When you have a person, who is not a team player or you cannot work with them, ask if you can work with someone else, or ask the person if they would like to work with someone else.  Also, ask if that person has an issue with you and if so, work it out together, and if it cannot be resolved, agree to disagree.   

I have a friend I am working on a writing project with, she is now in the editing stage of a short story I have written.  She sent two edited chapters, after I read them we came together and made the story stronger, she was happy and so was I.  If we did not agree, we agreed to disagree and we both came out on top.  I know we work well together because she does not agree with me all the time and I do not agree with her all the time, this is a person who can be honest and not hurt our friendship.   We can be brutally honest, and still best friends.

Dr. Francis Collins is a forthright Christian who converted from atheism at age twenty-seven and now finds time to advise young evangelical scientists on how to declare their faith in science.  Is science compatible with Christian faith?  Yes, it is, God existence is true, but calling it, a scientific question implies that the tools of science can provide the answer.  You cannot contain God within nature; God’s existence is outside of science’s ability to weigh in.  Majority of scientist do not believe there is a God, their articulation of science nor does their intellect allow them to believe, thinking science is the key.

Some will agree with scientist and think most would agree there is a God or a higher being.  Scientist cannot explain miracles; they relate it to science and nature.  Some may not share Dr. Collins beliefs are views on God and science co-existing, God gave man the gift and knowledge to research, create, and find cures.  God is the answer to all those “How must it have come to be” questions.  The Bible is not a science textbook, it is how God created the world in six days and rest on the seventh day, how He performed miracles by touching someone and healing the sick by prayer and fasting or just speaking a word.  Scientist can have their judgment clouded by their professional aspirations, were Christians have their faith.  There are answers that scientist still cannot answer about the natural world.

I am writing better now than a year ago, I gather facts and mix them with examples.  I use to write as I talk and for me that is a big improvement.  I keep a journal of my thoughts and ideas and it has helped me quite well. 

I admire Maya Angelou writings, she writes from a deep place in her soul and I can relate to her poems and short stories.  Kimberla Lawson Roby is one of my favorites; she has eleven bestselling books with a twelfth one on the way.  I have read all of her books since last year.  Kimberla has influenced me to write a few short stories from my journal, it is amazing I created stories from my thoughts.  Her style of writing flow from one story to the next, she keeps the stories intense and interesting.  She know how to connect each story and bring it all together towards the end, that is what make her books interesting and keep turning the pages.

I like how she focuses on the main character and create story after story about him and each story get larger than the next.  There is anticipation for the next one, you want to know what he is up to next, and he gets more and more interesting.  This is how I want to write someday, and I do feel my writing can and will get stronger.

For example, the weather varies from year to year, and periodic crop failures are certain.  A wise competent government saves out of the production of the good years in anticipation of bad years to come.  Joseph taught this policy to Pharaoh in Egypt more than 2,000 years ago.  Another example is, give a man a fish and he will eat for one day, teach him how fish and he will eat for the rest of his days.  Acting on this advice, the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations have financed a number of programs for improving the agriculture in the hungry nations.

Public and Private, making the Mosaic have some facts that are necessarily not factual, such as the authentic American is white and Christian and the true American is a pilgrim with a small “p”.  I’m sure all Americans do not share this point of view.  All across America, we see people of all cultural and ethnicities and speak different languages.  Some want to speak English and some are illegal and are afraid.  Blaming new comers for all bad and violence and sending their kids to school with hopes of miracles, not enough concrete evidence.    There is more facts and concrete information in the lifeboat article to ponder on, some readers may not agree with the Public and Private article.

1. How job lost and hours cut of family and friends are stressful.
2. Kids who do not have parental supervision afterschool, getting into all types of trouble.
3. Neighbors who are very rude and hateful.
4. No employee benefits for the last two years.
5. Opinionated co-workers, who are always keeping up commotion in the workplace.
6. The rise in unemployment across the country keeps me praying because it could be me.
7. How foreclosures are making families across the country homeless.
8. Town Hall meetings on Healthcare or getting out of hand because people are not respecting one another or one another opinion.
9. Young adults and adults are moving back in with their parents in order to survive the recession.  

10.  The lack of respect for the elderly has changed, kids curse back, they rob, steal and even beating the elderly, this must stop.

Part II The Rise In Unemployment

1. What do I know about this issue right now?  The rise of unemployment is about 9.4% in Virginia and in the double digits in other hard hit States.
2. What have I heard or read about the issue?  What have I seen or experienced?  Unemployment is a large factor of the recession.  I was laid off before and was unemployed for six months, I had to take my 401K to pay rent, car payment, utilities, other bills and feed my two sons, it was a challenge because I was divorced and at the time no child support was coming in.  I can relate to families who are being laid off every day from their jobs.
3. Why is this issue a problem?  Who does it affect?  How does it affect them?  This issue is a problem because people are losing their homes and life savings are depleting.  It affects the entire family.  Not only do they lose their job, they lose their benefits.
4. What position do I hold on this issue.  This is a fact due to the recession and it is unavoidable because businesses are going under.
5. What reasons can I think of to support this position?  Looking at the news coverage, wall street, internet articles and news magazines.  Banks, Auto Makers, Mortgage crisis just to name a few are all failing causing the rise in unemployment.

Part III

1. How would I describe one of the positions held by people who might disagree with me?  Some people may think unemployment is not high because of their financial status or they just don’t know or want to know.
2. What reasons and evidence might they offer to support their position?  Maybe their state or area were not affected by unemployment.
3. What experiences do people on the opposing side seem to share?  They may have never been laid off, or they have turned their unemployment to an entrepreneur opportunity.
4. How do their experiences seem to differ from mine?  It was hard to find a job after being laid off and I did not have the financial means to start a business.
5. Why might these experiences have led them to take their positions? 
6. Is there a set of experiences shared in common by people on each side of the issue?  I think shared experiences on both sides are true.
7. How do these differences influence how I will respond to their position on the issue?  Being opened minded in issues, we all can agree to disagree.

1. I believe that people should not judge other’s by the color of their skin without meeting or getting to know them first.  
2. I believe that society should come together as a whole no matter what culture, ethnic, or religious belief, we are all human beings.
3. I believe that government is the ruler of our country, state, county and local city
4. I believe that justice is not fair to all cultures and that there is a double standard when sentencing for the same crime.
5. I believe that knowledge can be obtained through teaching oneself and the wisdom of others.
6. I believe that science should not be compared to religion.
7. I believe that reality is everyday life.
8. I believe that life is what you make of it.
9. I believe that happiness only last for a moment, but joy can last for a lifetime, because it is strength.

10.  I believe that goodness is a characteristic.

11.  I believe that death is here on earth, but  there is life after death.

12.  I believe that God is almighty, all knowing and all seeing.

Part II

1. What reasons can I think of to support my belief?  When growing up, I knew something or someone was with me, I could feel a presence, when I turned seven my Grandmother told me what it was, she said, “it’s God walking with you”.  Then she taught me to pray.
2. What evidence supports my reason?

Scriptures: Romans 10:9

1. How was my belief formed?  Surrendering my life to Christ, developing a relationship with Him through prayer and faith, and studying the Word and supplication.
2. What have I read or heard that has influence or shape my belief?  I have studied God’s Word, and hear messages from His messengers, Pastors, Evangelist, and Teachers.  My prayers have been answered and prophecies have been confirmed.
3. What have I seen or experienced that has influenced or shaped my belief?  I have seen people healed from diseases and bodily afflictions and I have experienced deliverance in my own life such as my pass marriage of abuse and forgiveness.  Going through this experience shaped who I am today.
4. How have these experiences led me to my present position?  Being an example before people and allowing them to see God’s light shine, so every man can see my good works, and sharing my testimony and walking in everything God has done for me.  Some people talk the talk, but for me I walk the walk so my experiences can be effective.
5. What effect does this specific belief have on the choices I make on a daily basis?  I make sure seeking God first be a daily routine in making important and life altering decisions for me.  Have faith God will see me through and the patients it will happen in due season.

Part III

1. How would I describe one of the positions held by people who might disagree with me?  Some people think they are the ones who makes things happen in their life, such as healing, deliverance and peace.
2. What reasons and evidence do people on the opposing side use to support their position?  Some believe in science and not the Bible or God.
3. What past experiences do people on the opposing side seem to share?  They have been hurt in the church or by a Pastor, leader or a member hurt them to the point of leaving the and not returning.
4.  How do their experiences seem to differ from mine?  I have faith in God and not man, so when I was hurt in church I knew it was man/woman acting on self instead of the will of God.
5. Why might these experiences have led them to take their positions?  Not trusting anyone after being hurt in the church or by someone in the Body of Christ, this damages the Spirit and Soul and it is hard to return the way you left in the begining.  Not all are strong in their faith.
6. Is there a set of experience shared in common by people on each side of the issue?  Yes, because people get hurt all the time in church some people bounce back quicker than others and some don’t bounce back.
7. How do these differences influence how I will respond to their position on the issue?  I feel you have to be strong in life not just in your faith and some issues you will conquer.