Is Overpopulation a Religious Problem?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What About The End of The World

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

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Could You Be a Married Adulterer? - For Christians Only

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read This Today

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

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

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

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

Tithing Education - Giving From Guilt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question Your Religion

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

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

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

How to Achieve a Confident Foundation of Self-Esteem

You know those people. The ones that when they walk into a room you just assume they are success. Confidence appears to flowing through them. Everyone wants to be that person's friend and you feel a bit jealous towards them as they look like they always get everything they want in life with ease.

In order to be THAT person you need to have a high level of self-esteem. To behave with that level of confidence you need to a solid foundation in the knowledge of who you are and what you want from life. This is the key to your self-esteem. Taking control of your life. Without high self-esteem, you wont achieve anything, unless you get lucky of course, due to a lack of self-belief.

So where to you start to build a solid foundation of self-esteem?

Self esteem is so important in everything you do. Be it in a relationship, as a parent, or at work. Your decision making and ability to cope with change is dependent on how well you know yourself and what you want. If you dread anything in your life you really need to look at changing what you are doing. If a decision does not give relief or cause excitement then you are not truly making decision for you.

You mental attitude towards anything you set out to do defines whether you action will be a success or failure even before you started.

If you are overly critical of yourself and start worrying about all the "what if" situations that might happen you are just going to paralyze your ability to do anything with confidence.

If you listen to other peoples opinions or think too much about what other people might be thinking about you, again you will not achieve what you want. It is your life not anyone else's so why leave decisions to anyone else. You can guarantee the right choice is being made if you made the decision for you to get you where you want to be.

Felix Nutter
Step Up Speak Out
To get more confidence, self-esteem and anxiety tips, visit http://www.stepupspeakout.co.uk to learn more about how to take control of your life

Why You Should Buy Everyone You Know a Copy of the Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude

I am a huge lover of books. Huge. I have surrounded myself with bookshelves filled with fiction, non-fiction, historical biographies, autobiographies, quotes, National Geographic Magazines, old text books, and so on. I leave no genre untouched and no genre leaves me untouched.

One of my favorite books to return to again and again is the one I'd love to tell you more about: Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude - How to FInd, Build, and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of Success This is one amazing little book.... It's a little gold powerhouse and I love everything about it. I love the artwork, I love the quotes, I love the positive attitude of the author, and I even love that the book is 199 pages long instead of 200. It would have been terribly easy for the author to have said, "199? Let me go back and breath a little more wind into one or two of the paragraphs..." But 200 would have been far too typical and far too ordinary for such an exceptional book.

I have three daughters who are, like most young people, very busy. Between school, jobs (for 2 of them), boyfriends, friends, and homework - my girls are coming and going just about all day and all night. Because I read a great deal of books (I honestly couldn't keep a running count if I wanted to), I occasionally come across books I very much want them to read. They know where to look for what I term "exceptional books" - on an antique bookshelf in our home office. They know that the books they see stacked on this special family heriloom are "exceptional" and that "mom" would love for them to read them. It never fails to touch me when I see one of them walking through the house with one of these books in their hands or when I find them sprawled across a bed or floor reading one.

After each had finished reading this Jeffrey Gitomer book, they noticed that I still kept it on the antique shelf along with newer books. My oldest finally asked me why I hadn't moved what she called "The YES! Book" to another shelf. I told her the reason was that I would be recommending it for the rest of my life AND that they should return to it often for a YES! fix.

You become what you think about all day long. - Earl Nightingale

When I first read "Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude," I felt like I could tackle hell and all its demons with a toothpick - before I'd even reached page 20. I carry a notebook in my purse where I keep track of books I want to buy, At the top of the list there's a standing order: Anything written by Dean Koontz, Mitch Aplomb, John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks, and Jeffrey Gitomer. The "and Jeffrey Gitomer" was added after I read this book. If Mr. Gitomer writes it, I will read it.

He has a special way of looking at the world and a special way of sharing this view with his readers. I actually consider myself a very positive person, but I was encouraged to be even more so after reading this wonderful book. As he points out with a brilliant combination of wisdom and wit, most of the things we complain about simply aren't worth the attention we give them. We're making stars out of them when they should be fading way into the background.

As I said, I read countless books each year, but if I were to make a list of the Top 10 Books That Will Change Your Life, this book would not only be on the list, it'd be riding very, very high.

As Jeffrey Gitomer, himself, says, "At the beginning of any task, more than anything else, your attitude will affect its successful outcome." Our attitude is as pivotal to our success as anything, more so than most. This book will help you succeed in any and all areas of your life - at home, at work, and at play. You'll feel, and enjoy its benefits in every aspect of your life for the rest of your life.

I'll close with one of my favorite snippets from the book. It's in a section that deals with being more positive at home and in your relationships. The following "Attitude Actions" are given in response to the question, "How can I be more positive at home?"

• Praise others.
• Don't belittle.
• If "familiarity breeds contempt" lives at your house, kill it.
• You know the buttons. Don't push them.

I also love his "note" that follows these tips: "Home attitude determines work attitude."

Read this delightful, fast-paced, hilarious book today - each of your tomorrows will thank you for it.

As someone once said, "Self isn't something one finds, it's something one creates." So, why not create a masterpiece?

My name is Joi and I'd love for you to follow me to Self Help Daily. See you there!

Lawn Care For Winter Preparation

Preparing the lawn in the fall for the snow and ice to come in the winter is an important part of lawn and yard maintenance. It is important to provide the lawn with a protective environment throughout the year to ensure that it will survive the ice that is to come through the winter season. The winter season full of snow and ice can allow mould to flourish within the lawn, creating a terrible environment for the new and regrowth of green and lush grass in the spring.

There are some lawn caretakers that choose to allow the leaves that fall on to the lawn to remain to provide the nutrients to the lawn that is requires through the winter months. This allows a layer of nutrients that the grass is able to live from during the cold months of winter.

There are many lawn caretakers that choose to remove these leaves from the lawn. Removing the leaves from the lawn will further discourage mould from growing on the lawn.

The lawn needs to be weeded before the winter. Weeds take away the valuable nutrients that the lawn needs throughout the winter months. Well before the first snowfall, the weeds should be removed from the lawn as the use the valuable water and light that can are given to the lawn. The best time to attempt weed removal is after the rain, when the soil is moist. The weeds should be removed entirely, including the root of the plant. This will ensure that the weed is unable to grow back. If you choose to remove the weeds through the use of chemicals, it is important to avoid repercussions that this may have on the lawn by ensuring that the lawn is properly filled with nutrients.

Composting is not only a great way to avoid soil erosion, but it can provide the nutrients to the lawn throughout the winter. It allows the lawn to become prepared for the winter by providing the valuable nutrients that will be required to keep the lawn alive. Many lawn caretakers are unaware that the lawn only hibernates throughout the winter season, it does not die. For this reason, providing nutrients through the winter season is an essential way to maintain the health of your lawn.

Aerating the lawn provides a welcome and healthy environment for grass to grow in the fall and be prepared for the frost, snow and ice that comes with the winter months. These air pockets allow for moisture to become present within the soil and therefore moisturize the lawn throughout the long winter months.

Avoid cutting the lawn when it comes close to frost. Cutting the tips from the lawn can create a harsh environment and leave the grass susceptible to disease and other disorders that may come from the lack of nutrients. When cutting the lawn, it is important to leave at least two thirds of the blade of grass. This will ensure that the grass has enough nutrients within the blades to recover itself. At least two to four weeks before the frost, the cutting of the lawn should be avoided.

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Bridging the Miles As a Long-Distance Grandparent

The honored duty of the grandparent has been idealized through time. It's the older generation's place to be a strong, guiding force of love and positive influence in the lives of their children's children. From Norman Rockwell paintings to storybooks that illustrate the role of the older generation, the job has been well defined in a highly stylized manner throughout time.

But, what happens if the rigors of modern life get in the way of a sage grandparent passing on knowledge and unconditional love? When miles make picturesque days of playing impossible to pull off on a regular basis can the grandparent still be a major factor in a child's life?

The answer is a resounding yes if the grandparents in question work at bridging those miles. There are plenty of things grandparents can do to let their beloved grandchildren know they are always there for them even if they can't be the regular Saturday night babysitter.

Many of the techniques grandparents can use to knock down the walls that separate them from their grandchildren do involve technology. When a combination of low tech and even high tech moves are put into play, Grandma and Grandpa can be very real and very powerful forces in the lives of their grandchildren even if they only see each other in person once a year or once every few years. The costs involved don't even have to be high.

Some of the techniques others have successfully used to stay in close contact with their grandchildren and foster strong bonds despite the miles include:

Letter or note writing - This very simple, affordable and low-tech means of communication can enable grandparents to share advice, tell stories and simply let grandchildren know they are always in their thoughts. This is a great way to remain "there" in spirit, if not in person.

E-mails - Many grandparents are using computer technology to make letter writing instantaneous. In addition to e-mail conversations, some are using instant messaging programs and even video communication over the computer. For tech savvy grandparents, there are even voice communication programs that can facilitate real-time conversations without long distance telephone bills attached.

Video mail - A video camera, a few tapes and mailing envelopes can enable grandparents to send more personalized "letters" through the mail. This is a great way for grandchildren to see their grandparents on a regular basis and learn from them the importance of family ties.

Telephone calls - Don't discount the importance of regular chats. Whether they take place on the phone or computer, they can help grandparents and their grandchildren keep up with day-to-day events and assist in fostering a tight relationship.

Special occasion reminders - It's important to remember special occasions with a call or card even if a present cannot be afforded. Birthdays, holidays and milestone events such as graduations should not go without acknowledgment.

Even when miles separate and make regular personal contact impossible, grandparents can still remain strong and positive forces in the lives of their grandchildren. When a little effort is made to bridge the miles, a close relationship can develop in spite of them.

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Ideas to Improve and Enliven Your Interior Design

The old saying is "Your home is your castle." It is where you come home from work and relax. It is where you live out the majority of your life. Obviously, it's a very important place, and for it to be as relaxing and as comforting as it should be, the interior design of your home needs to match up to your own tastes, yet be functional as well. Here are some interior design ideas to help your home be more inviting for you.

Many newer homes are using wallpaper on "feature walls" to add some real creativity to the interior design of a home. At one time, feature walls were mostly used in commercial settings to designate certain areas. That same need is not often needed in most homes, but the fact that wallpaper has been added to those feature walls to add more color, textures, and patterns to those structures can allow homeowners to distinguish a certain area of their home without it just being a plain old wall or divider, thereby making it more appealing and practical for homeowners to use feature walls in their homes.

Another interior design idea that more and more people are using is designing your home to allow the most "Chi," or life force, to flow through your home. This interior design idea is known as "Feng Shui" and comes from Chinese culture. It usually involves the specific placement of objects in your home so that they are in harmony with the environment, and supposedly, will help you to achieve more harmony and peace in your life. Someone who is versed in Feng Shui principles can assist you in arranging your interior design to match those principles.

Incorporating color and texture into your interior design is very important in presenting a pleasing and comfortable environment in your home. A good way to get creative ideas is to observe nature carefully and see how certain elements bring out the color or texture of a surface.

For instance, emphasizing one color by putting a lighter color next to it to bring out the contrast between the two colors is one interior design strategy to consider when trying to bring more color and contrast into your rooms. By putting similar items that have different textures near each other in the same room, you can incorporate a subtle design that blends into the room and gives it a different look, feel, and mood.

The lighting in your home is another important aspect of your interior design. Some types of light provide better light for safety and working, other types provide subdued lighting to provide atmosphere and intimacy, while other types provide lighting that is designed to highlight a certain area of your room.

For instance, tungsten bulbs emit a yellowish-white color that tend to brighten warm colors and mute cool colors. These work well in bedrooms, living rooms, and dining areas because they provide atmosphere and coziness.

Conversely, tungsten-halogen bulbs are particularly suited for accent lighting, which is why traffic lights use these type of bulbs - to emphasize the colors red, yellow, and green so you know for sure what you are supposed to do at an intersection. These types of bulbs can provide a nice contrast in warm, ambient settings where tungsten bulbs are often used.

To determine what type of lighting will work best for a room, analyze and determine what the room's purpose will be and what elements are already in it (windows, a fireplace, etc.) By doing this, you can save on time and cost in utilizing the best lighting for your room the first time you install or put in lighting.

Your home can provide great comfort and relaxation to you, but you need to take into account several interior design aspects to get the most enjoyment and function out of your home. These aspects include the placement of objects, feature walls, color and texture and how they compare and contrast with other objects and elements in the room, and the lighting of the room. By taking into consideration these elements, you can create a home that will allow you to unwind and enjoy your home that much more.

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Your Sun Sign, Moon Sign, and Ascendant Sign - Just What's Going on Here?

The short answer is: Your Sun sign describes your basic ego, your Moon sign describes your emotional inner self, and your Ascendant describes the facade you show the rest of the world.

Want to know more? Read on.

Your Sun Sign

From these three components, an astrologer can develop a thumbnail sketch of your personality -- a recognizable line drawing as opposed to a full-color portrait, but still, clearly, a picture of you. The fact that we have three reference points instead of only one helps explain why not everyone born under the same Zodiac sign is "just alike."

The Sun symbolizes your basic personality. The Zodiac sign it occupies describes your character's essential qualities.. This sign is also usually the easiest to find. It's what you mean when you tell someone "I'm an Aries," or "I'm a Capricorn."

The Sun, by sign and house position, describes your ego's central traits. To an astrologer, your Sun sign describes your core personality. Many say it's the most important sign you have, but that's not entirely true. The Moon and Ascendant signs are just as important -- but they can't be accurately determined without an accurate birthday, place, and time. (The Sun changes signs approximately once a month. The Moon changes signs every 2 1/2 days. And the Ascendant sign changes every 2 hours ... day after day after day.)

Sun sign information alone is "better than nothing," but it's also seriously incomplete. Sun sign forecasts can define what's happening for you on a conscious level and to your self-image, but that's not all you are ... not by a long shot.

Your Moon Sign

In astrology, the Moon symbolizes your inner self, the part of you that responds from habit, feelings, and instinct. If you are a sensitive or emotional person, you may recognize your Moon sign qualities more readily than your Sun sign. These traits are "who you are inside" ... an intimate side of your character only you and those close to you really know. In fact, your Moon sign may be very different from -- or even in conflict with your Sun sign traits. (And there's another reason why people are so complicated!)

Forecasts based on your Moon sign reveal what's happening in your private life, your inner world, with your family situation and living conditions ... and how life's shifting tides could affect your security, foundations, and feelings. Because they target your experiences literally "where you live" you are apt to relate to readings that involve your Moon sign much more directly than those based on your Sun sign alone.

Your Ascendant Sign

Your Ascendant sign is also called your "Rising Sign." The two terms are interchangeable. It is literally the sign that was rising on the Eastern horizon of the sky in the place and at the moment of your birth. Because the Ascendant sign changes every two hours all day long, yours obviously depends on the exact time you were born.

Only if you were born near sunrise will your Ascendant sign (possibly!) be the same as your Sun sign ... and it is completely independent of your Moon sign. Yet this third component in your horoscope gives the most valid information about how you appear to other people ... and how you take on the world.

Your Ascendant describes your temperament, the lens through which you view the world, the personality you put "on public display." It's the side of your character you willingly show the outside world. Changes here explain why even people born on the same day can have very different personalities, different strengths and interests, and different life experiences.

Forecasts based on your Ascendant will be the most descriptive and accurate regarding your life circumstances and immediate future. You will relate to such information very readily ... which makes your Ascendant sign information even more crucial than that based on just your Sun sign.

The three components of your character will provide three different views of you and your life ... all of them valid. And here's another tip: If you know your Moon sign and Ascendant ... and read astrology information for all three (real astrology -- not the "daily horoscope" silliness in the newspaper!), you'll see a much more dimensional picture of your life unfold!

(c) 2001 by Rebecca Brents. All rights reserved.

Rebecca Brents writes on a wide variety of spiritual and new age subjects, including astrology, tarot, feng shui, alternative health, metaphysics, and self-improvement. She publishes the extensive online new age Ezine, The Enchanted Sprite on her website, Enchanted Spirit: http://www.enchantedspirit.org/, and offers numerous online new age lectures and new age classes in these various fields. She also provides astrology readings, tarot readings, and personal consultations through The Enchanted Spirit Metaphysical Source Shop http://www.enchantedspirit.com/. Stop by and subscribe to her free new age ezine, New Age-New Horizons http://www.enchantedspirit.org/Whats_New/.

Choose to Thrive Not Nosedive in 2009

Even though the 6:00 news preaches doom and gloom daily, you don't have to buy into it. There are millions of people in our country that get up and go to work, find new jobs, buy homes, start a family or start new relationships every day of the week. They do not succumb to the prevailing negative attitude espoused by those who would have you believe only they can make it better.

Yes, you may have to work a lot harder to find a new or better job. Yes, you may have to change your appearance and thinking to begin a new relationship or fit into a new employment situation or to deal with all of the changes and challenges facing you. But you can do it by taking control first of your thinking, then your actions and surroundings so you can create the future you want in 2009.

Change Your Thinking

Because we live in extraordinary times, ordinary thinking no longer works. Shift your thoughts to the unusual, unexpected and uncommon. If you are looking for a job and your usual process is to email your resume and it's not working, call the firm or deliver it in person. You might land a brief in-person interview. Post your profile information on free networking sites for the business community like Linkedin.com where recruiters regularly look to find qualified people.

If you are seeking a new relationship or a better relationship with your spouse, evaluate carefully what is important in a relationship. Perhaps it is your outlook and expectations that need to change first before you can focus energy on your desires.

It's important to remember that what you focus energy on is what you will get. Everything you currently have in your life is the direct result of the seeds you've planted over the last several years of your life. If you plant the seeds of doom and gloom in your life that is what you will reap. If you plant the seeds of a good job, more income and better relationships that is what you will reap. If you change your thinking you will change your results.

Take Action

It's one thing to think about creating a better tomorrow but for many it's another thing to do something about it. Nothing will change from the way it is today if you don't act upon your new thoughts. Once you've decided exactly what you want to create in 2009, focus all of your energy on it and make it happen. Engage all of your senses into creating a plan and then act upon your plan to create your future. This puts you in control of tomorrow not the 6:00 predictors of doom and gloom.

It is important to engage your feelings as well as your senses in this process to assist you in creating your objective. Feel the emotions of accomplishment now to help you reach your goal. Visualize it, hear it, smell it. Get a very clear picture of the end result and your subconscious mind will get to work with your conscious mind to help you create it.

Then take action. If it means making 20 phone calls per day then do it. If it means joining some social organization to meet new people, stop talking about it, do it. If it means getting a job through a temp agency so you can find a new job, do it. No idea whether large or small is of any value unless acted upon.

Create Supportive Surroundings

Surround yourself with nurturing and encouraging energy especially when times are financially stressful. There are a number of ways which can help you get through the difficult times while uplifting your spirits to carry on. Follow the Feng Shui principles below to help you take control of your future.

Paint the walls in your home warmer colors in the earth tones family - get rid of the high energy unfriendly cold whites. Peach and salmon are coming back because they nurture relationships, family life and security. Aqua is also coming back because it provides the feeling of a day at the beach with no worries. If you cannot paint the walls or are on a limited budget, use a few accents in these colors such as throws, pillows and pictures to shift your energy.

Use candles abundantly in safe containers throughout your home. They provide soft lighting more reminiscent of calmer and safer times. Even articles from your childhood or that of your parents can be placed with the candles to add warmth and the feeling of safety or comfort. Forget the binge eating of comfort foods - candles work great to provide you nurturing energy.

Create an intentions board out of a simple bulletin board with push pins. Stick onto it pictures, symbols or words of everything you want to create in 2009. If you want to buy a house, stick a picture of a house on it. If you need income, put a $ sign up, maybe even the amount you want to receive. If you want a new or improved relationship, place something there that represents what you want in your future. Hang this board where you will see it morning, noon and night to remind you to stay focused on your objectives and to provide you supportive energy.

By choosing to thrive and not take a nosedive in 2009 you have already placed into action the thought process of taking control of and creating your future. Change your thinking as necessary; don't get locked into the old ways of doing things. Make a plan then take action. Finally protect yourself by creating supportive nurturing energy in your surrounding.

You will be in control of your future, create what you want so you can thrive in 2009, not succumb to the doom and gloom of the news cycles.

Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2009

Pat Heydlauff, president of Energy Design, uses Feng Shui design principles to eliminate chaos and stress at home and within oneself. More than a Feng Shui expert, Pat is a consultant and speaker who helps remove clutter and negativity while encouraging personal growth, improved relationships and prosperity. Her forthcoming book, "Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It" shows how small changes can lead to a big improvement in one's personal and professional success. For information on her consulting, speaking and artwork, visit: http://www.Energy-by-Design.com

Feng Shui Wealth and Well-Being

We all want to make the most of our western lifestyle. For many of us this means lots of stuff. We seem to buy and buy. Eventually we have so many possessions we have to pack them away. Many people are in a situation of what is called overflow. Another word for overflow is clutter. When there's too much clutter in our homes it looks untidy and disorganized. This will affect our mental and emotional wellbeing. The reason is quite easy to understand. The environment we live in is disordered and unbalances. We end up feeling exactly the same way.

Acquiring much more material goods than we actually need doesn't make any sense at all. We waste money on these items and they take up valuable space. More often than not it makes tidying and cleaning a lot more difficult. If this sounds like your home then consider Feng Shui. Wealth from this practice can be considered as material, psychological and emotional. Some call it good luck.

According to the very ancient Chinese culture your environment has a direct influence on you as an individual. Feng shui wealth and harmony will make your life a lot more enjoyable. If you are a person who finds it hard to be tidy and orderly using the principles of feng shui will be an excellent guide. You will know how to take control of the home you live in. But don't stop there. You can also use these ancient principles at work. Your state of mind will change completely. You will start to feel calmer and balanced. This is because your environment is controlled and balanced in order to create harmony through feng shui. Wealth is one of the benefits. It is believed feng shui attracts positive energy into your surroundings. Get your hands on 'Secrets of Feng Shui' and change your home and your life.

Levi Parker is a Feng Shui expert and the director of popular blog FengShuiGuideOnline.Com. He provides honest information and advice on things like Feng Shui decorating and more. Check out his blog for more info!

Healthy Snacks Will Keep You Pumped Throughout the Day

Portable healthy snacks are the latest trend in the snacking industry. Wrapped stringed cheese, Go-Gurt (portable yogurt), individually packaged vegetable portions with low-fat dip and 100-calorie potato chips or cookies are helping us to eat healthy, even when we feel we have no time to do so. To maintain a healthy weight and reduce our risk for heart disease or cancer, we have to be more mindful of eating a balanced diet packed with nutrients and controlling our calorie count. Luckily, manufacturers are responding to our needs with more products and offerings to help, and blogs are spreading more food snacks tips for packing the best lunch possible.

Do you rarely have time for a pleasant sit-down breakfast? Luckily, there are a number of morning-friendly, healthy food snacks to wake up your metabolism and provide you with the nutrients you need to get a fresh start. For a quick solution, try half a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread, low-sugar whole-grain granola bars (with at least 3 grams of fiber), 4-6 ounces of low-fat yogurt, some high-fiber cereal with dried fruit or a bowl of instant oatmeal with sliced peaches, if you've got five minutes.

Throughout the day, nothing kills our motivation like a heavy 30-minute lunch. Instead, healthy snacks can keep us pumped throughout the day. Dietitian-recommended options include a handful of unsalted or lightly salted dry-roasted nuts, a single serving pack of unsweetened applesauce with a few dry-roasted walnuts, a small apple with two tablespoons of peanut butter or one ounce of low-fat cheese, half a string cheese with a few pieces of fruit or whole grain crackers or pretzels with low-fat cheese. Raw foods, like vegetables, can be jazzed up with nacho cheese, low-fat ranch or no-fat veggie dip. Lunch snacks manufacturers have been making portable individual packets of carrots, celery, apple slices, nuts, low-fat cheese and other goodies to promote eating healthy.

"Look for snacks that contain protein with healthy carbohydrates and fats, and eat your snacks slowly so they fill you up," advises Baylor nutrition Professor Suzy Weems, PhD. There are many healthy snacks to choose from, so it can be easy to lose track of how our diets are stacking up throughout the day. A free community website, "Sparks People", allows users to enter the food they've eaten during the day into a database, which tallies up protein, calories, fat and other statistics to help keep track of weight loss goals.

Educate yourself further about healthy snacks from Mike Selvon articles portal and download your free audio gift on snack foods.

Home Improvement Tip - Fixing a Squeaky Floor

Question: I have a floor that every single time I step on it I get the most annoying sound. I don't know what it does to me or why it bothers me so much. My kitchen floor squeaks and actually moves up and down if you are standing on it. The whole floor moves. How do I stop it from moving and squeaking. Help Me Greg!

Answer: It sounds like you have a broken floor joist. You are going to have to go under your house. If you have a basement this will be a little easier to fix. It is my guess that you don't have a basement or you would have seen the broken floor joist by now.

Have someone stand on the floor in the spot that squeaks and have them move up and down while you are under the house. Don't have them jump up and down while you are under the house. This could cause more damage to the structural framing of the floor. Once you are in the right position under the floor you can have them start moving slowly. What you are looking for is one of the floor joist that are moving.

If you see one of them moving. Look to see where the damage is. Is it a split, crack, wood rot or a big knot in the wood that has loosened up and fell out. Once you find the damaged floor joist you can now think about repairing it.

If you don't see any floor joist moving. Have the person on top start moving a little bit more and you can even have them jump on it a few times until you see something out of place. If you still don't see any broken floor joist. Start looking at the sub-floor, this will be plywood of some form, 1 x 6 or 2 x 6 materials.

What you are looking for is movement of any kind. Is there a separation or movement between the sub-floor and the floor joist. If you still can't find the problem maybe it is time to call in a professional.

The main thing you are going to be looking for is movement of any kind.

Most squeaky floors are caused from the sub-floor rubbing up and down on a nail. If you have carpeting and you have a squeaky floor you can do your best to locate a floor joist and screw right through your carpeting into the floor joist.

For more help on fixing squeaky floors visit http://gregvan.com/wood_repair.htm

Thanks for the great question. I hope it helps.

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

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

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Was Jesus A Good Example

Separating From God

If you quit going to church or your place of worship, would you feel like you are separating your self from the congregation, the people that go to church with you, or do you feel like you would actually be separating from God somehow. I believe some people think that God is actually in the church and if they were to quit going to church, they would actually lose a direct link to God. Most people believe what they are told and follow their leaders.

If you're a Christian, can you answer me this, What Church Did Jesus Belonged to? Was he a Catholic, Protestant, evangelical or some other form of Christianity, maybe, just maybe he believed in a different religion altogether. I often wonder if Jesus was a Buddhist or he learned something magical from the Egyptians. It's said that Jesus traveled to other countries, do you think it's possible that he learned some sort of ancient wisdom from a man or woman, instead of being born God.

Is this how he was able to perform the miracles written about after his death?

Jesus supposedly studied the Torah and was considered to be Jewish, but was he really. While Jesus was studying the Torah, did he gain knowledge and wisdom, or was he actually born knowing everything. How can we actually prove that Jesus knew everything?

Does it say anywhere in the New Testament about going to church on Sunday, when Sabbath is actually Friday evening or Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset. Have you ever thought about why they switched days. The God from the Old Testament seem to get pretty mad if anyone did anything on the Sabbath, which was Saturday. One person decided that it would be better to go to church on Sunday and now we call it the Lord's Day. What really happened to the Sabbath?

It often gets a little more confusing, the more conscious effort you put into educating yourself about your religion and others throughout the world.

People often assume that I have separated from God somehow and could be going to hell, because I write some of these articles. I'm hoping that you will do a little more research about your religion and find your true North, your true direction in life, what it is you are actually here to do. Don't follow the faithful blindly, follow the intelligence willfully.

Life of Jesus

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

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

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

DIY Bathroom Remodeling Or Hiring a Contractor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are Christians Really Interested

How Setting Goals and Following Through With Them Can Help You Achieve Success in Your Sales Career

Have you ever dreamt about what you would like to become and what you would like to be doing? Have you ever wished you had an unlimited source of money and could make decisions based on choice not dollars?

Now wishing and dreaming are things most people do every day. It's like buying a lotto ticket, hoping you'll win. That's why the majority of people are just surviving, getting by. They wish and hope that their luck will change and until then they settle for mediocrity, second best.

However, the small minority who make it to the top have one thing in common. They take action! Not just any kind of action, planned action, action based on predetermined goals.

It's true! Successful people can tell you where they are going, how long it will take and what they plan to do along the way. They are experts at goal setting. Their goals are specific, measurable relevant and trackable. They map out every part of their life, regularly reassess and fine tune for success.

Most people know the story about the Harvard class of 1954 where they tracked those who made goals and those who didn't.The small percentage that made goals on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis made more money, had more free time and more happiness than the others.

Well that same study has been replicated using a group of sales people. They found that 6 out of 10 do not set outcome-based goals at all and this group earns the least amount of all salespeople! Three out of 10 set earnings goals and as in the Harvard study, this group earns double the income of the no-goals group. Only 1 in 10 people sets specific goals but they earn 3 times as much as those who set no goals at all.

So if you want the kind of success in your career that only a minority have then becoming a master goal setter is the key.

Knowing how to set goals and then following through with them of course, guarantees to improve your career. It's the way to bridge the gap between what you are now and what you truly want to be.

Goals are really stepping stones to success. When you first start out learning how to set goals and follow through with them there are a few things you must keep in mind.

1. Make your goal achievable in the near future. It's all very well setting a goal that is just way out there....totally huge and fantastic. The problem with doing that however is that you can become overwhelmed and frozen into inaction. The task, although something you want to achieve may seem just too hard and you don't end up even taking the first step towards it. Better to break the major goal down into small steps that you can work on day by day and which lead to the bigger goal.

2. Write your goals down and share them with someone you trust or admire. This will help you stick to what you have said you will do and keep you accountable.

3. Celebrate your successes along the way. Each time to complete one part of the major goal or any of the goals you set, congratulate yourself. This can be done by actually saying positive things to yourself or giving yourself little rewards, like a night out at the movies, a takeaway dinner or a bunch of fresh flowers. Too often we are quick to berate ourselves when we don't finish a task or complete a goal rather than taking the time out to acknowledge the things we did do well.

4. Reassess your goals regularly to see if you are still heading in the right direction and rewrite them if necessary. It is better to do this than stick doggedly to something that is actually getting you nowhere.

Remember the wise saying of Confucius..... A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

We all have to start somewhere and taking that first step can be the beginning of something great! So start writing down your goals and remember it's okay to just start with small ones. When you achieve them you will feel so much better and be able to keep moving forward.

Donna Cox and Dayle Walker are the brains behind Success In Sales For Women. With more than 60 years experience between them in sales and educating people from all walks of life to achieving their true potential, Donna and Dayle now specialize in inspiring women who are keen to excel in the sales world. Learning how to set goals and follow through with them is one of the topics they cover in their membership Course. If you want to find out more go to http://www.successinsalesforwomen.com or contact them at dayle@successinsalesforwomen.com or donna@successinsalesforwomen.com

When We Choose Misery Over Happiness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How did I end up here in this situation.

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

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

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

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

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

Using Words In The Bible Effecti

Become the Master of Your Habits

Everyones got habits. Some are annoying cracking gum, talking while chewing, leaving the toilet seat up. Others are harmful smoking, drinking too much, gossiping. But, some habits are helpful, good, and excellent exercising daily, getting enough sleep, flossing your teeth, leaving early for appointments. You werent born with any habits at all, but acquired them as you grew. This is great news, because it means that no matter how tough any particular habit seems to break, you learned it and you can un-learn it, too!

Successful people have good habits. They tend to have a high level of self-control. People who live frustrating, defeated lives have habits that have taken over and gotten ugly. These habits seem like giants, in full control of our every waking moment.

If you have a good understanding about how habits are formed, and a systematic plan for changing your habits into ones that are beneficial for you, youve got a great start on achieving your goals. People who are bent on success arent the type who follow the path of least resistance. They know that some things in life take hard work and self-discipline. They understand the concept of delayed gratification.

Delayed gratification means attacking a situation with the full knowledge that its a front-loaded prospect. The hardest, worst part of the task comes first. The reward comes last, but its well worth all the sweat and tears that came before it. Most habits are formed when we short-circuit the process and are unwilling to put off receiving the reward. In failing to delay gratification, we accept a far inferior consolation prize instead of the shining glory we could have had.

If you want to make changes in your habits, you have to realize that its a matter of timing do you want a little reward now, or a big reward after youve done the work?

Most people can easily make a list of dozens of habits theyd like to either have or get rid of. They know what they need to do; they know its time to clean house. Doing it, though, is another question. Mixed all together, this wish list seems impossible. Its too much all at once. But one by one, a persistent person can gnaw away at this mountain of change.

Making changes in our habits takes self-discipline. Discipline means training that develops self-control and orderly conduct. Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to control a wild gorilla than to control yourself. The easiest thing in the world is for us to take the quickest path to satisfaction. This is why advertising works so well promise us anything thats pleasurable, anything fast and easy, anything that makes us feel better, and were there! Like an out-of-control toddler, we demand our immediate satisfaction and the part of us that might be inclined to say wait or no gets run over. The more often we give in to our childish demands, the harder it gets to deny ourselves. The toddler in us gets used to having it our way, right away. The sane part of us eventually gives up. Whats the use? Our cravings, our habits feel like an unstoppable force.

Part of becoming someone who is wise, mature, and successful is learning to master the power of self-discipline. It involves applying all we know, all the best tools and techniques, every resource available to us to free ourselves from habits that entangle us. It involves finding the motivation to rid ourselves of habits that endanger our quality of life, our freedom, and our ability to succeed. It involves becoming willing to be aware of whats really going on, of facing our needs directly and finding appropriate ways to have them met.

Research shows that new habits can be formed in twenty-one days. It works the same no matter whether its a bad habit or a good one, whether its a habit youre trying to add or to get rid of twenty-one days is the magic number. Its like burning a new route through your brain cells, building a better road. Once the habit is there, its the most efficient way to go like a rut in the road, its hard to jump over the edge and go a different way. Use this information to outsmart your bad habits. The twenty-one day timeframe is the foundation for a life in which you are the master of your habits.

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

Copyright, MMVVII- AndrewAndTerry.com. All rights Reserved

Ways to Stop Losing Your Car Keys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When Do We Get To Meet God

Character is Learned by "Imprinting"

Psychological theory espouses imprinting: the phenomenon of young birds and animals to copy the first moving object near them, which is normally the mother. It was Konrad Lorenz (1937, 1950) who pioneered the theory when he observed newly hatched goslings, having them imprint on him as the object. I posit that our characters are somehow quite intrinsically affected by something like imprinting.

A generation or two back certain Christian denominations would take their young people through a doctrine called the Catechism. Students would be drilled in it and would learn the gospels as well as the law almost by rote; they could quote it and would know all the biblical stories backwards. Unfortunately, however, the methods used were often devoid of love. The teachers and instructors of the Catechism would often use a method best described as tough love. Discipline was driven into these young people and enough of it to incite fear.

One should not wonder why these young people, who're now in their fifties and sixties, would begin to see Christianity as a con and ministers as hypocrites. They had inept models of Christ with which to imprint to. (To be fair to these ministers, they would've been trapped by the era and the mandate of the denomination.) We see here that the delivery of the Catechism without a comprehensive godly character to back it up is only half the message of God's love and truth. It's the words of God devoid of the power of God.

What a difference it would have made if these young people had have had caring, kind, patient, tough-at-times, tender-hearted, yet courageous ministers and lay persons with which to imprint from. We see here that modelling (so far I've used the word 'imprinting') the right behaviour inspires young people. Young people can only admire, and seek to emulate, the Christ-like youth leader; in fact, most people find leaders who are charismatic and winsome in the best possible humble Christian way quite irresistible.

So, character cannot simply be studied; it must be seen and observed in models who are respected and admired for it to be 'installed' as a personal quality. When we think of our positive models, those we imprinted certain characteristics from, we reminisce with a particular fondness, don't we? Good character is slowly but steadily 'transferred' from one generation to the next by a process of something like imprinting. If we lead people we're models for them who will soon lead others.

Copyright 2008, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Steve Wickham is a safety and health professional (BSc) and a qualified lay Christian minister (GradDipDiv). His key passion is work / life balance and re-creating value for living, and an exploration of the person within us.