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

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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.

Jesus' Missing Years in the Bible

It looks like there is a big problem in the Gospels. There are more years in Jesus' life that are missing than years of his life that were ever recorded. Why weren't these years listed in the Bible?

All the Gospels talked about the death of Jesus, the birth of Jesus and a few years in between, but all of the Gospels are missing some very important years from his life. When raising a child, some of the most important years of their lives, will be those when they were teenagers and often those of their young adulthood.

The Gospels talk about Jesus at the temple at around the age of 12 or 13. After that, there is very little known until he reaches the final years of his life. Was there someone or a group of people or even a community who influenced his life? Could Jesus have learned something from a spiritual master Guru that changed the world forever?

There is more speculation on Jesus' missing years than you could ever imagine. Some say that Jesus went to Egypt to study with their masters or priests. Egypt obviously wasn't that far from where Jesus was raised, but like most of the stuff in the Bible, there is very little evidence to support any of these speculative stories.

Could Jesus have went to India and studied with the Buddhist masters or even a Hindu scholars? Did Jesus study with advanced Jewish scholars? This is only a little bit of the historical speculation, but if the truth was ever to be known, it could help Christianity solve a lot of problems.

Most Christians rarely even question these missing years. There are quite a few Christians that don't even know that there are any missing years in Jesus' life. I wrote this article to get people thinking and hopefully to start educating themselves about early Christianity. Good luck and God bless.

Great Christian Books And Articles

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Religious Education And Fear

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.

Manipulating Bible Verses - Thou Shall Not Murder

If you're a Christian, you've probably heard of this Bible verse. Thou shall not murder. If you've heard of it, you probably know that it's one of the 10 Commandments or one of the original laws from Moses. However, most people don't know about its application to Christianity.

If I was to tell my children, not to lie and always tell the truth but I was a liar, would this be considered a good example for my children? If my children seen me lying and then I told them not to lie, would they consider that a lie? Does this example make sense to you?

As the parent, I'm the example. As the children, they are my disciples or followers. By lying to my children, I am showing them that it is okay to lie or stretch the truth or even manipulate the English language for my personal benefit.

How much different is this example from the example of the way some Christians use the Holy Bible? "Thou shall not murder," to me translates into," you should not kill." That's pretty simple and easy to understand, wouldn't you agree.

I could easily manipulate this Bible verse into, thou shall not murder, only applying it, to killing someone without a reason or you can kill someone in the name of God. You can change the meaning of anything if you really want to.

The point I would like to make here, is that the truth always comes out in the end, once the lying and the manipulation becomes visible. Do you have the ability to tell who's lying and twisting the Bible scriptures for their benefit or personal gain?

Bible verses that are clearly written, shouldn't have any hidden messages. "Thou shall not murder," is easy to interpret, once you understand what all four of these words mean and this task can easily be accomplished with a dictionary.

Thou - refers to you, the person being addressed or written to.

Shall - it will happen in the future or is intended to happen.

Not - is often used to express refusal, denial or the negation of the statement, just made.

Murder - the crime of killing another person deliberately and not in self-defense.

With the definition of these four words sitting right in front of us, you could still interpret this Bible verse in the few different ways. I'm going to take a stab at it and interpret it as I see it.

"You should not kill another person deliberately or outside of self-defense."

This means that I am not allowed to kill anyone, in the name of God, during war, or for any other reason except for defending myself.

When it says," Thou shall not murder," how does this apply to animals or anyone who is involved in a death sentence. Judges, lawyers, prison guards and other individuals who are directly involved in the murder of someone else.

How many other Bible verses have been manipulated for the benefit of Christianity?

God Said What

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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 Basic Christianity.

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

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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 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.

Imagine Jesus' Children Reporting Directly to God

Now what if, Jesus actually had a son, and his son followed the Old Testament rule of being fruitful and multiply. Each one of Jesus' kids had at least 10 kids and by now there's thousands of his descendants all over the world and these guys are watching everything that's going on around them and reporting everything directly to God.

Imagine this, every one of his kids have down syndrome, are handicapped, blind, deaf, homeless, homosexuals and the worst of all, atheists. They have been strategically positioned all over the world to gather information on how, Christians actually treat other people.

Every time that a homeless person has asked you for spare change and you haven't given them anything, this would count as one black mark against you, on the great chalkboard at Judgment Day.

Every sign you held up, rejecting gay marriage or abortion, would count as five black marks. Each one of these people or any other person, who you had intentionally hurt their feelings, would be 15 black marks.

Every time that you lied to another Christian, this would be 50 black marks. If a Christian lied to a nonbeliever, especially when trying to convince them that the Bible is the written Word of God, this would be 150 black marks.

Jesus' children would be reporting directly to him on a daily basis, through the use of the Internet, God's Internet that is. Every Christian who thought they were doing the Lord's work, could actually be in grave danger.

You only get a thousand black marks and if you're 150 black mark short of entering heaven, you will have plenty of time, as you burn in eternal lake of fire, forever. Think about it, the next time that you lie to someone, refuse generosity, or try to convince someone that the Bible is actually the written word of God.

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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. 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.

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Living the Ultimate Lie - Religious Fundamentalism

I've been doing research on Christianity and other religions throughout the world for quite some time and find it hard to believe that most of these religious followers, won't even listen to facts that I and others have found regarding their religion.

I find most of these people to be living the ultimate lie and when it comes to Christian fundamentalism or someone who I would consider to be a super Christian, these people adamantly hold both hands over their ears, while stomping their feet, trying to scare me into submission.

No matter how you slice it, no matter how you want it delivered to you, the truth is always going to be the truth. If you won't listen to the truth, you will live trapped living in a world of lies. It doesn't matter whether you're a Christian who believes in Jesus or an Islamic follower of believes in Allah, the truth, for most people, can only be found outside of your religion.

Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. How many religions talk about how the world was created, most of their followers, choose to believe their religious leaders and their religious text, without ever questioning, but often doubting what they were taught.

Science teaches us one way, religion teaches us another, however, neither one of them have any scientific evidence to back up their theories.

The minute that you state either one of these beliefs as a truth, you're living in a world of lies. If a scientist or religious leader, can convince you that their way is right, they have simply took a belief, without any evidence and made it into a fact. This illusion, is simply a belief that you have personally made into a truth and as long as you continue to believe this, without doing any of your own research, you will continue to spread lies and rumors throughout the world.

Problems With Noah's Ark Story

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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 religous 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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Mysteries of the Bible - Advanced Bible Study Techniques

Have you ever wanted to really know what the mysteries of the Bible really are? Was Jesus more important than God? Why were the Jewish people considered to be the chosen ones, even though they don't get to go to heaven, because they don't believe that Jesus Christ was their Lord and Savior? I would like to help you solve some of the mysteries of the Bible.

Whether you're a Jewish or believe in Christianity, each if you share an interest in the Holy Scripture. Jewish people obviously don't believe that Jesus was the Messiah and are still waiting for their Messiah to come and free them. Christians obviously believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah and fulfilled all the prophecies.

One of the mysteries of the Bible that I would like to share with you, is that your actually going to need to read the Bible to find them. The biggest mystery of the Bible is actually reading it. You don't need to read the entire Bible, to figure out, what it's actually saying.

Start reading certain sections that interest you. Two of the most read books in the Bible are the books of Genesis, which is the first book in the Old Testament and the book of revelations, which is the last book in the New Testament. Both of these books are extremely popular reads.

The book of Genesis is about the beginning and the book of revelations is about the end of times and this seems to be the biggest interest for Christians. In other words, you're not going to be able to find the mysteries, within the Bible if you don't at least start to read some of it.

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If You're a Christian Woman, You Had Better Watch This Video on Problems With Women Speaking in church. Are women really allowed to speak inside the church, you won't believe what you're about to see.

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

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Religious Mind Control Or Generational Sin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Properly Exercising Faith - People Who Represent Christianity

It's your responsibility as a Christian to properly exercise your faith and to express your opinions as such. If you don't know something for a fact, you are obligated to seek and gather more information about these so-called facts.

With this said, if you hear a Bible verse quoted to you by someone and you don't necessarily understand 100% of what they are saying or you think that they might be twisting around the Scripture, it's your obligation to find out, the truth and nothing but the truth.

Let me give you an example of how to properly exercise your faith. An atheist walks up to you and asks you why you believe in God, you reply," Because it says so in the Bible." Wrong.., wrong answer. Because it says so in the Bible, isn't what I would consider a good answer. It's what I would consider to be a controlled Christian answer, simple but untrue.

The minute that you start referring to things in the Bible and you don't really understand what it is that you're talking about, you're not doing Christianity any favors. The minute that you listen to another person quote out of the Bible and start repeating, what it is that they were saying, without clearly understanding the truth, you're simply spreading rumors.

Think about this, the next time that you tell someone something that you heard, just because you hear something three times, doesn't make it a fact. I would like to tell you a little secret, so pay attention, simply because someone within your religious community, who others look up to, say something that sounds believable, don't start spreading rumors, find out for yourself, if it's actually true.

Christian Bible Problems

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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.

Understanding the Bible

Tell Me Why You Truly Believe in God

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Did God Really Say

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

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

Find out a little bit more about Your Religious Freedom

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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.

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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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.

Turn the Tables on Stress

Is stress consuming you; why should you allow this? Stress puts tremendous stress on the body, sounds like a doubling up on words doesn't it? Well, that is what stress does to your body. It causes issue with your respiratory system, your cardio-vascular system, your central nervous system and it tends to use up all the vitamins stored up in your body as well.

The long-term health risks of stress are very serious, but not all stress is bad. That's right you heard it, not all stress is bad, in fact, some is actually very good for you; exercise stress for instance. Maybe you need to read up on all the information about stress that you can. This way you can better understand it and modify your behavior in order make stress work for you.

Okay then, let me recommend a very good book for you on stress. Personally, I have always enjoyed a fair amount of stress, it is a motivator and an enabler for me, and although I never realized all the strategies to turn the table on stress, I see that was indeed, using some of these techniques, but I just had not realized all the names of these techniques. Oh, the book I want to recommend to you? Yes, well the name of the book is:

"Making Stress Work for You; Ten Proven Principles," by Lloyd J. Ogilivie; World Books, Waco, TX, 1994.

This book will tell you the secrets to managing success and stress and how to use the Fear and anger in your favor for a good cause. It will explain the stress that we do not let out and hold inside and the difference between it and the stress we put on our bodies during competition and exercise. If you've ever thought that the stress was causing burn out, think again there are techniques and strategies for that as well.

You need to learn how to work hard, play hard and how to really relax as the author explains. And for those Biblical scholars out there, the book has a whole chapter in the back that will help you understand the stress from a religious a standpoint. Please go out and buy this book and put on your bookshelf to help you alleviate stress.

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

Why Most People NEVER Take Control of Their Lives & How You Can Avoid Being One of Them

Everybody Wants to be Free

In a day and age where everyone is always raving about personal power, individualism, our right to make our own decisions, and how unfair it is for the government to take so much control in our lives, it's hard to understand why, if personal freedom is a mass desire, so few people have chosen, this is 100% CHOICE, to claim theirs.

Saying you want to be free from your boss, or the government in your business, or having to spend 60% of your life at a meaningless, menial job is great rhetoric, but most people are not willing to do the work to get to that level of freedom. Yes, it's nice to talk about being able to take entire summer vacations with your family, own your own business, and spend your time doing what you want without ever worrying about money again, but the truth is, MOST PEOPLE WILL NEVER ACHIEVE THIS!

That's right. I'm going out on a limb and telling you what all the "gurus" in the world won't; bunches and bunches of people will continue to talk from here to Kingdom Come about living free and taking charge. A full 98+% of them will still be talking, without one iota of progress, a year from now.

WHY???

Because TALKING about it is not ACTING on it!

Let's be honest with one another. Sometimes it feels really GOOD to just complain about things. Really! It feels good to get the attention of others, to build camaraderie with people (who, if they're complaining too, are wallowing in the self-pity pool choosing to be Losers), take pity on ourselves and say,

"See, this isn't my fault. I'm not the reason I'm like this! My situation is too difficult...I don't make enough money to start my own business. I don't have the connections, or any family support, or it's hard where I come from, or..."

See my point here? The reason people do this is because it's really EASY to blame someone else for the failures, mistakes, missteps, and lack of progression in our lives. It takes real courage to evaluate our selves, stand up and say...

"I know some things have happened to me in my life that were beyond my control. However, I accept that my current station in life is directly due to my actions AND my reactions to the circumstances and problems that have taken place in my life."

The Key to Change

Owning up to your responsibility in your life can be a painful process. It won't be easy when you start taking control! You'll still have issues, things you need to improve, habits to break, phobias to overcome. Some people who aren't ready to see you change may leave your life as you grow & improve. And then, there's the most dreaded outcome of all...

PROBLEMS.

Boy, do we do our best to avoid those!!!! No matter who you choose to associate with, how low you allow yourself to sink in life or how high you choose to rise, EVERYONE HAS PROBLEMS.

We've all got issues! The higher you rise, the better the "class" of problem...but they NEVER go away. Don't set an unreasonable expectation that you'll avoid them by limiting yourself; it will only slow your progress.

When you become financially free, for instance, you won't worry about paying your rent or how to put food on the table. Instead, you'll worry about what investments to put your money in, or how to deal with an under-performing employee. See the difference?

The important thing to remember is problems are a sign of life. The only people without them are the ones without a pulse...so, if you have none, you should start to worry!

Why You SHOULD Embrace Problems

Problems are meant to challenge us; to help us learn and grow. Facing a challenge encourages us to think creatively, to fully engage in our lives, and to strengthen ourselves in order to continue thriving in the face of resistance.

When was the last time you were challenged in your life? When was the last time your adrenaline was so high that it opened up your entire thought process to a new solution? Does your work challenge you?

Are you doing something lucrative that will propel you toward your ultimate goals? If not, why? There's no time like the present to redirect your energies and become the person you are meant to be.

Don't wait another moment to get started! Make that first step:
Take responsibility. Right now.
ACTION EXERCISE: Stop reading, think about the circumstances in your life, accept them as they are, then say out loud:

"I take full responsibility for my life - past, present, & future. Starting today, I will act in a way that serves my ultimate goals & purpose. I can't change the past, but the future is in my hands...Today, I choose to change my life!"

Elaine Hannah is a Performance Consultant specializing in Life Design. In her work with individual and corporate clients, she helps them discover their goal, clarify their vision, and create what they desire in life. To learn more about becoming your best, read more from her at http://www.hubpages.com/profile/Elaine+Hannah

Write and Distribute Your Articles Instead of Building Feeder or Mini-Sites

Have you noticed the feeder site or mini-site craze?

This is a traffic generation strategy where you create mini websites that feed targeted traffic to a primary "money" site... meaning, your core website that earns revenue for you and your business.

Feeder site example: Your core website is a financial investing tips website along with ebooks and pay per click ads on the site for revenue creation. You would create 5 mini-sites that are more granular than your core site (in this example, perhaps stocks, personal finance, mutual funds, college savings accounts, etc) and attempt to attract traffic that would deliver qualified traffic to your "money" site.

Should you build feeder sites? No.

Why?

Because you can get a much higher return and widen your reach by investing your time in writing hundreds and then thousands of articles that you put into syndication / distribution. Share your expertise with others and you'll be rewarded with quality traffic back to your site.

The net effect will be better because rather than having 2-10 feeder sites sending traffic to your 'money' site, you'll have hundreds and then thousands of websites sending your qualified traffic to your website.

Search engines frown on feeder sites because they (just like you and I) don't like to be 'gamed'. You can actually protect your search engine friendly reputation by not engaging in thinly-veiled feeder sites.

Article Syndication vs. Feeder/Mini-Sites Bottom line:

Feeder sites are not necessary.

Writing and distributing thousands of quality original articles is necessary if you want to achieve better targeted traffic creation results.

Go deep and think bigger. You can write and distribute thousands of articles before the year is over. Those who say it can't be done are often investing their time in defending why it can't be done vs. those of us who are doing it and know it is possible. You can do it too! :-) Put on your writing cap, get a plan, set an article writing volume goal and get started today.

About The Author:

Christopher M. Knight invites you to submit your best quality original articles for massive exposure to the high-traffic http://EzineArticles.com/ expert author community. When you submit your articles to EzineArticles.com, your articles will be picked up by ezine publishers who will reprint your articles with your content and links intact giving you traffic surges to help you increase your sales. To submit your article, setup a membership account today: http://EzineArticles.com/submit/

(c) Copyright - Christopher M. Knight. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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Carlsbad Home Repairs - Upgrade Your Older Home

With housing prices being as low as they are, it's a great time to buy a home, but not to sell one. If you are living in an older home, there are ways to make it feel like new again, so that you can keep on enjoying your home without moving to an upgraded house. Here are a few ideas for you that will make your home nicer but not cost you a small fortune.

The two most popular rooms for remodeling are the kitchen and bathroom, and rightfully so because we all spend a lot of time in these rooms. If you would like to upgrade your kitchen, there are a few things you can do that don't cost a lot but will make a big impact. Why not try adding a kitchen island or butcher block to your culinary area? You will love the extra counter space and food preparation area, which can also double as a handy snack table if you add a couple counter stools to it. Kitchen islands are a great way to upgrade your kitchen without spending a lot of money, and you can get a tile or stone countertop that matches what you currently have on your other fixtures, or you can go for a natural butcher block top that matches any dcor. Another way to spruce up your kitchen without spending a lot is to replace your old kitchen faucet with a newer one, perhaps one that does more than your old faucet head.

Now to tackle that old bathroom! You may have the bathroom that time forgot, or maybe you just don't like what was installed, but the quickest way to change the whole appearance of your bathroom is to get a new bathroom vanity. The vanity is the centerpiece of your bathroom, and if you don't like the current one or it's a looking a little run down, then it can bring the whole bathroom down. If you shop for discount bathroom vanities then you can save money and give yourself a whole new space. You can shop the sales at local home improvement stores, or you can shop online, which is where the best deals are really found. Make sure to measure your space accurately, so that you can find just the right size vanity for your needs, and not find yourself with a vanity that's too big or too small for your bathroom.

No matter what you decide works when upgrading your older home, we hope that you will find these tips helpful and love your old home like it's new again.

If you would like more information on the variety of discount bathroom vanities available or where to find a great price on a bathroom vanity, please visit the Premiere Vanities website.

Hiring a Contractor For Your Home Renovation - Vista Contractor

Renovating your home is a large undertaking, and you want it done right. If you have decided to hire a professional contractor for the job, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to protect yourself as well as your most valued investment, your home.

First and foremost, research your state's legal requirements for contractors regarding insurance, licensing and workers compensation, so that you can eliminate any contractor who does not comply. Visiting the Contractor's License Reference Site is one way to learn about licensing requirements in your area and find out whether a particular contractor holds an active license.

Asking friends and family for references is usually a good starting point for finding a contractor who will perform quality work. Many contractors and home renovators agree that the best way to research a prospective contractor is to contact past clients, ask detailed questions and if possible, visit one or more work sites to check out the quality of the work. Tom Silva, general contractor at This Old House, shares a couple of other excellent ideas for finding good contractors in his article How to Hire a Contractor(1). Tim suggests checking with a building inspector to learn whose work is typically up to code or consulting with a local lumberyard about which contractors purchase quality materials and stay current on accounts.

Each contractor who will be quoting your project (typically at least three is advised) should be given the same set of specifications to ensure that your quotes are comparable. Though it may be tempting to automatically hire the contractor with the lowest bid, price is not always the best criteria for deciding which contractor to hire. The contractor you ultimately hire will be spending considerable time in your home, and the work performed will likely impact your home's value. Selecting a contractor with the skills and professionalism to deliver quality work can help ensure that the effect of your renovations on your home value is a positive one.

Once you have selected your contractor, ensure that every detail of the project is outlined in the contract, including projected start and finish dates, procedures for changes, a payment schedule, labor and material charges, a lien waiver and any specific agreements you have made with the contractor. Do not count on verbal promises alone; even if the contractor has a standard contract for most jobs, provisions may be added to the contract upon agreement between both parties.

(1) www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,199776,00.html

Maria Polidoro is the President of Ace Tool Online, a leading distributor of over 70 quality power tool brands. Headquartered in Wantagh, New York, Ace Tool Online also offers over 40,000 genuine power tool parts and is an authorized service center for over 50 manufacturers. Please visit Ace Tool Online for industrial cutting tools and the latest products from Milwaukee Tools, Festool and more

Article Writing Examples - How to Write the Best Conclusion to Your Article - Part 1

Why is it that an article someone else wrote receives more clicks to their website from the resource box more than yours? A closer look will show you that the way you write a conclusion to your article may be the culprit.

I've compared similar articles by different authors, how to write a conclusion guides and have carried out a group test to determine that indeed some article conclusions or closing if you want, do have an impact the reader.

There are many ways to conclude your article effectively, and today we'll be looking at one effective way to writing an article conclusion so that you receive maximum website clicks through your resource box.

Sum up all your points together and give the reader a final overview of the topic at hand - Discuss the points you attempted to make and your conclusion about the issue (Don't make it sound as a repetition).

Three to five sentences should be sufficient to bring the article to a closure. This is also an opportunity for you to call your readers to action. Using a question is a great way to trigger the curious mind of your reader. In this conclusion we'll see how to do it effectively so that the reader of your article will take action to find out

For example, you can end by asking your audience a question and the next logical step will be for them to look for where to input the answer.

If I were to ask you now...

Do you follow me so far? - "YES" or "NO"?

Whether you like it or not, you have an answer in your head already. This is just how our mind works.

Asking questions are also a great way to build comments for your article. Some article directories provide you with this option. But what I like to use this method for is to instigate readers to take action by visiting my website.

Below are some of the ways you can start your "YES" or" NO" closing.

- Do you know where you can...?

- Did you want to find out...?

- Will you...?

Then follow up with your resource box with a call to action. The above is just on of the way to a powerful article conclusion. Would you like to find our more ways to conclude your article so that you get maximum click to your website?

Watch out for part 2 of this article.

Improve Your Article Marketing Results Quickly? Try Super Fast Quality Articles http://superfastqualityarticles.com

Edward Hadome's specialty is psychology of online buying behavior. He's the author of "Super Fast Quality Articles." and creator of "Article Marketing Impact."

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Five Things You Should Know About Religion

Most of us are raised from children into adulthood, to believe in someone else's religion. Most of us never even got the chance to choose a religion or spiritual beliefs to follow on our own. I came up with a simple list of five things that you should know about your religion, or you shouldn't be allowed to practice it.

1. Where did your religion or spiritual beliefs originate from? You should find out who started your religion and why they started it. Some of the worlds major religions were started by intelligent people. Do you think it's possible that your religion was created by an intelligent person, instead of a supreme being or multiple gods. Someone's just trying to trick you into believing.

2. How did you get involved in your religion or spiritual beliefs? Was it part of your upbringing, did your parents suggest this religion to you, how long has your family been involved in your current religious beliefs. Was your great, great, great, great, great grandfather or grandmother part of this religion or spiritual belief. How far back does it go in your family?

3. Do you believe in your religious doctrine or scripture? Is there any parts of your religious scriptures, writings or communication from other fellow believers that doesn't sit right with you? Does every part of your religion makes sense and can it be explained sensibly to someone outside of your religion?

4. Do you practice what you believe on a daily basis? If you're supposed to read your scriptures or pray daily, do you? If your religion teaches love and compassion, how do you treat people less fortunate than yourselves? Are you one of those people who can justify your wrong doings, to yourself and others, to give them the illusion, that you are a religious or spiritual person.

5. Do you know where you are going after you die? Are you going to someplace wonderful and extraordinary, like heaven? If you had to earn enough credits or points, do you think you have acquired enough, to enter the next level of existence? If you're bad, are you going to a bad place, with all the other bad people?

Try to always keep one thing in mind do you use, religion and responsibly.

These are just some of the answers, that I sincerely believe most people should know about their religion or beliefs. You should be able to answer at least one of these questions if asked by a nonbeliever.

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

Twelve Pillars by Jim Rohn and Chris Widener

Jim Rohn has been imparting wisdom and sharing his success philosophies and principles for over thirty years. Chris Widener is a rather newcomer to the field of personal development compared with Rohn, but he has also shared the stage with some impressive people sharing his wisdom through speaking and writing. Now these two personal development professionals have teamed up to write a short little novel that contains a tremendous amount of wisdom in twelve secrets of success.

The book, titled "Twelve Pillars," is short, only 120 pages, and very easy to read. It is a story of a young man named Michael. After his car breaks down, Michael meets an old man named Charlie. Charlie teaches Michael about the twelve Pillars of Success. The Pillars, or lessons, are very simple, but that does not mean they are not extremely powerful. If you really take what Rohn and Widener are teaching through this story to heart, you will undoubtedly achieve more and live a more productive and happy life. You will live a life that is much more fulfilling and be rewarded with more meaningful relationships.

Just because the lessons are simple, does not mean they are necessarily simple to incorporate into your life. However, if you have this little book there to remind you and keep you on track, you will surely become a more successful person.

I really enjoyed the story and I'm sure I'll read it again and again each time I need a quick boost and reminder of those things to focus on. It is such a quick read with so powerful a message, I'd encourage everyone to read it more than once. Let the lessons these two teach sink in and make sure you act upon them.

"Twelve Pillars" by Jim Rohn and Chris Widener will surely inspire you to take your life to the next level and beyond. It will challenge and encourage you to become the best that you can be. All you need to do is read it, learn from it, and take action on the twelve pillars of success.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney with Bennett Law Office P.C. and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He writes and speaks about a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional dvds, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese at his websites http://www.burrese.com or http://www.bennettlawofficepc.com

Assume Positive Intent

"I can't believe anyone would do something so stupid!" How quick and automatic is the leap from believing in someone one minute to flying off the handle in anger the next when someone does something so contrary to our expectations!

When we immediately start to rant in frustration over someone else's action or decision without the benefit of understanding the why behind their motivation, then our reaction says a lot more about us than it does about them.

According to a new study in the International Journal of Psychology, the effects of anger can last 7 days. If being disappointed by others actions immediately makes you see red, then imagine the cumulative affect on your attitude and therefore, on your organization, if you are always at some point on the continuum of getting angry to staying angry to getting over being angry - about something that might not be based on reality!

The next time something happens that you didn't expect or wouldn't have done, stop and ask yourself these five questions before rushing to judge someone's negative intentions:

1. How do I know that the person's intention was bad?

Chances are you're making assumptions and so, are overlooking the possibility that the other person could have had more or different information or another interpretation and based his or her decision to act accordingly.

2. Is my concern self-focused?

Like the father of the family in the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" who lamented, "Why is this happening to me?" every time something didn't go as planned, you are likely more worried about how you will be personally affected by what the other person did more than any real negative consequences to the organization.

3. Were my expectations clear?

No one should be expected to presume to know what you want or when you want it to be done.

4. Could it have been a mistake?

There's an old saying, "If the learner hasn't learned, then the teacher hasn't taught." Someone who is learning or doing something for the first time isn't trying to mess up on purpose!

5. Why am I so angry?

That's really the "$64,000 question." You might need help exploring the reasons behind your outrage and learning how to better control your emotions.

It's a leader's job to gain followers by inspiring confidence. People are so complex, and so different - moved by different motives, controlled by different circumstances, and influenced by different experiences. Before you think the worst, find out the facts, and assume positive intent in the meantime. Most people are doing what they think is best for the right reasons. Assuming that will take you a long way.

Marilyn Lustgarten, executive coach and president of The Star Makers Group, works with leaders interested in achieving good to great performance. She also speaks and writes on strategic leadership issues and organizational transformation. Contact her at http://www.starmakersgroup.com

Freelance Writers - How to Sell $25-$35 Per Article Writing Services to Clients

Article marketing works. There's no doubt about it. And, to make money online as a freelance writer, it is one of the easiest services to sell to clients. Many freelance writers either overlook this easy way of making money online, or don't know how to market it effectively.

This article explains why article marketing works, and how to make money online as a freelance writer selling the service to clients.

Make Money Online: Why Article Marketing Works

In order to convince someone to buy something, you have to first convince them that it works. In marketing, this is known as pointing out the benefits to the buyer. In succinct terms, the benefit of article marketing is twofold: (i) it generates long-term traffic; and (ii) it increases on- and off-line sales.

How Article Marketing Works to Generate Long-term Traffic

Article marketing generates long-term traffic because when buyers conduct research online, they're searching first for information. If they run across an article you wrote for a client site, for example, that answers all of their questions, how likely do you think they'll be to make a purchase?

If you're an optimist, you said, "Very likely." If you're pessimist, you said, "Not very likely." For the pessimist, I counter with, what if you found a repository of articles on a site. While one article may not do the trick, 3, 5 or 10 might.

And, this is one benefit freelance writers can point out to potential clients - ie, fill your site with informative content -- and clients will be more likely to buy from you.

FYI, information never goes out of style. It is the number one thing consumers search for online. Hence, informative articles on a site - written in the right way (eg, written with search engine optimization (SEO) techniques in mind) - can drive traffic to a site for years.

An article written 1, 3, 5 or 10 years ago can still drive traffic - if it was written with SEO in mind. And, the more traffic a site has, the more sales it makes.

SEO Copywriting: Why Article Writing is the Perfect Job for Freelance Writers

More and more businesses are putting larger parts of their budgets into online advertising. And, article marketing campaigns are a big part of this.

When you lay out to clients how and why they need informative content on their sites - and you show them why you're the perfect person to provide it, it becomes a no-brainer for them to hire you to write that content.

Freelance Writing Rates for Articles: Charge $25-$50 and Make $30K to $50K/Year

You can charge $25, $35 or $50 or more for simple articles of only 350-500 words. Write five or six of these a day, and you can easily replace a job where you make $30,000-$50,000/year.

Making money online as a freelance writer is easier than it used to be - especially if you're an SEO copywriter.

About the Author: Yuwanda Black is a freelance SEO copywriter and the author of How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles. Ms. Black says, "You can make money online as a freelance article writer. I do it everyday -- charging $35-$100+ per article." Learn more about how to start a successful career as an SEO copywriter, or explore other freelance writing jobs

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Bathroom Remodelling - A Few Short Tips

Everybody would prefer to complete their bathroom remodelling on the quick. Replace the Vanity and Medicine Cabinet, toilet, bathtub, and wash basin and hey presto. If only it were that simple. Bathroom Remodelling does not have to be hard however; if you know what you are trying to achieve before you start then half of the battle is won already. Any bathroom renovation can be a pleasurable and demanding task that can take your benchmark bathroom and change it into a room that is relaxing, and has your personal moniker on it. These days, home personalization is a very significant part when it comes to successful interior decorating.

When it comes to the bathroom, there are several different renovations that can be performed. If you ever had the ambition of finding out as much as possible when it comes to bathroom renovations, talk to the experts at bathroom retailers and DIY specialists they don't bite honest!

Knowing how to replace a bathroom floor can be difficult. Replacing the floor from the outset will help you give it a probably much needed facelift by first removing and then installing a new floor. It will make you bathroom look so different right from the offset. Then comes the replacements of the bathroom suite, shower, WC, tiles and last of all ceiling paint and lighting. Many tradesmen will tell you to work from the bottom upwards in bathrooms. But think about it logically. It doesn't really matter. The most important thing is getting the suites and bathroom faculties plumbed in before the floor, wall tiles, lighting and paint is applied.

For more information on finding suitable bathroom items visit Bathrooms Cheaper

Lee Tyrrell of Bathrooms Cheaper

Installing Windows - Home Tips

Most carpenters and construction workers understand one thing about eye level. It had better be straight, square and plumb. My dad could walk into a room take a quick glance at a wall and notice almost every single flaw in that wall. I was always amazed at his ability to find problems so quickly.

I have never quite developed the ability that my father has in noticing construction defects at his level. But I can tell you this most people notice a majority of flaws at their eye level. What does this mean? Quite simply if you are 4'6" tall you will notice every flaw possible between 3'6" and six foot.

If you are 6 feet tall you will notice every flaw between 5 feet and 8 feet. You might not notice the window apron but you will notice the window header if there are any problems.

Now the problem is installing windows at eye level and making sure that the window sill is level and the jambs are plumb. Windows seem to get used a lot and therefore will be looked at often. The more we look at something the more we will notice the good and the bad about that object.

Does the window slide easy, does the window lock easy, does the window close and open with little effort? If the window has grids this could be a bigger problem. If you are sliding the moving panel of the window passed the fixed panel of the window and the window is not level or straight you will definitely see it.

If you are installing Windows above 8 feet you could probably get away with the window being a little bit out of level or plumb. If the window is a two-story house and you can view it from upstairs you could have a problem if the window is out of square or not level.

Keep in mind is very important and not hard to do when installing the windows during construction or remodeling to keep them plumb and level. I know a lot of carpenters and window setters that slapped the windows in, eyeball them for straightness and move on to the next window to perform the same task.

Every person's eye level range will vary. A taller person will notice most mistakes five foot and above. A smaller person will notice mistakes five foot and below. Working at someone's eye level is a mistake. Your work should be quality and when setting windows should be done to the best of your ability.

You might ask why it matters. Because you never know when someone smaller or taller is going to be walking through the house and notice some simple problems that could have been fixed easily during the construction process. Now the window will have to be repaired which could be a costly process.

I like to build things right the first time. Take your time, double check everything and assemble with pride.

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

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes in Installing Windows in Your Home

Article Writing Tips - 3 Top-Notch Tips For Writing Easy-To-Read Articles!

As has already been told, over and over again, content simply rules on the Internet. And a lot of that content requirement is met through articles. So you must be wondering how does one churn out so many articles, time after time? As an article writer myself, I have faced the occasional writer's block in the past, but with time and experience, have successfully managed to overcome any obstacles in my writing. You too can be an unhindered article writer, simply by following the article writing tips provided below.

Tip 1: Research your Subject

This is as elementary as primary school. You have to know about your subject matter, if you are to write on it. At the same time, it does not imply that you need to be a subject matter expert, but you surely need to have the basics in place. Thankfully, with the Internet and resources like Wikipedia, it is reasonably easy to gather knowledge and information, on virtually any topic.

Tip 2: Research Existing Articles on the Subject

Just as important as it is to research and know about your subject, it is almost as important to know about articles that have already been written on the subject. Invariably, you will see that articles and write-ups on particular subjects tend to follow certain styles and formats. So, grasp that style and try and adopt the same or at least similar style and approach in your own articles.

Tip 3: Get the Flow Right

Don't jump - in the context of your articles! Have a sequential flow to your content matter, as well as a logical progression. In your mind, visualize yourself telling a story. Keeping that in mind, move from one thought to another. Similarly have a proper beginning, in the form of an introduction, and then progressively move towards the end, in the form of a conclusion.

These powerful yet simple and basic article writing tips will guide you on the path of becoming an expert article writer yourself!

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

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

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

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

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Tips to Develop Strong Positive Self Esteem - Enjoy a Happier Life

People with low self esteem are likely to be unhappy, frustrated and probably not as successful as their more confident friends.

Developing a healthy self esteem is essential for the well being and happiness of an individual. Here are some very useful tips that can help in developing a strong self-image and confidence.

High Self Esteem Tips:

1. Give inner encouragement:

All people are hungry for some sort of encouragement or the other. But why to depend on others for encouragement? Whenever you do something good, encourage yourself by saying "good job", "well done" and other such positive phrases.

Giving yourself constant encouragement even for small accomplishments can give a boost to your confidence levels. It is one of the important high self esteem tips you should follow.

2. Focusing more on strengths:

Most of us focus more on our weaknesses. Agreed that we should be aware of our shortcomings, otherwise how can we develop a plan to improve upon them?

But its not a good idea to focus more on weaknesses. How much time you focus on weaknesses, you should focus at least double of that time on your strengths. By focusing more on strengths rather than weaknesses, we can develop positive self image and we are not completely ignoring our weaknesses too.

3. Stop negative thoughts:

Negative thinking can weaken our resolve and confidence. Here is a little exercise to help stop negative thoughts as soon as they arise. Visualize a red stop sign in your mind as soon as you realize that you are getting negative thoughts. You might also imagine in your mind saying aloud the word "Stop".

You can also overcome negative thinking by challenging it with questions. Whenever you get a thought like "I am stupid" or"I am not intelligent like others", ask yourself "is it really true? What proof do I have that others are better than me?".

Such kind of counter-questioning can help in discarding long held negative notions about yourself and help catapult you onto the journey of positive thinking.

Are you suffering from low and poor self esteem problems? Find out the warning signals now - 70+ Characteristics of Low Self Esteem

Give up your bad habits. Learn how to replace your bad habits with good ones in as little as 21 days. Increase your productivity, control procrastination, develop confidence - Control Bad Habits

Seven Great Benefits of Reading

I read something the other day that was extremely disturbing. Apple founder Steve Jobs was quoted as saying...

"It doesn't matter how good or bad the product is, people don't read anymore. Forty percent of people in the U.S read one book(1) or less last year."

To me, this is a VERY SAD statistic. Personally, I can think of nothing more important , and ,of more value than reading.

Alarming? I'd say so. If the adults aren't reading , do you think the kids will grow up as readers? We all know that kids mimic our actions and not our words.

Here are 7 Great Benefits of Reading I came up with....

1. Great Vocabulary Builder.
2. Stress buster, and relaxer.
3. Great for learning and education.
4. Keeps your mind sharp and fresh.
5. Sets a good example for kids.
6. Helps with your Spelling.
7. Helps form a common bond with others.

Writer, former pro football player and Fox Sports analyst Tim Green once said.... "Everyone likes to read. They just need to finds something that is of interest to them." Some like the sports page, some like a good mystery, others like self help, and still others like People or Star magazine.

Here is a great challenge offered by our friends at Shelfari.com:

They basically ask the reader to attempt to read 50 books in the next coming year. If that's too many, then set your own goal of 40,30, or even 20 books. You'll be glad you did.

What are your thoughts/what benefits do you get from reading?

About the author::

TA Smith is the founder and creator of Smile-Therapy.com
A graduate of UMASS, Amherst.
A former Dale Carnegie graduate.
Smith loves to golf, ski, read, walk his chocolate labs, and listen to jazz and country music.
Smith's motto: Work hard, have fun, help others and make people SMILE.
creator@smile-therapy.com
http://www.smile-therapy.com

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.

Damaged Wood Window

How To Protect Your Kids at the Pool

A university statistics professor in the United States, Steven D. Levitt, was struck by how many children had drowned in swimming pools. They were the kind of deaths that don't make the newspaper-unlike, for instance, a child who dies while playing with a gun. He got curious, and went looking for numbers that would tell the story.

After conducting a detailed scientific study, he concluded the following; "If you both own a gun and have a swimming pool in the backyard, the swimming pool is about 100 times more likely to kill a child than the gun is."

Drowning is one of the major causes of accidents involving children worldwide, resulting in serious injury and death. Thousands of tragic accidents involving swimming pools highlight the sad fact that kids and pools can be a very dangerous combination. A number of child deaths have occurred while parents have been looking away, or were not in the vicinity. Other heart-rending events have involved children's long hair being caught in pool water pump inlets, which have also led to drowning.

In a number of cases, accidents happened even though the child knew how to swim. The result of this study serves to highlight the significant hazard that swimming pools present to children, compared to other dangers. Toddlers, in particular, often do something unexpected because their capabilities change daily.

Submersion incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings. In another study, 65 percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child's family and 33 percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives.

Child drowning is often a silent death - there's no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble. Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. 77 percent of the victims had been missing from sight for five minutes or less.

Here are some easy tips you can use to reduce the risk;

Supervise

Never allow your youngster to swim alone without any adult supervision. It is vital that persons be

around, ready to help if needed.

Does Your Pool have a Fence?

Enclose your pool with a fence at least 4 feet (1.2 Metres) high, and a gate which can be locked. Do not leave the pool open and accessible, as children can fall inside. In many communities having a fence around a pool, with a lockable gate, is a legal requirement.

Cordless Phone

Always have a phone nearby the pool. This should ensure that nobody has to leave a child alone in the pool to answer the phone when it rings. A cordless home phone can be a good solution.

Social Gatherings

During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a "designated watcher" to protect young children from pool accidents. Adults may take turns being the "watcher." When adults become preoccupied, children are at risk.

Slips & Falls

A number of children are injured when they slip and fall around the pool on wet tiles or concrete; consider having your child wear a pair of anti-slip pool shoes when around and even in, the pool.

Life Saver

You should ensure there is always a life saving flotation device handy, such as; a lifesaver ring or foam flotation device near the pool. This could be very handy if an adult happens to be around to help rescue a child from the edge of the pool - but who cannot actually get in the pool and swim. However, do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision. Remove toys from in and around the pool when it is not in use, as toys can attract young children closer to the pool.

CPR

Every parent and guardian should be conversant in basic Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) techniques in case of any accident. Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process, even while the child is still in the water. Seconds count in preventing death or brain damage.

Jump, Don't Dive!

Teach your children that diving should only be performed in special pools, or in designated areas. It's very easy to misjudge the depth of a pool, or mistake the shallow-end for the deep-end and suffer a serious neck or head injury.

Long Hair

If your child has longer hair, consider the use of a swim cap which will ensure their hair does not become tangled in pool equipment.

Small Water Bodies

Avoid leaving your kids alone even with small portable pools or other water bodies such as buckets or fountains. There is always a danger of drowning occurring even in small bodies of water.

Again, please watch what your kids are doing whenever they are near water. Supervise their activities and never leave them alone in or near any pool. If a child is missing, check the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom and surface, as well as the pool area.

Roger Hall of COEGA Sunwear develops tips and clothing that provide women and children with Style, Comfort and Protection. Find out how to protect yourself with more popular FREE Tips for active women of all ages, available at: =>store.coegawear.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=20

Renovate With EIFS - Home Tips

Ontario's Home Energy Audit provides rebates to home owners who improve their home in some way to reduce energy consumption and waste. The program provides rebates from $60.00 per energy-star qualified window, to $1,000.00 for a high efficiency furnace, to $3,000.00 for insulating the exterior of your home. Why is the largest grant (by category) given to Exterior Wall Insulation? One of the reasons is it can have the largest impact on keeping the heat inside your home as home owners typically see a 20-30% reduction in their heating and cooling bills after renovating the exterior of their walls with EIFS (synthetic stucco).

First Thing is First

In order to qualify for the rebates, you need to first have someone do the Ontario Home Energy Audit. This involves contacting the Government's ecoENERGY program to have an inspector come to your house and evaluate your eligibility. You will fall into various categories ranging from not eligible (because there is nothing that needs to be done), to partial benefits to improve certain aspects, to the full grant for adding something that is not currently there. The majority of homes do not have insulation on the exterior of their homes (from the sheating substrate and outward), which makes most home owners eligible for the full $3,000.00 rebate. From the day of the inspection, you have exactly 18 months to complete all your retrofits and get the auditor back.

Get Quotes For an EIFS Retrofit

It may even be a good idea to do this first so you don't waste time trying to find contractors and prices. It is important to get multiple quotes, from different contractors to get a feel for what the price should be. They can be found via the internet, yellowpages, referrals, or preferably by the EIFS manufacturer who will recommend you to a few contractors they know that do quality work. Speaking with different contractors will open your eyes to aspects others may not mention, such as decorative items or things you need to consider like temporarily removing your soffit. Things that may affect your quotes include:

• Time of year will affect price, which is higher during the winter and busy season
• Not requiring a weather barrier (only if going over brick, concrete or CMU) will save money
• Small portions (such as dormers) often cost extra
• Decorative elements such as mouldings and cornices cost extra

Let's say you understand what your options and prices are after getting 5 quotes, which do you choose? To start, if one is far below the others, toss it immediately. Any money you will save will come back to bite you down the road, and the repair can be more expensive than your synthetic stucco retrofit in the first place. Most of the time you want to go with quote #3 or #4 in terms of price. Don't forget that you can add decorative elements (like window sills, quoins, trim) at a later date -- one of the great benefits of EIFS.

Thickness of Styrofoam

Though this will affect the price and is up to your discretion, a minimum of 2.5" of "Type 1 Expanded PolyStyrene" (the white styrofoam) is required to qualify for the full $3,000.00 rebate. Typical styrofoam thickness is 2", which would get you the $1,800.00 rebate, however the additional 1/2" will not (or rather, should not) run you an additional $1,200.00, which means you will actually save money.

For the technically inclined, a total of R-3.8 to R-9 will qualify you for $1,800.00, while an R-value of 9 or above qualifies for the full $3,000.00 rebate. Type 1 Expanded PolyStyrene (the type of white styrofoam EIFS manufacturers carry and specify) is rated at R-3.71(per inch). This means adding 1" of styrofoam qualifies you for no rebate (yes, they are serious about that 0.09 of R value missing), while 2.5" will qualify you for the whole $3,000.00 (2.5 x 3.71 = 9.275). The other layers of EIFS do provide some R-value (arguable enough that 1" would qualify you for the rebate), however the government stipulates that the R-value is calculated solely on what is added to the wall via styrofoam.

Plan All Your Retrofits, Then Proceed

You want to consider other renovations at the same time as your Synthetic Stucco retrofit. If you intend to add Energy Star qualified windows, they must be installed prior to adding Synthetic Stucco so that they can be properly "tied in" to the wall, that is, to prevent moisture intrusion. You will want to cover these windows while the EIFS is being installed to lessen the chances of them getting dirty. Again, soffits need to be removed during installation to avoid unsightly gaps at the top of your wall which double as a point for water to penetrate. A little bit of planning goes a long way in saving you money and head aches.

Get The Auditor Back

Once everything is finished it's time to have the inspector come back to re-evaluate your home. You will need to show him copies of the bills with the specifications (for example, the EIFS contractor would specify "2.5" insulation added" on his invoice), and pictures of the product being installed may help -- make sure to find out exactly what the auditor is looking for during the first visit. Remember also, that you only have 18 months from the first inspection to get him back, otherwise you forfeit any claim you have to rebates. You may only do this once (ever!) so make sure you do all your retrofits at one time for the rebates, or be prepared to pay for future retrofits out of your pocket.

Upon verification that a minimum of 2.5" of insulation has been applied to all wall surfaces on the exterior of your home, the auditor will check to see if you qualify for any additional rebates for retrofits which may have been undertaken, then electronically submit the result to "Natural Resource Canada" and the "Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure". From the time your auditor performs the final evaluation, you can expect to wait anywhere from 5-9 weeks for the audit to be processed another 1-2 weeks for the cheque to arrive.

Don't forget that on top of the rebate, renovating your home with Synthetic Stucco increases the value of your home (you recoup up to 88% of the renovation cost via increased home value) and can reduce your heating bill anywhere from 20%-30%, saving you over $500 per year.

Jim Schwarznoff is a Construction Project Management student with an emphasis on the building envelope and exterior design. For more information on EIFS (Synthetic Stucco) and to get quotes from Stucco Contractors visit http://www.TorontoStuccoContractor.com/. For more details on the Ontario Home Energy program, visit: http://torontostuccocontractor.com/blog/2009/01/the-ontario-home-energy-audit-provides-3000-towards-an-eifs-retrofit/

Impressive Newsletters to Help Make Money on the Internet

The main goal for web site business owners is to attract as many visitors to the site as they possibly can. There are many different ways that you can accomplish this important goal, with some techniques being much more effective and that will help you to make money on the Internet. As an online business owner, you need to devise a plan that will help you spread the reputation of your web site.

One of the most effective ways of increasing the number of people that know about your site is by sending out an email newsletter. The newsletter needs to be created in a very impressive manner so that more people will want to come and visit your web site. As you incorporate different techniques into the creation of your impressive newsletter, you will be able to make money on the Internet.

Unique And Special
A companys newsletter must be completely distinct and unique from anyone elses newsletter. If your newsletter stands out from all the others, then more people will remember it and will want to be a part of the company. If you think of all the newsletters that you have ever read, they are the ones that are appealing and extremely attractive to the eye.

Publication
Create newsletters that have the possibility of being published on other sites on the Internet. Millions of customers surf the Internet everyday and it is one of the most commonly used forms of media in todays society. If business owners can create newsletters that really stick out on a computer screen then people will spend more time looking at them and it will increase their desire to buy the products or services.

Keywords And Phrases
Using certain words or letters in the newsletters will also attract more people. Remember to use variety in your newsletter, because that is what people are looking for. Sometimes newsletters can be created to look exactly the same as others, but people like to look for new and exciting things. Using variety can make your newsletter much more interesting to see.

Graphic Designer
Artistic techniques can also make your companys newsletter very attractive to viewers. If you have to, hire a graphics designer or artist to put different designs and pictures on to the newsletter. This can help save you a lot of time and also help you to ultimately make money on the Internet.

Colors
Enhance the attractiveness of the newsletter by adding impressive colors. Colorful newsletters are one of the best ways to increase their visibility to the public. People definitely notice colorful newsletters and pay more attention to them.

White Space
The use of effective white space is also very important to increasing the visibility of newsletters. Sometimes designers make the newsletters too complicated to read or see and it becomes difficult for people to distinguish what it is. Strategically putting white space in a newsletter will help people to better understand what the newsletter is all about.

Court is a make money internet expert and also provides internet marketing services.