Tips on Writing Your First Personal Appointment Essay

Tips on Writing Your First Personal Appointment EssayA PenPal, or professional Personal Assistant, application essay sample can provide you with an excellent introduction to writing an effective essay. They are short pieces of information that provide a summary of your qualifications and accomplishments. In many cases, it can be more than one page long. Be sure to have your resume cover letter ready to hand for this section.The Pa application essay sample is almost always written for a private job, which requires a paper that is slightly different from a standard business letter. It will include a lot of information, but will be separated into sections. For example, the summary section may include salary, benefits, job description, professional references, company and industry.Since they are usually shorter than other employment forms, they also tend to be easier to read and follow. If you find that you cannot concentrate on one part of the information without missing the others, you will probably not finish the paper. In some cases, you will need to stop and edit the information to make it flow.A PA application sample may also include a section for the Company Contact Information. For example, if the employer requires a name and address, that section should be included. In addition, there might be several other pieces of contact information to include, such as e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers. These should all be included in the application, although you should not list personal information here, as it would reveal your personal information in your resume.When you use the Pa application essay sample, you are required to submit the original document along with your resume. Make sure that you have proofread the document and include any information that may be incorrect. Then, mail or fax your resume, then file your documents. You should receive the information within two weeks of submission.Most employers will require that you submit one more ver sion of your application (even if you are applying for more than one position) and that it be accompanied by a letter from the employer. For example, you would want to include a letter to the employer explaining why you believe that they should hire you for a position.With just a few minutes of your time, you can write an effective Pa application essay sample. Be sure to include all of the information on your resume and if you need information from the employer, ask for it. Your resume and application should be sent out the day after you submit the first document.

Mia - Multinational Agreement Of Investors Essays -

Mia - Multinational Agreement Of Investors In the high tech age of today, business are looking for new ways to expand and get their products out to the market. We already have many laws and organizations that encourage this and try to help out the corporations. NAFTA, GATT, WTO and EECU are all set up with corporations in mind. We are all striving for a free market economy so that everyone has a chance but what risks will that impose on the consumer. That is where the MAI comes in. The Multinational Agreement of Investors is trying to reach for a free market. The MAI has been being discussed since 1995. It started off as an idea in the WTO and when some of the smaller countries rejected it, it went to the Economic Cooperation and Development. This organization is made up of the 29 wealthiest countries which are home to 95% of the top 500 corporations. This new agreement is very strong and that is why it is still being held up in the discussion stage. If it does come true it will allow corporations to build anywhere and make what they want that they think that they can sell. it will also let the corps. move capitol more freely. The main viewpoint for this is that it will eliminate discrimination of the corporations nationality. The downfalls are that it gives the corporations the power to sue government of the country that it is in if the corporation feels that its right to make profit is being harmed. his comes as a big problem because then the corporation no longer has to worry about doing things a certain way as long as they make money. This leaves the people in the state helpless against their pollution and pricing power. As of now this agreement is still being held up because France and Canada dropped out of the discussions due to the large Non-Government Organizations that are protesting the MAI. The other countries are trying to revive it because they think in the long run it will be beneficial as we globolize are economies more. I am very glad that the MAI is being held up right now. I feel that letting a corporation become its own sovereign state is going to far. I want to have my share in making money but it is still important to respect others believes and that is what the MAI does not do. If that got passed I think that we would finally have a free market economy and that it would crush everything. Political Issues

Essay on Apple Corp Memo

Essay on Apple Corp Memo Essay on Apple Corp Memo To: Tim Cook, CEO Date: September 30, 2014 Re: Company strategy advisement Apple is a very innovative company and will continue to dominate the market. That is if we stay one step ahead of our competitors. As a technology company, Apple must stay innovative and not repeat same design ideas if we want to reassure investors and consumers alike that we haven’t lost our edge, and continue to dominate the market. To remain ahead of the game, you must continue what Steve Jobs has done and continue to push the level of innovation in the Apple product line. In order to do this, you need to look into expanding the product line instead of just renovating the iPad, iPhone, MacBooks, and etc. You need to introduce more models of the iPhone line along with the iPad and MacBooks that are cheaper to capture more market share. Other things you need to focus on are how to capture the Asian markets such as China, and India. Asides from just expanding and innovation, you need to surround yourself with those who share an innovative vision. Apple’s business envir onment mostly revolves around the tech industry. The tech industry is a very aggressive and competitive industry. Factors such as technology changes, social drivers, economic drivers, and other companies affect Apple’s business environment. Following the legacy of former CEO Steve Jobs, Apple's technology conference has become the industry's most highly anticipated and observed event. Expanding upon this featured marketing event, the company should host additional conferences in addition to their annual Worldwide Developers Conference that will bring together key technology leaders and insiders, as well as young technology developers from competitive educational institutions. Apple Inc. should aim to maintain its position as the leader in the industry by developing technology and information hubs directly within the world's leading research institutions (i.e. MIT, Texas A&M, Stanford University). By building Apple research infrastructures specifically within educational institutions, in addition to the company's existing R&D Departments, we will benefit from sourcing for the newest innovations amongst bright young technologists. The goal is for Apple to be at the core of a network of technology hubs that produces and sh ares its research and innovation by providing promising technologists with the relevant resources they need early in their education. These educational hubs ("Apple Labs") will enrich our existing R&D as well as allow us to develop and train a new generation of innovators that will join the company. Apple can also benefit from such an information network as an addition to the company's marketing strategy. The development of "Apple Labs" at educational and research institutions will build brand loyalty and brand recognition among young people who will appreciate the company's dedication to education and research. Students from these "Apple Labs" can be incentivized in their research by competing to present product ideas and prototypes at the newly proposed annual technology conferences that the company will host. With this technology "incubation" structure in place, Apple can ensure it will have the most direct access to new research and ideas as well as provide a competitive platform on which to share information. Apple must stay ahead of the game because of the constant technological changes. You should always try to implement the latest technologies before anyone else so that you can increase market shares. Recently, Apple is falling behind Samsung, HTC, and other smartphones because Apple has been holding back on the latest implementation of technologies. For example, with the release of the IPhone 6 and 6 plus, Apple is introducing the NFC payment system, however this technology has already been implemented on phones such as the Nexus 7 and the Samsung Galaxy phones. For the past 3 years, Apple has been releasing phones that have less specifications compared

Determine Career Options Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Determine Career Options - Essay Example From the results, the most favorable career choice for me is that of a medical technologist. This course not only enables me to be practical and independent in my studies, but it also enables me to apply flexibility and team work in my career. Apart from this, it enables me to work with different people thereby improving my knowledge. This paper analyses how my personality, as determined by MBTI and SII results, and my best career option, medical technologist go in tandem and how this will enable me realize success in future. My MBTI and SII results of self assessment reveal that I prefer having a balance of working in an independent manner and working with other people, depending on the prevailing circumstances. The score also suggests that I enjoy spending most of my day researching, and then later switch to interactive exercises like taking part in group discussions. The results further suggest that I have a preference of learning through experience instead of theorizing activitie s. The scores further indicate that I am flexible in the methods of farming in that I prefer to conduct learning in a laboratory setting, work study programs and internships instead of relying on the ancient classroom learning process. The MBTI results also indicate that I have a preference for leading other students in a variety of means. This includes leading student organizations or in other cases taking charge of class discussions or even being a contributing member in such scenarios. My score also suggests that I love exploring new adventures and experiences and being spontaneous in my dealings. It has also highlighted that I do enjoy academic courses and outdoor activities that trigger self reliance and risk taking. From the score, it is also evident that I love solving problems on my own and I love doing my accomplishments in an independent manner. The score also indicates that I may enjoy taking independent studies, online studies and various forms of independent field work. The career that interests me the most and suits my personality lies in the field of medicine as a medical technologist. The field of medical technology is a wide field which requires extensive practical sessions since it is responsible for coming up with disease diagnosis and care. It includes the radiology department where all forms of imaging are done so that doctors are able to come up with diagnoses of various ailments. Imaging includes X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans and ultra-sound. These require sophisticated items which entail a lot of practical sessions so as to come up with the best results. Another characteristic of this career is that it requires extensive experiments since it is a practical subject. Experts in medical technology are expected to continually practice because it is very easy to make an error during the treatment process ((Terence 67). Medical technology also entails various software and hardware procedures that are conducted in a hospital setting so that reco rds about patients are up to date. It also ensures that databases of health facilities are kept potent so that circulation of items and information about employee personnel is always available. This also requires many experiments since system analysts in medical centers are expected to continually test their databases so that they can up with the most

Australian Values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Australian Values - Essay Example roup characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction." Murdock states that the families universally perform certain functions in the society in order to be of existence. He identified four critical functions that families ought to fulfill, namely the sexual, reproduction, educational and economic function (Bottomley, 1985). However, through industrialization and development in technology, the family in the present modern society is undergoing alterations. In this essay, we will discuss the changes in respect to Murdochs theory of the four functions the family performs. The sexual function claims that two individuals set up a family as the family is a legitimate platform for the bearing and rearing of children, and marriage is the accepted union for sexual relationships between two adults in society (Aspin, 1982). This is proclaimed to be beneficial to social order as the family allows sexual expression between a couple and regulates sexual activity in ways that foster a disciplined society (Bessant and Watts, 2002). However, improved methods of contraception allow people to indulge in sexual activity even when they are not in a marriage. Also, there seemed to be greater acceptance to de facto relationships, as noted from the increase in cohabitation between Australian couples. Statistics shows that in 1975, only 16% of couples cohabitated prior to marriage, the figures then increased to 27% in 1983 and in the year 2003, it shot to an alarmingly 75% (ABS, 2004). In deviance to Murdocks claim, sexual activity is no longer confined to a legalized uni on. The willingness of couples to live together in a sexual relationship without the formality of a marriage contract marks a major shift in family patterns (Briggs, 1994). People are resources to the society and people are the constitutes of a society. The family enables the making of a society by producing and rearing children to substitute people who die off (Strong and Devault, 1986). The

Competitive analysis of the Nigerian telecoms industry

Competitive analysis of the Nigerian telecoms industry I shall discuss the Nigerian Telecoms industry with particular reference to mobile telephony and data transmission via handhelds. My emphasis would be on the period post liberalization of the industry from the monopoly of the state owned carrier , Nitel. I focus on the structure, the key players in it and the competitive forces at play in the industry, leading to a discussion on how best a new entrant can come into this industry and a summary of recommendations. Structure of the Market Since the mid 80s, M-Tel, a subsidiary of Nitel the national carrier has enjoyed a monopoly of the Nigeria Mobile telephony industry, providing just 40,000 connected lines to subscribers nationwide (Doyle McShane, 2001, p. 10). The establishment of the sectors independent regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 1999 (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 152)and the award in January 2001, via an auction, of three GSM spectrum licenses to MTN, CIL ( aka GLO) and Econet Wireless Nigeria Ltd liberalized the market. Today the market is made of primarily the five GSM companies, GLO, M-Tel, MTN, Airtel ( formerly Zain), Etisalat and 4 key CDMA companies, Visafone, Starcomms, Multilinks and Zoom. Last week, Visafone announced the takeover of Multilinks and have commenced their post-merger integration exercise. There are indications that further consolidation especially within the fringe CDMA companies is imminent. Fig 1 below highlights the relative market share within the key pl ayers. PESTLE Analysis of the Market; Political: Nigeria is in the middle of an election that has attracted so much interest (Mordi Versi, 2011, p. 24) initial signs indicate the process will be fairest in the history of the country (Asante, 2011)and could lead to emergence of a more stable, progressive democracy (Obayiuwana, 2011). An active and free media continues to challenge the politicians to higher standards of governance. Economic The local currency the naira has held steady against the dollar at N150 to USD 1, curbing inflationary tendencies (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 34). However, inflation continue to be in double digits. GDP is estimated at $357.2 billion PPP , no. 32 in the Global table of PPP. Listed on Goldman Sachs Next Eleven world economies in 21st Century, Nigeria is a country with huge growth potentials. (Corporate Nigeria, 2010). Debt relieve through the Paris Club significantly increases the countries ability to invest in much needed infrastructure e.g power, roads, education and health (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 9) Socio-Cultural At 923,000 sq km of land, 250 ethnic groups, 521 languages, approximately 150million people (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 12), Nigeria is huge and diversed and this diversity comes with its challenges with ethnic violence and sectional unrest. The country is also struggling with a poor reputation with corruption and internet fraud. The country has taken steps towards laundering her image with the set up of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which has arraigned 18 fraud syndicates, shut down 800 fraudulent websites, and over 5000 emails working in collaboration with Microsoft. (Corporate Nigeria, 2010) . With over 80% of the population below 40 years and 40% below 15 years, Nigeria is a young market. However, official unemployment rate is quoted as 19.7% , arguably, the real unemployment figures are much higher. Technology; With the arrival in Nigeria of MainOne, and Glo 1, two submarine fiber-optic high bandwidth cables linking Nigeria to Europe, complimenting the already existent SAT-1, data transmission becomes more affordable and easily accessible (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 23). The recent issue of four WiMAX licenses by NCC and existing 2.5G, 3G, CDMA2000, GPRS and UMTS technologies, wireless access will grow dramatically in the next 2-3 years. (Hosn, 2011) Legal and Regulatory The main law governing the Nigerian telecoms industry is the Nigerian Communications Act of July 2003 amending the Act of 1992 (Hosn, 2011, p. 7), this act ended the monopoly enjoyed by Nitel, created the regulatory body National Communications Commission ( NCC) and enabled the entry of more players into the market, leading to increased competition and a downward pressure on prices for mobile telephony services (Hosn, 2011, p. 17) Respect for Intellectual property (IP) rights is low and Legal protection is weak (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 10) Porter 5 Forces Model Analysis : The barriers to entry into this market are medium, with the key consideration being the liscense fees to be paid and potential investment in buildout of the network , depending on the model the entrant adopts, The Buyer Power is high, as intense competition and the choices now available to the customers lowers prices. The Regulators very aggressive drive to drive these prices even lower gives the customer more power. There are very few substitutes to mobile telephony in Nigeria, as the fixed lines are few and not widely adopted. Supplier power is as potential buyers of their goods is few and most of the telcos already have their prefered suppliers and its hard to unseat an incumbent. Competitive Intensity: The SIM Registration regulation passed by Nigerian perliament and the number portability planned for later in the years will significantly increase competition and increase churn, as it eases customers flight to quality service without the inconvinience of lossing your number (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 61) The table above highlights the fact that the Telecoms market in Nigeria is quite concentrated with HH Index of 2904.90 and a Concentration Ration of the top four player (CR4 )exceeding 90% which suggest that industry is susceptible to collusion and price fixing. In reality, this is not the case as the competition is intense and in fact there is an ongoing tarrif war in the Nigeria Telecoms market (Adebayo, 2011, p. 36) (Daniels, 2011, p. 64) however this predominately in the voice services (Ammar, 2011, p. 38). This competitive intensity has resulted in significant drop in cost of services and a corresponding drop in Average Revenue Per User ( ARPU), a key indicator of market profitability even as the customer base has grown dramatically as indicated in Figure 4. below. However, the downward trend of ARPU matches the upwards trend of growth in subscriber base for both voice and data services as shown in Figure 5 below. Although the penetration fo the voice service is very high, data service penetration is still in its infancy and growing much faster than voice services as evidenced by the growth of 3G phone and internet subscriptions. This trend is collaborated by Figure 5 in the trending up of data ARPS. Figure 6 also highlights the trending up of churn, which is likely to continue with the implementation of number portability planned for 2012 by the regulator. Number portability will significantly increase both incidental churn e.g. due financial contingencies, location or life style changes and deliberate churn e.g due pricing, poor customer service or network problems (Jahanzeb Jabeen, 2007, p. 122). Strengths and Weaknesses typically characterize internal situations of a business, but I shall discuss them from an industry structure perspective here. Strengths The mobile telecoms industry has continued to grow even with the introduction of compulsory SIM registration. By liberalizing the licensing scheme, NCC has made it easy for new fixed-wireless operators to enter the market even as it continues to keenly invest to achieve widespread connectivity in rural areas. An active and fairly free media is playing a key role in the transition to democracy, contributing to the ongoing peaceful election which has also been adjudged as the freest and fairest so far in the history of the country. With the country virtually debt free having benefited from the Paris Club debt relief initiative, there is real hope that with the right leadership, the countries infrastructure challenges will be addressed. A large, young population means a huge telecoms market and an abundant supply of cheap (albeit unskilled) labour, Weaknesses Poor state of infrastructure in the country increases the cost of building out networks and achieving optimum spread with resultant poor network quality and negative impact on customer growth and service usage, thus rural communities are poorly served. Price wars from intense competition have put downward pressure on ARPU rates. Country image is negative and corruption levels are high as Nigeria is placed at 134th out of 180 countries worldwide. Respect for Intellectual property rights is also low. Couple with this is the recent physical security risk to foreign workers in some regions of the country. Opportunities With no heavy debt servicing costs, Nigeria has the capacity to invest heavily in crucial infrastructure which will significantly lower the cost of doing business and eventually lower the cost of goods produced in country. A free and fair election and dividends from the ongoing efforts to tackle fraud and corruption will gradually improve the attractiveness of the Nigerian market and attract foreign investments even as the major operators continue to invest in developing the quality and reach of their network infrastructures, thus addressing service quality problems. The landing of several new submarine cables will make international bandwidth much cheaper enabling lower priced broadband services. New WiMAX licences and other technologies will make it easier to access the rural communities and unlock that market. Despite stepped up investment, the broadband penetration level is low. Mobile Telephony penetration at 50% still leaves significant growth potentials available to new entrants. The launch of mobile number portability will ease the ability of customers to change their service provider. Threats The introduction of compulsory mobile SIM registration for new customers in October 2010 will slow the growth experienced today in the sector. Probable removal of tax breaks for cellular operators will remove the incentives enjoyed by early-movers. Competition and regulatory measures are bringing down prices even as institutional invest continue to invest in the Nigerian market (e.g. South-Africas MTN, Indias Bharti Airtel and Etisalat of the UAE.) High levels of unemployment of a very young population presents a high risk of civil unrest which could be triggers by the current tension in the country as a result of the political wrangling and electioneering going on even as industrial action remains commonplace, and can disrupt normal business activity. Recommendations to potential new entrants Take a long term view Entrant into the Nigerian telecoms market at this time is a late-mover and would be exposed to a more informed and stronger regulator, tough competition from the early-movers and other late-movers, and a high cost of entry into the market (Ramamurti, 2000, p. 168) and as such should be cautious and not tempted to be too optimistic by the huge returns the early-movers made in Nigeria. Seek Alliances and Coopetition Opportunities. An entry strategy that seeks to create asset-light-virtual-operators (Turner, 2009, p. 449) by reducing significant investment in passive infrastructure e.g. towers, air-conditioning, generators and instead focuses on sharing these infrastructure with competition and shifts differentiation to quality of service and reach has been proven by Bharti Airtel (Prahalad Mashelkar, 2010, p. 136)to be quite a unique business model for developing economies, enabling cheaper cost of services and thus greater reach. Intensity of competition in the voice services will significantly reduce ARPU, however, the ongoing conversations around infrastructure sharing, the new licenses for the WiMAX technologies , the landing of MainOne and Glo1 submarine cables (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 49) all point to data, mobile broadband and value-added services being the next frontier of high growth in this market. MTN and Western Union have joined forces to introduce international remittances services to 21 countries in Africa excluding Nigeria (African Business, 2010, p. 6). The importance of this service in developing Africa is emphasized by Prof. Ophelia Mascarenhas et al quoted in (African Business, 2011, p. 6)as saying mobile phone firms should take a more serious approach to mobile banking servicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there is great potential for banking the unbankedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is of no use to the poor if the remittance of cash cannot be made because the services is still not available in both the urban and rural areas . The Central Bank of Nigeria is also churning out several policies and regulations to steer Nigerian banks towards inclusion of the unbanked population through electronic payment system. (Chima, 2011) Differentiate and Price Creatively Mobile applications with potential for social economic growth e.g. social networking applications, mobile banking, m-healthcare, m-education, m-policing, can help operators diversify their product base, generate extra revenue, attract new subscribers and lower churn rates (Kechiche, 2010). NCCs wire Nigeria (WiN) and State Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SABI) when completed will high bandwith broadband network throughout Nigeria, accelerating growth and ease of deployment of these mobile applications (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 39). Value added services via mobile phones, e.g traffic policing in india (The Economist, 2009, p. 73)remain a huge opportunity in Nigeria (Nkanga, 2011) Prices will not fall as quickly with additional entry if customers value the differences enough to pay more to the firm that more closely serves their particular needs (Greenstein Mazzeo, 2006, p. 327) Make Pricing flexible and Price according to zones in Nigeria and ability to pay, offering combination of services and better matching prices and goods to the needs of the customers (Greenstein Mazzeo, 2006, p. 328). Look for opportunity to partner with equipment manufacturers to offer after sale services on user-end equipments, provide packages solutions that is viewed as a value added service and differentiates you from competition (Lal Strachan, 2007, p. 23) and possibly rental of infrastructure for transmission. Competing on price alone is not sustainable, there is often scope for differentiation based on quality of service, brand and support services and the inevitable flight to quality creates opportunity for premium pricing (Turner, 2009, p. 442). These are all benefits that come directly from a concentrated focus and deep understanding of a target market and response to their needs. Focus and Innovate Technology is one of the major determinants of change in the telecoms industry, along with the iterative liberalization in emerging markets that fuels aggressive competition, there is a need for key players in the industry to continual review their strategy for market and customer relevance (Lal Strachan, 2007, p. 22). This strategic adaptation is crucial in an emerging market characterized by environmental discontinuities, rapid changes and unpredictability. (Eunni, Post, Berger, 2005, p. 88) (Ramamurti, 2000) Late movers may quickly use newly available advanced technologies to their advantage (Kam, 2006, p. 502), not having the burden of sunk cost in built up network infrastructure, however the pace of changes in technologies in the telecom industry emphasizes the fact that these sort of advantages are short term and that enduring advantage would truly come from differentiation on quality of service.

Does God Use “Evil”? Essay

In the history of Christianity, the problem of evil, or theodicy, has been one of the more vexing questions. It derives from the issue between God’s omnipotence on the one hand, and the manifestation of radical (i. e. unexplainable) evil on the other, that is, evil that does not admit of a â€Å"satisfying† explanation. As a matter of course, Christian history has used to specific and distinct models for explaining the problem of evil. They go by many names, but in this book they are called â€Å"blueprint† and â€Å"warfare† models of evil. Hence, this review will explain both world views (which, in reality, are holistic views of God as such), and then seek to use the one the author accepts, the â€Å"warfare† view, as a basis for Christina worship. 1. The Blueprint view refuses to accept the problem of evil as such. In the blueprint view, there is no evil as radically considered. Good is all present since all is part of God’s will, that is, under His power. On the other hand, evil is relative, not absolute, since its purpose in creation and history is to bring God’s people to a knowledge of Himself and a dependency upon Himself. Evil, in this understanding, is only apparent and transitory. There are two versions of the blueprint view that are worth mentioning: a strong and a weak version. The strong version is known to most Calvinists, and it is a complete determination of global history. This is to say that there is a strong deterministic view, with God as the first, and active cause, whose power is a completely adequate explanation for all events. Free will is denied, and the only will that is free is God’s. he is above moral blame or praise, things are done because He willed it. If one cannot see the cosmic reason for a event of â€Å"evil,† then it is the fault of the person, who is so blinded by sin and egotism that he cannot fathom why evil can befall humanity, as if they were so wonderful and deserving of paradise. The weaker version holds that free will exists and is real, but that God freely permits man’s will to bring about evil so that the same blueprint is realized. In short, man as freely laying God’s blueprint is the weak version, God beginning it about though and only though his own power is the strong version. What they both have in common is the â€Å"blueprint,† the determined form of human history (and all the persons) in it that explains evil as the â€Å"working out† of God’s preordained plan. Therefore, the consolation that believers feel when faced with crisis and pain is that there is good behind the apparent evil, and hence, â€Å"God’s will be Done† is the slogan of this thought (50ff). There are problems with the view that the author carefully lays out. In the most general terms, Boyd holds that this view of evil is completely unacceptable, and holds that God is playing some kind of â€Å"game† with his human subjects. Generally speaking, Boyd seems to appeal to a â€Å"common sense† moral position that to ask modern people to accept radical evil, purposeless death of children, slaughter of innocents, agonizing birth defects, etc. is too much for people. God is seen as â€Å"playing† with humanity, torturing them at will, and all for some â€Å"secret plan† known only to Him. How can one worship such a being? (80ff). 2. The real response is in the â€Å"warfare model† of God’s power relative to evil. In its most basic form, th reality of God’s omnipotence in no way implies that God uses this to its full capacity. Since freedom is a good in itself, God permits free actions to intertwine with the radically complex causality of the natural world to bring about events. Hence, God does not bring them about, he permits his creation, which He has equipped with its own â€Å"engine,† so to speak, to work out its own tale in history. God, in this model, is not the cause of evil, but exists as a deliverer from evil. God’s will is not being accomplished on earth, and therefore, is not in his power. This is not a weakness in God, but a â€Å"decision† of His to let things run its course and permit human beings to have recourse to Him in their trials. God does not â€Å"use evil,† he delivers from evil. The implications for Christian worship are powerful and stunning. The â€Å"blueprint† view, as a matter of course, seems to reject the concept of â€Å"petitionary prayer. † In other words, if all is in God’s power, and all events (whether freely chosen or all part of God’s manifesting in the world), come from God’s eternal will, then there is no good reason to ask God for anything, and hence, that sort of â€Å"parental† relationship between man and God is eliminated. In the blueprint view, all one can do is seek to praise God, his power and goodness, and to seek communion and unity with Him. Hence, the warfare view rescues and makes sense out of petitionary prayer. Boyd uses several examples where God â€Å"changes His mind,† in order to listen to a prayer. God of course does not â€Å"change his mind† as a human would, but He has deliberately â€Å"shrunk† his power in order to permit human will to be paramount. In other words, creation in the warfare view is about man coming closer to God, and not the other way around, as is implied by the blueprint view (cf. 125-130). But the centerpiece of the book and the â€Å"warfare† view towards worship is Christ as the image and icon of God. Christ is the expression of God, and hence, should be the center of worship. Christ as god does not cause evil: both the determined course of physical nature and the free will of human beings to this in a series of massive and unexplainable causal chains that are beyond the human capacity to understand. God has given creation its own method of movement, and evil results (to be abstract) from constant conflicts within these two roads of movement: free and determined. Christ, on the other hand, came to earth in order to save believers from these clashes, to suffer with those afflicted and to draw them closer to Him. There is no necessary plan being unfolded by this, but human beings have recourse to God in times of stress. Jesus’ mission on earth, therefore, is to free humanity from evil. To see the transitoriness of the world and its massive complexity and to both accept suffering and to work against it (suffering can be worked against because it is not necessary). The blueprint view seems to demand a mere acceptance of evil without any action to be taken against it: hence the lack of intercessory prayer. Hence, at the center of all this is the free approach to Christ. Love can only be based on freedom. In either the Calvinist or weaker view of determinism in the blueprint view, there is no real freedom: God has arranged all, including the worship of Him. But this is clearly incompatible with love: love must be chosen freely (152-155ff). But even more, evil is the result fo the misuse of human freedom: this is the final point. God permits mankind to make mistakes in the same sense that a loving father permits children to make errors, so that they learn. He withdraws Himself in order to let human freedom reign, not some divine plan decided before the creation of the world. The very existence of human freedom is incompatible with the blueprint view. God sets his face against those who use this freedom for evil, and provides grace and solace for those who are victimized by it. But this warfare will not last for eternity, Christ’s taking on human nature becomes the final victory of God’s union with mankind. Jesus does not cause evil, he heals from evil. He sees those using their freedom for evil as ignorant, as not fully knowing what they are doing. God then, as his final word, seeks forgiveness and reconciliation.