Bersyukurlah Dikala Bangun Tidur

Apa yang dipikirkan banyak orang ketika bangaun tidur..Males Bangun..Benci hari Senin.. Males kena air dingin or….something else..

Pernahkah kita merenungkan bahwa sesungguhny kita telah diberi nikmat luar biasa oleh Tuhan kita, oleh Allah dipagi hari. Ketika kita tidur Jiwa kita dipisahkan dari raga kita dan ketika bangun jiwa kita dikembalikan lagi..Pernahkah kita berfikir jika saja Allah tidak mengembalikan jiwa kita ketika bangun tidur.. Selama tidur, seseorang setengah kehilangan kesadaran terhadap dunia luar. Untuk bangkit dari “kematian” tidur kepada kesadaran dan kondisi yang sama seperti pada hari sebelumnya, dan untuk dapat melihat, mendengar, dan merasakan dengan baik dan sempurna adalah sebuah keajaiban yang harus kita renungkan. Seseorang yang berangkat tidur di malam hari tidak dapat memastikan bahwa nikmat yang tiada bandingannya ini akan diberikan lagi kepadanya besok pagi. Dan kita tidak pernah dapat memastikan apakah kita akan mengalami bencana atau bangun dalam kondisi sehat. Nikmat mana Tuhanmu yang Engkau Dustakan.

Allah memegang jiwa (orang) ketika matinya dan (memegang) jiwa (orang) yang belum mati di waktu tidurnya; maka Dia tahanlah jiwa (orang) yang telah Dia tetapkan kematiannya dan Dia melepaskan jiwa yang lain sampai waktu yang ditetapkan (QS Az Zumar, 39:42)

Dan Dialah yang menidurkan kamu di malam hari dan Dia mengetahui apa yang kamu kerjakan di siang hari, kemudian Dia membangunkan kamu pada siang hari untuk disempurnakan umur(mu) yang telah ditentukan, kemudian kepada Allah-lah kamu kembali, lalu Dia memberitahukan kepadamu apa yang dahulu kamu kerjakan (QS Al An'am, 6:60)

Kunci kebahagiaan hidup adalah bagaimana kita dapat mensyukuri apa yang telah kita dapat. Mensyukuri hal-hal kecil akan dapat membuka mata hati kita akan Kebesarann-Nya atas pengaturan yang sedemikian kecilnya pada urusan manusia. Sebagai seorang yang beriman memulai hari barunya dengan memikirkan kenyataan ini dan berterima kasih kepada Allah yang telah meliputinya dengan kasih sayang-Nya dan perlindungan-Nya. Dia menatap hari baru sebagai sebuah kesempatan yang diberikan kepadanya oleh Allah untuk meraih ridha-Nya dan mendapatkan Surga. Di saat dia membuka matanya di pagi dini hari, dia menujukan pikirannya kepada Allah dan memulai hari dengan sebuah sholat yang khusyuk, Sholat subuh.

Sepanjang hari, dia bertindak atas dasar pengetahuan bahwa Allah senantiasa mengawasinya, dan dengan seksama mencari ridha Allah dengan mematuhi perintah dan petunjuk-Nya. Dia menjalin hubungan erat dengan Allah dan memulai hari dengan sholat Subuh. Dengan cara ini, kemungkinan bahwa ia akan lupa pada nikmat Allah sepanjang hari atau tidak mempedulikan larangan-Nya menjadi kecil; dia akan berperilaku sepanjang hari dengan menyadari bahwa Allah sedang mengujinya di dunia ini.

Seseorang yang secara tulus mengarahkan pikirannya kepada Allah akan dituntun untuk melihat bahwa dia harus dengan seksama merenungkan nikmat Allah yang telah diterimanya dan tak ada yang lain selain Allah yang berkuasa memberikan itu semua kepadanya. Dalam Al Qur’an, Allah berfirman agar manusia merenungkan hal ini dalam-dalam:

Katakanlah: "Terangkanlah kepadaku jika Allah mencabut pendengaran dan penglihatan serta menutup hatimu, siapakah tuhan selain Allah yang kuasa mengembalikannya kepadamu?" Perhatikanlah bagaimana Kami berkali-kali memperlihatkan tanda-tanda kebesaran (Kami), kemudian mereka tetap berpaling (juga). (QS Al An'am, 6:46)

Pastilah Allah, Yang Mahakuasa dan Maha Mengetahui, yang menjadikan tidur sebagai waktu istirahat bagi manusia dan memberikan kembali nikmat-Nya pada mereka di pagi hari. Mereka yang mengetahui ini merasakan kedekatan Allah sejak saat mereka memulai hari mereka dan bergembira dengan karunia tiada tara yang mereka nikmati.

Oleh karena itu mulailah untuk memikirkan dan mensyukuri atas nikmat bangun dipagi hari. Bangun dipagi hari dapat merupakn permulaan atau bahkan mungkin hari akhir bagi kita . Kematian dapat datang kapan saja karena banyak penyebab. Mulailah setiap bangun tidur kita renungkan apa yang harus kita kerjakan dalam pemanfaatan hari yang akan kita jalani, agar kita meraih ridha Allah. (inspirated by Harun Yahya)

Best Prepare Getting Scholarship

What do you think about getting scholarship..Surely that every want dream for this reward..When I asked myself is it a fortunately..or reward for someone who always crazy in effort..but I believe that it should need a good preparation to be a winner in scholarship competition. 

Scholarship preparation can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few years, depending on how much time and energy you have to commit to the process. If you are truly serious about savings thousands of dollars on college tuition bills, then the more time you can spend preparing for the scholarship process, the better chance you have of receiving a scholarship that can significantly reduce the cost of college. Whether you’re a high school freshman or a senior, you can begin preparations to increase your chances of being awarded with a scholarship.

Lets check this out from the scholarship

Starting With Your Grades…

One of the first things most scholarship committees require and pay careful attention to is your grade point average. The grade point average represents the cumulative grades received in all classes you have taken while in high school. Some high schools will weight classes differently depending on type and difficulty level. For example, a calculus class may be given greater weight than a health class. All high schools have a maximum achievable grade point average. Most common is the 4.0, representing straight A’s. However your high school decides its grade point averages, it’s important to keep your grades up in school. If you’re a freshman, give yourself a good start and try to attain the best grades possible. If you are further along in your high school career and have received average or marginal grades, try to boost them up. Even a couple points on your grade point average can mean the difference between qualifying for a scholarship and just missing the required criteria. Many colleges and scholarship committees like to see improvement over a student’s high school career. If you haven’t done as well as you’d hoped, don’t give up now. Work even harder and show the scholarship selection committee you are motivated and enthusiastic about higher education.

Don’t Skimp on Standardized Test Scores....

Another very important number scholarship selection committees take into consideration is the standardized test score. The SAT score is the most commonly used and often required for many college and scholarship applications. Unlike grade point averages, which may be weighted differently at different high schools, the SAT is a test given to all students applying to college and gives the selection committee an idea of how applicants score against one another. If you have done very well in high school and have a great grade point average, don’t start slacking now. Your SAT score can put you out of the running if it’s too low. Similarly, if you’ve received marginal grades and do not have a stellar grade point average, your SAT score can be your savior. Students receiving perfect or very high SAT scores are often given high consideration even if their grade point average is low. Study for the SAT. Take practice tests, consult with friends who have taken the SAT or take an SAT prep course. While it may seem like you’re contributing a lot of time or money for a test that lasts only a few hours, the thousands of dollars you could save by winning a scholarship based on your high SAT scores would be well worth it.

One Sport, Two Activities? What’s Right For You?

In addition to your grade point average and SAT score, selection committees like to see your commitment to an activity or sport that interests you. While students are often advised to present a well rounded application showing their involvement in many different programs, keep in mind that many other applicants will have done this very thing. Picking one or two activities or sports that you not only excel at but are passionate about can look much better on your scholarship application. Not only does it set you apart from the other applicants, it shows your dedication and motivation to activities that interest you, and such ambition is an important quality to scholarship review boards.

The Rewards at the End....

Preparing yourself for a scholarship is not an easy task, and will often feel very stressful or unrewarding. Don’t forget why you are taking the time and effort to prepare yourself so well. All your time and energy now could mean a significant savings during college, and can mean less stress on you and your finances.

Wild Edible Fungi

Russula sp.

Wild edible fungi are collected for food and to earn money in many countries. There is a huge diversity of different types for wild edible fungi. A small group of species are of economic importance in terms of exports, but the wider significance of wild edible fungi lies with their extensive subsistence uses in developing countries. They provide a notable contribution to diet in society from surrounding forest during the months of the year when the supply of food is often perilously low. Elsewhere they are a valued and valuable addition to diets of rural people.

Cantharellus sp.

Wild edible fungi play an important ecological role. Many of the leading species live symbiotically with trees and this mycorrhizal association sustains the growth of native forests and commercial plantations in temperate and tropical zones. The saprobic wild edible fungi, though less important in terms of volumes collected and money earned from local sales, are important in nutrient recycling. The saprobic species are the basis for the hugely valuable global business in cultivated mushrooms. This is an increasing source of income for small-scale enterprises in developing countries.

Wild edible fungi are among the most valuable NWFP (Non Wood Forest Products) with much potential for expansion of trade, but there are also challenges in the integration of their management and sustainable production as part of multiple use forests. There are concerns about the impact of excessive harvesting, which require better data on yields and productivity and a closer examination of collectors and local practices. Closer cooperation between forest managers and those using wild edible fungi is needed and suggestions are made on how this might be achieved (FAO,2004).

Lactarius sp.

 

More Vitamin D Could Prevent Some Psychosis

Scientific American News

Could some cases of schizophrenia boil down to something as simple as vitamin D deficiency? The idea was first put forth more than a decade ago by schizophrenia researcher John McGrath of the University of Queensland in Australia. The circumstantial evidence fit: people born in winter or spring or at high latitudes are at slightly increased risk of developing schizophrenia, and vitamin D deficiency is also more common in winter months and at high latitudes because of lack of sunlight. It may be that a deficit of vitamin D leaves expecting mothers more vulnerable to illnesses such as influenza, which could in turn sensitize the maturing brain to stress-related damage later in life. [For more on how prenatal infections can lead to mental illness, see “Infected with Insanity,” by Melinda Wenner; Scientific American Mind, April/May 2008.]

Now McGrath and his colleagues have put the hypothesis to the test. They analyzed blood samples taken from 424 Danish newborns who went on to develop schizophrenia as well as an equal number of babies who never acquired the disease. In each sample, they measured the amount of the chemical 25OHD, which the body converts into vitamin D. The researchers found that infants who had low levels of 25OHD in their blood—and therefore mothers who were deficient in vitamin D while they were pregnant—were at a higher risk of developing schizophrenia when they grew up.

The result, published in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, could be especially interesting for communities of black immigrants living in northern countries. Researchers have found a striking increase in schizo­phrenia risk for the children of dark-skinned migrants living at high latitudes—a finding neatly explained if vitamin D plays a role, because dark skin blocks ultraviolet B radiation, the component of sunlight necessary for the body to synthesize vitamin D.

There are some loose ends to tie up, however, before recommending vitamin D supplements for at-risk mothers. The group found that infants with high levels of 25OHD were also at increased schizophrenia risk. McGrath speculates that these infants might have been relatively inca­pable of generating vitamin D, leading to a buildup of the precursor in their blood—but more research is necessary to say for sure. All told, 44 percent of the schizo­phrenia cases in the study were attributable to either low or high vitamin D levels. “Even if vitamin D supplements can prevent only a small fraction of schizophrenia,” McGrath says, “it will be a fantastic outcome.”