Spiritual Eclipse notes

 what sort of ‘spiritual eclipses’ can occur for you while you are taking this course within the following domains: (1) spiritual, (2) personal, (3) psychological, and (4) scientific. For each eclipse, explore what ‘Gospel glasses’ are available to you and how they protect you.

 tell your story from your life that explains and interprets your reflection(s) on spiritual eclipses in the context of this course:

Pride is often competitive and comparitive....(it) presumes that we are better than others. Results of pride include: anger, hatred, hold grudges, withhold forgiveness,

• What parts of the reading for this week or the video did you find surprising? Why?

I was surprised that Gary E. Stevenson did not tell us how to avoid spiritual eclipses. Instead, he said that we must strive to prevent spiritual eclipses from causing permanent spiritual damage. It was clear that the moon occassionally going in front of the sun was unavoidable and thanks to science, we understand what and why an eclipse occurs. Most people do not understand spiritual light and knowledge, so the visual of putting on glasses was effective.

• Were there parts of the reading that you found challenging? If yes, explain.

All of the reading has been a bit dry for my taste but Gary E. Stevenson's talk reminded me that I need to include the Lord in my challenges. Then hopefully the readings this semester won't be as challenging because, "I can do all things through Christ the Lord who strengtheneth me".

• How do the concepts from the reading apply to your spiritual experiences?

Life is all about asking the right questions and so is research. I believe that there is no such thing as a dumb question but this week's reading taught me that certain questions cannot be proven or need to be altered before you can begin research. I think that that concept also applies spiritually. There is a lot that cannot be proven spiritually but, with the right questions, we can still conduct research.

• How do your life experiences confirm, extend, and/or contradict the concepts from the reading or the video?

In my life when I have asked good, specific questions, humbly, prepared to be wrong, I have succeeded in finding answers spiritually, personally, psychologically, and scientifically. I have noticed that a celestial mindset has given me gospel glasses to see through the darkness and focus on the light. I will say that it does confuse me that truth is supposed to be immovable and yet everyone ends up receiving different revelations of their truth. For instance, what is true for me may not be true for you. Yet that is contradicting. My husband has even mentioned that it is a good thing that there are so many different churches because each church caters to individual cultures and personalities. I still imagine life as one big puzzle and Christ will hopefully show us how all of the pieces align. 

1. Synthesizing: Synthesis is a form of summarizing that combines several sources. To synthesize, you should combine summaries from sources that agree on specific overall points.

Avoid assuming what you know is "common knowledge" for everyone. When in doubt, cite it!

>START using truncation: enter root word and asterisk so Librar* would search library, libraries, librarian, and librarians 

....but be careful not to truncate too soon because lib* would search liberation, libel, etc.

APA tips:

• spell out the number when starting a sentence
• use numbers for anything representing time, dates, ages, or money.

How to conduct a search using Ebsco databases such as PsycInfo: http://support.epnet.com/training/flash_videos/basic_search/basic_search.htmlLinks to an external site.

How to use the thesaurus feature in PsycInfo to help you discover the right search terms (the #1 reason students struggle to find articles is because they aren't using the right search terms): https://connect.ebsco.com/s/article/Browsing-EBSCO-Databases-Using-the-Thesaurus?language=en_USLinks to an external site.

Effective search strategies for finding the right articles on your topic: 
Creating an Effective Search StrategyLinks to an external site. (07:04 mins, "Creating an Effective Search Strategy" TranscriptLinks to an external site.)

Evaluating the quality of the sources you are finding:
Evaluation of MaterialsLinks to an external site. (12:02 mins, "Evaluation of Materials" TranscriptLinks to an external site.)Links to an external site.