My Message From God - Christian Spirituality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advanced Bible Study

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

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

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

Click here if you're a Spiritual Chrsitian.

Rocking the Foundation of Christianity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg is currently working on a Christian Article Library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
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When Do We Get to Meet God's Parents?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Christian News

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

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.

Good Christians Really Do Inspire Me

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unbelievable Christian Bible Study Book

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

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

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

Thanks for reading my articles

Check This Out - 1 Corinthians 14:34

If you're a woman, you might not want to read this article. If you're a man who supports male chauvinistic ways, I guarantee that this is going to be an article that you won't want to miss.

I have watched women who believe in other religions, all over the world, consider men to be superior to them. I have watched men treat women as subservient and sometimes has subhuman beings, even though these women are someone's wives, sisters or daughters.

But the Holy Bible, come on I can't believe that this is the word of God. Read this and if you have to read it again, but is this really in the Bible, did God actually write this or is this something that was written by man, to make women live lives of servitude.

Here it is, read it for yourself, 1 Corinthians (TWB) 14:34 let your wives keep silent in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as the law also says. Is this what Christianity is all about or is this just part of what Christianity represents.

Are women really supposed to be quiet in the assemblies of God, in church or places of worship? Am I reading this right? Your wife's keep silent in assemblies, it doesn't say anything about men remaining silent in assemblies.

Oh yeah, for it has not been permitted for them to speak, what the heck are they talking about. Are you telling me that Christian women are not allowed to speak inside of their place of worship? Is that where these assemblies meet or are they talking about something else.

I would like to make a suggestion, too any Christians that are reading this article, this would be a great topic for discussion, at your next prayer meeting or Bible study group.

With religious text like this, you can understand why some women don't have equal rights to men. Its beliefs like these, that will eventually end up forcing large religious organizations to change or become part of our history.

Watch this Video on Women and Bible Problems

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site: If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vandenberge 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.

Rethinking Today's Religions - Misleading Our Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Could Christian Pride Get You in Trouble?

There's a good chance that most of us know at least one person who seems to be very prideful. These people are often hard to deal with and can easily get their feelings hurt. When someone who has a lot of pride, gets trapped in a corner, they often come out swinging in full attack mode.

When a Christian has a lot of pride, and is faced with a problem about their religion, the opposition had better be prepared, especially if this person is large and intimidating. I'm not referring to every Christian here, I'm not even referring to every Christian with a lot of pride either, I'm referring to Christians who mix their prideful beliefs with factual evidence.

These people can often become stubborn and the more that you push or pull, the deeper they dig their heels in, until they can't even be moved in either direction. It's almost like they're feet are buried in a large concrete slab of cement.

Yes pride can get you into trouble, they key is, knowing how to get yourself out of trouble. When someone approaches you with a question about your beliefs that you don't have the answer to, simply respond with," I will have to do some research and get back with you."

Don't let your pride get in the way and create an enemy out of someone that could provide you with some useful information about other beliefs or even your own religion. Think about it, your pride can often dig holes that you might not be able to get out of.

Eliminate Bible Propaganda

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

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

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

Click here if you're Interested in Christianity.

Does Anyone Have a Direct Line to God?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks For Reading Our Articles

Where Did God Come From?

If you believe in certain religions, like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and even Buddhism, there's a good chance that you believe in some sort of God like being or cosmic force, especially the one that created our world that we live in today.

Where did God come from? What are we doing here? And where are we going, after we die. Some of these questions, are hard to answer and scientifically difficult to prove. There is very little evidence to prove, where God actually came from, what are we suppose to be doing here and where we are going to go, after we die.

If nobody knows where God came from, why are there so many religions, that believe in a God? Think about it for a moment, the Christian God, was the creator of the universe, and the creator of everything. Where's the proof? Why do people continue to study the Bible, and believe in a God, that they can't really even put their hands on?

If God is truly real, why wouldn't we have ever seen him? It doesn't make a lot of sense, to believe in imaginary beings, or invisible entities and pray to a God that we might not ever see or touch. It might not make a lot of sense, but if you ask serious religious followers, of these religions a question like, can you prove that there actually is a God, there's a good chance that these religious believers will reply, with a simple yes.

They have no proof, no evidence, and almost base their entire beliefs on faith, instead of facts. Rarely do they seek any evidence or even read their religious text, with a goal to understand what they're reading. Most of these people take everything that they learn, lock it away in their head, and never ask any serious questions about their religious beliefs, like these.

If there is a God, why wouldn't he show himself? If there is a God, why wouldn't he prove that he does exist, so that others wouldn't have to doubt his existence? Something to think about, on the days that you're not going to your place of worship.

Who's God Is More Powerful

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

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

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. 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.

Where Did God Come From?

If you believe in certain religions, like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and even Buddhism, there's a good chance that you believe in some sort of God like being or cosmic force, especially the one that created our world that we live in today.

Where did God come from? What are we doing here? And where are we going, after we die. Some of these questions, are hard to answer and scientifically difficult to prove. There is very little evidence to prove, where God actually came from, what are we suppose to be doing here and where we are going to go, after we die.

If nobody knows where God came from, why are there so many religions, that believe in a God? Think about it for a moment, the Christian God, was the creator of the universe, and the creator of everything. Where's the proof? Why do people continue to study the Bible, and believe in a God, that they can't really even put their hands on?

If God is truly real, why wouldn't we have ever seen him? It doesn't make a lot of sense, to believe in imaginary beings, or invisible entities and pray to a God that we might not ever see or touch. It might not make a lot of sense, but if you ask serious religious followers, of these religions a question like, can you prove that there actually is a God, there's a good chance that these religious believers will reply, with a simple yes.

They have no proof, no evidence, and almost base their entire beliefs on faith, instead of facts. Rarely do they seek any evidence or even read their religious text, with a goal to understand what they're reading. Most of these people take everything that they learn, lock it away in their head, and never ask any serious questions about their religious beliefs, like these.

If there is a God, why wouldn't he show himself? If there is a God, why wouldn't he prove that he does exist, so that others wouldn't have to doubt his existence? Something to think about, on the days that you're not going to your place of worship.

Who's God Is More Powerful

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

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

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. 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.

Does Anyone Have a Direct Line to God?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks For Reading Our Articles

How Long Does God Really Want Me to Try?

The Holy Spirit has been working through me for many years and I really want to know how long, God really want me to try? How long does he want me to try to get Christians to think and understand Christianity? I'm doing the best that I can and as long as God is working through me, I will try to do better.

God put me here for a reason and my reason is to teach other Christians about Christianity. As long as the Holy Spirit will keep me alive, I will continue to do the best that I can and teach other Christians, how to study the Bible and where their religion actually came from.

If you're reading this article, your probably interested in Christianity and the Bible, if you do read the Bible, do you actually understand what it's saying. If you study the Bible, are you exposing yourself to others who also study the Bible, or are you only studying the Bible with people you know and are familiar with.

How long are you going to try, before you actually quit? Have you quit before and started again and maybe you've done this a few times, but you haven't quite yet. I know where you're coming from, I've been there myself and continue to motor ahead.

I would like to give you a word of advice, don't ever quit and don't ever give up. Keep searching and you will find the answers, keep knocking and doors will be opened. I have been knocking and will continue to keep knocking.

I wish you nothing but the best of luck on your journey towards the ultimate answers that we're all hoping to find.

Do Christians Believe Everything

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

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

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

Raise Your Property Value With Grant Money

If you are considering selling your home, you should look into home improvement grants first. If you would wonder why receiving free government money to invest in a home that you will soon be leaving is a good idea, then you are about to become significantly enlightened about the benefits to applying this type of funding to your resale strategy. Interested? Please read on...

It is probably a safe assumption that if you are currently beginning the resale procedure, you know that you are about to take a serious hit while negotiating your selling price. It's no secret that at the moment, American housing prices are far below the actual realistic property values due to a poor economy. Obtaining free government money in home improvement grants to remodel and repair your home, before you sell, can significantly raise your property value. Applying this strategy prior to placing your home on the market can most definitely result in a higher selling price, hence helping you to recoup your losses in selling below actual value.

It has been reported, that many American citizens who initially set out to repair and remodel their homes for resale using home improvement grants, in the process found that were also eligible to receive government funded home grants, remodeled, raised their property values, applied for more grants, and wound up keeping their newly remodeled homes in the end. It has been accomplished by hundreds of American homeowners, and you can be one of them.

No matter what the situation, buying, selling, keeping your home, free government home improvement grants can raise your property value while keeping your bank account in tact. Before you visit the realtor, visit your local government grant awards agency.

Apply for Personal Grants.

See how much money you qualify to receive today and never pay back. Get Grants for Individuals

1 John 1 - Chapter 1 of John's Letter Explained

1 John 1 is not addressed to converts or Born Again Believers! How can this be I hear you say, and if it is not addressed to Spirit Born believers, how have 'Bible scholars', ministers, pastors and theologians missed this crucial understanding of God's Word? Under the title Recipients in the NIV Study Bible they clearly state 1 John is aimed at believers, but notice, they conveniently choose 1 John Chapter 2 to erroneously prove their point i.e. they go straight to Chapter 2 and in the process by-pass Chapter 1. Why do they do that? Easy, the NIV is the work of Bible intellectuals and theologians who are men with their own agendas. Unfortunately these agendas are not The Lord Jesus Christ's agenda and they never were.

Now, there are two factors of error or gross misunderstanding at work here. The first and most important factor is the error of reading the epistles as if they were, and are, written for the benefit of the converted alone. In fact this is a common failure of most 'Christian teaching'. The second factor of error, which leads to the first error is this: Paul's epistles are aimed at the converted or those being called; that is, Spiritually aware, so the above mentioned 'authorities' jump to the conclusion that all the epistles that follow Paul's epistles are also written to the same audience; to disciples, Spiritual beginners and mature Born Again believers alike. This is what I call 'one size fits all' preaching or, preaching as if to people all with same level of Spiritual maturity, but as I will prove, this is definitely not the case and especially in 1 John 1.

As an example, let's consider this; everyone is in church on a Sunday and a Spiritual message is delivered. Now this message maybe for those new to The Faith or it maybe for Spiritual children or it maybe for mature believers; some will say "is there a difference?" Well Paul certainly thought there was because he withheld his meaty teaching from certain congregations because they weren't ready for it:

1 Corinthians 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

I have only ever met one minister who differentiated or separated his flock for teaching. Why did he do this? After I have explained 1 John 1 I hope you will understand why he did.

So if 1 John 1 is not aimed at Born Again Believers, to whom is it aimed and what is the issue at stake here in this passage of Holy Scripture? Is the issue sin? Well yes, of course it is, but then again, no, it's more than that. The emphasis is more to do with attitude toward sin, a preparedness to admit to being a sinner, a willingness to confess those sins for the first time - honesty and truthfulness. Being prepared to not live in a state of denial; a state of mind of not kidding oneself - Truth, but before I get into the meat of this passage we need to understand the opening verses of 1 John 1.

1 John 1:1-5 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; Verse 2; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us Verse 3; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Verse 4; And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Verse 5; This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

Look at these opening verses carefully. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard..." John is immediately setting the scene, style and approach of this letter or as some have commented - this sermon - a letter to be read aloud to the Churches, but what is the style or approach of this letter? It's as if it is all new to the listeners and of course, it is, because the first five verses amount to a declaration and the word 'declare' appears twice; verses 3 & 5. Now only new news is declared - no one ever declares old news, so these opening verses must be for the benefit of those who have not heard this message before; they were new to this message and teaching. Why would John 'declare' this news to those already converted? They already believe, don't they? Have they not heard this message before? Of course they have, they knew very well that the Apostle John was an original disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you noticed, too, the other important point here, a point more important than it being a declaration? I have put it italics along with the word 'declare' - "That you also may have fellowship with us". We need to understand this crucial point! This is telling us that these people are not yet in fellowship with the brethren of that Church; they are not yet in fellowship with the congregation of that church area and if you ignore this Truth then you do so at your peril.

OK, let's now move on to the meaty part of this chapter, and notice, John opens it with the word 'IF' (the biggest word in the world!) and he says it five times.So let's go through these five verses, one by one, and reveal the real message or Truth within them:

1) Verse 6: "IF we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"

Straight away, John is stating an obvious fact; how can we say we have fellowship with The Lord Jesus Christ and walk in darkness; it's impossible and it is a total contradiction in terms and in Spiritual reality? So who are they that walk in darkness? Who do you think they are; the fairies at the bottom of your garden!!?? Why, it's those who are still in the world and are of the world and are not saved - they are the lost, they are those who live in darkness and they walk in darkness and, therefore, cannot "do The Truth". Why can't they "do The Truth", because The Truth is not in them? Why and how is the Truth not in them, because they have not been called of the Father to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit!? They are not Born Again or Born from above. So why did John make this challenging, opening statement? Why, to help these potential new converts to examine themselves to see if the Father was calling them to His Son or not - to see if they were "doing The Truth". Furthermore, if we say we have fellowship with Him and we are not disciples or Born Again, then we are liars - plain and simple.

2) Verse 7: "But IF we walk in the light, as He is in The Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Now what is John saying here when he says: "If we walk in The Light, as He is in the Light"? Let's be clear, the word 'in' here is a poor translation, because the Lord Jesus Christ is The Light, so He has to be able to walk 'in' the light for all The Light emanates from Him in the first place. The Lord Jesus Christ never walked in light that came from elsewhere or from another source, and I will rewrite verse 5 for the proof of this fact:

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Returning to verse 7, what is John saying here? He is saying 'If we?' Well, do we or don't we, do we walk in The Light or not, or perhaps more importantly; how can we walk in The Light? That's easy, or maybe it's not so easy. We begin to walk in The Light by confessing our sins, being baptised and receiving the Holy Spirit - becoming a Born Again son or daughter of God. Now we walk in The Light. Now we have fellowship one with another as brothers and sisters as Jesus' Blood has cleansed us from; now notice this - ALL SIN. All sin means all sin, not some of our sins but all of them!! Past, present and future, and don't let any blasphemer tell you otherwise.

3) Verse 8: "IF we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

OK, here's a question: What type of person is going to say they have no sin? Is a non believer going to say this or someone the Father is calling? Or, in this case, are these potential converts going to admit that they are sinners or not; are they going to say that they have no sin or confess that they do have sin? If they are going to say they have no sin they are then deceiving themselves. In this scenario of 1 John 1 the Father is probably calling some of them, and this question will challenge them and convict them, but not the others. Some of them will not have The Truth and some of them will have The Truth, so who is not going to be truthful? Now notice the last part "The Truth is not in us". If The Truth is not in someone, then they are of the world and not Born Again; they do not have the indwelling of The Holy Spirit. Now, if the Father is calling someone [John 6:44], this potential convert's awareness of sin is automatically enlivened; he or she will be made aware of their sins for the first time in their lives. Anyone reading this passage of Scripture, too, will also be convicted of their sins for the first time in their lives if they are being called. This is the whole purpose of 1 John 1.

If, on the other hand, we think this verse applies to True Believers or to those Born Again, let's try and apply it to them and see if it makes any sense. As an aside, I ask this question, for there are multiple thousands of mainstream Christians out there, who have been Baptised (albeit erroneously into the trinity) and do believe that this verse applies to them, and then they wonder why they find no relief from guilt and no peace - the peace that passeth all understanding. This means they do not live under grace.

OK, I've digressed a little there, but a necessary digression. So, is a Born Again son or daughter of God going to say they have no sin? Hello! Excuse me! Well, the first thing a switched on believer will say to this question is something like this: I have a body of sin that sins, but I, the Born Again Spiritual new man, do not sin because I cannot sin, so that means I can tell you quite plainly that I have no sin, apart from the sin in my body of sin which is no longer me, it's just a vessel that I reside in until I am resurrected and my body of sin dies. This also means that by telling you I have no sin I cannot be deceiving myself and the Truth is definitely in me. Please read my articles: "The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ - His True Grace, Not the Watered Down Religious Version!" and "Was the Apostle Paul a Schizophrenic? - Romans 7:14-25", for a full explanation of what it means to be truly forgiven, sinless and living free under His glorious grace.

Now bearing all this in mind, can you now see the nonsense of trying to apply this verse to Born Again believers? This verse can only apply to those approaching the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time - potential new converts. John is using this statement to invoke or prompt repentance within the souls of these new people whom the Father may, or may not, be calling to His Son.

4) Verse 9: "IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (emphasis mine)

John says, if we confess our sins. Now when do we do that? Well we know don't we, at the time of our calling and/or at the time of our Baptism? We need to understand, too, that confession of sins is a one off event, repetitive confession of sins is not required of Born Again sons and daughters of God. Please see my article for the proof of this Biblical truth: "Is Repetitive Confession of Sins, Biblical?" Moving on, John then tells us that if we do confess our sins the Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, not some or only part of our unrighteousness, but all our unrighteousness.

Born Again sons and daughters of God have already confessed their sins, they are now walking in The Light and The Truth is now in them, so why would John re-teach this fundamental again, is he into preaching to the converted? No. True Believers who keep on believing are cleansed of all their sins and this cleansing takes place at Baptism. This verse, as with the whole of 1 John 1, can only apply to those new to the Faith and/or non believers being called. John here is encouraging those who were hearing the message to confess their sins for the first and only time.

5) Verse 10: "IF we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his Word is not in us."

This verse just confirms and sums up what has already been said with the added dimension of telling the new converts that if they profess to be of The Lord Jesus Christ and they say that they have not sinned they make Our Lord out to be a liar as well, and His Word and Truth is not in them. By contrast, how could this verse apply to Born Again sons and daughters of God? Quite simply, it couldn't, because those Born of God cannot sin, so this statement could only be aimed at or only apply to those being called out of this world of sin and into His glorious Light.

Charles Crosby

http://yes2truth.com.istemp.com/index.html

If you wish to learn more please e-mail me at yes2faithatyahoo.co.uk If you do wish to e-mail me please replace the 'at' with @ - thank you

There are no contradictions in the Holy Word of God only the evil corruptions of men, within its pages, who have deliberately created them to meet the requirements of their satanic religious agendas - Charles Crosby

Revised and edited 7th September 2008

Article Writing - 3 Simple Methods to Improve Your Writing

Advertising costs for your website can be very expensive. However, Article Writing not only is a great way to get traffic but it is also free! By writing quality articles that are filled with good, informative content you will advance as an expert in your field. Article Writing will therefore increase your traffic to your Squeeze Page or Website with readers who are interested in your topic and are not just tire kickers.

Here are some ways you can advance with Article Writing:

1. Offer original content. Make sure that you present your thoughts and ideas in your own words. It is unlawful to copy another person's work and claim it as your own. Your articles must be unique and only offer fresh content that your readers cannot find elsewhere. This way you will show your readers that you really know your subject and can help them with answers to their problems.

2. Stick with the facts. Your readers are usually looking for information to solve a problem so make sure that your article does just that. If you answer their questions they will begin to trust you as an expert and not only listen to you but also follow your recommendations. That is why you should absolutely make sure that all your content information has been verified and is true and correct. Again, you are working to build your reader list - people will sign up with someone that they trust.

3. Deliver quality articles. People are reading your articles because they have a need or problem to be answered. Do not mislead your readers - if you aren't sure of your facts, don't put the information in your article. Also, think about your reader and present your information in a logical sequence. People want your article to read smoothly - they don't want to see how great you write, they just want their problem solved. One other thing - make sure that the information in your article is relevant to your title.

If you would like more information on what you need to know about Article Marketing or other related areas of online business marketing, I have just created a new ebook.

Download it free here: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com/index2.html

Sharon Zolna and Larry Zolna are authors of numerous articles as well as instructors of website creation for an online business and other related fields. Please visit our website at: http://www.newwebsiteteacher.com and sign up for frequent tips on creating your own online business website.

Laminate Cabinet Door Damage

Free Inspirational Quotes - Help Yourself, Help Others Too

What could be more empowering, in terms of self-help, than to turn your thoughts towards someone else's troubles?

Instead of trying to help yourself, then, you try to help others. And in doing so - when you stop continually thinking of yourself, and all your woes - you not only help others, empower them, you also help and empower yourself too.

That's what I believe, anyway.

And the following free inspirational quotes seem to be back me up.

"He who teaches children learns more than they do"
-- German Proverb

I think that he (or she) who teaches any child or adult learns greatly in the process, for sure.

But it doesn't just have to be children that this teaching refers to. You could be teaching a colleague or a friend or even your partner - you could be sharing your wisdom or expertise with them, and learning more about your wisdom or expertise in the process.

And you might not be teaching them, but guiding them, or providing mentoring.

"Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer; into a selflessness which links us with all humanity."
-- Lady Nancy Astor

So it is real education what we should all be sharing, if at all possible. And then we really would be helping others, and helping ourselves too.

And, in case you think you don't have the necessary skills...

"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do."
-- Dr. Benjamin Spock

The famous American pediatrician was speaking to new parents at the time, admittedly. Still, his message is an inspirational one, not simply aimed at that group of people. It has truth to us all, whatever we find ourselves doing in life.

Yes, it's true, we *do* all know more than we think we know. And that means we all have the ability to help, somehow, no matter who we are and what few skills we think we possess.

This is a truly life-affirming belief. And Leo F. Buscaglia describes this belief, thus:

"Don't spend your precious time asking 'Why isn't the world a better place?' It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is 'How can I make it better?' To that there is an answer."
-- Leo F. Buscaglia

Yes, you can make the world a better place by sharing your knowledge and skills with someone else. Or you can simply wonder how else you can make a difference. And you can make a difference - all that's required is belief that you can...

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."
-- William James

Everyone reading this article has a unique combination of qualities. They will have faced and overcome many challenges individual to them. And these experiences will have given them a unique perspective on life - their perspective.

So, armed with that perspective, and a belief that they can make a difference if they but try, each reader will (hopefully) be inspired to help themselves by helping someone else, in a way only they can.

But it's not as simple as just reading an article. For anything worthwhile to be achieved, action is required. Action is what separates doers from dreamers.

And, of course, there is an inspirational quote for that, too:

"The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers."
-- Brian Tracy

And, if you take the first step here - if you decide to help others - then we will all be winners, you, me and the person you decide to help.

That is what I believe, anyway.

"With love and patience, nothing is impossible."

And that is what Daisaku Ikeda believes.

Thank you for reading.

Steve M Nash believes that you are your own self help guru. And that's why he created http://www.SelfHelpCollective.com - to let you help yourself, and help others too. You can read more short inspirational quotations by subscribing to his newsletter, The Weekly Wonder - http://www.selfhelpcollective.com/newsletter.html

Common Mistakes With Faux Finishes - House Remodeling Ideas

The elements of faux painting aren't difficult but there's always room for error here and there. Keep these important tips in mind and you're half way there.

1. Your end result is only going to be as good as your materials. That applies to paint and brush quality but above all to your surface. Think of it as your canvas. You're about as likely to achieve your aims on a surface coated with flat paint as you would be painting on tissue paper.

Eggshell or satin base paint is the best undercoat. Faux finishes don't work as well on flat paint surfaces. Paint also needs to dry slowly and flat finishes tend to dry quickly and the scope for fixing mistakes is limited. Finally, underlying flat paint just seems to dull finishes.

2. A few cents of commonsense is worth dollars of equipment. Don't bother with unnecessary gimmicks. Spend your money on quality paints and brushes instead. You don't need a special sponge applicator - almost any soft sponge will do. You don't need an artist's palette. Ice cube trays are cheap and actually hold more paint.

Don't waste that paint! You can always stick it in the freezer rather than letting it harden. Another money-saving tip is to use dishwashing liquid for cleaning brushes. You can buy fancy cleaners but a grease-cutting dishwashing liquid works just fine with water-based paints and with stencil creams, which are partially oil-based.

3. If your surface is pitted or cracked, it will need filling, and sanding when dry. A common error is to assume that that once your faux finish is completed your job is done. Wrong! You MUST seal with water-based sealer before painting, or your wall will look blotchy and diseased. Seal with a color that blends in with the rest of the wall or patches will show through. If you don't have that original paint, mix the sealer with suitably colored acrylic paint to minimize the contrast.

4. You know the saying: oil and water don't mix. Remember that when painting or suffer the consequences. The resulting curdled slush is not pretty. In short, know your paints and read your labels. Latex paint may sound like it's oil-based but it's part-water.

5. Not only is it true that mess is stress, but lack of cleanliness will foul up your finish. You need to clean brushes really well if you don't want previously used colors contaminating your handiwork. Running water and finger massage won't clean properly. That doesn't mean you need expensive professional cleaning pads. Check the kids' department: you can find cleaning pads there at a fraction of the price.

You need to maintain a clean working environment, especially when working for others. Small splashes on carpets can be handled without chemicals. Try nail scissors. Wait until the paint is dry. Adding water just spreads it. Then snip the soiled ends, strand by strand. This won't work on larger patches, so make sure you use drop cloths as a preventative measure. For disasters that can't be trimmed out, try product called Goof Off.

6. When using glazes, wet is the watchword! You need to finish in one seamless session. That means no bathroom breaks (so go before you start!) or refreshment interludes. Wet and dry edges won't mix, the dry glaze won't spread and it will show. Work fast, especially in hot dry climates.

7. You may not recognize your painting style, but everyone has their own unique technique. That's why collaborative efforts don't work. People can work together as long as they work on different layers or walls, not different sections of the same layer/wall. Your style can even change during a day: pre- and post-lunch. Plan your sessions and breaks to maximize uniformity in technique.

Ready to start your faux finish painting project? Get the designer walls that would make even "Martha" jealous! Claim your free "Insider's Guide to Faux Painting" and avoid all the common mistakes, get success tips, find the right products for the job and more.

Article Writing Success - How to Write Better Articles Faster

Article writing is the fastest and easiest way to attract qualified traffic to your website. This will not require you to shell out a single dime for your advertising cost and will allow you to get people to give your site a visit by using information as a bait.

Here's how you can breakthrough with article writing:

1. Keep your articles short. Online users can easily get bored -- that's a fact. If want to get these people to read your articles in their entirety, make sure that you keep your copies as short as possible (about 300-500 words). It would help if you can present your information using bullet list and if you can steer clear from using fillers and lengthy introductions on your content.

2. Use interesting titles. Your articles will not generate enough attention online, even if they are well-written and highly informative, if your titles are not attention-grabbing. Get more online users to open your articles by making sure that your headlines are highly descriptive, benefit-driven, keyword-rich, well-written, interesting, and to the point.

3. Choose your topics wisely. If you want to attract those people who are most likely to buy an iPod, you must ditch the idea of writing irrelevant topics such as about internet marketing or about website creation. Your goal here is to give your potential clients the information they need so you can influence their buying decisions. Stick with topics that are closely related to the pressing issues being faced by these people or talk about your products and services without resorting to sales pitches or blatant ads.

4. Keep your readers interested. You don't want your readers to close your articles until they reach your resource box. You can hold their interest by presenting the information you have using the inverted pyramid technique and by making your content sound very engaging. You can do this by writing your articles using conversational tone and by loading each of your paragraphs with useful and valuable information that your readers will surely appreciate.

5. Manually proofread your articles. Checking your copies against grammar and spelling checker is not enough. If you want to make sure that your articles are free from any types of errors and if you want to make sure that your content flows smoothly, you must take some time to manually proofread your articles.

By the way...do you want to learn exactly how to create a high income online business by meeting the needs of people in your niche through coaching, consulting, and teaching online classes?

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Sean Mize teaches coaches, consultants, and small business owners how to package their knowledge and sell it in high priced coaching, consulting, and online class packages. Sean says "If you have an existing marketable service or skill that you can teach others, I can teach you to package it into a high-priced class or coaching program, guaranteed"

Fungus On Roof Shingles

Possibilities - Are You Open?

The majority of people believe they are open-minded and open to learning more, until a suggestion is made to do something different. Without asking a question, the rationalizations pour forth at rapid speed.

"I don't have time...," "That wouldn't work for me." "I don't know how." "That would take too much time." "I have too much to do, I couldn't add another thing." And the list goes on.

The dilemma is how does one acquire a truly open-mind? One can learn to have an open-mind by allowing ones imagination to roam and consider paths that you previously turned away from. If you want to broaden your goals or push out of your comfort zone, today is the perfect day to do such a thing. Why today? You might ask. The answer is there is no perfect time to begin something. Simply pick a moment and do it. Just do it. When you just do it, your spontaneous and free spirit will kick into high gear, without your being able to squelch it. By jumping into every situation with a strong sense of optimism and confidence in yourself, you will be creating limitless opportunities to create positive experiences in your life.

Being open-minded and having an optimistic outlook, you will believe in the possibilities for creating a more meaningful and enriched life. An open-mind is beneficial in every situation, whether you are interacting with others or working to create your dreams. When you consider what is possible, you stretch your limits and strive to create more meaningful experiences. Simultaneously, you learn to let go of your preconceived ideas and adopt a mind-set of optimism in all circumstances, which helps you attract more opportunities for growth and create a deeper level of meaning in your life and those closest to you.

By opening your mind to consider the new and unusual at each moment, you can welcome in new realms of possibilities for growth and everlasting fulfillment.

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

How to Remodel Your Home Without Demolishing Your Marriage

In the eleven years that my husband and I have been together we have moved five times; we have built four homes, and remodelled four others. I am very familiar with what a couple can expect 'under the influence' of construction. Beyond this, my husband is the founder and owner a very successful Design/Build firm in the San Francisco Bay Area, so we have a lateral view of what many, couples go through, over and over again.

The emotional tax during a remodel is very real, indeed. Yet because there is little available information about it we tend to take the hard rout. We think, "Oh, it's not as bad as other people make it out to be!" or "If we don't make a big deal about it, everything will be just fine." And, actually, what choice do we have?

Less than halfway into it, many couples realize that not only is there a huge emotional side to their project, but that it is far bigger than they had imagined it could be. We have all heard about couples who divorced, or nearly separated, after building their dream home. Answers to the question of "why" are limitless, but the bottom line is this: if they knew what to expect and/or had some guidance, they may have still liked each other once their home was finished. Remodelling is a huge deal, and it is not for the faint of heart or the uninformed. Even if you have a very strong marriage, there are likely to be emotional side-effects you would rather avoid, and could, if you exercise the care necessary ahead of time.

Because of my own challenges with this personal aspect to remodelling, I had searched everywhere including book stores under home-construction; home-remodelling, and even the self-help aisle. But I found little that paid the slightest attention to the emotional fallout of home-remodelling. It was just as frustrating to search on-line for any comprehensive guidance that could arm couples ahead of time. All I was looking for was something that would both confirm, and ease, the impact home-remodelling has on domestic life and -not least of all- on marriage.

Remodelling is a multi-layered entity to say the least. There is the physical project which is worth many, many layers all by itself, and then there is real-life before, during, and after the project. As involved as the project will be, your relationship needs equal care and consideration.

I sincerely hope that this article will aid in revealing some common (though not so strange) issues before they become problematic, and lessen the element of disappointment in those you can not foresee.

The sense of accomplishment that comes with witnessing your project to its completion can be very satisfying indeed. The greater reward of such projects, however, is the sense that the experience has brought you and your spouse closer together; that you can enjoy looking back on it ALL with more pleasure than pain; and that the great care you took of your relationship will fill your new home with the natural air of completion, and comfort. These are memories in the making for you both, so it is important to be aware of what is happening between you as you grow your new home together.

My goal is to help you position yourselves for offering greater kindness to one another throughout your entire building process.

Nine Essential Steps.

Essential Step #1

Decide together, that you need to decide how to communicate with each other

Revise your skills; explore new Skill-sets. Buy a book on effective communication for couples, and READ it together. Take a short workshop TOGETHER. But make it fun because fun is an important binder which makes learning something potentially 'ho-hum' much more... well FUN! The more intelligent you are the more you will need it, simple because you are more likely to reasonably talk yourselves out of it. But take my word for it, find a way to agree on your communication styles, and (I'll say it again) have FUN with it because you will need to be able to deal with potentially uncomfortable issues when neither of you feels like it, or when you are both exhausted.

Essential Step #2

Decide on what is true for you!

a. Do you really want that library? Is it essential that you buy your tile from Italy? Can I really live without a room of my own for my projects? When we remodelled our kitchen I hadn't thought about recycling. What a blunder on my part because I believe in recycling. I could kick myself because what's true for me is that I feel responsible for how I live on my planet. So, that is a value I neglected at the time. Why? Honestly, I just didn't want to argue with my husband over it. That's ridiculous! But I learned Essential Step #2 from it and have applied it elsewhere, thank goodness.

b. Champion your partner's truth. This is very important. It is a very engaged form of active-love that pays dividends. When your partner trusts that you not only know what they want, but that you will protect it, everyone relaxes. Remember that you have to ask them what they are not willing to give up; what they absolutely must have to feel satisfied with the design or handling of the job; and what they definitely do not want. Please do not forget to think of your own answers to these and other questions of your own. Once you are clear about what you want you must tell your partner. If they are to be on your side when you need them they must be informed. We generally can not be expected to support what we do not know about. Even when we are aware of our partners needs it is still sometimes difficult to keep it all together.

Essential Step #3

Make the commitment!

Yes, you are actually going to do this remodel. So often one person is on board completely with the project and the other one isn't that keen, but they tell themselves, "we need the room," or "It will make her happy," or "my husband decided ...so I had to go along!" Whatever your reasons and/or reservations, if you are moving forward with the project then do what ever you needed to do to get on board with the reality of it, and plan together how to make it work for you both. When one of you can not wait to begin, and the other is not enthusiastic at all, you will likely create deferred resentment. And for good reason I am afraid. Someone's feelings, opinions and needs, are not being taken care of. Both of you need to win, and both of you need to feel safe and supported if this is going to go as smoothly as possible.

Essential Step #4

Accept the idea of multiple choices!

1. Mono-Way

2. This or That Way

3. Sky-Way

This step provides flexibility. Think Bamboo verses Oak. When considering these nine steps, remember that you have as many choices as you can dream up. In other words, stay away from the mono-way attitude I call MWOTH (MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY). Remove the stifling air of a stale-mate as in the either/or (this or that way) choice. Brainstorm! The sky is the limit when it comes to ideas. That's sky-way. Make it a game. How many solutions can you each come up with in 60 seconds? Whoever has the most choices, wins. Let yourselves have fun with it; be silly and outrageous; be real and practical too. The point is not to edit yourself, or each other, when playing this game. You will be surprised at the very practical ideas you can build together from just one ridiculous notion.

Essential Step #5

Choose your POA!

a. What is a POA? Position Of Attitude means: adopt how you want to be with the larger picture. Do you want power-struggles? Do you want the culture of your relationship to continue to feel friendly and efficient? Do you want it to feel honourable, clear and unencumbered? Do you have realistic expectations? How do you want to behave when problems come up; personal disagreements; billing issues; budget concerns? The more you think about, discuss, and decide on ahead of time (in terms of how you will be with each other at such times) the better you will likely preserve intimacy. Intimacy and trust are the assets most often at risk during power-struggles and blaming.

b. Decide what out-come you want. This sounds simple enough but it is worth re-claiming. Do you want this to be a happy experience? Do you care more about the bottom-line than about how you treat one another? Is there a middle ground that has wiggle room for you both? Is there a way to view it all so that the budget remains sane AND you don't shatter your relationship over an inflexible iron will?

If you do actually care more about the bottom line, then you have a real challenge. Either you should admit it and deal with the consequences, or find some way to soften your approach so others don't turn on their heels and run away from you as fast as they can. You may really want to preserve your intimacy, and your partner's trust that you are always safe for them to problem solve with (or whatever). However, maybe you've been accused of being really controlling or perhaps even overbearing. In this case, you may feel it is important to find a way to get a grip on what drives you to the point of loosing your grip on the big picture. An active decision to deal with this part of yourself, is a huge act of love that your husband or wife will absolutely notice.

c. Accept the idea of multiple choices: Remember this from Essential Step #4? This is a great tool to bring into building your position of attitude. You can choose what ever attitude you want to have. Remember that the attitude you already have is one you are allowing yourself to have. I know that you didn't come by it accidentally. You earned it through time and experience. Yet, have you ever noticed that there are statistics to back up every point of view on just about anything you can dream up? It's the same with our attitude about anything. So, decide between a selection of attitudes you would most like to hold, and then find the evidence to back it up. It's there if you look for it.

d. From blame to game: The bottom line here is there is no room for blame. If you are creating this project together; championing one another; claiming and sharing your POA; brainstorming for fun and choices; if you are learning and declaring what is true for you... then there is no room for blame. You will find that you are both on the same team, and you're not just pretending to be. Your finished house will not give you back the love you laid at its foundation, nor can it replace the intimacy and trust you sacrifice to it for the sake of any part of it. And dollar equity alone feels very empty at the end of the day.

Essential Step #6

Creating Memories!

Develop an attitude of adventure. This is so important. Get real! Let's face it; this project is not essential to survival. It will make life easier; your friends may be impressed; you will have more room and hopefully everyone will have the space to be who they are in the new digs, but it is not a question of survival. Don't make it about survival. Make it about the adventure and about the stories you get to tell together for years after. You want to shoot for the kind of stories you can safely tell your grandchildren.

Essential Step #7

There are several solutions to every 'unique' problem!

This goes along with the idea of multiple choices. You don't get to misbehave just because you think your issues are unique and this exempts you from: giving up your mono-way attitude; or from effective brainstorming; or from championing your partner; or for that matter, from honouring what is really true for you. Solutions come from Ideas, and good ideas come from you. Recognize the possibilities that are unique rather than the problems that are unique. Brainstorm ways that the unique possibilities may actually take care of the issues at hand.

Very Essential Step #8

Do NOT give up your tools of sanity!

This kind of temporary situation will always take too long. If you practice yoga; if you go to the gym; if you meditate; play soft-ball; go for long walks; play scrabble; see your friends... what ever keeps you sane when life is normal, it is even more important to do them now! Do not accept anything less at this time, and I encourage you to really support one another in absolutely making this happen.

The love you two have, the history, the kids, the pets, the sorrows and the pivotal moments you share together, are all far too precious to compromise even over a house. It doesn't matter how much the house is worth now, or how much it will be worth.

Extremely Essential Step #9

Making it Count!

This remodel will take several months of your lives. Make the shared experiences count toward the overall quality of your relationship and toward the tone of your individual lives. This is a growth experience anyway you slice it. Make it count personally, and in what you learn about being in relationship. Make it count spiritually if you have that persuasion. Make it count in the examples you will set for your children or friends who will go through the same challenges on similar projects.

This final step is by far and away the one that I care most deeply about. In the work I do with grief coaching, it is so clear to me that radical changes in our lives create great losses for us as well as great opportunities. The losses ask us to grow up a little more, and the opportunities as us to share what we've learned. Tearing down and rearranging our home is an experience that stirs our core sense of survival. This is why many people do fly into a survival-mode during a building project. It taunts ALL instincts of self-preservation; currency, shelter, and domestic and emotional safety, to name just four. But remember that this is an optional 'danger'. It is as it were, both perceived and self inflicted. We volunteer to hold onto the image of a better life for ourselves. If all goes south, you could suffer a financial loss, but you probably won't die. Not unless you make yourself, and others close to you, sick with worry or fright.

So make this whole experience count toward who you want to be personally, with your family, and in the world. This way, no matter what happens, you will feel more able to handle anything, simply because you chose; committed to; and preserved who you wanted to be long before the issues arose and it became too overwhelming.

Suffice to say during times of great change we are asked to address our core values. We must do this for the sake of your mutual success, both personally and as a team. We are also being asked to face up to what we want most. These are the essential agreements that we must cling to when we have extreme anxiety, worry and fear. Take care of your selves, and take care of each other. If you begin with these essential steps, you will go very far in achieving success at every level. Your sense of personal pride will extend beyond yourself, and years from now only the glow of fond memories will arise when you remember this time together.

Please rate this article. See below to click on the star rating of your choice.

With my warmest gratitude.

Petalyn Swart Albert is a Personal Success Coach. She brings the benefit of many years of personal experience with home-building in terms of close relationships "...under the influence of construction...". Her Step-father designed and built homes for many years, and she is now married to a man she affectionately refers to as a serial-remodeller. She is well positioned to grasp the enormous stresses, and personal power-struggles that arise out of personal construction projects. This Article is part of a larger book she is writing by the same title. One of Petalyn's goals as a personal success coach is to work with more couples who plan to remodel or build their home.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

You can email Petalyn directly at: Remodellingcouples@comcast.net

Her web address is: http://remodelingcouples.blogspot.com/

Compassion - A Powerful Doorway to Personal Growth

What if there was one choice you could make that would change everything in your life for the better? Actually, there is. Its the choice to move out of judgment and into compassion for yourself and others.

Compassion is defined as a deep caring for the pain of others, often accompanied by a desire to help. There is nothing that feels more wonderful and comforting than experiencing anothers compassionate response to our painful feelings and experiences.

However, its interesting that compassion is never defined in terms of oneself. Yet, compassion is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves. In fact, when we give compassion to others but not to ourselves, we often end up feeling alone, worn out, and uncared for.

Jackie is a good example of a person who has compassion for others but not for herself. She is a very caring mother and wife. She listens compassionately to her husbands work problems and does all she can to help him, even when she is having her own work problems. She is always there for her children, helping them with whatever problems arise, as well as for her co-workers. Everyone sees Jackie as a very loving person and she is. So why is she often unhappy? Why is she often so fatigued and depleted? The problem is that Jackie is completely out of touch with her own feelings.

Jackie is so focused on meeting everyone elses needs that she never tunes into herself and her own feelings and needs. She doesnt know when she is tired or when she needs time for herself. She doesnt know when she is feeling sad, lonely, or anxious. Because she has no compassion for herself, she finds herself using food to fill the inner emptiness that is the result of not taking loving care of herself.

Richard, on the other hand, lacks compassion for both himself and others. While it may seem as if he has compassion for himself, he also is not tuned into his own feelings. It seems like Richard has compassion for himself because he does what he wants buys what he wants, goes after what he wants, spends time the way he wants. But his choices are coming from his fears and his addictive need to fill up from outside with things and approval rather than from love and compassion for himself. In addition, he is usually unconscious regarding the effect his behavior has on others. He keeps people waiting, doesnt do what he says he is going to do, and becomes judgmental rather than compassionate in the face of anothers difficulties. Instead of caring when his wife is tired or needs help, he gets resistant and resentful that she isnt there for him or is asking something of him.

A lack of compassion for oneself and others is a major cause of inner and relationship unhappiness. In terms of personal growth, if you were to just focus on making compassion your highest priority both for yourself and for others you would find yourself progressing toward happiness, peace and joy more rapidly than you can imagine.

We move into compassion for ourselves when we know that we have very good reasons for our feelings and behavior, and into compassion for others when we know that others also have very good reasons for their feelings and behavior. These good reasons are the fears and false beliefs that we have absorbed from our growing up years that create our painful feelings and our defensive behavior.

Moving into compassion is a process that takes time and practice:

1. Moving into compassion for yourself starts with noticing your self-judgment. Judgment is the opposite of compassion. When you judge yourself, you are telling yourself that you are wrong or bad for your feelings or behavior, rather than that you have good reasons. Each time you realize that you are judging yourself, consciously open your heart to compassion for yourself. When your intention is to be compassionate rather than judgmental, you will discover that it is not as hard as you think to shift from judgment to compassion.

2. Moving into compassion for others is similar. Begin to notice your anger, irritation, judgment, resentment, or resistance toward others. These negative feelings are the opposite of compassion. Once you notice these feelings, you have the choice to open to caring, understanding to compassion.

3. Each time you find yourself in judgment for yourself or others, instead of judging yourself for judging, move into compassion for the judgmental part of you. If you judge yourself for judging yourself or others, you will stay stuck. If you embrace with compassion the judgmental part of yourself, you will find yourself gradually becoming less judgmental and more compassionate.

Each time you are compassionate with yourself and others, it becomes easier next time. You will discover that focusing on compassion for both yourself and others will move you toward the peace and joy you are seeking. It all comes from your intent to protect against pain with your controlling behaviors, such as anger, blame and judgment, or to learn about loving yourself and others. When your deepest desire is to become a loving human being, opening to compassion is a powerful doorway to that path.

The preceding article is offered for free use in your ezine, print publication or on your web site, so long as the author resource box at the end is included, with hyperlinks. Notification of publication would be appreciated.

For other articles which you are free to use, see http://www.innerbonding.com

Copyright: 2004 by Margaret Paul

About The Author

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of a powerful self-help, 6-step emotional and spiritual healing process called Inner Bonding. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com

What Advice Would I Give to New Article Marketers?

It's important for us all to share our knowledge, often it's not easy, either, because people are not ready to receive the information, or they really do not wish to hear the hard cold truth. However, I imagine that if you are reading this article you are interested in any advice I might give to my fellow online article writers.

So, I hope you are well and this information is some of what you need going forth with your online article writing and marketing endeavors. First, let me tell you that I am retired now, so, my focus maybe somewhat different than yours. You are probably wanting to know when it became apparent to me that article marketing worked?

Well, it took a while, about 200 articles before I noticed significant traffic and better search engine rankings for our Think Tank. The web and ezine publishers began noting my volume and now my average article is syndicated some 20 times. There are several uses for the article directory site venues.

First, understand the issue of "link-backs" which improves search engine rankings. Second, realize that well-written articles that are not too long get picked up by others and re-used, hopefully carrying your links. Third, realize that pop-culture articles get much more traffic in general, but the best traffic is targeted traffic and those articles are especially suited for selling things on the Internet.

Interestingly enough, I do not sell anything on the Internet, thus, I have an advantage over others, as I am not worried about censoring my articles or custom tailoring them to any type of person or trying to hit the average displacement and political correctness of the masses. Please consider this.

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

Wood Post Repairs

Secure the Success of Your Home Improvement Project!

Our home is our refuge - a haven where we can be comfortable of ourselves. It is where we can act as foolishly as we would like to be. It is our comfort zone. It is therefore important that we keep our homes as cozy as it can be. The thought of it should always give us something to make us feel excited in coming home to it. So, we should not be lax in continuously improving our homes.

Although a project of a home improvement may cost a huge sum of money when you intend to make or transform it into a luxurious dwelling that spells grandiosity and elegance, you still can find means on how to cut a little on the total cost without compromising the desired effect of your home. This is possible when you endow in modern furniture to give your home the feel of an innovative and contemporary look without making you penniless after.

However, purchasing the appropriate furniture is not easy. You just cannot buy anything that is appealing to your sense of sight. It might not necessary achieve the result you want. Truth is, there are factors that you need to put into consideration to ensure that you only the best is included in your project.

Impulsively purchasing modern furniture is not a guarantee that your home improvement project will give you the result you wanted. You need to be certain that it suits where you need it for and also matching the overall theme of your home.

You may start by examining and scrutinizing the interior design of your home and think of a concept you want it to project after your home improvement project is done. You can see and check out designs available in the market. You can make comparisons as to which will look best in your home. If you have the budget, you can also seek consult with an experienced designer to come up with the motif of your home. You can also check for designs in home improvement magazines to give you ideas which can also be incorporated into your home's interior design.

Also, it is important that the furniture is just about the right size for the place where you intend to put it. When you get a bulky couch for a small spaced living room, chances are that the room will look too crowded and is not comfortable. So, start by getting the measurement of the room and the place where you want to put the furniture. Planning or devising a layout is a perfect tool to make things easier for you.

You need to absorb yourself in to modern furniture designs available in the market to make certain that you get the best for your home improvement project. You can visit furniture shops and check their furniture selections or try visit sites offering furniture on the net for other designs. When you set an eye on one piece, be sure to compare it first to others before rashly purchasing it. There are many others that you should check out first which may be better.

Eliza Maledevic Ayson writes for Jump2top.com - SEO Company

Avoid Contractor Scams - Home Remodeling Tips

You might think you have to live in Florida, California or a state where natural weather disasters or wildfires create a cycle of home rebuilding to be targeted by contractor scams. But in fact, anyone who owns a home is at risk for falling victim to unscrupulous contractors. It only takes one bad experience to sour a homeowner, and this is unfortunate for the majority of contractors who take pride in their work and do a good job. To avoid experiencing what can end up being a home repair nightmare, all you need to do is be aware of some common scams and don't be afraid to ask questions, require references, make the effort to check those references, never sign anything that looks suspicious or without reading thoroughly and never agree to anything in haste.

In the springtime everything starts to gear up again. Many potential buyers are shopping for a new home and there are real estate agents hosting open houses. There is new grass, leaves, flower buds, families barbequing and shady contractors cruising the neighborhoods looking for an easy mark. Unfortunately, a sad fact is that older home owners are often targeted the most, but really anyone can be duped by a convincing pitch.

One of the most frequently used lines is that the contractor was in the neighborhood doing work and just happened to drive by and see something wrong with your home. Being the kind-hearted person that he is, he took time off from his busy schedule and wanted to stop and alert you to the problem you have. And even more convenient for you, he and his crew can work you in while they are in the area. Most legitimate builders and contractors do not go door to door like salesmen. Be wary of anyone showing up unscheduled and offering to do work right away with the pitch that they'll cut you a deal because they are already doing a project close by.

The most often used pitch for this scenario is roof repair. Dishonest contractors may tell a homeowner that their roof is in bad shape, not visible to the naked or untrained eye, and by hiring them to replace it now you'll save money in the long run by avoiding water damage from leakage. This is often perpetrated on older residents who cannot keep a watchful on the repair work actually being done. The homeowner will usually end up with substandard roofing materials or shingles that are a lower grade than the ones you originally had on the roof.

Getting your driveway repaved is another common scam. Even if someone two houses down from you just had it done and it looks fantastic, don't assume the guy who shows up at your door offering to do yours is the one who did the other. Most of the time it isn't the same contractor, but another one shadowing the reputable one. This other guy will do a sub par job and you'll be left with cracks in both your bank account and driveway.

Any contractor who approaches you suggesting that with your help they can do repairs for you for free by turning it into your insurance company isn't doing you any favors. What they are doing is making you a partner in crime by having you commit insurance fraud if there isn't any real basis for the claim. And don't think the insurance company won't prosecute, because they will.

Never, ever agree to pay cash, especially up front. You may be tempted by a big discount offered for a cash payment or advance, but those savings and your money will be as gone as the contractor who just left to go get supplies and will supposedly be back tomorrow.

Never sign the deed to your home over to finance repairs. Chances are if you do this, you won't have to worry about repairs because you won't have a home to repair.

Be suspicious of a contractor who claims he has extra or leftover lumber or supplies and can give you a great quote on a project. You should wonder and ask where those materials came from and realize that somebody, even if it wasn't you, paid for those supplies.

Always ask to see identification, especially if a so-called inspector shows up claiming you need work done to meet a code and tries to fine you or make you sign an agreement to have it done. This is not standard procedure and always check with authorities to see if the person actually is who he or she claims to be. You should always ask to see a contractor's license and ask for references, then check those references. Unhappy previous customers or a complete lack of customers is a sure warning sign. And speaking of signs, never sign anything without reading it or having your lawyer check it over. There are a lot of helpful sites out there where you can find more tips, such as About Chicago Real Estate.

If you do find yourself in hot tar, shoddy shingles or crummy carpentry, contact your Better Business Bureau or State's Attorney office to file a complaint and seek help. An old builder's rule is measure twice, cut once. Remember to double check everything and always get more than one quote.

Paula Cherrist writes articles about Chicago condos for sale, home trends and new homes for About Chicago Real Estate.

Article Writing Tips - Separating Fact and Opinion

Fact and opinion are two different things. In most cases, people can tell the two apart. However, there are some very fine lines that many writers have problems with. They claim personal "experience" as fact and that can be a dangerous thing. I have been just as guilty of this as anyone else, so I am speaking from opinion. In this article, I'm going to show you how to separate fact from opinion so you don't make some of the mistakes that many article writers make when reporting the facts.

Let's start off with easy fact and opinion. It is a proven scientific fact that the Earth revolves around the sun. That is a fact. It can't be disputed. That you think bananas are a tasty fruit is an opinion. Not everybody has to agree with it, as I am sure there are quite a few people out there who don't like bananas. This is a pretty clear cut example of fact versus opinion. However, there are some gray areas that I'm going to get into next.

Let's take an article in the area of making money online. You're reporting on a way to drive traffic to somebody's site. You've personally used article marketing to do this and find that it is very effective, for you. So, you report that article marketing is a great way to generate traffic to your web site. You present it as fact. Well, let's slow down a minute and examine this issue.

What's involved with article marketing? Well, there is the ability to write articles. Certainly that's important. Then there is the niche you're writing for, the landing page you're sending people to, the product you're promoting, and so on. All of these variables come into play to determine how effective your article marketing campaign is going to be. Point is, there are many people who use article marketing as a means of driving traffic to their site who are NOT successful with it. Therefore, it is not a fact that article marketing, in itself, is a great way to drive traffic to your site.

You have to be very careful with what you declare as law. Sometimes there are gray areas involved and those gray areas can turn a fact into an opinion real soon. There is no doubt that the Earth revolves around the sun. However, there is plenty of doubt that just because a person uses article marketing to drive traffic to their site that they're going to be successful doing it.

And that's where fact and opinion part company.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write articles that get people's attention and can earn you up to $200 per article written? Then check out my Complete Article Writing And Marketing Guide that you can find at http://www.honestincomeprogram.com/tcawamg.html - This is my own book that I wrote from over 30 years of writing experience.

Attic Framing Water Stains