Gratitude Greg

Properly Exercising Faith - People Who Represent Christianity

2009-10-02T10:41:00.001-07:00

It's your responsibility as a Christian to properly exercise your faith and to express your opinions as such. If you don't know something for a fact, you are obligated to seek and gather more information about these so-called facts.

With this said, if you hear a Bible verse quoted to you by someone and you don't necessarily understand 100% of what they are saying or you think that they might be twisting around the Scripture, it's your obligation to find out, the truth and nothing but the truth.

Let me give you an example of how to properly exercise your faith. An atheist walks up to you and asks you why you believe in God, you reply," Because it says so in the Bible." Wrong.., wrong answer. Because it says so in the Bible, isn't what I would consider a good answer. It's what I would consider to be a controlled Christian answer, simple but untrue.

The minute that you start referring to things in the Bible and you don't really understand what it is that you're talking about, you're not doing Christianity any favors. The minute that you listen to another person quote out of the Bible and start repeating, what it is that they were saying, without clearly understanding the truth, you're simply spreading rumors.

Think about this, the next time that you tell someone something that you heard, just because you hear something three times, doesn't make it a fact. I would like to tell you a little secret, so pay attention, simply because someone within your religious community, who others look up to, say something that sounds believable, don't start spreading rumors, find out for yourself, if it's actually true.

Christian Bible Problems

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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Understanding the Bible

Financial Burdens From Church Leaders

2009-10-01T23:34:00.001-07:00

I really can't believe how many people that don't have enough money and could be living below poverty levels, often he as much as they can to their religious organizations. It saddens me to see those who don't have enough to eat, giving money to their church, even though they needed more than God does.

I realize that the Bible tells its followers to give at least 10% of their earnings to their church or temple. The problem is, that the Bible doesn't provide any information for people that constantly give money to the church, even though they can't afford to. They need this money for food and to educate their children.

I guess it's okay, to form a dependency on your church, even though you could provide for yourself, if you didn't give away all of your money. There are plenty of churches that will provide their patrons with close, food and some of them will even provide shelter for the poor or homeless.

The financial burdens that are produced by some church leaders, make me sick. They make those who can't afford to give, feel guilty and this guilt eats away at them like a cancerous disease, working its way through your vital and important body parts.

I'm going to suggest something to the church leaders. Quit making people feel guilty, simply because you need more money to accomplish the things that you are planning to do. It doesn't really matter, if the stuff that you are doing is great for wonderful, if you're doing it at the expense of others.

I would also like to give some advice to those people who can't afford to give away their money. Quit giving it away. Save your money, feed your family, by your own clothes, and save up for your children's education.

Some of, the money that you are giving to your religious organization, might be squandered away on your church leaders programs. These programs might have nothing to do with God's desire for a better world.

Click Here For A Fascinating Journey Into Christianity - Great Book About The Bible

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If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Thanks

Are Your Prayers Being Answered by God - Christianity

2009-10-01T11:02:00.001-07:00

I spent a large portion of my life praying for things that never seem to come about, like most of us. I would pray for a better life, help with solving certain problems, good health, a new car, to attract abundance into my life, wealth and happiness. I can tell you that I am in good health and have a better life than I used to but I never got the new car and seemed to have a hard time solving certain problems that I was praying for.

Now here's the catch in Christianity. If I pray for something and I get it, great God has blessed you and you must have done something good to receive what you had prayed for. If you don't receive what you prayed for within the next couple of days, maybe it isn't the right time to receive what you were asking for. If I receive what I have prayed for after that, God has answered my prayers and has given me what I needed at the right time. God knows best and I will continue to pray.

When I ask someone who prays often, how do you really know that God has answered your prayers. In Christianity, I'm talking about God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. I'm not talking about Zeus, Krishna, or any other unspecified creator of the universe. How do you really know that your God has given you what you ask for.

Now think about this for a second, I know that as a Christian you believe in your God but what if, the Hindu god Indra has actually answered my prayer and blessed you. How do I know that Jesus is not one of the Hindu gods, hiding under another name. Could I actually be manifesting my desires from the universe somehow and I am actually God. Think about it, if this doesn't make sense to you, have you ever thought about why yours does.

The minute that I accept something as a fact, I have closed my mind to other possibilities. The world was flat at one time and now it is round. I do not accept the earth has being round, simply because someone has told me this. I can look at pictures, read books, watch movies and come to my own conclusion that there is a very good chance that the earth is round, but I can't seem to forget at one time people thought the earth was flat.

Most of us never even question what we are taught. If you were taught that Jesus, Krishna, Satan or any other god answers your prayers, that's what you probably still believe. Whether your prayers are being answered or not, does not guarantee the existence or deny the existence of God. What you're thinking caps on, Seek and You Will Find.

Eliminate Bible Propaganda

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Creating and Using a Victory Journal

2009-09-14T22:35:00.001-07:00

During an interview with Sandi Givens, the discussion lead to how women sometimes have a difficult time disassociating themselves from the things that they do. In other words, when a woman presents an idea to someone, and the idea is rejected or she's told it's not a very good idea; many women find it difficult to remember that it was the idea itself that was rejected and not the "woman". In other words, women become so closely attached to their ideas and the work that they do, that if something they've brought up is put down, it's often seen by the woman as a put down or reflection of themselves.

In order to help encourage "disassociation" between yourself and your work; or between yourself and your ideas; Sandi recommends creating and using a victory journal. You should purchase a nice notebook or blank journal - the nicer the better because you want to look forward to holding it in your hands and writing and reading from it!

On the very front page of your journal, the "cover page", you'll want to nicely write "Victory Journal". You could handwrite it, or you could make it fancier and use scrapbooking supplies or stickers. Whatever makes you feel good when you look at it.

In this "Victory Journal", you are going to write down your victories, wins, successes of each day. Do not ever write something and belittle it; in other words- don't say "I just had a good meeting today". The word "just" dismisses the victory and that is what we are attempting to overcome with a victory journal.

The other important thing to remember when writing in your victory journal, is your victories do not have to be earth shattering. In fact, it's about all the little things that make up your day that are considered successful. You could write that you met a deadline. You could include that you got your little ones off to school on time and without complications or arguments.

If you're not a big writer, there is no reason to write long winded explanations or anything. A victory journal is actually just as effective if you write your successes and wins for each day in a bulleted list - just short phrases that tell you what the success was.

When someone rejects a proposal or idea that you have come up with, you will immediately pull out your victory journal and read some of the successes you've had. You'll be able to see that you are not your idea; that the idea is not you - and that you have so many victories and successes that having one rejection cannot dismiss all of that goodness about you.

Janet Beckers is the host and founder of Wonderful Web Women
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Passion + Purpose = Action or How to Light a Fire

2009-09-14T09:13:00.001-07:00

Wanna really turn up the heat in your life? Then use the crucial ingredient essential to turning dreams into reality thats action. Without placing a cake in the oven, all the mixing, folding and combination of ingredients wont get you a finished cake. Its ACTION that produces the final results. Lets focus in on taking the action steps necessary to live our lives full of passion and purpose.

Talk is Cheap

A little less conversation, a little more actionwell they didnt call Elvis the King for nothing. He knew about action (in more ways than one, but thats not the point). He understood talk and action were different. It can be easy to get caught up in the what if syndrome. I used to have a bad case of the what ifs myself. What if I wrote a book? What if I took this class? What if I pursue my passion? What if it doesnt work? We all do it. Its human nature. We talk to our friends, annoy our co-workers, and wear-out our families! Talking about something isnt getting us any closer to the finish line than we already are. In fact, talking about it keeps us stuck.

What keeps us talking? FEAR. In The Aladdin Factor, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen remind us, If you keep on doing what youve always done, youll keep on getting what youve always got. This is otherwise referred to as the definition of insanity. They also refer to the wise words of Stan Dale, Comfort zones are plush lined coffins. When you stay in your plush lined coffins, you die. Lets stop the chitchat, step out of our cushy coffins and get busy living.

Dream vs. Do

So you say Im a dreamer. Well Im not the only one. John Lennon was a dreamer, but he also understood that living our dreams requires action. Honestly, if you can dream it, you can do it. But dreaming alone can find us in Fantasy Land. We sit and spin the story in our minds. We envision living a life of grand proportions. Waking up each day and stepping into the perfect life. There is no perfect (Im a recovering perfectionista too, so I speak from experience), only an original screenplay written and directed and starring our im-perfect selves. The beauty of dreams is that we CAN manifest the things we see in our minds eye. We just need to get over the Yeah, but how?

In Good to Great, Jim Collins shares, Weve allowed the way transitions look from the outside to drive our perception of what they must feel like to those going through them on the inside. From the outside, they look like dramatic, almost revolutionary breakthroughs. But from the inside, they feel completely different, more like an organic development process. Lets stop freaking ourselves out with negative self-talk and how could I? scenarios. Change does require action but its not our job to know exactly how well get from A-Z. Set your intention on the goal and trust that the Universe wants you to have everything your heart desires and then some. Dont worry about the details - just set the wheels in motion.

Do vs. BE

Multi-tasking has become the norm. We get so caught up in the doing of everyday life. We get up, rush to eat, fly out the door, get to office, more multi-tasking ensues, race home, whip up or pick up some food - if we eat at all, spend some quality time with a friend, spouse, partner, kids, the TV, or the Internet and then hit the haybeat down!

Doesnt sounds like the secret to success, huh? Lets flip that switch. Were human BEINGs not human DOINGs. How might we re-frame our lives to start BEING the unique, and creative individuals we were designed to be? First, we must SLOW down. I knowcrazy talk, right? Youre sayinghow can I slow down? Ive got too much on my plate as it is. Well you really CANT do it all. So clean up your stuff, commit to what you really want and take the required baby steps to get there.

Grab a notebook and start asking questions. What three things would I like to incorporate into my day that I am not doing right now? What three things could I eliminate in order to do those other things? What do I really want my days to look like?

What would you do with 30 more minutes a day just for you? What if you got up just 30 minutes earlier? If youve got kids and a spouse, let them know that you are off limits. Would you read? Journal? Work out? Meditate? Have a conversation with God? Take a walk? Have coffee outside and listen to the sounds of a new day dawning?

I understand were not all morning people. But are those extra 30 minutes youre hitting the snooze button, quality sleep anyway? Lets stop complaining that there arent enough hours in the day and re-arrange the 24 weve already got. If living your life your way requires getting up 30 minutes earlier, wouldnt it be worth it? How could it NOT be? Beers become who they are intended to be. Doers die with overflowing in-boxes. Each and every day we have a choice. Which path do you choose? (Yes, sometimes I choose to snooze, but more often than not, I choose to nurture myself).

Imperfect Perfection

According to Deepak Chopra in, The Book of Secrets, There is no limit to how far your influence can reach, but to find that out you must engage life with passion. When you do anything with passion, you express every aspect of who you are. Passion releases all the energy you posses. At that moment you put yourself on the line, for if you throw everything you have into a pursuit, weaknesses are also exposed. Passion brings up everything.

This inescapable fact discourages many people, who dislike the negative parts of themselves so much, or are so intimidated by them, that they hold their passion in check in the belief that life will be made safer. Perhaps it will, but at the same time they are greatly limiting their understanding of what life can bring. The willingness to reach inside every part of yourself opens the door to total understanding. When you hold some part of yourself in reserve you deny it exposure to life; you repress its energy and keep it from understanding what it needs to know.

Wow! Have you ever experienced feeling like that? I have. I was a mess as I was about to launch my website. I was worried about being judged and over-exposed. That people would see all of me. The dark and the light. The good, the bad and the indifferent. The highs and the lows. Me at my finest, as well as, imperfect. I have reached a new level of understanding regarding perfection. I now know that we are ALL whole, complete and perfect AS IS. Right now. It doesnt get any better than this, only different. I appreciate the ebb and flow of my moods more and dont freak out when Im feeling funky (OK, I still freak a little, but Im working on reveling in my funkiness).

My clients have found greater success when they allow themselves to be whole and not just good. One of my clients recently got over her good girl complex, and her world just opened up! Try watching babies. Theyve got this down to a science. One minute they are peaches and cream and the next oil and vinegar. Are they any less beautiful when they are crying than when they are laughing? No. Simply different. Go ahead, revel in your imperfect perfection, its your birthright.

Karma-chameleon

Taking action requires being flexible. You might set out to move forward in one way and then events fall into place and opportunities knock on doors you didnt even know existed. Be flexible and open to the synchronicities that play out in your life. If you open up your heart and ask the Universe to help guide you to your higher purpose, or your desired goal, you have to be open to the way these opportunities will arrive. Dont be so fixated on It has to look like this, or It needs to play out like that.

Synchronicity is the Universal communication system. Example, yesterday I was in a colleagues office and noticed the book, Good to Great on his desk. I commented that Id heard about this book in an article Id read recently. Picked the book up, gleaned it over and went back about my business. 10 minutes later, I received an e-mail from a friend with this book listed as a great resource. Hmmm, lets countthats three times that book came into my awareness in about a 3-day window. I decided the universe was trying to tell me something. That book had a message for me and it was time to investigate.

Im still reading it, but I gained a valuable and relevant quote to share with you all. Maybe thats all I was supposed to get out of it. Im not sure. Either way, I got the tap on my shoulder and interpreted it as, Hey Kam. Time to pick up this book. Had I been completely fixated on the copy Id written prior to finding that book, this article might not have had as big of an impact. Moral to the story, stay flexible and chameleon-like. You never know when intuition will ask you to make a right instead of a left. That voice could save you from a traffic accident and it could also get you to where you need to be easier and more efficiently than you could on your own.

Jump

Theres only so much you can learn in one place. The more that you wait. The more time that you waste. Ahhh, that controversial genius Madonna. She is the perfect example of being chameleon-like. If shed gotten stuck in the same sound, same look, same accent, she never would have had the successful career thats spanned decades.

Ask yourself what youre willing to do to move forward. Are you willing to jump? What would it take for you to courageously leap forward? What action is necessary for you to live life by design instead of by default? To live out loud and passionately and on purpose? To BE present and trust that from moment to moment youll get there. As Peter N. Zarlenga said, Action conquers fear. What are you waiting for? Get busy!

Kammie Kobyleski has been having coaching conversations her whole life. After working in corporate communications, marketing, training & development, and higher education, Kammie made the shift into life & career coaching and consulting. Her lifes mission is helping people fall in love with life. The integration of mind, body, spirit and personal empowerment are Kammies passionate focus. For free resources, articles and information visit http://www.passionmeetspurpose.com or for a complimentary 30 minute call, e-mail kammie@passionmeetspurpose.com

Essential Oils - Cajeput - An Oil Held in High Regard in the East

2009-09-13T19:55:00.001-07:00

Cajeput (Melaleuca cajeputi) is in the myrtle family. The oil is one of the melaleuca trees that grow wild in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Java, Australia and southeastern Asia. The oil today comes from Australia where steam distillation is used on the fresh leaves and twigs. This is a tall evergreen tree that grows up to 98 feet in height. It has thick pointed leaves and white flowers. It uniquely has a flexible trunk with whitish, spongy bark that flakes off easily. Traditionally cajeput in the East is was used for colds, headaches, throat infections, toothache, sore and aching muscles, fever, rheumatism and various skin disease. It was used in the herbal tradition to produce a sensation of warmth and quickening of the pulse. Native peoples used it for chronic laryngitis and bronchitis, cystitis, rheumatism and to expel roundworms.

How Can We Benefit from Cajeput Essential Oil Today?

Today we observe cajeput to have antibacterial, antiparasitic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. It is used for throat, lung, and sinus infections, for urinary tract infections, coughs, and intestinal problems. Cajeput can be taken internally by diluting it 50-50 with a vegetable oil, it can be diluted 50-50 and applied on location, on the chakras/vita flex points, it can be directly inhaled, or diffused. Cajeput mixes well with wintergreen, eucalyptus radiata, juniper and peppermint. As for safety, cajeput is non-toxic, non-sensitizing but it may irritate the skin in high concentrations. Caution is advised to make sure you do not have synthetic cajeput since it may cause blistering and skin eruption.

Want to learn more about the healing properties of cajeput and other essential oils? Consider becoming a certified aromatherapist. Educational courses in healing energy and aromatherapy can help you understand how essential oils heal the body/mind/spirit. The Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy teaches courses throughout the United States on aromatherapy and energy healing.

BONUS GIFT

By Going to my web site: http://www.ISHAhealing.com and signing up for our free monthly newsletter, you can receive a free gift: 5 Monographs on Biblical Oils.

These oils include Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedarwood, Spikenard and Balsam Fir. While you are at our web site, check out our aromatherapy program and our program in Christian energy healing.

From Linda L. Smith, director of the Institute of Spiritual Ministry and Aromatherapy, Inc.

Placing Your Feng Shui House

2009-09-13T06:49:00.001-07:00

If you are thinking where to locate your feng shui house and you are lucky enough to be able to choose the land to build it then you should apply the feng shui principles when selecting your block. If you haven't the luxury of choosing your own block don't despair there are ways with feng shui that provides alternatives to offset anything that may not fit feng shui principles of house siting.

The ideal fenq shui site is said to be where the descending heaven qi meets the ascending earth qi. There is no hard and fast rule about the perfect site but there are some general conditions you can look for. Generally, half way up a hil facing the sun is considered a good location for your feng shui house because you will have a distance view and you will get cool summer breezes and warm winter ones.

The best feng shui house location is called the xue (shu). It incorporates an open space in the front, called the "bright hall" or ming tan, with four mythical animals or spirits around it. A spirit called the red bird provides the distant front view. Another the black tortoise is the hill at the back which provides protection. On the left is situated the azure dragon with the white tiger on the right. Ideally you should have a stream flowing across the front of the feng shui house site as water is regarded as a source of food and method of transportation. It is also believed that the heaven qi descends down the hill and is held back by the water.

All the above provides a protective armchair shape that can be applied not only to your feng shui house site, but to the feng shui of a particular room, where the chairs are placed so the backs are protected and there is an open space in front of you or your garden. At the rear of your garden can plant protective trees if there isn't a hill. Being safe and secure is a large part of being happy.

The shape of your block of land plays an important part of the feng shui house. Symmetrical shapes are the best. An L shaped piece of land poses problems because it is incomplete and unbalanced. If this is the case you need to look at ways of balancing it.

A rectangular block of land that is wider at the northern and southern ends is considered to have the best shape for siting your feng shui house. If your block is not a true rectangle then it is better that the back be wider than the front. With feng Shui you will find there are several ways of balancing a block of land that is not an ideal feng shui shape. You should investigate the best ways for your particular block for your particular feng shui house.

Wilf Gerrard-Staton lives in Country Australia. Where he purchased land and built a house conforming to Feng shui principles. He now has created a blog that provides simple explanations to all aspects of Feng Shui. You can view his blog at http://www.fengshuidecor.how-do-you-do.info

Wall Fountains Will Spice Up Your Home

2009-09-12T17:30:00.001-07:00

Wall fountains are an exciting way to add spice to a rooms decor and enhance the beauty of your home. Indoor water fountains will transform a room into a relaxing oasis as it captures the magnificence of an outdoor waterfall. They are decorative works of art that add beauty and elegance to your home. Wall mounted fountains are great for small spaces, or to give a living area a sense of peace and cozy relaxation.

Indoor waterfalls will enhance any room in the most enchanting way by adding a visually eye catching focal piece. Glass wall fountains, particularly, are pleasing to the eye and the waterfall sounds make any room seem brighter. Glass is available in many styles including etched, smoked and mirrored. Glass and mirror fountains usually feature a frame made of stainless steel, copper or fiberglass.

Indoor wall mounted fountains allow water to gracefully cascade over a sheet of plastic, metal, or stone. You can also buy wall fountains that have a print of a tropical scene so that it looks as if the water is flowing over places where there would actually be water present in the picture.

Indoor fountains:

Come in a variety of materials and colors
Require no plumbing
Do not take too much floor space
Instantly add drama to a room
Are therapeutic and bring calmness to the room.

Water fountains are available in different forms, shapes and sizes and they are real space savers and do not take too much floor space. Indoor wall mounted fountains do not require any plumbing because they use recirculation pumps hidden in the water reservoir so they can be installed anywhere that an electric power source is available.

They instantly add drama to a room and give it a great ambience. Wall fountains are perhaps the most popular new kind of fountains and are increasingly becoming a staple feature of entryways, patios, decks and lobbies.

When choosing your elegant fountain, look at the style and impact of slate, pebble and glass wall mounted water fountains as well as other fine materials including Italian copper, natural slate and river stone. Many are lightweight resin which is better for some situations. Many have a cast stone finish which resembles antique statuary. Steel and glass fountains are sleek and blend in well with a minimalist theme. If your decor is opulent or boasts rich and sumptuous fabrics, granite fountains will fit in perfectly.

Indoor water fountains are also known for their ability to help act as air purifiers as well. This is because indoor fountains balance the energy around them by producing negative ions while creating a peaceful and calm atmosphere. Interior wall fountains are used in the art of Feng Shui to help focus a room around positive energy and the vitality of running water. Indoor water fountains are known for their healing and relaxing powers. Indoor water fountains have been bringing joy to people for years, much like the serenity of a natural waterfall, babbling brook, or a river right in your own home.

In todays fast-paced society, its no wonder that indoor wall fountains have increased in popularity.

Now emerging from the mist of a colorful and varied career, Ian Patterson was born early in is life somewhere in a long forgotten postal code. The mantra that he learned from his parents, while growing up on their farm was "if you want it done right, then do it yourself". That's just what he did.

Ian Patterson is someone who's been there, done that, printed the T shirt and wrote the book. A firefighter, soldier, yachtsman, skier, climber, mechanic, plumber, electrician, data technician, business continuity planner, and web writer are just some of the things he's been. He was a pescaterian before it was fashionable and is an avid animal lover and a longtime dog handler. He has travelled to most countries around the world. Set up home in three of them and learned their language and culture.

Now he is the founder and CEO of Write Research Office since 2004.

Traditional Food of Honduras

2009-09-12T04:09:00.001-07:00

It is amazing that this great country of Honduras which is very poor can still produce some of the greatest tasting recipes. Some of the more traditional food of Honduras includes tortillas, fried beans, bananas or papayas, eggs and usually some type of veggie. It is known that in this country most of the traditional food of Honduras is grown right there so they do not have to import a lot of foods. Fruits, vegetables and meat are usually all butchered and homegrown for each family.

This country tends to take some of the recipes from Mexico and put their own Honduras twist on it, so if you like Mexican food and you are looking for something newer and healthier, then you may want to give some traditional food of Honduras a try. Because most of the food of this country is homegrown and not imported, using the freshest possible vegetables, fruits and other ingredients is very important and will make all the difference in taste. Organic is the way to go when it comes to preparing this type of authentic food.

The baleada is another traditional food of Honduras and is a staple in the country. Basically, a baleada is a flour tortilla which is folded in half and filled with refried beans and cheese and then topped with sour cream. In essence, this dish is what Americans call a quesadilla. A baleada is a great dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner it is all on how you prepare it. Many people will add roast meat (chicken or pork, red meat is not allowed in a lot of Honduran dishes) for dinner and scramble up some eggs to have in it for breakfast.

Naturally, these are not the only traditional food of Honduras, there are many soups that have made an appearance in this country and are a great way to start or end a meal. For instance, a great bean soup can compliment a dinner of tacos amazingly well, or if you are a person who enjoys seafood, the Honduran's have come up with a fantastic seafood soup that is a little bit spicy and sweet. Most of the soups, as a known fact are complimented by corn tortillas which you can dip into the soup.

So as you can see, some of the most traditional food of Honduras is fantastic, tastes great and is very healthy for you! Whether you are making this meal specifically for you or you are cooking for a big family, you will have a great time not only preparing this meal but also eating it! Just be sure that you have some water around, for a lot of the traditional food of Honduras is spicy!

To try out some traditional food of Honduras such as quesadillas, fried plantain, salsas, chismol, bronzed tilapia, conch soup, coconut bread and many, many more, check out these Honduran recipes.

Margaret Assor is an enthusiast of ethnic cookery and an advocate of boredom free kitchens. If you want to try out some of the exotic Honduran recipes, visit her website at http://www.RecipesForHonduranFoodsInEnglish.com

Choosing a Caterer

2009-09-11T14:18:00.001-07:00

Here you are planning your wedding reception, and after the ceremony, it is the most important part of the day. You have never given a thought to how that appetizer got on that tray that was being passed by a server that was offered to you. To put you at ease, most people who need catering have never purchased catering before. Visualize what you both want for your reception. What do you see, how does the event look in your mind? This day is all about the two of you and should reflect your personalities.

Location
Youre going to have an event, a special occasion where the memories will last a lifetime. Where is this going to be held? Should you have it at your familys home in the backyard? Can you see the tent with chandeliers hanging from the center, the linens draped to the floor, elegant centerpieces and your guest dining on a 7-course meal? Or should you hold your event at another location, possibly a beautiful room overlooking a lake? You may not even be sure. Your location can determine the style of service and the price. There are just as many style of catering as there are events.

The type of Catering you will need to consider is On-Premise or Off-Premise

What is Off Premise Catering?
Off-Premise catering is when the event is held at a location such as a banquet center, private home, historical sites, yacht clubs and other locations. The food is brought to the facility, as well as quite possibly the linen, china dishes, utensils and, well, everything if necessary. Sounds like a lot of work for you? Not at all! A professional catering company will arrange and take care of all the necessary items.

What is On-Premise Catering?
On Premise Catering is when the event is held at the caterers location. This could be a banquet facility, restaurant, or hotel. Everything is usually handled by the caterer and you certainly can work with the caterer to personalize your event by bringing in your own type of music, dcor and other services. The caterer should have a list of recommended vendors if you are not sure where to start. Once that is in place you can just show up and have a good time!

Selecting the Caterer
You dont do this for a living and it can be overwhelming, time consuming just trying to sort everything that is out there. A professional caterer understands this and will help guide you to making the right decision and choices for your special occasion. They are there to make your event memorable and stress-free as possible. To serve you better, a professional caterer can coordinate all the necessary items that are needed to host the event, linen, china, music, floral dcor, alcoholic beverages, cappuccino bars and more.

Use an established caterer, a company who has proven they are reliable and professional. They will have a staff that is experienced; a proven track record of past events it will be higher to keep up with their recognized reputation and standards that their customers expect.

Many newer catering companies will be learning as they go, and you should be willing to risk the increase likelihood of problem(s) in exchange for a lesser price.

Most importantly, make sure the caterer you hire is licensed and insured for your piece of mind and protection.

Whatever your needs are, simple to elegant, let a catering professional guide you in planning your next event.

Valerie Vollmer has been an off premise caterer for over 20 years. Is one of only 175 CPCE (Certified Professional Catering Executives) in the US. National Association of Catering Executives - 2nd National Vice President

Creating Prosperity, Energy, Health and Fame As Well As Much, Much More Using Feng Shui - Part 3

2009-09-11T00:26:00.001-07:00

Fire Element: Sitting direction is South and the best shape would be a triangle. The best colors would be green and/or red. The worst colors to use here would be yellow, blue or black.

Water Element: Sitting direction is North and the best shape would be circular or what is called modular. (The best way I can describe this shape is imagining it like waves.) The best dominating colors would be black, blue or white. The worst colors to use here would be green or yellow.

Earth Element: Sitting direction is Southwest or Northeast and the best shape for this building would be a square. Keep in mind that rectangular shapes also work well. The best colors would be red or yellow. The worst colors to use would be green or white.

Wood Element: Sitting direction is East or Southeast and the rectangle is the best shape here. The dominating colors are blue or green. The worst colors to use would be red or white.

Metal Element: Sitting direction is west or Northwest and the circular shape is the better one but please note that a rectangle shape would work as well. The best colors are white or yellow. The worst colors to use are red, blue or black.

Do you know how to come up with the sitting direction of the building? So much to learn! Find the main entry way to the building then grab your compass and find the facing direction of the building. The opposite of the facing direction is the sitting direction so if you are facing north, the sitting direction would be south.

Why not take advantage of all the ways attainable by you to learn all you can about how to improve your prosperity?

Veronica Zambrano

http://ezvzmr168fengshui.blogspot.com/

http://www.ezvzmr168.blogspot.com/

Feng Shui Kitchens

2009-09-10T10:40:00.001-07:00

A Feng Shui kitchen is a very important part of a harmonious home. In Feng Shui, each room is associated with certain areas of one's life. The kitchen is representative of prosperity in life. It is also representative of nourishment and health of the body and soul. Both prosperity and nourishment can easily be seen as coming from the kitchen. After all, food is stored and made in the kitchen and food gives us energy, strength, and fulfillment. If you are building a new building or applying Feng Shui principles to an existing one, the kitchen is an important place to pay attention to.

When building a new structure, you have the convenience of placing the kitchen in your desired location. If you are going with Feng Shui principles, it is best to put the kitchen in the back of the structure. This is important because many eating and health problems can stem from the kitchen being at the front of the home or building. This is worse if your kitchen is visible from the front door. If this is the case, you and your family will likely suffer from overeating because the kitchen is such a focal point.

If you are working with an existing structure and are unable to do major renovations, you may have your kitchen at the entry. Though this is not ideal, there are some easy steps you can take to counteract the negative energy. If the kitchen does not have a door, you can add a door or create the illusion of a door. Decorative drapes or sheer curtains can be hung in the entryway to block the negative energy. If you would prefer, beaded curtains or bamboo shades can also be appealing and have the same affect. Either way, covering the kitchen in some way helps better achieve a Feng Shui kitchen.

As far as the interior of the kitchen goes, it is important for the stove to face to entryway into the kitchen. This is important to ward away uneasiness which can cause negative Chi to flow into the kitchen. Because the kitchen is so important in Feng Shui this can be very bad for the inhabitants of the home. Unfortunately, it is popular in modern design to have the stove face the wall. If this is true for your kitchen, you can place something reflective over the stove. A mirror or a reflective piece of metal will let the chef see whats coming, warding off uneasy feelings.

Once you have applied Feng Shui principles to your kitchen, you will be in awe at the difference it can make for you and your family.

For more information on Feng Shui and Feng Shui Products, visit FindFengShui.com.

Energy and Life Work Effectiveness - What Are the Factors That Matter?

2009-09-08T07:42:00.001-07:00

In a recent survey with working woman from all over the world I wanted tofind outhowtheyare able tomaintaina healthy levelofemotional, physical and spiritual energywhile living and working in an environmentof constant exposure toever increasing demandsfor speedand an ever increasing flow and exchange ofinformation?

The results are varied,interesting and speak for themselves.

Question 1: At what age did you experience the highest level of effectiveness both in life and work?

35 to 40

Question 2: At what age did you for the first time become aware of a lack of energy?

20 to 30

Question 3: Describe how do you recharge your energies?

Highestscore:sleep

2ndExercises in form of walking, swimming

3rdRelaxation, music, retreat

4thReading inspirational books, positive thinking

5thFamily and friends

Question 4: Think of the last time you felt your energy being drained. In which areas did it happen? What was the trigger?

Work87%

Family69%

Colleagues/friends 52%

Other20%

Question 5: In which area do you possess a higher energy capacity?

Mental 73%

Physical 26.1%

Question 6: At what age did you start to practice self-care on a regular basis?

Between the age of 30 to 35

Question 7: How much time do you currently spend onwhat type of self-care/exercises, etc. on a regular basis?

Average time for self-care per day: 1-2 hours

Highest score:Walking

2ndSwimming, biking, yoga, meditation

3rdNutrition

4thPositive affirmations, reading, planning, alone time

Question 8: Imagine that at the age of 45 you have already sufficient savings for a comfortable retirement. Would you prefer to -

A) continue working full time in the same job until the retirement age of (for example) 65, or

B) work at a reduced rate in your current career and spend more quality time with your loved ones now, or

C) re-fire and change careers and do what you had always been dreaming of doing on a full-time basis, or

D) re-fire and change career and work on a part-time basis

The answers were:

A) Work full-time until retirement age 0%

B) Work at reduced rate in current job 17.4%

C) Re-fire full-time in dream career21.7%

D) Re-fire part-time in dream career 60.9%

Question 9: In which are(s) of your lifewould you love to achieve a higher degree of joy and satisfaction right now?

Highest score:Relationships

2nd Self

3rdCareer

4th Leisure

5thFamily

90% of the participants selectedthree and more areas where they wish to benefit from a higher degree of joy and satisfaction!

It is also clear that there is no magic formula that works for all. You need to define and create - for yourself and nobody else - your personalformulafora well-balanced life. You are the master of your life, and it's all up to you.

Let'slook atthe three basicfactors that influenceour emotional, physical and spiritual well-being:

The Emotional factor - only the wholesome approach works

Emotional harmony is an essential element in health. Mind and body are connected, and what affects one part will eventually affect the other. Your health practices (exercises, adequate sleep, the nutrition you take), positive and negative emotions - all these influence your energy levels and your life work effectiveness.

The physical factor - make your well-being prioritynumber ONEin your life

Well-being and good health are totally personal to everyone. You will want to create a personalized self-care program that serves your needs and fits into your lifestyle. Once you have successfully integrated self-care in your daily routine, you will soon experience lower stress, higher energy and increased effectiveness in all areas of your life.

The spiritual factor - keep living in balance, purpose and joy

What resonates with your heart and inspires your soul? Focus on what works for you. You are a unique and special person and you deserve to live your best life! What leisure activity do you enjoy? Remember, in the game of life, emotional and physical health is wealth, and lifeis about thriving and not just surviving.

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any questions you are welcome to contact me.

About the Author, Ursula Goh, Life and Career Change Coach:

Providing professional coaching with a holistic approach that centers around you as a unique individual and as a whole person with your life in context, I will help you rediscover that central connection with who you really are.

I have helped my clients learn to expand their vision, take the action that resonates with their heart and create meaningful changes in life and career, so they could spend more time doing the things they are passionate about, and live and work with greater purpose, joy, and fulfillment.

Based in Switzerland, I offer one-on-one coaching to clients across the globe. Languages - English and German. For further details and to get started with a complementary introductory coaching session please visit http://www.newhorizoncoaching.net or contact me at Ursula@newhorizoncoaching.net

Stair Lighting Problems

2009-09-08T05:34:00.001-07:00

Walking up and down the stairs in the dark could become a safety issue. If the stairs in the house are not that old, there should be a light switch at the top and a light switch at the bottom of the stairway. This is a three way switch and is designed to allow you to turn the stair lighting on as you walk up the stairs and then turn the stair lighting off, once you've safely reached the top of the stairway. And vice versa as she walked down the stairs.

If you don't have a light switch, there are motion sensor lights that are battery operated and can be installed easily in the stairway. These lights can provide you with peace of mind, while protecting your family from accidents.

Stairway accidents are nothing to joke about, I lived in a two-story house with four other people and was the last one to fall down the stairway. None of us got seriously injured and the stairway was built to meet local building codes and was inspected by a building and safety inspector. The stairs were built correctly and the stair lighting was no problem, but people still fell down the stairway and it always happens in the evening.

During the day time there were two windows that let plenty of light into the stairway and in the evening the stairway became quite dark, rarely was the stair lightning ever turned on. This could have been outright laziness but nevertheless, it was rarely used and eventually became a safety issue.

Lighting your stairway might not end all of your problems but it can and some of your problems. There are plenty of stair lighting systems available on the market today and some of the battery operated stair lighting systems can be installed by most homeowners.

Think safety always and do your best to solve your stair lighting problems as soon as possible to prevent injuries or accidents.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more building stairs or home building ideas.

Will All Men Ever Hate Jesus

Use A Dream Dictionary With Personal Reflection

2009-09-08T00:01:00.001-07:00

A dream dictionary may seem overwhelming at first but the key to understanding how to use a dream dictionary is to use a little self evaluation along with the dream dictionary. Some details of your dream may have multiple meanings according to your dream dictionary. When this occurs it is necessary to do an internal examination to determine which definition is more applicable. It is through reflecting on your life and really thinking about your past as well as your current circumstances that it may become obvious which definition in the dream dictionary is more likely to be worthwhile in interpreting your dream.

A dream dictionary can often have the effect of causing the person using the dream dictionary to interpret their dreams to begin to reflect on their lives and on what is happening that can be causing these dreams. When this happens the dream dictionary is useful in not only explaining the meaning of a dream that may have been troubling but also in helping the person to deal with circumstances in their life that may be causing them concern. When you use a dream dictionary in this way, it is important to realize that just because the dream may contain certain symbols, it is only when combined with a little reflection that the person gains insight into their subconscious.

Todd runs the Dream Interpretations Guide website where you can find a large free online dream dictionary. Check it out today at: http://dreaminterpretationsguide.com

Inerrancy of the Bible - Are There Mistakes in the Bible

2009-09-07T22:06:00.001-07:00

What does the word inerrancy main? Inerrancy would refer to text that is accurate and totally free of any errors or without any mistakes. Does this sound like any book that you have ever read or have knowledge of. Maybe there is a one sentence book that could fall into this category.

Most books however and even this article has mistakes. If I made a decision to base my life, my entire life and that of my children and grandchildren, I would want to make sure that it was accurate as possible.

Is the Bible, 100%, 90%, or even 50% accurate. Are these stories that were written by people many years ago and the lessons have been helpful but now need to be rewritten.

Does the Bible actually contain the will of God? Some scholars believe that certain sections of the Bible meet this criteria while others do not. How can these people judge if they are not God and how can we believe in this stuff is not true.

If the Bible was inspired by God but written by men, this could actually mean that God had complete control over writing the Bible or does this mean that the man wrote the Bible with gods inspiration. I'm inspired by God daily and often write about it, but don't seem to have enough followers to make it into the biblical Hall of Fame. I'm writing with inspired beliefs right now.

If there are errors in the Bible, how extensive or how many errors are there actually. There are actual stories that can be documented as historical facts. This doesn't mean the rest of the Bible is factual, nor does it mean it is historically inaccurate.

The Bible has some errors in it and some facts that we can prove but leaves us with the question, is this a book from the Creator of the universe or a book written by men, to make us believe, it was written by God and if so why are we still believe being in it. Why do some people read this book and other religious text daily? What motivates them to read holy Scripture regularly but doesn't seem to allow them enough time to find out if they are reading accurate information.

The biggest problem I have with the inerrancy of the Bible is the fact that most people tend to ignore certain truths and cling to their childhood beliefs about religion. If this is not the way or the truth, I would want to start looking for it, instead of following someone else's dreams or religious doctrine.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion. Religious Education And Fear

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

How To Get What You Want In Life

2009-09-07T16:19:00.001-07:00

Most high achieving men and women are intensely goal-oriented. While most under-achieving men and women have poorly defined goals, if they have any goals at all. This is one of the main reasons why the majority of people suffer from the frustration of feeling that they are accomplishing very little in life.

The ability to set goals and make plans for their accomplishment is the master skill of success. It is the single most important skill that you can learn and perfect. Goal-setting will do more to help you achieve the things you want in life than anything else you can do.

Becoming an expert at goal-setting and goal-achieving is something that you absolutely must do if you want to reach your full potential as a human being. Goals enable you to do the work you want to do, to live where you want to live, to be with the people you enjoy, and to become the kind of person you want to become.

When you develop the habit of setting clear and realistic goals there is no limit to the financial rewards you can obtain. All you have to do is to set a specific goal for financial success your desire, make a plan, and then work the plan until you achieve it.

The payoff for setting goals and making plans is being able to choose the kind of life you want to live. With this being said, its amazing that so few people set goals. Over the past 50 years many organizations and educational institutions have conducted studies on goal-setting. Virtually every study has shown the same startling results. On average, only 3 percent of Americans have written goals and less than 1 percent review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.

With all of this evidence showing what a person can achieve by setting goals. Why is that so few people actually do it? Over the past 25 years I have consulted with and spoken to thousands of men and women about goal setting, and I have found that there are five common reasons why people dont set goals:

The first reason Ive found that people dont set goals, is that they feel theyve done well without setting goals. If its not broken, why fix it?

Given the power of goals to transform lives, Im always astonished how often I hear this from people. Its easy to be satisfied if youve never set goals. Its convenient to say that everything is fine if you dont know where youre going. You can always say that any destination you arrive at is OK.

The second reason I most often hear from people, is that they do have goals, they just keep them in their head. Most people believe in the fewest motions possible to get things done.

A person who thinks this way, does not have goals. They have wishes, desires, hopes, and dreams. Dreams come to all of us as we go about our daily business. Wishes drift in and out of our conscious thoughts. We think of new interests wed like to pursue, changes wed like to make, and great things wed like to achieve, someday. Were pretty sure we have the ability, and fully intend to do all those things sometime in the future.

The ludicrous nature of this way of thinking is that unless those vague intentions are translated into specific goals, they will drift into that never-never land called Might Have Been, and they will take your life with them.

Unfortunately, this is precisely the way most people conduct their lives. They claim they have goals when they do not. Until dreams are translated into specific goals, thay rarely become a reality, and even if they do, the person is denied the deep satisfaction that would have come from translating his or her dream into a specific goal and achieving it.

The third reason I find that people dont set goals is that theyre afraid of failing. The person feels that without goals, he or she doesnt have to worry about failing.

The problem with this way of thinking is that it goes against the foundation of life itself: you cant be born without risk. Youre only kidding yourself if you think you can live without risk, no matter how carefully you tend to the financial, physical, and emotional aspects of your life. There are always risks in everything you do and setting goals involves risk.

You may succeed. But you may also fail. If you fail, then what? Risk taking is part of the process of growth. So is failure. You must be willing to risk failure again and again if you want to be in the company of the worlds most successful men and women.

Make a friend of failure. Use it as a valuable learning experience, a great motivator, and a necessary step on the road to success. At one point or another in their lives, some of the worlds most successful people have been miserable failures. Winston Churchill once said, I would rather fail my way to success than be a successful failure.

The fourth reason I find that people dont set goals, is that they feel that by setting goals and achieving them, they will be expected to live up to their goals in the future. After achieving a goal where is their motivation going to come from to move on from that point?

This train of thought is even more ludicrous than the first three, because you become more motivated as you approach a goal. When you achieve a goal, you will want to try a more demanding one. Nothing approaches the motivating power that comes from systematically setting and achieving your own demanding goals.

The fifth reason I have found why people dont set goals, is that they only set goals when theres a need. I always hear things like, I set goals when I have a major project at work, or when I want a larger house, or a new car.

People with this type of thinking need to understand that goal setting is not an occasional need. It is a process that transforms lives and that mastering this process of setting and achieving goals is at the heart of life itself. If you dont act intentionally, with purpose, you will be condemned to a life of mediocrity, in which anything meaningful occurs only accidentally.

I have given the most common reasons why most people dont set goals, now lets talk about criteria for effective goals that turn dreams into satisfying reality.

1. They must have a definite purpose. Why do you want to achieve the goal?

2. They must written and rewritten every day.

3. They must be measurable.

4. They must be visible in a place where you can see them everyday.

5. They must have deadlines. A goal without a deadline is simply a wish.

6. They must be realistic and achievable.

7. They must be demanding.

8. Goals must be flexible. You will often have to make changes to achieve your goal.

Effective goals will keep you very focused. Nothing will get in your way. Effective goals will liberate you rather than shackle you. They will improve the quality of your life. Effective goals will give your life balance, they will motivate you, they will challenge you, and they will allow you to live your dreams. Without goals, you can only dream your dreams.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of Americas largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

Dog Creates Remodeling Nightmare

2009-09-07T14:44:00.001-07:00

How many homeowners normally leave their dog in the backyard or they have full time access to the backyard through a doggie door. You're probably wondering how can a little dog create a remodeling nightmare for any contractor.

This wasn't the case this dog was a large Labrador retriever and tore up everything in the backyard constantly. The house remodel we were working on was a two story room addition over a single story house. This job lasted around six months and the dog was a daily reminder of how much attention a large dog actually needs.

Let's start with the first item of value the dog actually destroyed. It was my favorite tool bags of course that I have taken care of for over five years and deeply appreciated the fact that they were broke in just the way I wanted them to be. Kind of like a baseball mitt that doesn't quite fit right because of how stiff it is until you break it in.

While the homeowner of course apologized and never even offered to replace them. Oh but after that he did mention never to leave anything lying around in the backyard. Lesson learned of course and never forgotten. Well to make a long story short this large dog could chew up tools, lumber, plumbing pipes, electrical wire and was even able to destroyed the plywood fencing we would use to keep him away.

I'm going to stop right there with the remodeling nightmare created from this dog in hopes that other contractors can learn from my valuable lesson. As a contractor you should never assume that a homeowner will replace any damaged or broken tools and materials.

As a homeowner with a dog reading this article, think about having a place to enclose the dog if necessary while remodeling work is done on your home.

I love being around dogs and other animals but sometimes a problem like this can make life extremely miserable for both parties.

Greg Vanden Berge has been building and remodeling for over 30 years and his information has proven valuable to most contractors and homeowners all over the world. He usually tries to write at least two articles a day on home improvement or remodeling problems.

Greg is in the process right now of working on a home inspection website that will revolutionize the home inspection business. He is also working on a book to help homeowners and contractors as well as other home related professions in dealing with the home inspection process.

You can visit the home inspection website currently under construction at Home Inspection Help

Personal Development

Learning to Create the Life of Your Dreams With - BEing the Titus Concept, by Al Diaz

2009-09-07T08:50:00.001-07:00

The world is full of self-help books that tell us we need help, and where we've messed-up our lives, and what we should do to fix them; but "BEing The Titus Concept," by Al Diaz, isn't another one of those. Having read hundreds of self-help and personal development books, I came to the conclusion that life is supposed to be simple; and so are the fixes to common, everyday problems. In fact, I didn't really realize exactly how right I was, or exactly how simple life could be, until I finished reading, "BEing The Titus Concept!"

In this book, Al Diaz adeptly guides all of us, regardless of our various levels of "spiritual maturity," or "spiritual development," into a place of deep understanding and abiding love for our Source - The Source of All Creation. With gentle reminders of the wisdom you already possess, and simple exercises to help unlock powerful, but hidden and untapped, resources within each of us, "BEing The Titus Principle" is tantamount to a "spiritual GPS" device - accelerating your progress down the path of self-discovery and self-realization.

I read this book in my spare time over the course of two-days - hardly a major investment in time - and found it easy, and even fun, to read. After reading the first fifteen-pages, I was already incorporating some of Al's principles and awareness into my own practice with The Belief Formula - amplifying what I feel is the most important variable in the process of creation: the Power of Love, Acceptance, and Gratitude. This book could have easily been named, "The Techniques of the Masters of Life," or, "The Gracefully Simple Way To Make Your Life Graceful and Simple;" because this book provides just that - simple, easy-to-understand, step-by-step guidance to understanding our power and role as co-creators of our own experience.

With the techniques, methods, and concepts contained within this book, we can all become masters of our own experience and creators of our own destinies. "BEing The Titus Concept," for that reason alone, is a definite must-read, and a powerful and valuable addition to the library of any spiritual student or aspirant!

Pete Koerner is the author of The Belief Formula: The Secret to Unlocking the Power of Prayer. The Belief Formula is a look at how you can use ancient wisdom and modern scientific awareness to learn how to use your mind to reclaim your health and create the life of your dreams. Visit Pete's blog and download your Free Illustrated Guide To Self-Empowerment With EFT, at: http://www.ExploreExpandEvolve.com/free_download/

Visit http://TheTitusConcept.com/BEingEbookSalesPage.html/ for more information about this wonderful book and find out about the FREE GIFT you will receive for purchasing BEing The Titus Concept on Amazon during its Official Launch on December 5th, 2008.

Dangers Using Wood Stair Cleats - New Stair Construction

2009-09-07T07:24:00.001-07:00

I would imagine most people don't even know what it wood stair cleat is, in construction we have so many words that describe the same thing. A stair cleat is another word for a thread bracket. In other words it's the part of the stairway that connects the stair stringer to the stair step. These have been used for years and over time, most of them will develop the same problem.

Most wood stair cleats loosened up and create a safety hazard. If the stairs are located outside in extreme weather conditions, for example, if it rains or snows a lot, extremely humid humid weather, or extremely hot and dry temperatures, your staircase might not last that long, if it is or isn't maintained properly. It's not a bad idea to use steel or concrete for stairways in these climates.

If you're ever walking up a set of stairs with wood cleats and the stair steps feel a little loose or wiggly, make sure you examined the stair cleats for safety. It's not uncommon for someone to be walking up or down a set of wood stairs and having the stair step or tread giveaway because the wood cleats has loosened.

If the wood stair cleats are nailed to the stair stringer, the nails can loosen up, causing it to become loose, as you walk up and down the stairs applying pressure to the stair cleat, this will create movement in between the stair step and the stair stringer. This could cause the cleat to crack, break and separate the connection between the stair step in the stair stringer.

I would suggest using metal brackets instead of wood cleats. The metal brackets will not crack or disintegrate like some wood cleats. Stair building brackets of course can loosen up and should be maintained regularly.

If you decide to use wood stair cleats, I would suggest using screws instead of nails and drilling holes in the wood stair cleats, most of the time this will prevent cracking the cleat. Try to use a thicker material for the stair cleat, for example using a 2 x 4 with lag screws and washers would be better than using a 1 x 4 with nails.

If you're walking up a set of stairs and a stair step feels loose, contact the owner of the property and let them know, they have a problem with their staircase.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more stair building books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

If I Hate My Brother

The Bio-Neurobiology Of The Self

2009-09-07T01:31:00.001-07:00

Like always My eyes see, my ears listen, my nose smells, my fingers touch and I cannot help cognizing and ask questions of my everyday experiences and experiences of others that reach me through one of my senses, some of them or all. So like then now it is my eye that caught some written material and threw my selfish self in to examining them in an effort to may be understand more than anything my selfish self. As I read through the material I thought if I could only understand my selfish self and be able to see it from outside of it and from a neutral vantage point what else would there be that I won't master at all. Nonetheless wherever I went and whatever I did and am able to do got me always wrapped up in my selfish self and it more and more proved to me that it is all there is in whatever ways and how it was said and done.

""The most obvious thing about you is yourself." "You look down at your body and know it is yours"." Todd Heatherton. I thought of the statement and wanted to be certain of my knowledge of myself and wished if the self within me was only the physical self and wanted so bad to fully comprehend it and master it if I may and be certain of my knowledge, but hard reality hit me so hard that it was not meant to be. It turned out that the self was much more than the macroscopic physical. It also has what is called the spiritual psychological and more aspects to it. The certainty of the self by the self simply dissipates in to the thin air as I try to examine it even further and the self assurance about the knowledge of the self appealed to me as somewhat far fetched. The day to day discoveries and the new lights that are being shed about the inner and outer workings of our self tells a story of even more unknowns and what we know of our self is barely a scratch on the surface of a very large stack yet to be known and ever.

"When you wake up in the morning, you don't have to interrogate yourself for a long time about who you are." Todd Heatherton. The statement makes it as though we have never had a question or a doubt about who we are and why we are , but the fact remains that the overwhelming part of out every day activities are related and are about finding our self, making our self, changing our self sustaining our self and maintaining our self, all in all whether we say it in a single sentence or thousand paragraphs, whether we ask it directly or not the selfish self often and always takes precedence and primacy. In our daily all encompassing and comprehensive activities, actions, reactions, Cognitions and recognitions we do define and redefine ourselves and I am afraid if we are so sure of why we do so with certainty. If there is anything certain that we have asked enough times who we are and why we are, where we came from and where we want to go and are going, these are questions that are in every ones head without being framed may be in an elitist word framing. And what everyone does revolves around the same issues with varying probability of knowing the answers, but with certain truth of never certainty. Even the questions we ask of others come around often as question about our self and we can't escape the fact that it is all about the selfish self. It often is about acquisition of knowledge, material, position, notoriety or something of value here or in the hereafter. The complete knowledge of the self is the ultimate and as such remains always less than certain.

As we go through life every day we wake up, I feel like, what we do is interrogate our selves of who we are, how our poison has changed and how to best react to it contrary to the statement quoted, in all and many things we do, think and imagine. Indeed we have the greatest interest in ourselves and interest is dependent on the degree of exposure to the subject of interest, and the self more than anything else is exposed to the self itself. May be the root of selfishness lies in the exposure of the self to the self more than the not self and there is no way of exposing the not self to the self more the self itself to the self, thus instilling the selfishness permanently in the self and may be a falls sense of complete self awareness as well. "" Heatherton himself shied away from direct study of it for years, even though-"My interests were around the self but not around the philosophical issues of what is the self."

Things have changed today, Today Heatherton, along with a growing number of scientists, is tackling the question head on, seeking to figure out how the self emerges from the brain. In the past few years, they have begun to identify certain brain activities that may be essential for producing different aspects of self awareness. They are now trying to determine how these activities give rise to the unified feeling we each have of being a single entity. This research is yielding clues to how the self evolved in our hominid ancestors. It may even help scientists treat Alzheimer's disease and other disorders that erode the knowledge of the self and in some cases destroy it altogether." It is rather the philosophical self that interested me the most than the mechanical descript self, not that I understood it but I am intrigued by it. It raises questions more than I could speculate and ask of the readers of this article and knowledgeable people if I may and pose them directly. Is the self a collection of memories? Cognitive and reactive process?, Will the self cease to exist when the mind (brain )ceases?, When the subjective self (mind or brain, or consciousness and memory) ceases will the objective self turn in to an automaton and mechanical being?, Are other animals, plants and inanimate that go through motion purposeful, intentional, disciplined, ordered and unique motion self aware?, If not why not?, When the self that is self aware ceases will the self that is not self aware remain? Is the objective self a reality of the subjective self or is it the subjective self the reality of the objective self? Or does the objective self exist independently of the subjective self and the vice versa? Is the subjective self the extension of the objective self or is it the objective self the extension of the subjective self?

As a matter of everyday practice it seems the subjective self to act as its sole purpose and intent to protect, preserve, sustain and propagate the objective self. If subjective reasoning alone were enough to answer it all, I would have had mine, but reason fails short and reality often times defy reason and it is often reality that has to be reasoned than reason define reality, therefore a dose of objective reality may be is in order and in time for a comprehensive understanding of the issues raised and points reiterated. " Further clues have emerged from injuries that affect some of the brain rejoins involved in the self .Gage, a 19th century railroad construction foreman who was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time when a dynamite blast sent a tamping iron through the air. It passed through Gage's head, and yet, astonishingly, Gage survived. Gages friends though noticed something had changed. Before the accident he had been considered an efficient worker and shrewd businessman. Afterward he became profane, showed little respect for others and had a hard time settling plans for the future. His friends he was "no longer Gage." Cases like Gage's showed that the self is not the same as consciousness. People can have an impaired sense of themselves without being unconscious." As is indicated by the awareness of the amnesiac of all things about him it rather seems as though the self is a physiological and psychological construct of information that precedes it. As such as long as the physical construct of this precedent information is intact the self will retain its self awareness which is ingrained in its genes. This self awareness which is to serve in the fulfillment of the selfish needs of the self necessitates the awareness of the environment in which the self finds itself in. it is therefore this secondary awareness that is to be called consciousness. It is an awareness the helps the self act and react in ways and times that its interest are best served by. As every existence is a relativistic phenomenon, it would rather make the complication easier to understand if we have to conclusively argue whether the self is absolute relative to the not sell or the self is yet a relative reality to the not self. If we claim the self is an absolute reality then the self exists independently of consciousness and if we claim the other way around then the self ceases upon cessation of consciousness. As indicated in the article , the retention of the information about the self while all memory is wiped out by amnesia seems to attest to the fact that the self does not exist because X or Y existed, but because of the information upon which it was constructed that determined its intent, shape, color, purpose and destiny and consciousness helped best accomplish these predeterminations in an environmental constraints.

"At the university college of London, researchers have been using brain scans to decipher how we become aware of our own bodies." This is the very basic law-level first point of the self "UCLA's Sara Jayne Blakemore says. When our brains issue a command to move a part of our bodies, two signals are sent. One goes to the brain region that control the particular parts of the body that need to move, and the other goes to the region that monitor the movement. Our brains then use this copy to predict what kind of sensation the action will produce. If the actual sensation we receive does not closely match our prediction, our brains become aware of the difference. But if the sensation does not match our prediction at all, our brains interpret them as being caused by something other than ourselves. Blakemore and her colleagues documented this shift by scanning the brains of subjects they had hypnotized. When the researchers told the subjects their arms were being lifted by a rope and pulley, the subjects lifted their arms. But their brains responded as if someone else were lifting their arms, not themselves." As untenable as it seems it rather is a fact that the objective self is existent independently of the subjective self (the mind) but too mechanically. The subjective self does not only interpret coordinate and give meaning to the environment the objective self is in but also gives the essence of the self itself in relation to everything and anything within its environmental constraints and how it reacts to and interacts with the elements of its environment. The brain that generates the subjective self seems rather an information in, information processing and information out center that where when and how it gets its imputes determine how it will react and what it puts out when it puts out what it does as its purpose and duty.

"Heatherton and his colleagues at Dartmouth have been using the technology to probe the mystery of why people remember information about themselves better than details about other people. They imaged the brains of volunteers who viewed a series of adjectives. In some cases, the researchers asked the subjects whether a word applied to the subjects themselves. In others, they asked if a word applied to George W.Bush. In still other cases, they asked simply whether the word was shown in uppercase letters. They found that questions about the self activated some regions of the brain that questions about someone else did not their results bolstered the "self is special" hypothesis over "the self is familiar" view." The special self and the familiar self are separate and in essence and are intertwined in purpose.

While the special self is the information upon which the physical self and the psychological self is constructed on, the familiar self to me is the conscious self that determines the position of the special self in relation to its environment and helps act in the best interest of the special self. There is no time or space separation between the self and the information about the self. The information about anything else is separated from the self by distance and time. The self is constantly accumulating and accessing information about itself. The self and about the self are intertwined and inseparable unlike the self and about the not self. Information may be filled separately and in categories, yet the fire about the self may be the most important and may be the most significant of them all. "When we are in new circumstances, our sense of our self depends on thinking explicitly about our experiences. Soccer players know whether they are athletic, strong or swift without having to consult their memories." It is rather indicative of the fact that the special self is very much dependent on its consciousness of the environment it find itself in to react in ways and manners its interests are best met. When the self knows and knows well and is familiar with the environment it finds itself in, thinking becomes un necessary, logical construction becomes redundant and the facts become self evident. "The primate ancestors of humans probably had the basic bodily self awareness that is studied by Blakemore and her associates." I wondered if at all there is any living thing that is not self aware. How is this awareness expressed other than being active in the self preservation and primacy of the self? All living things are self reproductive, self preservative and self protective and knows its relative position in its environment and acts and reacts in ways and manners it is able to survive and thrive; what possibly be the so called self awareness if not all these and more? "The self requires time to develop fully. Psychologists have long recognized that it takes a while for children to acquire a stable sense of who they are. "They have conflicts in their self-concepts that don't bother them at all."Lieberman comments. "little kids don't try to tell themselves, 'I' am still the same person.' They just don't seem to connect up the little pieces of the self-concept."" If I am spared of the possible label of someone playing in semantics and engaged in hair splitting I would like to not that there is nothing at all that had happened happens and will happen in no time and in no stages. Even instantaneity is a relative short period. I cannot agree any less that self awareness takes time while the self is a physical construct of the information that preceded it, it does not only predate self awareness, but is there from the initial date of its complete construction when ever that may be. It seems the self goes through stages of cognition of its environment, compilation of the facts of its environment, understanding of its environment, determining the self's position in the environment and acting in the best interest of the self within the environmental constraints.

While the last two of the process described are attributable to self awareness the former four stages are only precursors to self awareness. May be children's conflict of self concept that don't bother them are indicative of the developmental stage to self awareness than it is physiological (biological) (self) developmental stage. The self awareness of the self goes way passed the developmental stages of the brain to the very origin of life itself as a product of self awareness .As it is attested to and proved over and again programs of self propulsion, development, reproduction and ability to choose are ingrained in the fundamental elements of life precedent cellular construction. It poses a dynamism where change in quantity and quality in time and space are among the prevalent character threats. As stated by Robert Shapiro's " A simpler Origin for Life" Scientific American June , 2007 " Muller's Remarks would be in accord with what has been called the NASA definition : Life is a self sustained chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution" I as a lay person wouldn't have agreed less except for the two things I need to elaborate or needed be elaborated by some who are more able than I. It is the convergence of among the chemical, mechanical, electrical and even gravitational self sustenance as we prove in to the very fundamentals existence and succumb to simply in to being a product of change in space in time following or governed by a precedent information. As it is guided and goes through self sustaining change in time in space gathers information that helps it undergo Darwinian evolution in effect Darwinian evolution is cumulative information gathered to help self sustenance in time and space.

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

2009-09-07T00:00:00.001-07:00

You can simply type the words real estate or homebuying into any search engine on the World Wide Web and you will come up with hundreds, maybe even thousands of websites that are extremely helpful and full of great information. Like the one you're on right now.

Finding homes with the internet, combined with a skilled real estate salesperson, provides you with the most effective technology available today. Most websites start out, having you select a state you would like to search in and then, select a city, with your price range.

By answering their questions, this narrows the search down to all of the homes available in the area. The internet has made home shopping very simple. Considering what you had to go through in the 1970s. You found a realtor or by looking in the yellow pages, sometimes you found a good realtor and if you are lucky, maybe you would find you a good home.

Most of the time, the first homes you would look at, were owned by the real estate professional you were working with.

There are however a couple of problems with using the internet to find your dream home. Some of the verbage used and photographs taken can create a wonderful illusion of a tropical paradise but the reality, it's a regular home in a decent neighborhood.

Some of these photos are taken by skilled photographers who take advantage of every angle and tend to give an illusion of grander. When you actually start driving around and looking at these homes, only then will you get a reality check, of what the home actually looks like. You'll get used to it.

After you've looked at a few of your future dream homes, you will get a better idea of what I'm talking about with these wonderful pictures and the extraordinary home descriptions like "Beautiful Three Bedroom House with an Ocean View." When reality it's a two-bedroom house with an extra closet for the third bedroom and the ocean is 45 miles away, but you can see it on a clear day if you actually climb to the top of the largest tree on the property.

Take your time when searching for your dream home and don't let any one push you into making a decision if you're not ready. If you find your real estate professional a little too aggressive or pushy, get out of your contract, if you've signed one and find another, more helpful real estate salesperson to help you with your home purchase.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Find other real estate tips and great advice, from another one of the Internet's best website creators.

If I Hate My Brother

Does Inner Peace Frighten You?

2009-09-06T18:03:00.001-07:00

Does inner peace frighten you? Do you feel more at home, while being nervous, anxious or restless? Do you feel that you will lose something if become more calm and relaxed?

A certain well-known TV celebrity once said in an interview, that though he is aware of the value inner peace, he doesnt want it. He was certain that it will make his life boring and uninteresting, without fun and excitement. This shows lack of understanding of what inner peace is.

What do you think about inner peace? What do you think it can do to your life? Will you become passive and indifferent? Will it make you unpractical and unable to handle your daily affairs of life? Will it take away all the fun and pleasure from your life?

Inner peace is often associated with being impractical, visionary and naive, and unable to take care of oneself. It is also associated with yogis, fakirs and people who meditate all day long, unconcerned about money, relationships, work or ambitions. These are erroneous concepts. On the contrary, you gain inner strength and power, common sense, and a better ability to judge and think. It is quite possible to enjoy true inner peace, and at the same time lead an ordinary life, with family and job, like most people.

Are you afraid to experience inner peace? Are you scared it might make your life boring and uninteresting? Do you think it will prevent you from enjoying life? Are you afraid of being able to quiet the constant, and sometimes tiring, chatter of the mind? Do you think you have to keep up an inner state of tension, restlessness and anxiety to feel alive?

The desire for money, possessions and good relationships are often motivated by the subconscious desire for security. Fun, entertainment and journeys to foreign countries are expected to bring happiness, and temporary forgetfulness of troubles or worries. All of these are expected to bring some sort of relief and freedom, and this is exactly what inner peace brings.

Everyone, albeit unconsciously, seeks ways to alleviate or overcome worries, anxieties and fears. Everyone desires happiness and a feeling of security. All this results from inner peace.

You have a lot to gain and nothing to lose, when you are able to calm down the feverish activity of the mind, and enjoy a growing sense of inner peace and serenity. This state of mind can affect your external life, and also the people you meet.

Here are just a few of the many benefits you might gain:

# Inner peace awakens inner strength and confidence.

# It enhances your common sense.

# It makes you more tactful, tolerant and patient.

# It gives you the ability to handle more efficiently the affairs of your life.

# It helps you overcome anxiety, worries and stress.

# You stop being subject to moods and changeful states of mind.

# You stop being affected by what people think or say about you.

# You remain balanced and poised in difficult and trying situations.

# You learn to look at the bright side of life.

You dont have to be a yogi or a monk to enjoy inner peace. You can live a busy and active life, while your mind is peaceful. You can work and interact with people, while your mind is calm and happy.

For more practical information and tips, read Peace of Mind Tips and Advice.

Remez Sasson teaches and writes on positive thinking, creative visualization, motivation, self-improvement, peace of mind, spiritual growth and meditation. He is the author of several books, among which are "Peace of mind in Daily Life", "Will Power and Self Discipline", "Visualize and Achieve" and "Affirmations - Words of Power".

Visit his website and find articles and books filled with inspiration, motivation and practical advice and guidance. Website: http://www.SuccessConsciousness.com Books: http://www.successconsciousness.com/ebooks_and_books.htm

Finding Something You Don't Like About Yourself - Creating Habits

2009-09-06T16:25:00.001-07:00

Finding something you don't like about yourself is usually very easy for most people. Most of the time you don't even have to ask your family or friends because you have heard them complain about the same thing for years. How many times have you heard someone mention, I need to lose weight?

Here's a list of things people don't like about themselves. If you're one of those people that has a hard time finding something wrong with yourself, you could always ask one of your friends for some suggestions. I'm sure they would like that.

1. The need to lose weight. This of course is one of the worst problems with Americans. Most people need to lose weight and let's not forget there are some people that need to gain weight.

2. The need to stop gambling. As more Indian reservations are allowed to build gambling casinos and of course as the Internet gambling gets larger, I've noticed some people with gambling problems.

3. The need to stop drinking alcohol. The abuse of alcohol has been going on for many years. These people have an excuse for why they drink and most of the time it doesn't make sense.

4. The need to stop smoking. This could be one of the most difficult things I've ever seen my friends and family deal with.

5. The need to stop excessive behaviors. For example, gossiping, cruelty, bullying, lying, cheating, stealing, partying etc. You get the idea.

6. Don't forget the dreaded shopaholic. Most shopaholic's seem to have large credit card debt and can't seem to stop this vicious circle of buying and owing money to their creditors.

7. Working long hours or the workaholic. Sometimes this is a necessity but I would suggest that you change your lifestyle if possible. Reevaluate your reasons for working so hard.

8. Religious fundamentalists. People that spend too much time at their place of worship and soon find themselves feeling guilty if they're not doing something spiritual.

9. The need to be on time. This would include people that have problems giving themselves enough time to get ready for work or school.

10. The need to stop doing drugs. I thought by now, approaching my 50s, that drugs would no longer be a problem in the United States, but it is. It's one of the most damaging things people can do to their lives.

There are plenty of things that people would like to stop doing or start doing. If you're a smoker and you seem to shop excessively near the casinos, I would advise you to start with something small and work your way up to the big stuff.

What are you going to change today about your life? Make a list of things that you're not happy with about your life and start making the changes today that you need to create the life you deserve and desire.

Greg is currently working on a personal development video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Meditating On Religious Scriptur

Smart Thinking - Saving Money For the Future

2009-09-06T10:21:00.001-07:00

While we are all aware of the importance of putting away money for the future, the reality is that saving doesn't come naturally to most of us. When it comes to putting money away, setting "smart" goals is the first step in finding the motivation to save.

What are "smart" goals? SMART is a popular acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. These five characteristics are vital for setting goals and the acronym provides an easy way to remember each of them.

When it comes to saving money it is important to make sure a goal is specific. Rather than telling yourself that you need to put away a little money each month, set a specific figure. This will give you a balance to base the rest of your monthly spending around, as well as a measuring stick to see whether or not you are achieving it.

Why is it important to have measurable goals? If a goal is not measurable, it's difficult to know whether you are actually achieving your goal. A measurable goal means that you will be able to monitor your success and hopefully this will give you a boost to continue saving.

To really achieve a goal it is important to take an action-orientated approach and hone in on all the proactive steps you need to take to achieve that goal. Ask yourself what actions are needed in order make this ambition a reality. From deciding how much to save, to deciding which savings accounts offer the best deals - all of the actions you take will form a vital part of achieving that goal.

While breaking your goal down into mini-actions is extremely important, it is even more important to make sure the goal set is realistic. Is the figure you have set yourself going to over-stretch your budget? Do you have any major outgoings over the next few months which could hinder this goal being achieved? If your goals are not realistic, they will only cause you anxiety; therefore, it makes more sense to save little and often, as opposed to setting an unreachable target.

The final step to smart goal setting is making sure your goals are timely, which refers to having an overall timeframe for your goal. It can also help to set some timely milestones to monitor your progress along the way. In a similar way to setting mini-actions towards your overall goal, setting mini-milestones breaks the process down into shorter, simpler steps - making the goal seem all the more achievable.

When considering your savings and the savings accounts which will work best for you, it is all about thinking smart. While it may take a little extra time to set your goals the smart way, it could pay dividends in the long-run.

Victoria Cochrane writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content

Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

2009-09-06T08:50:00.001-07:00

Well I'm going to start this article with a little information on a job I did once.

I had been repairing a rental house for one particular homeowner for about three years when all of a sudden I got a phone call from him telling me the rental house was destroyed and he had never seen nothing like this. He sounded so upset over the phone I told him I would meet with him immediately.

On my way to the house I was trying to get an idea in my head what the house was going to actually look like. Since I have been repairing rental properties for over 20 years at this point of my career, nothing really shocked me. I had pretty much seen everything that could possibly be done to rental property by the tenants that lived there. There is a lot to be said about taking care of it as if it were your own.

He was waiting for me at the front door and he looked thoroughly disgusted. As I approached him he was shaking his head and yelling at the same time can you believe these people, can you believe what they did to my house. I was expecting to see the front door ripped off and all the windows broken out of the house but this wasn't the case.

As he led me through the home and I could see the usual clothing on the floor, broken cabinets, a few holes in the walls and of course that awful smell of mold and mildew. All of this stuff was nothing new to me because I'm the guy they call to fix it when a renter moves out of the property.

As I entered one of the bedrooms I got my first glimpse of something I had never seen before but heard stories about and could not believe my eyes. Looking at the walls in the bedroom about 3 feet from the floor all the way around the room, the plaster was soft. It actually looks like someone shoved popcorn into the wall somehow.

The homeowner wasn't even looking at this because of the rest of the damage in the home. I started to explain to him I'd never seen nothing like this but I could guess it was water damage somehow since the plaster was soft. I could actually stick my finger into the wall, that's how soft the plaster was.

My first thought was to examine the carpeting a little closer to see if it was wet. Well it was damp but it wasn't as wet as I would've expected it to be with the amount of water in the walls. With a little more home inspecting I had found the culprit, it was a broken water bed. The water bed was now in the backyard looking innocent.

I couldn't believe a broken water bed could do this much damage so I looked around for broken or leaking water pipes and could not find any. The other bad news I had to inform the homeowner was that the water had damage the bathroom and closet walls also. These walls of course were on the other side of the bathroom walls that were damaged.

Well the point of this story is that water will actually wick its way up or worked its way up into a wall. I had to remove 4 feet of drywall all the way around the room. The plaster or drywall actually acts like a sponge pulling the water into the walls. Hard to imagine that gravity in this case seems to reverse. I would've never thought that water would've traveled so far up the walls creating that much damage.

To repair the rental property I had to remove the damaged drywall, remove the carpeting, dry the wood framing out and put the whole thing back together.

I'm still amazed and will remember that project for as long as I live.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

Spiritual Dictionary

Goal Setting - Why is Goal Setting So Important For Internet Marketing Success?

2009-09-06T02:44:00.001-07:00

If you are going to make money in any endeavor, you will need to learn something about goal setting. This is the single most important thing you will ever think about during the course of your money making efforts and your internet marketing career.

I will focus the remainder of this article on Internet Marketing since that is what I know best. You need to know, first how much money you intend to earn, and second, what exactly you need to do to earn it.

In addition, it helps if you know why. I needed to pay the bills, my kids needed new bicycles, and I seriously needed a vacation. I knew what I was working for, do you know what you are working for?

When I started my affiliate business, my short-term goal was to earn $200 a month on a consistent basis, because I knew that if I could achieve that level of success, it would go a long way toward helping me pay off my bills.

Medium-term I was looking for about $3000 per month, because then I would be able to decide if I wanted to keep working at my full-time day job or not.

Long-term, I was, and still am looking for $15,000 per month. I have a plan for its achievement and a time limit for reaching it. And I will get there.

So what about you, what are your goals and what are your income streams? Do you know how much you intend to earn from each of your businesses.

Do you have a written plan for their achievement?

I want you to download my free report which will teach you, step by step, how I earn money online

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

2009-09-06T01:08:00.001-07:00

When I first started building in 1978 as a young carpenter and an apprentice to my father. I had the grand illusions of becoming what they call on the east coast a master carpenter and on the West Coast a journeyman carpenter.

Part of my training in construction was learning to use the proper adhesive and caulking for different parts of the building project. We used to use a standard solvent-based construction adhesive when we were building our stairs and they would also use this adhesive on the floors to eliminate squeaks.

This glue dried extremely hard and everyone thought the harder the better. This construction adhesive was great when I started using it in 1978. There wasn't the polyethylene super elastic expandable multi-use glue and caulking construction adhesives at that time.

We used this brittle glue and it always seemed like a waste of time. As the wood dried and started to shrink the brittle hard glue would crack and break away from the wood it was glued to. Normally the glue was breaking away from plywood floor sheeting. I have seen 2 x 12 shrink 3/8 of an inch before in as little as a few months during the summer.

Now as time went on the old construction adhesives were replaced with a new window sealant made by a company called TOPS. This stuff was the hottest and best product of the decade to me. I used this stuff for everything.

This new urethane glue was now being used for sub floors, stair treads, sealing the windows flashing and siding. This stuff is still in use today and is a great choice for all of the uses I mentioned above. The price for this sealant is about double that of most water-based or solvent-based glues. But it's worth it.

So there you have it I like the urethane glues because of their flexibility, elasticity, their ability to adhere to wood concrete or metal and their performance in the years ahead.

There is one thing to keep in mind when using construction adhesives. Most construction workers seem to ignore the fact that the wood needs to be dry and clean before applying the construction adhesive. There have been quite a few times I have witnessed carpenters working with me and ignoring my advice.

Don't put yourself into this category. Doing quality work and following the manufacturers recommended installation instructions for their product will decrease your liability if there is ever a problem. Read the instructions carefully on all of the building products you use.

The manufacturers of these construction adhesives have thoroughly tested them. So use them properly and follow all safety warnings.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Structural Repairs

Impact Of Christian Mentors

Persistence - 3 Tips For Strengthening It

2009-09-05T18:59:00.001-07:00

Persistence is a vital ingredient in your success or failure. If you don't have enough perseverance then you will most certainly fail.

However if you are able to weather the storm in the face of trials, heart aches and disappointments while pursuing your goals you will eventually meet with success.

Here are 3 tips for strengthening your persistence.

Revisit the dream. Consistently remember what it is that you are working for.

If it is a new car, a college degree, or your own successful business, imagine yourself in possession of it. Get pictures of what it is that you want and look at them often. Put yourself in the pictures. Imagine what it is going to be like when you get what it is that you want.

Maintaining a clear vision of the object of your desire gives you the motivation you need to keep going on in spite of discouraging circumstances.

Monitor the results. As you are following your plan check to see if you are on track. Let's say you planned to save $1,500 in six months for a down payment on that new car that you wanted. You planned to save $250 per month. If you only have $300 saved 3 months into your plan then you've gotten off track. You are going to be disappointed 3 months later unless you make some adjustments.

To often we make a plan then we start working the plan but we don't look at the results along the way. With this approach you will miss your goals and get frustrated. In order to stay on coarse examine your results on a regular bases. This way you can avoid potential shortfalls that are within your control. You will stay on track and thus stave off discouragement.

Take breaks. Be sure to step away from your work from time to time. It may seem like taking time off is counter-productive, but it is quite the opposite. You will find that are actually stronger upon returning after taking a break or vacation.

I have struggled with this one before in the past, but I have discovered the benefits of taking breaks. I usually come back to my work more aware of opportunities that I had previously overlooked. As the saying goes, I was too close to the forest to see the trees.

When you take time off you gain a fresher perspective. And your energy level will be higher as a result of taking that time off. Also taking a break will give you the endurance that you need to completely follow through with your plans. Taking regular breaks protect you against burn out.

Use these tips to increase your level of persistence. Your dream or desire demands a price that must be paid by you in advance before you can possess it. But the reward is worth it. Stick with your plan. Persist and you will obtain the prize.

And for help in moving beyond frustration stagnation and status quo get a copy of my special report ebook "How to Get Unstuck And Get What You Want." It is available at http://www.getunstuckandgetwhatyouwant.com/
You'll learn all about The Keys to Getting What You Want - Answers To Eliminating Procrastination - Staying On Track - Getting Out Of That Rut - Successful Accomplishment of your Goals. From Anthony Carter - Success Coach and Entrepreneur.

Installing a 32 Inch Back Door

2009-09-05T17:33:00.001-07:00

In some older houses you will find a 30 inch back door. Have you ever tried to move a refrigerator or some large furniture through a 30 inch door? Keep in mind most bedroom doors are 30 inches wide and are in 36 inch hallways. 30 inch doors and bedrooms make it tough to move some furniture in too.

Let's start with the price difference between a 30 inch door and a 32 inch door. The cost difference is usually going to be around $20. If you are building a hundred homes this could become quite an additional expense. So we can understand why the home builder installed a 30 inch door in the back of our home.

He got the extra money in his pocket, you got a headache.

Here's the big problem. If you ever want to install a larger door you will need to replace the structural door framing. Now this is where you could run into a little bit of an expense. Changing the framing for a wider door could become quite costly. It could actually cost over $1000 in some cases.

Now if the homebuilder would have originally installed a 32 inch door in your house it might have ran him as high as an additional $45. How can this be? I will give you the first clue. There is a good chance the homebuilder will not be moving into any of these houses. If for some strange instance he did move into the house, he would learn the same lesson whenever he needed to move a large item into the house.

I'm a contactor and learned this lesson in a long time ago.

If you are building a new home you might even want to consider installing a 36 inch back door. This door will give you plenty of room when it comes to moving large items in or out of your house. The cost difference between a 36 inch door and a 32 inch door is usually around $20 also.

When building a new home most people don't give very much thought about their interior or exterior doors. Here's a simple chart I made to help with some basic door decisions.

Bathroom Doors Should Be 28 Inches Wide Minimum.
Bedroom Doors Should Be 30 Inches Wide Minimum.
Front Doors Should Be At Least 36 Inches Wide
Back Doors and Garage Doors Should Be At Least 32 Inches Wide

If you are a professional football or basketball player don't use these numbers above.

If you have large sliding glass doors or French doors throughout your home and can use them to move large items into the house you can install whatever size doors you choose that are comfortable to walk through.

Give some thought when installing a new door on your next project and keep some of the above tips in mind..

If you are designing a home give some thought to the stairways and hallways in the home as well.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Bay Window Ideas

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

Reinventing Yourself - Six Ways to Become More of Who You Really Are

2009-09-05T11:16:00.001-07:00

Reinventing yourself, in the best sense, is a process of becoming more of who you really are. There may be times when you experience life-changes that force you to reinvent yourself, but you don't have to wait for a transition. You can reinvent yourself anytime you choose.

It doesn't have to be a total reinvention; you can reinvent just a part of yourself. The goal is to become more and more aware of, and in alignment with, your true self. Here are six things you can do to reinvent yourself, bit-by-bit, in a way that feels right for you.

#1) Stop and Take Stock of Where You Are Out of Alignment With Yourself

How do you do this? It's easy. Just identify the areas of your life that don't feel as good as you want them to feel. These will be the areas where you are out of alignment with your true self.

#2) Assess The Roles You Have Taken On

Take a look at the different roles you play, and see if any of them make you feel constricted, or trapped.

#3) Awaken and Develop One Aspect of Yourself at a Time

Identify the parts of yourself that are dormant and, one at a time, determine what each part needs to be fed in order to grow to its full potential.

#4) Be Your Own Mirror

Stop asking permission to be who you are, and become the only judge of what is right for you.

#5) Be Proactive and Empowered as The Creator of Your Life

Choose what you want to create in your life, instead of just responding to life's changes.

#6) Let The Process be Organic

This is a process of awakening from within, so let it happen naturally, without feeling you need to push. Think of reinvention as personal evolution, and begin creating a life in which you thrive in every way.

Kimberly Wilborn is the host of The Women's Transformation Show on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Begin your own reinvention at http://www.Womens-Transformation.com

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

2009-09-05T10:03:00.001-07:00

Most of the time, the first homes you would look at, were owned by the real estate professional you were working with.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Find other real estate tips and great advice, from another one of the Internet's best website creators.

Effects Of False Prophets

Free Me To Live - A Workbook That May Change Your Life

2009-09-05T03:39:00.001-07:00

Let me ask you this:

Do you suffer with depression, guilt, shame or self -blame?

Do you cringe when you look in the mirror?

Do you find it difficult to forgive yourself for what you have done?

Do you feel that you are damaged goods?

Have you experienced an abortion? Were you ever abused? Raped? Did you suffer a serious violation of your self like incest or sexual molestation?

As the story goes, we get hurt deeply when choices we make or the choices someone else makes cause us to hurt (emotionally, physically or even spiritually.) Such hurts get internalized and "stuffed." The result is that the pain becomes a "hidden thing of shame." As long as something like the pain of abortion, rape, incest or abuse is hidden, it causes shame and guilt. The thing that is hidden has power to harm you. These hidden things of shame dominate our life.

This is why I call these kinds of hurts: LIFE DOMINATING PROBLEMS.

They do not go away with time. In fact, they often resurface with greater intensity later. That is the nature of post-traumatic stress.

You can not wash the feelings of guilt and shame away with soap. You can not escape the nightmares. Most commonly, people live with a scar of hidden shame that too often results in depression.

In fact, if you look just at one trigger issue that has impacted about 50 million women in the united states, the symptoms of abortion related aftermath read just like post traumatic stress. The most common expression of women of abortion is "I can't forgive myself." Those who have been violated by someone else tend to say, "I will not trust them ever again."

Untreated, these life dominating problems can cripple the person

You can not run away from your real self. You can not wish away the painful memories.

These life-dominating issues ultimately result in an emotional implosion.

Have you experienced one of these problems?

Are you are sick and tired of the pain?

Are you are ready to do what ever it takes to be free from all the guilt and shame and oppressive feelings that weigh you down.....then I want to share a secret that may change your life.

Here is the SECRET!

Ready?

You do not have to hurt...Someone Cares!

There are many support groups waiting for you in almost every major city in the United States, Canada, and through out Europe.

But, if you can not attend one of those live support groups, chances are you can still find your hope in your time of great need.

Now, you can access a helpful email series combined with a 150 page web-based distance-learning course that can help you no matter where you live. The only requirement is that you have internet access.

Here is what you might expect:

1. You could gain access to 14 key object lessons that will help you to address your hurts positively with great results.

2. You could learn over about 45 days new facts about who you are, why you can be free and how you can be free from now on.

3. Participants report the experience described as "chains of bondage breaking."

4. You might discover how to break out of a self-imposed emotional prison.

5. You might experience new light flooding the darkness and the sludge within your heart of hearts.

6. It is likely you would feel loved like you have never been loved before by completing the course.

How much does it cost to take such a course?

Absolutely Nothing! It is free!

Let me invite you to visit freemetolive.com to learn more about this powerful Christian recovery course.

It may just change your life for the better!

Ken Freeman
http://coachmeken.com

New Home Buyers Beware

2009-09-05T02:20:00.001-07:00

Ican't believe how many homebuyers purchase a house, with very little information and a Lotta hope. I'm a general contractor and often work on these homes, after they have been purchased and a homeowner has their money, the real estate professional is no longer involved in the transaction and the new homeowner is starting to experience the pitfalls from buying the home, that they sincerely believe was in good condition.

It's usually somebody like me that gets involved with the new homeowners after everyone else is out of the picture and chooses not to return their phone calls or explains to them quite simply, it's not our responsibility, you're the new homeowner and we really feel sorry for you, please call us again if we can help you with anything.

You couldn't even help me with that, why would I want to call you again if I had a problem. I never could understand this thinking but have ran into it often. It sounds like an oxymoron when someone refuses to help you but offers you help in the future. What ever!!!.

If homebuyers had something else to rely on besides their real estate salesperson, home inspection service, mortgage or insurance professional, I believe they can eliminate some of these problems. Where do you start and how do you get the information. You can gather information from reputable people, books, the Internet and so on.

The problem is how do you know these people are reputable and the books on the Internet have good information. This brings us to another problem, but I've got the solution that will help eliminate some of the grief. I'm not going to remove all of the grief from your life but have a suggestion for you that will eliminate some of the pain when buying a home.

Arm yourself with a good home inspection checklist. You can search the Internet and they have quite a few good home inspection checklist to work with. These checklist can provide you with things you might not have thought of, and this is where you can eliminate some of the problems.

If you took one of these checklists with you while you were shopping for a home, you would be aware of some of the problems with the home. You might not find all of the problems but these checklist will help you with some of the problems.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

Religion Articles

Wishing For Riches - Self Help Tips

2009-09-04T20:23:00.001-07:00

Anybody can wish for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth, are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.

This statement is at the beginning of Chapter 13 from the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.

There are so many different methods, from so many different people, but most people don't know where to start, or plan their way to success.

I have heard some people mention the hardest part is actually starting, while others say you have to start somewhere, anywhere but start. Starting is usually the hardest part for most people, they get defeated by their own beliefs and of course never even start.

Fear of failure and fear of success, seem to be at the top of the list when thinking about starting a business. It's always been hard to imagine people being afraid to succeed, when this is what they seem to desire the most.

Wishing for riches can motivate you to start, thinking about the many different ways to succeed can motivate you to plan. A burning dire to succeed well often motivate you to start and create a plan eventually.

The key to creating wealth is developing habits and good daily habits performed over a lifetime, most of the time, will lead you to wealth beyond your wildest dream's. Sometimes this wealth is going to have nothing to do with money.

Get some books, talk to some people, watch some biographies about successful people throughout history, find out what they did and start paving your own trail. But you're going to have to start somewhere.

Greg is currently working on a video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Home Selling Tips - Best Real Estate Advice Ever

2009-09-04T18:53:00.001-07:00

One of the most important things to remember when selling your home is to keep it as clean as possible. If you need help or don't have the time to organize your stuff, you can hire a home staging professional in your area. Ask your real estate professional for more information.

1. Remove any clutter from the home and place it in storage. Do not store this stuff on the property if you don't have enough room. Storing clutter in closets or in your garage, will often make these areas look smaller. By removing clutter or even large pieces of furniture, the rooms will look larger.

2. Disconnect yourself emotionally from your home. This is a big problem for people who have lived in their house for long periods of time. If you've raised a family here, the children could have emotional ties also to the home. Some home sellers are looking for someone special to buy their home, if you've got the time and money to wait, you can be selective but be careful, because the longer you wait, the market could go up or down.

3. When your real estate professional is showing the house, it's always a good idea to leave the home until the potential homebuyers are gone. One example of this would be if you were in a bad mood or didn't have a good day and were a little upset at the world. Your mood could cause potential homebuyers to lose interest in the property. I've seen this more than once.

4. Make sure everything is operating properly. This would include doors, door knobs, windows, kitchen appliances, garage door openers, cabinet drawers, bathroom fixtures, toilets, faucets, lights, switches, electrical outlets and anything else that moves, slides, turns or rotates that is part of the home.

5. The Interior and exterior walls of the home should be in good shape. Make sure there's no termite damage, wood rot, peeling paint, broken windows or holes in the walls.

6. Make sure the flooring is in good shape. Some real estate professionals will suggest, replacing the carpeting with a neutral color. This method often works pretty good but I have seen plenty of homes that were re-carpeted and after the home was purchased the carpeting was replaced again, by the new owners. Just make sure the flooring is in good shape.

7. Here's a trick that definitely works a little magic when selling a home. Leave some cookies or a nice fruit bowl on the dining room table. There is no need to leave a sign that says "Eat Me". It gives the home a warm feeling, almost like a country atmosphere.

8. Even better than home selling tip number seven would be baking some cookies just before the perspective buyers arrive, it's not the cookies, it's the smell from the cookies that most people cannot resist.

These are just a few home selling tips but the most important is to keep the inside and outside of the home clean.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Don't buyers sell a home without checking how the problems with poor home repairs.

What Happens To Nonbelieving

The Burning Desire to Succeed

2009-09-04T12:52:00.001-07:00

You wish with your eyes but want with your heart. Desire is fulfilled with the heart.

It is the constant longing for achievement, the little voice inside that encourages you to fulfill your dreams.

It takes strength and intensity, backed with powerful, positive emotions and faith to accomplish your goals.

A passion so deep that it drives you to achieve your objectives no matter what obstacles you must overcome in order to succeed.

You will get what you want if you have a burning, intense passion to accomplish your goals and you take action to make your dreams a reality.

Everyone has the ability to get what they want. It is natural for the forces around you to give you what you want when you ask for it. Therefore, it is important to think positively about what you desire to achieve.

Anthony Robbins, World Renowned Expert on Motivational Thinking, said it best...

'By repeating an affirmation over and over again, it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind, and eventually becomes your reality. That is why you need to be careful what you think and believe, because that is exactly what you will get!'

Positive thoughts bring positive results.

As you look for ways to accomplish your dream, look to accept what experiences come your way and be grateful for them. Accept them with thanks and gratitude, and focus on having more of what you desire.

Isn't it interesting how happy people always seem to get what they want? I believe it is because they use what 'God' has given them, are truly thankful for it, and strive for more of it.

If you are unhappy about everything in your life then your experiences will be unhappy. Your negative attitude shouts, 'Forget it! Who needs this?'

Not the attitude that will make your dream a reality.

Have you ever heard someone say, 'Man, a black cloud follows me everywhere I go. If something bad is going to happen it'll happen to me'? And sure enough, that person continually pulls along with them that little black cloud. Surrounding themselves with all the wrong forces and creating a life of misery.

I prefer this positive definition of desire, 'The natural longing that is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of any good, and impels to action or effort its continuance or possession; an eager wish to obtain or enjoy.'

GO FOR YOUR DREAM with the intense hunger and passion to achieve success!

Many famous people have survived serious illness through their intense will to live and enjoy every moment of living. Adversity can be overcome through the power of a strong, intense desire.

Even those whose destiny is not life, they survive every moment with a burning passion to live.

What a positive way to overcome the obstacles by replacing negative thinking with positive thinking; enjoying and living your life to the fullest every day.

You can conquer anything you want when the desire to achieve it is filled with passion, a hunger so deep that nothing can stop you from accomplishing your dream. Take the time to write down your goals, visualize your success, and never wane from accomplishing your objective. The passion in your soul that never sleeps will open your mind to achieve what you believe in.

Failure is not an option... merely steps toward your achievement! You can, and will, achieve your dream successfully.

Want to learn more about the positive personal power techniques that will help YOU achieve your goals? Claim your FREE copy of The Habits of Achievement today and watch your passion to achieve your dreams power up to succeed.

Surviving As A Contractor In California

2009-09-04T11:15:00.001-07:00

So you want to make big money making a living as a contractor in the state of California. Well now I bet you have seen contractors on TV or maybe you know someone who is a contractor. You see these men and women playing the part as Mr. or Mrs. Money bags. If you have the slightest thought that becoming a contractor will provide you with a life of riches think again.

Most contractors that I know and have worked with over the years don't think of there jobs as easy. They have to work everyday and a lot into the night doing estimates or meeting with potential clients because they are to busy during the day. The life of most contractors in the beginning will be difficult to say the least. But if successful you will make a great living for yourself and your family.

Now that we got the false illusion of the contractor answering his cell phone all day at some nice golf course having lunch talking about the money that he just made selling his oil stocks. We can start on reality. If being a contractor was that easy everyone would be a contractor. Right..... Well maybe not everyone.

I have been a contractor for over 22 years and in construction for 30 year. I have seen a lot of changes over the years. I remember when a few contractors that I worked for made a lot of money during the late 1970's. These guys had Ferraris and money to burn with one exception they had no idea how to save any of it. These guys went on vacations and bought extravagant toys for them selves. Out of most of the big framing contractors I worked for about 10 percent are still in business or actually saved their money during the good times so that they could make it through the bad times.

These contractors never thought it was going to end. Life on easy street that is. But it did and most went by the way side. I guess that is the nature of business. Especially the current economic business cycles that we seem to go through over the years. If you don't have the money to advertise or carry a payroll. Your business is going to suffer during the bad times. Sure there is credit and bank loans but you still have to pay that money back. IF you can't save your money stash some away for advertising.

Some of the best advice I can give a contractor anywhere especially in the state of California is " Don't Think The Great Times Of Easy Money Will Last Forever". Save some of the money you make just in case you need to get through the bad times. You will thank me for this latter, Some time down the road. Take this advice and put it into action starting right now.

Greg Vanden Berge has over 30 years of experience in residential home building and remodeling. This provides you with the comfort of knowing that you have a professional with the knowledge and skills to complete your construction projects in a timely manner.

Our low overhead along with our new online estimating system will provide you with the most competitive construction pricing in the area. We continue to educate ourselves about the new home improvement books and building systems in the construction industry. If we have any doubt that something might not work we don't use it. We have found some of these products to be the root of some major home building problems.

Click on the Home Remodeling Ideas to get more information and a possible online estimate for your home improvement project.

What Happens To Nonbelieving

Opportunity Knocks

2009-09-04T05:13:00.001-07:00

Does opportunity knock or are we receptive to the opportunities which have been there, but we did not consciously connect with them before.

Staying connected to opportunities is the practice of combining habit creation (a consistent and persistent set of actions towards a goal or desire) and the Law of Attraction (giving your attention, energy, and focus to your desire) to manifest anything you want. When you create a focus of seeing opportunities and allowing the principles of the Law of Attraction to guide your way, it makes it nearly impossible to not get exactly what you want.

Sometimes we focus our thoughts on what we dont like in our life or what we dont want; this simply creates more of the same results. If you understand how important it is to consciously choose the thoughts you hold each day; to keep your thoughts and actions focused on what you really want to attract into your life; you will. It is all up to you. For a long time people have weighed evidence, analyzed and taken measurements to answer the question, What do I want? It is now clear that this was the wrong question. The right question is, What thoughts will create what I want?" Take charge of your thoughts, and youll take charge of your life. Opportunity is present at all timesit is contained in The Law of Abundance and the Law of Attraction.

When we feel successful we are more likely to take calculated risks, which promise abundant rewardsalbeit they also carry the potential for failure. Your goals are part of your ongoing journey of self-discovery rather than an endpoint. Thus, when you feel successful you are more likely to see the possibilities versus focusing on the impossibilities.

When you are comfortable extending yourself beyond the borders of your limited comfort zones in order to explore new regions of accomplishment, the resultant endeavors may not be successful, but the open-mindedness you cultivate within yourself will ensure you stay focused on what you desire to achieve. Staying focused ensures you will take advantage of the opportunities when you recognize them. Furthermore, by staying focused you invite opportunity into your life when you recognize that the scope of your potential is limited only by your level of self-belief.

Opportunity is knocking every minuteWhat are you doing with yours?

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-09-04T03:41:00.001-07:00

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Impact Of Christian Mentors

Have You Read any Good Title Reports Lately?

2009-09-03T21:36:00.001-07:00

How long have you been selling real estate? Long enough to know that sales that appear simple are sometimes the most time-consuming, more difficult transactions to close?

Sometimes the sellers know there's a problem, and you begin helping them solve it from the time you take the listing. (If you're especially good at it, you should advertise the fact, by the way.) Other times, you find problems that the sellers didn't know existed.

I ran into my first such problem way back in the dark ages when I first began selling real estate. I had listed a small, remote parcel - way back in the forest at the end of a narrow, rutted, dusty road. It took half a day just to go there to show it. So, I was overjoyed when a buyer came along. It meant no more trips up there!

I wasn't overjoyed for long.

The sellers had purchased the property on a land contract from a corporation that had logged hundreds of acres and then split it up. They bought it on time, and when they made the last payment, they received the deed in the mail. And they put it in a file, or a drawer, or possibly between the pages of a book somewhere. No matter - they didn't have it any more. And they hadn't taken it to the Courthouse to be recorded.

At first I thought this wouldn't be a problem. I'd simply call the Corporate Headquarters, they'd look it up and issue a new deed and we'd be done. But, that thought didn't last long. The corporation was dissolved.

After many conferences with a most helpful title officer, I was able to learn the names of the former officers of the corporation. And through research, I was able to locate two of them. Thankfully, two signatures were all the title company required.

Our attorney prepared a quit claim deed, I mailed it to the first gentleman, and we waited. I called him a week or so later and he assured me that when he had time he'd go get it signed and notarized and would then forward it on to the other man. All told, it took about 6 weeks to get that document back and recorded so we could close.

Remember this was a small, remote, and cheap parcel. By the time I deducted gasoline I think I might have made minimum wage on that transaction. If not, I came close.

The last time was tougher than the first. This time it was a major bank who was involved - a major bank who had sold out to a different major bank.

Usually you can count on a mortgage lender to do their paperwork, but perhaps because of the sale, this one didn't. My clients had refinanced a loan about 3 years earlier and the lien from the original loan had never been removed.

It took even longer to close that time, because finding the person who could sign off and proving to them that the loan had been paid was a major undertaking. I must have enlisted the aid of at least ten different people along the way. Thank goodness there are some people who will go out of their way to help.

Read your title report right away. If you're lucky, any problems you find can be solved in time for your scheduled closing.

Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter and former real estate broker who specializes in writing for real estate and related industries.

Her e-book, Getting Clients, is a resource for beginning real estate agents as well as seasoned agents who want to know how to make more money in less time. Read all about it at http://www.marte-cliff.com/career.html

Marte offers a weekly ezine for real estate professionals and others with an interest in marketing themselves or their property. Subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to realestatehelp@getresponse.com and you'll immediately receive a copy of her real estate ad writing report.

Contact her at: writer@marte-cliff.com

Need Help Remodeling In Carlsbad

2009-09-03T20:10:00.001-07:00

What you are thinking about remodeling your house and you live in Carlsbad. Let me give you some advice about some local contractors and some of the people involved. I used a company called Service Magic to find a local heating and air conditioning contractor. All I had to do was go on the internet , type in some information about my self and what I wanted to have done to my home. This didn't seem that bad of a idea at the time. But look what I found out.

I went to their web site, filled in my information and with in minutes I had received the names of at least 4 contractors. Wow this is neat. I didn't even get to start calling any of them when my phone rang. It was one of the contractors secretaries. She introduced herself and asked what would be a good time for someone to come out to look at the work I wanted done.

I was surprised at the speed things were taking place but in a way glad that I had a reputable contractor from one of the largest construction referral services on the internet. I told her 10:00 would be fine. I got a call shortly after that from one of the other companies. He wanted to meet me that mourning at 8:00 if it was Ok with me. I told him of course, let's do this. Then the next one called and I thought great you can come at 1:00. Well you guessed it the next one was coming over at 2:30.

The first contractor showed up as scheduled at 8:00. We talked about what I wanted done and he whips out his note book and starts figuring out a price. This took place around 15 minutes into the meeting. This guys good I thought. Being a General Contractor in Carlsbad myself, for a job like this I would go back to my office and figure out a price and then double check my figures for a accurate estimate. It took this guy less than 5 minutes to create a proposal of around 10,700 dollars for every thing.

Well I was thinking to myself, the job should be around 7,000 dollars but what do I know about construction. I informed him that I would think about it and that I was going to meet with a couple of other contractors that day. He ask me who the other contractors were. I proceeded to tell him that I probably shouldn't tell him who they were. Well your not going to believe this. He put on his physic hat and told me who was coming over. The only thing he didn't know was what time they where coming over.

Oh I forgot to mention before he left he told me he would knock ten percent off the job if I signed the contract right now. I pretended like I was excited just to see his reaction. He looked at me like he had won the gold metal in sales. I told him thanks but I bet your new offer with the ten percent discount will be good for the next few day. Right I asked. He wasn't looking that excited any more as he replied with a Yes it will be good for a while. I thanked him and he went on his way.

My 10:00 never showed but his secretary gave me the old, " He had to go do a emergency job and could he reschedule tomorrow at the same time. I said that would be fine. As a contractor myself I have always put the work I had to do first and foremost.

About 12:30 I get a call from my next heating and air conditioning contractor. He is running late but will be there at 1:30. I appreciate the call and I will see you then. The only problem now is that I have another contractor coming at 2:30. That give the next contractor less than one hour before the next guy shows up. I never liked going over to someone's house and running into another remodeling contractor.

The next contractor was very informative and knew his stuff. I listened and learned. He told me he was going to have to go back to his office and would have a price back in the mourning. Great I told him as I hurried him out the door.

The last contractor of the day shows up and wants to know whose been over to the house, was it these guys or those guys. I told him I wasn't going to tell him who was over. Now this guy was a salesman. He did a little more probing before he let me in on the fact that his company doesn't do complete home installations. He made up some story that his company only replaces the forced air units. I could tell he didn't want to do the job once he found out I knew what I was talking about. So I said my good byes to Mr. Salesman.

The bad part about him was latter on that week his company sent us some mailers. The kind that doesn't have your name on it and everyone in the neighborhood get's one. I couldn't believe my eyes when I started to read this letter. It said we would be glad to give you an estimate on all your heating and air conditioning needs or services. " We Do Complete Installs". I told my wife we could have used this a few weeks ago. Then I recognized the name of the company and now knew that the salesman had lied to me for sure.

That night I started to think about what was going on here it seemed like I was being set up. Everyone knew what was going on but me. It seemed clear to me that these people knew each other.

Well as time went on we ended up hiring the first guy that came over. He seemed to have the best product at the most reasonable price. His company also did a great job. Keep one thing in mind here out of five contractors that I gave the opportunity to bid the job. Only three showed up and from them I only got two bids. Why didn't I get more bids? Quite frankly I was to busy working at the time and of course the other two guys were always going to show up and that kind of strung me along. My mistake.

Here's the kicker to all of this. Service Magic calls me up one day to tell me they would like to start sending me construction leads as a General Contractor.

I listened to what they had to say and was almost ready to sign up with them again. That's right, I was signed up with them when they first started until they changed the rules on me. The salesman that originally contacted me said if I paid them the 100 dollar sign up fee they would let me pick what jobs I wanted to do. That lasted about 5 months before I noticed that they were not sending me siding referrals to pick from. I called them up only to talk to someone who didn't understand the State Of California Contractors Licensing Board.

Well I wasn't about to reinvent the wheel. I simply told them that I should a least get my money back, right. They said they would look into it further as I never heard from them again about my 100 dollars. Well things have changed at Service Magic since I was with them when they started.
As a home owner you don't think you are paying Service Magic because all you do is fill out a simple form giving some information about yourself.

I found out that Service Magic sent all four of these contractors my original information. Each contractor then had to pay 55 dollars each to Service Magic for a total of 220 dollars. All I have to say is how are they getting away with charging this much money for sending a out a simple referral to these contractors.

The contractor unfortunately passes this expense on to his customers. You as the home owners end up paying these fees as a cost of doing business with them. Some contractors think this is a great way of doing business but you might think differently in the future if you start paying over 100 dollars for a simple construction referral.

Greg Vanden Berge has been in the home building and remodeling business for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information.

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book.

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Wrong With Bible Verse

Exam Stress - How Self Hypnosis Provides Self Help For Exam Nerves

2009-09-03T13:52:00.001-07:00

You may feel excessive exam stress when you are faced with a test. It doesn't matter if the examination is for a certificate, degree or a simple measurement of your knowledge base. You still feel stressed about testing and this can lead to an inability to perform well.

Exam Stress and Your Thoughts

When you have excessive test nerves, you are unable to focus your mind on anything except the anxiety. The feelings of anxiousness flood your brain, making it impossible to concentrate. You can get control of your feelings and automatic nervous responses through self-hypnosis.

As you think about taking an examination, your mind fills with negative thoughts that lead to automatic physical reactions that you know all too well as exam stress when you are about to take a test. Your mind also develops images that work against your success as well.

Visualization and Stressed Testing

Your thoughts lead to images of yourself failing in some shape. You have developed a belief that you will not be able to concentrate because of exam stress. The visualization in your mind produces pictures of your inability to concentrate while being tested.

You have created a very strong self-image of a person who cannot take tests well and this leads to the inevitable exam stress that you feel. You can turn your thoughts and visions to your favor.

Using Self Hypnosis to Change Thoughts

You have the power in your mind to change your thought processes in another direction. This is very difficult to do on a conscious level, especially considering that you have put a lot of thought into making yourself a nervous test at the very thought of an examination.

When you use self-hypnosis, you are bypassing your conscious mind to create a new set of core beliefs that can help you feel calm and focused while you take any examination. The subconscious mind is receptive to believe the new thought patterns you instill deep in your mind.

Changing Your Self-Image

You can also use guided visualization thorough a self-hypnosis CD to help you see yourself successfully taking an examination. Your images shift from anxiety and clouded thoughts to relaxation and focus. These powerful images help you strengthen the belief that you can take tests with great ease.

Test-Taking Success

Your new thinking patterns and relaxed image of yourself create a new belief in your ability to effectively communicate what you have learned clearly when you are asked to do so. This sets of a completely new chain of physical responses that are calm and focused.

You can replace the nausea, nervousness and anxiety with a tenacious desire to express your understanding of various concepts. You have the ability and power necessary to succeed and you can tap into your strengths through self-hypnosis. You don't have to let exam stress stand in the way of your success.

J. Seymour is a writer with Self Help Recordings. 'Study And Exam Success' is an excellent recording by Duncan McColl, based on his decades of experience in powerful and classical clinical therapy. To find out more, visit Exam Stress A range of other self hypnosis products can be found here - Exams Self Help All of the recordings on Self Help Recordings are backed by an impressive sixty day guarantee, so to find out more simply click on the links.

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-09-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

Finding out How Much Things Cost

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

Figuring out the Labor

Give Yourself a Cushion

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

Getting Your Mojo Back

2009-09-03T06:21:00.001-07:00

Motivation can be defined as momentum that stimulates action. It comes from within you. Nobody can "make" you be motivated. It's up to you. So, how do you keep your motivation on a daily basis, and especially during these economically hard times?

First, let's go there and talk about where LACK of motivation comes from and how it manifests itself into your life. Lack of motivation is usually caused by fear and lack of self-confidence. I've seen this so many times when working with under-producing sales professionals. Maybe you've been on a roll. Sales have been great. You've been the "golden players" on the sales team. Maybe you're struggling just to get out of the gate.

All of a sudden somebody or many people say "no." The economic climate changes. You lose a client or maybe more. Prospects dry up. Fear begins to set in about job performance, money, etc. If you are being highly scrutinized because of falling sales, fear and self-confidence set in and begin to spin out of control.

Fear and lack of self-confidence will paralyze you from doing what you need to do to move forward. Where there is fear and lack of self-confidence, there cannot possibly be motivation.

Ok. Enough of that! We all know what LACK of motivation can do. But when you're down there, how to get up again? How do you keep your self-motivated day after day in a tough marketplace full of competition and rejection?

Let me give you 4 steps to recover your motivation, get out of the rut and get your "Mojo" back!

1. Make A List: When you've fallen into a slump you might feel as though you're at the bottom looking up ad you can't dig yourself out. Your thoughts are spinning about all the things you should do, and need to do. It's impossible to figure out what to do and how to do it when your head is spinning! Make a list. Sit down someplace quiet, breathe and write down everything that is spinning around up there. After you've made the list you can then start to prioritize. If sales are down and you need to make 10 sales, the goal is to make sale. Notice I said "a sale" not 10, not 2, not 6. ONE. Whatever your goal is, chunk it out into smaller, more reasonable pieces that will give you success quickly. When you succeed at the first goal that success will spur you on to the next.

2. Post Your Goal: Make your first goal real by putting in front of you. Also, put a positive spin on your goal. Don't just write, "One Sale" or "I need to make one sale." Instead write something like, "I can make one sale." Then post ion your bathroom mirror, on your refrigerator, in your car, in your home office, etc etc. Make this goal your mantra.

3. Don't Quit! Make a list of 4 or 5 ways you can get to your goal. Who do you need to see? What referral do you need? Who in your network can you call on for help? Keep putting one foot ahead of the other, one step at a time. This is the most important step to get where you want to be.

4. Squash Negative Thoughts:. For every negative thought that pops into your head and runs around in there, identify where that thought comes from. For instance, if you are thinking, "I'm a loser."

Who said that to you? Why to you feel that way? When you've identified where the negative thought comes from, select an opposing thought to replace it. Instead of, "I'll never make my sales goal" think I will make my sales goal because sales is a numbers game I know I can win!

Remember that sales is a numbers game. By setting goals and being consistent your Mojo will return and not only will you make your sales goals, you'll beat them! You are a winner. Act as if you are!

Jill Freeman is a dynamic and motivational coach with over 20 years of sales, marketing and business development experience. She has been called "The Go-to Sales and Marketing Maven" by Stacey Kelly, founder and CEO of PM Squared in Houston TX. Jill is the founder of ROAR! Growing Your Business With Pride. She is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Organizational Development. Jill lives in South Central PA with her husband and children. You can learn more about ROAR! by visiting http://www.roarcorps.com

Stair Lighting Problems

2009-09-03T05:17:00.001-07:00

Think safety always and do your best to solve your stair lighting problems as soon as possible to prevent injuries or accidents.

If your looking for some more building stairs or home building ideas.

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

Keeping Your Dreams on a Wire?

2009-09-02T22:55:00.001-07:00

Are you living or acting on your dreams or are your dreams sitting, like birds on a wire waiting on the right moment to take flight? If you do not act on your dreams, or take decisive steps to make your dreams a reality, they will remain dreams; buried deep inside of you. Here are a few suggestions to help your dreams take wings:

Believe in yourself, self-confidence is a key component to success. You know much more than you think you know because you have researched and researched your project.

Business plan: Work on a business plan. There are several free samples readily available or find some who specializes in writing business plans.

Mastermind group: Discuss your plan/idea with a trusted friend, or if you have several good friends form, (or join), a mastermind group where you will discuss ideas and come up with solutions or ideas that may be very workable.

Know your product. Do your homework, what/who is your competition. Know the pros and cons of what you are offering. Find out all you can about similar products. Ensure that your product is exceptional.

Prepare yourself to go the extra mile, offer the best of the best.

Listen to others but make knowledgeable, fact based decisions.

Network, network, network you will gather invaluable information from other entrepreneurs, business owners, managers, coaches and or consultants.

Try, try and try again; seek out different avenues and ways to do what you want to do; success does not always come on the first attempt. Trying several times affords you the opportunity to perfect your craft.

Remember, no one can dream Your dream, therefore no one can make it a reality but you. Do not let anyone, not even you, talk you out of your dream.

Joanna Parris, CSP is a Certified Home Stating Expert, a member of RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) & SEA (Staging Excellence Alliance) she can be reached at effectivestaging@rogers.com.

Home Selling Tips - Best Real Estate Advice Ever

2009-09-02T22:00:00.001-07:00

5. The Interior and exterior walls of the home should be in good shape. Make sure there's no termite damage, wood rot, peeling paint, broken windows or holes in the walls.

These are just a few home selling tips but the most important is to keep the inside and outside of the home clean.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Don't buyers sell a home without checking how the problems with poor home repairs.

Religion Articles

How Do I Get Un-Stuck?

2009-09-02T15:34:00.001-07:00

It's sad to say, but the majority of people in our society are asking themselves this question every day. They feel hopeless when they are looking at their current situation and cannot see a way out. I know because I used to be one of them. Are you still there?

So, what does a person in this situation do? How does the common person get themselves out of this all too common state of life? Well, I can point you to this recourse, or introduce you to that opportunity, but none of those things will change your situation until you first change your mind, or the way your mind looks at situations. If you're still here reading this, then you obviously have the desire to change, but desire is nothing without the action to back it.

You first have to know, not hope it will happen. You have to know, not hope you will succeed. You have to KNOW! You see, until you develop a mind set of knowing, you will be approaching every situation in life from the state of lacking what it is you want. And if you are lacking, then there is doubt. And if there is doubt, there will never be success. But if you know something is already yours, then nothing can stop you from getting it (except you).

So don't lose hope. There are many great opportunities out there for you to get un-stuck. But before I can show you those, you must know that you absolutely can you absolutely will.

Frankie Gomez is a professional marketer and web based business owner. Serious entrepreneurs, who wish to know more about his extremely lucrative opportunity that is taking the industry by storm, please visit http://www.IamTheMasterOfMyFuture.com today. You can also visit http://www.myspace.com/wealthbuilderfrankieg to find out more about Frankie.

Slow Market Home Pricing Advice

2009-09-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

Homes are going to be sold in good markets and bad. When times are good, people often forget that bad times will be coming eventually. During good times, people often get caught up in the hype of the real estate boom. During tough times, houses will be sold eventually, or taken off the market and sold later. If you need to sell the home as soon as possible, for financial or other reasons, you will have to adjust your price with the current market and don't get greedy.

This is the hardest thing for most people to do, lower the price of their home in order to sell it in a slow real estate market. Don't get caught up in the value of your home, six months or even a year ago. Last year's prices are not going to be this year's prices and you need to get that through your thick skull. If the average homes in your neighborhood are selling for $250,000 and you have a swimming pool or done some upgrades, maybe a room addition. Your home is going to be worth more than the average selling price.

Most real estate professionals will price your home according to the length of time you have to sell it. If you're in a hurry to sell, they don't have time to test the market. The price of your home would need to be competitive or lower than homes selling in the area. Whether homes are selling fast in a good market for selling slow in a bad market, if you have time, you can ask a little bit more for your home. If the market hasn't reached the bottom, waiting could actually hurt you, because the prices of the homes in the area would still be dropping.

Listen to your real estate professionals advice when pricing your home. That's what you're hiring them for, they are in the real estate business. Your neighbors, relatives, friends and people you work with, will probably be guessing if you asked for their opinion on pricing your house.

Your house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Finding that person is the key to selling your home, finding that person as soon as possible could give you the illusion that you sold your home to cheap. Don't worry about it, your final objective is to sell the house.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If you really think your home is safe, check out these pictures about home water damage.

Will All Men Ever Hate Jesus

Thinking on Prosperity and Abundance - Self-Help Lesson - Learn From the Dubai Dilemma

2009-09-02T08:08:00.001-07:00

There has probably not been a bigger symbol or abundance and prosperity as Dubai since Roman times. Dubai has become a playground for the World's Super Rich. It's like the equivalent of Disney Land. Where did all that abundance and prosperity come from? Well, fortunately a lot of the World Wealth has come from free-enterprise and those who've built businesses that provide to the world.

In Dubai's case much of the money came from oil profits and loans based on those future profits. Right now oil prices are down and will not go back up for a while, worse banks have stopped lending, construction has stopped, housing is crashing, and it's all falling apart. This should be a lesson to individuals to not borrow more than they know they can pay back in the future.

True prosperity and abundance is not borrowed, it is solid, and its foundation is without question. This is not the case in Dubai and it is a lesson you must learn and learn to live by. Earned abundance, wealth, and prosperity is a sign of strength. Unfortunately, a lot of wealth attained has not come from performance, entrepreneurs, or their superstar heritage; but rather from luck, manipulation, and theft without ever having been earned. This is a problem.

Build abundance in your life; build it on a foundation of integrity, strength of character, and not on borrowed time or future trappings. When you borrow money to buy the illusion of prosperity and abundance you do a disservice to yourself, your family, and you'll never respect those things you have. Don't do it like Dubai, don't pretend and live a lie. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. More on Lance Winslow; http://concretewashguys.com/wacotexas.shtml

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

2009-09-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, the first homes you would look at, were owned by the real estate professional you were working with.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Find other real estate tips and great advice, from another one of the Internet's best website creators.

If I Hate My Brother

Real Help For Out Of Control Anger

2009-09-02T00:25:00.001-07:00

It is very easy to get angry, with the way the world is today. Most people have stress levels off the charts due to family, work, social problems, and worst of all, financial and debt issues. With everything that is on your plate, it's no wonder that most days you feel like screaming and ranting until things finally start to make sense. So, what can be done to soothe your raging spirit and bring calm to your life when everything feels so out of your control? Anger management is a collection of techniques and methods that are designed to help you learn to better control your anger and feel more at peace with the world around you. The following four anger management methods will give you the information you need to help you decide how and where to get help.

Relaxation Therapy Since stress and the feelings of pressure are often the leading reasons for uncontrollable anger. The best way to curb this type of anger is through relaxation therapy. Relaxation helps reduce stress levels and allows you to better control your anger. One of the most common relaxation technique is meditation. Meditation is focused breathing often accompanied by a specific and meaningful word or phrase repeated under your breath. This word or phrase is also called a Mantra and frequently represents something important to your life.

Aromatherapy has more recently become a favorite way for people to relax and relieve stress. By adding a scent to your bathwater, floating to candlelight and maybe reading a good book or listening to soothing music, you will be able to feel your tension melt away.

Many people also find exercise, particular yoga, to be relaxing in a meditative way. Not only does yoga relieve stress, it also helps you get into shape. I know looking good improves my attitude!

Support Groups When your stress levels are high and your anger is out of control, you can feel lonely, scared and isolated. As if you are the most horrible person in the world and the only one who can't handle your anger. Joining a support group can show you that there are many, many people who struggle with the same anger problems that you do. If you are shy or just prefer not seeking out a support group in the "real world", the Internet offers assistance through forums and chat rooms. On the Internet you can enjoy the feeling of belonging that you need while still getting the feeling of anonymity that you want.

Self-Help Books Maybe you are the type of person who learns best through reading. Self-help books for anger management can discuss many different ways to analyze your problem with anger and get to the root of your issues. Some of the other methods discussed in this article will be discussed in more thorough detail and other methods will be introduced. Many anger management self-help books were written by medical professionals (mostly psychologists) and can effectively help you cope with your out of control anger.

It is important to note that it is net recommended to only use self-help books to treat anger. Reading a book can only help so much and should be combined with other methods for treating anger management.

Therapy If you feel that your anger is seriously out of control and you may be a danger to yourself or others in a fit of rage, you should enlist the help of a professional mental health counselor. A counselor will talk with you about your anger, try to determine the root, and introduce you to the most effective techniques in controlling anger. Therapy isn't only a last resort for anger management; it is a good option for people who have only mild anger problems too. Anyone who believes they could benefit from talking to a professional about their anger should go ahead and schedule an appointment without fearing judgment.

http://www.livingmybigdream.com
http://hubpages.com/hub/Anger-Managment

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

2009-09-01T23:46:00.001-07:00

Most of the time, the first homes you would look at, were owned by the real estate professional you were working with.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Find other real estate tips and great advice, from another one of the Internet's best website creators.

Will All Men Ever Hate Jesus

How to Write Inspirational Articles for Newsletters

2009-09-01T16:51:00.001-07:00

Inspirational articles were once limited to self-help and religious publications, but they are just about everywhere now. (Think about those wildly popular Chicken Soup books or most of the stories in Reader's Digest, for example.) Inspirational articles can be very useful in newsletters, because they make a human connection between the newsletter publisher and the reader.

Well-written inspirational articles move people emotionally and motivate them to do something or to make a change of some sort. Nonprofit organizations can use these articles to motivate readers to volunteer, write letters of support, or make a donation. Businesses can use inspirational articles to create a positive public image, build brand loyalty, and encourage repeat business.

Good inspirational articles have five characteristics.

1. They are personal.

Inspirational articles are all about the power of personal connections. They should include very personal stories about real people's lives. Don't shy away from the emotion, as strong and powerful feelings are central to good inspirational articles. You aren't speaking to your readers' minds with these articles; you are speaking to their hearts and souls.

2. They involve an emotional struggle or challenging decision.

Clearly describe the struggles, obstacles, or difficult choices that the people in your article have faced. How did they recognize the problem, deal with it, and overcome it?

3. They paint a scene.

Help your readers visualize what the people in your story went through. Describe the physical locations where the events took place. But dont stop there. Appeal to your readers senses of smell, sound, taste, and touch.

4. They include a universal message.

Inspirational articles usually end with an epiphany. They enlighten us or remind us about the essential nature or meaning of some element of our daily lives. These are often very simple lessons -- the importance of family and friends, the joy in giving, the danger in stereotypes, or the value in facing our fears, for example.

5. They are true.

Your inspirational articles must always be true. It is OK to change the names or locations; just state that you have done so. Making up stories to play on your readers' emotions is unacceptable. If you are caught telling lies, you will destroy any trust your readers had in you and your organization.

What would make a good inspirational article for your organization? Think about the stories from work that you tell your friends and family. Consider interviewing a person whose life or work has changed dramatically as a result of your organization. The moments that inspire you to do the work you do will likely inspire your newsletter readers too.

Kivi Leroux Miller is president of Writing911.com, which provides free writing advice, tip sheets, e-courses, and in-person workshops for people who need to write well at work. She specializes in providing guidance to nonprofit organizations on newsletters, annual reports, and other publications. Visit http://www.Writing911.com to sign up for "Writing Tips," a free monthly e-newsletter that will help you improve your writing and your publications.

Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

2009-09-01T16:23:00.001-07:00

Well I'm going to start this article with a little information on a job I did once.

To repair the rental property I had to remove the damaged drywall, remove the carpeting, dry the wood framing out and put the whole thing back together.

I'm still amazed and will remember that project for as long as I live.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

Are Christians Really Interested

Fighting Depression - You Can Be Happy Again

2009-09-01T09:33:00.001-07:00

When we're in a depressed state, it seems as if it's never going to end. But everything changes over time. We can facilitate the rapidity of a change to more positive territory through actions of our own, such as those suggested below. No matter how bad things might be, or get, you always have hope. And you have God or a higher power too, if you believe in that. In any event, it's always good to know that you're not alone. Have someone else to turn to and to lean on when you need to.

1. See Your Doctor
This is important to determine if your depression has a physical cause or whether a referral is needed to a trained psychiatrist or other mental health professional. Sometimes people say, "I've been there already and it didn't help." My suggestion is to try someone else. Every counselor is not good, nor are they all suitable for us. Just keep at it until you find someone who can help.

2. Don't Try To Go It Alone
Talk with trusted family members and friends who you can rely upon to keep your confidences. Don't feel like a burden. What goes around in life often comes around. You can be there for them in the future when they need some help.

3. Take The Focus Off of Yourself
Thinking about your problems 25 hours a day is not helpful. Maybe you can't always get help, but you can always give it. It will help renew your own self-esteem when you see the power you have helping someone else. It also puts your own problems into perspective. Doing this is an important step to getting yourself out of the woods to the point where you can see a clearing ahead that you can keep walking toward. It's ok to crawl sometimes too. Just keep your head up and keep moving in the right direction.

4. Just Do The Next Thing
Sometimes depression can immobilize us to the point where we seem overwhelmed by everything and can't seem to get ourselves to do anything. Just do the very next thing. Don't worry about tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. Just do the next thing. If you're depressed when you get up, then wash your face. Then brush your teeth, then get a shower, then get dressed, then put on the coffee,then do the dishwasher, etc, etc. One thing at a time. Just do the next thing and don't think about anything else until you're finished that. Then decide what the next thing is to do. After a while you're going to see that you are staying active and getting things done. Staying active is a big help because it takes your mind off of you and substitutes accomplishments, even if they are very modest, for obsessing about your problems.

5. Get Out!
Don't stay in the house. Get out and take a walk, go to the mall, volunteer, or ask someone to go to lunch or dinner with you. It is very important to stay busy at night. Many people can deal with things during the day when they are busier, but nights can be very lonely. Whenever you feel tired, take a short nap and stay up at night until you feel tired enough to go to sleep without a struggle. Sleep helps.

6. Self-Help Reading
This should be a lifetime habit. There are research tested ways for people to be happier. One I would particularly call to your attention in dealing with depression is written by Dr. Gordon Livingston M.D., a practicing psychiatrist, who wrote the national best seller: Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart. It contains many positive suggestions for dealing with depression.

7. Prayer and/or Meditation
Both provide the opportunity to stop and reflect and to enable us to gain perspective again.

8. Make The Most of Your Unfinished Life
Think about others and be kinder. If being happier by being kinder and taking the emphasis off of ourselves sounds like mumbo-jumbo to you, here's what famed intellectual and philosopher Aldous Huxley had to say about it:

"People often asked me what is the most effective technique for transforming their life. It is a little embarrassing that after years and years of research and experimentation, I have
to say that the best answer is - just be a little kinder."

Virtually all positive psychologists say too that true gratification in life is found not in focusing on ourselves and our egos, or by basing our life on material things, but in the service of something higher. Pick something that's meaningful to you. It will improve your self-esteem, and provide you with the peace of mind,personal fulfillment and happiness you seek.

Larry Danks is an Assistant Professor of Business at Camden County College in New Jersey. He has written five books including Your Unfinished Life which is available through Amazon.com (Discount Price: $13.45), Barnes & Noble, and all major booksellers. It contains dozens of inspiring and motivating quotations to help you. Samples from each chapter and reviews of the book are available by visiting:http://www.YourUnfinishedLife.com

I have also compiled an excellent list of recommended books about happiness in my "Ezine Articles" article: "Happiness 101".

Success Starting in Your 40s

2009-09-01T08:46:00.001-07:00

You're going to find it hard to believe, but very seldom does an individual peak with creativity until they reach the age of 40. The average individual usually makes the most money between the age of 40 and 60. This doesn't have anything to do with retirement. Most highly creative people keep producing until they die.

If you're 55 years old and looking for a new career or can't seem to find a job in the profession you have worked at your whole life, don't be alarmed or fearful. Do you think you could start your own business? Is there something, you have always wanted to do but have put it off until retirement, or until you had enough time to do it?

Why wait, if you can't find a job in a business you never truly enjoyed, maybe you can find a new job doing something you love.

I have worked in construction for 30 years and at 44 years old started to pursue a career in writing and plan to create award winning websites and best selling books, for the rest of my life. This doesn't mean, I won't work in construction ever again, but I will become a best selling author within the next 20 years.

Most people don't take the time required to learn a new profession. If you're sincerely interested in another career, and you're 50 years old, there is plenty of people out there to give you hope and inspiration.

If you would like some proof, here's a couple successful American businessman who succeeded after the age of 40. Henry Ford is probably one of the most popular and became extremely successful after the age of 40. Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialists who transformed the steel business and did not start reaping the rewards of his efforts until he was well past the age of 40.

I gathered this information from the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. There is a section in the book where he talks about people after the age of 40 with phenomenal success. Anyone who's interested in gaining wealth through spirituality or finances should read this book.

I've often heard the statement, "People Often Over Estimate What They Can Do in a Year and Often Underestimate What They Can Do in a Decade." If you want to accomplish something after the age of 40, I would advise you to start with a plan and then put that plan and the action. Your plan could take five to 15 years to achieve or longer but think about the rewards, whether spiritual or financial.

Gregory Vanden Berge is working to promote personal development ideas and spiritual reform. He has started a web site for videos and articles based on current information about subject he is very familiar with.

"Education has freed me, to pursue other ideas and release me from the bondage and fear of organized religion."

Gregory Vanden Berge

Are Christians Really Interested

52 Ways to Live a Better Life by Shadonna Richards

2009-09-01T02:16:00.001-07:00

Infinity Publishing (2009)

ISBN 9780741451675

Shadonna Richards, a Canadian registered nurse, freelance writer and former newspaper columnist, has put together a simple but concise book on how to live a better life. As a nurse working with terminally ill cancer patients, who are told they have only six months to live, she was inspired to write empowering words of wisdom. Richards also interviewed many individuals for her newspaper columns, thus compiling inspirational stories to encourage us to look at our own lives, makes changes as necessary, and to live a fulfilled life. Although her resources are Canadian, the concept of her book is global and I'm sure readers will find similar resources in their respective countries and areas.

"A Gift of Hope" is designed to be used as a workbook, with each week having an exercise to be done daily. For example, the first week starts with "Stay Mentally Fit." The text talks about the stresses in our lives and then gives exercises. The first exercise for the first week is to "Identify, then rectify." Richards says "A crucial part of any solution is locating the problem. Do worries keep you up at night? Go directly to the source of your tension." The second exercise for the first week is "Detox Your Mind." Richards says "We always have a choice. We can choose to dwell on being hopeless in situations or dwell on having hope."

The second week covers "Dare to Dream: Believe that Anything is Possible" and captures president-elect Barrack Obama's "Yes We Can" powerful slogan. Using his story and his dreams, Richards iterates that our dreams can become reality if we persist and believe.

Other weeks cover topics like: Understand That Money Isn't Everything, Reach out to those in Need, and Be the Friend You Desire to Have. For the purpose of this review I didn't have the opportunity to test the system for a full 52 weeks; however, being a student and teacher of transformation, I know it works. Shadonna Richards has provided a book, "A Gift of Hope," to take us to a higher level of consciousness, a place where we can manage our personal lives with ease and contentment.

http://www.readerviews.com/

Developing Wealth Building Habits

2009-09-01T01:21:00.001-07:00

If you want to be successful, you need mentors or in other words find people that have succeeded. These people can include the ultra rich like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, but don't forget about the people around you that have created good wealth building habits.

Some of the people have great advice and will need to be listened to very intently, while others need to be put on a list and never spoken to again. If you're going to be developing wealth building habits, you're going to need some advice from wealthy people. Let me make myself clear, when I'm talking about developing wealth building habits, I'm not talking about spiritual, knowledge, Biblical or religious wealth. I'm talking about making money, as much money as you desire or feel you need.

Wealth building habits start with you. Ask yourself this question "how bad do I want or desire wealth?" Really, really, really bad or are you the kind of person that would like to be rich, but that's as far as it goes. Developing any of these habits does not include sleeping in until 11 o'clock in the morning and then complaining the rest of the day about your finances.

Bill Gates used to work 16 hours a day. How many days a week did he do that? These are the questions you're going to find the answers to. If you're interested in making $50 million, you need to find someone who can teach you, how to make $50 million.

It won't be necessary to contact Warren Buffett but I would advise you to gather as much information about him as possible. Wealth building habits start with learning about wealthy people. If they get up at four o'clock in the morning and read the newspaper until six o'clock, then exercise for 30 minutes and start working at seven o'clock, you need to start doing this also. Developing good wealth building habits over time are what most successful businessman and women have been doing for years. Study their habits and start changing yours.

If you do something every day, it will usually become a habit within 30 days.

Greg is currently working on a self help video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Using Words In The Bible Effecti

Self-Awareness - The 3 Keys to Achievement - Attitude, Action and Acknowledgment

2009-08-31T18:47:00.001-07:00

"Learn to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want." ~Anonymous
Most people want to achieve success but it is important to be mindful that the definition of success may be different for each individual. In order to achieve what you want there are three important elements - attitude, actions and acknowledgments.

Attitude

The first step is to assess your attitude and how it helps or hinders your achievements. If negative beliefs keep popping up, it generally results in an unproductive outcome. Negative thinking can consist of constant worry, "what if" scenarios or not trusting yourself to manage and cope. Constant negativity tends to block creativity. When you assume the worst it is hard to think and complete things. Have you ever had one of those days when doubt keeps cropping up. Eg. "I'll never complete this project on time." or " I don't think my boss believes I am capable." With these kinds of thoughts on your mind, how effective will you be in completing your work?

A positive attitude contributes to a belief that you have the ability to handle situations. It does not mean that you always have a "happy, nothing can bother me attitude", but rather when stuff happens you are able to deal with it. You want to make sure that you do not magnify the positive and minimize the negative and thereby don't see the reality of a situation. As you move up the career ladder you will need to be able to accurately assess both the positives and negatives and then make decisions.

Actions

Actions are your behaviors, the things you do which move you toward your goals. Taking action is an important step towards achievement. People sometimes assume that only big things count as taking action. However it is often the small, steady actions which contribute to you reaching your goals.

Inaction is paradoxically a form of action. If you have difficulty or avoid making decisions because you want to be sure you only do the "right" thing, you often end up doing nothing. You may also choose to do nothing because you have determined that it is the right decision at the time.

Sometimes fear may prevent you from doing or trying things that will lead you toward achievement. Perhaps you have a fear of public speaking, but you need to develop the skill in order to move your career or business forward. It would be important to begin to take small action steps, doing things that will make you more comfortable with speaking in public.

Maybe you have difficulty saying "no" which results in you constantly taking on additional assignments leading to being overwhelmed. Your action might be to begin saying "no" or a variation of "no." This might be something such as, "that would mean two projects to be completed at the same time, which would you like me to work on?" or "In order to do that I would have to delegate some of my other work. Is that OK with you?"

Acknowledgments

Paying attention to what you have completed or accomplished and expressing gratitude for what you have and towards others are powerful strategies for moving you forward in your life.

There may be people you know who have difficulty accepting a compliment. They might either ignore or minimize it. This generally relates to someone's self image. If you do not consider yourself "worthy" of positives then you tend to discard them. This may be a remnant from childhood when perhaps you received a lot of criticism. It is important to remember when you disregard positive feedback, you are conveying a message of disrespect towards the person who is offering it.

Acknowledging and expressing appreciations is also important. Walking down the street and saying hello to people, holding a door open or saying thank you are small ways of acknowledging others. When you do things for others or have them done for you, how does it impact your mood?

Evaluate your definition of success. The three components of achieving the life you desire are your attitude, your actions and acknowledgments. Perhaps now is a good time to become more aware of how you use these qualities in your daily life.

Visit http://www.actualizeyourgoals.com for more tips and information on communication skills and developing positive business and personal relationships. You can also subscribe to the monthly newsletter, Actualize Your Goals.

Creating Your Electricity

2009-08-31T17:51:00.001-07:00

Creating your own electricity and generating your own power has always been one of my dreams. Having a self sufficient home, not only a house that takes care of itself by generating its own electricity through windmills or solar panels but the satisfaction knowing that no matter what happens to the electrical companies you will always have electricity at your home.

What a wonderful feeling it would be to get a check back from the utility company instead of paying them every single month. I don't know about you but my utility bills are ridiculous and seemed to be going up in price constantly. I can't believe all the fees they have been charging for years to all of their customers. If you add all the fees for every person in the city or county this comes to a large, a very large number and it's getting worse not better.

Generating your own electricity with solar or wind power is definitely green thinking. This is going to be the wave of the future as fuel used to create electricity continues to rise in price. I really can't imagine what the price of electricity is going to be like in 10 years as the mass consumption continues to rise in developing countries.

We have got to start taking care of our own needs through solar or wind power. We have got to start creating our own electricity to become self reliant. The more self reliant we become as a nation the less dependent we will be on major corporations, especially large power conglomerates.

Creating our own electricity can also be used for electrical cars that can be purchased in the future. Think of the money you will say in fuel costs as the price of gasoline continues to increase as well as less pollution into our environment.

This is definitely the wave of the future and common sense tells us this. I suggest you read this article again if you haven't figured out some of the problems coming our way in the future.

Think green and together we can start saving the planet.

While searching for new alternatives and trying to get some advice on creating your own electricity I came across a book you can purchase in digital format. This book seems to have quite a bit of information on creating your own electricity for a totally self sufficient home.

This book has been created in digital format to reduce the consumption of trees and the waste involved in creating a regular book. What a wonderful idea for helping our environment in quite a few ways.

For more information visit http://www.gregvan.com and look for Get Earth4Energy Here Create your own electricity! Save 1000's with Earth4Energy

Impact Of Christian Mentors

Sports Psychology - How to Build Self-Confidence - 4 Things Parents, Coaches and Athletes Must Know

2009-08-31T11:24:00.001-07:00

There are many text books, self-help books, journal articles and magazine articles on building self-concept, self confidence and self-esteem. Because I coach many athletes, I tend to spend a lot of time helping these clients to strengthen their self-confidence.

However, believing in one self is useful and important for just about everyone. It is important for Barack Obama. It is important for kids. And it is probably important for you.

Over the years, I have studied and developed many strategies and techniques for helping people to believe in themselves. When people feel positively about themselves, they tend to grow and they are better able to have rich and fulfilling lives.

Dr. Albert Bandura, of Stanford University, identified four components or life experiences which contribute to building one's self-confidence.

Mastery Experiences-Having a history of doing well at some event, some skill or some task can help to grow your confidence in yourself. So, it is useful to remind yourself of times when you felt you mastered some task or some skill.

Vicarious Learning-Seeing someone else who you can relate to do well at something or succeed at something can help you to believe that you, too, can succeed. A child seeing his friend hit a baseball can start to believe that he can put his bat on the ball with some power too.

Modeling Someone Who Inspires You-When you see someone who you admire do something well, you can imitate his or her actions. Watching a singer perform a song brilliantly can inspire a young artist to do the same thing. This "modeling" can help to grow your self-confidence.

Social Persuasion-Receiving encouraging words from a parent, a coach or someone you trust can help you to feel like you can do something successfully. This, too, can strengthen your self-confidence.

People who do not get any of these kinds of experiences are likely to have little or no self-confidence.

So, if you want to build self-confidence in yourself, in someone you care about or your child, consider facilitating one or all of these kinds experiences. If you do, confidence can build in a short period of time.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com. His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America's Top Ten Mental Gurus. He was recently featured in a documentary film on long distance running. Dr. Granat writes a weekly column for three newspapers. He just released a new program for bowlers.

Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

2009-08-31T10:14:00.001-07:00

Nails versus screws who will become the winner. When drywall first came out the installers used everything from regular steel nails to galvanized roofing nails. After a short amount of time they started to develop major problems from nails popping out of the finished drywall.

Nail popping results when the nail is driven into moist lumber and as the lumber shrinks the house settles and nail can actually pop out to the walls. Hard to imagine the nail could actually pop out of the drywall as the wood was drying out.

How far the nail would actually pop out was determined by how far it was driven in to the framing studs or ceiling joists. Well pretty soon drywall installers started to use ring shank nails to eliminate this problem. This worked great but these nails were hard to drive in and would often break.

As time went on the nails improved and were made out of galvanized metal with cupped shaped heads and came in a few different sizes. The size of the nail used was determined by the thickness of the drywall. These new nails worked great and had good holding power and eliminated a lot of nail popping.

Using nails means driving them in with a hammer. If you miss the nail you damage the drywall. This seemed to be a big problem and was virtually eliminated with the screws.

Well pretty soon people started using screws which had greater holding power and pretty much nail popping. Another advantage to using screws over nails is the simple fact you need less screws than you do nails to attach the drywall to the metal or wood framing.

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

There is one problem with the screws and that is they have to be set perfectly. They can not break the paper surface on the drywall but have to be set enough into the drywall so that it can be finished properly. Most screw guns have an adjustable setting used to get just the right depth for the screws installed in the drywall. But this also was a problem when screwing into a hard piece of wood you can actually snapped the screw head off, strip the screw head or break the screw.

Nails on the other hand can bend while driving them into a hard surface.

Who wins the nails versus screws while installing drywall? I have got to give it to the screws. That doesn't mean the nails just got screwed or the screws just got nailed.

I couldn't resist. I actually preferred the screws over the nails except for when nailing the drywall corner bead on. Some drywall professionals use nails to hang the drywall and go back with a screw gun and some screws to finish the job. The nails sometimes seem handier than the screws when installing the drywall.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Home Improvement

Nothing Will Be Impossible

3 Steps to Make Your Dreams a Reality - Make Your Dreams Come True

2009-08-31T03:44:00.001-07:00

I am in the process of looking for a house. How exciting, how exhilarating, how exasperating-depending on what I choose it to be. Making such a large purchase and significant decision in my life brings up an old story-the one I tell myself about not deserving or being able to afford what I really want. When I found myself saying to a stranger in the grocery store, "This is where I want to live, but I can't really afford it," I realized I needed to change my story.

The story you choose to tell, whether it is about buying a house, starting a new relationship, having a child-or whatever dreams or goals you're working toward-is true, because you make it true at some level of consciousness. We initially create our stories because we think they will protect us, but in the end they merely limit us, keeping us stuck. How empowering it is to know that our thoughts (stories) create our reality and we get to choose them!

Here are three steps to help you choose your new story:

Visualize it.
In your mind's eye, see exactly what you want and be very specific about what it looks like, feels like, even smells like. My perfect house is a bright, open, historically restored bungalow centrally located with a fenced backyard and walking distance to a park and coffee shop.

Tell it.
You anchor your new story by telling as many people as possible, with at least one new person every day. With each person I tell about my perfect house, I get clearer, so I will recognize it when I see it.

Act on it.
The first two steps are lost if you don't take action. I look for homes in neighborhoods I want to live in. I preview homes that meet my specifications and price range.

Keep visualizing your new story, telling it as many times as possible in a day, and then take action-even just a small step-to start making it a real part of you, ingrained at your very cellular level.

What do you want to change your current story about? Is it a relationship, your financial situation, job, or health and fitness? Follow these steps and let me know how it changes your life when you change your story. And I'll let you know when I move into my perfect house.

Diane Sieg is a sought after keynote speaker and wellness author, who has spoken to thousands of men and women in health care, sales, and education. Diane empowers people to breakthrough and take care of themselves before they break down.

Installing a 32 Inch Back Door

2009-08-31T02:57:00.001-07:00

He got the extra money in his pocket, you got a headache.

I'm a contactor and learned this lesson in a long time ago.

When building a new home most people don't give very much thought about their interior or exterior doors. Here's a simple chart I made to help with some basic door decisions.

If you are a professional football or basketball player don't use these numbers above.

Give some thought when installing a new door on your next project and keep some of the above tips in mind..

If you are designing a home give some thought to the stairways and hallways in the home as well.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Bay Window Ideas

Christian Articles

Dream Big - Self Help Tips

2009-08-30T20:29:00.001-07:00

If you are going to dream you might as well dream big. Too many people want to play it safe. You have to have enough confidence or belief in yourself to take a chance. No one ever became successful by playing it safe. Playing it safe will get you just that, safe. If you want the big pay off you have to take the big risks. You have to be able to dream big and plan to fail. Everywhere you look there are examples of this. Let me share just one story of many. We all know who Rocky is or should we say Sylvester Stallone.

If you don't know his story it is one to be respected. Rocky/Sly as most people call him, had a dream. He wanted to make it in Hollywood. He wanted to be a famous movie actor. So he wrote this thing called a screenplay about this kid named rocky that had a dream to make something of his life. Sly packed up everything he had into his broken down station wagon and headed off to Hollywood. When he arrived in Hollywood he started to shop around his script. Everywhere he went people turned him down. Many even scoffed at him. Then one day a big movie producer said they would buy the script and offered Sly a million dollars for it.

The only catch was they were going to hire someone else to play the part of Rocky. He turned it down. At that time he had no money, was living in his car and someone just offered him a million dollars and he turned it down! Why, because it wasn't his dream. It wasn't about the money. You see he wasn't just dreaming, Sly was dreaming big. He could've played it safe and took the million dollars but fast-forward a bit. Someone eventually did buy the script with the conditions he wanted and he did play the role of Rocky. He was also the 1st actor to demand 20 million dollars a movie and the rest is history.

Oh, by the way I had a small role in the movie Rocky V so I did get to meet him and Sylvester Stallone, in my opinion, is a true leader, difference maker, and a Champion.

And by the way, he really does talk like that... "Yo Adrian" LOL

Sylvester Stallone wasn't afraid to dream big, he wasn't afraid to fail.

Are you willing to dream big?

Are you willing to fail?

Real is an expert at helping people achieve their dreams & Goals.

You might recognize him as Lt. Taggert from the ABC Show General Hospital.

http://www.realandrews.com

http://www.realmlmsolutions.com

"THERE IS NO SUCH WORD AS CAN'T!"

"Oh by the way. YOU are a CHAMPION!"

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-08-30T19:24:00.001-07:00

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

Finding out How Much Things Cost

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

Figuring out the Labor

Give Yourself a Cushion

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Does God Make Mistakes

Persuasion Techniques

2009-08-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

Don't you just envy how some people seem to get their way more often than not? These people always seem to have all the right words and all the right moves. However, if you take the time to actually study these people, you may be surprised to discover that they have more than just a few persuasion techniques in common.

These persuasion techniques allow them to easily get people to their side and persuade others to their way of thinking. And if you read the rest of this article, you too will be able to tap into this extraordinary power.

Know your audience

As wonderful as it would be to just magically convince another person to share your views, life doesn't quite work that way. You have to know where your audience is coming from in order for you to know which angle you can best appeal to.

If you're dealing with somebody who is more emotional, you can actually use feelings to plead your case. The chances of your success will definitely increase.

Turn weaknesses into strengths

During a job interview orientation, one of the moderators gave me a very helpful advice. She said that when asked for your weaknesses, try to position your statement into something more positive. Instead of, "I'm very shy and soft spoken," you can say, "I'm currently working on my communication skills."

By using persuasion techniques like this, you don't run the risk of scaring your customers away. In fact, they will be delighted to hear somebody with such a positive outlook on life.

Cite the positive facts

Naturally, you would want to tell your audience what the benefits are. People are generally happy to learn what they can gain from something.

You're not going to lie or make up stories. Those do not fall under persuasion techniques. When you persuade, you have to be certain that all your facts are true. Otherwise, your lies will come back to haunt you.

Even when you don't have magic on your side, these persuasion techniques will certainly help you win your audience over. Just follow these basic steps and you'll soon be able to talk your way through anything!

Discover how you can use the psychology of persuasion to change behaviors and influence anyone to your way of thinking! Get a FREE course that reveals groundbreaking persuasion secrets at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/secrets.htm

Slow Market Home Pricing Advice

2009-08-30T11:55:00.001-07:00

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If you really think your home is safe, check out these pictures about home water damage.

Are Christians Really Interested

Choosing Subliminal CDs Or Mp3s - The Real Deal For Self Help

2009-08-30T05:44:00.001-07:00

It is a sad, but true, fact that there are people in business in society who are less than 100% honest and ethical in many sectors of our struggling economy. They don't need to look very far to find trusting individuals who will spend hard-earned money in exchange for promises of prosperity, health or improvement; happiness, success and even miracles! In our experience within the self-help world, we have encountered both- some genuine, and others who turn out to be selfish, aggressive organizations that are good at promising great things to good people who just need a little motivation or tools to meet their own particular challenges. Some products may be inferior; and in the case of subliminal audio, it can be hard to distinguish between effective and ineffective producers. But, as in any other market, ours requires a commitment to quality, dedication to our trade and exceptional customer service in order to prove to our customers that we are for real.

Just because subliminal audio cannot be consciously heard and evaluated easily does not mean that potential clients are helpless in the choosing process. Contrary, we invite you to shop and compare. There are company that will help walk you through the process, since not many are familiar with the technologies involved in digital, subliminal audio files and discs.

If you are considering the use of such a product, for whatever reason, there are some details you should know first. For example, who designed and created the content that you are trusting to 'whisper in your ear?' Are they qualified to compose and mix the audio that you will be using to influence your subconscious mind? This is important! Which type of subliminal messages are you buying? There are several. Is the seller open and willing to share and interact with you on an individual level? Are they discrete with regard to your choice of product and your personal data? Are they overcharging you? Do you have access to reviews from others who have tried the same products, and are these testimonials genuine? Do you have a variety of choices to make for each product? These factors and others are critical to your experience and success.

If you choose music as your preferred background, can you hear a sample first? Does your prospective provider offer nature sounds, ocean waves or Silent Subliminal technology? If so, do you know how to decide which is best for you? Again, if you make the right choices before using these excellent tools, you have a better chance at beating that fear or phobia, sleeping better or changing unwanted habits. Whatever your desire in real results might be, selecting the right tool in this quest is like any other task- it can really make the difference in your future success. It's up to you to choose wisely in such an important endeavor!

Some producers of subliminal self-help audio claim to stack hundreds of audio tracks for a simultaneous experience- that the subconscious can supposedly hear each instance, using the Law of Repetition to effectively brainwash the subject by volume. We don't subscribe to this method at all. In fact your unconscious mind is much smarter than that and if it detects such a trick, forget it- all bets are off, your suggestibility factor will shut down every time. Another outdated method used by some self-help companies is hiding their subliminal verbal content with volume; the loudness of the background music or sound, or noise, is higher than the words that may or may not be consciously heard at times. Subliminal audio uses the inaudible frequency 16.5 KHz which cannot be heard by the human ear, but the subconscious definitely hears it. That is also why silent subliminal tracks are now possible, with no music or audible sounds of any kind.

Music is important, though; in most cases, it is the best background to keep your conscious mind interested in following through with listening to each entire track (repeatedly). After performing an extensive survey of people interested in self help audio, we decided to go with New Age music as our background of choice. It is beautiful, inspirational, and it evokes deep emotions for the greatest percentage of the population. This serves to create a positive experience for the listener, making it most attractive for the subconscious to accept the subliminal message on each hidden 'silent' track. Those who reject New Age are welcome to select ocean wave sounds or silent subliminal, with which you can play other music on another device to enhance your experience if you like. Just turn the volume up on the silent subliminal CD or digital track in this instance. You will not consciously hear it, but your inner self will!

If you have ever considered attending a motivational seminar, hypnosis or pro therapy, for any reason -performance enhancement, habit improvement, or success and wealth- you might want to try our subliminal audio first- because, It's All self-Help Anyway (IASHA)! And again, feel free to research for yourself; creative visualization really works to make each of us happier, healthier and more successful.

Yes, that's what each of our futures depends upon- creative visualization. Nobody ever created a fulfilling, satisfactory life without first dreaming about it. Once you define the details, deeply, and believe in them, your subconscious will get you there by inner determination. Sprudio Subliminal Audio may well be the most effective, economical tool to get you motivated and keep you that way- never, ever give up!

For more resource and subliminal cds and mp3s visit Sprudio website. For more then 4 years we helped people understand their inner behavior.

It's All self-Help Anyway http://www.sprudio.net

Dangers Using Wood Stair Cleats - New Stair Construction

2009-08-30T04:23:00.001-07:00

If you're walking up a set of stairs and a stair step feels loose, contact the owner of the property and let them know, they have a problem with their staircase.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more stair building books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Nothing Will Be Impossible

How to Achieve Your Goals by Using Simple Proven Steps

2009-08-29T22:13:00.001-07:00

Do you want to be rich? Do you want to live the kind of lifestyle you always wanted? Do you want to achieve the great success you always dream of? In fact, achieving great success is not as complicated as you might think. As long as you have the desire and willing to take the necessary action, it is possible for you to achieve what you want in your life.

If you are serious and truly want to achieve your goals, here are some simple and proven steps that you can follow right away...

1. You must be visionary and know what you want in your future. Many people live a mediocre life; they struggle through life without ever knowing why. The only reason for this is that they do not know what they really want in their life. Do you have dreams? Do you know what your goals are? Do you know what have any targets in your life? Knowing what you want is the first step to achieving it. You cannot hit a target that you cannot see.

2. Once you know what you want, you must then know why you want it. This is because without knowing why you want it, you will never achieve it. It is the reason that will propel you, motivate you and inspire you into taking action to make it comes true. If goal setting, visualization, law of attraction, affirmation, etc do not work for you, it is because your desire is not strong enough. Your desire will be backed up by the reason deep within you. So find out why you want to achieve what you want today.

3. After you follow through the first two steps, this step will be easy for you. You have to have the courage to venture out of your comfort zone and take the necessary action to make your goals and dreams come true. If you are just standing right there without doing anything, you will never reach another point of your life. You have to be willing to make the decision and take the action to achieve your goals.

These are the simple and proven steps how you can achieve your goals in your life. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Therefore, take the first step now to find out what you really want to achieve in your life, know the reasons and take the action right away.

Fail to achieve your goals or live the kind of lifestyle you desire? No problem. Just follow through my proven, step-by-step and FREE Success Blueprint system... You're about to discover how to master your mind, design your very own destiny and transform into living a successful life that you always desire

For more information, please visit http://www.TheMillionaireSecrets.net/success-blueprint.html

Need Help Remodeling In Carlsbad

2009-08-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

That night I started to think about what was going on here it seemed like I was being set up. Everyone knew what was going on but me. It seemed clear to me that these people knew each other.

Here's the kicker to all of this. Service Magic calls me up one day to tell me they would like to start sending me construction leads as a General Contractor.

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book.

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

The Future of World Religions at the Cross Roads

2009-08-29T14:49:00.001-07:00

The Catholic Pope is now under fire from Islam for comments made during a speech, which was like a history lesson about the wars between religion of the past and why they should be reviewed and prevented in the future. Unfortunately, it was misinterpreted by the Islamic Clerics and now we have yet another issue akin to the cartoons that offended the Muslim World. Is it the Catholic World we should scold for the comments of the Pope or should we scold the Muslim World for blowing it up out of context?

This clash of religion and wars has gone on too long. Who is at fault? Well we all are for allowing these conflicts to permeate our minds, TV sets and the World Mass Media, but really all-religion is problematic, Mankind needs to grow up, ditch religion and experience a little acceleration in forward progression of this species.

Some say we are moving too close to WWIII others say it has already started. Yes we are in the midst of WWIII; the conflict in Israel and cease fire and then the attack on US Embassy in Syria, kind of says it all, negotiation is not possible, so action must be taken Carl von Clauswitz style. Meanwhile if Islam does an international terrorist attack on Vatican, then the Italians will indeed strike at the heart of Islam. Do we really need to destroy human culture and history or can we agree to ditch religion without the scattering of human sacrifice across the desert sands? Consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

When We Choose Misery Over Happiness

2009-08-29T13:44:00.001-07:00

I am not one to feel sorry for most people. They seem to have a unique ability to cause themselves the most damage during certain parts of their lives. I have met some pretty self destructive people in my life. Being raised by a mother that lived in misery and love.

My mother had a difficult childhood. It seemed as if every corner she turned there was a obstacle either right in front of here or waiting just around the corner. Her father died when she was 12 year old. He was a farm laborer and didn't make much money. In other words they were poor...... She got sent to live with a few foster families and according to her she was molested by one of the fathers she lived with.

Soon her older sister invited her to live with her. My aunt was married to the owner of a pottery business and had 2 children about 10 years younger than my mother. My aunt soon realized she had a live in baby sitter that allowed her to stay out drinking most of the day.

My Uncle was what you would call a drunk back then, now we call these people alcoholics. Well any way I think you are starting to get a picture of my mothers life up to this point. It is probably safe to assume that this isn't the ideal life for a young woman.

The next event to happen in my moms life was for my uncle to fall in the shower one night after tying one on that night. He died soon after but my aunt seemed to make a another good choice and ended up marring the owner of the bar that they spent most of their time in.
The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. Allan K. Chalmers

By this time my mom was in High School and met my future father. It wasn't exactly a marriage made in heaven. My dad was always an easy going man. He seemed to let most stuff go in one ear and out the other.

As you guessed it they had a few children. Nice one Dad and Mom. According to the books I have read on Angelic beings. People that believe in the after life and angels. They tell me I had a choice and was able to choose my parents....... What was I thinking...... I should have choose someone with some money and a couple of parents that were deeply in love .

How did I end up here in this situation.

I ended up loving my parents like most of us. They seemed to be doing the best that they could possibly do raising me, my bother and my sister. My mom and dad ended up getting a divorce and I went to live with my father.

My Father is remarried to a wonderful woman that seems to bring him a lot of happiness.
I haven't seen my mother for a while now. She lives with a life of excuses and misery. Her childhood was not the greatest but that doesn't give her the right to bring misery into other peoples lives. She has made a conscious choice to live what seems to be a painful life. Maybe her choices in life have made me choose happiness over misery.

I have always wondered what it is that motivates someone to live a life of true unhappiness when it takes the same amount of energy to live a life of joy. Life is meant to be full of joy and happiness so start today by making the right choices to live a fulfilling life of happiness.

If you are reading this and can't make up your mind what kind of life you truly want to live visit me at http://live.spiritualideas.com/ . Change your thinking and change your life.

Greg Vanden Berge will help you create a new approach to life and discover talents you never knew you had. We can help you get the most out of yourself all the time. Start developing your innate strengths and abilities to start enriching your life TODAY !

Does God Make Mistakes

Manipulate Anyone With Revolutionary Form Of Hypnosis

2009-08-29T07:22:00.001-07:00

Imagine if you could manipulate anyone you meet through the power of conversation. How different would your life be? Conversational hypnosis is a revolutionary form of mind control which allows users to place anyone under a spell, and get them to do exactly as you want, when you want. This may seem like a scam from the outset, but I assure you it is a legitimate form of mind control, only practiced properly by a select few.

How Does It Work?

All of us have experienced some form of mind control at various points in our life. Politicians, salesman and advertising companies are well aware of this phenomenon and use it to their advantage wherever possible. Did you ever wonder why you had a sudden urge to buy that Ab Cruncher at 3am? You hate exercise and have a bad back - but for some reason you could not resist the sound of that voice. The human language is full of inflections, tones and emotional triggers which can all induce a trance when used effectively. Once someone is place under a trance, it becomes relatively simple to command them, manipulate them, and get them to do exactly as you wish.

Where Do I learn It?

It used to be very difficult to find teacher of conversational hypnosis. Recent developments in online courses have produced some fantastic results. There are most certainly some things to watch out for - as like anything on the internet - there are scams to be aware of.

Firstly always seek a course designed by a real life practicing hypnotist who comes with some form of qualification and reputation. Secondly always seek testimonials from people who have used the course and are succeeding - be aware of unrealistic scenarios- many people fake testimonials online. Finally one of the most crucial things to seek in a hypnosis course is that it is delivered in audio format as well as written. Believe it or not there is no better way to learn conversational hypnosis than via cd.

What Results Can I Expect?

If you truly master conversational hypnosis you will be able to gain control the minds of almost anyone you meet. You will be able to manipulate people in reason - you will not be able to force them to do things that are harmful or against their morals. You will however be able to easily convince them to things which seem plausible. This could be a promotion or raise from your boss. It could be finally getting the girl or guy of your dreams. It could be influencing your bank manager to lend you another $100,000 for your home loan. These decisions will be for you to make once you can manipulate anyone who crosses your path with the power of conversational hypnosis.

Want to learn more about The Power Of Conversational Hypnosis a revolutionary conversational hypnosis course which shows you how to manipulate anyone, skyrocket your income and get the girl or guy of your dreams? Please Visit: http://learnhypnosisreview.com/Power_Conversational_Hypnosis.html

Putting God on Trial

2009-08-29T06:27:00.001-07:00

I was listening to something interesting the other day when someone mentioned putting God on trial for some of the atrocities in the world. If God is the creator of the universe and all that is, or all that ever will be, how can we put him on trial, he's our creator. We can't put our spiritual master on trial can we, he'll just escape anyway if we convict him, won't he. He's got to be smart enough to break out a prison.

As a child I often thought about God and why he would allow such suffering throughout the world. It never made sense to me when I was child and it still doesn't make sense to me today. Why would the creator, want us to suffer, with even the littlest of problems. Other religions have explained it as if God was teaching us a lesson and that's why we have hardships in our lives.

Do you think God ever went through these hardships? Did God have problems finding a job or gathering some food? Does God even eat? Okay now I'm getting off the topic here,(I wonder what God does eat)... if children do something wrong, most of the time their parents will discipline or correct them. If adults to things wrong, the government will discipline and reprimand them. Sometimes these punishments can be severe. It depends on the crimes committed.

If man has to be put on trial for committing crimes like murder, genocide, and general atrocities towards mankind, should God also be put on trial or is he above man because he's God. I can't imagine the creator of the universe ever being put on trial for man's crimes against humanity or other men, but it seems like someone who is all powerful and all knowing could help his children out of this little mess that we're in today.

Couldn't God help us like we help our children. We as parents might not have all the answers, but we do not claim to have them. We are not all powerful and all knowing, like we would assume God to be. When is God going to help us solve some of our major world problems, like genocide and starvation.

Putting God on trial might not solve all of our problems today but it would be nice to have some help with our problems. If he created us to please him, do we have to go on trial one day, for all the things we did or ignored while we were alive. Something to think about isn't it.

Greg is currently working on a video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

Mind Reading Tricks - 3 Amazing Mind Reading Tricks You Can Easily Do to Impress People

2009-08-28T23:51:00.001-07:00

Mind reading tricks are not solely for those gifted with ESP anymore. There are ways to get around that inborn gift clause thanks to the power of Science and observation!

But what purpose do mind reading tricks serve? Well, knowing what's on other people's mind can be pretty convenient when it comes to closing a deal or making a decision regarding a relationship. If you're interested to learn more, read on!

Mind Reading Tricks Number 1: Enlarged Pupils

Alright, so you don't have ESP. But you were born with eyes, remember? Use your powers of observation and focus on the pupils of the person you're talking to.

When their pupils enlarge, that means they are interested in what you have to say or in your personality. It's a positive thing so you can merrily continue doing what you were doing.

Mind Reading Tricks Number 2: How Close Can You Get

Mind reading tricks are most evident when two people know each other very well. It's like saying you're so close to that person you can even read their mind.

Well, the logic behind this concept is that you have been observing this person for a long time already. You know the mood swings, the attitude and the preferences of that person.

So when something is bothering your close friend or family member, you already have a pretty good idea of what's on their mind.

Mind Reading Tricks Number 3: Priming People

Another way to get around ESP and exercise mind reading tricks is through priming. When you prime people, you already have a basic idea of what they're going to do. You set them thinking of something related to the main question you want to pose to them later on.

For example, if you drill people on the importance of the environment and then ask them which candidate they're going to vote for, they would most likely go with the candidate who cares more about the environment. But you should already have predicted that.

Mind reading tricks can be very fun to apply. They can help you make all the right moves and even amaze the people around you.

Now you can easily amaze anyone with 11 secret mind reading tricks you can easily perform, and easily make people do anything you want using proven mind control techniques.

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-08-28T22:59:00.001-07:00

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

Finding out How Much Things Cost

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

Figuring out the Labor

Give Yourself a Cushion

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Personal Development

10 Keys to Designing A Personal Lifelong Learning Process

2009-08-28T16:16:00.001-07:00

A Lifelong Learning Plan is a conscious, continuous engagement in acquiring, assimilating and applying knowledge and skills in the context of authentic, self-directed growth and challenge. It is rare for individuals to take this initiative. Most people operate on a "what they need now" plan and typically attend educational institutions for their training.

Lifelong Learning is a philosophy of approaching learning as an integral, inseparable part of our lifes activities. Here are ten guidelines to help you formulate your own personalized Lifelong Learning Process.

1. Commit to approach learning as a lifelong journey. Choose to keep it alive throughout your lifetime. You don't need to attend formal educational institutions for this process. In fact, you can learn more in small, consistent spurts than you can in a classroom, if you set up your plan correctly.

2. Maximize your resources. With lifelong learning, there isn't a structure like you had in school, so its easy to ignore and procrastinate. If you allow this, eventually the "you snooze, you lose" theory will catch up with you. A prime example is how changes in the national economy have hit the IT industry these last few years. The companies that priorize learning are still in the game, whereas their competitors who focused on "what we need now" are out of business. Create a system and plan that works and can last a lifetime. Keep learning journals for each topic.

3. Maximize your environments. Identify and create settings that support and inspire you both inside and outside your home. How does the library spark your learning? How about the mall, the park, or even McDonalds! Explore different environments and label each one (e.g., "inspiring," "relaxing," "great for concentration.") What supplies help you keeping your energy up? Do you need quiet for some learning and busy environments for others?

4. Know how you learn. To learn effectively, know how you learn. How do you take in information, process, and retain it? There isn't one best way. Tie everything into a learning purpose and vision. When and how often does you mind need a break? Do you have reading spurts? How do you retain the information -- by reading aloud, notes, summarizing in memory, or sharing with others?

5. Tap into the power of your mind. Your minds power is evident in everything you do. Analytical, critical and creative thinking enables the mind to process, store, and create all the facts and ideas it encounters. By practicing different types and ways of thinking, you keep your mind strong and flexible. Consider it "going to the gym" for your mind! (Talking about how the mind works is the subject of a huge tome, not a Top 10!)

6. Harness the power of words and ideas. Words, when joined, form ideas, and are tools with enormous energy. Whether writing a memo, letter, e-mail, article, or journal entry, make each an opportunity to fulfill a learning goal. Each is a chance to work toward improving and using words to construct understandable ideas. Learn to express ideas in writing. This will evolve into clearer thinking. Keep an idea journal by theme or topic.

7. Absorb, retain, and demonstrate knowledge. What do you do with the facts, opinions, and stories that you accumulate daily? Listening helps absorption and memory skills, which enables retention. Listen to a teleclass or book on tape, then write your own version and master what you learned by moving it into long-term memory. Listening can be compared to using a camera. First, you view the image and focus (listening). Next, you snap the picture (remembering). Finally, you print the image (demonstrate knowledge). Mastering knowledge means being able to apply it in other situations.

8. Value diversity. The greater part of our day involves interacting with others. Experiencing other peoples communication styles, learning methods, and the roles played in groups and teams helps us to grow, prosper, open our minds and develop new perceptions. Dealing with conflict, criticism, and any points of vulnerability strengthens our ability to use any situation as an opportunity to learn.

9. Take exceptionally good care of yourself. Physical and mental health affects learning. Examine these aspects and set up contingencies within your plan to identify and work through all health challenges as soon as they appear.

10. Map your course. Maximize time, energy and focus by defining a yearly learning theme. Subdivide into monthly topics with time commitments. (Example: Ten years ago, I defined a learning goal of three new computer steps in no more than 15-minutes per day. It has compounded and saved time and money ever since.) Minimize distractions by learning to "table the other topics." Create a "next year" folder to contain those great ideas and set up a review month of tabled topics to decide how to use them in the following year.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

Checking the Building For Square

2009-08-28T15:14:00.001-07:00

The most important thing when building a home is the ability to keep everything as square, plumb and level as possible. Starting with the foundation, if the foundation is not square or level, the rest of the house is going to be out of alignment.

You've probably heard the saying, start with a good foundation. This applies to the building industry as well. There are quite a few ways to build a square foundation, it all depends on what kind of tools you have, to build it with.

Some of these tools can be quite expensive but it used every day can save you a lot of time and of course time is money.

You don't need expensive tools to build a square foundation. You could actually build a square foundation with less than $100 worth of tools. It might take you a little longer but could be done.

Let's start with the 3 - 4 - 5 rule.

Okay lets see if I can explain this in layman's terms. If no West side of the foundation is 3 foot and the north side of the foundation is for foot, then the diagonal measurement from the southwest corner to the northeast corner would be 5 foot. Out of square building can create foundation problems

This can also be done using 30' x 40' should equal 50 foot. You can use this if the building is large and you need to check it for square.

By measuring the foundation diagonally from each corner, the measurement should be exactly the same. If it isn't, the building is out of square and should be adjusted before the concrete is poured. This measurement should always be checked before you get too far along in the form building process.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at concrete contractor basics and home building ideas.

Wrong With Bible Verse

Learn Something About Time Management From the American Indians

2009-08-28T08:40:00.001-07:00

I don't consider myself an expert on the American Indians but I would like to share a thought about their lifestyle. I was listening to an audio book on the American Indians eating habits, when it got me thinking about something the author said. This might not be a topic of interest for most people but I found it fascinating.

While listening to the audio book, the author made a statement about the American Indians I will never forget. He said "American Indians spend about four hours each day working, gathering and preparing food." If you think about it, that's not too bad of a lifestyle.

I would imagine that we have a better selection and larger variety of food to choose from than they had. This of course would be a benefit to living in our society instead of theirs.

American Indians often spent a lot of time outdoors and for some reason, spending time in nature seems to be a good thing. I know a lot of people that would rather be outdoors than indoors, walking, jogging, hiking, camping and even gardening. It almost seems more natural for us to be outdoors than indoors.

Now with the Indians working about four hours each day, this is a little bit different then our standard workday. Most people spend at least 9 to 12 hours each day driving to and from work and actually working. I would imagine our standard workday would actually be easier than that of the American Indian. I can't imagine some of my friends or family members chasing after a Buffalo with a spear.

Does this mean the American Indians had it right, just because they worked four hours each day and spent more time in nature were doing what they truly wanted to. Know I can't truly say that they had it right, but I can say that they seem to do just fine living with nature.

Some of these civilizations lasted for centuries.

Something to think about, on your daily travels to and from work as you desire to be at the beach or hiking in the mountains. The philosophies we often associate with a good life, could actually be better instead of progressively adding unneeded stress and frustration to it.

Attic Odors and Strange Smells

2009-08-28T07:50:00.001-07:00

If you've ever opened up your attic access hole, only to find one of the worst odors you have ever smelled in your whole life, I've been there too. What causes these horrible smells and what can you do about them?

Let's start with the cause of these smells, moisture, dirt, mold, mildew, dead animals, animals that make their home in your attic and the biggest problem of all is normally poor ventilation.

Poor ventilation is the biggest problem with musty smells in the attic. These smells are often caused from moisture accumulating in the building materials over time. If there is enough moisture in the attic, the wood will start to rot but this wouldn't be a normal situation, unless there was a roof or water leak.

Roof leaks can cause a constant supply of water to one part of the attic. This constant supply of water will eventually rot the wood and damage the ceiling. Water leaks from pipes can provide a steady supply of water and the situation can attracts termites and mold. Not a good thing.

One of the worst possible smells or odors in your attic would be a dead animal. Don't under estimate the size of some of these animals, they have found dead raccoons, cats, snakes, large birds, squirrels, rats and mice in some attics. These animals usually enter through damaged access holes or vent blocks, roof vents, large gaps, holes and even fireplace chimneys.

Once these animals die, their bodies start to decompose and produce one horrible odor. Once the body is completely decomposed, the smell usually goes away if the attic is ventilated properly. These smells can seep into the homes living area, often creating a room that no one wants to enter.

Home peststhat make their home in your attics, often create smells from urinating and defecating in the areas around their nest. Large birds like owls can become a problem over time.

Now that we've figured out some of the causes for attic odors and strange smells, what can we do to prevent this from happening and if it's already happened, how can we get rid of the smell.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at pest control books and home building ideas.

Religion Articles

10 Tips For Great Goal Setting

2009-08-28T00:17:00.001-07:00

Less than 3% of people write down their goals. We are statistically more likely to spend time organising exactly what we want from the supermarket instead of working out what we want from life. Crazy but true.

The chances are that you commit most of your working day to helping your boss to achieve their goals, instead of spending time working on your own.

One way to enhance the quality of your life is to learn how to apply an effective goal setting program. These tips will help you on your way to doing this.

1. First of all why set goals?

The biggest predictor of success is direction. If you dont have something to aim for in life, the chances are you will end up achieving very little. Almost every successful person in the world started with a clearly defined goal in their mind of what it is they wanted to achieve. This provided them with a fundamental sense of purpose and direction.

The beauty of setting goals is that they help to streamline your life, adding a focal point and something tangible for you to work towards.

In some ways goals are like beacons helping you to stride through life towards something that holds special importance to you. What that special something is, is up to you.

2. Working out what you want

It amazes me how many people work towards goals that they dont really want.

Usually the motivation to achieve these goals comes from a feeling that you should want them. Fame, recognition, and a high status job, are some of the modern day desires that society conditions people to think that they want.

It is important that all goals and aspirations come only from a place of wanting and not from a place of should.

When you cut out all the noise that society deafens you with, and directly ask yourself, what is it that you want? honestly and whole heartedly, you are able to generate goals that come from a place of inspiration, and not from a place of conditioning.

It is from inspiration that all worthwhile goals are created. When you work from here your commitment to your goals is full of desire, passion, and zest.

Set goals based on your values

Working out what your goals are is often the hardest part of the goal setting procedure, and the part which requires most thought.

The first step to working out what you want is to establish what is important to you in life.

If for example you value your friends and family above anything else, then it makes sense to set a life goal of spending as much quality time with these people as possible.

If financial independence is valued highly you may chose to construct a goal that focuses on reaching a specific sum of money within a set time frame.

Ask yourself a series of incisive questions that force you to address who you are and what is important to you in your life.

Consider answering the questions below and start devising goals around the answers you produce:

What would you want to achieve if you knew you could not fail?

If you could leave one message to the world what would it be?

Who are you when you are at your best?

If you had one day to live, what would you do?

The responses to these questions should provide you with some information about what is important to you in your life and aid the goal setting process.

3. How will you know when you have reached your goal?

Your goal needs to be clear and precise so that you know exactly when you have reached it. One way to do this is to set the goal as a numerical figure. If you can produce a clear yes, or no response to whether you have reached your goal then you have successfully created a measurable objective.

For example, consider the goal of generating a financial target of ?100,000 by the end of the year. The numerical and precise nature of your goal allows you to effectively evaluate whether or not you have successfully reached your target when the end of the year arrives.

4. Does your goal make you go wow?

It is important that the goal you set is wildly ambitious.

Old schools of thought believe that goal setting should be realistic and attainable, avoiding excessive ambition. On the surface this makes perfect sense, because you want to set goals that you have a good chance of hitting. And arguably, failing to hit your goals because of aiming too high may leave you feeling little despondent.

The reason why I suggest that goals should be set as high and as ambitious as possible, is because there is no logical reason why you cannot achieve whatever it is that you want.

It is only through your negative internal belief systems that you decide what is and what isnt realistic. Years of conditioning, of being told what you can and cannot achieve have encouraged us to construct a warped view of our true potential.

This is why unrealistic and wild goals ironically are sometimes closer to what is realistically possible compared to your conditioned view on what is realistic.

If you set the ambitious goal of making ?1,000,000 in 1 year, work with dedication and drive and end up making ?600,000, I am pretty sure that you will not feel despondent at the end of the year.

It is certainly better than aiming to make ?50,000 within the year, and hitting the target easily, without having to push yourself in any way.

Aim for the stars and you will catch the moon

5. Have you written down your goal?

Once you have precisely and clearly established what it is that you want to aim for, write it down.

Your goal needs to be written down in a specific style in order to be successful.

Although goals are inherently in the future write your goal in the present tense. For example; instead of writing I will have a successful business, write I have a successful business. This will add immediate impact to the strength of your goal.

The second point is to make sure when you write down your goal it is something you want instead of something you dont want.

If you focus your energies on what you dont want unfortunately you will attract what you dont want into your life.

It is always more powerful to move towards something, instead of away from something.

For example wanting to make more money is much more effective than focusing on getting out of debt.

6. Is any goal better than having none at all?

Even if you do not master an effective goal setting program at your first attempt, devising a bad goal setting program is better than producing nothing.

Setting any kind of goal is better than relying on the lap of the gods to decide your fate.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, in any moment of a decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

Even if you obtain a goal that you realise you did not actually want, at least you are one step closer to finding what it is you really want. As Tom Watson (Founder of IBM) famously said; if you want to be a success, double your rate of failure.

7. Have you fallen into the trap of setting too many goals?

An easy trap to fall into is setting too many goals. Successful people usually only set one goal at a time. This focuses their efforts on one target, speeding up the actualisation of their goal. Once the first goal is completed, you can then look to tackle your next one.

If you set too many goals in your life, the danger is that your focal powers will become so spread out that you end up achieving nothing. As the old proverb states; if you chase two rabbits both will escape.

8. Are you in the right state?

The meaning of the word goal is outlined as a clearly and well defined measurable state. The goals you aim to achieve in life-whether it is to marry and have a family, to build a multi-million pound business, or own a mansion in the middle of the country are strong motivations because of the way you envisage they will make you feel once you have obtained them.

If you believe that having a multi-million pound business will make you feel secure, powerful, and liberated, then these desired states are the driving force behind obtaining the goal..

Physical experiences are a bit like vehicles that are designed to take you from your current state to your desired state.

Before setting out to make your dream become a reality it is important that you associate with the internal state that you will experience once you have obtained your goal.

For example if building a multi-million pound business will make you feel secure and liberated, it is important that you generate these emotional states before you begin building your empire.

This will optimise and speed up the process of actualising your goal.

9. Have you taken action?

Unaccompanied, all the ideas in the world are worth nothing. However if you couple ideas with productive action, then your innovations can begin to take form.

It is common for people to spend a significant amount of time constructing worthwhile goals, but if you are not prepared to act on these intentions then nothing will ever be achieved.

All successful people have one thing in common; they get more done in the time given to them, than most people.

Whatever lofty idea you have in mind, you must begin working towards it the moment that your goal has been set.

It is important to develop a sense of accountability and commitment towards taking action, otherwise you may find that you talk yourself out of making your goals a reality.

10. Do you have a deadline?

Remember to give yourself a deadline to achieve your goal, otherwise you could end up spending a lifetime working towards it. Without setting a deadline you run the risk of becoming a procrastinator, always putting off the things you need to do. By constructing a concise time plan you streamline your focus, making sure that every second of your time up to this date is dedicated and organised to achieving your aim.

Remember: A goal is a dream with a deadline

Conclusion

If you are going to be successful, you need to make sure that you live your life with a real sense of purpose and direction. Creating goals is one of the most effective ways to do this.

Sam Kotadia is the managing director of Mindsport ltd. The company delivers extensive free resources to help a global audience get an edge in the realms of sport, business and life. All resources can be found at http://www.mindsportlive.com

The Concept of Feng Shui is Getting More Popular

2009-08-27T15:59:00.001-07:00

Why is feng shui so popular nowadays? It comes from an eastern concept of balance, so why it is that in today, even the skeptical westerners are believing in this ancient Chinese way of balancing in harmony with the surrounding?

If you believe that every object gives out energy, chances that in some corners, these energies are going to "collide", and this is a bad sign to have. This is negative. So in short, feng shui is all about men trying to live harmoniously with the environment and gathering positive forces to improve the overall wellness in life.

Men are the same essentially, if you take away race and languages. Hence feng shui to me makes sense to anyone of us, no matter where you are from. It is a practice for better living that transcends beyond the human divides.

Thus today, feng shui has an important role when there is a new building to be constructed, a new business agreement to be signed to a baby to be named. The concept is applicable to nearly every aspect of life thus there is huge business opportunities in this area. Any outcome in life can be explained with feng shui.

One thing that it owes to is that feng shui is intuitive in nature and is practical. Sometimes people simply dismiss it as pure superstition, as craps, like how come a person's life improved just by looking at some dates or timings, or some weird looking animal statues.

For me, I personally believe in feng shui. While I may not be very particular as to where I shall have a mirror or I need to place a pot of goldfish at that dark corner of the hall, generally I take into the consideration of aligning my bed to the right feng shui direction.

There are still many things to learn here and if you are keen, you can always refer to many books about this topic in the bookshops or internet.

Mere T is a spiritual researcher, blogger, conservationist and freelance writer. She has benefited a lot from the guidance of psychic Maria Duval in the topic of spirituality. She lives in New Zealand with her family and she enjoys the serenity of her country as it helps her to build up on her spiritual bonding with the environment. Her Maria Duval blog is Maria Duval.

What Does the Word Soul Mean

2009-08-27T15:11:00.001-07:00

What is soul, is it someone dancing around to some great music or is it something inside of us, find out what two people think about the word soul.

Question Your Religion

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg is currently working on a religious help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Do You Lose Or Win In Christiani

Your Feng Shui Garden?

2009-08-27T04:56:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui is the oldest form of gardening dating back many millennia to China. The fundamental traits of Your Feng Shui gardening are:. Feng Shui gardens are built to look as natural as possible. Mixing shapes and sizes is an imperative component in these gardend gardens. The Chi, or cosmic energy, needs to flow openly and smoothly through its vicinity to form harmony and balance in the garden.

The natural flow of energy from a feng shui garden allows for peace and tranquility, but also for keeping your mind focused by 'clearing away the clutter.' When you clear away the clutter in your home, you clear away the clutter in your mind as well. Having a feng shui garden can also be a great way to relax and to really have a chance to enjoy your back yard.

Yin and Yang energies are freebie to one another. The front garden is more Yang whilst the back garden is more Yin and the non-public side of your life. Hanging plants will lift energy or permit energy to flow. It isn't important what sort of unique home decor you have, or what your landscape and garden yard dcor is -- a wind chime will add charm, and can make a delicate sense of this Eastern mystique. A collection of correctly tuned wind chimes mixes in with the forces of nature to make a feeling of balance compatible to the feng shui philosophy. A collection of correctly tuned wind chimes blends in with the forces of nature to create a feeling of balance compatible to this ancient philosophy.

A feeling of calm and peace washes over each ear. With May fast approaching, tuned wind chimes also make perfect gifts for Mummy's Day.

Get Your Free Copy Of Feng Shui 101 at Your Feng Shui

Oprah Winfrey Show and the Movie the Secret

2009-08-27T03:24:00.001-07:00

the Movie the Secret Was a Big Success, Watch Some Clips from the Oprah Winfrey Show on This Video

Choices We Make In Life

Garden Taps - The Exciting Focal Point Missing From Your Garden?

2009-08-26T17:53:00.001-07:00

Garden taps are simply a beautiful addition to your garden, whatever the size. Choosing the right place to fit your garden tap is a very important thing to be considered, with most people taking the easy option of fitting it on an outside wall which can easily be plumbed into the cold water supply. The best garden taps have been lacquered to protect from all weather conditions and ensure they last for a long time, although if you apply WD40 occasionally, this will protect your tap even further.

When fitting garden taps, it is always recommended that you have a professional plumber do so, although many people are DIY proficient and wouldn't have a problem doing it themselves. The most important thing to consider with a garden tap is that it has a 3/4" thread so that a hose adaptor can be fitted.

Ornamental taps can also be fitted in the home if necessary and can look stunning in the kitchen and bathroom, but it obviously depends on the properties appearance. As some designs are quite large, they are obviously not suitable unless in a garden.

When choosing your garden tap design, most go for a classic design with an animal, such as a robin or mouse, for those that are a bit more adventurous with a more modern property or garden there are many more ornate and odd designs. A brass finish is most popular as it fits into almost any background, for the more contemporary garden, chrome is used.

http://exquisiteliving.co.uk/products/garden-taps

Someone Else's Point of View on Creation

2009-08-26T16:16:00.001-07:00

Here's a different point of view of how life originated in what's going on on our planet and throughout the universe.

Greg is currently working on a spiritual and sell help articles filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Gregs Videos

What is Your GQ? - Grandparent Quotient

2009-08-26T05:57:00.001-07:00

No matter when we senior citizens finally achieve being a grandparent, there are some tests to help identify our capability and capacity for being a good one. My experience is certainly limited in the role and I have never taken courses in retirement to boost my GQ. Basic intuition and sensitivity contribute about as much to ability and smarts as most anything else.

First, a grandparent is not a replacement for the parent. Of course, this assumes all are available to fulfill their roles and to understand the limits of each. If circumstances have created a situation in which the roles are different, that has to be worked out accordingly.

Complexities introduced before and continuing in the 21^st century contribute to keeping abreast of inter family dynamics. It ain't what it used to be, if it ever were that way.

If there still is a "nuclear" family, the dynamics aren't necessarily simplified. Families who have meals together at home, without interference by television, etc., is an increasingly unusual phenomenon. Perhaps one of the roles grandparents can fulfill is offering an occasional get together around the table for a meal. Assuming this won't be a forced occasion, but one which can contribute to frivolity and good times, such an opportunity can create fond memories.

Finding something in common with grandchildren, such as activities you enjoy together, (no matter their age) remains a challenge. It is, however, a challenge worth pursuing. Genuine companionship between generations offers a wealth of recollections worthy of posterity.

Adolescence offers its own challenges. When grandparents find ways to contend with that hurdle, then a true, lifelong affection will surely be shared. I think we are there with our grandchildren, although times together are predictably less frequent.

Finding gifts that respect the grandchild and are age appropriate will also offer memories, for the item will likely be one that the grandchild chooses to keep.

Communicating with some frequency becomes more and more a challenge. However, with email, text messaging, cell phones, etc. available some contact can be established and maintained. It is an easy exercise to overlook, but one that needs nurture for the benefit of both parties.

Identifying and reserving some special alone times is also important and necessary. Before long, graduation and off to college, distance and demands will consume more and more of what had been time a grandparent could claim. Try to hang on to some of what soon will be absorbed by the claims of normal growing up and going away.

Check out your GQ once in a while with other senior citizens learn from them, both what to do and what not to do. Thank your grandchildren for the wonderful contributions they make to your life. Let them know often, with genuine sincerity, how special they are.

Article provided by Dr. Jerry D. Elrod. For information on retirement, Baby Boomers and everything related to Seniors, please visit my blog at http://seniorcitizenjournal.blogspot.com

Why Is Faith Important - Zig Ziglar Video

2009-08-26T04:35:00.001-07:00

Zig Ziglar explains how come your faith is so important. Listen to one of the best motivational speakers in the world explain his belief in Christianity.

Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Chinese Zodiac Signs For Love Compatibility Analysis

2009-08-25T12:31:00.001-07:00

You have read about using Indian Numerology and Western Astrology to analyse love compatibility.Today you will learn how to analyse love compatibility using the 12 animals of the chinese zodiac and how accurate this method is.

Before I start on the steps on analysing love compatibility through the chinese zodiac signs,let me tell you the story of how the 12 animals came about...

A long time ago,the Jade Emperor in Heaven wanted to find 12 animals to represent each year.He started a race among all the animals.The first 12 that reached heaven will get to rule each year.When the animals knew about this race,all of them started to make their way to heaven.

The Cat and the Rat used to be good friends.The Cat asked the Rat to wake him up the next day,so that they can set off together.The Rat woke up early,feeling very excited,he forgot to wake up the Cat.

On his way to heaven,the Rat met the Ox.Knowing that he could leverage on the Ox,he asked the Ox for a ride.In exchange,he would help the Ox keep a lookout for any dangers during the long journey.The Ox,being an agreeable and easygoing fellow agreed to the Rat's request.

After reaching heaven,the Rat jumped down from the head of the Ox and became the first animal of the Chinese Zodiac.Although this was very unfair for the Ox,he did not hold it against the Rat.In fact,he was happy for the Rat for being number 1.

The Ox became number 2.(This probably explains why Rat and Ox people get along very well).One by one,the other animals came in one by one.Until the Pig,who is the 12th and the last animal.

At this moment...the Cat woke up.When he found out that the Rat left without him,he was furious.To make matters worse,the Rat was number 1.The Cat swore that he'll skin the Rat alive if he ever saw the Rat.Which explains why Cats catch Rats in this present day.

Now,how does all this relate to the present?

Each of the 12 animals rule a year.For example if you are born in 2007,you are born in the year of Pig.You will have a lot of characteristics of the Pig.Next,I will list out all the 12 animals and their order.
1st is the Rat.

2nd is the Ox.

3rd is the Tiger.

4th is the Rabbit.

5th is the Dragon.

6th is the Snake.

7th is the Horse.

8th is the Goat.

9th is the Monkey.

10th is the Rooster.

11th is the Dog.

12th is the Pig.

Basing on your date of birth,you can determine what is your chinese zodiac sign and which animal are you born under.If you have difficulty finding out which animal sign you are born under,you can check out from the internet.There are some sites which let you key in your birth date and returns with your chinese zodiac sign.

Next,you will learn about the affinities between each zodiac sign...There are 2 types of affinities,the first is the affinity group and the second is the affinity pair.

The affinity group consist of 3 animals.There are 4 groups altogether.Here they are...
1st group:Rat,Dragon and Monkey.

2nd group:Ox,Snake and Rooster.

3rd group:Tiger,Horse and Dog.

4th group:Rabbit,Goat and Pig.

As for the affinity pair,there are 6 pairs.Here they are...
1.Rat and Ox.

2.Tiger and Pig.

3.Rabbit and Dog.

4.Dragon and Rooster.

5.Snake and Monkey.

6.Horse and Goat.

You should always choose a partner from the affinity group.Your second choice is from the affinity pair.For example...

If you are born in the year of Rat,you should look for a partner born either in Dragon year or Monkey year.If not,someone born in Ox year is also good for you.

That is for the compatible signs.Now you will learn about the incompatible signs.Incompatible signs are also called clashing signs.They are opposite each other.Here they are...
1.Rat clashes with Horse.

2.Ox clashes with Goat.

3.Tiger clashes with Monkey.

4.Rabbit clashes with Rooster.

5.Dragon clashes with Dog.

6.Snake clashes with Pig.

Basing on the information above,you should not look for a partner born under a sign that clashes with yours.

This method of analysing love compatibility is quite general.You are probably wondering...how about those signs which neither clash nor in affinity,how to gauge their compatibility?A way to do that is to compare both signs' personality then analyse from there.But it's not accurate.

It is also not true to say that couples with clashing signs will not have a lasting relationship.I have came across a number of them who have clashing signs.But they are still very loving.This method only has a 65% accuracy.

But all is not lost.You can still use this knowledge to entertain new friends you meet at social gatherings.

Marco Chong is a practitioner of Indian Numerology, Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui. He has 15 years of experience behind him. His strong points are analysing compatibility using Indian Numerology and Analysing Birth Charts using Chinese Astrology.

For more information visit http://www.determineyourloverbynumbers.com

Video Clips on the the Secret Movie

2009-08-25T11:57:00.001-07:00

the Movie the Secret Was a Big Success, Watch Some Clips from the Oprah Winfrey Show on This Video

We Know More About What We Dont

Stair Lighting Problems

2009-08-20T05:48:00.001-07:00

Think safety always and do your best to solve your stair lighting problems as soon as possible to prevent injuries or accidents.

If your looking for some more building stairs or home building ideas.

Grief Recovery Handbook

Dangers Using Wood Stair Cleats - New Stair Construction

2009-08-20T00:39:00.000-07:00

If you're walking up a set of stairs and a stair step feels loose, contact the owner of the property and let them know, they have a problem with their staircase.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more stair building books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Education Leads To Success