Putting a light side on serous topics:

Posted on February 22, 2015 by
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I hope today’s comments can be of use to youth ministries, family devotional, Sunday school and home evenings. Today’s topic is the appropriate use of humor when discussing religious topics.

Religion can often be only a serious topic, but there are times when using humor can be more effective in making a thought provoking comment than being always serious. On Facebook I saw a photos number of signs in the front of churches. Each has a thought provoking idea: but what I especially like was the use of humor.

Church parking
Only!
Violators will be
Baptized

Hipster Jesus loved you
Before you were
Cool

Stop. Drop. And
roll won’t work
in hell.

Honk if you love Jesus
Text while driving
If you want to meet him.

You have one new
friend request
from Jesus
Confirm ignore

Need a lifeguard?
Ours walks on water

Jesus is the Rizzle
For the Sizzle

Keep using my name
In vain
I’ll make rush hour
Longer –God

Christmas:
Easier to spell than Hanukkah

Choose the bread
Of life
Or you are toast

What is missing from Ch ch
U R

Free coffee
everlasting life
yes memberships has
its privileges

Does life Stink?
We have a pew for you

These are some delightful thought provoking ideas. Sometimes when we teach with humor it can often share an idea more easily.

Here is another example of good use of human. Here is a physician by the name of Ben Carson. He gave his opinions on various topics and used humor to make the content more palatable.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/02/07/dr_benjamin_carson_addresses_national_prayer_breakfast_criticizes_obamacare.html.

So as we work on sermon, lessons and other forms of communication, see how humor can aide in improving the sharing of the message. If you have anything to add to this comment, please do so in the comment section of this blog.

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Suggestions about world building:

Posted on February 20, 2015 by
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Found an old tape of LTUE and here are some comments about world building in writing. It was good to hear Marian K smith’s voice again. He was the moderator of the panel.

A writer cannot assume or expect details of their worlds to already exist, such as a moon etc. The characters need to act like they take the traits of their world for granted. Many readers like to become aware that everything and don’t like being fed their exiting setting.
The author needs get inside the character and she the world through their eyes. You don’t want to tell how far off the ground the door knob is.
Many readers want to discover the word for themselves. They don’t want to be told everything. They don’t like to be talked down to, or explained to.

Those are a few ideas on voice. Have something to add, or have a fond memory of Professor Marian K. Smith at BYU? Please share in the comment section of this blog.

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Spelling gnawing:

Posted on February 19, 2015 by
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Bad: knawing:
Good: gnawing

I want to put k instead of g because of how I pronounce the word. Here are some ideas that might help. When you see a dog gnawing on a bone, it almost looks like they’re chewing gum. So that might help remember the G.

Or, when a dog chews on a bone they like the gristle. Gristle starts with g.

Do you have a better mnemonic? Please share in the comment section of this blog. Thanks

By the way, I spelled propaganda correctly today, guess that past mnemonic worked for me. Good.

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Advance writing techniques:

Posted on February 18, 2015 by
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I attended a great writing symposium. It is called Life the Universe and Everything last year. Here are some notes on Advance writing techniques.

– Need to control the reason of expectation.
– Create three plot twists to surprise the reader.
– Don’t have to tell a story in the new sequence.
– Plot twists of Ironman three 1. Bad guy kills a character 2. The I thought was important and 3. What happened to pepper.
– Challenge the reader, but do not confuse them.

If you would like to add ideas to this list, please do so in the comment section of this blog. Thanks.

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Every successful investor:

Posted on February 17, 2015 by
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In 2013, I attended a workshop on different types of business ventures. Here are some of the things I learned about how to succeed as an investor.

– A winning system.
– Profitable strategy
– reputable mentor
– EST: exchange trade fund: like mutual fund that trades like stock. An example, SPDR, I shares, holders, vipers, Pro shares, power shares, writers,
– Mutual funds are popular because of their spread out capability.
– Look at the 50 day chart. If the trend is moving above the spread out. Stay in it is below the average get out.
– Government is investing $85 billion a month into the stock market. Crash coming
– When the market crashes. People usually go to the energies market because they are always stable.
– Determine you financial and physical dreams
– Determine your action plan
– Determine what resources you need to develop.

Have something to add, please do so in the comment section of this blog.

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Knowledge with substance:

Posted on February 16, 2015 by
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A lot is information comes from a variety of sources. One in particular is Facebook entries. I find myself to be very over trusting person and recently learned that some people will intentionally alter a quote of individual and posted it on Facebook as if it is an actual quote. That is why today’s theme is on knowledge with substance.

Hope today’s lesson can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals and family home evenings.

Object lesson: rice crispy versus raisin bran cereal.
Gathering information can be compared to a piece of rice crispy cereal in the raisin of the raisin bran cereal. These can be compared to sources of knowledge. If we were to use a spoon and crushed the rice crispy, it would crumble easily to small dust. If you press the same spoon against a raisin, you might get a flatter, but the mass of the raisin prevents it from being shattered.

This can be compared to the sources of our knowledge. We need to be cautious of believing anything and everything we see or read. As media outlets follow a political agenda as well as educators and other people that wish to influence others, we all should be wary of autonomous tell us. The recommendations I have are to seek the original source of information and to study history. History often repeats itself.

As a class or family, you might want to discuss what you find to be good choices of knowledge. In regards to religious slant for me it would be answer to prayers, Scriptures and the Council of men and women who strive to follow God.

If you have a recommendation of what to add to this lesson, please feel free to share it in the comment section this blog. Thanks.

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Melva’s current pitch on Pursued:

Posted on February 13, 2015 by
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Indiana Jones meets Merlyn. Teenage wizard hates magic and finds he must become the being he detests to save a nation and his mother.

Yep, still a work in progress.

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Spelling scaffolding:

Posted on February 12, 2015 by
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Bad: scalfiding
Good: scaffolding

Here are some ways I can remember how this is spelled. SCAfFOLDing is when you need help SCAling up a sharp incline such as a wall of a building. To get higher on the building you FOLD together a bunching of wood planks or metal bars to create a form of ladder. Then you have Folding blocks to scale the building wall or scaffolding.

Have an alternative way to spell this word? Please share your ideas in the comment section of this blog. Thanks.

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How is writing for comics different?

Posted on February 11, 2015 by
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I attended a great writing symposium. It is called Life the Universe and Everything last year. Here are some notes of self-marketing and promotion:

– Writing is a visual medium.
– Comics make the own interpretation of published works.
– Visual and art takes priority over text.
– Comics are 20 to 22 pages link. Each page has a limit of panels. Writing to be brief and be mindful of limited real estate. Text should not take over art.
– In the scene takes 3 to 4 pages need to read through that same thing. Construction needs be concise.
– Comic dialogue heavy
– Story structure, they must be serial in nature.
– Each each issue has a single story arch.
– Multiple comics may revolve around a tent pole story arch.
– Each comic is part of the shared plot.
– The three act structure is not required for comics.
– Comics are written in the present tense, decorative fiction is written in the past tense.
– Writers determine how many panels on the page. Writers work with artists in a collaboration. Authors describe what they see in the dialogue.
– Media writers will often normally give minimal descriptions and that the artists extrapolate what they want.
– Study comic book scripts.
– Author does letters to the artists. Here’s what I think is a direction I’m going.
– Submit a page outline that tells what is happening on each page of the script.
– Turning the page needs to be in the section of sequence of events so that an important part of the scene is not broken up to one page of the other.
– Rely upon the orders to be an equal partner in telling the story.
– It’s good to have beta readers. They need to see if it works, is interesting, does the dialogue work.
– How does one break in the comics, find a notice of who is willing to illustrate your story.
– Comics want people who can tell good stories.
– You can convert your skills to comics
– Websites not seeking writers. While writers are versatile.
– Many writers start with an independent comic.

If you would like to add ideas to this list, please do so in the comment section of this blog. Thanks.

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Self-directed IRAs:

Posted on February 9, 2015 by
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In 2013, I attended a workshop on different types of business ventures. Here are some of the things I learned about Self-directed IRAs.

– USelfDirect.com
– You can choose what investments you make, and you get the profit over brokerage firms doing it for you and you not get the money.
– 401(k) has fees and Pratt loads etc.
– 401(k)s have outdated tools and strategies. You need to be updated to the self-directed for one.
– Self-directed can include stocks and residential real estate.
– Setup of self-direct:
Two page form and company horizon can help you set up and train you for self-directed for one’s
Fund the account: ages under 50 can add up to 5,500 a year; 50 years plus can have up to 6500
– You can transfer your current 401 over into of self-directed fund
– This permits you to be in control of your own money
Have something to add to the list, please do so in the comment section of this blog.

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