Essay on Personal Narrative- Living for God - 754 Words

Personal Narrative- Living for God As I was driving into the church parking lot I had to take a deep breath. After leaving another frustrating day at school and then going to work right afterwards, I needed to calm myself down. I looked in the rear view mirror one more time to make sure I looked halfway presentable. I fixed my wind-blown hair by pulling it back in a high ponytail and put on some Burt’s Bees lip balm before exiting the car. I grabbed my Bible and notebook and locked the doors. As I walked towards the youth building a wave of comfort washed over me. I love the feeling I get every time I step into the youth room at my church. It’s a reassuring feeling that, no matter what I’ve been through during the day, everything†¦show more content†¦We walk into the room, giggling and laughing at absolutely nothing. Then out of nowhere I hear, Oh, my gosh in a deep, thick, country accent that carries for miles. I look over and I see a tall, dark and handsome fellow, with a John Deere hat on the top and well-worn boots on the bottom. Jason, I thought to myself. I turned and had to laugh out loud, even before he says anything, because he always makes me laugh. As we goof around waiting for things to get started, Michael, the worship leader of the youth band, starts playing and that is a sign for everyone to get to his or her seats. We start singing and I realize that my mind is somewhere else. I stop and ask God to help me regain focus because I know I need to concentrate on Him. I try to settle my mind, but it just keeps wandering. I take one more deep breath, and as the last song is ending, I plead with God to be with me tonight and help me focus on Him. Our youth pastor, Lenny, gets up on the stage and I take one last deep breath and as I settle into my chair, it happens. As Lenny is teaching, he says some of the most memorable words I have ever heard. In his most passionate voice he describes a conversation he had with God. I was talking to God one night, telling Him I wanted to do amazing things. Things that had never been done before. And He told me that, in order to do that, I would have toShow MoreRelatedFaith, Morals, Ethics And Cultural Values1077 Words   |  5 Pages In the same way the Bible is the story of God that has the power to transform our lives. The captivating and transforming power of story in preaching forms the foundation of Dan Boone s Preaching the Story that Shapes Us. Dr. Boone shares why he believes that narrative preaching is the best way to preach the story of God that lead to congregants having transforming encounters with God. 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It is a prominent source of biblical encouragement to those of the Puritan religion and some other religions that put God above all human and nature. Throughout the short story, a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson, itRead MoreEssay about Beowulf as a Messianic Narrative1027 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf as a messianic narrative has been a subject of great controversy. Given the time period, ‘Christianity’ was not completely established, and it was entwined with cultural paganism, as seen woven throughout the text. The definition of a messianic narrative (containing the ultimate messianic figure) is found in Isaiah 53, a prophecy spoken by God through the Hebrew prophet Isaiah. This is the standard to which Beowulf must be compared to determination the nature of the poem. Many scholars suchRead MoreBiblical Discourse : The Peaceable Kingdom By Stanley Hauerwas936 Words   |  4 PagesChapter one has four main points, Ethics and the Demand for Absolutes, Living Amid Fragments: The Insufficiency of Ethics, The Privatization of Religion, and The Truthfulness of Christian Convictions. Examining these further will provide more insight. In the section on Ethics and the Demand for Absolutes, the author cracked the code on absolutes when he stated, â€Å"†¦many believers and unbelievers alike seem to think that if God does not in some manner underwrite the absoluteness of our moral systemRead MoreSelf Reliance : Individualism Vs. Society Control850 Words   |  4 PagesSelf-Reliance: Individualism vs. Society Control Ralph Waldo Emerson, author of the motivational narrative Self-Reliance was written to teach the readers to follow their individual will instead of conforming to social expectations. 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Critical Thinking Doesn’t Mean Just Criticizing Free Essays

Sound thinking in every realm of life is more practical than poor thinking. When an individual is skilled in their thinking it pays off by saving time and energy. When an individual uses sound thinking they are able to control life circumstances whether good or bad. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Thinking Doesn’t Mean Just Criticizing or any similar topic only for you Order Now Halpern, D. (2003) states, â€Å"Critical Thinking is the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome. † (p. 6). Critical thinking can be also considered as teleological in nature. As well critical thinking concerns the attainment of goals and the desired outcomes from achieving them. Critical thinking is not meant just for criticizing. It is the ability to effectively evaluate evidence and use intellectual tools to avoid being gullible to highly questionable or absurd ideas. The development of critical thinking skills is vital because the skill enables people to operate in a capacity to participate effectively in society, make complex choices, commit to social justice, and reflect on beliefs and actions. Advances in technology have placed an abundance of information at the world’s finger tips. Without critical thinking a person will be unable to separate what is valuable from information that is useless. Critical thinking can be compared to strenuous movement because thinking is hard work. For example at the end of ones day if that person stayed open minded and grasped onto different ideas, that person must now evaluated the evidence supporting those ideas. The National Science Foundation surveyed public attitudes and knowledge about science, they found that 70% of American adults said they were interested in science, but fewer than 30% could give a passable definition of a scientific experiment or hypothesis. Therefore even if a person has general knowledge of critical thinking it will not ensure they will be able to recognize the difference between true and false teaching if they do not have an understanding of what constitutes scientific evidence. With proper instruction a humans thought process can become broadly applied, spontaneously generated, precisely focused, intricately complex and more insightfully divergent. To develop these skills will take practice, concentration and coaching. Critical Thinking must include critical reflection on what passes for critical thinking. However critical thinking can restrict a person to the use of criticism to approved topics and can cause one to wonder into unconventional fields of criticism. Critical thinking is not essentially a negative enterprise but should maintain the kind of criticism which is not aimed at rejection, but considers apparent knowledge on its merits, retaining whatever survives critical scrutiny. Being critical has its positive and negative sides. A writer can compose a review of an article that may or may not agree with the readings presented. The writer’s response to the material will depend on their attitude and what type of approach they are trying to bring out of the material. Therefore critical thinking is not to be taken as simple criticism. In order for a person to be an effective critical thinker they cannot accept information at face value in a non-critical or non-evaluating way. In order for critical thinking to have a positive impact in a person’s life they must have the skills of logical analysis and understand how to apply these skills. According to Passmore (1967), being critical is not simply a habit, a skill, or mastery over the art of logic. Passmore goes on to describe critical thinking as more of a character trait that causes one to ask questions about information received. A critical thinker knows how to consciously apply tactics to discover facts and understanding there meanings. The Stanley Milgram Obedience study successfully shows how a higher authority figure can use their position to encourage others under their authority to perform inhumane acts to cause harm to others. The Milgram study showed that 65% of his subjects which where residents of New Haven, were unknowingly willing to give false electric shocks of 450 volts to protesting victims. These victims were faultless for the pain that was apparently inflicted upon them however because of the authority commanded to the subjects, the subjects whether against or for the experiment continued as commanded. When put in this type of position one must have a strong sense of critical thinking to up hold what it right. This experiment surprises me at how many people will engage in activities knowing they are going cause someone else harm. It makes one wonder how people in authority who use their power to cause others harm gained such a position. One would think that this person’s superior would pick up one such an act and bring it to a stop. Not only that but why would the subordinates allow such activities to continue without reporting the situation to the proper authorities. One can only assume that fear for losing their job or level of respect would cause them to continue to adhere to authority figures whether the action being asked to perform is right or wrong. In the economy we live in today one can only assume to these actions are becoming more prevalent and people are obeying the commands given to the just to keep their careers. No one can afford to lose their job and expect to live comfortable. Instead of using critical thinking to overcome the inhumane request the subordinate just goes along with the order being given to remain in good standing with the authority figure. Had I been the participant in the Milgram study and was ordered to continue with the experiment knowing that the person I was shocking was in total disagreement and begging to stop, I would have stopped. My nature and kind heartedness would not have allowed me to continue with such an act. Not only would I have stopped with the experiment, I would have had to make the experimenter aware that what he was doing is wrong and unjust regardless of the excuse that the experiment was important. The first three questions in the think Tank self-evaluation asks you whether you believe there are right and wrong answers and authorities are those who have the right answers, there are no right answers and everyone has the right to their own opinion, and last even though the world is uncertain, we need to make decisions on what’s right or wrong. These three questions represent the three stages of cognitive development. I found myself to agree strongly with the third statement. I am at the stage in my life where I am well aware that the world is full of uncertainty but we as a society must come together and decide on what is right and what is wrong. This is the main reason we have laws, to keep control of the world. The laws give use a uniformed understanding of how our world is supposed to operate. Without laws we can expect that the world would be in chaos. Even though laws are set in place to be obeyed there are still people who set out to challenge these laws and there are others who don’t care what the law states and do whatever the will to do. However even though the laws are set in place they are not black and white. One must use there critical thinking skills to effectively apply the law in their life. This can be a shortcoming because many laws leave a lot to be interpreted as to the true meaning behind them. With this in mind if critical thinking skills are not applied one may assume they are in the right of the law and really not be because of a lack of understanding. What strengthens me at being in this position in this stage of my life is the fact that I don’t jump to rash decisions. I have learned how to take my time and evaluate each situation, weighing the facts and going with the best option available. Taking the time to do this helps to eliminate a lot of heart ache, struggle and regret. All of us have found ourselves in the position where we wished we could go back in time and change some of the decisions we have made. We all know hindsight is 20/20 and the only thing we can do is live and learn. Learn how to use critical thinking and apply to every aspect of our lives. Working a Hardee’s years ago I was placed in a position to make a decision to cook rotten chicken and serve it to the public. The manager ordered me to cook chicken that both she and I knew could be a danger to the public. Refusing in a very disrespectful manner I lost my job and was sent home with a broken heart because my intentions were good but the situation was handled in the wrong manner. I had to regroup and approach the situation from a different manner; therefore because of my beliefs I knew I could not let the situation go. Instead of remaining mad I used critical thinking to come to the conclusion that people could not suffer from eating rotten chicken and action had to be taken. At this point I called the health department and the district manager of Hardee’s and reported the situation and my concerns. By the end of day I had a call from my manager and was asked to come in for a meeting. During this meeting I was informed by the manager who fired me that if I had handled the situation in a more respectable manner she would have understood my point of view and respected it. If I had taken the time to use critical thinking and explained my standpoint for why I refused to disobey I would have never had to go to such lengths to get my point heard. Because I immediately got angry and viewed my manager as an inhumane person I criticized her and got fired. Although my initial reaction was handled in an inappropriate manner, I was able to bounce back and regain control through critical thinking and informing the appropriate authorities of the facts of the situation and regained my employment. From this I learned that critical thinking and criticism have a domino effect. One bad decision not only causes one side effect, it causes multiply until the chain is broken. In my situation the chain was broken when a thinking critical approach was taken and proper authorizes were involved. I could have been critical of what my manager had done and tried to ruin her name around the small town, but that would have only created more problems. Involving the proper authorities help to bring the situation under control, the chicken was thrown out and no one was placed in harms ways by consuming the product. I regained my employment because I stood up for what was right and changed my attitude towards the situation to gain a positive outcome. Society is often faced with the need to rapidly assess situations and make decisions under dynamic conditions and often with limited information. Sometimes the outcomes are good and sometimes they are bad. As long as humans are involved there will be injury to others in some cases which is unacceptable. Criticism can be constructive or destructive and each individual needs to evaluate themselves on which type they are using along with their critical thinking skills to gain the most positive outcomes for their experiences. How to cite Critical Thinking Doesn’t Mean Just Criticizing, Essay examples

Image and voice nursing free essay sample

One of the most diverse and powerful profession is nursing. Although it is a powerful profession the image of nursing does not reflect this. The importance of nursing is shaped by the images people see as patients, family members, members of a community and in the media. Over time there have been many images of nursing from angels to sexual cartoons. There have been many nurses who have had a voice and portrayed nursing in a positive light. Leaders and educators within the nursing profession must be the voice of the nursing profession to empower nurses to engage journalist, media, and the public in the profession of nursing. Historical Image of Nursing Throughout the years there have been many nurses that have imprinted a positive image of nurses such as Clara Barton, Walt Whitman, and Dorothea Dix. One of the most iconic images of nurses is Florence Nightingale who is still perceived as the leader of research and promoting the nursing profession. We will write a custom essay sample on Image and voice nursing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Florence Nightingale was a voice for nursing by changing perceptions of nursing through her efforts to reform the British military health care system, education, and research, especially in hygiene and reduction of death rates due to infections. It was her work during the Crimean War that started the tales of the â€Å"Lady with the Lamp† (Small, 2000). She had over 200 publications, with her most famous and well known book Notes on Nursing which served as the curriculum at the Nightingale school of nursing and eventually other schools. Throughout her career she continued promoting the need to improving patient care by utilizing the press (Monteiro, 1985). Upon her death she had become one of the most influential women of the 19th century. Her lantern represents the positive light of the nursing profession. Nursing Portrayal in the Media Television is one of the most popular news mediums in America today. The portrayal and images of nursing on television have for the most part been fictional and distorted. Negative stereotypes such as, overbearing, sexual, and incompetence make up most of the television shows and sitcoms. One television show that portrayed such an image was the series MASH, with one main character named Hot Lips Houlihan. Hot Lips was a loud, red-lipstick wearing nurse with large breasts, and was depicted as a sex object more than a nurse. Cartoons and print images have also taken part in the misrepresentation of the nursing profession such as the cartoon character Betty Boop as a nurse, and the popular naughty nurse outfits. These images stereotype nurses in a negative way, and are not reflective of the true value nurses provide to their patients and the community. Nursing is frequently seen as emotional work, assistants to physicians and not focusing on the contributions to research for improving patient care and the everyday clinical challenges they face. The information provided to the media is invaluable in making the nursing profession visible. When communicating with the media, nurses must be credible, enthusiastic and display a professional appearance (Buresh Gordon,2006). As the image of nursing has changed over the years so has the nurses’ appearance. Uniform companies have played a big role in how nurses dress today, with the inundation of uniform catalogs and hundreds of pages of cartoon character scrubs such as, Betty Boop, Snoopy, and an array of animal characters. Why do nurses not want to earn the respect so well deserved? If we were to look at other professions such as firefighters and police officers they have a strict dress code and would not think to throw on a tee shirt with goofy imprinted all over themselves while out on patrol or fighting a fire. What has happened to the official white uniform that represented nurses? Nurses are severely under-represented in print media, including in the area of health care coverage. Organizational public relations and marketing departments are very often focused on presenting highly trained physicians and â€Å"caring† nurses. It is up to nurse leaders and executives to educate journalists about development in nursing (Buresh Gordon, 2006). The internet is emerging to be the single most information medium out today, reaching more than 2 billion people worldwide. One way to utilize the internet is by blogging, which allows nurses to educate, connect and express themselves with others. Another way to utilize the internet is through a professional web site known as LinkedIn which allows a user to create a professional profile to include education, career history, recommendations and professional connections. This is a wonderful way for nurses to network and connect with each other to share ideas and help promote the profession. With the technology available today, nurses not only have an increased opportunity, but an increased duty to share their knowledge and expertise with the public through television, radio, internet, and print. Leadership and staff impact Public perception of what nurses do and contributions that nurses give to improve patient care can be influenced by nurse executives and nurse leaders. Organizations must promote nursing in a positive light. One way organizations can change the perception of nursing is by assessing what is presented on the organization’s web sites. According to Janet Kasoff (2006), few web sites include nursing images that are clear in the role of the nurse and services that are provided by nurses. There is a deficit in promoting the value of nurses and services they provide. Another way organizations can promote nurses is through community advertisements, newsletters, and accomplishments made by nurses within an organization. Many organizations do not take the initiative to promote nurses and what is promoted is usually brought about by nurses themselves. Nurse managers need to encourage their staff to obtain certifications in their respective field. Nurses must also take responsibility for their own career development. Nurse leaders and executives within an organization have the capability of networking with professional associations and committees to utilize their power within the organization to shape policies and make decisions . Promoting a nursing career should be a professional obligation and should be incorporated in every nursing school and organization. There are varied ways that the image of nursing can be changed. Communication which can reflect interest or disengagement is very important, and nurse leaders can act as role models for staff by promoting the image of nursing, and promoting further education and networking. This is will allow the public view nurses in a positive light, and also assists in educating the public in all the services nursing profession has to offer. Nurse leaders can also promote a positive image for nursing by visiting and speaking at their local high schools and colleges to encourage and recruit potential future nurses. Organizations need to take steps in describing what nurses do and the contributions nurses provide to the community. Future Challenges in Nursing Future challenges in nursing include shortages, predictions state that by the year 2015 there will be a shortage of 256,000 nurses across the country (Smith, 2009). The need for higher- level educated nurses. Is one factor in the nursing shortage. Nursing programs are filled to capacity, not because there are so many applicants for programs, but because there are not enough nursing instructors to meet the demand. Another cause for the nursing shortage is the retirement of the â€Å"baby boomer† generation. With their retirement also goes years of clinical experience, knowledge and clinical judgment. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported the need for highly educated nurses is increasing due to the realities of health care in the 21st century. During the 20th century the focus of health care and education was on acute illnesses versus today which is geared more to preventable illness and caring for chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and hypertension(Report at a Glance, 2010). Allowing nurses to practice to their full extent as allowed by their education would allow for improvements to the health care system. Many barriers such as regulations and governmental policies have stifled nurse’s roles; one example is a Nurse Practitioners (NP) role. NP’s are educated as an advanced practice nurse and as such, are allowed to see patients and prescribe medications without physician supervision. Although this is a positive step, there are still many states that do not endorse the Nurse Practitioner.. Conclusion Historically the image of nurses is reflected by pictures of handling bedpans, bandaging men, or sitting reading a book at the bedside. Although these images are real, the profession of nursing has evolved to one of research, leadership, and educators. Image is crucial to how one is perceived in public. Nurses must be cognizant of how they act, speak, and interact in the world. According to Yoder-Wise (2011), â€Å"if nurses think they are powerful, other’s will view themselves as powerful (perceived power)†. . Nurses are responsible for their professional image and have an accountability to promote nursing as a profession. We as nurses must take pride in what we do and all we have to offer, and ensure the public is educated in what a diverse profession nursing is.