Effective Data Protection for Cloud Computing and its Relevance in the Nigeria Economy

Having lunch meeting with some friends and this topic came up. This is my own view.

First a brief run down on what cloud computing means.

So what is Cloud Computing?

Going by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) definition:

Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

In a layman term, I will call it Utility Computing.

This buzz word has some distinct characteristic, which are

1. On-demand self-service
2. Broad network access
3. Resource pooling
4. Rapid elasticity
5. Measured service

1. On-demand self-service:  A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service’s provider.
2. Broad network access: Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and personal digital assistants (PDAs)).
3. Dynamic resource pooling: Within a typical cloud infrastructure, resources are pooled and available to multiple users at once in a practice known as multi-tenancy. The pooled resources get dynamically assigned and reassigned according to user demand. In general, cloud users have little to no control or even knowledge of where the resources reside. Besides pooled computing processing, a cloud may provide access to banks of storage, memory, network bandwidth and virtual machines.
4. Rapid elasticity: Capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any time.
5. Measured Service: Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.

Cloud Computing Service Models:

There are 3 service model for cloud computing which enables how computing resources or power are being provision and consumed as a utility based on the earlier outline characteristics. The service models are:

Software as a Service (SaaS): The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider’s applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a Web browser (e.g., Web-based email). The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings. Example of SaaS are: CRM, HR or Accounting application.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): The capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or -acquired applications created using programming languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations. e.g. Microsoft Azure, SalesForce .Force or Amazon web service and host of others.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host, firewalls). Example of IaaS provider are Rackspace Hosting, Network Solution, Go-daddy Hosting

Cloud Computing Deployment Mode:

The process of matching operation requirement to the offer of a cloud service is relatively straightforward, a greater challenge arises when determining which deployment mode to use.  There 4 modes in which cloud computing can be deployed and  each mode offers increase or decrease in the following benefits:

• Economic of scale
• Control and governance

The deployment modes are:

Private cloud:  The cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party and may exist on premise or off premise.

Public cloud: The cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services.

Community cloud: The cloud infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third party and may exist on premise or off premise. The community cloud option doesn’t provide the full cost benefits of a public cloud, but it can allow businesses to more readily facilitate requirements for higher levels of privacy, security and compliance.

Hybrid cloud: The cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between clouds).

Shown below is a pictorial overview of Cloud Computing Service model in relationship to the deployment mode

 

 

Benefits of Cloud Computing

• A solution for every need and budget: Cloud computing is available in many shapes, sizes and pricing levels, from the strictly private cloud requiring capital investment in supporting infrastructure to the completely public  pay-as-you-go cloud solution. This has enable SME based company to run upgrade ICT solution that can improve their productivity at a small cost.
• Better resource utilization: In a traditional IT environment, servers are notoriously underutilized and storage arrays often have inordinate amounts of excess capacity.
• Increased flexibility: Committing to one style of cloud computing does not preclude the use of another, allowing IT teams newfound flexibility in how they provision resources and deliver services.
• New cost model: One of the basic tenets of cloud computing is that services are delivered on demand on a pay-as-you-go basis. For companies that so choose, the ability to measure service usage can serve as the impetus for a new cost model.
• Access to new technology: Public cloud service providers have teams — even entire departments — at work on application upgrades, infrastructure enhancements and protection mechanisms. Their goal is the continuous improvement of the services they deliver.

Nigeria and Cloud Computing: The Good and the Bad

Cloud Computing offers opportunity to small and medium based business to compete will enterprise business by using technology to run their business at a minimal cost compare to what an enterprise business spend deploying/maintaining their IT setup.

With internet access density still low and only few locations in the country such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt can boost of fast internet access  at affordable rates while the other locations across the country are underserved. it is  a know fact that SMEs are spread across the country; from Sokoto to Port Harcourt and Ibadan to Markurdi. It cannot be over stressed  that  a good internet connection with large data pipe is required to connect to a cloud service and have an optimal user experience.

No consistence infrastructure such as electricity which is required to run the PCs at he cloud subscriber end.

No enabling law that regulates and protects the data created via the cloud service, how its being shared or stored and the acceptable service level and how to get redress when such occurs. This is needed to avoid any Thomas to start providing cloud service without putting in place needed infrastructure/measure for effective service delivery or another means for the cyber-thieves to get access to information that belongs to companies that have embrace cloud computing.

Overall, there are drawbacks to keep in mind such as

Regulatory compliance: A public cloud provider might offer some insight into what’s going on within its network, but it’s not going to give an organization complete transparency. Many firms will need to be able to stipulate where their data resides geographically for reasons of regulatory compliance. They’ll also need to verify that only authorized users have access to overall security practices.

Reliance on an Internet connection: With cloud computing, a company is 100 percent reliant on its connection to the Internet. Any interruption in that connection could put the firm at a standstill. Therefore, the greater the use of cloud services, the more imperative it is that an organization provide high-speed Internet access capable of
supporting increased traffic and also have alternative access.

Additional layers of security: Organizations that procure public cloud services may need to tighten up existing security and/or add additional layers to match the service provider’s security measures. This will ensure that assets are protected equally whether inside the public cloud or their own domain.

A Free Software to Improve your customer service …. Comm100

We decided to add chat feature to our website and were looking for solution that we enable us interact with visitor and clients that require assistance by visiting our website.

Also want software that will give us 360 views of our clients/visitors use our website.

Yahoo Pingback, Google talk and Comm100 were pencil down but Comm100 gives us the features we looking for. Features such as

1. Live chat

2. Must offer E-mail ticket, newsletter and survey features.

3. Must be easy to setup and easy to manage the users    database

4. Pocket friendly

5. Must be flexible to customized to our requirement

6. Track Web-Site visitors

7. Should provide clients software for various mobile platforms.

The live chat enables us to chat with our clients/visitors and provide solution to the needs. This has opened a frontier that enables the clients and us to communicate at zero cost.

And when we can’t resolve their issue via chat, I can open a ticket using the email-ticket feature and also make a copy of the chat transcript to the ticket. This gives any of the support operator a complete view of what has happened in the past in regards to the case at hand which eliminate the process of repeating /providing solution that might work. The overall result is providing an excellence customer service.

One of the features that have helped our marketing team is the track web-site visitors. This gives statistic of the pages visited by a visitor, especially our services and products pages and help us make informed decision on which of the products to run adverts on other localized medium such as Facebook and print media.

The pocket friendly feature which means it’s free was what swept my CFO off his feet.

So, if you look for new medium to communicate with your existing/ potential clients or take your company customer service to a new level, then Comm100 is the right tool to give you that power and booster you need.

Article by

Toyin Ogunmefun

MCST: Exchange, ITIL and CCNA

Overview of Right Management Service (RMS)

I came across this article on Microsoft and thought of moving it to my blog, for easy access and also re-share it.

Rights Management Services

RMS stands for “Rights Management Services” and as the name indicates it is a Microsoft Windows information protection technology that uses encryption and a form of selective functionality denial from limiting access to documents such as corporate emails, office documents etc. RMS technology works with RMS client enabled application in order to safe guard digital information from unauthorized use.

Companies can use this technology to encrypt information stored in such document formats, and restrict unauthorized users from accessing them or modifying them. It is also possible to set the restrictions for a period of time. Specific operations like printing, copying, editing, forwarding, and deleting can be allowed or disallowed by content authors.

You might think that normal NTFS permission along with password protection techniques that’s used in office documents can achieve this task. Yes, we can achieve this goal, but from an organization point of view, using RMS we have more control for administrating the rights for users on the documents.

Major Components of the rights management environment
We have already discussed that RMS is a client-server technology model. So we get introduced to a few of the common components that are involved in Right Management environment.

This includes the RMS servers, RMS client computers and RMS-enabled applications. These components also rely on a SQL database and the Active Directory services to make the rights management process work. Together, these components enable users to create, publish, distribute and consume IRM-protected content.

1. RMS servers
RMS servers must run Windows Server 2003 (any editions except web edition) or above with Internet Information Services (IIS), Message Queuing, and ASP.NET enabled. A minimum of 512 MB RAM is recommended with 40 GB of hard disk space. RMS server can work with single Network adaptor. As far as the Fie system, Microsoft recommends NTFS.RMS must be installed in an Active Directory domain with domain controllers running Windows 2000 server SP3 or above.

You can download the RMS from the following Link: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73722

2. RMS client software
The RMS client software is built into the Windows Vista based operating system. It’s available for a free download for any other previous operating system including Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

Download the RMS client from http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=67736.

If you are using a 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003, download the 64-bit version of the RMS client http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=67935.

3. RMS-enabled applications
IRM-protected content can only be created and viewed with RMS-enabled applications. RMS-enabled applications work with the RMS client software. Some RMS-enabled applications include:

1. Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007

2. Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5.01, 5.5 and 6.0) with the rights management add-on

3. Internet Explorer 7 XPS Viewer

4. Mobile Office applications in Windows Mobile 6

5. Applications created or extended using the Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services Software Developer’s Kit (SDK)

4. SQL server
RMS requires a database running on Microsoft SQL Server 2000 with SP3a or above, or the Microsoft SQL Desktop Engine (MSDE). MSDE should be used only for testing, as you are unable to view logging information or change the data in the configuration database under the MSDE licensing terms. If you use MSDE, you have to install it on the RMS server itself.

The SQL server contains the following databases:

1.RMS configuration database
2.Logging database
3.Directory services database
The databases can be run on the same or separate SQL servers. The RMS account certificates that identify users as trusted entities are stored in the configuration database on the RMS root server or cluster.

5. Active Directory
The RMS server uses the Microsoft Active Directory services to authenticate the identities of RMS/IRM users and resolve group memberships when the publishing license grants rights to a group. When a user sends a request for a publishing or use license, the request starts with a query to Active Directory for the URL of the server Web service. This service then provides the URL for the license request itself.

Information Rights Management

Information Rights Management (IRM) is an information protection technology built into Microsoft® Office 2007 that works with Rights Management Services (RMS) in Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

IRM helps organizations and its users to control how the information can be used. With the help of IRM, the creator or sender of a document or a message have complete control to specify who can open/edit/ print, forward or copy it or perform any other actions with the information it contains.

An RMS server running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 serves as a central repository for information used to identify what rights have been granted to particular users and to verify the credentials of those users. Information Rights Management is the component in the RMS-enabled application that enforces those rights; IRM is to RMS what Microsoft Office Outlook is to Exchange.

Actions that can be controlled with IRM:-
When IRM is configured properly, users can assign access permissions to certain types of files created with Office 2007 applications for certain users. Here are a few actions that can be controlled using IRM

1. Editing the content

2. Forwarding a file

3. Copy/cut/paste the content as text

4. Printing the file

5. Faxing

6. Using the default Print Screen (PRT SC) key to capture the image of the content

As discussed, IRM protection can be applied to any office documents such as Word files, Excel workbooks, PowerPoint presentations and templates and InfoPath forms as well as Outlook 2007 email messages.

Limitations of IRM
Here are some of the limitations of IRM

1. Content corruption due to hardware failure or any kind of viruses

2. Taking a photograph of the content displayed on the screen

3. Manually writing down the contents

4. Using a third party screen capture utility to capture screenshot

5. Using a keystroke logger to capture the content of the document when it is being created.

IRM-protected documents and messages can be created using Office 2007 Professional Plus and Enterprise editions only and not using Office 2007 Standard edition. Standard edition can be used to open and view IRM-protected documents

How To: Regenerate Expired Exchange 2007 Self-Signed Certificates

Am presently on vacation but irrespective of that, my client still call me. My holiday was interrupted for few hours when I received a call that the Mailbox store and the transport service could not start. My first assumption was that restarting the server will return the server back to normal. Banged I was wrong.

So, I have to remotely connected to the server to view the event viewer and noticed that the application log with Event 12014. The Exchange 2007 self-signed certificates expire every 12 months. Once the certificates expire, you will start to see event 12014 in the event logs. This is logged as an error and can be pretty annoying for those of us who hate seeing red in the event logs. If you have a third party certificate in place, there should be no impact to the end user. However, if you are relying on the built-in certificates for functionality there can be an effect to the end user since the certificate is expired.

Procedure to Regenerate:

- Open the Exchange Management Shell on the server with the expired certificate

-Type the following command to get a list and detail of all certificates on the server
Get-ExchangeCertificate | FL *

-View the details and find the certificate that is expired. The information will look similar to below (this is an example- the cert in this is not actually expired)

Notice the thumbprint. We need to have the thumbprint in the next command. This command will generate the new certificate
Get-ExchangeCertificate -thumbprint “84689CEE272E670451D8A2C287CEF5C575115D3″ | New-ExchangeCertificate

-Type Y to accept. You will get a similar result as below

 

-Notice the new Thumbprint

-We can now look at the details of this new certificate with the following command:
Get-ExchangeCertificate -thumbprint “461C821971BAAAFCC7C26C3EF77F5EDE2A553771″ | FL

-Resulting in the information below.
-Notice how this certificate is bound to IMAP, POP, SMTP. If we needed to bind it to IIS we would execute the following command:
Enable-ExchangeCertificate -thumbprint “461C821971BAAAFCC7C26C3EF77F5EDE2A553771″ -services IIS

-To remove the old certificate, we can execute the following command:
Remove-ExchangeCertificate -thumbprint “384689CEE272E670451D8A2C287CEF5C575115D3″

For more reading: Understanding the Self-Signed Certificate in Exchange 2007

Studying Techniques & Overcomming exam failure

 Below is a mail from a fellow study group member. Thought of sharing the work-out there.

Thanks

Here’s a mail from a Study Grouper that I think we can all relate to–

  Hey BOB team,

I originally wrote an email to you about failing a few 2003 tests and being a bit discouraged.  I feel your reply was somewhat helpful but what I really need is a better way to study.  I have no problems passing simulations (transcenders, self test & etc) I took them all, free ones and even spent plenty of money on them.  I have built many labs and do a lot of this stuff day in and day out.  I am very discouraged and it is very hard to read and study this stuff over and over.  I feel I can pass the 70-290 test tomorrow but I am to worried about failing.  As you know (from what you said in your story) failing is very hard to get over and I am having a difficult time being focused.  Please any suggestions on better study habits or ways to get more out of what you’re studying would be a big help to me.  I feel the way I was studying for the 2000/NT4 style exams just does not work anymore.

Thanks for the mail, and thanks for being so honest.  What we are dealing with here is really two problems.  The first problem is finding how to study in a way that allows you to retain the information.  The second problem is the old classic of test anxiety—for some people a phobia, but for most of us a conditioned response we start to get when we’re having a streak of failures.

Let’s take this one question at a time—first, how to study.  Seeing how I was brought up by a very effective teacher, this is a topic I have some opinions about. 

The most important thing to remember about studying is that you can’t make your brain retain information when your will is divided.  The part of your mind that focuses attention on a topic requires stimulation as a reward for paying attention.  Ideally, the stimulation comes from the pleasure of learning itself.  For me, this works when the topic is one that I have time to study to a high level of detail, where I can comprehend the core relationships between ideas and the cause/effect dynamics that make something work.  However, not all topics have their own innate reward for studying…for example, memorizing information that you simply have to learn by rote, such as the port numbers used by common protocols.  In cases like this, I have a simple rule:  if the information isn’t interesting to me, I create my own reward.  It may odd, but it’s sometimes necessary to train your brain like a child or a pet…a matter of keeping your brain on track.

I remember that at the time I needed to pass one of the Windows NT 4.0 exams, I was completely absorbed in the “Doctor Who” mod for Doom 2. (That’s right, sports fans, I’m that much of a geek.)  I had an upcoming class to teach on the topic of the exam, and it was essential that I be certified before the start date of the course.  However, I found myself reading page after page of study material without retaining any information…my brain was perfectly happy to keep working on Doom level design issues while my eyeballs kept reading.  Something had to be done.  So, I worked out a little system as the deadline for passing loomed…if the “attentive” part of my brain was going to be irresponsible enough to spend time on Dr. Who Doom when I should be studying, then it was going to PAY me for it.  I made a rule: If I read two chapters of the study guide for the test, and answered all of the review questions correctly, I got to spend one hour working on Doom.  It didn’t work at first…I read the first two chapters and didn’t get the review questions right.  So, I did it again, got them right, did some Doom work, and got back on it…which started a successful cycle that led to me passing the exam.

This is just an example…I’m not saying that behavior like this will necessarily work for you.  I tell you to illustrate the point—if the reward for studying is too distant or intangible for your mind to care, create something that your mind will care about.

Another factor to bear in mind is the changing nature of your own brain.  As years pass since you’ve been in academia, your brain gets “out of shape”.  Aside from re-enrolling in your local college, you may find the exercises designed by Dr. Ryuta Kawashima and Dr. Lawrence Katz useful for strengthening your brain’s learning ability.  I personally have found these exercises to be valid.  (Note:  The previous statement is NOT a Microsoft endorsement, it’s a Sterling Jones endorsement  Thank you!)

Finally, another factor to consider is your own personal method of learning.  This is not something you choose so much as are born into…some people learn through hearing, through seeing, through reading, through doing something with their hands, etc.  If you’ve never determined which learning method is the most appropriate for you, it’s time to figure it out.  Try reading sections of study material out loud.  Try creating a written outline of a set of key points.  Try drawing illustrations for ideas as you read them.  Many people make the mistake of thinking that following a hands-on lab with step-by-step instructions teaches more than it does.  Labs of this nature teach you a procedure, but they do not teach you what that procedure really means.  Only your own personal learning technique can give you that, and you need to find out what that is.

So…three things:  First, make certain the part of your brain that actually remembers things has a reward, or reason to find the material interesting.  Second, make certain your brain is “in shape” by working it out on varied problems.  And third, be sure that you understand your own method of learning.  All of these things are important to successful studying that yields lasting results.

Now…test anxiety.  This is an entirely different issue.  Many things get rolled into the phenomenon of test anxiety…fear of failure, lack of confidence, poor self-image, all sorts of things I’m not really qualified to comment on.  I can, however, tell you what’s worked for me in the past.  It’s clichéd, but I have to say: Remember to breathe.  Anxiety can manifest in many ways, but shortness of breath is the one that leads to many other negative effects for many people.  If you can concentrate on taking slow, controlled breaths, you can usually concentrate the test questions as well.  Freezing up, jaw clenching, sweaty hands…all of these things seem to fade if you’re breathing properly.

Finally, try to stick to your regular routines on test day.  Resist the urge to stay up all night studying…sleep helps your concentration, so be sure to get a full night’s worth.  Don’t overdo it on caffeine or other stimulants.  Don’t go in hungry, or stuffed with food…a steady flow of blood sugar without a spike is exactly what your brain needs at test time.

When you get into the test center, think of the test as a challenging game, rather than a monster…it’s not about clicking that last button to see whether you passed or failed, but learning about how Microsoft’s test authors are testing us.  See whether or not you understand the purpose behind the questions.  Mark the ones that you think are unclear or don’t agree with, and comment on those at the end when the test software gives you the opportunity.  The entire testing process is a system, and your time in the testing center is part of that system.  If there’s something wrong with the way it works, we need to know about it.  The test isn’t a beast you’re facing…it’s more like sparring with a martial arts master.  It’s not about beating the test; it’s about using the test to prove your skills.

Well, there you have my comments on studying and testing.  I hope you find them useful.

Keep your comments and questions coming to study@microsoft.com.

What to look for before choosing your partner

Hello People, Hope u get wonderfully blessed by this. Someone sent it to me and I loved it. It’s real. Comments are always welcome. What do u all think, i know it could be a lot to read just put in a few minutes let me know what u all think, which points makes more sense, less sense or no sense at all. It is OK to critisize as well.

Personally i think this is a intuitive message and could kinna  give u some guidance in your life not necessarily relating to marriage but just about relationship with people and life as a whole.

Powerful message by Minister Creflo Dollar

This question is a valid one and many of us have asked the same thing. Some of us who didn’t ask the question have suffered tremendously because we choose a mate. I want to begin answering the question by saying this – God does not "choose" a mate for you. This is a misconception that many of us have as believers.

Creflo Dollar did a wonderful teaching on this and basically what Pastor Dollar said is that God makes "presentations – It’s up to you to choose."
The Lord doesn’t make choices like that for us.  He doesn’t even make the choice for us to be saved. We have to "choose ye this day whom we will serve." If God doesn’t force salvation on us, He certainly will not force a mate on us. So, I’m so sorry to tell you, you can’t put it on God. The choice is yours. That being said, God will certainly not have us ignorant.

While He does not choose our mates, He "presents" potential mates who, based on His infinite knowledge, He feels will meet our needs. My, my, my, If I’d only listened to the leading of the Holy Ghost and not my flesh. But that’s another story…. Moving right along.  I also want to add that it just as important to be the right person as it is to choose the right person.

If you are not all you need to be, even if God were to send the right man/woman, you could not be in a position to receive him/her. You won’t know how to treat him/her, talk to him/her, love him/her, comfort him/her, support him/her, nurture him/her etc.

Ladies, I’m going to help the brothers out a little bit. Some ladies say we want a good man, with a good job, handsome, built. Don’t get mad with me now, but are you where you need to be? Are you a good woman with a good job? Do you make yourself attractive and do you keep yourself in shape? Or are you living beneath your privilege a spoiled, big mouth, loud, unruly woman that never combs your hair, your fingernails are dirty and you got runs in your stockings and scuff marks on your shoes?  Lawd, y’all ain’t going to like me today. That’s alright. You just need to be honest with yourself. You want a man that looks like Denzel, shaped like Wesley Snipes, and paid like Michael Jordan, but you don’t keep yourself up, shaped like Miss Piggy, and your credit is so bad you can’t buy a tube of toothpaste on credit. Did I say something about credit? ( Let me leave that credit thing alone!) 

But seriously, you’ve got to bring something to the table too. What do you have to offer this wonderful brother that you’re believing in God for? One has to be honest with one’s self.  Now, after you have examined yourself, ask yourself some basic questions about the man you’re considering:

1. Is He/She Saved?

That’s the first question you need to ask.
If not, that person is not the one and if you think he or she is the one, then that might be the person, but not the one right now. You need to wait. The bible clearly states that women are to be submissive to our husbands. It is difficult to submit to a man who is not submissive to God. He is not equipped to lead you. I don’t care how much money he makes, what kind of house he lives in, what kind of car he drives, or what’s in his bank account. If he does not know Jesus, he is not the one.

2. Do you have the same beliefs?

If you believe in speaking in tongues, does he/she believe in it too? If you are a woman minister, does he believe in women preachers? (Some brothas have a hard time with this one….). What was his/her religious/spiritual up bringing? Does he greet people by saying  "Praise the Lord" or does he say  "Assalaamalaikum"? Would either of those bother you?

3. Do you have the same interests?

I know a couple of sistas that happen to love to read, sing, write, watch soap operas, talk shows etc. But, in a minute, they will beat any man to the TV for a good football game, boxing match, and basketball game. Most men can appreciate that! What things do you have in common?

4.Is he/she interested in you?

Do you have to call all the time?  Go see him/her all the time? Initiate all communications? If so, the brotha/sister don’t want you. I just have to make it plain. If you have to do all the calling, all the writing, and take all the initiative, just face facts and move on. Don’t run behind him/her chasing them, because even if he/she is a little bit interested, that will turn him/her off. A person with some determination knows how to pursue what they want. If it’s you they want, he/she knows where you are. You have too much to offer somebody to be playing cat and mouse.

5. Can he support you? (THIS ONE IS FOR THE LADIES..)

"Can he pay your bills…can he pay your telephone bill…can he pay your automobile…" or is he a "Triflin’ good for nothin’ type of brotha…" It sounds like the women are gold diggers and for a woman of the world that might be the case, but we’re talking about what the Bible says. According to the Word, the man is supposed to be the head-IN EVERYTHING! Some men want to be the head until it’s time to pay bills. When it’s time to pay bills then we all equal. We are all one in the Spirit. Man, please! Ask the man if he can and is willing to support you if necessary. He might get mad, and if he does "he ain’t the one." If a man is not willing to provide for you, he doesn’t think very much of you. Leave him alone. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t work, but if you work, it should be because of your choice, not of necessity. I’m in the book, y’all. Don’t get mad with me.

Then ask yourself some basic questions:

      * Is this a person you want to see naked for the rest of your life?

      * Are you physically attracted to him?

      * Does he/she have other children? If so, are you ready to be a parent to children you didn’t birth?

      * Is he/she your spiritual equal or greater?

Ask yourself these and other questions and be honest. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and let things line up with the Word of God. Does he/she fit the bill? Will he love you as Christ loves the church? Will she willingly submit to you? Will he be your provider, protector, comforter, nurturer, and a godly head? Will she be your helpmate? If you feel good about the answers to your questions, then pray about it and trust God. Chances are, you’ve got the right one! If not, keep waiting. It’s better to be single for a little while longer than marry the wrong person and head to divorce court. Trust me.

Hope this has done you some good. "Often the most difficult part of faith is when no more action can be taken and nothing remains but to wait patiently for God to work out His will. It is at this moment that doubts arise and anxiety creeps in.

YOU ARE BLESSED, SO BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE TODAY…..

Becoming a Small Business Specialist

For all the information on becoming a Small Business Specialist, please visit:  http://oem.microsoft.com/script/contentpage.aspx?PageID=555746

As a Small Business Specialist, you will enjoy a number of great benefits!  Learn more here:  https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40021562

70-282 Exam Information

For all the information on the 70-282 exam, please visit the MS Learning web site: 

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-282.mspx

 

Of special interest, please note the following information from the above web page:

 

Credit Toward Certification

When you pass the Designing, Deploying, and Managing a Network Solution for a Small- and Medium-Sized Business exam, you achieve Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) status. You also earn credit toward the following certifications:

•	Elective credit toward Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 certification