ISSUE 1 FREE
September 2015
LIVING INTENTIONALLY LEARNING TO LIVE INTENTIONALLY…. TOGETHER
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
1st
STOP CHASING HER SAVILLE ROW DREAM
VIEW PEOPLE IN SHADES OF GREY
ADVENTIST CLOTHES SHOW
Autumn 2015 “WHAT GREAT THING WOULD YOU ATTEMPT IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT FAIL.” ROBERT H. SCHULLER
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY
Harvard may have topped this year’s list of the best universities worldwide by reputation, but UK institutions Cambridge and Oxford have come in at second and third place, in a growing trend seeing UK institutions rising up the world rankings in recent years. Loulle-Mao Eleftheriou-Smith
CB1
BIG LUNCH
THE CHURCH COMMUNITY THAT CARES CAMBRIDGE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 15-19 HOBART ROAD, CAMBRIDGE
Jenny Cartinella cleans her apartment. Cathy Webber does math puzzles. Matt Kressin checks sports scores, and Carmen Ramirez Walker updates her Facebook page. All of them are psychology students putting off other tasks they're supposed to be doing. Classic procrastination in action. It's a tough habit to break, particularly these days when the Internet allows students to escape dissertation-writing frustrations with the click of a mouse. A 2007 meta-analysis by University of Calgary psychologist Piers Steel, PhD, reports that 80 percent to 95 percent of college students procrastinate, particularly when it comes to doing their coursework (Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 133, No. 1). Graduate students may be better than undergrads at fighting off procrastination, but they're still pretty good at putting things off. In a 1997 survey, University of Denver School of Education professor Kathy Green, PhD, found that procrastination was one of the top reasons doctoral students failed to complete their dissertations (New Directions for Higher Education Vol. 1,997, No. 99). "Procrastination is a natural part of graduate school," says selfproclaimed postponer Kressin, a clinical psychology student at the School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute in Springfield, Mo. "It's so important to learn how to deal with it." BY AMY NOVOTNEY
© 2015 LIVING INTENTIONALLY VS EXITING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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CAMBRIDGE IN TOP THREE
Serving is a great way to develop as a person and eventually produces to marks…!
EDITOR HI, WELCOME TO A BRAND NEW MAGAZINE BUILT JUST FOR YOU. UNASHAMEDLY ADVENTIST AND CHRISTIAN, WE’RE EXCITED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE EXCELLENCE OF THE GOSPEL IN A MODERN, DYNAMIC AND INTENTIONAL WAY. JOIN US ON THE JOURNEY AND LETS EXPLORE TOGETHER! LETS GET INTENTIONAL TOGETHER AND BE THE PEOPLE WE INTEND TO BE. PASTOR COLIN STEWART 7
CONTENTS CONTENTS
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SUPERCHARGING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY Step 1 of a 5 part series
03 05 06
PROCRASTINATION OR INTENTIONAL DELAY? Which one are you on an average day?
LIVING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY Adam Sicinski
REFLECTING ON CHURCH OFFERINGS Are you an Intentional Giver or Not?
LIVING INTENTIONALLY
07 08 09 10 11 13 14
THE PHILOSOPHY OF INTENTIONALITY Aimlessness Needs Intentionality!
STOP CHASING HER: BY ELITE DAILY View People in Shades of Grey
DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS? From consumption to absorbance & how it takes over
BUSY DAY? SNACK SMARTER How to have your cake and eat it too
FRIENDS WHO WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE Get ready to let some go if they fall into these categories
HATING YOUR JOB MAKES YOU UNGRATEFUL What to do before you escape
THE BIG QUESTIONS! Christians who party - what’s the big deal?
Living with a Sense of Urgency Intentionality May Be The Key There are some real and tangible reasons why you’re not where you want to be in your life. It could result from unhelpful beliefs, dreadful habits, conflicting goals or values, and a plethora of other ways you have found to sabotage yourself. You might in fact have worked through these areas on some level, however for one reason or another, you’re still stuck in your old ways. Your life is stagnating and you just can’t seem to find the consistent motivation you need to move forward. All the above are very valid reasons why things aren’t moving forward in your life. However, working through these areas individually is often very time consuming and tedious. If only there was a much simpler approach that would get you out of this stuck state and allow you to move your life forward with greater momentum? Well there is… The most successful people in the world have their own personal battles. They also have unhelpful beliefs, dreadful habits and conflicting goals and values. Their lives are far from perfect. However, despite these issues, they still find a way to accomplish their goals and objectives. How do they do this? Well, for starters they don’t make any excuses about their life or circumstances. And secondly, they live daily with a sense of urgency. This sense of urgency forces them to work harder and smarter throughout the day. This leads to steady progress and improvement over the course of a week, month and year,
up until the point they achieve their desired outcomes. It is this sense of urgency that is probably missing in your life. You simply have no urgency to get things done, to achieve your goals, to overcome your problems, etc. Without urgency, there is no motivation — there is nothing forcing you to get up early in the morning to pursue your goals, and there is certainly nothing enticing you to stay up late when tasks haven’t yet been completed. You’re simply too comfortable where you are in your life at the moment and this is preventing you from moving forward. Yes, of course you might very well be dissatisfied with your life. You have so much to live up to and so much to achieve. However, things aren’t that bad. You have access to many of the things that make life satisfactory and bearable right here, right now. This might not be ideal, but its fine and acceptable. You don’t feel like moving forward because you simply don’t have enough reasons to help stimulate your motivation. If only someone could just turn on the switch to power-up your sense of urgency… how different would your life be? By Adam Sicinski
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REFLECTING: ON CHURCH OFFERINGS
The Church Can’t Run on Tippers… You know tippers, don't you? Every congregation has them, the active and regular members who have every intention to give. They are however the same ones who feel the most guilt as the offering bowl comes around and they fumble around in the bottom of their bags and pockets to pull out whatever spare change they have floating about. The fact is, like me, a lot of us have no problem giving and letting go of our money to God in worship. The issue lies in preparation and readiness to give. Through the business of the week and even pressing matters that swallow Sabbath preparation like pot luck, lesson study, and various department meetings, little time is left to remember small but important things like our offering. Do we really understand how important our offerings are? The quantities are never important because God knows our hearts and our bank balance! Would perhaps more thought be given to the use of the offering bowl contents and what they could achieve, we would plan also our offerings and not just our tithes. Planning doesn't mean having an offering every week, and tithing doesn't substitute offering either.
So why not take an honest look at your finances and your blessings and be more prepared to give or not give, rather than carelessly giving or not giving.
And what about spontaneity and being impressed to give at that moment? Believe me it's not lost! When prepare your offering, it's ready but if you feel impressed to add a little more, this isn't a reason to holdback: it just helps us ensure we are giving according to our measures appropriately. Let's be intentional with our offerings too! I would totally encourage people to make use of any technology that is available to make it easier and more convenient to give, especially as we make the small changes to become reliable givers.
Me personally? I like the way it feels to let go of the loose change in the basket so setting a reminder for my way home on a Friday to make sure I know what to pull out will do just fine…! L. M. Jackson
LIVING INTENTIONALLY IS IMPORTANT! ‘LIVING INTENTIONALLY’ is a philosophy promoting excellence in thought, and action and is about people Living Fulfilled Lives. ‘LIVING’ lives to challenge, empower and motivate this generation to live for all the things that are noble, positive and a blessing to mankind. INTENTIONALITY seeks to turn the tide of aimless lives by challenging to replace that aimless life with direction, hope, a positive future, and lasting enjoyment. LIVE INTENTIONALLY IS A RELIGIOUS MAGAZINE.
Will You Stand Out? Definition: With regard to human development, intentionality refers to the ability to act with purpose. In other words, intentionality means behaving with a goal in mind and taking deliberate actions to reach that goal. An intentional individual wants to make a difference in their environment in some way, shape or form, and has the selfcontrol to take persistent action toward that desire. Rebecca Fraser-Thill
ADAM 4D 7
Stop Chasing Her By Elite Daily As much as we hate to admit it, we can all relate to the experience of throwing away our self-respect to chase after someone who’s just not that into us. I made this mistake over and over, until I learned to focus on the bigger picture. Instead of scheming and manipulating to get a woman to like me, I started focusing on the habits that would boost my selfrespect instead of undermining it.These are some of the most important habits I’ve learned for dating when you’re single: 1. Be assertive and ask for what you want There is rarely a downside to being assertive, honest and open.You owe it to yourself and everyone you meet to be upfront about who you are and what you’re looking for. It’s scary to directly state your intentions, but it’s also a weak move to befriend a woman under false pretences; be direct instead. We all know that women love confidence. This habit applies for women as well. Even though social norms say men should be the initiator in relationships, there are norms from older generations.You can avoid chasing someone who only has lukewarm feelings for you if you are honest from day one. 2. View people in shades of grey Have you ever jumped into a relationship with someone, only to have it come crashing down when you realise he or she isn't who you initially fell for? When you first start to like someone, it’s a natural tendency to subconsciously overlook flaws. We forget that no one’s character is black and white. Everyone has flaws, but emotion makes us blind to these flaws. Be honest about the red flags you see in others. 3. Don’t mistake anxiety for attraction On a physiological level, feeling anxious that you might lose someone is very similar to the emotions of attraction. It’s crucial to distinguish between the two. If you start to crave someone’s attention more when he or she starts to pull away, you’re mistaking anxiety for attraction. Don’t set yourself up to be in an
unsatisfying relationship. Understand what real attraction looks and feels like rather than just anxiety about possibly losing someone. 4. Don’t try to manipulate people Unless you take a hard look at your own actions, it can be hard to realise when you’re trying to manipulate someone. We hear the word manipulation and think of lying, cheating or consciously trying to control others. But, in the social world, it’s usually more subtle than that. If someone isn’t into you, manipulation might drag out or soften the inevitable rejection, but it won’t ever force the person into being attracted to you. Especially when it comes to attraction and dating, people act emotionally then rationalise it logically. No amount of logically persuading someone to like you will work. It can hurt, and it can be difficult to stop doing it, but chasing and manipulating will always hurt your self-respect in the long run. 5. Walk away if you’re not getting enough interest or respect Often, the reason someone isn’t interested has nothing to do with you.You never completely know someone’s prior dating experiences, emotional patterns or subconscious preferences. Don’t waste your time on someone who isn’t showing you affection back. Emotionally available people will respond positively to your advances when there is genuine attraction between the two of you. Deep down in your gut, you know when you’re sticking around, even though you’re not being treated the way you deserve. And, when its over, make sure it’s really over. Ruminating over someone who got away or beating yourself up trying to understand what happened will only undermine your self-respect. Living by these rules will help you make better decisions in your dating life. Over time, they’ll help you maintain a healthy level of self-respect, and whomever you do decide to settle down with will be grateful for your confidence.
By ANUCYIA VICTOR Have you ever wondered what happens to your body after you drink a can of your favourite fizzy drink? A new infographic has revealed the reaction you go through for an hour after consuming, from the first sip, right through to 60 minutes after finishing. The graphic was compiled by The Renegade Pharmacist, a blog run by former UK pharmacist Niraj Naik and includes a seven-stop breakdown. He reveals: In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100 per cent of your recommended daily intake) You don't immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavour allowing you to keep it down. 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There's plenty of that at this particular moment). 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness. 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centres of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way. 60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
MEN DRESSING, NOT SHOWING OFF!
Do You Really Want This?
60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you'll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You've also now, literally, urinated the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.
BUSY DAY, SNACK SMARTER Whether you are stuck at a desk all day or running to-and-fro, eating habits throughout the day can often be a challenge and snacking becomes a bad habit. So if you do need to snack, here are a few tips to make sure you snack healthily! 1) Almonds - chew for longer helps curb hunger for longer! 2) Citrus - studies show they can help nourish and hydrate (and even helps encourage weight loss!) 3) Frozen grapes - freezing them means eating slower, perfect to help stop over-eating 4) Manage treats - that's right, plan your snacks and you can make room for a little indulgence 5) Multitask - Snacking while not working helps you be more aware of what you consume, so take a 5minute pause, snack and resume!
A MUST HAVE BOOK!
6 FRIENDS WHO WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE! by FRANK POWELL The “Tells You What You Want to Hear” Friend These friends say exactly what you want them to say. They do exactly what you want them to do. To put it bluntly, they're groupies, not friends. Groupies think their respective group, player, etc. hung the moon. The “No Ambition” Friend Some friends have ambition. But only toward things that don’t matter—like completing two seasons of their favourite Netflix show in one day. If you mention Xbox, movies, the opposite sex or the game plan for Friday and Saturday night, these friends perk up like the time I poured water on my roommate when he was sleeping. Not cool! The “Attention Must Be On Me” Friend These friends are plagued with jealousy and bitterness. They are extremely insecure. And here’s the big one: their lives are full of drama. They live a real-life soap opera. And most of these friends have no idea why drama always follows them.
The “Everyone Else is Doing It” Friend The “everyone else is doing it” friend justifies every action. Nothing is their fault. Not only do these friends refuse to accept responsibility for their actions, they also refuse to stand for anything. They go with the flow. If the crowd is doing it, they are doing it. As they follow the crowd, they will encourage you to do so, as well. The “Sees the Worst in Everything” Friend Negative people are exhausting. They drain your life and enthusiasm. They leave you feeling like the world, in general—and your life, in particular —is hopeless. The “Doesn’t Know How to Forgive” Friend These friends make a list of every person who disses them, shames them, or shows them up. They spend a lot of their time and energy seeking revenge. They wade in a pool of bitterness and resentment, drowning out any notion of forgiveness and grace. Find real friends and hold on to them. Originally posted on: frankpowell.me. 7
ADVENTIST CLOTHES SHOW: ON TOUR COMING SOON
UNDERSTAND GOD HAS A PLAN If God designed work for us, then He also designed each of us for specific purposes. Many people have followed career paths that parents wanted them to have, or they chose a career based on salary or prestige without asking themselves, “What does God want me to do?” When you know how God made you and the unique design He gave you, it is easier to pick a career path that you will enjoy. When you are living in your passion and design, work becomes part of our worship and something we love to do (at least, most of the time).
HATING YOUR JOB MAKES YOU UNGRATEFUL?
BEFORE YOU ESCAPE, IMPROVE PERFORMANCE! No doubt, many of us will find times in our lives where we are in a position we feel is a dead end. We know we need a change, but God may have us in a holding pattern as He develops us. Think of the time David spent being hunted by King Saul or the time Joseph spent in Egypt. Both spent many years in undesirable spots as God developed them for the leadership roles He had for them in the future. If you find yourself in a dead-end job and are looking for the next step, ask yourself what God may be trying to teach you in this current role. While you are being developed, the natural inclination may be to “check-out” and not give your best. But do the opposite! Improve your performance. Strive to be the best employee at your organisation. You always want to finish on a high note and have your coworkers wishing you success, not feeling glad you are departing. This is not only a great testimony, but it will also protect your reputation and help you later on in your career. PROTECT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS In this economy, relationships are currency. All business is based on relationships, and your career will accelerate or sputter based on the relationships you have, your connections and the reputation you develop based on your work. Many people leave a place of work thinking that job and relationships in that environment will only hold a place in their history. The reality is that it will hold a place in your future as well. Many employers will contact old bosses—or even old colleagues!— for recommendations. In many industries, reputations and rumours spread faster than a bad flu. Accelerate your career by protecting your reputation, building strong relationships, doing great work, honouring your commitments and being a person people love, respect and want to work with. DEFAULT TO TAKING ACTION It has been said that God can’t steer a parked car. Far too often, I have heard people complain about miserable jobs, insufferable bosses and abusive environments—and then sit back and hope that God will open a door for them to leave.
Hope is not a strategy, and it is not a sign of great faith to do nothing. Sometimes, we can just be lazy. We need to be in prayer and seek wise counsel and know that God will open doors in His timing, but we are also expected to be a part of the equation. Take the time to update your CV. You should have a different CV for every job you are applying for that highlights your key attributes for that job. Notify your network and connections in positions of influence that you are looking to make a transition. Seventy-five percent of jobs are not advertised and are filled by connections and word of mouth. Reach out to placement agencies like Vaco, Korn Ferry and Grant Thornton to see what is available in your market and work with a professional team. Leverage free applications like Poacht, Switch, Jobr and JobBox to help you search and discreetly notify others that you are on the market and looking for a new opportunity. When you do get an offer, be sure to take the time to negotiate your salary and perks. Those in dead-end jobs often neglect this because they have the mindset that “any opportunity is better than this one.” Never lose hope! So often, I have seen that when people are at their lowest, that is when they have their biggest breakthroughs. As opportunities come in, remember not to jump at the first one. Take your time to make sure it is the right fit for you and that it will enhance your career and unlock your full potential. By Robert Dickie, Relevant Magazine
The Big Questions! Question: "Should Christians go to parties?” “What does the Bible say about partying?” Answer: The short answer to this question is “it depends on the party.” Parties are popular because they are fun opportunities to get together with friends, meet new people, and to relax and enjoy one another’s company. As human beings, we are designed to be social creatures. We live in groups, work in groups, and socialise in groups. So when we desire to party, we are responding to the need for human interaction, fun, and relaxation. This is normal and natural. For Christians, the desire for human interaction has the added dimension of wanting and needing fellowship. The Greek word translated “fellowship” in the New Testament is koinonia, which means “partnership, participation, social interaction, and communication.” The important concept for Christian fellowship is “partnership.” The Bible tells us we have been called into fellowship (partnership) with Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9), with the Father (1 John 1:3), and with the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:1). John tells us that, as believers, we have fellowship with one another by virtue of the blood Jesus shed for us on the cross (1 John 1:7). Paul adds the idea that to fellowship with Christ is to partake of His suffering (Philippians 3:10). We are also warned that we are not to have fellowship with evil (1 Corinthians 10:20). Just as light and darkness are incompatible, so there should be no fellowship between Christians and sin. The problem with the question “should Christians go to parties?” is that the “parties” being asked about are almost always not “fellowship parties.” There is no reason to even ask the question regarding parties that are focused on Christian fellowship. No, this question is almost always in regard to parties that involve alcohol, drugs, and/or sex. Certainly, there are non-Christians who can party innocently, but a party that involves things that are immoral and/or illegal must be avoided. As believers, we are to guard ourselves against temptation, remembering that “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Further, attending parties where sinful activities occur—even if we don’t participate in them—weakens our witness and brings reproach on the name of Christ (Romans 2:24)."Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness" (2 Timothy 2:19). There are those who might see going to parties as an opportunity to share Christ with unbelievers, and while we are to be ready with an answer for the hope within us at all times, that presupposes unbelievers at a party are interested in the gospel. Rarely does such an opportunity arise at a party where drinking, drug use, and sexual activity are occurring. Therefore, while Christians should take every opportunity to fellowship with other believers, we must be discerning about opening ourselves up to temptation or anything that would compromise our life in Christ and our witness to a watching world.
CLICK HERE 7
Supercharge Your Productivity (And Peace!) Step 1 of 5 Step One: Unplug during downtime… with this baby step Constantly having notifications popping up on your phone at all hours can really make you feel important and in the know. The dark side of constant interruptions is that when you’re “off the clock” they take you out of the moment and disconnect you from the perfectly amazing time that you would have otherwise been having. That’s play time that you need and earned!
Here’s the thing: no matter how important your work is, when emergencies happen they’re likely few and far between. And in a worst case scenario where one happens, if you empower people to phone you when there’s a Real Emergency (and you’re firm on what that is!) you’ll likely find out about urgent situations faster and be more quick & effective at solving them than if you tried to mash out an action plan on that tiny keyboard. Still, while it can make all the sense in the world, turning off your email notifications is a scary step to take. My “baby steps” workaround was finding a mail app that let me set a time window when I would receive notifications. Once I could set notifications to end at 8pm and wake up to find that my house hadn’t burned down, I could start to slowly walk that end time back until I turned notifications off completely. The result is that I’m less stressed, more present at work and at home, and I’m much happier. If you’re having trouble finding an app that has this feature, I use iGmail on my iPhone and I love it. This is the first of five steps in a series that we’ll be sharing with each edition - so don't miss the next issue! - See more at: www.kylaroma.com
CHRISTIAN FASHION IS NO LONGER A TABOO...
ADVENTIST CLOTHES SHOW: ON TOUR COMING SOON
Simplicity and Modesty is a good Principle but Class and Style are Allowed,
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Cambridge Seventh-day Adventist Church 15 - 19 Hobart Road, CB! 3PU T 07956 931 469 team@live-uk.org www.live-uk.org
LIVING INTENTIONALLY VS. EXISTING