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This page shows recent entries contributed
by members through e-mail. Enjoy & learn! Click on the title to go
there.
Contribution from Bryan:To be like Jesus;
Inspiration from Mr. Mom's website.
From Ronald: Good
things come in small packages From Laurentius: What
God said to me; 90/10
principle From May Li: What is God
telling you? Ronald: Good Security
Practices From Bryan: Advertise Jesus!
From Ronald: What
syndicates do to Expired Credit Cards
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MART
DE HAAN
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Been
Thinking About |
What
God Said To Me
What if I told
you that God has been speaking to me about an issue that I haven't been
able to put out of my mind?
Because you know me, you don't think I'm claiming to have heard God
speak in an audible voice. You assume that I have had an idea that I
believe has the signature of God written all over it. So you decide to
hear me out.
Listen
to what I'm saying
You hear
me say, "I've been praying about what we can do to reach more
people with the message of hope and peace, and the Lord has laid on my
heart that we've been too cautious. We need to believe God for miracles,
take risks of faith, and commit ourselves to outreach projects that,
admittedly, are beyond our ability to afford. After asking God for clear
direction, He has given me a pretty amazing vision for an idea I want to
talk to you about."
As you listen, you try to keep an open mind, but are not able to share
my enthusiasm. You think the idea sounds more like presumption than a
way to show our faith. But you don't say this to my face, because who
are you to tell me that I haven't heard from the Lord?
What
are you to make of this?
What's
happening here? Why am I able to believe God for a miracle but you are
not? Is it possible that I have a sensitive ear to the Lord's leading
while you are more inclined to depend on human logic? Or am I using
"spiritual talk" as a cover for my own ambition?
These are not easy issues to talk about. None of us want our efforts for
Christ to be motivated by human agenda. We want our leaders to be
prayerful, spiritually sensitive, and responsive to what they believe
God wants us to do. The Bible makes it clear that God uses people to
speak on His behalf. The apostle Paul advised the Thessalonians,
"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies" (1
Thessalonians 5:19-20).
I'm convinced, though, that the possible misuse of spiritual-sounding
language and "God talk" gives us reason to think carefully
about how we use phrases like these:
"God
has been speaking to me..."
"I've been praying about this..."
"The Lord has laid this on my heart..."
"God told me to say..."
"I was led to come to you..."
"God revealed to me..."
"God reminded me of a Scripture..."
"God called to my mind..."
What
are the motives?
Sometimes
we talk like this to let others hear our desire to be in step with God.
On other occasions we use such phrases as a way of writing God's
signature under our ideas to make it difficult for others to disagree
with us. We sense, even subconsciously, that when people hear us talk
about "what God has laid on our heart," they will be less apt
to ask questions.
We
can't afford to be gullible or naïve
After
saying, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies,"
the apostle Paul went on to say, "Test all things" (v.21). The
apostle John also said in his first New Testament letter, "Test the
spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1 NIV). Both
Paul and John reflect a caution that had been expressed earlier by the
prophet Ezekiel. In the sixth century before Christ, he quoted God as
saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who
are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own
imagination: 'Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord
says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have
seen nothing!' " (Ezekiel 13:1-3 NIV).
A
subtle misuse of quotes
If we
casually say, "God said to me" or "The Lord spoke to my
heart," we blur the lines between what we know God said in
His Word and what we think He might have said through our inner
awareness.
This erasing of boundaries is an important issue. Even under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul was careful to
distinguish between the Word of God and his own personal conviction (1
Corinthians 7:10,12).
At stake is our own discernment and the honor of the Word of God. If in
normal conversation we speak as if what God says to us through our inner
inclinations is equal to what He has said through Scripture, we are
competing, even unintentionally, with the authority of the Bible.
Honoring
the Word of God
So the
question then becomes, "How do we speak for God?" After
all, the apostle Peter wrote, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as
one speaking the very words of God" (1 Peter 4:11 NIV).
Our answer needs to be rooted in an honest and reverent respect for the
difference between our thoughts and God's thoughts. If we are sure that
God has said something in Scripture, we need to quote Him accurately and
with conviction. If we believe we are thinking in a manner that is
consistent with His thoughts, then we need to say, "I think,"
or "I believe this is a course of action that would please
God," or "I believe this direction is consistent with the
teachings of Scripture." The key factor is honesty.
The addition of "I think" or "I believe" may seem
like a small matter. But the issue is big. It is the issue that God
Himself expressed to Ezekiel when he said, "They say, 'The Lord
declares,' when the Lord has not sent them; yet they expect their words
to be fulfilled. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying
divinations when you say, 'The Lord declares,' though I have not
spoken?" (Ezekiel 13:6-7).
Dear Lord, Help us to be sensitive to Your Spirit. We want to speak
in Your behalf. We don't want to misquote You. Please help us to show
complete confidence in what You have revealed, while being open to
questions about our own judgment and opinions.
Back to top |
| Another encouragement from one of
sisters-in-Christ.
Subject: To Be Like Jesus
Many a time we have prayed . . . I want to be more like Jesus . . .Make
me more like You. . .etc. . . So here's food for thought. .
.
A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention
in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty
of time for Friday night's dinner.
In their rush, with tickets and brief-cases, one of these salesmen
inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of baskets of
apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all
managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding all
but one. He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings,
and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had
been overturned.
He told his buddies to go on without him, waved goodbye, told one of
them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and
explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal >
where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.
The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears
running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly
groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one
stopping, and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put
them into the baskets, and helped set the display up once more. As he did
this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these
he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,
"Here, please take this $20 for the damage we did. Are you
okay?" She nodded through her tears.
He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too
badly."
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called
out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into
those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way
to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in
his soul: "Are you Jesus?"
Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be
so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and
interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. If we
claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.
Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church.
It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day. You are the
apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall.
He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called
Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.
Let's start living like we are worth the price He paid. Start today!
He who dwells in the shelter of the most High will rest in the shadow
of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust...Psalms 91:1-2 Back
to top |
|
Good
Things Sometimes Comes In Small
Packages
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many
months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and
knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he
wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his
father had purchased the car.
Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into
his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a
fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a
beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young
man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young
man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father
and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed
out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He
had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was
very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him
since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received
a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his
possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care
of things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and
regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important
papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father
had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your
Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he
read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a
tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had
desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID
IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not
packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others.
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember
that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...
IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS
BETTER PACKED THAT WAY! ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS; THEY USUALLY LEAD
YOU TO ATTACHMENTS!
Author Unknown
God bless you.
Top |
| The
90/10 Principle
Below is food for thought.
Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the
way you react to situations) What is this principle? 10% of life is made
up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.
What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what
happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane being
late in arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver
may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90%
is different. You determine the other 90%.
How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light., but you can
control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you
react.
Let's use an example.
You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a
cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just
happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You
curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She
breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and
criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A
short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt.
Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish
breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must
leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to
school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed
limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 (traffic fine) away, you
arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying
goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, because of how you
reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?
The answer is D. You had no control over what happened with the coffee.
How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is
what could have and should have happened.
Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently
say, "It's ok honey, you just need to be more careful next
time".
Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your
briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see
your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You and your spouse
kiss before you go to work. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully
greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.
Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same.
Both ended different. Why? Because of how you REACTED.
You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other
90% was determined by your reaction.
Here are some says to> apply the 90/10 principle.
If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let
the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the
negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day.
A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting
stressed out etc. How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do
you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? (A friend of mine had
the steering wheel fall off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure
rocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds
later at work?
Why let the cars ruin your drive? Remember the 90/10 principle, and do
not worry about it. You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get
irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into
finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your
schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight
attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to
study, get to know the other passengers. Why get stressed out? It will
just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you
will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.
The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this
principle. The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved
stress, trials, problems and heartaches. There never seem to be a success
in life.
Bad days follow bad days. Terrible things seem to be constantly
happening. There is constant stress, lack of joy, and broken
relationships. Worry consumes time. Anger breaks friendships and life
seems dreary and is not enjoyed to the fullest. Friends are lost.
Life is a bore and often seems cruel. Does this describe you? If so, do
not be discouraged. You can be different! Understand and apply the 90/10
principle. It will change your life.
(Received from Vincent &
Adele)
Top |
What
is God telling you?
What is God telling you with the
problems He permits in your life?
The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you depending on
how you respond to them. Unfortunately most people fail to see how God
wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and
resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they
might bring.
Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:
1. God
uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light a fire under you to
get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us
to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a
painful situation to make us change our ways." Proverbs
20:30 (GN)
2. God uses
problems to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags. If you want to know
what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested
your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When
you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you
know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you
patience." James 1:2-3 (NCV)
3. God uses
problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and
failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a
hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only
learn the value of something, health, money and a relationship. By losing
it. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it
taught me to pay attention to your laws." Psalm 119:71-72
(LB)
4. God uses
problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it
prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a
friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had
asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from
being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions
were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God
intended it for good." Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
5. God uses
problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are
character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your
comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two
things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice
when we run into problems they help us learn to be patient. And patience
develops strength of Character in us and helps us trust God more each time
we use it; until finally our hope and faith are Strong and
steady." Romans 5:3-4 (LB)
Here's the point: God is
at work in your life-even when you do not recognize it or understand it.
But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him. Print
this out and read this regularly. Some of you could probably use this
right now!
"YOU ARE BLESSED -- THERE'S NO NEED
TO BE STRESSED or
HARD PRESSED !"
( CHRISTIAN MESSAGE
) Top
A Touching Christmas
Story
On the last day before Christmas, I
hurried to go to the supermarket to
buy the gifts I didn't manage to buy earlier. When I saw all
the people there, I started to complain to myself: 'It
is going to take forever here and I still have so many other places
to go...
Christmas really is getting more and
more annoying every year. How I wish I could just lie down, go to
sleep and only wake up after it. Nonetheless, I made my way to the
toy section, and there I started to curse the prices,
wondering if kids really play with such expensive toys. While
looking in the toy section, I noticed a small boy of about 5
years old, pressing a doll against his chest. He kept on
touching the hair of the doll and looked so sad. I wondered
who this doll was for.
Then the little boy turned to the old
woman next to him: 'Granny, are you sure I don't have enough
money?' The old lady replied: 'You know that you don't have
enough money to buy this doll, my dear.' Then she asked him to
stay here for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She
left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.
Finally, I started to walk towards him and asked who he wanted to
give this doll to. 'It is the doll that my sister loved most and
wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa Claus
would bring it to her.' I replied to him that maybe Santa
Claus will bring it to her, after all, and not to worry. But
he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can not bring it to
her where she is now. I have to give the doll to
my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there.' His
eyes were so sad while saying this.
'My sister has gone to be with God.
Daddy say that Mummy will also go to see God very soon, so I thought
that she could bring the doll with her to give it to my sister'.
My heart nearly stopped. The
little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell
mummy not to go yet. I asked him to wait until I come back
from the supermarket' Then he showed me a very nice photo of
him where he was laughing. He then told me: 'I also want mummy
to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me.'
I love my mummy and I wish she doesn't
have to leave me but daddy says that she has to go to be with
my little sister' Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes,
very quietly.
I quickly reached for my wallet and took
a few notes and said to the boy. 'What if we checked again,
just in case if u have enough money?' 'Ok' he said. 'I
hope that I have enough.' I added some of my money to his
without him seeing and we started to count it. There was
enough for the doll, and even some spare money. The
little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money' then he
looked at me and added: 'I asked yesterday before I slept for
God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that
mummy can give it to my sister. He heard me' 'I also wanted to
have enough money to buy a white rose for my mummy, but I
didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buy
the doll and the white rose.'
'You know, my mummy loves white rose'
A few minutes later, the old
lady came again and I left with my trolley. I finished my
shopping in a totally different state from when I started.
I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered
a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of a
drunk man in a truck who hit a car where there was one young
lady and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and
the mother was left in a critical state.The family had to
decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine,
because the young lady would not be able to get out of the
coma. Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the
little boy, I read in the newspaper
that the young lady had passed away. I couldn't stop myself and went
to buy a bunch of white roses and Iwent to the mortuary where the
body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make
last wish before burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding
a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the
little boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the
place crying, feeling that my life had been changedforever.
The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister
is still, to that day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of
a second, a drunk man had taken all this away from him.
Now you have 2 choices:
1) Send this message to everybody
that you know.
2) Or delete it and do as if it never
touched your heart.
If you send this message, maybe you
will help prevent someone drunk
to go driving.
God Bless.
Roger Hamilton
New Hampshire
USA
Top |
| What Syndicates do with EXPIRED
CREDIT CARDS
Dear Friends,
Be more cautious on using the credit cards especially in public
places like restaurants,hotels,pubs
etc. Syndicates are getting smarter day by day.
Scene 1:
A friend goes to the local gym and places his belongings in the
locker.After he workout and a shower, comes
out, sees the locker open and thinks to himself
"Funny..I thought I locked the locker...hmmm" dresses and
just flips the wallet to make sure all is in check. Everything looks
ok, all cards in its place.
A few weeks later...his credit card bill comes...! A whooping
bill of RM14k! Calls up the credit card company and starts yelling
at them saying that he did not make the transactions...customer care
personnel verified that there is no mistake in
the system and asks if his card had been stolen.
"No" he says..takes out wallet and pulls out card..and.....yup!
you guessed it...!!!a switch was made. Another similar (same type
(master/visa) from the same bank) expired looking card was placed in
the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at
the gym and switched cards.
Verdict? Credit card issuer says since he did not report the card
missing earlier, he would have to still pay the amount owed to them.
How much does he have to pay for items he did not buy? RM9k !!!!!
Why were there no calls to verify the amount swiped? Small
amounts rarely trigger a
'warning bell' in credit card companies. It just so happens that
the small amounts amounted to big ones!
Scene 2
My dad at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit
card. The bill came, he signed it and the waitress folds the receipt
and passes the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and
place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny
enough, he actually just took a look at the card and lo and
behold...wrong expired card of another person. He called the
waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized and
hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of my dad.
All the waitress did whilst walking to the counter was she waved the
wrong expired card to the counter cashier and the counter
cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. No
exchange of words...nothing.... She took it and came back to
my dad with apologies.
Verdict: make sure the credit cards in your wallet is yours!
Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and is
taken away for even a short period of time.
I believe many of us would just take back our credit card without
even looking at it, thinking that it has to be ours.
For your own sake, DEVELOP THE HABIT TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD
EACH TIME YOU TAKE BACK !!!
Benny Ng TEAM Agency 012-201 3798
Top |
|
|
GOOD SECURITY
PRACTICES FOR LADIES
AT
PARKING AREAS
WHILE STOPPED
THE REAL DANGER FROM
CRIMINAL ASSAULT IN A VEHICLE COMES WHEN YOU ARE STOPPED
1.
KEEP YOUR VEHICLE SECURED.
Your doors should be locked and windows
closed to prevent someone reaching into your vehicle and opening the door
from the inside. Once
inside your car, first thing to do is to lock your car doors –install
central lock or auto lock if you don’t have one yet.
2.
KEEP YOUR VEHICLE INSIGHT
If
you stop for food or fuel or to use a restroom, park your vehicle in a
location where you can keep an eye on it as long as possible during your
stop.
3.
KEEP PURSES AND VALUABLES OUT OF VIEW
To
prevent a “smash-and-grab” theft of your valuables, put your purse,
briefcase, computer, and other belongings on the floor, under a seat, or
at least hidden under a coat, sweater, or newspaper. Don’t carry
valuable articles exposed on the seats of your vehicle.
4.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE UNLOCKED
Lock
your vehicle any time you exit. Make sure that you take your keys and look inside your vehicle first when you
return
to make sure no one has entered it while you were away.
WHILE
ENTERING A PARKING AREA
5.
PARK AWAY FROM VISUAL OBSTRUCTIONS
Trucks
and vans provide visual barriers for criminals to hide behind. Don’t
park next to such vehicle.
6.
PARK NEAR FOOT TRAFFIC
Choose
a parking spot where people are likely to pass while going to and from
their vehicles. This gives a potential assailant less
opportunity to catch you “alone” either while you are parking or when
you return to your vehicle.
7. GET
OUT AND GO
Once you get out from your vehicle, lock the
doors; move immediately to the center of the driving lane towards your
destination.
8. KEEP YOUR
KEYS HANDY
Keep your
vehicle key in your hand with the key to the door next to your index
finger until you reach your destination. If you must return to your
vehicle, you don’t want to be delayed by having to search for your keys.
(Get your
keys ready as you approach your car, not stand next to your car and search
/ fumble for your keys – you can be pounced on then).
9. UNLOAD
PACKAGES BEFORE YOU PARK CAR
If you have a
briefcase or other parcels you must carry into a building, unload them at
the building entrance and secure them with an appropriate person before
proceeding to park your vehicle. This way you won’t be loaded down with
baggage or have to make multiple trips into the parking lot, both of which
multiply your vulnerability.
10. CHOOSE
A SECURE LOT
If you have a choice,
park in a lot that have some security measures. Security patrols,
telephones, and/or intercoms all discourage criminals. Just a simple fence
can make it more difficult for a criminal to escape from the scene of a
crime.
11.
PARK UNDER A LIGHT
Even if you
arrived during the day and plan to leave before dark, there is always a
possibility that you may be delayed. So, choose a spot under or near
an overhead light to discourage criminals.
12. GET NEAR BUILDING
ENTRANCE’S
Park
as close as possible to a building entrance you will be using.
13. WAIT A FEW SECONDS
After
you have parked, wait just a few seconds before turning off the engine.
Look around the parking area for people loitering or behaving
suspiciously, and listen for unusual noises. If you are comfortable, then
turn off the engine.
14. AVOID USING ENCLOSED
STAIRWELLS
If you park in
a multi-level parking garage,
it may be safer to walk on the ramp rather than use an enclosed stairwell
where you may be cornered.
WHILE
DEPARTING
ALTHOUGH
YOU ARE CAREFUL IN SELECTING A PARKING SPOT, CONDITIONS IN A PARKING AREA
ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. THEREFORE YOU MUST ALSO PRACTICE CAUTION WHEN
RETURNING TO YOUR VEHICLE.
15. HAVE
YOUR KEYS READY
Have your key
ready so that when you arrive at your vehicle, you will not be delayed in
unlocking the door and entering.
16. SCAN THE PARKING AREA
As you enter
the parking area, make a 360-degree scan. Look for other people in the
parking area. In general, people should be either walking to or from their
vehicles. Be suspicious of
people walking perpendicular to the usual flow of pedestrian.
17. KEEP A CLEAR VIEW OF
YOUR VEHICLE
Make
sure you have a clear view of your vehicle well before you arrive at it.
That means there are no visual barriers such as delivery vans parked
nearby that could provide cover for an assailant and make it more
difficult for you to summon help if needed.
18. DON’T TIP-OFF WHERE
YOU ARE PARKED
Don’t give
a criminal advance notice where you are parked. Don’t fix your gaze only
on your vehicle as you proceed through the parking area.
Concentration your attention on your vehicle alone will give a criminal
opportunity to plan an assault because he will know your destination.
19. TAKE
NOTE OF OCCUPIED VEHICLES
People
generally do not sit in vehicles in parking lots. Vehicle occupants should
either have just entered their vehicles preparing to depart or have just
arrived in the parking area preparing to exit their vehicles. People
just sitting in their vehicles are unusual and potentially threatening.
20. RETURN
TO SAFETY IF BEING FOLLOWED
If you believe
you are being followed while in the parking area, immediately return to a
safe place. Before you attempt to return to your vehicle again,
enlist someone to escort you.
21. APPEAR
ALERT AND IN-CHARGE
Walk with
purpose as you move to your vehicle. You must appear alert and convey an
air of confidence in case you are being watched.
22. STAY AWAY FROM OTHER
VEHICLES
As you walked
to your vehicle stay in the middle of the driving lane, away
from parked vehicles where someone could be hiding.
23. LOOK
INSIDE AND UNDER YOUR VEHICLE
As you unlock the
doors, look inside for others who could have entered your vehicle while
you were away and are hiding in the front or in the back. Also, glance
underneath it to make sure there is no one hiding there.
24.
ENTER QUICKLY
While you are
unlocking your door, putting packages inside, or removing your coat, you
are vulnerable. Minimize your vulnerability by entering your vehicle as
quickly as possible.
25. SECURE
YOUR VEHICLE AND DRIVE AWAY
As soon as you enter your vehicle, lock the
doors and keep the windows closed. Since you are much more vulnerable
while stopped than while moving, wait a few seconds until the vehicle is
moving before lowering the windows.
26. DRAW ATTENTION IF
ACCOSTED
If you are
accosted, draw attention to yourself by blowing the horn, activating the
emergency flashers, and flashing the headlights. Short blasts of your horn
are more effective in getting attention as compared to a continuous sound
that could be interpreted as a defective horn.
PREPARED BY:
AZMI ISMAIL
Manager – Security
& Special Services
June 24, 2003
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