Monday, October 5, 2009

Set Goals Without Limits

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goal Setting:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interior Painting Ideas

It may surprise most homeowners that to give to your house a makeover, all you need is just a new coat of paint. Simple, yes, but the doing quite be tough. It's a labor intensive work and you may need to brainstorm a little for some interior painting ideas.

However, it's best you consider the reasons why you are doing this. Interior painting can take many days to complete and it requires a lot of energy to complete the whole job. Painting itself is exhausting work and if you don't have enough strong reasons to do the work, your interior painting ideas may fall apart and the painting halts midway. So why are you doing this? Is it:

a. Your neighbor is doing it
b. Your walls are dirty
c. Your children have painted the walls with crayons
d. Your spouse cannot sleep at night because it's the wrong color
e. You cannot stand the color because it reminds you of your ex

When you get the reasons right, it will be easier to see everything through and you will become more creative and you may develop insights to giving your home a new makeover. You may think about patterns on the walls, or use sponges to leave decorative marks on the wall, or create patterns with stencils and stamps.

When you are running through your interior painting ideas, you may want to think about the choice of colors. Choose your colors to suit the walls and all the rooms and its intended function for the rooms. Select colors that will match the furniture and electrical fixtures and appliances in the room. As a general guide, lighter colors tend to promote space and awareness, which are good for kids room or the new born; and darker colors will make a room seem a little smaller but it can also make it a little cozy, like a movie projector room. Different colors can psychologically affect the mood of people, especially in the home. Here are few tips when it comes to selecting color:

Red
Red walls will increase a room energy level. You will never see red walls in a prison for that reason. Red can be consider for your bedroom ideas to increase activities at night, but don't paint the elderly person's room red. Red has been shown to raise blood pressure, speed respiration and heart rate

Yellow
Yellow is good for kitchen walls and bathrooms, it is uplifting and creates a feeling of sunshine. In living rooms, yellow can feel expansive and invigorating. Yellow is believed to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.

Green
Green is a relaxing and peaceful color. That's why people go to gardens to relax and seek calmness. Green can be painted in almost any room in the house. In a kitchen, a sage or medium green cools things down; in a family room or living room, it encourages unwinding and also promote comfort and togetherness. It is believed to relieve stress by helping people relax.

Tips on interior painting:

1. Decide on how many walls you want to paint and in which order you want to paint. This not only helps you estimate the amount of paint you need, but also helps you plan where you want to store the furniture temporary when you are painting. You must take into consideration the inconvenience the other occupant may experience. If you painting the kitchen, then all the cooking have to stop.

2. Plan on protecting the floor and all furniture and electrical fixtures. It may be a good idea to use old newspaper to cover exposed items. Your roller may seem fun to use, but the all the splatter may not be so fun to clean up.

3. Clean the walls before you start painting. You don't want to paint over cob webs and insects crawling on the wall. Patch up holes and cracks to ensure smooth painting throughout.

When you are actively searching for interior painting ideas, remember to include all the pointers mentioned above. Any do it yourself job is always satisfying and could save you a lot money.

You can get more information on interior painting ideas and installing wood floor here.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Using Home Safes For Added Family Security

Protecting your valuables with a home safe provides you with the security in knowing that its there to protect your irreplaceable items from theft or destruction. It gives you that piece of mind knowing that your money, important documents, firearms, jewelry, and family heirlooms will be safe even through fire or water damage.

It also protects the wandering inquisitive child, babysitter, housekeeper, etc, from stumbling upon items that you would rather they not see.

But you just don't go to any discount store to get your safe, then bring it home and plop it in your closet. There are some things to think about first, a bit of thought and planning.

What type of protection are you looking for? A home safe should protect your items from fire, water damage and theft. You can find safes that protect from any one, combination, or all. (You may still want to place some of your valuables in plastic bags just in case of water damage.)

What style are you looking for? A home safe can be anything from a small chest, file, wall or floor mount safe to a home or business safe or file cabinet. You will want to install it away from the master bedroom or closet - this is the first place a thief would look.

What size are you looking for? What are you trying to protect? Your home safe should be big enough to fit things like important documents (birth certificates, passports, social security cards, credit cards, wills, tax returns, business papers, insurance documents, photos, etc); digital media (CDs, DVDs, memory sticks, GPS systems, MP3 players, cell phones, etc), and valuables (family heirlooms, jewelry, cash, video/camera equipment, collectibles, etc).

The safe needs to be anchored in some way, so be sure you will be able to bolt the safe to the floor, permanent shelving or set it in concrete. After all, you don't want to make it handy for the theft to just pick up and walk away with everything all in one spot! It should have a tool resistant outer shell as well as a minimum of one-hour fire rating; most safes have a 20-minute fire protection. The lock should be U.L. approved.

Use your safe everyday so it becomes routine. Protect the safe code and change it occasionally. There are also models available that open using your fingerprint (very cool!).

To get more valuable free personal and family safety tips, go to http://MyFamilySafetyInfo.com/ Please also visit http://GuscleBerry.com/ for a variety of home, yard and garden decor and gifts, all at affordable prices along with bulk purchase discounts.

Concrete Form Liners in Architecture

Concrete form liners are used to add texture to what otherwise would be bare walls showing only the imprint of whatever materials were used when the concrete was poured into a mold. Usually made of styrene or ABS plastic, the formliner (the term is also used as two separate words - form liner) is placed inside the structural forming system and then acts as a mold to imprint a specific texture to the concrete. There are a large variety of patterns available, and they can give concrete a brick, block, or rock pattern. Formliners can also generate wood grain textures, flutes or fractured fins. But what is formliners relevance to art and architecture?

The answer is no farther than a look at the magnificent Ahwanee Hotel located in the Yosemite National Park in California. The Ahwanee is a magnificent structure that was built in the 1920s and has been a national historic landmark since the 1980s. Fitting beautifully into the majestic Yosemite scenery, the hotel is constructed from rough-cut granite and wood. When I first saw the Ahwanee I marveled at its beauty, but also wondered if such extensive use of wood in a remote area did not represent a fire hazard. Well, the wood isn't wood. It is poured concrete that was textured with early formliners and stained to look like redwood and pine bark. When you look at the building from a distance, you see horizontal redwood siding and rough, milled timbers.

What architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood accomplished with the Ahwanee Hotel was an intelligent solution to the challenge of designing a building that fit into the breathtaking grandeur of Yosemite with its rock and woods yet was also resistant to fire. It became an architectural masterpiece and also a monument to innovative use of construction materials. By shaping, texturing and staining concrete, Underwood conjured up the natural beauty of wood, yet without incurring any of wood's drawbacks in terms of cost, safety and longevity. Underwood may not have had the type of plastic formliner we use today, but the idea and concept was the same.

While the Ahwanee was one of the most earliest and most famous examples of formliner architecture and its builders had to overcome many challenges, the concept is readily available today to architects, engineers and contractors. It adds a great degree of artistic and architectural freedom to using concrete as a construction material. Colors and textures become part of the design language, the finish of concrete as relevant as its structural properties.

Adding texture to concrete was a major task an expense when the Ahwanee was built. Today, elastomeric and urethane formliners can be specified and ordered right out of catalogs from companies that specialize in them. Hundreds of patters and textures are available, with top-notch formliner makers able to interpret and produce drawings, provide custom patterns and rustications, while adhering to schedules and budgets.

While concrete has been used as a construction material for thousands of years, it's been the fairly recent advent of concrete form liners that has given architects and engineers a powerful new tool to work with this most flexible of construction materials.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.

Learn more about Concrete Form Liners.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Ceramic Floor Tile Installation - 5 Tips For Success

Ceramic floor tile installation is a great way to get a long-lasting beautiful floor. There are several tricks to getting a great looking floor tile job though. Really getting off to the right start is key to a good looking floor. Get started right and you'll be pleased with the results.

The right start begins with the base over which you install the tile. You see tile can be installed over all kinds of materials. You can put tile over plywood, concrete, vinyl flooring or even over other ceramic tile. But the one must is that the surface must be stable. It can't be flexible and it can't bend. That's because the tile floor will crack if the underlying layers moves. Often the first step in a professional tile installation is installation of a layer of cement board. That often guarantees a rigid surface.

That solid base is part of the planning of a tile project. Planning and design of a tile project is a big part of a successful installation. Before that first tile is laid, check the squareness of the room. Have you ever seen a perfectly square room? You want to work from the best corner and plan to put he cut tiles in the least visible spot. Plan for where the cuts will be to get the best results.

Once you get started, the goal is to keep the tile spacing as even as possible. Tile spacers in the right width are the best tell to get this done. Also a simple carpenter square helps to keep a close check to maintain alignment. Often nailing down some straight guide boards, batten boards, is another helpful move. Especially for the first row of tiles, a guide board can help get you off to the right start.

At one or more walls you will cut the border tiles to fit the remaining space. Now cutting is one of the skills a tile setter gets to practice. You'll need tile nippers for small trim work and probably a wet tile saw. Sometimes on a floor job with just straight cuts, a cutter board may be all you need. This tool scores a tile with a groove so it can be easily broken. It takes a little practice to break the tile on the line.

Grouting the joints is the finishing step. Grout comes in several types. Some are acrylic. Some are masonry. Some are epoxy. The epoxy grout is really waterproof and is especially well suited in bathrooms to keep water from soaking into the floor.

Ceramic floor tile installation requires quite a bit of planning. A well planned job will result in the best looking floor with the minimum of waste. Ceramic floors also are a great place to show creativity in mixing tiles into patterns. There are some tricks to getting a tile floor just right. If you get a chance, it helps to watch a pro work on a job or two.

You can get access to video tutorials showing a master installer do ceramic floor tile installation in several different rooms at our website.

Al Bullington invites you to visit http://InstallingCeramicTile.net for answers to your tile questions.

Building Outdoor Kitchens - Do You Need One

How often do you find yourself outdoors is the first question you ask yourself before you go off and plan to build an outdoor kitchen for your home. These days you need to think twice before doing any major renovations on the home. Aside from the major expense that will be required of you, it will also take a major toll on you as you have to supervise the entire project. But if you have the budget and the time to extend your home to include an outdoor kitchen, go ahead.

Aside from the question asked above, there are other major considerations, you need to think about before deciding on having another kitchen outdoors such as visitors. If you are the type of person who has visitors often, then you need an extension of your home. Energy is a given as everybody wants to save up on energy. By having an outdoor kitchen, one gets to save up on energy and energy cost. Space is also major concern. You cannot have this, if you live in a condominium. You have to have a backyard, a space where you can have it.

If you have a big family, having an outdoor kitchen is an advantage. Kids get messy all the time, especially during meal times. By having this, messy times will become fun times! You will no longer mind the mess as long as it's outdoors. As the mess will only be limited to that area and the other parts of the house will no longer be affected.

So start on building that outdoor kitchen and let the good times roll.

Cheryl Forbes owns and operates the website http://www.outdoor-kitchen-concepts.com

Where is Heaven

Many people live their lives with the assumption that Heaven is out there somewhere and is completely separate from life on earth. Many are taught that Heaven is a mystical place only accessed through death of the physical body. But in actuality, the spiritual planes of reality and the physical earth plane interpenetrate one another in the same point in space. Each plane has its own unique energetic structure that vibrates at its own frequency. The physical world is the lowest vibration of energy and actually lies within higher vibrational planes.

We can routinely access some of the higher, less dense planes through sleep, meditation or prayer. Whenever we are in an altered state of consciousness, we align with higher vibrational planes of reality and may come to have an expanded awareness that we dont experience in a waking state.

In the case of meditation , as we connect with our higher self, our creativity may be awakened or we may experience a light bulb moment that gives us a better understanding of who we are or of a situation going on in our lives.

As we dream, we are whisked off to a land of symbolismthe secret language of Spirit. Dreams can offer clues that can help us to resolve matters in our current waking lives. Through our dreams, we may also come in contact with deceased friends or family members or even catch a glimpse of an event that hasnt happened yet. Dream interpretation is a very useful tool that can bring the workings of Heaven into our awareness.

In prayer to the God of our understanding, we place ourselves in a position to be humbly conscious of the limitless possibilities that Heaven offers us. By recognizing the opportunities open to us, we can act on them and bring them into manifest.

Heaven is not a place, it is a system a system of subtle energies that are constantly stirring about and creating new effects that help shape and transform our daily lives. The earth plane is not separate from this system; it is merely the physical component of it. The system that sustains us in life is the same system that sustains us in death.

Karin Nemri is a Spiritual Counselor, Aiijii Healer and inter-nationally known Lecturer/Presenter. She has a private practice in Connecticut. You may wish to visit her website, http://www.SoulutionsofLight.com to learn how Spirit works through her to help others.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Prevent Black Mold

Black mold doesn't care if your house is nice and new, or musty and old. It doesn't care where you live or how sensitive your sinuses are. It wants into your house any way it can!

Black mold happens to everyone, and it's a big headache. It's especially a pain to clean. That's why prevention is the key to keeping your home mold free.

Humidity

This is the number one condition for mold to grow. It loves the wet parts of your house. Keeping your home dry is the best way to keep the mold out.

Mold thrives best at around 55% relative humidity. Anything over that and mold can have a heyday in your home. The most surefire way to prevent black mold growth is to reduce humidity.

-Check your watery trouble spots. Especially keep your eye on the bathroom and kitchen, and look for places where water runs.

-If you have any area of standing water or water damage, get rid of it immediately. Clean it well and let it dry.

-Keep everything dry. After you wash the dishes, make sure you towel everything down. Don't leave standing water on any of your kitchen counters or around your sink.

-When you see mold, clean it up immediately. Don't let it go, or it will encourage more mold to grow.

-Buy a dehumidifier. This will help dry the house out a little and that will reduce mold. You can buy one at most department stores, and it doesn't have to be anything fancy.

-If you live in a humid or warm climate, you will definitely have to deal with the mold. Take that into account and keep your house dry before the mold gets in.

Air

-Make sure there is plenty of air flow in your house. Fresh air will clear out the mold spores that might be around. Open windows and get plenty of ventilation.

-In the bathroom, always turn on the exhaust fan during and just after showering. This will clear away some of the water before it has a chance to settle.

-Keep down the dust in your house. Dust can carry mold spores, and both can be major irritants.

-Routinely check and clean your air ducts. Mold can grow around your heating and air conditioning ducts, and this is especially bad because it circulates mold all over the house.

Inspections

-If you are suffering from any chronic sinus problems that might be mold related, get your house tested and inspected. Inspectors can check mold samples to see if they are toxic. They can also check and see how much airborne mold there is in your house.

-Routinely check around your house in the hidden places where Dangerous Toxic Black Mold likes to grow. This includes your attic, crawlspaces, basement and air ducts.

It's not enough just to clean up mold when you see it. To stay mold free, you have to prevent black mold from growing. Don't give it a chance!

Learn more about Black Mold Species on our site. You'll also find other information such as Black Mold On Onions ToxicBlackMoldHelp.org is a comprehensive resource to help individuals to test and inspect, identify health symptoms and removal of toxic black mold.

Realistic Rustic Looking Vinyl Log Siding

Thanks to innovative new advancements in vinyl siding, a house can look like a show place. Vinyl siding was first introduced in the 1950's, and the improvements made over the years are simply amazing. Vinyl siding offers a wonderful way to give a home a beautiful face lift.

For those who like the log cabin look, there is the very popular vinyl log siding. The biggest advantage in choosing to use log siding is the fact that it is maintenance free, and easy to install. Traditional real wooden log homes, while quite appealing require a lot of exterior maintenance as well as take quite some time to construct.

Unlike the vinyl siding from the past, today's siding is realistic looking, and requires no maintenance. Log siding gives a home the look of a real log home, at a much lower price, and saves time over traditional log home construction.

Traditional real wooden log homes require a lot of routine maintenance such as staining, sealing, and insect protection in order to preserve the wood. With that in mind,vinyl logsiding is the more attractive choice. This makes that charming rustic look much easier to achieve today than it has been in the past.

Another advantage to using vinyl siding is the weather-proofing factor. Yes, siding is a great way to weather proof a home. It provides total protection from various climates and weather conditions.

While the afore mentioned advantages are all valid and appealing reasons to choose vinyl log siding, there is more! The many choices of wood styles like cedar, cypress, and redwood just to name the most popular choices available, is yet another great reason to consider vinyl log siding.

I personally prefer the rustic log cabin look. The fact that that look can be produced by vinyl log siding that is maintenance free, and can also save me on energy bills, is a big plus. Until I saw that this siding was being used in areas where one would expect to see real traditional log homes, I would not have believed it could look so real.

It looks real because it is embossed with rich natural looking grain textures. The advancements in recent years to vinyl siding, especially vinyl log siding, is astounding. If this is the look you would like to have for your home, consider this option as an alternative to real wood log construction and save time and money.

Learn More about Vinyl Log Siding

Thursday, October 1, 2009

How to Build Your Own Wind Turbine For Home

If the increasing cost of electricity is one of your problems at home, you might want to consider some alternatives like build your own wind turbine or install solar panels on the roof of your home. In recent years, more people have seen the wisdom in using these alternative sources of energy to alleviate their growing electrical expenses. Through any of these options, you will surely see a significant cut in your electricity bills, allowing you to enjoy more savings.

In particular, there are three important concerns to be thought of before deciding and starting to build a wind turbine that you can use at home. First, you need to find a place where strong wind force can be experienced. For wind energy to be converted into electrical energy, minimum wind speed should be about 10 kmph. This almost always does not happen in urban areas so you would have to consider a rural place for this endeavor. Moreover, the place where you are to place your wind turbine should not be surrounded by trees and other obstructions so as not to impede wind strength.

Second, you have to carefully follow the steps in making a wind turbine. The Internet is a rich resource for comprehensive guides in building such. Also, make sure that you have all the necessary materials for making the turbine. Some of the more common materials for this type of project are blades, generator, and battery. A tower where the wind turbine is to be attached to is also required. To avoid functional problems, make sure that you complied with all prerequisites and followed the procedures enumerated in the guide carefully.

Lastly, make sure that you are not violating any local government provision before you build your own wind turbine to avoid being penalized later on.

Tired of high electric bills? Discover how thousands of families are using homemade power systems to power their homes!

Wood Beam Repairs - Home Repair Tips

If you live in a moist climate in the winter and a dry climate in the summer and you have exterior wood beams exposed to these elements. You could develop wood beam problems over time. If wood beams are properly maintained and painted often they could last for a long time. Wood beams can last many years if properly taken care of.

Exterior wood beams that are used to hold up roofs, patios and decking can suffer from wood rot if not taken care of. Let's take for example a wooden beam located in a patio holding up a section of a large roof. The span of the roof being is only 10 feet long. As we look at the exterior wood beam. We noticed the upper corner of the beam is soft and rotted.

The beam damage is roughly the size of a baseball. The wood beam itself is a 6 x 10. Do we need to replace this beam even though the damage is not real big. The answer to this question is yes, any amount of damage to a wood beam takes away from its structural strength.

If you have a wood beam holding up the roof and the beam fails you could end up replacing a large section of your roof as well as the damaged beam. Replacing the damaged beam is usually a difficult task. The beam is usually sandwiched between two walls and will have siding or stucco around it.

If you're lucky enough to have the wood beam sitting in a saddle or on top of a wood post this will make your job easier and will require less skill. If however the beam is located between two walls this will require shoring up the roof and removing the beam.

Beam replacement should be left to professionals. This is not often as easy as it looks and could create a safety hazard if not done properly. I have seen beams replaced by homeowners or handyman and the damage that was done after the repairs, was worse than just leaving the beam alone in the first place.

The biggest problem with exterior wood beams is that they are usually holding up large amounts of weight. If the beam is removed without the proper bracing and shoring of the roof or floor area you could have a larger problem than you started with.

Exterior beams over time seemed to develop large cracks or splits in dry weather. These large cracks and splits weaken the structural strength of the beam adding more stress to the beam itself leading to structural failure eventually.

Extreme climates where temperatures very over 40 in one day seem to suffer the most damage to exterior wood beams that are not properly maintained. Beam maintenance will require painting and keeping moisture away from them.

Be aware of structural beams in or around your house. A little painting now and then can save you thousands of dollars over the life time of your house.

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

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

Visit us now for Vista Home Improvement.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Financial Burdens From Church Leaders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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

Thanks

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Is Overpopulation a Religious Problem?

Overpopulation really isn't that hard to understand. People love each other, want to reproduce and have offspring. Their parents took care of them, and they will take care of their children. People love to have families and these families love to have more families. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

Now is overpopulation a religious problem? If you listen to religious text and understand a few simple sentences, you will see that there are plenty of religions all over the world that encourage the multiplication of mankind.

In the Bible, God tells man to be fruitful and multiply. If you read this a little differently, you might take it that God wants men to eat as much fruit as he wants to and plant more trees so that he can have more fruit and be fruitful.

That's not exactly how most Christians read this Bible verse. Christians need to have more children, and their children need to have more children. This is how they interpret the words, to be fruitful and multiply.

I do believe that religions all over the world play an important part in our worlds population problem today. It's not the people who are educated, that are constantly reproducing, in today's world.

Most religions support population expansion, but what are they going to do, once the world becomes so overpopulated, that we can't even take care of ourselves. This should give you another point of view to look at, especially if you one part of the problem and not the solution.

What About The End of The World

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.
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 superior biblical knowledge , answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Thanks For Reading Our Articles

Are Your Prayers Being Answered by God - Christianity

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eliminate Bible Propaganda

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

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

Click here if you're Interested in Christianity.

Could You Be a Married Adulterer? - For Christians Only

Adultery has been going on for centuries and obviously was a problem 2500 years ago or it wouldn't have been mentioned in the Bible so many times. Could you actually be married to someone and be considered an adulterer? It's time for you to learn all the rules in the New Testament about adultery.

Here's a Bible verse that could get a lot of Christians in trouble. Mark 10:11-12 (New King James Version)" 11 So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

It looks a little more complicated than most of us could have ever thought. Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, has committed adultery. That means that there are millions of Christians all over the world who have committed adultery.

I've got some more bad news for Christians who might have looked at a woman lustfully. Matthew 5:28 (New International Version Bible) "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." This isn't looking good, for men or women is it?

If you've never been married, but while you were at church, notice an attractive woman or man and had lustful thoughts, about them, you're an adulterer. I know, it sounds a little harsh, but I'm not making anything up here, it's right out of the Bible.

I know things aren't looking good but I would like to leave you with a comforting thought. If you were divorced from your spouse because of an adulterous relationship, things might be starting to look a little different with this next Bible verse.

Matthew 19:9 (New International Version Bible) I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

These are typical contradictions and they are located throughout the Bible. Mark 10:11-12 states that all divorced people who have remarried, commit adultery. Matthew 19:9 states something completely different, if your divorced and your ex spouse has been unfaithful during your marriage and you remarry, everything is okay.

Are you even more confused than when I started? There's a good chance that you are. I'm even confused and I wrote the article. The real question is, can we remarry or can't we.

This would be a good topic during Bible study. You can start by asking, how many people are adulterers?

Read This Today

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

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

Click here if you're interested in the Bible truth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click Here If You're a Positive Christian Person.

Tithing Education - Giving From Guilt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question Your Religion

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.

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

Monday, September 28, 2009

My Message From God - Christian Spirituality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advanced Bible Study

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

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

Click here if you're a Spiritual Chrsitian.

Rocking the Foundation of Christianity

Whatever you build a house, you start with the foundation, if you're writing a book, it might be an outline for the table of contacts, but when were talking about Christianity, rarely do any Christians ever research the origins or how Christianity began.

Most Christians assume that Jesus was the one who started Christianity, however, he was Jewish and there is a good chance that he never even thought about starting a new religion. I know, Jesus is God and he knows everything and he knew that he was going to start Christianity. Okay, but what if.

That might not be entirely true. We don't have any proof that Jesus was actually a superior god like being. We can speculate or assume all that we want to, however there is very little evidence to support, that Jesus did anything that the writers of the New Testament, suggested he had done.

I would like to challenge most Christians, to do a little research and quite possibly start rocking the foundation of Christianity. It's much more important to understand Christianity than to call yourself a Christian. Will a little bit of research help or hurt you, as you study Christianity.

You can start by looking at the origins of the Bible, the Council of Nicaea, the Emperor Constantine, the missing years of Jesus in the early Roman Catholic Church.

To understand anything, you must understand its origins. Take some time out of your busy life, to start studying the foundation of Christianity.

Do Christians Believe Everything
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.

Greg is currently working on a Christian Article 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.
Thanks

When Do We Get to Meet God's Parents?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Christian News

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.

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

Friday, September 18, 2009

Tithing Education - Giving From Guilt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question Your Religion

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.

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

Religious Mind Control Or Generational Sin

If you were raised with certain beliefs and belong to a certain religion, there is a very good chance that your parents followed your religion and share the same beliefs. If you are a Muslim, there's a very good chance that your parents were Muslims. If you live in the United States, there is a really, really good chance that you're a Christian, especially if you live in Texas or Utah.

Is this religious mind control and generational sin or is this truly the way life is meant to live. Your parents and ancestors formed strong beliefs and pass them on to their children. What's wrong with that? Is it a generational sin to pass on what you truly believe? With that question asked, is a generational sin our mind control to teach our children how to fit into society, is it our obligation as stewards.

We often send our children to school, give them a good religious upbringing and then assimilate them into the workplace, almost like robots on an assembly line. We seem to never even question where these beliefs originated, we have no idea where they are going to take us and above all, we have no idea that they are truly beneficial to society, let alone ourselves.

Teaching our children what we have been taught, isn't always going to be right. If you look back in history, at all the beliefs, rituals and facts that have been disproven and are no longer followed by modern man, you can get a pretty good idea what I'm talking about. These people often taught their children, what they were taught. In centuries to come, these truths died out and were replaced by new ones.

Religious mind control can be cured by opening your mind and reading articles like this. You might be talking to someone who you have been taught to fear or even hate your whole life, only to find out that they think like you. They care about their families, feel sorry for others who are less fortunate and usually eat and sleep just like you do. If your mind is open enough, you could realize that you have been lied to and now it's time to start thinking seriously about what you were taught and what you're going to believe in the future.

Religious mind control can be cured through reading books, watching television, visiting other countries and educating yourself about other cultures and religions. The change you make today could affect future generations in your family.

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

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

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

Is Overpopulation a Religious Problem?

Overpopulation really isn't that hard to understand. People love each other, want to reproduce and have offspring. Their parents took care of them, and they will take care of their children. People love to have families and these families love to have more families. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

Now is overpopulation a religious problem? If you listen to religious text and understand a few simple sentences, you will see that there are plenty of religions all over the world that encourage the multiplication of mankind.

In the Bible, God tells man to be fruitful and multiply. If you read this a little differently, you might take it that God wants men to eat as much fruit as he wants to and plant more trees so that he can have more fruit and be fruitful.

That's not exactly how most Christians read this Bible verse. Christians need to have more children, and their children need to have more children. This is how they interpret the words, to be fruitful and multiply.

I do believe that religions all over the world play an important part in our worlds population problem today. It's not the people who are educated, that are constantly reproducing, in today's world.

Most religions support population expansion, but what are they going to do, once the world becomes so overpopulated, that we can't even take care of ourselves. This should give you another point of view to look at, especially if you one part of the problem and not the solution.

What About The End of The World

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.
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 superior biblical knowledge , answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Thanks For Reading Our Articles

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

10 Humorous Quotes to Help You Get Over Difficult Situations

It's easy to think about how someone else's situation is more difficult then the one you are currently dealing with. I mean, you could be starving in a third-world country, working at McDonald's, or even getting shot at in Iraq.

That doesn't necessarily help you though, does it?

What's really important is to get through whatever you're going through the best way possible. You can't just make a statement and hope your problems go away. One great way to deal with difficult situations is to face them head on with a very powerful weapon:

Humor.

Who better to assist you than one of the most iconic humorists of his time, and even today, Woody Allen. These 10 quotes should help you face your problems with a lighter heart and a less stressful attitude.

1. "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."

2. "I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government."

3. "There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?"

Love is complicated, to say the least. While it's easy to attribute the word love to many things in our lives, do we really know what it is we're talking about when we say we "love" things? Let's see what Woody says.

4. "Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions."

5. "A fast word about oral contraception. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said 'no'."

When it comes to the practicalities of life, Woody has a way of making it all go by with a lot more laughs

6. "Basically my wife was immature. I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats."

7. "I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

8. "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose."

9. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."

10. "The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have."

I can't say your problems are worth laughing at, but maybe if you looked at them in a new light, one that involves humor, you might be able to deal with them better.

Claudia Johnson is the editor of Daily Affirmations (http://www.daily-affirmations.com), a website dedicated to providing positive affirmations each day along with self improvement tips and product reviews. Sign up to receive free affirmations and site updates via email by visiting http://www.daily-affirmations.com/ now.

Don't Miss Happiness

The Happy Musings for the Day: Happiness does not come uninvited. It needs to be the guest of honor!

Yep, if you put happiness first, the rest falls into place. That does not mean "pleasure happiness", but true happiness. We are always doing it the other way round - trying to get everything in place in order to be happy. Why miss all that time in the process? "Happiness Now" is the way to go - the happiness that is not dependent on outside circumstances!

I believe happiness does need to be invited into one's life. There is always plenty of room for it. If not, push some other things out of the way to make room. In fact a welcoming committee of all aspects of your being could band together to create a great welcoming party. Then once it shows up, make it the honored guest, so honored that it will never want to leave.

It is almost a life exercise to maintain this state. It seems like it is a state one step above everyday life which goes up and down. Happiness is above the clouds and winds and rains. It is steady and consistent. And it is reassuring to know that we have control over it. It never turns down an invitation. We just have to remember to open the door. I think of all the friends to have, happiness is the best.

A moment without happiness is a moment lost. Don't waste a moment.

"Life is wonderful"
copyright 2008 Sally Huss

You may receive FREE Sally Huss' Happy Musings weekly by e-mail and previews of Sally's new self-help downloadable books (10 GREAT THOUGHTS ON LOVE and 10 GREAT THOUGHTS ON FRIENDSHIP) by going to http://www.sallyhuss.com/sallyhuss_signup.htm Also you may download her Have-It-All Formula FREE.

Sally Huss has been creating her bright and happy art, combining it with her whimsical and uplifting thoughts, for over 25 years. King Features syndicated these Happy Musings for newspapers 3 years ago.

You are allowed to use this article as long as you include the resource box, which is the first paragraph above.

Article Writing Tips - How to Write Web Articles For Fun and Profits!

When Internet marketing is your business or passion, writing articles relating to your niche can be of immense benefit. The following tips will help you understand how to write an article to pull in the visitors to your website.

1. Believe in yourself

The major obstacle in article writing is that many people believe they do not know how to write an article. This mental block should be removed in the first place. Articles written for the Internet or websites are simple and easy to create. It is vastly different from the articles you will read in magazines or journals.

2. How are online articles different?

Writing for magazines or journals calls for in-depth study of the subject. Journalists gather bits of information on a situation or subject and then use their creativity to present that information in an organized and interesting manner. But, when you learn article writing for the web, you will notice that most of the information required is available to you through the search engines. Your effort will be to use appropriate search terms and collect the information required.

3. How does that help?

In the process of learning article writing, the first step is collecting information. After you have gathered the information, decide how you are going to present it. Look for the number of words that you should be writing, the number of paragraphs and then conceptualize a flow. Now, you can just start writing as though you were writing to a friend conveying that information to him or her.

Fabian Tan is a well-known Internet Marketing expert and the author of the popular 59-page Report:

"Murder Your Job: How To Build Cash Sucking Autopilot Businesses In 30 Days Or Less!"

Head over to http://www.MurderYourJob.com to get your FREE copy now!

Also, quickly download his FREE "Explosive Traffic System" report that shows you how to generate 10,000+ unique visitors per month at no cost! => http://www.ExplosiveTrafficSystem.com

Water Heater Damage

A One Minute Meditation

Maybe learning to meditate intimidates you, and in any case it's tough to find the time for daily meditation. The solution to both problems is an easy meditation you can learn right now, that will only take a minute to do each day.

An Easy Meditation Technique

Breathing through your mouth expands your chest, but if you breath through your nose you'll notice how your abdomen extends. You see, nose-breathing causes the diaphram to pull air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream and brain. It also tends to relax you.

Breathing through your nose is healthier, and it's the basis of this one-minute meditation. You simply close your eyes, let the tension go out of your muscles, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and take four slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing.

Is Meditation This Easy?

You're not likey to get you into a deep meditative state with this simple exercise. You will get benefits, though. These will almost certainly include a clearer mind and a reduction in stress.

Try to develop a "trigger" for your meditation. You can do your four breaths when you get into the car, for example, or right after lunch each day. A trigger is a place or time that reminds you, so your meditation becomes a habit.

Some may say this isn't "real" meditation, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the relaxation you'll get from this technique. You can always pursue deeper meditation later, if you wish. In the meantime, remember that not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not do an easy one-minute meditation right now?

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

Monday, September 7, 2009

Home Insulation - Should You 'Do It Yourself' Or Use A Professional Contractor?

The Energy Saving Trust in the UK estimates that the average home can save several hundred pounds off its annual heating bills, and prevent the emission of over two tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, by installing insulation throughout. Insulation is the single biggest measure you can take to cut the amount of energy you use in the home. Plus this will also make the average home more comfortable by making it warmer in winter, and cooler in summer. It's no wonder that hundreds of thousands of people a year in the UK are getting their homes insulated.

When thinking about insulating your home you are immediately faced with the choice of employing a professional contractor to do it, or attempting a bit of DIY. At first the DIY option can appear tempting. For example, some types of insulation, such as loft insulation, are not normally technically difficult to fit. The materials are readily available in most DIY stores. Plus many people automatically think that DIY is going to be cheaper than employing a professional contractor, because with a contractor you are paying for their labour.

However, in many cases they will be wrong because using a professional contractor is either cheaper or roughly the same cost as DIY. This is because installing insulation in the UK is now heavily subsidised by gas and electricity suppliers, in order that they can meet their carbon emission targets set by the government. These subsidies are funded by the power companies regardless of household income, and currently amount to between 50 and 70% of the cost of having the insulation installed. This usually means that using a contractor becomes price competitive, or in many cases even cheaper, than DIY.

Plus if you receive certain benefits from the government in the UK, you can get your insulation installed by a professional contractor completely free. This is because the government tops up the grants from the energy companies with its own subsidies to cover the entire cost of the work.

As well as financial considerations, there are other reasons why employing a professional contractor can be attractive. Firstly, some types of insulation do require special technical expertise. For example, to install cavity wall insulation - filling the space between your outer walls with insulation material - requires special machinery, as well as training. You should always use a reputable contractor for this. Although not technically difficult, installing loft insulation is often still a challenging DIY job. The working conditions in a loft are often cramped and unpleasant. Employing someone else to go up there is in many cases a much more attractive option!

As well as the technical challenges, DIY can also have a number of safety issues. For example, the mineral wool that is commonly used to insulate lofts can be hazardous. It is extremely important to handle it with care, as it can severely irritate the throat and skin. You need to wear protective clothing, including face mask, safety goggles and gloves. You also need to make sure that you do not expose the living areas of the house to the material, either when you unpack it, or dispose of any waste material.

If you use a reputable contractor, you can be sure that these issues will be taken care of, with much less hassle for you. You also know that the job will be done to a good standard, because of their training and experience. In fact, cavity wall insulation carried out by professionals in the UK comes with a 25 year guarantee if they are registered with the Cavity Wall Guarantee Agency, which most reputable firms are.

Given all of these advantages, we recommend that most people use a professional contractor to get their home insulated. It's generally competitive on cost or cheaper than DIY, safer, less hassle, and will be done to a high standard if you choose the right contractor. There are many reputable firms who can be accessed through the Internet They will offer you a free no-obligation survey, after which you get a quotation. They also give you access to the attractive grants and subsidies mentioned above. If you like what they tell you, then you can simply go ahead and get a date booked for the work, and look forward to a warmer home and lower heating bills.

Alex Perry is a founder of http://www.DownwithCO2.co.uk, which helps people cut their personal contribution to climate change through providing information and contacts.

Article Writing Made Easy - Explode Your Online Business

Article writing is a very important part of internet marketing. Many people feel that it's the most effective method of advertising. You may have the best product in the world and be offering it for the best price. But, if you have no customers checking your product out, your chances of making a sale are pretty slim.

The internet is filled with many similar products. When interested parties are looking for a specific item online, they'll go to a search engine and type in what they're looking up and browse through the numerous results that come back. The results that show up first are the ones that have articles that are the most "content rich" and have the best and most effective keywords. Keep this in mind when writing your articles for your network marketing.

Make sure, also, that you target your niche; in other words, advertise for groups that are interested in what you're selling so you don't pay for a lot of PPC from people that are just browsing the net. Writing articles can be a lot of fun, but not for everyone. Regardless of how hard many people try to write good articles, they just don't know how to put their words down on paper. Fortunately, there is some great article writing software available. Not only is it very reasonably priced but it will help you to write articles that are effective in describing your product, your company and show great writing and grammar skills. The software is easy to understand and will have you writing your network articles in minutes.

Are you really interested in driving massive traffic to your website? Here's the answer:

Secret Article Weapon - Download your free ebook now.

Would you like to know more about the magical marketing techniques that have helped me to quit my day job? I have just completed my new ebook.

Secrets To Make Money Online - Download your free ebook now.

Mark Abrahams is a full time internet marketer who has helped others to earn a living online.

Home Water Heater Damage

How To Make Money By Trading Foreign Currencies

The currency foreign trading market unlike other trading platforms around the world offers a lot of opportunities for people all over the world to make money, because the gives equal chances to everyone to participate in trading no matter the country. It will be very wise to make use of this opportunity to make money for yourself in this open and fair global market. It will be very easy for you monitor your progress without stress since you can access your investments through your account any time you want, without the intervention of a broker. It will be cost - effective because you don't pay charges for your transactions, it's just you and your customer, and hence your money is saved.

Get set to start making money by registering online for currency foreign trading; you will need to establish either an account of foreign currency for individuals or customers, but it is wise to put your money in the spot account and not in the futures account of the foreign currency. By doing this you will be able to trade online at real time. After your registration you can select a broker of your chose who will help monitor your investments. Because it does not require huge capital you can even start with as little as $100 USD.

Now, start buying and selling to make money, the more you practice the trade the more money you make. You should know that you will require some skills to forecast the rise and fall of different currency prices so as to know when to buy and the best time to sell - at this point you start making great profits. One of the ways to know is to observe the different economic and political trends of different countries to ascertain the rise and the fall of these currencies. You will need to know the different trends as to determine the currency price direction. The different trends are the uptrend, downtrend and sideways. Like I said, the more you invest and practice the trade the better you become. There is no better place to learn than in the market. So, get to currency foreign trading market and start trading.

For more information about Currency Foreign Trading, feel free to visit us at: http://www.currency-trading-zone.com/Currency-Foreign-Trading.html

Interior Decorating Ideas

It's happening again. The styles and fashions that we thought we'd seen the last of a decade ago are re-emerging as the latest thing in chic design and people are going mad for it. In fact, one of interior furnishings mainstays throughout the eras has been the humble lamp and while bench surfaces, chairs, lounges and most other room items have gone through drastic changes, many of the retro lamps that emerged in the 1950s and 60s are still preferred today.

The great thing about decorating in retro style is that almost anything goes, as long as it is fun, combines shapes and colors and looks unique. Floor lamps such as the Arco lamp that reaches from one side of the reading chair to the other still looks appropriate, as does the square lampshade on a wooden pedestal base. From there it's up to your own discerning eye as to how funky you want to make the lamp shade with options of trimmings, tassels or prints to bring out your retro preference.

The great thing about deciding on a retro lamp is that if you don't particularly like the look of the traditional lamps from the era, you also have the more space-aged looking lamps that were inspired by the exuberance of the post-war optimism. New products such as melamine spattered with chrome and designs that were sleek and sophisticated combined to produce a very forward thinking look.

The great thing about using the vintage retro lamps that your parents loved is that the burnt orange lamp shades or the avocado ceramic lamp stand is now cool again because, well because it's retro.

An important part of putting together a retro room is adding furnishings that follow the retro style. Picking out a fun and funky retro lamp should be enjoyed. Visit Retro Lamps Galore to help put that new retro-style room together.

Home Building Concrete Epoxies

When concrete epoxies first came out I was working on a church remodeling the sanctuary. We were building a set of stairs that was two steps in height and 75 feet long. The steps were going to get a hardwood covering along with the rest of the sanctuary flooring.

I had used redheads in the past and noticed that over time these redheads would loosen up. I could never figure out what caused the redheads to do this. Was it the concrete that was expanding and contracting or was it the steel redheads contracting and expanding.

Either way I can never figure out what was up with the redheads. Another name for a redhead would be an anchor bolt. Red Hed is actually the company's name that makes the anchor bolt used to fasten materials to concrete or masonry surfaces.

Finding out that Simpson building products had made any new epoxy and all it required was drilling a hole 1/16 of an inch larger than the all thread you were going to use . After drilling a hole you would clean it with a plastic brittle brush. This brittle brush was pretty strong but it was not made from metal like I have thought. I was thinking it would have been a nice metal wire brush.

After drilling and cleaning the hole you would insert the proper amount of the epoxy into the hole you had drilled out with a masonry bit. As you slid the cut to size all thread bolt into the hole the epoxy would ooze out of the whole. This would tell you there was enough epoxy in the hole.

After that I cleaned the leftover epoxy off of the wood that I had inserted the all thread into to remove the extra epoxy that had oozed out. I waited 24 hours and the next day came to work with my electric impact wrench and wanted to put this epoxy to the ultimate test.

I put the washer and nut on the all thread and started to torque the heck out of it. As I was tightening the nuts and washer it started to work its way into the wood.

I was simply amazed after 24 hours the epoxy had held that good.

That was then and today Simpson epoxy requires drilling a hole an eighth of an inch oversize and filling it with epoxy. I still can't believe and to this day am a firm believer in concrete epoxies.

Read the instructions, clean out the holes properly with the recommended brush, insert the proper amount of epoxy, and rotate the all thread slowly into the hole as the epoxy starts to ooze out of it. Do not touch or move the bolt for the next 24 hours.

Concrete epoxies are here to stay and will keep improving as time goes on.

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 a great 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 in San Marcos Remodeling

Article Writing 101: 7 Tips To On-Line Research For Your Articles, White Papers And Business Books

As we continue to live in an ever fast paced world and information and research seems to date quicker than ever, it's not surprising that we turn to the ease of the Internet search engines to provide us with relevant content to quote in blog posts, articles, proposals and even in books that we write.

However, when referencing sources in our writing, we need to make sure that the references we quote from can be trusted. This is especially true when quoting other peoples articles and referencing them in our own blog posts, articles, white papers or other writing.

Take for example the"expert" in their field who was profiled in a highly respected on-line newsletter in which they write a column.

The subject of the article was about whether to write UK English or US English when writing white papers for lead generation.

In the article they gave examples of words spelled in US English and UK English - the only problem was that the spellings in UK English were incorrect and incomplete.

So what was the impact of this?

Well, as a result, their personal brand and reputation as an expert was left tarnished. They were being positioned as an expert in the publication, but as their facts were incorrect, anyone reading the article who knew the difference between the UK and US spellings and examples of grammar quoted would immediately discredit the article. In other words, the "expert" was not going to be seen as being credible.

So how can we prevent this happening to us?

Here are seven easy tips to apply when researching on-line for your articles, white papers and business books:

  1. If you are going to use on-line sources for information, make sure that the resource is trusted and has accurate and relevant content
  2. Check your on-line source out against other points of reference - both on-line or off-line
  3. If you are going to make a definitive statement make sure hat you are happy to stand by it in terms of it's accuracy if questioned
  4. If you are expressing your opinion alongside the research based on your experience and expertise rather then be transparent
  5. If you have some questions about the source, check back for clarification with the person who was the originator
  6. Make sure that you have a link back to the source of the research in your writing, whether that be on-line or offline so that it is easy for you or others to refer to for clarification
  7. And of course, if you are in any doubt about the accuracy of the research, don't use that source material.
Follow these seven steps when quoting information from on-line sources and you will be sure to keep your reputation and personal brand in your writing as the expert in your field in tact.

Do you want to learn more about this and similar strategies? Then join me for my no-cost branding and business development teleseminars.

Register today at: http://www.bizgrowthlive.com

Want to get started immediately? Then visit http://www.bizgrowthnews.com for immediate access to free resources, articles and audio turorials and bring your corporate brand, employer brand and personal brand to life today!

Copyright 2007 Krishna De. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long the article is printed in its entirety, you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way and include the copyright statement.

About the author: Krishna De is considered to be one of Europes leading branding, business blogging, corporate podcasting marketing and media experts. You will find Krishna building her brand online at http://www.krishnade.com where you can also access her content rich branding and business development ezine, bringing you strategies, inspiration and tips to attract more clients in less time with less stress.

Broken Electrical Outlet Cover

Why Does Wood Crack When it Dries?

Differential Shrinkage - To get right to the point, wood cracks due to differential shrinkage! Differential shrinkage occurs because the outer fibers in the shell dry first and begin to shrink. However, the core has not yet begun to dry and shrink, and consequently the shell is restrained from shrinking by the core. Thus the shell goes into tension and the core into compression. With the stresses from the shell and core pulling in opposite directions the wood fibers break and a crack forms. The larger the wood member, the more stress is exerted to the wood member. Examples Lets take an example of a 1x8 board versus an 8x8 timber

  • The 1x8 board is only one-inch thick so it dries fairly quickly. The stress are minimal and just a few, small surface checks may result.
  • The much larger 8x8 (8-inches x 8-inches) timber takes a long time to dry which could be as much as six-months. The inside of the timber will stay wet for months while the outside is dried to well below 20-percent moisture content. The stress that is set up within the 8x8 will eventually result in a inch crack or larger on one face to the timber. This crack will go all the way to the center of the timber and usually be on one face only.

I have seen people cutting a round, lilly pad from the end of a log so that they can use it as a cutting board in the kitchen. It looks nice in the green, unseasoned state but after a few weeks it develops a large, pie crack in the piece. It is eventually discarded as unsightly. After throwing it away they wonder what happened to the wood that allowed this to happen.

This is just another reason why wood materials should be properly dried before using them in any mode other than for exterior use such as fence posts, landscape timbers or a rough fence. If they are being used where their final moisture content will be 15% or lower, they should be dried prior to milling and installed into their final end use. In this way the seasoning, stress cracks can be aligned in such a way that they are hidden or discarded. Preventing Cracks Proper drying techniques and PEG What can be done to prevent this seasoning degradation in wood? With large quantities of lumber, boards to timbers one can only resort to proper drying following the many details that make up the complete process. This can be done with either a kiln or by air drying but many details have to be followed to have the results desired. It is not the purpose of this short subject to outline what must be done to properly dry wood. This will be covered in another article.

For small, fairly expensive items such as carvings, another method can be used to prevent degradation due to seasoning checks and cracks. This is done using a chemical called polyethylene glycol-1000 or PEG for short. This material looks like a block of paraffin in the solid state but will dissolve in water. The correct method for using this material is to soak the newly carved piece of wood in water for a month or more depending on its size. After it is completely saturated with water it is placed in a solution of PEG and water. It is kept in this solution for several months for best results. The solution should be warm and can be kept this way with a fish bowl heater. After the carving is thoroughly saturated with PEG, it must be dried slowly in a cool environment and out of the sunlight. The result is a wood carving that will not shrink when it dries and thus will not crack.

The physical explanation for the above process is this: PEG can only be transmitted through the wood if the wood is thoroughly saturated with water. When the PEG enters the cells, it fills the cell walls and the cell lumen located in the center of the cell. When the wood is dried, it cannot shrink because the cell walls are now filled with a solid (PEG) and cannot shrink. If the wood cannot shrink, it cannot crack or split! As a final note, I used this method on a piece of sycamore that was buried in a clay pit for nearly 6,000 years. I had it made into a gun stock and after 30 years of use the gun stock looks like new without the slightest hair line crack in any surface of it.

For more information about replacing rotten logs, drying wood, chinking material, stain or log cabin kits contact Clyde at http://www.westernloghomesupply.com or call 719-547-2135.

Westernloghomesupply.com is a distributor of log home chinking, cabin caulking, log stains, wood finishes, knotty pine log cabin siding, replacement house logs & complete log home kits.