by Dr. G. Steve Kinnard
What Is Spiritual Personal Development?
Dr. G. Steve Kinnard
You might have read a personal development book within the last year or two. Have you ever read a book on spiritual personal development? What is the difference between the two? Personal development books are also called self-help books. Spiritual personal development is not "self-help." Spiritual personal development is "God-help." In that one change of words, from self-help to God-help, is a world of difference.
Spiritual: Spiritual personal development focuses on giving us the tools we need to become mature, spiritual, and productive disciples of Jesus. Spiritual personal development focuses on our spiritual nature. If we feed our spiritual hunger, then the character of God's Spirit will grow in our hearts.
Personal: First, spiritual growth is a personal matter. Although we live with each other in community, each of us has a personal relationship with God that we must nurture. At the end of the day, each individual disciple is responsible for his or her own spiritual growth. Second, we all grow in different ways. We also grow at different speeds. In this way, spiritual growth is personal.
Development: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52 Jesus grew. Growth is good. Since Jesus grew, we need to grow as well. We need to develop into the people that God meant for us to be. God wants us to mature. He is fully committed to helping us grow into solid, mature, fruitful disciples of Jesus.
Do you have a plan for your spiritual personal development? Most of us don't. This web site will help you develop a plan for your spiritual personal development. It will help you ascertain your spiritual gifts. It will teach you how to make wise, spiritual choices. It will teach you various spiritual disciplines that will help you to connect with God and to feed your spirit. It will help you to set and to achieve spiritual goals in your life.
A wise man once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Let the journey begin!
Dr. Kinnard is a teacher and evangelist with the New York City Church of Christ. For more inspirational articles on spiritual growth visit (http://www.stevekinnard.com) The Way of The Heart.
Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article151658.html
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2.LAST DAYS OF LTTE
Author: NARA“Prabakaran had no respect for human lives and values. If the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamils was his prime concern, he would have the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement of 1987 and saved lakhs of Tamils from misery.”
“Prabakaran was an unparalleled driving force. It is unfortunate that he used his skills in a negative way to achieve the lofty ideal of securing a better status for the oppressed Tamil population.”
“Although the Tigers adopted the wrong means, the cause for which they fought was genuine – dignity and self-respect. Let us hope the end of the war will mark the beginning of a new life for the Tamils.”
These are some of the viewpoints expressed by the readers of THE HINDU through the column ‘Letters to the Editor’ after the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran and his cadres were killed.
The army of Sri Lanka announced through the electronic media that the Tigers were eliminated as a military force.
It was a great success for the Sri Lankan Government and more so to its President, because the ugly war between the LTTE and Sri Lanka was continuing for the past three decades losing many political personalities and innocent people – men, women, and children every where in Sri Lanka.
The letters quoted above are telling some of the real truths of the situations.
Prabaharan should have approached the problems in a manner acceptable to world bodies.
His involvement in killing Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India at Sri Perambudur was one of the greatest mistakes.
As a result of this action LTTE was considered as terrorist organization and banned in India.
Similarly, the USA, UK and many other Western Countries considered LTTE as a terrorist group.
No support could go to Prabakaran from these Governments.
Prabakaran became more autocratic and depended on the elites of the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora from various countries clandestinely.
They supported him with money and military equipments.
Prabakaran thought that will do to face the Sri Lankan military force.
Such an idea went on for three decades successfully, but finally it failed miserably.
The Lankan army became more powerful and cornered the LTTE from all sides.
Prabakaran and his cadres’ had a chance to leave the country long ago, but they stayed back and fought till the last breath.
Prabakaran was infuriated by the atrocities caused by the Sri Lankan people, police and the rulers to the Tamils thirty years ago.
The hard feelings in the heart of Prabakaran remained as such till his death.
He became the Supremo of the LTTE and with his close cadres he developed an enmity towards the Sinhalese and created the same feelings not only in the minds of Sri Lankan Tamils but also in the minds of Tamils living outside Sri Lanka.
The emotional feelings grew up in everyone’s mind and every Tamil started looking at the Sri Lankan as his/her enemy.
Such an attitude has spoiled the relationship between these two communities.
The North Eastern part of Sri Lanka adjacent to Tamil Nadu became the Eelam of the LTTE.
Prabakaran wanted a separate state for the Tamils.
He wanted to be the dominant ruler and a leader for the cause of Tamil’s freedom.
A freedom fighter is different from a terrorist.
Prabakaran was listed as a terrorist because of his unscrupulous activities of killing leaders and innocent people.
The approach to find freedom for the Tamils was not appreciated by the international community.
The real sufferers were the poor and innocent Tamil people who sacrificed their young husbands, sons and daughters for LTTE.
No upper class Tamils came forward to spare their sons and daughters to fight in the battle field.
They spared only their money needed by the LTTE.
The poor Tamils were brainwashed and poisoned with the seeds of hatred towards the Sinhalese people who were also developed a kind of hatred towards the Tamils.
Someone should have tried to remove this kind of attitude from the minds of both the Tamils and Sinhalese.
In stead of that the hatred grew up into enmity.
Finally the LTTE wanted to make use of the situation to fight the Sri Lankan Government against the wishes of international community.
Norway came forward to offer their help to LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government to find a mutually agreed solution.
Many meetings were held, but all were in vain.
The Tamil people escaped to India and joined the refugee camp.
They lost their property, grown up children and assets.
Even now millions of Tamil people injured in the war are suffering for food, water and shelter.
The President of Sri Lanka has announced to the international community that within six months the people affected by the war will be resettled and a political solution will be arrived at for the Tamil community.
India is helping Sri Lanka in the rehabilitation process.
Even the United States had come forward to help Sri Lanka to find a permanent solution to the Tamil people.
Although it is a victory for the Sri Lankan they have to provide a peaceful life for the Tamils who have almost lost everything what they had.
They are the hard working people who can be used for the nation building.
Integrating them in the native society and the culture of living together should be brought in for the betterment of the nation.
Tamils are living in Singapore and Malaysia and the Governments have provided them equal status and accepted them as the nationals of their countries.
Sri Lanka also should come forward to adopt a system like the one followed by Singapore and Malaysia.
The monks of Buddhism should advise the administration to find peace and equal opportunity for the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Some people from various parts of the world incite the Sri Lankan Tamils to continue the struggle for a separate Eelam.
It is not the solution.
Dividing a country and forming a new nation is not going to help the Tamil people.
It may help some people who want to be the leaders and involve in the governance which require enormous resources of all kinds.
Can Eelam survive if it is separated?
One has to seriously think about it.
Survival of a country in the world has become a big problem with all kinds of challenges-security, economic condition, natural resources, international cooperation and above all discipline and development.
Somehow the war is over.
Peace has to prevail.
International community has to come forward to help the Tamils to settle under the roof with a comfortable living.
Food, water and medicine are the need of the day.
Countries, especially India has to take part very actively in saving the lives of the suffering Tamils.
I do believe all help will come from the neighbors for the Sri Lanka to act and save the lives of millions of Tamils.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/economics-articles/last-days-of-ltte-1099998.html
About the Author
Retired Professor
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