GOD IS GOOD; ALWAYS

It’s fairly early still, this new day has just begun and I think, from what I see in these early hours it is going to be one of those gorgeous days that is filled with warmth and renewal and new life that comes with the spring after the bitterness of winter storms and struggles when life is filled with slippery paths and ever present dangers. 

The sun rose brilliant over the mountaintops, its rays filtering down through the canopy of leaves in their springtime green gowns, crowned in jade and emerald with touches of olivine.  It is wonderful to wake up and see a new day, new dawning come to life and spread its light into the darkness.

I watched the sun (or was it the Son) spread light across the newly planted fields that glittered after last night’s rain and the light spread its way into the village casting what seemed a zillion sparkling diamonds on the river as it rippled its way through the heart of the village.  I heard the birds begin to sing their morning praises and watched a couple of squirrels skitter down from somewhere in the high branches of the old oak in my back yard.  They almost bounced onto my deck and then froze.  They weren’t expecting me and I startled them.  I didn’t move.  I just watched and took a sip of my morning coffee.  Their goal had been a visit to the bird feeder at the opposite end of the deck but there are no treats there now.  Of course they were going to check it out anyhow, just in case.  It looked like a good and promising path they had chosen. 

Though I think they must know I won’t hurt them they didn’t chance skittering by me.  In a flash they were gone in the opposite direction to show up again on the stone wall across the yard from my deck.  They scolded a bit and I went inside and cut up an apple and spread it with just a skimming of peanut butter and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.  They didn’t get all of it.  I kept three sections for myself.  Carrying the pieces of apple outside, I put them on the stone wall and went back to the deck to watch and wait and enjoy these quiet and peace filled hours of this new day.  I didn’t have to wait long.  The squirrels were back and happy with their morning feast. 

I really shouldn’t do that; feed the squirrels, this time of year.  God provides well for His creatures.  There is plenty for them to eat.  I enjoy their company though so now and then I slip them a special treat and it makes me happy to see them enjoy it.  As that thought crossed my mind it was quickly followed by another; God enjoys our company too and now and then He gives us a special treat, something really good we are not expecting.  God is good, always and always provides for us when we need it, and gives of His store house according to our need.  My birdfeeders are empty now.  I don’t feed the birds from spring through autumn.  They don’t need me now or my handouts.  Everything they need is all around them.  All they have to do is go get it.  

I will soon be placing some potted plants in them for the summer and fall, until winter comes again.  I really don’t want to tempt the skunks, raccoons and possum to my dooryard along with other possible creatures from the wild.  As much as I enjoy watching these creatures that venture into town from the wild, they don’t belong in the village.  They could get hurt and they could hurt us.  Sometimes we don’t belong on the path we have chosen either and if we continue on that path we can get hurt, no so unlike the wildlife that venture into the village tempted by thoughts of something better and their own way. 

“I slipped them a special treat;” those words seemed to hang in the air around me as I watched this new day come to life.  God had slipped me a special treat this morning too, sort of like I did with the squirrels, only better.   This morning shed new light, a different point of view, new perspective.  I’m thankful, more than words can ever express.  God is good, always, even when we think life is bad.

My life lately has been filled with a lot of sadness; I’ve been deeply grieving and have gone through and still am facing a lot of fears, intimidation and having to be confronted with gossip and emotional hardships.  I’m seeing a lot of hate and anger going on and have felt like my life is shrouded and suffocating beneath a heavy shroud of gloom and doom, not knowing what tomorrow may bring; hoping for the best but anticipating even greater sorrows before all this comes to end.  I’m seeing loved ones being terribly hurt, a hurt that seems nearly unbearable and a situation that is so unnecessary if people would lay down their greed and jealousy, use some common sense, look in the mirror and quit playing the blame-game.  The gossip, the rumors, the vile tongue, the false accusations, the bold faced lies and twisting of the truth, the slander and stalking, the bullying are overwhelming. 

I’ve been feeling crushed beneath the weight of it all. Feel like I am drowning in the tears being shed with nothing I can do to stop the onslaught and it has little to nothing to do with me personally, directly, just with those I love unconditionally.  All I can do is continue to love them despite all that is going on.

Thinking about this as the morning spread out its light before me I couldn’t help but think how God must feel as He watches us; all those things we do that cause Him to grieve not so different from my own grief.  He loves us unconditionally, despite our mistakes, the wrong things we do.  He doesn’t like the wrong but He still loves us very much and God is always good and blesses us and gives to us even in the bad times, even when we do wrong.  He doesn’t like the wrong but He loves us, even those who are doing the evil that is causing us such pain.  How deeply it must hurt God to see His children ignoring Him, refusing to listen and behaving in such manner as we do, destroying, abandoning His blessings but scrambling for the special treat, putting want ahead of need, our selfishness first. 

I thought about these things as I watched those two squirrels.  Had they proceeded on their original path there would have been no reward at the end.  The feeders are empty.  Instead they used common sense, some discernment and didn’t confront the danger but avoided it by not following the path they were on.  Even though it wasn’t their way or maybe what they wanted in the beginning their needs were met by using common sense and they even got a special treat as well.

God has given us a new day filled with His light, a fresh start, a chance to do things right, follow the right path, make good and wise choices.  When we do that He provides for our every need, even a special treat now and then…But we need to keep our trust in Him and follow as He leads, not get caught up in the sorrows around us and not let the world around us trip us up or block our path and try to go it our own way.  There is danger lurking out there, pitfalls and snares we can get caught up in if we don’t follow the path God directs us on.  All we can do is help where we can, do our best and let God do the rest…get out of God’s way so He can bring forth that special treat, the happiness we hope for.  God knows where we need to be, what steps we should take and how to get there from here.  Sometimes we need to be like those squirrels, be discerning and not walk into a situation that has an ever present and possible danger staring you in the face where temptation lurks with its snares and traps and false promises.

God never said life would be easy or that we would not see sorrows and know pain but He did say we never have to go through it alone, that He is always with us and will guide us if we will follow Him.  God is always in control even when our life may seem out of control.  When we keep our trust in God we have nothing to fear, no matter what the world may throw at us however vile and humiliating it may be.  When we trust God, use common sense and a bit of discernment and listen to God, He provides all we need to get through each day, gives us the strength and courage to keep moving forward.  He fills us with hope and song. 

Life still may be tough and the walking rough but even in the darkest moments there is light that comes with each new dawn…and sometimes an apple with peanut butter and walnuts on it. God is good; always.

 However, This knowledge can in no doubt be impacted by it self except through the prfessional or the expertriates who have been brain-fed in the discipline of thoughts.

 I mean the so called ‘Teachers’. One would say, the reward of a teacher is in heaven.This syndrome phenomenon has been the general belife of people, both the educated and the illitrates. Can we then say this is the true benefit these set of individuals that brought up the most celebrated, most decorated and most respected affluece beings in the world.

How much have you paid your teacher for their relentless efforts  on you, Thank you? That is just un-fortunate. If you do not value your teacher, it is certain you can not value God becaucse He is the best ‘Teacher’… Hook up for update of this article. see my personal blog www.insidenigerianvoice.blogspot.com

The horses receive updated immunizations and a physical exam.  Most horses range in age from 3 to 4 years old and have had various forms of training.  A new owner must be willing to allow the horse to adjust to new surroundings and routines.  Many times upon request the former owners can be contacted to give you particular information about the horse that will help in the transition.

Just as with any animal adoption, new horse owners must have a working knowledge of the needs that the horse will have.  Most societies will not allow adoption unless you can show that you have enough room and can care for the horse.  Do not worry if you have no experience, you can learn to take care of a horse properly.  Many societies offer classes or you can learn online.  The main thing to remember is that adopting a horse is a long term commitment, but it is one that will reap many benefits for a horse that might otherwise have been put down or might have perished. So if you have made the decision and think you can help save the horses, call your local humane society to get more information.

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I remember when MyCokeRewards first came out.  I didn’t have high hopes of ever getting anything big, but when I was browsing through the rewards catalogue, I saw some pretty cool things for lots of points.  This was all I needed to save all of the codes I got with my many Coke products and beverages.

For about two years, I didn’t buy a thing!  I never saw anything great again.  There was nothing I really needed that they had.  I was a little disappointed but I figured I would keep after my points regardless, and that maybe one day something decent would come up.

My thinking with this changed.  A few weeks ago, I went to the movies with my fiance.  We were shocked at how much movie tickets had cost; the price seemingly rose!

This caused me to remember that I had seen movie tickets and packages for this on the Coke site.  Once I got back on the computer to check it out, I saw a deal that was perfect for us; two tickets with some drinks and popcorn!  I ordered it up, but was disappointed to read that this would take nearly 8 weeks to arrive!  I don’t understand why this could not be a print-off type of item.

Even though we are not avid movie-goers, it will be a nice treat to get out of a night and go see anything, for basically free!  It’s nice to get something back and have sort of a simple treat.

I have also seen car rentals on the site, which I plan to take advantage of for an upcoming trip.  Why should I put the miles on my car?  I also plan to get a fairly economical car to save on gas, which helps even more since my own car is very gasoline hungry.

The rewards that Coke offer can come in handy, as you see.  It’s certainly worth it in my opinion to do through the simple steps to add your points and get rewarded!

Everywhere in the world there are rules that make it possible for people to do the thousands of different things that are part of everyday living. Without such rules, it would be impossible to get things done. Everyone would be in a state of confusion. Two people could not even play a simple game of checkers if each one followed a different set of rules. Driving from one place to another would be very dangerous if all drivers made up their own rules of the road.

Most of these rules for everyday living are not found in books. Many are not written down at all. But everyone knows what they are. They are the things that help us understand what other people may expect from us and what we may expect from others.

These unwritten rules are part of what we call culture. A culture is the total way of life created by a group of people. It includes things, ideas, behavior, and speech.

There following are some of the examples of the different kinds of behavior that people expect of each other. You will see how a culture’s unwritten rules protect people from confusion and harm.

Expected Behavior

Have you ever seen an angry baby? Then you know how it behaves. All over the world, angry babies behave in much the same way. Their little hands clench into fists. Their faces wrinkle with temper. Then they take a big breath and yell. They want what they want when they want it. They have no other way to say so. But such behavior is only for infants. Part of growing up is discovering that one cannot always do as one pleases. After all, the world could not work if everyone went about acting like angry babies. People must learn to control their behavior. This is why every culture has rules that define how people are expected to behave. A culture’s unwritten rules of behavior are called its norms.

Children begin learning the norms of their culture when they are still quite small. They learn by being told and by watching others. As they grow older, they get into the habit of behaving in the expected ways. They learn to do this almost without thinking about it. They are startled if they see someone else go against the norms they have learned.

Being Polite: A norm we expect from each other

Many norms develop in an effort to make life easier and more pleasant. For example, one doesn’t start talking when someone else is speaking. That would be impolite. Being polite is something we expect of each other. We have learned that politeness makes everyday living much more pleasant.

Setting Up Our day

Some norms deal with how our days are set up. Many people in the world work from nine to five, with an hour off at noontime. But in countries with very hot climates, people may go home for four hours in the middle of the day. This is a time to rest. They return to work later, in the early evening, when the heat of the day passed.

Norms and People

Norms can tell you where people are from. In European countries, Americans stand out because of their table manners. As they cut their food and eat it, Americans shift the fork from one hand to the other. People in Europe keep the fork in the same hand when they eat. But always keeping one’s fork in the in the same hand is considered bad manners in the United States.

To say goodbye, you are used to putting up one hand with the palm facing out, and then waving it. But if you did this in a country like Turkey, people would think you meant “Come Hear!”. The norm in Turkey is different.

Norms in Different Members of a Culture

Norms are often different for the different members of a culture. In an American culture, for example, teenagers are expected to carry packages and hold doors open for their grandparents. Parents are expected to give their children comfort and advice whenever necessary.

Norms that changes our behavior

Sometimes, norms of behavior change. During the period of change, people may feel uncertain and confused. After World War II, the country of Japan experienced many big changes. The norm of behavior in this new and changing Japan was for people to act according to their own consciences, to their own sense of right and wrong. In 1950 a young village woman discovered that a local official had cheated in counting election votes. Acting as her conscience told her, she reported this to the police. The official was tried, found guilty, and put in jail.

People in the cities thought she had done the right thing. City newspapers praised her. But the people of her village refused to speak to her. Why? They believed that no one should be shames in public. This belief had long been a norm of Japanese culture. It was much older than the new norm of following one’s conscience. The villagers believed that the woman had shamed the official. They felt that she had brought shame to the whole village and everyone in it.

Changes in norms amongst women

Before World War II, young women in the United States were expected to grow up, marry, and have children. They were supposed to become good housewives and mothers. But after the war, expectations have changes. More and more women left home when they finished school. They went to big cities and took jobs. Many did not marry. Often, those who did marry still kept their jobs. Today there is a new norm that a woman can have a business life as well as a life as wife and mother.

The new norm is that woman may choose. But during the time that the norm was changing, there were problems. Young women who left their hometowns to take jobs were likely to be severely criticized by people who knew them. They were going against what had long been expected of young women in their country.

Learning Expected Behavior

As we learn the behavior that is expected of us, we are learning the social values of our culture. A culture’s social values are all the ways of thinking and acting that the people consider important.

In some cultures, it is important to try always to win or gain things that many people want. We would say that such cultures value competition. In Japanese schools, for example, students compete very hard for the highest marks.

Among certain Indian groups in the United States, it is considered wrong to try to do better than others. Some who wins too often at a game might not be asked to play again.

Learning the Social Values of our Culture

How do children learn the norms and social values of their culture? In most cultures, children begin learning from their parents. In many cultures, the learning goes on with grandparents, older brothers and sisters, and other family members as teachers.

But learning to follow the norms and accept the social values of a culture does not stop when a child steps out the front door. In fact, much learning takes place away from home. In most countries, schoolteachers play important part in helping children learn how to get along in their culture. They also learn from friends, neighbors, and religious teachings. They learn great deal from the mass media. As adults, most of us learn about our culture in our places of work and from the new social groups we join. For most people, learning continues all thorough life.

Learning Norms by Observation

One important way to learn is by observation. This is the act of seeing and noticing. A child watches what older people do and then tries to do the same. If a Quechua girl sees her mother and older sister spinning wool, she may also want to try. Just by watching, she begins to learn how to do the job. How to keep the wool from getting tangled.

Learning Norms by Instruction

Another way to learn is by instruction. This is being told or shown what to do and how to go about it. It is instruction when your math teacher shows you how to work new kind of problem. Your mother is instructing you when she shows you how to write a thank-you note for an enexpected birthday present that arrived in the mail.

Short stories also teach the social values of a culture. One story told, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf!,” has been retold for centuries. The story is about a little boy who likes to shout “Wolf! Wolf!”. Each time he shouts these words, other people come running to save him. But there never is a wolf. The little boys is just playing a game. Then one day when he is alone, a real wolf comes along. The little boy is truly afraid. “Wolf! Wolf! He shouts. But nobody comes to save him. You may already know what social value this story told us.

Encouraging others to keep the norms followed

All people everywhere have ways to encourage others to keep following the culture’s norms and respecting its social values. Hugs, kisses, smiles, and kind words let people know that we like what they are doing. Such things are called rewards. They are like presents given for doing right.

Norms and Rejection

But what happens when we notice someone doing something wrong? We do not smile or say kind words. We may frown or speak harshly. These are forms of punishment. A child who does not play fairly with other children may be punished by rejection, by being sent or kept away from the group. Adults who break certain traffic laws may be given a fine, a sum of money they have to pay as a punishment. People found guilty of such serious crimes as robbery may be punished by being sent to prison.

Most people usually follow the expected ways of their culture. It is only a small number who break the most important rules. This is why most groups, most of the time, work much as they supposed to.

Teaching is a process of facilitating student learning through a proper management, by the teacher of the interrelationships among the students’ interests. It may involve giving instruction to somebody on the knowledge, skills and attitudes. This is with the intention that the person will be able to know the information or act in a particular way that is compatible with the instruction.

The person that gives instruction is instructor while the person receiving the instruction may be a learner or pupil, a student or trainee.   

In order to become professional in your teaching, you must be able to pass the information to the learner in such a way to understand you better. The means adopted by you to teach would determine the end result.

4 Conditions for Successful Teaching.

The following conditions are very vital in order to be successful in your teaching.

1.       The Flow of Information from High Concentration to Low concentration.

You must know more than your students. This is to establish a knowledge gradient that will allow the flow of information from you to your students. That is, information must be able to go from an area of high concentration of knowledge to an area of low concentration of knowledge.  You must know the gravity of your understanding to your learners.

2.       Favorable Disposition towards Learning.

The individual learner must show a positive mood towards learning before learning can take place. You must know the attitude of a learner to your teaching. If you ignore this, you may discover that you are just teaching in vain. Your learner must be ready to receive so that both speaker and listener would enjoy the lecture.

3.       Structure Your Work from simplest to complex.

You have to assemble the body of knowledge with dire regard to the logical arrangement of discipline from simple to difficult. Also you must move from concrete to abstract and descriptive through comparative to quantitative dimensions. You should make this arrangement to coincide with the level of psychological order of the learner to achieve the most effective sequence.

4.       Application of a System of Rewards and Punishments.

There must be an equitable application in the method of rewards and punishments. In order to tally with the nature of human beings, use of a system of rewards and punishments must be part of instruction. You can not imply corporal punishment where you have to instruct the learners instead. The way you give a reward to the best learner must serve as a lesson to others.

     By and large, as a teacher becoming professional in teaching, you must be recognized as a good planner for all teachers are good planners.  All teaching normally starts with some kind of planning. The first part of the planning stage is the setting of goals for the instruction.  

The next is the selection of appropriate instructional strategies that match the goals.

The third stage in the instructional process is evaluation, (asking question/assessment). This is where you will gather information through tests, quizzes.  From the students’ participation in the lesson, you will be able to find out if your instruction is successful. You will determine the success of the lesson by finding out if you achieve the goal of the instruction. You will also know if the strategies you adopt are effective.

Assuming the instruction or part of it is not successful you have to repeat the instruction by either going to the new materials or establish new goals in the future instructions.

Intrinsic Rewards

     Personal satisfaction is an intrinsic reward that employees gain without needing recognition. When a job is too difficult or the standards are impossible to meet, the intrinsic rewards may be less positive. A job within itself should be rewarding without needing extrinsic rewards such as recognition and other benefits. A job that has a workload that has self-rewarding is a positive reward. Intrinsic rewards are rewards such as happiness, development, value, and control from the job.

     Self motivation is an important reward that will help motivate good performance by employees. Employees working in a less stressful environment and are willing to work and look forward to the new challenges, is doing it because the intrinsic rewards motivate them to want to work.

     Training and development of a business can be non-effective and cause negative intrinsic behavior. Employees who lack the training, development or skills for a specific job will not want to do the job and will lack in performance. Some jobs require over-time and in some cases employees will have an unbalance lifestyle between work and home. A job, which has steady hours, will give employees personal satisfaction. Training can also impact how employees view new tasks. Tasks too difficult to obtain will be less rewarding. Employees need personal development and public recognition for daily business goals or quotas for staff to want to do a good job even when task are difficult to obtain. Employees who gain trust with employers will be more rewarding to the business, employers, and employees (University of Phoenix, 2010).

      A past job worked for had little intrinsic rewards. I was less motivated to want to work. I was required to work and take care of different workloads without any recognition, and I only gained a bigger workload. From the time I started working to the time I left, my workload had increased several times, and the employers only came to me when there was problems. Because of the negative environment, my motivation to work for myself decreased.

Extrinsic Rewards

     Individuals and groups that achieve an increase or rewards dealing with compensation or other benefits are extrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards involve more than personal satisfaction. When employees are working hard and the performance remains high. Extrinsic rewards such as pay for performance, bonuses, or pay for skills can be rewarding to employees.

     Every job has policies and procedure to follow to encourage doing the job right. Employees who follow the procedures and policies will earn recognition and benefits for doing the job correctly.

     Employers sometimes fail to realize that employees need some types of benefits for good motivational purposes. Employers can benefit from a positive and fun work environment. Employees want something to gain for the steady hard work for others. A work environment supplies employees with correct tools, clear standards, good staffing, flexibility, and less formal interaction. Employees will be more willing to give employers want they want and be willing to reach the business goals set (University of Phoenix, 2010).

     Employees will work for themselves and for others. The extrinsic rewards are rewards by employers to help better encourage employees to do a good job every time.

     I remember when I was working for a business, my employers would increase my workload but I continued to get paid the same the whole time working, and other employees were hired on making more and were doing less work. One side of the warehouse would run one to three presses, on the other side employees were running five to eight presses. My employers kept increasing my workload and even made compliments on how most employees could not keep up. I agreed to move to the other side of the warehouse running more presses as long as I got a higher pay rate. After six months of working, without a pay raise. My only motivation was to stop working for my employers.

Satisfaction

     A job that includes both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards will increase employee satisfaction. Employees want to want to do a good job for employers and gain something for meeting the standards to the best of ability, the success of a business relies on different rewards for employees. Employees will not be willing to meet and follow the directions without gaining a feeling of accomplishment.

     Personal satisfaction by both employees and employers were gained using both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Satisfaction is a feeling that both employers and employees of a business can gain. When a job, and the goals are obtainable and employees can gain both personal satisfaction and employer satisfaction, employees will be more motivated to do a better job.

     Extrinsic rewards would not work well alone to motivate employees. Employees will like gaining extrinsic rewards, but intrinsic rewards make them like the job itself. Employers who consider the diversity in the work setting will gain job satisfaction by employees. 

Motivation

     Motivation is important in the work setting. A past job that I was working for had more extrinsic rewards. Every job has goals to be met, different job descriptions, job responsibilities, and rewards.

     When I was working at a past job, it required that the employees would switch up jobs on a regular basis, in some cases several times a day; employees would switch into different parts of the warehouse and be required to learn new types of job duties. Sometimes it was difficult to keep up with the different jobs and maintain goals. Learning new tasks can beneficial in any job. Some individuals like learning new tasks and keeping a job interesting.

     However, when the rewards are impossible to obtain because of too many new tasks, this can have less intrinsic rewards for employees. Employees like change, but still want to be stable and secure. Extrinsic Rewards are more difficult to obtain without employees wanting to obtain the goals. Employees who are not comfortable with a job will not want to do tasks for others or the employers.  

Changes

     While I have been working, I am seeing changes in human resources. The only changes I would encourage working at my past job was, the implementing of both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. I would encourage changes to include both types of rewards for employees. Employees need to have rewards even when there are no pay increases or bonuses. Employees want to be motivated to want to do a good job and work hard. Intrinsic rewards can help motivate employees to accomplish new tasks and still be happy. Extrinsic rewards are good for both individuals and groups within a business.

References

University of Phoenix. (2010). Motivation and Performance. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, SEC390 website.

in turn,anger your publishers,who will leave.thus leaving you no articles,and no customers,this is an ill advised

move,search craigslist flagging and see how many people are leaving Craigslist,for this very thing,people are

people and think of how many juviniles are on the internet,they care not about flagging irresponsibly theyre

just having fun,and not hurting anyone except the people they are flagging and the site affected by it,but what

do i know but if you bankrupt yourself dont say i did not give you a heads up,i screamed at the top of my voice

it is up to you.Know true it is not as bad on youtube everyone acts a little more mature on youtube,but there

are no Gurantees,that you will get the youtube Maturity here,but at the very least you should not give rewards

for bad behavior,you will have plenty of flaggers ready,and a lot wont care about someone trying to post,and

build a career or name for themselves,they are just funin. this is a recipe for disaster. want end well!

                                                                                                     elvisroy0000

                                                                                                     Roy Harley

To know how to use these tutorials your going to need to play LoL. If you don’t then I’m looking for referrals so just follow this link and sign-up. Referrals do not effect the referred players account at all they simply grant me bonuses and a “Recruiter Badge” in the forums. That said when you sign up you should make sure that you are a referred player. Why, you ask? Because it doesn’t hurt you and it is just one way to share the love. If you don’t suffer from it, you not? For those of you interested here is a list of the referral rewards:

Referrals

Reward

* Some conditions apply.

** Some restrictions, not limited to those included herein apply, subject to change by Riot Games at any time without warning. Must be 18 or over to qualify. Expenses are defined as all reasonable costs of transportation to and from Los Angeles and the Riot Offices, as well as lodging if appropriate in Riot’s sole discretion. In no event shall the expenses exceed $1,000.

So let me refer you to one of the many fun DotA style games (I’m always looking for people to play with).

Is this the type of credit card that suits me best?  Think carefully. You might probably want a credit card with a low annual percentage rate, low or no fees, and perhaps a credit limit that won’t get yourself in trouble.  Try to also consider your spending as well as paying habits. 

What is the credit card’s Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?  The annual percentage rate or APR, is the percentage applied to balances that you carry beyond the grace period. The higher the APR, the higher your finance charge will be when you have a revolving balance and the more you’ll pay for using your the credit card. Most credit cards have a different APR for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances. Make sure you know the APR for each.

How much are the fees?  You should know the amount of any fees such as the annual fee, late fee, and over-the-limit fee as well as the circumstances under which the fees are applied.

How much is the credit limit?  Your credit card’s credit limit shall be your purchasing power.  If you’re new to credit, it would be wiser to start out with a low credit limit while you’re still trying to familiarize yourself with the responsible use of your credit cards. Some cards allow a higher credit limit while others may offer you a “no-credit limit” – something that you should be wary of for they can sometimes look maxed out on your credit report and can give you a negative effect on your credit score.

How long is the grace period?  The grace period is the amount of time you have to pay your balance in full before a finance charge is added.  Usually, credit cards offering longer grace periods are better because they can give you more time to pay your bills without incurring a cost for using credit.

How will the finance charge be calculated?  The credit card company’s method of calculating the finance charge has an impact on the amount of the charge. Some methods consider only the current month’s balance while some others may consider the current and previous months’ balances.

What rewards should I get?  Some credit cards offer rewards for using your credit card. Make sure you fully understand the reward structure and the amount of purchases you have to make to receive the reward.

Finally, make sure that you read all the letters, pamphlets, and hand-outs given to you from your credit company to make sure you’ve got everything you need to know with regards to its terms and conditions of use.