Tag: transition

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How to Use the Bible to Parent Children With Disabilities

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund estimates that about 240 million children are born with impairments. As a result, Christians raising children with disabilities must understand how to nurture them biblically. However, this might be one of the most difficult elements of parenting.

The good news is that you can often find guidance on how to raise your children, whether they have disabilities or not, in the Bible. Here are some biblical guidelines for how Christians should see disabilities and how the Bible can help you raise a child with disability.

Model Godly Behavior in Your Child

Modeling Godly behavior to your child is the best way to teach him or her. God’s love and wisdom are clearly demonstrated in Scripture. Using Bible verses or read Christian blogs such as When you need God, as a parent will help your children learn how to apply them to their lives even if they have disabilities.

For example, Proverbs 22:6 teaches Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. You can use the proverb to talk about taking care of our bodies through proper diet and exercise.

Also, you could apply to education by using verses such as 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which states, All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. You could apply this verse to teaching kids what is right or wrong based on biblical principles rather than just human thoughts.

Talk to Your Child

The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that it is crucial to maintain positive and open communication when parenting a child with disabilities. Listen more than you speak. Kids want to be heard. Ask your child how they feel about their disability and what they think is important about having a disability.

This can help you tailor your approach for them, which will make you an even better parent.It is also helpful when kids transition from one stage of life to another, like elementary school to middle school or high school. According to the Bible, patience is a virtue, and consider practicing it.

Children are embarrassed by their disabilities. But do not let that stop you from communicating with them on the subject or assuming anything about their limitations. Do not go overboard: You will probably have good and bad days as a parent of a child with disabilities. And that is okay!

House Chores

The Bible contains some specific instructions for believers to care for those less fortunate than themselves. In Ephesians 4:28, Paul writes, “…but must work, doing something useful with their own hands….”

He gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. Many Christian parents use the passage as Biblical guidance on how to divide household chores among their children.

For Christians raising children with disabilities, certain Biblical principles can guide them through the challenges of parenting a child with a disability. One example is Galatians 6:2, which says, Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

It is important to remember that while you may have more struggles or responsibilities in life because your child has a disability, you also have the power to make life easier for your child by carrying the burden together.

Assure Your Children That They Are Normal

Everyone wants to be loved and accepted. Children with disabilities, just like every other child, have a desire for love and acceptance. Take time daily to assure your child that they are unique and special.

Talk about how much you love them, how beautiful they are, and how glad God chose them as your child. For example, Proverbs 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.

In essence, God promises He will be there for you and gives you confidence that He is in control of everything that happens. Psalm 139:14 asserts I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You can point out this verse during bath time or when changing a diaper to remind them of how special they are.

According to the Book of Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus encourages people who have disabilities by saying, Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. These reminders can provide relief for your child while giving them a strong foundation as they grow.

Biblical Guidance on Disciplining Children Born With Disabilities

It is important that Christians raising children with disabilities get some biblical perspective on discipline. God commands parents to discipline your children. Discipline is not punishment; it is simply teaching a child what is right and wrong.

Parents should use biblical guidance for disabilities in disciplining their children. According to Hebrews 12:11-12 No discipline feels pleasant at the time but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those trained by it.

That is why an important piece of parenting children with disabilities is guiding them in the right direction. One good example would be Proverbs 23:13, which says, Withhold not correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod and deliver his soul from hell.

The Bottom Line: Ask God for Wisdom

There is no shame in asking God for help. You might be afraid of what you will hear but consider it an opportunity to ask God for wisdom as you raise your children. Remember that He loves you and your children and knows what they need better than anyone else.

Trust Him when He answers; ask Him again when you do not understand why things happen as they do. God wants us to be good parents, and he wants us to succeed. Inquire of him for wisdom and biblical guidance for disabilities in parenting your children. He will make sure you have everything you need.

(Psalm 111:10) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Read the Bible and pray regularly, especially when facing challenges in raising your children. Ask God to help you understand how He can use your difficult circumstances to bring glory to Himself.

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Where did the word “Church” come from?

At the risk of sounding like one of those zealots, it is time that we begin to openly draw a distinction between our Lord’s Ecclesia and Constantine’s Church. All of us that are serious about our relationship with our Father and our walk of faith have recited, or at the very least heard it recited, the statement Jesus spoke to Simon Peter: “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.  When we read the word “church” in this passage, we immediately begin to visualize a building or a group of buildings—because that is how we’ve come to understand “church” as we know it—and equate that to what Jesus said as written in the quoted passage. Or perhaps we envision a group of people that congregate in a building on Sundays or some other day during the week.

For the last 406 years, most of the Christian world has been conditioned by the teachings of the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible. For the most part, this translation has served a very important role in shaping the ideals and beliefs of people and nations around the world. For the purposes of this article, I want to address a specific point of conflict with the way the KJV text translated a particular word from its original use. That point is this: “how did the word ‘ecclesia’ get replaced with the word ‘church’”? The answer to this question will no doubt offend some and open the eyes of others. Nonetheless, it is a question that anyone who is serious about their walk of faith should consider.

One of the other agendas of the KJV translators was the change of the word “ecclesia” to the word “church”.

During the creation of the KJV one of the mandates of King James I of England to his team of translators was that they were to ensure that the new version would conform to the ecclesiology (that is, simply put, the doctrinal beliefs, architecture, and adornment) and reflect the Episcopal (Bishop’s oversight) structure of the Church of England and its belief in an ordained clergy. If this was the only instruction to the translators, it alone would have been enough to call into question the purity of their finished work, or at the very least, it would lead to the inevitable concern about a hidden agenda regarding the final work. But this was not the only coercion. One of the other agendas of the translators was the change of the word “ecclesia” to the word “church”. I’ll deal with “ecclesia” later in this article. For now, let’s focus our attention on the word substituted in the place of “ecclesia”.

“Church” was originally used by Emperor Constantine when he made Christianity the state religion of Rome around 310 A.D. Thus the word “church” became the standard of assembly for the Christian religion, and has continued to be used this way ever since. By the time of the creation of the KJV, the word church presented itself as a satisfactory pawn for King James to perpetuate the superiority of the English monarchy over the Kingdom government of the Body of Christ.

Throughout the KJV translation, the word “church” was substituted for the Latin word “ecclesia”. These two words do not mean the same thing, neither do they derive from a common word; in fact, they convey two significantly different understandings. In short, the translators of the KJV deliberately altered the meaning of critical passages of scripture to divert the reader’s and believer’s understanding as it pertains to who Jesus declared them to be, and what our position in the Kingdom of Heaven truly is.

The word “church” was substituted 112 times for the word “ecclesia”

The word “church” was substituted 112 times for the word “ecclesia”. There are three other translations of the same word into the word “assembly”. One could easily become suspicious as to why these three instances were not also translated “church”. Given that the words do not mean the same thing, why would the translators make such an obvious alteration to the “Holy Scriptures”? The exact answer cannot be definitively concluded, but it is not hard to arrive at a reasonable conjecture of a deliberate agenda to alter our understanding of our Kingdom position relative to the state’s desire to maintain control of the Christian religion.

So what does the word “church” really mean? In the earlier Greek, it was pronounced “kuriakos” or “kuriakon.” The meaning of ” kuriakos ” is understood by its root, ” kuriakos,” which means “lord.” Thus, “kuriakos” (i.e.,”church”) means “pertaining to the lord.” It refers to something that pertains to or belongs to, a lord. (Note the usage of the lowercase letter “L” here”¦this particular usage refers to someone having power, authority, or influence over someone, and generally refers to someone in the position of a master or ruler in an established monarchy.) The Greek “kuriakos” eventually came to be used in Old English form as “cirice” (kee-ree-ke), then “churche” (kerke), and eventually “church” in its traditional pronunciation. Church from its original Old English meaning referred to a public place of worship.

       Paul and Silas was not building churches they were establishing the Ecclesia!

Now let’s look at the word “ecclesia”. Ecclesia [from medieval Latin and Greek, meaning “summoned” or “called out”] means “a regularly convoked assembly”, especially the general assembly of Athenians. It was the name given to the governmental assembly of the city of Athens, duly convoked by proper officers and possessing all political power including even juridical functions. Consider Acts 17:1-7, and in particular verse 7: “Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus”. We can see here that what Paul and Silas were doing was inciting insurrection among all those that would hear and believe their preaching. They were not trying to change Judaism, they were establishing the ecclesia.

The Ecclesia is NOT the “church”. This is something that believers have been told since the days of Constantine, in order to exercise control over us and to keep us from understanding the true identity of our dominion. We, the Ecclesia, are the governing body of our Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, in this season, Holy Spirit is once again raising up voices to give understanding to the Ecclesia”¦that we are not “the church” as we have been told. He is revealing to us that we must come out of this Constantinian religious system and begin to embrace our true sonship, our inheritance, and our authority as heirs of righteousness and heirs of promise.

In this season, those who are hungry for the truth of our identity will begin to hear the sound of the call to the Ecclesia. I encourage you to pursue that sound as it will lead you to its source: Holy Spirit! There you will find the truth of who you were created to be. There you will find true worship of your Father in heaven. There you will find your place in the Godhead. Don’t be afraid of what you begin to hear. Holy Spirit will not allow you to be misled or seduced. He will guide you into ALL Truth.

BLESSINGS!

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Worlds AIDs Day, Some Facts You Should Know

World AIDS Day: 'My Health, My Right'

As the holiday season approaches, most of us will preoccupy ourselves with shopping lists, vacations, and other festive preparations.

All these activities might be exciting, however; it is important to not forget issues facing the world.

“AIDS is a horrible disease,  and the people who catch it deserve compassion.” – Sam Kinison

Created as a way to raise public awareness, World AIDS Day brings  fresh public attention to fighting the virus that infects 6,300 people daily, according to the UN HIV/AIDS 2013 Factsheet. Globally, about 34 million people are HIV-positive.

Demographically, 43 percent are black, 44 percent are Hispanic and 11 percent are white.

In 2014, 1,916 people died of HIV in Florida; 352 of them were Miami-Dade residents.

WHY IS WORLD AIDS DAY IMPORTANT?

“Rumors of sneezing, kissing, tears, sweat, and saliva spreading AIDS casued people to panic.” – Ryan White

AIDS itself is subject to incredible stigma. Therefore, the AIDS day specifically targets HIV-related stigma and discrimination that prevents people who are known to have HIV from securing a job or caring for their families.

Discrimination can cause isolation and marginalizes people who have HIV and AIDS and can prevent people from being offered or seeking treatment that could save their lives.

“The AIDS virus is not more powerful than God,” – Marianne Williamson

One theme this year is ‘Right to health’ and ‘Getting to Zero’, which would mean zero new HIV infections

“Three million people died of HIV/AIDS in 2003, making this the most lethal year so far in the history of the epidemic.”

The virus destroys and impairs the function of immune cells, thus gradually making infected individuals become immunodeficient.

WHAT LEADS TO A GREATER RISK OF HIV?

  1. Accidental needle stick injuries
  2. Sharing contaminated needles, syringes and other injecting equipment
  3. Receiving unsafe injections, blood transfusions, tissue transplantation, medical procedures that involve unsterile cutting or piercing
  4. Unprotected anal or vaginal sex.

BUT WHAT ABOUT AFTER WORLD AIDS DAY?

“Give a child love, laughter and peace, not AIDS.” – Nelson  Mandela

We encourage everyone reading this letter to listen to voices outside the city limits — to research and learn about how HIV affects us globally.

After your searching, we will guarantee you two things: you will be shocked by the death toll, and most importantly, you will know it is within our reach to drastically make a difference.

“AIDS today does not mean a death sentence. Its can be treated as a chronic illness, or a chronic disease.” – Yusuf Hamied

AROUND THE WORLD ON WORLD AIDS DAY?

  • Apple store logos around the world are turning red.  The transition from gray to a more crimson hue started Thursday in Australia and continues around the world through tomorrow.
  • President Donald J. Trump Proclaims December 1, 2017, as World AIDS Day
  • OraSure Technologies, Inc. a leader in point of care diagnostic
  • Naomi Campbell and Marc Jacobs Design T-shirt for World AIDS Day
  • RESTANCE Joins World AIDS Day Support With Former President
  • Community AIDS Network (CAN) Celebrates World AIDS Day
  • World AIDS Day: Coalition targets 5000 Lagosians for free HIV testing
  • UTEP students hold World Aids Day event
  • Sampson County AIDS Task Force observing World AIDS Day
  • 4343 youths undergo HIV/AIDS test in Kaduna
  •  Mariah Carey Supports World AIDS Day
  • Planned Parenthood offers free testing for World AIDS Day

WHAT SHOULD I DO ON WORLD AIDS DAY?

“I enyoy being a messenger for God in terms of letting people know about HIV and AIDS.” – Magic Johnson

World AIDS Day is an opportunity to show solidarity with the millions of people living with HIV worldwide.  It’s not only is it a day to spread public awareness, but it is a day to remember those who have it and are battling the vicious virus.

The challenges surrounding HIV and AIDS are getting more complex and mature, and we just can’t stick our heads in the sand and say, it can’t happen to me.

 

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The Hard Side of Change Management

Change management is an approach to transition individuals, teams, and organisations to a desired future state. For over three decades, academics, managers, and consultants, realising that transforming organisations is difficult, have avoided  the subject.

My Way or the Highway

Major organisational change is profoundly difficult because the structure, culture, and routines of companies  often reflect’s persistent and difficult-to-remove ways of working, which are resistant to radical change even as the environment of  organisations change.

What started out as a financial buzzword in the early nineties  has become fundamental business practice, with executives recognising the need to keep abreast  with the competition in a rapidly developing corporate new world.

Navigating  change

Globalisation and the constant innovation of technology result in a constantly evolving business environment. There is an ever-increasing need for Change Management Lead’s / Senior Managers who can help organisations successfully navigate change in today’s business environments. The focus of this movement to date has been on how to  partner with organisations to define education, training and communication platforms that help to support the change initiatives and concerns of company employees. The critical aspect is a company’s ability to win the buy-in of their organisation’s employees on the change initiative.

While a project team is important for success, a senior level advisor is invaluable and can work  with an organisations  leadership team to avoid common pitfalls that change management projects often fall into. There are four key areas where an Advisor should act as this resource as follows:

1. Defining A  Strategy  

Executives should start by asking themselves  what exactly needs  changing and why? Organisational change directly affects all departments from entry level employees to senior management and  must be aligned to a  companies  strategy. Too many programs are heavy on the jargon and light on the substance.  Executives are often sold on an idea only to realise as the change initiative begins that they need a different outcome, tool or process to be successful.

In this situation the strategy for change needs to be re-aligned with the organisation and its goals.

An outside senior advisor with a unique perspective of the organisation will  play an important role in helping an executive to explore and shape the strategy they are defining and highlight whether it will truly create the outcomes they desire. This upfront partnership can save money  on the back end of a project, by avoiding costly re-scoping of initiatives.This relationship  between senior advisor and executive should therefore begin as early as possible in the process.

2. Coalition Building

Its important to give  people multiple opportunities to share concerns, ask questions, and offer ideas  and to make following up with answers and updates a top priority.  Executives must reach out across their functional work streams to build a large cohesive team to support the project once the correct strategy has been set and the urgency for the project has been established. A good senior advisor will be able to guide an executive though these interactions.

As a senior change management professional, it is important that you help leaders of the organisation craft the correct message. While leaders often know what it is they want and see the urgency for themselves, the outside view that a coach provides can support the development of a team around the initiative and  help to navigate the strategic and political interests in linking the change to the interest of multiple team members.

The more people are involved in the process, the fewer will  be acting as internal saboteurs.

Communication Is Key to Successful Change Management

3. Communication

Don’t confuse process visioning, planning and endless powerpoint presentations with communication.  

Change is uncomfortable, and adapting to change is messy. A  Gantt chart can not capture  the  hard side of  change management. Why? Because tasks are easy to list, but behaviour and long-held habits are not easy to change. Gather outside information, solicit perspectives, and adapt the approaches for your organisation and group.

The importance of communication within an organisation around the change cannot be underestimated.     Executives often fall short on communication in two main  areas, not communicating the right message and not communicating it frequently enough across an  organisation. It is often thought that everyone else in the organisation is on board and understands the change, however, the  reality for an executive  is not the reality for another worker who may have lost a job because of a well intended change initiative.  A senior advisor can apply consistent pressure to the leader of the change around the need for communication and its messaging.

Quantity Is Fine, but Quality and Consistency Are Crucial

4. Share  Relevant  Information Quickly

Most CEOs and managers are quoted as saying, “You can’t communicate too much,” Part of the communication will be the support the urgency in messaging.     “My way or the highway”  is often used, but is not an effective communication strategy.     Senior Advisors can work with executives to tailor their message to each area of the organisation in order to define content that is important to them.

A study by  Towers Watson  shows that “only two-thirds (68%) of senior managers say they are getting the message about the reasons behind major organisational decisions. Below the senior management level, the message dwindles further  to  (53%) of middle managers and 40% of first-line supervisors understanding  reasons behind major organisational  change.

The forwarding and cascading of information does not work as  consistent communication around the change will be necessary at all levels of the organisation using a variety of communication pathways and vehicles.  As a trusted advisor it is important to encourage executives to lead by example in both their messaging and communication of the change  agenda.

Only 25% of Change Management Initiatives Are Successful over the Long Term

Maintaining The Change

Many leaders and managers underestimate the length of time required by a change cycle. It is paramount  that as the  change effort reaches its completion that  leaders of the change recognise that the process does not end there.   The role of a Senior Advisor will be to guide them to the idea that work must be undertaken  to maintain the change over time. Maintaining change does not mean that an executive must own the initiative  forever, just that they take the necessary steps to ensure that change has a lasting impact by integrating the change into the corporate culture and measuring the benefits  and highlighting areas for future improvements.

The outside unbiased view is  that a Change Management Lead is crucial to the success of a change management program.

This article  provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the needs of your organisation or situation.  Please use it mindfully.

 

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