You are missing out!

It is no secret that purchasing has a significant influence on cost. External purchases represent over half of cost in many firms. While savings of up to 40% or more can be realized on these cost [Anderson and Katz, 1998]! Most companies have spent significant energy on volume consolidation and supply base optimisation, thus realizing up to 15% savings. Good sourcing processes and sourcing as a true strategic function can help your company realize up to 25% more saving. It can even help increase revenue. Imagine, sourcing as a profit centre, not just a cost centre.

A lack of sourcing skills can have dramatic results, as the recent Dutch government construction fraud case shows. In the past years, the government paid 30% too much for its construction projects. Public opinion speaks of fraud from the construction companies. However, a good government sourcing function might have prevented this from happening. Structural supply analysis and a thorough insight in supply cost structures could have made a whole lot of difference.

Introduction

The concept of sourcing is gaining popularity and impact in both organisation and management studies. There is no argument about that. Yet sourcing is still as far away from becoming an autonomous discipline as ever. The term sourcing is used for too many different purposes. There is just not one definition. Sourcing might be used in dialog with the purchasing process, or as a part of this process. Sourcing might be used for the process of acquiring input from multiple countries. Or sourcing is used as a synonym for outsourcing. When the concept of strategy is being introduced to sourcing, the definition becomes even more confusing. How can strategic sourcing be used if there is not even common ground on what sourcing actually means? This article will first create common ground by analysing definitions in search of a common denominator in order to suggest a new definition. Secondly, it will show that strategic sourcing is, in many cases, not as strategic as it is claimed to be, and suggests how strategic sourcing should be defined. Furthermore, a conceptual framework will be presented on how sourcing can be used as a true strategic function. Sourcing has come a long way; this article tries to make a first step on an even longer road that is still ahead.

Sourcing: finding a definition

As stated earlier sourcing is becoming increasingly popular and a very relevant topic in organization and management studies. Basically, the goal of all companies is sustainable and competitive selling of goods and/or services. In order to produce these goods and services input is needed. This input can be tangible, like raw materials or employees, or intangible, like information or skills. They all originate from some source and this is were sourcing activities come into play.

Several definitions of sourcing have been given in literature. ‘Sourcing is researching the market for potential input sources, securing the continuity of these sources, searching for alternative sources and keeping the relevant knowledge up to date’ [Vollman, Berry, Whybark, 1984, p. 148; van Weele, 1994].

Sourcing Management (Kraljic, 1983) is labelled as ‘Bottleneck Supply’ and consists of supply that is also uncertain, but of relatively low importance for companies in terms of volume purchased, total purchase cost, or impact on product quality or business growth. Bottleneck suppliers can be found in Figure 1.

‘Sourcing is the way an organisation acquires its needed goods and services in such an integrated manner that functional and hierarchical organisational boundaries are permeated’ [Groeneveld, Hofstra, 1995].

‘Sourcing is the process of finding and subsequently managing a source for the input of production’ [Mol, 2001, p. 1].

Figure 1: Supply Management Model. Source Kraljic (1983)

The definitions are different but have some things in common, for example, ‘sources for the input of production’.

The definition used in this article is:

“Sourcing is the process of analysing potential input sources, choosing and securing the continuity of these sources for input of production and, subsequently, managing these sources”.

This definition is chosen for several reasons. First, for the purpose of analysis of potential sources, not just existing sources. Secondly, there is an emphasis on continuity. Thirdly, because it concerns not just closing a deal, but true management of the source. This article emphasizes both external and internal sources.

Historic overview

As can be concluded from the sourcing definition, sourcing is a specific topic but highly related to purchasing. The rise of sourcing is also related to the way we think about purchasing. For a short historic impression, some points of development of purchasing are presented here [Ellram, Carr, 1994]. In the early 1970s Ammer noted that top management looked at purchasing as playing a passive role in business organization. Ansoff supported this view, stating that purchasing could be described rather as an administrative than a strategic function. The 1973-74 oil crisis and related raw material shortages drew significant attention to the importance of purchasing and sourcing. However, in spite of the crisis, the role of purchasing and sourcing did not improve. Later on Porter, in his seminal work on forces that shape the competitive nature of industry, identified buyers and suppliers as two of five critical forces. Thus, the strategic importance of suppliers and the company as a purchasing entity (acquiring sources) began receiving recognition in main stream strategy literature. In the 1980s many authors noted the benefits of greater strategic involvement of the purchasing function. However, until late in the decade only limited gains appeared to have been made. During the early 1990s the research focus appeared to have shifted towards integration, and how the purchasing and sourcing function can become recognized as a more significant contributor to the company’s success.

Purchasing and Supply Management Trends

So the position of purchasing and sourcing in management literature changed over time. Purchasing was once regarded as a reactive activity capable of only neutral or negative contribution. Nowadays the purchasing and sourcing process at leading companies is at the forefront of responding to and creating change. The ability of purchasing and sourcing-often in collaboration with other functional groups to affect cost, quality, time, technology and ultimately customer satisfaction-is substantial.

Now what trends influenced this change in view? Based on a research survey among purchasing and sourcing executives the following categories of change and trends can be identified [Trent, Monczka, 1998]:

1. Performance improvement requirements;

2. Supplier and purchasing and sourcing importance;

3. Organization;

4. Systems development;

5. Performance measurement;

6. Supply base management;

7. Purchasing responsibilities and activities.

Performance improvement requirements

The need for continuous improvement is a widely accepted necessity. Commonly expected targets are continuous improvement of cycle time, cost, quality and delivery performance, both internally and from external suppliers. While quality and cost have always been important, time-related capabilities are rapidly becoming the next generation of ‘order winning’ characteristics.

Supplier, purchasing and sourcing importance

The shift in supplier importance is a result of at least five factors which affect most industries:

– The need to control unit cost;

– The need to reduce the total cost of acquisition;

– The increasing influence that suppliers have on the purchaser’s ability to respond to end customers particularly as it affects time-related requirements;

– An increased reliance on fewer suppliers;

– A willingness of purchasers to rely on suppliers to design and build entire subassemblies and subsystems.

Organization

The right organizational structure is essential for implementing leading-edge procurement strategies and plans. Today this often means using higher level teams to evaluate, select, manage and develop sources. Furthermore, there is a shift towards end-item focus instead of commodities, which results in hybrid structures reflecting a growing need for purchasing and sourcing to become more integrated with other parts of the organization.

System development

There is an emphasis on purchasing and sourcing systems development due to the need to co-ordinate purchasing and sourcing activities across buying locations, assuming an organizational rather than a functional perspective, and take on complex and strategic responsibilities with existing staff.

Performance measurement

Performance measurement is essential for gauging the overall effectiveness of functional and team-based strategies and plans. Specifically, purchasing and sourcing managers should rely on measurement systems to identify:

– supplier performance and opportunities for improvement;

– performance trends;

– the best suppliers to select, both for routine purchase requirements and critical items that would benefit from long-term purchase agreements;

– where to commit limited supplier/source development resources, the overall effectiveness of source management improvement efforts.

New measurement areas will emphasize purchasing and sourcing effectiveness rather than efficiency, reflecting a shift toward an increasingly strategic sourcing perspective.

Supply base management

Not long ago, it was common practice for buyers to play suppliers off against each other, switch suppliers frequently and offer only short-term contracts. Now changes are occurring in the way companies approach and manage their supply base. Most companies will continue to reduce the total number of suppliers they maintain. Another related trend is to rely on larger full-service suppliers to design and build entire subsystems, instead of many suppliers providing components of the subsystem. Many supplier base reductions involved a smaller group out of the original group of suppliers. Supply base improvements might have been greater if purchasing and sourcing had broadened their supply/source search. Supplier/source optimisation can create a foundation to pursue more complex activities that will further accelerate improvement.

Purchasing and Sourcing responsibilities and activities

If an increase in purchasing and sourcing importance is taking place, then shifting responsibilities over time should reflect this importance. A continued increase in strategic and external focus can be expected. Furthermore, a decrease in tactically oriented tasks can be expected.

Case: Siemens

In 1997, purchasing at Siemens Medical Systems was a strictly local affair [Carbone, 2001]. It was then decided that a strategic purchasing organization should be created. Its mission would be to leverage Medical Systems group material purchases with suppliers, tap into their technical expertise, and form long-term relationships with them. The idea of strategic purchasing was to reduce cost, guarantee supply and making sure Siemens had access to the latest and best technology needed for medical equipment. In order to make the reorganization a success, Siemens developed a survey in order to identify problem areas it needed to address. This survey was based on a benchmarking study of the purchasing organizations of IBM, Hewlett-Packard, ABB, Ericsson, Nokia and others. The survey was used at Siemens’ various purchasing departments at various facilities. The results were evaluated and the departments were rated to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

Strategic sourcing

So historic developments and trends all push towards a more important role for sourcing and show a need for a more cross-functional and strategic focus.

What is this new strategic role of sourcing and what sorts of strategies are possible? It appears that there are three distinct types of strategies for purchasing [Ellram, Carr, 1994] which can also be used for sourcing:

1. Specific strategies employed for the sourcing function;

2. Sourcing’s role in supporting the strategies of other functions and those of the company as a whole;

3. Utilization of sourcing as a strategic function of the company.

While these three issues are related, they are distinct areas in terms of their execution and impact on the sourcing function. At the first level sourcing draws up its own strategies and plans, while at a larger level these might prove to be dysfunctional for the organization as a whole. At the second level the sourcing strategies are drawn up to maximally support the company strategy. At the third level sourcing is an integral part of the strategic planning process of the company. One of the statements in the introduction was that strategic sourcing is in many instances not as strategic as it is claimed to be. Two gaps can be identified to explain this.

Firstly, although the sourcing function is reported to be strategic there is no empirical evidence of this.

Example: the intention gap

The purchasing function is caught in a gap between strategic intentions and tactical realities [Moody, 2001]. In a study called “Purchasing’s strategic Role and team usage” researchers looked at what purchasing leaders regard as important strategic work, applying their knowledge about suppliers and technologies to help the company make decisions on outsourcing, new product development and market planning, and compare it with what their organizations actually do. Their findings indicate a wide gap between intentions and reality. To determine purchasing’s role in strategy, the researchers asked chief purchasing officers to rate their involvement in 13 major corporate activities using a five point Likert scale. Even top-ranked outsourcing was rated at 3.46, only a moderately important level; the 13th parameter had a 2.01 standing, indicating that purchasing departments were only slightly involved in marketing planning. Clearly the buzz about strategic purchasing is supported by the data.

Secondly, while strategic sourcing or purchasing is being reported, the question is what type of strategy is being referred to.

Example: Strategic buying

An article on strategic buying [Sherer, 2000] has the subtitle: ‘nine steps for getting the right IT system for your organization’. Instead of dealing with the strategy of the sourcing function or sourcing as a strategic function, a nine-step method is being described which secures the right purchase of an information system for a healthcare organization. In light of the three strategy types, this would be at best a ‘type one’ strategy.

The authors claim that most of the employed strategies are of type one or two and that strategy of type three is still very unusual.

In this article strategic sourcing is considered to make an explicit contribution to the organizational strategy and long term success. Therefore it is either level two or three.

The definition of strategic sourcing used here is:

The process of analysing potential input from internal and external sources, choosing and securing continuity of these sources for the input of production and subsequently managing these sources in order to create sustainable competitive advantage for the organization.

This definition contains the popular activities of in- and outsourcing.

Some differences between traditional sourcing and strategic sourcing are presented in Figure 2.

Figure 2: From traditional to strategic sourcing. Source Nolan Norton Institute (1999)

Pathway to improvement

There is probably no such thing as a ‘big bang scenario’ to introduce strategic sourcing from scratch. The development of strategic sourcing within an organization is more like an evolving process. Most literature refers to several ‘phases’ or ‘stages’ sourcing must go through before it can truly become strategic in nature, and contribute to organizational strategy. This evolving process includes development of new skills for the sourcing function and a different mindset by top management and other functional areas. Sourcing must be considered an important contributor to the organizations long-term success and strategy. Now if sourcing grows in strategic posture, what kind of gains can be realized? In figure 3 several levels of procurement development are discussed. In order to achieve higher levels of development, the sourcing function must also gain in sophistication and strategic posture.

Figure 3 Source Anderson (1998)

For each level of development, higher value adding for the organization can be achieved. The first three levels are mainly focused on cost, taking a total cost of ownership (TCO) view, and furthermore on quality and making time related issues predictable. Level 4 is focussed on achieving higher extra value for the end customer, thus realizing higher revenues. Value drivers in level 4 are again cost and quality, but also shorter time to market and leverage technology and skills from the entire value chain.

Case: Siemens

Forming a strategic purchasing organization allowed Siemens to improve its purchasing coordination and streamline its logistical and information flows. This took Siemens into to the second improvement level. However, the strategic purchasing project did not stop there. Siemens formed eight material groups to handle its strategic sourcing issues. This resulted in reduced complexity and increased standardization. Furthermore, suppliers were involved in the process of new product development, thus taking Siemens into the third improvement level. All these reorganizations did not go without reward. Siemens reduced its material costs by 25% over a three year period and brought products to the market quicker.

What do these levels mean for the three types of sourcing strategy? With a specific strategy for the sourcing function an organization can reach level 1 or 2. To really make the most out of level 2 and reach level 3 the sourcing strategy must really be aligned with the organization strategy. In order to make more out of level 3 and to reach level 4 sourcing must be fully integrated within the organization’s strategic planning, thus really achieving the strategic sourcing posture.

Example: why improve?

By improving the sourcing function significant benefits can be realized. Reaching level one yields cost savings between 5-15%. Level two 5-25%. Level three varies widely and level four will increase revenue. Leaders in procurement are highly developed at the first three levels. Level four is a “new frontier”; few companies are pursuing its potential in their situation [Anderson and Katz, 1998]

Concluding Remarks

Enterprises are increasingly turning to multiple internal and external sources, making sourcing a hot topic within companies. Each company must define its intended sourcing strategy and most appropriate implementation in order to create sustainable competitive advantage for the organization. There is probably no such thing as a ‘big bang scenario’ to introduce strategic sourcing from scratch. The development of strategic sourcing within an organization is more like an evolving process.

As can be concluded, different levels of improvement in the sourcing function can be attained. Each higher level yielding an increased payoff. Attaining a higher level does also acquire a more sophisticated sourcing function. Most companies do not seem to surpass the basic cost cutting level and are losing out on additional cost savings and increased revenue. Acquiring your input for less is only the beginning. A company should assess how strategic their sourcing function really is. Changes are the sourcing strategy comes closer to transactional optimisation than a cross-functional process to attain competitive advantage. Furthermore a company should asses its sourcing goals. Most likely the goals will correspond with buying for less or taking the total cost of ownership view and thus try to buy better. Most companies do not make the most of their sourcing function and are losing out on a change to gain competitive advantage.

This article gives the initial impetus to the overview of strategy in sourcing. While the topic strategic sourcing is not a new phenomenon, much research is still needed.

As the concept of sourcing matures, a need to validate and build on sourcing concepts exists. There is still much academic work required in creating sophisticated concepts that will help organizations to actually acquire higher levels of improvement for their sourcing function.

Literature

– Anderson M., Katz P.; Strategic sourcing; 1998

– Ansoff, H. I. (1965). Corporate Strategy: An Analytical Approach to Business Policy for Growth and Expansion

– Carbone J.; Strategic purchasing cuts cost 25% at Siemens; 2001

– Carter J., Narasimhan R.; Is purchasing really strategic?; 1996

– Degraeve Z., Roodhooft F.; Determining sourcing strategies: a decision model based on activity and cost driver information; 1997

– Diromualdo A., Gurbaxani V.; Strategic intent for IT outsourcing; 1998

– Ellram L., Carr A.; Strategic purchasing: A history and review of the literature; 1994

– Ellram L., Maltz A.; The use of total cost of ownership concepts to model the outsourcing decision; 1995

– Garr D.; Inside out sourcing; 2001

– Giunipero L., Monczka R.; Organizational approaches to managing international sourcing; 1997

– Groeneveld J., Hofstra N.; Strategic sourcing; 1995

– Groot E., Leewis P.; Strategic sourcing; 1996

– Henderson J., Venkatraman H.; Strategic alignment: leveraging information technology for transforming organizations; 1999

– Laseter T.; Balanced sourcing; 1998

– McFarlan W., Nolan R.; How to manage an IT outsourcing alliance; 1995

– McIvor R., Humphreys P.; A strategic model for the formulation of an effective make or buy decision; 1997

– Mehltretter S.; Strategic sourcing means just that-sourcing strategically; 1996

– Mol M.; Outsourcing, supplier relations and internationalisation: global sourcing strategy as a Chinese puzzle; 2001

– Monczka R., Carter P.; The future of purchasing and supply : A ten-year forecast ; 2000

– Monczka R., Morgan J.; Competitive supply strategies for the 21 Century; 2000

– Monczka R., Trent R.; Worldwide sourcing : assessment and execution ; 1992

– Moody P.; Strategic purchasing remains an oxymoron; 2001

– Nooteboom B.; A balanced theory of sourcing, collaboration and networks; 2002

– Penner R.; Sourcing strategies and spatial patterns of production in the automotive industry: a dutch survey; 1990

– Oudijk, S.; Niet meer wachten op alle handtekeningen; 2000

– Quinn J.; Strategic outsourcing: leveraging knowledge capabilities; 1999

– Schorr J.; Purchasing in the 21st century: a guide to state of the art techniques and strategies; 1998

– Sherer J,; Strategic buying: Nine steps for getting the right IT system for your organization; 2000

– Sislian E., Satir A.; Strategic sourcing: A framework and a casestudy; 2000

– Trent R., Monczka R.; Effective cross-functional sourcing teams : Critical success factors ; 1994

– Trent T., Monczka R.; Purchasing and supply management : Trends and changes throughout the 1990’s; 1998

– Venkatraman N.; Beyond outsourcing: Managing IT resources as a value center; 1997

– Venkatraman N.; Five steps to a dot com strategy: How to find your footing on the web; 2000

– Weele van A.; Inkoop in strategisch perspectief; 1997

– Zee van der H., Wijngaarden van P.; Strategic sourcing and partnerships: challenging scenarios for IT alliances in the network era; 1999

– Dreyfuss C.; The promising journey towards the sourcing offce; 2002

– Da Rold C.; How good is your sourcing strategy, 2002

– Stone L.; Management update: The chief sourcing offcer- a new role and a new reality; 2002

– Harris K.; Sourcing and strategic knowledge management; 2002

– Da Rold C.; The five dimensions of strategic sourcing; 2001

– Da Rold C.; Sourcing strategies: evaluate your ability before moving; 2001

– Freling R., Romeijn E., Morales D., Wagelmans A.; A branch and price algorithm for the multi-period single sourcing problem; 1999

If we pushed hard enough to actually reach, sustain and pull into a far higher level – we might actually find that our perception and vision for our lives changes significantly.

It’s almost as if we do not care that our lives and worlds as a whole completely and totally rely on good manners and just having a good heart – though our minds in general aren’t too bad whatsoever.

I am not talking about making reality and this world better through our products, goods and services – but it can certainly help to twist and shift our minds and personal close up lives into a very obviously different direction in general.

If we really truly want to change and that desire and deeply seated want to become the best of ourselves very soon and over time, then we merely need to focus and enhance our mental image of what we truly want out of this life – and for far too many people this simply gets lost in the hustle and bustle of what intense emotion and very narrow but raw buying decisions means for us all.

Few can say why they make the thought noises that they do, or even the buying actions that leave them breathless in very curiously different ways.

Nothing gets worst – nor even better, than to say that we have what we own in our lives, only because mass media influence got to us, and mistakes happened which led us to buy certain things.

That will lead us certainly into madness and sadness of a very different variety, and a lot of the world won’t like or enjoy where we are headed and why things feel the way that they do in general.

It is a general vision and perceptual change overall that we must sustain higher level of vision based goals in order to push and pull into ourselves deeper.

That might actually produce goals that are incredibly and intensely better and deeper than what we have ever fully and technically reached for – so we have to focus very curiously and ravenously deeper, but it’s not about depth at this point.

We have to accept that our money based decisions come from something far simpler and more subtler, but still psychological and default kind of regular – almost plain and bland, which is not a bad thing.

The bottom line is that if you aren’t sold by this very sentence on this very idea of growth and personal discovery – I just have one more thing to state to you.

Learning how to drive a golf ball well is a challenging task. It can take time and consistent practice to become effective at hitting this club. The reason why the driver is the toughest club to hit is because it is the longest club in the bag which makes it the most difficult one to control. Also any small flaws in your swing can result in big variations in the end result so the driver will reveal how finely tuned your swing really is.

Do not expect to become perfect at hitting a driver as even the best golfing professionals regularly mishit this club. Instead focus on developing enough consistency to allow you to hit enough fairways with enough distance so that you can then use your short game to make more birdies and shoot low scores. It is important to learn how to hit a driver far and straight because golf courses are getting longer and tougher so you need both distance and accuracy.

The good news is that there is a direct relationship between hitting a golf ball accurately and hitting it farther. If you consistently hit your driver straight then in time you will also hit the ball far. Remember that crooked drives do not go very far so the first step in hitting a driver further is to focus on accuracy first. You need to develop a swing that consistently strikes the golf ball solidly.

In order to develop an accurate golf swing you must have great control over the club. This means that you will need to develop a more relaxed swing where you do not use your muscles to try to force more club head speed in an effort to hit the ball further. Use your muscles and strength to support your golf swing but let the club do most of the work.

Remember that golf clubs are designed to hit the ball far if you make good contact so you do not need massive muscle power. You need to take advantage of leverage which is what will allow you to generate maximum club head speed. The best way to take advantage of leverage is to think of the club as a whip and to feel yourself whipping the club through the hitting zone. However this does not mean you have really force your downswing.

Rather have a swing that is relaxed both on the backswing and downswing. Always aim to finish in a balanced position. If you find yourself regularly losing balance in your finish then you need to back off a little and stop trying so hard. Most amateurs and even many pros are guilty of having a rushed backswing and this can affect your ball striking.

Also if you are deliberate with your swing both on the backswing and downswing you are much more likely to make better contact and if you do make a mistake then you will be more likely to find that mistake quicker. Another useful tip to help you generate more power is to think of your left shoulder exploding up on your downswing. This will help to keep the swing in the right plane where the club comes from the inside to out and will also allow you to create more leverage.

Grip pressure can also make a big difference to your swing and hitting it further. You want to use your left hand to apply pressure to the grip and your right hand should stay passive. If you try to get your right hand involved too much in the swing you will end up casting the club or coming from the outside to in which will result in hitting a lot of slices. Use some of these strategies to help you drive the ball better.

Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd is a nineteenth-century novel set in a provincial society. The subject of death in the narrative is represented by the murder of Sergeant Troy and the tragic end of his lover Fanny Robin. This article looks at the death of Fanny, exploring various narrative techniques and literary devices Hardy employs, as well as assessing certain genres the novel could be considered to belong.

Far from the Madding Crowd initially appears to be a typical nineteenth-century realist novel. However a deeper analysis would reveal the multitude of genres subtly incorporated into its carefully constructed framework. It is this considered combination of popular literary forms, such as the pastoral tale, classical tragedy and comic romance, which contribute largely to the novel’s enduring appeal, undermining any dismissive categorization of realist fiction. Consequently it is difficult to determine exactly to which genre Hardy’s novel might potentially belong.

One of the literary devices Hardy utilizes most frequently is imagery. Far from the Madding Crowd is a novel rich in intensely descriptive detail, a feature that isn’t merely arbitrary but instead forms part of a formidable pictorial design, drawing extensively from the visual arts. Most of the chapters in the story are of a distinctly episodic nature, partially implied through each of them being named. ‘On Casterbridge Highway’ details Fanny Robin’s lonely trek to the workhouse where she subsequently passes away. As with numerous others, this chapter functions as a sort of set piece, with Fanny’s arduous journey being framed almost as if it were a scene from a painting, with the author’s prose style occasionally alluding to the academic vernacular of pictorial art.

This painterly language manifests itself in a variety of guises, the first in this chapter being the description of Casterbridge Highway, which the reader is informed of as being “now indistinct amid the penumbra of night” (XL, p.258). The use of the word ‘penumbra’ is typical of Hardy’s artistic sensibility, where various effects of light and gradations of colour are employed to delineate certain characters and objects, alongside the use of elaborate framing and shifting perspectives, all of this creating a complex visual choreography. Contrast is also apparent in the description of the town of Casterbridge as a “luminosity appearing the brighter” in relation to the “circumscribing darkness” of the “moonless and starless night” (XL, p.258).

Hardy’s imagistic design has much in common with the impressionist painting contemporary of his day, and is perhaps most notably evinced in this particular scene when Fanny catches a glimpse of a woman in a passing carriage. Although Fanny only saw her face momentarily, it is still described in close detail: “the general contours were flexuous and childlike but the finer lineaments had begun to be sharp and thin” (XL, p.258). What impressionist painting and Hardy’s prose seem to share is a quality of perception that suggests a fleeting apprehension of a certain object or event rather than a studied and settled account.

The nineteenth-century art critic John Ruskin believed that poets and painters habitually colour their landscapes with subjective moods and emotions, referring to this as ‘the pathetic fallacy’. In light of his imagistic design, this concept seems especially applicable to Hardy’s fiction, and is apparent in the Casterbridge chapter. The vocabulary employed, with descriptive details such as “black concave”, “remote shade” and “far depths of shadow”, effectively creates a gloomy atmosphere of isolation and despair reflective of Fanny’s predicament. This impression is augmented through the role of sound in the narrative – the manor-house clock striking the hour in a “small, attenuated tone” (XL, p.258). The sound of a bell is a recurring motif during Fanny’s demise, occurring again during the scene where her coffin is released from the workhouse.

Hardy incorporates a range of genres into his depiction of the dead Fanny Robin, such as the Gothic, the sensationalist, and melodrama. All three of these stylistic devices are evoked during the scene where Bathsheba looks inside Fanny’s coffin. As with many of the locations in Far from the Madding Crowd, Bathsheba’s residence has been vividly described. The reader is aware that it is a “hoary building of the early stage of Classic Renaissance” with “some coped gables with finials and like features still retaining traces of their Gothic extraction” (IX, p.73), a fitting location for Bathsheba’s morbid curiosity that suggests the crumbling old castles of eighteenth-century Gothic literature. At night and by candlelight Bathsheba’s dreadful suspicions – “O I hope, hope it is not true that there are two of you” (XLIII, p.288) – are confirmed when she is greeted with Fanny’s body and that of the young maid’s dead baby, a gruesome sight redolent of sensationalist fiction. The narrative invokes the nature of melodrama when, as if on cue, Sergeant Troy enters the house: “the front door opened and closed, steps crossed the hall, and her husband appeared at the entrance to the room” (XLIII, p.291), consolidated by the somewhat theatrical dialogue between the two characters. The employment of these devices undermines any potential realist construct, and by drawing attention to his novel’s artifice, Hardy’s writing often seems to question the very notion of realism itself.

The controversial aspects of Far from the Madding Crowd are imparted through a highly organized imagistic design that incorporates a wide range of genres, such as the pastoral tale, Gothic literature, sensationalist fiction and theatrical melodrama.

Supermassive black holes are mysterious entities that lurk hungrily in the hearts of probably every large galaxy in the observable Universe, where they hide in sinister, voracious secret, waiting for their dinner to come swirling down to their waiting maws. These in-falling buffets may consist of destroyed stars, clouds of disrupted gas, or any other unfortunate celestial object that has been wrecked by the big black hole’s gravitational snatching claws. Once a doomed object has passed the fatal point of no return, referred to as the event horizon, it can never return from the lair of this gravitational beast, and it is lost to the rest of the Universe forevermore. But, despite their bad reputation for being mercilessly destructive, one supermassive black hole that haunts the heart of a galaxy far, far away, has shown itself to have a nurturing character. This object has a maternal heart, and is aiding in the birth of bright new baby stars that are more than one million light-years away. One light-year is equal to 6 trillion miles.

The discovery of this motherly heart of darkness, that has managed to spark the births of stars over a mind-boggling distance–as well as across multiple galaxies–was made by astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes. If confirmed, the black hole would represent the widest reach ever observed for such an object behaving as a nurturing stellar mother, kick-starting star-birth. This maternal heart of darkness has actually enhanced star formation.

“This is the first time we’ve seen a single black hole boost star birth in more than one galaxy at a time. It’s amazing to think one galaxy’s black hole can have a say in what happens in other galaxies millions of trillions of miles away,” commented Dr. Roberto Gilli in a November 26, 2019 Chandra Observatory Press Release. Dr. Gilli is of the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in Bologna, Italy, and is lead author of the study describing the discovery.

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore”

Supermassive black holes are greedy entities that weigh-in at millions to billions of times more than the mass of our Sun. Our own Milky Way Galaxy plays host to just such a gravitational beast, that resides in its secretive heart. Our resident supermassive black hole is named Sagittarius A*, and as supermassive beasts go, it is of relatively low mass. Sagittarius A* (pronounced saj-a-star) weighs a “mere” millions–in contrast to billions–of solar-masses. Our Milky Way’s dark heart is quiet now. It is an elderly beast, and it awakens only occasionally to feast on an unfortunate celestial object that has wandered too close to where it waits. Even though it is mostly dormant, when both Sagittarius A* and the Universe were young, it dined greedily, and glared brightly, as a quasar. Quasars are the brilliantly glaring accretion disks encircling active supermassive black holes haunting the centers of galaxies.

Despite their misleading name, black holes are not just empty space. Indeed, they come in more than one size. Besides the supermassive variety, there are black holes of stellar mass that form when an extremely massive star runs out of its necessary supply of nuclear-fusing fuel and violently explodes as a core-collapse (Type II) supernova. The gravitational collapse of an especially massive star heralds its natural “death”. When a doomed heavy star has no more nuclear-fusing fuel to burn, it has reached the end of the stellar road. Nuclear-fusion within a still-“living” roiling, broiling, brilliant star, creates radiation pressure that tries to push all of the stellar material outward. In the meantime, the star’s own gravity tries to pull everything inward. This creates a delicate balance that keeps a star bouncy. Alas, when a giant, massive star runs out of fuel, and contains a heavy iron-nickel core, it can no longer churn out pressure. Gravity wins in the end. The star’s core collapses and it goes supernova. Where once a star existed, there is a star no more.

Astronomers have also found convincing evidence of the existence of intermediate mass black holes that weigh less than their supermassive kin, but more than their stellar-mass “relatives”. Crush enough mass into a small enough space and a black hole will form every time. Some scientists have proposed that these intermediate mass objects met up with one another and merged in the early Cosmos. For this reason, it has been suggested that they served as the “seeds” that created the supermassive black holes that haunt the mysterious hearts of most, if not all, large galaxies, including our own.

The Milky Way’s resident supermassive black hole is not a lonely gravitational beast. Sagittarius A* has plenty of company. Indeed, theoretical studies indicate that a large population of black holes of stellar mass–possibly a many as 20,000–could be tripping the light fantastic around our own Galaxy’s resident central black hole. A study published in 2018, that was based on data acquired from Chandra, suggests the existence of a treasure trove of stellar mass black holes haunting the core of our Milky Way.

Some current theories propose that supermassive black holes already existed in the ancient Universe. During that very early era, clouds of gas and doomed stars whirled around and then down into the hungry beast’s waiting, greedy, gravitational snatching claws, nevermore to to return from the violently swirling maelstrom encircling this bizarre entity. As the captured, doomed material swirled down to its inevitable demise, it formed a brilliant, violent storm of glaring material around the black hole–its accretion disk (quasar). As this bright and fiery material became hotter and hotter, it hurled out a raging storm of radiation–especially as it traveled ever closer to the event horizon , which is the point of no return.

In the 18th-century, John Michell and Pierre-Simon Laplace proposed the possibility that there could really exist in nature such insults to our Earth-evolved common sense as black holes. In 1915, Albert Einstein, in his General Theory of Relativity, predicted the existence of objects bearing such powerful gravitational fields that anything unfortunate enough to wander too close to their pull would be consumed. Nevertheless, this concept seemed so outrageous at the time that Einstein rejected his own idea–even though his calculations proclaimed otherwise.

In 1916, the physicist Karl Schwarzschild formulated the first modern solution to General Relativity that described a black hole. However, its interpretation as an area of Spacetime, from which absolutely nothing could escape once snared, was not adequately understood until almost half a century later. Until that time, these gravitational beasts were considered to be only mathematical oddities. Finally, in the middle of the 20th century, theoretical physicists were able to demonstrate that these strange children of Mother Nature represent a generic prediction of General Relativity.

A Maternal Black Hole With A Midas Touch

The nurturing supermassive black hole resides in the center of a galaxy about 9.9 billion light-years from Earth. The galaxy is in the company of at least seven neighboring galaxies, according to observations conducted with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT).

Using the National Science Foundation’s (NSA’s) Jansky Very Large Array, astronomers had previously discovered radio-wave emission coming from a jet of high-energy particles that is about one million light-years in length. The jet can be tracked back to the nurturing supermassive black hole, which Chandra detected as a powerful source of X-rays. The X-rays are created by hot gas whirling around the supermassive black hole. Dr. Gilli and his colleagues also spotted a diffuse cloud of X-ray emission encircling one end of the radio jet. This X-ray emission is probably coming from an enormous bubble of gas being heated up by the dance being performed by the energetic particles in the radio jet with surrounding matter.

As the searing-hot bubble expanded and invaded the neighboring galaxies, it may have compressed the cool gas in these galactic neighbors. This would have given birth to fiery baby stars. All of the galaxies involved reside at about the same distance–approximately 400,000 light-years–away from the center of the expanding bubble. The scientists calculate that the rate of stellar birth is between two to five times greater than typical galaxies with similar masses and distance from our planet.

“The story of King Midas talks of his magic touch that can turn metal into gold. Here we have a case of a black hole that helped turn gas into stars, and its reach is intergalactic,” commented study co-author Dr. Marco Mignoli in the November 26, 2019 Chandra Press Release. Dr. Mignoli is also of the INAF.

Astronomers have observed many instances where a black hole influences its environment by way of “negative feedback.” This means that they have frequently observed a sinister black hole in the act of hindering the formation of new stars. This may occur when the jets emitted by the black hole send so much energy into the searing-hot gas of a galaxy–or cluster of galaxies–that the gas cannot cool down sufficiently to form a large number of baby stars. Although it may seem to defy common-sense, things have to get cold before a hot baby star can be born.

“Black holes have a well-earned reputation for being powerful and deadly, but not always. This is a prime example that they sometimes defy that stereotype and can be nurturing instead,” commented co-author Alessandro Peca in the Chandra Press Release. Peca, formerly of the INAF, is currently a doctoral student at the University of Miami.

The astronomers used a total of six days of Chandra observing time spread out over a five month period.

“It’s only because of this very deep observation that we saw the hot gas bubble produced by the black hole. By targeting objects similar to this one, we may discover that positive feedback is very common in the formation of groups and clusters of galaxies,” noted co-author Dr. Colin Norman in the Chandra Press Release. Dr. Norman is of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

A paper describing these results has been published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

We long for the benefits that are associated with achieving better vision without glasses. The prospect of achieving this goal with regard to either reducing or eliminating our dependency on glasses leads to a sense of freedom and greater visual independence. Contrary to popular belief this goal is attainable. The diligent practice of easy to perform natural vision improvement techniques, better known as eye exercises, can help us to achieve that goal of sharper, clearer, natural eyesight.

The heart has muscles that it relies on in order to function properly and so do the eyes which also consist of muscles. These muscles can be kept in shape and the performance of the visual system can be improved with the regular practice of simple eye exercises.

Eye surgeon Dr. Keki Mehta discusses the beneficial value of eye exercises in improving eyesight. He explains: “Exercises improve the mechanical stability of the eye by coordinating and strengthening the eye muscles. They increase the ability of the eyes to focus and optically, they improve the optical image coordination between the eyes.” In layman’s terms, eye exercises improve the focusing power of the eyes. Additionally, they improve eyesight by strengthening the eye muscles and improving the teamwork of both eyes( the ability of the eyes to work together as a team), to produce a clear image.

One example of such an eye exercise technique is called The Near to Far shifting eye exercise. Therefore, here is an example of how to perform this technique along with some of the benefits it provides for eye health: The objective of this exercise is to improve the focusing power of the eyes. This enhances their ability to shift from near to distant objects.

You can perform this technique by holding a card in hand about 6 inches from your nose. Focus on a small letter or item on that card. Choose an object in the distance that is about 10 to 15 feet away from you. Then proceed to shift your focus from the small item on the card, a letter or number, to an object in the distance such as a door or a picture on the wall. Keep shifting and alternating your focus from your card to the distant object. Also, when you look at the card inhale and when you shift your focus to the distant object exhale. Practice this technique for a period of about 10 minutes every other day. You can make this technique less tedious and more fun by listening to your favorite music as you perform this exercise.

You can finish this eye exercise with a technique called palming. Rub both hands together and gently cup them over your closed eyes and feel the warmth generated from this activity. Do this for a period of 30 seconds.

The Near to Far shifting exercise is a helpful eyesight improvement technique. If practiced regularly this exercise increases the focusing power of the eyes thereby improving eyesight naturally. With a little bit of persistence and dedication, eye exercises in general, can reduce your dependency on glasses and even in some cases, completely eliminate them. The Near to Far Shifting technique is just one example of a variety of easy vision improvement techniques that can ultimately, enable you to enjoy the freedom that comes with visual independence.

Stars are born encircled by a swirling disk composed of gas and dust, which is called a protoplanetary accretion disk, and these whirling, gaseous rings surrounding baby stars harbor the necessary ingredients from which a family of planets form. Astronomers have observed a number of such protoplanetary accretion disks circling distant, bright, and fiery baby stars, and these disks take shape at approximately the same time that the baby star–termed a protostar–is born within its obscuring, veiling natal cloud. In May 2015, an international team of astronomers announced their discovery of a very young, distant planetary system which may help astronomers to gain an understanding of how our own Solar System was born and evolved about 4.56 billion years ago. A ring of planetary debris, surrounding the youthful parent-star inhabiting this system, reveals a haunting and remarkable resemblance to our Solar System’s own Kuiper Belt that is situated beyond the outermost major planet Neptune.

The astronomers who discovered the distant disk used the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) at the Gemini South telescope in Chile, to identify a disk-shaped bright ring of dust surrounding a distant star that is only a bit more massive than our own Star, the Sun. The dazzling disk is located between 37 and 55 Astronomical Units (AU)–or 3.4 to 5.1 billion miles–from its parent-star. This corresponds to approximately the same distance that separates our Solar System’s Kuiper Belt from our Sun. One AU is equal to the average distance between Earth and Sun, which is about 93,000,000 miles. The fascinating brilliance of the alluring disk is the result of glittering starlight being reflected by it–and it is also consistent with a wide range of dust compositions including ice and silicates inhabiting our Kuiper Belt.

Our Kuiper Belt is located in the outer limits of our Sun’s family just beyond Neptune, and it harbors thousands of small icy objects that are relics left over from the formation of our Solar System more than four billion years ago. These icy objects range in size from specks of debris dust, all the way up to moon-sized, icy bodies like the dwarf planet Pluto.

Protoplanetary accretion disks contain large quantities of nutritious gas and dust that feed hungry, growing protoplanets. Our own Solar System, as well as other planetary systems, form when a relatively small, very dense blob embedded within the undulating billows of a giant cold, dark, molecular cloud, collapses gravitationally under its own impressive weight. Haunting our Galaxy in huge numbers, these ghostly, frigid clouds–the strange, dark cradles of the shining stars–are primarily composed of gas, but also contain smaller amounts of dust. Most of the collapsing gaseous and dusty blob gathers at the center, and eventually catches furious fire as a result of the process of nuclear fusion–giving birth to a fabulous new stellar baby (the protostar). What is left of the gas and dust, that went into the formation of the protostar, eventually evolves into the protoplanetary accretion disk from which planets, moons, asteroids, and comets emerge. In their earliest stages, accretion disks are both very hot and very massive, and they can encircle their youthful stars for as long as ten million years.

By the time a fiery Sun-like stellar baby has reached what is termed the T Tauri stage in its development, the searing hot, massive encircling disk has become much thinner and cooler. A T Tauri is a stellar toddler–a young, variable star like our Sun that is very active at the tender age of only 10 million years. These starry tots possess large diameters that are several times greater than that of our Sun at present–but they are still in the process of shrinking, because young Sun-like stars shrink as they grow up. By the time the fiery toddler has reached this stage of its development, less volatile materials have begun to condense near the center of the surrounding disk, forming very fine and extremely sticky dust particles. The fragile, delicate dust motes carry crystalline silicates.

The sticky, tiny dust grains bump into one another and then merge within the dense environment of the protoplanetary accretion disk. In this way, ever larger and larger objects continually grow–from pebble size, to boulder size, to mountain size, to moon size, to planet size. These growing objects evolve into what are termed planetesimals–the primordial planetary building blocks. Planetesimals can reach sizes of 1 kilometer across, or even larger, and they are a very abundant population within a young accretion disk surrounding the fiery stellar tot. They can also hang around long enough for some of them to still be present billions of years after a mature planetary system has formed. In our Solar System, the asteroids are the remnant rocky and metallic planetesimals that were the fundamental building blocks of the four rocky, inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. On the other hand, comets are the icy leftovers of the planetesimals that went into the construction of the quartet of outer gaseous planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

The Kuiper Belt

The Kuiper Belt was named in honor of the Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper (1905-1973), who is commonly credited with being the first to predict its existence. It is a region of our Solar System beyond the mysterious, dark, and frigid realm of the majestic outer planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from our Star. In many ways it is similar to the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, but it is about 20 to 200 times as massive. The distant Kuiper Belt, like the Main Asteroid Belt, is composed of small bodies–planetesimals–that are remnants from our Solar System’s formation. A large number of asteroids are composed mainly of rock and metal, but most Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) are made of volatiles (called “ices”), such as water, methane, and ammonia. The Kuiper Belt is the frigid home of a trio of officially recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake. A handful of our Solar System’s moons, such as Triton of Neptune and Phoebe of Saturn, are also frequently thought to have originated in this distant region.

Since the Kuiper Belt was discovered in 1992, the number of known KBOs has skyrocketed to over a thousand, and more than 100,000 KBOs over 62 miles in diameter are believed to exist in our Solar System’s distant deep freeze. At first, astronomers believed that the Kuiper Belt was the primary domain of periodic comets–those with orbits lasting less than 200 years. However, more recent studies since the mid-1990s have demonstrated that the Kuiper Belt is dynamically stable, and that the true place of the comets’ origin is the scattered disk. The scattered disk is a dynamically active region formed by the outward migration of Neptune 4.5 billion years ago, when our Solar System was still in its infancy. Scattered disk objects such as Eris sport extremely eccentric (out-of-round) orbits that carry them as far as 100 AU from our glaring Star.

The objects that tumble around within the Kuiper Belt, along with the frozen denizens of the scattered disk and Oort Cloud, are all collectively termed trans-Neptunian objects. The very remote Oort Cloud is a thousand times more distant than the Kuiper Belt and not as flat. It is also the repository of long-period comets (those with orbits lasting longer than 200 years), and is a gigantic shell of icy objects around our entire Solar System–extending halfway to the nearest star beyond our Sun!

Poor Pluto is the largest denizen of the Kuiper Belt, as well as the second-largest known trans-Neptunian object–the largest being Eris that dances around within the scattered disk. Although originally classified as a major planet after its discovery in 1930, Pluto’s status as a member of the Kuiper Belt caused it to be unceremoniously evicted from the pantheon of major planets, and re-classfied as a dwarf planet in 2006. Poor Pluto is compositionally akin to numerous other KBOs, and its orbital period is characteristic of a class of KBOs termed plutinos. Plutinos share the same 2:3 resonance with Neptune.

In A Solar System Far, Far Away!

The star of the new study, conducted by the team of international astronomers, is a sparkling member of the very massive 10 to 20 million year-old Scorpius-Centaurs OB association, which is a region that is very much like the one in which our Sun was born. The primary distinguishing characteristic of the members of a stellar association is that most of them share similar characteristics. An OB association hosts a large number of searing-hot, roiling, fiery blue giant stars, of spectral classes O and B.

The disk-shaped bright ring of dust, being observed in this study, is not perfectly centered on the star. This is a powerful indication that the ring was likely sculpted by one or more unseen distant alien planets. By using models illustrating how planets carve debris disks, the astronomers found that “eccentric” versions of the giant planets in the outer realm of the solar system could explain the observed properties of the glowing ring.

“It’s almost like looking at the outer Solar System when it was a toddler,” commented Dr. Thayne Currie in a May 2015 University of Cambridge Press Release. Dr. Currie is principal investigator of this research, and an astronomer at the Subaru Observatory in Hawaii. The University of Cambridge is in the UK.

The Kuiper Belt is commonly thought to be composed of the remnants of our Solar System’s ancient formation, and so there is a possibility that once the new system develops, it may bear a striking resemblance to the way our own Solar System looks today.

“To be able to directly image planetary birth environments around other stars at orbital distances comparable to the Solar System is a major advancement. Our discovery of a near-twin of the Kuiper Belt provides direct evidence that the planetary birth environment of the Solar System may not be uncommon,” explained Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan in the May 2015 University of Cambridge Press Release. Dr. Madhusudhan is of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy, and one of the paper’s co-authors.

The parent-star of this system, known as HD 115600, was the first object the research team observed. “Over the next few years, I’m optimistic that the GPI will reveal many more debris disks and young planets. Who knows what strange, new worlds we will find,” Dr. Currie told the press.

The new research is to be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Imagination, in my own words, is going beyond the touchable. It is having a maneuver through the unobserved. It is a temporary elude from the reality. Vision has different forms and it can be graded. The distance a person will go on his imagination’s trip relies on him/her – the captain of her/his own soul. Imagination makes it feasible for a person to feel every experience that the world can’t and can offer.

Through imagination, you can see the world and all its complexity is and everything that doesn’t belong to the reality all in one place – the mind. It’s the cheapest way to have some thrill. All you need is a relaxing position – A place where you can unload all your unconscious ideas and exploit it for imagining things.

Through our imagination, we can have a journey to any place in the velocity of light without any hindrances. It can make you feel detached, though temporarily, and only in the mind, from tasks, dilemma and dreadful circumstances. Daydreaming is a form of self-defense. fantasy is protecting yourself for the meantime of unwanted thoughts but always set in head that prolonged use of any defense mechanism leads to neurosis and later on progresses to psychosis. sustain imagination a border but allow it to make you to grow in the best way it can.

imagination is not restricted only to seeing images in the mind. It encloses all the five senses. One can imagine a sound, taste, smell, a physical sensation or a feeling or emotion. For some people it is easier to see mental pictures, others find it easier to imagine a feeling, and some are more comfortable imagining the sensation of one of the five senses.

One good illustration of how far human imagination has gone is the birth and rebirth of many fantasy fiction books. Can you ever picture that people can tell stories that they have not truly seen? Stories about fairy tales, dungeons, devil s, dragons, ogre, event that don’t really live, events that have not really happen, inventions that will be or cannot be made are only some of the products of one imagination.

They say that people can’t twist the inconspicuous into something tangible without first imagining it. This is really and very accurate to me. You can’t have something nor be anyone without primarily imagining yourself having it or being one.

The potential of imagination takes your rage to another level that you won’t cease ’til you get there. Until you achieve your dream. The wife of Walt Disney said in an start up of one of Disney’s structures that before anyone have ever seen Disneyland, Walt Disney has already seen it in his mind.

Now you can understand that imagination can turn real if you will fire it up with your passion in determination. The portion of imagery turning into substantial things depends on our persistence to revolutionize what is in our minds to what will become tangible by our hands.

There are times (Brothers and Sisters-in-Christ) in our Christian life when we feel like God is far off. We have prayers that aren’t answered or we are impatient and think God does not care about our problems. We may feel God is angry with us over some sin in our life. We may feel loneliness and shame. We may feel unbearable sadness and grief. We then ask ourselves, where is God?

Have you every felt like this at times, or am I the only one? I would bet that I am not the only one.

It is during these times that our theology (Biblical understanding) must be rock solid! We must believe what the Bible teaches us about God.

Psalm 34 vs. 17 – 18 says, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them: he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

Proverbs 15 vs. 29 says, “The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

Ephesians 2 vs. 13 says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Hebrews 4 vs. 16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

John 14 vs. 18 Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

John 16 vs. 33 Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

________

The first issue we need to settle in our heart is that trouble is normal in this life. Our trial is not abnormal. Jesus said we are going to have trouble. Just because we are experiencing a trial does not nullify the truth of God’s word. We can trust God. He is always faithful and is always good to us. God loves us.

I know it is hard for us to believe that God loves us, but He truly does. I love the following verse and it reminds me that God does not care just about the big things in my life, but also the small things.

Psalm 37 vs. 23 says, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

Does this verse describe a God who doesn’t care about what you are going through? Of course not! God cares for you.

We must trust him at his word when we are experiencing grief, loss, and various trials.

At my lowest points in life, God has never left me there. He has always restored the JOY of my salvation. He will do this for you as well.

The peace that those of us who are born again experience is unlike the peace the world experiences. We have true lasting peace in our hearts. We are able (through Christ) to have joy in the midst of suffering.

The Apostle James said (James 1 vs. 2-4) “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Is God far off?

The answer is an emphatic NO!

My prayer for you is that if you are currently experiencing a trial, I pray God restores the joy of your salvation. I trust He will perform this work of grace in your heart, as He has for me many times.

God bless you!

“I pushed him too far,” said the woman in panic mode. Relationships can be incredibly strong one minute and then the next minute they seem to fall apart in front of our eyes. For some women they rely too heavily on the fact that their man says he’ll always love them. They end up pushing him by wanting more than he can give at the time, or trying to change him. One instant he’s proclaiming his undying love and the next moment he’s stopped calling and he no longer wants to spend time together. If you’ve made this critical mistake in your relationship, it’s not over yet. Pushing a man away obviously isn’t something you want to do if you care deeply for him, but it does happen and it is fixable.

If you pushed him too far the last thing you want to do is continue to push him. If he’s retreated and has started to create distance between himself and you, let him go for now. Don’t try to remedy this by badgering him with questions about what’s wrong or what you can do to fix things. Instead, allow him some time by himself while you take the same for yourself. He needs to feel that you have come to recognize that you’ve been coming on too strong and you need to identify why you’re doing that so you can stop it and change things before it’s too late.

If you’ve been scared that he’s going to leave you and you’re pushing him to commit, that’s an issue that centers more on your own self esteem than his love for you. You have to view your life as complete and whole on its own without expecting all of your fulfillment to come from your man. In this case, the best thing you can do is slowly reach out to him without mentioning what your expectations are for the future. Approach him from a place of acceptance and adoration and don’t talk about what you need or want from him. If you do this, he’ll let his guard down again.

If he’s pulled back because you’ve been pushing him to change for you, that’s also an issue that you need to come to terms with on your own. Why haven’t you been able to accept him as he is? Are you sure he’s the ideal partner for you if you can’t love everything about him? Look at your own flaws and then weigh them against his. If he’s always been accepting of you, you need to do the same for him. Just ask yourself whether you’d be happier with him, flaws and all, or whether you’d be happier without him. If you want him, tell him you love all of him and then set out to prove it.