Author: Thomas Jenkins

by Thomas Jenkins on Education

Faith on Display: How Religious Necklaces Connect Us to the Divine

The History and Significance of Religious Necklaces

Have you ever noticed the array of religious necklaces people wear? Crosses, Stars of David, om symbols—people of faith often choose to outwardly display their beliefs around their necks. These divine adornments are more than just jewelry—they are a visible representation of an invisible connection.  As you walk down the street, you encounter these religious necklaces and in that brief moment, you’re reminded of the diversity of faiths and beliefs in the world. For the wearer, a religious necklace is a constant reminder of spiritual devotion. Fingering the familiar pendant around your neck in times of joy or sorrow, uncertainty or gratitude, forges a quiet, personal link between the mortal and the divine. Religious necklaces unite us as human beings on a shared journey to understand life’s deepest mysteries.

religious necklaces

Popular Types of Religious Necklaces and Their Meanings

The history of religious necklaces spans thousands of years and numerous faiths. Ancient Egyptians wore amulets depicting their gods for protection and guidance. Crosses have adorned the necks of Christians since the 2nd century AD as a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice. 

 Buddhists and Hindus have long used malas – prayer bead necklaces – to count recitations of mantras or the names of deities. The Star of David and Chai symbolize Judaism, while the crescent moon and star are iconic of Islam.

No matter the religion, these pendants provide a tangible connection to the divine. They remind us of the values and truths our faiths uphold. By wearing a religious necklace, you proclaim your devotion and open yourself to the grace, blessings or enlightenment it represents.

Today, religious necklaces come in a variety of styles to suit any taste. From simple pewter or sterling silver to gemstone-studded gold, there are options at every price point. Wearing one is a personal choice that allows your faith to radiate out into the world. For many, a religious necklace becomes a cherished talisman and lifelong companion on one’s spiritual journey.

A Meaningful Expression of Faith

Religious necklaces transcend fashion. They are a meaningful expression of your most heartfelt beliefs. Whether you choose a pendant passed down for generations or newly acquired, it will serve as a visual embodiment of your devotion for years to come. By wearing one each day, you carry a reminder of something far greater than yourself – and invite its grace into your life.

How to Choose the Right Religious Necklace to Reflect Your Faith

Religious necklaces are popular ways to express your faith and stay connected to the divine. Whether you’re Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim, there are meaningful necklace options for you.

The Cross

The most well-known religious necklace is the Christian cross. Wearing a cross necklace shows your devotion to Jesus Christ and belief in his sacrifice. Crosses come in many styles, from simple chains with pendants to ornate gemstone-studded pieces. 

The Om

For Hindus and Buddhists, the om symbol represents the universal energy that connects us all. An om necklace, featuring the symbolic sanskrit letter, is thought to promote peace and spiritual enlightenment.

The Star and Crescent 

In Islam, the star and crescent is an important symbolic motif. A star and crescent necklace signifies faith in Allah and connection to Islamic teachings. The crescent moon and star are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune.

The Mjolnir

In Norse mythology, Thor’s hammer Mjolnir symbolizes protection, strength, and blessing. For modern Pagans and Heathens, a Mjolnir necklace shows reverence for the old Norse gods and connection to ancient traditions. Wearing Mjolnir is thought to grant courage, victory in battle, and fertility.  

With so many options, a religious necklace is a meaningful way to proudly display your faith for all to see. Wearing sacred symbols close to your heart helps remind you of spiritual truths and connects you to divine protection and guidance.

 
by Thomas Jenkins on news

Karl Jobst, Grove OK Dentist Discusses Cutting-Edge Technology On Sweet Startups

Dr. Karl Jobst, Grove OK Dentist and founder of Grand Lake Dental, has served the greater Grove, Oklahoma area for nearly 20 years. During this interview, Dr. Jobst discusses his take on dental technology, giving back and piloting. In the interview, Karl Jobst says, ” Technological advances have made it possible to provide patients with a wide variety of dental care options, and running my own practice ensures I am always able to offer the most effective cutting-edge technologies to the wonderful patients I’ve served for nearly 20 years. I also enjoy the additional challenges associated with entrepreneurship and the sense of accomplishment derived from overcoming those inherent challenges.

You can read the full interview by visiting: https://www.sweetstartups.com/strategy/dr-karl-jobst-founder-of-grand-lake-dental-on-cutting-edge-technology-giving-back-and-piloting/

 
by Thomas Jenkins on news

Ismail Sirdah Explores New Frontiers In Photography

Ismail-Sirdah Growing up as the son of a restaurant owner in Cape Town, South Africa, Ismail Sirdah was always a hard-working and creative individual. Helping to run a successful family business did a lot to prepare him for the future. Upon leaving South Africa and moving to the United States (Savannah, Georgia, to be exact), he got into business much as his history and family history would suggest. Now, he is running a very successful restaurant and a music promotion company. Both have been wildly successful, but Mr. Sirdah’s real passion is photography. This passion has brought him a much greater degree of notoriety than he ever would have achieved running a restaurant or promoting various bands.

So why is Ismail Sirdah more well-known than the average photographer? The answer to that is a simple one. He has gained notoriety by blazing a new trail in the field, one which has not been very well-explored before now. If you can’t guess from the title, I am talking about drone photography.

Imagine this: You are a photographer working in the 1980’s. You probably have a decent camera, although you probably paid a whole lot for it. However, aerial shots will present a great problem. Unless you are extremely rich, you probably cannot afford to buy an airplane or a helicopter with which to shoot your aerial photos. You could use a glider, but that carries serious risk and is not legal in all areas. I like a good picture as much as anyone, but it isn’t worth the risk of falling to one’s death.

Our hypothetical 1980’s photographer would have no such problem today. It wasn’t that long ago that I saw drones selling at a grocery store for forty dollars apiece. Flight has truly become much cheaper. Ismail Sirdah takes it to the next level with his custom UAV’s (the technical term for a drone), which are designed to capture images that no human could ever hope to. In the Miami area, Mr. Sirdah is known as the best photographer in the city. Why? Because he offers something that others cannot.

 

Read the full Patch interview: https://patch.com/florida/miamibeach/ismail-sirdah-impact-drones-miami-photography

 
by Thomas Jenkins on Education

Why Every College Student Should Go to Kalu Yala At Least Once

College is one of the major experiences that shape you as a person. Being a college student gives you priceless moments with teachers, friends and other people you meet along the way. Each day is not only a lesson for your mind, but also for your heart–surviving college teaches you resilience, responsibility, and creativity.

Making Your Immersion Interesting

Most college students undergo something called “immersion training” or internship. This is one of the most colorful moments as college students because they get to experience real-life situations with mentorship that can help them prepare for their future occupational paths. Some internships can be plain, and others are prestige, but the bottom line is you find an internship site that can help you maximize your learnings.

Kalu Yala: An Ideal Place for Immersion

Imagine a place that’s free from the noise of the city, yet has its own community of locals and professionals to keep you learning. Imagine a place where you can discover new concepts about sustainability, ecology, business and community development. This is what Kalu Yala is all about. Kalu Yala is the first of its kind–a self-sustaining village at the heart of Tres Brazos Valley in Panama. Joseph Stice, the founder of the village believes that Kalu Yala can pioneer the growth of communities that are eco-friendly, sustainable and modern all at the same time.

Is Kalu Yala Bad?

Due to some malicious information spread on the internet, some people may ask, “Is Kalu Yala bad?”. It is important to find out the truth about Kalu Yala from the first-hand experiences. There are a lot of interns who have been to the village and they can testify for the great experiences and learnings during their stay. In this post, we will uncover more truth about Kalu Yala and why every student should at least visit the village once.

Why Every College Student Should Go to Kalu Yala At Least Once

1. Discovering new systems in community development

Since Kalu Yala is the first of its kind, many students flock to the village to know more about creative ways on how to develop a sustainable community. Some students have discovered how to create an effective watershed that collects rainwater to water crops for agriculture. This is a very good way to save water and reduce problems in the irrigation system. Additionally, students are also learning how houses are created using local materials and finding renewable energy sources that spark their creativity.

2. Increasing awareness of environmental-friendly living

As one learns about creating sustainable means to develop a community, one can also apply this in his or her individual habits. Many students reported being more conscious of reducing waste in their homes and have done ways to have an environmental-friendly life. These include measures such as reducing plastic use, conserving water and electricity, as well as using less disposable packages at home. These small changes have helped Kalu Yala’s interns become more environmentally responsible individuals in their own communities.

3. Sharing expertise with locals

Whether you are an aspiring architect, teacher, doctor or engineer, you have a place in Kalu Yala. You will get to have an opportunity to interact with the locals and share your expertise with them. You can teach the children, design an efficient and low-cost housing using native supplies, provide medical treatment and routine checkups for the people and fellow interns, and organize systems for community development. It is a rewarding experience that will allow you to grow as a professional in your own field.

4. Gateway to exploring other sights in Central America

Kalu Yala is also a gateway to exploring the rest of Panama, as well as Central America. Even if the village is considered remote, it is interesting to note that the village is actually 30-45 minutes away from the main city and the airport, depending on the weather and traffic conditions. You can explore other natural and man-made landmarks along Panama City and beyond such as the Panama Viejos, Museums, local parks and the all-famous Panama Canal. If you are done exploring the city, you can go for a beach trip with your fellow interns as a pre-graduation celebration.

5. Opening one’s mind to other cultures

They say that traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. Why don’t you give yourself the gift of traveling while learning at the same time? Going to Kalu Yala is an experience you won’t forget. It will open your mind to other people’s cultures and help you appreciate another side of the world that you’ve never seen before. Enjoy the landscape, the warm Panama culture, as well as the life lessons you will pick up along the way.

For more information on how you can set up your trip, visit http://kaluyala.com.

 
by Thomas Jenkins on calendar

Optimal Community Calendar Use Generates Countless Positive Outcomes

Communities have incredibly diverse responsibilities with regard to its citizens. While every community has to take care of practical responsibilities such as garbage collection, street cleaning and public safety, one of the more overlooked responsibilities has to do with fostering an actual sense of community among residents. According to the professionals at Blu By The Sea, the events that fill the community calendar exist for this very reason, and it is essential that the community promotes these events and encourages widespread attendance to instill an overarching sense of identity that unites all residents.

Many communities have a community calendar but fail to include or promote the kind of events that attract residents from varying backgrounds. There may be an event that appeals to the elderly one night followed by an event that caters to young children and their parents the next. These events have a clear value and should not be tossed by the wayside, but communities should also focus on creating events that are more inclusive to all. This is an excellent way for residents to develop the kind of communal understanding that leads to a number of positive outcomes beyond just common courtesy.

One of the more common issues facing communities relates to securing funding for certain programs. Members of the community who do not directly benefit are often opposed to the taxes that provide funding for these programs unless they can somehow relate to those who would directly benefit. Inclusive programs that bring all community members together therefore result in a greater willingness to make small sacrifices for the greater good. Additionally, these inclusive programs also provide a built-in support system for those who have endured personal struggles. A sense of community is often critical when it comes to overcoming difficult life circumstances, and everyone benefits from the health and wellness of all community members.

 
by Thomas Jenkins on calendar, Events, health, news

Calendar Fail

We all have our calendars but some are just not good.  On the old smart phones the calendar didn’t do much more than give you a place to post events. untitled (119) untitled (118) Todays smart phone can sync your events to friends and set reminders.  The wall calendar has given way to the chalk board or white board but still lack the reminder functions od smart phones.  There is nothing worse than a calendar failure.  That is when you go to the trouble of posting the event but forget to check.  Tim DeCapua will always depend on the old wall calendar. Be careful to not be that calendar fail.

 
by Thomas Jenkins on Clendar, news

Integrate Your Personal Luigi Wewege Calendar With Your Community Calendar

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There are plenty of new applications available to make synchronizing your calendars a simple task, as we all know that it is sometimes difficult to manage multiple calendars or to try to squeeze every event in our busy schedule onto an individual calendar. With these newly developed applications, it is possible to organize your events however you like, even if it means synchronizing events according to the waxing and waning of the moon or so that they are available on your wrist.

Of course, as Luigi Wewege has noted in the past, organization is vital for everyone. While this is true, the organizational methods that work for one person do not necessarily work for another. Individualized organization is always best, and that is the main benefit of the multitudes of calendar applications that are available. Through these applications, it is possible to find the system that works best for you and allows you to organize your schedule in the manner you feel is most ideal.

Since there is so much going on in Madera, this is incredibly valuable. The residents of this area are quite busy but also enjoy a number of varied activities for recreation. It is sometimes difficult to keep track of everything that is going on, but through these new and diverse calendar applications, the residents of Madera are able to quickly and easily organize their schedule to achieve that ideal balance between family and work responsibilities while also leaving plenty of time for recreation and fun.

 
by Thomas Jenkins on Events, health, news

Calendar My Life

My life can be seen by observing the calendar on the wall.  Every day there is something that has to be done.  The kid things are overwhelming and require coordination to pull off.  If someone took my calendar I would be lost.  The whole family is tuned into the calendarimagesPYHCC2UQ untitled (346) and can look to see what’s happening every day.  The best part is that the calendar will some day be empty.  As the empty nest approaches there are days that have a blank square.  I wonder if I will miss the full calendar days.  Joe Olujic is a calendar fanatic as well.

 
by Thomas Jenkins on Clendar, Events, news

Calendar Sync

untitled (269) images (27)I have too many calendars.  I have the one on the wall in the kitchen.  This old school approach still works.  Then I have the calendar in my computer.  This is the most detailed calendar as there is room for all the details.  Then there is my laptop.  It has my work calendar and is cluttered to the max.  The final scheduled calendar is in my smart phone.  My smart phone syncs with Face Book and Linked In so all the data is always up to date.  I need to sync all my calendars into one device and back it up.  Vince Malfitano is a contact that I don’t sync as he is not family.