Tithing Education - Giving From Guilt

If you're part of any organized religion and donate money on a regular basis, do you know where your money is going? Have you ever asked what they are spending the money on? Are you one of those people who feels that your pastor and church leaders know best and never even ask them, because you might feel inferior to them? Have you asked in the past and were told not to worry about it but still would like to know.

Before you give your hard earned money away, whether you're doing it out of guilt or pleasure, make sure you're supporting the right organization. You should never feel the need to donate money if you don't have it to give.

I went to a church that had funds for everything, building funds, starvation funds, church funds and even funds to fund of funds if they ran out of money. Okay I just threw that last part in their but all kidding aside, there's plenty of stuff to be done in our country, to help the starving, the poor and the needy. Why do we need to go to other countries?

I want to make a suggestion to people who can't afford to give their money away but feel guilty if they don't. In the Bible it tells you to give away 10% of your earnings to the church. The part that it doesn't tell you is what to do if you can't afford to give 10% to the church. I personally have known quite a few people who give money out of guilt and fear but will tell you that this is a requirement of their religion and its okay. God will take care of us and he always does.

I don't really believe God, the all powerful all-knowing and loving creator, wants us to suffer, if we just don't make enough money to survive. If you're planning on sending your child to a Christian private school and could only afford to send them to that school, using the money that you were going to tithe to the church, what will you do? Tithe the money to the church so that they can use it to feed hungry people in other countries or build a new church somewhere or help with your child's education.

Some of these decisions are made difficult by religious doctrine and these are the parts of organized religion that I have problems with. When do we use common sense, combined with a little education to seek the truth. Does your religion ask you to seek the truth but not to gather your information beyond their religious boundaries?

Only give what you can afford to give and feel good about it. If you don't feel good about giving your money away, don't do it. Take care of yourself, so that you can take care of others, if you choose to. Living a life of fear and guilt doesn't make sense.

Question Your Religion

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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 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.

When Do We Get to Meet God's Parents?

If God is the creator of the universe, who is the creator of God? When I was born, I had a mother and a father and supposedly the two of them together had created me. One could not have created me without the other and therefore I am a product of my parents. I know who my parents are and I even know who their parents are but who is God's parents and were we made in the images of our parents or creators.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth but before that, we know very little about God. Did he have brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents and even God parents. If he did have brothers and sisters, did they create worlds like he did or she did, we don't know whether God is a man or a woman, transvestite, homosexual or a combination of all of these. We really don't know what God is, even though Michelangelo painted him on the Sistine Chapel.

In the book of revelations it mentions, Revelation 22:13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." God says that he is the first and the last, does this mean that there was no one or no entity before him. It goes back to the chicken and the egg, what was first the chicken or the egg, no one knows. Well god knows doesn't he. I don't know why I keep referring to God as a he but bear with me on this one.

I wonder if God was disciplined as a child or even if he was a child. Maybe God was born a full grown person or even a mysterious entity in the form of a smoky cloud. That couldn't be, because God made us in his image and I'm sure that his mother and father look like us. Well, hopefully they look better than us, maybe someone like Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston. I hope that he wasn't an ugly person or entity. That would be discouraging.

I guess that's enough of the humor, I rarely hear anyone talk about, who created God. If God formed out of nothingness, why couldn't our earth have formed from nothingness, without God. If God did have parents, brothers and sisters, have they created other universes and what is the purpose of their creations. Are we just one big experiment, part of a big science project?

Anyone interested in using this article to make a movie, feel free to use this information at no charge, I would love to see the movie, when it's done.

Good Christian News

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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.

If you're really seeking the kingdom of heaven, the glory of God and the true vision that Jesus had, check out some great Christian articles. These articles are designed to teach and educate Christians.

Rethinking Today's Religions - Misleading Our Children

When I was a young man, my parents told me about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Every Christmas, there would be presents underneath the tree from Santa Claus and on Easter I would get a basket full of candy and eggs. However, when I was 11 years old, my parents broke the devastating news to me, there was no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny.

As you can imagine, I cried for hours over the frustration and disappointment. For one, I thought that I wasn't going to get any more Christmas gifts, but my parents provided me with the needed psychological relief and told me that they were going to provide Christmas gifts for me, until I died. Even though I was upset, I was relieved and confused.

If my parents lied about this, could they have possibly lied about something else, anything else. Have you ever thought about this and is there a situation in your life today that could be an old habit that never got corrected. Some theme that your parents told you when you were a child that was a lie and they never told you the truth. Maybe they never told you the truth because they don't even know themselves that it's a lie.

Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were obviously disappointments to me and most people that I've talked to about their experiences, with their parents and even their children. Why do we do this as parents to our children, even though we didn't like it when it was done to us. Hard to explain why we can't break certain habits and certain traditions.

I love Christmas and the joy of giving. Even though I am no longer a Christian, I enjoy going over to my relatives homes and spending Christmas or Christmas Eve with them. Now for the bad news, if you were raised to believe in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism or any other large religious organization. Let me ask you this, do you think that it could be like Santa Claus, do you think the religion you believe in so strongly could be a story that has gotten out of control over the centuries.

I've spent a life time rethinking today's religions and can't find very many facts to prove any one religion is superior over another. Do your own research and find your own answers. Enlightenment could be as simple as gathering the right information.

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 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. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All

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.

Where Did God Come From?

If you believe in certain religions, like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and even Buddhism, there's a good chance that you believe in some sort of God like being or cosmic force, especially the one that created our world that we live in today.

Where did God come from? What are we doing here? And where are we going, after we die. Some of these questions, are hard to answer and scientifically difficult to prove. There is very little evidence to prove, where God actually came from, what are we suppose to be doing here and where we are going to go, after we die.

If nobody knows where God came from, why are there so many religions, that believe in a God? Think about it for a moment, the Christian God, was the creator of the universe, and the creator of everything. Where's the proof? Why do people continue to study the Bible, and believe in a God, that they can't really even put their hands on?

If God is truly real, why wouldn't we have ever seen him? It doesn't make a lot of sense, to believe in imaginary beings, or invisible entities and pray to a God that we might not ever see or touch. It might not make a lot of sense, but if you ask serious religious followers, of these religions a question like, can you prove that there actually is a God, there's a good chance that these religious believers will reply, with a simple yes.

They have no proof, no evidence, and almost base their entire beliefs on faith, instead of facts. Rarely do they seek any evidence or even read their religious text, with a goal to understand what they're reading. Most of these people take everything that they learn, lock it away in their head, and never ask any serious questions about their religious beliefs, like these.

If there is a God, why wouldn't he show himself? If there is a God, why wouldn't he prove that he does exist, so that others wouldn't have to doubt his existence? Something to think about, on the days that you're not going to your place of worship.

Who's God Is More Powerful

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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. 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.

People With Self Confidence Get Noticed

I went to a meeting last week which drove me to write this article.

"Who's that loser sitting there, right at the back. The one with his head down, fiddling with his fingernails?" I heard the person two seats away to my right whisper rather loudly to her friend.

Her friend turned to have a look and both had a good old giggle. "What a loser," they both reiterated simultaneously, their giggles turning into laughter.

I did not need to have a look, for the giggly girls described him rather well to me.

The certain individual they were referring to was not a loser. He simply lacked self confidence. And that lack was portrayed in his posture; in the way he sat and fidgeted with his nails.

Those people who do not have self confidence end up not achieving very much in life. On the other hand, those who possess a good level of self confidence achieve many things; their aspirations, goals and dreams.

The individuals who have self confidence tend to accomplish much more and are noticed more that those who lack self confidence. You will find them at the front row participating in meetings, unlike the poor fellow the girls were making fun of.

Self confidence is a very important element to achievements and success in all areas of life.

With self confidence you can have great relationships, personally and professionally. We cannot do away with relationships. It is through our relationships that we become more and have more.

Here are three tips as to how you can build your self confidence to establish and retain productive relationships:

1. Play a more active role with the friends you already have. Go out with them more often, meet their friends and work your way up to having more self confidence where you can get more involved and chat more easily and openly. Watch how a particular confident friend acts and do the things he or she does. Act like him or her. And it is very important that you stay clear of people who lack self confidence.

2. Increase your range of interests, take up more hobbies. Enroll in evening classes or clubs. This way you will have to meet people. Sit with them during coffee breaks, ask them questions about themselves. Keep them talking. And by the time they ask you a question, you will be more relaxed and self confident. Find new interests; learn a new language or improve upon a language, take up photography, painting, whatever it is that takes your fancy. Keep your mind on your interest and the people there. You will be happy, fulfilled and you will build on your self confidence.

3. Go find yourself a business or executive coach, or even a life coach. A coach is a great catalyst to help you reach your goal of self confidence much faster than on your own. Maybe your self confidence is gradually increasing, yet you want to become more confident for a particular reason much quicker; for example, for a party, a wedding, a meeting, a presentation. With the advice and support of the coach, you will most likely be ready for the event sooner than you might think possible.

These are simple steps that you can take. Why not pick up the phone now or write an email to a friend and suggest having a coffee together. Start to build your self confidence with an email.

Download the free sample of Self-Confidence Building in 7 Steps and start benefiting today. Visit: http://www.free-self-confidence.com.

Hani Al-Qasem is a published author and personal growth specialist. He co-authored Self-Confidence Building in 7 Steps.

Daily Motivation: 7 Methods

Isn't a lack of daily motivation one of the biggest problems we face when trying to better ourselves? We often know what to do, or at least the first few steps. But we hesitate, something else catches our attention, or we just don't feel like doing what we need to do.

Want some help? Here are seven ways to get motivated - ways that have worked for others. If you find only one or two here that work for you, you'll be on your way.

Seven Methods For Daily Motivation

1. Create desire. See the rewards of your effort clearly. This motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. A good salesman can have you living in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you'll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Learn to be your own salesman.

2. Create pain. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming they teach you to link pain with not acting. An imaginary scene of your wife walking out the door with another man, as you sit there silently - that might motivate you to have that talk you've been avoiding.

3. Talk about your plans. By the time I tell my wife about the newsletter I'm going to write, I'm out of my slump and back at the keyboard.

4. Have a true interest. No interest at all might mean you need to do something else, but if it's just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal. I don't like to drive, but when I remember those mountains I'm going to, I get motivated to drive.

5. Have energy. Caffeine will substitute for health for a while, but one way or another, you need some energy to have daily motivation. Exercise, sleep well, and watch out for sugary foods - the "sugar blues" will kill your motivation.

6. Create the proper mental state. It's hard to be depressed and motivated. Resolve some of your negative feelings, or at least do your important work when you are in a better mood.

7. Take a small step. Commit to raking up one bag of leaves, and soon you'll want to finish the yard. Any small step towards your goals feeds your daily motivation.

Now you have seven ways to self-motivation, but you have to actually use them. How do you get motivated to do that? Oh the irony! You'll have to figure that one out yourself. By the way, here's a bonus motivation method: Humor. Laughter often breaks up the feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away motivation.

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www. Self Improvement Now .com

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

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

Qualities That You Need to Achieve Your Goals

We all have our own heroes; people that we admire, ones who achieved something significant despite all the odds stacked against them. For some reasons, we feel attracted to their lives, what they did exactly to achieve their goals, what kind of character they have, what is their driving force in life. We are attracted to all the articles about them, all the books written by them or about them in search of the answers.

If you are not a kind of person who reads everything about any celebrity you might be wondering why you are so attached to these people. People who are attracted to us or who we feel to be attracted to usually show us our own negative aspects that we need to get rid of or positive traits that we need to develop to realize our full potential.

You are attracted to particular people; you admire them because they possess the qualities you need to develop to be able to live the life of your dreams.

Write down the names of five to ten people you admire. What traits do they have that attract you?
Prepare a list of at least five traits for each of them. Do they have some traits in common? What are they? Write them down. These are the traits that you need to develop yourself.

Prepare a plan how you will show the new qualities in your daily life. What habits do you need to develop to support the new you? Reinforce these new habits daily. In about two months your new habits will become automatic and will steer your life into a new direction, direction of your dreams.

Do you need help to make your dreams come true? Visit http://www.pathstopower.net for a free book and more details

Are you interested in natural health, weight loss, energy secrets? Visit http://www.nutrifitpower.com/ezine.html for free reports and more details

Lynn Alex is a Life-Skills Coach, Yoga Teacher and an American Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner

Who Really Wrote The Bible

What Are Affirmations
Listen To Advice From Confucius
Fighting In Gods Name
Importance Of The Ten Commandments

Character is Learned by "Imprinting"

Psychological theory espouses imprinting: the phenomenon of young birds and animals to copy the first moving object near them, which is normally the mother. It was Konrad Lorenz (1937, 1950) who pioneered the theory when he observed newly hatched goslings, having them imprint on him as the object. I posit that our characters are somehow quite intrinsically affected by something like imprinting.

A generation or two back certain Christian denominations would take their young people through a doctrine called the Catechism. Students would be drilled in it and would learn the gospels as well as the law almost by rote; they could quote it and would know all the biblical stories backwards. Unfortunately, however, the methods used were often devoid of love. The teachers and instructors of the Catechism would often use a method best described as tough love. Discipline was driven into these young people and enough of it to incite fear.

One should not wonder why these young people, who're now in their fifties and sixties, would begin to see Christianity as a con and ministers as hypocrites. They had inept models of Christ with which to imprint to. (To be fair to these ministers, they would've been trapped by the era and the mandate of the denomination.) We see here that the delivery of the Catechism without a comprehensive godly character to back it up is only half the message of God's love and truth. It's the words of God devoid of the power of God.

What a difference it would have made if these young people had have had caring, kind, patient, tough-at-times, tender-hearted, yet courageous ministers and lay persons with which to imprint from. We see here that modelling (so far I've used the word 'imprinting') the right behaviour inspires young people. Young people can only admire, and seek to emulate, the Christ-like youth leader; in fact, most people find leaders who are charismatic and winsome in the best possible humble Christian way quite irresistible.

So, character cannot simply be studied; it must be seen and observed in models who are respected and admired for it to be 'installed' as a personal quality. When we think of our positive models, those we imprinted certain characteristics from, we reminisce with a particular fondness, don't we? Good character is slowly but steadily 'transferred' from one generation to the next by a process of something like imprinting. If we lead people we're models for them who will soon lead others.

Copyright 2008, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Steve Wickham is a safety and health professional (BSc) and a qualified lay Christian minister (GradDipDiv). His key passion is work / life balance and re-creating value for living, and an exploration of the person within us.

Problems with Fear at Work - Relationships

I have been watching one company , within nine months, let over 40% of their workforce go and this is creating fear, for some of the employees. This is pretty common as we start to head deeper into hard times, I don't really know what causes economic cycles but they never have made much sense to me.

Fear seems to feed off of more fear as it's creating even more fear in the workplace. Most people that work, and enjoy eating food and drinking water and probably enjoy the shelter of their home or apartment, do not want to see this life style end. Nobody does.

As a employee and employer I would like to give both the employer and the employee some valuable advice, I've learned working as a contractor.

Let's start with the employee, it's very easy to become complacent and expect your job to be there forever while contributing just enough to get by and keep your boss happy or content. This attitude is normally okay when the economy is going gangbusters, but now that we're in hard times and businesses seem to be suffering, you're going to have to put a little more effort into your job, if you want to keep it.

Is there a way, where you can help your company develop a new product, come up with a new innovative idea, figure out a more efficient way of doing something or can you at least focus your attention on your job while you're working. Don't think about this once and quit, make a little sign for your office and put it in the lunch room or by the water cooler, that says something like, "Helping Our Company Is Helping Ourselves, Let's Work Harder and Smarter." If your company needs inspiration this could be considered a new innovative idea and could help the company.

Most employees look at their employers as rich and undeserving of their services, yet stay in their employment for many years. Even in good times, you should change your thinking or change your job. No one should be miserable or unhappy in a place that requires 40 hours out of every week of their lives.

Now it's the employers turn. I can't stand an employer that fires someone on a day's notice, because they're worried about something the employee is going to do to their business. This doesn't seem fair to the employee or give them enough time to find another job.

Most employers don't even fire the people that work for them, over the years I've noticed more companies hiring someone for this unpleasant task and it seems to alienate them from the people who have contributed to their wealth or misfortune.

Creating fear in the workplace is no way for people to be treated or thriving companies to continue to operate. The company I mentioned above is a motivational and self help performance company. It's kind of an oxymoron if you think about it.

Employers should treat their employees with a little more compassion and employees should try to spend some time understanding what their employers are going through.

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.

Change - The Secret to Coping

There's an old saying: "The only constant in life is change." If that's true, and I believe it is, you'd think that we'd all be quite adept at living our lives in the midst of a changing world. Yet, mention the word "change," and people get worried. Even when we seek change - in government, in law, or in our own personal lives - when the change actually occurs, we often have a difficult time adjusting to it.

The secret to understanding how to successfully cope with change is actually quite simple: It all comes down to transforming our attitude, from one of resisting change to embracing it. That's right - by changing how we feel, we can transform a negative experience to a positive one. It's even possible to move oneself from hating change to loving it!

Resistance to change is a natural result of fear, and fear is a natural response to something we perceive as threatening or dangerous in some way. Any change, even one we think we want, can have a domino effect, causing unexpected ripples of change in other areas of life, which we perceive as threatening. The key word in the last few sentences is "perceive." When we begin to think positively about something, we change our perception of it, which changes our feelings about it and, therefore, our attitudes.

Think about this: the physiological symptoms of anxiety (fear) include rapid or irregular heart rate, rapid breathing, lightheadedness, and sweating. Interestingly, these are the very same symptoms we experience when we are excited about something! Think of the last time you rode a roller coaster. If you feared the ride, you probably had all those symptoms, called it nervousness, and hated the experience. If you didn't fear the ride, you probably experienced all those symptoms, called it excitement, and had a great time. It's all a matter of viewpoint.

To change your feelings you have to change your thoughts. There are many ways to accomplish transforming your way of thinking about something. Following are just a few of these tools for taking control of your thoughts and attitudes. When trying out these techniques for the first time, start with something small - a change or event that doesn't carry a lot of emotional "charge" for you.

1) Look at the bright side.

List three or more positive outcomes that could result from this change. Be creative. Be farfetched. How could this event or change "backfire" into something great?

2) Say Yes!

You have to want to change your attitude and believe that you can change how you feel. When you feel threatened, however subtly, by an unexpected change, literally stand tall, open your arms wide, and loudly proclaim, "Yes!"

3) Embrace it.

Visualize the change coming into your life and, with it, all the positive changes you listed in step one. Imagine each of these positive events causing other good things to happen. Imagine yourself embracing this new event or change of circumstance and, if possible, physically act out the embrace as you imagine it.

Finally, to reinforce the idea that change is exciting, make a small, intentional change, every day. Eat blueberries in your cereal instead of sliced bananas. Try a yoga class instead of kickboxing. You'll begin to see how much fun change can be. And speaking of kickboxing, these tools are also great for kick-starting your creativity any time you feel stuck.

Amber Lea Starfire is an agent of change and loves to create solutions that transcend limits. Her passion is helping others realize their own creative, expressive, and physical potential by developing new ways of thinking and doing. Amber is Publisher and Editor of The Writer's Eye Magazine (http://www.thewriterseye.com), a freelance writer, professional portrait photographer, bicyclist and mother. Contact her at - http://www.amberstarfire.com

Goal Setting in Line With the Universe

"Excuse me Sir," Alice asks. "Could you tell me which road to take?"

Wisely, the caterpillar asks, "Where are you going?"

Somewhat troubled, Alice replies, "Oh, I don't know where I am going, Sir."

"Well", replied the caterpillar, "If you don't know where you are going, it really doesn't matter which road you take."

(Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol.)

Goals give you some direction, they help you to plan where you want to go, and which road you need to take to get there.

Many people make the mistake of setting themselves rigid goals and may be disappointed when life deals them a blow or the universe encourages them to change direction. It is important to take into account when setting and following your goals that you should remain flexible and be willing and able to change your goals according to the opportunities that life offers.

You need to plan your course carefully, put your goals out clearly to the universe, and then surrender and flow with the river of life and go with the flow. This means that you don't have to put effort to get where you want to go; you simply put out clearly to the universe where you would like to go, and then patiently and harmoniously follow the flow of the river of life until it takes you there. Sometimes you even have to change direction or go back on yourself before your reach your final destination as the river of life sometimes takes a winding course.

Sometimes it will be more beneficial for you and others if you change your direction as you take advantage of a new opportunity. The secret is to hold onto your goals lightly and be willing to change them if something more appropriate and satisfying comes along. In this way you maintain a balance between keeping your destination clearly in mind, and yet also enjoying all the beautiful scenes you encounter along the way.

It is important that you do not keep a strong attachment to your goals as this might restrict you from accomplishing them. If you have a lot of heavy emotions riding on whether you attain your goal, you will tend to work against yourself. Strong attachment to goals might cause you to sabotage yourself with fear of failure or fear of success or by linking your self esteem and self worth to achieving a specific objective. Your fear of not getting what you want may actually energise the idea of not getting it!

Besides giving you a rough plan to follow, goals also:
- Keep you motivated
- Help you focus your energy and efforts
- Give you confidence when you look back and see all your successes
- Help you to evaluate your performance

Planning and documenting your goals helps you to monitor your progress and provide feedback about how your are doing. This is the power of goal setting - it directs you, gives you a sense of control over your future and builds confidence.

http://www.jasonsandler.co.za

Stair Lighting Problems

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.

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Why Would You Lie to Boost Your Self-Esteem?

Do you lie to boost you self-esteem? Making yourself look good in front of others is meaningless if you are not being true to yourself. You will just end up living in Never-Never Land. The truth will always catch up with you. If you start off being honest in the first place, you are actually giving yourself the strongest starting point to get to where you want to go. You can easily identify what needs to change.

You can argue it is human nature to lie in from of certain people as to save face. Lying uncontrollably in certain situations will prevent you from looking bad. The consequences of lying are further reaching. You may feel you self esteem is boosted in that instant but really it will just create more stress and anxiety for you. You have set a perception of what is now expected of you. If you cannot achieve what you said you can, you will have to tell more lies in order to maintain the perception.

The mountain of lies you create will eventually just cause you to slip up as lies start to contradict themselves. You said one thing to one person, something else to another. Someone somewhere will rumble this, doubt the congruence of your life and also lose respect for you. This will damage any relationship.

So why do you lie? It is because your self-esteem feels threatened. And as your brain does not know the difference between reality and a vivid imagination, you boost your self esteem by deceiving it with the lies. You are only cheating yourself. The only way to stop this is to build a real foundation of self-esteem by accepting who you are right now.

Felix Nutter
Step Up Speak Out
To get more confidence, self-esteem and anxiety tips, visit http://www.stepupspeakout.co.uk to learn more about how to take control of your life.

Non Physical Conscious Awareness

Human Consciousness can be measured with an Electro-Encephalograph (EEG) machine. What we do not see is the non-physical aspects in the Aura of the person - the electromagnetic field of energy that surrounds the Human Body.

The Human Aura is multi-dimensional; it is not just a shell-like field of energy which is like an egg around the body. It has different layers, which correspond to the different layers of the physical body: the Whole Body, Organs, Cells, Molecules, Atoms, Finer Particles, Light Body and Core Being or Vacuum.

As well as these layers we have the Energy Centres - Chakras - coming out like cones. As the colours of these cones merge with each other we see different colours of light being formed to give us a point in the Aura of each shade and hue.

You can watch the Aura having different shades of points of light, acting like radio tuners receiving similar frequencies from our environment; the Human Body can tune into all frequencies at the same time and we can interpret these with our emotions and feelings.

When we smile we can feel the energy in our cheeks extending out from our body like angel's wings or like a magnetic field; this is created within the body, as would happen in a bar magnet. The field of energy which our physical body creates extends out into the non-physical Aura and beyond, like the force field surrounding a magnet.

Our body is sensing the astrological influences from the planets, as we exist in the Earth's Magnetic Field. All these different electromagnetic levels of energy and force have an influence on our consciousness and our thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

We notice how we feel happier on a bright, sunny day than we do when dark storm clouds are over us.

We live in an invisible field of Electromagnetic Energy which covers the full spectrum: Gamma Rays, X-Rays, Ultraviolet, Visible Light, Infra-red, Radio Frequencies, etc. We are connected as One with this field of Energy and it is part of our Conscious Awareness.

As well as this natural electromagnetic field from our solar system, we are also influenced by the electromagnetic smog of mobile phones, TV and radio and all the other methods of man-made communication using this underlying field of energy in which we live.

Human consciousness can use the underlying electromagnetic field to send messages telepathically, and to get premonitions and dj-vu insights.

The Universe uses this field of Power and Force in an effortless way, to bring about synchronicities in our life; our vibration draws to us the things which are patterned in our being; something magical seeks us out and happens in our life.

As more humans become aware of this non-physical electromagnetic field of energy, it grows stronger and the synchronicities happen more often. The accident rate is declining as everything acts as part of the whole and moves in a frictionless flow of life in Conscious Awareness.

By George E. Lockett SSHA, IIHHT -- HealerGeorge(C) Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved. Tel: +44 (0)1286 882701 Visit HealerGeorges web site to experience the power of Distant Healing or listen to HealerGeorge Radio giving Questions and Answer advice mixed with Spiritual Music. You can also enjoy many free benefits on HealerGeorge, like listening to Free Guided Meditations. Why not order HealerGeorges Latest book entitled A Journey into The Self The Multi-dimensional Nature of Being Human By George E Lockett. It is all available off the web site. HealerGeorge Web Site and New Book Description: What is this book going to do for YOU? For those who are seeking a complete energetic makeover, as you read it you will feel a stirring and awakening in the depths of your heart. For those who have questions about Shifts in Consciousness, Energy Balancing, and Healing within the body, you will find clear answers.

A Customer's Review of Jonathan Manske's Book, the Law of Attraction Made Simple

I have been studying the law of attraction for quite some time now and find the concept absolutely extraordinary. There is no denying the forces of this law when you look at instances in your life or things you have acquired. I have many examples in my own life of the law of attraction in action and every time I reflect upon those things I realize the power of the infinite as well as the power of myself.

While I have manifested many wants and desires in my life there are still things that have fallen short. Therefore, I am always seeking out new resources to better my skill of attraction and to help others who want to master the creation process of their own life as well.

Not to long ago I came across a video interview of Jonathan Manske in which he spoke of his book The Law of Attraction Made Simple. I was intrigued and for the nominal price of $27 I felt it could be a good resource for me.

After spending only a day and half reading it from cover to cover I concluded that it was one of the best books I had read when it came to utilizing applicable strategies to create your desires. The law of attraction is powerful, but unfortunately most of us just go through life blindly attracting things, wanted and unwanted.

Jonathan gives you a step by step process to truly master your creation and clear out any blockages you may have. I found this part to be exceptionally useful and I use the techniques taught in the book on a daily basis. Jonathan gives you, what I call, a blueprint to the law of attraction with real strategic exercises to perform through out your day.

Thank you, Jonathan, for writing such an educational tool for the betterment of society.

You can order your copy of Jonathan Manske's book at http://www.jonathanmanske.com

I am no way associated with the income of this book. I simply am a happy customer

Stacy McIntosh is a leader in the network marketing industry and shows others in her organization how to powerfully utilize the law of attraction in their own life and business. Stacy can be contacted through her websites http://www.theDNAdevelopment.com or http://www.successinyourslippers.com

Cost Effective Stair Building

What is the most cost effective way of building stairs? Why do the tract homes use on site methods of construction? When you think of a factory assembling a product on a assembly line you think why not a home. Why do they still build homes on lots or residential home sites?

If homes could be built in a factory cheaper than on site that is exactly what every home builder would be doing. They just haven't quite figured it out yet. When dealing with the large amounts of materials required to build a house and of course the expense of shipping. It is not cost effective to build a conventional home in a factory and ship it over long distances.

This is the biggest problem with cost effective stair construction. Most prefabricated stairs you will notice are spiral stairs. These stairs are smaller than most stairs that are used for multi level construction.

Spiral stairs are hard for your average carpenter to build. These stairs can be purchased from a factory easily and quite inexpensive.

The stairs in your average two story house are going to weigh about 3 times the amount of a spiral set of stairs that could be shipped in a cost effective way. Spiral stairs are not going to be the main stairway in a home and normally go up to a loft or an attic. Most spiral stairs don't meet the minimum building requirements for the main stairway in your home.

When building tract homes the lumber is shipped in bulk directly to the house site where it will be assembled. The lumber and other building materials will be shipped once. If it went to a factory and then assembled it would also have to be sent to the site on which the house was to be built. This added expense in shipping the materials twice is the problem for such a large and heavy item such as a set of stairs.

There are other prefabricated types of stairs that are built locally and the shipping usually is not a major expense. If you are building a stairway that is not to difficult to build for the average carpenter it will normally be cost effective to build the stairs on site. This would require having the carpenter build the stairs as part of the rough framing and then after drywall have the finish carpenter build the stair handrail system.

Visit us now for easy Home Constuction Help

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 stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

My Walk With Farrakhan - Can Righteous People Sin and Can Wicked People Do Righteous Deeds?

I have written 7 articles detailing different aspects of my faith walk with my spiritual guide, The Hon. Louis Farrakhan. I have been blessed by God during my time of being a student of God's word under his direction to make some amazing changes in my life since my acceptance of Islam on March 20th, 1996. However, I don't want anyone, for one second, to think that my life has been perfect for the past 12 years since walking in the path to become a Muslim. I have made an equally fair share of mistakes and yes "sins" since becoming a Muslim.

Sometimes, many religious people let their supposed new righteous life give them the false arrogance that they are better than others. But, I take the view that I am on a journey in the path of God striving to be qualified to be one of his righteous servants. I don't look down on others, but rather try to encourage others to reach for the best everyday.

I, after 10 years of being a Muslim, during the year 2006 had a major fall in my personal life that tested my faith and made me reflect on my journey deeper.

I will be exploring this sensitive subject of my fall to sin during the 8th part of my article series, My walk with Farrakhan. I won't give the specific instances where I fell, but I will say that I went from the highest of high to the lowest of low in my personal life.

Before we get into exploring this subject let's define a few words to ensure we have the clearest possible understanding of the words used in this article. One of the things both The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad and his student The Hon. Louis Farrakhan teaches us as students is to get definitions of the words we use. Also, Minister Malcolm X began his journey to enlightenment just by reading the dictionary and learning the meaning of words.

The word Righteous, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is defined as,
"1: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin 2 a: morally right or justifiable righteous decision> b: arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality 3 slang : genuine, excellent"

The word wicked, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is defined as,
"1: morally very bad : evil 2 a: fierce, vicious wicked dog> b: disposed to or marked by mischief : roguish does wicked impersonations 3 a: disgustingly unpleasant : vile wicked odor> b: causing or likely to cause harm, distress, or trouble wicked storm> 4: going beyond reasonable or predictable limits: of exceptional quality or degree throws a wicked fastball.

The word sin, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is defined as,
"1 a: an offense against religious or moral law b: an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible c: an often serious shortcoming : fault 2 a: transgression of the law of God b: a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God"

Now with a clear definition of the key words used in this article, we will now proceed to explore this subject of righteous people, wicked people and sin.

Understanding Adam, Sin and falling from grace

"And certainly We gave a commandment to Adam before, but he forgot; and We found in him no resolve (to disobey)." Holy Qur'an 20:115

Both the Bible and The Qur'an speak of ALLAH creating a new man, giving that man specific instructions and that man ultimately falling from grace. This is the daily story of the human family of the earth that is striving in the path of God. Whereas both the Bible and Qur'an relate the same story there are differences in understanding of meaning. The Holy Qur'an takes the position that human beings are created in a state of Islam(natural submission to God) and are pure until our parents, environment or our own deeds take us from the path of righteousness.

The story of Adam and Eve has been used to promote the position that it is natural to sin or the "human" thing to do. In one sense yes humans inevitably make mistakes, but we are not created in the image and likeness of Almighty God to act less. Also, the Holy Qur'an doesn't blame the woman for leading man into temptation. We learn from reading Sura(chapter) 20:125 that Adam didn't intend to disobey his Lord, but rather he forgot. We are taught in Islam that all deeds will be judged by our intentions while doing the deed. Some people do good deeds for wicked intentions. Likewise, some people do wicked deeds while feeling the pangs of their conscious.

Yes, Adam fell from his great glory, but did Almighty God give up on him or turn his face from him? The Qur'an teaches that ALLAH turned mercifully towards Adam and "reminded" him of the promise of divine guidance.

I will use the biblical story of the prophets to make the next points in this analysis of righteous people and wicked people. Before I proceed I must make a clarification. The Holy Qur'an accepts all of the prophets mentioned in the Bible as true men of God. However, The Holy Qur'an doesn't accept the stories attributed to them of unrighteousness. The Qur'an teaches that for the prophets to be examples to purify others they must be pure themselves.

The Bible teaches us of man named Noah who was chosen by God to be a fulfiller of his will. The story further teaches us that Noah was a "righteous and "just" man(Gen 6:8-9). He was chosen by God to build the Ark and be a savior of his people. After Noah had fulfilled his mission from God and survived the flood, the Bible teaches that the sons of Noah found him in a drunken state. One of the sons of Noah saw the drunken state of his father and told the other brothers. We then learn that the two brothers refused to look at the nakedness of Noah and covered him.

Later, when Noah awoke he cursed (and God upheld the curse) the son (Ham) who looked and blessed the sons (Shem and Japheth) who covered him. The point to this story (from the biblical perspective) is that Noah was a righteous man who did an unrighteous deed, but that didn't stop God's favor on him. As for the sons, their refusing to look at their father naked could mean: they chose to look at the good of their father instead of the bad or they refused to judge this aspect of his life.

Another biblical story teaches us of a great king named David, who was the father of Solomon and a forerunner of the Messiah. The Bible teaches that David had a heart after God's own heart. Yet, despite these great qualities the book informs us of several misdeeds of David. Some scholars have suggested that David violated about 9 of the 10 commandments. However, David is still held up as an example of a true man of God and his kingdom set a standard for all others.

Travelling (travail) on the path of God

I like to describe my faith walk with God as being a journey. I have been on this journey for 12 years and will be on it for the rest of my life. I want you to think about something related to a journey. Imagine if you lived in Pensacola, Florida and you decided to travel to Chicago one day. You would find yourself travelling up I-65 N for a long period of time. Let's also say this is your first time travelling to the destination, so you are checking your map closely trying to stay on course. Yet, you made a mistake and took a wrong exit, therefore ended up in Kentucky. What fool would sit on the side of the road, give up and never try to make adjustments (checking the map) to get back on the interstate towards your destination. Likewise, in our journey to godliness we may find ourselves making some wrong exist Ex. drugs, alcohol, adultery, lying, stealing etc...

However, we don't have to stay on these wrong exists. As one would get back on the interstate to continue travelling to a city, we should, if a wrong exit was taken, get back of the path to continue our journey to God.

The Bible perfectly illustrates this point in the following words
"For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity." Proverbs 24:16

If you notice that while the above scripture describes a man (or woman) as falling he still has righteous attached to him name. Why is this? Though we are taught that all have fallen short of the glory of God; is there a difference between righteous people who sin and wicked people who sin? As I wrote the last sentence, I thought how it could sound like a major paradox or contradiction. I think people can make unintentional departures from the right way and still be righteous. Yet, other people live a lifestyle of sin and are blatantly ignoring the will of God. This is what I think is the difference between righteous people and wicked people.

The example of The Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan

Brother Farrakhan, to me, is a great example of a Muslim, because of his strong insistence that me must submit totally to ALLAH's will, fear no one but ALLAH and his ability to be honest about his short comings. After the Nation of Islam "fell" in 1975, Brother Farrakhan said that he became "disillusioned" with religion and fell from his former resolve. After reflection on his life, the condition of our people and the teachings of his spiritual father, The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad, Minister Farrakhan recovered from his "fall"

Concerning this The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad, ALLAH's messenger to us, reminds us

"So this is the thing that you must remember, that trials, sometimes, are so terrific that they will weaken the most strongest person sometimes." (The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad 1964 Laborer meeting)

His example teaches me that the true strength of a person is not that you wont get knocked down from time to time, but can you get back up from a fall, make adjustment and go on to shine.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I had a major fall in my spiritual life after 10 years of striving to be a good Muslim. Yet, after much reflection and the help of God, I am now returning to the path of God and am seeking to be qualified to be called by his name. The Bible teaches us: "All things works for the good of those who love the Lord." It is important when you are having a down moment to have the "right mental attitude", which will determine your response to a down moment.

I want to encourage you to examine Minister Farrakhan and his example of being a servant of Almighty God.

Thank you for reading these few words!

Mustafaa Muhammad is an "African American" who is a follower of the Islamic faith. Through independent religious studies developed an ecumenical view of the world's religions and the people of God. And while he is devoted to Islam as his faith he is at home in the Church(or other religious institutions) as he is in the Mosque.

He has been featured on the Radio, Newspapers, public speaking events and at Mosques/Churches telling his story and offering his understanding of Almighty God's plan for salvation.

Mustafaa is involved in community activity. He believes that our faith must inspire us to greater service to humanity or we may be making a mockery of the purpose of faith. Contact him @ http://brothermustafaa.com

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Why Would You Lie to Boost Your Self-Esteem?

Do you lie to boost you self-esteem? Making yourself look good in front of others is meaningless if you are not being true to yourself. You will just end up living in Never-Never Land. The truth will always catch up with you. If you start off being honest in the first place, you are actually giving yourself the strongest starting point to get to where you want to go. You can easily identify what needs to change.

You can argue it is human nature to lie in from of certain people as to save face. Lying uncontrollably in certain situations will prevent you from looking bad. The consequences of lying are further reaching. You may feel you self esteem is boosted in that instant but really it will just create more stress and anxiety for you. You have set a perception of what is now expected of you. If you cannot achieve what you said you can, you will have to tell more lies in order to maintain the perception.

The mountain of lies you create will eventually just cause you to slip up as lies start to contradict themselves. You said one thing to one person, something else to another. Someone somewhere will rumble this, doubt the congruence of your life and also lose respect for you. This will damage any relationship.

So why do you lie? It is because your self-esteem feels threatened. And as your brain does not know the difference between reality and a vivid imagination, you boost your self esteem by deceiving it with the lies. You are only cheating yourself. The only way to stop this is to build a real foundation of self-esteem by accepting who you are right now.

Felix Nutter
Step Up Speak Out
To get more confidence, self-esteem and anxiety tips, visit http://www.stepupspeakout.co.uk to learn more about how to take control of your life.

How Harmful Can Some Words Be

Could you imagine someone telling you that if you don't do something, you're going to suffer a horrible punishment and possibly death, because you chose to ignore their message. Can simple words create powerful beliefs, isn't this what some religious doctorines create? Even the media does it, think about it the next time you turn your television on or read the newspaper.

You seem to believe something because someone told you that's how it is and when you go to question them, they simply repeat the simple statement, that's how is. It's hard to imagine a few words, articulated almost perfectly can create an overwhelming emotion in someone.

The Germans used propaganda to create fear with a few of these words. It's not just a few of these words, there's more power behind these words if their repeated often. These words can build up someone's hopes and dreams or tear them apart.

Is there a quote that you're fond of? You probably memorized it and it has some sort of significance or creates a certain feeling when mentioned. Quotes are organized words that create powerful beliefs in some people.

If I mention the words," I have a dream" you probably think of Martin Luther King. These four words meant a lot to people that were struggling for their freedom, not only in America but around the world. These words are a example of powerful words that have created a wonderful feeling.

When these powerful words create fear you know it. If you watch the news, night after night and they keep telling you how bad the economy is, it doesn't take long before you believe it. You tighten up your budget and stop spending money, because you are now fearful and don't want to lose what you have. When everyone starts holding onto their money, the economy actually does become worse over time.

Can simple words create powerful beliefs? Yes obviously they can and they do, so be careful when listening to words that create fear and try not to spread this fear around to others. Fear can be turned into relief if the right words are used, I would suggest using happy words to create a happy world. Have a nice day.

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. Check out one of his recommended books, The Magic of the Believing

Greg is currently working on a self improvement 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.

The Plain Truth about Easter

Like dumb sheep to the slaughter, most of mankind continues to blindly follow pagan traditions, rather than obey God's clear commands (Mark 7:7). Has it ever occurred to those stuffing their faces with Easter ham that Jesus would puke at the thought? Neither Jesus or Peter, James or John ever ate forbidden foods. They wouldn't feel too comfortable at plenty of people's dinner tables.

Even the early Gentile converts to Jewish Christianity respected the biblical dietary laws (Acts 15:20), understanding that not all foods are sanctioned by the Creator in the Holy Scriptures (I Timothy 4:5).

When John the Baptist recognized Jesus as our Passover sacrifice, he declared: "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:29). He didn't say, "Here comes the Easter Bunny!" Again, like the Easter ham, the Easter rabbit is also rejected in the Bible as an abomination (Leviticus 11:6-7).

The very name of Easter exposes itself as a heathen festival, although it's cloaked as "Christian." Easter/Ishtar/Astarte is the Babylonian spring goddess our British-Israelite forefathers foolishly worshipped. Hence the fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs.

God isn't fooled by such baptized paganism, such whitewashed heathen customs (Deuteronomy 12:30). He commands us to commemorate Jesus' death every Passover and recognize His atoning work of redemption as our resurrected High Priest in Heaven, unleavening our lives of sin (I Corinthians 5:7-8).

The early Church followed Jesus' Jewish example for several hundred years until Gentile opposition (from false converts) threatened them with a death sentence if they didn't bow before Easter observances (the Quarto-Deciman controversy)!

A growing number now know, understand and believe the biblical account that we're to observe Passover and that Jesus was resurrected before sunrise Sunday, "when it was yet dark" (John 10:1). Others prefer to reject this light of understanding to remain in their traditional darkness and die in their sins (John 3:19)-- it's that serious! Because if our nations don't repent of such idolatry and immorality we'll soon suffer national destruction, defeat and deportation! That's why this article of faith is part of our plea to diehard Catholics and Protestants to repent.

Thankfully, every generation has those chosen few who are willing to reject holidays for holy days and "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered" (Jude 3). Hopefully, this plain truth about Easter will cause you to question your beliefs and provide some "kosher" food for thought!

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall.

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

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.

The Do's and Don'ts of Divorce For Parents

An important note:

Divorce is a very complex occurrence that takes place within the family. This article will not attempt to cover all of the many nuances and intricacies involved in dealing with children who are experiencing a divorce. There are therapists who deal specifically with divorces as well as many books written on the effects of divorce on children and on parents. Many towns have programs committed to working with children of divorced families, which can be very effective in helping kids come to terms with what's going on. All of these options should be considered.I hope this article will offer some useful ideas, but I want to stress the fact that it is not meant as a substitute for a broader understanding of divorce and its effect on parents and children.

There are as many types of divorces as there are types of families, and each family creates their own little theater in which the divorce is acted out. For some families, divorce emanates from the adults not being able to get along, solve problems or communicate effectively. In other families, the divorce is the recognition that things are not working for the good of everyone involved. In certain families, divorce isa way to get out of an abusive or destructive relationship, in which case those children ultimately benefit psychologically, even though they will still face fears and even feel loyalty toward the offending parents.

The reason whya divorce is very traumatic for the children involved is because things are changing for them completely and the future is unknown. The most powerful people in their lives have decided to go on a completely different course. Kids use their parents to manage their fears of the unknown. When kids get anxious about the future, they have an unconscious mechanism that tells them their parents will take care of whatever it is that's bothering them. They do this often and without thinking about it. Divorce can be considered traumatic because it overpowers the children involved. They don't have the tools or the experience to manage the overwhelming feelings andchanges that are happening in their lives. They tend to deal with them in different ways, depending upon what the personality and nature of the child is. "Fear" is often the core feeling they have: Fear that they're going to lose things they have, and fear that they're not going to have things they want. What you'll see in some cases is that one child will buckle down and do OK in school, and the other child will give up and stop working. These two very different reactions may even occur in the same family. What that means is that one child is dealing with his fear and insecurity through isolating, while the other child is focusing on external things like schoolwork and sports.Some children deal with their fear and anger by acting their emotions out and striking out at others. One withdraws into the fort; the other goes out to meet the enemy.

The major emotions involved with divorce are fear, anger, and grief. The general fear for children is that things are changing and they don't know what they're changing into. The anger is that they have no control or power over the situation. And grief emanates from the very real fact that the family they knew has perished. It's as if it died, and they must, over time, grieve that family. As a parent, you will see the behaviors that characterize anger, fearfulness and grief. The anger might be viewed through verbal or physical acting out, through increased oppositionality and defiance, behavioral acting out in school, or anger and frustration taken out on other siblings or the residing parent. The fearfulness manifests itself through a process of shutting down. Kids will isolate emotionally and physically, spending more time in their rooms or out of the house. They may appear more secretive. They are withdrawing into themselves because of some instinctual feeling they have that this is the best way to protect themselves. And you'll see kids act out the stages of grief. They may bargain with their parents and try to figure out how to keep them together, they'll be in denial about the significance of the divorce; they'll be angry about what it means to them and eventually, if it's a healthy grieving process, they'll come to accept it, but that takes time and work. No matter how the kids handle the divorce, they generally don't want to talk about it to either parent, which creates problems for parents who desperately want their children to understand what's going on from their perspective.

Kids draw their strength from a variety of sources, but most of all from their parents and their family system. When kids are younger, their parents and family are their sole source of strength. As they develop, school performance, friends and sports become sources of strength, depending upon the individual child. So the first thing parents have to understand is that when the divorce is announced, the kids are going to experience a lot of insecurity about what the future holds. Parents may also feel that insecurity themselves, but they feel empowered to manage it. Children are completely dependent. It's a sad fact that many children go into poverty after a divorce because the money that used to support one household is now going to support two. The biggest cause of poverty among single parent families in America is divorce. So it puts fear in children. They wonder "What's going to happen to my parents? Are we going to have enough food? Will I have clothes? Can I still go to the mall on Fridays? Will we be able to do the same things?" These questions all float around in the kids' heads. Some fears have to do with the well-being of the parents and of the family, and some are age appropriately self-centered. And parents will do well to focus on these things when they talk to the child about the divorce.

Develop a Culture of Accountability in Your Home

Single parents have to develop a culture of accountability in their home once the separation or divorce has taken place. A "culture of accountability" position is one that says, "You are still accountable for your behavior here at home." So no matter what else is going on outside the house or whatever feelings the child is having, including those that come from legitimate sources, the child is responsible for his or her behavior. I would say that being structured and clear after a divorce is much more helpful to kids than compromising your values because your children are going through a tough time. Remember, it's during tough times that we need reliable structure the most. Limits, accountability, parental support, outside support when necessary-these are all part of a culture of accountability in the family. Kids experience a whole range of emotions when a separation and divorce occur. Remember that "divorce" and "separation" are legalistic terms. Once one parent moves out, the kids' adverse emotional experience begins, no matter how it's labeled.

Have structure that clearly sets out the responsibilities of each child, outline the way they have to treat each other and the way they have to treat you as the parent. Make sure the limits are clear. Issues such as curfews, use of phone, computer and TV time, expectations around schoolwork and other commitments should all be kept very clear. Hold kids accountable for not meeting their responsibilities. And don't let things slide because of your divorce. You certainly don't have to be punitive, but you have to be consistent. Be available to your kids if they want to talk about the divorce or any other subject, and let them know you're available to talk about things without specifically citing the divorce. Seek outside support when necessary. Certain types of counseling can be very helpful to kids who are experiencing the feelings of grief after a divorce. Also, if children are older and they test the limits by being physical or threatening, do not hesitate to call the police. There are many situations where kids sense a vacuum of power, and they will try to fill it if the parent does not. This can be especially troublesome in families where there is an adolescent, or families where the children don't reside with the parent who was the primary limit-setter.

Do's and Don'ts of Parenting after a Divorce

There are many "do's" and "don'ts" for parents after a divorce, but here are a few that I think are crucial:

• Don't push kids to talk about the divorce if they don't want to. Be inviting, but not demanding. Let them know there are other resources available to them outside of the family.
• Do hold kids accountable for their behavior. If kids are acting out, be clear with them. Let them know that even if they're acting out because of the divorce, they'll still be held accountable for their behavior.
• Don't talk negatively about the other parent. It's never a good idea.
• Don't jump into another relationship and expect kids to be accepting of that person. That may soothe your sense of loss, but for kids, it's only confusing and frustrating
• Don't try to have deep, meaningful conversations with your kids about the divorce. They may act "adultified," but they are not little adults.
• Do acknowledge that things have changed.
• Don't share all your fear, anxiety, anger resentment or grief with your children. They're not at a level of development where they can handle that. Often, it makes them feel like they have to take care of you, and that's not a good position for them to be in.
• Do family organizational planning and structuring without emotions. Sit down and let kids know what roles are going to change. Don't do it democratically. Don't ask for opinions or votes. It's not helpful to kids to put that responsibility on them.

"Dad lets me do it at his house."

As I mentioned, a single parent has to develop the culture of accountability in their household. What happens at mom's house or dad's house is none of your business, except in cases of safety. Do not let it become part of your child's alibi system. When your son or daughter says, "Dad lets me do this at his house," tell them that they'll have to wait until they get back to Dad's house until they do it again, because in your home there are consequences for that behavior. You may feel frustrated with the way your ex parents your children, but don't try to control what goes on in the other parent's home. That's a dead end street. There are many situations where parents cooperate with each other after the separation or divorce, but let's face it, people divorce because they don't like each other any more, so cooperation can only go so far.

Another issue is that many ex-spouses tell their children details of the marriage that you would rather they didn't know. This is a common occurrence and parents have to work on not giving it power. First of all, if you show your child that this information has power over you, that child is going to use it in certain situations. So the idea is to say something like, "Whatever your mother says at her house, just discuss it with her. This is not a place to talk about it." I personally don't think you should discuss specifics about the divorce. I think you should say, "That's Mom's opinion. You'll have to talk to her about that. In my house, I don't blame your mother, and I don't let her blame me." Understand this: Separation and divorce usually don't occur or don't emanate from a peaceful, easygoing marital situation. There are often occurrences such as strong arguments and fights, blaming, cursing, and bad feelings which precede the actual separation or divorce. For better or worse, kids have witnessed what's occurred and they will know the truth. Parents who use the "Culture of Accountability" model teach kids that using excuses and blaming others does not justify their inappropriate or irresponsible behavior.

If you teach your children not to make excuses and not to justify inappropriate behavior, they will be better prepared to identify when the other parent is using excuses and justifications to explain their behavior.

When is family counseling in order?

Family counseling is a very tricky issue. Some therapists will say that it should not include both parents because it is artificial, and helps kids promote the normal fantasy that their parents will get back together. On the other hand, there are therapists who believe that even if there's a divorce, the family should address it as a whole system. There are a lot of variables that come into play when deciding which course to take with which therapist. One thing is clear-your child should have the option of seeing someone, but they should not be forced to if they're managing the divorce effectively. If your child is having behavior problems which either stem from or are intensified by the divorce, the help should be based on him or her learning to manage the problems and feelings underlying the behavior.

My opinion is that therapy should be flexible enough to involve everyone in various combinations, but still avoid involving sessions with both the parents and the children present unless absolutely necessary. Before those sessions, strict ground rules and agendas must be agreed upon by both parents. Remember, it is very likely the differences in perception, interpretation, and behaviors which led to the divorce in the first place could be acted out in the artificial situation. In some cases, kids will not want to participate in these types of therapeutic activities. In my experience, if kids are managing the divorce and the other areas of their life well, they should not be pushed to be involved. On the other hand, if they're having behavioral or academic performance problems, behavior management therapy should be on the menu.

Divorce carries an inherent risk of damage to the children involved. The more quickly the adults going through the divorce take responsibility for being parents instead of spouses, the better the chances the children will have of adjusting to the new reality of their lives.

For three decades, behavioral therapist James Lehman, MSW, has worked with troubled teens and children with behavior problems. He has developed a practical, real-life approach to managing children and adolescents that teaches them how to solve social problems without hiding behind a facade of defiant, disrespectful, or obnoxious behavior. He has taught his approach to parents, teachers, state agencies and treatment centers in private practice and now through The Total Transformation Program -- a comprehensive step-by-step, multi-media program that makes learning James' techniques remarkably easy and helps you change your child's behavior.

Do You Read The Bible Regularly

Saving Money As A Teenager
Judging Your Childrens Partners
Fear Based Motivation
Lou Holtz

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

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

Book Notes - A Book Overview on Twelve Pillars

Twelve Pillars, by Jim Rohn and Chris Widener, is a short, easy to read story about a man named Michael Jones, who feels that his life is at a dead end.He meets an older gentleman, named Charlie, who shares with Michael twelve "pillars" that have helped the owner of the house Charlie maintains, Mr. Davis, achieve great success.The story is somewhat predictable (I'm not going to tell you how though, you have to read the book), but effectively conveys each of the pillars. I presented these pillars to a group of college students a few months ago, and thought they would be good to share with you too.

Pillar 1 is "Personal Development."This pillar highlights that you can achieve only to the level where you are.Key points on this pillar are success comes when you develop yourself beyond where you currently are; read books, attend seminars/speaker engagements, study the best people; and implement and integrate what you've learned.These points remind me of the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. To get different results, you've got to change what you're doing. "The only way things are going to change for you is when you change."

Pillar 2 is "Total Well-Being," which is "three dimensional health." The three dimensions are the body (physical), soul (our intellect, emotions, and will), and spirit (part of us that transcends this world).The Spirit is your core, the soul is the next layer, and the body is the outside layer.You need to work on all three, don't just work on one to the detriment of the others.The relationship between the three dimensions highlights the need to be transparent, sincere, and genuine.Let people see you as you really are. "You should make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you."

The third Pillar is "The Gift of Relationships."Relationships represent the "most beautiful highs" and the "most tormented lows" of life. Relationships are the backbone of our existence.Twelve Pillars explains that relationships are like a garden, you have to cultivate them.Once you get them up and running, the maintenance to keep them growing is much easier."Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing." People say that money that makes the world go around, but I believe relationships are what make the world go around because things get done through people.

Pillar 4 is "Achieve Your Goals."I've heard and read many times that you should write your goals down.Writing them bring them into reality.A side benefit of achieving your goals is that you become a better person."The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it."Something I learned from someone elsewhere is that plans will change, but your goals will stay the same.A good approach for checking your progress is "Plan, Do, Check, Adjust."

"The Proper Use of Time" is the fifth Pillar.There are two types of pain, the pain of discipline, which weighs only ounces, and the pain of regret, which weighs tons.Don't procrastinate, the end of your life will come sooner than you expect; don't wait until it's too late.Remember that when you spend a day, you have one less day to spend, so spend each day wisely."Every day has many opportunities, but only one best opportunity."The best opportunities are those that align with your overall goals.Know the difference between the urgent and the important.

"Surround Yourself With the Best People" is Pillar 6."Don't join an easy crowd; you won't grow.Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high."People have an amazing power to influence your destiny.Every relationship you have is an association, be it positive, neutral, or negative.Ask yourself the following questions about your relationships.Who am I around? What effect are they having on me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? What do they have me becoming?Then ask yourself if you're good with the answers.Categorize every person you meet.Is he or she someone you should disassociate with, have limited association with, or should you expand your association? Surround yourself with winners, successful people who exhibit and live consistent to values and skills you want to acquire and develop. You become like those you hang out with, so be picky.

Pillar 7 is "Be a Life-Long Learner."Most of your life is lived after formal education."Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make you a fortune."Self education is about what you teach yourself and what you learn along the way so you are constantly improving and growing. Learning is the beginning of wealth, health, and spirituality. Read books, observe successful people, reflect on your own experiences; learn what went right and what went wrong.Help others by sharing what you've learned. "All of

Life is Sales" is the eighth Pillar. Sales means influence and influence is the key to a successful life; learn the art and skill of influence."One key to having influence with others is to have others perceive you as a person of talent and virtues."Your talent and virtues represent your character and skill.Be a person of strong character and increasing skill and you will always be growing your influence.

Pillar 9 is "Income Seldom Exceeds Personal Development." Money doesn't solve the problems of life; you can lose it, be sued for it, or it can be stolen. What's important is what you become because, "What you become directly influences what you get." Become a million dollar person.Remember, even if you lose money, you have the skills to earn it again.

"All Communication Brings the Common Ground of Understanding" is Pillar 10."Communication is two or more people working together to find the common ground understanding.And when they find that common ground, they are positioned to have tremendous power together."Communication is hard, yet important in all relationships.It's about what you say, how you say it, when you say it, and the receptiveness of who you say it to. Make sure you really listen. The character behind listening is caring enough and valuing the other person enough to want to listen.People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Pillar 11 is "The World Can Always Use One More Great Leader."Anyone can be a great leader, all is takes is mastering the art of influence. Leaders make a difference through servant hood."To lead others is to help them change their thoughts, beliefs and actions for the better."Be interested in people, not just in what you can get from them.Help people with more than just their jobs, help them with their lives. A critical component is the leader-follower relationship, which must be built on trust and integrity.Great leaders are real, they know where they are.Great leaders have an optimistic vision, they know how to get to a better destination and work towards that vision.Another quote I like that captures the essence of leadership is, "The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly."

Finally, Pillar 12 is "Leave a Legacy." Life is short. You can't choose how long you will live, but you can choose how well you will live. "Live a life that will help others spiritually, intellectually, physically, financially and relationally.Live a life that serves as an example of what an exceptional life can look like." The path we walk has been prepared for us by others who have gone before us. So live your life in such a way that it will serve those who come after you. Blaze a trail that will allow others to move forward in their lives faster than if they had to blaze the trail themselves.

As you can see, the twelve pillars are interdependent; you can't just focus on one and neglect the others.The bottom line is that you have a choice about your life,"Make a Living or Design a Life." I hope you find value in these pillars and will be inspired to pick up Twelve Pillars and apply the pillars to your life and business.

Happy Business Building,

Yoli

Yolanda Allen is a program manager working for the US government. She owns a home based business specializing in financial education and uses the internet to market her business. Yolanda and her business partners teach other business owners online marketing and have set a goal to create 100 millionaires by 2012. To learn more about Yolanda's business, marketing system, and business partners, visit http://www.YBAMarketing.com