Sheala Vast-Binder's Blog, page 6
March 4, 2015
Holi: In Legend and Pictures
Holi, also known as The Festival of Colors, is an ancient Hindu holiday that celebrates the victory of good over evil and the coming of Spring. It is marked by general merrymaking, especially the splashing of color all over anyone who comes close! One of the primary legends behind the holiday involves an evil king named Hiranyakashipu:
Hiranyakashyap considered himself ruler of the Universe, and higher than all the gods. Prahalad was the king’s son. His father hated him because Prahalad was a faithful devotee of the god Vishnu.
One day the king asked him “Who is the greatest, God or I?”
“God is,” said the son, “you are only a king.”
The king was furious and decided to murder his son. But the king’s attempts at murder didn’t work too well. Prahalad survived being thrown over a cliff, being trampled by elephants, bitten by snakes, and attacked by soldiers. So the king asked his sister, Holika, to kill the boy.
Holika seized Prahalad and sat in the middle of a fire with the boy on her lap. Holika had been given a magic power by the gods that made her immune to fire, so she thought this was a pretty good plan, and Prahalad would burn to death while she remained cool.
But it’s never wise to take gods’ gifts for granted! Because Holika was using her gift to do something evil, her power vanished and she was burned to ashes. Prahalad stayed true to his God, Vishnu, and sat praying in the lap of his demon aunt. Vishnu protected him, and Prahalad survived.
Shortly afterwards, Vishnu killed King Hiranyakashyap and Prahad ruled as a wise king in his father’s place.(1)
Another key story behind the Holi festivities involves Krishna, one of the incarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu:
The story goes that as a child, Krishna was extremely jealous of Radha’s fair complexion since he himself was very dark.
One day, Krishna complained to his mother Yashoda about the injustice of nature which made Radha so fair and he so dark. To pacify the crying young Krishna, the doting mother asked him to go and colour Radha’s face in whichever colour he wanted.
In a mischievous mood, naughty Krishna heeded the advice of mother Yashoda and applied colour on her beloved Radha’s face; Making her one like himself. (2)
Because of these two stories, Holi is an extremely festive holiday with a large bonfire occurring the night before and the widespread use of colored powder and water throughout the day. As people dance, sing, and throw color, you’ll often see all distinctions of caste, gender, age, and class disappear. It is a holiday that celebrates life and is much loved by many. Check out the video below to see why!
Photo by Alessandro Baffa
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February 26, 2015
A Quick Peek at The History of Lent
Have you participated in Lent but would like to know more about its history? OR, have you heard about Lent but don’t know what the fuss is about? OR, are you reading this and thinking, “What in the world is Lent?”
Whichever one fits you, I’m here to give you a quick overview on the history of Lent. Additionally, I want to share some great Lenten blogs for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully, by the time you’re done, you’ll be able to have an intelligent discussion about the tradition and appreciate why many Christians throughout the world honor Lent.
Lent is one of the oldest traditions in the Christian Church. We first hear about it from Irenaeus, a Christian writer who lived during the second century. During Irenaeus’ time, the observance of fasting and prayer lasted 2-3 days and was used to prepare new believers for baptism (or their admittance into the Church).
Lent eventually developed into a 40 day, church-wide tradition as the whole community prayed and fasted for the new believers. At the same time, Christians who were already baptized prepared to renew their promises to God at Easter. (In case you don’t know, Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection after his death on the cross). Lent occurs the 40 days before Easter, plus or minus Sundays depending on which Christian tradition a person follows.
The early Lenten practices were strict and serious. Only one meal was eaten a day, near the evening. No meat, fish, or animal products were eaten. Gradually, Lenten practices relaxed in the Roman Catholic Church. First, congregants were allowed to eat after 3 p.m. By the 1400s, people could eat after noon. Eventually, various foods (like fish) were allowed to be eaten at any time. In 1966, the Roman Catholic Church restricted fast days to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. However, Lenten practices in the Orthodox Church are still quite strict. Protestant denominations vary a great deal on how they practice Lent. Some, like the Episcopalian Church, closely observe Lenten practices while others hardly recognize it at all.
So, that’s my quick “scoop” on Lent! If you want to learn more or read great material from people who observe Lent, please check out these favorite blogs of mine:
The Outpatient Monk: Doug’s writing is absolutely beautiful and thought provoking, and his posts on Lent aren’t any different.
Rachel Held Evans’ post, 40 Ideas for Lent 2015.
Annie F. Downs’ post, I love Lent.
OnFaith Voices’ post, How Lent Can Help You Reconcile Faith and Doubt.
V3 Movement’s post, Stations of the Cross–A Practice During Lent
Photo by Mike Kline
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February 19, 2015
The Legend Behind Chinese New Year
Athough the Chinese word, “nian” means “year,” the word comes from an ancient legend about a ferocious, horned monster that preyed on people, especially on new year’s eve. He would destroy crops, devour livestock, and kill people. Here’s a magnificent retelling of the story:
One Spring Festival Eve, villagers of Taohua (Peach Blooms) Village were preparing to flee, closing the doors and windows, some were pulling cows and sheep and the whole village was scared. An old beggar with a stick and a bag in his hands came to the village to beg, his grey hair and beard fluttered with the wind. But no one has time to care about a beggar except for an old woman who gave him something to eat and suggested that he in the mountains to get away from Nian.
The old beggar smiled and said: “Lady, if you let me stay one night in your house, I will get rid of Nian for you.” The old woman was surprised and looked at the old beggar carefully and found that the old beggar, with white hair and ruddy complexion, was hale and hearty and that there was something different about him. She still tried to convince him to flee to the mountain but the old beggar only smiled without reply. Having no alternative, the old woman ran away to the mountains leaving only the old beggar in the house.
On the stroke of midnight, the monster Nian rushed into the village, but immediately found that there was something different in the village. He quivered all over on seeing the red paper glued on the door of the old woman’s house. The house was well-illuminated by candlelight. Nian scowled at the house for a moment and howled fiercely to throw himself at the house. Approaching the door gate, he heard fireworks explosing. At that moment, the door was opened and the old beggar dressed in red came out and burst into laughter. Nian turned pale with fright and took flight with great haste.
The next day villagers came back home and were very surprised to find everything was in good condition. At that moment, the old woman suddenly recalled what the old beggar said and told the other villagers. Villagers rushed to the old woman’s house to see what had happened. There was red paper glued on the door, the fireworks in the yard were still exploding and all of the candles were alight. They then understood that the Nian was afraid of color red, the sounds of fireworks explosion and the light.
Wild with joy, villagers celebrated the coming of the New Year and the good fortune. They all dressed up with new clothes and hats, greeting with each other. The ways to get rid out the Nian spread from mouth to mouth and became prevalent quickly. From then on, every Spring Festival Eve, every family would glue red paper with couplets written on them, and stay up late or all night (Shousui) to wait for the New Year’s coming, lighting lanterns and setting fireworks (from Cultural China).
Chinese New Year has been celebrated for over 3,000 years and is the most important traditional holiday in China. Indeed, it is celebrated throughout the Chinese-speaking world with family gatherings, gift giving, and feasting. Because of the legend, firecrackers, the color red, and light are widely used during the holiday. Although the first day of the holiday is probably the most active, the celebrations actually last for 15 days, not ending until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
Photo by Hendrik Van Den Berg
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February 12, 2015
How Does U.S. Credit Work? (Guest Post)
by Vinh Tran
As a first generation immigrant, I have seen first-hand my family’s struggle to understand the U.S. credit system (FICO) and ultimately gain access to consumer credit. The U.S. credit model is complex enough that many native-born Americans still lack a full understanding of its impact on the cost to them over a lifetime. Landlords use credit scores to evaluate potential renters; employers may also use credit scores to make hiring decisions. A good FICO score translates into lower insurance premiums, as well as lower interest rates when financing a car or home purchase. Therefore, understanding the credit system is an important passage to assimilating into life in the U.S.
My own family history gives me a greater appreciation of what foreign-born individuals face and shapes how I help clients. It motivates me to do my job as a Mortgage Banker and Educator of the credit system differently than others. Every day I have the privilege of helping clients realize the American dream of home ownership by removing the barriers to make their dream possible. It all starts with education.
There are roughly 30 countries with a national credit system, but the U.S. system is one of the most developed and complex in the world. While some countries only report negative activities, the U.S. reports both positive and negative activities, thus giving the most comprehensive view of a person’s credit worthiness. The scoring model is an intricate system of algorithms that tries to capture a person’s likelihood to pay their debts. The FICO score is a statistically derived numeric value based on information from the credit report. It reflects a combination of someone’s credit “character,” as well as their understanding of how to play the credit “game.” It has more to do with one’s ability to interface with the system at a high level by managing the activities of credit, and less to do with honesty and integrity.
Below is a snapshot of how the “game” is set up. Playing by its rules accelerates the process of gaining the FICO points that make someone a perceived better risk to potential creditors.
PAYMENT HISTORY: 35%
Regardless of what country you are from, you instinctively know that paying your debt on time is good and not paying on time is bad. But since payment history is only 35% of FICO scoring system, simply paying on time doesn’t always yield a great score.
CREDIT MIX: 10%
The credit model sees the ideal credit mix as someone having a mortgage, an automobile loan, and 2-3 credit cards. It is designed to reward those who successfully manage both installment loans (mortgage & car) and revolving lines (credit cards).
NQUIRIES: 10%
Each time a person tries to open a credit account, it is considered an inquiry into credit. This portion is only 10%, but each inquiry does have a negative impact on the overall score, regardless of whether or not they actually open another account (which is why it’s labeled as inquiry and not “account opened”). For someone getting started, there is no way to avoid the initial negative impact. Over a period of time, the negative impact will wear off.
LENGTH OF HISTORY: 15%
Lenders minimally want to see a two year history of good activity. Once a credit card account is opened, it is important to keep it open because the credit model also rewards the longevity of open accounts. For this reason, people with higher credit scores are typically a bit older as it takes some time to establish and raise one’s scores.
UTILIZATION: 30%
Utilization is the percentage of credit limit that one uses. If you have a $1000 credit limit and a $200 outstanding balance, then your utilization is 20%. Negative points are assigned once 10% utilization is reached. The closer you get to 100% utilization, the more punitive the impact on the score. In general, staying under 30% is ideal.
The first step in establishing credit is to obtain a secured credit card, in which the credit limit (typically around $500) is secured by a deposit made in advance to the bank. Depending on the bank, this deposit may be returned to you at some point, and/or the card is converted to a non-secured credit card. Over time as you establish a good payment history, many credit card offers will be made available. Having 2-3 credit cards through Visa, MasterCard and/or Discover is better than a department store card.
The next step toward creating the ideal credit mix is obtaining a car loan. Even if you can pay for a car with cash, it’s a good idea to finance a small portion to accelerate the process of establishing credit.
The pinnacle of consumer credit is a mortgage. If you want to eventually buy a house on credit (mortgage), most lenders will want to see at least two years of good credit activities. Those activities include on-time payments to your creditors, good rental history and the projected ability to handle a new mortgage debt.
Vinh Tran is licensed in Missouri and Illinois as a Mortgage Banker and has extensive experience with credit policy creation. He is approved by the Missouri Real Estate Commission as a Continuing Education instructor on the subject of CREDIT to realtors. He can be found via LinkedIn or www.vinhtran.net.
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February 4, 2015
Cultural Comics? Too Fun!
This past week I was introduced to cultural comics, and I LOVE them! Why didn’t anyone tell me that whole blogs are based on cultural cartoons? I must read way too many serious articles.
Well, not anymore! Thank you, Language Around the Globe, for opening up the world of cultural humor to me. My husband will probably regret it, but I’m forever in your debt!
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January 28, 2015
Five Lessons from an Indie Author
It’s hard to believe, but it has been 7 months since I made my debut in the indie author world! During that time, I’ve made connections with people all over the world, learned the art of social media marketing (or at least started), and written another book that will launch on March 1!
As you can imagine, I’ve picked up many tidbits along the way, some of which have been helpful and others, well, not so much. But have no worries, I’m only going to share the helpful ones with you today! Here are my top 5 tips for new indie authors, and anyone else who enjoys learning from the experience of others.
Tip #1: Marketing a book is much harder than it looks! I now know that no matter how hard a book is to write, it is doubly hard to market! “Gird up your loins” (as someone years ago might have said), and get ready to FIGHT to get your book into the hands of the readers who will treasure you. Before your book even hits the market, you need a marketing plan for getting the news out!
Tip #2: Accept all of the help that you can get. Build your network–online, offline, or wherever else you can find it. Join GoodReads and Facebook so you can connect with other indie authors and READERS! Ask your family and friends to like everything you post so it’ll be more widely distributed. Take advantage of the free online resources that tell you how to promote and sell your book. Hire a coach if you need encouragement, accountability, and assistance! (Self promotion insert**I offer social media marketing assistance**Self promotion ended)
Tip #3: Give, give, give! People enjoy building a relationship with someone who has their best interests at heart. You need to do more than sell your book; you need to look for ways to give to others! Give encouragement, advice, humor, or insight. Give copies of your books. Give whatever you have to give, but always try to give more than you get! (That tip also aligns with Jesus’ teaching, “It is more blessed to give than to receive!” Imagine that?!)
Tip #4: Don’t quit your day job! Unless you’re another John Grisham, and I’d guess that even he wasn’t discovered right away, one book will not support your family. In fact, you’ll be doing well if it pays for itself within the first year of publishing. To make a living at writing, you’ll need to write, write, write then MARKET like your life depends upon it (which your financial life might). If that doesn’t appeal to you, then you will want to diversify. Monetize your blog, become a freelance writer, or add something like affiliate marketing to your skill set. Whatever you choose, expect to work like crazy for several years before you have a dependable entrepreneurial income.
Tip #5: Hold onto hope! After that relatively negative tip #4, I want to challenge you to follow your dream. You’ll never know if you can accomplish what God has put in your heart unless you try! Some days you’ll feel confident and assured; other days you’ll feel like everything is falling to pieces. Whether you are up or down, look to God for help, connect with your family, friends, and readers, and keep pushing forward. Hopefully, there will come a day when your books are well known, you make a comfortable living doing what you love, and you have the opportunity to share with many fascinated fans what it’s like to be a famous indie author. Even if that doesn’t happen, you will have done your best, and ultimately, trying and failing is better than never trying!
Photo by Pedro Ribeiro Simoes
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More Lessons from an Indie Author
It’s hard to believe, but it has been 7 months since I made my debut in the indie author world! During that time, I’ve made connections with people all over the world, learned the art of social media marketing (or at least started), and written another book that will launch on March 1!
As you can imagine, I’ve picked up many tidbits along the way, some of which have been helpful and others, well, not so much. But have no worries, I’m only going to share the helpful ones with you today! Here are my top 5 tips for new indie authors, and anyone else who enjoys learning from the experience of others.
Tip #1: Marketing a book is much harder than it looks! I now know that no matter how hard a book is to write, it is doubly hard to market! “Gird up your loins” (as someone years ago might have said), and get ready to FIGHT to get your book into the hands of the readers who will treasure you. Before your book even hits the market, you need a marketing plan for getting the news out!
Tip #2: Accept all of the help that you can get. Build your network–online, offline, or wherever else you can find it. Join GoodReads and Facebook so you can connect with other indie authors and READERS! Ask your family and friends to like everything you post so it’ll be more widely distributed. Take advantage of the free online resources that tell you how to promote and sell your book. Hire a coach if you need encouragement, accountability, and assistance! (Self promotion insert**I offer social media marketing assistance**Self promotion ended)
Tip #3: Give, give, give! People enjoy building a relationship with someone who has their best interests at heart. You need to do more than sell your book; you need to look for ways to give to others! Give encouragement, advice, humor, or insight. Give copies of your books. Give whatever you have to give, but always try to give more than you get! (That tip also aligns with Jesus’ teaching, “It is more blessed to give than to receive!” Imagine that?!)
Tip #4: Don’t quit your day job! Unless you’re another John Grisham, and I’d guess that even he wasn’t discovered right away, one book will not support your family. In fact, you’ll be doing well if it pays for itself within the first year of publishing. To make a living at writing, you’ll need to write, write, write then MARKET like your life depends upon it (which your financial life might). If that doesn’t appeal to you, then you will want to diversify. Monetize your blog, become a freelance writer, or add something like affiliate marketing to your skill set. Whatever you choose, expect to work like crazy for several years before you have a dependable entrepreneurial income.
Tip #5: Hold onto hope! After that relatively negative tip #4, I want to challenge you to follow your dream. You’ll never know if you can accomplish what God has put in your heart unless you try! Some days you’ll feel confident and assured; other days you’ll feel like everything is falling to pieces. Whether you are up or down, look to God for help, connect with your family, friends, and readers, and keep pushing forward. Hopefully, there will come a day when your books are well known, you make a comfortable living doing what you love, and you have the opportunity to share with many fascinated fans what it’s like to be a famous indie author. Even if that doesn’t happen, you will have done your best, and ultimately, trying and failing is better than never trying!
Photo by Pedro Ribeiro Simoes
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January 19, 2015
Civil Rights: Are We There Yet?
I remember the first time I really thought about the civil rights movement. It was in the mid 1990s and I was with a group of college students visiting the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. When we first walked in the door, they had an old “whites only” water fountain on the wall and a “whites only” sign for a bathroom door (next to each were much less expensive versions for “colored only”). I was shocked that people in my country once used separate water faucets and bathrooms! Then, I chatted with one of the volunteers, an African American man who experienced firsthand the turmoil of the 1960s. Around the corner, I listened to a recording of Martin Luther King Jr. giving his “I Have a Dream” speech. By this time, I recall thinking, “Wow, this is amazing, but haven’t we fixed this problem already?!” After all, in my twenty something (young, white woman) mind, the 1960s and the Civil Rights movement occurred ages ago. I thought we had dealt with the injustice problem, and it was time to move on.
About that time, one of the students that I mentored, and greatly admired, walked up beside me. This young black woman was from urban Kansas City, MO, and I quickly learned that we had NOT fixed our country’s racial problems. Granted, we no longer had “separate but equal” laws like what was expressed by the “whites only” signs, but we still weren’t a society where my dear friend felt safe, accepted, and valued wherever she went.
Over 15 years later, I have an even greater appreciation for how far we’ve come as a society, and how far we still need to go. Because of the Civil Rights movement, I am blessed to have several black friends that greatly enrich my life. Because of the progress we’ve made as a society, my son goes to a widely diverse school and befriends kids from various ethnic backgrounds. However, I also know that people of color in the U.S., especially women, do not earn as much as their counterparts (more here). Many in our black communities still experience unjust treatment within what we call a “justice system” (more here). And minorities in our country often receive poorer healthcare than white people (more here). I do not believe these disparities are acceptable in a country that offers “liberty and justice for all.”
So, on this day when we honor Martin Luther King Jr., I want to challenge all of us with these words from his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”–
We must continue to work toward becoming a society where people are judged based on their behavior rather than the color of their skin. For, as King stated, we are all affected by the injustices experienced in our country. And we have NOT fixed all of the problems yet!
Photo #1 from public domain; Photo #2 by Adam Fagen
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January 15, 2015
Happy New Year?
Just 2 weeks ago, many of us were wishing each other “Happy New Year!” (Some of us might still be saying it if we haven’t seen someone in awhile.) Often when I say it, I assume that everyone around the world is saying the same thing. After all, January 1 happens everywhere, right?
Well, yes…and no. Yes, time moves forward around the world (last that I checked, no one is able to stop time). However, the western calendar, the Gregorian calendar, is only one of many. Although it is internationally accepted as the civil calendar, many people follow other calendars. This means that multiple “new years” occur each year!
With that in mind, think about about how many times you could wish someone a “Happy New Year” in 2015! Here’s just a sample:
Chinese New Year–February 19
Hindi & Telegu & Persian–March 21
Tamil & Sikh–April 14
Ethiopian–September 12
Jewish–September 13
Islamic–October 15
Jain–November 12
Christian–November 29
My challenge to you this year is to consider what other calendars your friends, neighbors, and co-workers might follow. Is it possible that some of them celebrate a different new year, or multiple new years? Find out what they celebrate and then wish them a big “Happy New Year” on that day(s). I bet they’ll be thrilled that you remembered! And you can enjoy multiple new year parties while building bridges across cultural differences!
photo by Stig Nygaard
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January 12, 2015
Keep Austin Weird!
zeldman.com
If you’ve never heard the phrase “keep Austin weird,” you undoubtedly will if you ever go to Austin, TX. Austin is unique, and proud of it!
My family lived in Austin for 2 years while I finished my masters degree, and I have to say that not only is Austin “weird,” it is amazingly weird! I love this cool, funky city, and here are some of the reasons why.
1. Family-friendly. If you’re a parent in the U.S. you’ve probably taken your kids to McDonalds’ and Burger King’s playlands just to get out of the house. You’ve probably even thanked God for such places, particularly on cold or rainy days.
But in Austin, seafood restaurants, steakhouses, and Mexican restaurants have play areas! You can actually eat “grown up” food while your kids have fun. And no one gives you funny looks when your child comes into the restaurant covered in sand because kids are welcomed there. What a great concept!
2. Cycle friendly. I’ve never lived in a more cycle-friendly place than Austin. Because most people in Austin are environmentally (and health) conscious, riding a bike to work is normal.
Many of the main thoroughfares have wide bike lanes, bike parking is common, and taking a bike on public transportation is relatively easy.
Additionally, people in Austin expect you to show respect to cyclists. No driving up close to them when you’re impatient. No going around cyclists when you really don’t have room. Just take a deep breath and remember that cyclists have road rights too. A novel idea for most U.S. cities.
3. Climate. Now the people of Austin can’t take credit for this, but it’s still one of my favorite things about Austin–the climate! Because of where it’s located in TX, Austin is hot and dry most of the year. Granted, this means the trees don’t grow as high and the greens don’t “pop” like they do in wetter areas, but my, oh my, I adore warm winters! I love having a garden almost year round. I love being outside without a heavy coat and mittens. I love ice-free sidewalks and snow-free driving. I LOVE Austin weather!
Undoubtedly, I could add many more things to this list, including shops that allow you to pick up your gardening supplies while also buying chocolate and drinks, pharmacies where you can pick up your medicine and get advice on the best homeopathic and herbal treatments, and streets where almost every type of music you might want to hear can be heard. However, Austin is a place that is better experienced than discussed. If you want to visit an extremely unique American city (that you’ll probably never want to leave), visit Austin. It may be weird, but that’s what makes it unforgettable.
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