So, how scary can the American recession get for the Indian? Reality check: This evening's rumor was that ICICI is going to be no more. Imagine shutting down all together. So fearful were public reactions that all long distance phone calls suggested people take out all their money from ICICI. Forget minimum deposit; forget accrued charges because of your impulsive actions because what good is maintenance of bank deposits if there's going to be no bank at all. So, for a moment you fear.

Then you try to rationalize with those who fear. Your common sense prompts a thought. Can a bank you first heard of in your economics book in 1996 really shut down? Then it was about learning full forms to score so you mugged it, ICICI: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India. Over the years I don't know about industrial but it certainly serves as a brilliant personal bank. You pay your internet connection bills, pay your phone recharge vouchers, ask anyone for cash on broke days, send money to people, parents included, shop, watch movies, everything you can think of, ICICI does for me. So now if it just disappeared, I'd go back to the ice age.

People are cautious, the share markets spelling doom. ICICI share prices of 900 rupees, quoted 350 rupees today. Are you scared? Depositors rushed into endless queues to withdraw their hard earned money. The RBI issued a security statement and notices were posted outside all ICICI ATM's stating that ICICI has enough funds to return all depositors funds. I believe ICICI will not liquidate; it's just a passing tide. Obviously I need to believe because else all my NEFT transactions would come to a standstill. I also believe because since young I believed in everything red, my sports house, favorite clothes, football teams, my car colors, the red heart, everything. Today, I understand the consequence of my choices, Ferrari, Manchester United, Hastings House, and ICICI to name a few.

What started out as a red debit card with an understanding with HP, even though I don't own a vehicle, it has come a long way. When the market is bleeding, hold your own, the market will turn. It's a war between the bull and the bear, and when the bear sees red, you know what happens.

It's no secret I have struggled with school the last couple of semesters.  But I chalked everything up to the stress of dealing with my Dad's cancer.  I just needed a good long Summer break to cure me.  So school started, and I was doing pretty well the first three weeks. Then...

Well actually it's a "then" that has been happening for about 2 1/2 years...

January 8, 2006, Bro. Steve talked on Moses and the burning bush during the Sunday afternoon service.  He said the reason God was able to use Moses was because Moses completely turned from what he was doing and said, "Here Am I."  Three words, one simple phrase.  "Here Am I".  I remember feeling the Spirit so strong when Bro. Steve was talking.  Those words where written on my heart that afternoon.  

When I came back to church that night, I began my journey of giving myself to the Lord completely.  The Spirit fell and alot of the youth went down and got blessed.  As I was praying, I was telling the Lord over and over again. "Here Am I".  I think I ended up at the top of my lungs in other tongues and my only cry was "Lord, Here Am I."  

After that service not a lot changed in my daily life.  I was still in school.  I completely meant what I was praying, but I was holding back.  It was a "Here Am I"  with conditions.  It was a "Here Am I" in a few years.  I'll do my best now, and then when I'm older, when I graduate, when I marry, when you can really use me "Here Am I".  

Through all this time.  He continued to show me who He is.  One of the biggest steps was when I learned the basics of real love.  Not the selfish love I've know all my life;  I love you because of what you do for me.  Instead, I love you, so I sacrifice.  Jn 3:16.  That was all I understood about that for a while, but recently He added a second part.  Love is choice.  I choose you.  I choose to love you.  Put them together and it is, I choose to sacrifice for you because I love you.  

Then, my dad got cancer...  My world did a 180.  Through what felt like a complete mayhem, He did so much.  The Lord brought our family so close together (I think it was Griffy's hazing period...).  But the most valuable thing the Lord taught me is that it is His nature to be a provider.  He is the creator.  He knows what we need.  I think it was in this time that I really began to learn what depending on the Spirit means.  And in the end He did provide, Hallelujah.  Last weekend was the first anniversary of my Dad being cancer free.  Of coarse our family still had to go through the experience of Chemo, but He brought us through.  His last day at the hospital was sometime near the end of November.

So by this time, I had learned two things about God, about his nature.  He opened my eyes to his Love.  He showed me that he finds pleasure in providing for me through this love.  He showed me I can trust Him.

But still there was this fight with in myself.  I wanted with all my heart to serve Him, but I had things to do.

 I had to graduate from college.  After all, I was going to be a teacher.  God needs His people in the school system.  It's not like my biggest dream was to be a rock star.  It was/is rational.  Yet the Spring semester of 2008 almost ended prematurely.  I very nearly threw in the towel in all my classes.  But I did finish.  (Passing all but one class which didn't count because I dropped it, but they still have it on my transcripts because they are mean.)

I had to find a girlfriend.  All my friends were pairing off (at the time).  I didn't want to be the third, fifth, and seventh wheel for the rest of my life.  

I had to get a better car. 

I had to go places--do things.

It all started to change sometime in July.  Through that time, I was praying about my future in school. I knew I wouldn't be going back to Western.  The only logical thing was to go to Vol State.

So I was just going to church and working until school started.  Then the Hot Dog man (I can't remember his real name) visited church.  He talked about his experience as a missionary.  I sobbed the whole entire time he talked.  That's not something I really do.  I rarely cry, even when I pray, much less sob (now I cry at almost on request).  But the Lord was tugging at me so strongly.  A whisper of  "Here Am I" started to form again.  

We were at Ernie and Sarah's house.  It was Ernie, Sarah, Josh, Brett and Me.  We watched a documentary about a missionary.  Then we started praying with Brett because he still hadn't returned to the Lord.  Anyways, afterward Ernie gave me a book that looked like it had been through a lot.  It had no front or back cover.  It was just the spine and 200 pages.  It was God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew.  Brother Andrew is drafted by the Lord to be a missionary across the Iron Curtain during the 1950s in the middle of the Cold War.  His story is amazing.  If you want to read a modern day storying of complete dependence on God, read it.  It impacted me deeply.  When I was reading it, God brought back all those things he taught me about Him being my Provider.  My heart began to change, to cry out "Here Am I" out loud again.  

About a month later, school started again.  I wasn't sure I was supposed to be there, but I didn't know where else to go (as is the case for so many people at Vol State).  I started classes, but I couldn't figure out how to pay for it.  I was going through this long process with the Financial Aid department.  One day it looked like I was getting a loan, then the next, I wasn't.  Finally on September 11th, it was a for sure no.  I had a away to pay, but I wasn't completely comfortable with it.  The school said they would give me until the next Wednesday to pay, or I would be dropped form my classes (September 17).  

Then Sunday came...

September 14, 2008.  

It changed my life.  Bro. Carey Clark talked.  I really can't tell you what he said, but I was listening.  I could feel the Lord so strong.  Then he asked the Youth of the church 21 and younger to stand up.  He asked if we would be willing to serve the Lord.  To go where He called us.  To reach people our own age everywhere.  To reach people who are suffering.  Who have no idea who God is.  Of who His son is.  No idea of the love that was poured on on Calvary.  Then He asked us to come down front and He asked the parents to come and pray behind us.

I almost ran down front.  Right there and then, I finally gave it all to Him.  I gave Him everything I was holding back.  I gave Him my schooling, I gave Him marriage, I gave Him seeing my nephew grow up, I gave Him any and all the dreams I could think of.   I gave Him my future.  I said, "Here Am I", and I meant it completely for the first time.  I held nothing back.  

When I was done praying.  I was relieved, peaceful, anxious, and worried.  I knew I had given Him everything, but what about my parents?  I turned around and the most wonderful thing happened.  They gave me up too.  They told me they had given me to the Lord.  They said to do whatever I had to do.  They understood.  

I actually wasn't really sure what that next step was to be truthful.  Later that night, my mom asked me if I was going to school the next day.  It was the first time I thought about it.  Right then, I knew I wouldn't return, but I wanted to make sure it was the Lord, not me.  So I prayed, my parents prayed, I asked others to pray, and I felt like I was "called out of school".  I don't like to say dropped out.  I just have other things to do.

Let me say now that I don't feel like I'm going to be in Germany next week.  I have no plans, no matter how hard Markie might try to convince me of going Europe Tuesday.  I gave the Lord my life.  When I was in school, I could not concentrate on Him completely.  I had my time divided between school, work, family, friends, and serving God.  He was not in the middle of my life.  He was simply an item on my list.  Now, I am learning how to make Him the center.   When He is the center of my life, He will be in everything I do whether it is going to school, playing with my nephews, or reading the Bible.  I still feel like I will get my degree.  I still feel like I will get married.  I still feel like I will get to experience many of my dreams.  The difference now is that I'm not the one in control.  

Back to the story....

The next week was a huge roller coaster, but I refused to take back what I had given Him.  That had been the problem all along.  I would give myself to Him and the next day I would take everything back.  It was still random minutes of "Did I just do that?", "Here I Am", "Should I get a CAT scan?", "I need to do my homework... Wait, Yes!  I don't have anymore homework", "Wait, I don't have anymore homework?", "Uh, how am I supposed to do this?  I'm not ready", "Lord, You better be in this or I'm going to be so mad at You".  Luckily though, I didn't have too much time to think about it because I was helping getting ready for the Youth Meeting.

After the first service on Friday Night, Bro. Steve asked if he could talk to me.  He asked me what exactly I was feeling.  So I told him the story above.  (Looking back now, it probably would have been wise to talk to him about quitting school, but alas I didn't.)  Instead of reprimanding me (which he would have been justified in doing), he asked me what I thought about what would be the Discipleship house.  Then and there I felt peace about my decision.

Sunday will be  a week since I've moved into Rob and Julie's house.  They have sacrificed their upstairs, family time, money, and probably more than we will ever know to do this.  There I will learn how to become God centered.  I will hopefully become a true disciple of Jesus.

It has been a blast so far!  Brandon and I are the only full timers so far.  The Lord meets us at our prayer and Bible study every morning.  It has grown already.  The first day it was just Rob, Bro. Curt, Brandon and Me.  Today it was those four, Josh, Ben, Brett, Doug and Sam.  I wake up excited to see what is going to happen that day.  

This is going to be an experience that will change my life completely.  When I am finished, I know I will be ready to serve the Lord in Cross Plains, Nashville, or where ever I go.  I still don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds it.  I have such peace.  I don't know that I'm going to be a missionary to anywhere abroad, but I know I'm going to be one to this place around me.  My only goal is to serve the Lord where I am.  Though I am willing to go.

This is the song, I have been feeling since I stopped going to school.

Datum: 26th February to 22nd June 2009

NOMAD Dance Academy
Educational programme NOMAD Dance Academy 2009

Call for applications
http://www.nomaddanceacademy.org/

NOMAD Dance Academy is inviting young artists from the field of contemporary dance and related professions to the nomadic "dance-research-exchange" program from Sarajevo, via Skopje, Sofia, Belgrade and Zagreb to Ljubljana that takes place from 26th February to 22nd June 2009.
NOMAD/ Educational programme 2009 is dedicated to the group of up to 12 emerging artists from the Balkans who are motivated and mature to live, learn, work and move together for 4 months, creating a network for future artistic collaboration and continuing to work in contemporary dance.

NOMAD / Educational programme is made to improve and encourage exchange, education and creation in contemporary dance in the Balkans through a set of workshops, lectures, study visits and encounters with artists and theoretics from all related countries and abroad:

NOMAD / Educational programme is an opportunity to upgrade your artistic expression, to enhance your career at its early stage and to make a ground for future international collaboration.

NOMAD / Educational programme gives up to 12 scholarships that cover part of the tuition fee, travel expenses and accommodation during 4 months (March-June). Meals and extra travels are students’ expenses.

Criteria and selection procedure:

1. Eligible are contemporary dance and performing artists and other professionals interested to work closer to the contemporary dance field from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia, but also from other countries.

2. Application form (containing CV and motivation letter) and selected video material of your work shoud be received by 27th October 2008 to the local NOMAD office:
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Tanzelarija nda_bih@nomaddanceacademy.org,
Bulgaria – Brain Store Project nda_bg@nomaddanceacademy.org,
Croatia – TALA nda_cro@nomaddanceacademy.org,
Macedonia – Lokomotiva nda_mk@nomaddanceacademy.org,
Serbia – Station Service for contemporary dance nda_srb@nomaddanceacademy.org,
Slovenia – Fičo Balet nda_slo@nomaddanceacademy.org.
Others: ab_nda@nomaddanceacademy.org

You can download it at www.nomaddanceacademy.org or ask for it at the above given addresses. Late applications will not be considered!

3. NOMAD Artistic Board will evaluate all applicants and inform them about the results of selection until 15th November 2008.

4. Applicants from other countries, if selected, pay 800 EUR tuition fee and are expected to cover accommodation, travel and meals expenses. Organizers will help these applicants to search for other scholarships and grants.

5. Selected NOMAD students from the Balkans will be obliged to pay the participation fee of 300 EUR until 1st February 2009. The participation fee will not be reimbursed if a student decides to withdraw his/her application after this date.

NOMAD Dance Academy Educational Programme 2009 – DRAFT
(this programme may be changed in details)

TRAVEL SCHEDULE:
SARAJEVO: 25th February – 15th March 2009
SKOPJE: 15th – 31st March 2009
SOFIA: 31st March – 17th April 2009
KANJIZA: 17th – 26th April 2009
ONE WEEK BREAK
BELGRADE: 2nd – 16th May 2009
ZAGREB: 16th May – 3rd June 2009
PIRAN: 3rd – 11th June 2009
LJUBLJANA: 11th – 23rd June 2009

BODY WORK AND CREATION WORKSHOPS:
Martin Sonderkamp (DE), Isabelle Schad (DE), Gregor Luštek (SLO), Erol Aleksander (BG/DE), Ivica Buljan (CRO), Emil Hrvatin (SLO), Howard Katz Fireheart (USA/DE), Irma Omerzo (CRO) ...

INTERDICIPLINARY WORKSHOPS:
Dorian Kolundžija (SER), Igor Remeta (SLO), Tomaž Štrucl (SLO), Brane Zorman (SLO), Andrej Intihar (SLO), Igor Medjugorac (SLO), Miha Klinar (SLO) ...

LECTURES:
Sonja Zdravkovska (MK), Bojana Cvejić (SER/B), Ani Vaseva (BG), Boyan Manchev (BG/FR), Bojana Kunst (SLO), Ana Vujanović (SER), Maja Djurinovič (CRO)...

ARTISTIC MENTORS:
Borut Šeparovič (CRO/NL), Rok Vevar (SLO), Jasmina Prolić (BIH/FR), Iskra Šukarova (MK), Willy Prager (BG), Iva Sveshtarova (BG), Dalija Aćin (SER), Aleksandra Janeva (CRO/B), Tamara Curić (CRO), Dejan Srhoj (SLO), Goran Bogdanovski (SLO)

Rok prijave: 27/10/08

Kontakt:
NOMAD Dance Academy
Goran Bogdanovski
tel: + 386 41 853 891
ab_nda@nomaddanceacademy.org
http://www.nomaddanceacademy.org/
Vir podatka: NOMAD Dance Academy

"I get about 1,500 to 2,000 calls a month."

Terrific, now when do those calls come in?  How long does an average call take to handle from the moment the phone rings to the final resolution?  How are these calls coming to us?  Are they spaced evenly throughout the business day?  Then that means our representatives can expect just 10 calls an hour or so.  Now if the calls are a response to an urgent call to action such as a spot being aired on broadcast media, even only on a regional level, then this can result in your calls bunching up, or "spiking" as they say.  Taking 10 calls an hour is a very different animal than taking 10 calls within a five minute period.  How those calls are coming in plays a large part in how a contact center would staff, which can largely influence your projected budget.

Time of day.  Most good, cheap media buys tend to air at odd hours of the night.  Too many folks have come to me with grandiose plans of major media placement for their widget or service, and what ultimately ends up happening is that it runs once on channel 87 during a "Matlock" re-run.  Now, I don't know what it is about "Matlock" that does it, but suddenly folks looking to buy the latest Ron-Co device have flooded my switch.  Spikes like this mean that some calls will have to wait a moment before speaking with a live representative.  Some of them might have to bail on the call because the commercial break has now ended, and they have to get back to their stories.  My point is, when the calls are expected to come into our center has a large part to play in how a call center will staff.

Length of call.  Are we only capturing a name and number, or are we going to be spending some quality time with your callers?  The length of time it takes to completely handle a call varies greatly depending on what kind of account has been prepared.  Order taking can take 3-5 minutes based solely on the time it takes to capture and verify full mailing and billing addresses, credit card numbers, and other details of an order.  Even a quick literature fulfillment line can take at least two minutes to take down the necessary details.  And that is with perfect compliance of the caller.  They can't ask any extra questions, and they can't really deviate too much from the script  because every minute on the phones is precious.  So crafting a clear story with your advertisements, providing deep support online with additional documentation, all before anyone picks up a telephone is key in keeping call times down.

How are these calls coming to us?  Is the number printed in the paper?  Perhaps you have a full-page spread in the latest issue of Architectural Digest, or an article on your company suddenly appears in the Los Angeles Times or the Washington Post.  Maybe you are running television or radio advertising, or it could be that your only avenue of commerce is the internet, or word-of-mouth, or rubber on the pavement.  How your customer base learns of you, how they continue to communicate with you after they have become a customer, and how you maintain contact with your clients can have a huge impact on preparing your call center to best support you.  We can have dedicated lines prepared to handle initial sales and marketing responses, a mainline for your corporate headquarters, a dedicated customer service support line, or a number that is only used for appointment setting, catalogue requests, whistle-blowing, substance abuse counseling, anything you can imagine.

Rather than one number that would be used as a "catch-all", slicing up the work between lines dedicated to a specific task or goal can improve efficiency, help you manage expenses, and tighten quality control.  It also brings a better experience to your customers, keeping them happy, satisfied and dedicated to your brand.

Understanding how your customers will be trying to reach you, at what time of day or night they are seeking support, what the goal of the line is, and how long you anticipate the call will take are the most important elements to focus on when planning, pricing and implementing call center support into your business plan.

Siehe auch:

Moralischer Leerverkauf

personal modes of connecting
have been roughly replaced by texting
and i can't take it.
we don't even know how to talk to each other anymore,
forget the tune of our friends' voices,
but know their short catch phrases
and which smiley faces
they prefer to use.
even "i love you"'s get diminished
and any form of genuine compassion is finished
because important thoughts and words
are condensed to fit character limits.
honest reactions turn into "lol"'s and "omg"'s
and if i get one more of these stupid
"how r u"'s
i'm going to scream!

how come you don't call me anymore?

i guess it's the increasing pace of the world
where most people don't have the time or energy
to step aside and focus on one thing
so they move onto multi-tasking,
juggling schedules with smart phones
as their concentration is evicted from their home.
i guess it's just a sign of today--
the fact that in writing these lines,
my Blackberry has buzzed 8 different times,
ripe with electronic updates.
the machine age
robs me of my sanity.
i just can't tolerate
this lack of humanity.

Why do we stay locked away in our church buildings, seemingly content to let the world around us die without knowing the hope, freedom, and joy of life with Christ? Mostly because of fear. Fear will cause us to avoid living missionally. The trade off is a life on the edge of our seats following Jesus into the places he calls us to go that are not easily navigable by our standard set of presumptions and methodologies about evangelism. That's the rub. Following Jesus is a much more difficult, time consuming, and life-emptying path. And so many churches are content to stay busy with planning dinners and fellowship experiences for the insiders while failing to live the mission of Christ with passion and effectiveness.

I pastor a local church that is beginning to transition into living missionally and believe me it is painful to confront old methods and old ways of thinking with the clear teaching of Jesus. People don't like feeling uncomfortable. They don't like changing their approach, even though they know what they've done forever is no longer working. They don't like confronting the cultural realities of an ever changing world where the rules change constantly. This, however, is the environment in which we live and if we hope to be effective reaching people to day we must accept this truth and joyfully embrace the call of God to become the gospel to the world.

My hope for you and for your churches is that the mission of Christ will so invade your hearts and your thinking and attitudes about evangelism that you will passionately seek new ways of sharing the love of Jesus in your communities and in the world. We cannot sit on our hands and wonder why our churches aren't being effective, aren't growing, and aren't having the results we once did. I am committed with every ounce of my energy, with every gift I've been given, and with every second of life I'm blessed with to living out that mission with creativity and passion. I am available to consult with churches and individuals who share that passion and hope for the church and I would delight to hear about what God is doing in your communities through the active ministry of your congregations in the world.

1. Regular old, traditional "call forwarding"

You know the drill. You pick up the actual line you want to forward, hit an arcane sequence of digits, and your calls are now magically routed to your Aunt Edna's. This has been the most straightforward and popular form of call forwarding that I have encountered. It requires a few things. First, every single employee who might be put in the position of forwarding the phones at the end of a business day should be briefed on how to forward, and what number to forward to. I recommend printing explicit instructions on call forwarding procedures, and then posting them overtly near or above the physical phone that is used as the main line for forwarding. If you have several lines that "ring over" if your first line is engaged, then this is pretty much rendered obsolete through forwarding to a contact center. Unless your client base has those other numbers to call directly, you can be pretty sure that all of your calls will follow the forwarded route. I also suggest programming the call forwading sequence into the phone as a speed dial option. This ensures that you do indeed forward to the correct number, and also allows for unexpected situations where someone who has never done it, can then forward with ease in a pinch.

2. Busy Call Forwarding

In this situation the phone only forwards the calls if the line is engaged. You may be on the phone with a client or prospect, and rather than rolling over to your second line, or missing the call altogether, the call is gracefully forwarded to your contact center, where the call is handled in the manner you have specified. This is one of my favorites for small business owners who like to be in the trenches, but who also understand the importance of attending to every call that comes into their business... and also understands the costs associated with missing any given call.

3. Delayed Call Forwarding

This allows the call to ring several times at the business location first, and then transfers to the call center if it subsequently goes unanswered.

I Hate it... and I'll tell you why. Although this does allow a company the first shot at getting to the call, ultimately what ends up happening is the caller is subjected to multiple rings before ever getting to speak with a live person, or even knowing if they have reached the right number. What can happen is that it can take up to three or four rings at the company end, then a ring to send it over to the answering service, and finally a few more rings until it is answered as most services try to get to each call within two or three rings. This can result in up to eight (8) rings, and can frustrate callers and business owners alike. Avoid like the plague.

4. Remote Call Forwarding

Very flexible and robust, and often comes with reporting features that you simply don't see with traditional land lines. Here's how it works... it's kind of like an intangible number that can be directed whenever and wherever you like. Most of the time several RCF's will be used to mold and shape call traffic, with lines being dedicated towards your corporate office line, a 24-hour customer service department, a dedicated sales associate, or to your call center. This way you can maximize the efficiency, workflow, communication and contact ratio for each department. This is how world class companies structure themselves. Additionally many remote call forwarding numbers also come with detailed reporting, even recordings of each and every call you have received on your lines. Very valuable, and very flexible. I like.

Whichever type of call forwarding is right for you, keep in mind that actually forwarding your phones will be the responsibility of your staff. Our call center, and most others that I have spoken with, really can only act as "catcher's mitt", while your company will be doing all of the pitching.

We can't be responsible for forwarding your phones for you, but we can be sure to be in place, prepared to help when you do need to send your calls our way.

If you are a thoughtless, careless man about your soul, you will take no interest in the subject of this tract. Faith and assurance are mere names and words to you: they are neither land, nor money, nor horses, nor dress, nor meat, nor drink: like Gallio, you care not for them. Alas, poor soul! I mourn over you. The day will come when you will think differently.

Reader, if you really desire to go to heaven, and to go there in the Bible way you will find the subject of this tract of the deepest importance. Believe me, your own comfort in religion, and your peace of conscience, depend exceedingly on understanding the matter about which I am going to speak. I say then, that faith in Christ, and a full assurance of being saved by Christ, are two distinct things.

A man may have saving faith in Christ, and yet never enjoy an assured hope, like the Apostle Paul. To believe, and have a glimmering hope of acceptance, is one thing; to have joy and peace in our believing, and abound in hope, is quite another. All God's children have faith: not all have assurance. I think this ought never to be forgotten.

I know some great and good men have held a different opinion: I believe that many excellent ministers do not allow the distinction I have stated; but I desire to call no man master. I dread as much as anyone the idea of healing the wounds of conscience slightly; but I should think any other view than that I have given a most uncomfortable gospel to preach, and one very likely to keep souls back a long time from the gate of life.

I would not desire to make one contrite heart sad that God has not made sad, or to discourage one fainting child of God, or to give a soul the impression that you have no part or lot in Christ, except you feel assurance. I do not shrink from saying, that by grace a man may have sufficient faith to flee to Christ, really to lay hold on Him, really to trust in Him, really to be a child of God, really to be saved; and yet to his last day be never free from much anxiety, doubt, and fear.

"A letter," says an old writer, "may be written which is not sealed; so grace may be written in the heart, yet the Spirit may not set the seal of assurance to it."

A child may be born heir to a great fortune, and yet never be aware of his riches, live childish, die childish, and never know the greatness of his possessions.

And so also a man may be a babe in Christ's family; think as a babe, speak as a babe, and, though saved, never enjoy a lively hope, or know the full privileges of his inheritance.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ a man must have, beyond all question, if he is to be saved. I know no other way of access to the Father: I see no intimation of mercy excepting through Christ. A man must feel his sins and lost estate, must come to Jesus for pardon and salvation, must rest his hope on Him and on Him alone. But if he only have faith to do this, however weak and feeble that faith may be, I will engage, from Scripture warrants, he shall not miss heaven. Never, never let us curtail the freeness of the glorious gospel, or clip its fair proportions. Never let us make the gate more strait, and the way more narrow, than pride or love of sin have made it already. The Lord Jesus is very pitiful and of tender mercy. He does not regard the quantity of faith, but the quality He does not measure its degree, but its truth. He will not break any bruised reed, nor quench any smoking flax. He will never let it be said that any perished at the foot of the cross. "Him that cometh unto Me," He says, "I will in no wise cast out" (John vi. 37). 1

Yes, reader! though a man's faith be no bigger than a grain of mustard seed, if it only brings him to Christ, and enables him to touch the hem of His garment, he shall be saved: saved as surely as the oldest saint in paradise; saved as completely and eternally as Peter, or John, or Paul. There are degrees in our sanctification: in our justification there are none. What is written is written, and shall never fail: "Whosoever believeth on Him," not whosoever has a strong and mighty faith, "Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed" (Rom. x. 11).

But all this time, I would have you take notice, the poor soul may have no full assurance of his pardon and acceptance with God. He may be troubled with fear upon fear, and doubt upon doubt. He may have many a question and many an anxiety, many a struggle, and many a misgiving, clouds and darkness, storm and tempest to the very end.

I will engage, I repeat, that bare simple faith in Christ shall save a man, though he may never attain to assurance; but I will not engage it shall bring him to heaven, with strong and abounding consolations. I will engage it shall land him safe in harbour, but I will not engage he shall enter that harbour under full sail, confident and rejoicing. I shall not be surprised if he reaches his desired haven weather-beaten and tempest-tossed, scarcely realising his own safety till he opens his eyes in glory.

Reader, I believe it is of great importance to keep in view this distinction between faith and assurance. It explains things which an inquirer in religion some times finds it hard to understand.

Faith, let us remember, is the root, and assurance is the flower. Doubtless you can never have the flower without the root; but it is no less certain you may have the root and not the flower.

Faith is that poor trembling woman who came behind Jesus in the press and touched the hem of His garment (Mark v. 25). Assurance is Stephen standing calmly in the midst of his murderers, and saying, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts vii. 56). Faith is the penitent thief crying, "Lord, remember me" (Luke xxiii. 42). Assurance is Job sitting in the dust, covered with sores, and saying, "I know that my Redeemer liveth" (Job xix. 25). "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job xiii. 13).

Faith is Peter's drowning cry as he began to sink: "Lord, save me!" (Matt. xiv. 30). Assurance is the same Peter declaring before the Council, in after times, "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv. 11,12).

Faith is the anxious, trembling voice: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark ix. 24). Assurance is the confident challenge: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who is he that condemneth?" (Rom. viii. 33, 34).

Faith is Saul praying in the house of Judas at Damascus, sorrowful, blind, and alone (Acts ix. 11). Assurance is Paul, the aged prisoner, looking calmly into the grave, and saying, "I know Whom I have believed," "There is laid up for me a crown" (2 Tim. i. 12; iv. 8).

Faith is life. How great the blessing! Who can tell the gulf between life and death? And yet life may be weak, sickly, unhealthy, painful, trying, anxious, worn, burdensome, joyless, and smileless to the very end.

Assurance is more than life. It is health, strength, power, vigour, activity, energy, manliness, and beauty.

Reader, it is not a question of saved or not saved that lies before us, but of privilege or no privilege, it is not a question of peace or no peace, but of great peace or little peace, it is not a question between the wanderers of this world and the school of Christ, it is one that belongs only to the school, it is between the first form and the last.

He that has faith does well. Happy should I be if I thought all readers of this tract had it. Blessed, thrice blessed are they that believe: they are safe; they are washed; they are justified. They are beyond the power of hell. Satan, with all his malice, shall never pluck them out of Christ's hands. But he that has assurance does far better, sees more, feels more, knows more, enjoys more, has more days like those spoken of in Deuteronomy, even "the days of heaven upon the earth" (Deut. xi. 21). 2

Reader, whoever you may be, I exhort you never to be satisfied with anything short of a full assurance of your own salvation. With faith, no doubt, you must begin, with simple, child-like faith: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." But from faith go on to assurance. Rest not till you can say, "I know Whom I have believed."

Believe me, believe me, assurance is worth the seeking. You forsake your own mercies when you rest content without it. The things I speak are for your peace. It is good to be sure in earthly things; how much better is it to be sure in heavenly things!

Make it then your daily prayer that you may have an increase of faith. According to your faith will be your peace. Cultivate that blessed root more, and sooner or later, by God's blessing, you may hope to have the flower. You may not perhaps attain to full assurance at once: it is good sometimes to be kept waiting; we do not value things that we get without trouble. But though it tarry, wait for it. Seek on, and expect to find.

FOOTNOTES:

1 "He that believeth on Jesus shall never be confounded. Never was any; neither shall you, if you believe. It was a great word of faith spoken by a dying man, who had been converted in a singular way, betwixt his condemnation and execution: his last words were these, spoken with a mighty shout 'Never man perished with his face towards Jesus Christ.'"  Traill.

2 "The greatest thing that we can desire, next to the glory of God, is our own salvation; and the sweetest thing we can desire is the assurance of our salvation. In this life we cannot get higher than to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed. All saints shall enjoy a heaven when they leave this earth: some saints enjoy a heaven while they are here on earth." Joseph Carlyle. 1658.

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http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Imagination/cp-matthew.html ]]> http://thechristianity.wordpress.com/?p=117 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:44:31 +0000 mirabilissimo100 http://thechristianity.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/the-call-of-matthew/

Now we are getting somewhere.

First of all, let's be clear. We are not talking about some answering service in space, one that is based overseas, with operators and management that don't quite seem to connect to your business, or your callers.

People are getting fed up, and they want what they want when they want it!

So let's give it to them.

How can using a U.S. based call center help your business?

Well, I'll tell you.

First of all, what is the goal of the phone number? Is this a main company line? A sales or marketing contact? Is this an order hotline? Or perhaps a support line with an expectation of immediate assistance?

Here is an actual statement someone made to me. "Yeah, I want to forward my cell phone to you, and then have you call me on it if I have a lead."

Prepare for an infinite loop of madness.

What I'd rather hear is this. "I have a dedicated toll-free number for service support, and I need to find a way to staff it with a responsible, generally intelligent human being, who can be sure that any urgent issue is handled immediately, and with professionalism and finess."

Now that's an order I can fulfill.

Be clear on why you need a call center. Be sure you understand where and how we can help you do the business that you do so well.

A call center can never really be a "catch-all" for your company needs. But when prepared and implemented the right way, it can certainly improve the way a person feels when they do business with you.

Isn't that what we all want anyway?

But around the same time, the driver was recorded using his mobile to send text messages!

Now, more than ever, it is important to build on the service strengths that only U.S. based employees can provide.  No other industry enjoys the professional image and reputation that has been attained by U.S. based, managed, staffed and operated contact centers.  New mediums beyond phone and fax have pushed education, integration, and execution of technologies that include email messaging, text messaging, web-based ordering, inventory, resource management, scheduling, tracking, and database driven use of software and systems.

It is important to understand the goals of using a call center, where you hope to save money or improve on a system or process.  This blog strives for the lofty goal of applying our exeriences to new areas of expertise, new industies, and fresh ideas in business support services.

Ask questions, look for feedback, challenge us as we have challenged ourselves, and let's create a forum and resource that benefits all people that are interested in growing, learning, expanding and applying our collective knowledge.

Negustorii de sclavi.

"Call+Response" un documentar "undercover"  care chiar merita vazut.