Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Origins Of Yahweh s Wife Essay - 1020 Words

Ancient Israel has always been polytheistic, the people have always believed in multiple gods. The Deuteronomist would want his readers to believe otherwise. The worship of one god is fairly new. Especially, in comparison to how worship had gone in Canaan for centuries before hand. In addition to worshiping this new god Yahweh they worshiped him alongside Baal, Asherah, and many other gods alongside them. The origins of Yahweh have been under speculation for years by biblical scholars and archaeologist. No matter the origins even the Deuteronomist who tries so hard to erase the residue of the other gods and mark them as evil he, cannot keep all his readers in the dark. â€Å"Books of I and II Samuel and I and II Kings demonstrates that the worship of Yahweh s wife, Asherah, did not die out but remained a part of ritual and cult throughout the monarchies and until the conquest of Judah, that is, from circa 1000 to 586 B.C.† Many scholars such as William H. Dever would like to argue that Asherah was somewhat as Yahweh’s wife or consort. Where does Asherah come from? Asherah was one of the three great goddesses of Canaanite worship even before Yahweh. In Canaanite religion, her primary role was the mother goddess. In mythological texts from the Late Bronze Age, her consort was known as the god El or creator. El is also referred to as father and Asherah is referred to as mother. We hear about Asherah in the bible and even though she is associated with polytheistic religions. EvenShow MoreRelatedList Of A Honor Code By Refraining From Lying, Stealing, Or Cheating1831 Words   |  8 Pagescosmos of the Hebrew people, meaning they doubt that Yahweh actually even existed. The combination of archaeological evidence and Biblical stories allow for some confirmation of the truth, including the origins of Abraham, the Hebrews’ journey into Canaan, the flaws in the Hebrews’ monotheism, the destruction of Solomon’s temple, the conquering of the Israelite kingdom, and the evidence of Israel’s waning power following the death of S olomon. The origins of the Hebrews can be traced back to Abraham, whoRead MoreAncient Concepts Of Law, Government, And Social Structure1408 Words   |  6 Pagesshe were severe consequences. The code has blunt and tough language that can seem unusual to our own society. â€Å"If a seignior’s wife has brought about the death of her husband because of another man, they shall impale that woman on stakes.† (Lualdi, 23) The code play a crucial role in the law of Mesopotamia and further strengthened the notion of kings being divine in origin. The social structure in Mesopotamia was hierarchical and most of the economy was agricultural. The city-states were made up ofRead MoreThe Religious Aspirations Of Judaism1659 Words   |  7 Pagesenvisioned Christ the servant of all (Mk 35:9 RSV). A leader who in humanity was humility to all He severed. The political aspiration of the Jewish people is given spiritual fulfillment when Christ ascensions into His heavenly kingdom. One is Yahweh promise to reunite the twelve tribes of Israel in the messianic age. Second giving the kingdom of God to Israel is a vision of David promises filled by the Son of Man the Messiah. The disciples being Jews have knowledge of the Torah and witness toRead More History of the Old Testament of the Bible Essay3002 Words   |  13 Pagesdistinguished from Judah, the tribe (along with Benjamin) that gave allegiance to the Davidic dynasty. Anderson p232 Knowing now that the one nation under King David is now split into Israel and Judah we can press onwards in to the 800s B.C. During the 800s B.C. Israel had a number of rulers. Ahab is one of the more influential during the time period. Ahab, whose reign was from 869-850 B.C., had finished building a new capital city in Samaria for Israel that was started earlier by his fatherRead MorePositive and Negative on Worldviews1694 Words   |  7 Pagesown faith and understand the essential need for balance in my Christian walk in order to stand for the truth and walk in love. 2. Describe how you have been uniquely prepared for your ministry role through cultural forces. What culture (s) are you most effective in as a leader? God has taken me through experiencing a diversity of cultures (rural, urban, western, eastern, conservative and liberal) in order to shape me away from my natural tendency toward extremity. As a Christian leaderRead MoreThe Prophet Amos and the Zimbabwean Context9884 Words   |  40 Pagesillustrating the borrowed phenomenon, has been replaced or fundamentally undermined by a more rationalistic approach to problems bedevilling Israel. Amos, it can be argued, seems to have inaugurated a movement of rationalist who made sense out of the word of Yahweh. It is in this light that a critical analysis of the book of Amos will reveal even the relevance of Amos’ thought patterns to the Africans and Zimbabweans in particular. In Zimbabwean societies, issues regarding dishonest dealings, capitalistic mind-setsRead MoreThe Natural Cognitive Process Is Based On Our Own Experiences With Other Individuals3363 Words   |  14 Pagesdescription is provided. â€Å"The above picture shows how an African appears in his native country. See that elephant s tusk leaning against him. The Africans sell them for ivory, and they are made into a great many useful articles in this country. The African appears free and independent, but he is a heathen. He looks abroad upon nature, but knows little, or nothing, of nature s God. The kidnappers very often seize the children while they are at play, when their parents are absent, carry them toRead MoreEssay about Book Summary The Bible Among the Myths2835 Words   |  12 Pageslive by the pagan worldview and give lip service to the biblical one but because of the work of Ezra, Nehemiah, Malachi and many others whose names we do not know came the conviction that the only way to avoid more divine punishment was to worship Yahweh only. As scripture states, â€Å"(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.† Deuteronomy 6:15 and with that said, the survival of the biblicalRead MoreThe Bible Among The Myths3214 Words   |  13 Pagesalternate religions of its day. Oswalt likewise talks about a major philosophical division when contrasting the Old Testament with its counterparts. He makes the contrast between essentials and â€Å"accidentals. When an individual discusses an object s quintessence, he is alluding to that which makes up its center. Accidentals, then again, are those things that are just accidental and don t essentially characterize the object. The writer acquaints the reader with the idea of myth. While recognizingRead More Parallelisms and Differences:Rastafarianism and Judaism Essay6341 Words   |  26 Pagesblasphemous language,to boost the sale of pictures of Haile Selassie, he stated that Selassie was,King Ras Tafari of Abyssinia, son of king Solomon by the queen of Sheba.1 Howell knew that in later years factual information about Selassies true origin would be declared. As an Ethiopian constitution of 1955 confirms, Haile Selassie in his position as Emperor,descends without interruption from the dynasty of Menelik I, son of Ethiopia, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon of Jerusalem.2 This constitution

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Four Reasons Behind Mergers Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2362 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? In simple terms, a merger means blending of two or more existing undertakings into one, consequent to which each undertaking would lose their separate identity. The most common reasons for mergers are, operating synergies, market expansion, diversification, growth, consolidation of production capacities and tax savings. However, these are just some of the illustrations and not the exhaustive benefits. However, before the idea of Merger and Acquisition crystallizes, the firm needs to understand its own capabilities and industry position. It also needs to know the same about the other firms it seeks to tie up with, to get a real benefit from a merger. Globalization has increased the competitive pressure in the markets. In a highly challenging environment a strong reason for merger and acquisition is a desire to survive. Thus apart from growth, the survival factor has off late, spurred the merger and acquisition activity worldwide. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Four Reasons Behind Mergers Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Take retail finance for instance. With corporate banking becoming an unprofitable business for banks due to high risk of asset quality, banks including financial institutions are tapping the retail finance segment. ICICIs acquisition of Anagram Finance from Lalbhai group, HDFC Banks merger with Centurion Bank of Punjab and ICICI Banks merger with Bank of Madura are some of the latest examples of consolidation in the banking sector. We could see the similar trend perking up in other sectors. The present study gives some insight as to why the banks are going for merger and acquisition and what are the legal, taxes and financial aspects governing them. The study also deals with other aspects such as types of merger, motives, and reasons, bank too much on merger, and successful consolidation in merger, recent trend in merger and acquisition activity. Purpose The purpose of this assessment is to examine the merger process that was done on 25 February 2008 between HDFC Bank and Centurion bank of Punjab. The basic purpose of merger is to achieve faster growth of the corporate business. Faster growth may be had through product improvement and competitive position. The whole point of this process is to show how the change management works. The study also focuses on how the technology and superior margins with support from low-cost deposits will ensure profitable growth in the future. OBJECTIVE There are four main paths that explain the reasons behind the merger activity. These four paths are related to: (1) Creating economies of scales (2) Expanding geographically (3) Increasing the combined capital base (size) and product offerings (4) Gaining market power (5) Identify benefits and barriers of the change management process and provide recommendations for future activities INTRODUCTION Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) Bank The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) was amongst the first to receive an in principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a bank in the private sector, as part of the RBIs liberalization of the Indian Banking Industry in 1994. The bank was incorporated in August 1994 in the name of HDFC Bank Limited, with its registered office in Mumbai, India. HDFC Bank commenced operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995. Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), Indias leading housing finance company, HDFC Bank is one of Indias premier banks providing a wide range of financial products and services to its over 11 million customers across over three hundred cities using multiple distribution channels including a pan-India network of branches, ATMs, phone banking, net banking and mobile banking. Within a relatively short span of time, the bank has emerged as a leading player in retail banking, wholesale banking, and treasury operations, its three principal business segments. The banks competitive strength clearly lies in the use of technology and the ability to deliver world-class service with rapid response time. Over the last 13 years, the bank has successfully gained market share in its target customer franchises while maintaining healthy profitability and asset quality. As on December 31, 2007, the Bank had a network of 754 branches and 1,906 ATMs in 327 cities. Centurion Bank of Punjab Centurion Bank of Punjab is one of the leading new generation private sector banks in India. The bank serves individual consumers, small and medium businesses and large corporations with a full range of financial products and services for investing, lending and advice on financial planning. The bank offers its customers a wide range of wealth management products such as mutual funds, life and general insurance and has established a leadership position. The bank is also a strong player in foreign exchange services, personal loans, mortgages and agricultural loans. Additionally the bank offers a full suite of NRI banking products to overseas Indians. Centurion Bank of Punjab now operates on a strong nationwide franchise of 394 branches and 452 ATMs in 180 locations across the country, supported by employee base of over 7,500 employees. In addition to being listed on the major Indian stock exchanges, the Banks shares are also listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. MERGER HDFC Bank and Centurion Bank of Punjab merger at share swap ratio of 1:29 The Boards of HDFC Bank and Centurion Bank of Punjab met on 25 February, 2008 and approved, subject to due diligence, the share swap ratio for the proposed merger of Centurion Bank of Punjab with HDFC Bank. The Scheme of Amalgamation envisages a share exchange ratio of one share of HDFC Bank for twenty-nine shares of Centurion Bank of Punjab. The combined entity would have a nationwide network of 1,148 branches (the largest amongst private sector Banks) a strong deposit base of around Rs.1200 billion and net advances of around Rs.850billion. The balance sheet size of the combined entity would be over Rs. 1,500 billion. HDFC Bank was looking for an appropriate merger opportunity that would add scale, geography and experienced staff to its franchise. This opportunity arose and we thought it is an attractive route to supplement HDFC Banks organic growth. Commenting on the proposed merger, Mr. Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC said, We were amongst the first to get a banking license, the first to do a merger in the private sector with Times Bank in 1999, and now if this deal happens, it would be the largest merger in the private sector banking space in India. We believe that Centurion Bank of Punjab would be the right fit in terms of culture, strategic intent and approach to business. Mr. Aditya Puri, Managing Director, HDFC Bank said, These are exciting times for the Indian banking industry. The proposed merger will position the combined entity to significantly exploit opportunities in a market globally recognized as one of the fastest growing. Im particularly bullish about the potential of business synergies and cultural fit between the two organizations. The combined entity will be an even greater force in the market RESEARCH QUESTIONS Q1. What is the effect after merger and accusation on the financial performance of the organization? The merger added around 400 branches to HDFC Banks branch strength of 760 along with a 15-20 per cent increase in the asset base to more than Rs.1.7lakh crore. While the merger has helped increase the size of HDFC Bank, it has also led to some pressure on key ratios for the combined entity; Centurion Bank of Punjab ratios were lower than that of HDFC Bank. Q2. How does it affect the cultural changes inside the organization? All the employees of Centurion Bank of Punjab have been assigned their new roles in the merged entity and the training processes are underway to bring them at par with HFDC Bank standards. All systems integrated with HDFC Bank platform, i.e. flex cube Treasury is still already integrated with the same, while both wholesale banking and retail banking is fully integrated and working. The merger positioned the combined entity to significantly exploit opportunities in a market globally recognized as one of the fastest growing. The potential of business synergies and cultural fit between the two organizations. The combined entity emerged to be a greater force in the market. Q3. Study on the growth process after the merger and acquisition of bank. HDFC Banks net revenues have grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44.5 per cent in the last five years on the back of net interest income (NII) and other income growing by 43 per cent and 47.7 per cent, respectively. Net profits grew by 33 per cent; the lower pace is due to the banks prudent policy of higher provisioning (last three years). HDFC Bank has been going slow on the retail loans and even CBoPs non-issuance of fresh loans (since December 2007) to the two-wheeler and personal loan segments, has ensured comfortable NPA (non-performing assets) levels for the combined entity. HDFC Bank, after the merger, provided higher provisions to the combined entity in line with its own superior provision coverage of around 67 per cent (CBOPs at 55 per cent). Although, it added pressure on the profitability in the near term but it will help avoiding slippages in asset quality in the future. The advances havent slowed and this is indicated from the credit-deposit ratio rising from 63 per cent last year to around 75 per cent current year. The recent Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) cut has released additional funds of around Rs.4500crore that could be used for further loan disbursements and provide support to (NIM) Net Interest Margins. The higher yield on advances and investments in conjunction with high interest rates has meant that NIM is still comfortable at 4.2 per cent. Q4. How did the market share and capitalization of HDFC bank get affected after merger? The banks competitive strength clearly lies in the use of technology and the ability to deliver world-class service with rapid response time. The bank has successfully gained market share in its target customer franchises while maintaining healthy profitability and asset quality. As of June 30, 2009, the Bank had a distribution network with 1,416 branches and 3,382 ATMs in 550 cities. For the quarter ended June 30, 2009, the Bank earned total income of INR 51.36 billion as against INR 42.15 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. Net revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 were INR 28.99 billion, up by 25.1% over INR 23.16 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2008. Net Profit for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 was INR 6.06 billion (Rs.606.1crore), up by 30.5% over the corresponding quarter ended June 30, 2008. The Banks total balance sheet size increased by 10.38% from INR 1685.98 billion as of June 30, 2008 to INR 1861.15 billion as of June 30, 2009. Total deposits were INR 1457.32 billion , an increase of 11.31% from June 30, 2008. Total income for the year ended March 31, 2009 grew by 58.2% to INR 196.22 billion (Rs19622.9crore) over the corresponding year ended March 31, 2008. Leading Indian and international publications have recognized the bank for its performance and quality. MEHTODOLOGY HYPOTHISES H1: Merger and Acquisition process has direct relation with the financial performance of the organization. H2: Mergers acquisition is directly related to the cultural changes inside the organization. H3: Mergers and Acquisition process is inversely related to the growth process of an organization. H4. There is a positive Relation b/w the market share and merger. Research Philosophy The researcher follows a positivism approach which shows that the study is based on some scientific statements. The study includes the testing of hypotheses, which enable in the assessment of various laws. Positivistic approach seeks to identify measure and evaluate any phenomena and to provide rational explanations for it. This explanation will attempt to establish causal links and relationships between the different elements (or variables) of the subject and relate them to a particular theory or practice. Advantages of Positivism Approach The following are the advantages of this approach:- The research can be structured in a better way. It ensures that the data that is collected is valid and holds true in all means. The hypothesis can be tested much easily. Disadvantages of Positivism Approach The following are the disadvantages of this approach:- It is very difficult to arrive at a proper sample size. It is very time consuming.          Sources of Data The data that is to be collected must be logical. The quality of the conclusion is highly dependent on the data that is being collected. Hence one must ensure that accurate and reliable data are collected. Primary Sources The research is in the form of interview and survey obtains these data from individuals. They are generally true facts. Secondary Sources These include that information pertaining to company, latest journals and academic papers, online reliable resources that would provide the latest development in the field. Secondary sources are those data that are already obtained by others. Research Design Research Design basically shows how all the major components of the research project samples, measures, and treatments work together to address the central research questions. A Cross-sectional study is undertaken as the time for the research is short. The facts are collected from employees of different age groups. It involves the data collection at a particular point of time. The research includes finding out the variables that are responsible for the problem identified. Such study is termed as Correlation study. This kind of a study takes place in a natural environment and where there is very little interference by the researcher. CONCLUSION Merger and acquisition the most talked about term today creating lot of excitement and speculative activity in the markets. However, before the idea of MA crystallizes, the firm needs to understand its own capabilities and industry position. It also needs to know the same about the other firms it seeks to tie up with, to get a real benefit from a merger. A mergers and Acquisitions activity is that the divesting firm moves from diversifying strategy to concentrate on core activities in order to improve and increase competitiveness. Globalization has increased the competitive pressure in the markets. In a highly challenging environment a strong reason for MA is a desire to survive. Thus apart from growth, the survival factor has off late, spurred the MA activity worldwide Some such factors are listed below: ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ The Companys business prospects and nature of its business ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ The prospects for industry in which the company operates ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Management reputation ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Goodwill and brand value ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Marketing network ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Technology level ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Efficiency level in terms of employees ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Financial performance ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Future earnings ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ The legal implications ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Government policy in general and in particular for that industry ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Current valuations of shares in stock markets

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Defining Experience Free Essays

I have always considered myself an open and welcome person who treated everyone fairly. Other people that I knew would often express views that people, who lived in the United States, whether legally or not, should learn how to speak â€Å"our† language. While I tended to agree with them I never gave it much thought, until I found myself in a foreign country, and unable to speak the language. We will write a custom essay sample on Defining Experience or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was there that I learned, not only how it felt to not be able to communicate easily, but to be more tolerant of other people’s non-native speaking. I have always loved to travel with family and friends, and there was no better time than when I was living and working in Serbia. While I worked with people from many nationalities most, if not all, spoke the English language. I took this for granted, and while I made some attempts to learn new languages, I did not try too hard. After a particularly stressful month of work I felt the need to get away from it all, to rest and relax, and to broaden my perspective of the world. I made reservations for six solo days of scuba diving in Croatia. I was excited, nervous, even a little scared of traveling alone. I told myself that I’m 36 years old, have two kids, and lived in another country, so I held my head high, bid my friends farewell and took off. Upon arrival in Croatia I picked up my rental car at the airport in Zagreb. I got on the A1 motorway and pointed the Fiat Punta south towards the small fishing village of Rocogniza. I arrived there late in the afternoon and promptly found the dive shop that had arranged all my accommodations. I settled in and then set off into the village to explore and buy food to prepare for dinner. The sun was shining and felt warm as I parked my car started walking towards the village. I traveled past centuries old houses, a large stone Orthodox Christian church, and into the village. Once in the village I saw the bustle of people coming to and from the outdoor market and the fisher men peddling their catches along the dock. There were people of all ages in the town centre, young kids playing, and elderly people sitting at the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s talking. I walked through the market and saw a very old lady selling fresh fruits and vegetables. I stopped at her cart and she was very warm, with bright eyes, a big smile on her face, and arms opened as if she were going to hug those around her. I said hello to the old lady who only nodded and I realized that she did not speak English. Even though there was a language barrier I was able to purchase the fresh fruit and vegetables that I would need for the next few days. I then walked to the docks and again I was greeted with a warm welcome by the fishermen. I bought several mackerel, red mullet, and bukva, more that I needed, thanked the fishermen and bid them farewell. After making my purchases I stopped at a small cafà © to have a coffee. The waiter Mario, whose brother was always living and working in Kosovo, spoke almost perfect English. I sat at that cafà © for several hours talking with Mario. Mario told me about the people of his village, how they had survived through the war, and how the Croatian people generally loved having foreigners visit their great land. Although I hated for our talk to end, I had to bid Mario farewell, and head out before dark. As I left the village I turned back and looked towards the small fishing village that I had just visited. I thought about the warm and welcoming reception that I had received and that I would always remember the people that I had met. I also thought about those people who come to the United States to either visit or in search of a better life for the families. I vowed to myself that I would learn some of the local language while traveling in other countries. This experience also changed the way that I would interact with people who were in my own country and did not know how to speak what we consider â€Å"our† language. How to cite Defining Experience, Essay examples

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Psychology Personal Reflection free essay sample

Death comes to everyone human being living on the planet. I view death in two ways the first one is a long-lived life where the person enjoyed their life and die of natural causes. The second one is a short-lived life they did not get to enjoy the life to which it was given to but taken away by an unforeseen cause. Visiting this cemetery brings me sadness and a eerie feeling, the weather is overcast cloudy and very cold, I can see sun rays ahead of me peaking through ever so lightly touching the tips of the trees seems similar to heaven showing a sign to me that even though I feel sad being here the people whose body that are buried in this ground is at rest in a better place up above. The tombstones appear as though they reflects the person who its representing, some are huge memorial stating to me that person was center if attention and wanted to be known when he/she stepped into a room filled with people. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology Personal Reflection or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Others are simple smaller in size on behalf of the person who may be timid and clam someone who you might find alone in a room filled of people. The set up of this cemetery fits the norm of the American culture, rows or tombstones evenly spaced out, surrounded by flowers left by loved ones. Each tombstone is uniquely designed. Today I am visiting my uncle who was lay to rest here ten years ago, I still see him, as he was when he was alive and healthy my family found out he had pancreatic cancer. The cancer was shocking since he was still young in his early forties, to see my uncle degenerate before my eyes was very hard he was this strong man who then became a fragile, pale, thin man right before his death. I remember him saying that he was ready to die, because living on earth being helpless was not what he wanted to be a burden to his family. He told my aunt she should remarry later if she finds a partner and for my parents to help look his after my cousins all five of them who are now young adults and parents. He was ready and prepare to die, he knew it was coming and less than a year later he passed away peacefully at home with his loved ones by his side. Having recently going through a traumatic life changing experience in a head on collision thinking death was coming straight my way, all I saw that horrific rainy night was head lights then the impact I was startled, frozen and in shock. I called 911 immediately to find out the only thing I could do was keep my seat belt on and hoped and prayed no one hits me from behind until California high way patrol came. I find myself pondering about my life and how I would want to be remembered, I want to live a long fruitful and content life where I am capable to travel the world and be knowledgeable of the many cultures and practice my skills of nursing helping the unfortunate. Also spending every single moment of my life thanking God I still have more time here to spend with my loved ones. Life is very precious it was given to each of us for a purpose for the reason we may not know but the time we have ahead of us gets us closer to finding answers. I want to be remembered as the fun loving, adventurous and bubbly person. My funeral should be a celebration of my life I want the mourning ritual to have my favorite songs played, I’m certain the genre would be country. I want to have my favorite flowers, which are orchids, plumeria, and color roses. My friends and family will each give a eulogy but the things that they will bring up are things that will be so memorable yet too funny to finish without them bursting in laughter. I want to be cremated even though it is against my parents and some of my loved ones wished it’s my wish. Having a close call to death and coming out of it without a scratch I am very fortunate. I now see my life as a second chance given to me to do things and to use my time wisely. I have a young son, and to not see him grown up to be a successful young man would be devastating for me. I want to see my son grow up and experience what life has to offer with his mother by his side to support him through all the trials and tribulations. I cannot bear to have any of my love ones morns because of my premature death. I know that every day stress with life such as school, work, family it is very hard some days I tell myself to take it one day at a time and to be grateful because in other parts of the world they worry about shelter, food and clean water to drink. Here in the states we have that a warm place to sleep at night away from the rain and cold weather. My family migrated from a small village in Laos where there is no electricity, an out house, but my relatives who are still there live off the land and they are very happy with that life style. Me visiting from the states to a whole new environment was like stepping back into time, I can say living there for three weeks was an eye opening experience I will never forget nor change. Life is priceless we are all fortunate to have lived, to love and be loved.