#(yes I graduate in october which makes it a shorter school year by 2 months but that's for another time)

[soft-serve-soymilk]

excuse me????????

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/asia-pacific/survival-of-the-throne-episode-three-the-reluctant-bride/

Survival of the throne: episode three: The Reluctant Bride

On Tuesday, Emperor Akihito of Japan stepped down in the first abdication of the Chrysanthemum Throne in 200 years. In Episodes 1 and 2 of this series, he redefined the world’s oldest monarchy for a nation defeated in war. The story continues here with his eldest son, Naruhito, who will become emperor on Wednesday.

They spoke for only a few minutes, but that was enough.

He was 26, an affable prince who had studied history at Oxford and happened to be second in line to the throne.

She was 22, a bright Harvard graduate following her father into a career in the Foreign Ministry. Or so she thought.

On an October afternoon in 1986, they met at a reception he hosted in Tokyo for Princess Elena of Spain.

As a string ensemble performed classical music, the diplomat’s daughter, Masako Owada, sipped orange juice. Naruhito, eldest son of Crown Prince Akihito, circulated among the 120 guests. When the two were introduced, he asked, “What kind of diplomat would you like to be?”

History does not record her reply but years later Naruhito would say that he enjoyed their conversation — and was smitten. “Although she is very modest,” he recalled, “she says what she thinks clearly, and is very intelligent.”

This was no chance encounter. The survival of the monarchy, which was more popular in Japan than most politicians, hinged on Naruhito finding a wife — and fathering a son. He would be emperor one day, but he needed an heir.

The chamberlains of the Imperial Household Agency had orchestrated Ms. Owada’s invitation to the reception after noticing she was one of three women to pass Japan’s notoriously tough foreign service exam that year. That, and a few other meetings at events around town, was all it took to spark Naruhito’s ardor.

Ms. Owada was flattered by the interest but demurred. She was a fledgling diplomat and devoted to work. Still, he sent her flowers on her birthday. A year later, the Foreign Ministry sent her to study international relations at Oxford. Reporters hounded her until she called an impromptu news conference on the library steps and denied any romantic connection to the prince.

For the royal matchmakers, it hardly seemed a disaster at first. They had long lists of potential princesses, all daughters of Japanese nobility, wealth or the educated elite. By one count, the search team had compiled dossiers on nearly 200 women, each with a photo. Certainly, they thought, Naruhito would hit it off with one of them.

But he did not. With each passing year, fears grew that his failure to marry might jeopardize the monarchy. The talk only intensified after 1989, when Akihito assumed the throne, making his son the new crown prince.

It did not help that Naruhito’s younger brother, Akishino, who had impulsively proposed to his college sweetheart at a Tokyo crosswalk, married her in 1990. The chamberlains had wanted him to let his brother marry first. Apparently, he got tired of waiting.

He wasn’t alone. The entire country seemed impatient. One newspaper declared in 1991 that “the biggest concern of the people is the marriage issue.” Reporters chased after potential princesses. But Naruhito never appeared in public on so much as a date. (He did once meet Brooke Shields.)

A tabloid published digitally altered photos of Naruhito sporting different hairstyles, suggesting his coiffure was too nerdy to attract a wife. Others thought he might be too dull, noting the title of his Oxford thesis, “The Thames as Highway: A Study of Navigation and Traffic on the Upper Thames in the 18th Century.”

Pressed by reporters, Naruhito insisted he had no interest in his future wife’s family pedigree, nor in what schools she had attended or even her height. (The chamberlains wanted a princess shorter than the 5-foot-4 prince.)

What he was looking for, he said, was someone who shared his values; who appreciated beauty, not baubles from Tiffany’s; who got along easily with people, and who was willing to express her opinions, “when necessary.”

Most of all, he said, he wanted to choose his own bride.

Emperor Akihito urged patience. “I think it’s important to watch it quietly,” he told reporters when asked if he was worried about his son.

What was unclear at the time, but later became the stuff of royal legend, was that all along Naruhito was holding out for a woman who fit the glass slipper: Masako Owada.

In many ways, she was an unlikely princess. She had spent half her childhood abroad, spoke at least four languages and had graduated from an American public high school before studying economics at Harvard. She was also slightly taller than the prince.

Most of all, she had a career, which no previous Japanese crown princess ever had. Since returning to Tokyo in 1990, Ms. Owada had risen swiftly in the Foreign Ministry, where she was known for putting in long hours — sometimes all-nighters — defending Japan’s trade practices in talks with Washington.

None of that deterred Naruhito. If Ms. Owada was not interested, he told court officials, he might not marry at all.

By the spring of 1992, a scramble to persuade Ms. Owada to go on a date with Naruhito was underway. Various diplomats were enlisted in the effort, eventually including Ms. Owada’s father, a senior official in the Foreign Ministry.

How could she still say no? Ms. Owada agreed to tea with the prince. It must have gone well, because less than two months later, they met again, this time at an imperial duck pond. Naruhito, who was 32, proposed.

Ms. Owada asked for time to think.

Accepting meant giving up her career for a life of severe constraints. It was well known that Empress Michiko, the last crown princess, had once suffered a breakdown attributed to bullying by her mother-in-law and others who resented her commoner roots.

But Ms. Owada was 28 and knew she might soon have to choose between career and family even if she declined. An overseas posting was approaching, perhaps an ambassadorship, and in Japan, that would sharply reduce her marriage prospects.

Before year’s end, she told the prince yes.

When they announced the engagement, she recalled that he had assured her, “I will protect you for my entire life.”

If only she knew what she needed protection from.

Makiko Inoue contributed reporting.

[increflections-blog]

What constitutes a Dynamic Minister or Preacher?

If you think Will Smith will start smooth-talking all the printed guidelines in their handbook of Dynamic Leadership, that’s where you are wrong my friend. Mr.Smith avoids such rhetorics. Instead he opts to describe what is actually happening in this colorful world of black and white. So then, how do you define a Dynamic Minister?

Would you believe that one Matthew Reichle (most probably a minister student or a wannabe) asked this question, of all places on quora.com? And would you believe he also got a very accurate answer!?

Quora, kudos, you hit the nail flat-center! Read on –

“How can I be a good minister  of Iglesia Ni Cristo

Well, first of all. Maybe Quora is not the best place to have your question answered, but I do happen to have a few guidelines on what I think makes a good INC minister.

Don’t preach for too long 

There are some ministers who would preach very long going 45 minutes + every service. Preaching for long periods of time makes it very hard for you to hold the attention of the brethren and it also frustrates a lot of people. My advice would just to keep it around 30 minutes. 35 minutes at the latest. Ministers make services too long by just over-explaining the verse. If you add commentary to a verse, don’t just repeat it in a different way. Add something new, like a personal anecdote or adding context. Don’t just summarize. Following that, I think it will make your lessons both shorter and more interesting.

Value everyone’s time and show gratitude

I understand that there are many things to discuss and that it is all part of service to God. However, the most unlikable ministers were the ones who would hold many hour+ long meetings and would drag the them on and on. They don’t even say anything like thank you for your time or thank you for attending. Instead they do things like threaten to suspend people for not attending which I thought was horrible and always lead to people stepping down from their duties. Keep meetings as brief as possible while still getting your message across. More importantly, if you don’t need to have a meeting, don’t have a meeting. Sending an email or a mass telegram message works just fine.

Humbleness

It is true that ministers are used by God to do his work, but I feel like some ministers let that go to their head. They would never listen to the input of the brethren and would just act very arrogant. The whole “I am holier than thou” type thing. Yes, you are a minister of the gospel, but no one is perfect and you will make mistakes. Listen to what the brethren have to say and take their opinions seriously. Self denial also goes a long way.

Last….make connections with the brethren

I have had some ministers who would shelter themselves in the pastoral house and would only talk to you when there was official business to be discussed. Otherwise, ignoring people. It was very hard to respect those type of ministers. My advice would be to take time to introduce yourself to as many of the brethren as you can and genuinely try to get to know them. Doing that goes a long way and is also a very good way to garner respect.

Those are just a few of my thoughts, hope it helped and I wish you all the best in the ministry.”

[https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-be-a-good-minister-of-Iglesia-ni-Cristo]

Now, if anyone is still interested in joining the INC ministry here are a few other things to keep in mind:

1. It is a four year course and a practicum on the fifth year. It is not a free course. You are expected to shoulder your own expenses while in school. After graduation you will take an oath and be considered one of the “Regulars“and be assigned to a locale.  An allowance or tulong will also be provided for your personal needs at the locale shouldered by the Administration. Not much, just to get you by. You are not yet a full-pledged minister. You are not allowed to work or earn a living outside the church.

2. You are no longer expected to decide on church matters or personal matters on your own without consulting the church administration. For example, once you are assigned to a locale, there is a logbook of activities to monitor your movements. You are not allowed to leave the church compound without declaring your destination and purpose. Everything you do should first meet the approval of the Administration.

3. Dress code. Unless otherwise permitted, T-shirts and jeans are out. Barong, formal slacks, and leather shoes are the only attire you are allowed to wear. In short, you are now officially, the “Men In Black”.

4. You are expected to submit unconditionally to the superiority of the Executive Minister and all his minister subordinates. You do not and cannot question any directives flowing from them.

What’s the Upside if any?

1. Well, once you are ordained as a minister you will be receiving an allowance or tulong equivalent to a junior executive probably within the 20 to 30 thousand (Philippine pesos) range per month (you get this on a weekly basis during your weekly district meetings).

2. You will have a fully furnished house to live in for you and your family. Usually, it’s inside the church compound. Legally, it’s still owned by the church but you are allowed to live there as long as you are still in the good graces of the church. You shoulder your personal monthly bills such as electricity, water, etc.

3. When you die, the Administration takes care of everything from the funeral services to your very own burial lot. Some arrangment is there in case your wife goes first. Your children are not included.

4. When you retire due to old age or sickness, there is a village exclusively maintained for retired ministers and widows with half of the full allowance or tulong to get you by.

5. You have a week off every year with full pay and additional bonus called BT (Biglang Tulong) during Family Week scheduled from October to December.  Added perk is the “Ministers Night” where you will have the chance to win a brand new car, gadget, or a trip abroad fully paid.

6. Birthday celebration headaches will be a thing of the past. The brethren of your locale will take care of it. From the food, preparation, and even the cleaning up afterwards. They love you, for heaven’s sake  🙂

As the great AE would ask, the “Red” or “Blue” pill? The choice is yours 🙂

And to call it a night, one last question –

  “On Ministers and Preachers …” What constitutes a Dynamic Minister or Preacher? If you think Will Smith will start smooth-talking all the printed guidelines in their handbook of Dynamic Leadership, that's where you are wrong my friend.