Adam's Mentality of Eve

The first parents on planet earth were Adam and Eve according to the Holy Bible in Genesis Chapter 1. Will it be right for one to think that the responsibility of a man or woman are these? For instance:

A woman who doesn't know how to cook for her family is a failure. It's as simple as that- same way a man who doesn't provide for his family is worse than a terrorist. (1 Tim 5:8)
The man who is fine with his wife not knowing how to cook for the family and "dutifully" calls home afraid to order their meals is also a failure. His job is to help make his wife better, not abet her failure. If she can't cook, make sure she learns!

There are roles in every team and in every relationship. A defender/goalkeeper's primary role is to stop the ball from entering the net. If he scores some goals while he's at it, he's added extra to the team, but if he leaves the net unguarded in the quest for goals of his own, he has failed. And same for a striker- it doesn't matter how well he defends- if he doesn't score goals he's failed.

If it's stereotype to expect a woman to know how to cook for the family and take care of kids, then it's also stereotype to expect men to provide for the family. And it's a stereotype that I fully buy into because it's a biblical stereotype. Read Proverbs 31 and you'll see that getting up early to feed the fam is PREREQUISITE for being a woman of virtue. It's not about how you feel about it or whether or not you like it, same way it doesn't matter if a man enjoys going through whatever he has to go through to provide for his family in a just manner. Just like being a Christian or doing the right thing, it's not all fun and games or personal preferences. Know your role. Play it well.

THE BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE EVER!!
Twenty-five principles to your relationship, that could make a life-changing difference in your marriage!
In no particular order:

1. Choose to love each other even in those moments when you struggle to like each other. Love is a commitment, not a feeling.

2. Always answer the phone when your husband/wife is calling and when possible, try to keep your phone
off when you’re together with your spouse.

3. Make time together a priority. Budget for a consistent date night. Time is the “currency of relationships” so consistently invest time into your marriage.

4. Surround yourself with friends who will strengthen your marriage and remove yourself from people who
may tempt you to compromise your character.

5. Make laughter the soundtrack of your marriage. Share moments of joy, and even in the hard times, find reasons to laugh.

6. In every argument, remember that there won’t be a “winner” and a “loser.” You are partners in everything
so you’ll either win together or lose together. Work together to find a solution.

7. Remember that a strong marriage rarely has two strong people at the same time. It’s usually a husband and wife taking turns being strong for each other in the moments when the other feels weak.

8. Prioritize what happens in the bedroom. It takes more than sex to build a strong marriage, but it’s nearly impossible to build a strong marriage without it!

9. Remember that marriage isn’t 50-50, divorce is 50-50. Marriage has to be 100-100. It’s not splitting everything in half, but both partners giving everything they’ve got!

10. Give your best to each other, not your leftovers after you’ve given your best to everyone else.

11. Learn from other people, but don’t feel the need to compare your life or your marriage to anyone else’s.
God’s plan for your life is masterfully unique!

12. Don’t put your marriage on hold while you’re raising your kids or else you’ll end up with an empty nest and an empty marriage.

13. Never keep secrets from each other. Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy.

14. Never lie to each other. Lies break trust and trust is the foundation of a strong marriage.

15. When you’ve made a mistake, admit it and humbly seek forgiveness. You should be quick to say, “I was
wrong. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

16. When your husband/wife breaks your trust, give them your forgiveness instantly which will promote healing and create the opportunity for trust to
be rebuilt. You should be quick to say,
“I love you. I forgive you. Let’s move forward.”

17. Be patient with each other. Your spouse is always more important that your schedule.

18. Model the kind of marriage that will make your sons want to grow up to be good husbands and your
daughters want to grow up to be good wives.

19. Be your spouse’s biggest encourager, not his/her biggest critic. Be the one who wipes away their tears, not the one who causes them.

20. Never talk badly about your spouse to other people or vent about them online. Protect your spouse at all times and in all places.

21. Always wear your wedding ring. It will remind you that you’re always connected to your spouse and it will remind the rest of the world that you’re off limits!

22. Connect into a community of faith. A good church can make a world of difference in your marriage and
family.

23. Pray together. Every marriage is stronger with God in the middle of it.

24. When you have to choose between saying nothing or saying something mean to your spouse, say nothing every time!

25. Never consider divorce as an option. Remember that a “perfect marriage” is just two imperfect people

who refuse to give up on each other!

Pete Edochie's Proverbs

Words of our elders are words of wisdom. The Nollywood is trendy with quotes from great actors like Pete Edochie, Chinwetala Agu, Late Sam Loco... And the rest. Enjoy this ones from this astute actor, who worked in Anambra Broadcasting Sefvice ABS before travelling out of the shores of Nigeria and then coming back years later to continue his stance in the cinema and film industry. He acted the best role in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Am talking about the handsome, baritone-voiced, and wealthy daddy Chief Pete Edochie.



PETE EDOCHIE's COLLECTION OF PROVERBS

1. The little opportunity given to a monkey to wear cloths, does not guarantee it to join the dinning table.

2. Girls are like mangoes, while you are waiting for them to be ripe, others are eating them with salt.

3. Whoever presents his own head to break coconut would not be able to partake in the eating of it.

4. A man who hangs around a beautiful girl without saying a word ends up fetching water for guests at her wedding.

5. A man who counts his money after withdrawing from the ATM has trust issues.

6. If something that was going to chop off your head only knocked off your cap, you should be grateful.

7. When a girl has beauty without Brains, the Private parts suffer the most.

8. Having a Female as a Best friend is like having Chicken for a pet, You will eat it some day.

9. The wolf on the hill is not as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill.

10. Never let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent & kick them out.

11. Life goes on, Even if you don't want it to.

12. Drinking garri doesn't mean you're poor but allowing it to swell before drinking is poverty.

13. The buttocks are like a married couple though there is constant friction between them, they will still love and live together.

What number is your favorite? 😀😀

Cultivate Silence

Do you love the silence when it's in the dead of the night? As a student, it is a nice time to study. A seed grows with no sound, but a tree falls with huge noise…

Destruction has noise, but creation is silent. In your success remain silent as there is power in silence.

Grow Silently! Cultivate Silence!

A farmer discovered that he had lost his watch in the barn. It was no ordinary watch because it had some sentimental value for him.

After searching high and low among the hay for a long while; he gave up and enlisted the help of a group of children playing outside the barn. He promised them that the person who found it would be rewarded.

Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the entire stack of hay but still could not find the watch.

Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance. The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why not? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.” So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn.

After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The farmer was both happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed.
The boy replied, “I did nothing but sat on the ground and listened. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction.”

A peaceful mind can think well than a worked up mind. Sometimes the noise in our life is so much with no clarity on what to do. The mind seems so occupied with lots of thoughts that promotes fear, discouragement & anxiety.

Let peace guard your heart this year.

Silence is Golden!

Consciously clear your head and mind. Be sure that somebody somewhere cares.... Have a lovely day and Remain blessed ...

God Rules!

Donkey in the well (Motivational Story)

Donkey in the well (Motivational Story):

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over & help him. They all grabbed a dirt & began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey didn’t... realized what was happening & cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.

With each shovel ­of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off & take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors
continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off & take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well & happily trotted off..!!!

LESSONS TO Always Remember in Life:
Life is going to throw dirt on you.
The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off & take a step up.
Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.
We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up..But by taking a step up.
In this world people will always throw stones in the path of your success, It depends on you..what You make from them A wall or A bridge

KIDNEY DESERVES THE BEST

KIDNEY DESERVES THE BEST
Barely two (2) days ago, we all received the news of the demise of
the Nigerian actor as a result of same kidney disease. I want to
show you how to avert this menace of kidney disease. Very easy
and effective. And don't forget that I copied it. So feel free to share,
copy and disseminate. 

SO HERE ARE THE TOP 6 CAUSE OF KIDNEY DISEASE:
1. Delaying going to a toilet Keeping your urine in your bladder for
too long is a bad idea. A full bladder can cause bladder damage.
The urine that stays in the bladder multiplies bacteria quickly.
Once the urine refluxes back to the ureter and kidneys, the toxic
substances can result in kidney infections, then urinary tract
infections, and then nephritis, and even uremia. When nature calls
– do it as soon as possible.
2. Eating too much salt,You should eat no more than 5.8 grams of
salt daily.
3. Eating too much meat. Too much protein in your diet is harmful
for your kidneys. Protein digestion produces ammonia – a toxin
that is very destructive to your kidneys. More meat equals more
kidney damage.
4. Drinking too much caffeine Caffeine is a component of many
sodas and soft drinks. It raises your blood pressure and your
kidneys start suffering. So you should cut down the amount of
coke you drink daily.
5. Not drinking water. Our kidneys should be hydrated properly to
perform their functions well. If we don’t drink enough, the toxins
can start accumulating in the blood, as there isn’t enough fluid to
drain them through the kidneys. Drink more than 10 glasses of
water daily. There is an easy way to check if you are drinking
enough water: look at the colour of your urine; the lighter the
colour, the better.
6. Late treatment . Treat all your health problems properly and
have your health checked regularly. Let's help ourselves...God will
protect you and your family from every disease this year! Amen
Share, if you care
(3) Avoid these Tablets, they are very dangerous:
* D-cold
* Vicks Action-500
* Actified
* Coldarin
* Cosome
* Nice
* Nimulid
* Cetrizet-D
They contain Phenyl Propanol-Amide PPA. Which causes Strokes
& Are banned in USA
Please, before deleting, HELP your frnds by passing it..!
It might help sum1. Fwd to as many as u can.
WhatsApp is free, soo..frwrd it plz..
please read and forward
Doctors in the United States have found new cancer in human
beings, caused by Silver Nitro Oxide. Whenever you buy recharge
cards, don’t scratch with your nails, as it contains Silver Nitro
Oxide coating and can cause skin cancer. Share this message with
your loved ones.
Important Health Tips:
Answer phone calls with the left ear.
Don't take your medicine with cold water....
Don't eat heavy meals after 5pm.
Drink more water in the morning, less at night.
Best sleeping time is from 10pm to 4 am.
Don’t lie down immediately taking medicine or after meals.
When phone's battery is low to last bar, don't answer the
phone, bcos the radiation is 1000 times stronger.
Can you forward this to people you care about?
I just did,
Kindness costs nothing
But
Knowledge is power..

You Are Next In Line

You Are Next In Line For Transformation. You will break new grounds this day. Wherever you may be feeling inadequate, grace will be made available to you.

There is this story of a man who had a farmland but one day, he was told about a gold rush in a faraway country. The man then sold his farmland and went in search of the diamond. After sometime, the new owner of the farm found some shinning stones which were later discovered to be diamond on the farmland.

The previous owner did not find any diamond where he went. He never knew that what he was looking for was right under his acres of farmland. Alas! He became poor and died a frustrated man.

Sometimes we behave like this man. We usually think we do not have anything, especially when it comes to starting new venture. But if we look carefully, we will discover this is not so.

Start With What You Have Where You Are and they are getting results. Your testimony is nex

BEING SMART

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, who would like this $20 bill? Hands started going up. He said, I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar bill up.


He then asked, who still wants it?

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, What if I do this: And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled, and dirty. Now who still wants it? Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.


Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.


We feel as though we are worthless! The good news is this:
no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special - Don't EVER forget it.

Count your blessings, not your problems.
Never be afraid to try something new.

Usain Bolts is known as one of the greatest athletes because he knows his strengths and his weaknesses and he works on them. He takes up new events and works towards winning them in various competitions. Men's 100m, 200m, 400m, and so on.

You have to believe in yourself and you will also be great.
Cheers and have a lovely day. Believe in yourself because you are worth more than you can imagine, I believe in you.

SUCCESS: AN ICEBERG ILLUSION

I was in a Frontrunner workshop organised by CommonPurpose in Lancaster University in June 2015 and an officer of the UK Fire & Rescue gave us a pep talk on the Iceberg Illusion. Some people define success as being wealthy. Some define success as being brilliant or academically sound. 

Every single day we see successful people around us. They seem to be so happy, they smile, they obviously enjoy life, they have enough spare time, because of their financial independence… Their lives look so carefree. Most people think of them as they are the 'favoured' or the ‘lucky ones’. 

Life does not get as hard as that; it has rules and that involves hardwork. It seems that any of them just got lucky at some point of her life and all the great life they live now is because of some kind of a fluke. Well, often in life things are not what they seem to be… What you see about most of these people is just the top of the iceberg… The truth about most success is a little bit darker and uglier than most of us think. Most of the successful ones went through years of struggle and sacrifices. 

All of them know what hard work and dedication is and most of them had many moments of desperation and failure. This is how they finally made it, this story is a common one for almost all of them. Most of the greatest companies today are started this way.

Why not change your mindset today and start thinking of Success? Success is all around you. You will succeed! Just keep working at it, and be focused. Good luck! Stay great!

STORY: THE FARMER'S WIFE

"A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the goat and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The goat sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr.Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital , and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his matchet to the farmyard for the soup's main Ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbours came to sit with her around the clock.

To feed them, the farmer butchered the goat.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this amazing journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Each of us may not be connected through a blood line, we may not even be friends. But we are all connected through humanity.

Be Encouraged in Life

Be encouraged as I share these words: We all face challenges. We all have obstacles to overcome. But if we can keep the right perspective, it will help us stay in faith so that we can move forward into victory. You may feel, right now, like the challenges you face are too big or too overwhelming. 

It is the dawn of a new day. I see you making positive impact in the lives of those around you today.

There is a saying which goes thus; “whatever you can conceive, you can achieve”. I agree. This points to the power of imagination.

The story of R.G LeTourneau, an auto mechanic comes to mind here. He was a man who made use of his imagination to create earthmoving equipment, a feat that was far beyond his generation.

It is said that 70 percent of the earthmoving equipment and vehicles used during World War II came from his factories. As a result of his many inventions, he became one of the wealthiest men of his days.

On a particular day, he was flying in a private jet and slept off onboard and while sleeping, he will reach out for his notepad and write down things, then go back to sleep.

When they got to their destination, his friend, W. Clement Stone, a motivational speaker asked him what he was writing while he was sleeping but LeTourneau said he did not know.

He was the first person to produce bulldozers in the U.S and his equipment are still being used today.

One thing I’ve learned is that average people have average problems. Ordinary people have ordinary challenges. But remember, you’re not average. You’re not ordinary. You are extraordinary. God breathed His life into you. You are exceptional, and exceptional people face exceptional difficulties. But the good news is that we serve an exceptional God. 

When you have an incredible problem, instead of being discouraged, you should be encouraged knowing that you’re an incredible person, and you have an incredible future. Your path is shining brighter and brighter because of your incredible God. 

Be encouraged today because your life is on an extraordinary path. Keep standing in faith, keep declaring victory, keep declaring the promises of God over your life because you have an exceptional future. 

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” Proverbs 4:18 ESV. Blessings to all. He is also God because He specialises in Impossibilities ... He is the only Boss. 

Mind these 15 words when writing

Reading pays, but good writing also pays. I have this write-up which I read some weeks ago and feel I should share it, as these

15 words can be avoided when writing, to ensure the editor has less work.

Most people don't have the time or the attention span to read any more words than necessary. You want your readers to hear you out, understand your message, and perhaps be entertained, right? Here's a list of words to eliminate to help you write more succinctly.

1. That

It's superfluous most of the time. Open any document you've got drafted on your desktop, and find a sentence with "that" in it. Read it out loud. Now read it again without "that." If the sentence works without it, delete it. Also? Don't use "that" when you refer to people. "I have several friends that live in the neighborhood." No. No, you don't. You have friends who. Not friends that.

2. Went

I went to school. Or the store, or to church, or to a conference, to Vegas, wherever it is you're inclined to go. Instead of "went," consider drove, skated, walked, ran, flew. There are any number of ways to move from here to there. Pick one. Don't be lazy and miss the chance to add to your story.

3. Honestly

People use "honestly" to add emphasis. The problem is, the minute you tell your reader this particular statement is honest, you've implied the rest of your words were not. ‪

4. Absolutely

Adding this word to most sentences is redundant. Something is either necessary, or it isn't. Absolutely necessary doesn't make it more necessary. If you recommend an essential course to your new employees, it's essential. Coincidentally, the definition of essential is absolutely necessary. Chicken or egg, eh?

5. Very

Accurate adjectives don't need qualifiers. If you need to qualify it? Replace it. "Very" is intended to magnify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. What it does is makes your statement less specific. If you're very happy? Be ecstatic. If you're very sad, perhaps you're melancholy or depressed. Woebegone, even. Very sad is a lazy way of making your point. Another pitfall of using very as a modifier? It's subjective. Very cold and very tall mean different things to different people. Be specific. She's 6'3" and it's 13 degrees below freezing? These make your story better while also ensuring the reader understands the point you're making.

6. Really

Unless you're a Valley Girl, visiting from 1985, there's no need to use "really" to modify an adjective. Or a verb. Or an adverb. Pick a different word to make your point. And never repeat "really," or "very" for that matter. That's really, really bad writing.

If you are visiting from 1985? Please bring the birth certificate for my Cabbage Patch Doll on your next visit. Thanks.

7. Amazing

The word means "causing great surprise or sudden wonder." It's synonymous with wonderful, incredible, startling, marvelous, astonishing, astounding, remarkable, miraculous, surprising, mind-blowing, and staggering. You get the point, right? It's everywhere. It's in corporate slogans. It dominated the Academy Awards acceptance speeches. It's all over social media. It's discussed in pre-game shows and post-game shows.

Newsflash: If everything is amazing, nothing is.

8. Always

Absolutes lock the writer into a position, sound conceited and close-minded, and often open the door to criticism regarding inaccuracies. Always is rarely true. Unless you're giving written commands or instruction, find another word.

9. Never

See: Always.

10. Literally

"Literally" means literal. Actually happening as stated. Without exaggeration. More often than not, when the term is used, the writer means "figuratively." Whatever is happening is being described metaphorically. No one actually "waits on pins and needles." How uncomfortable would that be?

11. Just

It's a filler word and it makes your sentence weaker, not stronger. Unless you're using it as a synonym for equitable, fair, even-handed, or impartial, don't use it at all.

12. Maybe

This makes you sound uninformed, unsure of the facts you're presenting. Regardless of the topic, do the legwork, be sure, write an informed piece. The only thing you communicate when you include these words is uncertainty.

13. Stuff

This word is casual, generic even. It serves as a placeholder for something better. If the details of the stuff aren't important enough to be included in the piece? Don't reference it at all. If you tell your reader to take your course because they'll learn a lot of stuff? They're likely to tell you to stuff it.

14. Things

See: Stuff.

15. Irregardless

This doesn't mean what you think it means. It means regardless. It is literally (see what I did there?) defined as: regardless. Don't use it. Save yourself the embarrassment.

Whether you're ghostwriting for your CEO, updating a corporate blog, selling a product, or finishing your doctoral thesis, you want to keep your reader engaged. These 15 words are a great place to start trimming the fat from your prose. Bonus? You’ll sound smarter.

STORY: A KING AND HIS SERVANT

A King had a male servant who, in all circumstances always said to him; My king, do not be discouraged because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes.

One day, they went hunting and a wild animal attacked the king, the servant managed to kill the animal but couldn't prevent his majesty from losing a finger. Furious and without showing gratitude, the King said; if God was good, I would not have been attacked and lost one finger.

The servant replied, 'despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good and everything He does is perfect, He is never wrong'. Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his servant. While being taken to prison, he told the king again, God is Good & Perfect. Another day, the king left alone for another hunt and was captured by savages who use human beings for sacrifice.

On the altar, the savages found out that the king didn't have one finger in place, he was released because he was considered not "complete" to be offered to the gods. On his return to the palace, he ordered the release of his servant and said; My friend, God was really good to me. I was almost killed but for lack of a single finger, I was let go.

But I have a question; If God is so good, why did He allow me to put you in prison? His servant replied; My king, if I had not been put in prison, I would have gone with you, and would have been sacrificed, because I have no missing finger.

Everything God does is perfect, He is never wrong. Often we complain about life, and the negative things that happen to us, forgetting that everything happens for a purpose.

God knows why you are reading this message today, please bless someone with it by sharing it. God is good and perfect!!

Tips for Writing Your Research Proposal

I was going through my notes and stumbled upon this piece I had, which I want to share on writing your research proposal. They are as follows:

1. Know yourself: Know your area of expertise, what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses. Play to your strengths, not to your weaknesses. If you want to get into a new area of research, learn something about the area before you write a proposal. Research previous work. Be a scholar.

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2. Know the program from which you seek support: You are responsible for finding the appropriate program for support of your research.
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3. Read the program announcement: Programs and special activities have specific goals and specific requirements. If you don’t meet those goals and requirements, you have thrown out your chance of success. Read the announcement for what it says, not for what you want it to say. If your research does not fit easily within the scope of the topic areas outlined, your chance of success is nil.
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4. Formulate an appropriate research objective: A research proposal is a proposal to conduct research, not to conduct development or design or some other activity. Research is a methodical process of building upon previous knowledge to derive or discover new knowledge, that is, something that isn’t known before the research is conducted.
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5. Develop a viable research plan: A viable research plan is a plan to accomplish your research objective that has a non-zero probability of success. The focus of the plan must be to accomplish the research objective.
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6. State your research objective clearly in your proposal: A good research proposal includes a clear statement of the research objective. Early in the proposal is better than later in the proposal. The first sentence of the proposal is a good place. A good first sentence might be, “The research objective of this proposal is...” Do not use the word “develop” in the statement of your research objective.
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7. Frame your project around the work of others: Remember that research builds on the extant knowledge base, that is, upon the work of others. Be sure to frame your project appropriately, acknowledging the current limits of knowledge and making clear your contribution to the extension of these limits. Be sure that you include references to the extant work of others.
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8. Grammar and spelling count: Proposals are not graded on grammar. But if the grammar is not perfect, the result is ambiguities left to the reviewer to resolve. Ambiguities make the proposal difficult to read and often impossible to understand, and often result in low ratings. Be sure your grammar is perfect.
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9. Format and brevity are important: Do not feel that your proposal is rated based on its weight. Use 12-point fonts, use easily legible fonts, and use generous margins. Take pity on the reviewers. Make your proposal a pleasant reading experience that puts important concepts up front and makes them clear. Use figures appropriately to make and clarify points, but not as filler.
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10. Know the review process: Know how your proposal will be reviewed before you write it. Proposals that are reviewed by panels must be written to a broader audience than proposals that will be reviewed by mail. Mail review can seek out reviewers with very specific expertise in very narrow disciplines.
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11. Proof read your proposal before it is sent: Many proposals are sent out with idiotic mistakes, omissions, and errors of all sorts. Proposals have been submitted with the list of references omitted and with the references not referred to. Proposals have been submitted to the wrong program. Proposals have been submitted with misspellings in the title. These proposals were not successful. Stupid things like this kill a proposal. It is easy to catch them with a simple, but careful, proof reading. Don’t spend six or eight weeks writing a proposal just to kill it with stupid mistakes that are easily prevented.
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12. Submit your proposal on time: Duh? Why work for two months on a proposal just to have it disqualified for being late? Remember, fairness dictates that proposal submission rules must apply to everyone. It is not up to the discretion of the program officer to grant you dispensation on deadlines. Get your proposal in two or three days before the deadline.

STORY: Potatoes, Eggs, and Coffee Beans

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot.

He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.

After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”

“Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity– the boiling water.

However, each one reacted differently.

The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.

The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which are you,” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean? “

Moral:In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

Which one are you?

STORY: The Elephant Rope

There was a man in South Africa who was passing by and saw some elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

Engineering of Wright Brothers (Aeroplanes)

Engineering starts from somewhere. The man who inspired the Wright Brothers — Otto Lilienthal — was the first person to take safe and replicable gliding flights. Before Lilienthal's successes, flying was considered to be an impossibility reserved "for dreamers and fools."

The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were two American brothers, inventors, and aviation pioneers who are credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903 four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. In 1904-1905 the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.

The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of three-axis control, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium. This method became and remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds. From the beginning of their aeronautical work, the Wright brothers focused on developing a reliable method of pilot control as the key to solving "the flying problem". This approach differed significantly from other experimenters of the time who put more emphasis on developing powerful engines. Using a small homebuilt wind tunnel, the Wrights also collected more accurate data than any before, enabling them to design and build wings and propellers that were more efficient than any before. 

They gained the mechanical skills essential for their success by working for years in their shop with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and other machinery. Their work with bicycles in particular influenced their belief that an unstable vehicle like a flying machine could be controlled and balanced with practice. From 1900 until their first powered flights in late 1903, they conducted extensive glider tests that also developed their skills as pilots. Their bicycle shop employee Charlie Taylor became an important part of the team, building their first airplane engine in close collaboration with the brothers.

All together, Lilienthal constructed 18 types of gliders — 15 monoplanes and three biplanes — and he took over 2,000 glider flights.

During his last flight he lost control and went into a nosedive, which fractured his spine. While he was lying in the hospital, his last words were "Opfer müssen gebracht werden!", meaning "Sacrifices must be made!"

Your sacrifice and efforts shall result into greatness. You shall excel. Stay great and connected to the source-God.

SOMETIMES I CRY... Jason Crabb (lyrics)

I look the part,

blend in with the rest of the church crowd.
I know the routine,
I could list all the Bible studies in town.
Watch Christian TV,
I know all the preachers, their cliches.
Been born again, without a doubt I know I'm saved.

But sometimes I hurt, and sometimes I cry.
Sometimes I can't get it right
no matter how hard I seem to try.
Sometimes I fall down, stumble over my own disguise.
I try to look strong as the whole world looks on,
but sometimes alone I cry.

I try to speak faith, never give the devil one inch to get in.
I do worship and praise,
let everybody know just where that I stand.
On the back of my ride is a fish
and a cross for the world to see.
I know god is good all of the time,
Yes, there's no doubt for me.

But sometimes I hurt, and sometimes I cry.
Sometimes I can't get it right
no matter how hard I seem to try.
Sometimes I fall down, stumble over my own disguise.
I try to look strong as the whole world looks on,
but sometimes alone I cry.

Sometimes I fall down, stumble over my own disguise.
I try to look strong as the whole world looks on,
but sometimes alone I cry.

I try to look strong as the whole world looks on,
but sometimes alone I cry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVt817FC1QA

ANT & VANITY OF LIFE

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🌿One Saturday morning, a wealthy man sat in his balcony enjoying the sunshine and his coffee when a little ant caught his eye; going from one side to the other side of the balcony, carrying a big leaf several times more than its size.

🌿The man watched it for more than an hour. He saw that the ant faced many impediments during its journey, paused, took a diversion and then continued towards its destination.

🌿At one point the tiny creature came across a crack in the floor. It paused for a little while, analyzed and then laid the huge leaf over the crack, walked over the leaf, picked the leaf on the other side then continued its journey.

🌿The man was captivated by the cleverness of the ant, one of God’s tiniest creatures.

🌿The incident left the man in awe and forced him to contemplate over the miracle of Creation. It showed the greatness of the Creator. 

🌿Before his very eyes was this tiny creature of God, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to analyze, contemplate, reason, explore, discover and overcome.

🌿Along with all these capabilities, the man also noticed that this tiny creature shared some human shortcomings.

🌿The man saw about an hour later that the creature had reached its destination – a tiny hole in the floor which was entrance to its underground dwelling.

🌿At this point the ant’s shortcoming that it shared with man was revealed.

🌿How could the ant carry the large leaf it carefully managed to its destination into the tiny hole? It simply couldn’t!

🌿So the tiny creature, after all the painstaking and hard work and exercising great skills, overcoming all the difficulties along the way, just left behind the large leaf and went home empty-handed.

🌿The ant had not thought about the end before it began its challenging journey and in the end the large leaf was nothing more than a burden to it.

🌿The creature had no option, but to leave it behind, to reach its destination.

🌿The man learned a great lesson that day. Isn’t that the truth about our lives?

🌿We worry about our family, 

🌿We worry about our job, 

🌿We worry about how to earn more money, 

🌿We worry about where we should live – 5 bedroom or 6 bedroom house. 

🌿What kind of vehicle to buy – a Mercedes or Honda or BMW or a Porsche? 

🌿What kind of dress to wear? 

🌿All sorts of things, only to abandon all these things when we reach the entrance to our destination – {THE GRAVE} when we realize we cannot enter our destination with all these things.

🌿We don’t realize in our life’s journey that these are just burdens that we are carrying with utmost care and fear of losing them, only to find that at the end, they are useless and we can’t take them with us.

🌿The ONLY TREASURE that lasts FOREVER is; OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CREATOR - GOD.

🌿So ask yourself, "AM I USING MY WHOLE LIFE TO SERVE HIM?

🌿May God guide us all and remove from our hearts the excessive love we have for this world. Amen. 

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