Ameliorations 1.0

In 1 Cor 13:13 we are told what the greatest of the three most precious gifts are, but do we really live a life that expresses that gift in all the fullness that it entails?

I can honestly say I don’t. There was a time where I would have said, yes, I love everyone equally. That just isn’t true anymore, if it was ever true then. Should I love everyone equally? Yes. The Bible is very clear on the matter. Christ himself said that you should love your neighbor as yourself. Your neighbor, of course, isn’t just the person who lives next to you. As we see in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37), your neighbor is the person who is going to be there for you in your time of need. Christ called on the person who questioned him, once he had answered the question of who the neighbor was, to go and do the same (Luke 10:36-37).

I believe that is the kind of love that is being spoken of in 1 Cor 13. Let’s examine the passage verse by verse.

1 Cor 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (NKJV)

You could be full of any of the spiritual gifts, but if you are not teaching out of love you’re doing nothing more then committing recital of facts. In this verse, Paul is using exaggeration and symbolism (sounding brass or a clanging symbol were tools of the Corinthians former pagan worship) to make the following point: Those gifts are useless if there isn’t love. I don’t believe Paul to be talking about human love, but the love God showed us when he allowed his Son to become a sacrifice to wash our sins away. A love for his Creation that continues to stay his wrath at our sin. If you have love, than all that you do is blessed and those who receive from you are blessed.

1 Cor 13:2

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, an though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Here Paul alludes to Christ’s telling the disciples that if you even have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can tell the mountains to move and they will (Matthew 17:20). Can you imagine what could be done if you had all faith (and not just the faith the size of a mustard seed)? Yet Paul lets us know that without love, we are nothing.

1 Cor 13:3

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Here Paul is talking about charity, the gift of giving to others because God has blessed you with possessions. You can give what you have to feed or clothe others, you can make yourself a sacrifice for someone else, but if you do this without love what good is it? The next several verses show what love isn’t and go back to the first three verses as further illustration of why without love, whatever you do is of no value.

1 Cor 13:4-7

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in inequity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Long suffering, not envious, is not prideful, is not rude, is not self-important, isn’t angered, has no evil thoughts, only rejoices in truth and not in misfortune, has the strength to make it through any trial, is trusting, hopeful and enduring. That’s the kind of love Christ showed for us, the kind of love God and Christ are still showing for us every single moment of our lives. Maybe you don’t believe in God, or are angry at Him for some reason.That’s ok. He still loves you and wants you to be with Him in eternity. This is the kind of love Paul is talking about here.

1 Cor 13:8

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, the will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Whoa. Hold on a minute. Aren’t those all gifts from God? Yes, they are. Eventually though, there will be no need for them. According to the NKJV Study Bible from Thomas Nelson, the Greek for will fail and will vanish are both translated as meaning something will happen to cause them to stop, while no external cause is indicated for the cessation of speaking in tongues. What does this all mean? Simply enough, while all other spiritual gifts will cease to be needed, love will always be needed so God himself made sure it would never cease. If you have a true, Godly love in your life, you can count on it always being there. Even past death. It was Christ’s love for God, and God’s love for Man, that allowed Christ to conquer death. I’m choked up just thinking about how powerful that sort of love is and how much I want all of that sort of love that He will give me.

1 Cor 13:9-10

For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

Here Paul gives us an explanation of the previous verse. We know in part and we prophesy in part. Yes, God gives us those gifts, but he only reveals as much as we need to know to grow closer to Him, to grow in faith. Paul also teaches that, when that which is perfect has come, when Christ comes again all that was only partial will be taken away because then all will be revealed and made known. Such partial knowledge will no longer be needed. We know that Christ will come again because He has already said so. We know that God, and in turn Christ, has kept all of his promises already. It is faith with which we trust in Him to continue to keep his promises and this is no different. Christ will come again. When that time comes, all that God had planned will be revealed to us in His perfect knowledge.

1 Cor 13:11

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

I believe this to be one of the more important passages in this short chapter. Here Paul is calling us, I believe, to stop acting like children and to start acting like adults, at least spiritually. When we were kids, it was okay to be naive, but as we mature into adults we need to start growing in understanding.

1 Cor 13:12

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

Verse 12 gives us further explanation on 11. Paul most likely is alluding to the Word of God when he speaks of seeing in a mirror while letting us know that it is only a pale reflection of full understanding (which comes when we meet God Himself). He reiterates in the next part of the verse. Right now even he (like us) knows only in part but when Christ comes again and we meet God face to face we will know as fully as God already knows us. All will be revealed.

1 Cor 13:13

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

My favorite verse in this chapter, Paul tells us that we need all three to grow in God and that we should abide (or to stand fast; remain; go on being or to stay; reside (in or at)) in faith, hope, and love. They are all important. Without faith we wouldn’t have our relationship with Christ and God. Without hope, there would be nothing to look forward to. The reason for love is explained previously. His final remark on love is that it is indeed the greatest of those three. Without love there would be no faith. Without love there would be no hope. It doesn’t take faith to believe in evil. It doesn’t take hope to await destruction. Love overcomes evil. It overcomes even death. So what good is faith and hope without love? None at all. It is faith in God that saves, and love that enables us to imitate him.

Remember, God’s two greatest commandments were about love (You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your being and you shall have no other gods before Him and you shall love your neighbor as yourself). Yet over 2,000 years after Christ’s ultimate act of love (which was several hundred years after the Ten Commandments were handed down) we still have trouble expressing this sort of love to each other (I’m just as guilty at times, after all, only Christ is perfect).

Technorati Tags: religion, hope, love

Current Mood:  accomplished

I’ll be focusing on web design in this article as that is what I’m familiar with, but the basic concepts should apply to any field.

Client-to-Developer-to-Client Communication

It is extremely important that you have good communication skills for any sort of relationship, but especially if you’re looking to make money as an independent consultant. Without good communication skills you won’t be able to tactfully suggest new layouts or request more information. Tact is something that is good, but is hard to come by unless you have some naturally. Being blunt or demanding or impatient will get you nowhere with anyone, especially your client. For one it will put a bad taste in their mouth for any possible future relationships, especially with you and that client. The worse you are in those categories the less likely you’ll see repeat business (and the more likely they will consider cutting their losses and canceling your services).

A Hypothetical Situation

You’ve taken on a job and you’ve been in almost constant touch over the course of several weeks while you and the client discuss needs, abilities, and everything else that goes into finding out what it is exactly that they want. You have been given a good idea of what that is (could be a brand new website, could be a redesign of an existing one), you’ve created a mock-up that’s been approved and you begin work in earnest after a vague request for content. You have the expectation that the client knows exactly what it is you mean by content so you don’t bother to elaborate or even give it a second thought as you wait for them to deliver. After all, you can’t deliver the mock-up as a finished product and expect the client to know what to do with it.

Unfortunately therein lies mistake number one. You made a vague request for content, not defining what that is and therefore leaving it up to the client to not only define it, but to deliver upon their own definition. Content can be anything, though, and unless you specify you might wind up with very little of anything truly useful. Whose fault is that? Certainly not the client’s, as they delivered to you what they thought you needed based on your vague request.

A better way to have gotten what you need would have been to tactfully ask for every single bit of HTML they had if it is a redesign or to have asked for every ounce of literature they have so that you have a better idea of what you need to put up, at least initially, for the site’s content. Of course in a redesign, it probably is good to ask for the literature as well. You can never have too much information when it comes to making an top quality web site.

What to do now?

So you’ve made the mistake, but you really didn’t realize it until you have begun work on the site and have reached the point where either:

• a) you’ve copy/pasted everything you could from the old site, or
• b) you’ve exhausted the small amount of literature you initially got for useful information to put on the site

In either case, your vague request has brought you to this impasse and now you have to go back to the client and request even more information. This time, though, you’re sure to be very specific. This could be a panic moment if you’re on a deadline. Even if you aren’t, you should be concerned about the delay this is causing you. Timely service for any project is a must. Even if the client doesn’t set a deadline, you need to set one for yourself. Don’t sacrifice quality, either. If you have to work more then 8 hours a day to get the job done on time, it’s time to pull out the energy drinks and the Fritos.

Is That It?

While this is a rather mild example, some of the problems with bad communication are much, much worse and could lead in the end to complete redesign of the entire project costing you dearly in terms of time, money and reputation.

Worst case scenario if you don’t practice good communication skills with your client:

You never get hired by them again.

Best case scenario if you don’t practice good communication skills with your client:

You get hired again, but for a more menial (and lower paying) job that isn’t befitting your technical expertise.

Conclusion

Choose from the beginning to be a good communicator. If anything seems vague, immediately expound and define. Do not let the client define anything they don’t have to otherwise you’ll be constantly bothering them with requests for more information (and or more time) when both you and they have better things to do then spending your time on this now (possibly) overdue project.

Technorati Tags: computers, technology

I’m on more than a few mailing lists that are user support oriented (everyone on the list helps everyone else if they can) and one of the biggest issues I see with people using software aren’t special use cases, which for most of the mailing lists I’m on make up a very small minority of the posts, but are installation issues. They download the software, think they have installed it, are told to reboot the computer and either something strange happens (like the computer hangs on shutdown) or they reboot and cannot find the install file they just downloaded.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these users fall into one of two categories.

Category B-One: The n00b

These are the users that buy a computer, are told amazing things about their capabilities, and when they get home they expect the computer to do everything include making the coffee. Even after many years of computer use, the n00b never gets out of this mode of thinking and often runs into problems with the most basic of tasks if for some reason something doesn’t go as expected. This type of user exists everywhere. Usenet. Forums. Mailing lists. You might even have some n00bs in your own home! Of course I do not use this term in the pejorative (although n00bs definitely task my patience more often than not) but only to describe a type of computer user.

Category B-Two: The neophyte

The neophyte, or newb (note difference in spelling), is someone who just bought a computer, has been told all the wonderful things their computer can do (and probably only believes half of those claims (and rightly so, making coffee is a non-standard feature folks!)), get home and begin using it. They initially have the same amount of problems as the n00b, but over time they actually learn how to use their computer and soon progress to asking questions only when there are problems in special cases (like they are trying to work with a large spreadsheet that is doing multiple calculations and are trying to split it up between multiple sheets while keeping the calculations linked) or they cannot find a solution anywhere on the net.

For category one users, there is nothing to be done accept to have patience with them. They are never going to learn because they think or have been told they don’t have to learn. They have been trained and told so many times that their computer can do everything for them without thinking that when they sit in front of the computer, they stop thinking.

For category two users (the category I think most regulars on a support list wish everyone would become), there definitely still has to be patience for their neophyte age, but a warm welcome to the club once they have reached that plateau where they are ready and willing to help others. Of course upon reaching that plateau, we also hope that they do not become so enamored with their accomplishment that they become one of the next two categories of users.

Category C-One: 31337 h4×0rz

Someone who has become so enamored with their own successes and the ease with which they came, forget where they started and that everyone starts out there. They are haughty, often given to dreaming up of form flames for those who seem too dense to learn anything, and have no care for lesser beings. This kind of behavior is a gateway for the next category.

Category C-Two: The troll

The troll generally has no problems, and if he is a regular on the list generally sticks around only to point out others mistakes (no matter how insignificant or inconsequential they may be), have ardent beliefs about certain things that they think everyone should stick to (and will start and continue discussions on those points) such as what should and should not appear in someone else’s signature line, the use of url shorten-ers, or the benefits of in-line vs. bottom or top posting (I’ve been involved in the latter, but hopefully in a non-confrontational manner while the troll is all about confrontation). Those are just some of the topics a troll will continually bellow about. The best thing to do for a troll is to ignore them and hope they go away or learn to tolerate them.

Neither of the above two categories are very helpful to the first two categories. They cause skewed expectations for users so they are now afraid to join other support lists because of the abuse they received at the hands (indirectly or otherwise, anyone who opens a flame is abused, not just the recipient) of 31337 h4×0rz and trolls.

The most prized of all help on a mailing list, and those who have realistic expectations of what a computer can and cannot do, are those who fall into the following two categories.

Category A-One: The developer

The developer is someone who has major amounts of time providing code to a software project and is considered to be one of the sources of information for the complete ins and outs of any particular piece of software. Often haughty, they do sometimes try to have a humble attitude toward both n00bs and neophytes, while despising (rightly so) the h4×0r and troll. While the view that they now the piece of software like the back of their hand is often unrealistic — they may just work on one particular piece of the entire project — they know where to do for the answer. If you can find humble developers, you’ve truly found people worth emulating and a project worth supporting.

Category A-Two: The expert

While this category of user might not be an actual expert, they have enough experience using whatever software your asking for help with that if they don’t know the answer, they know where to point you. Sometimes they can also seem haughty and intimidating as their first response is to RTFM, a suggestion to read the actual documentation (if the question is about basic features) is quite common because it can not only be illuminating about the issue at hand, but others that might crop up (and now probably won’t because you’ve read the documentation) in the future. This is the type of user that every developer hopes that the neophyte will become, and even has the vague hope that a n00b will someday reach this level too.

What all does this have to do with expectations? A lot, unfortunately.

n00bs expect everything to work automagically with minimal intervention and learning on their part. Life just isn’t like that. It’s a continuous learning experience no matter what you’ve been told. When you download an installation file, it requires you to at the very least click on icons representing the file and to follow instructions printed on your screen. You have to make choices, even if you leave things at the default (there is no such thing as not making a choice). Unfortunately, too many people have the misconception that computers are magical work devices so ingrained to them that it is all but impossible to remove. The C- category of computer users are also in the pickle of having what is unacceptable behavior so ingrained that they do not know any other way of being. I think I fall somewhere outside of all those categories, because I have moments where I’m all of them (except developer, I am not a hacker (in the sense of being a clever programmer)), as much as I hate to admit it.

Computers don’t “just work”. They need input, whether from a human in the form of clicking on a mouse and typing at a keyboard or in the form of a program (which was created by someone most likely typing at a keyboard and/or clicking on a mouse). There also needs to be responsibility for ones actions at all levels. The n00b and neophyte both need to understand that their actions have all sorts of consequences (including unintended ones) whether they are negative or positive. h4×0rz and trolls understand that and try to use it to their own advantage (extended flame wars without them trying and the like). That is simply a lack of morals. Good moral behavior excludes trolling. It excludes the haughty behavior of the so-called h4×0r. The developer and the expert just need to continue working on their patience and thick skins since, unfortunately, the whole world will not become one of them. In reality only a tiny minority will ever actually make it to that level. For those on the way, that simply means we need to positively reinforce them, even if it’s with a small, off-list thank-you for the help they have provided. The n00bs and neophytes of the world make up a majority of all users out there. There is constantly new software in development and new people trying it out.

Even the Bible is clear on this subject:

Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid. Proverbs 12:1 (NKJV, the RefTagger might display the NIV version, which replaces instruction with discipline).

So it is with computers. Those who love instruction eventually become experts or developers. Those who hate correction are doomed to be n00bs (and even possibly trollish n00bs). Just don’t forget who the source of all knowledge is.

Current Mood:  accomplished

If you were to read the copyright notice of the NIV Bible from Zondervan, you would think it belonged to Zondervan. If you were to read the copyright notice of the Thomas Nelson NKJV, you would think it was Thomas Nelson, Inc. The only Bible I have that doesn’t explicitly give such strict restrictions on its use is the Saint Joseph Edition of The New American Bible (copyright 1970, revised NT copyright 1986), in fact in a preface written by the pope circa 18 September 1970, the language is such as to be implied there be no restriction on its use. Without clear language though, in today’s sue happy, tight-fisted, copyright holding society, how can one be sure?

As a Christian, I find the notion of declaring any such copyright to be antithetical to the very precepts set forth in the document the copyright is being applied to. Christ did not tell the disciples to go forth and be tight-fisted with your teachings, restricting new brethren in what can and cannot be used by them. No, in Matthew 28:18-20 he tells His disciples first that All authority has been given to Him both on heaven and on earth, and that the disciples are to go forth and make disciples of all nations. He concludes that they are to teach them to observe all things that have been commanded to that group of disciples (the one he is sending forth). No where in there does Christ stamp down his copyright on the material. God wants to reach everyone. By making disciples of all nations, those new disciples are to follow in the original disciple’s commission to go forth.

The whole concept of copyright, especially as it is abused today, is about ownership of the work. It has nothing to do with making money or recouping costs (neither of which are outright sinful in and of themselves, if proper focus is maintained). It’s human ego, pure and simple, with perhaps a touch of greed. Current copyright law says that copyright is maintained for life of the owner plus 25 years for an individual, or in the case of corporate ownership, life of the individual plus 99 years.

Really? Yes, really.

So who owns the Word of God? I maintain that God owns his own Word and that it was shared with us via scripture for the express purpose of being freely shared without restriction. Copyright puts on many, many restrictions that, viewed in this light, are extremely antithetical and produce a hindrance that should not be there. Does that man scholars or companies should not be credited with producing accurate, inspired translations? Not at all. They should receive due credit for the work they put in, but if it were not for their God-given skills and abilities, they wouldn’t be able to do it in the first place. If it wasn’t for God speaking through the prophets and apostles and saints (as used in the bible). Who are we to claim His word as our own work?

My response to this is something that has been working in me for a while, and even more so since I came to learn about a policy and frame of mind that has cropped up during the Open Source Revolution. It is the concept of CopyFree. A work that is CopyFree licensed has no restrictions placed on its use with only one request. Proper credit be given. Can money be made with CopyFree licensed works? I argue that yes, it can be. Costs can be recouped and possibly even a profit, for the profit motivated, can be had with CopyFree license. Of course those who put out the best version of a CopyFree work will make the most money. It encourages diligence, hard work, thought (and in this case prayer), and a desire to be as free from flaw as humanly possible (and with God, anything is possible).

So where does that leave us? Right now, holding on to a bible that possibly has such draconian restrictions as how many concurrent verses you can use, how much of the total work can be used, etc without further special and written permission (possibly at the monetary expense of a further license granting a loosening of restrictions). Hindrances! CopyFree gets rid of that hindrance. Even a weak CopyLeft does away with it for the most part.

Many people do not really think about copyright issues when developing materials for spiritual growth, because the prevailing thought is “Who would sue Christians using the Bible to fulfill Christ’s great commission?”

Zondervan would. Thomas Nelson would. In their copyright notices (produced in full below from a scan, text links to full size images) they say as much. What does the copyright notice in your bible say about how you can use that copy of God’s word?

I’m willing to put forth all my limited resources in time, skills and other resources to see a CopyFree bible, translated from the original texts, come to fruition. What are you willing to do to see the removal of all hindrances on using God’s Word?

Zondervan NIV Copyright notice (699KB)
Thomas Nelson NKJV Copyright notice (829KB)

Technorati Tags: copyright

Current Mood:  accomplished

It’s an absolute blessing from God to have any sort of friends. There are plenty of the garden variety, fair weather friends (probably more accurately term acquaintances), but I find it more of a blessing when you have those friends that will do whatever it is in there power to help you when you’re down and out (and sometimes even go beyond that). God chooses are family, but we, if we are following in God’s will, choose people to be our friends not for what we can do for them or they for us, but because we find something that connects them with us that sets them apart from everyone else. We cannot be friends with everyone, much as we might want to be, simply because we cannot devote to the entire world enough time to each individual that they would require from us as friends.

Over time our friends change as we grow older and mature. Our older friends get relegated to acquaintances, while our newer friends start to take more of our time as we get to know them better. Sometimes, we can even find someone with whom we connect on a level that goes much deeper than just friends. Those are our best friends. Most of us are lucky to ever find even one best friend. Those of us truly blessed find two best friends. One of those, hopefully, will become our spouse. The problem I’ve had in all my past relationships was that we weren’t best friends. Sure we said we loved each other and had a strong friendship, but we weren’t best friends. We weren’t willing to put aside those things that were keeping us apart and instead of drawing closer we faded away (sometimes very angrily). It didn’t help that God wasn’t in the relationship. He couldn’t be, really. Until recently I can’t really say I ever was Christian. I was a church-goer. I had a head knowledge of Christ and God. I didn’t have a personal relationship with Him and that’s what it’s all about. I didn’t know how to be a friend and partner at the same time because I wasn’t allowing God to be my friend and partner. I wasn’t allowing Him to show me how I needed to be.

Even now I’m having trouble with that. I think it’s a good thing that He has prevented me from entering into any relationships before I am ready. I still have so much to learn. Do I like being without someone that I can hope to be my spouse someday? Not at all, but there is a lesson to be learned here. I know God has already found a wife for me, someone who will compliment me in the ways I need to be complimented (and what I mean by complimented, is completed, has qualities that I don’t have but need). I just need to let God work in me and show me what it means to be a Godly spouse. I should be a Godly spouse in deed before I am one in name. I am, though, only human. I will continue to stumble and fall, but I will just have to keep on trusting in the Lord to help me up and show me back onto the straight and narrow. There are no stumbling blocks on the path to righteousness except what we ourselves put in our own paths.

Might I have friends without God? What about a spouse?

I hate to say it, but sure you can. People do it all the time. People also get divorced. Last night on WTVF News Channel 5 Nashville, TN, they were bragging about how much lower the divorce rate in Nashville was because of the slow economy. The biggest reason for the slow down? Not because people suddenly got a heart for reconciliation and repentance, although that would have been nice. It wasn’t because they had asked God to bless and heal their marriage. It wasn’t even because people were working things out on their own. It was because they couldn’t afford to get a divorce. In the intervening time it would have been nice if they had accepted Christ not only into their individual lives but asked him to come into their marriage. I’m sure some might have tried that. It would have been nice if they suddenly received a heart for reconciliation and repentance. I’m sure some even felt that they did and tried that, but as soon as the economy started getting better, the divorce rate went up (by the way, the divorce rate changed by less then a percent, by my estimate, seeing as how it only dropped by 200-300 divorces).

Without knowing a thing about their state reasons for divorce, I can tell you the number one reason why they got divorced: They weren’t best friends. Not with each other or with Christ. I’m blessed that God has kept me from marrying, especially when I was so close to doing it. It wasn’t just that I was with the wrong person. It was that I wasn’t with the right person. I didn’t have Christ in my life to intercede with God on my behalf. I didn’t have the friendship with Christ and God that is required of me and I am still working toward that, blessed as I am today, there is still more for me to learn to let go of.

I used to use t he term “friend” loosely. Now I aim to use it with more and more reservation. That doesn’t change the status of those I call friend now, not all of them anyway. There are some who really were acquaintances, and some who were friends. I just ask God to bless me with the discernment to know who my acquaintances are, who my friends are, and who my best friends are.

One day I’ll revisit this topic and perhaps than I’ll be able to tell you that I’ve found my second Earthly best friend. On that day a shout will go up to the Lord praising Him for what He has shown and given me on that day. From today on, I will be praising him at least once a day (if not more) for those friends I have that are truly friends. I will praise him for those who have been in my life, one way or another, because without them my eyes wouldn’t be open to certain realities.

Please pray with me, friends and acquaintances old and new, as I ask God for those blessings that will cause me to be a better man, to be a Godly man and a Godly spouse without a wife. Praise to you, Lord Jesus and God on high, for You are wise and mighty in all Your ways!

Technorati Tags: friends

Current Mood:  cheerful