Separation of Church and State? Says Who?

Excerpts from fellowship about the real Jesus and the role of Christians in society today:

If you understood that Yeshua is the I AM - He not only had the Canaanites destroyed for their pagan religious practices, He sent Israel and Judah into captivity for refusing to follow His biblical religion and as Yeshua drove out of "My Father's House" the moneychangers with a whip in His hand! Certainly that was met with raised eyebrows and shaking of heads, not to mention FEAR! Yes, fear religion!

And anybody who is a Christian who dares to deny that Christ will rule, as necessary with a ROD OF IRON, enforcing PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, simply is either in denial or woefully ignorant of the biblical King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will soon reign on Earth from Jerusalem with TOUGH LOVE!

You're talking Old Testament.

I'm talking the Law and the Prophets that Yeshua upheld and will enforce when He reigns perfectly from Jerusalem with TOUGH LOVE, giving different strokes for different folks.

Notice that God hasn't ordered the execution of anyone since Jesus walked the earth.

Yes, He has, time and again through the Law and the Prophets that haven't been made null and void by the tender mercies of our God, the Sermon on the Mount, except for those who are truly repentant as we can best determine with the help of God. Why do you think it is written about the ministers of State: "He bears not the SWORD in vain?" And that such ministers of state are to enforce the Law of God, serving as the vengeance of God? Romans 13 shows God has ordered the execution and other forms of punishment upon lawbreakers since Christ, since His Word remains true and hasn't changed or been altered to accommodate fickle men and fleeting societies.

Jesus never told us to establish any form of government on earth. He clearly taught that His kingdom was not of this earth. If He wanted a government here now, He would have made one here, now. We, as disciples, are not called to rule here or even govern here.

Now you sound like the traditional Worldwide Church of God and those groups who have forsaken it in droves since the Great Apostasy after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, concerning avoiding politics, shirking your responsibilities, your civic DUTIES, failing to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's, and by such woeful neglect and sinful negligence, have forfeited the reigns of government to the wicked and then cry about how awful things are! "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." I submit they're not such good men or they would do something!

Yeshua revealed HIS Kingdom of God-Beings, the ruling Kingdom-Family of God administering the Law of God, is yet future, that's true, of which He will be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. However, as the I AM, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He has established an earthly kingdom called Israel and Judah today, our family of nations - the Anglo-Saxon and white peoples of Northwestern Europe with our Jewish brethren. And to us, which includes those called to be Christians now: "REMEMBER THE LAW OF MOSES MY SERVANT WITH THE STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS" (Malachi 4:4).

God calls upon our Israelite family of nations to RESTORE HIS LAW AND ORDER, and we'll receive blessing to the degree we love and obey and He will bless our NATIONAL EFFORTS that reflect national repentance, learning to go by God's Word as LAW, trusting in His wisdom, rather than leaning to our own understanding with all our different political parties of men. We must recognize we are suffering national curses for national disobedience and repent and avert further national disasters (Daniel 9:11). God will draw near to us as we draw near to Him. God's Kingdom on Earth has always been through the physical descendants of Jacob-Israel, and we're to be a TYPE of the future Kingdom of God-Beings that will reign over us as we reign over other nations.

We are called to be Christ on earth. To show others by our example, who He is. Would Jesus have advocated war? How about slaughter?

Yes, we are called to reflect Christ on Earth, and our NATION is called to reflect GOD on Earth, as a "Light to all nations," a MODEL NATION for others to follow, seeing our sound mindedness and wisdom, peace and prosperity from following God's heavenly law here on Earth.

Christ would certainly advocate war, if and whenever necessary, without hesitation, as revealed in the Law and the Prophets, the Law of Moses that our peoples and professing Christians have forgotten to our confusion and shame! Onward Christian Soldiers!

This is where groups like the KKK confuse the heck out of me. They obviously don't know Christ. If they did, they'd know that He'd never treat another human the way they do.

I don't know a single member of the KKK and from personal experience know how a group's beliefs can be misrepresented by hysterical mobs. If the KKK is biblical on this or that, I support them on this or that. Where they're not biblical, I would say so and not offer support but call upon them to change.

The racist NAACP obviously doesn't know Christ or they wouldn't judge everything falsely by the color of someone's skin rather than the content of character (while ignoring national issues that are biblically based on ethnicity), and they wouldn't hold people down and under and back so they can keep their self-important positions they've prostituted themselves for at the expense of their own people whom they've sold down the river, listening to the siren calls of the race hucksters like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, both of whom should move to Africa and lead the way and create opportunities for others to follow. I would support them expressing such creativity in action instead of always cursing the real or imagined darkness rather than lighting a candle.

So many people claim to be followers of Jesus, then turn right around and go against His teachings. Jesus taught us to turn the cheek, love our enemy, bring peace and love to the sick and hurting. Deliver others of demons and heal the sick. I see none of this in our government body and I see very, very little of this in the corporate church body.

God's one government has two branches. Jesus was talking to individuals (Sermon the Mount) and He was talking to the NATION (10 Commandments/Law of Moses) when He revealed how we are to live. So many people claim to be followers of Jesus, then turn right around and go against His teachings. He said to expel sworn enemies from our Land; to execute various criminals and cleanse the Land, to wage war, if and whenever necessary, and not to show the mercy of fools to nations or individuals who hate our guts and would slit our throats their first opportunity. We're to love our neighbor as ourselves, not more than ourselves.

Yeshua said to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves." He was referring to an ATTITUDE, a willingness to go the extra mile, out of our way, but not indefinitely! If we take all of Yeshua's teaching on any given subject, rather than twist His teachings into some hippy pacifism, you'll see there's a time and a place, which is why He could act so violent and knock over tables and chairs and drive both men and animals from the Temple with a WHIP IN HIS HAND!

Certainly doesn't fit the traditional false image, does it? His harsh words against the religious leaders of His day certainly weren't smooth and pleasant to listen to, especially if you were on the receiving end of His verbal attacks! And when He reigns, He will rule with a ROD OF IRON and rebuke some nations, punish others and even destroy some.

Folks would do well to not try to tell the REAL JESUS about His teachings or to remember His Sermon on the Mount! Jesus will perfectly exercise the Law of Moses tempered by the Sermon on the Mount, as divine wisdom calls for, and we're called to whatever extent we're offered in this life to do the same, whether it's in the home, office, pulpit or political position. That's why our kings, our rulers, are commanded by God to read and study His Word daily that it may be the LAW OF THE LAND, and they can be humbled by realizing they're merely human instruments of God's grace, God's rod and staff.

David Ben-Ariel, a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, shares a special focus on the Middle East, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

How to Create a Rustic Bathroom

These days, everything is so immediate, futuristic and ahead of the curve. We oftentimes find ourselves caught up amongst the whirlwind of advancing technologies and the endless battle to be fashion-forward and owning the right cars, appliances and gadgets. It's time to stop, take a deep, relaxing breathe, and calm down. Not everything in life needs to be constantly updated. If our past shapes who we are today, why cover it up? Now is the perfect time to "update" your bathroom with rustic style cabinet handles that bridges the gap of old to new.

Go Green
Everywhere you turn, there is a "go green" commercial, green grocery bags or eco-friendly appliances. Adding a bit of green to your bathroom might be the perfect option for you. While to some this means purchasing recycled toilet paper, to others, going green in your bathroom literally means going outside and incorporating your available landscape.

For homeowners with access to lumber, creating more storage space with your local hardware is a great solution. Not only will this limit the resources needed to purchase wood from a store (such as gas money and cost of production), but also, this do-it-yourself project can involve your entire family in a creativity exercise. By utilizing what you have around you, you are literally using your bucolic countryside to redesign your bathroom.

Look To Your Roots
America is known as a melting pot, rich with culture, heritage and tradition. Why not incorporate your ancestors in your new "old style" bathroom? Whether Irish, Italian, Native American, Polish or English or a mixture of everything, you should include a little piece of "you" in your bathroom. For many, a code of arms signifies you and your families' past; by pairing this with a bit of the present, you can create a comfort zone of history.

Get Wild in Style
If you have always wanted to get a little bit wild or exotic when it comes to decorating, your bathroom is the ideal place to express yourself. Using small elements, such as cabinet pulls or cabinet door knobs, you can express yourself in a unique way without overpowering the entire room with conflicting stripes, polka dots or too bold paint colors. Bathroom cabinet knobs nowadays can come in a variety of metals such as copper, iron, chrome and nickel. Additionally, these small elements also come in interesting shapes and sizes. For the outdoorsman, adding fish knobs on your towel rack or shower curtain will certainly compliment any room. Pair this with a soft blue or green paint, and you've got yourself a rustic interior almost instantly!

Be Safe and Secure
Like any good home design, safety and security should always trump design and aesthetic appeal. Be sure to install proper cabinet handles and locks to keep hazardous materials away from children, pets or guests. Ideally, harmful chemicals, prescription medications, sharp items and should be stored in a high storage area, secured with drop latch locks or other child-proof mechanisms. Additionally, hand-held electronic appliances should also be removed from plain view. Not only will this help keep you organizes, but also keeping hair dryers, radios and other items away from water should always be a priority.

Scents Make Sense
What's a bathroom without a fresh scent? If you live in the countryside, the fresh scent of cotton, lavender or chamomile will work perfectly. For the more woodsy or earthy homes, pine needles or cinnamon is a great choice to stimulate your olfactory sensors. If you just simply want a clean, crisp room, light citrus scented candles or soaps help cut through tough odors. Remember, when it comes to the smells in your bathroom, you want to help clear the air, not compete with too many fragrances. If you cannot decide what works best, just use the tried by true method: cracking open.

Jim Richardson is Vice President of Your Home Supply (YHS), the definitive website for Home and Garden products and information on a variety of home improvement products. Your Home Supply offer selections on rustic antique cabinet knobs to help customers design and create their own rustic bathroom. Visit them now at http://www.YourHomeSupply.com

This Article Could Change Your Views on Religion

How do we come to believe in a religion, one that most of us never even chose? How many people reading this article right now believe in the same religion of their parents and how many of your parents believe in the same religion of their ancestors?

Do you think it has anything to do with repetition? If your parents made it through life, you can do the same and if they went to church every Sunday, by god that's what you're going to do. If these people save their money up for retirement and worked at a 40 hour a week jobs, with all the other hardships that life seems to pass on us, you can do exactly the same thing.

I'm not too familiar with other religions but seem to know a lot about Christianity. As a young Christian I was baptized and went to church every Sunday. The most important part to me about going to church, was the snack I would receive during Sunday school. I really can't tell you what I remember or if I learned very much while attending my church classes.

I do however remember my parents creating a belief in my mind of a God and that God was in charge of everything. If I was bad, God wouldn't like that at all, but if I was good god would like me and maybe if I was even good enough, one day I would get to go to heaven and heaven is a wonderful place to be.

Is this how you came about your religion? You just seemed to follow the path of your parents, family or friends with very little thought, this is just the way it is and you're fine with that. Or are you one of those believers that is almost cult like and could never be convinced that your religion is wrong. You know without a doubt that you need to spread the message of your religion to everyone on earth.

Are you one of the rare individuals who have studied about their childhood religion and have now chosen another path. Has someone convinced you that their religion is better than your old one and now you have switched and can't believe how happy you are.

Thinking about how I never chose my religion, forced me to study other religions, to see which one was right. I am even more confused than when I first started but no longer believe in my childhood religion. I've often wondered what our world would be like without organized religion or somebody trying to control us like the government. Both of these organizations seem to do a pretty good job making us believe they're looking out for our best interests.

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 want to find out more about life changing spiritual books, you won't be disappointed, this website is filled with the best authors and books on personal development and spiritual beliefs

Greg is currently working on a religious beliefs 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

Achieve Your Goals in 1 Year

I often look at this scenario in the first or second session of an executive coaching encounter, so I thought I would share the thought process.If you identify parts of your business life in this scenario, take heart - you will always gain from another fresh perspective!

Think about it.You have been running your business for several years now, have hired a number of staff, have made a good amount in sales, your customers appear happy, and, it appears you are on your way to accomplishing your dream!You may have even hired an executive coach to share your dream with.

Wait a minute, that dream - where did you put it inside your cranium, in the left or the right lobe?Hmm, was it something your coach asked that you couldn't answer?

As a matter of fact, you may have noticed that your staff has been grumbling a bit lately about unhappy customers, late deliveries, poor quality product, and not being paid enough for what they are worth.When was the last time you looked at the product quality, the delivery schedule, when did your staff last get a wage adjustment?

Is this your business?Let's hope not, but, if it is, are you willing to try a few basic exercises? If so, here are some executive coaching tips.

First, would you write down your 5 top business goals for the year?Consider a revenue goal - increase sales to $ 1 million, a profit goal - achieve a 5% net profit after taxes, a personnel goal - provide my employees 40 hours training in customer service, a process improvement goal - decrease unit product time and cost by 10%, and a customer goal - increase customer satisfaction rates by 25%.

Second, identify why you have these goals.As an executive coach I often ask my clients these questions: Why are they important to your business and its success?How are they related to you achieving your dream?Oh yes, have you written your dream down yet?

Third, let's ask how you are going to accomplish these goals?Will you need much more input from your employees, will you need to survey your customers to identify their current level of satisfaction, and will you talk with your accountant and business advisor about industry benchmarks for sales, profitability, and production time/costs?

As the owner, will you be doing what you do best, and liking the results - all in one year?I hope you will answer yes and achieve great satisfaction in the year ahead.

About

Warren J. Rutherford President of Rutherford Advisors Inc. is an Accredited Associate, IIB, a CMT Accredited Master Mentor with certifications as a Behavioral Coach, an Analyst in Axiology, a One Page Business Plan Consultant, and is a BNI Assistant Director in the SE Mass/RI Region. He provides executive coaching and business advisory and consulting services to small and medium-sized business. He can be reached at http://www.RutherfordBusinessAdvisor.com Copyright 2009, Rutherford Advisors, Inc. All rights reserved

Understanding More About Home Improvement Contractors

Home improvement contractors cannot legally take up projects and otherwise work as contractors unless they are licensed. There is one license issuing authority in every state of the USA. Note the following points:

- The license is proof of the competence and capability of the license holder to work as a home improvement contractor.

- If you employ an unlicensed home improvement contractor, the work carried out shall be considered illegal.

- If such a person is utilized to install a product, the owner of the product faces the risk of losing the advantages of all warranties and insurance policies on the product. If something goes wrong during the installation, the owner shall have no protection whatsoever.

- Any person desirous of starting a home improvement business should contact the proper authorities to obtain the licenses and registrations.

The process is a time consuming one and should be commenced at least six months prior to the planned date of commencement of business. So plan ahead.

Home Improvement Is Not As Easy As It Seems

It is dangerous to think that home improvement is an easy task with no further specializations in the field. The truth is that each home improvement contractor, sooner or later, chooses to specialize in a particular aspect of his work.

The general areas of specialization are:

a. designing
b. plumbing
c. electrical work
d. engineering work
e. joining work
f. interior designing

You may notice that your home improvement plans stretch over multiple areas. Hence, simply employing one home improvement contractor to do the entire job irrespective of his specialization may lead to shoddy work. Rather, it makes sense to employ different contractors for doing different works so that you get the best quality work done. At the end of the day, quality matters.

The worst mistake that you can make is to presume that anybody can do the work of a home improvement contractor. That is not true. Pulling down parts of your home and rebuilding it or adding new parts to it is a specialist's job.

Do not be penny wise and pound foolish!

Avoid undertaking home improvement works on your own. Search for efficient and reliable contractors. Spread the work among your friends and relatives.

Get them to recommend a contractor they know. You can get good quality work done at very affordable prices. Your house will look good and your wallet will not end up empty. Many people employ specialists to build or modify their houses but choose to do the interior designing on their own. All your efforts at home improvement will go waste if your house looks ugly from the inside.

If you know nothing about interior designing, get a specialist to do it. These specialists will do a good job in making your house look pretty from the inside as well. However, they tend to be expensive and the cost of the consultation, materials and labor can weigh down your budget. Prefer specialists only if you can afford them.

When a home improvement chore comes up, honestly appraise your abilities and ask whether you can do the job yourself. Unless you are totally certain, do not do it yourself. If you decide to employ home improvement contractors, make sure you choose licensed contractors only. Irrespective of whether the job is big or small, quick or lengthy, cheap or expensive, never choose an unlicensed contractor.

For more free information on interior designing and to sign up for a great newsletter visit http://myhomeimprovementtips.com for your home improvement projects! Save on the latest home improvement products.

Stair Handrailing Or Guard Rail

Before the 1980s most stairways had a handrail and to this day, most stair handrails are not considered guard rails. Well things have changed and now most stairways require a guard rail and it gripable handrail.

What's the difference between a stair handrailing and a stair guard rail, quite frankly about 6 inches. Your stair guard rails have a minimum requirement of 42 inches where stair handrails built before the 1980s had a handrailing for protection with a minimum requirement of 36 inches.

This does not mean that older stair handrails that are 36 inches tall will need to be removed and replaced, because the new building codes have changed. If you were to rebuild the stair handrail or do any work on the stairway that required a building permit, they could have you change your stair handrailing to meet current building codes.

I was helping another guy frame a new house in 2005 and while I was on the job I would mention to the owner, certain concerns of mine with other parts of the job. After a while he realized, that I knew what I'll was talking about and started to pay attention when ever I mentioned anything related to home building.

He asked me if I would be interested in building the stair handrailing system and at the time I was too busy. I reminded him of the minimum requirements for the stair guard rail, it was no longer referred to as a stair handrail and would need to be at least 42 inches in height and include a gripable handrail.

Well as you guessed it, the next time I walked into the home, I noticed a 36 inch high stair handrail. I reminded him and he wasn't too concerned, because he hired someone that knew all about building stair handrails.

The building inspector made him remove and replace the stair handrail, before he would approve the home for final inspection. Don't make the same mistakes, learn a little more about stair handrail safety and don't become another statistic in the home building industry.

Always check with your local building department, whether you're reading articles like this or asking questions to experienced contractors. Everybody makes mistakes and sometimes their information is out of date, according to new home building practices or building codes.

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

If you're interested in building stairs, whether you're a professional or a do it yourself homeowner, you should make your stair building and other construction projects as simple as possible. Check out the latest stair building tools, some of these tools can make even the average homeowner look like a building professional

How to Make Money on Your Home

Making money on your home is key to many of you. My clients report that they simply would not consider owning a home that they did not make some profit on. The thought of taking a check to closing is repulsive. Here is what I want you to know about making money on your home.

The obvious things about home ownership that make you money...

• The whole time that you live in a home, if it is your primary residence, you are saving on your taxes. In other words, you can either use your money to pay for a place to call your own that you are buying, or you can pay more taxes.
• The home ownership experience lends itself to your higher self-esteem. Self-esteem will lead you to making more money in all aspects of your life.
• The home gives you a place to do all of your handyman experiences on your own dime with your own result of profit, or not.
• As your mortgage payments are made over the years, your equity stake in the investment in your home, in most cases, will rise and your debt will fall.

But, on to how to make money on your home...

• Keep your home maintained the whole time that you live there.
• Keep your home clean and especially clean it well when you are selling it. Clean homes make 3 to 4% more money than dirty homes.
• Market your home at a high price instead of what your naive neighbors or low-balling agent of the neighborhood recommends. Go with your gut and go high. You will never get a high price if you don't ask for it.
• Sell your home with a listing company that has low listing commission fees. Most homeowner's profit is used up in selling commissions. You now have alternatives.
• Sell your home Staged and maybe throw in some furniture.
• Get every tool available to make your home look its best on the internet. Virtual tours, Staging, Videos and anything else that you can find. The first showing to potential buyers is on the internet. By the time that the buyer comes to your home in person, it is really the second showing.
• Offer a home warranty in lieu of some of the inspection items. If this is not enough for the buyer, tell them that you will give them 5 service call deductibles to cover future costs.

To make a good deal on the sale of your home, it is imperative to make a good deal when buying it. Use an experienced agent to help you buy. They are a valued resource and cost you nothing. In fact, in my company we split out our commission with our buyer clients for helping us find them the home.

If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.
http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com

If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you. TipsandFormsforBuyers.com If you are a real estate agent I invite you to learn more about how I sell real estate with a FREE 14 part mini-course at http://www.CODRealty.com

From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate The Real Estate Powerhouse

The Host With the Most

You strive to produce the best meetings possible. You plan ahead, prepare, and work hard to make sure everything runs smoothly. There are many tips, ideas, and techniques that you have heard or read about to ensure a good conference, but what if there was one that ensures a unique meeting that you don't have to run yourself?

In face-to-face meetings and conference rooms, organizers have brought in guest speakers, lecturers, and MCs for a long time. The fresh face and different outlook of a professional speaker can not only greatly add to the point of the conference, but also makes it a unique experience for all attendees. Teleconferences have the same dynamic as these meetings - barring actually being there - and there's no reason that the same experience could not be brought to an audio or video conference.

Users of teleconferences may protest here by saying that they already have guest speakers and lecturers attending their meetings. While this is one of the best ways to improve a meeting, these guests are either part of the organization, an affiliate organization, or the industry. Their contributions are valid and vital, but you can take the guest aspect a step further by including a Master of Ceremonies.

A compere, or Master of Ceremonies, can really enhance your conferences. You tell them what you want, when you want it, and they take care of the rest. They can start your conference off with a bang, and keep the energy high. They can introduce you or your speakers. The compere can keep track of time and deftly cut off a speaker that has gone on too long. If there is a time gap somewhere, they can fill it with their own material, specially tailored to the occasion.

If you are having a long conference that straddles a break or even lunch, a compere is the perfect speaker for when you reconvene. After a lunch break, your participants are at their most unresponsive. It's up to the MC, not only to take the brunt of this lethargy, but to get the meeting flying again.

Towards the end of your conference, a MC will run your Q&A session, keeping it on track and on schedule. They can also wrap up the meeting with inspiring observations or witty remarks. Not only does this end your meetings on a high note, but it also gets your participants looking forward to the next meeting.

That is what a Master of Ceremonies can do for your meeting, but think of what they can do for you personally. Let's face it; even the best laid plans can have a bobble or two. If you have ever done a teleconference, you know that it sometimes takes a bit of juggling to get the conference started right while dealing with any issues that might crop up. If you have a compere working for you, they can get things moving while you are free to manage those last minute details.

Another benefit of a compere is greatly evident if you have any public speaking anxieties. They can project your professionalism and management skills, all while you are safely behind the scenes. Delicate situations arise in conferences with long-winded speakers, but the MC can help there too. They will do their best, but if the compere cannot cut them off without any hurt feelings, the situation can be blamed on the MC. You get to remain neutral while playing the diplomat and problem solver.

Looking past the advantages of hiring a professional, a Master of Ceremonies doesn't always have to be an outsider. There may be a particularly outgoing employee or member of your team that would make a perfect MC. With a little coaching and orientation, you could use your in-house compere with all of your meetings. Your conferences will become known as professionally run, if not efficient and entertaining. More importantly, they will have the same standard of quality time after time.

The use of an employee-compere doesn't have to be confined to just your meetings. As their popularity grows, the MC could be used at other company meetings and conferences, with just employees or with clients as well. Over time, your compere could become the voice of your company, not only in conferences, but also on the company voicemail or podcasts. Your logo is seen by all, but now your company can be identified by a voice-brand as well.

While it is debatable that running your own teleconference is easier than hiring out, the additional benefits of a Master of Ceremonies are pretty plain. Your meetings can improve and there could be a bonus to your company as a whole.

David Byrd is the conference call expert at TalkPath LLC.
Read more from David or find out about video conferencing services at http://www.TalkPathConferencing.com

How to Tell If Your Website is Really Able to Make Money Online

To make money online requires a healthy conversion rate, which shows on what qualitative level the site is. If you have not used conversion rate to make money from home, or more money, you are not the only one. Most small business owners have not used that, which of course offers you a great chance.

1. You Should Improve The Conversion Rate All The Time.

If you think the idea of how to make money online, it is all about trust building between your website and the site visitors. To be able to make money online means to be able to build trust or credibility and to be able to stand out from the crowd offering useful things to the visitor.

I know from my experience that small improvements can unlock the full potential of your site and can offer at the same time ways to make extra money. The interesting thing is that it increases the number of repeated visitors, i.e. means ongoing residual income. The target is that a visitor gets a positive visit experience.

2. Avoid Small Credibility Destroyers.

Website visitors can be really skittish. Even a tiny impropriety can make them to leave and push the back button. So it is very crucial to test all the elements, even the small ones, on your website and to improve the conversion rate to find out better ways to make money online.

Showing your contact information, picture and telephone number can be a strong sign of opennes and reliability, and can open the gates to make money at home. Also publishing testimonials and customer cases can be a sign about the popularity and, yes, about trust.

3. The First Impression Must Show Quality.

No one wants to visit in a disorganized online shop or in the shop, where you do not really know what are they selling, is there anything for you. If you ask how to make good money online, one of the most important factors is the layout, copy and the overall impression, that your site will give to the visitor.

Technically your site must be in shape. There just cannot be broken links, confusing layouts or incorrect or incomplete product information. They are all signs about a bad owner and will lower the trust factor considerably.

4. The Conversion Rate Can Be Increased By Do It Yourself Method.

Do not imagine that there would be some secret formula or software with which you could improve your conversion rate overnight. The only secret formula is your own common sense and your earlier experiences. A good way is to test and to compare your site with the competing ones, especially with those, which succeed better than you do. What a healthy exercise! But that is the way to make money online, more and more!

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Marketing. If You Think Better Ways To Make Money Online, The Conversion Rate Increase Offers Good Ways To Make Money Online. Visit: Make Money From Home

The Hidden Truth about Christians

30 Days To Creating Super Habits

How to Build a Simple Planter Box

Everyone has space for planter boxes on their patio. If you have already built your picnic table from a reputable picnic table plan you could very easily construct many planter boxes. You may even have some treated lumber left over from another outdoor project.

Planter boxes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. This is a simple one that will go with any setting.

You will require 104" (9") of pressure treated 8" * 3/4" pine lumber.

Sides 8*3/4" 2 @ 27 1/2"
Ends 8*3/4" 2 @ 10"
Bottom 8*3/4" 1 @ 24 1/4"
Supports 8*3/4" 2 @ 2"

Cut out all of the pieces square.

The bottom piece is correct.

Now measure the bottom of the sides to 24 1/4", leaving the same amount at each end. Draw a line from the top to the bottom and saw the diagonals off so that each end of the sides are the same. This creates an angled end. (The top of the sides is 27 1/2 and the bottom is 24 1/4.)

Now do the same with the ends. The top is 10" but the bottom is 6 3/4". Half the difference, draw the line and cut the diagonals.

The box should fit together except for the bottom of the sides which will need a little planing to make them fit onto the bottom.

When it all fits, nail together with galvanised or stainless nails.

Nail the 2 bottom supports underneath so that the box doesn't sit directly on the deck.

Bore 4 - 5 1/2' holes through the bottom to allow an excess of water to flow out.

The Planter box is complete. Just add soil and plants to enhance the look on your deck.

This article was written by Philip Griffith, a successful Company Director with over 25 years experience in a number of different industries.

He has been involved in the woodworking related business for over 25 years.

One of his interests has been in the design and manufacture of wooden outdoor furniture Along with his Father in Law, they believe that they came up with the original concept for octagonal and hexagonal picnic table plans in New Zealand.

It has turned out to be a very successful concept and can be accessed at picnic table plans.

http://www.ezpicnictableplans.com

Exposed Wall Wire Mesh

Organic Gardening Tips For Beginners

Many individuals, especially the mothers, are so fond of gardening. They love to decorate the house with beautiful and flowering plants and have many sources of oxygen. It is so nice to garden especially if you are with your family. If you are planning on renovating your garden or you just want to place additional plants around the house, do the natural way. Organic gardening is said to done by feeding the soil and not the plant. This is more advised than using chemicals on the plants to get them to grow.

It is so nice to have a garden filled with fruits and vegetables that are fresh and safe to eat. Organic gardening assures you to give no harmful effects after the plants are harvest. Want to have the best organic fruits and vegetable garden? Here are some helpful tips on organically growing most anything.

Feeding the soil - the soil is the every reason for growing the plants and nourishing them. Microorganisms are needed by the soil to provide nutrients to it. Feed the plant soil with manure, compost, mulches, and chopped leaves. Plants with the right microorganisms are less threatened by pests and other problems for the plant.

Emphasize on Prevention - there are certain guidelines that you need to follow in order to achieve the right growth of the plant. Here are some tips that might be helpful:

Check the site where the plant is at. If it is well lighted, well moisture, and if the soil fits the plants preference for growing. Check also if it receives enough air. Allow gaps in your plants for a proper air circulation.

Clean your garden always. Pick up rotten fruits and fallen leaves. Check plants for black spots and pruning. Remove it in your garden right away to avoid spreading of diseases and problems.
When unwanted pests are crawling around your garden, chemical sprays are not the first resort. Why not just pick it and kill it or use water to wash them away.

If you would closely think of it, organic gardening is not at all complicated. You just have to grow your plants naturally and cure the problems with these helpful gardening tips.

Chemicals may be effective but could also harm the plant. If you really want to have a fruitful and safe outcome of the plants in your garden, then go back to the natural way and achieve that healthy garden.

Why I Am A Presbyterian

With so many types of Christian churches available today how do you choose the faith community that best fits your individual beliefs and needs? The best way to do this is by simple visiting the different churches. Not only attend a regular service but also take part in some other activity as well. Plus you should talk with members to get a sense of the individuals that make up that church community. In order to help others who are looking for a church community I would like to share just why I am a Presbyterian.

One of the primary reasons I am a Presbyterian can be summed up in one word -- tradition. My family has long been Presbyterians and that was the church that I was raised and married in. Whenever I have moved it is always the Presbyterian Church in the community that I visited first and because of my own personal tradition that is the church that I feel most comfortable with. Aside from my own personal tradition with the Presbyterian Church I also enjoy being part of the larger Presbyterian tradition which can trace its routes back to the earliest Protestant Reformation. While the Presbyterian Church is a living body that is constantly changing and evolving it also has a long tradition.

Mission is another important part of Presbyterianism. Presbyterians have long built schools and hospitals in parts of the world where health care and education are lacking. This tradition continues today. Presbyterians attitude toward mission work is not to convert by offering a helping hand to those in need but rather to demonstrate what it means to be a Christian by helping others. We hope to spread the word of God's love by our actions rather than our words. Presbyterians walk the walk while some other Christians simply talk the talk. This is why you find Presbyterian churches in unlikely locations such as remote villages in Africa, cities in China, and small communities in Appalachia. Because the Presbyterian Church came to offer help to that community then the people living there were inspired to become Presbyterians.

Evangelism, or rather the understatement of it, is a key component of being a Presbyterian. Presbyterians believe that you will know we are Christians by our love. I am always suspicious of someone who needs to tell me they are a Christian. I believe that I should know this by your actions and deeds. Presbyterians believe we are a Christian nation but strongly believe in separation of church and state. While many Presbyterians might be community leaders they hold their faith and their leadership apart from each other. Our witness is rooted in the gospel ministries of preaching, teaching, and healing, and in Christ's example of advocacy for the poor, the hungry and the oppressed. Presbyterians believe they are already saved by Jesus Christ and so can focus their life on helping others rather than saving themselves.

Tradition, mission, and evangelism are the reasons why I am a Presbyterian and why other Christians should at least consider joining this community of faith when seeking out a new church.

Read more articles by Renaissance Woman Deanna Mascle at http://deannamascle.com

Article Marketing Tips - Secrets of Turning the Written Word Into a Traffic Generating Magnet

If it is content that rules the internet, the content itself is ruled by the written word. Writing effective content can be challenging unless you have great experience creating content for the web highway. The following article writing tips will help you to create the magnetic content needed to pull in great traffic to your website.

Tip 1: Catching the bull by its horns

Web viewers are looking for information or a solution to their problems. The first article writing tips therefore is to open your article with a statement on how your article is going to address that need. The opening paragraph should inform the outline of the solution or information you are offering.

Tip 2: Organizing the content

Web viewers are always in a hurry and spend very little time on a page. When you make sure that your content is presented in an organized manner in short paragraphs, it makes the reading easier. Breaking up the content into small bits of say 100 words each and presenting it with appropriate sub-titles is the best way to organize your content for the web.

Tip 3: Being simple and straight

Web content usually does not call for high literary skills. Simple language that can be understood by the masses will be adequate. The writing style is distinctly different from that adopted for magazines and journals. Those who read your articles come from every section of the society and English may not necessarily be their native language. When you incorporate these article writing tips into your writing, your articles will acquire that magnetic character.

Fabian Tan is a well-known Internet Marketing expert and the author of the popular 45-page Report:

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

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How to Structure an Article

In my previous article I talked about how to optimize an article to get the highest listing possible in the search engine results. In this article Ill talk about how to structure an article to give the best impression to your readers.

Article Structure

Remember, with any article you are presenting information to your reader and you must make your presentation compelling.

There is a very old but tried and tested rule when presenting information to people. I use this rule every time I write any article and I recommend you do as well.

1. Tell them what you are going to tell them.

2. Tell them it.

3. Tell them what you have just told them.

So right there you have the outline for your introduction, body and conclusion of your article.

Lets use an example:-

Title: Potty Training Your Baby Five Easy Steps

Intro: In this article Im going to give you five easy steps on potty training your baby

Body: List the five potty training steps

Conclusion: I hope you enjoyed my five easy steps on potty training your babyIn my next article

An Article Template

This is the template I use together with the important elements to include in each section

Title : Make sure you include your long tail keyword.

Introduction: Tell them what you are going to tell them and make sure you include your long tail keyword.

Body : Tell them it! 300 600 words. No more, no less. Make sure you break the body up into smaller paragraphs. If you can, add bullet points. A list of tips is very effective.

Conclusion : Tell them what you have just told them and make sure you include your long tail keyword.

Big Tip! Both the Article Directories and the search engines love series of articles, so keep that in mind.

Once you have mastered how to structure an article, not only do they become easier to write but are far more presentable and compelling for your readers. In my next article Ill talk about the most important part of your article writing. How to write a compelling Author Biography?

Would you like a FREE Five Part Internet Marketing Course? Visit my blog Review Reality to sign up today! Its an easy to follow step by step guide to success! You will also receive my FREE e-book "How To Find Hot Niches. Come and join me on my IM adventure! More details are available on my blog.

Hatha Yoga Techniques For Prosperity

Contrary to popular opinion, within different forms of Yoga, there are combined methods of meditation, mantra, and affirmation for prosperity. The world could use some prosperity right now. Should you become too prosperous, as a result of the following practices, you can always donate your surplus to the nearest charity.

There are a variety of mantras for prosperity. For example: Bhakti Yoga practitioners may call upon Parameshwari (the Supreme sovereign Mother Goddess) for wealth, longevity, abundance, and everything we desire in life. There is also the Ardas Bahee meditation, which is a combination of mantra and meditation performed by some Kundalini Yoga practitioners.

There are also many more, but what if these practices collide with your religious beliefs? You may not be comfortable calling upon a live or deceased Yoga Guru or a deity from a religion, with whom you are unfamiliar. Whatever your religious belief, you have the power of prayer or affirmations.

For non-believers, the concept of prayer might not work for them, but the power of positive affirmations is still very significant. To believe in one's abilities to find answers and solutions is a primary step toward any form of empowerment.

For believers, from each of the world's religions, the power of prayer is universal, and it is taken for granted that miracles happen on a daily basis. If people collectively have similar prayers, mantras, or affirmations, this creates a massive rebounding wave in the Law of Attraction.

To avoid any religious conflicts, let's take a look at affirmations. The following are examples of short, and straight-to-the-point, positive affirmations, which are realistic. One could repeat one of these positive affirmations as a preventative measure (to prevent negative thinking) or in times of need.

"I love life and accept prosperity unconditionally."

"I am grateful for my family, friends, and all the prosperity I receive."

"I become more prosperous each day."

"Each day is filled with endless opportunities."

You may be thinking, "My Yoga teacher never covers mantra or affirmations during class. We basically focus on Yoga as an exercise." If this is the case, there is nothing stopping you from pursuing more knowledge. Some Yoga classes focus only on asana (postures).

The reason this happened is because some of the most valuable aspects of Yoga were not as popular as the physical exercises. Past experiences may discourage teachers from discussing the benefits of pranayama, meditation, mantra, kriyas, mudras, bandhas, and so much more. Now that you know the power of a trained mind, there are two ways to advance your practice.

1. Seek out a competent Hatha Yoga teacher, who will show you a path to control your mind.

2. Develop foundational Yogic training. Then, immerse yourself in self-study and Yoga studies. The search for truth is what Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge) is founded upon.

Copyright 2009 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

Honest Opinion on the Existence God

Create Your Day
You Have Got To Read This Book

Religious Freedom and Why - What Does it Mean to You

In the 1600s there were religious groups leaving England to come to America in hopes of escaping religious persecution. These people were strong believers in Christianity and once they arrived in the English colonies had their religious freedom. No one wants to be persecuted for their beliefs.

Why did the founding fathers state in the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Our founding fathers were more than three to five generations away from their ancestors who escaped England to seek religious freedom. How did our ancestors know what the future would be like, if religion was allowed to influence this country's laws, churches and schools.

Thomas Jefferson was one of the leading voices and a strong influence for the freedom of religion. Did this one man have the foresight to see the damage that could be done if this country was ruled by a single religion. Our schools would be dominated by Christian thinking and this would eventually lead the future of this country towards limited possibilities. Freedom allows us the opportunity to expand on our beliefs and change them at will, right or wrong.

Strong religious doctrine must be followed strictly and wouldn't provide us any room to think outside of Christianity. A good example of a close minded system of government would be communism. The Russians couldn't make the changes necessary and lost their status as a world power because they were living within the boundaries of limited thinking. This could provide us with an example of what our government could have led us into if we didn't have the First Amendment or freedom of religion.

Most people take it for granted, that we can voice our opinions, join any religious group we choose and educate ourselves with books from local libraries, free schooling, government grants to promote higher levels of education and to live in a country that accepts change, if it benefits society as a whole.

Freedom of religion allows me to write this article and not be thrown in jail. I'm glad to be a part of the country that our founding fathers had foresight to create laws that would benefit us in the future. Freedom of free speech and religion is a necessity to create a healthy community or government.

Religous Thinking Ideas

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

Small Things Lead To Change

For Home Remodeling Projects, Always Think In Terms Of Resale

Whether of not you plan to sell your house in the near term, resale value should always be a consideration whenever you are planning out a home remodeling project. In fact, you should be thinking ahead to resale before you even buy a house, because you never know when circumstances will change.

Now, having said that, my opinion on the subject of resale is this. You can either make your house generic to appeal to the masses, or you can make it special so as to appeal to the niche buyer.

If your house is pretty much generic, such as part of a development of similar homes (e.g., tract, PUD, etc.), the sale is mostly driven by price, which is a dicey proposition in a weak housing market. But if your house is unique or special in some way so as to fit the particular preferences of only a handful of niche buyers, they will pay more for it ... although it might take longer to sell if no such targeted buyer happens to be prowling your market at the moment.

A major consideration for you in the project planning stage -- or even before you purchase a home for enhancement and resale in the first place -- is to decide what market you envision for the finished product.

In my experiences performing dozens of remodeling projects on several homes over the past 16 years, some of the houses could be described as your basic California single-story ranch-style home on a flat lot, which in general has pretty broad appeal. However, one house with its reclusive hillside setting and acres of avocado orchards, and another with its two-story farmhouse design and horse facility, each appealed to a much narrower spectrum of buyers.

But contrary to what you might have heard, uniqueness is not necessarily a bad thing. Although it might take longer to sell a home with unique features -- and many prospective buyers indeed will not be willing to pay extra for them (and might not want the house at all because of them) -- that smaller group of targeted buyers who are seeking special amenities (such as a horse barn, tennis court, guest house, or swimming pool) generally will be willing to pay up for them. All things considered, I prefer to make a house somewhat unique and special ... but that doesn't mean crazy, artsy, or eclectic!

Focus on high-value projects

It is important for you to focus on high-value-added projects that are appropriate to your market and neighborhood. Of course, many home upgrades will not return the value invested through enhanced sales price -- although they might be appropriate anyway if you are doing it for your personal enjoyment. Just know in advance why you are doing the project, and don't naively assume that any project you do will give you a dollar-for-dollar increase in home value.

A swimming pool might fit into this category. Many homebuyers have no interest in dealing with a pool. However, if you really want one for your own enjoyment, you still should think ahead toward eventual resale and try to optimize its impact on home value. For example, think about placing and designing the pool in harmony with (and perhaps as a focal point of) your landscaping, i.e., think of it as a clean, soothing, and decorative waterscape, and make it as appealing as possible. The overall feel and marketability of your property will be greatly enhanced versus simply plunking a basic concrete & plaster pool and cool deck in the middle of your yard with a toddler fence around it.

Another example might be an elaborate master bathroom, with huge Jacuzzi tub, sauna, and built-in flat-screen TV. Sure, it might be your dream bathroom, but will it really fit with the rest of the home -- or the rest of the neighborhood for that matter? If you have a top-to-bottom luxury home, it might be completely appropriate, enhancing both your home's value and its appeal to that niche buyer.

Otherwise, consider whether the expense will only turn off the target buyers as an extravagance. If you are in a modest neighborhood of similar homes, be cautious of overdoing the appointments relative to what is common in the neighborhood. Although a tasteful extravagance would probably help the house sell faster, it may not add much to the price. So ask yourself, how much will this project really add to the value of my home?

Also, consider the lifetime cost of an upgrade, especially if you are planning to stay in the house for awhile. As an example, vinyl-covered wood-frame double-pane windows might be desirable for their triple benefit: strength, energy efficiency, and low maintenance.

Plan in Advance! You have heard it many times before: If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. So start by seriously asking yourself questions like these:

1. What am I trying to accomplish? Am I fixing up the house to sell, or do I just want to create a more pleasant living environment for my family?
2. Does the house need major repairs that will require permits and contractor involvement, or are these projects that I can tackle myself?
3. Should I stick to a firm budget, or can I use a flexible checkbook to pursue my vision?
4. Do I want to immerse myself in this and get it all done as quickly as possible, or do I want to take my time and try not to get stressed out?

In any case, don't spend impulsively or frivolously! This is a trap I have fallen into, since I'm somewhat impulsive by nature. Write out a plan of some kind. It can be dynamic and changeable, but at least you'll have a basis for assigning priorities and making choices.

And keep in mind; many couples end up on the brink of divorce when they take on home projects due to either the mess, the stress, the duration, conflicting ideas, inequitable division of duties, or the financial burden. So be prepared for this before you get yourself knee-deep in it. It might be better to start small and take on each project piecemeal.

Be smart but not cheap. Seek value in your choice of projects, materials, and contractors. Ideally, all of your expenditures will increase the value of your home by at least the same amount -- but of course, there is no telling for sure when it comes to the future market price of the home.

Finally, allow me to leave you with my personal design credo:

Seek simplicity, comfort and value!

Simplicity means muted neutral colors, bright, open, airy, spacious, and uncluttered. Comfort means designing for function, usability, and durability rather than purely for style. And Value means cost-effective quality, i.e., always seeking good quality for a reasonable price.

If you keep this simple phrase in mind, it will go a long ways in helping you to dramatically and affordably transform your house

Copyright 2008 by Laura Martindale

Laura Martindale is a freelance design consultant and self-taught home remodeling expert. She has performed dozens of home remodeling projects on numerous homes over the past 16 years. Her specialty is dramatically and cost-effectively transforming a house without major remodeling. You can learn more by visiting http://TransformYourHouse.com

Vinyl Double Hung Window

General Tips - Cultivating Herbs Indoors

Cultivating herbs indoors isn't as difficult as one would think. Herbs require little attention except occasional, thorough watering and a good haircut when needed. Your family will appreciate good cooking flavored with homegrown herbs, and if you're really adventurous, you can cultivate tea herbs.

Locating Your Indoor Herb Garden

For year-round indoor herb gardening, make sure your window doesn't get too much sun in the summer. You'll sunburn the poor babies. Full light for 8 hours a day is excellent, direct sun for 4-5 is OK for most. A south window is best, but an east window that gets lots of light is all right, too. A west window might get too hot.

If your herbs aren't happy, move them to a different window. If they are happy, just turn the pots around when you water them and let them alone.

Making Suitable Homes for Your Indoor Herbs

Any sort of pot is acceptable for most herbs. A common rule is to use a pot that's the diameter of the full-grown height of the herb. In other words, if the full grown plant will be a foot tall, use a 6 inch diameter pot. Obviously, low-growing thymes will need a bigger pot than that, so just use good judgment. Allow enough room for the current and future roots so you don't have to repot often.

Use store-bought, quality potting soil, or mix your own. Don't just dig up some dirt from the yard without amending it for your indoor herb garden. Light, well-draining soil is a must, and compost or other organic fertilizers can be added to home-made dirt at a rate of 1 cup compost to 3 cups dirt. Add some sand if the soil is heavy, and sphagnum moss is almost always a good addition. Mix well.

Plant Carefully for Best Results

Cover the drain hole with broken crockery or small stones to keep the dirt from plugging the hole. Fill 1/3 of the plant's new home with potting mix. Hold the transplant in position and carefully add more potting soil to cover the roots. Don't bury the plant too far, but make sure the roots are covered. Tamp lightly with your fingers. Leave the surface of the soil inch below the rim of the pot for pots smaller than 6 inches in diameter, or 1 inch below the rim for larger pots.

Water thoroughly and leave it alone for a few days to get established. If you transplanted from the garden, leave it outside for a few days; if it was a starter, leave it in its former location until it settles in. Always bring potted plants indoors before first frost, and try to avoid sudden temperature changes.

Keep Your Indoor Herbs Happy

Make sure your indoor herbs get good air circulation, but keep from drafts. Herbs like temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees. Don't let them get warmer than 75 degrees. Indoors, herbs like fairly high humidity, so if you've got forced air or wood heat, watch the soil for dryness and spray with a mist every few days to improve the humidity. This will also keep your plants from pest infestations. A great misting spray is weak chamomile tea.

Start out with the easy ones (basil, parsley, and rosemary) and slowly expand your domain to include anything and everything your kitchen or teapot requires. You will soon run out of window space!

Evelyn Fielding is your personal tour guide on the Herb and Spice Adventure of a lifetime. Evelyn offers a unique delivery program to help you learn about great cooking: receive a select group of herbs and spices by mail order, complete with easy and delicious recipes starring that month's herb or spice, and all at a comfortable pace. No long term commitments, no surprises. Subscribe to an Herb and Spice Adventures Series and elevate your food from good to truly superb. Book a culinary adventure now at http://www.10000seeds.com

Used This Experiment Wisely

try this simple experiment while traveling around on your adventures throughout the world.

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.

Would you still be reading this article, if you had no desire, for better life. Find out more by visiting a place for more life-changing skills .

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day
Starting With Simple Things

Difficulties Talking About Religion - Why Can't We Talk About Religion?

Why do people find it difficult to talk about religion? Have you ever heard the saying that there's three things you don't talk about. Religion, politics and other people. I have spent my whole life talking to people about all three of these topics and will continue to do so, because I find religion, politics and people extremely fascinating.

I rarely encounter an individual who would like to speak about religion, but I often, seem to worm a couple of tidbits of information from them. When I speak to someone, I do my best not to make any one feel uncomfortable, because of their religious or spiritual beliefs. This only causes frustration between us and will not get us anywhere.

I did not learn this lesson early but now have it securely fastened into my mind. Hopefully I never forget it, to some people it's more important to be right than happy, I want to be happy and give them something to think about.

Some people when talking about religion can become quite animated and start throwing their arms in the air, jumping up and down, yelling and screaming, calling me names and even threatening me. This doesn't make any sense to me, because they're supposed to be compassionate and loving individuals. What's wrong with them, I know there's nothing wrong with me, what could be wrong with them. Just kidding. Isn't this how we think though.

It seems like most people don't have problems talking to other people whom agree with them. You will find very little difficulties talking about religion with others, whom agree wholeheartedly with your thinking. The difficulties arise when someone brings a topic into the conversation that becomes offensive, because they either don't understand it or have been taught to believe something different about it.

The difficulties talking about other religions or spiritual beliefs, will probably always cause friction, until we start taking some time to understand where they are coming from. If you have somebody that upsets you, when speaking about their religion or spiritual beliefs, I have something I would like you to try the next time you see them.

Try to spend some time finding common ground, ask them about their religious or spiritual beliefs. Gather some information and try to understand, "Where Their Coming From". This could lead you to a better understanding about them and possibly learn something about yourself.

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 book review videos on, Conversations with God

If you're looking for a good book, this one had a large impact on my life has had a large impact on the the founder of Hay House Publishing. If you minutes could change your entire life, so why not take some time and look at the book Game of Life.

Neil Donald Walsch

Is Guilt Feeding on Your Conscience, Affecting Your Subconscious Mind Negatively?

Guilt is one of the largest causes of stress in your life. Stop reading this article for a second and think about the people in your lives that often make you feel guilty.

Now did you really stop reading the article and think about the people in your life who make you feel guilty? Okay well if you did this get back to the guilty feelings so many of us have. Guilt goes all the way back to your childhood, your parents, teachers, friends and relatives have gotten to be pretty good at it over the years, often learning from the same group of people when they were children.

Guilt is definitely a big part of our society and can be found almost everywhere you turn. Have you ever turned the television on to notice a commercial about weight loss. A large majority of Americans are overweight and are targets for a guilt creating society.

I was reading a book on writing magazine articles, when they mentioned a fact that I never thought of, most women's magazines run articles on dieting in every issue. Guilt sells magazines.

Do you think weight loss, dieting or nutritional eating habits, sell magazines? If your answer is no, you should check the financial statements of these companies. They know what sells magazines and guilt or fear is one of their best friends. If you answered yes to the question, you won't have to suffer from the guilt of not knowing the answer.

Guilt seems to work on our subconscious mind in negative ways, often producing harmful thoughts that create stressful feelings in our lives. The longer these negative thoughts are held as truths, the harder it's going to be on our self esteem.

If you find yourself around people that make you feel guilty for something you do or don't do on a regular basis, I would suggest finding new people to hang around with. Gathering negative information from people you consider your friends can only create more damage to your conscience.

If you truly and sincerely do not like something about yourself, tell your friends in a nice way, that you would rather talk about your problems in a negative way. If they have constructive and helpful comments, you would love to hear them. Guilt causes stress and stress can lead to death. If you don't believe that, do some research on stress related illnesses.

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

Greg is currently working on a personal development 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.

Creating Love And Happiness

Positive Thinking - Self Help Tips

I am a huge advocate of positive thinking. I apply it in every aspect of my life. But lately, I have been wondering, is all this positive thinking starting to cloud my judgment? Am I so focused on the positive that I am just not in touch with reality anymore? When does positive thinking become delusion?

It all started about two weeks ago when I started to have a dangerous moment of self reflection. If someone asked me at that point, 'Are you happy with your life?' I would have said 'Sure, pretty much'. I would like to be less busy, I would like to have a bit more time, I would like to see my friends more, but generally, I am pretty positive about where I am with life. The problem is that then I started to question whether that positive feeling was in fact justified, or was it simply a state of mind.

So, I started to examine the facts, which is even more dangerous than self reflection! I started to look at my life as it stands and compared it with how I wanted it to be. I mentally skipped through every aspect of my life; relationship, friends, family, work and self. At the end of it all, low and behold, I wasn't feeling very positive anymore. It was actually a fairly sad and dreary tale.

Now don't get my wrong. I am not saying that everything in my life is awful or that there is nothing good that is happening for me. But, when I looked at where I am and where I wanted to be, there was a pretty big gap between the two. So, for someone that thought life was pretty good and easy, I was suddenly forced to consider that perhaps it was not.

Firstly, I thought about whether my goals were realistic or just down right ludicrous and some did not pass the test. If I did everything that I wanted to, I would never sleep and even then would struggle to get through it all, which resulted in reestablishing my expectations. But, even after that, I realized that there were parts of my life that I wanted to believe were amazing and fantastic, but when I looked at the cold hard truth, were a far cry from what I wanted them to be. For all my focusing on the positive, I had failed to see that the negatives were actually things that mattered to me and simply ignoring them would not make them go away. In this case, I had been so hell-bent on looking at the positive; I was deluding myself and damaging my life along the way.

Armed with this new awareness, I have since been forced to conduct a major review and the outcome continues to remain unknown. And, (surprise, surprise), I feel pretty positive about it! As I said, I am a huge fan of positive thinking. It can be the difference between amazing or ordinary, sparkling or flat. I truly believe that it is a conscious choice and way of life that drives satisfaction and well-being. But used in the wrong way, as I have now learned, it can result in misguided choices and poor direction.

I have absolutely no idea what the answers are for me right now. I am in a fairly confused state as a result of all of this turmoil. However I do believe that I will make all my dreams come true one way or the other, and that is something to feel positive about. So with that in mind, I will continue to bubble along and try to remember my important lesson. Stay positive, but do not lose sight of what is real!

find4me has been created to make it simpler and easier to manage your health and wellbeing. We provide practical information about what health and wellbeing services are available and finding those that are right for you. To read more articles like this one or suggest a topic of interest, just visit our blog

find4me was founded by Kareene Koh and is based around her passion for health and well-being. To find out more about find4me please visit http://www.find4me.com.au

Recommended Teen Reading List

You Are a Beautiful and Important Person!

I am a mother of 5 children and we all known how difficult it is sometimes to raise them when they are teenager. They have to fight against the entire beautiful girl in their class that are looking like model, or even dress like if they were rich. Believe me, there is one thing we should always remember is to make sure that everyone knows they are worthy. I woke up in the morning and see myself in the mirror and tell: Hey good morning gorgeous, you look beautiful this morning'' yes and I believe it! Why?

So many reasons, we are looking at our exterior, what is inside is much more important than the other. Your soul, heart, thoughts, qualities, talent and much more are important. In a minute looking at myself in the mirror I can see all that different things. Of course some of us will see the hair not fix; the face not make up, the mark of the pillow... never mind that is not what is important. I saw in my life someone handicap, she was not able to use her arms or even talk she was paralyzed, but this person was so worthy to know she was so brilliant, she was beautiful inside and outside of course cause her happiness were reflected to the outside.

Today I challenge every one, look at yourself on the mirror and find at least 5 great things about yourself, you are a beautiful person, you are worth to be known those are the first part of a self esteem. Being able to love our self!

Suzanne Carpentier, mother of 5 children and grand-mother of one precious little girl. Have dedicated myself after my big depression to change my attitude and to help others find the beauty in this life. May my article could give you some piece of comfort. We are the only one who could change this world by changing and improving yourself.

Why Do People Go To Church

Be Happy 101: the Happiness Course

Your Happiness Resources

This time, thirteen is a lucky number. Here are thirteen books that can really help you on the road to finding increased happiness:

1. Authentic Happiness -Martin Seligman
A great place to start. Discover your "signature strengths" and use them as much as you can to produce true, long term gratification in your life.

2.The How of Happiness - Sonja Lyubomirsky
Twelve positive steps you can take to being happier, working on areas you can influence, instead of those you can't change much.

3. 50 Self-Help Classics - Tom Butler-Bowdon
The "50 Classics" series of books provide extraordinary summaries of self help books, respectively on prosperity, success, the spirtual classics and several others. Having these excellent books is like having a self help library at your fingertips.

4. Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart - Gordon Livingston
A best selling author, Dr. Livingston uses his experience as a practicing psychiatrist to help us deal positively with many of life's common problems.

5. Your Best Life Now - 7 Steps To Living Life At Your Full Potential -Joel Osteen
The famous tv evangelist provides suggestions for living a positive life. Christians will be able to relate easily to the beneficial message this book contains, but this book can benefit anyone, whether they are Christian, or if they don't believe in God.

6. The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People -Stephen Covey
Provides an excellent structure for setting goals and accomplishing them.

7. A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life's Purpose -Eckhart Tolle
A thorough, step by step presentation to help you discover your guiding purposes. Even though this book was highly promoted by Oprah Winfrey, it would be a real mistake to think that it is only "a women's book". Anyone can benefit from it.

8. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
Great stories that emphasize the point that good decisions can often be made by "thin slicing", using a small amount of information that leads us to a decision that might be the same as if we had taken more time and done more research in making it. Our quality of life, and our happiness, is greatly impacted by our decisions and our thoughts . This book present an alternative view for making decisions, without deprecating more traditional methods.

9. George Foreman's Guide To Life -George Foreman
This is not just "a man's book", nor is it a boxing book, it's one that can benefit anyone. It contains excellent practical advice for getting the most out of life.

10. Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
This classic work provides great guidance for living daily life. Its principles are as applicable today as they were in Roman times.

11. The Right Words At The Right Time -Marlo Thomas
Short two or three page stories by celebrities telling what events made positive turning points toward success in their lives. Interesting reading and contains many good lessons.

12. Happier- Tal Ben-Shahar
Let the author share the secrets with you of finding happiness from Harvard's most popular course. Everybody wants to be happy!

13. The Working Poor -David Shipler
This might not sound like a book that relates to happiness, but it is, because its insights can truly help people stay away from things that are going to make them very unhappy. The Pultizer Prize winning author explains what it's like to be part of the working poor. Anyone who isn't, but thinks they have a good handle on this type of life should read this book. It not only encourages concern and assistance, but it provides very valuable lessons on how getting into this state can be avoided. Poverty is not a plus when seeking happiness, so this book also serves as a valuable cautionary story to anyone who is making major decisions in their lives, regarding education, child bearing, marriage and so forth.

We all need to eat to sustain ourselves physically. Make self-help reading a regular habit to support and guide you mentally throughout your life.

Larry Danks is an Assistant Professor of Business at Camden County College in Blackwood, NJ, near Philadelphia. To these books above, I also add my book, Your Unfinished Life: The Classic and Timeless Guide To Finding Happiness and Success Through Kindness. Let it help you be happier, find personal fulfillment and develop higher self-esteem. http://www.yourunfinishedlife.com where samples from each chapter and reviews of Danks' book are available.Comments may be directed to the author at helpfulmedia@yahoo.com

My book, and the others listed above, are all available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and all major booksellers.

Experiment With Your Waitress

The Secrets of the Mysterious FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Home Loan Unveiled

The FHA 203(k) Home Renovation Loan is perfect for HUD foreclosures, handy-man specials, or any home in need of repair. This is because it offers borrowers the ability to finance the cost of the rehabilitation of a property. And this loan can be used for either the borrower's current residence or a fixer-upper into which a borrower wishes to move. The eligible improvements allowed on FHA 203(k) loans are numerous, and many clients are pleasantly surprised at just how useful of a tool this loan can be. For instance, in addition to typical home improvement loan projects, the FHA 203(k) mortgage loan program can be used to convert a one-family dwelling to a two-, three-, or four-family dwelling.

The 203(k) Program is not offered directly by the FHA, meaning that one cannot apply directly to the government for the loan. Instead, it is offered to the public through FHA-approved lending institutions. It is to one of these institutions that a client applies. And it is one of these lending institutions that ultimately approves and funds the loan. The FHA sets the guidelines and insures the loans to facilitate liberal lending and help with the sale of these loans on the secondary market.

Originally utilized primarily for purchases, the FHA 203(k) loan program was created to help revitalize properties into which families could move and live. As time has passed, these loans have also been made available to existing homeowners seeking to refinance one to four family residences. These residences must be existing structures, at least 1 year old, and be used for residential purposes. This means that they must be owner-occupied. To lenders of traditional loans, these properties in need of repair are considered poor collateral on which they would prefer not to lend. To the FHA, which is committed to expanding home ownership through insurance and more liberal underwriting guidelines, such properties are not only acceptable but also desirable.

The standard FHA 203(k) loan includes purchases or refinances that involve more than $35,000 in repairs. It is available to augment an FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM), insure the mortgage on a single-family housing unit sold from the REO inventory of HUD, or to insure a mortgage that covers both repairs costs and the refinance of an existing mortgage. Once this $35,000 threshold is reached, it is necessary to involve both an appraiser and a consultant. The consultant prepares the work write-up and cost estimate. An architect, engineering or home inspection service then needs to inspect the property to ensure that:

1. There are no rodents, dry-rot, termites and other infestation;
2. There are no defects that will affect the health and safety of the occupants;
3. The existing structural, heating, plumbing, electrical and roofing systems are adequate; and
4. The completion of thermal protection upgrades (where necessary).

As such, on a standard FHA 203(k) loan, the process is often as follows:

• Contact lender for pre-approval
• Locate property & make offer
• Offer accepted
• Home inspection
• FHA 203K consultancy
• Architectural drawings
• Contractor bids & contractor selection
• Appraisal Loan submission & underwriting
• Underwriting conditions cleared
• Loan closing
• Repair begins Final inspection / Title Closeout

The easiest and quickest version of the program is the FHA 203K Streamline. This allows a home buyer or homeowner to finance up to $35,000 of home repairs in the purchase or refinance of a home. It does not involve HUD 203K Consultants or architects. This is because the Streamline is intended to facilitate uncomplicated rehabilitation or improvements to a home for which plans, consultants, engineers and/or architects are not required. The Streamlined (k) program includes discretionary improvements and/or the following:

• Repair/Replacement of roofs, gutters and downspouts
• Repair/Replacement/upgrade of existing HVAC systems
• Repair/Replacement/upgrade of plumbing and electrical systems
• Repair/Replacement of flooring
• Minor remodeling, such as kitchens, which does not involve structural repairs
• Painting, both exterior and interior
• Weatherization, including storm windows and doors, insulation, weather stripping, etc.

So, whether it is to finance an impossible to pass-up foreclosure deal, the addition of a new deck, the replacement of a bathroom, saving the purchase of a home that the bank turned down due to property condition or making a change that turns an ordinary home into your dream home, the FHA 203(k) Loan can help.

Steve Odierno, 34, has spent his entire professional career in the mortgage industry. He writes to help educate present and future homeowners about mortgage products and that which affects them. His Web site, http://www.fhahelp.net, is designed to provide you with the most comprehensive and up to date information about the FHA Home Loan Product.

Christian Thought Movie

Personal Development

Home Owner's Insurance - Flooding

About 20,000 communities have agreed to tighter zoning and building measures to control floods, reports FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). This is due to the fact that flooding is the most prevalent natural disaster and the basic home owner's insurance policy does not cover flooding.

The biggest investment most Americans would have is their home, so isn't it wisdom to protect that investment? Home owner's insurance policy is a compulsory requirement before mortgagors would consider your application and the insurance amount must at least cover the loan. But that is not enough; if you live in an area that is prone to floods then you need to get a separate cover for flood.

The location of your home determines whether you are insurable. Most beach front or ocean side homes (especially those that are in areas that are prone to hurricanes) are considered uninsurable. So you have to bear this in mind as you seek to purchase that beautiful home by the sea side or beach front.

Most communities are now involved in NFIP (National flood Insurance Policy). This makes it easier for residents in that community to buy flood insurance. So check in your community and find out whether they have such plans.

Sometimes flood victims who do not have flood insurance can receive federal aid. But this is a loan that is payable with interest and this happens only if the President declares them a national disaster.

The interest on this loan is about 4% and at the end of the day you pay more than if you had bought a flood insurance policy.

According to NFIP a loan of $50,000 would require monthly payments of $240 which is $2,880 per year for 30 years. Whereas your $100,000 flood insurance premium is $33 a month which is $500 per year.

So considering the above, the best thing for you to do is to buy a flood insurance policy. Bear in mind that there is awaiting period for every insurance policy, so do not wait until there is warning of a disaster before running off to buy one.

InsureMe Home Insurance Quotes

Home Insurance Quotes

Chisomeje Odimba writes for Quality-Insurance-4-Less.

Prepare Your Home for Sale

New interior Design Psychology ideas help you sell your kitchen. You may ask: "Sell my kitchen?"

Yes. Kitchens sell houses. Therefore, prepare your kitchen with home staging ideas for a top-dollar sale.

Seven Interior Design Psychology Home Staging Strategies for Kitchens:

1. Light up dark areas. For a thrifty solution to brighten dark counters, use plug-in night lights. Also, a small lamp looks great on a countertop because the warm pools of light feel "homey."

2. Soften the hard surfaces with fabric, including window treatments and new hand towels.

3. Remove all appliances from the countertops. This one step, clearing counter eye-clutter visually expands your kitchen. Each item on the countertop stops the eye for a second. Fewer accessories let the buyers' eye roam freely and they get the impression of a large countertop expanse. If needed, use a bowl of fruit or flowers to brighten the space.

4. If you decide the kitchen cabinets must be replaced, choose light wood or white finish to reflect light in a dark kitchen. White cabinets convey a sense of cleanliness and spaciousness. Wood cabinets in major cities recover 90-130% of the cost to put it in when you sell.

5. For a moderately priced home, laminate countertops mimic limestone or granite and provide a smooth surface. Upscale buyers prefer granite countertops, but large-scale ceramic tiles with small grout margins produce an effect similar to granite for a fraction of the cost.

6. Luxury home buyers look for walk-in pantries, wood or stone flooring, built-in wine coolers, water-filtration systems, built-in microwaves, and custom lighting. All buyers expect a garbage disposal, a dishwasher, and a ventilation system over the stove.

7. Modern, sleek kitchens don't need softening of the all-hard surfaces (countertops, flooring, cabinets, etc.). However, homes showcasing a relaxed, inviting atmosphere benefit from visually softening additions like new colorful hand towels, a carpet under foot at the sink, and pot holders on hooks near the stove.

No matter your budget, prepare your home for a top-dollar sale. Little home staging strategies entice a buyer to say, "This is my new kitchen."

Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

Jeanette Fisher teaches home sellers five ways to use home staging to sell their homes for top dollar--Fast. For free "Design Psychology for Selling Houses" ebook, visit http://www.sellfast.info

Forming a Good Relationship With Your Contractor

So many people seem to be wary of contractors, but it is possible to form a good relationship with your contractor.

I understand the worry that we associate with hiring a contractor. They have a bad reputation. I've had both good and bad experiences, and each experience has taught me something new. Almost everyone I know has had a bad experience.

And a lot of the distrust we have for contractors is based on those bad experiences that happen ever so often. Ever watch a small claims television show. They are filled with people suing "contractors." Sit down and watch the evening news' solving problems report. You will hear plenty of stories about unscrupulous contractors.

Here's how it usually goes. The contractor is a nice guy that seems to know what you want. Plus, the price is right. He promises that he can do exactly what you want and start next Tuesday. But, he requires half of the estimated cost up front, in order to buy materials or other reasons. He takes your $25,000 and drives off in his nice truck with company logos on the door and is never seen again.

Okay -- it's extreme. And it can go other ways. You are left with shoddy work, or left without it completed. Some people spend months arguing with the contractor or can't even find him.

It doesn't have to happen. And sorry to say, sometimes it is the consumers fault too.

We spend a lot of time making big decisions. Choosing the right house took a long time. There was research into the best mortgage, the best neighborhood and what to expect out of closing. What we often overlook the fact that choosing a contractor to work on our investment is a big thing. This is your home. This is your money.

So take the time to shop around. Check out any potential contractors with the Better Business Bureau, the state attorney general's office and your friends and neighbors. Ask for licenses and references. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Do an internet search for the contractor and his business. Don't simply take the lowest bid, but don't rule it out either. Check on what it would cost you to do the work and compare that to the bids.

But even with the best contractors, things can get stressful.

It is a risky situation. You want a new kitchen, so you hire a stranger to come into your home for a couple of months. And you pay a lot of money. In return, during those months you will have delivery people and subcontractors in and out of your front door. Demolition will destroy your formerly functioning kitchen. You begin to wonder what you have started. Even if the crew and contractor are perfect in every way, you will grow tired of the situation. Everyone does. It's a normal reaction to such an invasion of personal space.

Before you let the situation get to you, take time to step into the contractor's boots for a minute. Chances are that your contractor owns his own business. He can't afford to do the work himself, he has to hire subcontractors. These subcontractors can be the source of problems in timing. So are suppliers. If they don't come through, the contractor gets behind.

All you can really do is be patient. Believe me, good contractors don't want to lose business. Perhaps he could hire someone else, but he may want the best people for your home. How do you know if you just jump down his throat?

The best contractors aren't great businessmen, which often causes problems. They are craftsmen who know how to do a job and do it well. They often run their own offices with the help of their families. And remember, you aren't the only client. While on your job, there are other jobs he is finishing up or bidding on.

So give your contractor a little help. Be honest with him when outlining the potential job. Tell the contractor how many bids you have taken and how his estimate ranks in the list. If you look at the contractor as someone who wants the best for your home, perhaps you can work together to make the renovations easy on both of you.

Martin Lukac represents RateTake Refinance Loan marketplace. RateTake matches consumers with multiple lenders offering low rates. Got too much credit debt? Get Debt help and you'd be surprised what we can do together