Good Christians Really Do Inspire Me

One of the best Christians who I ever met, truly inspired me and everyone around him to become a better person. His son is now working at a church and his daughter is a teacher and they're not the only people who he inspired.

He inspired me to write this article, good Christians really do inspire me and others and he definitely was living his life, like Jesus did. He's the only person that I ever met, who didn't have anything bad to say about anyone, with the exception of one time. I actually heard him say that he hates that person, the person probably deserved it, but I still couldn't believe that the word came out of his mouth.

We all make mistakes, even he did, every once in a while. Whenever someone asked him about Christianity, he would try to avoid sharing his beliefs with them, unless they were persistent and then he would share all that he knew.

He never tried to convert anyone and never forced his opinions on anyone else. I asked him once," Did he actually read all of those books that he had in his library." He said that he actually did and I was shocked. He had three large library shelves that were each 4 foot wide and went almost all the way up to the ceiling, filled with books on Christianity and some on other religions.

He's the only man I ever met, that I would actually consider to be a good Christian. I don't know what it was about him, his honesty, compassion or simple kindness, but I valued his friendships and kept my ears open and my mouth shut... most of the time.

If you know someone like this in your life, I would advise you to take full advantage of their wisdom and let them inspire you to become a better Christian and if you don't believe in Christianity, these people can inspire you to become better person. A great life can be acquired, learning the wisdom from people who lead great lives.

Unbelievable Christian Bible Study Book

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Do you really know why you're a Christian, click on this way to get more information about Becoming Really Good Christians

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

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

Thanks for reading my articles

Rethinking Today's Religions - Misleading Our Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All

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

Does Anyone Have a Direct Line to God?

I have heard Catholics tell me that the pope has a direct line to God. I don't really know if that's true, but if he does, or anyone else does, I would like to ask them to do me a favor.

I would like them to ask God a few questions, these questions aren't going to be difficult, and we could even make them in yes or no formats, but these answers need to be asked and only God can provide us with the answers.

The first question that I would like to ask God, would be about starvation, why are there so many starving people all over the world? Are we or are we not supposed to be fruitful and multiply? Is overpopulation creating more problems in the world today, than it might have 2000 years ago?

These questions above, could be a little difficult to answer, but they shouldn't be too difficult for someone like God. I believe that God can handle a few tough questions and if the Pope or anyone else has direct communication with God, I would like to suggest something to them, quit wasting your time on frivolous things and start asking God the serious questions, that every one is really interested in.

It doesn't make a lot of sense, to pray and worship to somebody who realistically won't answer or deliver the things that we are requiring. I realize that most religious people are told, that God only answers some prayers or that God isn't ready to answer your prayers yet.

Anyway, if gods not going to answer all of our prayers, couldn't he at least answer some of our questions.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended authors, Don Miguel Ruiz

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

Thanks For Reading Our Articles

A Review of "Transformational Life Coaching" - A Book For Mentors and Mentees Everywhere

There are many different indicators in today's world demonstrating that humanity has reached a new level of awareness and appreciation for its own existence. If we look at the shifts in the types of occupations being pursued (and sought after), the abundance of life coaches and personal development mentors is like a mirror held up to our collective psyche. It seems to say that life is a precious experience, and we simply want to be sure that we're present for it in every way possible. To coin a somewhat overused phrase: We seek to live authentically.

In 1977, long before having a "life coach" was something commonly discussed at Starbucks, Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott published her first book on the subject and began a career that eventually, would find her labeled, "The Mother of Coaching." New Species (published in 1978) was to become the first of many books Dr. Scott would write on personal development. The long list includes, "Negaholics," a series of 'Rules' books - including "If Life is a Game, These are the Rules," and her most recent work, "Transformational Life Coaching."

Transformation Life Coaching throws open the doors to Life Coaching School and invites us all inside. Although written for those who either are, or espouse to become, mentors in the transformational movement, this book is an accessible "how to" for anyone. It welcomes all those who have spent time seeking to develop a better appreciation with their own life and how they intend to live it. Chapter 1 literally outlines what to look for and how to choose a coach, offering twenty-five important questions to discuss during the interview process.

In this book, Dr. Scott has created a virtual concordance of information, challenges for personal thought patterns and judgment, practical exercise and reference tools to use over and over. Embracing many global teachings, Dr. Scott often refers to the different chakras, or energy centers, as tools to release the ego and be of maximum service to others. As she explains, "You are in the process of opening up and taking control of your power," and by deeply understanding each energy center, we will be able to literally, "open and close each chakra at will."

Imagine being able to consciously open the fifth chakra (which controls speech and communication) in order to more fully participate in our marriage or work relationships - or being able to close down our first chakra, which embodies survival and security, so that we might be more risky and daring in our professional roles or fearlessly take on new adventures in life.

Dr. Scott has spent most of her professional life traveling the world and sharing her expertise on personal empowerment and development at every turn. On her website she shares that, "Writing a book is not done with the wave of a wand. It takes time to reflect and soul search for the universal truths related to each developmental phase." These same words could definitely be applied to the very journeys that Dr. Scott encourages us to make with our lives.

What we know about coaching is that it is not only sought after, but it is necessary in today's fast-paced world of endless challenges. From corporate teams to softball teams, being coached and coaching others on how to live as appreciatively and authenticity as possible is a proactive way to turn roadblocks into paving stones on your road of success.

Dr. Success (aka Andrea Goeglein, Ph.D.)

http://www.ServingSuccess.com

DrSuccess@ServingSuccess.com

(702) 243-4040

Attitude - Is it Really the Difference Maker?

What is attitude? We hear this term from all motivational speakers. We have heard from our mothers, fathers and teachers when they have said, "Your attitude stinks," or "Young man, you'd better change your attitude." Let's see what Webster's says about attitude: " A manner or posture of carrying one self. A state of mind or feeling." It is interesting that this attitude is both a state of mind as well as a reflection of how we carry ourselves on the outside. In other words, attitude is an inward feeling expressed by outward behavior.

Some say attitude is everything. That one can have everything he or she desires by changing attitude. But is that an overstatement. John C. Maxwell in his new book "The Difference Maker," says, "The right attitude cannot make you something you are not, but it can enhance everything you have and all that you are."

I have been training, motivating and empowering sales teams for more than 25 years and I must say I agree with John Maxwell. One must have skills and competence in certain areas one is attaining to. A good example is you can have the best attitude in the world, and visualize and write powerful positive affirmations to be a brain surgeon. But if the good Lord did not give you the gift of exceptional intelligence and you failed all your natural science courses in college, I doubt having a great attitude will get you to your goal.

I will admit as a VP of Sales hiring sales folks they must have the skills, experience and competency to do the job. But the very next thing I look for is attitude. I want team players, problem solvers and folks that care about building and encouraging those around them.

So how big is attitude? Is it the little difference that makes all the difference in the world?

W. Clement Stone puts it this way, "There is little difference in people, but the little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative."

The following are some Barriers for us to break through when it comes to attitude:

1. Discouragement: You must win over discouragement by speaking positive to yourself and others. Put positive people around you. Have the right expectations.

2. Change: Embrace it and confront it head on. Change will always be in front of you it is a part of life. Re-frame it and look for positive improvements.

3. Problems: Be a problem solver. Start off with evaluating, analyzing, assessing alternatives, and bring forth positive recommendations.

4. Conquer Fear: Fear is the other side of faith. You must confront it and go through it to get your miracle.

5. Accept Failure: I had a boss who used to say, "I worry about you if you and your team are not failing, it tells me your are not trying new innovated things so you must be playing it safe and predictable." How are we going to grow and take on new challenges if you are afraid to fail? Step out and don't take it all so seriously.

Does attitude make ALL the difference in the world? Maybe not ALL but it is sure close. You see without it you will not be able to grow and stretch beyond your current God-given talents. You ask how? Well you see, none of us will get ahead in life unless a lot of people want us to. A positive attitude is your most valuable asset every day. It helps in little issues and provides for a positive framework in which to approach life.

As the famous Yogi Berra said, "Life is like baseball; it's 95 percent mental, and the other half is physical." A positive attitude is a difference maker so pass it on and have a blessed life.

Len Strickler is best described as a motivational coach, teacher and speaker who is unquestionably passionate about building, training, and leading remarkably successful sales teams that deliver fast-to-market results. As a sales executive, he has spent more than 25 years helping high-tech, global companies capture revenue to support product innovation activities, seize a competitive advantage, and generate profit fast. He thrives on the challenges and adventures of working in a global environment. He integrates a powerful mix of visionary leadership, collaborative team approaches, innovative thinking, and sales team mentoring and training to deliver enviable sales results for companies interested in shattering sales performance records.

Are you ready to take your company to the next level? Let Len help your company or team "Break Through The Barriers!" Book him today to speak at your next event!

Clean House, Clean Head

When you walk in the front door of your home after a long, hard day, do you feel soothed, comfortable, and truly at home? Or does it look like a scene from the film Animal House?

Imagine looking around you and only seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling appealing things. Imagine coming home from work to a home where you love every single thing you see. Where every single thing has a purpose and a space, and you know exactly where everything is, and it all functions beautifully.

You CAN live this way!

Do you have clutter in your home or office? Are you behind on bills? Are there stacks of papers or other items that have been there since the 80's, and you are waiting to get "a round tuit?" Are you simply a busy person, or are you a packrat or a hoarder? If you are a chronic packrat or hoarder, you may consider seeking professional help and/or medication to feel safe without the "protection" that all your "stuff" provides.

Well, there is a direct psychological parallel to "stuff" out there; whatever is going on in your head is generally reflected in your house. Certainly some of us are more affected by our environments than others....some of us are more sensitive than others...some seem to frankly be completely oblivious to mess. Some actually swear that they do better with a mess, but it is generally an organized mess, yet they'd be even more functional if their environment were more efficient.
Yet underneath it all, they are simply comfortable with the familiar.

Many people would love to have an organized environment, but keep procrastinating while their piles of stuff and their guilt/fear/anxiety increase! Here are Ten Tips - - some really simple steps to help you get started on a cleaner house, head, and life:

1. Make a list of every closet, drawer, etc. that needs to be cleared. For example, master bathroom: 8 drawers, one linen closet. Home office: 6 desk drawers, 5 filing cabinets drawers, sofa stacked with papers. This crucial first step is not to overwhelm you; quite the contrary, it's to give you the big picture so you can break it down into easily manageable baby steps. Allow yourself all the time you need.....one or two hours a day or a week. This entire project may take you weeks or even months to complete. But you will feel better every single step of the way.....just imagine the burden being lifted by simply starting! Some couples and families find creative ways to do this together.

2. Next, prioritize which area needs to be tackled first. If you are close to bankruptcy, you might want to handle your office first. If your spouse is researching divorce attorneys because of the bedroom clutter, you might want to start there. Get your list in order, and choose one room, one area to make your debut. Pick your favorite time of day and day of the week to work on this project. Write it in your calendar/datebook/Blackberry and honor this date with yourself as if it were as important as a DDS or MD appointment so you are psychologically geared up for it. If letting go is already difficult, why not set yourself up for success by making it easier in every way possible? Enroll a friend of family member to help you, but only if he/she can be lovingly decisive. If you have children, allow them to help you. Know that you are modeling excellent behaviors for them to take on and pass on to their children. You are training them to be more decisive, organized, and let the small stuff go. Wear comfy clothes, put on your favorite upbeat music, and have your favorite meal and beverage (or fresh flowers, etc.) ready for you as a reward when you complete this.

3. On D-Day (De-clutter Day): Take every single thing out of the closet or drawer. Vacuum and/or clean out all dust and dirt. Thoroughly. Have rags and antibacterial cleansers handy and perhaps an air freshener. Polish the furniture. You may wish to line drawers with paper, and/or add organizational dividers.

4. Next, sort items into piles of (A) must keep because I use it frequently, (B) not sure, haven't used in a while, and (C) haven't used in years and frankly forgot I had it. Remember, nothing is gone forever. If you find later that you discarded something you still need, you can get another....perhaps an updated, better one. When we hold onto the past, we deny the future possibilities of improvement.

5. Put all of C items in a garbage bag and label for your favorite church, charity, homeless people, shelter, mission, or Salvation Army. OR, label for the garage sale you will plan when complete with the clearing phase.

6. Sort A items in an organized fashion: color code, size, etc. You can get very inexpensive racks and containers for drawers and closets that will keep all your items neat and orderly. Call me anal, but my closet is arranged (and labeled) DRESSES, SUITS, BLOUSES, PANTS, SWEATERS, and all color coded within the category. A REAL time saver when I want to mix and match.

7. Revisit B items and rate each on a scale of 1-10 in attachment, 10 being you really feel attached/scared to let it go. Anything scoring 5 or lower goes you know where.......in with the C items for recycling or garage sale. Another way to deal with the Bs is by asking yourself: Is this item a reminder of my past, or in line with my future?

8. Repeat this cycle in every area of your home or office. You will probably feel like your home has "lost weight," as indeed it has. Enjoy the feeling! Celebrate with that favorite meal, beverage, flowers, etc. You've earned a treat.

9. With all the items you are letting go, have a garage sale and make a few extra bucks. Or take to a local eBay seller and have them do it for you. Or give away the items to a friend, a college student, to a shelter or Salvation Army or a church. Remember, you are not losing these things.....you are recycling, sharing with others who can really use them. You've outgrown them. Others need them more than you do.

10. If even the thought of this is overwhelming, you might consider hiring a master of Feng Shui, a personal organizer, or a clutter buster, to come in and work with you patiently through every step of the process. Be prepared for emotions to come up. A good Feng Shui master or organizer will know how to walk you through this crucial phase. Keep a journal close by if you are working this alone, and write out your feelings. Bottling them inside you is exactly what is bottlenecking your home's energy.

After you're done, you want to put a maintenance plan in effect to insure continual comfort and psychological health. Once a week, more or less, check in and survey your home or office. Throw away or file away everything you can. Organize bills in a chronological fashion and keep in some sort of TO BE PAID stack. Look at it every week and see what needs to be paid. Debts (like excess pounds!) are definitely a form of clutter. Check out your closets and clothes drawers with every season's change, or just at the New Year, to clear out the C items, and survey the B items.

A healthy psyche can flow as easily as a ship on an open sea. Imagine how difficult it would be for a ship to sail through cluttered waters. It would take enormous energy and time to maneuver around obstacle after obstacle.

Here's to smooth sailing on the sea of life!

Dr. Nancy B. Irwin is a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist/therapeutic hypnotist, and author of nonfiction YOU-TURN: CHANGING DIRECTION IN MIDLIFE, a collection of over 40 stories of people over 40 who made successful life transitions.

Grandchild Proofing Your Home

Did you recently discover that you are going to be a new grandparent? You may be finding it difficult restraining your excitement, and enthusiasm. But please don't be worried if you're feelings are a little mixed. Such as a twinge of resentment, a sense of being prematurely aged by your new status it's a common though seldom admitted feeling.

Let it be a consolation to discover that according to the American Association of Retired Persons Grandparent Study "The average age of a first-time grandparent is now just 47 years old".

In our "ageing society" grandparents are one group that's definitely getting younger. Another common though little shared feeling is a sense of rivalry or competition between both sets of grandparents.

Don't worry these feelings usually pass with time.

GRANDCHILD PROOFING YOUR HOME

Many grandparents now assume a much greater and more active role in caring for their grandchildren, being the sole care giver either before or after school. Carefully lock up or make inaccessible all potential poisons and threats i.e. Cleaning products, medicines, herbal remedies and vitamins, knives, and other sharp objects tiny choke able objects that a little one might find interesting.

Use gates for stairs and to control access to various portions of your home. Inspect your home from a child's eye view crawl round your home looking for wires that can be pulled on or overhanging objects that can cause injury to a small child.

Can your pet be trusted? Your affectionate animal companion may be perfectly well behaved in the company of adults but will your pet tolerate the less restrained fondling of a toddler?

Replace outlet covers with ones that include a sliding safety catch, the little plug-in covers can all too easily end up in your grandchild's mouth.

Heavy furniture and fixtures

Large and heavy shelving units, chests of draws, and appliances can be big dangers. Attach whatever you can to the walls. Push large heavy items like television sets or lamps back from the edge of the furniture they're situated on. Always put bigger heavier items on lower shelves and in bottom drawers to make furniture less top-heavy. Babies start to pull themselves up on furniture just shortly after they start to crawl. Be sure to keep drawers closed when not in use as they make excellent ladders for curious grandchildren.

Cover all sharp corners on low down pieces of furniture such as coffee tables and hearth edges with bumpers to reduce the impact if your grandchild should fall.

Windows and Doors

Always open double-hung windows from above or have them fitted with child locks to prevent children from opening them, from below. Low windows shouldn't be allowed to open more than 4 inches. Window guards are available that can prevent windows from opening wider than 4 in. Some newer windows come with window stops already inbuilt. Lock all outer doors; install door stops or door holders on inner doors and hinges to prevent injuries to little fingers.

Secure ties on blinds and curtains. Window blinds can be a particular danger because a baby's neck can become entangled in the cords that control the blinds .It only takes a couple of minute's inattention for a child to strangle itself in such a situation

Drowning

Swimming pools .paddling pools garden ponds hot tubs, baths, toilets, and even buckets of water are all potential hazards. It is a fact that in the home most drowning deaths happen in the bathtub. Never leave your grandchild unattended in the bath not even for a minute to answer the door, not even if he/she is in a bath seat. Always supervise your grandchild whenever they're in the bathroom, install a safety device on your toilet lid to stop them from falling in. Infants and toddlers can drown in as little as an inch of water, Never leave water in the bathtub, never leave a mop bucket unattended, pour out the water as soon as you're finished. Take maximum care around pools and ponds if you have a in ground pool, enclose it with a fence that's at least 4 feet high, and a lockable gate and make certain it is locked after each use. Secure the covers on your spa or hot tub.

Fires

Experts maintain that smoke alarm can cut in half the chances of dying in a fire. Have a working smoke alarms in each room .Test them often to ensure they're working, and change the batteries twice a year. There are smoke alarms available now that use long-life (10-year) batteries.

Be Prepared

Add emergency numbers into the speed dial of your home phone and cell phones Keep a list of these numbers close to every phone in your residence and give a copy of the list to all relatives and frequent guests . Purchase a first aid kit if you don't already own one make sure its well stocked and nothing is past its expiry date.. Make sure babysitters and other caregivers know where to locate these supplies and how you wish them to respond in the event of an emergency

As your grandchild grows you will have to reevaluate these measures. Childproofing is a seemingly never ending process, challenging your ingenuity and your imagination and sometimes your patience, but never your love.

Pages from the heart has created several ornamental books that would make a wonderful keepsake gift for that new Grandchild or new Mom, for more info go to http://gift_books.wandasworx.com/custom.html

Cheap Decorative Mirrors

A lot of people these days want to improve the interiors of their home. They want to have everything remodeled and renovated. But major house renovation can cost much. It is really expensive. Their desires are unlikely to be met due to the fact that they have to pay out a lot for home improvements. Nevertheless, something can be done to perk up the home without having to spend a lot of money. There are cheap ideas to remodel a house. These designs can just cost less than a thousand dollars but you can still have the look you want for your home. It is very practical to have inexpensive concept for the interiors of your home. This concept involves the use of mirror to decorate the home.

Designing a home with mirrors is a practical method to budget your money and to beautify your home at the same time. It is of great advantage to get back the money you spent for your home if you plan to sell your house in the future. A house that has been improved can be sold in the market in just a blink of an eye.

If you are a home owner, you can try using mirrors to decorate your home. It is easy and simple to do even though you are not artistically inclined. There are several advantages in putting decorative mirrors.

It is cheap. You do not need a big amount of money to have decorative mirrors at home; however, it is a good way to improve your home. You can use any kind of mirrors you can find. The cheap ones will do. Redecorate your house with mirrors and spend less than a thousand dollars.

Your house will look more spacious. It seems like magic that your house can look larger just by putting decorative mirrors. This technique is generally useful to small houses. Small houses can look bigger if they are adorned with mirrors. It is better to place the mirror along opposite walls.

Decorative mirrors improve illumination. A room with a dark paint can look small. However, if you do not want to change the paint with a lighter color, there is a good method for it to look larger. Use decorative mirrors to the walls for these mirrors can equalize the dark color. Place mirrors parallel to the windows to get improved illumination even without turning the lights on. The mirrors reflect the brightness of the sunlight. Through this practical method, you can even save energy.

You can decorate your own house even without professional help. You can hang mirrors on your walls using the tools you have at home. You do not need to spend a lot for this.

The shape of the mirror is an important element in decorating your room. It is better to use a square mirror. This kind of mirror looks more interesting. Otherwise, choose a diamond-shaped mirror, or something that is long. A montage of smaller pieces of mirror is even better than have one or two big decorative mirrors.

Eliza Maledevic Ayson writes for Jump2top.com - SEO Company

Annual Forecast & Feng Shui Remedies for 2007: Yin Red Fire Pig Year - Rat Sign (Chinese Zodiac)

The Chinese Zodiac Astrology is ancient, interesting, accurate and loved by millions across the world. The Chinese Zodiac is based on cyclic concept of time: a cycle of 12 years, repeated again and again. The 12 Years are associated with 12 Celestial Animals : Rat (or Mouse on Mongoose), Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), Tiger, Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), Dragon, Snake (or Serpent), Horse, Goat (or Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster (or Hen or Cock or Chicken or Phoenix), Dog and Pig (or Boar or Hog). The animal names occasionally differ with the Oriental Country they originate. The Chinese Yearly Horoscopes are basically built around these 12 Animal Signs.

Your Chinese Astrological Zodiac Animal Sign is directly based on the Chinese Lunar Year of Birth that you were born. The Chinese New Year is mobile and could start anywhere between 21st January and 20th February, depending upon the year. If your Date of Birth falls into any of the following Chinese Lunar Years, then, because you are born in the Year of the Rat (or Mouse or Mongoose), you are symbolically identified by your Celestial Animal, the "Rat (or Mouse or Mongoose)":

From 31 Jan 1900 to 18 Feb 1901

From 18 Feb 1912 to 05 Feb 1913

From 05 Feb 1924 to 24 Jan 1925

From 24 Jan 1936 to 10 Feb 1937

From 10 Feb 1948 to 28 Jan 1949

From 28 Jan 1960 to 14 Feb 1961

From 15 Feb 1972 to 02 Feb 1973

From 02 Feb 1984 to 19 Feb 1985

From 19 Feb 1996 to 06 Feb 1997

In Chinese Hsia Calender, 2007 is the 4704th year and significantly, is also the fourth year of the New Feng Shui Land Luck Cyclic Period 8. The forthcoming new Chinese Lunar Year is from 18th February 2007 to 6th February 2008. The next Chinese New Year, the Yang Earth Rat will begin on 7th February 2008.

Enjoy the Annual Forecasts and learn about the suggested Feng Shui & Crystal Remedies that you may need for the coming "New Lunar Year 2007 : Ding Hai, the Year of the Yin Red Fire Pig" :

CAREER

2007 is an year of recovery for you - an year filled with promising changes, good developments and new positions. If you are an employee, chances of a good promotion and a reasonable monetary increment are quite high. Some of you may even branch out into your own profession or business. Open minded approach towards new opportunities, strategic planning, sustained hard work and timely implementation will fetch you more rewards. Controlling your temper and becoming more flexible at work place should be your top priority, apart from staying motivated. Expect troubles in unexpected situations and practice perseverance. Avoid getting into squabbles or conflicts, however petty. Arguments could lead to very unpleasant scenes or even back-stabbing.

If you step on anyone's toes this year, you will face a very nasty revenge. Display a Rooster figurine in your North West. If you have a male as your boss, consider yourself double lucky. If you are onto business, stop dreaming about mega projects as you will neither be able to mobilise resources nor the time for implementing it. If you have projects at implementation stage, you may have to redraw timelines and be prepared with contingency plans. Only your adaptive abilities and business management techniques can rescue you from frequent emergencies. Prepare yourself well for a better 2008. Accept the workload that you have to do, but don't get stressed out because of it. Carry a set of three Wou-Lou Coins with you. In the meanwhile, stay out of trouble with your business partners, team associates and office politics of the employees. Better be motivated, guided and protected by the Great Kuan Kung by placing his statue or photo in North West, lest you run out of steam quickly. Rats doing trading or in entertainment industry, beauty parlour, health accessories will do better.

MONEY

A rewarding year, as far as income is concerned. Some of you may attract windfall luck too. But do not get adventurous and get involved with risk-money. Read the fine prints deeply before signing up contracts and agreements. Stay away from illegal money transactions and unorthodox practices or else you could get into trouble with the long arms of the law. You could gain immensely from wearing the auspicious Sun Pendant, if possible in Crystal. Some of you would be spending lavishly because of shifting your home or office. Travel bills will shoot up. Plan your purchases. Do save money, as you would be needing it shortly.

HEALTH

Fatigue and lack of proper sleep due to workload will be a major concern. Indulge yourself with the crowds during the weekends (without overdoing it) and do some exercises when you find the time. Relax and unwind. Many of you will experience disorders related to stomach, intestines, digestive system, blood circulation and kidneys. It is high time to shift to quality food. Some could attract skin allergies. Beware of social diseases. The female of the species should take special care regarding rheumatism and gynecological ailments. If you are pregnant, be on your guard 24/7. Hanging a real, natural Chinese Wou-Lou near the head-board side of your bed would be of help in removing the sick energy. If you are a male born in the year 1948, you might suffer from accidents. If you were born in 1936, and if you have a medical history of heart disease, stroke or hypertension, this could be a critical year for you.

LOVE

Quality in personal relationships and new found friendships will bring joy and content. Activism in social circles will give you more strength and support. There will be many occasions to celebrate, including the addition of a new member to the family. Enjoy without over-burning yourself. As the "Flower of Romance" rules your Animal Sign, singles will be flooded with proposals. Pick and choose the ideal partner. If you are married, make sure of the harmonious equation with your spouse and avoid flirting with others. Use your head rather than your heart. If you were born in the year 1960, guard against triangular love. Spend quality time at home and wriggle out of arguments and conflicts there. Consider yourself as blessed, if you are part of a joint family. Installing the icon of a Rooster in the South West of your bedroom would also help.

STUDIES

Keep away from swaying emotions and love affairs, especially if you were born in 1984, as your Peach Blossom luck is quite strong and could drastically affect your morals and marks. To balance your chakras and emotions, wear a Black Tourmalene Crystal Pendant around your neck. If you were born in 1996, you could either change school or enroll into several after-school classes. Accept the parental wisdom with surrender. Group studies would do wonders this year.

Birthstone: Emerald
Good Relationships with: Rat, Dragon, Monkey, for 2007
Conflicts with: Horse, Rabbit, Goat, for 2007
Polarity Force: More Yin
Lucky Numbers: 1, 4, 5, 10, 11, 14, 41, 45, 51 & 54
Zodiac Protector: QuanYin or Avalokiteshwara (Sanskrit)

A NOTE ABOUT REMEDIES:

The above analysis has suggested some remedies/cures for reducing the impact of negative energy and has recommended certain enhancers for increasing and improving upon the beneficial energy of the year. For the remedies/enhancers to be effective, they should be cleansed, energised, blessed and programmed not only for the particular individual/family but also for the specific purpose/problem. They should also be placed in the indicated location, to derive the maximum benefit. Any or all of these remedies can be reused for the forthcoming new years, but they may have to be repositioned according to the specific new year.

Janarrdhana Guptha is an Energy Consultant, Kabbalah Energy Numerologist, Crystal Master & Clairvoyant Karma Reader. His speciality is permanent Karma Energy Correction through custom-built Crystal Energy Fields. His E-Mail: crystalvaastu@yahoo.com. His websites: http://www.crystal-vaastu.com/home.htm & http://www.newage-kabbalah-numerology.com

Why Learn History of Feng Shui - Part I

In my previous article about the psychological explanation of human resistance to change, I talked about how people are mentally conditioned against changes and usually back themselves up by falling back on precedent cases.A more extreme form of precedent cases are historical ones.Ask ourselves, do the past always oppose to changes in the future?Without change, how can improvements come about?

Ask yourself whether a man living in contemporary society like you will like a dish that was cooked exactly the same way 1000 years ago? With technological advancements we have high pressure cookers, deep fryers and plenty of other cooking equipments.Why should we still think that a dish that was cooked using wood and the pathetic stove of few hundred years ago is still the best way to process it? Such an insistence to adhere to historical practice betrayed one's reluctance to innovate and follow up with times.

In fact a Feng Shui practitioner oughtto be lauded for his ability to modify and adapt Feng Shui advices to the modern and local context.Why is this so?The logic is that Feng Shui method evolved from a context was set few hundred years ago in China andhouses and social practices have changed significantly since then.Even if Feng Shui methods were only developed in recent years in China, its geo-political and cultural differences with other countries meant that modification and adaptation of the methods must still be made for Feng Shui advice in another country.

For example, few hundred years ago in China, toilets were never housed within the same roof as the living quarters. But in modern society, toilets are under the same roof as the living quarters are the norm now and differences like this inevitably means that a Feng Shui practitioner that continues to copy methods listed in Feng Shui classics blindly run a great risk of messing up his client's environment.Feng Shui practitioners should not be mistaken to think that they can continue to practice Feng Shui by following ancient Feng Shui classics to a T.

I am a Feng Shui Enthusiast in private practice and I specialise in Ba Zi or 4 Pillars, Zi Wei Dou Shu or ZWDS, Feng Shui, I-Ching, Qi Men Dun Jia or QMDJ, Chinese Name Analysis and other tools. My blog site is at: http://fengshuiforward.com and http://fengshuiforward.com/forum

The Fascinating History of Malaysian Food

Malaysia is the home of multiple ethnicities which found its roots during the colonial times where hundreds and thousands of immigrants arrived here to find an honest living in this prosperous land. The migrants mostly Chinese working in the tin mines and the Indians placed along the rubber estates brought along with them their cultures not forgetting rich culinary heritages. The cultures go along fine with their cooking where unusual traditional gathering usual accompanied by exotic mouth watering cuisine, that make up the Malaysian food recipes.

As time goes by these cooking somehow assimilated with the Malaysian local customs thus giving birth to a much more diverse and uniquely types of cooking not found anywhere else in the world, such as the famous roti canai, a kind of bread unlike any other bread is not made of yeast and has a uniquely oily textures, thanks to the acrobatic ways the dough is being flung around while in the process of making it. Other types of Malaysian foods which have its origin in India are the tasty mee Mamak and rojak Mamak. The word mamak means uncle in Tamil, so the Indian muslim community locally are referred to as mamak. The mee Mamak is different from other noodles it has thick spicy flavour thatll leave you feeling hot in a slurp, while the rojak Mamak a form of salad with the gravy made of finely pounded chilies surely will satisfied most vegetarian. The curries served in mamak restaurants are definitely Indian but yet different then those found in India. To top it all these delectable dishes are eaten with the tarik tea with milk thats hard to make, literally we need to pour the tea between two big glasses or mugs and increasing the heights by pulling the pouring glass or mug higher and higher to achieve that distinctive foamy rich flavour and also to cool it. All these Malaysian Indian cooking are not found in India itself simply because the original recipes have been Malaysianize, improvised using locally available ingredients which is much cheaper and tastier.

The same thing can be said with the Malaysian Chinese cuisine like the Yong taufu and Suun, the Chinese immigrants cant find the ingredients for their original recipes from China so they decided to replace it with cheaper alternative sources commonly found in Malaysia like the buah keluak and kayu manis. Other Malaysian local pride cooking which originated from abroad is the like of the popular laksa which can be found almost everywhere in Malaysia and even has its own sub version in laksa Johor, laksa Kedah and laksa Penang. Laksa is thick rice noodles. Laksa is served with tangy fish soup/gravy which is made from mackerel or sardine and lots of herbs and not fish at all because of the aroma of the herbs. Its a favourite with the tourists for it is not too hot and spicy flavour.

Other Malaysian gourmets particularly the rice based which is the Malaysian staple diet can be traced to our neighbouring countries such in Indonesia and Thailand like the soto
and nasi kerabu of Johor and Kelantan respectively. These cooking are being cook up with the influence of border communities centuries ago like in Golok when the people started to interact and barter together especially goods at the border town marketplaces.

The arrival of these Chinese and Indian migrants certainly spice up the Malaysian culinary scenes without them Malaysian cooking and Malaysian food recipes will not be as colourful and wonderful as theyre today. Nowadays Malaysian foods are a bigger attraction to the tourists just like the KLCC and the KL Tower. When they say Malaysia boasts of its rich cultural melting pot, the tourists must have meant plenty of Malaysian foods in the pots for the picking. Once the foreigners colonized our country now we managed to get back at them and colonize them at least their taste buds with our hot and spicy Malaysianize cooking which they fall deadly in love.

Rohana Ismail is a cooking enthusiast who has been preparing Secret Malaysian Recipes since her early childhood. Secret recipes that were been passed down to her through generations of ancestors. To discover the secret ingredients that goes into a traditional Malaysian dish, please visit Malaysian Food Recipe web site today!

Japanese Kanji As Affirmation of Faith

I have always been interested in all things Oriental. The art of Japan is something I've always had in my home, any my furnishings (in at least one room) usually lean "East." So, it was no surprise to those who know me to see that when I ventured into my own e-business, I decided to use Japanese Kanji as my artform.

Mind you, I speak only the Japanese I remember from watching Shogun back in 1980 (geez, was it really that long ago?), and cannot read or write it.

One of the interesting things that I have noticed in gathering my Kanji symbols is that the characters themselves are as varied as the artists who draw them. Some are very basic or "blocky" in form and others are done with a great amount of flourish. In many cases the two do not even resemble each other.

Not being an artist I am forced to (gratefully) utilize the work of others, all the while not knowing if the symbol I've chosen is the correct one for the English word I'm representing. I am quite sure if it isn't, someone will instruct me of that fact, kindly I hope.

The next project? To actually begin learning to draw Japanese Kanji symbols myself, so that even if I cannot use them because of my flair-challenged hand, I can at least know that what I am looking at is the correct translation.

I choose to use the symbols very simply...the less-is-more, feng-shui approach. In my own home, I use the characters as reminders of certain attributes like faith, peace, etc... daily "affirmations" if you will. All of what I have done so far is simply use the symbol and the English translation as the canvas; no frills, no bamboo, pandas or red suns. So far, I'm satisfied.
www.cafepress.com/CupOfFaith

This business came about due to my love of Japanese Kanji script. All I've seen available are very artsy renditions of it; beautiful, but I prefer to let the stunning script speak for itself. To that end, I offer a vast array of tees, gifts and greeting cards using Kanji as my artform. Namaste

Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

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

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

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

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

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

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

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are Your Prayers Being Answered

Law of Attraction Frustration

The law of attraction has frustrated many people and they will say that it doesn't work. You may have seen the movie, The Secret, or one of the specials on TV done by Oprah or Larry King. Have you tried using its principles? There are usually very specific mistakes that are made by someone just learning to attract the things they want. Those mistakes are easily corrected.

• The Law of Attraction always works

This universal law is an energy that is available to everyone, all the time. You have used it since forever. Maybe what you have attracted is not what you prefer, but the law has followed your instructions to the letter. Then why hasn't it worked the way you want?The rules are that what you focus your attention on, will come into your reality. So what you experience today, has been caused by what you thought about and talked about long before this. What you complain about and worry about today, will be what you are drawing to you for your future.

• So what blocks what I want?

Most likely, it is old beliefs of not being worthy of having it. Your value and self-esteem has been established for years by situations and people around you. They haven't done it on purpose; their own self-esteem has not been very high, so they couldn't help but teach you as they were taught--that YOU aren't enough. A belief is only a thought that has been repeated over and over until your mind accepts it as true. It doesn't have to BE true.

• Holding onto old ideas doesn't help

Holding onto those old beliefs is no longer supportive of what you want to accomplish today. Those beliefs were chosen by you to protect your emotions in the past. The key word here is CHOSEN. You made a choice--a decision about what happened. It doesn't follow that the decision you made was actually true. But thinking about it over and over and talking about it has allowed your mind to accept it as true, and this is what is blocking you from being able to attract your desire.

• You have an inner guidance system

By listening within, to the promptings and guidance you receive, you will find answers to help you remove those old beliefs and blocks and create the life you desire to lead. Life flows easily for you when you learn how to program and listen and obey your inner whisperings. Walls that you keep hitting your head against, will crumble and you walk free.

If you want to learn to listen within, you can download a free ebook, Learn Listening Within

Mareen Robinson, a published author, columnist and teacher of the Law of Attraction is offering tips, techniques and other goodies to learn to accelerate the Law of Attraction. Visit her at her website: http://yourmagicwanda.com

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

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

If I Hate My Brother

Fantasy and Healthy Escape

One curse of the modern world is to always keep us busy. Playtime is generally the priviledge of children. So are flights of fancy. Adults are supposed to be productive, and the products of the imagination aren't concrete enough to hold much weight in our society.

And yet, fantasy novels, movies and visual arts continue to flourish. This is because many of us need a certain kind of consolation that is best offered by magical tales. Our busy-body activities can only keep us distracted from our woes. Fantasy offers escape - and I mean escape in a noble sense.

Sometimes we need to escape even when everything is going well in our lives, and our days are relatively free from conflict and stress. There still may be an underlying sense of sadness, loneliness, or fear. Like Buddha observed, all life is sorrowful. To some extent we're always aware that we will, sooner or later, lose everything that we cherish in life.

Becoming lost in a fantasy world brings a kind of comfort that is hard to explain to those who haven't experienced it. In a way, it shouldn't be described as escape at all - because we're really IMMERSED in life. But we're witnessing all the themes in human experience being played out in another place and/or time.

This kind of "mental vacation" brings not only relief but also new insights. I'll describe something I'm sure many of you have experienced. I've dwelt upon something that's bothering me, examining the situation from every possible angle. Finally I've given up in frustration and turned to something else...and it's only THEN that a solution pops up in my thoughts from out of nowhere.

What happens in those situations is that we stop focusing on the problem and feeding it our energy. Once we turn our attention somewhere else it's like there's a space created within our minds through which inspiration can flow.

Perhaps this explains why the heart can so easily grow cold towards the familiar. At times it takes something exotic to stir it to life. There should always be fantasy - and new inventions within its worlds, so that the stories never grow stale. Reading about a protagonist struggling against incredible odds, we can realize that our own suffering is not so private an affair after all. If he or she can prevail, then so can we.

We will always need new stories to capture the spirit of grand adventure with all of its perils and wonders. Escape is healthy.

Seth Mullins is the author of "Song of an Untamed Land", a novel of speculative fantasy in lawless frontier territory. Visit Seth at http://authorsden.com/sethtmullins.

Attic Odors and Strange Smells

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.

Spiritual Dictionary

Weight Loss Motivation

Lack of motivation is a major reason many people fail when it comes to losing weight. I myself know first hand. All the daily distractions in life can leave you distracted from what you truly want. This article will address 3-ways to stay motivated and give you better chances of succeeding.

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #1

The first step is convincing yourself this is something you must have. Write down the three main reason why you must lose weight. It could be anything such as health benefits, wanting more energy, wanting to increase your life span, etc. Re-sight these on a daily basis to keep you focused on why you must succeed.

It takes years to get out of shape, and even less to get in shape. The average life span for a human is around 70 years. Did you know it can take as little as 6 months to 1 year to get in shape for the average overweight person? Before you start any program, make sure you are willing to commit 6 months to 1 year at it. It will not happen overnight. Its going to take time and energy. Remember your why reasons to help keep you on track.

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #2

The next step is finding a program that works to follow. You should not just buy the first fad diets or exercising gimmick you see on the television. Most people know a handful of people who have tried some form of diet or exercise program that worked. Go to these people and find out exactly what they did. If you do not know anyone, you can find many forums and review sites on the Internet of real user that explain exactly what they have done. Visit some of these websites to for ideas.

Weight Loss Motivation Tip #3

The final step is having someone to motivate and consistently push you to keep going. This could be a spouse, friend, partner, or even someone on an Internet message board. You do not have to go it alone in fact, having someone to keep you motivated will increase your chances of success.

Everybody wants to get in shape and life healthy. In my opinion, everyone can. Using these weight loss motivation tips can drastically help increase your chances of weight loss success. Remember to identify your why reason, stick to a program that works, and find someone to keep you motivated.

This article is written by M. Martin. Find more tips, articles, and reviews for the top diet and exercise programs at Lose Pounds Fast a blog operated by M. Martin.

M. Martin lost 60 pounds following Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet program. A full review for this program can be found at Lose Pounds Fast

Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

Are Your Prayers Being Answered

Create What you Really Want

Do you have a dream? Or do you just have a nagging feeling that life could better?

Many of us have a life that we know is not what we really want, but perhaps weve become resigned to it, believing that this is all there is for me or its OK, really or even, its too late to change anyway.

The reason for this resignation is usually because of fear. It can be scary to look at what you REALLY want perhaps, once you found it, youd find it was out of your reach and how do you live with that? Perhaps youd find youd have to make difficult sacrifices. Or perhaps you feel you are just not good enough. Is this what you have been told? If so, it was you who chose to believe it. You can also choose to believe otherwise. Most of us have been stopped by fear, lack of confidence, past experience, until we are so hemmed in by our lack of belief, that we accept a life of mediocrity and we decide that there is nothing that we are passionate about, this life is OK for me it will do.

My belief is that everyone everyone has something they are passionate about and getting in touch with that can be an incredibly moving and inspiring experience.

I also believe that EVERYONE can achieve the thing they are passionate about. Whatever it is whether its gardening, climbing mountains, helping people the thing that you love doing most of all is an expression of who you are and that is out there for you.

How, then, do you find that thing THE thing that will bring happiness and fulfilment?

For a moment, forget everything you have been told, or you have told yourself about your inability to succeed. Imagine that there were no obstacles. Imagine that anything is possible.

Do you remember a time, or times, in your life when you were purely happy? Where time became non-existent and you were totally focused on what you were doing? You might have to look right back into your childhood it doesnt matter. It can be something really silly and trivial. Just have a look.

Then, look at what it was about that thing you were doing that made it so wonderful.

When I was little there were two things I really, really loved doing: reading, and climbing trees.

So, how do I transfer climbing trees into my adult life? I have no desire to become a tree surgeon!

Well what I loved about climbing trees was this: every tree was different and its own challenge; there was a definite goal: to get to the top of the tree; and, I could be totally independent no-one could help, I had to do it myself.

Look at these things as a metaphor for life and you can see that I love variety and challenge, I like to be aiming towards something and I love to work for myself. Put this together with what I like about reading: the fascinating characters and the way they develop and you can begin to see why I eventually became a life coach and a writer!

It may not be obvious at first, but if you work on this technique, you may open yourself to the possibilities around you that call to who you are.

And when you have found the thing that you are truly passionate about, what are you going to do to make it happen?

You are going to look all those restricting thoughts that now come to mind those voices in your head that are telling you youre too old, too young, too stupid, not good enough, not brave enough, not clever enough etc, etc - and you are going to put them aside. They are not real they are just thoughts that you have chosen to believe. Then you are going to choose some empowering thoughts you are going to choose to believe in yourself, and you are going to start telling yourself that you are good enough, that you can make it happen. Then you are going to take the first steps towards your goal.

If this seems too difficult at first, you will find it beneficial to work with a coach, who will encourage you every step of the way, and remind you, when things get hard, that anything is possible, that you have the power to make it happen. Your coach will set goals with you, and build your confidence so that your belief in yourself will eventually create the life you are passionate about.

Ros Bott BA (Hons) FAETC is a trained life coach, writer and trainer. She specialises in Career and Confidence coaching, and is passionate about helping people to express their true selves in life. For more details: http://rosbott.com

Installing a 32 Inch Back Door

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrong With Bible Verse

A Mirthful Spirit by Mary Huntley & Edna Thayer - Book Review

Beaver's Pond Press (2007)
ISBN 9781592981656

"A Mirthful Spirit" uses stories, research, quotes, poetry, tips and suggestions by two scholars in the field of mirth and laughter. More than a guidebook for embracing mirth and laughter, "A Mirthful Spirit" provides guidelines for incorporating humor in the workplace, hospitals, and schools to improve productivity, wellness, and creativity.

One of the best things about laughter is that it is contagious. By teaching yourself the techniques and tips for living a mirthful life, one of the biggest benefits is that you will soon find yourself surrounded by people dispersing the joys of living with a mirthful spirit.

From the physical benefits (Initiates Internal Jogging, Thwarts Infections, Alleviates Pain) to mental benefits (Lightens stress, Increases brain-cell functioning), "A Mirthful Spirit" provides a handbook for healthy, happy, humor-filled living.

"A Mirthful Spirit" closes with an intriguing section on the historical and cultural highlights of humor. Even humor has evolved and matured from its beginnings (ridicule) to the healing powers of mirthful living we can access today.

"A Mirthful Spirit: Embracing Laughter for Wellness" is a perfect bedside companion and coffee table book; this is certainly a book to put on your gift lists. Not only will the receiver benefit from the wisdom among its pages, all will benefit from the gift of spreading mirth. Reading "A Mirthful Spirit" will change your outlook on life. Not only will you become happier-everyone will feel your joy and start laughing with you. Huntley and Thayer are firm believers in what one of their heroes, Patch Adams, says, "The most revolutionary act we can commit in the world is to be happy." Go buy a copy of "A Mirthful Spirit" and you too can laugh your way to wellness.

http://www.readerviews.com/

Slow Market Home Pricing Advice

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.

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

How to Overcome a Lifetime of Conditioning

Are you currently in the habit of experiencing unwanted events in your life over and over again? When we experience unwanted events over and over in life we can feel like a victim of circumstance, becoming annoyed at the injustice of life.

Little do most realize that these seemingly random events or obstacles stem from a lifetime of conditioned beliefs. Beliefs that run on auto-pilot in the background of our lives, producing fear and doubt.

Fears that often get us stuck in a lifetime of trying to overcome obstacles, creating a victim mentality. When we experience the very obstacles we are trying to avoid, we use this as a justification for our fear in the first place, because a fearful mind looks for what is wrong.

Occasionally being stuck in a rut is natural but there has to be a point when enough is enough. If you've been doing a lot of talking, it's time to start the action part. Become active in your vision of a better life.

So how do you overcome a lifetime of conditioning?

First and foremost we need to question the validity of our fears. Stop and look for what is right about the situation, instead of wrong. There is a definite need to move from focus on the unwanted events to finding and making the solution our focal point.

Next, it's time to replace old beliefs and create real change. The best way to surrender the comfort of a lifetime of old fearful conditioned beliefs is to establish a new trust; a trust in yourself to create and direct pleasant events and solutions into your life. The same trust and confidence that you have, that your name is --, that you weigh --, that your height is --, and that you live at --.

So how do you create trust and confidence?

We will use this 100 percent surety that you are who you believe you are and sit in front of a large mirror.

In front of your mirror repeat each of these statements 3 times:

I am (insert your name) and I love myself.
I am God and I love myself.
I and God are one and I love myself.
All is well and I am safe.

It does not matter whether you laugh or cry, just develop this into a habit. Surrender to the good that is inside you. Habitually expecting trust and confidence in the goodness of life produces trust and confidence in the goodness of life. Any chronic negative beliefs stem from a lifetime of belief in fear or lack thereby creating unwanted events and obstacles over and over again, which only offer solidifying reinforcement in the original belief.

Does this mean that nothing unpleasant will ever happen?

Of course not, it means that nothing happens to make us feel afraid.

We come to see the validity in creating good feeling and beliefs for ourselves.

James Allen may have said it best, "People are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound."

Become part of something that is sweeping the world with inspiration. You will find a wealth of spectacular material including free affirmations, beneficial worksheets and other useful tools for your enjoyment at http://motivatingmessages.ning.com

Priscilla Parham coaches on awareness and goal setting for your health, your business and your relationships, motivating and inspiring others to rebuild from the inside-out.

You can post this article on your web site or blog as long as no changes are made, the author's name is retained and the links to our site URLs remains active.

Hiring a Contractor For Bathroom Remodeling - Remodeling Contractors

Well here's the age old question, how do we go about finding a decent bathroom remodeling contractor.

Here's some things you will be looking for in a contractor.

1. Is Your Contractor Fair and Honest?

2. Does Your Contractor Have Experience Remodeling and Designing Bathrooms?

3. Can You Actually Find a Contractor Who Will Complete the Job in a Timely Manner?

4. Do You Think the Workers Will Be Able to Clean the Job up Daily?

5. Will the Contractor Show up on Time?

6. Is the Contractor Going to Work At Least Eight Hours a Day?

7. Does the Contractor's Crew Have Experience?

8. Is Your Contractor and His Crew Courteous?

If you find a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project that has answered yes to all questions above, hire that person immediately. Most contractors can sincerely answer yes to half of the questions above. If you're looking for the ultimate bathroom remodeling contractor, you could be searching for quite a while, you're looking for some one that is competent and you feel comfortable with.

When hiring a contractor, look for someone who has your interest in mind first and not theirs. Find someone who is willing to help with the designed process of your bathroom and the remodeling. If you find a contractor to be arrogant or controlling, there is a good chance, your bathroom might not turn out the way you envision it.

When hiring a contractor for your bathroom remodeling project or any home improvement project, the most important thing to keep in mind is, whether or not you feel comfortable with this person or not. Never hire a contractor you're not comfortable with.

If a contractor is referred to you by someone you trust, this does not guarantee you will be happy with the bathroom remodel. Most referrals that I have gotten over the years are like rolling the dice, I believe I would have done just as good picking a name out of a hat.

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

Religion Articles

How Self Help Tapes and CDs Can Help You Become a Happier and More Positive Person

We are bombarded with depressing news all day via the newspaper, the news channels, the radio and even by word of mouth among people. With all the negative activities going on around us it is refreshing to have something positive come our way. That is where self help tapes (or self help cds) on positive thinking come into use. These products are very useful to keep the mind positive even amidst all the chaos happening in the world.

The best thing about these products is that they are books that you don't need to take time out to read. We all know how hard up on time we are usually. Therefore, we will never be able to make time to specifically read books on personal inspiration. On the other hand, these self help tapes are very useful for personal motivation. Therefore, all you need to do is put them on wherever you are, and continue doing your work while enjoying the luxury of motivational talk for inspiration.

There are many publishers who have such motivational texts converted into self help tapes for your convenience. Now you can cook, eat, bathe, work on the computer and feed your baby while listening to these tapes and receive our daily dose of inspiration amidst all the terrorism, violence and sadness of the world. However, while buying any of these you should be sure of what you want. A good idea is to read reviews and find out what other people are saying about a particular product.

If you want to find a way to achieve success and happiness in your life, check out my review of some of the most effective Self Help Tapes (or Self Help CDs) available.

Read my Quantum Mind Power Review To Find out More about this powerful program.

You dont want to miss out on this Amazing Secret when you can discover the answers Today!

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual Dictionary

How to Motivate Yourself to Achieve Your Goals

I've been sitting here wondering about the reasons why people make changes in their lives, both business and personal.

And I realised there are any number of possibilities why people seek change.

One reason is the pain of the status quo.

The saying, 'if you do what you've always done, you will get what you've always got', is something I can relate to and the memories are not ones I cherish.
At the beginning all I did was try to follow what other people said I needed to do.

Unfortunately, while there are some good people out there who give genuine advice, there are many more that are just out to make a quick buck and they'll tell you anything to get you to buy their products.

And it can be extremely difficult to filter out the good from the bad when you have no idea which is which.

Believe me; I'm glad I'm past that stage, and something I hope I remember when others new to the industry ask me for advice.

Why do I say 'I hope...'?

Because I've seen so many people coming out with their bullshit stories about how they struggled early on, lived in their cars and ate peanut butter and jam sandwiches...

...only to scam others out of their hard earned money.

I always assumed, in the early days, if those guys really did suffer like that before they made it big, surely they know how it feels and they'll ensure the same doesn't happen to others?

Wrong!

Either they were lying through their teeth... or they soon forgot where they were once upon a time.

After losing tens of thousands of pounds (that's right, pounds), I learned my lesson, the hard way.

However, one thing I never did was to give up.

I struggled through and began to see the fruits of my labours.

And now, I want to give you a few bits of advice on how to cope in your businesses, online or off, when you feel like nothing is going right.

Here's a list of things to keep in mind along the way to help motivate you in your quest for business success:

Aim to be the best. If you aim for the top and only hit the middle, it's still a success. If you aim for the bottom, it's likely that's all you'll hit.

Stay away from people who are negative, and surround yourself with successful people, things and places.

Never let anyone tell you 'you can't'. Always believe 'you can'.

Keep an open mind and consider all possible options.

The more you know about your subject the more you'll be motivated to endure when times are hard and things look bleak.

Be determined to do what you set out to do.

Never, ever, give up. When you give you, you fail. I carried on when everyone else thought I was failing. Heck I carried on even when I thought I was failing and wanted to chuck it all in. I didn't give up and, from each failure, I learned a lesson - stop doing what doesn't work, and carry on doing what does.

Do what you enjoy doing.

Plan as if you're going to live for ever... live as if you're going to die tomorrow. If you work to these ethics, you'll work harder and better.

Don't forget family and friends - you don't need to involve them in your business, but you do need to involve them in your life.

Do as much as is necessary to get the job done, and then do a little more. It's only when you truly exert yourself you'll feel motivated to do more.

Never lose sight of your dreams. If you watched the movie 'Collateral' with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, you'll see that Foxx's character always had a picture of his dream home in his taxi cab. And, whenever he needed a reminder as to why he was working so hard, he'd look at that picture. Hold on to your dreams.

When you've determined you want to achieve something, do it. Don't wait for things to happen.

Always play fair. Never try to make your life by destroying the lives of others. That means no lying, cheating or stealing. Behave with the utmost integrity at all times.

Realise that not everything you want is going to go according to plan. If you prepare yourself for those times when things bomb, you'll be able to cope better with it.

Practice - repeat what you know, over and over again. The more you do something, the better you'll become. A martial artist doesn't become a good kicker overnight. It takes hundreds and even thousand of practice kicks to perfect the kick you see them execute on the screen.

I'll repeat this one again - Never quit. The moment you quit, you've lost.

Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today. This is one sure fire way of failing, or delaying success. Believe me, I know.

Self discipline - I plan my day. I know exactly what I was supposed to be doing this morning. I knew what I was supposed to be doing yesterday. And I know what I'm supposed to do tomorrow. However, I know I'll have to ensure I stick to my routine or the best plans go to waste. Plan what you're going to do... and do it.

Become a student of life. Discover all you can about your subject and beyond. The more you know, the better you'll become in your business.

Learn to listen.

When I was a teenager I used to do bodybuilding. Every night I used to visualise how I wanted to be. And I took steps to reach those goals. I became so huge, friends used to joke they'd need to knock down their walls to let me into their homes. Visualization is an amazing tool if used correctly.

Whatever it is you want to achieve, believe you can. You have to want to achieve it so much so you can taste it.

Always remember, you are unique. You have something to offer others don't. Find out what that is and nurture it.

I hope that list gives you some food for thought and helps you in your quest to achieve your goals.

Ghulam Nabi Rezbi is a direct response copywriter, marketing strategist, author, and speaker.

Billion Dollar Copywriting

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