put their religion of choice on
national identity cards means many seek forged documents that can
result in criminal prosecution, New York-based Human Rights Watch said
in a report earlier this month.

In 1996, the man who forged Ibrahim's documents was detained for
falsifying dozens of documents and confessed to changing Ibrahim's
papers.

Authorities detained Ibrahim and also informed his daughter that on
paper, Ibrahim was still a Muslim and therefore so was she. Children
in Egypt automatically take their father's religion.

Under Egyptian law it is also illegal for a Muslim woman to marry a
Christian man.

She was charged with "providing false information on official
documents" for stating she was Christian on her marriage certificate
in 1982.

After a lengthy trial, she was sentenced to three years in absentee in
2000 but the case was subsequently dropped.

She was detained again in August this year and sentenced to three
years on Wednesday after just one brief court session, her lawyer said

Gingerbread "person" anyone?

This is the last straw I think. The news that we are now supposed to change the name of gingerbread man to gingerbread person or gingerbread people as it is not politically correct anymore.

I don’t like gingerbread anyway (nothing personal really) but I had so much fun helping in my local school with making gingerbread man with the kids, it was fun and messy experience. I was trying to follow the recipe while running after the kids who are trying to taste the dough that had raw eggs and stopping others from dipping their toys in the honey or making tracks on the floor with the flour. However, eventually we made the gingerbread man and they were really nice.

So what is the problem with calling them gingerbread man? And who exactly got offended by that? And where is all this political correctness taking us? and what is next? protest against snowman? Most women -in my opinion- do not actually mind what we call those ginger cookies, and it is not– as far as I am concerned - an equality problem in anyway. When God created us both men and women, He created us on His image, equal in His sight. Equal in being sinful, equal in our need to His grace, equal in being human and equal in our need to be accepted and loved. But saying that, He gave us different talents and different characters and so different ways to contribute and make a difference.

So when it comes to fitting that IKAE bookcase with instructions that only an expert in Egyptology can read and understand (as it seems to be in Hieroglyphics), men are well talented to do that and most women will have no problem accepting that. On the other hand, cooking, tidying and baking “gingerbread man” is enjoyable and women love doing that. I might be still sticking to the old stereotype but I believe that the issue is not who does what or what do we call things, gingerbread men or postman or chairperson etc. The point is that we are all accepted as equal in God’s eyes and that if I was the only woman on earth , Jesus would have still died for me and for my sin. It does not matter who does the ironing, what matter is that we are equal in being people who need to be loved and accepted as we are.

Mr speaker...Big brother is watching!

Yesterday the BBC showed the first of a series about the Blair years. Yesterday it was about the relation between Blair and Brown over the years and the reality of different stories about the tension between the two of them. Here is a clip that shows at least the funny side of Mr Brown or the side of him that forgot that Big brother is ALWAYS watching.

Beware, Christians approaching!

I tuned in to listen to a program on a Christian radio station and just before it was about to start, there was an announcement that said: “the following program contains material that may let you reflect on your life style”. The program was on how our diaries reflect our priorities and commitment to different things. It also did ask the question: where is God in our busy lives. However, the interesting point was in that early “warning” before the program started (it certainly felt like a warning). Do we now need a notification on a Christian radio stations before hearing God’s word? that we are actually about to listen to God’s ways being preached? Or are we so worried about offending people or saying things that do not conform with their life styles? If we are going to do that we should have a warning on every printed bible; “this book may actually change your whole life, you may be living in peace, you may be saved for eternity and you may actually start to love your neighbours as yourself”. And what about going to church: “becoming part of this community may lead to a real fellowship, less gossip and spiritual fulfilment, beware!” I may have read too much into that little announcement, but Jesus was also clear from the beginning, he did say that it will be a hard and narrow road walking with him (Mathew 7: 14) and that in this world will have troubles (John 16: 33), but the biggest promise is that he himself will be there every step of the way. So if we are going to put warnings up about Christian values, let us put the promises there too.

I have won the Lottery!

YES! I have.
I have won the €UROMILLONE LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL. The good thing about this lottery is that you have a chance to win if you play and you ACTUALLY win if you don’t play. I received a letter informing me that “due to the mix up of numbers, addresses and the holidays, the results were released on the 2nd November 2007, your name attached to ticket with serial number 7216-05 drew the lucky numbers which consequently won the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of € 785.790.00 in cash, congratulations”
But this is not the exciting part, the important part is that for “security reasons” they are asking me to keep this from public notice until my claim has been processed and the money is safe in my account. There is also another “little” form to fill in with few needed information that is important to claim my prize. The form includes my name, address, date of birth, my bank account and sort code (obviously to transfer the money) and some identification.
I am just amazed with how brave those people are, the envelope got my name and address printed on and the stamp is a Spanish stamp too. I think this is the new age lottery, where it does not matter whether you play or not, you still have a chance as long as you hand in all you personal and bank details they will grantee a win. Just a minor change in details though, THEY will win the millions out of naive people.

Christams shopping list

As Christmas approaches, i thought a helping hand is needed if you are stuck and need few new ideas. so here it is..enjoy!


A Japanese boy looks at a 10 cm (4 inch) model of Japan's rocket-powered boy Astro Boy encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds worth about 100 million yen (£415,000) displayed at a Tokyo department store April 7, 2003.
Artist Osamu Tezuka, considered the father of Japan's animation or "manga" industry, created Astro Boy as a serialised comic strip in 1951 and set his character's birthday far in the future-April 7, 2003.


A shark-shaped model inlayed with 4,276 diamonds is displayed at a shopping mall in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei province in this picture taken on May 24, 2005. The 26 cm (10 inches) long model is made of 18K platinum and worth 18.8 million yuan (about £1.15 million).

A model demonstrates the use of Umo Inc.'s 24-carat gold leaf "Gold Facial Treatment" at the Beautyworld Japan 2007 trade fair in Tokyo. The treatment costs 30,000 yen (£130).

OH..deer!

Have you seen the chocolate Christmas deers? I could not help thinking about the Easter bunnies and wondered if an accident in the production line for Easter bunnies has led to the idea of the Christmas chocolate deer. Well, you can see the photos and make up your own mind. For me it is wonderful chocolate anyway and will be eaten regardless!

The boy king

Few days ago the face of the 3,300-year-old mummy of Tutankhamun (the boy king) was reveled for the first time to the public.
“The golden boy has magic and mystery” Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass told reporters before the body of the mummy was moved to its new case. Thinking about it, the greatest thing in Egypt is a burial site! The pyramid itself. Ancient Egyptians were obsessed with death and the after life, all the focus was on “what happen after we leave this life”. It is the part I like about ancient Egypt, they have made so much scientific progress and they believed in the after life and realized that it is more important than the here and now (I obviously disagree with them about the final destination of this after life). The boy king was buried with all his earthly possessions all the gold and jewelry etc, and the belief was that these were the things that will be used again in the after life. So you die and come back to the after life and you find that same old vase that you always hated right next to you, not a great start to eternity, is it?

But on serious note, where are our treasures? And do you think about your treasures when you hear the stock market report or when you read the word of God?

Women only please!

As king Abdulla visits the UK ,(the queen is cooking halal food tonight!), protests about human rights and the treatment of women have started, so here are some photos only for women, believing in our rights to drive (and park), wear make up and having the toilet seat down "at all times"!

25-hour day, anyone?

British summer time started yesterday, so we are back to short days and long nights. As we put the clocks back one hour yesterday, we all had a 25 hour day and the question is: what did you do with your extra hour? Stayed in bed longer, played more with the kids, more time on the PC or you did not even notice that you were given an extra hour?
There are now some research on creating a 25 hour day using combination of light brightness and pulses that allow the manipulate of the body clock and over time adding approximately one hour to each day.
I found this fascinating and I know that this research had to be in controlled environment and its application into our day to day lives is not straight forward, however, what would I do with an extra hour everyday? And what if this extra hour is my last hour? Who will benefit most from my extra time? Lately, we are developing lots of ways to save time, you can check your emails on the go, carry your computer with you, cook frozen food, ready meals, automatic washing machines, etc all to save time, but what are we saving time for?
I believe that whether it is 24 hour day or even 40 hour day, we will always be busy, will always be running around sorting things out and sending texts apologizing that we are running late. It is about priorities and whatever is on the top of your list now will be on the top of your list if you have more time, so does anyone fancy a 25 hour day?

Geometry test!

Dog collars, to wear or not to wear?

Few days ago in the news, there was a news item giving advice to vicars not to wear dog collars in public as it makes them a target for muggers. A new report by National Churchwatch, warns that priests are often targeted more than other professions as they are considered unlikely to fight back.

That made me think about our ideas regarding Christians in general, that if you think of someone who will not fight back when attacked, a Christian person will be probably on the top of your list. Christians talk about peace and forgiveness, about accepting people and being kind and compassionate. So the idea of a Christian fighting back because they are being attached is not something we can accept.

But let us go back to the bible, what did Jesus teach? He always spook the truth, never worried about who he will upset, healing sick people in the Sabbath (Luke 13: 10-17) and driving out all those who were buying and selling in the temple (Luke 19: 45). Were we called to be passive, mellow, and going along with every idea and concept in the name of acceptance? Were we called to submit to all and put up with whatever is happening around us in the name of being obedient to God? My answer is no. We were called to love our enemies (Mathew 5: 42), we were also called to speak the truth and love justice. We are called to submit to God first, to love mercy and seek justice and honor our Lord. We are sent out to the world and asked to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves (Mathew 10: 16). We are called to show the love that Jesus showed, the kindness of going to talk to a Samaritan women (John 4:7-26) knowing her past, not condemning her but not indorsing her behavior either. The wisdom He showed in eating and staying at the tax collectors house loving and forgiving what he has done in the past (Luke 19:1-10).

So, am I indorsing violence? Of course not. However, standing up and speaking the truth in kindness is not against what God called us to do. Otherwise, how can we be the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Mathew 5: 13-16)?
My prayer to God today is to grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

The best way to sleep in the office

New labour, then and now

In the train today, I decided to upgrade myself from “standing” in standard accommodation to “standing” in first class! In my “upgrade”, I was not allowed to sit down in the many empty seats in first class, this is part of the logic behind the whole class system. So I stand in first class observing passengers been offered tea, coffee, choice of red or white wine, and snacks while I am standing near the luggage rack counting my blessings. However, what really made my day was the fact that as I left first class, I came face to face with Mr John Prescott, Mr two Jags himself. He was standing in between carriages and did not look very happy about it. Welcome to privatisation Mr deputy prime minister, welcome to our daily “joy”, at least I was standing in first class while he was standing in standard, I guess the salary had a big hit after he left government. Then may be he was reporting on ordinary people lives and their daily commute, may be it is a research toward the upcoming election. Whatever it was, I was pleased to see him there like all of us, tired and a bit grumpy as well.

Here is video that might just sum up Mr Prescott time in government.enjoy!

Are you in the wrong profession?

That is how I feel at the moment, forget the PhD, forget academia and universities, at the moment I need to be qualified as a plumber and quick. My heating system broke down and finding a good registered plumber to sort it out is like trying to find Bin Laden! I finally (after calling at least 7 different plumbers) had one of them turning up (2 days late). He had a look and I saw him shaking his head and saying things like,” Oh…dear, I see”, and of course my heart sinks. He then went on to explain to me how this part need to be replaced because the thermal couple (I guess this is the correct spelling) heats up and so make the whole system stop working, how the starting light is not lighting up properly because something else that for the life of me I can not remember what is called is not working (I KNOW it is not working, that is why we called you). I think at this point of the conversation I was doing the usual nodding at the right time and pretending to understand all the technical points that he raised and trying to get to the more important questions like: When can you actually do it and How much it will all cost? And you know that in these situations, it is like theatre where you have seen the play before and you know it by heart now and everyone knows his role very well. He comes and play his part (very busy man, doing his explaining to you, poor person, what is exactly happening in your system, may be exaggerating a bit) and I am playing my part (not understanding a word of what he is saying but happy to pay whatever it cost to sort out the system-quick).
At these moments I feel that I am defiantly in the wrong profession, it would have been easier to spend my time training to become a plumber, at least some introductory course or something rather than a PhD that can not help you when your heating is not working.

Well, at the moment it feels like training as a plumber will be actually quicker than getting someone who can fix the system!

Yes, women CAN drive !

Well, I think women CAN drive.....check this out if you don't believe me.
(OK, OK, it is all computer enhanced, but it is fun)

Cinderella, Snow white and lots of dwarfs

Are fairy tales good for girls and boys or not? After all, what are the values that we are teaching our kids by these stories (Fairy Tale Princes Turn into Beasts,http://www.boloji.com/wfs3/wfs402.htm). For girls especially, some experts are saying that fairy tales are not good for girls self-esteem and ideas about the future, after all, Cinderella married a guy she only met twice and the princess in the tower sat there doing nothing waiting to be rescued (well, she actually concentrated on growing her hair). Psychologist also say that “the beauty and the beast” culture, is behind lots of abusive relationship where women believe that accepting the behaviour of a beast and loving him enough, will some day turn him into a handsome prince.
I think this could be over simplification of real issues and in the middle of trying to find out reasons for people’s behaviour there is a real need to explore lots of tings that could be behind certain way of behaviour, may be fairy tails are part of the problem.

Jesus taught in parables, and in every story, you can see what your eyes want to see. God has created us, men and women, in His image, and unconditional love is in the heart of His love for us and what He is asking us to do in loveing one another. In all the madness that the world is throwing at us, fairy tails sometimes enrich the imagination as long as we keep some sense of reality and keep foucs on what matter most.

Micah Challenge

Isabelle Caro posed for a series of provocative photos to highlight the tragedy of anorexia. She says she now weighs almost 4 1/2 pounds more than she did when controversial photographer Oliviero Toscani captured this image.I was shocked by the images of this anorexia campaign. It aims to ban size zero models from all fashion shows. But the fact that as a society we became so obsessed with our image to the extent that some people are dying trying to achieve their ideal weight is really hard to understand. In the mean time, still our actions or in-action a lot of the time, causing the death of people who live thousands of miles away, people who are now "size zero" not because they choose not to eat but because there is no food for them to eat. I think the idea to help them is there, but we must be really ashamed that now in this day in the 21 century there are still people dying of hunger in Africa. Join the Micah Challenge http://www.micahchallenge.org.uk/, let us stop both hunger in Africa and size zero models. Let us move from being self obsessed to acting justly, loveing mercy and walking humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

The People's Proverbs in Egypt

My grand father book has been published some time ago after he died more than 20 years ago. I feel so proud. My grand father, Mr Hezikial Bestourous, was really passionate about God, people, life, and culture. He loved writing and wrote and collected so many of the famous Egyptian proverbs. I remember him talking also about sorties behind the proverbs and how they came to be famous. What is nice about the book is that it is in both Arabic and English. It also has the explanation about what each proverb actually mean and how it is used. The family worked hard to get this book published and I was so pleased to hold a copy in my hand and wished that he was alive to see it but sure that he would have been so pleased with it.

Here is what Kenneth E. Nolin, PhD, wrote about him:
Professor Hezkial was the chairman of English studies for the American Mission Schools. He helped us with Arabic. I soon learned of his life long fascination with local proverbs. He was a special person and a friend."

When you wish you had a better dentist!

Found this on you tube and couldn't help laughing out loud. It is one of these moments when you really wish you had a better dentist!

Global warming fun

I know it is a serious issue but here is some global warming fun :)

Murder in the Orient exprese

All I could think about this morning on the train was this book "murder in the orient express". How spacious that train was to the extent that someone got actually killed in his compartment. Well, every passenger had a compartment of course apart from the killer (obviously) who had to share the compartment for a little while with his victim (may be that is why he was so upset). On my train this morning I can tell the motive for murder was there (you can actually see it in people's eyes) however, if anyone attempt such an action there will be lots of witnesses (no need for Poirot really) and to be fair you can hardly move your elbow to open the window let alone to attempt to kill anyone. Standing on the train you can hear the next person heart beat all through your journey as we stacked like sardines (emphasis on standing). What is really annoying is that you pay too much for train tickets, that in my opinion, by the end of the year I will be able to buy a second hand helicopter to travel in with the money I spend on my train tickets. In the mean time, I will have to put up with all modes of transport and thank God that the Orient express was only fiction.

Luxury or necessity?

I left my mobile phone at work for the whole week end. For the first time in 5 years I am without my mobile phone. It is amazing how much it has become part of my life, all my contact numbers are on there and I can't text anyone. But how did we manage before we had mobile phones? The argument against mobile phone technology was always said to be that people wanted their privacy when they talk on the phone (hence the phone booth), and so manufactures had to think about how would people take to use their phone in the train or in the street while others can listen to their conversations. But now we see that people can not do without their phones and it does not matter really who is listening as the conversation is almost always the same; "yes, I am on the train, I will be there around 6.15" or " No, John, all the papers were left on your desk on Friday and should have been sent already" and of course you get the odd "yes, 3 million pound deal, yes no less than that" conversation (not that I am ear dropping at other people's calls, but sometimes you can't help it). So what is next, the luxuries of yesterday has become the necessities of today and we can't do without it anymore. I am sure I will survive for 2 days without my phone and I will make sure that I will enjoy the peace and quite for the whole week end.

No rest for "you know who"

YES, there must be more to life that this. But what are we really after? I think “being happy” is on the top of the list for most people. In a society that is self centred most of the time (if not all the time), being happy is on the top of the list of things to achieve in life. People changing jobs, having or not having kids, leaving partners, trying new things etc all in the name of being happy or trying to be happy. Chasing this illusion that is called happiness. So, is it an illusion or is happiness a real thing we can actually achieve and be. Saint Antony once wrote: “God, you’ve created us on your image and our souls don’t find its fulfilment without you”. Is it so important to be happy, or is it more about being happy with whatever God has given us? Nothing wrong in wanting better lives as long as it doesn’t consume all our energies and destroy our relations and people’s lives around us. If your heart is on the right path, then being happy will not be because all is rosy and cheerful, but because the journey is with the Lord himself.

Be blessed

This is a real blessing. You can find some more on: http://www.donghaeng.net/english/main.htm web page.
Enjoy.

Just for fun

Science or what?

The buzz words in medicine at the moment are about "evidence based" and "controlled studies", we need to prove everything and research everything in a "controlled" way, to the extent of this paper here on the effectiveness of parachute in preventing death. Here is the summery of the paper, you can read the full paper on the BMJ.


BMJ 2003;327:1459-1461 (20 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7429.1459

Hazardous journey

Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials Gordon C S Smith, professor1, Jill P Pell, consultant2

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, 2 Department of Public Health, Greater Glasgow NHS Board, Glasgow G3 8YU

Correspondence to: G C S Smith gcss2@cam.ac.uk


Abstract
Objectives To determine whether parachutes are effective in preventing major trauma related to gravitational challenge.

Design Systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Data sources: Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases; appropriate internet sites and citation lists.

Study selection: Studies showing the effects of using a parachute during free fall.

Main outcome measure Death or major trauma, defined as an injury severity score > 15.

Results We were unable to identify any randomised controlled trials of parachute intervention.

Conclusions As with many interventions intended to prevent ill health, the effectiveness of parachutes has not been subjected to rigorous evaluation by using randomised controlled trials. Advocates of evidence based medicine have criticised the adoption of interventions evaluated by using only observational data. We think that everyone might benefit if the most radical protagonists of evidence based medicine organised and participated in a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, crossover trial of the parachute

Chocolate is a Vegetable

I came across this and to be honest, i agree with this view, so here it is.

Chocolate is a Vegetable:
Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans. Bean=vegetable.

Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS.
Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category.

Thus, chocolate is a vegetable. To go one step further,
chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy.
So candy bars are a health food.

Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries
all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.

If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.

How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car.
The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.

Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal.
It'll take the edge off your appetite, and you'll eat less.

If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate,
is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?

Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today.
That way, at least you'll get one thing done.
A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Now, isn't that handy? If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can you?

Big plans for the whole week

I came across this fun graph and thought WOW...someone knows exactly how the week goes when you start putting plans on Monday morning. Well, let us hope that this week will be different.

The day after the night before

I was overwhelmed by the amount of email, messages and calls I have received from family and friends. I am so grateful to you all. I think it has started to be part of reality, my research has been a big part of my life and letting go of my project is kind of letting go of a loved one. I am glad that it is done, but one gets so emotionally attached to certain degree of obsession sometimes. I remember having to remove some tests and cut few experiments that I already carried out, that was hard.

However, letting go and pressing on ahead is what the bible teach us, to forget what is behind and straining toward what is ahead (Philippians 3:13). It is always taught in the sense of letting go of the past and it's painful memories, or bad experiences and drama etc. But in my opinion I feel it is letting go of it all, the bad and the good, the failures and success and not to get stuck to what and who we WERE but what we are doing now. I said before that degrees and success inflate egos, but as we press on toward the goal, the ultimate goal of serving the living Lord, we keep focus on what matters most.

My celebration for obtaining my PhD has just begun and I am sure it will continue for a while yet and my gratitude to God will carry on as well. My prayer is not to loose sight of what is important in all of this.

Passed my PhD !

So..here we are, another day, another entry, but what a day it has been. after a 3 hours of siting in a hot office to defend my work, i was awarded my PhD degree. WOW. it is an amazing feeling and i do not think it has sunk in yet that i have actually passed. As i said before, it has been quite a journey. Through it all i was blessed with family and friends who were tremendous support, their prayers and confidence in me helped me tremendously to live through it all. However, science and degrees only inflate egos, but only God can fulfil to the maximum and as i prepare to celebrate this wonderful blessing (and sure it will be a big celebration) i only remember that without God we are nothing and without people that you celebrate with, success does not mean a lot.

A PhD is bad for your health!

So..do you think this is a good idea? Do you recognise any of these photos(you can check some more of these on "I did a PhD and did not go mad web page)? If you are mad enough to think about doing some more studying, have a look at these funny photos (the before and after shots of someone fictional I hope:), and may i just say this is not me (although some may disagree!). But just for the record I kind of enjoyed my PhD, it was a long and painful journey at times and it tested my strength and abilities to the limit some times. However, I was blessed with wonderful people whom i worked with and they provided continuous support and advice, that made this "endurance" course a lot bearable. I just hope that for them it wasn't as trying as it was -at times- for me. God has been my refuge through it all and His provision was evident all the time.

Prayers for Monday's blues

In today's paper, there is an article about the church of England trying to put some prayers together for those who have busy lives, to pray about things like finding a space to park the car or a seat in the train and to pray about Monday's blues. This made me think about the way we treat God, like a genie in a bottle, you rub it and you have three wishes. Being so smart, for your first wish you ask for another 100 wishes :). In a culture where we get fast food, instant messaging and quick delivery, we want everything so quick. I do not underestimate the promise that God cares about every little details of my life, but if we are too busy to have time for God, is it fair to want him to give us his time and attention? and what is this relation we have with God, a father / child relationship or a master / genie type of relation?

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=64441&in_page_id=34

Next time you have to go and see the dentist, think yourself lucky, this could be the alternative!

FORREST GUMP GOES TO HEAVEN

The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is atthe Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are closed,and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper. St. Peter said, "Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you I musttell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven." Forrest responds, "It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I sure hope that the test ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was." St. Peter continued, "Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions. First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T? Second: How many seconds are there in a year? Third: What is God's first name?" Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, "Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers" Forrest replied, "Well, the first one -- which two days in the week begins with the letter "T"? Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today and Tomorrow." The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, "Forrest, that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?" asked St. Peter. "How many seconds in a year? Now that one is harder," replied Forrest, but I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve." Astounded, St. Peter said, "Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?" Forrest replied, "Shucks, there's got to be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd... " "Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you are going with this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind....but I will have to give you credit for that one, too. Let us go on with the third and final question. Can you tell me God's first name"? "Sure," Forrest replied, "it's Andy." "Andy?" exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter. "Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?" "Shucks, that was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied. "I learnt it from the song, "ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN." St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: "Run Forrest, run."

Time to study

Why when you have loads of work to do, you always find things that need your immediate attention? All of a sudden, cleaning the fridge becomes something that HAS to be done just because i have some studying to do. The dog needs a walk, the fish tank needs cleaning, the tree in the garden must be pruned (right now) (even though it had been there for the last 4 years or so). And i do not want to get started on calling people, especially long distance phone calls. basically, anything and i mean ANYTHING, becomes more interesting than doing what i am supposed to do.

In the beginning..

WOW.."your blog has been created". so here it is, my blog, a space for me on the world wide web to share. Welcome to SALAM, an arabic word that mean peace.