Long Project Design Essay Example

Long Project Design Essay The database will be made in Microsoft Access. The other option is to use is to use Microsoft Excel to do the database but it wouldnt allow me to do a relational database. I need a relational database so that information doesnt need to be entered over and over again like what Michael has to do at the moment. I also looked at various advantages for using Access, which Ive stated below. Furthermore, making a database will accomplish the criteria of being efficient and being able to be used over many years. To meet the needs of the user for an effective solution to his problems, I will need to make a database system that has forms, reports and queries. Additionally, I will also need to make mail merged letters for him. The forms are to solve his organisation problems and time wasting for editing, searching etc. The queries and reports are to solve his time wasting problem in finding things for himself and for customers. My solution will also have to fulfil all of Mr. Longs desires and all of the performance criteria. For my database, I will have the fields: ID, first name, surname, address, telephone number, and date of birth for the Customers table. This is so that it is clear and the different bits of information is organised. The logo will be given to me by Mr. Long. It represents the travel agency so people can easily recognise it. This is also one of the desires Michael had. Part of the performance criteria is to have 4 different tables to store information in. For the Destinations table, I will have the fields: Destination ID, Destination, Airline, and Airport. I think this is enough details for the different destinations and the only ones that are needed. For the Hotels table, I will put the fields: Hotel ID, Name, Address, and Hotel Grade. Furthermore, for the bookings table, I will put the fields: Bookings ID, Departure Date, Departure Time, Arrival Date, Arrival Time, Customer ID, Destination ID, and Hotel ID. This is because the information on customers, hotels and destinations will be linked to the bookings table through relationships. This way, the data doesnt have to be entered all the time. This is an automated process which is one of the performance criterions. The field I use will also fulfil some performance criterions. We will write a custom essay sample on Long Project Design specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Long Project Design specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Long Project Design specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One of the criterions is to have tables linked so that it is a relational database. For the relationships, the customers, destinations and hotels tables will all be linked to the bookings table. The Customers ID field from the Customers table will link with the Customer ID field on the booking table. The Destination ID field on the Destinations table will link with the Destinations ID field on the Bookings table. And finally, the Hotel ID from the Hotels table will be linked to the Hotel ID in the bookings table. That performance criteria will now be achieved. For every one of the tables, a form will be made for it. This is because the user wants to be able to access data quickly and easily. By making a form, the information can be accessed, searched, edited, created and deleted easily and quickly. That desire will be achieved. Also, forms can be user friendly with the use of buttons which will make it easy to use. This was one of the desires. For all the forms, I will use the same background to give it a consistent and professional design. Michael desired this. I will also include the company logo to make the forms recognisable. The forms will display all the fields of the table so every bit of information is available for the user to see. I will also make buttons for the user to easily use to the system because it was one of the desires. This way, the user only needs to click on the buttons on the forms for their processes to be carried out. The buttons and logo will be at the same place for each of the forms. The bookings form will be a sub-form within a form. This is so that information on all of the other tables can be displayed in the bookings form. Furthermore, all of the forms can be reused by updating the information on them. By editing the information in the forms, the information in the tables will also be changed so the data will always be up to date. On all of the forms, I will have the Previous record and Next record button. This is because it will make it easier for the user to browse through the records that are there. Also, I will include the print and undo record buttons so the user can print a record and undo one at the click of a button. Furthermore, I will add save record, add record, search record, run word, run excel, close form and delete record buttons. This will save the user time because all they have to do is click the button instead of going through menus after menus. The run word and run excel button are just in case the user needs to access those programs for things such as calculating prices in excel or writing a simple letter in word. Furthermore, for the Destination form, I will also include a Print Destination Report button because Mr Long wants to be able to print a holiday list and I think the button will be able to save him time doing so. It will also solve the problem of photocopying flights to give to customers which is time consuming. Additionally, I will include a Print Hotels Report button on the Hotels form so it can be quickly printed and given to customers. I will also include Luxor Hotels, Cairo Hotels and Hong Kong Hotels buttons so that when a customer enquires about hotels in the countries that theyre interested in, the user can pull up that information with ease. The buttons themselves will open hotel queries that I will make. I will put all the buttons and logo on the forms in the same place so theres a consistent design. I will make a hotels query for each country that is on offer so that the user can quickly get hotels for a particular country rather than going through a list and picking out the relevant ones that are wanted. I will also make a customers query template because Mr Long would like to be able to enter an area and all his customers in that area will come up. I will show Mr Long how to change my template query in the user guide. Also, I will make a query template for destinations so that the user is able to find all the flights available to a particular destination. The instructions for doing this will also be in the user guide. Because Mr. Long wants to know all the customers that are born before 01/01/1955, I will make a query for customers who are born before 01/01/1955 because it needs to be known so that it can be merged with the letter Mr. Long wants to send out. All of these queries can be reused because only the criteria in the queries need to be changed. A main menu will be made where there will be buttons that, when clicked, will open the other forms. This will make my database system easier to use. The main menu will have the same background as the other forms. It will contain a Customers, Hotels, Destinations and Bookings button. I will need to add the logo in it as well. The name of the travel agency will also need to be put on so that it is easily recognised. These will fulfil some of Mr. Longs desires. To make the heading, I will use Microsoft Word. I will choose the font Palace Script MT. After that I will copy it over to paint. In paint, I will fill the surrounding with turquoise. When that is done, I will copy it over to my main menu. I am going to create forms for each of the tables. The font for my forms will need to be clear and easy to read so it will prevent Michael and his staff from reading anything wrong. Also, Ill make the database user friendly so the end user, Michael Long and his staff wouldnt have any troubles to get the hang of it. On the database, the fields must have the correct type of data. For example, the field First name must have the type of data: text. This will minimise the mistakes being entered because you wouldnt be able to put a date of birth in a first name field. The colour of the database will need to be according to the end users preference and I will make a questionnaire to find out a little more about Mr Longs preferences. For the DOB field, I will need to put a validation on it to stop the user from putting in any future dates. This will minimise incorrect data being entered. I will also add queries to allow the user to access certain information quickly as speed is highly wanted . I will also need to put a password onto the database or tell Michael how to do it himself to stop strangers from accessing the database. I need to do this because Michael requested some sort of security system. In my Analysis, I stated that my database should be able to give print outs for the customers on flights and hotels available. To do this, I will need to make reports on the destinations and hotels available so they can be printed off and given to customers. The reports will all have the same style design (corporate) to make it easily recognisable and associated with this business. I am also going to make a customers report because Mr. Long wants to be able to print a destinations, hotels and a customers list. All these reports can be reused because whenever a piece of information in changed in any of the forms or tables, the reports are automatically updated. I am going to make mail merged letters in Microsoft Word because Mr. Long wants an easier and more efficient way of sending letters. For the mail merge letters, I am going to put: Lees Holidays at the top of the letter. Then I am going to put the logo on the top left of the page. This is so that when the customers receive the letter; they will know who its from straight away. I am then going to insert the date on the right hand side so that every time the letter is needed, the date on the letter is automatically changed. This is another automated process which makes it easier for the user to use. I will also make a margin on the left, running all the way down the page. In the margin, I will have the name of the owner, the address, the telephone number and the fax number. After that, I will include the fields: Customer ID, First Name, Surname, Address, Area and Telephone using the mail merge help feature. Then I will write up the contents of the letter talking about the special offer Mr. Long is offering. At the bottom of the letter, I will put Mr. Longs signature. He requested this. The font of the letter will be Papyrus and the font size will be 10. All of this will fulfil the performance criteria for the mail merge letters. These mail merge letters are reusable because the template can be used over and over again. The query just needs to be changed and then the mail merge letters will change. I will make a first draft of the database a show it to Mr Long so he can give me some feedback about it. He will also be able to give me any preferences that he would like to have such as the layout the functions of the buttons. Why Microsoft Access is suitable for this project: Before I use Microsoft Access to actually build the tables, forms, and other objects that will make up the database, it is important to take time to design my database. Whether I am using a Microsoft Access database or a Microsoft Access project, good database design is the keystone to creating a database that does what you want it to do effectively, accurately and efficiently. In Access, I am able to: * Make queries to filter information * Make sub forms to display information in related forms * Make command buttons to link to other forms and carry out tasks for the user * Make a main menu for my travel agency database * Make validations to stop wrong DOB from being entered and to stop wrong departure date being entered Why Microsoft Word is suitable for this project: 1) Input text include fields and relevant addresses 2) Merge text from databases include information the customer requests 3) Importing and editing pictures make the letter look interesting and provide any information only pictures can give. 4) Use colour make the letter look more attractive and interesting 5) Use clip art make the letter look more professional 6) Font, font size and colour make the letter look more professional and interesting. Also, make certain important information stand out more. 7) Add borders make the letter look more professional. I will draw the design of my on forms and tables a piece of A4 paper. After I have done all this, I will test it to see if it works properly. Also, I will need to decide on the colours I will use for the database and see if the colours are acceptable to the client. The colours the client wants should be used for the background and the name of the travel agency. Testing When I have finished the database, I will carry out this test and give it to someone else to do just to double check it to see if I missed anything. I will need to check that: All the hotels, customers and destinations are correct recheck to see if there are any mistakes or missing pieces of data The validations to see if it comes up when an inappropriate date is entered enter a future date for the DOB field and see what happens, enter past date for the Departure Date field and see what happens Command buttons to see if they work properly click on each button and see if the right process is carried out The password works correctly entering the password and seeing if the database opens after All the queries give the correct results carrying out the queries myself All the results of the DOB query goes onto the mail merge letters check the query results and letters All the desires and performance criteria has been fulfilled check the performance criteria and desires and then seeing if my solution has done all of this The end user is happy with the solution asking Mr. Long User Feedback Questionnaire 1) Do you like the current colour of the database? If not, please state the colour desired. Yes No, change to _____________ 2) Is the database easy to use? Yes No 3) Are you happy with the logo and name or do you want me to change the sizes and positions? Yes, happy No, change it 4) Are you happy with the way the letter looks? Yes No 5) Would you like more buttons on the forms? Yes No 6) Are there any particular queries you would like me to make? Yes No 7) Are there any other additional things you need the database to have or do? If so, please state on the lines below. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ User Feedback: Having showed my initial design to Mr. Long and giving him my questionnaire, he has provided me with the following input to improve the design and layout, making it more user-friendly and appropriate to his needs. * Take off the current plain colour background and change it to a photo * Change it to a nice photo that is blue because his favourite colour is blue * Make the logo bigger on the forms and put it at the bottom of the forms * Make more buttons on the forms to make it even easier to use * Stretch out the bookings sub-form a bit more so he doesnt need to scroll much

The History of Video Recorders and Television

The History of Video Recorders and Television Charles Ginsburg led the research team at Ampex Corporation in developing one of the first practical videotape recorders or VTRs in 1951. It captured live images from television cameras by converting the information into electrical impulses and saving the information on magnetic tape. By 1956, VTR technology was perfected and in common use by the television industry. But Ginsburg wasn’t done yet. He led the Ampex research team in developing a new machine that could run the tape at a much slower rate because the recording heads rotated at high speed. This allowed the necessary high-frequency response. He became known as the father of the video cassette recorder.†Ã‚  Ampex sold the first VTR for $50,000 in 1956, and the first VCassetteRs or VCRs were sold by Sony in 1971. The Early Days of Video Recording Film was initially the only medium available for recording television programs magnetic tape was considered, and it was already being used for sound, but the greater quantity of information carried by the television signal demanded new studies. A number of American companies began investigating this problem during the 1950s.   Tape Recording Technology Audio and video magnetic recording have had a greater impact on broadcasting than any other development since the invention of radio/TV transmission itself. Videotape in a large cassette format was  introduced by both JVC and Panasonic around 1976. This was the most popular format for home use and for video store rentals for many years until it was replaced by CDs and DVDs. VHS stands for Video Home System. The First Television Cameras American engineer, scientist and inventor Philo Taylor Farnsworth devised the television camera in the 1920s, although he would later declare that theres nothing on it worthwhile. It was an â€Å"image dissector† that converted a captured imagine into an electrical signal. Farnsworth was born in 1906 on Indian Creek in Beaver County, Utah.  His parents expected him to become a concert violinist but his interests drew him to experiments with electricity. He built an electric motor and produced the first electric washing machine his family ever owned at the age of 12. He then went on to attend Brigham Young University where he researched television picture transmission. Farnsworth had already conceived of his idea for television while in high school, and he cofounded Crocker Research Laboratories in 1926 which he later renamed Farnsworth Television, Inc. He then changed the name again to Farnsworth Radio and Television Corporation in 1938. Farnsworth was the first inventor to transmit a television image comprised of 60 horizontal lines in 1927. He was only 21 years old. The image was a dollar sign. One of the keys to his success was the development of the  dissector tube that essentially translated images into electrons that could be transmitted to a TV. He filed for his first television patent in 1927. He had already won an earlier patent for his image dissection tube, but he lost later patent battles to RCA, which owned the rights to many of inventor  Vladimir Zworkyin’s  TV patents. Farnsworth went on to invent over 165 different devices. He held over 300 patents by the end of his career, including a number of significant television patents although he was not a fan of what his discoveries had wrought. His final years were spent battling depression and alcohol. He died on March 11, 1971, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Digital Photography and Video Stills Digital camera technology is directly related to and evolved from the same technology that once recorded  television  images. Both television/video cameras and digital cameras use a CCD or charged coupled device to sense light color and intensity. A still video or digital camera called the Sony Mavica single-lens reflex was first demonstrated in 1981. It used a fast-rotating magnetic disc that was two inches in diameter and could record up to 50 images formed in a solid-state device inside the camera. The images were played back through a television receiver or monitor, or they could be printed out. Advancements in Digital Technology   NASA converted from using analog to digital signals with their space probes to map the surface of the moon in the 1960s, sending digital images back to earth. Computer technology was also advancing at this time and NASA used computers to enhance the images that the space probes were sending.  Digital imaging had another government use at the time – in spy satellites. Government use of digital technology helped advance the science of digital imaging, and the private sector also made significant contributions. Texas Instruments patented a filmless electronic camera in 1972, the first to do so. Sony released the Sony Mavica electronic still camera in August 1981, the first commercial electronic camera. Images were recorded onto a mini disc and placed into a video reader that was connected to a television monitor or color printer. The early Mavica cannot be considered a true digital camera, however, even though it started the digital camera revolution. It was a video camera that took video freeze-frames. The First Digital Cameras   Since the mid-1970s, Kodak has invented several solid-state image sensors that convert  light to digital pictures for professional and home consumer use. Kodak scientists invented the worlds first megapixel sensor in 1986, capable of recording 1.4 million pixels that could produce a 5 x 7-inch digital photo-quality print. Kodak released seven products for recording, storing, manipulating, transmitting and printing electronic still video images in 1987, and in 1990, the company developed the Photo CD system and proposed the first worldwide standard for defining color in the digital environment of computers and computer peripherals. Kodak released the first professional digital camera system (DCS), aimed at photojournalists in 1991, a Nikon F-3 camera equipped with a 1.3-megapixel sensor. The first digital cameras for the consumer  market that would work with a home computer via a serial cable were the Apple QuickTake camera in 1994, the Kodak DC40 camera in 1995, the Casio QV-11 also in 1995, and Sonys Cyber-Shot Digital Still Camera in 1996. Kodak entered into an aggressive co-marketing campaign to promote its DC40 and to help introduce the idea of digital photography to the public. Kinkos and Microsoft both collaborated with Kodak to create digital image-making software workstations and kiosks which allowed customers to produce photo CD discs and add digital images to documents. IBM collaborated with Kodak in making an Internet-based network image exchange. Hewlett-Packard was the first company to make color inkjet printers that complemented the new digital camera images. The marketing worked and now digital cameras are everywhere.

Outsourcing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Outsourcing - Term Paper Example For instance, a company may outsource non-strategic functions to companies that specialize in such fields of work. Additionally, outsourcing also includes the transferring of assets and employees to another firm. The term outsourcing extends over both domestic and foreign outsourcing, and it sometimes also involves the relocation of a firm elsewhere; this is known as off-shoring. The company that provides outsourcing services is commonly called as service provider Organizations enter into a business agreement with third-party service providers that involves an interchange of payments and services. Outsourcing helps firms perform efficiently in their core functions and minimize costs incurred and shortage of skill in disciplines where they deem outsourcing appropriate. Since the early 21st century, businesses have exceedingly outsourced to firms in foreign countries; this is commonly known as off-shore outsourcing. In consequence of the widespread practice of outsourcing, several appe llations have been designated to refer to various parts of the relationship between the discipline of outsourcing and firms, such as strategic outsourcing, multi-sourcing and near-shoring. Outsourcing offers more room or elasticity in controlling unnecessary expenses and spending where it is indispensable. Outsourcing gives organizations the advantage to spend on only the services that are absolutely needed and also the precise periods or times in which they need them. This reduces the expenses incurred on hiring and training of employees (Haugen, Musser and Lovelace, 2009). The biggest transition in outsourcing has come from the rapid increase in the number of firms or small groups of professionals using computer technologies to utilize outsourcing as a source or path for building pragmatic service providing businesses or systems that can be operated from any part of the globe where internet access is available. Such service providers are preferred by large firms for ephemeral empl oyment of experts in specialized disciplines so as to have their projects or services worked on and delivered completely virtually or online. This suggests that there is a rapidly growing increase in the number of such businesses that function completely online that outsource to offshore firms to work and complete the work contracted out to them before the final service or project is sent to the end user. This is commonly practiced in website designing. Albeit outsourcing has been practiced by corporations so long work specialization has remained an important part of industry, it is rather recently that there has been a surge in outsourcing by organizations for the execution of non-strategic or non-core processes such as data entry, or billing. This is owing to the fact that such processes could be more efficiently executed by companies that specialize in the aforementioned fields respectively; this makes it more time and cost effective for organizations. Some companies outsource se rvices for the execution of particular business functions, while others outsource services for the execution of entire processes. Outsourcing may take many forms but the two most common forms of outsourcing are: Business Process Outsourcing, BPO, and Information Technology Outsourcing, ITO. Furthermore, Business Process Outsourcing incorporates human resource outsourcing, HRO, call center outsourcing and accounting and finance outsourcing. Such processes for

SWOT analysis report on youth justice system and its links to multi Essay

SWOT analysis report on youth justice system and its links to multi agency working practices - Essay Example This essay will present the strength, weaknesses, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis of the system. The essay will include the link of the system to multi agency working practices. The youth justice system main aim is â€Å"the prevention of offending by children and young people.† The youth justice system believes that one of the best and most cost-effective ways to reduce youth crime is to prevent young people from committing it. They should be able to identify the cause of such act which maybe because of lack education, poor family relationships, having family members or peers who have offended, and misuse of substance. At the end of the essay we will be able to examine the multi-agency approaches to working in a political social and policy context. The key drivers of changes in public service will be examined. We will be able to analyse the various barriers to multi agency partnerships. The essay will be able us to understand the role of the organization within a multi agency context. And at the end we will understand the importance of partnership in a multi agency approach to achieve justice sector goals. The youth justice system in England Wales includes the process and procedure used in prosecuting, convicting and punishing persons under 18 years of age who commit criminal acts. The youth justice system are being govern by the youth justice board who ensure that the custody of the young offender is safe, secure, and addresses the causes of their offending behaviour. The youth justice system is effective in its purpose to treat the young offenders on the way that they should be treated. This is one of the strength that the justice system had. The system follows a process in handling situations on young offenders. When a young person commits a first or second minor offense a system of reprimands and final warning can be given by the police officer. A reprimand is a verbal warning given by police officer to young person who admits

21st Century Hero vs Beowulf Essay Example for Free

21st Century Hero vs Beowulf Essay Beowulf was an Anglo-Saxon hero who fought many battles and proved his physical strength. Today, in the 21st century, a hero can be described as someone who is strong willed or strong minded. In our comic books that are now becoming movies our heroes are strong and very brave. Heroes in the 21st century don’t necessarily have to be physically strong but they do have to be strong minded and strong willed. The heroes in our comics are extremely strong. Take Superman for example, his only weakness is kryptonite. He is big and strong and he always saves the world. He may have a lot of enemies but all super  heroes do. Then again he has super powers that make him strong. He survived an attack on his home Planet Krypton and because he gained his super strength. Because of his alien like super strength people didn’t know how to react to him until they found out that he was a good man. Now he is America’s favorite superhero. The same goes for other comic superheroes such as Batman, Spiderman and Ironman. They all have a super power. Spiderman is most like Superman because he had something ‘terrible’ happen to him and gained his super powers. Spiderman was bit by a radioactive spider and acquired spider like senses. He can ‘feel’ when something is wrong with the city and can shoot webs. Batman is most like a normal human being. He is just a rich man powered by the fear of a previous experience with bats. He disguises himself as a human-bat combination and he uses his father’s tools and resources to create everything he uses to save the world. Ironman is similar to Batman in that they both don’t have super powers and they’re both rich. Ironman made a suit of iron with many different ‘superpowers. ’ He can fly and shoot energy from his suit. Our real life 21st century heroes are those that don’t have a superpower that children dream of. Their superpower is that they have faith and they are strong willed or strong minded. The people you automatically think of are those who are battling a terrible life threatening disease but still stay happy and do all that they can at all times. People who have cancer are often the first of our thoughts when thinking of this type of heroes. On CMT’s Worlds Strictest Parents two high strung kids go and live with the Sheffield family. They help a close family friend, Brocker, who is battling cancer. The man has a 14year old daughter and lives on a huge farm. The kids were originally angry that they had to help him until they heard his story. The fact that he had such an illness and still works as much as he can on his farm and takes care of his daughter inspired the two kids. He said people were helping him and when he said they didn’t need to they would say â€Å"remember when you helped me with†¦this is for that. † The people who stay positive while in the worst possible condition are the real heroes. When everything is going wrong and they still keep their head up and smile and try to get through it, they show real and true inner strength and they are heroes. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is strong according to the scops. They are the story tellers and poets. All of the scops use hyperboles and litotes to show exaggeration and understatement. A hyperbole is an exaggeration. An example of his strength in a hyperbole is on page 22 line 156 when â€Å"For hours he sank through the ways. † This describes the strength of his lungs while fighting Grendels mother. A litote is an understatement. An example of this is on page 293 line 202 saying â€Å"He was weary. † This understates how tired he must be after fighting a huge sea serpent like monster. Both of these statements describe how overall strong Beowulf is. Strong could have different meanings depending on what you mean and how you use it. Beowulf is physically strong in the Anglo-Saxon time period but the type of hero he is, is a fake one. He is just a man in a story saving the town. Beowulf is like the modern day heroes in our comic books. Not real and full of surprises. The real modern day heroes are those fighting for their life. Everything could be going wrong and they still are happy and stay strong and smiling. 21st century heroes don’t necessarily have to be physically strong but they do have to have a strong mind and heart.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull :: Jonathan Livingston Seagull Essays

Jonathan Livingston Seagull Jonathan was not an ordinary seagull. For a thousand years, seagulls have spent their whole life on scrambling after fish heads. But Jonathan saw something different. He thought that life should not be just eating and fighting, even seagulls should have a reason to live. For him, his meaning of life is to fly. We all wish that we could spend all our time on doing things we like, just as Jonathan spent all his time on his beloved flight. However, the success in finding his meaning of life didn't bring with him any honor, but caused him to be an object of shame and irresponsibility, and to be banished due to his neglect to finding food. After having been banished, Jonathan was full time practicing flying and made great progress. He thought he had found his own heaven, and wondered why there are so few seagulls enjoying themselves in the heaven; "heaven should be flocked with gulls!" Therefore, besides finding his own meaning of life, he eventually returned to the place that once had expelled him, and help the fellows there to find their purpose of life. This is what I like most in the story. "You don't love hatred and evil...you have to practise and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it themselves" Jonathan was unselfish and lenient. He wasn't hostile to those who forced him out of his homeland, on the contrary, he learned to love them and help them. To forgive and love your enemy is even more difficult than finding the meaning of life, but Jonathan, a little seagull, managed to act it out. While Jonathan carried on practising, he found out that" this world isn't heaven at all". Heaven is being perfect, is not limited by time and space..."there is no such place". So, heaven is somewhere that we can never step out foot in. Very often, people do their best longing for the best result, they like to be perfect and try their best to be perfect. They have an idea of heaven in their mind and are upset all the time because they can never achieve it, we all have too many flaws. Jonathan Livingston Seagull :: Jonathan Livingston Seagull Essays Jonathan Livingston Seagull Jonathan was not an ordinary seagull. For a thousand years, seagulls have spent their whole life on scrambling after fish heads. But Jonathan saw something different. He thought that life should not be just eating and fighting, even seagulls should have a reason to live. For him, his meaning of life is to fly. We all wish that we could spend all our time on doing things we like, just as Jonathan spent all his time on his beloved flight. However, the success in finding his meaning of life didn't bring with him any honor, but caused him to be an object of shame and irresponsibility, and to be banished due to his neglect to finding food. After having been banished, Jonathan was full time practicing flying and made great progress. He thought he had found his own heaven, and wondered why there are so few seagulls enjoying themselves in the heaven; "heaven should be flocked with gulls!" Therefore, besides finding his own meaning of life, he eventually returned to the place that once had expelled him, and help the fellows there to find their purpose of life. This is what I like most in the story. "You don't love hatred and evil...you have to practise and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it themselves" Jonathan was unselfish and lenient. He wasn't hostile to those who forced him out of his homeland, on the contrary, he learned to love them and help them. To forgive and love your enemy is even more difficult than finding the meaning of life, but Jonathan, a little seagull, managed to act it out. While Jonathan carried on practising, he found out that" this world isn't heaven at all". Heaven is being perfect, is not limited by time and space..."there is no such place". So, heaven is somewhere that we can never step out foot in. Very often, people do their best longing for the best result, they like to be perfect and try their best to be perfect. They have an idea of heaven in their mind and are upset all the time because they can never achieve it, we all have too many flaws.

Marks of a Healthy Church Essay

Introduction In the New Testament, the church can be referred to as the â€Å"local† church or the â€Å"universal† church. The local church is a place where assemblies of believers come together at a particular location and time. The universal church refers to the body of Christ. Many churches believe that they are healthy because they have a certain number of people on their membership roll. Healthy churches measure their spirituality according to God’s Word. This paper seeks to convey that healthy churches are measured in spiritual terms versus numerical terms; follow biblical instead of cultural patterns of ministry; are based on theological instead of sociological foundations; focus on ministry not a marketing model; and adopt scriptural not secular models of leadership. This will be done by examining Kenneth Gangel’s discussion on the different marks that can be used to gauge a healthy church in his article â€Å"The Marks of a Healthy Church.† Brief Summary According to Kenneth Gangel, in his article â€Å"The Marks of a Healthy Church,† he seeks to â€Å"explain the characteristics of a healthy church using the measurements of the spiritual, biblical, theological, ministry model, and scriptural model of leadership.† To accomplish this Gangel cautions spiritual leaders not to get caught up in measuring church growth in numerical terms. They should accentuate the holiness and sovereignty of God through Bible study, worship, prayer, praise, and fellowship. In following biblical instead of cultural patterns, churches do not feel compelled to stay â€Å"up with the times† or get hooked on religious fads and slogans. Churches should not push alot of programs and believe that they are right just because they are successful. They would do well to check them and their success against the Word of God. Gangel also wanted spiritual leaders to ensure that they are paying attention to the true vigor or teachings of biblical theology and not get caught up in sociological perceptions of what the church should be. They should seek God’s plans for the church and tune out outside influences. A healthy church seeks to remain spiritually effective by following the ministry model of the â€Å"Great Commission† according to God’s grace, authority, and resources. Churches must never use the marketing or worldly model of seeking resources to accomplish their goals. Spiritual leaders will have trials and be scrutinized; but they should never take on a secular form of leadership in order to deal with these trials. They must pay attention to the essential functions of guiding and leading a healthy church. Critical Interaction Gangel has taken an in depth approach to explaining what constitutes a healthy church. He seeks to make clear that spiritual leaders have to use a biblical approach to assessing church growth or a healthy church. Some of the theological issues that I have found to be at stake in the article are the beliefs that church growth is an indication that the church is growing according to what God has mandated for the church. Church growth should always be evaluated to ensure that the growth is occurring for the right or biblical reasons. The other theological issue is making sure that the spiritual leader and the church are not conforming to the world and its way of doing things. The Bible is the road map that has been given to the spiritual leaders and the church to ensure that they do not go wrong or spiritually off course. Gangel’s opinion that the church should not get caught up on spiritual fads and slogans is backed by John F. MacArthur’s warning that the abandonment of the scriptures as a regulatory principle has opened the church to some of the most detestable of abuses. These abuses include bringing in secular artist into worship services, a sideshow with a carnival theme, and wrestling shows. Gangel is prompted to write about this subject because he was noticed and read about churches hinging their spiritual health on numerical terms of growth instead of biblical terms. His goal is to enlighten and warn the church to make sure they are using biblical measurements in determining the spiritual health of the church. The author has done an exceptional job in proving his thesis, that there are biblical marks or measurements of a healthy church. Gangel’s key strengths in this article are the five biblical marks that he has used to compare to the secular tenants that society likes to use. As he was explaining the five biblical marks of a healthy church, I wish he would have addressed what happens to a church that follows the tenets of society. Conclusion This paper has critiqued the article â€Å"Marks of a Healthy Church.† The author’s discussion in this article clearly lets us know that church should use caution when it comes to evaluating its growth. The marks that should be used to assess the health of the church are spiritual, biblical, theological, ministry model, and scriptural model of leadership. Everything that the church does should be checked by the Word of God. After reading this article, someone may make the claim that the church should do what it has to in order to reach the unbeliever. In my opinion, we as believers are not to let down our beliefs in what God has commanded us to do in order to reach an unbeliever. By all means, we can use Godly tools to witness to them where they are. Selected Bibliography Enns, Paul.The Moody Handbook of Theology.Revised and Expanded. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008. Gangel, Kenneth O. 2001. â€Å"Marks of a Healthy Church.†Bibliotheca Sacra,no.158 vol.632 (October – December). http://galaxie.com/article/5724 (accessed October 15, 2012). MacArthur, John F., â€Å"How Shall We Then Worship?† in The Coming Evangelical Crisis,ed. David Wells (Chicago: Moody, 1996), 181 ——————————————– [ 2 ]. Paul Enns, The Moody handbook of Theology, Revised and Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 257 [ 3 ]. Gangel, Kenneth O. 2001. Marks of a Healthy Church. Bibliotheca Sacra 9, no.28 vol. 632 (October – December). http://www.galaxie.com/article/5724 (accessed October 15, 2012). [ 4 ]. Ibid., 468. [ 5 ]. Ibid., 469. [ 6 ]. Gangel, 470. [ 7 ]. Ibid., 474 [ 8 ]. Ibid. [ 9 ]. Enns, 359-360. [ 10 ]. MacArthur, John F., â€Å"How Shall We Then Worship?† in The Coming Evangelical Crisis, ed. David Wells (Chicago: Moody, 1996), 181 [ 11 ]. Gangel, 467-468. [ 12 ]. Ibid.