Iron Crowned Chapter 17

We learned more about the full extent of Imanuelle's ability as Kiyo and I made our way with her on horseback to the Rowan Land. Her illusions were every bit as good as she'd demonstrated the first day, and I watched with grudging awe as she transformed Kiyo into Girard, Shaya, and – ack – Dorian. The illusions were perfect – and dangerous. I began to fully understand why she was such a good assassin. She really could be whomever she wanted, slipping into high security places without anyone knowing. I was a bit shocked when some part of my brain skipped right past employing her to detaining her. That part of my brain said getting rid of her would be safer for me in the future, and I immediately chastised myself for the idea. Imprisoning potential enemies was something Storm King would have done. â€Å"It's not all-powerful,† she said at one point. I think she was just making idle conversation now, having no clue of my concerns. We'd crossed into the Rowan Land now, and she'd dropped her tricks with Kiyo, settling on illusions of bedraggled peasants for all of us. â€Å"Doing it for three people takes more power. And even for myself, I can't hold up disguises forever.† She made a small face. â€Å"If I could, I'd be a spy instead. A lot less messy.† I said nothing but exchanged brief glances with Kiyo behind her back. He too had to have analyzed the implications of her abilities. I was also thinking that when we'd first tried to rescue Jasmine from Aeson, our plan had failed because a spy had betrayed us. There was every possibility now that Imanuelle could do the same, and I wondered if I'd been too quick to trust such an unknown quantity. I could only hope love for her brother would keep her loyal to his employer. Despite its name, the Rowan Land was dominated by cherry trees. Well, at least that was my impression whenever I crossed through it while journeying to other kingdoms. As we traveled further along roads that delved deeper into Katrice's kingdom, the cherry trees gave way to other plants and trees – including rowans. They were smaller than I'd expected and laden with berries of their own. This land was really quite nice, temperate and pleasantly warm, with beautiful green landscapes. It would be a shame if I did have to raze it to the ground. We saw signs of Katrice's castle long before the castle itself. Other travelers joined us on the road, those whose towns had been caught in the crossfire of war and now sought out food and shelter from their monarch. Most were on foot, and we passed them quickly, for which I was glad. I needed no guilt on this journey. We also began seeing soldiers, undoubtedly part of the increased security that Rurik had predicted. Some were traveling to and from the castle. Some were stationed along the way, carefully watching those of us who passed. I held my breath each time, waiting for Imanuelle's illusions to fail us. Along with acknowledging her power limits, she'd also told us some gentry were sensitive to her type of magic and could see through her spells. She'd told us this halfway through the journey. It was information that kind of would have been useful before setting out. But, although we were scrutinized, the soldiers allowed us to pass, and before long, the castle itself came into view. I paused a moment, admiring it in spite of myself. Dorian and I both had dark, blocky stone castles, like Norman strongholds left on barren English countryside. Maiwenn's home was elegant and fanciful, always reminding me of a Disney movie. Katrice's castle, however, could have been straight out of a postcard from Bavaria. It had strong, straight rectangular lines, its sides white and covered with windows. That sturdy boxiness was offset by graceful turrets rising from the center, almost delicate-looking with their pointed black roofs. The land had been rising as we traveled, so it wasn't a surprise to see the castle was situated high on one of the foothills leading off into pretty, snowcapped mountains. It had a sweeping view of the area we were approaching from, and a sturdy wall surrounded its immediate grounds. Here we came to a stop along with the others seeking admission. We formed a long, clustered line, making me nervous. â€Å"Why the backup? Are they refusing people?† I asked softly. â€Å"We don't usually have this many at our gates.† Kiyo peered ahead, his sharp eyes seeing what we couldn't. â€Å"No, they're letting them in, just doing a fair amount of questioning, which is slowing things down. And you're right – you never have this many because your lands haven't been attacked as much.† Good and bad, I thought. I'd kept my own people safe, but the war I was waging was devastating homes. It occurred to me I might not have to worry about Katrice. If these people discovered who was among them, I might very well be taken down by an angry mob. â€Å"Easy,† murmured Imanuelle. â€Å"Don't look nervous. I can't hide your expressions.† I schooled myself to neutrality, hoping I looked blank and exhausted. After almost an hour of restless waiting, our turn came. Four guards interrogated us, and we were quick with answers. For our cover story, we'd chosen a village that had been near a battle Dorian's armies had fought with Katrice's. Most of the residents had cleared out before the fighting, but a large part of the village had been destroyed. â€Å"Our house was burned to the ground,† Imanuelle said. She didn't even need the illusion of an older, rag-clad woman to be pathetic. Her demeanor and voice were filled with perfect, convincing despair. â€Å"Our crops were wiped out.† After a bit more questioning, they let us in, sending us toward what was essentially a gentry breadline. The inner grounds of Katrice's castle were packed with people – most soldiers – and we had to shoulder our way through the crowd to reach the corner where the poor and huddled masses were situated. Many appeared to have made this courtyard their temporary home. It looked like a well-used campground. Nonetheless, food was on hand, and I was relieved that these victims of war were being cared for. We hovered near the food line so as not to raise suspicion, all the while assessing the area. In particular, our attention rested on the main gates to the castle itself. It was the most heavily guarded spot of all, and I knew then that an outright assault would have indeed been long and bloody. Other soldiers moved through the door with little questioning, which was what we'd hoped for. Finding a relatively obscured corner between a tall tent and the wall, we ducked out of sight and let Imanuelle work her next spell. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A tingle ran over me, and the world blurred. When I could focus on my companions again, I saw myself looking at the guards who had admitted us. â€Å"Whoa, wait,† I said, assuming I probably looked like one of the gate soldiers as well. â€Å"Don't you think we might have a few problems if we run into our clones? Why didn't you make us look like random unknowns?† â€Å"Because if the other guards don't recognize us, we'll get questioned more,† Imanuelle explained. She studied her hands critically, a small smile showing pride in her work. â€Å"I don't think the ones at the gate are leaving their posts anytime soon. We shouldn't run into them.† She spoke confidently, but I had a feeling she was secretly thinking I hope. Everyone was too concerned with his or her own affairs to realize that three peasants had ducked away, and three soldiers had emerged. When the refugees saw us, though, they stepped quickly out of our way. No pushing this time. None of us needed lessons on how to behave. Whereas our initial entry had been weak and bedraggled, we now walked with the confidence and strength of those who ran this place. We barely hesitated as we moved to the castle's entrance, and those on guard stepped aside without comment. Being inside proved a bit more confusing. We'd received some information on the castle's layout, but we didn't know exactly where Jasmine was being held. We couldn't pause to deliberate, though. We had to keep moving like we had purpose or else attract attention. Soldiers and servants hurried around us, and we fell in step with some down a random hall. Kiyo, always fast-thinking, stopped a lone, young soldier. â€Å"Hey,† said Kiyo brusquely. â€Å"We've had reports that someone might try to rescue the Thorn Queen's sister.† The soldier's blue eyes widened. â€Å"What? We should alert – â€Å" â€Å"No, no,† Kiyo interrupted. â€Å"Keep it to yourself. We don't want to raise suspicion. The outside guard already knows and is on watch. We need to know if she's been moved or not. There were rumors that she had been.† I tried not to bite my lip. Kiyo sounded like he knew what he was talking about, but this was a dangerous moment. As I'd worried before, Jasmine might not even be held here. There was also a chance that this guard didn't know her location, and we'd have to keep playing this game with others. The more people we talked to, the riskier our mission became. â€Å"Not that I've heard,† said the soldier. â€Å"She's still in the dungeon.† I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd half-expected him to say she was in Cassius's bedroom. The dungeons weren't great either, but well †¦ it was no different than how I'd initially treated her. I waited for Kiyo to demand more details – how many guards were on her, where the dungeons were, et cetera. Instead he gave the soldier a curt nod and again warned him to be on alert but not to share his knowledge. â€Å"We needed more info,† I hissed to Kiyo as we continued walking down the hall. Whatever her faults, Katrice had good interior design sense. Floral paintings hung on the walls, and elaborate plants spilled out of vases. The beauty was lost on me, though. â€Å"Why'd you let him go?† â€Å"Because real guards would already know anything else we wanted to ask,† he replied. â€Å"Asking where the dungeons are would definitely be a tipoff that something was up.† â€Å"And I already know where they are,† said Imanuelle. Both Kiyo and I looked at her in surprise. â€Å"Downstairs,† she added. â€Å"Dungeons are always downstairs,† I pointed out. â€Å"Have you been to them?† asked Kiyo. She nodded and crooked us a grin. â€Å"Powerful leaders aren't the only ones with prices on their heads. Sometimes important prisoners need to disappear too.† I grimaced at her amusement but was grateful when she got us turned around. With a clear purpose, I grew more and more tense. This was it. What would we find? No one was giving us a second glance up here, but in the dungeons, we'd attract attention – especially when we busted out one of their prisoners. Our castle faà §ades might have been different, but Katrice and I possessed similar dungeons. Dark. Gloomy. Gray stone walls and torches. It was such a stereotype, but I supposed it helped dampen the hopes of any prisoners. Imanuelle led us confidently down flights of stairs and into a long, wide corridor. Jasmine's cell was easy to spot because six guards stood outside it – again, reminiscent of her earlier conditions at my place. â€Å"Good luck,† said Imanuelle, falling behind us. She was apparently holding true to her word that this was all on us now. The guards on duty were sharp-eyed and naturally noticed our approach, but none of them reacted with wariness or alarm. A couple displayed curiosity, wondering perhaps if orders had changed, but that was it. Kiyo and I had discussed several strategies on our journey and finally decided swift and surprising force would be the way to go. When we were still several feet away, I sent my magic out, pulling in the air like a deep breath and throwing it back at the guards in the form of a gale-worthy wind. It ruffled our hair and brushed our skin, but the blast literally threw the guards off their feet. There were cries of shock, and two went down right then and there from the impact of slamming against the corridor's end. The other four were up on their feet, three drawing copper swords. Fire appeared in the hands of the fourth. I should have expected Katrice would put magic-users on Jasmine, along with brute force. There was no other time to ponder that, though, because the guy suddenly hurled a fireball at us. I instinctually drew on the surrounding air again, along with its moisture, disintegrating the fire with little effort. Kiyo surged forward then, attacking one of the guards. I ran forward as well, my attention focused on another guard as I created a vacuum around him, pulling all air away from him. His eyes widened as he gasped and clutched his throat, trying to draw an impossible breath. I held the magic as one of his colleagues tried to attack me. I dodged the sword, largely because the iron dagger in my hand was making him keep his distance. The guy in the thralls of my magic finally passed out from the lack of oxygen, and I released him, letting him collapse unconscious to the floor. Before I could even deal with the other soldier by me, Kiyo leapt out and tackled him to the floor. I took this to mean Kiyo's first opponent was out of commission, leaving me with the magic user. Not having learned anything the first time, he hurled another fireball at me. I admired his control; too much would have incinerated everyone in the hall. But with my magic, swatting the fire away was an afterthought for me. He had no weapon out, and I stepped forward, pushing my athame to his throat. He cried out at the sting of the iron, offering no fight as I began drawing away his oxygen too. A realization glinted in his eyes. Illusion or no, he must have figured out who would wield air and water so easily – and hold onto iron. â€Å"Thorn Queen †¦Ã¢â‚¬  he gasped out, as the last of his air left him. I saw unconsciousness seizing him, but just before it did, he managed a weak flutter of his hand. No fire came, but I felt an intense wave of heat spread out. It didn't hurt me, but there was a physical power within it, one that rippled the air and made the walls tremble slightly just before he too collapsed to the floor. Kiyo and I stood there among the bodies – dead or alive, I didn't know – and glanced at each other and our surroundings carefully. Imanuelle still stood back but looked impressed. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I asked. â€Å"I'm guessing an alarm,† she said. â€Å"Fuck.† I turned toward Jasmine's cell and saw her huddled in the farthest corner, regarding me with large, wary eyes. Water was her true specialty; she had only slight control over air. Nonetheless, she would have felt the strength of the magic I'd used. Like the guard, she knew there were few who could do what I'd done – but her vision told her it wasn't me standing there. I was still under Imanuelle's illusion. Kiyo was already searching bodies and soon found a key. We opened the cell, but Jasmine didn't move. She didn't look too worse for the wear, but I knew some of the most terrible behaviors rarely left a mark. There was a small tear in her dress and a bruise on her arm that looked like the signs of a struggle, probably during her initial capture. I also noticed they'd left the fine iron chains on her that Girard had created to stunt her magic. My own safeguard had undoubtedly been useful for her captors. I gestured to the door, uneasy about what Imanuelle had said about an alarm. â€Å"Jasmine, come on. It's us. Me and Kiyo.† â€Å"And by me,† said Kiyo, pointing in my direction, â€Å"she means Eugenie.† Jasmine hesitated, looking between our faces. â€Å"How is that possible?† Imanuelle, who'd been watching the hall's entrance, turned hastily toward the cell. â€Å"How do you think? With magic. Look at yourself.† Jasmine's features rippled, and soon, we were staring at another Rowan soldier. Jasmine studied her hands in astonishment. The illusion showed no chains, but she would still be able to feel them. â€Å"Your iPod's playlist sucks,† I said when she continued to hesitate. â€Å"Would a gentry guard say that?† â€Å"Come on,† urged Imanuelle. She'd been confident she could get herself out of any danger here, but those odds were better if she wasn't in a hall that could easily be blocked off if a regiment came tearing toward the entrance. Jasmine must have decided this new development could be no worse than her present fate. She jumped up and left the cell, following as the rest of us made for the stairs. We reached the main floor without opposition, but once there, all was chaos. Soldiers were running in the direction we'd come from, and I wondered how long it'd take them to realize we were the only ones not going toward the dungeons. Except †¦ it turned out that wasn't the case. In the confusion, no one stopped us from exiting the front door, but the inner grounds were packed with soldiers. They were cramming terrified refugees into one well-guarded section, and the gates in the outer walls had been shut. â€Å"Fuck,† I said again. It still seemed like the only adequate way to sum up this situation. â€Å"We could jump to the human world,† said Kiyo. â€Å"Imanuelle can get out on her own.† I considered this. It was true. Imanuelle could change into a peasant or whatever and escape detection until an opportunity for escape popped up. Kiyo's abilities allowed him to transition with relative ease through the worlds without a gate. I could do it – but not without difficulty. And I needed to use an anchor to draw me back. I had a couple back in my home, but Jasmine had nothing like that. She probably couldn't jump at random from the Otherworld. I wasn't even sure if she could with an anchor – and the iron chains made it worse. We could both end up doing serious damage to ourselves. â€Å"We can't,† I said. â€Å"We've just got to hide out.† I turned to Imanuelle. â€Å"How are you doing? Can you turn us all to peasants again?† She nodded. â€Å"We've got to get out of sight, though.† Her confidence was a small blessing, at least. Imanuelle was keeping up four illusions now, and her strength had been a concern in all this, that and someone who would be able to see through – â€Å"It's her! It's the Thorn Queen!† The shrieking voice that suddenly drew all eyes to us didn't come from the soldiers. It came from an old woman among the huddled refugees. She reminded me of Masthera, with white hair and wild eyes. She was pointing at us, and there was something in her gaze †¦ some piercing quality that made me believe she could see straight through the illusions to us. â€Å"Damn,† said Imanuelle. There was both fear and hurt pride in her voice. Although this had been a possibility, I knew she'd secretly felt her powers were too strong for detection. Maybe the four of us had stretched her magic thin. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought that one shout would be enough to pull attention to us, not in the chaos out there. Yet, the woman's voice brought silence to those nearby. They turned to stare at us, and soon, others who hadn't heard her noticed the reactions and fell quiet as well. â€Å"Hush,† snapped a guard, finally breaking the confused silence. He was one of the ones keeping the civilians out of the way. â€Å"We have no time for this.† The old woman shook her head adamantly. â€Å"Can't you see? Can't you see them? It's the Thorn Queen and her sister! They're right there!† The guard's face darkened. â€Å"I told you, we – â€Å" His jaw dropped because that was when the guards who'd been on gate duty earlier approached. They came to a standstill, staring at us in complete shock. If we hadn't panicked over the alarm, one of us probably would have thought to change the illusion so we looked like the unconscious soldiers, not the ones we would have to pass by again. It was a bad, bad oversight, and now everyone could see us and our mirror images. The guard yelling at the old woman might not know what was going on, but he knew something was going on. â€Å"Seize them,† he said. He glanced uneasily at his true colleagues and decided to cover his bases. â€Å"Seize them too.† Other soldiers moved toward us unquestioningly. I sized up the numbers. We were good, but I didn't think Kiyo and I could take that many in melee. Jasmine came to that same conclusion. â€Å"Blow them up,† she said. â€Å"We can blow our way out of here.† By ‘we,' she meant ‘me,' and I knew she was talking about storms, not explosions. Some part of me had already known that was the answer. Barely even realizing it, I summoned all my magic, making the beautiful, sunny day in the Rowan Land quickly fade. Black and purple clouds tumbled across the sky at impossible speeds, lightning flashing so close to us that the ground trembled. Humidity and ozone filled the air, wind rising and falling. It had come about in a matter of seconds, and the approaching soldiers halted. The old woman's crazy claim was no longer so crazy in light of that magic. They were all realizing that no matter what their eyes said, the possibility was now very good that Eugenie Markham truly stood before them. And I might be a wartime enemy, one they needed to capture, but I was also Storm King's daughter, and that was not a title taken lightly. They knew what I could do, and it was enough to freeze up years of training. â€Å"Let us pass,† I said. I began slowly moving toward the gate, my three companions following a moment later. â€Å"Let us pass, or I'll let this storm explode in here. It's already on the edge. One breath, and I can let it go.† Thunder and lightning crackled above us, driving home my point. There were small screams from some of the crowd. â€Å"Do you know what that kind of storm will do in an area this small? To all of you?† â€Å"It will kill them,† a voice suddenly said. â€Å"Horribly.† I looked over toward the castle's entrance and saw Katrice herself standing there. Guards hurried to flank her, but she held up a hand to halt them. It had been a long time since I'd seen her. All of our antagonistic contact had been through messenger and letter. She looked like she had at our last meeting, black hair laced with silver and dark eyes that scrutinized everything around her. She was in full regal mode too, in silver-gray satin and a small jeweled tiara. But no †¦ as I studied her, I saw a slight difference. She looked older than the last time we'd been together. Leith's death and this war had taken their toll. I stared her straight in the eye, my adversary, the cause of so much recent grief in my life. I needed no storm around me because one was breaking out within, winds of fury and anger swirling around and around inside me. â€Å"Drop the spell,† I said to Imanuelle, without looking at her. I wanted to be face-to-face with Katrice, and honestly, it wasn't like my identity was a secret anymore. I felt another tingle, and a few gasps told me I wore my own form now. A small, tight smile crossed Katrice's lips. â€Å"Yes,† she continued, â€Å"you could unleash a storm here. You could destroy a large part of this wall, this castle. You could most certainly destroy all these people – which is what you're good at, right? You put on this lofty pose about protecting lives, yet somehow, death always follows you. You leave it in your wake, just as Tirigan did. But at least he had no delusions about what he was doing.† The comparison to my father increased the anger in me. The weather mirrored my reaction, the sky growing darker and the air pressure intensifying. â€Å"Go ahead,† said Katrice. â€Å"Show me your storm.† â€Å"You don't have to kill them,† said Jasmine beside me, voice low. â€Å"Just her.† Was she right? Was that all it would take? I could kill Katrice, no question. One unexpected bolt of lightning, and she'd be gone. If memory served, her magic was similar to Shaya's: a connection and control with plant-life. As a queen, someone with the ability to conquer a land, Katrice possessed that power to levels that dwarfed Shaya's. It was probably why the trees and plants here were so beautiful. It was also probably why we hadn't been attacked yet. This inner courtyard around the castle was cleared land, hard-packed dirt that facilitated travel for guards, merchants, and other visitors. If we'd been outside the walls, I would have likely had a forest marching on me by now. â€Å"You can do that too,† said Katrice, still trying to bait me. I couldn't tell if she was simply attempting to prolong her life or trying to catch me off guard for some other attack. â€Å"Kill me in cold blood. Just like you did my son. It's in your nature.† â€Å"It's not cold blood in wartime,† I growled. â€Å"And your son deserved it. He was a weak, cowardly bastard who had to lie and drug women to get what he wanted.† This made her flinch slightly, but she didn't hesitate to return the arrow. â€Å"But he did get what he wanted. He got you. He couldn't have been that weak.† Those words stung, but before I could respond, a young man slipped into place beside her. His resemblance was so strong to her and Leith that there could be no question of his identity: Cassius, her nephew. The rage within me doubled. Seeing him reminded me of what he'd most likely done to Jasmine. My reason was slipping, replaced by pure fury. â€Å"You should have let this go,† I told Katrice, my voice perfectly level. â€Å"You should have accepted Leith's death as punishment for what he did. An even slate. Lives have been lost because of you. More will be now.† One bolt. One bolt, and she was dead. Hell, I could probably take out Cassius with it too. â€Å"Eugenie,† said Kiyo. â€Å"Don't. Don't do it.† â€Å"What else am I supposed to do?† I breathed, out of the others' earshot. â€Å"I warned you before there would be consequences. Please listen to me this time,† he begged. â€Å"There will be again.† â€Å"What do you expect me to do?† My voice was louder. I didn't care who heard. â€Å"This is wartime. I kill their leader. I win. Otherwise, I let hell loose in here, and these people die. Which do you want, Kiyo? Pick – or else find another way.† He didn't respond, but Katrice's tight smile grew at seeing dissent within my ranks. â€Å"No options but death. You are Tirigan's daughter. I'm glad now that Leith didn't get you with child. His plan seemed wise at first, but it's better my exalted bloodline isn't mingled with yours – though the gods know how much Leith tried. He told me about it. Often. Ah, well. I suppose we'll know soon how Cassius fared †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her gaze lingered slightly on Jasmine beside me. Imanuelle had dropped all our disguises. â€Å"Eugenie – † Jasmine tried to speak, but I didn't want to listen. â€Å"Are you trying to get yourself killed?† I demanded of Katrice. Each word was harsh, almost impossible to get out. I was changing my mind about the lightning. I was remembering how I'd killed Aeson, literally blowing him apart by ripping the water from his body. There were so many ways to kill her, so many ways to bring about humiliation. Katrice gave a small shrug, and despite that smug attitude, I saw a pang of regret in her eyes. â€Å"I have a feeling I'll die one way or another today. I just want everyone to know the truth about you before I do.† I froze. I'd told Kiyo to give me another option, and he'd had none. But there was one other. â€Å"The truth,† I said slowly, reaching toward my backpack, â€Å"is that you aren't going to die today. But you'll wish you had.† I can only assume what happened next was born out of pure emotion, out of the anger and despair her words about me and Jasmine had evoked. Situational adrenaline probably played a role too, and †¦ well, maybe there was something in my genes after all. I pulled the Iron Crown from my backpack. Katrice turned white, all cockiness gone. Those who recognized the crown displayed similar fear, audible and visible. Others just stared curiously. â€Å"No,† she gasped. â€Å"No. Please don't.† I think until that moment, she hadn't truly believed I had the crown. I also think that had I demanded it, she would've named whatever terms of surrender I wanted. But I didn't want simple surrender. I wanted suffering. I wanted her to suffer, just as I had. So many ways to bring about humiliation †¦ I placed the crown on my head, and somehow – maybe it was part of its magic – I knew exactly what to do. The iron athame was still in my hand, and I crouched down with it. Katrice dropped to her knees too, but it was in supplication. â€Å"Please,† she begged again, tears in her eyes. â€Å"Anything. I'll do anything you want.† â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"You will.† I slammed the blade down – and pierced the land's heart.

Family Health Assesment Essay

The Family discussed in this paper has two children and both parents have been married for seventeen years. The paternal and maternal grandmothers are alive, while both paternal and maternal grandfathers have died of heart disease. The maternal grandmother lives with the family. The family assessed was interviewed two times and both times, the interview took place in family’s home and lasted for thirty minutes. The author of this paper has used Calgary Family Assessment model in assessing the family, which is an integrated, multidimensional framework based on the foundation of systems, cybernetics, communication and change theory and influenced by post-modernization and biology of cognition (Wright & Leahey, ). For complete assessment to take place as described by this model, a sense of importance and open communication was established between nurse and family. The family was encouraged to attend interview together . Names of family members have been changed to protect their privacy & confidentiality. Structural Assessment It is meant to identify the composition which consists of internal and external structure of family and its connectivity. Internal Family Composition Immediate family consist of father [Tim] and mother [Maria] who are a married couple and together they have two sons; older son (Jim) aged 14,younger son [Jacob] aged 10, grandmother [Gia] and pet dog [Sheenu] aged 2 years. Gender Both genders seem equal in this family. Differences in genders were not evident. Tim and Maria both consider themselves as breadwinners of family. Tim goes on business trip for weeks and Maria work long hours to make family financially secure. This was evident when Maria stated, â€Å"I want to make sure that we have everything for decent living and best education for Jim and Jacob† (Maria, October 16, 2010). Gia stays at home and does all the cooking and look after Jacob and Sheenu. Love, respect and appreciation for one another’s contribution to the family unit were evident in this family. Sexual Orientation The sexual orientation among the couple is heterosexual. Both Jim and Jacob stated their interests for girls, and are heterosexual. Any other sexual orientation will not be accepted by the family due to family’s culture. Rank Order Gia is sixty five years old. Tim is forty seven years old and Maria is forty five years old. Jim is fourteen years and Jacob is ten years old. There is a gap of 4 years between Jim and Jacob’s birth. The family takes pride in mentioning that everybody was born in October. Jim and Jacob, both are tall and handsome. Physically they have similar features but Jacob is healthier than Jim. During family interview Jim opened up easily and talked while Jacob was quite and answered only when specifically asked. Jacob was having more non verbal communication than anybody else in the family. Based on observation of interviewee there was sense of equality between Tim and Maria but Jim seems to have some kind of control over Jacob. Before saying anything Jacob would look towards Jim. The couple state that Tim finish outdoor family tasks while Maria deals with family issues. Tim referred Maria as â€Å"Finance Minister of family† (Tim, personal communication October 16, 2010) Subsystems Dyad subsystems were evident in the family. Gia is playing role of mother, grandmother and holding the whole family together. Tim and Maria seem very close but Jim and Jacob were not so close. Jacob was trying to avoid Jim all the time. He was comfortable sitting closer to Gia and changed to another sofa when Jim sat beside him. There was strong bond between mother and sons as well as grandmother and grandchildren. The bond between sons and father was not so strong. Father’s tone of talking to sons’ was authoritative. The mother was patting her sons’ back and was quite cheerful while talking about her sons; father would only smile and admitted that his wife knows more about kids because he spend more time away from home. The whole family agreed that if there is any problem or issue within the family, everybody would sit and discuss to sort out the problem. The family could be described as close knit. Boundaries The family has set some clear boundaries. Jim is not allowed to hang out with friends without his parents’ permission. The elders in the family and outside family are to be treated with respect and love. Both Jim and Jacob have been taught to knock at door before entering and seek permission to use or borrow anything whichever does not belong to them; to give a kind of respect to each other. Both the boys have to complete their education. Jim and Jacob have been given choice to study whatever they want and their education will be paid by parents. Maria stated â€Å"all the basic necessities like food, clothing housing will be met by us as long as the boys are studying; if they keep changing their mind every year about their future studies; then this is wastage of time and money. As long as they have definite plans for a career we are ok with that; if the boys don’t want to study they have to move out and find their own living† (Maria, personal communication, October 16, 2010). External Extended Family Maternal grandmother lives with the family. Maria has three sisters. All are married and live in Michigan. Tim’s mother, brother and sisters live in New York. All of them stay in touch with each other via phone. Tim has a cab and trailer business in New York and visits his family twice a month and stays with them for couple of weeks. Maria’s family lives in the same city and visits each other quite often. Maria’s sisters’ come to help her when needed, if Tim is away on business trip. The sisters’ children and Maria’s boys sleepover at each others’ places and get along well. Gia admitted that the sisters stand by each other in thick and thin. Be it a family sickness or children’s school problem or any other appointment they are always there to help each other. Larger Subsystems Family visits their temple once in a week to say their prayers and socializes in their community. Other than this the family does not have any connections with any other religious organization or community agency. Context Ethnicity/Race /Religion/Spirituality This family is South Asian, originally from India, and immigrated to United States in 1992. Both Tim and Maria are Hindus; they have respect for all religions. They have not forced their religion on children and are free to follow any religion. Environment This family lives in safe, high middle class neighborhood in a two story four bedroom house with finished basement and a big front and back yard. They live closer to shopping malls, grocery stores, schools and library. Home is ten miles away from Maria’s place of work but she don’t mind driving as home is in safe and secured area. Developmental This family is upper-middle class family and according to Calgary health assessment model the family is in stage four of family life cycle. In this stage families often increase flexibility of boundaries to include children’s independence (Wright and Leahy, p. 91). While observing family interactions, there was typical parent-child relationship. The parents would keep quite when teenager wanted to talk. Functional Assessment Instrumental Activities of daily living Tim works less; since he has business in New York; almost two weeks in a month he spend over there. Whenever he is in Michigan he just stays home. Maria works full time. During her day off she takes care of house and children. Jim and Jacob go to school and they are underage to work outside. Jim does not help family with household chores like cutting grass and removing snow. Expressive Emotional and Verbal communication Family was respectful to each other’s opinion and gave everyone chance to speak a. Nonverbal communication was also present. They were nodding in approval or disapproval. There was time when Jim was interrupting parents to enforce his statement rather than listening. Roles/Influences and Power When asked about roles and power sharing between family members, all of them smiled at each other. Maria stated boys do help but its Jacob who helps more in doing chores than Jim. Jim usually put garbage outside for pick up. Jacob help his mom by vacuuming the house and putting dishes in the dishwasher and taking Sheenu out for walk. Maria does all the grocery shopping and Gia cooks food for the family. Maria has role of wife, mother and daughter which she is carrying with responsibility. Tim has role of father and husband. Gia has role of mother and grandmother. Jim and Jacob have roles of sons, grandsons and brothers. Family Strengths and Challenges The family’s strength lies in adherence to their cultural norms, beliefs and values and desire to form strong relationships with other cultures. The family uses the resources available for their health care needs; visits physicians for annual physicals and dental exams. The family wants to pass the positive things about their culture to next generation like respect, trust and loyalty. Being educated and believing in healthier relationship is also strength of family. The challenge for this family is the behavioral problems of teenager son within the family and outside the family; which is a source of stress for family. During the second interview Tim was not present due to business trip and children were away to school. Gia admitted that Jim is having some behavioral problems, to which Maria also agreed. Maria stated â€Å"Since he is a teenager it is really hard to keep him under control like other kids but he do have some problems† (Maria, personal communication, October 20, 2010). The problem started with Jim arguing with teachers at school. He would laugh in class for no reason; making other students to laugh and disturbing class. He used to argue a lot with teachers always stressing that he is right which was disrespectful. At home he gives hard time to Jacob and Sheenu. Gia stated that he comes home earlier than Jacob and as soon as Jacob comes home; Jim would not let Jacob in or would tell him that he is a loser or saying that nobody loves him. When Jim says something like that, Jacob would start crying. Gia stated that she does not like to intervene as Jim is in habit of pushing others and she is scared that if he pushes her; she will fall and can get a fracture. Jim also yells at Sheenu. When Jim is home Sheenu would like to stay with an adult to have a sense of protection. Jim’s behavior at school and home had brought a lot of stress for the family. Maria admitted that she was made to sit in his class to watch Jim’s behavior while he was not aware of Maria’s presence and was acting as a clown in the class. Asked about Tim’s reaction to his son’s behavior, Maria stated that Tim consider it normal for growth and development. Maria seems to be quite concerned about his son’s behavior. Maria agreed that his behavior problems started in middle school. He would come home and tell stories about boys selling â€Å"candies† in the school and he had put up those candies in his locker. The candy story made Maria worry about his son’s company and getting drugs. Without further questioning Jim; next day Maria had a meeting with school principal and Jim’s locker was searched in presence of Jim, Maria, principal and two other teachers. Nothing was found and Jim could not give any description of the person selling â€Å"candies† and what they look like. He admitted that he was just playing a joke on his mom. After this he stopped telling lies and shifted his focus on being a clown in the class. When he comes home after school; he usually takes a nap and then stays up whole night to watch television or play games. The next day he would sleep in the class. Jim does have some behavioral problems but he is a homely guy. After coming home from school, he likes to stay home and spend some time with Maria telling about school activities. Jim’s behaves well in Maria’s presence. The family’s main concern is to change Jim’s behavior. Summary of Assessment The family operates within close knit system; having internal and external harmony among friends and extended family. In terms of completing the family cycle, the mother is putting extra efforts for adjusting to the fact that she is mother of a teenager while the father has laid back attitude towards his son’s behavior. The father needs to take responsibility to find reasons for his son’s behavioral problems. Given the fact that the teenager spend most of his time in school and at home, interventions should be directed at peer influences. According to Erickson’s stages of development the teenager is going through establishment of identity versus role confusion (Kozier et al. , p. 325). The need for independency and family support creates conflict between teenager and family. The family’s ability to cope with stress affects the health of individual family members, and the health of this individual family member influences the family’s ability to cope (Kaakinen et al. , p. 65). Guidance need to be presented in a way that the teen feel loved. The above summary will be basis of health promotion for this family. Health Promotion Plan The goals of health promotion plan will be to incorporate all individuals of the family within interventions. The health concern of the family should not be for individual member but for family as unit. The health plan will be aimed at improving dimensions of family life, promoting health of this family. Family is considered a most important part in a child’s growth and development. Open communication, child-parent interaction can have a positive effect on child’s development. To stop an inappropriate child behavior, first we need to know the triggering event to that behavior. It’s important to just focus on offending behavior rather than criticizing the child. The teenager in this family has attention seeking behavior in school. He should be encouraged to participate in school games; to divert his mind and energy from unacceptable behaviors. More time need to be spent with him. Since both his parents are busy in their jobs and other responsibilities; they are spending less time with the children. The teenager is at risk of developing other health problems like smoking, drinking and dropping out of school. For prevention of those risk behaviors among teenagers; time devoted to shared activities is important for the child’s healthy development. Parent’s education, their motivation in favor of healthy lifestyle, positive thinking, guidance as well as encouragement to acceptable behaviors can reduce the manifestations of risk behavior among the adolescents. Monitoring what teenager is watching on television and internet will help in reducing problems. Both the parents are educated; they should make the teenager aware of their expectations from him. A sense of trust should be developed between teenager and parents to help his transition into adulthood and to become independent, responsible, communicative young adult. The child should be encouraged to be a role model for his younger brother and should be rewarded for taking responsibility. Making him aware of inappropriate behavior will help him in deciding right and wrong. Inappropriate behavior should be ignored and appropriate behavior, must be reinforced. Positive reinforcement used immediately after appropriate behavior like offering praise immediately after the behavior will help. Setting limits for watching television and access to internet and making rules for going to bed at specific time will help in dealing with problems at school. The parents have already recognized the need for seeking counseling for their son. The mother has taken the responsibility to go with him or he can talk in private to counselor about his problem. After going for 2-3 sessions the family has observed positive changes in teen’s behavior. Conclusion Of all the interventions discussed above, the most applicable in implementing health promotion plan for the family assessed in this paper will be the parent-child interaction. Interaction between them will help in preventing other health problems in adolescent like drinking, smoking. The parents should present their own behavior in a positive way, so that children can learn from them. It is time that family should pay close attention to teenager’s behavior problems to protect and prevent him from developing other health problems.

Leadership and jopsatisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and jopsatisfaction - Essay Example Leadership is â€Å"an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes† (Draft, 2005 quoted by Ying & Ahmad, 2009, 54). There have been a significant number of literatures covering the nature, theories and applications of leadership and its effect to job performance and satisfaction. The diverse patterns of behavior and actions that leaders exhibit over a period of time and perceived by followers have been identified as the dominant style of leadership. This style is developed utilizing an interplay of factors which shape leadership development. Leadership seeks to bring people and groups from where they are to where they have not been. It enables people to go beyond the confines of mediocrity and tread into the realm of excellence. In the process, it induces people to define their desires and to pursue them with passion. Ultimately, leadership transforms potential into reality. In any organization, the influence of leadership in its operations of has evolved from a simple theoretical framework to the complex structure we have today. The development of leadership theories opened a whole spectrum of information which enhanced the interaction and interrelationships among personnel, especially its effect on job satisfaction. Leaders are concerned with the creation of an environment for performance. They integrate tasks, structure, technology, resources, and people into a productive configuration. They achieve goals through the efforts of other people. They have to influence the behavior of other people in order to get things done. The essay aims to present two sides to the argument that stipulates the critical role of leadership in creating job satisfaction in an organization. One side of the argument supports that an effective leader would create an environment where the subordinates would be satisfied in the accomplishment of their tasks.

Snowstorm Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Snowstorm Case Study - Essay Example Every airport should have safety as the priority when conducting its operations. An important first step to doing this is by ensuring that all equipment that is to be used in snow and ice control are calibrated properly, updated, and certified as required at all time. The supervisor, mechanics, and equipment operators should inspect equipment at all times to ensure that the airport is in a position to deal with a snowstorm (Zhang, Debendra,and Rorik, 13). The supervisor needs to ensure that the required automotive fluids, parts used for replacement, and equipment are inventoried and stocked as is required as a pre-emptive move towards preventing a crisis in the event of a snowstorm. It is important to ensure that personnel notification procedures are up to date at all times. The supervisor should, therefore, review the call-out procedures for personnel preceding winter. The supervisor can do this by overseeing the updating of the cell phone numbers and other contacts of personnel involved in snow and ice control. Weather forecasting is of utmost importance to an airport because it is invaluable when it comes to scheduling of flights and the snow crew. The supervisor should, therefore, ensure that the airport contracts aviation weather services so that it is prepared in case of a snowstorm. In addition to contracted forecasting services, the airport should make use of the local weather service forecast and the runway surface condition sensor system. Forecasting information from these avenues is useful in scheduling of on-duty and off-duty snow crew personnel. The forecasting information can also be used for preparation of necessary equipment in snow and ice control procedures and the restocking of anti-icing or deicing materials. One way to ensure that snow and ice do not accumulate and cause a nuisance in the airport is by sweeping or plowing accumulations of the runway. The

Scream Movie Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scream Movie Effects - Essay Example As one of the characters exclaims, "There is a formula for a very simple formula that everyone is a suspect ..!†This document will explain how Craven uses his camera shots, and explicit scene to scare the viewer and keep them guessing who the murderer (s) is. In horror movies, the sound is an intricate part of the film. Scream is no exception. Immediately from the beginning of the movie, the sound is present. The film begins in the same manner with creepy music in the background Dimension Films comes slowly from the darkness. It is followed by a roar as if many of the doors are closed. Even when the music is still mysterious as the film title is stretched and returns in a crash. Then, the phone rings, rapid beating of a heart, fast, scary screams, a knife cutting something, and, finally, followed by more shrill screams. The ringing phone connects to the first scene. The caller picks up the phone and the music, the beating heart, and cry disappear. All this happens within 20 sec onds of the film. Craven has already played in all senses of the viewer. It is expected that something bad is happening. Another example of sound effects early is when Drew Barrymore hangs up the phone for the second time from the mysterious caller. The scene changes to outside the house where the camera focuses on a few branches. We hear the sound of crickets, frogs, etc. In these sounds, a crack is heard. The camera moves down and the viewer sees that it is a swing swaying forward and back, which is making noise. The rope rubs against the branch. It creates a feeling of excitement because, among the quiet night sounds that sound strange cracking sound. It also leaves the viewer wondering maybe someone is in the tree? Wes Craven is determined to use these small objects to scare the viewer. Different images give the viewer information about what is happening on stage. Wes Craven has carefully chosen his plans.

Joseph Mengele Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Joseph Mengele - Essay Example As a teenager, Mengele proved to be a very brilliant person, and was often praised by his instructors for his great control and self-discipline. He was very delightful, assertive, and good looking. Mengele’s favorite subjects at school included zoology, physics, and biology, but his most favorite subject was anthropology, which is the study of humans. After graduating in 1930 and wanting to make a name for himself, Mengele left the family business and ventured into medicine. This was the beginning of his infamous career. Mengele soon joined the Nazis and immediately applied for the highest position in society, the SS. The SS was an elite squad that controlled Germany’s racial cleanliness and strictly adhered to the Nazi beliefs. In the period building up to WWII and during the war, Mengele was drafted and served as a soldier. In addition to fighting on the battlefield, he was able to practice his medical skills and given power to make choices. Mengele was awarded many m edals during his service, including the First Class, Second Class, and two Iron Crosses, for bravery and courage. Later, after becoming wounded on the battlefield, Mengele was sent back to Berlin to conduct his medical experiments, through which he earned the name â€Å"Angel of Death.† Mengele was recognized as the angel of death, inflicting harm and spreading hate to all, including many innocent Jews who were unlucky to encounter him. â€Å"Usually 70 to 90 percent of all new arrivals had been condemned to die without even a passing glance from their judge and jury at Auschwitz. The handsome officer who held omnipotent sway over the fate of all the camp's prisoners was Dr. Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death† (trutv). Josef was called the Angel of Death for many reasons. One of them was that he would kill large crowds of people without hesitation. Once there was an infestation of lice in the women’s section of Auschwitz camp, and Josef came up with an idea to fi x the problem. He gassed all 750 of the women, killing them in order to solve the lice pandemic without hesitation. He was never reluctant to kill and did not think twice about the human cost of his experiments. He specifically conducted experiments on twins, the procedures of which were gruesome and torturous. These experiments included gutting and removing the reproductive organs of his patients (Auschwitz), and injecting chloroform into the hearts of a set of twins at the same time in order to instantly paralyze and then kill them. His nickname, â€Å"Angel of Death,† suited him very well. He lived up to his title through conducting numerous inhumane experiments. Josef Mengele fled from Auschwitz on January 17, 1945 (Mengele) as the Soviet army advanced toward Berlin. During the first few years of the post-war era, Mengele remained in hiding on a farm near his native Gunzburg. He took on a fake identity and began working as a farm hand. Mengele was kept informed of recent political events through his secret contacts with old friends in Gunzburg. Although he still hoped to conduct his research and experiments, it became increasingly apparent that the Allies would not let such a notorious villain escape. Eventually, he died while on the run in a drowning accident in Brazil, after which the body was checked to

Ethics Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics Critique - Essay Example If the drivers are well understood, it is possible to justify the moral judgment using psychological research. However, some people will make moral judgment without being driven by anything but out of other factors such as influence. Sometimes, it may be impossible to differentiate if the decision was made for given motives or out of influence. In such cases, it becomes impossible to use psychological research to justify the moral judgment. This essay argues that the capability of psychological research to justify moral judgment depends on whether the motives and factors leading the judgment are understood. Psychological research which explains how human beings make moral judgments can be used to justify a given judgment or action. Although there is no clear reason, why people make certain choices and not others, people will tend to justify their actions depending on the circumstances. In Greene’s (363) opinion, humans wish to make judgments based on reasoning. However, most o f them end up making their decisions based on emotions. Therefore, if the emotions are well understood, it is possible to understand how humans will justify their actions, or the possible reasons that they will give for their actions. In Greene opinion, (364) â€Å"People tend to have emotional responses to personal moral violations, responses that incline them to judge against performing those actions.† However, it sometimes becomes hard to justify actions since some people make decisions without even thinking. It is only after making a decision that humans try to reason as they seek to justify their action or decide if it was right or wrong. Since it is well understood that people tend to make decisions depending on their intuitions, it only requires the researcher to understand the intuitions of the person making the decision to be able to tell the way they will justify their actions. Since there are no reasons for doing certain actions, it is possible to predict the way p eople will justify their moral judgment. It is possible to justify moral judgment using psychological research since people will justify actions as wrong or right depending on how the society views certain actions. Aristotle (173-174) claims that if a certain action is perceived to be wrong and a person commits it, it is obvious that he or she will try to find any reasons that will make the action appear right. Therefore, it only requires one to understand perceptions of the society regarding certain actions to be able to predict or tell how the doer of any action will justify it. Another reason why psychological research can be used to justify a given judgment is that some actions are performed out of obedience and not reason. It thus requires the researcher to know the motivation behind certain action. If an action of political aggression is performed, the doer will obviously justify the action by giving political reasons. For example, a dictator is likely to justify their dictato rial actions by demonstrating why humans require to be forced to act in a certain way. A person doing charity work will justify their actions by finding reasons on how their actions are helpful to others. Additionally, Milgram (184) posits that some actions are performed out of rebellion. If the researcher understands the nature of person performing a given action, then it is possible to justify the action without understanding the reason behind it. It only requires one to understand the nature of the person doing the action to be able to pre

The value of GCC currencies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The value of GCC currencies - Research Paper Example Conclusion: 14 8. Bibliography: 15 1. Introduction: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is also known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG). It is a political and economic union of the Arab states neighboring the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. The six member states of the GCC are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. They are often known as â€Å"The GCC States.† Some of the general objectives of GCC countries are a follows: promotion of scientific and technical progress in different industries like mining, agriculture, water and animal resources; setting up joint ventures among the member states; cheering cooperation of the private sectors; strengthening ties between the peoples of the member countries; and establishing and developing a common currency for all the member countries. The common currency of GCC is known as Khaleeji (meaning Gulf in Arabic). At present, the GCC monetary union is the third moneta ry union in the world in terms of GDP, after the Euro and 2) the unofficial monetary union between the United States and the Latin American countries which declared the US dollar as their currency. There are certain problems now facing the GCC council. According to IMF report (1997), the key challenge facing the GCC countries was the financial condition and valuation of the currency in the member countries of GCC. ... The exception in GCC is Kuwait, where the currency is valued to a group of currencies that is heavily weighted in favor of the US dollar. Therefore, the exchange of the Kuwaiti Dinar to the US dollar remains relatively stable. In last five year the rate of Kuwaiti Dinar is always within 0.27-0.29 to US dollar (QNB, 2012, p.31). During 2008, GCC countries were facing the inflation as it was reached up to 11. 2%. According to the financial analyst, revolution of the economy in the upward direction was helpful in order to control the inflation rate which helped to bring down the import cost. According to the report the GCC monetary union project was mainly inspired by the Euro. The problem which was face by different countries that have Euro as their currency is a helpful tool for the monetary policy makers in GCC countries to figure out the loopholes and act accordingly. This evaluation is helpful to figure out whether introducing a common currency for all the member countries of GCC i s efficient or not (QNB, 2012, p.31). 1.2. Economic Structure: It is very clear from different research that the growth of GCC as one of the strongest economy of the world is mainly on the basis of highs price of gas and oil (energy sector), and also with the help of rapid economic growth. During 2007-2011, the world GDP growth rate was 2.8% where as, GDP growth in GCC was a staggering 4.7% making it the fastest growing group of country in the world (QNB, 2012, p.4). According to the report of QNB (2012), the GCC economy has seen a golden period during 2003- 08, when GDP grew at the rate of 19.9%. This was a result of continuously increasing demand for energy sources as an outcome of robust global development, particularly in Developing Asia (QNB,

Hope Leslie Paper Essay Example for Free

Hope Leslie Paper Essay In Catharine Sedgwick’s novel, Hope Leslie, Magawisca is one of the Main female characters and she runs into many hardships in the book. Magawisca is the daughter of well known Indian chief Mononotto but is separated from her father and her tribe when they are all attacked. After Magawisca and her brother’s mother dies the children get sent to work at the home of the Fletchers an English family. Magawisca gets caught in the middle of two cultures when she is raised by an English family but knows of her original culture, Magawisca responds well and helps the reader understand how big the cultural gap is in the 1600s. Magawisca’s tribe, the Pequots, are attacked by the English and when Magawisca, her brother Oneco and their mother escape they travel to a new city. When Magawisca and Oneco’s mother dies the two kids are sent to Mr. Fletchers home to be Indian servants. After living with the Fletcher family for a while Magawisca’s father, Mononotto, appears at the Fletchers abode. With the feeling that the Fletchers have captured his son and daughter, Mononotto kills all of the Fletchers but one much against Magawisca’s protest. Magawisca begs and pleads against her father’s actions but does no good, she wants to save what is considered her family for a short but meaningful amount of time but doesn’t want to go against her father’s will. Magawisca is thrown into a very hard situation but handles everything calmly and maturely. She is stuck between two cultures that despise each other but she ends up with her tribe the Pequot’s for a long time. In a time of need Magawisca still helps the one remaining Fletcher child by risking her own limb to protect part of her â€Å"family†. Towards the end of the book Magawisca has taken both sides, the English and the Pequot’s and that pays off. When Magawisca is captured by the English the remaining Fletcher child puts his own safety in danger to help save Magawisca. Magawisca never broke down or really chose sides but she is in fact always there for both of her â€Å"tribes†. This book was places in the 1600’s and Magawisca’s predicament really helps the readers understand the cultural gap between The Indians and The English.  The hatred between the two cultures is so large that they destroy each other. Magawisca shows the line between the Indian tribes and the English where as she isn’t fully accepted in either culture. For spending time with the English I’m sure some members of the Pequots find her as a trader and for originating and being known as a Pequot she is never truly accepted by the English. Although Magawisca gets caught in the middle of two cultures when she is raised by an English family, Magawisca responds well and helps the reader understand how big the cultural gap is. Without Magawisca really drawing the line between the two cultures the readers wouldn’t have gotten a full picture of how big the division between the two cultures are. Magawisca is really a main character because of the bond she shares with both cultures.

Psychoanalytic Case Study of Preston Essay Example for Free

Psychoanalytic Case Study of Preston Essay Preston was concerned over his aggressive behavior towards other males in and outside of the home. He had frequent altercations with his brother, both of whom lived with their parents. Preston was adopted at a very young age. This was a major cause of his recent issues. He feared that his emotions would progressively get worse, and that something detrimental would happen. In accordance with psychoanalysis, Preston was allowed to explore these issues through free association. Preston was shown that his subconscious had been concealing issues related to his early adoption. Preston was shown constructive ways to deal with these issues. Preston continues to make progress in this area, and is exhibiting less signs of his previous issues. Psychoanalytic Case Study of: Preston A Conceptualization and Treatment Plan The individual in this case study presents a multitude of symptoms that are affecting his daily life. The individual has many factors from his childhood that would contribute to these issues. This study goes to show how the subject’s childhood has a direct relationship to the issues that he is currently experiencing. The identification of these issues is necessary in order for treatment to be successfully implemented. Presenting Concerns Preston presents himself as suffering from multiple issues that affect his daily life. He claims to have issues with forming any relationships with other males. He states that he is overtly competitive when dealing with these other males. His biggest issues arise when dealing with his brother. Preston was adopted at a very young age, and has always had issues getting along with this brother. This aggression has moved from just dealing with his brother to all males in general. There have been instances where the police have been involved in altercations that Preston has had at home. He fears that this will continue until he is arrested outside of the home. Preston still lives with both of his adopted parents and his brother. Preston has stated that he is constantly vying for his parents’ attention, and his aggression increases whenever someone else is monopolizing their time. He does not feel that he will always become violent, but that his anxiety is constantly increasing in situations such as this. He is afraid that his frustration and need to outdo others will end very negatively. Case Conceptualization It appears that one of Preston’s main issues is that of Displacement. According to Murdock (2013), this occurs when a subject shows anger towards someone who is less dangerous than the real cause of an issue (p. 40). Preston shows that he has issues in dealing with the fact that he still lives at home with his parents. He verbally abuses those that he sees as â€Å"better† than him. Preston does not wish to abuse himself over this issue. So, he abuses others that he believes will accept the abuse. He seems to blame others for whatever failings he has in life. He takes his frustrations out on whoever is the most convenient to him. This involves rage towards his brother, as well as friends of his parents. The fact that Preston was adopted as such an early age raises the issue of attachment bonds as well. It appears that Preston may have become overly attached to his adopted parents. Much of this may have to do with the way that they raised him. His parents were very protective, and would cater to his every need. This seems to have created a kind of subconscious reliance on his parents, and the need for their constant approval. This leads to the constant need for their attention as well as the need to outdo peers. The aggressiveness towards peers does not seem to have started until Preston was old enough to identify that was adopted. He seemed to be displacing fear that his current parents would abandon him onto others. This is the main subconscious issue that is affecting Preston. His fear of abandonment has caused him to irrationally fear any force outside of his parental relationship, including his brother. This affects his appraisal tendency, which is the way his brain perceives threats and relates to his aggression and depression (Gilbert, 2007, p. 47). This is the disconnect that is causing most of Preston’s issues. He feels threats that just are not there. He remains living with his parents, constantly vigilant of anyone that will take them away from him, including his brother. This has manifested itself in a sort of hyper-masculinity. Preston’s ego identifies no other way to express these abandonment issues other than with aggressiveness. Also, the fact that Preston’s aggression has continued to increase could be directly correlated with his parents aging. Perhaps he fears that not only could people take his parents away, but the fear that death is closing in on them. This could also be manifesting itself in Preston’s fear and frustration. Treatment Plan Goals for Counseling The goal for psychoanalytic therapy is to get Preston in touch with his subconscious. This serves to identify the root causes of his present issues. Preston will need to identify specific defense mechanisms that he created in childhood. The material that has shifted from the subconscious to the conscious will need to be readily identified (Murdock, 2013, p. 37). Once these mechanisms and thoughts are out in the open, it will be easier to discuss them and change present behavior. Interventions The fundamental intervention to employ with Preston will be â€Å"free association†. According to Murdock (2013), free association encourages the client to reveal whatever he is thinking even if it seems irrelevant or offensive (p. 49). This will be particularly helpful for Preston, and can reveal what his thought process is when he has these aggressive bouts. It seems that Preston has not been totally honest with himself. Free association can help him to bring out deep-rooted ideas for analysis and discussion. This intervention can provide logic and reason to the seemingly illogical thoughts he is experiencing. Establishing the Relationship I realized that Preston had issues in dealing with other males. I asked him if he would feel more comfortable dealing with a female counselor. He indicated that he did not react the same way to me as with other males. He stated that he realized that my sole purpose was to help him with his issues, and this made him not feel anxious or aggressive. I relayed that I was glad this was the case, but that I needed to be immediately notified if these sentiments changed. Whenever I felt that Preston was actually getting anxious or aggressive, I made him aware. I explained to him that he was projecting these feelings onto me, and that it was harmful to the counselor/client relationship. He quickly calmed down, and apologized. He seemed to genuinely understand my concern for his well-being. Analysis of Transference The occasions that Preston did display anxiousness/aggressiveness, he did seem to understand that he was doing so after it was brought to his attention. He realized that I was not causing his issues, and I attempted to apply this to his other personal relationships. We would analyze why he was feeling this way, and how it related to his childhood and parents. He came to the conclusion that if he did not get these feelings under control in session, then he was never going to get them under control outside of it. Insight Preston came to realize that he had subconscious issues regarding his adoption as a child. He understood that he was so shocked by learning he was adopted that he was afraid it was going to happen again. He learned that he was very afraid of losing his parents. He acknowledged that his aggressive outbursts were not about the people he was dealing with, but about his fear that his parents would somehow like them better and abandon him. Preston identified that this is not considered normal behavior for someone his age. He picked up various calming techniques, and needed to constantly remind himself that the issue was him, not others. I was able to assist Preston in identifying the root causes of different scenarios and emotions that he discussed. His visible anxiety and aggression seemed to be kept to a minimum. With his understanding of why he was experiencing these emotions, Preston seemed to be doing better in his daily life. He reports being able to hold a discussion with other males without feeling the need to be dominant. He has also taken steps in explaining his fears and issues with his parents. Conclusions The next main milestone for Preston will be to find a home of his own. This will take time and adjustment, but will be a great leap forward. Also, he is noticing some of the same issues he is dealing with in his brother. Hopefully, Preston can persuade his brother to seek the same sort of help that he has received. This will have to be gradual so as to not induce any sort of separation anxiety. However, if Preston continues with treatment and making positive choices, then he will be continuing on the path to recovery.

A Strategy Proposal for Obstetric Emergencies

A Strategy Proposal for Obstetric Emergencies REPORT: A STRATEGY PROPOSAL FOR MANDATORY SKILLS AND DRILLS SESSIONS FOR OBSTETRIC EMERGENCIES 1  Executive Summary 1.1 This proposal was carried out following the need for drills as identified and recommended by the CEMACH report. 1.2 The situation was reviewed in the light of current directives regarding inter-professional collaboration. This report will express the necessity to involve all obstetric and neonatal staff, ensuring competency and continuous professional development. The report has identified mechanisms suggested for the introduction of obstetric drills in such a way that they are viewed by the potential participants as a non-threatening mechanism that is highlighting good areas of practice and areas for improvement. The process will stand jointly with a programme of targeted education to address areas of weakness. The process of drills and their feedback will be monitored and refinements made. This system of risk management will feed into the process areas of concern suitable for drill evaluation. 2.  Rationale for Choice of Topic Maternity care has been identified as an area for improvement (Department of Health 2000 An Organisation with a Memory). This topic of drills was chosen because there are clear calls for its use by a number of bodies (these include CEMACH, 1999, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ â€Å"Towards Safer Childbirth† document and CNST) and it well illustrates the importance of multidisciplinary team working. These drills are a requirement of CNST level 2 which confers a 20% reduction in insurance premiums on trusts. Drills have been of proven benefit in improving performance in eclampsia simulations (Thompson, 2004). It is likely that drills in other areas of obstetrics will also lead to improved performance (Thompson, 2004). The midwifery statutory body, the Midwifery Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and formerly the UKCC are concerned with the regular updating of skills requiring at least five days of training every three years. Humanistic approach The very nature of improving patient care for its own sake should be sufficient impetus to create an environment receptive to this change. The proposal is; The introduction of mandatory skills and drills sessions for obstetric emergencies: WHY: To involve all staff and ensure competency and continuous professional development. To identify staff who need more training e.g. study days. WHO: Midwives and other clinical staff, to encourage professional development and capability to deal with emergency situations. WHAT: Shoulder dystocia Antepartum and post partum haemorrhage Eclampsia Undiagnosed breech presentation Neonatal and Maternal resuscitation Placental abruption CNST actually recommends the following drills annually; Cord Prolapse Vaginal Breech delivery Shoulder Dystocia Antepartum Haemorrhage / Severe postpartum Haemorrhage HOW: Monthly skills and drills Change skill monthly Each drill twice a year Each midwife to attend a minimum of one of each skill per year 3.  Critical Discussion Background: The drills will be a part of evidence-based training through practical skills, on emergency situations occurring in the antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum period to prevent maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity (CEMACH). The latest report of the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths sates that â€Å"emergency drills for maternal resuscitation should be regularly practised in clinical areas in all maternity units.† The Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CEMACH) has Maternity Clinical Risk Management Standards. CNST (level 2, April, 2005) Criterion 5.2.1 states; â€Å"There is a system in place to ensure that all relevant staff participate in  an annual skills drill.† The CNST documentation advises that; â€Å"Collaborative, multidisciplinary practice sessions or â€Å"drills†, for dealing with emergency situations, allow for all members of staff, especially new and junior staff, to know and understand their specific roles and  responsibilities in an emergency.† The CNST also states; â€Å"Critical incident analysis is an effective educational and management  tool, and its use should be incorporated into the philosophy and daily  management of Labour Wards.† For CNST satisfaction in this criterion there must be verification records of all those who attend each drill. The rills should be linked to a training programme. There should be at least 75% attendance and ideally 100% attendance. Critical incidents in obstetrics are uncommon. Whilst the risk management already in place may highlight weaknesses in provision of care and remedial measures may subsequently be taken such as further training it is advantageous to simulate these uncommon but acutely life-threatening situations in order to feed the results into the risk management process. Inter-Professional Team: It is especially important that the drills involve the multidisciplinary team. The following members will be regularly involved; Midwives Maternity assistants Obstetricians of all grades Anaesthetists Operating department assistants Porters Neonatal paediatricians and nurses Students It is important that all the people involved in an actual emergency are considered when setting up a drill. In some scenarios the haematology team may be involved following consultation beforehand. The more realistic the drill the more valuable it will prove. Strategy The proposal consists of a number of aspects (Roberts, 1998) such as assembling a project team, planning the drills, implementation, evaluation, modification then further implementation of the drills, further evaluation and so on. With regard to strategy introducing drills does not fit so well into there being an agreed process in advance with the likely participants in the drill. This will make the drill less realistic and, especially if the subject matter is known in advance, it will enable participants to prepare. A fine balance will be sought between gaining the support of the individuals affected via effective interpersonal sills and leadership to enable an atmosphere of trust. This approach is of proven benefit (Kassean, 2005). This will involve informing the clinicians that drills will take place and the reasons why and that they should enable improvement in practice and team working with emphasis on this being in a non-threatening manner. During initial drills the performance will depend on the abilities, clinical and team working of all the clinicians attending and will also depend on the drill itself. There are two things to evaluate; staff performance and the drill itself. The drill can be modified. The weak areas in the performance of staff can be evaluated and training issues made good. On repetition of the drills subsequent staff performance will reflect and can be used as a measure of the success or otherwise of the implementation of the drills. Discussion: It will be important to pay particular attention to discussion and accurate planning of the drills. Meetings will be set up involving management and including the Professional Development Officer, Risk Management Officer, Head of Midwifery and Clinical Liaison Officer. Although it is proposed to cover the above lists the needs and timing and degree of repetition of specific drills will be determined by incident reports. The risk management process will feed into the drill planning. The teaching elements will be modified in timing, content and repetition according to specific performance in the drills. Individual training can then be addressed where needed and appropriate and more general sessions also provided with the relevant attendance facilitated. The objective, which will be made transparent, is to maximise the combined motivation and effort of all those likely to be involved in the change. Resources needed: There are some resource implications although these are fairly minimal compared to the likely gains. Staff time is involved in setting up the drills. Rooms need to be available. However clinical rooms will be used for instance (but not confined to) the delivery suite when it is quiet. Standard equipment will be used and this will incur costs. It may be necessary to purchase models or these may already be available on the unit. Some handouts may be necessary and documentation will need to be kept of attendance registers and the progress and evaluation of the drills. Management of change There are many change theories. Particularly illustrative of the inertia to change is a major component of Lewin’s (1951) theory of change. Here people are â€Å"frozen† in a particular manner of doing things. There are many reasons for this rigid position. Whilst some of the reasons relate to external factors the crucial resistance to change is at the level of the individual. In order for the individual to change, their way of thinking about the factor needs to be addressed. Too much pressure however can make an individual more resistant to change (Broome, 1998). Too many stressors will decrease the level of performance (Broome, 1998). An example of a successful change implementation emphasised the importance of communication at this stage in the change process (Kassean, 2005). Once the individual accepts the reasons for the change rather than just that change is necessary they can make the change, then further freezing in the new position effects the change. Ethical and legal considerations Midwives must be accountable for the actions and they have a duty of care to be up to date with their training. There are fitness to practice issues inherent here. Dimond (2006) describes the outcomes of some recent legal cases concerning interdisciplinary communication and management of obstetric emergencies. Evidence of team working and adherence to appropriate guidelines will help in the defence of such problems. The process of drills and further training and repeat drills will help to create a learning culture (Garcarz, 2003). Burke (2003) compares their own study of the effectiveness and the subsequent changes in practice following drills to large awards where delivery was less timely than in their drills. Evaluation Feedback will be obtained in a variety of formats including questionnaires and in reflective practice interviews. This will enable qualitative data to be obtained and analysed. Quantitative data will be obtained and statistically analysed. This evidence will be used to evaluate just how effective the drills and the associated training are in improving clinical practice and team working in the simulation environment. Informal feedback will be acquired from discussion in team meetings of those involved in the drills as trainers and trainees. Such feedback will be helpful in assessing problems not identified elsewhere and will also be illustrative of the real barriers to change and how these might be addressed. 4.  Conclusion The introduction of obstetric drills is mandatory for CNST level 2 and is also recommended practice from a number of other bodies. There is evidence in the literature that such drills can be introduced in a manner which is accepted by participants and which is effective in the subsequent improvement of performance criteria. 5.  References Broome A 1998 Managing Change 2nd Edition. Basingstoke, Macmillan Burke C 2003 Scenario training: how we do it and the lessons we have learned. Clinical risk 9 103-6 CEMACH [WWW] http://www.cemach.org.uk/publications/WMD2000_2002/wmd-intro.htm accessed 23 April 2006-04-23 Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts Maternity Clinical Risk Management Standards April 2005 http://www.nhsla.com/NR/rdonlyres/EE1F7C66-A172-4F0C-8A36-7FCCD31A52A0/0/CNSTMaternityStandardsApril2005final.pdf accessed on 23 April 2006 Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts CNST [WWW] Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom 1999 Why mothers die. London: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Department of Health 2000 An organisation with a memory. Report of an expert group on learning from adverse events in the NHS, chaired by the Chief Medical Officer. London: Stationery Office Dimond B 2006 Legal Aspects of Midwifery, 3rd edition. Butterworth-Heinneman, UK Garcarz W Chambers R Ellis S 2003 Make your healthcare organisation a learning organisation. Radcliffe. Oxford Kassean HK Jagoo ZB 2005 Managing change in the nursing handover from traditional to bedside handover – a case study from Mauritius BMC Nursing 2005, 4:1 1472-6955 Lewin K 1951 Field Theory in Social Science. New York: Harper and Row Roberts K Ludvigsen C Project management for health care professionals Butterworth Heineman Oxford Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 1999 Towards safer childbirth. London; RCOG Thompson S Neal S Clark V 2004 Clinical risk management in obstetrics: eclampsia drills BMJ328:269-271

dikes :: essays research papers

â€Å"When flood waters from the Mississippi River and it’s tributaries surge down the river the volume of water is physically impossible to contain. In general, there is just to much Water!!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The â€Å"pools† behind the navigation dams have no effect in preventing or causing floods. Like a bathtub it doesn’t matter if the pools are empty or full when the floodwaters come. Within a very short time the excess water can create an over flow (Army Corps of Engineers).† What is a Flood? A flood occurs when water is poured over the land and the ground and rivers cannot cope with it (Waterlow 8). Once a basin has filled, water will overflow its rim and resume it’s downward progress. â€Å"Gravity ensures that water must drain the land into the sea (Allaby 12).† When snow melts from a divide it is joined by more snow, and it will eventually reach the low lands. Hills down below will also shed water into the same low lands and if there is enough of this it can result in a flood (Allaby 12). The Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio drain an area of 1,243,700 square miles, this goes from the Rocky Mountains to the Canadian boarder and Pennsylvania (Allaby 13). All of this watershed result in floods each year the snow up north melts. How a Dam Affects Flooding A dam is made to make pools at least 9 ft. deep so that barge traffic can navigate freely through out the river. A lock is made so the barges can move from one pool to another (Army Corps of Engineers). The combination of these two make up a lock and dam system. Between St. Anthony Falls, MN, and Granite City, IL there are 29 lock and dam systems. It is said, in the beginning of this page in fact, that dams do not control flooding. Dams weren’t made to control floods and they never will, because floods are so unpredictable and so uncontrollable (Army Corps of Engineers). What is a Dike A dike is an embankment built to control or hold back the water of a river, stream, sea, etc. (Waterlow 25). In building a dike you can use sandbags, dirt, or both put together. You will build up a wall, getting it as compact as possible, as high as you think is needed to hold back the floodwaters. In the Netherlands farmers have used dikes to protect their farms from floods for hundreds of years (Waterlow 25).

Affirmative Action Should Not Be Continued Essay -- argumentative, pers

Affirmative action started in the 1960’s as a way to end discrimination against African American and later all minorities - including women. By migrating people of all color into workplaces and colleges/universities seemed to be the suitable solution to diversify our nation. Although blacks had been freed for a 100 years, they continually struggled with segregation. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned the segregation of all sort in the United States, however that was not enough. Congress mandated the affirmative action program as a plan of desegregation. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy made reference to this plan, but it was not until September 1965 that it was enforced by President Lyndon Johnson. The program affected federal jobs, to include federal contracting company, and universities. In order to receive federal funding, each entity had to hire and enroll minorities. Affirmative action was a good jump start to get our nation to where it is today. However, affi rmative action should not be continued because it is a form of discrimination, it is more harmful than helpful, and it supplements race or gender for one’s qualification. The government thinks that implementing affirmative action will repair inequality, but it cannot. In the midst of tying to promote equality, they are promoting discrimination. Discrimination is the violation of one’s human rights based on gender, sex, race, ethnicity and/or relation. President Johnson felt that blacks being free and able to go to the same school as Caucasians were not just enough for the past discrimination and turmoil the African Americans went through. Affirmative action was used as a cure to remedy lost times. Sandal made some valid points; he noted that th... .../wp-srv/politics/special/affirm/stories/aaop031595.htm Murphy, S. (2010 July 23). Judge tells city to hire four white firefighters. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/08/26/judge_tells_city_to_hire_four_white_firefighters/ Plous, S. (2003). Ten myths about affirmative action. Retrieved from http://www.understandingprejudice.org/readroom/articles/affirm.htm Pottinger, J. (1972). The drive toward equality. New York: Change Magazine. Sandel, M. (2009). Justice: What’s the right thing to do? New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux Sargis, D. (2004 March 2). Race-based college scholarships. Retrieved from http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article3183.html Timeline of Affirmative Action Milestone (2010 July, 05). Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmativetimeline1.html

Advance Strategic Planning

Advanced Strategic Planning was written by Aubrey Malphurs and was first published in 1999 with the over-all purpose of providing the church and its leadership a good strategic planning process that will help it them move from a stage of stagnant growth to a period of change and revitalization.   The book offers a nine-step strategic thinking and acting models and diagrams that help illustrate concepts.   The updated edition of the book has put emphasis on disciple making.Malphurs, who has authored many books on church leadership and strategy, is a professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He specializes in teaching pastors how to think strategically and move their congregation to growth and accomplishment of goals.He is also the president of the Malphurs Group, a consulting organization which provides training and consultation services for churches that sees the need for help in the area of church growth.Malphurs started the book by stating that almost all institutions today, such as churches, go through a sigmoid or S-curve pattern of growth or life cycle, in which a church begins and experiences rapid growth in all areas, achieves a point a comfort zone of routines and programs, and later on declines and eventually dies.Malphurs, in his book, perceives the S-curve life cycle pattern as a problem besetting most churches by stating that:â€Å"The message or lesson of the sigmoid curve is that all good things (and even some bad things) end†¦ Even brand-new institutions and organizations such as a church will, in time, plateau and then die. No matter what institution it is, organizational â€Å"dry rot† sets in.   The institution becomes brittle, ceases to function, and expires† (Malphurs 2005, 11).Given the abovementioned problem Malphurs argues that as soon as the church feels that it now reached the point of staggering growth and plateau, it should in a way re-invent itself through careful planning and adoption of new set of core values (whenever necessary) in order to propel it back to a period of significant growth.This will mean reviewing and restructuring the various aspects of church life such as its core values, personnel, congregation, prevailing culture, finances, community where it is interacting, among others, through a strategic planning process.A handful of suggestions on how to carry out the conduct of this strategic planning was provided lengthily and was discussed in an almost detailed manner by Malphurs.StrengthsDrawing from a wealth of experience as a pastor, professor and consultant, Malphurs have provided significant and doable ways of carrying out the strategic revitalization process.   Perhaps using his personal experience of leading a church, he was able to address a lot of pitfalls and traps that a pastor and church leader should avoid in strategic planning.His experience and love for the ministry and church transcends all throughout the book, making a pastor or a leader, whose church is going through a period of plateau in terms of growth, reading the book feel that the book was written specifically for him and his flock.   Malphurs has a heart for the local church.   The strategic planning is simply his response to the problem that he perceives. [1]It was also made clear in the book that the pastor or church leaders can’t do the process and implement changes alone, every member of the congregation must be informed properly for them to be involved in all facets of the process.   The need to effectively communicate the vision was emphasized and strongly recommended. Malphurs writes:If you conduct secret meetings and fail to communicate in general what happens in those meetings, you will not be able to lead the congregation because they will no trust you (63).An unwavering support on the ongoing strategic planning process will only come from a church member who clearly understands the what and why’s of his/her churchâ€℠¢s call for a strategic planning.Although the book is in fact a â€Å"how-to† sort of manual, Malphurs succeeded in finding a biblical basis for the conduct of the strategic planning.   This makes the book grounded on the godly and biblical principles of leadership.An obvious strength of the book is the manner it challenged church pastors and leaders to think critically regarding its mission, vision, values, and congregational structure. Provoking questions are injected throughout the book to guide its readers in propelling the church in a certain direction that will eventually lead to the realization of their mission and vision.Malphurs is very strong in recommending the necessity of adopting a mission and vision statements in churches. To further guide his readers, Malphurs also made a clear distinction between values, missions, and functions.Armed with the understanding that churches will definitely look different in varying contexts, he stresses the value of injecting p rofessionalism and excellence in all ministry undertakings which is and should be a characteristic of any church desiring to grow.David Murrow also sees this need when he wrote, â€Å"Men appreciate excellence†¦Excellent doesn’t mean slick, canned or superficial. It simply means everything done well (Col. 3:23).†[2]Malphurs also tediously provided helpful tools and sample evaluation forms that will help a church start the strategic planning process.   He make sure that churches who will decide to embark in the strategic planning process already have the tools, which can be modified if they opt to, to keep the process going and evaluated.WeaknessesAlthough well-written, the book still has some few unhelpful aspects and needs thoughtful consideration from a critical reader.Malphurs have excellently provided a book for strategic thinking pastors but have missed out those who are implementers and dreamers in nature, reality will tell us that there are pastors who se e that their calling evolves on activities such as teaching, preaching, evangelism, visitation, etc.Strategic planning is not an exciting and needed activity for pastors and leaders who fall under these characteristics, for them church growth and dynamism depends on going out and reaching the unreached.Another important concern that Malphurs alluded is the average period of time it will take for the whole process of defining the church’s mission, discovering their values, catching the vision, and actually coming up with a plan will be done.He noted that it could take five (5) years just to get everybody on board. Unfortunately, nowadays,   a pastoral longevity in a certain church is only 3 to 4 years.   George Barna stated: â€Å"The average tenure of a pastor in Protestant churches has declined to just 4 years—even though studies consistently show that pastors experience their most productive and influential ministry in years 5 through 14 of their pastorate.† [3]The book also failed in considering the value of preaching the Word of God, reaching out the lost, and healthy fellowship among members of the congregation, in spurring growth in the church.The â€Å"Readiness for Change† inventory contains factors necessary for organizational change, but it is interesting to note that Malphurs have missed to include prayer. For any change to take place in a church, the leaders and members of the church should devote time in praying.ConclusionOverall much is to be commended in Malphurs’ book. It is a very practical book.   The strengths of the book outweigh the weaknesses.   The weaknesses stated should not detract a one from reading the book.Although there are some suggestions made by Malphurs that in one way or another is not supported biblically, such as not putting older men and women in the leadership as opposed to the scripture’s advice to have the older men and women teaching the younger ones, the book still off ers sound and helpful principles of strategically leading and managing a church.The objectives set by Malphurs in writing the book are achieved, he perceived a problem, and he has provided in great detail a solution to the problem. He has skillfully presented a sys aforementioned, his wealth of experience have made every argument he presented convincing and worth trying for.The book is a valuable reading and tool for young, soon-to-be pastors, pastors, elders, church staff members, and lay leaders, or for anyone who is in one way or another involved in church leadership.However, a word of caution, one should be very careful in accepting that the book is the cure-all answer to the problems besetting the churches today.   It is a guide, a good and helpful guide, but it doesn’t contain all the answers to church issues and problems.   Pastors and leaders of the church should still bear in mind what is stated Proverbs 16:9 says â€Å"The mind of man plans his way; But the LOR D directs his steps.†Ã‚   The Lord is still the sovereign one, if it is His Will it will definitely happen. [1]. Owen Strachan,   Reviews: Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs, (9Marks Reviews , 2008) [article available online], www.alliance.net, date accessed July 21, 2009 [2]. David Murrow, How Women Help Men Find God, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) [3].   George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998), 5. Advance Strategic Planning Advanced Strategic Planning was written by Aubrey Malphurs and was first published in 1999 with the over-all purpose of providing the church and its leadership a good strategic planning process that will help it them move from a stage of stagnant growth to a period of change and revitalization.   The book offers a nine-step strategic thinking and acting models and diagrams that help illustrate concepts.   The updated edition of the book has put emphasis on disciple making.Malphurs, who has authored many books on church leadership and strategy, is a professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He specializes in teaching pastors how to think strategically and move their congregation to growth and accomplishment of goals.He is also the president of the Malphurs Group, a consulting organization which provides training and consultation services for churches that sees the need for help in the area of church growth.Malphurs started the book by stating that almost all institutions today, such as churches, go through a sigmoid or S-curve pattern of growth or life cycle, in which a church begins and experiences rapid growth in all areas, achieves a point a comfort zone of routines and programs, and later on declines and eventually dies.Malphurs, in his book, perceives the S-curve life cycle pattern as a problem besetting most churches by stating that:â€Å"The message or lesson of the sigmoid curve is that all good things (and even some bad things) end†¦ Even brand-new institutions and organizations such as a church will, in time, plateau and then die. No matter what institution it is, organizational â€Å"dry rot† sets in.   The institution becomes brittle, ceases to function, and expires† (Malphurs 2005, 11).Given the abovementioned problem Malphurs argues that as soon as the church feels that it now reached the point of staggering growth and plateau, it should in a way re-invent itself through careful planning and adoption of new set of core values (whenever necessary) in order to propel it back to a period of significant growth.This will mean reviewing and restructuring the various aspects of church life such as its core values, personnel, congregation, prevailing culture, finances, community where it is interacting, among others, through a strategic planning process.A handful of suggestions on how to carry out the conduct of this strategic planning was provided lengthily and was discussed in an almost detailed manner by Malphurs.StrengthsDrawing from a wealth of experience as a pastor, professor and consultant, Malphurs have provided significant and doable ways of carrying out the strategic revitalization process.   Perhaps using his personal experience of leading a church, he was able to address a lot of pitfalls and traps that a pastor and church leader should avoid in strategic planning.His experience and love for the ministry and church transcends all throughout the book, making a pastor or a leader, whose church is going through a period of plateau in terms of growth, reading the book feel that the book was written specifically for him and his flock.   Malphurs has a heart for the local church.   The strategic planning is simply his response to the problem that he perceives. [1]It was also made clear in the book that the pastor or church leaders can’t do the process and implement changes alone, every member of the congregation must be informed properly for them to be involved in all facets of the process.   The need to effectively communicate the vision was emphasized and strongly recommended. Malphurs writes:If you conduct secret meetings and fail to communicate in general what happens in those meetings, you will not be able to lead the congregation because they will no trust you (63).An unwavering support on the ongoing strategic planning process will only come from a church member who clearly understands the what and why’s of his/her churchâ€℠¢s call for a strategic planning.Although the book is in fact a â€Å"how-to† sort of manual, Malphurs succeeded in finding a biblical basis for the conduct of the strategic planning.   This makes the book grounded on the godly and biblical principles of leadership.An obvious strength of the book is the manner it challenged church pastors and leaders to think critically regarding its mission, vision, values, and congregational structure. Provoking questions are injected throughout the book to guide its readers in propelling the church in a certain direction that will eventually lead to the realization of their mission and vision.Malphurs is very strong in recommending the necessity of adopting a mission and vision statements in churches. To further guide his readers, Malphurs also made a clear distinction between values, missions, and functions.Armed with the understanding that churches will definitely look different in varying contexts, he stresses the value of injecting p rofessionalism and excellence in all ministry undertakings which is and should be a characteristic of any church desiring to grow.David Murrow also sees this need when he wrote, â€Å"Men appreciate excellence†¦Excellent doesn’t mean slick, canned or superficial. It simply means everything done well (Col. 3:23).†[2]Malphurs also tediously provided helpful tools and sample evaluation forms that will help a church start the strategic planning process.   He make sure that churches who will decide to embark in the strategic planning process already have the tools, which can be modified if they opt to, to keep the process going and evaluated.WeaknessesAlthough well-written, the book still has some few unhelpful aspects and needs thoughtful consideration from a critical reader.Malphurs have excellently provided a book for strategic thinking pastors but have missed out those who are implementers and dreamers in nature, reality will tell us that there are pastors who se e that their calling evolves on activities such as teaching, preaching, evangelism, visitation, etc.Strategic planning is not an exciting and needed activity for pastors and leaders who fall under these characteristics, for them church growth and dynamism depends on going out and reaching the unreached.Another important concern that Malphurs alluded is the average period of time it will take for the whole process of defining the church’s mission, discovering their values, catching the vision, and actually coming up with a plan will be done.He noted that it could take five (5) years just to get everybody on board. Unfortunately, nowadays,   a pastoral longevity in a certain church is only 3 to 4 years.   George Barna stated: â€Å"The average tenure of a pastor in Protestant churches has declined to just 4 years—even though studies consistently show that pastors experience their most productive and influential ministry in years 5 through 14 of their pastorate.† [3]The book also failed in considering the value of preaching the Word of God, reaching out the lost, and healthy fellowship among members of the congregation, in spurring growth in the church.The â€Å"Readiness for Change† inventory contains factors necessary for organizational change, but it is interesting to note that Malphurs have missed to include prayer. For any change to take place in a church, the leaders and members of the church should devote time in praying.ConclusionOverall much is to be commended in Malphurs’ book. It is a very practical book.   The strengths of the book outweigh the weaknesses.   The weaknesses stated should not detract a one from reading the book.Although there are some suggestions made by Malphurs that in one way or another is not supported biblically, such as not putting older men and women in the leadership as opposed to the scripture’s advice to have the older men and women teaching the younger ones, the book still off ers sound and helpful principles of strategically leading and managing a church.The objectives set by Malphurs in writing the book are achieved, he perceived a problem, and he has provided in great detail a solution to the problem. He has skillfully presented a sys aforementioned, his wealth of experience have made every argument he presented convincing and worth trying for.The book is a valuable reading and tool for young, soon-to-be pastors, pastors, elders, church staff members, and lay leaders, or for anyone who is in one way or another involved in church leadership.However, a word of caution, one should be very careful in accepting that the book is the cure-all answer to the problems besetting the churches today.   It is a guide, a good and helpful guide, but it doesn’t contain all the answers to church issues and problems.   Pastors and leaders of the church should still bear in mind what is stated Proverbs 16:9 says â€Å"The mind of man plans his way; But the LOR D directs his steps.†Ã‚   The Lord is still the sovereign one, if it is His Will it will definitely happen. [1]. Owen Strachan,   Reviews: Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs, (9Marks Reviews , 2008) [article available online], www.alliance.net, date accessed July 21, 2009 [2]. David Murrow, How Women Help Men Find God, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) [3].   George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998), 5.