Luke 6:41 -
And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?
Just because someone isn't doing something exactly the way you do it doesn't mean you can tell them how to do it. What makes your way right anyway? You've probably got a log in your eye that you can't see past as the scripture points out. Don't be too quick to jump to conclusions and think you know everything. You don't know much... Only God knows everything and we need to put all of our trust in him.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You alone know all things - you know when someone is doing the wrong thing. Help me, Lord, not to think that I am this world's solution. May I be someone who can point people to this world's solution... Your Son, Jesus Christ. I thank you that you're an awesome God and you have great things planned. For your glory,
In JNA.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Rescued
Daniel 12:1c -
But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.
To be rescued means that something has to be going wrong for you to be rescued from. A lot of people don't realise they need to be rescued - they think life is sweet and that everything will be aok. The truth is we all need rescuing by our saviour. His name is Jesus Christ and He took the greatest stand of love for you and me. He died so that we may live. To have your name written in the lambs book of life means that you have acknowledged your need for a savior and have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are the greatest. Thank you for your display of love that is the Cross of your Son and my saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. You are an awesome God and I pray you would show me how to live my life and be the man you have called me to be. May I see souls won for you Lord.
In JNA.
But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.
To be rescued means that something has to be going wrong for you to be rescued from. A lot of people don't realise they need to be rescued - they think life is sweet and that everything will be aok. The truth is we all need rescuing by our saviour. His name is Jesus Christ and He took the greatest stand of love for you and me. He died so that we may live. To have your name written in the lambs book of life means that you have acknowledged your need for a savior and have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are the greatest. Thank you for your display of love that is the Cross of your Son and my saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. You are an awesome God and I pray you would show me how to live my life and be the man you have called me to be. May I see souls won for you Lord.
In JNA.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Knowing God
Daniel 11:32b -
But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.
Facing temptation can be hard, but when you know who your God is - you are able to be strong and resist evil. God has called us to do good things. The enemy will do everything he can to stop you - but he can't do anything when you know who your God is and you know who you are in God. Nothing can hold you back. God's love is unfailing and his grace is sufficient. Even when we stuff up, God takes us back and is willing to show us how to do it right. With Jesus all things are possible.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you that you reign over my life and that you are looking out for me. I know your love is unfailing and I pray you would help me to overcome evil by knowing you and knowing your word. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me a new start. You are awesome!
In JNA.
But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.
Facing temptation can be hard, but when you know who your God is - you are able to be strong and resist evil. God has called us to do good things. The enemy will do everything he can to stop you - but he can't do anything when you know who your God is and you know who you are in God. Nothing can hold you back. God's love is unfailing and his grace is sufficient. Even when we stuff up, God takes us back and is willing to show us how to do it right. With Jesus all things are possible.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you that you reign over my life and that you are looking out for me. I know your love is unfailing and I pray you would help me to overcome evil by knowing you and knowing your word. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me a new start. You are awesome!
In JNA.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
God's Unfailing Love
Psalm 117:2 -
For he loves us with unfailing love; the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
No matter what I do God still loves me; his love is unfailing. Even when I am not faithful - he is still faithful. The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. he is the only one who can meet all of my needs. Everyone else will leave me feeling empty, lost and lonely. Only God knows what is truly going on in my life and he can make things right again. He makes all things new.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are the one true God. I thank you for your unfailing love in my life. You have made me new again. Even when I am not faithful - You are still faithful to me. Your faithfulness endures forever. I will praise You Lord everywhere I go. I will not be ashamed of you. You have done great things in my life and I give you the glory!
In JNA.
For he loves us with unfailing love; the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
No matter what I do God still loves me; his love is unfailing. Even when I am not faithful - he is still faithful. The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. he is the only one who can meet all of my needs. Everyone else will leave me feeling empty, lost and lonely. Only God knows what is truly going on in my life and he can make things right again. He makes all things new.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are the one true God. I thank you for your unfailing love in my life. You have made me new again. Even when I am not faithful - You are still faithful to me. Your faithfulness endures forever. I will praise You Lord everywhere I go. I will not be ashamed of you. You have done great things in my life and I give you the glory!
In JNA.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Prayer
Luke 5:16 -
But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Prayer is important for keeping a sound mind and allowing God to speak to my heart. How will I know if I am in God's will if I never talk to him in prayer. Prayer is alone time with God. I cannot be distracted or just let my mind wander. I need to focus in on God and hear what he wants to say to me. God has a plan for my life and I need to listen to him so I can find out what his plan is. Jesus wants to do great things through my life and when I am surrendered to God in prayer it enables him to.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are awesome! U know all things and have a plan for my life. I thank you that as I spend time with you in prayer, you will show me your plan for my life and many other great things. May I not miss out on what you are doing in the earth today because I am not disciplined enough to pray. I give you the glory!
In JNA.
But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Prayer is important for keeping a sound mind and allowing God to speak to my heart. How will I know if I am in God's will if I never talk to him in prayer. Prayer is alone time with God. I cannot be distracted or just let my mind wander. I need to focus in on God and hear what he wants to say to me. God has a plan for my life and I need to listen to him so I can find out what his plan is. Jesus wants to do great things through my life and when I am surrendered to God in prayer it enables him to.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are awesome! U know all things and have a plan for my life. I thank you that as I spend time with you in prayer, you will show me your plan for my life and many other great things. May I not miss out on what you are doing in the earth today because I am not disciplined enough to pray. I give you the glory!
In JNA.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Jesus Overcame Temptation
Luke 4:1-2 -
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. (New Living Translation)
Jesus led by example and overcame the Devil and temptation by using scripture. He was tempted just like me, but he never succumbed to the lusts of the flesh. He always rose up higher than them and held onto the hope of what was to come - the awesome things He knew God would do through his life.
God gives me hope and it helps me to look past my present circumstances. I am not perfect like Jesus. I have been overcome by temptation before. It is in those times that I need the hope God gives me to look beyond where I find myself - I need His forgiveness and grace to move on. God's forgiveness enables me to let go of the past and look forward to the glorious future He has prepared.
Dear Father in Heaven, You are a great God. Thank you for your forgiveness; thank you for your grace Lord. Help me to grow stronger each day and overcome temptation just like Jesus did. You empower me, Lord, to let go of my past and look forward to the glorious future You have prepared for me. Thank you Jesus, for your sacrifice on the Cross, may my life make your sacrifice worth it.
In Your Glorious Name, Amen.
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. (New Living Translation)
Jesus led by example and overcame the Devil and temptation by using scripture. He was tempted just like me, but he never succumbed to the lusts of the flesh. He always rose up higher than them and held onto the hope of what was to come - the awesome things He knew God would do through his life.
God gives me hope and it helps me to look past my present circumstances. I am not perfect like Jesus. I have been overcome by temptation before. It is in those times that I need the hope God gives me to look beyond where I find myself - I need His forgiveness and grace to move on. God's forgiveness enables me to let go of the past and look forward to the glorious future He has prepared.
Dear Father in Heaven, You are a great God. Thank you for your forgiveness; thank you for your grace Lord. Help me to grow stronger each day and overcome temptation just like Jesus did. You empower me, Lord, to let go of my past and look forward to the glorious future You have prepared for me. Thank you Jesus, for your sacrifice on the Cross, may my life make your sacrifice worth it.
In Your Glorious Name, Amen.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Essay
Marc Prensky's "Emerging online life of the digital native" and David Weinberger's "A New World" both present different views of contemporary internet users. In light of your own experiences with new technologies do you think they are accurate portrayals? Discuss why or why not with specific examples.
The internet is used by many people for a lot of different things. What people do on the internet has changed and evolved over time, but the people who use the internet today, known as contemporary internet users, are being viewed in interesting and specific ways. This essay will outline the views Marc Prensky and David Weinberger have of contemporary internet users. It will highlight their differences and explain how they both give accurate portrayals, in some areas, and flawed observations, in other areas. Prensky’s view of the digital native compared to the digital immigrant discusses the difference between the generation who have grown up with technology and the generation that have had to adapt to it. He outlines how the younger generation do things differently using the technology they have at their fingertips. Weinberger’s view of contemporary internet users is depicted in his portrayal of several different types of persons or personalities using the web today. In connection with Prensky’s description of a digital immigrant, Weinberger approaches the web from this stance of adapting to the technology. These topics will be discussed further and explored through other commentaries and sources. Specific examples will be given to discuss the views of Prensky and Weinberger.
Marc Prensky delves into what young people are using the internet for and how they do this by expanding on topics like communicating; buying and selling; gaming; and learning. He terms this younger generation ‘digital natives’ and describes how they do things differently to ‘digital immigrants’. There is deeper discussion on these two terms in Prensky’s article ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants’. Digital natives are primarily generation Y and younger and they have also been termed ‘Net Genners’ (Leung, 2004). This group incorporates people who have been immersed in technology their whole lives. They haven’t had to change to adapt to technology, but it is like second nature to them. However, digital immigrants have made a shift. They were accustomed to doing things a certain way without the use of technology. In the advent of new technology this group of people have made adjustments. In making these adjustments they still carry their traditional ways of thinking with them, which makes them different from digital natives (Prensky, 2001). Prensky’s discussion in ‘Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native’ (Prensky, 2004), suggests that digital natives are approaching life differently because of the internet.
In David Weinberger’s ‘A New World’, there is discussion about the internet as a place that is emerging and nobody knows where it is heading. Weinberger points out the hopes and fears that arose because of the web and asks why this occurred. He questions the web’s ability to meet all these expectations. He discusses contemporary internet users from the perspective of someone adapting to technology. This is evident when Weinberger talks about rewriting ourselves on the web (Weinberger, 2002). Even in the title ‘A New World’, it is clear that the focus is on the older generations because the internet and technology is not new for younger generations; it is all they have ever known. Weinberger mentions the struggles of building businesses in this new space called the web. He outlines the unfamiliarity of a place with ‘no soil’ and ‘no near and far’ (Weinberger, 2002). This unfamiliarity of the web has caused people to discover themselves saying and doing things they wouldn’t have done before (Poster, 2001). On the internet people can recreate themselves and be someone different to who they are in real life. This ability has caused problems and is displayed in a story in ‘A New World’. Michael Ian Campbell decided to practice his acting, so he says, by trying on a new role in an instant messaging conversation online. This new role involved talk about the shootings that occurred in a school in America. The conversation was taken seriously and police were involved in straightening out the situation (Weinberger, 2002). Serious problems can occur from people playing around with serious issues on the internet and studies have shown people are more likely to say or be involved inappropriate things online than if they were face to face (Langford, 1996).
The accurate portrayals given by Prensky include his description of how young people are engaging in technology for communication, gaming and learning purposes. There are a number of ways this is happening and communication online is the most evident of them all. Teenagers are engaged in online communication through programs like MSN messenger and websites like Facebook and MySpace. This has shaped the way they do life and the popularity of these online communication and social tools is proven. The reason why teenagers love these social networking sites and programs is discussed in an article titled ‘Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life’. The article addresses the fact that most teens have ventured on the social network sites and in time have gone off them. The importance of these sites in relation to their social life is their involvement and participation with their friends (Boyd, 2008). There is the ability for young people today to create much bigger social spheres because of access to these sites.
Flawed observations by Prensky include a generalization he made about generation Y finding romantic relationships on the internet. He said it was likely that young people today will be finding ‘some or all of their dates online’ (Prensky, 2004). This is far from the case. Although some young people are engaged in online dating, it is still a ‘no-go zone’ for most young people today. Studies have shown involvement in this activity is on the decline from previous years – Youth Marketing Statistics.
Weinberger’s portrayal of contemporary internet users was accurate. In his description of eBay users and shopping online, digital immigrants were said to be engaged in this activity. More and more internet users who are from the digital immigrant group are becoming involved in shopping online through sites like eBay and Amazon (Selvin, 2000 p. 157). Further discussion on inappropriate behavior becoming more prevalent through email and internet use is seen to be happening. People are more confident sitting behind a computer screen. Statistics and studies have shown this. In 1999, 40 people were fired from Xerox for email abuse. In the same year, New York Times fired 23 people for “inappropriate and offensive” emails (Weinberger, 2002).
New technologies have reshaped the way people do life. Contemporary internet users have been opened up to many new possibilities through these technologies. Positive and negative repercussions have both come from the advent of these technologies. Prensky and Weinberger’s views of how these technologies are used by contemporary internet users were interrelated, but different. They both came from different perspectives. Prensky focused on young people and Weinberger on digital immigrants adapting to the technology. The interrelation came through each perspective discussing activities, which occur online. For example, shopping, learning and communicating. From these two perspectives, one can see that contemporary internet users, young or old, are engaged in many online activities and are experiencing the world through technology.
References
Boyd, R. (2008). Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dmal.9780262524834.119?cookieSet=1
Louis Leung. CyberPsychology & Behavior. June 2004, 7(3): 333-348. doi:10.1089/1094931041291303.
Journal article by Duncan Langford; Ethics & Behavior, Vol. 6, 1996 - http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=KhyfBGTr3cQ2FnnPqr1LG3hwSdmTXtWyLm1ygw2hxtqHwrftJ6Pr!-1941634607!-2081211395?docId=94802212
Poster, M. (2001). What’s The Matter With The Internet?. University of Minnesota Press.
Prensky, M. (2001). http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf
Prensky, M. (2004). (http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf - accessed 16/10/09)
Selvin, J. (2000). Internet & Society. Blackwell Publishers.
Weinberger, D. (2002). http://www.smallpieces.com/content/chapter1.html
Internet Resource accessed 16/10/09 - http://www.youth-marketing-statistics.com/2009/01/remember-online-dating.html
The internet is used by many people for a lot of different things. What people do on the internet has changed and evolved over time, but the people who use the internet today, known as contemporary internet users, are being viewed in interesting and specific ways. This essay will outline the views Marc Prensky and David Weinberger have of contemporary internet users. It will highlight their differences and explain how they both give accurate portrayals, in some areas, and flawed observations, in other areas. Prensky’s view of the digital native compared to the digital immigrant discusses the difference between the generation who have grown up with technology and the generation that have had to adapt to it. He outlines how the younger generation do things differently using the technology they have at their fingertips. Weinberger’s view of contemporary internet users is depicted in his portrayal of several different types of persons or personalities using the web today. In connection with Prensky’s description of a digital immigrant, Weinberger approaches the web from this stance of adapting to the technology. These topics will be discussed further and explored through other commentaries and sources. Specific examples will be given to discuss the views of Prensky and Weinberger.
Marc Prensky delves into what young people are using the internet for and how they do this by expanding on topics like communicating; buying and selling; gaming; and learning. He terms this younger generation ‘digital natives’ and describes how they do things differently to ‘digital immigrants’. There is deeper discussion on these two terms in Prensky’s article ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants’. Digital natives are primarily generation Y and younger and they have also been termed ‘Net Genners’ (Leung, 2004). This group incorporates people who have been immersed in technology their whole lives. They haven’t had to change to adapt to technology, but it is like second nature to them. However, digital immigrants have made a shift. They were accustomed to doing things a certain way without the use of technology. In the advent of new technology this group of people have made adjustments. In making these adjustments they still carry their traditional ways of thinking with them, which makes them different from digital natives (Prensky, 2001). Prensky’s discussion in ‘Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native’ (Prensky, 2004), suggests that digital natives are approaching life differently because of the internet.
In David Weinberger’s ‘A New World’, there is discussion about the internet as a place that is emerging and nobody knows where it is heading. Weinberger points out the hopes and fears that arose because of the web and asks why this occurred. He questions the web’s ability to meet all these expectations. He discusses contemporary internet users from the perspective of someone adapting to technology. This is evident when Weinberger talks about rewriting ourselves on the web (Weinberger, 2002). Even in the title ‘A New World’, it is clear that the focus is on the older generations because the internet and technology is not new for younger generations; it is all they have ever known. Weinberger mentions the struggles of building businesses in this new space called the web. He outlines the unfamiliarity of a place with ‘no soil’ and ‘no near and far’ (Weinberger, 2002). This unfamiliarity of the web has caused people to discover themselves saying and doing things they wouldn’t have done before (Poster, 2001). On the internet people can recreate themselves and be someone different to who they are in real life. This ability has caused problems and is displayed in a story in ‘A New World’. Michael Ian Campbell decided to practice his acting, so he says, by trying on a new role in an instant messaging conversation online. This new role involved talk about the shootings that occurred in a school in America. The conversation was taken seriously and police were involved in straightening out the situation (Weinberger, 2002). Serious problems can occur from people playing around with serious issues on the internet and studies have shown people are more likely to say or be involved inappropriate things online than if they were face to face (Langford, 1996).
The accurate portrayals given by Prensky include his description of how young people are engaging in technology for communication, gaming and learning purposes. There are a number of ways this is happening and communication online is the most evident of them all. Teenagers are engaged in online communication through programs like MSN messenger and websites like Facebook and MySpace. This has shaped the way they do life and the popularity of these online communication and social tools is proven. The reason why teenagers love these social networking sites and programs is discussed in an article titled ‘Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life’. The article addresses the fact that most teens have ventured on the social network sites and in time have gone off them. The importance of these sites in relation to their social life is their involvement and participation with their friends (Boyd, 2008). There is the ability for young people today to create much bigger social spheres because of access to these sites.
Flawed observations by Prensky include a generalization he made about generation Y finding romantic relationships on the internet. He said it was likely that young people today will be finding ‘some or all of their dates online’ (Prensky, 2004). This is far from the case. Although some young people are engaged in online dating, it is still a ‘no-go zone’ for most young people today. Studies have shown involvement in this activity is on the decline from previous years – Youth Marketing Statistics.
Weinberger’s portrayal of contemporary internet users was accurate. In his description of eBay users and shopping online, digital immigrants were said to be engaged in this activity. More and more internet users who are from the digital immigrant group are becoming involved in shopping online through sites like eBay and Amazon (Selvin, 2000 p. 157). Further discussion on inappropriate behavior becoming more prevalent through email and internet use is seen to be happening. People are more confident sitting behind a computer screen. Statistics and studies have shown this. In 1999, 40 people were fired from Xerox for email abuse. In the same year, New York Times fired 23 people for “inappropriate and offensive” emails (Weinberger, 2002).
New technologies have reshaped the way people do life. Contemporary internet users have been opened up to many new possibilities through these technologies. Positive and negative repercussions have both come from the advent of these technologies. Prensky and Weinberger’s views of how these technologies are used by contemporary internet users were interrelated, but different. They both came from different perspectives. Prensky focused on young people and Weinberger on digital immigrants adapting to the technology. The interrelation came through each perspective discussing activities, which occur online. For example, shopping, learning and communicating. From these two perspectives, one can see that contemporary internet users, young or old, are engaged in many online activities and are experiencing the world through technology.
References
Boyd, R. (2008). Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dmal.9780262524834.119?cookieSet=1
Louis Leung. CyberPsychology & Behavior. June 2004, 7(3): 333-348. doi:10.1089/1094931041291303.
Journal article by Duncan Langford; Ethics & Behavior, Vol. 6, 1996 - http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=KhyfBGTr3cQ2FnnPqr1LG3hwSdmTXtWyLm1ygw2hxtqHwrftJ6Pr!-1941634607!-2081211395?docId=94802212
Poster, M. (2001). What’s The Matter With The Internet?. University of Minnesota Press.
Prensky, M. (2001). http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf
Prensky, M. (2004). (http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf - accessed 16/10/09)
Selvin, J. (2000). Internet & Society. Blackwell Publishers.
Weinberger, D. (2002). http://www.smallpieces.com/content/chapter1.html
Internet Resource accessed 16/10/09 - http://www.youth-marketing-statistics.com/2009/01/remember-online-dating.html
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