“Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realise that both come from God” – Ecclesiastes 7:14 The title of this article has been borrowed from a report by Robert W. Resek et al. of the Illinois higher education network. The inspiration for the article comes from several sources: (1) the text above; …
“…And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” – Matthew 8:25-26 The Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation was originally conceived …
“Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave” – Proverbs 12:24 The Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s (BEF) vision is “Barbados – The #1 Entrepreneurial Hub in the World by 2020”. BEF promotes the concept that Entrepreneurship needs to be supported by mentorship, money and a user-friendly enabling environment. Everyone has a vision …
“Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed” – Proverbs 16:3 Last week, in this column, I commented that, as a matter of urgency, we must focus on a sequence of four outcomes. The Budget: I understand that Minister Sinckler, as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, is fervently leading the charge …
“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death is better than the day of one’s birth” – Ecclesiastes 7:1 Let us all put our shoulders to the wheel, deliver and garner a good reputation so that the day we depart, our sojourn shall be deemed to be worthwhile in God’s …
“Do not be selfish; do not try to impress others; be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves” – Philippians 2:3 Last Sunday it was my privilege to address the gathering on the occasion of the 17th Anniversary Celebrations of the extended Springer Family. My topic was “Who or What Am I?” I set …
“And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows” – Matthew 10: 30-31 The challenge that we have throughout the world is that of creating a strategy for sustainable economic growth. This is achieved through people and we …
“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10)” In a couple of days I would have completed, Deo Volente, three score and ten years on this planet. I practise good nutrition (most of the time), keep to a …
“Be honest in the evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us” – Romans 12:3 The Caribbean is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-culinary, multi- genre (musical) and multi-lingual region officially made up of an archipelago of islands and selected mainland emerging territories nested between North and South America, Central America in …
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you the path to take” – Proverbs 3:5-6 A few weeks ago, I received the following message from a reader: “I am enjoying reading your articles; I am interesting …
“The Lord is not being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake” – 2 Peter 3:9 There is a saying “Proper Prior Planning prevents Poor Performance” or some variation thereof. The context in which this is usually made relates to the process leading to the achievement …
“God has given both his promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie” – Hebrews 6:18 Life is a magnificent learning experience. It is one continual effort for man to discover the laws of God, which are predetermined and immutable, as we plough through the discovery …
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” – Psalm 23: 1-3 The Market Oracle, a free daily UK resourced online publication, …
“Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave” – Proverbs 12:24 The recession has left its mark. Some of us are comfortable and apparently relatively secure but many of us are living in a daze wondering how soon will be the day when we are faced with the reality “how am …
“Listen you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong” – Micah 3:1 Recently, I have reflected on my professional life and have concluded that innovation, the successful application of new ideas in practice, has been my driving force. Firstly, as Biometrician at the UWI campus in Trinidad, I had to establish …
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” – Joshua 1:9 The seed of a vision now incorporated as, the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation Inc., was fertilised less than two years ago during a casual conversation between the fertile minds of two individuals …
“Honour those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other” – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-1 Leadership comes in many varieties and intensities. There are spiritual leaders; country, company, cultural, family, youth and environmental leaders. Our societies can only function …
“Don’t be selfish; Don’t try to impress others. Be humble, think of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too” – Philippians 2: 3-4 Last week was a big week for the 69 clubs in the 14 countries which constitute Rotary International District …
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth; Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled; Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy; Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God; Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the …
“I have done the Lord’s work humbly, but with many tears” – Acts 20:19 Today I am motivated to take a Caribbean perspective mainly because of a video that I watched which Johnson Johnrose, the Communications Specialist at the Caribbean Tourism Organization, posted on Facebook. It may be accessed as follows: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150212916850883&comments. My comment to …
“Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone” – 1 Thessalonians 5:14 We have found that Entrepreneurs want to join Bim Ventures primarily because they want access to money through the Barbados Entrepreneurs’ Venture Capital Fund. We explain that we are not here to provide money to pay debts or support …
“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God” – Hebrews 12:15 The Caribbean Business Enterprise Initiative (CBEI) was designed as a “Caribbean Catalyst turning Concepts into Commercial Realities”. The CBEI then assumed a corporate cloak in the form of the Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. which now …
“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God” – Hebrews 12:15 There are many circumstances in life when we are reportedly “down and out” but we unite and pray that, by the Grace of God, we may recover. In the recently concluded Cricket World Cup game in …
“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” – Proverbs 16:3 Last week Brian Griffith, in his “Jewels for Today” series, drew our attention to a Bulgarian proverb “New Day, New Destiny”. I was intrigued by this because, at first blush, it was apparently paradoxical. Certainly, in my mind, “destiny” connotes a …
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever” – Psalm 16:11 As far as I recall, as part of our Christian upbringing, my mother used to instil in her two children that the way in which you bring JOY into …
“Right behind you a voice will say – This is the way you should go – whether to the right or to the left” – Isaiah 30:21 A SUMMIT every November and a FORUM every month – that is indicative of the new volunteer thrust which emanates from the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s (BEF) engine. Please …
“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” – (Isaiah 40:31) In the last week of January 2011, Kingston BETA www.kingstonbeta.com kicked off the first in its series of bimonthly events in Kingston, …
“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore” – Isaiah 65:17 Maria Robinson, www.thinkexist.com, has been quoted: “No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending”. The message here is that …
“He that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new; write, for these words are true and faithful; it is done; I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” – Revelation 21:5-6. Well …
“I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord. There are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” – Jeremiah 29:11 Earlier this year one of David Jessop’s weekly contributions was entitled “Does the CSME have a future”. My contention is that whereas “CSM” is …
“I can do everything through Christ, who gives me the strength” – Philippians 4:13 A visit to the Rotary International (RI) website reveals that RI is the world’s largest service organisation for business and professional people, with some 1,243,000 members in 163 countries world-wide. On February 23, 1905, Chicago lawyer, Paul P. Harris, called three …
“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” – Romans 12:6 I was honoured to have been invited to participate on a panel to discuss “Innovation and Emerging Business” as part of an overall conference theme titled “Driving Comparative Advantage: Diversity, Unity and Innovation” as it relates to future …
“A merry heart does good, like medicine” – Proverbs 17:22 We have, with God’s grace, survived 2010 and now face the challenges of 2011. It is the time of the year when we may position ourselves to be inspired by New Year resolutions. My recommendation is to keep smiling, stay happy and love the people …
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” – Hebrew 12: 1-2 At this time of the year we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our …
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” – Colossians 3:23 “Experts spend a lot of time trying to find out what makes people successful. They often look at people’s credentials, intelligence, education and other factors. But more than anything else passion is what makes …
“And the things that you have heard from me…, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” – 2 Timothy 2:2 In order to chart the way forward on the path of progress, where the next step lands (size and direction) should be determined by information garnered in the immediately …
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” – Psalm 91:1 Life is driven by Positive Belief systems: ambition; self-confidence; good relationships; and security. We aspire to these goals and seek continuous improvement. Perfection is the preserve of the divine. Place oneself in the …
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” – John 10:27 One of the international speakers at the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s first annual SUMMIT, held on November 16 and 17 2010 at the Barbados Hilton, was Dr. Edmund S. Molloy, from the Republic of Ireland. Eddie is married to a …
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind” – 2 Timothy 1:7 John C. Maxwell in his quote for November 19 from “Leadership promises for every day” advises as follows: “People rise or fall to meet our level of expectations for them…If you believe …
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” – Philippians 1:6 Traditionally, the factors of production were materials, manpower and money. On the advent of the information age, a fourth factor “knowledge” was introduced along with a new …
“When Saul was king over us, you (David) were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you – You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel” – 2 Samuel 5:2 The book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John Maxwell has become a …
“Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth” – Proverbs 27:1 Over the last week there has been a continual global outpouring of sympathy to the family of our late leader. There have also been reflections on his relatively short life (Hon. Tom Adams 55; The Right …
“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee’ – Proverbs 25:21-22. The selection of the above text was divinely inspired. The first part I could relate to …
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” – Proverbs 23:7 Whatever one’s political persuasion or ideology, if one wants to ensure a high quality of socio-economic well-being in a given country it is wise to move forward in unison with the social partners towards this goal. If one does not pursue this …
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: – Ephesians 1:1 Mainland China is a single country but it is socio-economically demarcated by the rich and the poor. In Barbados, we are blessed and are not faced with …
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise” – Proverbs 11:30 I have listened to those formally trained in the medical profession, both traditional and alternative medicine, and as a result I try to maintain a healthy existence using the preventive formula “nutrition, exercise and peace …
“The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead” – Proverbs 21:16 We exist to discover. As we journey along the discovery spectrum we evolve from our exposure to data and information which then constitutes our state of knowledge. Our continuing pursuits transport us through the …
“And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them” – Acts 16:10 Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith is a fictional character in the 1980s action/adventure television series “The A-Team”. His favourite catch phrase is, “I love …
“And look! The tears of the oppressed but they have no comforter…on the side of the oppressors there is power, but they (too) have no comforter”- Ecclesiastes 4:1 The book “Psychology – The Search for Understanding”, and I dare say many others, comprehensively describes Maslow’s hierarchy of five levels of basic needs as follows: Physiological …
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” – John 6:51 The event – the nineteenth version of the Caribbean Media …
“And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee” – Exodus 23:25 On 28 August 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered an address at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. which was entitled “I Have a Dream”. …
“And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they feared the king for they saw that the wisdom of the Lord was within him to administer justice” – 1 Kings 3:28 The smart partnership philosophy is the lynchpin which fastens the relationship between social partners (government, the private sector, trade …