The Greatest Of These Is Love Essay - 996 Words

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) No matter how anointed we are in our preaching, teaching, evangelizing, ministering, etc ... there is no greater evidence of our knowledge of God than how we LOVE one another. Love comes from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows Him. (1 John 4:7) The indwelling of Gods love in us perfects our human character. Without it, we have no foundation on which to build our Christian lives. Love is not just an attribute of Gods character ... It IS God! (1 John 4:16) It is the very essence of Gods being. In John 13:34-35, we are commanded to love one another. This command is not referring to a physical†¦show more content†¦For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9) He has unselfishly given us this awesome, wonderful gift ... we must selflessly share it with others, Amen? Our Love for One Another Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10) Christians love because we were first loved by God (1 John 4:19). Since He loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:11). Brotherly love is our self-sacrificing ability to treat others, even perfect strangers, as if they were a part of our family. As believers who have been adopted into the body of Christ, then we are in fact part of the same family and are brothers and sisters to one another. While some believe that our love for one another is a choice, in all actuality ... it is a command to those who love God. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:21) Thats a tough one isnt it? For when our brother happens to be someone who has hurt us, it is easy to judge them as undeserving of our unselfish, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. But this very command challenges our love for God. Will you accept the challenge and prove that your love for God is greater than your displeasure with your brother just as He has proven to us that His love for us isShow MoreRelatedLove Is Life s Greatest Offer881 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is love? Love is life’s greatest offer, love gives our lives meaning, value and makes us who we are. Without love our existence is hollow and insubstantial. To live a fulfilling life is to love courageously and relentlessly. Love is a simplified term to describe the feelings of pleasure, compassion and attachment associated with love without defining the specific aspect or origin from which it came. For millions of years the topic of love has inspired countless works of art, literature, filmRead MoreThe Grea test Love Story of all Time1303 Words   |  5 Pages Romeo and Juliet—the greatest love story of all time. What an odd thing to say about a play with one off-stage sex scene and seven on-stage deaths. Why would a book with such renown be removed from any list of great books? Some people may look at the story and say it holds immature values. After all, from a very straightforward angle, the story is about two teenagers killing themselves because they cannot have what they want. There is much more to the story, however, and by analyzing its originRead MoreMaking Love to the Mind: The Greatest Intimacy 685 Words   |  3 PagesSappho was exiled as a teenager to Sicily because of political reasons. Sappho was called a lyrist, because she performed her poems with lyre. Majority of Sappho’s poems reflect extreme, intense, feelings of desire. 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First published in 1609, these works have remained a popular subject in the world of literature for centuries to come. â€Å"Shakespeare has completely dominated the English-speaking state over the last four hundred years.† When thinking of Shakespeare, his famous plays such Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet are usually the first toRead MoreJane Eyre, One of the Greatest Love Stories of All Time?2143 Words   |  9 Pages Jane’s enduring quest for love, love of a family and of an equal fulfill the human ideals of romance as she defies all obstacl es in her way. The love between Rochester and Jane dissolves the constraints of Victorian society where social status becomes of little significance. â€Å"Jane Eyre† epitomizes triumph over impossible odds as two people of different status can love each other for who they are and nothing more. A major theme of â€Å"Jane Eyre† is Jane’s quest for love, which is made plain very earlyRead MoreLove is the greatest human emotion one can experience. In the poem Leaving the Motel by W. D.800 Words   |  4 PagesLove is the greatest human emotion one can experience. In the poem Leaving the Motel by W. D. Snodgrass and Sex Without Love by Sharon Olds each poet shares different views on the theme of love. Snodgrass poem focuses on a couple having an affair in a motel. As they are leaving they go through a checklist to make sure they keep their secrecy. While, Olds poem focuses more about how people have sex without being in love. Both of these poems illustrate a strong sense of love in different waysRead MoreAnalyse Faulks presentation if friendships and love affairs in Birdsong, showing which relationships had the greatest impact on your understanding of the novel.1371 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Analyse Faulks’ presentation of friendships and love affairs i n Birdsong, showing which relationships and love affairs had the greatest impact on your understanding of the novel. One of the most significant relationships, if not the most, is the friendship between Jack Firebrace and the main character, Stephen Wraysford. This is because Jack remains a constant in Stephen’s war life which contrasts with all the other relationships with the men Stephen makes as he suffered the loss of many of themRead MoreMo Tzu Universal Love Analysis807 Words   |  4 Pageswill prove that thought Monzi thought of universal love, the will of heaven, being against music and as well as going against Confucians is the best way to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time, using an article called â€Å"Mo Tzu Basic Writings† translated by Burton Waston Universal Love The aspect of universal love is seen in a very simple way with no in between answers as Universality is the greatest source of all great benefits in the world and partialityRead More Life Or Death Essay1673 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough, and the suffering our loved ones share with us? What impact does suffering and death leave behind? Does the love we had experienced decline with our shrunken bodies, does the responsibilities we challenged take control of us or does our friendships eventually sail in the distance like the compost to become of us; or perhaps all three? Or conceivably we build a stronger love for life, and a stronger legacy for our loved ones to cherish? What pain do they feel? Yet, all in all we need to distinguishRead More Justice In Platos The Republic Essay1010 Words   |  5 Pagesmakes them happy pleases him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upon the summation of the debate between Polemarchus and Socrates, Thrasymachus enters into the fray. He states that justice â€Å"is nothing other than advantage of the stronger† (Republic 338c), and also that the greatest life is that of perfect injustice, to be found in the life of a tyrant. This definition leaves no room for the common good because it creates a life of competition and materialism, where only the strong survive. Group endeavors are not possible according

Mathur Devo Bhava Free Essays

In our Hindu culture from childhood we are taught to respect and obey parents. We believe in MATRU DEVO BHAVA, PITRU DEVO BHAVA, ACHARYA DEVO BHAVA. Answering parents, disobeying them or talking loud at them are considered to be not acceptable in particular with traditional families. We will write a custom essay sample on Mathur Devo Bhava or any similar topic only for you Order Now Now things have changed and children are taught to talk freely anything to every thing to parents or teachers and question them too if they do not feel happy with what they say. It is a scientific way of bringing up and giving space to children and giving them an opportunity to learn things with reasoning power. But this freedom has been proving in most of the cases being misused and children are becoming over confident and arrogant. If a child is praised for his intelligence in front of him, our elders used to avoid it he is getting a feeling that he is on top of the world. I have seen a 9 years old girl who used to stand first in class did not get good marks in Mathematics and lost her rank to another kid in the class. Her mother was questioning her and meanwhile her dad said â€Å"Sarayu, you have to put more focus on Maths†. Suddenly he was snapped by the little daughter â€Å"Dad, I know very well that you were never first in your class. So, don’t tell me how to study†. Immediately mother took a long lesson to the daughter saying that she should never talk like that and Dad is not to be questioned. She explained the kid in what kind of stressful circumstances he was grown up and still he made his life successful so that today his daughter is studying in prestigious public school with all luxuries at home and outside. The girl offcourse learnt the lesson and realised her mistake. Similarly, today when we see children and youngsters least respecting their parents and teachers offcourse, our heart wreathes in pain. We see young boys calling their Dads â€Å"Hey stupid guy, you don’t understand that† or calling names their mothers and insulting them is something very terrible. In my opinion, if that youngster may be a Noble Prize winner or a highly paid executive in a Blue chip company, but he is just a Zero in his character as he does not have basic values. To remind one and all the importance of parents, herewith I am sending a nice message which I came across recently. If this changes even slightly the behaviour of spoilt kids and youngsters, I feel that I have done a good job. It is never too late to realise our mistakes in life. MOTHER : This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece please read this at a slow pace, digesting every word and in leisure†¦ do not hurry†¦. this is a treasure†¦ For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mother, this is beautiful. For those of us who aren’t, this is even more beautiful. For those who are Mother, they will love this. The young mother set her foot on the path of life. ‘Is this the long way? ‘ she asked. And the guide said: ‘Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning. But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, ‘Nothing will ever be lovelier than this. ‘ Then the nig ht came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, ‘Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come. And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, ‘A little patience and we are there. ‘ So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, ‘Mother, we would not have done it without you. ‘ And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, ‘This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I’ve given them strength. ‘ And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: ‘Look up. Lift your eyes to the light. And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said, ‘This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God. ‘ And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said, ‘I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them. ‘ And the children said, ‘You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates. ‘ And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: ‘We cannot see her but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence†¦ ‘ Your Mother is always with you†¦. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she’s the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she’s crystallized in every tear drop. She’s the place you came from, your first home; and she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space†¦ not even death! MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED†¦ WHAT A WONDERFUL MESSAGE How to cite Mathur Devo Bhava, Papers

SMEs in Oman Lending Requirements and Poor Management

Question: Discuss about theSMEs in Oman: Lending Requirements and Poor Management. Answer: Introduction The Oman SMEs are important drivers of the economy. However, the Oman SMEs face challenges in acquiring adequate funds. Oman face such challenges as need for collateral, conditional lending requirements and poor management of cash follow and ability to make scheduled repayment. Nevertheless, Oman SMEs have a range of sources to acquire funds including government support through Sanad Programmme, funds created by the government through MoCI (SMEs Development Fund) and Sharakah Fund for Development of Oman youth projects. Oman SMEs have also benefited from Esthmar Venture Capital and long term loans through Oman Arab Bank via Tomouhi Programme and Intilaaqah Enterprise Fund (IEF). The Oman government has created Oman SMEs Development Fund to fund the SMEs in Oman. Evaluation of Various Sources of Finance Available For Oman SME's Government Assistance in General without Naming any Specific Fund The Sanad Programmme within the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) was established by the government in 2001 to offer financial support to the SMEs during their formative years. Sanad assists SMEs through soft loans, besides mentorship and helping with government services. The programme gives loans at favorable interest rate of 2% thanks to government subsidies thereby reducing the borrowing cost as well as risk for SMEs. The Sanads SMEs approved applicants get their funding via the Oman Development Bank. The government has created funds through MoCI in April 2012 by establishing SME Development Fund managed by National Company for Projects and Management (NCPM). Sharakah Fund for Development of Youth Projects has also worked in handy with MoCI and Sanad established in 1988 by royal decree thereby helping youths to undertake their business ideas. Via the collaboration between the Director General of the SMEs the United States Small Business Administration and the MEPI, the LGP provides eighty percent guarantees for SMES loans up to $650,000 with the rate of interest ranging from 3.4- to 4.3 percent. Venture Capital with Specific Oman Venture Capital Company (Ethmar) is being seed funded by Al Raffd Fund. The funding of a target capital of RO 10 million. The board of directors represented by shareholders have been mandated to manage the funds. Esthmar has invested in equity of high growth potential private sector start-ups SMEs. It has only cultivated a culture of innovation, promoted new ideas, provided a platform for expanding regionally as well as eventually stimulated the creation of jobs in Oman. It has targeted opportunities in the SMEs sector in Oman. The fund has preferred such sectors as oil and gas, agribusiness, retail, tourism and information technology. Ethmar has invested in early stage companies which exhibit a clear path to growth as well as profitability and with competitive advantage alongside those that can compete locally, regionally and even internationally with a minimum requirement for investment of RO 100,000 and a maximum of 10% of the paid up capital of Ethmar that is RO 1 million. Ethmars promoted had invested the application of various SMEs in 2015 and considered them for potential funding. Three promoters were selected for funding including Najah Salim al Abdulsalam (communicate-hearing assessment, diagnosis, and speech therapy services), Mansoor al Mahrouqi, Ahmed ali Salim al Mahrouqi (Victoria Lake-oil and gas services) as well as Munther al Battash (Ruken Al Pizza-food and beverage company). Long Term Loans The Oman Arab Bank that is owned 51% by the Oman International Development and Investment Company and 49% by Arab Bank has commenced a new programme for the SMEs financing. The programme is called Tomouhi or my ambition. This fund works in partnership with the MoCI and Oman Development Banks loan guarantee programme. Moreover, BankMuscat has financing design particularly for SMEs in Oman and have been additionally joined by many private funds. Intilaaqah Enterprise Fund (IEF) which is a $17 million fund has been designed to stimulate SMEs among Oman youths through the provision of funds, business development services as well as guidance. Oman-based Al Anwar Holding is offering a more traditional private-equity approach to Oman SMEs. It is publicly traded on the Muscat Securities Market. It is a for-profit institution investing in its specialty sectors. The Oman SMEs also get funds from long term loans particularly from the banks. Apart from equity and owners finance, almost eighteen percent of small and medium firms acquire capital from banks and other financial institutions. These institutions give finance to small and medium businesses under specific terms. Unlike equity, banks and other institutional borrowings have got immediate reflections on the cash flow. Credit acquired from banks and other financial institutions are subjected to interests which sometimes become a challenge to small businesses. Even though the interest rate is high most of small and medium size businesses still depend on bank loan for expansion and growth. Angel Investors Angel investors are also noticed to be very important source of capital and finance to small and medium size enterprises in Oman. Angel investors are rich individuals who are always willing to venture into various businesses.[1] They have provided financial support to various small and medium size enterprises in Oman. They enter into various organizations either as partners or as financiers. Angel investors invest largely into the economy by starting various small businesses and financing others as well.[2] Problems and Challenges Asymmetric Information The Small and Medium Enterprises also face a challenge of asymmetric information which complicates the process by which they select among the range of sources available for funding. With the limited information available for the SMEs, there is an increasing difficulty facing SMEs to arrive at the ideal method to choose the best financing alternatives.[3] The information asymmetry thus make the Oman SMEs to embrace the old pecking theory thereby preferring internal financing like cash flows from their business instead of external financing like loan from banks hence limiting their ability to benefit from the economies of scale. Conditional Lending Requirements Oman SMEs financing face challenges related to a range of government entities based on conditional lending. This condition lending requires the beneficiaries of the loans to purchase a given equipment from a particular agent or purchase needed supplies from a pre-determined agents.[4] The practice remains contradictory to the principle of entrepreneurship and more significantly, it prohibits beneficiaries of the loan to run the business in a cost-effective as well as flexible manner as a result of these complications. The SMEs thus do not have the freedom to choose vendors and suppliers locally or abroad. Requirement of Collateral Banks require SMEs to provide collateral as security before being approved for loans. SMEs hence have less access to bank credit compared to large enterprises. Banks in Oman still practice the traditional way of lending SMEs against collateral which makes the SMEs to be underfinanced. The current procedure in the banking sector allows banks to categorize any business loan as either a non-paid loan in case the SMEs fails to service the loan for ninety days. The banks get it easy to take non-payment cases to the court for recovery of the lent amount making thereby inflicting fears on SMEs to seek out for bank loans. This is because these kinds of loans remain backed by valuable collaterals like lands, retirement wages as well as business itself. The ninety day- non-payment periods is harsh to the SMEs and should be extended to the one-eighty days. Banks Hesitant to Lend The IMF and World Bank studies have shown that Oman banking sectors face various challenges from both demand and supply side which confine the extension of its lending to the SMEs. On the supply side, the restricted competition among the banks and a high margin needed from lending to consumers that provide little incentives for banks to give lending to SMEs given the high inherent risk linked to SMEs.[5] Banks in Oman have invested little resources needed in the examination of SMEs credit risk as well as credit evaluation tools. On the demand side, the studies have shown that SMEs present banks with restricted pool of viable projects. There also seems to be a lack of transparency as well as management expertise alongside prevailing poor financial infrastructure which together offer little incentives for banks to extend lending to SMEs in Oman. Poor Management of Cash Flows and Inability to Make Scheduled Loan Repayment Small and Medium Enterprise face challenges in their management of cash flows as well as ability to make scheduled repayment of loans to the banks. These challenges stems from delayed payments SMEs face in dealing with the agencies of government as well as large firms to which deliver services via contractual agreements. The challenge besides other problems linked to the SMEs sector adversely affect the operations of the Oman SMEs. The failure of SMEs to meet the scheduled repayment to the banks results from the fact the even SMEs that have succeeded face various challenges in regards to cash flow. The SMEs sometimes provide services to the government entities as well as large firms that do not honor their timely payment particularly in government payments. Accordingly, the problem translates into cash flow problems for SMEs in Oman and by subsequently adversely affect their scheduled loans repayment to the banks. High Cost of Undertaking Professional Feasibility Studies Oman SMEs also face high cost of conducting professional feasibility studies as well as lack of collateral required to obtain a line of credit. These two challenges have left the Oman Development Bank (ODP) as the primary lender in the Oman SMEs sector. The ODB business model is anchored on low cost of funding (government equity) in collaboration with vast interest rate subsidies employed to the long-term loans it extends.[6] The IMF and World Bank have pointed out that the prevalence low rates of interest from ODB has crowd out the long-run lending to SMEs from the commercial banks. Suggestion for SMES and Financial Institution to Smoothen Financial Flow SMEs play a key role in the development of the Oman economies and there is a need to appreciate the attempts that SMEs make to boost the economy across all sectors. Some of the suggestion include: The government needs to put more emphasis to explore the opportunities presented by the SMEs and grow the economy by a double digit. Accordingly, some of the key suggestion through which the government can intervene is by promoting and helping the SMEs to create efficient business plans which will convince the banks and other financial institutions to fund the SMEs. Maintenance of detailed accounting finance records should also be encouraged so as to avail the required information by the financial institution to show the repayment records of SMEs to help the banks have trust of repayment within the schedule. The government should also ensure that both banks and other financial institutions reduce the currently hiked cost of transactions as well as bureaucratic procedures that discourage the SMEs from considering debt financing.[7] There is also a need to use the government sources for soft loans including the Sharaqah, Sanad and Intalaqah instead of commercial banks. This will stimulate the acquisition of these soft loans by the SMEs that cannot give collateral required by the commercial banks. In so doing, the SMEs will boost their capital base and benefit from the economies of scale hence fastening the Oman economic growth. What the Government has done The government of Oman has already created Oman SMEs Development Fund that directly go to SMEs. This exemplary step has been undertaken to strengthen the SMES industry to boost the SMEs growth from the current beginning growth curve of Oman SMEs sector. The government has also engaged in exclusive SMEs development symposium that took place in Seeh Al Shamikhat, Balm, much has changed in Oman SMEs sector. The government is using these symposium to create an enabling environment for the SMEs as a mechanism to provide employment opportunities for the youth. Conclusion The SMEs in Oman in taking the center stage and they are growing at an escalated rate. The government has taken various steps including the creation of SMEs Development Fund an organized various symposium to create enabling environment for the SMEs growth. SMEs will greatly contribute to the economic growth of the Oman economy and banks and other financial need to avail funds to these enterprises without need for collateral to facilitate this growth.[8] This will in turn lead an increased in the GDP of the Oma which will also benefit the Oman banks and other lending intuitions. References Ashrafi, Rafi, and Muhammad Murtaza. "ICT adoption in SME in an Arab GCC Country Oman." E-strategies for Resource Management Systems: Planning and Implementation (2010): 371-376. Ashrafi, Rafi, and Muhammed Murtaza. "Use and Impact of ICT on SMEs in Oman." Electronic Journal Information Systems Evaluation 11, no. 3 (2008): 125-138. Magd, Hesham AE, and Mark P. McCoy. "Entrepreneurship in Oman: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future." Procedia Economics and Finance 15 (2014): 1632-1640. Ongori, Henry, and Stephen O. Migiro. "Information and communication technologies adoption in SMEs: literature review." Journal of Chinese Entrepreneurship 2, no. 1 (2010): 93-104. Oni, Emmanuel O., and A. A. Daniya. "Development of small and medium scale enterprises: The role of government and other financial institutions." Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review (OMAN Chapter) Vol 1 (2012).