Weiss Report Blog

I had to take a friend to the doctor today and as I sit here in the waiting room about to doze off I begin to write this article. By the way, why do waiting rooms in doctor’s offices make people sleepy?

OK, let me get back on track. As I’m sitting here, I hear a lady behind me talking of her past depression. She mentions she felt so lonely after her dear husband passed away. In her own words, ‘her whole world fell apart.’ She said her husband handled everything in their marriage such as the money, bills and auto maintenance. After he passed away she became overwhelmed with all the finances and other responsibilities she now had to deal with, not to mention the fact that she was still mourning the death of her husband.

This conversation got me to thinking of how many people deal with the painful loss of a loved one.

Many times when a loved one passes, those left behind might not immediately feel the effects of that loss. It has not ‘hit them’ or ’sunk in’ yet. Sometimes it takes a while for a person to react to the loss. Some may try to stay strong or hide their feelings in front of others. But when the funeral is over and the family and friends have returned to their homes, the person may break down. It finally sinks in. Some sink into a depression so bad they close themselves off from the rest of the world. They take extra time off from work and even turn down invitations from family and friends.

Isolation and self-pity are never the answer. It’s okay to mourn. Even people in Bible times mourned when they lost loved ones in death.

A few examples of this include:

* King David who was grief stricken when his son Absalon died (2Samuel 18:33)

* Abraham bewailed the loss of his dear wife, Sarah (Genesis 23:2)

* Even Jesus himself, who was a perfect man, ‘gave way to tears’ over the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35)

So this shows that there is a sadness when we lose a loved one to death.

The thing is to not dwell on everything. Keep busy. Get involved in other things such as hobbies. Get you mind off the loss. The memories will always be there but they don’t have to be painful.

Another thing that can help you deal with your sorrow is Bible reading. God, being the loving God that he is, helps his people to endure the extreme sadness and grief that comes with bereavement. God’s spirit helps us to have peace and faith in the worderful future promised in his Word the Bible.

The Scriptures refer to God as ‘the God of all comfort,’ so we can be sure that he will give us the strength we need and not let us be overwhelmed by sad thoughts about our dead loved one.

Knowing all this should help us realize that we are not alone in experiencing the pain of our loss. Others have been through the same thing. In time, the pain will subside. The world is not going to stop for our broken heart. Life will go on. Things WILL get better.

So knowing all of this and the fact that even the perfect man Jesus went through this as well, should help us to deal with the painful loss of a loved one.

For more information on Depression and dealing with the loss of a loved one visit Anna’s website at: http://www.depressionadviceonline.com/index.html or visit her Depression blog which is full of helpful information updated daily at: http://depressionadviceonline.blogspot.com/

The other night I lay in bed watching Oprah’s 20th Anniversary DVD collection - a gift given to me by my best friend. Story after story of incredible people that have touched and changed the life of Oprah caused my tears of inspiration to flow. One particular person I really identified with - the story of Rudine. Rudine suffered severely from anorexia nervosa. She wanted so badly to battle and win this condition, but her emotional relationship with food and herself was so damaged.

You see, I can identify with this woman because at the age of 13, I came face to face with anorexia nervosa. It followed two very painful events in my life. Looking back, I now understand I was unable to cope with all the emotions I encountered. The anger and hatred I felt - because I could not outwardly express it - was turned inward. I began to hate my body and food became the enemy. I exercised like crazy and eventually ate only 1 small meal per day. After finally breaking that cycle, I swung to the other extreme and began to binge eat late at night. Other things replaced food until, at the age of 21, I got serious about facing and healing my emotions.

I share this with you because I think it is important to understand the devastating effects our relationship with food can have on our health. Maybe you’ve never suffered from anorexia nervosa, bulimia or obesity, but your emotional relationship with food is still worth examining. In an ideal relationship with food, you eat when you’re hungry, and you eat the healthy foods your body needs. Your body weight is healthy and you aren’t experimenting with the latest diet. Healthy eating is your way of life, and your physical wellbeing reflects that - not just your body, but your energy level, mood and internal health as well. So come on this journey with me and let’s explore some of the common emotions or situations that can trigger unhealthy eating. Pay attention to whether any of these strike home for you. If so, try substituting some of the alternatives I suggest so you can begin healing your emotional relationship with food.

Angry Eater: When you are very angry with yourself or someone else, do you turn to food? Maybe you’re mad because you made a mistake and so you beat yourself up with food. Try confronting and expressing your anger in a healthy way, and then forgive and let it go.

Stress Eater: According to Dr. Phil, “when you are under stress, your body releases hormones that automatically stimulate your appetite and set off cravings, prompting you to eat huge quantities of fattening food”. Take 15 minutes of quiet alone time or a 15 minute brisk walk instead.

Convenience Eater: You don’t have time or don’t feel like making something healthy to eat, so you grab whatever is convenient - fast food or take home, chips, donuts, etc. Keep healthy and convenient foods around the house and at the office - fruit, granola bars, Lean Cuisines, string cheese, and yogurt.

Tired Eater: Morning comes around or the afternoon energy runs out and you need a kick of sugar to keep you going. You load up on cookies, cake or other sugar snack foods and you’re off and running until you crash. Try getting 8 hours of sleep at night, exercising regularly, taking vitamins or taking a short cat nap.

No Waste Eater: Were you taught to never waste food? Were you reminded of all the poor children that had nothing to eat? Now you cannot bring yourself to leave anything on your plate or throw away any food. Put smaller portions on your plate. Give yourself permission to stop eating when you’re full. Work in a homeless shelter serving food or give food to the poor so you don’t feel guilty.

Self-Disgust Eater: You look at yourself and hate what you see; you eat or deprive yourself of food to mask the feelings you have, and so starts the cycle of abuse. Work on loving yourself in every way you can - pamper yourself, repeat positive affirmations, stick up for yourself. Invest in gaining confidence and self-esteem.

Boredom Eater: This is me. I don’t feel like doing laundry or cleaning the house. I’m tired of working, playing cars or watching TV. It’s cold outside and so I open the food cabinet. Hmmm. I wonder what I can eat. Get creative and find something fun and different to do. Switch projects and start something new. Make a phone call to a friend.

Fear of Intimacy Eater: Do you eat to hide yourself and avoid getting too close to someone? Sometimes reaching out to people can be a very scary and hard thing to do. Maybe you’ve been hurt too many times by loved ones. Seek help to heal your pain. Search for supportive and loving people that you can depend on. Take baby steps to reach out and trust someone.

Hopeless Eater: Have you just completely given up? Maybe you’ve tried too long to lose weight or given too much to your marriage, and nothing seems to change. You feel hopeless and so you just say, “Who cares? I’m just going to eat whatever I want”. Or maybe you’ve lost your appetite all together. Change your thoughts. Focus on the positive and keep a gratitude journal. Look for the bright side of everything. Search for the sunshine and you will find it.

“See Food” Eater: You know the saying, “I’m on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it”. Are you the type of eater that constantly grazes? If the food is in front of you, you eat it without really thinking about it. You may or may not be hungry - it’s just a habit. Graze on low-fat and healthy foods. Keep the fattening foods at the grocery store. Work on being more conscious of how much food you are taking in.

Social Eater: You love to be around people and what better way to spend time with friends than going out to lunch or dinner. Socializing is great! Eating out is expensive and not always very healthy - not to mention the additional calorie intake. Add a couple glasses of wine and you’ve consumed in one meal what you should have for the day. Limit your social gatherings at restaurants to once or twice a month. Start a walking group with friends. Participate in a movie or book club. Have a board game night and serve soup and salad.

Comfort Eater: Sadness or loneliness threatens to swallow you up. Depression seems to be your best friend. Food is your source of comfort. Somehow you feel better after indulging in your favorite meal and dessert. Until the feelings strike again. It’s time to face your sadness or loneliness. Maybe you need to grieve the loss of someone or something. Perhaps you need to reach out more to a community of people. Developing a relationship with God may supply the consolation and companionship you need.

Whatever your relationship with food, ask yourself if it’s a healthy one. Facing your emotions head on is the only way to heal them. Denial only causes your feelings to go away temporarily. When I watched the story of Rudine on Oprah, a recovering anorexic pleaded with her to feed her brain and give herself the nourishment that it needed. With sad-filled and hopeless eyes, Rudine simply said, “But how?” Isn’t that the essential question we are all faced with when making change? How? Change starts with awareness. It’s fueled by desire and commitment. And it ends with taking action. Take the steps you need now to develop a healthy relationship with food.

Lori Radun, CEC - certified life coach for moms. To receive her FREE newsletter for moms and the special report, “155 Things Moms Can Do to Raise Great Children”, go to http://www.true2youlifecoaching.com

Acne has become awful disease for modern day people, especially girl. People just can’t wait to get rid of red pimple in their face. A lot of quick-cash seeker may offer you product that can clean your acne in a day.

However, sadly to say, what works for one may not work for others. The most important things to remember when it comes in terms of acne treatment is not about magical product that can remove your acne problems in a night. But knowing the simple rule of lifestyle is all you need to solve your acne problem.

For example, you must never be pop your pimples no matter how desperate you want. Another example is knowing what you eat can make significant different in getting rid from your acne in long term as we know that oil is the number one cause of acne.

Another things to bear in mind is give time for something to works. You can purchase hundreds of dollars acne treatment product but without give it a time to works it will do you nothing.

Choosing your acne treatment products is something that cannot be counted on your friend’s opinion. Because every people has different skin condition. So when choosing your acne treatment products you have to try yourself what works for you and what not.

Or you can simply consult to doctor or professional to know what best to do. Not only they can point you out on what works best for your skin type but also they can save you from months of trial and error.

The worse thing about acne is not of acne itself but because psychology condition it may impact. When you feel low self esteem because you have over-extended acne remind yourself that others too have same problems with yours. You may want to create your own discussion group to support each other along the way.

Don’t worry about whether others may want to join your discussion group or not just simply ask for it. You will be shocked at how many people that will become your new friend-in-needs.

If you find information in this article useful, you may want to visit Free Acne Medication and Acne Solution Resources for more free information and resources on getting rid from your acne.

By Doug Krieger

A STRATEGIC AND ESCHATOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE

This week (ending December 3, 2005) in Washington, D.C., the
United States and Israel, after a three-year hiatus, resumed
their “Strategic Dialogue.” This is different–very different.
Something far more significant has commenced between the two
allies facing the likes of a burgeoning insurgency fed by an
Iranian President who insists that “ISRAEL MUST BE WIPED OF THE
MAP” and a resurgent Syrian-Hezbollah-Hamas (Baathist
Socialist-Shiite-Sunni) alliance whose intentions mirror those
of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a “World Without Zionism”
(Haaretz).

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev claimed the
Strategic Dialogue had broken off for “logistical reasons”–not
because tensions over upgrading Israel’s Harpy anti-radar aerial
drones, originally purchased by China in the mid-’90s under Ehud
Barak’s regime, were the actual cause of the estrangement
(Israel sent the degraded drones back to China; ipso facto, it’s
time to strategize (PINR)). Frankly, the US and Israel are
harping about something else . . .

IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM MUST BE WIPED OFF THE MAP

Targeting March of 2006, IDF Military Intelligence Chief, Major
General Aharon Ze’evi, and Ariel Sharon have given official
notification: Israel is not apt to abide the diplomatic
ineptitude of the French, Germans, and British with the Iranians
in stemming the inevitable WMD and the delivery systems now in
place to fulfill the visions of Ahmadinejad, Osama ben Laden,
and Zarqawi on behalf of Israel–let alone the aspirations of
“democratic reforms” fashioned by Egypt’s Islamic Brotherhood
(BBC)!

“‘If by the end of March 2006, the international community
(i.e., the inane efforts of the British, French, and
Germans) does not manage to use diplomatic means to block
Iran’s effort to produce a nuclear bomb, there will no longer be
any reason to continue diplomatic activity in this field, and it
will be possible to say that the international attempts to
thwart [Iran’s efforts] have failed,’ Ze’evi said.” (December 2,
2005, Haaretz) Indeed, the pivotal Brits (perennial toadies of
the US-Israeli Axis) have no need to fear a politically defunct
EU aghast at what an attack on Iran might engender throughout
the Moslem World–at least not according to John Laughland in
ICH:

“Will an attack on Iran put unacceptable strain on Euro-Atlantic
relations? Will Britain be forced further onto the horns of the
dilemma it has striven to avoid, namely to be forced to chose
between the US and the EU? No. US and British policy has ensured
that the EU will itself be in such turmoil over the next year
that it will not be able to respond in any meaningful sense to a
new act of Anglo-American aggression.”

As the “watch and see” Israelis reach “maximum
vulnerability”–the US-Israel “special relationship” may, like
the Syrian-Iranian Defense Pact of early 2005 (Fox News),
evolve–by necessity–into a far more sinister tool of Western
colonial imperialism. The Moslem World–and think not that I
stereotype all Moslems into that “world”–is fixated,
notwithstanding the ineffective fringe of moderate-secular
Islam, upon the awful and inevitable prospect:

THE US-ISRAEL DEFENSE PACT

This is a huge enchilada to swallow; thence, we shall dismember
this wildebeest in four stages: (1) The nature of such a Defense
Pact; (2) The circuitous route through Israel’s history it’s
taken; (3) Allies behind the pact; and (4) The eschatological
imperative embedded within an ultimate security agreement
between the US and Israel (let alone the scores of nations who
will sign on to such an arrangement). No, I don’t wish to sound
presumptuously prophetic; however, if you still can’t see the
elephant in the picture (having been mesmerized by the white
crane taking a free ride atop the pacaderm) then let me disabuse
you of your preposterous pigeon-vision perspective and get a bit
stereoscopic: BEHOLD, THE ELEPHANT COMETH!

First, let’s be clear, the aforementioned “strategic dialogue”
between the USA and Israel is designed to put Iran on notice:
The Elephant Cometh. Secondly, there’s no need to hide the
obvious–nothing like putting the whole world on notice, for
we’re about to see the wave peak: The Sea Change Cometh!

Now, Herr Hitler in Mein Kampf said he intended to
kill the Jews–grief, he meant what he said. Well, today you
have Radical Islamicists (who need little “doctrinal platform”
from the Koran to launch their aspirations)–double grief, they
intend to “Wipe Israel off the map.” Next, you have the
Commercial West, led by the political chutzpah of the USA and
the shock and awe of history’s most awesome military machine
ever to countenance the planet–under girded by the recalcitrant
“Bush Doctrine”–an amalgam of victorious democratic
enforcement, buttressed by the
Judeo-Christian-Evangelical-Zionist-Neocons, with the corporate
elite picking up the rear, hoping they’ll get the contracts from
this hyphenated juggernaut and the oil from not only Iraq, but
also Iran et al.

Forgive, but at this juncture, the altruistic peaceniks–you
know, the Air-head America Radio types–who have the
supercilious notion that a unilateral and immediate pullout of
American troops from Iraq and the entire Middle East, along with
keeping “international accords” and the like, will somehow
regain American stature and alleged credibility in the world.
Look, let’s just cut to the chase: The US Congress has
spoken–401 to 3. We’re staying put!

The Israelis and the US know that their “strategic-special
relationship” is not built on thin air–but upon a host of
platitudes: Shared values; Judeo-Christian beliefs; Cold War
allies; pioneer spirit (settlers); only democracy in the Middle
East; over a million Israelis holding dual US citizenship
(approximately of the nation); both are terrorized by
terrorists–the same ones; Israel’s identification with the
West, ad nausea, ad infinitum. Whoops, and as the Moslem
World sees it: Shared Western decadence and heretical religious
affirmations–right smack in the midst of the 10/40 Corridor,
the Holy Land which Saladin et all took fair and square from the
Crusaders way back when!

“Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the deepening
and strengthening of ties with the United States has always been
a central, essential issue in Israeli foreign and defense
policy. In this context, the possibility of establishing a
formal defense pact, with the United States has
arisen from time to time . . . since the end of the Cold War and
with the progress made in the peace process, some complex
elements have been added . . . it is clear that the nature of
such a pact in the current period would be significantly
different from one during the Cold-War era” (Yair Evron, Jaffe
Center for Strategic Studies-Strategic Assessment).

This only gets more specific . . . as Mr. Evron–way back in
October 1998–outlines the reasons for such a “Defense Treaty
between Israel and the U.S.” (minor editing):

1. When Israel-Syria negotiations are resumed, a defense
pact is likely to serve as part of American
‘compensation,’ offered in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from
the Golan Heights, or within the framework of American
guarantees for developing a ‘package’ of security measures,
which would undoubtedly constitute a central component of such
an agreement.

2. The subject of a defense pact, might also arise
within the context of the possible ‘leakage’ into the region
(Note: Veiled allusion here to, at the time, Iraq, and assuredly
Iran and even Syria–my edit) of nuclear materials or weapons
from Russia . . . a defense pact would be likely
to moderate or preclude the development of dangerous conditions.

3. Assuming the peace process continues, it is likely that a
regional security system will be established; an
important component of this regime would be (predicated) on (an)
Israeli-U.S. defense pact.

Again, Mr. Evron’s perceptions regarding such a defense pact
clearly grasps the overall strategic understanding between the
USA and Israel; however, if you would–strategic peculiarity–of
a defense pact occupies an “above and beyond” all Memoranda of
Understanding, all elements of the existing strategic alliance
between the two, and, most definitely, all existing
military-cultural-religio affinities to wit:

“The idea of a defense treaty arose again in the 1970s and in
the 1980s. During the Cold War period, the U.S. viewed Israel as
a ’strategic asset’ and a stabilizing influence in the region .
. . Israel clung to this perception in the hope that mutual
strategic interests would serve as a foundation strong enough to
formalize defense relations between the two countries, despite
the absence of a solution to the problem of the territories
occupied in 1967. The 1982 Lebanon War and the continuation of
the regional conflict, however, prevented such formalization,
and it appeared that the U.S. would not be prepared to protect
Israel’s borders if those borders included the occupied
territories. In the absence of a formal defense
treaty, Israel’s status was defined, for the first time,
as a Non-NATO Ally in early 1987.” (ibid. Yair Evron)

Be very clear–the U.S. and Israel know perfectly well what such
a DEFENSE TREATY entails. During the Peres government (and, who
knows, sounds like Sharon-Peres will have a government again if
their Kadima party wins in March, 2006–same time that Iran gets
the bomb) in 1996 Israel pressed for just such an accord. But,
that expectation was placed on the back burner when Netanyahu
took over as Prime Minister.

BARAK - CLINTON - AND THE DEFENSE PACT

Never mind, Ehud Barak, strolling around Camp David with
President Clinton back in 2000 knew precisely the cost of such a
DEFENSE PACT. Bruce Riedel, Clinton’s Special Assistant for Near
East and South Asian Affairs on the National Security Council
spelled out the financial ramifications and parameters of the
elusive pact in an article found on bitterlemons.org.

Riedel spent time with Barak’s aides, Danny Yatom and Zvi
Shtauber, in formulating the “defense agreement and the
compensation package” that Israel would receive if they
structured a peace deal with the U.S. Riedel related how the
Israelis came to Camp David prepared–they “placed a draft of
the DEFENSE AGREEMENT on the table along with a detailed list of
financial and security requests” (Aluf Benn, Haaretz). Now,
listen how Aluf Benn puts it:

“According to Riedel, Barak wanted a contractual format for the
strategic relations between the U.S. and Israel, which had
developed substantially over the years but lacked a formal
dimension. His proposal was to sign an agreement in
which the U.S. would agree to come to Israel’s aid in the event
of future attacks and then get the pact ratified by the American
Congress and the Knesset.”

Is that clear enough? O.K. let’s spell it out:

(1) $15 Billion in American aid–primarily upgrading the IDF (2)
$10 Billion to compensate the Palestinians (3) $10 Billion for
building desalination plants in Israel, the Palestinian state
and Jordan TOTAL: $35 Billion

Ultimately, the befuddled Riedel pondered . . .

“Two years after Camp David (2002) the tragedy of the missed
opportunity that the summit presented is clearer than ever.
Imagine a Middle East without the Intafada and with a peace
agreement buttressed by an enormous reconstruction fund, akin to
the Marshall Plan that President Truman used to rebuild Europe
after World War Two” (ibid. Aluf Benn).

PERES AND THE ELUSIVE US-ISRAEL PEACE PACT

Remember, the 82-year old Peres has wanted a US-Israeli Defense
Pact for a long time–positioning himself in the new
Sharon-Peres Alliance provides ample space to conclude such a
pact.

Back in 1995 Dore Gold contemplated Peres’ US-Israel Defense
Pact in “Is a Mutual Defense Treaty Between Israel (and) the
U.S. Needed?” He cautioned:

“Israel and the United States have already been allies without
an alliance. But taking the relationship one step further to a
formal treaty? In the past, Israel had no pretensions of being
able to defend itself against the Soviet Union; thus
U.S.-Israeli ties complemented the IDF’s independent military
power. But in the context of an Israeli-Syrian peace treaty, a
new strategic relationship could evolve into a substitute for
Israel’s self-defense capability; with enormous implications
beyond the peace process itself . . . the essence of a formal
Israeli-U.S. alliance is the recognition that an attack on
Israel is an attack on the United States itself. And if that is
the case, it can be argued that a treaty reduces the need for an
independent Israeli deterrent capability. Why not depend on the
retaliatory power of American submarines in the Mediterranean?
The alliance could thus become a useful instrument to get Israel
to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

WHY IS ISRAEL HESITANT IN SIGNING THE DEFENSE PACT WITH THE
USA?

Interesting, isn’t it . . . for decades Israel has “gone it
alone” - while increasingly relying upon the USA’s benevolence
and “strategic cooperation” on many fronts . . . but there’s
always been that slight, yet profound hesitancy to take the
final leap into the DEFENSE PACT? A sample of conflicted Israeli
leaders has repeatedly warned:

“I don’t recommend that any one of us accept as a substitute
(for Israel’s positions in the territories) even entering NATO,
international guarantees or American soldiers” (Moshe Dayan,
1981)

“No army is a substitute for the IDF in protecting Israel’s
security” (Yitzhak Rabin, memoirs) (Dore Gold, Jewish News
Weekly, 1995)

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; that thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

I am that bread of life. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
(If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us). For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Glimpses of God © by Joyce C. Lock
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/
This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact,
for non-profit ministering purposes.

About the Author

Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, and columnist. In addition, she founded and maintains the e-mail ministries “Heavenly Inspirations” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavenlyInspirations/ and “Share a Smile” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smilesharing/. Joyce’s writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other.

Once a visitor gets to your web site, you want to make sure they can find what they are looking for quickly and easily, or they will just go elsewhere. If a web site is easy to use and understand, visitors will come back time and time again.

Using intuitive navigation techniques will greatly improve the usability of your web site, and therefore user satisfaction and return rates. By intuitive navigation, I mean some sort of menu, map or list that is instantly understandable to most visitors to your web site.

One of the first points to making a site easy to navigate is to have a consistent menu that is on every page. By having a menu that is on every page of your site, users can move from each section from any other section, with out having to go back to a home page or menu page.

Keeping the menu in the same location, and in the same style throughout your site ensures that visitors quickly recognize how to navigate your site. If you have a different style menu on every page, users may get confused and not as easily comprehend how to navigate your site.

Another useful tool a Webmaster can include for visitors is a site map. A site map is a page containing an organized list of all the pages or sections of the site. Instead of moving through the site’s menu system and down through categories by clicking on links on different pages, a visitor has the option of going to the site map and clicking directly to the page they are seeking.

Though there are many fancy buttons, graphics and rollovers that can be used for your navigation menu, sometimes simple text links are the best bet. For one, text link navigation menus are fast loading. Many web surfers are on slow connections and do not want to wait for a complex navigation system to download. Text navigation menus also can add relevant text to search engine results, whereas image navigation bars cannot. Text navigation also helps ensure your users understand what the links mean.

If you do opt to use graphic navigation menus, you may wish to consider adding a redundant text navigation menu at the bottom of the page to ensure viewability and search engine spidering.

Many new Webmasters are tempted to use frames to create a navigation menu that will appear on all the site’s pages. The benefit is that the navigation will stay in sight even when the rest of the page is scrolled. But because frames piece pages together from other pages a Webmaster cannot be sure that a web page using frames will be viewed correctly. If a visitor comes to a page through a search engine that was designed to have a navigation menu added with a frame, the user will see not see the menu. Because of this, it is important to add a link to your home page on every page, so viewers can see your site as it was intended.

Even if you are not using frames, it would be helpful to have a link to the home page of your website on every page, to ensure users can find the “beginning” of your site.

Keeping the navigation menu near the top of the web pages ensures that surfers will be able to see the menu as soon as the page loads. If a user has to scroll to navigate to other pages of your site, they will be less inclined to do so.

In closing, it is important to keep in mind that when it comes to site navigation, simplicity is key. If a user does not immediately see what they need, they will not spend much time trying to find it, but will rather move on to the next site.

Halstatt Pires is with the Internet marketing firm - www.marketingtitan.com - a San Diego Internet marketing and advertising company offering automated web site systems through www.businesscreatorpro.com.

Reviewed by Gerri Smith for Reader Views (1/06)

From beginning to end, Jane Marie Malcolm’s historical romance novel, “The Goodbye Lie”, (Greenlightwrite ISBN 0974918229) evokes so many different emotions. Many of which include: shouting, fussing, cussing, laughing, rejoicing and loving the characters.

Immaturity goes hand-in-hand with impulsiveness. If left unchecked you pay a price that is sometimes too high. Others are hurt because of it and once an impulsive act is done, your life is never the same.

Life is made up of storms, both internally and externally; both physically and emotionally. Storms are not only a natural occurrence, but there can be personal storms that are made by unthinking human beings. “The Goodbye Lie” tells of many storms caused by Breelan, the main female character.

She finds out the hard way that impulsiveness isn’t always a wise choice. Once the deed is done, the clock can’t be turned back. Breelan discovers that she must suffer dearly for her thoughtless impetuosity. Others are caught up in the lie she has to live and suffers for it, too.

Life has a way of playing a trick or two on those who act in haste. It can backfire, and undoubtedly cause a domino-effect on all that happens afterward. Breelan’s headstrong act causes heartache and pain to the one who loves her. And the circumstances she’s stuck with, leaves her life in one big mess.

Knowing that she has to deal with her life as she’s made it, doesn’t make her circumstances any easier to bear. As one unfortunate event after another keeps happening, Breelan buries her love for another and deeply suffers in an unhappy marriage because of it.

When life deals you the hand of your own making, you must make the best of it. It’s your choice whether to live with it or make your circumstances better. Sometimes you are offered a chance to start anew. Sometimes life seem to get worse. But you go on.

In living with the lie, Breelan finds courage to cope from her friends and family. In times of necessity, this may be all that makes life worth living. You can ask for forgiveness from those you’ve hurt, and pray that your life and that of the one you love is worth saving.

“The Goodbye Lie” continues to its heartwarming conclusion. The characters both male and female continue on their way dispensing cruelty, humiliation, sorrow - and love. You are saddened, thrilled, surprised and angered. And finally, the unexpected ending makes a jaw dropping jolt to the senses.

Gerri Smith is a reviewer for Reader Views. http://www.readerviews.com

Do’s

–Provide the last three months electric and natural gas/heating oil bills. Buyers appreciate pro-active sellers providing these costs without asking. Buyers can usually can energy history from utility companies.

-Be honest about how you set the temperature in your home. If you blast your furnace for a new baby or practice conservation let buyers know. Disclose that you have turned the thermostat down on the hot water or pool heater too.

-If you have your pool opened up for showings and have a solar cover, let buyers know. Pool energy costs are a second-tier energy expense to buyers.

-Install a programmable thermostat if you don’t already have one. Buyers look for this telltale sign of energy-awareness .

–Make readily available manuals from energy star appliances (appliances that significantly exceed the minimum national efficiency standards). Save yellow energy use labels from furnaces, hot water heaters and appliances.

-Inform buyers that you have solar-energy systems. Buyers might miss these systems while taking in other features of your home on their first visit.

-Disclose active or abandoned buried oil storage tanks. Most state residential property disclosure laws require sellers to inform buyers of the location, size and age of tanks.

-Display furnace and air-conditioning service histories. Buyers love to see maintenance records.

-Verify that all radiators valves work properly. Buyers love the even heat from this old system but want to know that they can control heat levels. Buy radiator valve keys at the local hardware store.

-Provide receipts from recent insulation or window replacement projects. Highlight special features such a double glazing and low-e coatings.

-Reports from energy audits on your home completed by your utility company.

Don’ts

- Forget to replace your furnace filter once a month. Home inspectors and home shouldn’t discover filthy filters. Ditto water filters in your refrigerator and sink. Check dryer and range-hood filters too.

-Cover windows and doors with plastic sheeting. Buyers want to see views and use doors on property tours. Plastic coated windows looks like a energy band-aid. Boomers remember the coated couches and lamp shades.

-Pile straw bales around the foundation. Buyers consider this a quick fix for problem crawlspaces.

-Close all the blinds to save air-conditioning costs when showing your home. You won’t sell your house if it is dark and closed up for property showings or buyers have to fumble in the dark for lights.

-Remember to vacuum floor vents and ventilation supply ductwork. Many a homebuyer has moved-on from pet-hair tumbleweed coming from the bowels of a heating system.

-Leave exhaust vents running in bathrooms and kitchens during home showings. They suck the heat out and appear wasteful to buyers.

-Neglect covering window air-conditioners in the off season. Drafty air-conditioning units aren’t a selling plus and emit outside noises . Don;t forget to clean filters on window units.

-Ignore installing storm windows during heating season. Buyers need to see that you have storm windows for maximum heat retention. Make the screens visually available. Buyers always ask about them and sometimes verify the number matches window and door count.

-Disregard build up of dust on refrigerator and freezer coils. Move appliances out and vacuum before listing your home . Mr. and Ms. clean-obsessed buyer might question overall home maintenance at a home inspection if they discover excessive debris around refrigerators and freezers.

Mark Nash’s fourth real estate book, “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home” (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which has been featured on CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, Chicago Sun Times, Fidelity Investor’s Weekly, Dow Jones Market Watch, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal Press Syndicate and USA Today.

Catalytic converters, the longtime companion of Chrysler vehicles in trimming down their carbon monoxide emissions, have been getting a lot of buzz this week. News about catalytic converters giving off toxic metals must have been the reason for all of this noise. Add to that the heightened alarm brought by news about carbon monoxide poisoning. Because of these recent events, we have found it necessary to review once again the role that Chrysler catalytic converters play for Chrysler vehicles.

Catalytic converters are emissions-control products designed to reduce or to clean up the harmful exhaust emissions in gasoline-powered vehicles. Since 1975, most new gasoline-powered vehicles, including Chrysler petrol-powered vehicles, have been equipped with catalytic converters. So far, the invention has been functioning well. In fact, a majority of the catalytic converters installed in vehicles today can efficiently reduce vehicle carbon monoxide emissions by as much as 80 percent.

There are many types of catalytic converters. Among those that can be seen often in Chrysler vehicles is the three-way catalytic converter. Three-way catalytic converters got their name from the fact that they are designed to reduce three types of harmful engine emissionscarbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide. Because of this, the structure of these converters are quite complex although easy to understand.

Three-way catalytic converters are made up of two catalysts: the oxidation catalyst and the reduction catalyst. The reduction catalyst is usually made from platinum and rhodium and its main function is to convert nitrogen oxide emissions into less harmful products like nitrogen and oxygen. The oxidation catalyst, on the other hand, is made up of platinum and palladium. This catalyst is responsible for converting carbon monoxide and the other hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide. With both the oxidation and the reduction catalysts present in a single emissions-control product, three-way catalytic converters can efficiently filter out the engine’s exhausts and convert them to less harmful substances.

Because of their importance in controlling emission levels in vehicles, Chrysler catalytic converters have long been used as standard components for Chrysler vehicles. Aside from these original components, there are also aftermarket Chrysler catalytic converters that may be used as replacements to the original equipment.

Among those companies that continuously provide Chrysler owners with solutions for all of their Chrysler catalytic converter needs is Auto Parts Wholesale. Auto Parts Wholesale is a major online auto parts supplier of high quality and high performance Chrysler catalytic converters. The online company also offers a lot of other Chrysler parts and accessories, including Chrysler electrical parts, engine parts, exhaust parts and others.

But as news about catalytic converters giving off toxic metals continues to circulate, the company is bracing itself for a reduction in catalytic converter demand. This should not happen though because catalytic converters remain to be the most dependable product for carbon monoxide emission reduction. Further, advance studies are yet to be released about the toxic metal findings in catalytic converters.

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Joe Thompson is the owner of a successful auto body shop in Ferndale, California. This 48 year old is also a prolific writer, contributing automotive related articles to various publications.

As you probably know, baby expense should be high on your list of things to plan for, before the baby comes. There is no cheap way to have and raise a baby: it takes sweat, work, lots of cash, patience, and more to have a happy, healthy baby. Some studies suggest that you will spend anywhere between $150,000 and $200,000 for your kids by the time they are 18 years old, not including private schools, special lessons, or college.

But if you waited until you had enough money, time and energy to have your baby, you would probably end up without any children. Here you’ll find a few ways to ease the finances, so that you can enjoy your new bundle of joy.

1. Get health assistance - if you don’t have health insurance, and can’t afford it, doctor’s bills can ad up really easy. But there are options out there for people just like you. This baby expense will probably be one of your biggest, so don’t be afraid to ask for assistance if your family needs it.

2. Breastfeed your baby, if possible. It’s free, it’s convenient, and it might help against breast cancer. It’s recommended as being the best form of nutrition for baby.

If you can’t breastfeed, don’t feel guilty. Try to apply for WIC (Women, Infants, and Children): http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic, a program designed to help middle and low income families with educational resources and food. You can also save money by buying formula in bulk, clipping coupons, and accepting free samples whenever they are offered. This is a baby expense you can’t do without.

3. Diapers - Some diapers are better than others, but most are basically the same. Store brand disposable diapers can be just as good as the name brand, for several dollars less than their name brand counterparts. You can save even more, if you use cloth diapers instead of disposable. As with breastfeeding, it’s a little more work involved, but well worth it.

4. Diaper Rash Prevention - instead of taking action after your baby got a diaper rash, prevent it with a drop of olive oil applied to their bottom every time you change their diaper: it works wonders (you should check with your doctor first).

5. Baby food - When it comes to baby food, a blender is your best friend: it will help you keep this baby expense at its lowest. Not only is it much cheaper, but it’s so much healthier! Save the little baby food jars for quick trips, or special occasions, and give your baby pureed food made by you. You can cook a week’s supply on the weekend, put the blended vegetables in the ice cube tray, for a few hours, and then place them in a freezer bag. Depending on your baby’s appetite and age, you can microwave one, two or three cubes before meal time. It’s quick, healthy and inexpensive.

6. Clothing - There is no need to buy expensive designer clothing for you little one. Do you think anyone will really notice that your baby is wearing Tommy Hilfiger? Babies look cute in anything: don’t waste your money! You can get most of your baby clothing at yard sales or second-hand stores.

7. Toys - they are big business, but you don’t have to feel pressured to get the latest and most expensive models. My kids were happy with everyday items as their toys: empty shampoo bottles (make sure they are cleaned and rinsed very well before handing them to your baby), plastic bowls, plastic containers from food products (margarine, sour cream , etc.) that they could stack up, etc. Also, buy some toys that will help with your baby’s development, are durable, and are age appropriate: a baby expense worth the money.

8. Wills - Get a will or update your old will. Name a guardian for your child and the trustee of your child’s inheritance (often but not always the same person). Without a will, the court will name these individuals and also split up your assets in accordance with state law which may not be the way you would wish. Please don’t try to avoid this baby expense: your kid’s future might depend on it. A simple will that includes a trust for minor children costs between $150 and $250.

Adriana Copaceanu is a busy mom of 2. Visit her at Busy Moms Online if you are looking for ways to maximize your precious time. And if you are a new mom, you’ll find everything you need to know at her
Baby’s First Year website.