Modelling Geographical Systems

Berry Boots, Atsuyuki Okabe and Richard Thomas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Dun

Take picture of Nokias, fruits and rice and credit cards.

Reason for clergy shortage

Reason for clergy shortage? Just ask why pastors leave churches

A growing challenge in many denominations is finding enough pastors to serve the churches that are vacant. More people are leaving the ministry ranks (through resignation or retirement) than are joining them. In my own denomination, the Christian Reformed Church, plans to start new churches are repeatedly scaled back because we can’t find enough qualified pastors to start these new churches. Our denomination is having a hard enough time finding enough pastors to fill vacant churches, let alone finding pastors to start new ones. Why the shortage of ministers?

Several years ago, consultants Alan and Cheryl Klaas were hired by the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) to investigate this issue. They were tasked to find the root causes of the clergy shortage that many denominations are facing. The problem they uncovered was unexpected (to them) and troubling. The reason for the drop-off of new ministry recruits matched the reason for an increase in people leaving ministry: the conflict, criticism, and ill-treatment that has become an all-too-common aspect of ministry life. What follows is an excerpt of an article in the Baptist standard:

“[This research study] was intended to be a traditional recruitment and retention study,” Klaas said. For example, he thought he’d be recommending changes on issues like seminary communication with potential students.

“We wondered if students got good services, if seminaries were recruiting the right people,” he explained. But in the end, the Klaases concluded the problems are 20 percent institutional and 80 percent behavioral.

“The fundamental finding is that people beating on each other is the main issue,” Klaas said.

One telling statistic from the Klaas study is the decrease in the numbers of pastors’ kids who become pastors themselves. Klaas estimates that pastors’ children made up about 40 percent of seminarians in the 1950s and ’60s. It’s a much different picture now at the two seminaries in the denomination Klaas was working with. Last year, pastors’ children made up only 5 percent of seminarians at one and 17 percent at the other.

The bottom line is that churches need to do a better job at caring for and supporting their pastors. Another way of looking at it — from the vantage point of the pastors themselves — is to say that pastors need to do a better job of caring for and supporting themselves (through training, taking time off, participating in support groups, etc.). Instead of sitting back and hoping that the church will do it for you, create a plan and insist on the church’s support for you to take the steps you need to care for your physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened in my case, had I done this. I tried to do it, but was not clear enough about what I needed, or insistent about getting the funding to get help. To be honest, I don’t think I really understood what I needed or how badly I needed it until it was too late. Don’t make that mistake.

Theory of Galacticalization

Theory of Galacticalization

Galacticalization is a process of interaction and integration among the beings, companies, and governments of different stars, systems, galaxies, a process driven by inter-galactical trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on being across the universe, physical well-being in societies around the universe.

damnit

It's Wednesday already.

I was looking at the list of assignments for World History and humm ... I gasped. I am beginning to see how Alex's departure and Fannie's maternity leave is affecting my work load. It's a bit funny lately because I have been given some responsibility in managing this geography book and I just need to ask my colleagues a lot of questions to make sure I got everything correct. We really lack editors who can edit English here. We got a new editor, Pam, and she seems to be good.

I have been thinking for a while now if this is the life for me. And I think the answer is a pretty sure 'no'. I just don't see myself being permanently here. I think I am working too hard, spending too much time for too little. It's not bad, and I got great colleagues here, something to be thankful for. But still, it's not really for me.

I need more holiday, more regular working hours, a bit more freedom. I think I am more of a writer than an editor. I rather have people edit me than for me to edit someone's work.

Monday again

It's monday again, where did the weekend go? I have no idea. Did i get to accomplish what I wanted to do over the weekend? sort of. ahhhh I need more hours in a day or just simply more goal-orientated and efficient.

Had my appraisal last Tuesday and I was kind of scare because it was my first time and I wasn't making deadline on the latest assignment. Boss was alright with me. I actually wanted to smile and laugh. I don't know, sometimes when i get nervous I would giggle and laugh. I think it's a self-imposed mechanism that is suppose to distract me from stress. Anyway, I basically acted serious the whole time and buffed up my lips and pulled back my chin and jaws to prevent that stupid smile from coming on.

Boss basically told me to be more professional and have a more professional look. She told me to sit up straight and button up. And she talked a bit about my personality and how I need to give a good impression. She told me that people are going to judge me with first impression, they don't have time to get to know who you are. She said that I need more determination and more focused. It was good, I knew that she was telling the truth.

She even asked me if I think I am suitable for the job and told me to at least finish this cycle and don't be like one of the coworker who left. I think she gave me some honest, good advices. Yet at the same time she wanted to know what I was thinking about working and if I would leave or not. I think she wanted me to at least stay until the LS book and World History's cycles are finished.

I told her that I don't think I am a sitting in an office kind of person. She asked if I can make it as a reporter...

She was trying on a smile and wanted to crack a joke and make it less serious but i was too scare to smile and laugh with her.

Afterward, my coworkers said if you two shared a laugh, I said no... I guess I was suppose to ease up a bit.

Finally watched Cape No.7 after thinking of doing so for a few weeks. The first impression is that it is a bit confusing with how the story of the love letters not really relating to the actual plot of the movie, but i slowly made the connection after a while (like a day) and is pretty amazed at the richness and complexity of the film. At the same time, the film has a very pure kind, simplicity feel to it with a lot of laughs, well-timed humor yet has something going on underneath. 

I was actually a little disappointed by it because i thought it would be really good but i think the biggest stories are how Cape No.7 is banned from showing in mainland China, the director's (魏德聖) struggle to get his movie made the way he wanted, and the theme  of hope and overcoming the past in this film. There are some cheesy parts that reminded me of American melodrama comedy but otherwise it is a good film. 

It's good to get away from Hollywood and Hong Kong film every once in a while. 

Freaking Crap

I am going to die tomorrow. I worked the whole day until like 11 and I still couldn't finish. Got home late, don't feel like doing anything when I should be at least working on something but it's just too much. I think I had the most productive work day. I probably work best at night.

I just realized that a few people who I thought were older than me are actually younger. That really knocked something up my head. I still feel like a kid. I realized that I am not that young anymore, but not old either. But still, I think people treat me like a kid. I am not sure if it's my appearance or character. Part of me is really childish and immature but there is a serious part of me too. I still don't like how people just look down on me because of my apparent age. It's disrespectful. I am not quite sure why I don't get taken seriously by people.

Sometimes I think I am too naive and honest. I was just told by my superior that I shouldn't be so honest during the latest talk we had for teachers. I did nothing wrong morally but it was against the company's interest. A teacher asked me if I was a teacher, and I told her I was there just to support my company. Urr. Hopefully I won't get into too much trouble over this.

I think it is these kind of things that I have little clue on. Like how to act up and stuff. I think it's a mix blessing.

Sunday

I think I am more of a writer than an editor.

Ping Ping was at choir today, I was a bit surprised to see him there. Only thing is that he's not baptized yet, if so, it would be great to have more guys in choir. I actually do feel a bit lonely there. There are not too many guys at the noon service choir and none at my age actually.

Choir is getting more and more enjoyable. The songs are great even though it is a bit tiring especially with all the weddings this season! Haha, and I was on time today, no, actually I was early haha today.

At night got some rude complain from the floor above with our piano playing at night. They were yelling and pounding the ground above us. I found that really rude. We stopped the piano playing already and they were still yelling so I went to the balcony and talked back to whoever above. And it was great. There were some argument but I got to understand their views and we worked the problem out. I didn't know our piano is that loud.

It's kind of weird being in office on a Saturday but I was here once too, on Christmas day and it was...weirder. The worst is that I have a slight headache, probably from not getting enough sleep.

At times I just get sick of Microword Word. Can there be a more inspiring interface? Like a creative mood setting or look?

Yesterday, we had a little farewell lunch at the local Japanese restaurant for my section head who was going on maternity leave starting Monday. We won't see her until sometime in February. She made fun of me during lunch, there was a little discrimination there. It's a common joke at work that I can't read Chinese, which is not true. It always take me a while longer to choose food from the menu so my colleagues always made jokes like, "Oh, do you need the English menu?" "Sorry waiter, he can't read Chinese" and so on. I feel like the office clown sometimes. 

Anyway, we are going to miss her. I am going to miss her a lot. She actually been working super hard for the past month or so, trying to finish everything up before she take leave. I am a little scare actually because a lot of her responsibilities and assignments were given to us and that means more work and responsibility. Also, for me, she was the one to looked over me and was my quality control. She would comment on my work, make correction and etc. No more. Now I don't have her looking over me anymore. I need to be much more careful and along with a lot more responsibilities in projects. Ahh. I am not sure if I am up for it. I need some prayers. I am not a very organized person. 

I will be working more with a friend now and I think there will be some conflict. I don't like to mix work and friend. That actually gives me extra pressure to do things well coz he is going to be responsible for me and how I perform would affect him. Urr.  

I think nowadays, there is a tendency of people to dodge or hide from responsibility. We see it clearly from the Hong Kong government. No one wants to take the blame when something happens.

Pictures to take

international food products in supermarket

my ipod

find walled village photo