Sounds of God

Tell Me Why You Truly Believe in God

2009-10-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

Is God the person that you pray to and every once in awhile, he sends someone down to earth, to answer your prayers, like a good parent. God is always taking care of you, whether you're driving down the freeway at 75 miles an hour, or walking through a park.

Do you really know why, you believe in God? I bet you, that you're starting to think about the question now. As children, we are taught to believe, that God is the ultimate protector of the world and is always looking out for us. This seems to bring us comfort, as we go through our daily lives.

Do you think that Hindu's, Muslim's or Christians, have similar beliefs in their god or gods? I have seen Hindus and Muslims that live pretty good life's. Why wouldn't these people be punished by the other gods or God? If I was the god of Jehovah and got mad at everyone who made false idols or worshiped other gods, why wouldn't I go out of my way to make their lives miserable?

It just doesn't make any sense, if you really spend the time, to think about it. If God is that powerful, why wouldn't he wiped out the opposition? Why wouldn't he be story their possessions?

Doesn't it say something like this in the Bible? God will make people's lives miserable if they don't follow him, yet I know plenty of people that are miserable and follow him. Are you really going to spend your life believing in your personal God, and never questioning his existence or even the origins of your religion.

Ask yourself one question, is God real and if so, how do you know that your right? Have you ever thought that someone else could be right and you could be wrong?

What Did God Really Say

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site: Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

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

Find out a little bit more about Your Religious Freedom

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Is Overpopulation a Religious Problem?

2009-10-02T01:06:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

What About The End of The World

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with superior biblical knowledge , answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

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Could You Be a Married Adulterer? - For Christians Only

2009-10-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read This Today

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

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

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

How To Get What You Want In Life

2009-09-14T23:40:00.001-07:00

Most high achieving men and women are intensely goal-oriented. While most under-achieving men and women have poorly defined goals, if they have any goals at all. This is one of the main reasons why the majority of people suffer from the frustration of feeling that they are accomplishing very little in life.

The ability to set goals and make plans for their accomplishment is the master skill of success. It is the single most important skill that you can learn and perfect. Goal-setting will do more to help you achieve the things you want in life than anything else you can do.

Becoming an expert at goal-setting and goal-achieving is something that you absolutely must do if you want to reach your full potential as a human being. Goals enable you to do the work you want to do, to live where you want to live, to be with the people you enjoy, and to become the kind of person you want to become.

When you develop the habit of setting clear and realistic goals there is no limit to the financial rewards you can obtain. All you have to do is to set a specific goal for financial success your desire, make a plan, and then work the plan until you achieve it.

The payoff for setting goals and making plans is being able to choose the kind of life you want to live. With this being said, its amazing that so few people set goals. Over the past 50 years many organizations and educational institutions have conducted studies on goal-setting. Virtually every study has shown the same startling results. On average, only 3 percent of Americans have written goals and less than 1 percent review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.

With all of this evidence showing what a person can achieve by setting goals. Why is that so few people actually do it? Over the past 25 years I have consulted with and spoken to thousands of men and women about goal setting, and I have found that there are five common reasons why people dont set goals:

The first reason Ive found that people dont set goals, is that they feel theyve done well without setting goals. If its not broken, why fix it?

Given the power of goals to transform lives, Im always astonished how often I hear this from people. Its easy to be satisfied if youve never set goals. Its convenient to say that everything is fine if you dont know where youre going. You can always say that any destination you arrive at is OK.

The second reason I most often hear from people, is that they do have goals, they just keep them in their head. Most people believe in the fewest motions possible to get things done.

A person who thinks this way, does not have goals. They have wishes, desires, hopes, and dreams. Dreams come to all of us as we go about our daily business. Wishes drift in and out of our conscious thoughts. We think of new interests wed like to pursue, changes wed like to make, and great things wed like to achieve, someday. Were pretty sure we have the ability, and fully intend to do all those things sometime in the future.

The ludicrous nature of this way of thinking is that unless those vague intentions are translated into specific goals, they will drift into that never-never land called Might Have Been, and they will take your life with them.

Unfortunately, this is precisely the way most people conduct their lives. They claim they have goals when they do not. Until dreams are translated into specific goals, thay rarely become a reality, and even if they do, the person is denied the deep satisfaction that would have come from translating his or her dream into a specific goal and achieving it.

The third reason I find that people dont set goals is that theyre afraid of failing. The person feels that without goals, he or she doesnt have to worry about failing.

The problem with this way of thinking is that it goes against the foundation of life itself: you cant be born without risk. Youre only kidding yourself if you think you can live without risk, no matter how carefully you tend to the financial, physical, and emotional aspects of your life. There are always risks in everything you do and setting goals involves risk.

You may succeed. But you may also fail. If you fail, then what? Risk taking is part of the process of growth. So is failure. You must be willing to risk failure again and again if you want to be in the company of the worlds most successful men and women.

Make a friend of failure. Use it as a valuable learning experience, a great motivator, and a necessary step on the road to success. At one point or another in their lives, some of the worlds most successful people have been miserable failures. Winston Churchill once said, I would rather fail my way to success than be a successful failure.

The fourth reason I find that people dont set goals, is that they feel that by setting goals and achieving them, they will be expected to live up to their goals in the future. After achieving a goal where is their motivation going to come from to move on from that point?

This train of thought is even more ludicrous than the first three, because you become more motivated as you approach a goal. When you achieve a goal, you will want to try a more demanding one. Nothing approaches the motivating power that comes from systematically setting and achieving your own demanding goals.

The fifth reason I have found why people dont set goals, is that they only set goals when theres a need. I always hear things like, I set goals when I have a major project at work, or when I want a larger house, or a new car.

People with this type of thinking need to understand that goal setting is not an occasional need. It is a process that transforms lives and that mastering this process of setting and achieving goals is at the heart of life itself. If you dont act intentionally, with purpose, you will be condemned to a life of mediocrity, in which anything meaningful occurs only accidentally.

I have given the most common reasons why most people dont set goals, now lets talk about criteria for effective goals that turn dreams into satisfying reality.

1. They must have a definite purpose. Why do you want to achieve the goal?

2. They must written and rewritten every day.

3. They must be measurable.

4. They must be visible in a place where you can see them everyday.

5. They must have deadlines. A goal without a deadline is simply a wish.

6. They must be realistic and achievable.

7. They must be demanding.

8. Goals must be flexible. You will often have to make changes to achieve your goal.

Effective goals will keep you very focused. Nothing will get in your way. Effective goals will liberate you rather than shackle you. They will improve the quality of your life. Effective goals will give your life balance, they will motivate you, they will challenge you, and they will allow you to live your dreams. Without goals, you can only dream your dreams.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of Americas largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

Positive Thinking - Self Help Tips

2009-09-14T10:32:00.001-07:00

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

Grandparents - Following Your Own Passions to Support Your Children, Grandchildren and Family

2009-09-13T21:04:00.001-07:00

Grandparents are often in the unique position of having the time, freedom and resources to begin to live their dreams in new ways.

Whether to Care For Grandchildren

However, this new found freedom may be coupled with feelings of responsibility towards offspring and the pressure to be involved in the rearing of grandchildren. It is natural to want to support your children. But you can do this in ways other than playing a significant role in the care of your grandchildren.

The Importance of Following Your Own Passions

By tuning into and following your own passions, you come into alignment with your own purpose and how that wants to be expressed at this point in your life. You step out of the hum drum of 'shoulds' and step into the adventure of this amazing life.

You tap into your eternal youth, your health improves and your very presence refreshes those around you. You become an inspiration to your children and grandchildren as you give them permission to pursue their own passions and bring forth their own unique gifts.

Your Legacy To Your Family

How you live your life and what you model to your children can be precious gifts for them.

Far greater that any other assistance they had given me (or could have), are the memories and inspiration of my grandparents making decisions based on their own truth and choosing to live their own authenticity even if it was unconventional. I feel so grateful to my grandparents who freed me to express my uniqueness. You too can inspire your children and grandchildren by doing what you love.

What gives you a buzz? What fills you with excitement and possibility? You can take steps in the direction of your greatest dreams knowing that you are passing on great riches to your children, grandchildren and all who come after you.

Deirdre Morris would like to invite you to visit http://www.magicalbeginningsforbaby.com for support around creating magical beginnings for baby.

Crystals for Sun Sign in Taurus

2009-09-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

APRIL 20 - MAY 20

Birthstone: Emerald

Abundance Stone: Peridot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sandstone Beverage Coasters - Utility With Problems

2009-09-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sandstone drink coasters are beautiful pieces of the natural world, endowed with all of the majesty of a towering mountain range, and all of the uniqueness of nature itself. However there are a few considerations that you need to take into account when choosing sandstone drink coasters, as they are not as impervious as some other stones.

First the good. Sandstone coasters absorb moisture. That means they can suck the sweat from a cold glass on a muggy summer day right off of the cup, and then, the coaster will hold it in its belly, until the liquid has a chance to evaporate away. This is an amazing thing, and it all happens naturally, just because sandstone has those big wonderful pores.

The problem is when you add a staining liquid to the mix. Then suddenly the moisture seeping into the pores of the stone isn't water from the air, clear and pure, but red, and juicy, and ready to stain your lovely drink coaster from the inside.

What do you do? Well first of all, you try to keep these coasters away from juice and other staining agents. That much is obvious though. If you do spill some fruit juice on the piece however, the first thing you should do is take the coaster, and immerse it in hot water. The sooner you do this, the greater the chance that you will be able to remove the stain from the inside.

Another option is to just choose drink coasters that have a naturally multicolored face. In this way, the stains won't really matter, because they will be hidden in the natural colors that occur along the surface of the stone. This may sound nasty, but as long as you sue disinfectant and hot water to remove any germs, it is the same as using a dye or some sort of coloring agent to purposely stain the stone. In this way, you don't have to worry about stains.

Coasters.PebbleZ.com offers absorbent sandstone coasters, as well as less absorbent but still functional slate and limestone drink coasters, and non absorbent marble drink coasters. They even carry beautiful gemstone drink coasters.

Grandparenting and Technology

2009-09-12T05:20:00.001-07:00

Many children grow up and move away from their parents and have children of their own leaving the grand parents to become long-distance grandparents. Grand parenting long-distance can be a struggle at first but as you become more agreeable with the idea of bonding with your grandchildren through other means, it will become easier on both you and the grandchildren. Best of all, the experience can still be absolutely wonderful.

With today's technology grandparents can video conference with their grandchildren, asking them how their day was, who they play with and what is going on in their lives - where in the old days it was a letter once a week that took another week to return. There are also instant photographs through the Internet so that grandma or grandpa can see exactly how big their grandchildren are growing on a daily basis. Even small children can benefit from videoconferencing with grandma and grandpa, that way when they come to visit, the child will know who they are and remember them from the videoconferencing. Videoconferencing over the internet is practically free - with just minimal equipment costs.

It's important for grandparents to have a bond with their grandchildren early on especially when they live far away from one another. The exchanging of pictures through the Internet, e-mails and phone calls all help to strengthen the bonds of grandparents and grandchildren. As the children get older they will be able to e-mail or make phone calls on their own to their grandparents.

A parent doesn't have to get a child their own computer or cell phone in order to allow them to keep them in touch with their grandparents. The family computer or the regular phone will do for all the children. Yet, a few basic pieces of computer equipment like: an internet connected PC and a basic web camera on the part of the grandparents and the kids will keep everyone seamlessly in touch.

Brad Percival is a consultant, author and family trends expert. He recommends this great site for grandparenting information as it has helped countless grandparents understand their roles in our modern society. Percival blogs regularly at the Bigger Buzz.

The Bayou Doughnut

2009-09-11T15:19:00.001-07:00

New Orleans is famous for many things including jazz music, and Mardi Gras to name a few. There are so many attractions in the bayou that it can be hard to try all the things you want in the short time you are there. Many people have to take several, or even dozens of trips to get their New Orleans adventures accomplished. One stop everyone should make when visiting New Orleans is the bakery. Not any bakery though, it has to be one that sells beignets, the sweet baked treat that is part bread, part doughnut.

The beignet has been a staple of New Orleans cuisine for decades, but it hasnt yet enjoyed widespread consumption. In fact, it is a major challenge to find beignets for purchase outside Louisiana. There are several places around the U.S. that sell beignets, however they are specialty stores that are only located in major cities and have small selections of these baked treats.

Absolutely the best way to enjoy a beignet is to travel to New Orleans and go to a local bakery which sells them. There is a tradition in New Orleans to eat beignets with sweet coffee, that the French call caf. The combination of beignets and sweet coffee is as delightful as it is filling. The beignet is deceiving in its looks as a light pastry; it is actually sweet bread that can fill you up in no time at all. The beignet is a world famous pastry with little sales outlets outside of New Orleans, so it should be a must on anyones to-do list when visiting New Orleans.

Many websites offer beignet cookbooks, and recipes online, however nothing tastes better then the real thing. Maybe its something in the water, or maybe its just the fresh caf that is brewed to go along side the beignet, but something about eating it in the soul city makes it all the more scrumptious.

Grandparenting - Keeping Up With the Little Ones

2009-09-11T01:37:00.001-07:00

One of my great delights is spending time with my two grandchildren ages 4 and 2. They are bundles of energy and can find joy in so many things.

I have found that the better care I take of myself the more I can enjoy my time with them.

Here are a few of the things I do that help me keep up with them.

1. Get regular exercise

I am convinced that being in the habit of walking regularly is keeping me active and energized. It wasn't always so. I would start and stop and berate myself for my lack of discipline. A few years ago I made the decision that it was important for me to stay active as long as possible. Now that I am 70 I want to also stay flexible for which I do Pilates, have a good mind-body balance for which Yoga is good, and lift weights to strengthen my bones.

2. Be with the children in the moment

Children live in the present and that is something we can re-learn from them. We adults can fret about the past or worry about the future and forget to be mindfully present. When the children and I play I enter their world. I marvel at their imagination where reality and fantasy get blurred. I have also learned when to step back and let them play by themselves.

3. Live joyfully

A positive attitude makes life more fun. For the little ones a kiss on a "booboo" fixes it and life resumes. They don't get stuck with ruminating but can shift to what interests them. Fortunately we have control over our attitude and can do the same. Many things that can weigh us down may not be as heavy as we may make them in our minds. A positive attitude and an active body are energizing and make it possible to keep up with the grandchildren.

For more tips and tools on recharging your life and renewing your spirit please visit: http://www.GrowWithKristina.com and http://www.kristinavonr.com Kristina von Rosenvinge is a self-growth and relationship expert who enjoys teaching individuals how to live to the fullest.

Essential Tips For Grandparents

2009-09-10T11:47:00.001-07:00

It is often said that the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild is totally unique to the general parent/child relationship. As a grandparent, you have all of the benefits of life with a child without the constant day-to-day need to be a disciplinarian, making the relationship one of the most treasured there is. If you wish to further this relationship or improve problems, try the following tips.

Do not just talk.

While the saying may claim it is good to talk, with children this is not always the case. If your interaction with your grandchild is based on you asking questions about their life, this may satisfy your need for knowledge but may actually have an adverse effect on the child. They can feel as if they are being interviewed, and shy away. Instead, get essential answers - such as doctors' results and school reports - from the parents, and make your relationship with the child more fun.

Physical stimulus is the key. Even if you can not run around playing with balls, there is still a lot you can do that will engage the child. For example, if they have a skateboard, a simple request to be shown their latest trick will light the child up totally. Just watching and complimenting is the best way to establish a rapport between you and allow for continuation, and perhaps even develop into a hobby.

Make time for just the two of you.

Many grandparents only spend time with their grandchildren with the child's parents present, for example at family meals and functions. To develop a deeper connection, suggest spending time on your own with the child. Choose an activity or outing you know they will enjoy and do it together. Children often act differently when away from their parents and you may get more out of them by spending time with them alone.

Have something / something that is just for you.

Grandparents can often been seen as just as extension of their parents by children, which is an image you do not want to encourage. It is important to establish yourself as a separate entity, without infringing on the parents general rules and regulations. The most effective way to do this is to establish something that only you and your grandchild do together without parental involvement. If there is a particular hobby or activity that your grandchild wants to try but their parents have not the time or inclination to do, make it "your" thing. This guarantees that whenever the child is reminded of the activity, they will think of you and begin to associate you separately from their parents. Popular activity choices include things that working parents often do not have time for, such as making model aircraft, scrap booking or painting. The feeling of involvement and exclusivity strengthens a grandparent / grandchild relationship tremendously.

All of these issues, while different, address a similar kind of theme - spending time with the child doing what they enjoy. If you try, particularly with younger people, to involve them in your hobbies, their interest may be hard to capture and therefore your relationship suffers. Play with them on their own terms and within a few months you could be closer than ever before.

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Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-09-08T06:16:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

Questioning About Your Religion - Movie Video

2009-09-08T00:45:00.001-07:00

Are you one of those who believed in your religion wholeheartedly and never has doubted it. Watch this video to gather some more information about questioning your religion.

Start Living Your Dreams Today and Create a Wonderful Life For Yourself And Your Family. Greg Vanden Berge is one of the best inspirations on the planet. You will be hearing a lot about this guy in the future. You can count on it.

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

2009-09-07T22:46:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Using Words In The Bible Effecti

Life is a Short Rant

2009-09-07T17:06:00.001-07:00

Life is short, don't sell your soul, life, and time for money for too long of a period. Don't let little things get in your way of what you really want to do. Stop making excuses about why you can't do something. If you really want something, change it from a "should" and make it a "must".

Life is to be experience and enjoyed. Life is not meant to be spent doing something you don't want to do your whole life. Plan out your life so that you can soon do what you want, and work because you want to not because you have to, that is, if you even decide to work. Everyone is looking for one thing in life: Happiness. So why is it that most people want to cling to things that make them unhappy? The answer is FEAR. Fear of losing that sense of security, which for most of us, is a false sense of security.

Quit doing what the average person does or you will end up living a life that average people live. Be a kid again and dream big. Don't let the limitations of your income bring your dreams down. Plan your life in a way that will let you experience those dreams. By doing so you will inspire those around you. Don't get caught up in making a living instead of designing your life. Don't be one of those people who wake up one day when they're old and say to themselves "what happened to my life?" Letting the little things in life get in the way of big things in life is foolish.

You're probably thinking one of three things at this point (that is if you've read this far). One is "blah blah blah, easy for this guy to say, he doesn't know me, he doesn't know how complicated and hard my life is". Two: "Eh, I'm cool where I am right now, I might not being living my dreams, but I'm comfortable". Three: "I understand where he's getting at, but even if I wanted to live out my dreams, I wouldn't know where to start".

1. Whatever you're facing or going through, there are millions of people who have it worse than you. Stop complaining about circumstances. Circumstances happen to everyone, it's what you do about it that matters. If you keep complaining, you will only end up living a life worth complaining about.

2. Being in the middle is probably the worse place to be. You're not living the life you want to live but your life is not bad enough for you to do anything about it. This is where most dreams are destroyed and lives are ruined. We get comfortable. We start rationalizing "it's not that bad, I have it better than a lot of the people I know". If you want to be average, keep rationalizing. If you want to live your dreams, be honest with yourself. Don't be like the dog that whines because he's lying on a nail but doesn't do anything about it because it doesn't hurt enough. Jump on that damn nail as hard as you can so that it will wake you up and get you moving towards the life you really want to live.

3. Everything starts with you. For things to change, you must change. As long as you have strong enough reasons why you MUST live the life you dream of, the "how-to" will eventually come to you. That determination and undeniable belief that you WILL live your dreams will soon attract people into your life who can help you get to where you want to be. Start surrounding yourself with people who will encourage you and who can see you for who you can become instead of just who you are today. Negative people are energy drainers, dream stealers, life destroyers and you should get as far away from them as possible. Your life will never far exceed the expectations from your peer group. Want to know how your life will turn out, look at your friends. If you don't like what you see, get new friends.

In closing, life really is short. Tomorrow was never promised. No one ever said you will still be alive 5 years from now, or even 3 months from now. The more time you spend on doing things you don't like, the less time you will have doing the things you enjoy. What ever it is you want to do in life, start today, don't delay, make a plan and start right now!

Kevin Ngo is the creator of motivational-well-being.com - a motivational resource website that provides free tools to help people stay motivated long enough to create successful habits in order to obtain their goals. Ready to get back on track? You're one click away.

http://www.motivational-well-being.com

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

2009-09-07T15:27:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

It Was You, All Along - By Gary Spinell

2009-09-07T09:33:00.001-07:00

Steps to Self Realization

Gary Spinell writes openly of his journey from low self esteem and self confidence in his book "It Was You, All Along." Gary tells how he created change and the life he desired by acquiring new beliefs and traits by learning to release positive energy.

The book demonstrates that individually we have the power to make our life become whatever we want it to be and that our world is comprised, created and built by the energy of our thoughts, words and actions.

Part I summarizes how American society and culture over the last 50 years have impacted our belief systems. The depression of the 1930s, the generation of baby boomers, women coming into the work force, and the new age of technology are all examples of this impact. Spinell discusses how impatience, discrimination, the quick fix, the concept of suing, and the lack of assuming individual responsibility are all a result of society's influence.

Part II introduces five universal laws and ten key steps that will help you discover how to create the world of your desire and your own reality. I enjoyed the format of the book which highlights significant points and tips. These short synopsis statements and a natural lead paragraph into the next chapter are helpful as they enable the reader to quickly assimilate and retain key points. Spinell challenges the reader to approach their journey with a feeling of curiosity and anticipation.

Gary uses personal examples of applying the universal laws and the dynamic forces at work in the world to create his desired reality. The eight action steps to becoming a person of high esteem were especially helpful. Gary relates his experiences in a candid yet positive approach which allows the reader to identify, empathize, and emulate Gary's success principles.
Spinell's own example demonstrates the success of his formula for inner strength and personal growth. "It Was You, All Along" is a powerful illustration of the importance of resolve, determination, and conviction. It is a practical straightforward guide for attaining success, inner peace and happiness.

978-1432720025, Outskirts Press

As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

The Bible's Power Over One Child

2009-09-07T08:03:00.001-07:00

I mentioned Sean in another one of my articles, the story of a young foster boy that we were taking care of. Sean's father was my ex-wife's uncle, and they were going through some tough times for a while and their three children ended up as wards of the state. We eventually ended up taking the oldest child because he was the hardest one to place and another home. His brother and sister ended up with a family that wanted to adopt them and eventually Sean went to live with them and I believe all three of them were adopted by this family. I don't know this for a fact though.

Sean was a emotionally damaged child. His parents would punish him with some strange and bizarre punishments. They weren't really physical punishments but seemed to leave the emotional scars on him and I often think about where he is and what he is doing.

We watched him for about a year and I learned quite a bit from this young man. He was in the third grade but was still at the first grade level for reading and math. I would spend a couple of hours each night during the week helping him with his schoolwork, I seem to have created some sort of allusion that I would be able to bring him up to the third grade level within a short period of time. Wrong. He must've had learning disabilities and of course I don't think I was that good teacher.

Sean was easy going, polite and extremely obedient. He would do anything to avoid getting in trouble and often blamed others for his mistakes. His punishments must have been more than he could bear before he arrived at our home. I think you're getting the picture about what kind of a child Sean was.

One day I found myself in a dilemma with Sean, I couldn't get him to tell me the truth, even though I knew he was lying. I forget what the problem was but I remember a hollow look in his face. It was almost like he wasn't really there. It was almost like he was just doing time, sitting on the bed, listening to me asking the same question over and over again, "Sean are you lying", but he wasn't even paying attention.

I normally would not punish my children for accidents, and never tolerated lying. I was trying to explain to him that he wasn't going to get in trouble, I just wanted to know the truth. He wasn't budging at all and stuck to his story. I remembered that his mother and father were Catholics and feared the church, almost as much as they loved it.

That's what I came up with my evil plan. I don't know where I come up with these ideas, but every once in a while one pops up in my head and I run with it.

I told Sean that I was going to bring the Holy Bible in, and if he could swear on the Bible that he was telling the truth, I would accept that and this would be the end of our conversation. I couldn't believe my eyes, as he started crying and screaming, frantically and excitedly as a yelled out, I did it, I did it, don't bring the Bible in, I won't do it again.

I couldn't believe that was all it took to get information from him. I have always been a pretty good interrogator and found myself gathering information from those people easily, but this was amazing. His fear of the Holy Bible got me thinking about how powerful this book actually is to some people. I remember when I looked upon this book, pretty much the same as Sean did.

It's just a book, like any other book. It's not made at a holy factory or a secret monastery in the Swiss Alps somewhere, it's made from paper and ink and can be damaged and destroyed like other books. I would be surprised if I threw the Bible into the fire, that it wouldn't burn. I would be even more surprised, if I seen three men standing in the fire, wait a minute that's another story in the Bible.

Is it possible for this book to actually control the lives of people. It seemed to control Sean, I wonder if I, could have actually been driving a nail home that his parents started. Could I have added to his belief, that the Bible is a book from God the creator of everything.

What Happens To Nonbelieving

Developing Real Psychic Power

2009-09-07T02:10:00.001-07:00

In this article I'm going to cover a great tip for developing psychic powers and the magical and mysterious skill of practical clairvoyance. Many of us LONG to tap into the same stream of sensational skills that so many famous psychics, mediums and clairvoyants REGULARLY seem to access, and in my PERSONAL experience, ANYONE can learn how to cultivate these very same skills. So continue reading as I share my top tip for developing psychic powers of your own. Read on..:-)

Timeline Intuition

This is a great tool for learning to "map" your future by simply intuiting the past. It's a bit complex to describe in one short paragraph, but the essential theory is this: Our lives are, for the most part, pre-determined along a series or sequence of possible choices, and their consequential outcomes. Much of this is laid out as part and parcel of your "karma" so to speak, and the choices you make a long the path are fundamentally yours, and yours alone. (which lead to either soul development or regression) By looking back at your past choices, the IMPORTANT ones...you can map out a series of 7-10 important crossroads that you met, and you can track your current state of awareness (or life situation) DIRECTLY from which choice you made at each of those seemingly odd forks.

Future Extrapolation

You then take the very same thought process and apply it to the mapping of FUTURE forks that are upcoming (some schools teach that there are 21 major decisions we will each make in this lifetime) and by doing so, you are able to effectively intuit, or "see" (and feel) a very predictable future. It sounds harder than it is...trust me, it's not only a BLAST to do, it's very accurate, incredibly entertaining, and truly ILLUMINATING as a lens by which to look at your own higher purpose, and how to get there in a hurry! (even if it means BACKTRACKING a bit to get there..:-)

And of course there is SO much more....More that lies possible in YOUR life if you only open yourself up to the possibilities. Simply START by opening your mind, spirit & enhanced AWARENESS and ride the supernatural surfboard into the wild, wacky and wonderful world of the unknown..:-) It WILL rock Your WORLD...I promise..;-)

Who Else Wants to Experience Radical Inner Peace & Magnificent Well Being?

Read on...to discover how to experience almost MAGICAL psychic POWERS blissful meditation and SO much more.......quickly, easily and magically even if you are a complete novice and have no idea what you are doing!

Advantages of Framing With Steel Studs

2009-09-07T00:44:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit us and get more information on House Framing Ideas

Using Words In The Bible Effecti

Motivation and Positive Thinking - Self Help Tips

2009-09-06T18:41:00.001-07:00

There are many ways to improve self-motivation but very few that seem universal.

Many people tend to look at the outside, and tend to ignore the inside where all people hold their esteem. There are 3 simple rules to live by are the three- D's. Desire, Determination , & Dedication. The first step would be to ask if feel the desire to improve yourself! The second step is to put forth effort to overcome. Then finally, you must be dedicated to see to achieving the success that you desire.

If you can remember those three simple- D's, they will inspire so much passion in you to obtain what ever you seek! Motivation is key to what ever we do in life. If we are feeling unmotivated then we feel lethargic. If you are motivated you can really bring excitement and thrill into the most simple tasks. Positive thinking is the key to finding motivation in everything you do! It starts with waking up and thanking the lord for another day. Every day that you wake up, you should have goals to obtain that day. Make it a challenge to yourself that day, you must complete those missions. It will bring more excitement and something to drive your emotions that day.

The four things I try to obtain each day are as follows; Try to make someone laugh Try to read and learn something new and intellectual. Try to exercise and improve your energy. Then try to make a new connection with someone or rekindle an old one. Well I hope this brings some basic motivation spikes that will be implemented for your future success.

Remember that it is all a mindset you need to place yourself in!

"Pura Vida" means pure life in Costa Rica... Now it is up to you to find it!

This article was written by Matthew Gruenke - Please visit my web-site at http://www.mymysterywealth.com
God Bless & Pura Vida

Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-09-06T17:11:00.001-07:00

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

Are Your Prayers Being Answered

Midlife Women in the Age of Miracles

2009-09-06T11:09:00.001-07:00

Are you living your life's dream right now? Women, midlife can be the age of miracles for you. If you are not yet living your dream but are still alive? There's still time!

Victor Hugo once said "Each one should frame his life so that at some future hour fact and his dreamings meet."

There is a story told that years ago, while unearthing an ancient Egyptian tomb, an archaeologist came upon seeds buried in a piece of wood. When they were planted, the seeds realized their potential after more than 3,000 years!

There are seeds of possibility in all of us still. Allow yourself some waking DREAMING... what do you see for yourself?

It's becoming clearer and clearer to me how we create every aspect of our lives - and when we get truly alert - or conscious, we begin to see how we get to SEE in life only that which we have already SEEN in mind..

Do you know where you're going to?
You're going wherever you SEE yourself going...
Take time this week - randomly set an alarm during the day - and when it goes off ask -

is what I'm doing right now taking me where I want to go?

Do you like the things that life is showing you?
It's showing you what you were able to see in the past.
If you don't like what you are seeing - Start SEEING it differently.. Scripture tells us - without a vision, the people perish... Without knowing where you are going - you'll dissipate the energy on things that are meaningless...

How do you see yourself? Where do you see yourself in a year? What are you doing? Who are you being? In 5 years? And ultimately - what's your REAL AIM in life? Women in midlife have the perfect opportunity to ask these questions.

SPEND Time EVERY day picturing what you would have your life to be...

-Create Treasure Maps if you're visual -

-Tell yourself if your auditory...

-Test drive the car if your kinesthetic
You KNOW to do these things-- are you doing them? And,
If not, why not?

You probably have about one third of a lifetime - at least - left. Don't let being a woman in midlife stop you.

This truly can be your age of miracles.

And so, I would like to offer a support system for getting clear on what you want. In fact, I'm all about creating a new Midlife paradigm. When you subscribe to my free Midlife newsletter, you'll also receive instant access to a special report called, "7 Secrets for Reinventing Midlife from the Inside-Out". Go now and submit your comments on my blog Midlife Messages

Dr. Toni LaMotta, Midlife Reinvention Specialist, award winning author, and inspirational keynote speaker.

Bathroom Faucet Leaks

2009-09-06T09:28:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When Do We Get To Meet God

Intelligence - Learning How Other People Think, Feel and Sense

2009-09-06T03:28:00.001-07:00

By interpreting your dreams, you will understand how your psychic sphere works and how you can develop all your psychological functions and stay away from depression, craziness and suicidal thoughts. Moreover, you will also understand how other people think, feel and sense, what will help you avoid misunderstandings and other problems in your relationships.

First of all, you will have clear information about the person you love, so that you may understand if this is really the ideal person for you and what you must do to have a peaceful and happy relationship.

However, everybody is important in your life. You may never have cared about trying to understand the others, but this is a crucial matter.

In my ebook concerning craziness prevention through dream interpretation, I summarized the psychological types defined by Carl Jung in his book (2 volumes) "Psychological Types," because one cannot understand why one must develop the psychic sphere, what to learn in order to be balanced and why dream messages are so important, without knowing about the 8 existent psychological types and their defects.

This is important not only for your own development but also to help predict other people's reactions to avoid fights, misunderstandings and manipulations against you. Of course, you shall not use this knowledge to manipulate others because you can predict their reaction. Your intentions in life must always be good if you want to avoid problems.

The comprehension of the psychic sphere function in each one will give you many answers for many questions you never expected to have because you'll understand the roots of the human behaviour.

The light of wisdom will eliminate your doubts and your complaints about other people's behaviour. You'll be able to trust your friends and partners without fear and avoid relationships with psychological types based on the opposite psychological functions of your psychological type. This will save you from unnecessary conflicts and help you distinguish people who are compatible with your character.

Prevent Depression and Craziness through the scientific method of Dream Interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by Christina Sponias, a writer who continued Jung's research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere.

Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com and http://www.booksirecommend.com

Click below to download your copy of the Free ebook
Beating Depression and Craziness

The Bible's Power Over One Child

2009-09-06T01:55:00.001-07:00

That's what I came up with my evil plan. I don't know where I come up with these ideas, but every once in a while one pops up in my head and I run with it.

Impact Of Christian Mentors

The Importance of Goal Setting

2009-09-05T19:48:00.001-07:00

The whole point of setting a goal is to help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. If you set goals and work toward them diligently, you can have all the things you want. People who set and achieve their goals are people whove decided what they want, committed themselves to going after it, and havent let anything stand in their way short of violating the rights of others.

A proper goal gives you all the incentive you need to grow in your awareness of being a perfect expression of an Infinite power, designed for excellence and abundance. As you become more welcoming and aware of your relationship with God, and of all the potential thats been built into you, youll function more effectively in harmony with the laws of the universe. Living in synch with all of this will yield results youve never dreamed possible.

They say that awareness is curative. It gives deep meaning to life because it spells the end of your robotic existence no more walking in the deep ruts formed by your harmful programming and counterproductive thought life. These old ways of thinking arent ways youve chosen they were planted in your heart when you were young by your parents, teachers, and religious leaders. While some of these programs serve you well, many of them are harmful and ready to be replaced. The old way of living has kept you from a truly abundant life.

But, in order to truly change, your old habits have to be replaced with new, healthy practices. Having a solid goal in place serves as a constant help as you do this. In fact, without a specific goal, youre unlikely to ever make a significant change in your life. While youre on your way toward achieving your goals, you learn to choose which thoughts youll allow into your mind. Youll see the connection between these thoughts, the feelings and attitudes they produce, and ultimately the results they yield. Its not something someone else can do for you.

Ever notice how your life never really stays the same? Youre either improving it or damaging it your actions arent neutral. As a spiritual being, your spirit constantly seeks expansion and greater expression. When this deep desire is thwarted, you experience a feeling of dissatisfaction. That feeling is unpleasant enough to serve as a good motivator. We hate feeling unfulfilled, and work diligently to escape such an unpleasant feeling. Well do pretty much anything to satisfy this need.

This need for fulfillment goes way beyond just things and money although they are important. They give you comfort and opportunity. It goes beyond happy feelings or a sense of peace although theyre important, too. Our drive for complete fulfillment includes these things, but goes so much further its a deep desire for a big purpose, something that catapults you into creativity, into meaningful and effective service.

Great you were created to pursue worthy goals. How do you set them? How do you go after them? What can you do to make sure you achieve these grand goals?

Half the battle with goal-setting is determining exactly what it is that you want. Sounds easy enough you answer that question just fine at a restaurant, on your birthday, when you get your hair cut. But when it comes to the big what do you want question, minds go blank. We dont know whats okay to ask for. Whats too much? Am I overreaching? How am I going to feel if I ask for something thats beyond possibility?

Wow, such bad programming we pick up! Ask any little kid what they want to be when they grow up and youll hear answers like: the President, an astronaut, a gazillionaire, a cat, a rock star. Nothing seems impossible; nothing seems like itll come back to haunt you if it doesnt work out.

Deciding what you want is risky. Telling someone else can feel uncomfortable. You might feel like youve got to preface it with something like, Please dont tell anyone Can you keep a secret I know it sounds crazy, but But you know what? People who set and achieve awesome goals are risk takers theyve learned to be. They know that theyve got the privilege and duty to design their own lives, make their own decisions. They dare to dream, and dream big. The power is in going after what you want, not in going after what you need.

Think you dont have what it takes to meet your goals? Then heres some great news youve already got everything that could ever be necessary to produce amazing results in your life. Youve got access to all you need whether you see it right now or not. So, dont worry about that as you choose goals. Assume you have every resource you need, right at your fingertips because you do.

Andrew Cocks and Terry Zambri are Certified Life Success Consultants, Network Marketing and Internet Marketing Coaches. Their exclusive 3 step marketing system, combined with their unique home based business training program is creating massive success for their team. Visit: http://www.AndrewAndTerry.com/incomeaccelerationsecrets.html to learn how you can be coached by them for FREE.

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

2009-09-05T18:19:00.001-07:00

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

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

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

Spirituality Information - Murder Your Motivation

2009-09-05T11:56:00.001-07:00

For ten years i made the same mistake again and again.... I cannot recall a single morning when i got up full of energy and raring to go. There was nothing which motivated me. I used to work for the best companies across the world but they mattered very little deep down within me. I wanted to do something else, something so big and so unique that has never been done before. The biggest mistake i made was I thought that i can achieve all my dreams only if do it full time and quit my job.... I did not have the guts to quit my job and so i just thought and thought about my dream and did nothing else about it ... One fine day however ....

It was Jan 12th 2004. I was doing very well as an employee. Great salaries,top position and it was all looking very good for me from the outside. But my deepest intention of being a full time motivational writer remained only a thought and nothing more.... I can still recall that day . I was so frustrated that i locked myself in a room and screamed to my dreams within" Never again bother me . Get out of my life and let be be the ordinary man i always was.Get lost right now !" I stabbed my dreams a dozen times and murdered it so that it never troubled me again....

By evening of that day i was feeling very light as if a huge responsibility had been taken away from my shoulders. I killed my dreams and now i was free.. I had no pressure. It seemed to me that I was carrying a mountain of dreams for the last seven years without fulfilling any of them. I felt as if it was the best thing to happen to me.. Now watch what happened during the next two weeks...

Jan 13th 2004.... I get up at 4.30 am . I am so happy . I dont know why.... I listen to my favourite music and then I sit for meditation. I head to my workplace after having breakfast..

Jan 14th 2004.... I get up again at 5.00 am and am feeling very calm within. I dont know why....

This continued for two weeks and then on ....

Jan 28th 2004.... Something very strange happened in my morning meditation. It was as if someone entered into me from outside and was not willing to go out..... The experience was very strange....That someone i later realised was my Inspiration, my real goal, my dream, my life and my purpose in this world.That was my real intention and God was kind enough to reveal it to me. From that day on a voice within spoke continuously to me that my real purpose in life is to build centres where Life changing thoughts are preached and that help will come as i gain strength and momentum in my internal world... This experience did not leave from then on... It caught me by the neck and reminded me of my real intention every day.... Slowly but surely i made progress in my internal world. I did not experience any frustration.... Now i had a great dream, and the plans for achieving those dreams were revealed daily to me from a source far greater than me which was genuine. These plans did not come all at a stretch but they came in bits and pieces as was necessary . I was warned from that day on that i will listen to two voices and i should be capable of recognising the force of God...

Within one year i quit my job. I did not try hard to quit my job . My job disappeared all by itself.. I am still far of from reaching my goals but i have a dream and it just does go out not even if i scream or stab it a dozen times. This dream is genuine and rock solid .....

The two most important definitions you have to learn in life are Motivation and Inspiration. Motivation is when you go after a goal,or a dream and set plans to achieve it.... This could be many times frustrating and on most occassions even after you achieve your so called dreams you are not happy. But inspiration is something totally different... In the case of Inspiration the dream gets hold of you instead of you going after the dreams. It works its way inside of you and just does not leave you. You are forced to take action.... Inspiration is genuine and is the force of God ... Motivation is good but is man made...

Don't go after things in circle. Murder your motivation today to allow Inspiration to take over. It could be the best thing that could happen to you.... Motivation is cheap, inspiration is genuine. When you are motivated you have to run after things, when you are inspired things work in your favour. Both good and bad events take you to your dreams... It might take a while for you to experience all this but this knowledge should be nailed at the back of your mind....

There are three basic steps you could take starting today as you proceed to murder your motivation.

Lecturer, entrepreneur and Fortune 500 business consultant, Vish Writer is the author of the Amazon No 1 bestseller, "The Joy of Becoming God" For more information, visit: http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com http://www.vish-writer.com

Is Money a Big Part of Organized Religion?

2009-09-05T10:41:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nothing Will Be Impossible

What Happens When What You Hold on to is Gone?

2009-09-05T04:25:00.001-07:00

Attachment.

Something that most of us have in common despite of our race, religion, gender, age, background, status, etc. It can be tangible or intangible. But whatever it is, it has this invisible glue that holds it well together with our identity, with or without our knowing.

What are the most obvious forms of attachments we can observe?

- Lovers who can't be torn apart.
- A strong belief to an idea.
- A sense of belonging to any material things.
- A job we have
- A status we have earned
- A reputation we have tried to build
- Etc

But what happens when it's lost? Will you lose yourself in the process of losing "it"? Or will you be liberated as nothing will hold you back any longer? Will you give up on life or will you move on and find new meanings from other things?

It was the teaching of Buddha to be detached from stuffs (including living beings) to be able to reach nirvana but for us who have been brainwashed to the concept of ownership, this habit dies hard. It's not easy. And the fact is between attachment and detachment, there lies a very fine, fine line. How do we cross over to each side depends on our own sheer will power and self control.

I used to be so detached with the hatred I have towards the riots that happened to me in 1998 (during the Asian Financial crisis). It was a horrible experience where I was in the house which windows were stoned to pieces by the natives. I carried my hatred for at least a year and every time I saw a race that resembles to those who have ruined my belongings, I detested them. I didn't know this "attachment" to the feeling of hatred had made me so weary. And what do I gain for having this attitude? NOTHING! Not only I stained one race just because of few rotten apples, I was so delusional that I thought my hallucinations were my reality.

In fact I lost more. I didn't notice the beauty of possible opportunities should I have let go earlier. Yes, the event was horrible, but it doesn't mean I have to be a horrible person because of it. I've learned to embrace the diversity of opinions and perspectives and indeed there is not one way as the right way. If there is only one right theory for everything then till now we should believe that the sun is revolving our earth. Oh, how silly will that be?

I know the example that I've given above may not be similar with what you are holding to now. You may be holding on tightly to your loved one/s in which without them you feel empty. It's time to think for yourself, if they are really gone from the surface of earth, will you really be empty? Can you feel the void again with something else? Won't you loved one/s want you to move on and be a better person rather than grieving about them for lives and actually given up life just because of their departure?

When something is lost along the way, it's very normal to grieve and cry your heart out. But don't take too long. Give your heart and soul a break. If it's not for your own sanity sake, do give your loved one/s a break too. Don't you think he/she/they/it will feel the pain knowing that you can't let go of the attachment that is of no existence? Don't you think you deserve to be happy?

When you lose something you can't live without, you should not lose yourself. You should feel liberated not in the sense that you've been imprisoned all these while and it's the time you claim your freedom. But you should feel liberated because you are a better person than before. You are liberated from the old experiences and new things will come your way.

Take your time to sob but don't forget you deserve to be on top of your life. All will be well again and remember to smile because it has happened in your life.

Donna Daritan is a life learner and sharer. Constantly picking up lessons in life even in her own bathroom. She has a not-so-secret fetish on quotes and phrases that speak to her heart and religiously sharing it on her blog http://www.dd-discovers-quotes.blogspot.com You can find out more about her wacky side too at http://www.donnadaritan.com

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-09-05T03:04:00.001-07:00

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

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

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

Finding out How Much Things Cost

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

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

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

Figuring out the Labor

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

Give Yourself a Cushion

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

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

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

Meditating On Religious Scriptur

Higher Self

2009-09-04T21:01:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you might allow your emotional input to dictate your choices, which could be an indication that you are acting compulsively. The best way to make a distinction between intellect and emotion is to engage with your higher self to hear the wisdom of your spirit.

Your higher self (a.k.a. subconscious or collective unconscious) is connected to the universe, and also has access to your thoughts and feelings. Consider your higher self (subconscious/collective unconscious) as having a helicopter view of your actions, reactions and goings on in your life. It has the ability to weigh all the factors from a neutral place of peace. Even before a sudden impulse can be triggered, you can go within the space of your higher self by taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly-quieting your mind-to access the wisdom within. Meditation or yoga are also highly effective in helping to connect with the higher self.

When you practice connecting to the wisdom within regularly, you will learn to discern quickly which voice is advising you. When you notice it is the ego mind or an emotional aspect, you can stop it in mid-stream.

To learn which aspect is in control you can look back to learn from previous choices and recall what your inner guidance was advising you-albeit you might not have followed it. You will learn when you have listened and when you have gone against its direction, and this information is helpful for your learning and growth. Every choice you make is an opportunity to learn about life and about yourself as you co-create with the universe.

There is no right or wrong, only choices that take you closer or farther away from your goals. Growth is a process of trial and error; experimentation. The 'failed' experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately 'works.'

When you use your higher self you know you have your best interest at heart, you can listen and trust you will be on the right track. The answers to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen and trust.

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

Checking the Building For Square

2009-09-04T19:32:00.001-07:00

The most important thing when building a home is the ability to keep everything as square, plumb and level as possible. Starting with the foundation, if the foundation is not square or level, the rest of the house is going to be out of alignment.

You've probably heard the saying, start with a good foundation. This applies to the building industry as well. There are quite a few ways to build a square foundation, it all depends on what kind of tools you have, to build it with.

Some of these tools can be quite expensive but it used every day can save you a lot of time and of course time is money.

You don't need expensive tools to build a square foundation. You could actually build a square foundation with less than $100 worth of tools. It might take you a little longer but could be done.

Let's start with the 3 - 4 - 5 rule.

Okay lets see if I can explain this in layman's terms. If no West side of the foundation is 3 foot and the north side of the foundation is for foot, then the diagonal measurement from the southwest corner to the northeast corner would be 5 foot. Out of square building can create foundation problems

This can also be done using 30' x 40' should equal 50 foot. You can use this if the building is large and you need to check it for square.

By measuring the foundation diagonally from each corner, the measurement should be exactly the same. If it isn't, the building is out of square and should be adjusted before the concrete is poured. This measurement should always be checked before you get too far along in the form building process.

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

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at concrete contractor basics and home building ideas.

If I Hate My Brother

Self Improvement - Information is Power - Improve Information Flow With Upgraded Google News Alerts

2009-09-04T13:31:00.001-07:00

For those of us who are informationally inclined Google has bettered their best efforts in delivering us their news. Now when you take Google News Alerts you will not only get the latest articles in your carefully chosen topical key-words, but also you will now see pictures that accompany these articles or even logos of the companies in the news that are involved in the stories that are in your list of articles.

Why is having pictures on Google News Alerts so cool?

Well, you might be asking what is so innovative about pictures accompanying the articles that are in your Google News alerts and you could say that they are irrelevant. However, you will have to admit that the new visual presentation is very cool and it breaks up the monotony of a whole bunch of text. Indeed, it is a visually appealing, but the pictures also tell a story about the story and help you decide if the article presented is really something you wish to learn about or click on to get your daily information.

How do Google News Alerts Work?

Well, first you go to Google's News Alerts page and put in your email address plus the information that you wish to receive. Google scans the internet, blogs, news and whatever else you deem appropriate and its special algorithm gives you the information by email. Here is the web link to sign up:

http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en&gl=

Getting a steady stream of news delivered to your email in-box will keep you heads-up on your industry, sports, or other personal interests. Information is power, so power up with Google's new and improved Google News Alerts. I do.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

2009-09-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

Living Well Costs Less Than You Realize

2009-09-04T05:58:00.001-07:00

Actually, it has little or no cost at all. For you see, the ability to live well or have quality in lifestyle depends on where your Human Thermostat is set and the standards and values you hold for yourself.

We are all in business and we all have a life to live. Our business is securing the sustenance required to survive and that we deem important to comfort and continuation such as:

Home and shelter

Food and drink

Clothing and possessions

However, there are others areas of life that must be addressed during the years. Relationships are a major source of emotional extremes and often test the boundaries of comfort and discomfort. Health issues and overall physical and mental wellbeing and stability also eventually demand the attention of the individual. Even death is something that one must learn to face with dignity.

You don't have to go in circles or live in that inescapable rut. Simply turn up your Human Thermostat. Examine yourself with a clear and rational mind. Identify your weaknesses and learn to refine the person you are. Raise your standards as a human being. The quality of your life, what you are and will be and what you have is your choice. You choose to be who you are right now.

Define what it is in life that you envision as living well and the components that make up such a lifestyle. Those should be your focus. If you are ever going to attain a more vibrant and productive life you need to focus on the aspects that define what such a lifestyle means to you.

Stop wasting your time on an existence that doesn't fulfill you as a person.

Raise your personal standards and values

Refine your principles and morals

Redefine your character and personality

Once you learn to change the person you are you will find that the process also changes the results you get and ultimately what you become and have in life. You create your own future in the level of the Human Thermostat. Many of the people who are interested in extreme makeovers and personal change focus on weight, clothing and physical alterations.

True change comes through the revision of how you think and what you base your thought on. Once you think differently your mind responds by telling your body to function in a manner that will make this thought pattern a reality. If you raise your standards and live well your mind accepts this as true reality and guides you along this elevated lifestyle pattern.

Changing your belief structure and the way you live has little cost. Certainly, this is not a call to go out and purchase expensive items. This is a personal challenge to revise who you are and the way you think on a daily basis. Poor people think poorly. They surround themselves and marinade in poor and personal misery. They sit and ruminate over what has or might have been.

People who live exciting and fulfilling lives think at a higher level of quality. They are not accepting of mediocre results and don't seek the easiest or cheapest way. Because they think with quality, they also live with quality. They are not just living better, they are living smarter. Each day they seek out new methods of living a fun fulfilling life.

Think about your life right now. Are you focused on quality and living well or the negative issues and things that you see as problems? You are what you focus on the most. If you focus on problems your life will become a repository of just that. Learn to break that pattern of focusing on only the problems and negatives of life and begin to realign your focus on the quality and purpose of your living years.

AJ Gentry, author of The Human Life Map: The Secret Path Of Life, and Human Excellence Technologies, has pioneered human behavioral research for more than three decades. He invites you to visit the The Human Life Map | The Secret Path Of Life Blog http://www.thesecretpathoflife.com/blog or Hu2 Q&A Blogcast http://blog.thesecretpathoflife.com as he shares knowledge from precursors like Living Dynamics and Success Dynamics.

Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-09-04T04:20:00.001-07:00

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

What Happens To Nonbelieving

A Choiceful State of Being

2009-09-03T22:17:00.001-07:00

Julia Cameron in her world famous book The Artist's Way writes about, and for, blocked creatives. That describes not just the writers and artists for whom she initially intended her book, but all of us at one time or another. Being blocked is a fearful state of being.

What keeps us blocked and unable to find creative solutions to our challenges is being in this fearful state. It's like a catch 22 - you can't find solutions to your problems because your problems keep you in a state of fear where you can't find solutions to your problems. As I've written before, when you are experiencing fear you are accessing a portion of your brain called the Reptilian Brain.

This part of our brain is the first brain we had in our evolvement and we still have it for a good reason. It allowed us to survive back in the days of dinosaurs and still serves us in our modern day survival.

To this part of our brain everything is either something to flee from or something to fight. Either fight or run. Notice that there is not an array of choices here. In today's world this translates into the form of the threat usually being a person, rather than a dinosaur. We still react the same by either wanting to fight or run away. Now, however, the fighting may be verbal and the flight may take the form of avoidance.

Luckily for us our brains evolved and we now have additional portions of our brain which we can utilize. The cerebral part of our brain is one of these "new" areas and is where we get creative.

It's where we visualize, create, and and are able to find new opportunities as we "see" choices and solutions.

Using our cerebral brain puts us in a choiceful state of being.

When we move our awareness out of the Reptilian part of our brain and into the cerebral cortex we begin to find choices that are far better than the limitation of only fight or flight. We begin to see choices that lead to collaboration, win/win solutions, harmonious relationships, and most importantly, peace.

Sounds great, doesn't it? But when your consciousness is in the limitation of the fear based Reptilian brain, how do you move it into the creative cerebral cortex? It's quite simple, actually.

Visualization
When you visualize you are automatically moving your awareness out of the Reptilian brain and into the cerebral cortex, activating this creative portion of your brain. Any form of visualization will work. Here's a few suggestions:

Draw a diagram or mind map of the situation. Begin with diagramming the issue and as you work with it and your awareness moves into your cerebral brain, you'll begin to see alternatives and choices. Include them in your diagram or map.
Close your eyes and envision the situation as if it is on a stage and you are the director. As you are watching the players - including yourself as the star - how might you make changes to the plot for an equitable outcome?
Use a visual tool such as a Tarot card. Select a card at random from the deck and describe what's happening in the picture on the card. What are the choices the people on the card have in regards to their situation? How does this relate to your situation?

Living in a choiceful state of being gives you and everyone around you the gift of living in harmony rather than conflict, collaboration rather than competition, and inevitably, peace.

Kathy Wilson helps people get their life unstuck using a multi-faceted approach. She and her clients utilize life coaching, spiritual consulting, NLP, vibrational healing, and teaching... whatever is in her client's highest and best interests. She's a Certified Professional Coach, spiritual teacher, Reiki master, vibrational healer, and author of An Inner Journey: Living Your Life Purpose. For information about her products, services, and classes, visit her websites: http://www.under-one-roof.net and http://www.aninnerjourney.com

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

2009-09-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

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

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

Wrong With Bible Verse

Secret Code to Success

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

What makes a person rise above the ordinary and achieve greatness?

What is that thing, that spark that makes someone so magnetic and full of vitality?

The answer lies in their S.M.I.L.E.

S - Self esteem. This is the basis for everything you do in life. A healthy self esteem is the key to unlocking your true voice, your path to fulfillment and greater joy. So, how do you develop strong self esteem?

Start with your beliefs. Your beliefs create your perceptions, which create your reality.

As Tony Robbins says, Change the story you tell yourself and you can change your life.

M - Motivation. Discipline is easy when you're motivated. Achieving goals is easy when you're motivated. You'll also be much better at overcoming obstacles like procrastination, fear, anxiety and all those other self defeating habits when you've found your motivation.

So what's the easiest way to tap into this energy? Find your passion in life! Tap into your true calling, the one thing that will get you excited and ready to jump out of bed every morning looking forward to the day. Find this and motivation will appear almost as an afterthought.

To find your calling, spend some quiet time alone and listen to your thoughts. Keep a journal or work with a life coach to uncover your hidden gifts and talents. Magic happens when you find the answer to this question!

I - Imagine. Visualize the life you want to create. See it as if it were already real. Write down your vision in present tense. Create a life goals board and keep it on your desk. Imagine often and in depth.

For example, if you visualize a new car, think about what it looks like, what it smells like, what the interior feels like. The more senses you can get involved, the better.

Why is this so important?

Because if you stay focused on a clear vision of your future, the universe will conspire to make it a reality.

L- Leverage. Leverage any and all of your talents, resources and skills. Many, if not most, of those who have achieved greatness have surmounted extreme obstacles and challenges to obtain success. They looked at whatever they currently had to reach their goals. If you don't have money, find time or use your creativity to move to the next level. There is always a way, it's just a matter of maximizing everything you have within your grasp.

E - Environment. First, surround yourself with people who are on the same journey as you. This will provide you with needed encouragement and support.

Next, find mentors who have achieved what you want to accomplish. They can challenge you, help you develop your potential and turbo charge your path to success.

Finally, create a dream team of experts who can complement your weaknesses or allow you to focus only on the most important aspects of your growth. For instance, if you're starting a business you would want an accountant, lawyer and insurance representative on your team.

In short, provide an environment that nurtures your inner spirit, change and personal growth.

So now you know the secret code to success.

All you have to do is focus on your S.M.I.L.E.!

Want to discover even more about the secret code to success?

For a FREE subscription to the premier online self growth magazine for women, visit http://www.RediscoveryWomen.com Filled with articles, videos and audio covering all types of self growth areas, you'll find the secrets to success...and the key to tapping into your unique gifts and talents.

Join our sisterhood of rediscovery today!

Dog Creates Remodeling Nightmare

2009-09-03T13:25:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

Life is a Short Rant

2009-09-03T07:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.motivational-well-being.com

The Bible's Power Over One Child

2009-09-03T05:56:00.001-07:00

That's what I came up with my evil plan. I don't know where I come up with these ideas, but every once in a while one pops up in my head and I run with it.

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

Turning Passions Into Profits - Author Christopher Howard

2009-09-02T23:34:00.001-07:00

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying "People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results" and whilst I am not sure that today people love chopping wood, they certainly love seeing immediate results. Think for a moment about the lives of people around you maybe even yourself and see how the need for instantaneous results dominates our cultural psyche. It is all NOW! NOW! NOW! - We have become like a petulant 2 year old, screaming to whomever will listen - "I WANT IT NOW!" (please feel free to insert whatever IT is for you)

That is exactly how I was three years ago when I picked up the book "Turning Passions into Profits" by Christopher Howard. I was excited and motivated reading and re-reading the book, soaking up every word. I decided that I did not want to be a Billionaire and as Chris says 'you can always scale it back'. So I set my sights on achieving the long-term results I wanted and used the tools and strategies as written.

Turning Passions into Profits provides specific techniques for closing the gap between where you are today and where you would like to be. In this book, Christopher Howard teaches powerful, innovative tools for modelling and replicating the ultimate success of some of the World's greatest leaders and billionaires.

Not instantaneous results but instantaneous change cemented in place for MASSIVE results.

With the ability to select and incorporate some of the traits, strategies, thought patterns, and behaviours of those already achieving results, individuals can plot a course and arrive at a chosen destination greater than they ever thought possible.

When I look around at my life right now, it is miraculous! Sure there are still things I am working on but the long-term results I have achieved in nearly every aspect of my life far out shine any IMMEDIATE result I could have wanted for myself. I also have the confidence and assuredness that I created it all and will continue to creating even bigger results in the near future.

"The more you chase the Holy Grail of short term performance, the less you get in long-term results". Walter Calbot.

If you want to create change that will create results you only dreamed possible then Christopher Howard's "Turning Passions Into Profits" must be your next book to read and implement. And you too will have it take prime position on your Book Shelf.

Don Bemrose is Australia's foremost Male Aboriginal Opera Singer. Don realised his childhood dream this year with an inspirational and joyous rendition of the Australian National Anthem at the second 2008 National Rugby League State of Origin match. Don will play a lead role in the World's first Aboriginal Opera Pecan Summer specifically written for him and his lyric baritone voice. http://www.donbemrose.com

Don is General Manager of Performance Results Pty Limited - a national Coaching, Training and Consulting Company utilising his qualifications as an internationally certified Performance Consultant and fully qualified Master Practitioner and Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnosis & Neurological Repatterning. http://www.performanceresults.com.au

Ways to Stop Losing Your Car Keys

2009-09-02T22:40:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Does God Make Mistakes

How a Blind Artist Teaches Others to Practice a New Philosophy

2009-09-02T16:14:00.001-07:00

When I first met Keith Salmon I was struck by his gentleness and simplicity. As I got to know him more I became inspired by his inner strength and his continuing desire to create and work towards conquering new goals.

Keith became blind through diabetes - however, he did not let that stop him following the career that he had chosen, learned and practiced as a youth - of becoming an artist. Through his path of self-development he has never let his deteriorating sight stop him from realizing his dream of creating art, and today he shares how he dealt with his condition with others and teaches them to overcome their difficulties and to keep working towards their dreams.

Frequently he will talk to groups of people who were once sighted and who have lost their vision as he did, teaching them to move forward and not give up on their goals. Illustrating to them how best to maintain their motivation and telling his story of how he conquered his drastic loss of vision and using the 10% of sight that he still has in one eye to its best advantage in the creation of new method and depth in his artworks and which has allowed his art to advance dramatically over the last decade. All this has been largely due to his acceptance and positive reaction to his forced change of perspective on life.

Rather than accept some kind of defeated attitude from the cards this life have dealt him, Keith Salmon`s work shines by his actual physical and mental example of how not to take the world sitting down and by leading from the front. By sharing his philosophy with others he has inspired many people who might otherwise have felt defeated to rise up and lead their life from the front.

Keith is not only an accomplished and respected artist, living and working in Scotland, but is also someone who has continued to combine his childhood pleasure of hill walking with his work as an artist. Consequently his contemporary landscape art of the Scottish mountains is perhaps one of awe-inspiring intimacy. For not only does Keith represent the landscapes that he paints but given that he has lived them for the best part of the last fifty years and has experienced them as many of us may not, and is able to transfer those feelings and that adventure that he still feels when walking in the hills today, led by friends, onto bare canvas and board is a testament to his strong desire to share what he loves with the world.

John McMenemy is a respected art dealer and artist promoter who works with artists internationally, promoting their works and arranging for it to be exhibited. If you would like your art promoted you may contact him directly via the author link to his web page.

Advantages of Framing With Steel Studs

2009-09-02T15:10:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

Visit us and get more information on House Framing Ideas

Does God Make Mistakes

Don't Miss Happiness

2009-09-02T08:54:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

"Life is wonderful"
copyright 2008 Sally Huss

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

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

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

Developing Wealth Building Habits

2009-09-02T07:48:00.001-07:00

If you want to be successful, you need mentors or in other words find people that have succeeded. These people can include the ultra rich like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, but don't forget about the people around you that have created good wealth building habits.

Some of the people have great advice and will need to be listened to very intently, while others need to be put on a list and never spoken to again. If you're going to be developing wealth building habits, you're going to need some advice from wealthy people. Let me make myself clear, when I'm talking about developing wealth building habits, I'm not talking about spiritual, knowledge, Biblical or religious wealth. I'm talking about making money, as much money as you desire or feel you need.

Wealth building habits start with you. Ask yourself this question "how bad do I want or desire wealth?" Really, really, really bad or are you the kind of person that would like to be rich, but that's as far as it goes. Developing any of these habits does not include sleeping in until 11 o'clock in the morning and then complaining the rest of the day about your finances.

Bill Gates used to work 16 hours a day. How many days a week did he do that? These are the questions you're going to find the answers to. If you're interested in making $50 million, you need to find someone who can teach you, how to make $50 million.

It won't be necessary to contact Warren Buffett but I would advise you to gather as much information about him as possible. Wealth building habits start with learning about wealthy people. If they get up at four o'clock in the morning and read the newspaper until six o'clock, then exercise for 30 minutes and start working at seven o'clock, you need to start doing this also. Developing good wealth building habits over time are what most successful businessman and women have been doing for years. Study their habits and start changing yours.

If you do something every day, it will usually become a habit within 30 days.

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

If I Hate My Brother

A Wrinkle in Time Book Review

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

I recently read A Wrinkle in Time for the second time in my life. Meg Murray's father is a scientist, and he's missing. Along with the help of her brother (Charles), a school friend (Calvin) and some other-worldly friends (including Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsit), they're seeking to find and retrieve the missing scientist.

The three children must travel through time and space and confront many opposing forces, including one another.

Children will love this book, especially those with interests in science fiction. I read this book when I was young, and to this day I can remember exactly where it sat on the library's shelves. I re-read it as an adult, and I can still feel its magic!

I like the very basic introductions to physics ideas in this book. Time travel is just one of the ideas touched upon here, and it's explained in a way that children can begin to understand some of the larger forces in the universe. A Wrinkle in Time presents an interesting story with complex vocabulary and ideas in such a way as to introduce them to children.

Meg Murray is an outcast with a strong will, a child who feels like she doesn't belong. She does have a very supportive family that encourages curiosity and intelligence and one that sticks together no matter what. A Wrinkle in Time can be a great book for any child (especially a girl) who feels like they aren't quite "normal" or the perfect fit for mainstream society.

A Wrinkle in Time is just the first book in this interesting universe. The saga continues with A Wind in the Door, then A Swiftly Tilting Planet and finally Many Waters (which follows the adventures of Meg's younger twin brothers). It's obvious that the first novel in the series was a successful one. It's a classic amongst children's literature and is re-read by many adults who wish to recapture the magic of their childhood reading.

When I read A Wrinkle in Time as a child, I remember feeling its magic, thinking the book was fantastic. Reading it again as an adult, the book seemed very simple. I found the story to be lacking just a little, but I still enjoyed it. If you're reading this for the first time as an adult, remember that it is a book intended for a younger audience. If you can stay in touch with that magical feeling of being a child, you'll see the magic of this book.

Tonia Jordan is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.

Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/spidergirl so stop by and read for a while.

Repairing a Leaking Toilet

2009-09-02T00:29:00.001-07:00

Let me explain how a toilet works. First when you go to flush the toilet a little arm pulls a rubber flapper up and lets the water drain into the toilet bowl. The water draining into the toilet bowl forces the old water out along with the number two or number one waste and extremities.

If the toilet sounds like it is running there is a good chance that the seal between the rubber flapper and the plastic rain at the bottom of the toilet is broken somehow. The sound you are hearing is water running around this ring and in to the toilet bowl.

This leak is actually causing no damage to the toilet itself but is wasting water. Hence the water bill will be a little higher if you don't fix the leaking toilet. The best way to find out if this is actually your problem is to take the toilet tank lid off. Then stick your hand down into the toilet bowl and press gently on the rubber flap.

If the water stops leaking or starts running faster this is your problem. Turn the water off to the toilet. There will be a shut off valve on the wall under your toilet bowl in the bathroom. After you turn the water off removed the plastic flap and examine it.

You will be looking for a warped toilet flap or of some sort or grooves on the flapper itself. Take the toilet flapper down to your local home improvement store and buy a new one. Go home and replace the new toilet flapper and this should solve 90% of your leaking toilet problems.

There is one more thing it could be. With the toilet tank lid off, check to see if water is overflowing into the little round plastic pipe. This plastic pipe should have a small hose running from the float valve assembly into it.

If the water is over flowing from the toilet tank into this little plastic pipe you will need to adjust the float.

First thing you will need to do is while the toilet is running lift up on the float lever arm. If the water stops you can simply bend the metal arm of the float lever. The purpose of bending the arm will force the float deeper into the water there for stopping the water from rising over the small tube in the center of your toilet.

There are few parts to a toilet and most parts can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement centers. Toilet repairs like this can be made simple and the parts used to replace are inexpensive.

Happy Toilet Repairing.

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

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Some Great Plumbing Ideas

When Do We Get To Meet God

Book Review - The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide

2009-09-01T17:38:00.001-07:00

The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World

By Ted Zeff, Ph. D.

Get ready for many suggestions and alternatives to life as usual when you read this book! Liberally sprinkled with real-life examples, you get to see how other HSPs like you have adjusted factors in their lives to suit them.

So many suggestions makes this a valuable book and somewhat overwhelming at the same time. Even with the author's own words encouraging you to take it slow and adopt a few things at a time, it holds the possibility of stopping a HSP in their tracks. You might want to read this one slowly, working on chapters with their suggestions one at a time.

What's very valuable about Zeff's perspective is his no-nonsense look at what really has to happen to be a happy HSP. He deals directly with the inner journey that is so important to reshaping life. He asks you to get clear on your goals, whether living the way you are now is either helping or harming you, how the impact of low self-esteem and not loving yourself affects you and how to constructively look at your beliefs to change your habits. He even gives a healthy six-month time frame to cement a new habit -- the longest I've ever heard quoted.

Valuable topics include:

Coping with time pressure
Calming your senses
Finding agreeable foods
Sensible exercise (at about 50% of your capacity, which is great for those of us who hate sweating)
Getting external support while you are changing habits
Thinking ahead to prepare in advance
Learning to be more in control and other attitude adjustments
The importance of routine and pacing your activity
Nurturing your sensitive soul
Finding health practitioners and healers

While highly instructive, Zeff's writing 'can be somewhat annoying. He is very repetitive in his points. For example, food choices, television and yoga seem to come up in every chapter. Additionally, his choice of words can appear somewhat judgmental in how he labels society and cultural norms. Still, I find some assurance in this as I know it was written by someone who is highly sensitive.

You may have heard or read some of this advice before cracking the cover of this volume. It is still good reading because perhaps for the first time, you are getting from someone who shares your sensitivity. That slight twist of perspective shows you how to take what the rest of the world does and modify it for your own peace of mind and body. That's a valuable skill to hone!

Then, there are areas included here that you might never have considered as alternatives otherwise, like Ayurveda. Exploring these choices can lead you in new directions and benefit you at the same time.

With each chapter ending with lists that recap the valuable points, you can easily morph this book into a refresher guide that keeps you in tune with your own nature. Read a list each day and you will keep valuable choices on the top of your mind. How much easier could it be to tune up your life?

Sarah Dolliver is the Founder of InnerVantage, the online community for inner-directed individuals (those who focus inward to restore). Her vision is to remove the stigma from being introverted or highly sensitive (HSP) to allow these individuals to lead rewarding lives that bring distinct contributions to the world. She educates, inspires and empowers them to use their gifts, talents and strengths as the basis from which they approach life.

Subscribe to the Awakening Your InnerVantage newsletter or get other free resources at http://www.InnerVantage.com

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in Management (Bentley College, Waltham, MA) and is a graduate of Coach U and The Graduate School of Coaching from CoachVille.

Bathroom Moisture Problems - Home Repair

2009-09-01T17:05:00.001-07:00

Right above my bathtub in my master bathroom the paint is peeling off the wall. The area is peeling above the tile in my bathtub and shower combination. I tried to glue the peeling paint back and only made the situation worst.

First things first. The paint is peeling because there is to much moisture in the bathroom while you are using it. Do you have any windows you can open or a ventilating bathroom fan. If you have a window crack it open part way while you are showering.

The water droplets will accumulate on the walls and drip into any cracks. Right above the tile grout is a great place for moisture to accumulate. Oh yeah moisture loves grout and drywall. If you have any unpainted areas or an area that has cracked. Guess what you have now.

Your paint is peeling because the bathroom gets hot and cold. Moist and dry. If you have the door and windows shut. You just created a moisture trap. Most people prefer their privacy and will closes the door when using the shower. Well then open the window and let some cold air in while you are taking a nice warn shower. I don't think so. Most showering fools don't like that idea either.

Ok one more idea keep the windows shut so you don't let the cold air in. Then lock the door so no on barges in on you. If you have a ventilation fan turn it on. This will at least pull fresh air in from under the door and send the moist air out of the house.

But the fan is so noisy and I can't enjoy my nice warm vapor producing shower that will eventually cause me to get sick from mold particles floating around in the air while I am using my bathroom.
Does this about sum it up for you and don't we all do this from time to time. We want to enjoy our shower time, so we close up everything and when we are in our bath sauna environment relaxing our house is getting some damaging moisture that could cause mold and mildew.

Open a window or door a little when you shower. Get some air circulating through the bathroom and prevent damage to your nice house.

Put up with a little inconvenience for you homes sake and your pocket book.

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

His website provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building in North San Diego Home Remodeling Carlsbad Home Remodeling

Visit us now for Bathroom Ideas

What Happens To Nonbelieving

Staying Motivated After the Conference High

2009-09-01T10:13:00.001-07:00

I attend several seminars each year. During those sessions I join others in thunderous applause following a great presentation and like thousands of other conference attendees leave the hall motivated and full of ideas. But for most, that enthusiasm begins to wane as the reality of every day tasks begins to creep in. Here are five quick tips to keep you motivated after the conference lights have gone down and the applause has stopped.

1. Keep spiritual "Power Bars" on-hand
My father is a triathlete and when he is training he consumes large amounts of calories. On race day he meticulously packs the fuel sources that he will need to help him cross the finish line. Get your race-day package ready by equipping yourself with tools that will keep you motivated when your focus hits a pothole. Order some motivational CD's to keep in your desk drawer, and fill your bookshelf with books that empower you.

2. Push play
Remember that Risky Business scene with Tom Cruise? He runs; slides across the floor on his knees; and plays the electronic guitar to Bob Seger's I Like That Old Time Rock & Roll. That scene is classic and demonstrates the power of music. On the journey towards your goals, some days, even the smallest of hills will feel like a mountain. When one more phone call or extra hour of study feels insurmountable, harness the power of a song to evoke powerful emotions. Download your play list on your i-Pod or pick-up a CD that makes you feel strong, energetic and ready to take on the world.

3. Put Yourself in Time Out
Sometimes my son's energy gets the best of him and he lunges onto the couch or jumps on his bed landing on his little sister. After a few requests for him to settle down, I send him to time-out. He marches defiantly to the designated time-out chair and sits with his arms folded tightly. In moments, those folded arms soon fall to his side and before you know it, I can hear him singing a little song or talking to himself. Give yourself permission to take a time-out. Take a walk around the block or head to the restroom for a few deep breaths. These small time-outs will give you the calm and focus you need.

4. Treasure Mommy/Daddy Moments
I was late for a meeting and feeling frazzled as a result. As I fumbled through my purse looking for my junk drive, a paper butterfly covered in sparkles fell out of my purse. I laughed out loud and a feeling of self-assuredness came over me. My real purpose - my family and personal satisfaction - became clear to me again. Embrace the moments that allow you to laugh at yourself and remind you of what's really important.

5. Build Your Dream Team
I am a huge basketball fan and like most Americans I was devastated when the United States lost the Gold Medal during the 2006 Summer Olympic Games. In 2008, the legendary Coach Michael Krzyzewski made sure that the States' most talented basketball athletes were on the roster and the United States men's team capturing gold once again. Who is on your roster? Don't' leave reaching your goals to chance by hanging out with friends or colleagues who do not share your values or strive to be their personal best. Take a good look at your personal team roster and make sure that your innermost circle is filled with the best and brightest. Bench those who are draining and negative and before long you won't have to look far to get the motivation and inspiration you need to reach your goals.

Tonya Seavers Evans is a life coach, multi-media writer and communications professional specializing in topics related to working women and mothers whom she calls "Chief Multi-Tasking Officers" and "Superwomen." Evans has represented various industries in her communications practice including human resources, beauty, healthcare, security, non-profit agencies and C-suite executives. Her passion is to help working women and mothers create a working definition of balance and a life map to success through her writing, coaching practice and radio show called, Today's Superwoman. She is married to her husband Percy and is the mother of two beams of light, Luke and Kendall. To learn more about her coaching practice go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Todays-Superwoman.

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

2009-09-01T09:29:00.001-07:00

In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.

Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this type of outlet.

GFI 's come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire size when hooking up the GFI outlet.

How do I know which size wire to use? This all depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel. There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or light load problems.

Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.

The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10 times break and no longer able to use them.

The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a great idea to have an electrician install them for you.

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

San Diego Termite Damage

Impact Of Christian Mentors

Intelligence - Learning How Other People Think, Feel and Sense

2009-09-01T02:57:00.001-07:00

However, everybody is important in your life. You may never have cared about trying to understand the others, but this is a crucial matter.

The comprehension of the psychic sphere function in each one will give you many answers for many questions you never expected to have because you'll understand the roots of the human behaviour.

Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com and http://www.booksirecommend.com

Click below to download your copy of the Free ebook
Beating Depression and Craziness

Surviving As A Contractor In California

2009-09-01T02:06:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Personal Development

People With Self Confidence Get Noticed

2009-08-31T19:29:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Developing Wealth Building Habits

2009-08-31T18:35:00.001-07:00

If you do something every day, it will usually become a habit within 30 days.

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

The Magical Power of Gratitude

2009-08-31T12:06:00.001-07:00

I remember when Oprah began encouraging everyone to write their own gratitude journal. I started one but it just felt like one more thing to do. Instead I tried to experience feelings of gratitude by simply thinking about 3 things I felt grateful for every day, either upon awakening or just before bed. Naturally, there were lots of mornings and evenings when I forgot to do this.

Flash forward 7 years and "Wow! What a difference!" Today, I'm surrounded by beauty, space, privacy, and other forms of abundance I couldn't even have imagined before. And now I find my gratitude comes naturally. I can't even open my eyes without feeling an amazing sense of appreciation for all that I've created in my life.

Is there a connection between all that I have and the depth of gratitude I feel?

Obviously, this didn't happen overnight. I wonder, when did gratitude become so effortless? Gradually, for sure. And how did it become such a natural state of being? Profound, genuine, effortless gratitude is so powerful in creating anything your heart desires, it's well worth doing whatever it takes to get to that place in your life.

Like anything else, you start small. You consistently exercise that "muscle." Over time it gets more powerful. As your efforts are rewarded with less and less effort, the use of gratitude becomes second nature.

Sometimes, I still find myself wondering whether such deep and genuine gratitude will be enough to sustain this exquisite lifestyle? Will simply feeling genuinely grateful for all the beauty and abundance that surrounds me now lead to a mindset that thinks differently and acts accordingly?

It's truly a grand experiment at this time. Stay tuned to find out if my happily ever after is self-sustaining. My blog will keep you posted with interesting and inspiring audio clips, video and super short articles to jump start your mind so you too can easily create a life of radiant health, deeply fulfilling relationships and permanent prosperity.

At http://www.stressfreepersonalfinance.com we specialize in inspiring tools to set you financially free. Plus there's free articles and audio to continually inspire you on your path towards financial freedom, radiant health and healthy, fulfilling relationships, because when you have enough money you can easily have all that!

While you're there be sure to download the FREE special report, "The 7 Affirmations That Took Me From $10,000/Year to $10,000/Month and the Powerful Techniques I Used to Synchronize Them with My Body & Mind" when you sign up for our free inspirational newsletter, Pathway2Abundance @ http://www.Pathway2Abundance.com

The Bible's Power Over One Child

2009-08-31T10:57:00.001-07:00

That's what I came up with my evil plan. I don't know where I come up with these ideas, but every once in a while one pops up in my head and I run with it.

Impact Of Christian Mentors

Mind Reading Tricks - 3 Amazing Mind Reading Tricks You Can Easily Do to Impress People

2009-08-31T04:29:00.001-07:00

Mind reading tricks are not solely for those gifted with ESP anymore. There are ways to get around that inborn gift clause thanks to the power of Science and observation!

But what purpose do mind reading tricks serve? Well, knowing what's on other people's mind can be pretty convenient when it comes to closing a deal or making a decision regarding a relationship. If you're interested to learn more, read on!

Mind Reading Tricks Number 1: Enlarged Pupils

Alright, so you don't have ESP. But you were born with eyes, remember? Use your powers of observation and focus on the pupils of the person you're talking to.

When their pupils enlarge, that means they are interested in what you have to say or in your personality. It's a positive thing so you can merrily continue doing what you were doing.

Mind Reading Tricks Number 2: How Close Can You Get

Mind reading tricks are most evident when two people know each other very well. It's like saying you're so close to that person you can even read their mind.

Well, the logic behind this concept is that you have been observing this person for a long time already. You know the mood swings, the attitude and the preferences of that person.

So when something is bothering your close friend or family member, you already have a pretty good idea of what's on their mind.

Mind Reading Tricks Number 3: Priming People

Another way to get around ESP and exercise mind reading tricks is through priming. When you prime people, you already have a basic idea of what they're going to do. You set them thinking of something related to the main question you want to pose to them later on.

For example, if you drill people on the importance of the environment and then ask them which candidate they're going to vote for, they would most likely go with the candidate who cares more about the environment. But you should already have predicted that.

Mind reading tricks can be very fun to apply. They can help you make all the right moves and even amaze the people around you.

Now you can easily amaze anyone with 11 secret mind reading tricks you can easily perform, and easily make people do anything you want using proven mind control techniques.

Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-08-31T03:38:00.001-07:00

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

Meditating On Religious Scriptur

Attitude - Is it Really the Difference Maker?

2009-08-30T21:09:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advantages of Framing With Steel Studs

2009-08-30T20:08:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

Visit us and get more information on House Framing Ideas

Personal Development

Life is a Short Rant

2009-08-30T13:44:00.001-07:00

http://www.motivational-well-being.com

Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

2009-08-30T12:35:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Religion Articles

Achieve Your Goals in 1 Year

2009-08-30T06:26:00.001-07:00

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

Home Selling Tips - Best Real Estate Advice Ever

2009-08-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

You Absolutely Must Know Now - Self Help Tips

2009-08-29T22:57:00.001-07:00

1) Find out what you really want (xyz income a year, romance)
2) And who you want to be (loving, successful, happy)
3) Know WHY you want the above (more time, less stress)
4) State them as specific Intentions (I am / I have vs I will)
5) Start being that person (How would a happy person earning $ xyz act?)

The word "Goal" often brings up draggy, hard to achieve images for most of us. Groannnn! No wonder we lose motivation - 'cos we didn't really care about the goal as much as what we thought it would bring us. It also says "DO DO DO" and while doing is a big part of it, it isn't quite the start point. So what is?

Being. As you focus on who you want to Be, the Doing action flows naturally.

You can be a successful entrepreneur. A great parent. Courageous. Happy. The good news is you get to consciously choose whoever you want to be!

Planning. Next, create SMART goals (specific, measurable, actionable, resonant and thrilling - a little twist on the conventional definition). Your goals should (not that I'm telling you what to do ha-ha) excite you, scare you and align with your values.

Doing. Be ready to take inspired action, and make it consistent action.

Some things you can do to climb back on the horse when you fall:

Hold yourself accountable to a friend, a coach, an accountability partner. Join a mastermind group. Change your goals if they don't excite you anymore. Yeah, really! Let them go. Be nice to yourself, have fun, treat yourself when you accomplish a task and ask for help - you don't have to go it alone.

This isn't an exhaustive list but it's definitely a good place to tap into when stuck.

Bottom-line: By clearly knowing what you want and why, you've got a better chance of getting it. Sounds good to me!

Tia Singh,
Inspired by Fun! Life Coaching -
Life And Success Coach, LOA Coach, NLP Practitioner and Psych K facilitator.
"Bust those self limiting beliefs - they're not working for you anymore!
"Live your Best Life Ever"
Website: http://www.inspiredbyfun.com
Simply stated, I inspire and support people like you to live a life of love, courage and fulfillment. It's time to live the life you were born to live.
Visit my website at http://www.inspiredbyfun.com to learn more about my services and to book a free consultation. Let's get this party started!

Surviving As A Contractor In California

2009-08-29T21:52:00.001-07:00

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

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

Down With Pessimism

2009-08-29T15:33:00.001-07:00

If there ever was a time to change our thoughts about what we want, it's NOW! As you can see & hear all around you, there is such a focus on all that is wrong in the world, especially with the economy.

You cannot pick up a newspaper, turn on the TV or radio, or even look on the Internet without all the focus on the economic situation. This negative focus does not serve us.

Yes, I know some people are being laid off from their jobs, business are closing, & other economic "markers" indicate a shift from our previous status. There are many who have to face major changes in their lives because of the transition that is occurring right now. We all have hope for those who have to make these changes that they will find their way though this period in their life & will move forward again. They will.

I gave much thought to the wording I used in the paragraph above. I wanted to be sure NOT to feed into the negativity that surrounds all the news that bombards us nor feed into the situations that some people are presently in.

Our thoughts & words have such power. How we choose to frame & label our life situation can be critical towards how we handle it Careful wording from the place we are presently at to where we want to be is all in how we choose to view it. The last thing someone needs when faced with a job loss or whatever one is facing is the continued negativity & pessimism that can be placed on these situations.

I know it's not easy to keep a positive frame of mind when faced with a challenge. You need to feel what you feel & not deny the experience. But then, at some point, we need to stand up & seek the light, the solution, the next step to improvement of the situation so we can move forward with our lives.

It will NOT help to continue looking at the news as all it will show you is more pessimism & doubt. It will not help to join with those who are wallowing in sorrow as they will just keep us in a continued state of pessimism & doubt.

"Oh, so I should put on blinders or rose-colored glasses & pretend that all is well?"
YES! In a way, that is what could help! It would do more good than keeping yourself in a state of pain & sorrow over your situation. By changing the focus of what we want, we have a better chance of creating a better situation. A little OPTIMISM, no matter how small, will do more good than to stay trapped in the muck of pessimism & hopelessness.

HOPE is what will take you from where you are to a better place. POSITIVE EXPECTATION will take you further than giving up. OPTIMISM will be a better seed to plant within you than continuing to wallow in pessimism. The feelings of hope, positive belief, & optimism are there if you allow them in.

Law of Attraction says where we place our focus will expand. If we keep ourselves aligned with the pessimism & doubt, we feed that energy & keep it alive. And it is also true that if we can align with hope, positive expectation, & optimism, THAT will be the energy that will THRIVE.

Find it within you to face the current transition we find ourselves in by embracing solutions. Face the changes with positive expectation, & address your issues with hope. Don't be a part of the pessimism & doubt that is present. Create the ladder to climb UP instead of grabbing the shovel to dig deeper.

Learn more about using the Law of Attraction & other information to foster your self improvement at http://pathtoselfimprovement.com Sign up for our free newsletter & receive a free bonus report on "How To Attract The Life You Want."

DIY Bathroom Remodeling Or Hiring a Contractor

2009-08-29T14:25:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If your looking for some more House Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Impact Of Christian Mentors

Chronic Guilt

2009-08-29T08:04:00.001-07:00

What we commonly refer to as 'chronic guilt' could more accurately be described as 'habituated guilt' or 'patterns of guilt'. Because 'chronic' almost implies illness or disease; something we have no control over.

When it comes to guilt, nothing could be further from the truth.

No one is born with feelings of guilt. Guilt must be learned. Over time, it becomes habituate. Which means patterns become laid in the subconscious. Usually this happens in childhood, but the 'chronic guilt' can last a lifetime if no steps are taken to end it.

But before it can be ended, you first need to understand why you might want to keep it around. Even though you were taught and conditioned to feel guilt, you're also getting something out of your guilt. It serves a purpose. It provides a payoff.

When you understand your payoff for feeling guilty, you've just taken the first step to ending it.

In a general sense, we use guilt as a way to avoid the intensity of our own feelings. It's a way to avoid the responsibility of feeling our true feelings.

More specifically, guilt often comes down to anger we don't have a right to have. Somebody gives you a hard time. And darn it - they're right. You're wrong. Rather than feeling the anger that naturally arises - you feel guilty instead. That's one example.

When it comes to chronic guilt - you find yourself continuously creating scenarios where it seems the most appropriate response involves feeling guilty. It becomes a pattern.

You keep finding yourself in situations that 'make' you feel guilty. The settings may change - the people may change - but the energy behind the guilt goes on and on.

"Why in the world do I keep feeling guilty??!", you may ask.

The answer lies with two factors:

1. Your payoff; what you secretly 'get' out of feeling guilty rather than feeling your true, intense feelings that lie beneath the guilt.

Often it's simply a fear of intensity... and a fear of feelings in general. So your payoff would be avoidance - avoiding your own intensity.

2. Your subconscious patterns; which become neurological pathways of 'least effort'.

Just as it's often easier to take the interstate when you wish to visit another city, so it's easier to feel guilt rather than to relish and savor the depths of your true feelings.

Not because guilt is inherently easier. It's not. Quite the opposite, in fact. Guilt took a lot of effort. It never comes naturally. You had to work at it over and over and over.

Guilt took practice. It also required a teacher. You had to be molded and shaped and formed.

Since the training to feel guilt began so early in life, you may remember very little of it. But it's important to keep in mind: your brain started as 'virgin territory'... just waiting for those pathways to be laid. And now, you have many, many different kinds of pathways.

Chronic guilt serves as only one of countless examples.

When you think about it, even your 'payoff' for guilt sources itself in your subconscious pathways. So even when you WANT to end the guilt, it seems impossible. Not because you're weak or defective, but due to the nature of the subconscious.

Your subconscious seeks consistency. And the consistency is enforced by your neurological pathways. But there are ways to change. It starts by looking at your own unique payoff for feeling guilty. Understand how it contributes to the problem Then work on creating new pathways.

By creating new pathways of 'least effort' you'll naturally feel your true feelings rather than the current default of chronic guilt.

You create new pathways in two main ways:

1. Develop the habit of making powerful choices.

One powerful choice can change your life. In fact, it already has. You made many powerful choices and decisions as a child which profoundly shaped the direction of your life.

2. Work with your subconscious mind.

Your subconscious exerts a powerful influence over your life right now. It's hard to fight it. You'll be much better off working WITH your subconscious - harnessing and directing it's power.

If you feel chronic guilt, and you can't seem to change it - then you're seeing an example of the power your subconscious holds over you.

Fortunately, your subconscious can become one of your greatest allies in life. Don't fight it. Let it serve you- as it was intended to do.

To learn how to work with your subconscious, as well as learning about powerful choices, go to http://www.create-reality.com

To learn more about getting rid of guilt, go to http://emotional-times.com/2008/08/getting-rid-of-guilt.html

Mark Ivar Myhre, The Emotional Healing Wizard

Putting God on Trial

2009-08-29T07:08:00.001-07:00

I was listening to something interesting the other day when someone mentioned putting God on trial for some of the atrocities in the world. If God is the creator of the universe and all that is, or all that ever will be, how can we put him on trial, he's our creator. We can't put our spiritual master on trial can we, he'll just escape anyway if we convict him, won't he. He's got to be smart enough to break out a prison.

As a child I often thought about God and why he would allow such suffering throughout the world. It never made sense to me when I was child and it still doesn't make sense to me today. Why would the creator, want us to suffer, with even the littlest of problems. Other religions have explained it as if God was teaching us a lesson and that's why we have hardships in our lives.

Do you think God ever went through these hardships? Did God have problems finding a job or gathering some food? Does God even eat? Okay now I'm getting off the topic here,(I wonder what God does eat)... if children do something wrong, most of the time their parents will discipline or correct them. If adults to things wrong, the government will discipline and reprimand them. Sometimes these punishments can be severe. It depends on the crimes committed.

If man has to be put on trial for committing crimes like murder, genocide, and general atrocities towards mankind, should God also be put on trial or is he above man because he's God. I can't imagine the creator of the universe ever being put on trial for man's crimes against humanity or other men, but it seems like someone who is all powerful and all knowing could help his children out of this little mess that we're in today.

Couldn't God help us like we help our children. We as parents might not have all the answers, but we do not claim to have them. We are not all powerful and all knowing, like we would assume God to be. When is God going to help us solve some of our major world problems, like genocide and starvation.

Putting God on trial might not solve all of our problems today but it would be nice to have some help with our problems. If he created us to please him, do we have to go on trial one day, for all the things we did or ignored while we were alive. Something to think about isn't it.

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

Are Christians Really Interested

Accepting Second Best In Life

2009-08-29T00:35:00.001-07:00

Are you a person who accepts second best in life? Is winning silver good enough for you? Are you content to be a follower rather than a leader? A couple of years ago I would have answered yes to all of these questions but I have since seen the light. I now strive to be number one in every aspect of my life, I am happy to work hard to achieve my goals and to listen to the advice that I am being given. In this article I will write about how I learnt to have this new found positive attitude.

As a teenager and into my early twenties I basically drifted through life, it was as if I could not be bothered. I have to admit that I was a slightly depressive person during this period of my life, this was mainly because I had a stammering/stuttering problem with my speech. I seemed to be in an almost continual rut, always blaming the stutter for my lack of progress in life.

This was all to change when a new guy started at the office where I worked. His name was Jim and he was very bright and bubbly. Jim had a positive outlook on life and was seemingly very confident. I, at that point, was the opposite.

Over the next few months I began to spend a lot more time with Jim and was quite shocked when he asked me:

"Why are you so unhappy Steve? You always seem to be quite down, is there anything I can help you with?

Even though I did have a lack of self-esteem and was perhaps not always the brightest of personalites, I was not expecting to be asked this type of question.

Jim did prove to be a massive help to me, he made me understand that we only have one life, one shot at making a name for ourselves and that positive people tend to be the most happy and successful people.

Stephen Hill runs The How To Stop Stammering Centre, he has a number of websites including:

stuttering information

dvd replication

eradicate depression

When We Choose Misery Over Happiness

2009-08-28T23:46:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How did I end up here in this situation.

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

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

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

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

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

Wrong With Bible Verse

Using Assertiveness Skills to Get the Promotion You Deserve

2009-08-28T16:57:00.001-07:00

There will be times in your life when you will work really hard and give all there is to give on a job or project, yet still be overlooked for that promotion. There are many instances wherein people are appropriate for a promotion, but fail to get recognized by their boss, superior, or company.

If you have been in this situation or are in one now, it can be troubling not to mention quite confusing. That's because for as far back as you can remember, you've been taught by your mother, teacher, professor, your mentor that if you work hard, you will be rewarded. And now that you've put in the effort and shown real signs of dedication, you feel as though you've been left out in the cold.

Well, what that advice givers in your life failed to tell you is that sometimes hard work is not enough. Sometimes, especially in the corporate world, you need to learn how to be assertive if you wish to seek career growth. You have to stand up for what you have deservingly earned and assert yourself.

Now, you have to realize, there is a difference between assertiveness and aggression. Aggressiveness causes a person to be hostile and makes them defend themselves in an unpleasing manner. An aggressive person who acts this way usually loses the respect and reverence of his supervisors, and with that, any ability to negotiate.

On the contrary, assertiveness skills have to do with communication development. You try to win your side by presenting the facts and asking for the right deal using the right approach. Being assertive simply means getting what you deserve and still maintaining a level of respect with your superiors.

So how can you use assertiveness skills to successfully get a promotion or raise?

First, you have to be ready. This means figuring out exactly what you want. If you want a promotion, what position do you want? If you desire a raise, exactly how much of a raise do you desire? Strictly no beating around the bush

Being ready also means being prepared to meet with your boss. Know what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. Try to imagine how you would want the scene to play out. Remember that it should be a peaceful, straight to the point discussion.

Second, you have to keep an open mind. Listen to your boss and understand what he is saying. If you disagree with something he or she is saying, keep it in mind but don't interrupt. Let him have the floor and see the situation from your boss' point of you. If you are confused or unsure about any of his statements, ask him to elaborate.

Next, make sure to acknowledge your boss' point of view. Acknowledge that you were listening and that you understand what he said. Communication is effective when the conversation moves back and forth correctly with a speaker, message, listener, and feedback. Give your boss feedback.

Now, it is time to make your point. Let your boss know why you deserve the promotion or raise. Use the 4 C's of successful arguing - be clear, concise, coherent and complete. Do not squeak or ramble. Maintain a steady composure throughout the meeting, interrupting only if the need arises.

Finally, try to come to an agreement with your boss. Again, don't back down nor get too aggressive. Stay relaxed and maintain composure. Be open to a compromise. Compromise doesn't mean you lost, it only shows that you are mature enough and ready to meet halfway. In fact, it is a win-win situation for both of you and that is what developing assertiveness skills is all about.

So if are in a job and you feel your supervisor or company is not recognizing your hard work, don't passively sit around waiting for something to happen. More than likely, nothing will happen. And if something does, it will be you building up negative feelings and attitudes towards your work. Instead, stand up and assert yourself. Use the assertiveness skills in this article to get the raise or promotion you rightfully deserve. You will be glad you did!

SelfMadeEasy.com, Inc. is a self help and personal development company offering quality self help ebooks on numerous subjects from Anger Management Tips to Time Management Techniques to Assertiveness Skills

To learn how they can help you improve yourself, visit them at http://www.selfmadeeasy.com

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

2009-08-28T16:00:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

Using Words In The Bible Effecti

Reality Creation Secrets

2009-08-28T09:23:00.001-07:00

Reality bites, now that's a phrase that you must be familiar with. How often have things started to go wrong for no reason whatsoever? From your boss promoting your lazy sub-ordinate to committing traffic violations at no fault of your own, there are those 'days' when nothing happens the way that it is supposed to. Sure, if you believe in fate, you can console yourself by saying that it probably is happening due to karma or something akin to that. But let's face it; sometime things happen even when you know that you are in the good. Take for example, the current president of United Sates, George Bush - he managed to beat his opponent against all odds, good for him but not so for his opponent. There is a reason why the reality can be quite different from what you expect it to be, it can be changed for the better depending on the energy level that you resonate in. Wait a minute, did I say energy and use it in the same sentence as the word 'resonate'? Yes! I did so and I am sure that statement sounds like garbage to some of you. But here is the catch, whether you believe in energy levels or not, the fact is that each and every one of us are attuned to it in our own respective manner. Did you realize that you are actually made from stardust; that you are made from the same matter as the stars in the sky? So is it that hard a stretch to believe that you can resonate energy just as the universe does? Just take a look at some of the e-books on reality currently online and you will see that it is possible to make things happen just the way you want them to. Books on the Reality Creation Secrets as well as a few alternative kind of books will by provide you with all the info that you need to know in order to tap into the massive energy flux inside you.

Sure, manifestation has been a subject of ridicule as well as a crutch for the many cuckoos walking out there amongst you. But the manifestation covered here in these books is not about creating things out of mid-air and is more to do with making things happen by resonating positive energy levels. Such books do enable you to modify the energy levels that you resonate in so that you would be able to achieve your goals. It naturally follows, that with positive energy flowing out of you, you should be able to focus better and as a result, be in a much better position to achieve your goals.

Books on the Reality Creation Secrets as well as any other alternative ideas may not be everyone's cup of tea but then again, manifestation of this kind is a new subject altogether so there are bound to be a few disbelievers out there. Either way, you should know that these products are not related to any magic gimmick and at the very least, it should enable you to tackle issues, which you would have avoided earlier on. In a sense, these books are alleged to do wonders to your self-confidence.

These products do make it possible for you to see reality in a different way altogether. From providing you with information on how to achieve Total Self Actualization to making it possible for your dreams to come true, these books are more of a half and half - as it deals with both spirituality and manifestation of material things. Either way, if you are on the lookout for a different take on reality or currently seeking innovative methods to achieve your goals, you may want to take a closer look at such products.

Reuben Wallis has reviewed the Reality Creation Secrets. As usual, his review is to the point and can be read here at the Reality Creation Secrets reviews.

Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

2009-08-28T08:29:00.001-07:00

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

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

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

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

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

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

Impact Of Christian Mentors

It's Not About You!

2009-08-28T01:16:00.001-07:00

Its not about you. Its not bout your own personal fulfillment, your goals or your achievements. Nor is it about the title that comes after your name, the big corner office you sit in or the big shiny car you drove to that office.

American historian Christopher Lasch calls it the "culture of narcissism" a society of total self absorption where people have retreated to personal preoccupations. Its a world of "self actualization", zen, and of too much getting in touch with feelings, eating healthy foods, working out and reading self-help books.

Too often we crave to be admired more than to be loved making us increasingly impoverished when it comes to intimate, close relationships. Many of us who are busy and overworked complain incessantly, but it is often with an undertone of boastfulness with the hidden message that I'm so busy because I'm so important. Coupled with the fact that in today's society there is a growing determination to "live for the moment" and an attitude of instant gratification, its no wonder that an estimated 19 million North Americans suffer from depression.

Despite the self help manuals, the diets and the exercise they are not happy with their situation, they lack fulfillment, they are alone. This is also apparent in the dissolution of families and a lack of community and authentic intimacy. There is in all of us a void nothing else can fill. A need for human relationships, for community, a need to connect with others. This need for community and deep connectedness with other people has no substitute. Not money, not achievement, not busyness and not self. That void that is in all of us can only be filled with one thing, LOVE. Because its not about you . . . Its about LOVE!

In 2002 I fell ill and was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a poorly understood variably debilitating disorder of uncertain cause/causes. CFS often manifests itself with widespread myalgia, cognitive difficulties, chronic mental and physical exhaustion, often severe, and other characteristic symptoms in a previously healthy and active person. There is no known cure for CFS and only 5 - 10% of all cases are ever fully resolved.

With time I came to consider my illness a great blessing and a phenomenal opportunity. My struggle with CFS has bestowed upon me a passion and fascination for all things that have to do with overcoming and triumphing in the face of challenges. Ordinary Miracles is about showcasing that passion through real-life inspirational stories, a positive, can-do attitude and the application of life-changing concepts such as Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Relational Intelligence(RI). For me having to "play injured" has become a privilege, the benefits of which vastly outweigh any downside brought on by my illness.

Its my hope and prayer that Ordinary Miracles inspires not only you to do great things but for you to be an inspiration to others to achieve greatness.

The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself.

http://omiracles.wordpress.com/

A Runnable Feast

2009-08-27T16:44:00.001-07:00

For many people what we are may be what we eat, which is why so many phobias revolve around food. Caste taboos in India often determine what we eat and who we eat with. Now councillors in Italian cities are banning new outlets for foods considered foreign, kebab shops being a primary target of their ire. If authorities in Lucca or Milan are to be believed, a citizen biting into a succulent kebab has some part of his Italianness taken away.

It's not enlightened to look at citizenship this way. Food could be the area where parochialism is least applicable. Look at pizza and pasta, considered quintessentially Italian foods. The idea of spaghetti used in pasta came from China, while the humble tomato, a staple in the preparation of both pizza and pasta, came from Peru and Mexico. Hernando Cortez, the Spanish conquistador, brought the tomato from Mexico to Spain, from where it moved to Italy. The range of foods made available by the discovery of the New World is astonishing. It includes the tomato, the potato and the chilli. Indian food, which relies heavily on these staples, wouldn't have been what it is had the Spanish and Portuguese not journeyed to Latin America in the 15th and 16th centuries and conveyed what they found there to Europe and Asia. Or, conversely, taken Indian spices around the world.

Tea comes from China, coffee from Ethiopia. That doesn't mean one can accuse the young urban professional sipping mocha or latte at a cafe anywhere in the world of worshiping alien, Ethiopian gods. Tea and coffee are now universally consumed, as are pizza and pasta. Think how ridiculous it would be if, in reaction to Italian cities clamping down on 'ethnic' eateries, other countries were to abolish pizza and pasta from their menus because of the Italian connection these foods have.

Something equally ridiculous happens in India when politicians rise against 'pub culture' because of its supposedly foreign origins, despite a hallowed tradition of drinking places in India. Thus we have health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who likes to appear in public wearing western-style suits, pontificating about how alien 'pub culture' is to the Indian ethos. The crudely sexist subtext of this kind of warped nationalism was exposed by the assault on women, in the name of defending Indian culture, by right-wing goons in Man galore. Globalization started several centuries ago, with the trading of spices across continents. It's too late to roll it back now.

Is the Bible Repulsive or True - Movie Video

2009-08-27T15:47:00.001-07:00

Can you believe this guy, if you look up these verses in the Bible, you will see that there and there, but how did he come up with these ideas about the Sabbath, teenagers and the fact that the Bible is repulsive.

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

One Step Away From Success

How to Select a Feng Shui Master - Part II

2009-08-27T05:34:00.001-07:00

This is a continuation of my previous article on the art of selecting a Feng Shui Master.

A tell-tale sign of a quack is his marketing of himself as belonging to the lineage of great renowned Geomancers or possessing secret Feng Shui recipes that were passed on to them exclusively by their ancestors, grandfathers or fathers.

Some of themalso like to advertise themselves as being the anointed consultantsfor celebrities, politicians and VIPs.The destiny and luck of such high profile persons are markedly better and hence even an average Feng Shui Master may be made to look better than they are by riding on the good luck of such high profile persons.

Avoid thosethat appear regularly on television programs because such programs typically are sponsored by these practitionersand sponsorship costs can be prohibitive.You get a good sense of who is the end customer who is eventually paying for such prohibitive sponsorship cost.

An overly commercialized Feng Shui Master can also be surmised to spend little time to upgrade his knowledge to stay relevant.Choose a Feng Shui Master that is also in the business of teaching Chinese Metaphysics because this is the best way for them to keep abreast with contemporary society and tailor their Feng Shui methods accordingly.

I have also noticed that Feng Shui quacks tend not to be in the business of teaching Chinese Metaphysics presumably because they run a significantly higher chance of meeting and being embarrassed by enthusiasts who will more likely be students than paying customers.

Do not be surprised that the above is critical because Chinese Geomancy also evolves with time like any other services.Ask yourself whether a man living in contemporary society like you will like a dish that was cooked exactly the same way 1000 years ago? Hence, avoid such practitionersthat repeats like a broken record, that they practices only Classical Feng Shui.

Lastly, an overly commercialized practitioner is overly focused on profit and fame that they may be dodgy in the process.For example, some of them claim to know Zi Wei Dou Shu (ZWDS) but what they really did was to outsource the reading of Zi Wei Dou Shu to another firm.If you approach them personally to discuss Zi Wei Dou Shu, they will find excuses not to entertain you.They will also not give free Zi Wei Dou Shu advice because they need you to pay so that they can pay the firm whom contracted the Zi Wei Dou Shu reading assignments.

Another trick of such commercialized Feng Shui Master is to subcontract authoring of books, especially the Yearly Horoscope books, so that they can boost their visibility while they cannot be bothered to write.What comes as a surprise to many is that contents of such books are sometimesshared or circulated among practitionerswho have formed an alliance.I have come across quite a few instances whereby a few of such books are uncannily similar, word for word and page for page.In any case, such books are usually ineffective simply because using 12 zodiac animals to speak of the luck of the people is as general as talking about the luck of people in the 7 different continents!

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

Conscious Creation In the Universe Movie Video

2009-08-27T04:21:00.001-07:00

Here's a different point of view of how life originated in what's going on on our planet and throughout the universe.

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

Pokemon And Religion

Making Money at Home

2009-08-26T18:48:00.001-07:00

Anyone who reads newspapers today can find home business opportunities. Home business opportunities are on the rise. Small home business opportunities are just as plentiful as large home business opportunities.

Home business opportunities may require research into business law as it relates
to home business opportunities. An entrepreneur interested in home business
opportunities will want to make sure the home business opportunities are
legitimate and profitable. The Better Business Bureau can provide information
on home business opportunities and their financial history.

Once home business opportunities have been thoroughly researched, the person
interested in the home business opportunities should start as soon as possible.
If there are a limited number of home business opportunities, other people
looking for home business opportunities may fill them first. With all home
business opportunities, it is important that the entrepreneur be interested in
the home business opportunities, as it will make the home business opportunities
process easier.

Looking for home business opportunities is simple. Many websites offer home
business opportunities or can direct you to agencies that have home business
opportunities available. If you currently work for a large company, they may
have home business opportunities. Web conferencing and email make home business
opportunities possible. The first step towards home business opportunities is
the hardest. This requires realizing the possibilities home business
opportunities offer, and how home business opportunities can remove you from the
daily drudgeries of working in an office. With home business opportunities, you
can improve your lifestyle and reach your monetary dreams.

Resource:

http://www.bbb.org

Harvey Rhinehart can help YOU start your own profitable business on the Internet within the next 24 hours! To learn more, visit: http://www.Earning-Income-Online.com

Meditation Ideas on Practice

2009-08-26T16:58:00.001-07:00

Spoiled Children

Are Plastic Food and Beverage Containers Safe?

2009-08-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

Question: Have plastic food and beverage containers been proven safe?

Answer: No.

During the film's graduation party in THE GRADUATE, Mr. McGuire pulls Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) aside to offer sage advice for his future. His future would be one word: "plastics."

Of course, we all know Mr. McGuire's advice and prognostication was correct. Plastics can only be made by man in his infinite wisdom, hence they are patentable. The profit in the manufacture of plastics has been huge. Plastics are everywhere. Plastic manufacturing now uses 4% of the world's oil production annually. Automobiles are now 9% plastic. It is of my special concern that more foods and beverages are being put into plastic containers. Plastics are ubiquitous now. They persist and accumulate in our society as their production exceeds their chemical degradation rate. Harmful chemicals from plastics are now commonly found in groundwater, waterways, and drinking water.

While standing out in the summer heat in Phoenix, Arizona in 1981, my girlfriend asked me what was causing the film to form on the inside of the windshield of her new Mazda 626. She said that she had to wipe it off every morning so she could see to drive to work. I didn't know then. I do now! It was phthalates, the chemical that was added to the plastic dash cover to soften it and prevent cracking. I'm sure by now most of the phthalate has evaporated into our atmosphere and the Mazda is in some junkyard with a cracked up dash.

Phthalates are EDC's (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.) They are chemicals found in recycle codes #1 through #6 plastics. Another EDC (Bisphenol A) is in recycle code #7 plastics. All of these types of plastic EDC's interfere with the function of sex hormones receptors. In THE GRADUATE Benjamin was quite a stud. I wonder if he's now taking one of the popular drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, a disorder that has become one of the many epidemics in our new plastic world.

In 2003 a group of Croatian scientists reported that phthalates in plastics dissolved in various solutions. They used a variety of plastic items, including plastic food containers. After 10 days of sitting in distilled water, an average of 55.4 mg/ of phthalates from each kilogram of plastic "migrated" into the water. To a lesser degree the phthalates from plastics dissolved into acetic acid 3% (44.4 mg/kg) and 10% ethyl alcohol (32.3 mg/kg).

The Croatian study shows what Benjamin would suspect, if he took chemistry in college: Water is the universal solvent; and it dissolves even the primarily fat soluble phthalates. The more that you filter water to remove other toxic solutes, the more aggressive water becomes in its power to reach osmolar equilibrium by dissolving its non-inert containers.

What is also obviously missing from the Croatians' controlled, static testing model are the temperature variations that the plastic bottled water product goes through to get from bottling point to the mouth of the consumer. Transport trucks probably reach a very high temperature in the non refrigerated cargo areas that carry PETE (recycle code #1 plastic) bottled water in the summer. Heat facilitates the dissolution of phthalates into the water. Then the bottles may be stored for a much longer time than 10 days prior to consumption. Furthermore, freezing the containers produces micro-fissures in the interior surface of the plastic bottle container as the water expands, exponentially exposing more solute surface area. Traumatic handling or any motion of the package will further enhance diffusion. Applying the laws of physics, all of these factors clearly by extrapolation will increase the water dissolution of the plastic containers.

Fatty foods in plastic containers are even more problematic, as fats are absorbed differently and carry their phthalate solvents into our bodies more easily. Phthalates bio-accumulate because of their fat solubility. Phthalates concentrate in such fat organs in our bodies such as brains, prostates, testicles, ovaries, breasts and, unfortunately, breast milk. (The other popular food alternatives for infants are worse. Commercial baby formulas are loaded with the manmade phthalates.)

I think the worst example of food containment in plastic is milk. All milk except non-fat milk contains fat. Cow milk itself represents a major source of the fats ingested by the public, especially children. Cattle concentrate these chemicals by bioaccummulation because EDC's from plastics are ubiquitous in water and most animal food sources. Meat and dairy products are therefore a major contributor to this group of human food chain derived toxins, regardless of their containment. It is now irresponsible to add more phathalates to the products by putting the milk products in plastic containers that add MORE EDC's.

Cattle have intentially been "fattened up" by adding hormones AND unintentially "fattened up" more by the contamination of cattle food and water by EDC's. The combination of these chemicals passed on to the consumers in concentrated form in milk products will most likely exacerbate obesity in humans that consume them as well.

Our current scientific knowledge and common sense screams for an end to consumer purchase of milk bottled in plastics. Until milk companies have their products quantatatively analysed for these EDC's by competent independant laboratories, my strong recommendation is to avoid purchase and consumption of milk and dairy products contained in plastic.

Sadly, the Croatian authors' 2003 conclusions about the safety of plastics were: "These (exposure) levels would not present a hazard for human health, not even for a prolonged period of time." However, what was deemed acceptable levels of phthalates in 2003 now is recognized as "crystal clearly" too high.

Selective interpretations from the ACC (American Chemistry Council) lead to this erroneously high level being "set" for past toxicity standards. The ACC is an "industry group" advisor. It's much like the wolf guarding the henhouse. Thanks to the ACC efforts, control regulations placed upon this chemical class are minimal. An ongoing perpetuation of phthalate approval for use in virtually everything, including containment of food, has resulted. In fact, the perpetuation of these mythological high safety standards has resulted in the majority of our food being wrapped or contained in plastics that leach EDC's into our foods.

The ACC's Phthalate Esters Panel is made up representatives from BASF, Eastman Chemical, Exxon-Mobil Chemical, Ferro, and Teknor Apex Corporations. After graduating, Benjamin could have gone to work for any of these companies to share the wealth that plastics manufacturing have reaped, instead of hanging around and sporting Mrs. Robinson for the summer!

I love one of the rationalization examples the ACC makes on their PHTHALATES INFORMATION CENTER webpage: "Thanks to phthalates, your nail polish doesn't chip." I wonder if they are aware of the "unexplained" high rate of breast cancer in manicurists. I also wonder if they are aware that most breast tissues and breast cancers have sex hormone receptors that are acted upon by the EDC's found in plastics.

To further confuse the public, the ACC webpage also redefines the PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE which in its un-perverted definition simply is: A (chemical) should not be considered safe until it is proven safe. Environmentalists who are trying to unravel the cause-effect relationships of environment chemicals, to the otherwise unexplained epidemics of various diseases now affecting man as well as every species on our planet, encourage its application. The ACC's watered down version suggests that cost effective, fearless risks are worth taking.

Can the ACC keep up the phthalate safety illusion forever? The American Tobacco Association almost got away with it!

We now know that EDC's, like hormones themselves require very minute amounts to have physiologic impact. EDC's are active in parts per trillion! For example, the usual adult maintenance dose of levothyroxine, a drug to replace depleted natural thyroid hormone in hypothyroidism, is 1.6 micrograms/Kg/day. Why would I even think about saying that a dose in the milligrams (1000 times as much as a microgram) of a known EDC would be safe, especially for a child or developing fetus?

We now know that phthalates also work in synergy with chemicals in other classes to exert "more than additive" physiologic effects.

Previous experiments in rodents showed that high levels of phthalates interfer with testosterone during gestation resulting in birth defects of the genitalia, testicular cancer, and infertility in the rats.

The ACC inspired acceptable level of phthalate myth should be blown out of the water with a recent study completed by the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. This study of 85 human infant boys reported in May 2005 showed that phthalate levels found normally in the general population adversely influenced sexual development. The phthalate exposure these children had correlated with smaller penis size and incomplete testicular descent, which is a condition that greatly increases the risk of testicular cancer if left untreated.

Solution 1 - Choose glass containers over plastic for purchase and storage of food and beverages including milk and water.

American children can consume several milligrams of phthalate each day.

I wonder if THE GRADUATE's Mr. Robinson noticed that most of the teenage girls now-days have bigger breasts than his seductive wife (gynecomastia), and that they begin thelarche (breast development) and menarche (menstruation) at a significantly younger age, or that many more have an endocrine pathology called PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).

The chances of a woman getting breast cancer in her lifetime has probably gone from a risk of less than 1 in 10 (10%) before THE GRADUATE was made to a 1 in about 7.5 (13.2 %) rate today.

The choice to avoid food chain plastics is a "no-brainer" when you understand how these chemicals persist and accumulate in our environment, and how they function in our bodies!

Solution 2 - Choose stainless steel containers over plastic for storage of food and beverages including water.

Unfortunately, we are past the point of no return with phthalates. Just like
cigarettes I think we'll have to live as prisoners with their impact on future generations. The only defense we have at this time is to individually choose to avoid them when we can, to mitigate their effects on our health.

Phthalates clearly act upon hormone receptors in both men and women. A concern is the potential phthalate impact on breast and other hormone sensitive tissue in human females, but phthalate's demasculinizing potential on males is more of a threat to all species on the planet.

Unlike Mr. McGuire, I think we can choose a better future by avoiding his "one word." We should start by trying to reduce plastics in our food chain exposures.

Bottom line:

I would strongly advise consumers to purchase beverages and non-solid food products packaged in glass rather than plastic if given the choice.

James A. Ferrel M.D., CNC is a board certified family physician and a certified nutritional consultant who specializes in preventative and environmental medicine. He currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. More wellness articles and web streams with Dr. Ferrel are available at http://www.lifedynamix.com - The New Science for Energetic Living!

The Last Days Of Christianity

2009-08-26T05:13:00.001-07:00

What Do I Do If Someone Insults

Tips For Grandparents Who Are Parenting in a Child's Absence

2009-08-25T14:51:00.001-07:00

While grandparents raising grandchildren is not a new phenomena, it can be very intimating ground to tread. It doesn't matter whether the actual parent is in the military, jail, off dealing (or not dealing) with addiction, or heaven forbid, deceased, answering the child's questions will eventually become an issue.

For grandparents facing this situation, turmoil doesn't begin to describe the environment. Not only will they have to learn how to become parents again, they will eventually have to answer a child's questions, help them deal with their emotions and put them on the right path for a healthy and happy life personally.

Dealing with each circumstance can be a little different, but there is a common thread grandparents will discover when it comes to advice for all "missing parent" scenarios. When Mommy and Daddy are not there, the best way to address questions is with the truth. Age-appropriate explanations, of course, are just fine, but the truth is the best approach to take. Children are very adept at figuring out when they are being lied to. If for some reason they don't realize it right away, they will feel betrayed later when they eventually discover the real story.

Whether you are raising a grandchild due to death, addiction, prison sentencing or military service (which is the easiest to cope with in most cases), you will likely want to keep these tips in mind:

Be willing to talk about it - Even if your grandchild never knew his Mom or Dad, there's a good chance questions will crop up from time to time. He will want to know about the person or people who are gone, why they are and more. Children can miss the idea of having a parent to call their own even if they never recall having been together. In cases of absence due to non-death circumstances, children will also ask questions. Be open. Be frank. Share your feelings and listen to theirs.

Help them cope with emotions - Even if a parent is gone through no fault of their own (death or work-related absence) children will sometimes be angry, confused, upset and emotional. Help talk them through the feelings and listen to them. Assure them you love them and you have no intention of leaving them. Make sure they know it is perfectly okay to feel however it is they are feeling.

Assure the child it is not their fault - No matter the situation that causes the separation, children will be likely to blame themselves. They will need your assurances that this is not so.

Visitation - For parents who are in jail, in rehabilitation programs or otherwise not present in a custodial capacity, visitation can be a tricky issue. If the child doesn't want to see the parent, don't push too hard. Keep the door open, however, for reestablishing a relationship. If your child does try to make contact in a safe and positive manner, don't shut it off without careful consideration. If abuse has taken place, do seek professional guidance on how to proceed.

Dealing with the emotional roller coaster of raising a grandchild in the absence of a parent can be very difficult. If you remain honest, open and loving, you and your grandchild will both be better off for it.

Find helpful and creative ideas for parents and grandparents while you shop our great selection of kids furniture (including our popular toddler beds) and classic toys. Visit http://www.TheMagicalRockingHorse.com today!

Video Clips on the the Secret Movie

2009-08-25T14:06:00.001-07:00

the Movie the Secret Was a Big Success, Watch Some Clips from the Oprah Winfrey Show on This Video

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

A Road Full Of Boulders

Window Header Framing Problems

2009-08-20T06:40:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

Do not change the sizes of any headers or beams.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning Meditation Or Watching

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-08-20T01:34:00.001-07:00

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

Finding out How Much Things Cost

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

Figuring out the Labor

Give Yourself a Cushion

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

Getting Up Earlier

Putting God on Trial

2009-08-19T21:06:00.001-07:00

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

Water Damage Mold

Bathroom Moisture Problems - Home Repair

2009-08-19T16:21:00.001-07:00

Open a window or door a little when you shower. Get some air circulating through the bathroom and prevent damage to your nice house.

Put up with a little inconvenience for you homes sake and your pocket book.

His website provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building in North San Diego Home Remodeling Carlsbad Home Remodeling

Visit us now for Bathroom Ideas

Faith Belief Or Education

Developing Wealth Building Habits

2009-08-19T04:26:00.001-07:00

If you do something every day, it will usually become a habit within 30 days.

Overcoming Difficulties Talking

Bathroom Faucet Leaks

2009-08-18T15:30:00.001-07:00

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

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

Backup Plans Feel Good