Manifesting Abundance

Are Your Prayers Being Answered by God - Christianity

2009-10-02T14:20:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eliminate Bible Propaganda

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

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

Click here if you're Interested in Christianity.

Embrace the Idea About Learning - Shouldn't You Be Studying the Bible Regularly?

2009-10-02T03:18:00.001-07:00

Most Christians own at least one Bible, but the idea of studying it on a regular basis, is normally considered a difficult task for those to perform. If you really want to call yourself a Christian, shouldn't you at least understand, a few things in the Bible?

Maybe something about Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, or what about that guy, what's his name, I think he died for our sins and wasn't he the son of God, what was his name... You might think I'm kidding, but very few Christians, know very little about the Bible.

How do we get Christians to embrace the idea that studying the Bible could benefit them or change their views entirely about their religion? I've always had problems with those who consider themselves practicing Christians, while trying to convert others to Christianity with a limited knowledge about the religion itself.

If you go to church every Sunday, there's a good chance that you will have to touch the holy book of scriptures, at least once. You might even pick it up and turn some of the pages while listening to the sermon. Is this the only time during the week that you will pick up the Bible? And does this bother you?

What about those who read the Bible regularly and don't take the time to interpret it literally. Read the Bible, word for word in order to get a simple understanding of each Bible verse. Don't try to read anything into it or look for hidden messages.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to answer simple questions or understand what your church leaders are talking about? When they mention Paul or Isaiah, are you thinking about your cousin and his friend? Spend a little more time learning about your religion and you will reap the rewards that education has to offer.

There Are Plenty of Problems with the Bible and If You Need More Help, Click on This Link Understanding the Bible

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Click Here If You're a Positive Christian Person.

My Message From God - Christian Spirituality

2009-10-01T15:49:00.001-07:00

This is a special article to me and I would like to share it with you. It seems like, every one that I have ever met, who refers to themselves as Christians, have received a special message from God.

I would like to share my message from God with every person in the world.

Why would God go out of his way to create evil people? To create people that wouldn't convert to his religion. To understand the true meaning of the one true religion. To have the ability to comprehend the truth and wisdom of Christianity.

I have been listening to Christians for years, talk about evil, the influence of the Bible on Christians, gifts from God, questioning their beliefs, lacking understanding for things that God doesn't give them or things that he takes away from them and excluding sinners from their lives.

I've been listening to Christians talk about love and caring, but excluding sinners, homosexuals and women from their church. Not allowing women to hold decision of authority or allowing them to perform certain tasks, inside of the Church.

I've been listening to Christians, quote from the Bible, with limited knowledge of the origins of that individual Bible verse, let alone the origins of their church or how Christianity was formed.

I've listened to them judge me for my beliefs and condemn others for theirs, while they are telling me about decision's they are making within their own lives, that don't support Christianity.

Just because you go to church, read the Bible or simply believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, doesn't make you an educated Christian. It only makes you a Christian.

My message from God is simple. Learn more about Christianity and this will allow you to do one of two things. Either you will become a stronger Christian or you will relinquish your beliefs in Christianity.

Either way you will have learned more about Christianity and could consider yourself an educated Christian or simply an educated person.

Advanced Bible Study

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Click here if you're a Spiritual Chrsitian.

Want to Know More About Guided Meditation? Read On!

2009-09-15T01:27:00.001-07:00

One of the most significant devices in self help in order to accomplish inner calm and peace of mind is through meditating. In view of the hectic and stressful lifestyle of today, the increasing popularity of this activity is growing, day by day as more and more individuals discover about its marvelous advantages and benefits. And guided meditation is one of the most well known types of meditating being utilized by countless of people on a daily basis. In this article, we will talk about guided meditation and the technique or style of performing it. Guided meditation, in its most basic and simplest form is a form of meditating where the subject is guided on each and every process of his meditative practice.

Right from the initial step of sitting in a meditative position up to the last stage of completing and finishing the process, someone guides you along the way. Guided meditation instructions could be of several varieties and it depend on the methods being given and imparted by the teacher. Some of the very famous meditating methods applied in guided meditation are Vipassana-which includes contemplation on the breathing processes, dancing and prayer meditation, mantra recitation, visual imagination and mindfulness meditation, etc. The most effective and the best way of using guided meditation is trying to listen to the live instructions from a master.

However, if that is not at all possible, the second best option is recording all the written instructions of a meditating process in your own voice and then listen into it in your meditative practice. What truly takes place in a guided meditation is that an instructor or teacher provides some step-by-step coaching on what to do whilst on the process of meditating. Well, this is a very archaic way of giving meditative education and instructions to students. Yes, in those age-old times, this activity was trained or taught in groups or teams using this technique. But these days, many thanks to the progress of technology, we don't need to have the physical presence of the guru to lead us in meditative state.

By making use of pre-recorded DVDs or CDs, we could now listen to the guided instructions of a guru and then, voila-we could then perform our meditative practice. Nevertheless, without any of those professional CDs or DVDs or a guru or master, you could record in you very own voice the written tips of this type of meditation from a book and you can play them afterwards. Furthermore, if someone doesn't have the convenience of a DVD player or a voice recorder, a person could always ask his relatives and pals to speak verbally the written meditating order during the session.

In this way, we could make use and apply the benefits of the guided meditation even in the absence of any technical help. It also helps you reaping its benefits and advantages even though you're alone. If you have not yet tried this type of meditative practice yet, I suggest that you give it a try.

The author of this article Amy Twain is a Self Improvement Coach who has been successfully coaching and guiding clients for many years. Amy recently decided to go public and share her knowledge and experience through her website http://www.innerzine.com You can sign up for her free newsletter and join her coaching program.

Dream Big - Self Help Tips

2009-09-14T12:19:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are you willing to dream big?

Are you willing to fail?

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

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

http://www.realandrews.com

http://www.realmlmsolutions.com

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

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

Outdoor Feng Shui

2009-09-13T23:04:00.001-07:00

Many homeowners pay careful attention to designing the inside of their homes and forget to take a good look at the outside. What does the exterior of your home look like? Does it convey a feeling of success and wealth, or does it suggest a feeling of poverty and misfortune?

I recommend you go outside and pretend you're seeing your house for the very first time. How does it look? Is there paint peeling? Are there things to be repaired, cleaned, planted, mulched or trimmed? If so, that's negative energy. It's important to create positive outdoor energy to allow new "opportunities to knock."

In Feng Shui, your front door is known as the "mouth of chi." It's the most important part of your home because this is where the energy enters. Your front entrance must be inviting. Is your front door clearly visible or is there confusion on where to go? Is there a clear pathway to your door? Is it well lit? If you gave me directions to your house can I find it easily? Is your house clearly numbered? If your pathway is blocked energy can't flow in. Since the front door is known as the "door to opportunity" if your front entrance is uninviting, cluttered or blocked you might be having financial difficulties, poor health, unhappy relationships, or constantly have obstacles get in your way.

Here are some Feng Shui Tips to get you started.

A painted front door can uplift the energy outside your home and also dazzle your entrance. A green door symbolizes money, a red door represents good fortune, a purple door signifies spirituality and a gold door welcomes prosperity.

Welcome mats are great for welcoming friends as well as new opportunities to come your way. Or if you prefer, you can even hang a welcome sign on your door at eye level.

Placing plants and flowers at your front entrance in beautiful, rich-looking containers can give your porch a facelift. Just be sure to stay away from unfriendly cactus or plants with pointed, spiky leaves.

Wind chimes are great for circulating the energy outside your home. You can place them anywhere on your property. I have one on my front porch to keep the positive energy ringing in.

Water fountains are considered to be lucky elements outside your home. They can be placed in your front or back yard. Since flowing water is associated with money, abundance and prosperity, the water should always flow towards your house. Just make sure that the water stays clean and flowing.

By now you have a few Feng Shui ideas to get you started on sprucing up your outdoors. It's important to beautifully "dress" the outside of your home and have fun in the process!

If you enjoyed this article, you'll love "Feng Shui Made Simple: Room By Room" ebook. Since your home mirrors your life it's important to create an environment that supports your goals and dreams. You have the power to create your best life yet and this book will give you the tools. Click this link to read more about this book: http://tinyurl.com/98rtkb

Crystals for Sun Sign in Taurus

2009-09-13T09:48:00.001-07:00

APRIL 20 - MAY 20

Birthstone: Emerald

Abundance Stone: Peridot

You are ruled by Venus, which is the goddess of love. It is said that the Emerald, your birthstone is her favorite stone. You love all the finer things in life, you love comfort and Emerald encourages these traits.

Wearing Emeralds helps you find a loyal and true love, the kind that is associated with domestic bliss. It also encourages your strength of character and diminishes any negatives in life that could come up. Taurus does not like change and Emerald keeps your life and being balanced.

Emeralds when worn have been know to change color when there is unfaithfulness around them, and as a Taurus you have a true problem forgiving once someone is unfaithful to you. This stone can also encourage patience and diminish negativity.

Your main strengths are determination, common sense and thoroughness; the best crystal for you to balance these characteristics out is Malachite, it can release your inhibitions and push you on forward in a smooth easy way, sort of like going before you.

Your major challenges are stubbornness, possessiveness, inflexibility; the best crystal to balance out these characteristics is Rhodonite, it is an emotional balancer that will nurture your softer love side and heals emotional scars. Jealousy is also an emotion that shows up on a regular basis for you and Peridot is good for releasing jealousy and looking at the positive side to situations and people.

Carry an Aquamarine with you, as it will balance out your tendency toward intolerance, conflict and contradictions with others in your daily life whether it is family, co-workers or the general public. This will make your life flow much smoother and easier.

Your sun sign can be a powerful asset when it is channeled in a productive manner, you can be very creative, you love the earth and can be very intuitive once you master the feeling of being able to trust the universe, Rutilated Quartz gives you the ability to stay connected to your inner spiritual self.

Thought for the Day: " In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind, there are few." --Suzuki Roshi--

Darlene has researched, practiced and implemented many spiritual and personal growth paths: Crystal Readings for Vibrant Living; Feng Shui for personal tranquility; Sacred Movements for a disciplined life; Gentle Touch Energy Healer; Whole and organic food advocate-Food as Medicine; Artist of hand woven and beaded amulet basket necklaces. She resides in California in her own personal wellness center and sanctuary. She brings her wisdom, knowledge and spiritual self to you in all that she does. Darlene's mission is to teach and encourage individuals how to find and maintain their balance in mind, body, spirit connection, which brings peace, joy and prosperity into their lives. They learn how to experience the joy of balanced living. She accomplishes this thru her Crystal Readings for Vibrant Living and her Wellness Coach Program, which is offer to individuals and corporations. Receive her f.ree report "Learn 7 Ways to Manifest Abundance With Crystals" at Spirited Boutique Darlene Siddons

When I Am an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple

2009-09-12T20:17:00.001-07:00

Why purple you ask?

Purple is a symbol of:nobility, spirituality, royalty, courage, death, sacredness, wealth, virtue and faith.I see purple as the colour of life, of passion, of storms and of warmth.

I found this book while sitting in the office of an old friend.I was hooked with the very first story!I fell in love with every word that was written and every story told.Some of these stories brought tears to my eyes while others made me laugh out loud.It provoked thought and allowed me to place myself in the shoes of each old woman.Through these women I thought of my own grandmothers, my mother and then ultimately, myself.What happens to us as we get older?Why do some of us travel through old age gracefully while others curse and fight it the entire way?

Through a series of short stories and poems by various authors, this book introduces its readers to many old women and their personal stories of each journey, (known best by each author), who descriptively allows us a glimpse inside of each life with feelings and details that draws us in.Along with some of these stories are photographs of older women who clearly show their character, laugh lines, their frown lines and their own personal unique sense of style.What becomes of some of us in our old age is comical while with others you all you can see is the incredible loneliness and struggle.

It gives some honest descriptions of how others view the aging process, what becomes of an aging population, and how it affects our families.The Hospitals, nursing homes, home care, etc.How our roles reverse slowly through our life time with those that care for us.

It gave me a clearer view of aging with more respect, knowledge and compassion.It gave me renewed interest and love for my own grandmother and all the stories she would tell me over and over again as though she had never told them before.She would pull me onto her knees; even as an adult and tell me she loved me.When she saw me, she still saw that 5 year old little girl inside me and I loved that.She would laugh through her stories until she had to remove her glasses to wipe her tears.She's been gone from this world for 14 years and I still miss her dearly.

This is one of those books that you will love for many years.As you get older and a little closer to wearing purple, it provokes so many thoughts of our own lives and what stories we will have to tell.

Everyone has a story.

One day I will tell mine and hopefully someone will be listening.

"In my old age, I too will proudly wear purple.You will recognize me from the others by the volume of my voice, my loud laughter, my bright orange handbag and the glass of red wine in my hand!"

2007 Silvana Rosati-Capizzano

Silvana is a well respected Interior Decorator, International Feng Shui Expert and the Principal of the Award Winning Home & Life Design Firm: Blue Avalon. Along with her years of study in Home Decor and Feng Shui, she has the unique ability of being able create luxurious interiors with balance and optimum energy flow thus creating a beautiful environment of positive energy, balance and harmony.

Silvana also devotes her time to her Holistic Practice at the Dove Spa, Canada. She is a well respected Reiki Master and Certified in Reflexology. Her love of Universal Energy in our environment and in body and mind led her to add to her practice of Feng Shui along with Reiki, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage and Hopi Ear Coning.

Blue Avalon specializes in Interior Decorating, Feng Shui and Abundant Living. Blue Avalon is the publisher of The Blue Avalon Journal; a monthly e-zine packed with ideas, tips and insider secrets! To subscribe, log onto our website today at http://www.blueavalon.com and you will receive a bonus book, The Number One Feng Shui Secret That Will Transform Your Life!

Blue Avalon - "Harmony for your home...Balance for your life http://www.blueavalon.com

Feng Shui - Property, Home, Land and Office Shapes

2009-09-12T07:10:00.001-07:00

It can be said that the most important factor cited in opening up a restaurant or eatery is "Location, Location and Location". So is the concept of "Shape" when it comes to Feng Shui. In dealing with the advanced concepts of Feng Shui "shape" is not one small factor.
Rather shape is everything.

The shape of your block. Your house, your rooms and even your furniture play a most important component and together play a more than important part in the Feng Shui of your home, your abode or your working areas. Generally it can be stated that symmetrical shapes are considered most ideal. If on the other tack or side one considers the "L-shape" of a room - then the basis of the "L-Shape" can, will and does poses problems because at its very core the "L-shape" is unbalanced and incomplete. If and when you have not primary, basic, balanced shapes, you will need to look, think and ponder at how to balance these shapes. It's all at the beginning and basis of Feng Shui and the practice of Feng Shui.

In dealing with the shape of your land or property, wider on the northern and southern ends is considered to be best. If your block is not a true triangle then try to choose or even arrange your property lines so that the back is wider than the front or the converse that the front is narrower than the back end. What to do is this is not the case? First you might want to place a live plant or even a lamp in the very opposite corner if there is a corner portion that juts into your land. If there is planting space or soil around the offending corner then planting a hedge, hedges or even creeper plants up the walls to counter any of the sha qi offending energies that these corners might be emitting or generating. Lastly if your property of plot of land is based on a triangular shape then in order to fill out these corner areas in order that qi does not get trapped there.

When it comes to the shape or shapes of your home or office building then the wisest choice of all is basic rectangular shape. With simple rectangular shapes you can be assured that all rooms and their corner areas will be covered and not left exposed outside the basic areas of the flow of vital "qi". If you not fortunate enough and your home, abode or office structure does have "L shapes" then these missing corners again can again be covered with the use of trees or plants being planted in critical areas. A spotlight, lamp or even a skylight on the roof can be utilized. Alternatively mirrors can fill the void, or as an alternate the beautiful sound of wind chimes a be used to fill the voids.

In a similar manner rooms with L-shapes can be trouble. These can be enclosed with partitions, standing bookshelves or if necessary furniture itself or plants can be used to close the loop to shield and keep out negative sha qi.

If there is one word when it comes to shapes apparent in your rooms and their arrangement it is the word "symmetry". Symmetry means a whole by itself, and balance. Each room, each piece of furnishing, each accessory should call out by itself "symmetry".

The whole can never be greater than its parts. Work to choose furniture and accessories that are symmetrical in their own right. This way these components can both stand alone, build and contribute to the peace, serenity and arrangement of the rooms of your home, office or abode that you occupy. Feng Shui.

Morris E. Brown Winnipeg Wedding Catering King Cole Catering

Winnipeg South Hotel

Hooray For Little Ones

2009-09-11T17:35:00.001-07:00

Life is full of challenges and some heartache. We can't always have what we want all the time and there are some things that just seem to pass us by. But, one of the greatest moments in life isn't that promotion at work, or getting that first pension check, it is the birth of a grandchild.

It is just that moment that we have been waiting for as we peddle our way through the various streams of life anxiously awaiting the arrival of our grandchild; in fact, our first grandchild.

My niece recently gave birth to a cuddly, little girl and we became a great aunt and a great uncle. We were absolutely delighted for her and her husband and welcomed this little grand niece to the loving family. As much as we extend our love to her, there is still the expectation of our own first grandchild.

For me, what lies ahead will be more than delight; more than love alone; and more than sharing in the care of a grandchild whether that be a granddaughter or a grandson. The more, to me, is cherishing the responsibility for demonstrating the love and commitment that is an integral part of an extended family. It is the on-going desire to help, give advice, and to be part of the up bringing a fantastic gift.

For many grandparents, it is the chance to give again without the daily stress of going to work and to have to leave a child in the care of a non-family member. For other grandparents whether they are called a nanny or grandfather, or a host of other nicknames, it is the offering of a safe haven for both new parents and grandchildren. It is a home that extends the responsibility without undue concern from parents of raising a grandchild to be the best they can, to be cared for beyond just providing toys, or someplace to drop a child while parents go about other business.

The 'hooray' for little ones is to be needed, to be fondly and lovingly beckoned by that little voice as they toddle within protected environments, where they frolic and play within a secure home, and where attentiveness is combined with adoring love. It is the chance to share all over again hopefully a little wiser; the opportunity to play again as if you were younger and full of fantasy where the wonders of the world unfold in make believe games, or where a simple cardboard box provides hours of make believe castles, or a little tea house, or a grand home filled with all kinds of adventure.

And, all through this time of joy is the opportunity to provide unquestioning love and to share in being part of the rising bubbles of life as a grandchild grows into maturity.

Looking for nicknames to call Grandmothers, here you will find names for your grandchildren to call you. Browse our list and pick one that best describes you as you become a grandparent. Nicknames for Grandmothers.

Bulk Candy

2009-09-11T03:39:00.001-07:00

We all love candy, in fact the mention of it makes our mouth watery. This sweet tasting snack comes in different types such as chocolates, toffees, licorice e.t.c and normally a vegetable or fruit coating is applied to give it a shine. It's made from a solution of sugar and water or milk. The mixture is boiled until the desired thickness is obtained. However, to make the mixture soft or hard will depend on the temperature. Basically different types of textures such as soft, chewy, hard and brittle can be obtained.

The total time taken for boiling and the ingredients used also determines the final product. The thickness and consistency on the other hand depends on the quantity of sugar in the mixture. Different temperatures used in boiling sugar are thread, soft crack and soft ball. In thread, 230-233F, 110-111 C is used for 80% sugar concentration. 270-290F, 132-143C in soft crack with sugar concentration of 95 % and in soft ball, 234-240 F, 112-115 C, with sugar concentration of 85 %.

Different bulk candy packs such as Swedish fish, caramels, salt wafer taffy, Pixy stix, wax bottles, rock candy and so on are available and can be ordered from various stores or online services. The special ones include; jelly beans, Jordan almonds and Candy corn. However, if you wish to try branded bulk candy packs they'll include; three muskateers, Tootsie Rolls, Laffty Taffy, Mentos, Sweettarts, Starburst e.t.c.

If your child's birthday is just around the corner, bulk candy pack of chocolate will do the magic in adding that caring and loving touch. They're in packs of forty eight pieces per pound and there is also an option of chocolate of persons suffering from diabetes.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Candy. For More Information on Bulk Candy, Visit His Site at BULK CANDY You Can Also Add Your Views About Bulk Candy At My Blog here BULK CANDY

Stairway to Improved Health

2009-09-10T13:49:00.001-07:00

You might not realize it, but where your staircase is located within your home, and the type of staircase you have, can dramatically impact your family's health. According to feng shui, staircases act as channels for energy flow, and can create environments where positive energy in your home becomes disturbed or is drained away, leaving you and your family vulnerable to poor health and disease.

According to the principles of feng shui, there are three main scenarios in which your staircase can disrupt the flow of positive energy within your home:

1) A staircase that is directly opposite your front door. This creates an environment where the positive energy in your home is channeled down the staircase and away from your home. This can leave you and your family feeling drained, and can suppress your immune system.
If you have a staircase facing your front door, there are several things you can do to correct this situation. First, you should hang a mirror on the inside of your front door or just above your front door, facing towards the stairs. This will help to stop the flow of energy away from your home. You can also hang uplifting pictures or artwork along the walls of your staircase - pictures of trees, birds, mountains, and other uplifting images will also maintain positive energy flow. If you have more than one picture make sure you hang them in a straight line. If you stagger them they will add to the flow of energy going down the stairs.

Hanging a round, multi-faceted crystal above your staircase is another important feng shui technique. Crystals are excellent for circulating positive energy, and will make your entire home a more comfortable place.

2) A staircase that is located in the center of your home. Your home's center is one of the most important areas of your home for health and good energy. If you have a staircase in the center of your home, try to place objects that represent the earth element near, under, or around your staircase.

You can easily use color to bring the earth element into this area. Earthtones, such as yellow gold and earthy colors, help to ground the energy and keep positive flow in your home.

You can also use earthen pots, such as terra cotta planters, to improve the energy around your staircase. Plants and pictures of plants or landscapes will also lift the energy in this area.

3) A spiral staircase. This is one of the worst situations for maintaining positive energy in your home, because spiral staircases create a corkscrew effect that disrupts your home's energy and creates a feeling of chaos.

Placing plants and earthen pots beneath your staircase is an excellent way to ground the energy in this area. Also, hanging a crystal at the top of your spiral staircase will help to restore calm, nurturing energy to create an environment for optimal health. You could also wrap something around the railing of the staircase, such as a silk vine.

Staircases can be challenging and have a negative impact on your health, but these challenges can always be overcome, if you follow the recommendations above.

Linda Binns shows you how to be more successful in all areas of your life by working with your environment. Sign up for her free 9-step E-course at http://www.HarmoniousLifeChoices.com

Linda Binns is author of Feng Shui for Your Relationships: Changing Your Environment to Create Better Relationships. She has been a Feng Shui Practitioner, Author, Speaker and teacher for over 10 years. She has appeared internationally on television and radio and in local publications. Linda is also the founder of The Feng Shui Success Institute - which teaches in-depth Feng Shui training and practitioner certification.

Removing Interior Walls

2009-09-08T07:21:00.001-07:00

Here's a word of advice for any contractor, Carpenter, handyman or homeowner that is planning to remove an interior wall from your home or someone else's. Beware of removing interior walls, to eliminate your fears of the house collapsing. Some of the interior walls inside of the house are important structural components of the building.

Some of these walls hold up floors, roofs and other loadbearing sections that could create safety problems within the structure of the house itself. This is an area where an expert with framing skills should be consulted. What is the definition of someone with excellent framing skills? Some one with at least 10 years as a master framing carpenter.

My home building experience consists of three decades for over 30 years of assembling some of the most difficult sections of a home. During these years I have seen damage done to houses from removing structural interior walls. Most of this damage could be repaired with a little structural engineering. Some of the damage could not be repaired and caused other damage to different sections of the house. The damage caused in some cases to the floor and the roof framing had to be completely rebuilt.

I'm not telling you about every single thing I have ran into but you would be surprised if I started to make a list of all the homeowners and professionals in the building industry or home selling and buying business that contacted me to remove a structural component of a building. There have even been a few of these people that told me everything was going to be okay just go ahead and remove the structural building component.

Needless to say I would leave these people very irritated but I'm sure they found someone to do the job. The bad news is I was normally the person they would hire to go back and repair the damaged building after these people were gone and out of business. There have been cases where people have removed an interior walls against my better judgment and over the years of driving by in these homes I personally got to witness the structural damage that was occurring on the outside of the house.

I have no idea what the inside of the house looked like but could only imagine. My advice again when removing interior walls is to hire an experienced contractor or at least get some advice from an experienced framing carpenter. This does not include your basic know it all that has basic construction experience like your father in law, parents, friends, golfing associates or people you work with that tell you not to worry about it, just do it, everything will work out just fine.

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 What Does A Shear Wall Do

Should The Bible Be Edited

Why You Shouldn't Hate Math

2009-09-08T01:59:00.001-07:00

People hate math, at least that's what they're always telling me. Of course, being the way that I am, I have to make converts of everyone. I don't know what my passion is exactly, that drives me to convert the "math haters," but I simply cannot overcome the compulsion to do so. To me, there is not just beauty in mathematics but something else which is spiritual. It's as though God speaks to us through this strange and mysterious language. For this reason, I always approach the subject with a certain degree of humility and reverence, knowing that I can be both abased and exalted by its magnificence.

But why try to make math converts? Why not simply preach to the choir of that rare group of math lovers? Well firstly, the latter group is minuscule in comparison to the former, and secondly, there has always been something noble in trying to make a "believer" out of a "doubter." Moreover, I have this firm belief that our society advances or stands still according to the progress of its children. If the children of society are reared properly, then the future success of such a society is strongly enhanced. If the children are adulterated, ill-educated, and poorly motivated........well, then guess what? Do you really expect a brighter future for mankind? Hardly.

It is for this reason that I go around preaching the importance of mathematics, particularly the foundations of arithmetic. To this day, when I work with a student and see him or her struggling with the topic at hand-whether it be algebra, geometry, or even a higher branch such as calculus-I come to observe that invariably a weak foundation is the root cause of the struggle. In addition, the student's lack of confidence makes the fight even more challenging. The struggle having increased without remedy, the student eventually succumbs and adopts an "I hate math" attitude.

What is encouraging for such cases and certainly worth stressing is that all of mathematics hinges on the basics of arithmetic. It is unfortunate that much of a student's frustration in his studies later on is the result of poor mastery of arithmetic. For this reason I say, "Soundly drill this discipline into the minds of our children and the chances of success in higher mathematics is dramatically increased." A good analogy to make would be with sports and professional athletes. Expert athletes master the basics. The Tiger Woods of the world spent countless hours practicing the fundamentals of golf swinging. The ace pitchers of baseball worked on mastering the mechanics of certain pitches. In both cases, these athletes practiced endless rounds with a keen focus on both speed and accuracy. Even great coaches understand the importance of the fundamentals: this is why athletes spend countless hours in training camp going over the basic exercises and drills. This same concept applies to mathematics. Master the basics and the chances of success later on are increased dramatically.

Consequently, in mathematics, once the foundations are mastered, success comes in this discipline as easily as it does in others. Okay. Maybe not as easily, but certainly success will come nonetheless. And as mathematics is so powerful in helping us march forward as a society-indeed mathematics unfolds to us mysteries of the very universe itself-there really is no need to hate this most awesome subject, but rather love it.

See more at Math Ebook Online Bookstore

Joe is a prolific writer of self-help and educational material and an award-winning former teacher of both college and high school mathematics. Under the penname, JC Page, Joe authored Arithmetic Magic, the little classic on the ABC's of arithmetic. Joe is also author of the charming self-help ebook, Making a Good Impression Every Time: The Secret to Instant Popularity; the original collection of poetry, Poems for the Mathematically Insecure, and the short but highly effective fraction troubleshooter Fractions for the Faint of Heart. The diverse genre of his writings (novel, short story, essay, script, and poetry)-particularly in regard to its educational flavor- continues to captivate readers and to earn him recognition.

Joe propagates his teaching philosophy through his articles and books and is dedicated to helping educate children living in impoverished countries. Toward this end, he donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every ebook. For more information go to http://www.mathbyjoe.com

Dog Creates Remodeling Nightmare

2009-09-07T23:55:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Personal Development

Your Blissful Life - Your Definition

2009-09-07T18:24:00.001-07:00

The beauty of your blissful life is the simple fact that it is all yours! You, and only you, define exactly what it means to you, in every part of your life. There have never been two individuals wanting exactly the same thing in every part of their lives. While they may share some common desires, they will have unique meanings for their respective blissful lives. Just as each of us are a unique beautiful people, so is our definition of our blissful life! As you execute the process of defining your blissful life, you are creating a work of art that is all you. Your work of art is you in all your beauty and glory.

How can each of us have such a unique definition for the same object of our desires? Let me explain;

As I discussed in earlier articles, we are all made up of many components or parts. Recall also that all of these aspects or parts are unique to each and every one of us. It is because of this that we all place different values on our various parts. l place a certain value or importance on my professional career while you place a completely different value or importance on yours. You may place greater importance on your relationship with your friends (your friends part) as opposed to your professional career. Everyone you know such as your significant other, mother, father, and siblings, acquaintances etc. will all place various parts higher or lower on their importance scale when compared to yours.

The importance that we each place on our various parts uniquely defines not only who we are and how we act; it also uniquely defines your blissful life. The reason that you are currently reading this article is you, for some reason, feel a need to redefine, re-rank, resolve a conflict within or between your parts, or to define new parts and integrate them into yourself. This is your unique definition. This is how you identify, compare, and take action on a daily basis, in every moment. Everything you do is driven to satisfy and achieve the definition you have for your parts which, when combined, define yourself as a person.

After completing my this and my next two articles, you will have identified all of your parts, ranked them in order of importance to yourself and your life, and what you want your blissful life to look, sound, and feel like to you.

For me, your blissful life means a balance between my parts that allowed me to assist others in achieving their goals while providing a satisfactory standard of living. It also means that I have the freedom and permission from myself to continue to grow and discover more about myself and the world I live in, no matter what! To me this means that there are no silly or ridiculous ideas or paths. I have given myself permission to explore all of them, no matter where they might lead. I have learned that in order for me to live my blissful life, I must be true to myself, my ideals, my thoughts, my intuition, and my feelings. When I do this, I can do anything, be anything, and discover anything I desire. When I am doing this and helping others enrich their lives that I am truly living my blissful life.

Take some time now to reflect;

Review your list of parts my previous article Your Blissful Life: The Struggle Within.

Review all of the parts you identified after reading the article.

Have you discovered any other parts? If so, note them here.

Mr. Timothy A. McGinty is the published co-author of the highly regarded Wake Up... Live the Life You Love series. This series is a collaborative effort with such inspirational leaders as Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracey, Steven E, and Lee Beard.

Mr. McGinty is also the author of "Your Blissful Life", a book which takes the reader by the hand and walks them through a process for defining their "Blissful Life" and the action plan for achieving it.

Imagine Yourself... is an organization focused on enabling clients "breakthrough" in achieving their success. Mr. McGinty has helped many organizations and individuals discover their passion, define the life balance they seek, develop strategies for achieving that balance, and held them accountable for reaching their goals. His clients have been so successful that Mr. McGinty is known as "The Breakthrough Guy"

Imagine Yourself...
13477 Prospect Rd. Suite 204
Strongsville, Ohio 44149
Telephone: 440-236-6519
Web: http://www.timothymcginty.com
E-mail: tim@timothymcginty.com

Attic Odors and Strange Smells

2009-09-07T16:29:00.001-07:00

If you've ever opened up your attic access hole, only to find one of the worst odors you have ever smelled in your whole life, I've been there too. What causes these horrible smells and what can you do about them?

Let's start with the cause of these smells, moisture, dirt, mold, mildew, dead animals, animals that make their home in your attic and the biggest problem of all is normally poor ventilation.

Poor ventilation is the biggest problem with musty smells in the attic. These smells are often caused from moisture accumulating in the building materials over time. If there is enough moisture in the attic, the wood will start to rot but this wouldn't be a normal situation, unless there was a roof or water leak.

Roof leaks can cause a constant supply of water to one part of the attic. This constant supply of water will eventually rot the wood and damage the ceiling. Water leaks from pipes can provide a steady supply of water and the situation can attracts termites and mold. Not a good thing.

One of the worst possible smells or odors in your attic would be a dead animal. Don't under estimate the size of some of these animals, they have found dead raccoons, cats, snakes, large birds, squirrels, rats and mice in some attics. These animals usually enter through damaged access holes or vent blocks, roof vents, large gaps, holes and even fireplace chimneys.

Once these animals die, their bodies start to decompose and produce one horrible odor. Once the body is completely decomposed, the smell usually goes away if the attic is ventilated properly. These smells can seep into the homes living area, often creating a room that no one wants to enter.

Home peststhat make their home in your attics, often create smells from urinating and defecating in the areas around their nest. Large birds like owls can become a problem over time.

Now that we've figured out some of the causes for attic odors and strange smells, what can we do to prevent this from happening and if it's already happened, how can we get rid of the smell.

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 having problems in your attic, find out more at pest control books and home building ideas.

If I Hate My Brother

Guide For Weight Loss Surgery Success

2009-09-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

One of the most handed down, often-quoted quotations is that "If you change your thoughts, you change your life."

It is so true...

It takes a thought to create an emotion, which in turn drives a decision to take an action.

Simple, huh?

All the self-help books, tapes, seminars, etc. show you what to do, but not what to think or how to prioritize in order to do it.

How do you change your thoughts and lifestyle in order to make the right actions?

Nowadays, we live in such a fast-paced world that we don't take the time to 'stop and smell the roses.' We are on a fast-paced train that continually runs on a regular track of toxic habits and behaviors. Sound familiar?

Well then, how do we get off this lethal train?

The first step is to recognize how we neglected to take time - the time to become calm within ourselves. By doing this, we acknowledge how reckless our lifestyles have become.

You might be saying to yourself, "Yeah, but the kids need me to drive them to soccer practice," "I have to make dinner and do the laundry, not to mention the ironing," "Oh, I am so busy with my business and the PTA. Oh, and I can't forget my church group."

Do you see and hear the insanity of it all? If you want to change something in you life, how much of this mayhem do you think you are going to fit in with what you are wanting?

Do you remember that old Calgon commercial? It had the wife/mother frantic, trying to get everything done. With her children screaming and the phone ringing, she finally runs into the bathroom, locks the door, throws up her hands and looks up shouting "Calgon, take me away!"

This advertisement said it all. She just needed a moment of peace. When we are able to take just a few minutes to be with ourselves, we can take what I like to call 'ME TIME'.

Within those brief but valuable tranquil moments, we can start making conscious, clearer decisions about what we want. And remember, changing your thought patterns can create the change that you desire.

My challenge to you is to take a hard look at how often you seize that sacred moment to be with yourself. Is it once a week? Twice a week? Ultimately, my hope is that you become mindful to do this every single day of your life.

This means escaping from all of the chaos for a few minutes. Slowing down your pace; thinking of no one but you. Self- care is essential for life balance and when we forget about loving ourselves first, we can then tumble helplessly into possible burnout, depression, addiction, etc.

The second step is awareness. To realize the more often you think new thoughts, the more often they cross your mind, the higher your standards will be. More often you will be compelled to take the actions that will make you more and more successful in that area of your life.

Treasure in...treasure out.

Garbage in...(well, you get the idea).

For instance, you can have thoughts of being a thin person, but not think of being a financially stable person.

Simply, this means you can become so focused on your weight loss, that you completely neglect your financial goals. Remembering that your thoughts create standards that oversee your actions and decisions, you can have it all. This principle pertains to every aspect of your life, you just need to be aware and focus on your life's balance. Therefore, go ahead and think of what it would be like to lose weight but don't forget to also put thought into how you are going to keep your finances in order.

Once you start reflecting on the past, it is inevitable that your thoughts will create your destiny. I challenge you to set aside some time today to reflect on what is most important to YOU.

You CAN achieve your weight loss goals and enjoy a more balanced life.

"If you change your thoughts, you will change your life."

Jeff Cadwell
Maximum Life Coach
714-669-2928
http://www.jeffcadwell.com

"Welcome to the beginning of the New YOU!"

I am a Life Coach who is passionate about empowering people to live more robust lives -physically, emotionally and spiritually. My specialty is people who are considering or have had Weight Loss Surgery.

New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

2009-09-07T09:17:00.001-07:00

During my 30 years of remodeling and building new homes. I have ran across quite a bit of structural framing failures. I find myself answering this question a lot when explaining to a homeowner about the structural failure I am repairing on their home, "Why Didn't They Use Better Lumber" or " Why Didn't They Use Larger Lumber." I really have a hard time answering these questions because I honestly don't know the answer.

However I can try to use some logic and reason to give these people an answer that seems to make sense to both of us. Why didn't they use better lumber, quite simply because, with most older homes that were built before the 1970s they actually do have better lumber. Now you're probably thinking how can these homes have better lumber when the lumber is old versus the new lumber used in a brand new house.

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

The lumber in most older houses are from older growth trees. Some of these trees were extremely large and only the premium parts of the trees were used. The premium lumber is cut farthest away from the center of the tree. Now the larger the tree it makes sense that there will be more premium lumber.

A large majority of the newer lumber used in home construction comes from trees about 6 inches in diameter. Now you're probably wondering how can they cut a 2 x 8 piece of lumber out of a 6 inch tree. Of course they cannot, the larger lumber comes from larger trees.

Most 2 x 4's that are less than 8 foot long can be cut from these trees. This scrap or waste that comes from cutting these two by fours will now go into engineered building materials like particleboard, oriented strand board and engineered beams. Another name for an engineered been would be a paralam.

I hope you're starting to get the picture now when it comes to using new or old lumber. There are companies that are going into old logging rivers and retrieving old growth lumber. These were logs that sank to the bottom of the river's and were never retrieved because it was too costly.

The old growth lumber is quite expensive. Who's to say what problems we will happen in the future from the newer products created with modern day technology. When it comes to building houses it is not an exact science and as contractors we have been repairing the damage from poor engineering for years.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

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 Structural Repairs.

Effects Of False Prophets

Through Any Obstacle - Self Help Tips

2009-09-07T03:13:00.001-07:00

If there were no obstacles, I could accomplish anything. I'd just get up, do the things I needed to do and "viola!" one day my goal will be achieved. Unfortunately, the real world doesn't work like that. No path to success is smooth or easy; otherwise everyone would do it. Life throws obstacles in our way and the daily grind gets us down so that we have to continually motivate ourselves.

But what if you had a motivation that was so powerful, so ironclad, so inspiring to you that no obstacle couldn't be overcome or worked around? What could you accomplish then?

Oh, we think we have strong motivators. We think we're motivated by the benefits we're expecting from the actions that we take. These benefits might be more money, more time, the finer things in life, but these aren't the real, true, and strong reasons "why" we are going to get up and fight the good fight every day.

What is the reason why? I can't tell you because everyone's why is different. And sometimes it's hidden deep beneath consumer-cravings and societal pressure. So here's a no-fail, simple process to find your personally motivating why.

Steve Siebold, author of 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class tells us that champions are driven by emotional motivators, not logical reasons or benefits. We're used to thinking of the benefits to our actions as enough motivation. But these are logic-based. Your inescapable "why" has to be an emotion behind your actions.

Here is the simple statement you need to complete to find your personally motivating why:

"I want to _____________, so that ________________ because _______________"

It's deceptively simple, but for the most powerful result, you will need to dig deep into your feelings and emotions.

Let's walk through the process. Start with a benefit that appeals to you. This is what gets you started. That goes in the first blank. For example, "network more to get more clients."

Your sentence now reads, "I want to network more to get more clients, so that ..." What? What is the purpose of having more clients? You will have more money, experience more stability, grow the business? Let's choose, "I can have more money."

Because why? What does the money do for you? What do you want from it? Perhaps you want to retire early. Now, our statement is "I want to get more clients so that I can have more money, because I want to retire early."

Are you done? Is that a strong enough motivating statement? No it's not because this is a logical statement, there is no emotion tied to it. If the "because" doesn't make your throat tighten, or your heart beat faster, or make your eyes tear up, this motivating statement will not work

If the "because" is not emotionally compelling to you, keep going. Repeat the "so that" and "because" statements until you have an absolutely ironclad, emotion-laden statement. You can repeat them in pairs or separately.

I want to get more clients so that I can have more money, because I want to retire early, so that I can travel the country with my wife because she's never traveled and because I love her and want her to experience the wonders of America by my side.

Which part of that statement would make you get up early every Tuesday for your leads club meeting? More clients? Or traveling the country with your wife?

Here's another example:

I want to expand my networking contacts so that I have a safety net because I'm concerned about layoffs so that I don't have to worry about finding another job because my children see the job losses on the news and ask me if I could lose my job because I don't want them to feel fear and because I want them to feel proud and confident that Mommy has lots of friends who would help her find a better job really fast.

The final statement must be a positive, love-based statement. Steve Siebold emphasizes that great people evolve from fear-based to love-based motivation. If your last "because" is fear-based, then you need to keep going until the last statement is full of love and gratitude. Fear will sap away your strength and reduce your enjoyment. You want to move "toward" something positive, not "away" from something negative. Your why must be positive-emotionally motivating if you want to achieve great results and break through any obstacles.

Follow the "I want to/so that/because" formula. Write it down, post it, and review it when you feel tired, or discouraged, or lack motivation. Your love-filled, emotional statement will give you strength and the ability to continue on toward your goal.

Beth Bridges is the Membership Director of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce in California. She has helped thousands of people get connected through hundreds of networking events with the Chamber and other organizations. For tips, tricks, and networking strategies, visit http://bethbridges.blogspot.com For more motivation and personal development training, access thousands of hours of top authors, speakers, and writers (including Steve Siebold) at http://www.NetworkWithILG.com

DIY Bathroom Remodeling Or Hiring a Contractor

2009-09-07T01:49:00.000-07:00

The first question you need to ask yourself when remodeling a bathroom is can you actually do the work yourself or do you have someone that can help you with the remodeling. If you don't know anyone and can't do the work yourself, I would suggest hiring a contractor with experience remodeling bathrooms.

If you can do the work yourself or think you could do the work yourself, why not give it a shot. Any experience you have in construction or home remodeling, is going to be beneficial to your bathroom remodeling project. There is plenty of information on the internet or in your local libraries on bathroom remodeling and these often prove to be great resources for do it yourselfers.

As an experienced contractor I have gathered a great deal of information through books, at work and watching local home improvement shows. The biggest problem with the show's and quite a few of these books, is they don't provide enough information. Most of the time they provide you with the basics of bathroom remodeling and you could soon find yourself in trouble or seeking the advice from a home improvement professional.

The largest benefit for doing the bathroom remodeling project yourself, could be the money you save, along with the satisfaction of completing the project. It makes homeowners feel good when they've completed a large home remodeling project, like a bathroom remodel.

If you don't have the time, lack the experience or a combination of both, I would suggest hiring a contractor to relieve you from the stress and frustration of your bath remodeling project. The more complex your bathroom remodeling project is, the greater the degree of difficulty, the longer it will take to complete the project. Some of these projects can take up a lot of your time.

If you're working on galvanized water supply pipes or old cast iron waste pipes, you could find yourself hiring a plumber to install your bathtub and fixtures. These old pipes create problems for most do it yourselfers and I would suggest hiring a professional, whenever you run into a problem you don't feel comfortable with.

Choosing to tackle some of these difficult problems yourself, could lead to water leaks and more damage to the home eventually costing you even more money than the original cost of hiring an experienced plumber in the first place. When it comes to water, structural framing and electricity, think twice, especially if you're not experienced in these areas.

My advice to do it yourselfers is to hire a professional if you're not comfortable or seek the advice from a contractor or someone with considerable experience bathroom remodeling.

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 House Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Does God Make Mistakes

Goal Setting For Changing Times

2009-09-06T19:49:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed that you've experienced much change over the past year, months, weeks, and even days? Your situation may have changed due to the challenges presented by these changing times, and you may ask yourself if you have achieved your goals of the past year. How do we go about starting our goal-setting activity with all of this change happening around us?

The following seven goal-setting steps will help you successfully implement your goal-setting and achieve your dreams in the future in these changing times:

1. Successful Goal Setting Requires Thinking About Your Goals

You are told how to think and what to think about each and every day. From when we get up in the morning until we go to sleep at night, television, radio, personal computer, family, friends, managers, and colleagues tell us how to think, feel, and act.

Invest time fifteen minutes to an hour to think. Turn off all the external distractions, go to a quiet place (home, park, etc.), and think about your goals and how you want to accomplish them. Think about how you will feel when accomplishing them.

Your goal-setting thinking session should also include how you will benefit from these changing times. What special skills do you have or need to acquire to take advantage of these changing times?

2. Successful Goal Setting Requires Writing Your Goals

Nothing happens in goal setting unless you write your goals and put these goals on paper. Put a pen to paper and you are ahead of all ninety-five percent of other people because they do not write down their goals and then wonder why they are unhappy in their business, their career, and their life. Take the time to write down your goals. It doesn't need to be perfect the first time; successful goal setting is an ongoing process that will change as you accomplish your goals.

3. Successful Goal Setting Requires Shorter Time Periods

Break the length for your goals into shortened time periods. This allows you adjust as needed in changing times. For example, break your goals into twenty-year, ten-year, five-year, one-year, six-month, monthly, weekly, and daily increments. This will allow you to gauge whether you are on course to accomplishing your goals, or whether you need to make adjustments to get back on track.

4. Successful Goal Setting Requires Flexible Goals

You need to be flexible when goal setting more than ever in the past. As the world changes, planning for these changes is essential. An opportunity that is there today might not be there tomorrow. What are you going to do with shifting opportunities? When setting goals, successful people have a Plan A, Plan B, and even a Plan C for these changing times. Take time to think about what changes might happen in your business, your career, and your life and develop plans to overcome these obstacles.

5. Successful Goal Setting Requires Passion

Do your goals make you excited? If they do not, you are not setting goals high enough. Set your goals so that you are excited about accomplishing them. When you are excited about your goals, you create positive energy, and the energy creates passion. With this passion, you will find ways to remove any barriers to your success.

6. Successful Goal Setting Requires Embracing Technology

Many times in our workshops, we run across students for whom technology is a barrier to their success. Their jobs or industries have changed so that being proficient in technology is a requirement. Yet, these students resist learning the new technologies required for their success.

Include a section on what technologies you will learn in your goal setting so that you are successful. Overcome your fear and challenge yourself through these goals to learn how to master new technologies.

7. Successful Goal Setting Requires Balance

In these changing times, you are asked to do more with less. Whether in your business, your career, your community, or your family, you have ever increasing requests for your time and talents. Unless you include balance in your goal setting, someone else will create unbalance in your life which leads to stress and possibly illness.

Take back control of your life with successful goal setting. Make sure you set goals in the following areas:

* Family

* Health

* Education

* Technology

* Spiritual

* Career

* Community

* Business (if needed)

I am sure you can think of some others; however, these form the foundation of your goal-setting activities. Master these areas to be successful in achieving more in less time while staying in control.

Don't delay! Take the time to put think about what you want and deserve, then put a pen to paper. Invest in yourself and the seven goal-setting techniques discussed in this article and you will be successful in these changing times.

Ed Sykes is a highly sought after leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building expert, success coach, professional speaker, and author of Jumpstart Your Greatness. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Go to his web site,

http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the free success newsletter, OnPoint.

Bathroom Faucet Leaks

2009-09-06T18:21:00.001-07:00

Faucet leaks can waste more water than you think. Have you ever put a cup or bowl underneath a leaky faucet and actually seen how much water is wasted. Leaky faucets should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent the waste of water in your home. Water is a precious resource and should be used wisely.

One slow drip from the faucet can waste over 5 gallons of water per day. If you think that's not a big deal, let me put it in perspective for you. 5 gallons of water per day equals 35 gallons per week, times 52 weeks in a year, that equals over 1800 gallons of water, and that's a lot of water.

The problem with a faucet leak isn't just the amount of water it waste, it will soon start to deteriorate your sinks, bathtubs and showers and could damage other sections of the home, like the wood framing. I've seen a water drip in a steel kitchen sink, in just a few years, wear a hole right through it. Keep in mind water and wind formed the Grand Canyon, water can be extremely erosive.

Faucet leaks can attract house pests, like mice, flies, ants and a wide variety of other insects.

Most faucets can usually be repaired for under $20. Most of the time the problem will be in the valves or handles that turn the water on and on. If you're not familiar with plumbing parts, you could pick up a do-it-yourself home repair manual or go online and look up the manufacturer of your faucet, for more information.

Usually the manufacturer has a diagram of the faucet, broken down into sections and you could get a pretty good idea, what parts you will need to remove, in order to replace the damaged part or parts that are creating the water leak.

Calling a plumber seems to be most homeowners last resort. They only do it if they absolutely have to. If you don't understand how a faucet works and have no desire to learn how, I would suggest you call a plumber or contact someone who can help you with your faucet leak, but get the faucet leak fixed and quit wasting water.

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.

If I Hate My Brother

Collaboration Creates Harmony

2009-09-06T12:25:00.001-07:00

Sometimes unwittingly you might engage in a power struggle, both at home or at work. These conflicts often stem from an unconscious desire to retain control of your circumstances or surroundings. However, your strong-willed and defensive approach to solving issues, may cause you to come up against a stronger resistance from perceived adversaries.

When you let go of your need to be in control and engage in a collaborative strategy that will help you work in tandem with others, rather than against, others you will notice that together you can create powerful solutions that allow you each to have your needs and desires fulfilled. You will feel your defensiveness disappear as you seek out a fair and balanced workable solution.

When you cease pushing against those with whom you are involved in struggles for dominance, the conflict dividing you from one another, eases, and you can begin working on an equitable solution to your differences. Hostility only engenders more hostility, blinding you to the cooperative and fair strategy you can use to diffuse aggression.

By avoiding to provide any more resistance, you create a situation in which cooperative energy can flow. Once the blockages that existed between you have been eradicated through the channel of your openness, you can begin communicating with your adversaries. As you gain a new understanding of one another, you are each empowered to devise a universally beneficial resolution. You will gain the power to dispel conflict when you recognize that letting go is the ultimate antidote to anger and conflict.

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

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

2009-09-06T10:36:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Impact Of Christian Mentors

Love Addiction, Approval Addiction

2009-09-06T04:42:00.001-07:00

In my experience as a counselor for 40 years, I have found that love addiction and approval addiction are far more prevalent than any other substance or process addictions. We live in a love-addicted, approval-addicted society.

What does it mean to be love/approval addicted? Below is a checklist for you to see if you are addicted to love and/or approval. Believing any of these may indicate love or approval addiction.

I believe that:

* My happiness and wellbeing are depended upon getting love from another person.

* My adequacy, lovability, and feelings of self-worth and self-esteem come from others liking me and approving of me.

* Others disapproval or rejection mean that Im not good enough.

* I cant make myself happy.

* I cant make myself as happy as someone else can.

* My best feelings come from outside myself, from how other people or a particular other person sees me and treats me.

* Others are responsible for my feelings. Therefore, if someone cares about me, he or she will never do anything that hurts or upsets me.

* I cant be alone. I feel like Ill die if Im alone.

* When Im hurt or upset, its someone elses fault.

* Its up to other people to make me feel good about myself by approving of me.

* Im not responsible for my feelings. Other people make me feel happy, sad, angry, frustrated, shut down, or depressed. When Im angry, someone makes me feel that way and is responsible for fixing my feelings.

* Im not responsible for my behavior. Other people make me yell, act crazy, get sick, laugh, cry, get violent, leave, or fail.

* Others are selfish if they do what they want instead of what I want or need.

* If Im not connected to someone, I will die.

* I cant handle my pain, especially the pain of disapproval, rejection, abandonment, the pain of being shut out - the pain of isolation and loneliness.

Living as a love or approval addict is a very hard way to live. You have to constantly make sure you say the right thing, do the right, and look right in order to get the needed love and approval. Your feelings are on a roller coaster from feeling the wonderful feelings that come from getting your love or approval fix to feeling the despair that comes when your supply the source of your love and approval - shuts down, gets angry or judgmental, or goes away.

THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF LOVE AND APPROVAL ADDICTION

Love and approval addiction is rooted in self-abandonment. Imagine the feeling part of you as a child your inner child. When you are love or approval addicted, you have handed your inner child away for adoption. Instead of learning to take responsibility for your own happiness by loving and approving of yourself, you have handed your inner child away to others for love and approval making others responsible for your feelings. This inner self-abandonment will always cause the deep pain of low self-worth, making you dependent upon others for your sense of worth.

The sad thing about all of this is that love is the most abundant thing in the universe. We live in a sea of love it is always within us and all around us. It is our Source. When you learn to open to Spirit/God/Source, you become filled with love, with peace, with joy. The empty place within that yearns to be filled becomes so filled with love that it overflows to others. You find yourself desiring to give love rather than always trying to get it.

As long as you make others your Source, you will not find the love, peace and joy that you seek. By learning and practicing the Inner Bonding process that we teach, you can learn to fill yourself with love and heal your love and approval addictions.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and Healing Your Aloneness. She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

Slow Market Home Pricing Advice

2009-09-06T03:09:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Happens To Nonbelieving

The Secret to Successful Use of Affirmations

2009-09-05T21:01:00.001-07:00

Affirmations to attract prosperity, "Good Things" and to alter self-limiting thoughts are suggested by many teachers, books and resources that have to do with self-help, positive thinking, success, abundance and the like. They do have a place in attraction and for creating an atmosphere of positive thinking. However, they can be overused or used improperly. Not that this is going to hurt anything. . .but if you are going to use them, you may as well find out how to use them the most effectively. So here's the secret:

Work with only 2-3 affirmations at a time.

Too many daily affirmations that range from self-esteem, to financial goals/statements, success, prosperity, positive thinking, allowance and deservedness are not focused tightly enough to generate the kind of results you're probably looking for. You could recite this kind of list for years before it really starts to take hold in the subconscious and for you to really believe it on a conscious, sub-conscious and emotional level.

When you work with only 2-3 affirmations at a time, your focus and intent on the

desired results is more finely tuned and less scattered. Reciting a list of 20 affirmations is like putting 20 more things on your mind for it to try to problem solve. You may as well add, "I affirm to balance the checkbook," and "I allow myself to take out the trash."

This creates a psychological pressure to perform, as it is another "To Do" list in your conscious mind...and the sub-conscious mind will resist it. Both the conscious and sub-conscious mind would rather play and you're giving them more work with a long list of affirmations to process.

Working with just a few affirmations at a time, (and preferably, grouped within the same category), the conscious mind can easily process the thoughts and pass them through to the subconscious. The conscious mind is not overwhelmed and the subconscious mind is not over-stimulated.

This approach creates a more fertile and acceptable landscape for the affirmation to take hold in the sub-conscious mind, not unlike planting real seeds: sure, you can throw out a big handful of them and some will take hold. Most seeds, however, will be scorched by the sun, washed away by the rain or blown away by the wind. The ones that do manage to take hold have to struggle to grow because they were not planted properly in the first place.

A "big handful" of affirmations will struggle to grow. Two or three affirmations planted at a time, carefully and intent-fully, will flourish through attention and focus.

Maggie Ross works undercover as a suburban soccer mom who drives a late model foreign car and attends PTA meetings. Her "cover" is so well manufactured that no one suspects she spent several years under the tutelage of Vedic shamans, Wayne Dyer's personal guru and a little sweet Mambo who taught her the secrets of The Secret (long before it became popular) as well as other really cool esoteric knowledge about manifestation. She shares this knowledge in her enlightening articles and on http://prosperityhereandnow.com hidden from friends and family who do not suspect her secret life. They all just think she's really lucky ;)

Success Starting in Your 40s

2009-09-05T19:35:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gregory Vanden Berge

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

The Power of Positive Affirmations

2009-09-05T13:12:00.001-07:00

Positive affirmations are powerful tools to help you manifest what you desire into your life. This is not a new concept but now that science has documented a new energy field, simply called The Field, that they say is the primary component of all things, positive affirmations have new and powerful meanings.

Everything that exists is made up of energy in the form of radiating wavelengths. The denser the form, a rock for example, the lower the energy levels, at the other end of the spectrum there exists things that have high levels of energy. These high energy level forms are things like light, colors, and thoughts.

Yes, thoughts!

You see, the things we think about are sent from us as energy and permeate the things and people around us. Everything starts as a thought! Ford motor company started as a thought in the head of Henry Ford, it was his idea of bringing the automobile to the masses that created the Ford Empire we know today. The skyscrapers that line our beautiful cities, at one time, were thoughts in an architects mind.

In order to understand the power of positive affirmations we need to better understand the power of our thoughts. The things we think about continuously will materialize in time. Therefore, it is important to always think positive thoughts. When you spend your time thinking about what you lack in life, all you will ever have is lacking. In order to acquire all that you wish for you must focus on it with laser accuracy and put a plan in place to achieve it. Affirmations give us this focus and keep us going in the right direction.

Thoughts, when focused on and combined with passion, in time, are manifested into reality. That is the power of positive affirmation, it is the repeated reading of a statement or thought that gets into the sub-conscious mind and radiates from us to attract the necessary means to bring forth that thought into reality.

It is the absolute knowing, with the absence of doubt, that you will acquire what it is you desire. It doesnt matter if it is a material possession, love, or spirituality; we become the things that we think about. Unfortunately, if all we focus on is negative things or wishes all we will ever have is negativity and mere wishes.

By using positive affirmations and repeating our desires and goals daily in our thoughts we begin to manifest them into reality. Suddenly, changes begin to happen in our lives that begin to bring forth our desires. If we want more financial freedom and use affirmations aimed at acquiring more wealth then, almost miraculously, we get the promotion we wanted or our business takes a turn for the better providing the added income we desire.

This must be done in the sense that what it is you desire has already manifested itself. Do not use an affirmation that is stated as a want or desire. A good example in the case of financial freedom would be:

Wealth flows into my life like the water of the streams and rivers to the oceans. I have plenty of income to meet my needs, with lots left over to help my fellow man.

You notice that there is no asking for wealth or money it is stated as if you already have it. By sending this message out into the universal intelligence, the field, it will attract like energies and manifest itself into reality. Things that we perceive as miracles are the fruition of thoughts that have manifested themselves into reality. That is the power of prayer and meditation, God gives us what we ask for, good or bad!

Use this simple guide to let the power of positive affirmations help you in your life.

1. Write down on paper what it is you desire. It is best to keep this personal, sharing it with others only allows negativity into your mind. Society, family, and friends like to tell us that things cant be done. They mean well but you do not want to let those thoughts enter your mind. Memorize the affirmation and remember to keep it in the sense that you already have what it is you desire.

2. In the morning when you have time to yourself repeat the affirmation 20 times. Make sure that it is stated with emotion and passion, not just stated out loud. Envision yourself with your desire and how you will be once it becomes reality. Repeat the process before you go to bed at night.

3. Any time you feel yourself doubting your desire or any negative thoughts enter your mind, clear your mind and repeat your positive affirmation. Do not let negative thoughts or setbacks deter your focus from achieving your desire.

4. Lastly, stay focused and be receptive to opportunities when they present themselves. The path to your desires may not come in the form that you envision! So pay attention and be alert to opportunity.

I hope this article has helped you see the potential in yourself and the power you have when you use positive affirmations. I promise, that if you will use these simple steps as outlined above you will see great changes in your life. It is important to understand that what we think about becomes our realities in life, so be careful what you think about.

Good Luck on your Journey!

There is unlimited power with Positive Affirmation Mark Williams has a web site that is full of Motivational Quotes and Personal Development Strategies that can help you reach your full potential.

Is Money a Big Part of Organized Religion?

2009-09-05T11:49:00.001-07:00

Where do you think most modern day religious organizations would be without money? Is money really a big part of modern day organized religion or is that something in the past. Why do certain scriptures require their believers to donate a portion of their earnings?

Does this money improve the lives of religious believers? I'm asking these questions because most people won't. Most people don't even no where the money they earn is going. If you donate money to a religious organization and they choose to hire someone to install stained glass windows throughout the sanctuary, is this really going to help the congregation. Is this a want or a need?

When does a religious group become too powerful for its own good. Do you think the Catholic religion, which at the time of me writing this article, is the largest organized religion in the world, by itself, is very powerful or driven by finances. This organization has seeked wealth and power for centuries, creating an establishment that has its hands in everything all over the world.

Is it fair to have religious leaders living a life of luxury, while some of their followers suffer and go without food or shelter. Should some of this money go towards the aid of others who choose not to believe in the religious culture of their patrons?

Why do some people give money to their religious organization, even though they can barely survive. Are these people driven to contribute money because someone makes them feel guilty? Some of these people give money and time, even at the expense of their own family. It's just not fair, when I see people who are barely scraping by but give faithfully to an organization that promises them a better life after they die.

Your rewards for living a good life on Earth will be received after you die and are allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven. Does anyone have any proof of this? If you choose to base your life entirely on faith instead of seeking knowledge and wisdom, or even questioning your religious doctrine, you're not doing yourself any favors.

Money plays a big part in organized religion and honestly does a lot of good throughout the world. Christianity has had a large impact on the United States of America but only time will tell if it was a good thing or not.

If you have extra money and desire to give it to a religious organization of your choice, feel free, but if you're giving 10% of the money you've earned and really can't afford to, I wish you would take the time to research what your church actually spends it's money on. If your church is building another church in Mexico but you don't have enough money for food, clothes or other necessities, I would suggest that you let other people donate their extra money instead.

It might not be mentioned anywhere in your religion, but I'm sure your God or the ultimate Almighty power of the universe you believe in, does not want anyone to suffer or go without, because your religious organization chooses to make you feel guilty if you do not contribute a certain amount of money, for whatever reasons they can possibly come up with.

If everyone that believes in this interpretation has the keys to the kingdom of heaven, wouldn't Jesus be suggesting a life kind of like Mother Teresa but without any money. She wouldn't be allowed to ask any wealthy people for money, let alone use it if she acquired it somehow.

Have you ever ask yourself is there any Hope in Religion .

Would it be safe to a sound that by asking for money from a wealthy person would mean I would not be going to happen. Does it say anything in the Bible about using money from a wealthy person for great earthly deeds and you get to go to heaven but he does not. If this is starting to sound a little confusing, welcome to my world. There are very few people that follow organized religion, that even ask these questions, let alone seek the answers and find the truth and keeping an open mind to future information that possibly could change the old answer that they accepted as a truth but now realize, the possibility that the old information could be wrong.

If you were a religious leader and could not answer some of the major questions that you yourself had, would you continue living a life of confusion or seek relentlessly to find the answers until you are satisfied. Knowing that if you were satisfied with the answers to your questions and now your religious beliefs have changed considerably, would you retire or quit working with the religious organization you were involved with.

This is one of the biggest obstacles for most people that seem to get comfortable in their religious environments. If the interpretations of a you Bible verses are incorrect and can be proven, either scientifically or through translation errors, does this mean that there are more verses in the Bible that could be incorrect or misleading.

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

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

If I Hate My Brother

Your Thoughts Become Things

2009-09-05T05:31:00.001-07:00

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world. " - Buddha

"Thought is as much a thing as the favorite ring you wear on your finger. It has weight, color, shape, size and form. Thought is a dynamic force. It is a force like gravitation, cohesion or repulsion. Thought has tremendous power and can manifest desires. can do anything, it can work wonders. "- Swami Sivananda

"As ye sow, so shall ye reap." - Jesus

"The Kingdom of God is within you" - Jesus

"I and My Father are One"- Jesus

What is the point?

Here we have saints from three different spiritual traditions saying essentially the same thing. What are these saints trying to tell us? They are telling us that our thoughts become things and that with our thoughts we create our reality.

This means that the power we seek is within our own selves; we need not look elsewhere. Every time we think a thought it is a creative event. This is so because at any given time there are an infinite variety of different thoughts that we could choose to think; when you choose to think one, you are taking an active role in the creation of your own reality.

This process happens whether we are conscious of it or not. We basically have no choice in the matter. The only choice lies in whether or not we want to become conscious of what we are doing with our thoughts.

We are creators whether we like it or not.

In Christianity they talk about the fall of man. This is referring to the time when man lost sight of his inherent divine creative abilities. This is when man lost sight of his own godly nature. This is the reason you are here. This is what you came to this earth plane to remember and discover again. You were born to remember and to experience your dominion over the illusion of time and space.

What about destiny and fate?

"Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

So if we are creating our reality with our thoughts, then what of fate, destiny, luck, and karma? If we can master our thoughts then these things will come under our control. So how do we do this?

All you have to do is think of what you want and refuse to deviate from that thought. This will set you into motion, stir up the magic, and unleash the full force, power, and majesty of a Universe conspiring on your behalf.

Anything worth having is worth working for.

Do you think living the life you want is worth working for?

It's worth everything you've got. So you must be strong and take action. The progress might be slow at first, but it is like learning any skill, it takes time, practice, and discipline. At first you couldn't ride a bike and you probably fell off quite a few times. This process was very frustrating, but you kept at it. Soon thereafter riding a bike became easier and easier until one day you were able to do it without thinking about it. You just did it.

Being vs. Doing

This example illustrates the state of being vs. doing. When you were first learning to ride your bike you were doing. You mind was involved in analyzing and issuing the commands to tell you how to ride the bike. Your body was full of tension and anxiety because you were learning something new, you were unsure of your abilities, and you were afraid to fall.

This is exactly the same thing that happens when one begins to be aware of their thoughts and live their life as a divine creative being.

At first you are thinking, analyzing and worrying about each little thing that you do. You mess up many times along the way and experience a lot of frustration with minimal rewards. However if you keep at it eventually you gain mastery. Eventually there comes a day when you are you longer thinking about what you should or shouldn't do. Rather you are simply doing it because that is who you are. You are that kind of a being.

Just like eventually you became the kind of being that could easily ride a bike, eventually you become a being that creates the life they desire with their thoughts.

This is the message that these saints are trying to get across. The goal is not to be a person who makes things happen because they think it to be.

The goal is to become the divine, godly, and creative beings that were meant to be.

Brandon Gilbert has been a superfoodist for the last 4 years and has spent that time dedicated himself to learning and sharing all he can about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. It is his passion and mission to inspire and guide other to their own healing and growth.

Creating Your Electricity

2009-09-05T04:19:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Think green and together we can start saving the planet.

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

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

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

Spiritual Dictionary

Mentoring Children

2009-09-04T22:10:00.001-07:00

All parents hope that their children will grow up healthy, happy, and productive. They aspire to have children who have the skills to contribute to their own well-being and to the well-being of their families and community. There is no magic bullet for developing these capacities in children. Literally thousands of programs have been developed to support families in their efforts to help children to become competent, confident, caring young people who have positive social connections and good characters.

Children have the potential to succeed in life and contribute to society. However, not all children get the support they need to thrive. By all estimates, an astounding 17.6 million young people - nearly half the population between 10 and 18 years of age - live in situations that put them at risk of not living up to their potential. Without immediate intervention by caring adults, they could make choices that undermine their futures. The presence of caring adults offering support, advice, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples has proved to be powerful tools for helping young people fulfill their potential.

Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee. A mentor is an adult who, along with the parents, help young people bring out strengths that are already there. They are good listeners, compassionate and teach children how to live an honorable life. A mentor is not a foster parent, therapist, parole officer, or cool peer. The role of a mentor is not to "fix" young people but rather to help them achieve their full potential. Enforcing competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, and contribution to self and society, help develop a child into a productive and respectful adult in later years.

A mentor's main purpose is to help a young person define individual goals and find ways to achieve them. Since the expectations of each child will vary, the mentor's job is to encourage the development of a flexible relationship that responds to the young person's needs. Using influence and resources as a decision maker, adults can bring new hope to young lives through the power of mentoring. A mentor encourages positive choices, promotes high self-esteem, teaches respect for oneself and family, supports academic achievement, and introduces the young person to new ideas. Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking alcohol (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters). About 40% of teenager's waking hours are spent without any companionship or supervision. Mentors provide children and teens with a valuable place to spend free time. Children learn to make thoughtful choices, fulfill their commitments, acknowledge their mistakes and account for their actions. By taking control of their lives, children realize they can achieve more than they ever dreamed possible.

I encourage you to think of the mentors in your own life-a coach, teacher, or another caring adult, and take a few minutes to consider all the contributions they made in your life during your developing years. I know throughout my own adult life and business career, I have been greatly rewarded by years of mentoring children and young adults into productive, happy individuals that are successful in life. Children need someone to believe in them. Often times, children lack the attention needed to reinforce morals, values and self esteem on a daily basis. It makes all the difference in the world during times of indecision in their lives to have that reinforcement. Mentoring develops children into young adults who have confidence, determination and self-awareness.

Mentoring is recognized throughout the US as an important part of a child's life and some states have already proposed legislation to the Senate. The Coalition of State Mentoring Partnerships has worked closely with Capitol Hill staff and Senators to advocate this legislation. The Mentoring for All Act 2008 (S. 3200) is one of the most significant legislation actions to benefit mentoring. Please call; send emails or letters to your Senators urging support for the bill.

Denise Dema is a Business and Life Management Coach with over 20 years experience empowering individuals, entrepreneurs and business owners to attain self-defined success in their professional & personal lives. To learn more about the author and her practice please visit http://www.denisedema.com

Installing a 32 Inch Back Door

2009-09-04T20:42:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression

2009-09-04T14:43:00.001-07:00

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we move away from it, we experience fear.

This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises from the biological programming of our species.

While we may not have to contend with a sabre-toothed tiger on any given day, we still use those very reactions to deal with events looming ahead.

We think, Will I be fired for making that mistake at work? or Will I be able to meet the mortgage after I fix the car? or Will my health continue to decline? or Will my relationship fall apart after that argument we just fell into?

Running questions with this type of urgency and helplessness trains our brains to prepare now for future danger by loading our bodies up with the stress hormone cortisol.

Anxiety is our anticipation of a dangerous future. We imagine having even less of the little that we have today.

This anxiety does not help us in any way to meet the future any better. In fact, it weakens and exhausts us. We usually worry most about things that we can't even control. Worrying about your dental visit, for example, will not make the visit better.

Anxiety, in fact, is a silent killer. It is enervating, and it drains you of purpose and hope, faith and initiative. It fogs up your thinking. And it makes the body susceptible to illness.

When anxiety--a fear of an event in the future--is high enough then you feel a deep sense of helplessness. This, in turn, translates into depression. You even begin to view the past as disappointing.

Caught between a miserable past and a frightening future you create a pattern of emotions that can lead to a variety of mood disorders, including manic-depression.

How do we escape from this vicious cycle?

Here is what I did 20 years ago and I have never since suffered from any serious mood disorder.

I started to cultivate my awareness of my mood swings--from elation to black despair.

I did this by basically watching myself when I was manic, and watching myself when I was depressed, and watching what I did to turn on these states. For example to get depressed, I used my love of literature to focus on dark, morbid, and unhappy stories about life. And to get elated, I would talk a lot, move very quickly, and do things in a dramatic way.

An interesting thing happened when I made my unconscious behavior conscious. I could not take my mood shifts seriously.

This is what I learned from that experience: when you are able to observe yourself over the course of a few weeks, you develop a curious detachment.

A paradoxical situation developed for me: I found it difficult to stay anxious and depressed when I was observing myself feeling anxious and depressed.

Ultimately, anxiety and depression are culturally-induced patterns of thinking that can be overcome through a deliberate cultivation of awareness. When you become your own observer, you weed out the unconscious habits that afflict you.

Despite the billions of dollars spent to heal anxiety and depression, and all the mood disorders and behavioral anomalies that arise from them, the cure is simple, quick, and free.

Resource Box

Saleem Rana got his masters in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, Ca., 15 years ago and now resides in Denver, Colorado. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life

Cost Effective Stair Building

2009-09-04T13:13:00.001-07:00

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.

Effects Of False Prophets

Awakening - White Sun

2009-09-04T07:18:00.001-07:00

If we are not in the state of awakening and enlightenment, then we are still in the state of slumber and drowsiness. This awakening is not that we wake up from our sleep and aware from our dormant state. It is very difficult for the soul to wake up from its deep slumber without the guidance of Truth. Buddha in Sanskrit means the awakened one and it describes a person who has come to the understanding of the Truth and reality of life. It is to wake up from the delusions of the transient world of illusions.

We can look at the meaning of being awakened from two points of view. Firstly, being awakened means to be conscious or aware of what is going on around us. If we are wide awake, then no thieves would dare to steal the treasures from within us. Being awakened also means realization that is to understand the real and true purpose of life. When we come to this realization, we can put together and manifest fully the precious divine qualities in us. Unfortunately this is not easy to achieve because most of the time we are still lost and trapped by the colorful world around us. Our basic senses, like what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, often deprive us of our peace of mind. This is akin to our precious treasures being stolen without us realizing it.

Secondly, to be awakened is to come to the realization of ones True Self. He makes sure that whatever he says, acts, and thinks are faultless. He maintains tranquility in his sensual organs. He gives convenience to others. He makes no distinction between himself and others. He conveys the Truth to others so that all, including himself; can become Buddhas. He vows to save the world out of his mercifulness.

If we are not awakened then we will find it very hard to let go of attachments and do not know how to untie entanglements. Many people would do anything to acquire what they desire to the extent of jeopardizing their own integrity and morality. They may act unscrupulously and ruthlessly to fulfill their innermost desires induced by the six senses. Such unrighteous behavior of mankind is a consequence of the attachment to the myriad worldly objects. The attachment to the temporal world will give rise to all obstacles and entanglements.

What do we mean by obstacles? The path of Truth is originally bright and smooth. It is because we choose to act in opposition to our conscience that our heart is then fill with guilt and remorse. The path thus becomes rough, narrow and full of pains and sorrows. We were originally a liberated soul that was free from troubles and worries. It was due to the attachment to the physical world that we became blinded and confused. We then cannot be the master of our destiny unless we are awakened to the Truth of life and its purpose. Fate will then determine our lives but if we are awakened then we can change our fate by knowing how to let go of attachment and untie the entanglement that can suffocate us to death.

The saddest thing of all is that we have been entangled in the worldly realm for too long that we are used to living in such manner and considered it as normal for human to live, grow old, fall sick and then die. We are confused and lost and our sense of spiritual awareness may not be deep enough to help us out of this misery. Sufferings become normal and thus we live in this world helplessly and lack the courage and wisdom to find a way to free ourselves from all these entanglements. Fortunately there are people who are awakened to this misery and search for the Truth to end this suffering.

We all wish to live a meaningful and fulfilling life that will end up with the attainment of eternal life like the previous Saints and Sages who managed to transcend the cycle of birth and death. To achieve this, we must firstly recognize that the worldly realm is not our real home and the physical body is not our true self, it is the false self. We know very well that one day we will all die. There will be a time when this body is no longer usable. When our time is up, we need to leave our body and everything we possess behind. Therefore, this body and this world are actually not ours and thus cannot be depended on but however, we need this body to save the true self, meaning using the false self to save the true self.

In the teachings of Tao of Heaven, we say that an awakened lives in the adulterated society, yet he is not tainted by emotions and desires. He devotes himself to the spreading of Tao to the world, transforming Hell into Heaven. He points out Tao of Heaven to those who are lost so that they can also realize their True Selves. He acts according to Tao. He will correct all his bad habits, perform good deeds, speak only of the Truth, practise only Tao, take only what he justly deserves, think of only righteous thoughts, be honest, and have an everlasting reputation by establishing his virtues. He takes ferrying those who are predestined to encounter Tao of Heaven as his mission. He vows to save the world out of his mercifulness and spread benevolence, justice, virtues and the truth.

This is the advice from my Heavenly Teacher JiGong, Everybody can become Sheng-Xian (saints and worthies); everybody can become Xian-Fo (angels, immortals and buddhas). It only depends on whether the person has aspiration or not. So long as one has aspiration, one can cultivate no matter if one lives as a commoner or leaves home and lives as a priest, a monk or a nun. For those who have aspiration, although they live at home, they would regard their wives or husbands as friends and their children as companions. The worldly affairs cannot pollute them and conjugal love cannot bind them. They take the Spirit and Life as the vital, and take Truth and Virtue as the honorable. They borrow the worldly and common way to cultivate the transcendent and uncommon way. For those who lack aspiration, they cannot see through the reality behind the worldly affairs; they focus on the unreal but slight the real, and they do not realize that Spirit and Life and Birth and Death are a great matter indeed.

Author: T.A Chew

T.A Chew was told that in order to save the True Self (soul), we need the False Self (body) and only human can be awakened. Upon initiation of Tao, he realized that it is very important to restore his True Self and overcome emotions and desires. Website: http://www.white-sun.com

Cost Effective Stair Building

2009-09-04T05:36:00.001-07:00

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

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.

Religion Articles

Fighting Off Negative Thoughts - How Subliminals Can Make it Much Easier

2009-09-03T23:36:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, and although we would not like to admit it, negative thoughts are the main driving force behind the six billion somethings teeming the world right now. We already live in an environment of bad news, bad perceptions and an ecosystem of mistrust. We are driven to the wall by the promotion of bad habits, the perpetuation of bad examples and an attitude of complacency that overarches the world today as we know it. Whatever good there might have been in us is now decaying faster and faster in a capitalist world that divides the poor and rich in vulgar degrees - faster than the ozone finally leaving the outer tresses of the world as we know it. We are, as humans, losing control little by little of ourselves as we surrender and ingratiate ourselves into this zeitgeist - but I think it is time for a change. Our mind is plugged into a system that is virus prone and has shoddy programming - it is time to reset yourself. Fight off negative thoughts; learn how subliminals can make it much easier.

Our subconscious is the villain that runs amuck within our lives. The negative vibes in the world are absorbed into our cerebrum faster than a sponge in the sea and it builds what weakly passes for character nowadays. Why do you think there are more obese people in the world today than hundreds of years ago? Why do you think cigarette companies are laughing to the bank no matter what recession plagues our global economies? This is because that no tragedy can turn around addiction and addiction is wired into our nature - so much so that we view things as cool and as fad. This is subliminal technology at work - when a company that essentially sells a roll of leaves peppered with more toxic chemicals than in a nuclear waste plant - and we think it is cool; it's subliminal persuasion at work. Advertising is subliminal persuasion at work because the obvious and the unobvious in advertising campaigns are messages that latch on to your subconscious and take over the reigns of your life.

It is time to fight fire with fire. Your mind is programmed for an outlook that is holding you back. How many times have you heard yourself say that you will 'quit' next week or you need just a bit of time more to do that thing you always wanted. What are we afraid of? Fear - even irrational fear is a living breathing endemic that is gnawing away at us and we are powerless to overcome it. Self improvement must always start at the top and now we have subliminal technology to drive away negative thoughts and make us ask a simple question - why didn't I do this earlier?

Exactly. Why didn't you do this earlier? Why didn't you take action when you could? Why are you always putting yourself down and looking at the world in a bad light. It's time for a change and this is something subliminals can make it much easier.

Click Here to get your Free 'Ultimate Success Unleashed' subliminal cd and supercharge your success. Greg Frost is an authority in the subliminal industry for many years and has helped thousands of people worldwide to attain their dreams and goals.

Advantages of Framing With Steel Studs

2009-09-03T22:05:00.001-07:00

I have heard all sorts of stories over the years of the advantages in framing with steel versus wood studs. One time I even heard you could build an entire house with the amount of recycled steel from a large automobile such as a Cadillac. I find this hard to believe unless you're building a very small home.

My personal favorite for framing with steel studs is that they are extremely straight. I have built nonbearing partition walls using 12 foot 3 1/2 inch wide steel studs and after the drywall you can lay an 8 foot level to check it for straightness on the wall with amazing results.

If you use 3 1/2 inch wide steel studs with 5/8 of an inch drywall you will get an extremely durable and sturdy wall. Framing was steel studs is common in office renovations or remodeling. Most of the steel stud framing is done via the drywall contractors.

Steel studs and termites do not mix. You'll never have to worry about these little buggers or other uninvited house pests damaging your walls.

Over the years I have heard stories that steel framed buildings are earthquake and fire proof. They might be more resistant to fire than wood but keep in mind when metal is hot enough it will bend and warp making it unusable.

When I hear people talking about a fireproof building built with metal framing components my first thought is all of the other materials used in building the house that are not fire resistant. Don't get a false illusion when buying a house framed with steel studs and think it is 100% fire proof.

As far as steel framed buildings being earthquake proof this is another story. I really can't comment too much on earthquake damage to a steel building. The problem with earthquakes is they seem to create fires. So even if you're building does survive an earthquake it could get damaged by a fire in the area.

I have framed more wood homes than steel homes over the years and my steel stud construction is limited to nonbearing partition walls usually located in office buildings. I love framing with metal because of its light weight and ease of construction.

I still love framing with wood. There is something about what framing that I have always loved and always will.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as

well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on House Framing Ideas

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

How Setting Goals and Following Through With Them Can Help You Achieve Success in Your Sales Career

2009-09-03T15:52:00.001-07:00

Have you ever dreamt about what you would like to become and what you would like to be doing? Have you ever wished you had an unlimited source of money and could make decisions based on choice not dollars?

Now wishing and dreaming are things most people do every day. It's like buying a lotto ticket, hoping you'll win. That's why the majority of people are just surviving, getting by. They wish and hope that their luck will change and until then they settle for mediocrity, second best.

However, the small minority who make it to the top have one thing in common. They take action! Not just any kind of action, planned action, action based on predetermined goals.

It's true! Successful people can tell you where they are going, how long it will take and what they plan to do along the way. They are experts at goal setting. Their goals are specific, measurable relevant and trackable. They map out every part of their life, regularly reassess and fine tune for success.

Most people know the story about the Harvard class of 1954 where they tracked those who made goals and those who didn't.The small percentage that made goals on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis made more money, had more free time and more happiness than the others.

Well that same study has been replicated using a group of sales people. They found that 6 out of 10 do not set outcome-based goals at all and this group earns the least amount of all salespeople! Three out of 10 set earnings goals and as in the Harvard study, this group earns double the income of the no-goals group. Only 1 in 10 people sets specific goals but they earn 3 times as much as those who set no goals at all.

So if you want the kind of success in your career that only a minority have then becoming a master goal setter is the key.

Knowing how to set goals and then following through with them of course, guarantees to improve your career. It's the way to bridge the gap between what you are now and what you truly want to be.

Goals are really stepping stones to success. When you first start out learning how to set goals and follow through with them there are a few things you must keep in mind.

1. Make your goal achievable in the near future. It's all very well setting a goal that is just way out there....totally huge and fantastic. The problem with doing that however is that you can become overwhelmed and frozen into inaction. The task, although something you want to achieve may seem just too hard and you don't end up even taking the first step towards it. Better to break the major goal down into small steps that you can work on day by day and which lead to the bigger goal.

2. Write your goals down and share them with someone you trust or admire. This will help you stick to what you have said you will do and keep you accountable.

3. Celebrate your successes along the way. Each time to complete one part of the major goal or any of the goals you set, congratulate yourself. This can be done by actually saying positive things to yourself or giving yourself little rewards, like a night out at the movies, a takeaway dinner or a bunch of fresh flowers. Too often we are quick to berate ourselves when we don't finish a task or complete a goal rather than taking the time out to acknowledge the things we did do well.

4. Reassess your goals regularly to see if you are still heading in the right direction and rewrite them if necessary. It is better to do this than stick doggedly to something that is actually getting you nowhere.

Remember the wise saying of Confucius..... A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

We all have to start somewhere and taking that first step can be the beginning of something great! So start writing down your goals and remember it's okay to just start with small ones. When you achieve them you will feel so much better and be able to keep moving forward.

Donna Cox and Dayle Walker are the brains behind Success In Sales For Women. With more than 60 years experience between them in sales and educating people from all walks of life to achieving their true potential, Donna and Dayle now specialize in inspiring women who are keen to excel in the sales world. Learning how to set goals and follow through with them is one of the topics they cover in their membership Course. If you want to find out more go to http://www.successinsalesforwomen.com or contact them at dayle@successinsalesforwomen.com or donna@successinsalesforwomen.com

Inerrancy of the Bible - Are There Mistakes in the Bible

2009-09-03T14:34:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

Supercharge Your Positive Thinking

2009-09-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Many people have come to realize that what we are focused upon often manifests itself in our lives. Thus, if we are apprehensive about or fearful of events in the future, we will often attract that very thing into our lives. Fortunately, it works the other direction as well. If we are strongly focused on what we want, and imagine it happening in our minds, frequently we will receive it, or a form of it, into our lives. Here are four powerful ways to optimize your ability to focus on what you want:

1. Take care of your physical body. The mind and body are intricately connected, and care of one will benefit the other. Make sure you are eating healthy foods, taking appropriate multivitamins and calcium, and exercising regularly. These measures will elevate your mood and clear your mind, allowing you to think about the things you desire.

2. Rid your mind of negative thinking. If you are harboring anger toward someone or something, allow yourself the full negative emotion and note how it affects your mood and physical body. Make a conscious decision to release this negative feeling inside yourself for your own benefit. Remind yourself that you are here and now, exactly where you are meant to be. Assure yourself that whatever decisions you made regarding the situation, they were the best decisions for you at the time.

3. Allow that the other person or event has its limitations, and if it is a person, that this individual did what he or she could with what they have to work with. Visualize releasing this person or event into the universe, back to the God who had purpose for it. Begin to seek out the benefits of the experience and look ahead toward what you may constructively do with your experience.

4. Begin daydreaming about the things you want. Is it a material item like a car? A romantic partner? A new job? Allow yourself to think big and experience in your sensory capacity what it will feel like, look like, smell like, and taste like to have that thing. Anytime a doubt or negative thought that you "can't have that" comes into your mind, imagine a big red "X" through the thought or image, and verbally say "Cancel". Repeat as often as necessary to plant the positive mindset.

Are you interested in addressing your life challenges from a holistic standpoint, assessing the physical, emotional, and relationship components?

For a free copy of my ebook, "Natural Methods To Fight Depression", click here: http://www.stoptoxicrelationships.com/gifts-naturalmethodstofightdepression.html

Shannon Cook is a personal growth and relationship expert who has written a number of informative articles and ebooks on the topic of toxic relationships and holistic personal growth, including physical, emotional and relationship health.

Ways to Stop Losing Your Car Keys

2009-09-03T07:03:00.001-07:00

You obviously don't need to read this article if you rarely lose your car keys. However if you misplace your car keys often and have a pretty good relationship with your locksmith, it's time to change these bad habits into good ones.

One of my friends, recently lost their car keys. I would like you to listen to what I'm about to say and see if it makes sense to you. Most people get two keys when they buy a car. This means, if they lose one key, they now have a spare key. When they lose their first key, this should give them a pretty good clue that the second key is now the only key, if they wish to drive their car.

Does that make sense? If you lose your first key, you don't have a second or spare key anymore. Now is a good time to purchase a spare key or have one made. Don't wait until you lose the second one, unless you are planning to change your bad habit into a good one.

Now let me get back to my friends who recently lost their car's key. The car they were driving was a new Honda and you can't go to the locksmith to get another key made. You have to order one from the Honda dealer and this key cost them over $200. That's a lot of money for one key.

Now my friends lost both of their original keys and now have one key to operate the vehicle and this key cost them over $200. Now if I had to pay this amount of money, I would make sure that I never lost this key ever again. I would do whatever it to to change my old habits and create some new ones.

How hard is it to get in the habit of placing your keys inside of your purse. Placing your keys in your pockets and then only removing them when you are going to place them inside of a drawer, container, cup, bowl or on a shelf in your bedroom. If you place your keys in a drawer, this will keep them out of other people's temptation.

If you choose to lay your keys in a bowl, in the kitchen, there's a good chance someone will take them or another member of your family could lose them. Place your keys in a protected area, do not leave them out in the open ever.

If you want some tips to prevent you from losing your keys, simply talk to someone who rarely if ever loses their keys. Most of these people have simple and easy to follow tips. You can consciously create a habit that can save you money and frustration in the future.

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

Will All Men Ever Hate Jesus

Five Ways to Stay Motivated and Achieve Your Goals

2009-09-03T00:40:00.001-07:00

Are you having one of those days when nothing seems to go right? Is every task you try to do harder than you thought it would be, and do you seem to encounter problem after problem along the way? We all have stressful times during our lives when everything seems to be going wrong, but it's crucial to stay positive as giving in will usually make the situation worse. Here are five ways to stay motivated and achieve your dreams:

1. Think less and act more

Stop putting off that difficult job because you're worried it will be too much for you, or you won't be able to do it. The more you worry about something you have to do, the less you will want to do it, so just making yourself get started is one of the best ways to stay motivated. You may have all sorts of excuses for mot doing something, but once you make a start you'll feel so much more motivated to continue.

2. Plan your time and stick to the plan

Having a large task ahead of you, or a big project to complete, can be very daunting, and without a clear view of how much you have to do and when you are going to do it, it can be easy to get sidetracked and put things off until the last minute.

If you have a large project at work, set aside two hours at the same time each day to work on that particular job. Be clear about which tasks you want to complete during that two hours. If you are trying to get fit or lose weight, decide on two evenings a week when you are going to do an exercise class, or go to the gym, and stick to that.

3. Set yourself targets and treat yourself when you reach them

One of the easiest ways to stay motivated is to set yourself achievable targets. If you are setting up your own business, saying that you want to be earning $40k in five years time is a far away target. Break that five years down into periods of six months and decide how much you aim to be earning in each six month period, building up to the five years.

When you reach your targets, you will feel a great sense of achievement, and if you don't quite make it you can evaluate where you could improve to make sure you are on track for the next six months.

4. Mix things up a little

Boredom with the same routine can easily cause us to become unmotivated, so if you are feeling that you need a change then make one. If you are tired of going to the gym, start running in the park instead. If you always work in your home office, try relocating to the deck for a few hours. Even small changes in your routine can be great ways to stay motivated.

5. Make time to relax and avoid burnout

Many people go head on into a project or business venture, and give it all their time and energy, only to collapse with exhaustion after six months and give it all up. One of the most important ways to stay motivated is to take time out to rest and enjoy yourself. Step back and appreciate what you have achieved, make time for a hobby, and spend a few hours with friends and family.

Perhaps some days you have planned to work, but you wake up feeling totally unmotivated. Don't take a whole day off as this will set a precedent, but it's ok to reduce the amount of work you do. Maybe decide just to work until lunchtime and take the afternoon off, but make sure you accomplish something tangible in the morning that you can be proud of to keep you motivated.

Wondering how do you change yourself? Join us now! Improve your self confidence and learn ways to love yourself. Sign up for your free course now at Rediscovery Women.

Bathroom Faucet Leaks

2009-09-02T23:46:00.001-07:00

Faucet leaks can attract house pests, like mice, flies, ants and a wide variety of other insects.

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

Personal Development

Eye Contact - Non-verbal Communication, A Tool In Stopping Bullies

2009-09-02T17:25:00.001-07:00

This past week I was presenting my Core Democratic Values program at a school in Detroit, MI. There is a part in the program where I pick twelve students to help me to demonstrate the first three articles of the Constitution. The last young lady I asked up was sitting in the middle of the second row. She was so excited that I picked her she jumped up from her seat. As she was trying to walk over to the center aisle three boys grabbed her pantleg and tried to trip her. She caught her balance and gave all
three of those boys a stare that would scare a bear. The boys giggling faces quickly turned to fear. They bowed their headsdown as if they were being scold by the principal.

The best thing we can teach our students and children is that
we don't have to say anything to get the point across. In a great book entitled Bully-Proofing Your School the authors talk about "getting the meaning without words" (P.67) It's all about body language.
If we are giving the bully firm eye contact we can effectively send out a non-verbal message that clearly means "KNOCK IT OFF!".

"Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power" Seneca

I am sure you have held a conversation with another person who
is unable to look you in the eyes when talking or listening to you. My wife and I were discussing this article and she mentioned how some people even close their eyes when they talk. Eye contact
demonstrates self-confidence and self-esteem. Dan Olweus author of Bullying at School and one of the Godfathers of anti-bullying issues writes," the typical victims are more anxious and insecure
than students in general." Eye contact in my opinion is one of the best ways to demonstrate security and self-control. It an easy non-violent assertive tools available to the victims of a
bully. As a professional speaker, I have been taught to give eye contact to my audience but not to exceed more than three to five seconds so they don't feel intimidated. Think about when you were
caught doing something you weren't supposed to be doing. Remember how your teacher or parent looked you directly in the eyes and how scary it was not knowing what she was going to do next.

"What lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." Aristotle

How can you teach your child or students to use eye contact to
peacefully combat a bully problem or conflict situation? By giving them eye contact when talking or listening. By explaining and practicing with them till they feel comfortable implementing it and understand
how and when is the best time to use it.

Activities

1) Have two students sit face-to-face staring at one another. Make it a game by telling them that first person to move their eyes away or laughs at the other person looses the game.

2) Have a student face the class and you face them holding a pencil.
Move the pencil up and down, left and right and then to your nose so they are looking you in the eyes. When they look you in the eyes ask them some simple questions like: What is your name? What
do you like to do? Who is your hero?

If anyone has any other techniques they have used that have been successful please email it to me richard@richardpaul.com and I will share the information on our Blog: http://nobullyclub.blogspot.com.

Also we are thinking about putting together a classroom No Bully Club Membership. There would be one membership fee and cool educational items that can be distributed to the classroom. Let us know what you think.

For more information and strategies on how to reduce bullying and violence at schools and in the workplace visit our blog at:http://nobullyclub.blogspot.com or our web site at http://www.richardpaul.com.

Michigan educational/motivational speaker and author Richard Paul and his Duck Sense programs mission is to present creative, entertaining and fun school shows and youth conference keynote speeches/teen workshops that promote self-esteem, acceptance, reduce conflict and help put an end to school violence.

His school assemblies, youth workshops, motivational educational books and CDs have one common thread which is to build character, stop the bullying, understand and respect diversity and offer up success skills to help end teasing and promote anti-violence in schools.

From his many articles, to his sought after fun, character advancement, motivational audio CD "Duck Sense" and his straightforward "Tackling Conflict Head On", chapter in a new nationally recognized book entitled "The Better Bottom Line", Richard shares the success tools and techniques to help promote a safer, friendlier, happier, productive environment.

Find out more about Richard Paul at http://www.richardpaul.com

Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-09-02T16:17:00.001-07:00

You must be ready when an opportunity comes before you, opportunity often comes in the form of work and that's why most people seem to miss it. Most people are too busy looking for the easy path through life. They seem to lay around waiting for the opportunity of a lifetime,... to simply fall at your feet.

Why would you want to spend so much time complaining about something, or someone? Other people can help you along the way, if you let them, but it's up to you, ultimately, to become the most you can possibly be. I have had plenty of opportunities in my life and have took advantage of some, while letting most of them pass by.

I'm no different than most people but now seem to be aware of my surrounding opportunities, all the time.

How many times do you wish for an opportunity to come along? It's probably one that you missed already, at some point during your life. Are you going to be prepared for the next opportunity when it comes along? These opportunities seem to repeat themselves throughout our lives and if we're not in the right state of mind, we often overlook them and let them pass by, time and time again.

You need to prepare yourself in advance for the next opportunity. If you are prepared and have your eyes open, you will be able to see the next opportunity that comes your way. Preparation will increase your chances for success and good fortune always.

Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. Be on the lookout, when you're walking to the grocery store, taking a break at work, reading the newspaper, talking to your neighbor, walking down the street or even while you are sitting alone, letting your mind wander away. Your chances for success could come while your in your quiet places, or relaxing. Be prepared.

Christian Articles

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

2009-09-02T10:03:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-09-02T08:57:00.001-07:00

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

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

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

Finding out How Much Things Cost

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

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

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

Figuring out the Labor

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

Give Yourself a Cushion

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

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

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

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

Nothing Will Be Impossible

3 Mistakes That People Make in Life

2009-09-02T02:32:00.001-07:00

Introduction

If you are reading this article then the chances are that there are things in your life that are not as you would like them to be; the circumstances of your life aren't all that you would have hoped for; or you find that you are unhappy with the way things are.

The good news is you're not alone and you are about to learn about 3 mistakes that people frequently make and how to avoid them. These things prevent you from having the life of your dreams.

Remember: Change does not happen over night! The principles and tips you will learn need to be practiced and applied in your life by You. No-one else can do any of these things for you!

1. Not Setting Goals and Not Dreaming

Top of the list of mistakes is the lack of Goals and Dreams. For many people, simply setting goals and defining their dreams for themselves is 90% of the problem. "Yes, yes, I've heard all this before..." Mmm... so how come you are reading this article?

Most people have heard somewhere that they are "supposed" to set Goals and have Dreams, but 95% of us don't bother. Is it any wonder then that only 5% of people ever achieve their goals? Well if they are the only people setting them, then isn't it pretty obvious???

So, is it as simple as setting goals? Well, yes and no. Only a fool would think that they simply had to write down a long list of things that they want and they would magically appear! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that goals need lots of hard work attached to them, we'll get to that in a little while!

There are good goals and ones that aren't any good. The following principles will help you to define a goal that you are likely to get attached to and, as such, are likely to achieve.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

S - Simple Is it simple to convey your goal in a few words?
M - Measurable How will you measure your progress?
A - Achievable Can you achieve the goal?
R - Realistic Are you being realistic about time and details?
T - Timely Have you put a date on it?

There are other important aspects too:

Positive goal - never use words like "not" and "don't" etc. e.g. I am not poor, instead, say "I am wealthy".
Present tense - write the goal as if you have achieved it now, or say something like: "It is the 25th of January 2011 and I have..."
Focus - don't dwell on the goal all the time, but leave reminders such as photos, or 'post-it notes' around that you will see every now and again to keep your focus steady but relaxed.

So, to sum up, in order to achieve something, you have to set goals...

Otherwise, what on earth are you aiming for???

2. Making a Living, Not Making a Life

The belief that you have to work hard to get anywhere in life is an extremely common one. The bottom line is that if something feels like hard work, how likely are you to be happy about it? If you are working hard at something that you really loathe to do, find boring, or doesn't satisfy you, then no amount of amazing outcome will ever make the journey worthwhile.

In order to move forward in life, you need to redefine your ideas about working hard. Think of something you really love to do, maybe golf, shopping or spending time with the kids (if you don't love doing any of those, then pick something else). Now, answer this question: "How much hard work is it to do this thing?"

It's not at all hard is it? Yet, you are spending time and energy (probably as much as you can spare) on these activities. The same applies to work, business or whatever you do to eat, clothe and shelter yourself. If you really love doing what you are doing, then it's not hard work at all. There may be small parts of it that you don't enjoy so much, but generally you'll just skip through these and get on to the good stuff.

In my work (which I adore), I meet so many people who are slogging their guts out at work, striving to achieve more and earn more money. Really, they are slowly wasting away their time on things they really don't enjoy doing, in order to have enough money to buy something that might make them feel happy for a while.

Why not do what you enjoy, anyway?

Is this not your challenge, to find the thing you love to do and then do as much of it as you can? Ok, so it might not be easy to find, but I assure you that if you look and you are open to it, you will find it.

Think about the people who seem to skip happily through life, they appear to get all the breaks and the good stuff...

They are simply happy with what they are doing!

3. Wondering, "Why Does it Always Happen to Me?"

This is what I call 'self-entrapment'. Thinking thoughts like this keeps you trapped in a loop that you cannot easily escape from. Imagine a world where everything that is going to happen is governed by what has happened before! In fact the only certainty we know is death - and with advances in medical science, it wouldn't surprise me if we find a way to eradicate that little problem one day!

So why do so many of us live our lives based on this unwavering belief that things always happen this way, or bad things always happen to us?

Well, your brain believes that you need to make sense of your world and so it remembers everything that ever happens to you. Then, when it perceives that you need more information, it will present you with all the evidence to suggest what might be about to happen. The problem is that it is often passed through a filter - normally a negative one.

Now this filter is trying to do something positive for you, it is trying to keep you safe, or sane. However all that it achieves is to create fear, discomfort and indecision in you. This keeps you stuck in the past - usually with the belief that if it's happened before, then it'll happen again. In order to create lasting change in your life, you are going to need to do something different to the way you have done it previously. In order to do this, you have to believe that things can be different. "Why does it always happen to me?" is going to need to be replaced by something like, "I have the opportunity to be different and to attract new, more positive circumstances into my life."

So, you can believe that: because the last 3 major life decisions you have made haven't worked out, that there is no point making a new one now. Alternatively, you can think:

"I have learned so much from my past choices and I can build on this learning with my next choice."

One final thought, from one of the great business philosophers: "For things to change you have to change." (Jim Rohn)

Dan O'Neil is a Life Coach working in the UK. He specialises in helping people create a work-life balance, improve their confidence and self-esteem, and achieve their goals in life. Dan also writes a popular personal development blog

More information on Dan's Life Coaching services. This article forms part of a free ebook download available on Dan's website.

Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-09-02T01:34:00.001-07:00

I'm no different than most people but now seem to be aware of my surrounding opportunities, all the time.

Does God Make Mistakes

How to Greatly Improve Your Manifestations

2009-09-01T18:52:00.001-07:00

Chances you are familiar with: The Power of Intention, Think and Grow Rich, The Secret, The Law of Attraction, or Ask and it is Given. Let's face it, these methods for manifesting your desires into reality teach much of the same methods, through different angles.

What makes up their bulk of their messages (instead of focusing on the important mystic essentials for one to directly change reality to their will) are hours of self-help, spiritual inspiration, and tools for personal and inner transformation. May just be me, but that sounds like another subject matter. Yet supposedly these are the real issues behind your ability, or lack thereof. It boils down to surrendering negative thoughts, re-remembering positive elements of life, and going through self-therapy until the results in your life follow the changes in your outlook. Once you can hold a positive outlook, the petty psychology that fueled what manifested in your life until now, will fade away, replaced by positive changes. Some schools even use generalizations in quantum physics to support their methods. The bottom line is by changing your thoughts, you will change your reality.

Why then, is it so impossible to achieve for the mass majority!?

If you are like thousands of others, you may be thinking sure it sounds logical, but why (despite how much you understand positive thinking), behind all the applied optimism, does it feel like everything is still a luck of the draw situation? That much like a domino effect, your destiny seems to have been set in motion by cosmic dice thrown at the moment of your birth? Pretty fatalistic right? What if there was a way to alter those dominoes? That is what Manifesting or co-creating is all about right?

It doesn't matter how many authors out there can explain away the logic, it doesn't automatically make them qualified to teach how-to achieve it. Sure, in order to teach how, you must do so from experiential success, but the other side is understanding the mind-state (not just the intentions) of the student learning it. So let's get to the heart of this article.

Most people automate. They are not in control of their thoughts. Hindu yogi's call it the monkey mind. The Higher Balance Institute calls it your "Babbler". The bottom line is, if you don't know how to control it, then it won't matter how much you grasp, your brain will still play thoughts like a broken record. No matter how clearly you've traced where your negativity originated from in childhood, figuring that out will only change "the content" your babbler uses to dilute your focus while manifesting.

Put positive and negative aside. If your mind is undisciplined, your attempts at manifesting won't generate enough "fuel" or energy to alter the cosmic dominoes beyond your awareness. But, if you somehow had enough fuel to "broadcast" your intentions out to God or the Universe, call it what you will, I guarantee it would add the missing link!

So how can you build this kind of fuel? There are several easy ways. No, I'm not trying to trick you, they really are easy if you put one daily foot in front of the other.

1. Learn how to control your thoughts. Learn an effective meditation and make it a daily practice. Never mind enlightenment (for now), just train your thought control. (make sure it's not a mantra technique, you don't want any triggered spoken or structured thoughts at all) I highly recommend the methods that focus on a chakra. Once you can hold a state of "non-thought" for 1 minute, you are VERY close to your goal.

2. Use this new skill in your manifestation sessions. Relax into a clear state of "nonthought", and instead of a ton of babbled-thoughts representing your intention, or representing what you are asking God, you will use your new meditative skill to isolate the emotional texture (behind the words) of what it is you desire. It cuts to the chase and amplifies the fuel!

3. Hold that emotion! Focus solely on broadcasting the feeling to the universe. Then broadcast it to the deepest part of your heart and mind. Use this fuel technique to program yourself too. Our bodies are electrical, programmed from birth by reality itself. This works far better than spoken or 'babbled' affirmations.

Having more fuel makes all the difference. But if you still have an undisciplined mind, just forget about it. Sure, your desires have an emotional fuel in themselves, but if your mind can only last 5 seconds before another thought comes in diluting it, it basically just evaporated whatever fuel was building.

Train your non-thought skill. Use it to enhance your manifestations and achieve the success you know you've earned. That's Direct Manifestation!

Matt Struve

Higher Balance Institute offers tools for meditation, spiritual development, enhanced intuition and sensory awareness in the world. Our mission is simple - to awaken the world one mind at a time. For more information and a free 1 hour Q&A Audio recording on Manifestation visit us at http://www.higherbalance.com

Dog Creates Remodeling Nightmare

2009-09-01T18:12:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

Personal Development

Strategies for Surviving the Pit of Life

2009-09-01T11:18:00.001-07:00

Does it seem as if life has presented you with situations where you have been knocked down and knocked around? Are you facing a barrage of obstacles, challenges, issues, and problems? Do you feel as if youve been knocked into a pit?

I define the pit as a state of being in which you feel helpless, hopeless and unable to succeed. Your energy is low, your actions are stagnant, and your faith is weak. Overall, you lack the ability to motivate yourself to take action.

I have found that once you fall in the pit, it is sometimes hard to come out. You struggle and cant get a grip. You slip, you slide, you fall flat on your face. Worse yet, you feel as if you cant see, and there seems to be no one around to help.

What I have come to realize, however, is that self-motivation is one of the most crucial resources to surviving the challenges of life. Self-motivation is when you can see beyond your current situation in order to move yourself into action.

Even though we all have self-motivation as a tool to increase our chances of avoiding lifes pitfalls, I have observed that there are those of us that find it extremely hard to remain motivated in living life daily. And worse yet, Ive realized that there are some who completely rely upon other people to motivate them.

No matter what life has tricked you into believing about yourself, understand that you must motivate yourself! When you are knocked down by the challenges of life, know that you are your greatest resource to getting back up again!

Here are five (5) strategies that I developed which will help you to remain motivated to climb out your pit:

Put on your Rhinestone Combat Boots: Put your foot down, take a stand and declare, Enough is enough! Feel good about yourself as you wear the knowledge, experiences, wisdom, and faith that will help you to fight battles, climb over challenges, and kick butt.

Focus on the Light: You must realize that your success depends on you believing in yourself and pushing beyond what you see. You must learn to focus on what lies ahead (i.e. job promotion, SBA loan, keys to your new home) and not dwell on what has passed (i.e. layoff, bankruptcy, divorce).

Grasp Again: Learn that when you slip in grasping for something that you want, that break gives you a chance to take a breath, regain your strength, and renew your focus, allowing you to see the best way to grasp again. As my favorite singer, Aaliyah, once sang, if at first you dont succeed, dust yourself off and try again, you can dust it off and try again, try again. Meaning, keep grasping until you get a firm hold and can overcome your obstacles.

Have a Flashback Party: Get together with a group of your closest friends. Allow those who know you well to shed light on the areas where you are great. You will gain strength as the memories reveal your achievements, successes, and moments of fearlessness. The flashback party will add to your self-confidence and boost your self-esteem and give you the energy to fight the darkness.

Sing a Tune: Singing a tune of positive words will uplift, encourage and motivate you to put forth your best effort to overcome the challenges of your life. Quotes, words of praise, affirmations, and scriptures are examples of positive tunes that you must play in your mind over and over again as you experience your darkest moments.

Success in life does require you to receive guidance, direction and assistance from others. Yet, the vital key to remaining out of and moving beyond the pit requires that you serve as the motivating force of your own life. When you Put on your Rhinestone Combat Boots, Focus on the Light, Grasp Again, Have a Flashback Party, and Sing a Tune, your actions will develop you into a capable individual who is wise and strong enough to overcome the challenges life throws your way.

Cassandra Lee is a self-development expert that conducts seminars, moderates panels, facilitates workshops, presents speeches, and writes resources that provides instructions on personal growth and professional success. She is founder, president and chief executive officer of SSANEE Incorporated, an educational consulting firm in Chicago, IL, where she provides interactive, skill-building seminars and keynotes to associations, colleges, corporations, clubs, organizations, social service agencies, and universities nationwide. She is featured in Whos Who in Black Chicago, the Inaugural Edition and is the author of the audio CD D.I.V.A.BITS: 24 Enlightening Tips to Conquer Communication Skills and co-author of the books Survival Skills for the African-American Woman and The Young Womans Guide for Personal Success. To receive professional development strategies FREE each month, sign-up for her newsletter, Dialog Digest at http://www.ssanee.com

Surviving As A Contractor In California

2009-09-01T10:38:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should The Bible Be Edited

What You Need to Know to Improve Your Study Skills

2009-09-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

Improving your study skills will make you a better student when taking tests and exams for any subject. Students who struggle to perform on tests do so for a variety of reasons. A big reason why certain students struggle is a failure to prepare properly. Students may be studying but not fully using their time wisely. This article will talk about how motivation and a desire to be great is the fundamental building block to success.

Tiger Woods is a classic example of motivation and a desire to be great, having that motivation and desire means going to the driving range and hitting 1000 golf balls everyday. But how do you get motivated or if you perceive to not have motivation how do you develop it. The answer is to find what motivates you. What I mean by that is what do you want to accomplish. Not knowing what you want to achieve makes it very difficult to get motivated.

Motivation and desire are often not always the difference between a great student and a good student. Its the difference the majority of times between a good student and a student who just gets by. Improving your study skills takes commitment and a desire to want to change. In essence you have to be motivated to make that change. Motivation can happen very quickly if you make the conscience decision to embrace it. That is the point of this article and how it relates to improving your study skills. To improve you must focus on it, set goals and get motivated to learn new study skills and then apply them. If you do you will see results in the classroom and exams guaranteed.

I have written a ton of articles on tips and study suggestions but without goals, desire and motivation all these tips will not help you. Students who graduate Magna Cum Laude have the desire to be great in school. They have a focus, they make sacrifices and they are motivated to complete a task to the best of their ability. If you want to be great at whatever you do strive for it and don't stop until you reach your goals.

My motivation was to become a better student by learning how to improve my study skills and also learning how to increase my study speed. Motivation will help you become a better student guaranteed but you have to find it and use it. As mentioned before becoming a better student is learning how to increase your study speed. A website you can go to to learn the benefits of speed studying is here SpeedStudyMethod.com Imagine how well of a test taker you will be when you can study twice the material in half the time. My motivation was because I had more time to focus on other things. There are many benefits to using this method of studying. I used this method and was able to finish my undergrad in 3 and half years and currently I carry a 3.79 in my MBA program. If you want to be a better student follow these tips and check the website out you won't regret it.

Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-09-01T03:11:00.001-07:00

I'm no different than most people but now seem to be aware of my surrounding opportunities, all the time.

Does God Make Mistakes

Where Did the Bible Come from?

2009-08-31T20:42:00.001-07:00

In the year 325A.D the emperor of Rome, Constantine gathered a group of church bishops and other leaders who believes in Christianity. The purpose of the meeting was to define the true God for all Christians and eliminate any confusion within Christ's church.

By the end of this council, Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit were considered one and the same. Before the council, there was confusion about, whether they should believe in one God, two gods or three entities.

Here's a statement from got questions, a popular Christian website, "The Council of Nicea affirmed the deity of Jesus Christ and established an official definition of the Trinity-the deity of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit under one Godhead, in three co-equal and co-eternal Persons."

This was a pretty interesting article, if you've got time to read it, I would also suggest checking out Wikipedia for more information about the Council of Nicaea.

Here's Some of the Problems I Have with This Small Group of Proclaimed Christians.

If I'm reading this statement correctly, a group of people or religious leaders, 1700 years ago decided that Jesus, God the creator of everything in the universe and the Holy Spirit are the same. What does this mean to you? To me it establishes as a fact that a group of men, at a meeting, under the control of the Roman empire and the Emperor Constantine, made an agreement within the Council of man, not gods, that the Trinity was now a fact.

If this one thing was created by a group of men, doesn't it get you thinking about other things in your religion that might be false or even misleading. These are some of the facts that most Christians tend to either ignore or don't even have a clue that they exist.

I believe more Christians and other organized religions should inspire their followers to learn more about how their religions were formed and where they came from. I cannot verify that the Council of Nicaea ever took place, I'm basing this information on historical writings from man, that I either gather on the Internet or through books. I don't know if any of this is true or false, always use religion responsibly.

I don't need to believe the information, I don't need to believes the information in the Bible, I need to research and gather more information and with this information I can make an educated guess, and be happy with that, I suggest you do the same.

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.

Stair Lighting Problems

2009-08-31T19:45:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne - Have You Read It?

2009-08-31T13:14:00.001-07:00

When I first started to get involved with Internet Marketing, I was told about some books I should read and one of those was The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

Well I found The Secret in my local book shop and bought it. I have to admit that once I started reading it I couldn't put it down, and as this was a low period for me it filled me with inspiration.

The scholar's from times gone by and all the successful businessman, and personal coaches from today are using The Secret in their lives now. I mean, if some of the greatest people in history believed in it then who am I to disagree. People like Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Lincoln, Einstein and the list goes on.

It is all based around the Law of Attraction, which states that if you always have bad thoughts then that's what you will always attract, if you always feel depressed then that's what you will attract, and if you only think about debt then that's what you will attract. Think and believe about wealth and you will attract it, don't question how, the Universe will find a way - Hard to believe for the skeptics among us.

OK yes we all know the benefits of positive thinking but unless you have inspiration from somewhere, it's so hard to do especially as we all know in this day and age it is gloom and despair; the world recession, etcetera. It's easy to sit and hold your head in your hands, but will that help? Not one little bit.

So lets tell you about what has happened to me since I started reading The Secret:

The first time I read it I was on cloud nine, full of positive thoughts and I even tried the car parking space trick - yes it did work, coincidence? Maybe, but it happened almost every time. But then I had some serious money and personal issues and I forgot about The Secret until recently.

To supplement my income, as yet I do not earn enough money from my Internet Marketing endeavors, I do cabbing and that has been very slow. So as I was waiting around for jobs I started reading The Secret again and on this particular occasion I had been waiting 2 hours and still no job. So I closed the book and kept saying to myself "You will get a good job now", I kept saying it to myself, "The Secret will take care of me", stupid you might think, but what did I have to lose.

I left the area I was parked in, now do I turn left or right, do I stop here, all these questions but I trusted my instincts and then, beep beep beep my on board computer had received a job, and as I opened it....wow a 50 job.

I was thrilled and another strange coincidence, or not? Was it as the last passenger reached their destination we somehow mentioned The Secret and he said that since he has read and believed he has had a 3,000 Tax rebate, and as an actor has just won a new contract for a TV series.

Well after this job straight away another job came down 30 and this happened 3 more times in the space of 2 hours. Is this just a coincidence or something deeper?

I have been trying this since last Friday night and you know what instead of sitting there thinking the next job will be a bad one, because remember think a bad job and the Genie say's "your wish is my command" and a bad job you will receive.

Now I visualise the on board computer, and in my mind imagine seeing a good job on the screen, it work's, but you have to believe.

All I need now is to work harder at the Internet Marketing Business and believe it will all come to me.

This is my Internet Marketing for Newbies product a Home Study Course where you get full video tuition for every strategy you will ever need to be a success at working from home. This comes with a full no questions asked money back guarantee so you really have nothing to lose.

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-08-31T12:16:00.001-07:00

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

Finding out How Much Things Cost

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

Figuring out the Labor

Give Yourself a Cushion

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

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

Are Christians Really Interested

Read and Change Your Life

2009-08-31T05:51:00.001-07:00

Most people read a book and if it's good, they might recommend it to someone else, but if the book is great, you can guarantee they will recommend it to everyone who is interested or who they think might be interested in the book. In the field of personal development, one book comes to mind, it's called, "You Can Have It All" by Arnold Patent.

I found the book in one of our antique thrift stores and paid less than $10 for it, I really didn't think much of it and never heard of Arnold Patent before. We've all heard of Anthony Robbins, Susie Orman, Wayne Dyer, but I never heard of Arnold Patent. I skimmed through the book and it looked like a short read. I read the book in about six hours and plan to reread the book, as soon as I get it back for my daughter. The book has short chapters, most of them less than five pages.

Looking at the short chapters, you could get the impression, that there isn't very much information in each chapter, how could there be with less than five pages and some chapters less than three pages. This was very deceiving to me, because each paragraph, was like a chapter and each chapter was like a small book.

The book is full of tools and advice and combines personal development with spirituality. He has chapters on meditation, energy, enjoying what you love to do for the rest of your life, cause and effect, abundance, attachment, pain and suffering, harmony, karma the past and forgiveness.

I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to read this book and if you're looking for some basics on quite a few motivational, spiritual and laws of attraction topics, this book has almost everything you need to get you interested in changing your life. You could actually read one chapter a day and think about it for the rest of the week, there's that much information in each chapter.

I was reading one of his recommendations and it was from Oprah Winfrey, she said, "It was one of the most important books that I had ever read." That's coming from one of the most successful people in the entertainment business. I stumbled across this book and might not have ever found it, but I'm telling you about it and highly recommend it.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg is currently working on a 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.

When We Choose Misery Over Happiness

2009-08-31T04:42:00.001-07:00

I am not one to feel sorry for most people. They seem to have a unique ability to cause themselves the most damage during certain parts of their lives. I have met some pretty self destructive people in my life. Being raised by a mother that lived in misery and love.

My mother had a difficult childhood. It seemed as if every corner she turned there was a obstacle either right in front of here or waiting just around the corner. Her father died when she was 12 year old. He was a farm laborer and didn't make much money. In other words they were poor...... She got sent to live with a few foster families and according to her she was molested by one of the fathers she lived with.

Soon her older sister invited her to live with her. My aunt was married to the owner of a pottery business and had 2 children about 10 years younger than my mother. My aunt soon realized she had a live in baby sitter that allowed her to stay out drinking most of the day.

My Uncle was what you would call a drunk back then, now we call these people alcoholics. Well any way I think you are starting to get a picture of my mothers life up to this point. It is probably safe to assume that this isn't the ideal life for a young woman.

The next event to happen in my moms life was for my uncle to fall in the shower one night after tying one on that night. He died soon after but my aunt seemed to make a another good choice and ended up marring the owner of the bar that they spent most of their time in.
The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. Allan K. Chalmers

By this time my mom was in High School and met my future father. It wasn't exactly a marriage made in heaven. My dad was always an easy going man. He seemed to let most stuff go in one ear and out the other.

As you guessed it they had a few children. Nice one Dad and Mom. According to the books I have read on Angelic beings. People that believe in the after life and angels. They tell me I had a choice and was able to choose my parents....... What was I thinking...... I should have choose someone with some money and a couple of parents that were deeply in love .

How did I end up here in this situation.

I ended up loving my parents like most of us. They seemed to be doing the best that they could possibly do raising me, my bother and my sister. My mom and dad ended up getting a divorce and I went to live with my father.

My Father is remarried to a wonderful woman that seems to bring him a lot of happiness.
I haven't seen my mother for a while now. She lives with a life of excuses and misery. Her childhood was not the greatest but that doesn't give her the right to bring misery into other peoples lives. She has made a conscious choice to live what seems to be a painful life. Maybe her choices in life have made me choose happiness over misery.

I have always wondered what it is that motivates someone to live a life of true unhappiness when it takes the same amount of energy to live a life of joy. Life is meant to be full of joy and happiness so start today by making the right choices to live a fulfilling life of happiness.

If you are reading this and can't make up your mind what kind of life you truly want to live visit me at http://live.spiritualideas.com/ . Change your thinking and change your life.

Greg Vanden Berge will help you create a new approach to life and discover talents you never knew you had. We can help you get the most out of yourself all the time. Start developing your innate strengths and abilities to start enriching your life TODAY !

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

3 Things to Keep in Mind to Stay Optimistic During Turbulent Times

2009-08-30T22:17:00.001-07:00

Okay, so we've all seen the news: Many people are experiencing an economic downturn. Some people are fortunate enough to not be feeling the pinch, but many are. Although it seems rough right now, we all need to be mindful that there is great opportunity in a time like this. Here are three things to keep in mind to stay optimistic during these challenging times:

1. Be grateful for the things you have. Yeah, things are tight right now, but guess what? There are so many other things to be grateful for! Did you wake up today? Awesome! Say "thank you" for that! Do you have full use of your limbs? Say "thank you" for that! How about the fact that you don't live in the Congo? We are blessed beyond measure, but we get ungrateful and often don't think about these things that are so important and wonderful and yet so easy to forget.

2. Realize that opportunity rises from crisis. In the past, when things got rough for me, I wondered, "Why does it always happen to ME?" I'll be honest, I had a victim mentality. But as time went on, and I developed a more optimistic perspective on life, I would reflect on what I could learn from my adverse situation. Now, any time it seems like my world is falling apart, that things are just not going right, I reflect on past occurrences that seemed difficult at the moment, but ended up being an awesome growing experience for me. All my past negative experiences eventually lead to something beautiful and positive, and I have learned to be still and wait on the blessings that I know are around the corner. A layoff can result in a successful business endeavor. A painful breakup can lead to meeting the mate of your dreams. Develop a spirit of expectancy and keep your eyes open for the growth and opportunity that will come out of this situation.

3. Times like these can strengthen relationships. When times get tough, many friends and relatives lean on each other in ways they otherwise would not do in times of great prosperity. People have to move in with each other, carpool, or share more meals, and occurrences like these allow us all to spend more time together, see beautiful qualities in one another, and remind us all why we love each other so much. (Note: I understand that relationships are often strained during financial hardships, but there is also an opportunity to love and lean on each other a little harder, too. We make the decision as to how we want to interpret our situation.)

If you believe in a higher power, you are probably familiar with the concept of casting your burdens on God. But how many of us do that? Are you at home biting your nails, worrying about your bills, etc.? If that is the case, then you are not practicing your faith effectively. It is useless and unhealthy to worry after you have done all there is for you to humanly do. I learned something wonderful from a powerful woman named Florence Scovel Shinn. She writes in her book, "The Game of Life and How to Play It," that when you have done all you can do and see no other way out, you are to take advantage of your right to cast your burdens on God. So, when you feel there is nothing else for you to do, say, "I cast this burden on God and I go free." I know this sounds wild, but words impress the subconscious in a powerful way, and you will be amazed at the sea of calm that washes over you as you cast your burdens on an omnipotent power that gives you everything in the way of health, happiness, and supply. Remember these three things, stay optimistic, and watch wonderful things come your way. Be encouraged!

Nick Jenkins is a Success Coach & Consultant. Visit her site at http://www.optimismmatters.com to learn more.

Window Header Framing Problems

2009-08-30T21:18:00.001-07:00

As a building contractor it is my job to assemble the house to meet the specifications from the architect and the structural engineer. I do this by looking at the building plans and installing the specified lumber sizes. I can take it upon myself to install a larger size wood beam or window header adding an additional cost to the job of course. I don't think so.

It's not uncommon for a framing contractor that has an additional 5 foot scrap piece of 4 x 8 left over that he now has no use for. He can then choose to use the 4 x 8 instead of a 4 x 6 for the window header. This type of building is common and acceptable.

If the structural engineer calls out for 4 x 6 window and door headers do not take it upon yourself to replace the 4 x 6 with a 4 x 4. I have seen too many framing contractors or carpenters make an on-the-job judgment like this.

A good example would be a single story house with 2 foot wide windows that require a 4 x 6 window header. As the carpenter builds homes over the years he can come to his own conclusion that a 4x4 will work fine for this application. Again keep this in mind as a framing contractor and a carpenter you are assembling the home not designing it.

Do not change the sizes of any headers or beams.

A long time ago carpenters used a standard rule of thumb, you could go up two sizes larger than the window opening for your header. Let me give you an example of what I'm trying to explain.

A 4 foot wide window opening would require a 4 x 6 window header. A 6 foot window opening would require a 4 x 8 window header. This should give you an idea of what I mean by going up two sizes larger than the window opening to figure out the lumber necessary to use for your window header.

This rule of thumb does not necessarily apply in today's building industry. The reason for this is structural changes from earthquake damage. The structural requirements that are required for building a home require a lot more metal bracing and strapping. Therefore some of the lumber requirements for beam sizes and window headers will be different.

This message is for general contractors, framing contractors and carpenters. When installing a window header and you take it upon yourself to change the size you also assume the responsibility if the building fails. This type of mistake is common and you guys know what I'm talking about.

It's not worth it. Keep in mind you are the assembler and not the designer of the building you are working on.

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

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

Set Goals Without Limits

2009-08-30T14:55:00.001-07:00

Everybody on this planet has the ability to dream. But what exactly is a dream? The Websters Dictionary offers sixteen definitions of the word dream, but here we will only list two.

1. A succession of thoughts, images, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.

2. A vision voluntarily indulged in while awake; daydream; reverie.

Whether we remember them or not we all have dreams while we sleep. But for the most part our dreaming occurs while we are awake. What are your dreams? Do you dream of making more money at your current job or do you dream of owning the company? Do you dream of owning your own home with a white picket fence or do you dream of owning your own ocean front estate on a tropical island with your own private beach? Maybe it's your dream to become president of your country or to become a motivational speaker and help millions of other people to realize their dreams. Whatever your dreams, the only thing stopping you from achieving them are the limits that you set up in your own mind.

This may seem difficult to believe but the only person that can stop you from attaining all that you desire is YOU! All the power and ability you would ever need to make your wildest dreams come true already resides within you. Inside your head is the key to ultimate success. Your mind is a vast source of energy that can never be fully consumed. The problem is that most people never learn how to direct this energy to create the lives they desire.

Dreaming, in and of itself is not enough. You must create a dream big enough to keep your interest, turn it into a goal, and in turn transform that goal into a burning desire. Anything short of that is a waste of your time and effort.

Goal Setting:

1. You must decide what you want and must absolutely have. Remember to make your goal big enough to keep you excited about accomplishing it. Nothing is impossible unless you believe it is!

2. Determine where you are now in relation to reaching your goal.

3. Once you know where you are, you need to determine what steps are necessary to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. This will act much like a map on your journey to success.

4. Chart all this information down on paper. This step is absolutely necessary. Writing down your goal on paper is the first step to transforming your vision into its physical equivalent.

5. Review your written goal various times throughout the day. As you do this, try to imagine already having achieved your goal. Visualize yourself in possession of that which you want most, or of the person you will be in the future as if it were right now. Perform this step until your goal becomes a burning desire. Once you reach this point, doubt about your ability to succeed will fade away, and the vast source of energy which your mind contains will now back you in your effort to achieve.

Visit http://www.inspirationtochange.com for life improving resources!

Need Help Remodeling In Carlsbad

2009-08-30T13:46:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

Better Health Through Positive Thinking

2009-08-30T07:37:00.001-07:00

Mind over matter is more than a scientific mantra. Better health through positive thinking is no longer a new age superstition. Scientists and members of the medical community are embracing the concept that thinking positively leads to behaving positively which in turn improves overall health. At one time scientists refuted this idea in part because happiness and optimism are difficult to measure in scientific terms. However, today study groups as well as therapy sessions are proving that better health can be obtained through positive thinking.

Studies indicate that human thinking patterns affect human behavioral patterns. Therefore, better health can be achieved through positive thinking and positive behavior, which in turn results in better health. Patients who remain in a positive mood can manage pain and severe symptoms as well as change their lifestyle more effectively than patients who are feeling down. This means thinking positive means positive health benefits.

Healthy people tend to eat healthy and take time to do healthy activities so it makes sense that healthy people also have healthy thoughts. The same is true with health care putting forward a positive attitude will help your body assert itself in a positive way. This means looking at the positive aspects of every situation. Instead of dwelling on the negative a positive person tends to focus on the opportunities and solutions associated with various issues. In health care focusing on solutions is the easiest way to better health.

This technique influences health by decreasing stress, lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and even increasing life expectancy. Many groups, including cancer support groups and weight loss programs, are incorporating therapies designed to encourage thinking positive into their regiments for better long term results.

Medical professional have suspected that better health can be achieved through positive thinking yet studies are really just now being conducted. The health benefits of positive thinking are that they empower the patient to behave positively as well as be proactive about their health. The mind can not magically heal a broken leg overnight but it can allow the patient to feel good about the healing process, prevent the patient from feeling defeated and giving up on healing as well as make the time in recovery more pleasant and relaxing.

Your Healthy Outlook provides information related to men's and women's health issues. To learn more visiting: http://www.yourhealthyoutlook.com

Home Selling Tips - Best Real Estate Advice Ever

2009-08-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Was Jesus A Good Example

Why You Shouldn't Hate Math

2009-08-30T00:10:00.001-07:00

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Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

2009-08-29T22:59:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

What Happens To Nonbelieving

Need Motivation? Olympian Reveals the Number One Key That Will Ignite Your Motivation Forever

2009-08-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

Every four years, millions of people around the world are enthralled by the athletes of the Olympic Games.

But as a spectator what you may not know is that Olympic athletes discover keys to success THAT CAN HELP YOU! True, you may not be able to relate to their god-like physical attributes, but if you're like me, you can relate to their desire to achieve, to reach a goal.

So whether you are a fan of the Olympics, and especially if you're not, you will want to take advantage of the number one key learned by all Olympic athletes. This key will build your motivation, ensure greater success and boost your self-esteem.

Powerful key revealed: THERE ARE THREE OUTCOMES TO EVERY RACE!

We all can agree on the first outcome, and that is TO WIN! Winning means that you achieved better results than anyone else on that day. That's good. The downside of winning is that only one person can win. So where does it leave everyone else?

Most people would say that if you don't win, then you lose. Losing is much rarer in the Olympics than you can imagine. But let's talk about another outcome.

You can BE BEATEN. This is not the same as losing. Being beaten means that you did your very best, but someone else did better than you. Of course everyone wants to be number one, but there is honor in being beaten. How can you possibly do better than your very best?

Think about it. If your very best isn't good enough, then only the impossible will do. What are your chances of achieving the impossible in your life? If there is only win and lose, you are setting yourself up for failure. How much motivation can you muster to continually try and fail? So the key is to include "being beaten" as an honorable outcome.

The final outcome is TO LOSE. In the Olympic world "to lose" means giving up or quitting. It means taking yourself out of the race, or not even trying. How motivating is that? Many people have this all-or-nothing attitude. If they can't win, then they don't try. Over time this attitude is the biggest killer of motivation. How do you operate your life?

To succeed we need a different attitude; we need to believe that doing our best is honorable.

A great story emerged from the 1968 Olympics. John Akhwari of Tanzania, brutally injured his leg during the marathon. The winner had already been declared an hour earlier when John hobbled into the stadium. As he crossed the finish line, the few remaining spectators roared its appreciation. A reporter asked him why he had not retired from the race, since he had no chance of winning. He seemed confused by the question. Finally, he answered: "My country did not send me to start the race. They sent me to finish." Was John a loser? No. HE WAS WELCOMED HOME A HERO.

Another great story you will never forget is about Nick If this story doesn't strengthen your motivation, nothing will!

It's true. The Olympics just come around every four years. And your life, your fitness, (or lack of it) is very, very real. However, if you are like me you appreciate guidance from whatever direction it comes. And this key learned from the Olympic athletes can (and will) insure you emerge from your particular challenges with stronger motivation, greater success, and increased self-esteem. So go ahead! Set high goals for yourself; just remember to celebrate EVERY time you do your best!

Linda Schaumleffel, Olympian and head injury survivor, guides people worldwide with faltering memory or head injuries, by teaching them how to thrive again, strive for peak productivity, and build a hedge against dementia. Get a jump on your own brain health with free special report, "BRAIN FITNESS: The Top 17 Activities That Will Revive Your Brain at Any Age!" at http://www.PowerBrainFitness.com

New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

2009-08-29T15:36:00.001-07:00

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

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 Structural Repairs.

Personal Development

Self-Help Anxiety Curing Methods to Help You Fall Asleep

2009-08-29T09:07:00.001-07:00

Self-help anxiety curing methods can be extremely valuable if they are successfully implemented and help you with troubles falling asleep. Most people who suffer from anxiety or panic attacks have an especially difficult time getting a good night's rest. A lack of sleep will only heighten the chances for anxiety to take over your day.

For many that suffer from anxiety, bedtime is just another dreaded part of life. The thought of lying in bed in silence and letting thoughts run wild can be outright terrifying. I used to feel like this, and I wouldn't be able to fall asleep without the background noise of the television present. It's easy to let your thoughts take over and begin worrying about all the negative things that can happen tomorrow, or replaying any stressful events of the previous day.

The obvious truth is that these thoughts do you no good, and when you don't get the amount of sleep your body needs to function you're inviting anxiety into your life.

Self-Help Anxiety Tip # 1 - Think Positive

Bringing positive thoughts into your life will benefit you in multiple ways. It's really easy to fall into a habit of dwelling on negative thoughts all day long. We all know someone who takes this to an extreme and it's safe to say that this kind of person is never the life of the party. This type of person can bring everyone around them down, and if they exhibit worry or fear, those same feelings are likely to be become contagious as well.

Contrarily, positive speech and positive thinking can also catch on. Positive thinking can replace the habit of negative thinking. When you lie down at night to go to sleep, the first thoughts don't have to be about how horribly wrong your day may go tomorrow. Instead, you may just get into a habit of feeling great about what potential tomorrow holds and looking forward to the future.

Self-Help Anxiety Tip #2 - Exercise Regularly

If you haven't heard by now, exercise is healthy. I apologize for the sarcasm, but it seems many people don't quite understand just how much exercise can benefit your all around well-being. Sure you'll lose weight and feel good about yourself (as if that wasn't enough reason to exercise), but a regular exercise routine will dramatically reduce the amount of stress and anxiety in your life.

Try jogging a mile or lifting weights for 20 minutes the next time you feel anxiety taking over. After 20 minutes stress melts away and it's often replaced with a sense of elation. Exercise is a potent all-natural stress killer. If you do workout, or have in the past, I have no doubt this rings true for you. If you don't exert yourself often, give exercise a chance. One session won't change the way you look in the mirror, but you will immediately feel the effects of its anxiety diminishing power.

Secondly, on the days that you exercise, you won't be able to ignore the fact that sleep comes with less effort and is often uninterrupted. When you introduce a daily workout regimen into your life, a good night's sleep is a natural byproduct. When you combine the two, anxiety is less likely to be a part of your day, or sleepless night. Practicing both of these self-help anxiety curing methods will benefit many aspects of your life.

If you suffer from anxiety you're not alone. There's help available in various forms. If you'd like to learn some more effective self-help anxiety curing methods, visit Mike's site at:

http://self-helpanxiety.blogspot.com/

Need Help Remodeling In Carlsbad

2009-08-29T08:15:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Religion Articles

Reaching Your Goals

2009-08-29T01:46:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wanted anything? Have you managed to reach your goals sometimes and other times you failed? Well, if you would like a step by step guide to help get you reach your goals and enjoy greater success than this article will come as a pleasant surprise.

These 7 powerfully effective steps towards making progress and greater success fall into two categories.

A. Awareness

B. Action

Taking action without awareness can lead to much wasted time and frustration. People hate when they find they have been walking in circles.

Having awareness without taking the necessary action can lead to over analyzing and
usually points to some blind spot about yourself. That blind spot could be denial or distraction from the REAL issues. That lack of self awareness renders all of your external awareness almost useless.

Or perhaps there is something known or unknown ( in your subconscious mind? ) that is holding you back.

So by being more aware of who you are, what you want and how you may be changing along the way you can take the necessary steps to reach your goals. Also, by tracking your progress you can
feel secure that you are getting closer to your goals or that your goals are changing.

Knowing your strengths as well as realizing your weaknesses can help you to assess the best plan of action. It can also help to motivate you to take that first step.

Some people want to know all the steps required before they will take the first step, while others simply want the first step and after completing it they want the next step spoon fed to them.

Most people fall somewhere between these categories and so can benefit from the steps and tips in this article and know that they can always contact me for more personal professional guidance. Choices equal power and knowing you can chose makes most people feel very, very good.

1. Know who you are. Are you a person who is willing to do anything to reach your goals? Does that include doing things that could harm others? Where do you draw the line?
Know your core principles and values because these will most likely stay the same, even as you yourself change.

2. Know what you want. Have a clear goal and work backwards as if you already reached it. What steps did you take to get there? Or if you prefer you can start with "what is the first step I can take right this minute that will help get me closer to my goal."

There are benefits to both of these variations and for more details you can contact me. However, for this article this information is more than enough to get you started towards greater success and more reliable results.

3. Be prepared for possible obstacles in your path. Find yourself seeing obstacles as challenges so that you either deal with them as needed or even find
yourself looking forward to overcoming these obstacles and making use of them.

4. Learn from those obstacles and experiences so you are even better prepared. Imagine that your future is spread out in front of you like a magic carpet ride and your past is lit up with the lessons you have learned. So that even in the darkest coldest night there is some warmth and comfort and light to help guide you from where you have been, as you move towards better and better things to come.

5. Develop your perseverance and reward yourself for following through on your objectives. The first steps can help you to do this along with meditation, hypnosis, chi gung, yoga and other types of mind/body exercises that help you use and harness this extra intelligence and energy.

6. Remain flexible so that your steps can change as needed and so that as YOU change you are aware of these changes. Is this really my goal or the goal of someone else? Am I still the same person I was when I first took up this journey? Have I changed so much from my experiences along the way that my goals have also changed? This is one reason why I stress the use of journals.

The military would call this a sit/rep and a business may call it a progress report. Whatever you wish to call it you can make use it of it to help keep you on track.

7. Magnetize your goals and yourself so that you can barely tell whether you are being drawn closer to your goals or if your goals are being drawn towards you as you become more successful. Either way, you seem to effortlessly improve. This is the step that seems to require more coaching or personalized attention for most people. However, this is more of an extra step that makes everything flow more easily.

Michael Twomey is a Success Coach and Professional Hypnotist in NYC. He has helped many people to change their habits, beliefs and improve their lives. He lives with his beautiful, loving and talented wife, Maggie in NYC.

http://www.nycprimehypnosis.com
http://www.AdventuresinTrance.com

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

2009-08-29T00:52:00.001-07:00

In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.

Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this type of outlet.

GFI 's come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire size when hooking up the GFI outlet.

How do I know which size wire to use? This all depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel. There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or light load problems.

Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.

The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10 times break and no longer able to use them.

The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a great idea to have an electrician install them for you.

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 Home Building Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

San Diego Termite Damage

Are Christians Really Interested

The Plain Truth about Easter

2009-08-28T18:17:00.001-07:00

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.

Bathroom Moisture Problems - Home Repair

2009-08-28T17:09:00.001-07:00

Right above my bathtub in my master bathroom the paint is peeling off the wall. The area is peeling above the tile in my bathtub and shower combination. I tried to glue the peeling paint back and only made the situation worst.

First things first. The paint is peeling because there is to much moisture in the bathroom while you are using it. Do you have any windows you can open or a ventilating bathroom fan. If you have a window crack it open part way while you are showering.

The water droplets will accumulate on the walls and drip into any cracks. Right above the tile grout is a great place for moisture to accumulate. Oh yeah moisture loves grout and drywall. If you have any unpainted areas or an area that has cracked. Guess what you have now.

Your paint is peeling because the bathroom gets hot and cold. Moist and dry. If you have the door and windows shut. You just created a moisture trap. Most people prefer their privacy and will closes the door when using the shower. Well then open the window and let some cold air in while you are taking a nice warn shower. I don't think so. Most showering fools don't like that idea either.

Ok one more idea keep the windows shut so you don't let the cold air in. Then lock the door so no on barges in on you. If you have a ventilation fan turn it on. This will at least pull fresh air in from under the door and send the moist air out of the house.

But the fan is so noisy and I can't enjoy my nice warm vapor producing shower that will eventually cause me to get sick from mold particles floating around in the air while I am using my bathroom.
Does this about sum it up for you and don't we all do this from time to time. We want to enjoy our shower time, so we close up everything and when we are in our bath sauna environment relaxing our house is getting some damaging moisture that could cause mold and mildew.

Open a window or door a little when you shower. Get some air circulating through the bathroom and prevent damage to your nice house.

Put up with a little inconvenience for you homes sake and your pocket book.

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

His website provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building in North San Diego Home Remodeling Carlsbad Home Remodeling

Visit us now for Bathroom Ideas

Effects Of False Prophets

Stunning Motivational Makeover

2009-08-28T10:34:00.001-07:00

There is a common saying which says - we become what we think. Can we give a thorough makeover to what we think? Can we transform our negative thoughts to positive ones? Can we sharpen our mental imagery and transform our self-esteem so that it can positively create a mental strength? These days we put a great deal of emphasis on the way we look. Everybody is talking about external makeovers. The television, magazines, radios are all talking about a makeover, a new look that can totally transform your lifestyle. We see individuals receiving makeovers in all types of television shows ranging from talk shows to fashion shows. It is as if a snake is shedding its skin for a new one. The transformation is considered to be drastic. But have you not ever wondered that such transformation is merely an eye-wash that can to a certain extent improve the materiality of our life, but not our inner being? We should not merely focus our attention on looking our best, but rather more importantly focus on feeling well.

It would be interesting if we give our inner being, our soul, our personality a motivational makeover so that it can transform our life permanently for the better. We can start effecting this internal change by using the motivational wallpapers as background to our home and workplace computers. So even while you are busy with our work our senses would be immediately heightened. We need not busy ourselves in motivational readings or motivational exercises. We can have the wallpapers in the background and we will feel energized. These jewels of photography with their words of wisdom can renovate our attitude and outlook to life. They would excite in us new thought processes and new ways of thinking.

Motivational wallpapers contain quotes within a serene and soothing background so as to immediately incite us to a positive action. The background imagery moulds our thought processes, boosts our self-perception and opens up endless vistas of self-exploration. It results in positive energy which gets reflected in our body language, verbal expressions, and our look and in our personality.

These motivational wallpapers are tremendously appealing. It seems always to interact with us in a silence. The nature photographs soothe our senses so that we have tranquil mind and then we can easily reflect on the words of wisdom depicted on them. We can ponder over the thought and how it can positively affect our life. We do not relax in our lethargic complacency; instead we are aroused to positive action. In the modern society we have become so excessively materialistic that we spend a lot of money on make-ups and clothes to have a new look. Instead, if we could just change our thought process, motivate our soul and our psyche we will be able to make our life more enjoyable. The makeover of our outward selves for which we are thus striving would automatically get transformed with a change in our inner being. Thus by using these motivational wallpapers we will be able to bring permanent and lasting changes to our life.

Click Here Now!

http://appearingeverywhere.blogspot.com/

Frederick Snelling is an author, multimedia designer and positive thinking founder of this inspirational website with motivational quotes, positive affirmations, positive energy articles and much more.

Need Help Remodeling In Carlsbad

2009-08-28T09:38:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

You Can Achieve What You Want

2009-08-28T03:06:00.001-07:00

Many people find it difficult to set goals because they regard their goals as something difficult to achieve, as an impossible dream so they play it safe by avoiding thinking about what they want all together. Do you feel you are in this trap? How can you overcome it?

We all possess enormous creativity and can imagine anything we want. When we hold ourselves back for a long time from being creative it might be hard for us to free up our imagination. This is just a matter of practice: the more you do the imagination exercise the better you will become at it.

Now imagine, what goals would you pursue, what would you like to do, to have, to become if you knew you can't fail? Just let your imagination fly.

Remember when you were a child and your imagination was unimpeded by all the constraints imposed by our society, what dreams did you have? Try to remember your childhood wild dreams and start dreaming; let your dreams to take you where you want to be. To facilitate this process you can do this after half an hour of dancing or aerobics exercises to lighten up and let go.

Imagine that you are guaranteed the success, what would you do; what dreams would you have? Try to uncover your deepest desires. There must be something that you pushed deep into subconscious mind because you thought it was impossible to achieve; try to revive your deepest desires.

After that don't think about failure, just keep the image of what you want in your mind at all times. Twice a day do this visualization exercise in a deeply relaxed position and feel a deep gratitude as if you already received it. This will imprint your desire in you subconscious mind that will keep you alert to all the opportunities that will help you realize your dream.

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

Window Header Framing Problems

2009-08-19T09:07:00.001-07:00

Do not change the sizes of any headers or beams.

A long time ago carpenters used a standard rule of thumb, you could go up two sizes larger than the window opening for your header. Let me give you an example of what I'm trying to explain.

It's not worth it. Keep in mind you are the assembler and not the designer of the building you are working on.

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

Luck Is What Happens When

Advantages of Framing With Steel Studs

2009-08-18T20:30:00.001-07:00

Steel studs and termites do not mix. You'll never have to worry about these little buggers or other uninvited house pests damaging your walls.

I still love framing with wood. There is something about what framing that I have always loved and always will.

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

Visit us and get more information on House Framing Ideas

Power Of Affirmations

Self-Help Reviews - Even More Productivity For Greater Business!

2009-08-17T08:35:00.001-07:00

There is a list of steps to improve your wholesale marketing. Whether it is selling the newest electronic or selling the latest in-demand, the better you market and the more you market, the better it usually is. No matter whether you are at an office or your office happens to seat at your home like the one of many of us, do know that there are simple gadgets and simple tools that can help you immediately boost your productivity time fast.

Among the books that are definitely worth your time reading in order to improve your marketing schedules on the internet, again no matter what is that you are doing: here is a good slice review for you to highly consider. Applying the techniques, strategies and suggestions added in these two fascinating books makes all the difference between getting by, and getting what you want faster.

The first one was an audio that going through iTunes store definitely catch my eyes immediately as it was in the top 3 of the best sellers there. Better yet it has glorious feedback on Amazon. When it comes to marketing, the majority of us are more than ok and even great when we intend to do the job we are supposed, which is to sell.

But among the list of audio books that should be of great interest to you since there is always more time to improve is a book or an audio book called Getting Things Done by David Allen. The majority of the time when we already know what to do, it is all about doing the work or improving it even more. The audio version of Getting Things Done is excellent as it helps systemize your work by showing you examples of how to prioritize and goes deep into the psychological bolts of why we sometimes do not achieve things faster.

Getting Things is surely an excellent hit in my arsenal of self-help books. Books like this whether you are a season pro or a millionaire should help you more, just one idea to schedule and implement could mean a 10% increase in productivity, especially if you work from your home. It goes deep into the psychological aspects of procrastination, but surely a golden nugget if already you have enough options and reads about marketing.

In a nutshell, this book is the cure for getting things done immediately and finishing them. Next you have a priority book that can be a magnificent read of new significant light if you have never read a book about building a business plan. In reality, the majority of us like to keep simple, schedule and put things in easy to read form in short term, 2-5 years goal and goals for the long term in 10 years.

If you want to start your very first wholesale video games business or electronics business one of the books in my list is called The One Page Business Plan for The Creative Entrepreneur by Jim Horan. Once you are ready and believe you have a good grasp at some important concepts from those books getting a wholesale list should be a next consideration to start your very first e-commerce business or improve upon the one you already have.

Finding Wholesale Video Games is one of the business components Joaquin serves as reference source, e-commerce coach and certified author. His focus today is assisting people receive extra income through the acquirement of an in-demand Wholesale List.

Martin Luther King

Social Etiquette

2009-08-15T23:02:00.001-07:00

The subject of personal hygiene is very sensitive, be it at work, social gathering, public or at college. The big question before us is how one can address the problems without embarrassing or hurting the feelings of those concerned. Also that the person who think is offended does not engage in the same offensive malady.

It is largely suggested that most people believe a lot of things can be done to encourage friends, workmates without tearing asunder the rapport, be it in the work place or at home.
Nose picking some investigation suggest that males have high habits of picking their nose. This seem to have its ancient roots in ancient time not only in Africa, but also in Europe.
It is disgusting and alienating especially when the individual sees it fit to eat whenever they have "dug out". Men are said to have developed this habit much more than women. At times your girlfriend will notice this and feel shy to tell you to use a handkerchief.

Different cultures have different ways of maintaining their health. Men and women have got different roles and expectation they are required to follow. At times a person can offend the table manners depending on the culture that he follows. Culture as define by Cumming et al as a totality of life transmitted from one generation to the other. Scholars like Fiske 1980 views "culture" as something that is ordinary. What one does be it at workplace, home, school or at church can be defined as culture.

Above all hygiene at times cuts across multiple of culture and needs to be preserved to enhance development. Human beings are different from animals because they have certain ways of upholding their hygiene. It is important all the times to maintain high standards of hygiene that can improve our lives

Followers Or Leaders

Did Jesus Actually Ever Get Mad

2009-08-15T19:57:00.001-07:00

We Know More About What We Dont
Start Liking Yourself First

Love Addiction, Approval Addiction

2009-08-14T15:15:00.001-07:00

What does it mean to be love/approval addicted? Below is a checklist for you to see if you are addicted to love and/or approval. Believing any of these may indicate love or approval addiction.

I believe that:

* My happiness and wellbeing are depended upon getting love from another person.

* My adequacy, lovability, and feelings of self-worth and self-esteem come from others liking me and approving of me.

* Others disapproval or rejection mean that Im not good enough.

* I cant make myself happy.

* I cant make myself as happy as someone else can.

* My best feelings come from outside myself, from how other people or a particular other person sees me and treats me.

* Others are responsible for my feelings. Therefore, if someone cares about me, he or she will never do anything that hurts or upsets me.

* I cant be alone. I feel like Ill die if Im alone.

* When Im hurt or upset, its someone elses fault.

* Its up to other people to make me feel good about myself by approving of me.

* Im not responsible for my behavior. Other people make me yell, act crazy, get sick, laugh, cry, get violent, leave, or fail.

* Others are selfish if they do what they want instead of what I want or need.

* If Im not connected to someone, I will die.

* I cant handle my pain, especially the pain of disapproval, rejection, abandonment, the pain of being shut out - the pain of isolation and loneliness.

THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF LOVE AND APPROVAL ADDICTION

John Assaraf

You Shouldn't Believe Everything In The Bible - Spare The Rod

2009-08-13T19:27:00.001-07:00

Smiles Are Free So Give Them Awa
Listen To Advice From Confucius

5 Ways of Dealing With Depression Without Drugs

2009-08-13T05:12:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui can be used to help alleviate depression and feelings of being "stuck," which are so common in today's society. Often, an individual just needs a gentle nudge to return to his correct path, where he can be his true self.

I should know; I've battled feelings of depression and low energy. A combination of Feng Shui, proper nutrition, exercise, meditation and re-connecting with nature alleviated my depression and placed me on a path toward fulfillment. My career has soared. I have a stronger drive for achievement and activity and I am truly grateful and happy. As a result, I've been fortunate to help many others welcome energy, drive and the feelings of joy and gratitude back into their lives. That is my true path.

1. Feng Shui Your Space: A Feng Shui consultation may be the first step in getting "unstuck." A Feng Shui consultant can recommend ways to shift the energy of a person and space, creating amazing transformations.

When I perform a Feng Shui consultation for a client who is feeling stuck or depressed, I pay close attention to the entrance of the space. The entrance should not be blocked, which prevents energy or chi from entering the area.

I'll also take a look at the work environment, specifically under a person's desk. That part of the office should be clean, clear and permit plenty of leg room.

I often introduce life energy into a space. You can do this in your home or office by adding living plants, fresh flowers, raw fruit or moving water.

There are also specific Feng Shui cures and remedies you can employ. For instance, you can use Feng Shui Wind Chimes To Help With Depression.

2. Reconnect With Nature: It's easy to lose your connection with nature and, for many people, this leads to depression.

Don't you feel rejuvenated after spending a day at the beach or a few hours hiking in the mountains? Try to make nature a small part of your life every day. Spend more time outdoors walking, hiking, cycling or simply sitting in the park appreciating the environment.

3. Diet & Nutrition: Chronic fatigue is an indication that the body's "batteries" have run down. Resistance drops and illness or disease may strike.

Often, fatigue is caused by a critical deficiency of active enzymes in the diet and an overabundance of "dead" foods: processed, preserved and over-cooked foods, eaten in incompatible combinations.

Many fad diets literally starve cells of nutrition and energy and permit toxic wastes to accumulate in the tissues. This prevents the body from generating and directing energy for work or play, since all available energy must be used to keep the body alive.

According to The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity, denatured, processed, preserved, canned and cooked foods should compose less than 50 percent of the daily diet. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains to give your body the energy it needs and combat chronic fatigue.
Sun Ssu-mo, the Tang Dynasty Taoist physician who correctly diagnosed and cured the nutritional-deficiency disease beriberi 1,300 years ago, a full millennium before European doctors did in 1642, wrote in Precious Recipes: "A truly good physician first finds out the cause of illness, and having found that, he first tries to cure it by food. Only when food fails does he prescribe medication."

4. Proper Exercise:

"The Tao of nurturing life requires that one keep oneself as fluid and flexible as possible. One should not stay still for too long, nor should one exhaust oneself by trying to perform impossible tasks. One should learn how to exercise from nature by observing the fact that flower water never stagnates and a busy door with active hinges never rusts or rots. Why? Because they exercise themselves perpetually and are almost always moving."

(Sun Ssu-mo - Precious Recipes)

In this passage, Sun Ssu-mo succinctly distills the essence of Taoist exercise principles. If we observe nature, we see that rhythmic movement is the foundation for cultivating essence and energy.

Balance and moderation are also key factors. How many times have you started a difficult or time-consuming exercise regime only to abandon it after a few weeks-or a few days? Start slowly so your early success will spark your drive to continue. In addition to structured exercise, look for ways to introduce more physical activity into your everyday life.

The Spring and Autumn Annals tells us: Essence and energy, body and breath, are indivisible: when the body does not move, essence cannot flow; when essence cannot flow, energy becomes stagnant.

Keep your essence moving like a mountain stream by practicing controlled deep breathing balanced with rhythmic physical movement. Body and breath will harmonize and vital energy will circulate to every organ and tissue in the body.

5. Meditation: Meditation purifies the mind and restores the spirit's primal powers by withdrawing all distracting thoughts and disturbing emotions from the mind. Meditation is to spirit what diet and nutrition are to essence - an indispensable tool for cultivating and conserving that treasure.

Emotions are regarded as major causes of disease in Chinese medicine. When unbridled by firm intent, they can cloud our minds and vandalize our precious reserves of essence and energy. To restore conscious awareness, one must empty the mind of all thoughts and pacify all emotions in the solitary silence and peaceful serenity of meditation.

In an article entitled "Mental Muscle" (Omni magazine, June 1992), Kathy Keeton writes:

"When the psychologists Charles Alexander of the Maharishi International University in Fairland, Iowa, and Ellen Langer of Harvard University, taught transcendental meditation (TM) to a group of octogenarians in eight Boston-area nursing homes, 100 percent of those who practiced meditation 20 minutes a day were still alive three years later, while 38 percent of their peers who did not meditate had passed on. This is reminiscent of legends of Himalayan yogis using similar techniques to live more than a hundred years...

Alexander is one of a growing body of scientists who believe that we can muster the power of our brains to stay healthy, to heal ourselves when we're sick, and, quite possibly, to extend our life expectancy."

Combining Feng Shui with proper nutrition, exercise, meditation and time to reconnect with nature will put you on the path to health, happiness, longevity, peace of mind, greater drive and ultimate success.

Ken Lauher, a gifted Black Sect Feng Shui consultant and speaker, empowers individuals and their environments to transform their quality of life naturally.

His inspiring and transformational work with well known actors, actresses, TV Hosts, singers, songwriters, CEO's, businesses, and corporations has made him a sought-after speaker on feng shui and life enhancement.

http://www.KenLauher.com

Robin Hoch

Live with High Energy Drive Successfully

2009-08-11T04:41:00.001-07:00

Imagine a world where what you do is enjoy life and work is simply a part of your enjoyment? Can you see it yet?

I woke up this morning to cloudy gray skies and drizzling rain, chilling the atmosphere. After I prepared a lovely breakfast of rye muffins, eggs, and grape juice I settled in front of my computer with a nice hot cup of tea. This is my favorite place to write.

Im not rushing, Im just enjoying my life, and youre reading what I love to do.

You can do what you love to do and earn a living doing it too. It doesnt have to be writing, it can be anything. Ill show you how.

1. Take a vacation.

Have you ever noticed, the most successful people take time to have fun? They plan vacations into their lives, the keep family time separate from work time, and they enjoy what they do. Its a choice. Take time out for fun and enjoy your life.

2. Give generously.

Donate to charity. Give to the poor. Tithe to your church. Give generously from your heart. What you have comes from God, it was given to you - give it back. God is your Provider, and He provides plenty. When you see someone in need, give.

3. Forgive those who trespass against you.

Forgive those who owe you a debt so you may be forgiven. When you hold a grudge against your neighbor, you prevent the gift of forgiveness from being given to you. You cant open your heart and accept the gift of love until you learn to let go of the grudges and forgive.

4. Love without fear.

The love you give comes from an endless storehouse of love. You can love without fear, without worry. Theres more love to give. Youre not limited to a specific amount of love in your life, theres always more available. Give it away freely.

5. Take care of yourself.

Youre important. Youre a valuable being, created in the image of God. You deserve to be cared for, loved, and provided well, because you are precious and wonderful.

6. Save something for tomorrow.

Because planning ahead is important, keep something for tomorrow. Invest in your future and show good stewardship with your finances. Follow the old principle of owing no-one. Live a life free of debts and encumbrances by planning ahead for any emergency.

7. Do what you love.

Learn to do well that which you love and do it expecting to earn good wages for what you do. Charge what you deserve and always give more than you get. Your value is far above jewels and precious metals, because you are worthy of your pay.

So, where are you at today? Are you feeling low and down, wondering how to get out of the hole, or are you climbing close to the mountain top, hoping you can find a pentacle to rest upon?

Or are you enjoying life?

Claim your FREE 3-Part Traffic Report and more http://secret2prosperity.com

2007 - J.D. Verhoeff