The four great seasons

There is nothing like experiencing the variety of the seasons. There are unique things to see and do no matter what the time of year. Any of the seasons can be great if people seek to enjoy everything the seasons have to offer.

Most people have a love-hate relationship with winter. It is by far the coldest of the seasons, giving many people a reason to despise it. Winter can be one of the most fun and beautiful times of the year if people know how to enjoy winter activities.

For people in many parts of the world, winter means snow. If you happen to live in an area that has many months of snow you can enjoy many months worth of ways to enjoy the it. Find someplace to learn to ski or snowboard or try to ice skate at a local outdoor rink. Some will prefer to enjoy the snow and cold by ice fishing on a loca lake that has been taken over by ice. Whatever you prefer, commit to making the most of the cold winter months at it will be spring before you know it.

Spring is perhaps the most beautiful of the four seasons. The snow melts, the gray skies turn blue, the trees and flowers begin to bloom after a dormant winter, and people who shied away from winter come out and enjoy the weather. Children enjoy warmer recesses during school and adults enjoy walks in the park on their lunch breaks. Baseball games happen in local parks and gardens begin to be planted. Spring can be just as enjoyable as any of the seaons.

Summer. Just the word brings a smile of excitement to the faces of most school aged children. It is the greatest of all the seasons for those who prefer not being in a classroom each day. Summer means freedom, friends, and hour after hour of outside fun. Woods get explored, lakes are swam in and elaborate tree forts are made. Bicycles can be ridden and neighborhood games of all kinds begin. For adults, summer can mean looking forward to more family time, enjoying weekends at a cabin or even taking an extended family trip. However it is spent, summer is usually a favorite among the seasons for most people.

Feelings are mixed as summer turns to autumn, the last of the four yearly seasons. Children are torn between their desires to continue enjoying the magic that is summer and their excitement about beginning a new school year. Many adults look upon autumn with fondess. It feels like a new beginning. Days become cooler and the bright greens of summer become the beautiful rainbow of fall colors. Autumn is a time to enjoy long walks in a park or a cool evening on your front porch swing.

The four seasons are all great. There are fun things to do and great memories to be made no matter what the time of year. The seasons provide variety and endless amounts of fun for people of all ages.

Life insurance - one more step on the insurance ladder

The recently over 60’s are the post-war baby boomers. Their insurance needs are very different from that of a young family or someone just starting out in their first job.

A typical 60 something couple will have raised their family, finished paying off their mortgage and are into or nearing retirement. More and more of this age group of people spend part of their year abroad or maybe are planning to move to the sunshine on a permanent basis.

Maybe it would be a good idea to assess their insurance needs at this stage in their lives. Something that is almost certain to crop up is the worrying matter of inheritance tax. House prices have risen considerably over the past years and the family home that suited their lifestyle some years ago will probably be worth an amount approaching or over the inheritance tax limit. Even if they downsize their property, they may invest in something like a holiday home and the actual capital is still there.

Inheritance tax is charged on taxable estates with a value of more than Ј300,000 in the 2007/8 tax year. This amount rises annually – 2006/7 was Ј285,000 for instance.

To work out the value of their estate, they will need to take the value of their home, savings, investments, life insurance policies, any business interests and any other assets which they have accumulated. When the total of this has been reached, any liabilities will need to be deducted. Typically this will be any mortgage outstanding, loans and other debts. The remaining figure, less the amount exempt from Inheritance Tax is the one that Inheritance tax will be calculated from.

Inheritance tax would be charge on the death of the second partner. There is no inheritance tax between spouses.

To put it simply, if their estate – their assets minus their liabilities - is worth around Ј400,000, then using the 2007/8 allowance of Ј300,000 there would be Ј100,000 which would attract a tax of 40%. That’s Ј60,000 to their beneficiaries and Ј40,000 to the taxman.

You may think this is a fairly large estate, but do consider what your home could be worth at today’s values.

Now this couple may be quite happy to potentially give Ј40,000 of their hard earned money away, but we think probably not!

The couple would be advised to take some specialist advice at this stage, but a solution could well be to take out some whole-of-life insurance cover. An amount that would cover the estimated inheritance tax bill would relieve their beneficiaries of any worries when the inevitable time comes. The policy must be written “in trust” and the result will be that the payout will not be counted as part of the estate. By using this important proviso, there should be no delay in the payment of the policy to beneficiaries.

Most policies designed to help with inheritance tax dues are investment linked and offered on a reviewable basis. The plan will be reviewed at five or maybe ten yearly intervals. If the investment part of the plan has not performed as hoped, then the cost of the premium could rise and our couple need to be aware of this.

For an easy way to get some advice on this important subject, an on-line broker will be able to steer our couple towards the right product for them, at the right price.

Insurance brokers

Did you know there are publications that have been created to serve the needs of every agent and broker? Insurance is a huge industry and trying to keep on top of all the latest news and regulations is a job in and of itself. One such magazine, American Agent and Broker, has a wonderful website located at agentandbroker. com. Check out this month's issue, which features articles on how to build your insurance business with boat and yacht insurance. You can read about the upcoming highlights for April's issue as well. In the UK you can access this site, insurancenewspapers. com for free insurance press public information.

Marketing yourself and deciding how to advertise your business can be a daunting task. There are so many avenues available to brokers. Insurance is something everyone needs from infant to ancient. Brokers need to be well versed in as many areas of insurance as they can. Life, auto, home, health and disability are just a few. How is a broker supposed to get the word out that he is in business? Everyone familiar with sales knows the phrase 'circle of influence' or your 'warm market'. These terms refer to the people you know best, your friends, family and colleagues. Let them go to work for you with referrals and word of mouth advertising. Take the top ten from your list and offer gift certificates for every person they refer that you write a policy for. It's a nice way to say thank you and show how much you appreciate their loyalty.

Check out other brokers and their websites, advertising efforts and community involvement. Take their best secrets and tweak them to fit you and your way of doing business. Don't discount becoming involved with your community. When you are out there working for the common good the common good is coming to you for their insurance needs.

Try and think back to the first time you purchased insurance from a broker. You can make a niche for yourself by going after the newest drivers, homeowners and start up businesses. Share your wealth of knowledge with them and they will remain loyal customers for all their insurance requirements.

Girls just wanna have fun at girls camps

Oh, the days when summer camps were all the rage! Every year, thousands of girls either dread or look forward to attending several days or several weeks at a girl's summer camp. For most, girls camps mean fun in the sun, laughs and new friends. Many girls spend weeks looking forward to camp activities and events, while others aren't so sure.

Girls camps offer a multitude of activities to suit nearly every taste, but most offer summer activities like swimming, horseback riding, water skiing, rock climbing, arts and crafts and drama, just to name a few.

Depending on the wants and needs of large groups of girls in different parts of the country, girls camps also offer canoeing, river rafting, hiking or even fashion events. The sky is the limit when it comes to ideas, and camp counselors do their best to make sure that everyone has fun during their camp stay.

Girls camps offer young women between the age of seven and eighteen an opportunity to grow and learn new things, meet new people and grow in understanding. Most girls camps offer stay periods of two weeks to seven weeks, sometimes more depending on the time of year and the demand for turnaround.

Some camps are large, and can accommodate over a hundred girls, while others accommodate only a few dozen. Food and lodging are usually top notch, and cabins that hold anywhere from four to eight girls are to be expected, though larger cabins and dorm style shelters may also be available for large groups.

Some camps are located in the mountains, while others are located near a beach or anywhere in between. Depending on location, girls are offered a wide variety of classes and activities to keep their days, and many of their evenings, busy. Girls camps have come a long way since the 1940's, and today's camps offer the amenities that girls have grown accustomed to, like television, video games and arcade games.

Outdoor recreation activities include everything from tennis and volleyball to horseshoes and shuffleboard. In some areas of the country, many girls take care of animals while at camp. Horses, dogs, cats, birds and many other different kinds of animals teach kids what it's like to take care of and nurture another living creature, and these camps are especially liked by young girls around the country.

While the food in some girls camps isn't your mother's cooking, and your bed may not be as soft as your bed at home, girl's camps offer youngsters an opportunity to experience new people and situations. Confidence is one of the first changes that most parents see in their girls when they return home, that and a certain sense of self-sufficiency.

Camps offer more than glorified babysitting to today's kids. They offer instructional activities and situations that encourage girls to explore their surroundings and their own feelings and beliefs, not only about themselves, but others as well. Girl's camps are still as popular as they were several generations ago, which is a very good thing.

Understanding insurance term insurance

Term insurance is one of several types of insurance. In its most basic form, this type of insurance covers only a specific time frame. The term of the insurance coverage is the only time in which the insurer will have to pay out, should the insurance be needed. It is most commonly used in life insurance. And, it is one of the most inexpensive ways to insure. But, what makes this the right choice?

Term insurance is used by many. It is one of the least expensive ways to stay insured. The way it works is simple. You pay for the insurance as you would any other insurance. In this case, we will talk about life insurance that is term. During the time period that you are covered, if you should die, the insurance company will pay out as described in the policy. But, if the term of the insurance expires and then you die, there is no pay out by the insurance company. It only covers death that occurs during a specific time period.

Why would anyone want to take out this type of policy? And, isn’t it costly to pay for insurance that would one day just be gone? The fact is that this type of insurance is very important. Consider why you need insurance in the first place. Should you die, you’ll want to make sure your family has an income to rely on. You’ll want to make sure that your home is paid for and your bills are met. But, more than likely, the time period that you are concerned with is that of the years that you are working. Because this is usually the time period when you need the most coverage, this is the time period that most term insurance is taken out for.

Deciding whether this is the right type of insurance for your needs is necessary. It takes quite a bit of understanding, but understanding the difference between each type of insurance will help you to make the right choice. Possibly, term insurance is the right choice for you.

Understanding the credit card trap

Credit cards are an alluring trap invented by our modern financial system.

Buying something using a credit card is not bad, IF you have the income to pay the credit card balance in full when the statement arrives, plus all your other bills.

But buying with a credit card because you don’t actually have the money, is simply committing your future earnings to the credit company under the threat of a bad credit rating. That is financial slavery.

Over the past few years, financial experts have helped a lot of people to get out of the credit card trap with debt reduction programs. Helping people do this is not looked on favorably by the credit companies; they lose all that profitable interest. They take counter measures to hook more people back in by offering 0% percent interest for some period of time.

Are they really giving you 0% interest? Only if you can pay off the debt before the time frame is up. What they are counting on is you NOT having the ability to pay it off.

What happens if you can’t pay? Have you ever read the fine print on their “Terms and Conditions” agreement? Most agreements have an attractive interest rate in large print; 9.99% to 12.99% is typical. But, many rates are variable, meaning it is the “attractive” rate PLUS the “prime rate” which is what the banks are charging the credit company. This can add a whopping 6 – 9% on top of that attractive interest rate.

Read further and you’ll see the rest of the trap. If you miss a payment or are late, they have the right to increase the interest rate to well over 30%. PLUS, they get to add an additional $25 – 39 late fee. On a $1,000 balance, that is $52 - 66 in monthly interest and fees you must pay before you ever get to pay the first dollar of the price of the item you charged.

What else do the credit card companies have in their arsenal of weapons to make sure they make money from you?

First is that enticing “minimum payment” they offer which is mostly interest, and keeps you paying for whatever you bought for about 20 years. Second, they are now using invitations to get cash back from retailers or earn airline miles for every dollar you spend.

Who pays for that? You do. The credit companies charge the stores for the cash they give you back, and the stores raise the price you pay.

Credit card companies pay a tiny amount up front for each airline mile that they “give” you for every $1 you spend. On January 1, 2007 in an NBC TV news interview, the president of a major airline stated that it costs the airline industry $10 to fly you somewhere when you have earned 25,000 air miles to take a flight.

Who actually benefits financially if you charge up your credit cards to earn a “free” flight? It does not take a genius to see that trap dressed up to look like a big benefit to you.

Hints for you beijing shopping fever

Remember: most shops are open daily 9am-8pm . There is no sales tax in China.

Do not forget that haggle is essential especially in touristy markets and shopping areas for common items. Starting your bargain at least with 1/3 of the price-still sounds good whilst keeping the walking-away technique as your last chance to get the lowest price!

The main shopping area is around Wangfujing Dajie and XiDan, where there are a number of department stores, including the Beijing Department Store, which primarily caters for the Chinese market whilst ZhongGuanCun, often dubbed 'China's Silicon Valley', continues to be a centre for electronics and computer-related industries. In other words Zhong Guan Cun (is a must! You can find almost everything from speakers to computer parts at an astonishingly low price. It is located just a couple miles from Tsinghua University. Avoid vendors inviting in their shops. Remember that there is a lack of standards in these items and there’s no ‘return policy’.

So at least don’t pay too much. Regarding pirated CDs and DVDs, you can get them for not more than 5 to 10 Yuan. Although quality is not too high, at least make sure you are buying the English version! Look for this: '??' = yingwen. But maybe one of the best suggestions we can give you is for you to exercise ‘collective shopping’!! It works quite well!! If you are with friends, try buying things at the same time. Vendors are ‘obliged’ to make discounts!

If you wish to buy where Chinese buy, with the best prices, almost no need to bargain and a lot of genuine goods, try the clothing market in Xizhi Men, next to the Zoo. Once there look for the new giant building standing just in front and walk behind it.

Is you wish to buy silk then reach SanLiTun YaShou Market (58, Gongti Beilu) with good prices and not so popular among tourists as the Silk Street (8 East Xiushui Street Jianguo Men Wai Dajie).

If you need very cheap items for your trip, see the leading Outdoor Gear Stores Sanfo located in different areas of the Beijing. (Try at Building 4, Entrance 5, Nancun, Madian. Take metro 2 to Zhishuitan; or bus 315, 344 or 345 to Madian. The store is located southside of Bei Sanhuan, west of Madian intersection. Or other departments at Jinzhiqiao Dasha, Guomen, Chaoyang District).

Xidan Market (West of Tiananmen square): in the area around the subway station there are several large malls but there is also a market which is quite good! Remember that, especially in these markets, credit cards are not so extensively accepted. Anyways, this situation is getting better as the Olympics Games approach. Last but not least, be wary of fake money: there are a lot of counterfeit bills in circulation.

As saving money is a common traveller’s aim in order to experience as much as possible, accommodation is often an important voice. Dongcheng District is mostly a middle-class residential area hosting significant locations you’ll love to see: Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square, Zhongshan Park and Ditan Park and the National Museum of China. In the same area there are quite a lot youth hostels for international backpackers. The 9 dragons youth hostel, the Beijing New Dragon Hostel, Beijing City Central youth Hostel, the Saga youth Hostel, the Courtyard Hotel, Beijing Harbour Inn Hostel are for sure some budget solutions.

We hopefully have been of any help and we wish you a fantastic shopping time in Beijing, China!

Tithing today a highly polarised debate - where do you stand

As with any debate that involves money, you’ll find strong views for and against tithing. If you type “tithe”, “tithes” or “tithing” into a search engine you quickly begin to get the impression that there are at least one or two former tithe payers out there who aren’t “happy bunnies” and you’d be forgiven for thinking that they’re probably not going to give you the most balanced view of this rather emotive subject. Then on the other hand there’s the pro-tithing lobby. Equally sincere, yet equally polarised, not least because arguably most theologians who defend the doctrine of mandatory tithing today are salaried because it. Not exactly the most independent perspective you might argue. One thing’s for certain, they can’t both be right.

The only way to get a balanced view of the subject is to objectively research both sides of the argument. Here are a few pointers to get you underway, but don’t stop here. Take a long hard look at other sources about tithing, both for and against it, and then judge for yourself.

Under the Old Covenant offerings were required from all households (Deuteronomy 16:16). Tithing though was instituted under the written Torah (or law of Moses) and was offered for the benefit of the Levites serving in the administration of the Tabernacle and later the Temple. (Leviticus 27:30,32 Deuteronomy 12:17, Deuteronomy 14:23,28, Nehemiah 10:37, Nehemiah 12:44, Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42). Tithes have always been God’s first, (Leviticus 27:30-32, Malechi 3:8-10) and then the Levites.

So far, these points aren’t up for debate. However, tithe funded churches today take these arguments two steps further. The first step is to argue: since there is no longer a Temple but we’re doing God’s work, today tithes should be given to us instead.

The second step is to say that actually tithing isn’t just on agricultural increase, it’s on all forms of income. More on that, in just a minute.

There are two things that are interesting about the argument that since the Temple has been suspended tithes should be collected by churches.

Firstly, try to find a scripture that supports that view. For example try to find a scripture that says something like: “Now that the Temple has been destroyed, tithes should be paid to the church”, or even “Now that the Temple has been destroyed, tithes should be paid directly to synagogues”

You’ll be looking for a long time.

You’d also have to be forgiven for asking: if tithing is to be continued after the dissolution of the Temple, then surely Jews would be funding synagogues with tithes. However, the fact is that (on the whole) they dare not, because scripture gives them no authority to do so. For more information about this Google Chapter three of Ernest Martin’s on-line book “The Tithing Dilemma”. It is well understood in Jewish circles that although Rabbis who teach in synagogues can be from any tribe, scriptural authority allows tithes to only be accepted by Levites in the context of a Temple administration.

Other reasons for mandating tithing today in Christian churches include the arguments that Jacob tithed (Genesis 28:20-22) and on more than one occasion Abraham tithed (Genesis 14:17-24 & Hebrews 7:1-10

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. 5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

NKJV

…and because they did so before the Old Covenant tithing rules in Leviticus were established, tithing is clearly not just an Old Covenant ordinance and it’s not just on agricultural produce. Therefore tithing can’t be “done away” just because the Temple no longer exists and furthermore; all forms of income should be tithed on.

The counter arguments to this are firstly, that Jacob’s promise to tithe was conditional (Genesis 28:20-22). Read it for yourself. He said he’d tithe if he was blessed, (not if he wasn’t). It certainly doesn’t seem to be the mandated form of tithing that most tithe funded churches require today.

Furthermore if Abraham’s tithe on the spoils of the battle with the Kings was because tithing was universally mandated before Leviticus on all forms of income, then why in Numbers 31:25-30 did God make completely different arrangements for the spoils the Israelites gained after their battle with the Midianites ?

Numbers 31:25-31 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 26 "Count up the plunder that was taken--of man and beast--you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation; 27 and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28 And levy a tribute for the LORD on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep; 29 take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the LORD. 30 And from the children of Israel's half you shall take one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD." 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. NKJV

Did God suspend tithing on just that one occasion, without explanation? Arguably not: more probably tithing was commanded only on agricultural increase to Levites within the administrative framework of the Tabernacle or Temple.

Interesting too isn’t it, that Abraham didn’t keep ANY of the spoils from the battle for himself? What sort of “increase” was that exactly? OK yes of course, if he did consider it his “increase” he could do anything he liked with it, even give it all away, but isn’t it more likely that Abraham simply gave offerings of ten percent? And in the absence of a scriptural command from God for Abraham to tithe, isn’t it reading into scripture (not just a little), to say that he always had to tithe and do so on all forms of income?

The Numbers 31 counter argument seems to be quite a compelling argument against tithing. Yet, ask yourself this: when churches preach mandatory tithing do they openly acknowledge this counter-argument and transparently address the apparent contradiction satisfactorily?

If tithing wasn’t just for farmers but was on all forms of income including that of city dwellers too, why did King David have to make the following proclamation?

2 Chronicles 31:3-4 "Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD".

If tithes were to be paid to Levites on all forms of income, not just agricultural increase, why didn’t he just say: “Give your tithes, as commanded in the law of God”?

Although they missed the weightier matters of the law, Christ said that the Pharisees were right to tithe on mint anise and cumin (Matthew 23:23) and by doing so clearly endorsed tithing to the Levites on agricultural produce. Interesting though isn’t it that Christ didn’t instead say: “You tithe on even the smallest of coins that you earn”? Why was that do you think?

Churches that mandate tithing today argue, that the Pharisee praying with the publican in the Temple tithed on all he possessed (Luke 18:12). This, they say, shows that tithing wasn’t just on agricultural “increase”.

That’s a fair point you might say.

But arguably, when he said he fasted twice in the week and tithed on all he possessed, the Pharisee was emphasising the things that he did above and beyond what the law demanded of everyone. He was simply saying: “Here’s why I’m special”. In would seem then actually that instead of supporting the argument that tithing was expected on more than agricultural increase, it actually contradicts it.

You might also be forgiven for asking: why did Christ pay his taxes with the miracle of the coin in the fish (Matthew 17:27) if He could have paid them from tithe-funded income? And whilst we’re on the subject, Mark 6:7-9 etc. shows Christ teaching the apostles to survive on nothing whilst they preached the gospel. What was the point in doing this if they were going to be assured of a tithe-based income?

That certainly seems to fit with Christ’s message to them (Matthew 5:1) in the beatitudes.

Matthew 6:25-34

25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV

Not exactly the approach of some televangelists is it? Certainly Christ doesn’t seem to take the approach: “Don’t worry, you only need at least ten tithe payers and your problems are over”. In fact come to think of it, all it would have taken to clear up the tithing controversy would be one or two clear statements from anyone to the effect that: Tithing is mandatory on all forms of income (not just agricultural produce) and in the absence of a Levitical priesthood tithes can be paid to anyone who’s doing God’s work. That would have solved the entire problem. However, scripture doesn’t say this, and organisations that preach mandatory tithing read these things into scripture.

It certainly seems clear that Christ’s endorsement of tithing agricultural produce to the Levites continued after His crucifixion at least until the destruction of the Temple. Despite what many people say, Hebrews 8:4 shows very clearly that the author of Hebrews believed that the Levitical priesthood remained a valid institution after Christ’s crucifixion.

Certainly most commentators agree that Paul kept a Nazirite vow (Acts 18:18) and sponsored the Nazirite vows of four brethren (Acts 21:23-24), both of which involved animal sacrifices at the Temple. Furthermore, like all the temple ordinances Hebrews 7:4-5 indicates that the practise of tithing to Levites also legitimately continued following Christ’s crucifixion…

Hebrews 7:4-5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law,…NKJV

…at least until the temple was sacked by Titus’ troops in AD 70.

This begs a question then: did church members really have to pay 10% of their agricultural increase to the New Testament church AND another 10% to the Levites who administered at the Temple? If not, where’s does Christ or any of the New Testament scriptures for that matter specifically say anything to the contrary?

Why did Paul work as a tent-maker (Acts 18:1-3) if he could have required tithes from his churches? He certainly wasn't ministering to less than ten wage earning Christians as an apostle. Alternatively if, as some argue, he did this only because he didn’t want to be a burden to his brethren, wasn't he endorsing behaviour that most tithe requiring churches say is stealing from God (Malechi 3:8)? And similarly, is it really likely that Paul decided not to teach his churches to tithe but he didn’t shrink from criticizing Peter in front of the entire Antioch in Galatians 2:11? On the other hand isn’t it more likely that because he was a Benjaminite and wasn’t involved in administering the Temple, Paul simply had no right to demand tithes?

So particularly because the debate about tithing today is so polarised, it's worthwhile being cautious of the bias on both sides. Be sensitive to theologians who may have conflicts of interests on the one hand and those less than happy former tithe-payers on the other, and try to find writers who pay more attention to the unbiased analysis of scripture and as the Bereans did in Acts 17:10-11 search the scriptures to see if these things are so,

Internet marketing success

Information products are easily sold via the internet today in such forms as audio, video and ebooks.

In order to be successful on the internet super highway, you must first find a unique information product and find a target market.

Ebooks are much easier and much less expensive to create than a printed book. First, your customer can download the ebook immediately and secondly, there is no shipping cost as in a printed book.

Take action by gathering ideas from such places as magazine ads, tv commercials and searching for hot topics on the internet. Large companies spend large sums of money on print and tv advertising. You can bet they know their target market. So, why not let them help you find that target market.

After finding a niche market, it is time to test market your idea. You will make mistakes and try things that just don’t work, but don’t get discouraged. Learn from your mistakes. You will be amazed at the results that come from the school of hard knocks.

Having your own internet marketing business is exciting and very rewarding and you may even make lots of money.

Good luck and TAKE ACTION NOW!

5 ways to keep romance alive on a budget

Just about everyone agrees that a nice dinner and a good bottle of wine at a quiet, intimate restaurant will set the mood for romance, but have you seen the price tag? Not everyone can afford to spend big money on romance ever time, but a bit of creativity can get the same results without breaking the bank.

While most people know about ‘his and hers’ items like bathrobes and towels, there are a number of other items that can be enjoyed together as ‘couples’ items. Try getting matching T-shirts with cute sayings on them. Have matching his and hers overnight bags, coffee mugs, bicycles, cell phones, cars, holiday ornaments, tennis rackets, rocking chairs and even matching carved pumpkins on Halloween.

Surprise your partner by making the ordinary a little more special. If he or she is enjoying a good book, remove the bookmark and replace it with a note that says, “I bet you’ll never guess where I’ve hidden your bookmark.” If they always turn the TV on when they come home from work, tape a note on the television that says, “Wouldn’t you rather turn me on?” instead.

Making important memories is one way to be romantic on a budget. Challenge your partner to remember the most romantic kiss that you’ve seen in a movie. This will lead to some discussion about romantic kisses and should enhance the mood. As a surprise, buy that movie one day and try to recreate that special romantic kiss! Keep it in a special place and re-watch it whenever the mood strikes. If you can’t agree on the single most romantic kiss, go ahead and create a top five list. This tip works for anything. The top five most romantic songs. The top five most romantic movies. The top five most romantic books. You see the pattern. Make sure to go ahead and buy the books, songs, movies or whatever so you can use them in the future.

If you want to plan the ultimate romantic evening but funds are low or you simply don’t want to have to leave the house, shut down the electricity and imitate a power outage (it’s up to you whether or not you tell him or her!). You won’t have any distractions or heat, so it is up to both of you to keep the other warm and entertain each other.

It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t enjoy an Oreo cookie. Take an Oreo (or generic version of one), scratch the top of the cookie until smooth and then scratch a heart and your initials into the smooth surface. You can also make your own cookies and create personal messages. Another version is to make your own cupcakes and frost them with special messages in red icing. You can also give your spouse a true treat and track down a box of his or her favorite Girl Scout cookie.

These 5 simple ideas are sure to warm up any relationship. Don’t be afraid to try simple tips and changes to “routines” to spice things up without having it cost a fortune!

Siteground review and their great hosting features

If you are looking for a general review of SiteGround web hosting, then this is the place to be! Here we are going to talk about the basic features of SiteGround web hosting, as well as prices and what they included. View the siteground review and siteground coupon site at siteground-review. org. Not only that, but we will talk about what kind of e-commerce tools this site offers to help you get your online business up and running. This is the siteground review you are not going to want to miss.

The most important thing to keep in mind about this place is that they offer everything that you need to get either a personal website or a business website up and running in no time. This is because you can get a plan that includes 750 GB of web space. That is more web space than most websites ever use! On top of all, that you are going to get 750,000 GB of bandwidth. This will help insure that you never run out of bandwidth during the middle of the month. You will be able to attract as many people to your website as you want without having to worry about if you will run out of bandwidth.

The next thing that you need to know about is the great support that SiteGround web hosting offer. When you sign up with SiteGround hosting, you are going to not only get support, but you are going to get support 24 hours a day! Now, how is it that they can do that? Well, that is because SiteGround offer two different types of support. Email support and phone support. You will always be able to find someone to help you.

Also, when you sign up, you are going to get unlimited email accounts. So no matter how many email accounts you need, or want to give out, you can make sure that you have enough for everyone on your staff. With this, you also get unlimited MySQL database, and your site is going to be e-commerce ready. That means, if you want to change your personal site to a business site, you will be able to do that with little to no problem. That is something that you can not do with other hosting sites.

Another good thing that they have is that you can expect to have up to 99% up time. This means that the website is hardly ever going to be down. What does that mean for you? Well, more business of course. If your website is never down, then you never have to worry about your customers getting turned away. No site can ever have 100% up time, but having 99% is about as close as you will ever come.

So how much is all of this going to cost you? That is the next question you have on your mind. Well, the great news is that it's going to cost you a lot less than those other guys. In fact, it's only going to cost around $5.95 a month! You can get even more saving with the siteground coupon at siteground-review. org/siteground/siteground-coupon . Now that is a deal way too sweet to pass up.

Thinking like an entrepreneur

There is a huge problem that I have been seeing on the Internet these days when it comes to starting up an online business. The problem is that people are unable to actually turn their startup business into a profitable company. To put it simply, I find that new business owners are thinking like employees instead of entrepreneurs. What do I mean by that? Well, let me explain.

When you are an employee of a company you have the mindset of going to work for forty hours a week and collecting a paycheck when the week is done. This gives you a sense of security knowing that you have some type of money coming in, but in reality your are renting out your labor for the rest of your life.

To be honest, this mindset isn’t all that bad. There is nothing wrong with being comfortable with the knowledge that you will have more money to pay the bills with next week, but it is NOT the mindset that you need to build a successful business.

A true entrepreneur knows that it is going to take a little while before their company starts to be profitable, but that’s o. k. - They are in it for the long run. Now compare a business on the Internet with one in the physical world. On the Internet, there is generally a low cost (if any) to starting up, where in the physical world there is usually a large sum of money involved. Take franchises for example, on the very low end you are still looking at around $20,000 just to start your business.

Since the startup costs are far lower on the Internet, it is much easier for people to cut their losses and get out if they are experiencing any sort of trouble. It is not uncommon for new Internet business owner to still be showing slow results with a webpage at the end of their third month, especially if you don’t have that much experience in internet marketing. This is partially due to the fact that it takes about three months for search engines to really locate your site.

It is important that if you want to think like an entrepreneur, you have to have specific goals in mind and be set on achieving them. Some of the best Internet marketers I know took around ten years to reach $10,000/month but now they are making millions. I guarantee you that if you asked them whether or not it was worth the trouble they wouldn’t hesitate to tell you it was. It may have taken them a while to reach their goals but now they have positioned themselves in such a way that they have income coming in for life.

I urge all you new business owners out there to remind yourselves of your business goals, begin to think like an entrepreneur, and never give up on your dreams.

To your success,

Andrew Leone

Living healthy with exercise bike

The popularity of the exercise bike among many exercise machines is that exercise bikes moves almost all the back and leg muscles of the user while riding.

Resistance on the exercise bike can be adjusted to intensities that will suit individual’s aerobic needs from the gentle to the more rigorous. The versatility of the exercise bike makes it adjustable to different requirements of the exerciser. Some prefer the slow pedaling at higher resistance levels; others need spinning the wheel at lower resistance levels while some would want to use different resistance alternately. It can also suit the exerciser requirements that would need a more forward leaning position, an upright position and the recumbent position.

When doing the exercise for the first time, a health professional should always be around to provide a safe program for the patient. Knowing the patient’s optimal heart rate is crucial in determining the program and to prevent injuries. Aside from the exercise programs the health professional will also determine the correct posture and resistance that are needed. They are also trained to spot potential difficulties that could cause more problems that someone not trained will not.

Normally, these kinds of programs should be done three times a week for at least 20 minutes each. The patient is always required to start slowly especially for those who are not used to the rigors of exercising. One of the main objectives here is to raise the patient’s heart rate from 60 to 85% of the patient’s maximum heart rate.

For people who would prefer to have the exercise at home instead of going regularly to the gym, an exercise bike is a convenient machine, as it requires very little space. Some exercise bikes are collapsible so that it does not continue to occupy spaces when no longer in use and be tucked away under a bed or a closet.

Exercise bikes can be as inexpensive as a few hundreds of dollars to a few thousand depending on the features and other benefit that it offers.

In lieu of the exercise bike, an ordinary bicycle can also be used. The bike is mounted on a trainer (which is very cheap and is very easy to install), where the rear wheel of the bicycle is raised and the exerciser uses this as a stationary bike. Trainers can be bought at most bicycle retailers.

There are many benefits that the exercise bike can provide but it is especially effective for people who have back ailments.

Riding a bike on the roads, running and jogging is good at strengthening the back conditions of patients but it can also injure the spine, this is why a stationary bike is a popular alternative. Some ailments that could benefit best from an exercise bike are the Spinal Stenopsis and the Osteoarthritis.

Exercise bike are good at strengthening back muscle groups, the leg, calf, the hamstrings at the back of the thigh and can also work the abdominal muscles.

Exercise bicycles can also improve the flexibility of muscles and ligaments. It can also aid to a very large extent the range of movements of the muscles that otherwise can develop spasms and stiffness. Exercise bikes can help reduce the stresses of the muscles at the lower back, and with regularity of use can promote circulation and cardiovascular health.

Seven things you can do to reduce your stress

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Our world is awash with a wave tension that seems to infect every single one of us. Have you driven down the street lately, only to find someone abusing you because you are not doing 30 kilometers over the speed limit? Have you been cursed by a beggar because you have not given them a cigarette? Have you been robbed lately, simply because the person robbing you wanted your LCD projector? Have you parked your car in the local supermarket car park only to find that someone has pushed a trolley down the side of your car? Did the boss come in this morning and yell at you because he did not get enough sleep last night? Has a customer rung you and called you all the names under the sun simply because you did not respond to an email within 5 minutes of sending it?

Answer Yes to any of those?

Well my answer is yes to every single one of those questions and that was my day yesterday. Whether you like it or not the world is not a fair place and it many cases it is not a nice one either and it seems to be getting worse.

Why? Simply put, our lives are getting faster and we are not learning how to cope with it. Nobody teaches us how to deal with the stresses and strains of our daily life. We simply plunder through the issues on a day to day basis.

I have read probably hundreds of thousands of books on all manner of topics but the few that stand out and I consistently go back to are the teachings of the Dalai Lama. I will be honest, I am not a Buddhist, I am a Christian but many of his simple teachings are things even us Christians should learn. In one of his books and I have seen many journalists over the years ask the same question, he is asked "How do we solve the great atrocities and wars we have in our society today?" His answer to me is quite staggerring, he simply replies "I do not know."

One of the things he goes onto say, is that there is no simple answer to this question. Most of the major wars simply occur because of one consequence that lead to another and then to another until it compounds into a situation where no one is in control and there are no answers to the problems in front of us and no one really knows why it started in the first place. How can it happen?

Let us take an example …

Let us imagine you are driving down the road and somebody cuts in front of you and causes you to break suddenly. What is your reaction? Well there could be many… one response could be that you simply under your breath say, "What a fool" and continue driving.

Let us expand on the days events a little more …

Let us say you just lost your job and you were stressed about loosing your house, what would your response be now? You might speed up and get in front of them and then do the same to them as they did to you (An eye for an eye), you might then have a major accident because they ran into the back of your car. One of the people in the car might be killed. What happens if a family member of the deceased then decides retribution is in order for the death of the family member and kills one of your own. What will you do?

A little meladramatic I will admit but this is how wars begin. One thing leads to another and another until things get out of control but it can all be stopped by simply controlling how you feel. By removing the stress in your life or at the very least controlling it, you will be in a situation where you can control your reaction to a situation that maybe devastating.

So I want to outline seven things you can do to help reduce the stress in your life …

1. Exercise for 30 minutes Every Day

Exercising 30 minutes a day is one of the best things you can do to help relax. It helps you to keep fit and a fit person is obviously a happy one. It also helps to pump the blood around your body and whilst you are doing exercises chemicals are being released from your brain to help the way you feel.

2. Listen to Relaxation Music

Listening to the right type of music is really important when you are trying to reduce stress and find your inner peace. Some music when listened to, whilst stressed, can in fact heighten your stress levels. One type of music, which research has shown to help reduce stress is Baroque music. This music is written so that there is only 60 beats per minute and funny enough that is what our heart rate should be. The baroque music has been found to increase the alpha waves in your left and right sides of your brain which help improve your learning ability, creativity and calmness.

Many corporate trainers are now turning to baroque music during memory training sessions to help their students improve their comprehension and their memory.

3. Meditate for 20 minutes In The Morning and Evening

Meditation is a great way to help relieve your stress. When done correctly it should release you from your mind and allow it to focus on peace. Meditation when you first start our can be a little tricky and it honestly does take some time to learn. There are many great articles on how to meditate, but you can easily start off by simply sitting in the corner, closing your eyes and listening to music like the Baroque music.

Some meditation masters will also encourage you to listen to natural sounds during meditation and even recommend the use of incense during the meditation process to help break the stress in your body.

4. Limit Alcohol and Coffee Consumption

Alcohol and Coffee are both great sources of stress as they increase the heart rate and make us more susceptible to stressful situations. Limiting the amount of alcohol and coffee you drink each day will certainly be a good start to reducing your stress. However, note one thing, unless you are an alcoholic, removing alcohol from your life totally may not be the best advice and you really need to talk to your doctor. Research in the scientific community tends to lead towards the belief that one to two glasses of alcohol like a red or white wine is in fact a healthy choice but you should always check with your doctor. Plus, we can not destroy the Australian Wine Industry as I too like a good red.

Also watch out for Caffeine high soft drinks. Just like coffee, caffeine high drinks can make you more vulnerable to stress because it gives you that buzz in your body and accelerates your heart rate.

5. Dink a Minimum of Eight Glasses of Water A Day

Without water, we human beings are nothing and it is one of the most precious resources we have on our planet. To maintain your health, most medical practioners will recommend a minimum of eight glasses of water a day and I should note - PLAIN WATER. One research program I recently read said that drinking a cup of coffee did not count as a glass of water. In fact their recommendation was for every one cup of coffee, you should be drinking two glasses of water. You will be amazed that as you become more hydrated, the less stressed you become. A great show to watch is Survivor. This show is about people deserted on a remote location that have to survive for so many days to win a million dollars. You will notice in these shows that people who do not hydrate themselves correctly seem to become more stressed as they go. It is worth a watch next time it is on.

6. Schedule Breaks During Your Day

Work is one of the most stressful environments you can be in, except for the stay at home moms (My hat goes off to them). One of the biggest mistakes people make in their working career is to fail to schedule breaks into your day. There is absolutely no business on the planet that requires you to work 24 hours a day non-stop. If fact, if you do not schedule yourself at least one 1 hour break every day, research shows that you are more likely to end up having health issues over a prolonged period of time.

Remember, life is extremely ridiculously short. Do not waste it all on work, get out and enjoy your day regardless of where you are and make sure you schedule a number of breaks during the day, even if it is just to go outside for 5 minutes for a cup of coffee. That sort of break will at least help you to get some fresh air, clear your mind and get you ready for the coming on-slaught.

7. Limit Email Replies to just 60 minutes A Day

The email phenomenon that we know today, is born from our own desires to be in control. The email juggernaut today has gotten so out of control that some people simply spend all day trying to respond to emails which is utterly crazy. My recommendation to all my students is to develop an office policy which says that you are only required to respond to emails for 60 minutes a day. I know this seems amazing, but in the thousands on thousands of people I work with every year, nobody has a job yet where more than 60 minutes of emailing is required per day.

Oh and by the way, if you sit next to a person in an office, simply pop your head around the corner and ask them a question, DO NOT SEND AN EMAIL.

Stress is a real killer in our society and I have seen many friends of mine suffer major health complications because they allowed the stress of their lives to overwhelm them and in some cases it has shortened their lives. Whilst there are many things we can all do to reduce stress, if you implement these 7 items it will go along way to ensuring you live a long and happy life.

Just to finish off, let me quickly outline the seven things you can do to reduce stress -

1. Exercise for 30 minutes Every Day
2. Listen to Relaxation Music
3. Meditate for 20 minutes In The Morning and Evening
4. Limit Alcohol and Coffee Consumption
5. Dink a Minimum of Eight Glasses of Water A Day
6. Schedule Breaks During Your Day
7. Limit Email Replies to just 60 minutes A Day

Core exercise for golf will improve your driving distance the quickest

Core exercise for golf. You’ve probably heard this phrase mentioned on the television a time or to. This is the area that Vijay works on the most with his golf trainer and it seems to be working for him. He’s driving it longer and straighter and winning tournaments.

When we talk about core exercise for golf the key term that needs to be thrown in there is rotational. You see…the golf swing is a turn (or rotate) back and a turn (or rotate) through. So any core exercise for golf you do should incorporate rotational strength and flexibility.

One of the most difficult things for golfers to do is take a step back from their game and examine what they can do to improve performance. Strength training is a perfect example. What almost all golfers overlook is developing the strength and awareness fo the region of their body that can lead them to their best level no matter what the age or ability.

That area is the CORE!

This area starts roughly at your belly button and goes up to the bottom of your sternum. It is the engine of your body and awareness of your core affects golf the most. Think of it as the link in the chain that needs to be the strongest, not the weakest.

Greg Norman use to say when he wanted to hit it long he would get his belly button or belt buckle turning faster; which in other words is his or your core.

Two simple core exercises for golf that will quickly strengthen your core is ab crunches and back extensions. These would be your initial exercises since I mentioned early on in this article you need to work from a rotational standpoint to strengthen your core specific to golf.

Once you’ve accomplished the above exercises, you can move on to a crunch with a twist and a back extension with a twist. This will hit your rotational strength right away.

You can then progress up to standing on your feet doing several different variations of rotational movements with a single dumbbell, standing upright and also in your golf posture.

When you approach your golf improvement program with a core exercise for golf, you will see your driving distance sky rocket past your playing partners!

A very effective way of avoiding and relieving neck pain

Are you one of the millions Americans who suffer from neck pain? If not, it’s very probable that you know someone who does. Indeed, neck pain is a very widespread problem because the head and neck area is very susceptible to several stresses. Besides, neck pain can be produced by muscle strains, osteoarthritis, herniated intervertebral discs. In fact, something as trivial as a bad position can produce an unhealthy alignment of the neck and spine; consequently, neck pain will take place. Thus, what measures can you take to avoid or relieve neck pain?

One of the most common causes of neck pain is a bad posture while sleeping. Well, most people have incorrect posture habits not only when they sleep but also during the day without noticing. Even when you perform a task that you may judge harmless (like reading in bed without a posture pillow) can eventually produce to neck pain or even more serious issues.

A basic suggestion is to avoid sitting in the same position for a prolonged periods of time. Unfortunately, most of us have to because of myriad reasons. We have to not curve or bend the neck forward during long periods, as the neck and back should have enough support to achieve a better posture.

As you can see, the sleep positions you take while you rest in the night are more important than you believe because they are the most frequent cause of neck troubles. Why this happens? Because most of us use regular pillows, which make you sleep with your neck at a too high or too low angle and does not maintain your spine straight; consequently, it cause neck pain, back pain, discomfort and exhaustion. This drooping sleep surface typically provokes an unhealthy spine alignment, thus the muscles of the back will attempt to balance by tensing up trying to restore a more natural posture of the spine. However, this muscle tension produces the morning stress and the neck and the back pains.

Therefore, the best way to avoid and relieve neck pain is to maintain a correct posture. That is reason why the Better Sleep Pillow is so beneficial, because this neck pillow easily adjusts to the form of your neck and brings you correct spine alignment. This pillow is made with memory foam technology, which effectively redistributes the weight of your head, neck and body, encouraging better circulation and eliminating neck and spinal pressure.

Besides, it is not a problem if you prefer side sleeping or back sleeping because this memory foam pillow let you sleep comfortably in any position you may sleep and helps you wake up energized the next morning.

An orthopedic neck support pillow is necessary to have a relaxing night’s sleep without neck pain and other problems. With its hypoallergenic urethane memory foam that provides full support to the neck and head’s contours, the Better Sleep Pillow brings the most restorative sleeping experience alleviating strain on the neck and back.

You don’t need to keep suffering neck pain. Just try the Better Sleep Pillow to start sleeping well and pain-free.

How to legitimately make money with coastal vacation opportunities

For several years Coastal vacation has been offering the successful home based business of direct sales and product advertising. Their product is part of the four trillion dollar travel industry. They deal in the sale of wholesale travel packages that include hotel stays, cruises and more. With a product that is in such high demand, there is profit to be made. This is a legitimate business that is built on a solid business model used by both pharmaceutical sales representatives and real estate agents. This is how Coastal directors are able to make commissions of $1000.00 per sale.

If you are unsure of your sales ability or comfort level you also have the opportunity to advertise for Coastal vacation and earn the same commission as sales associates. You are trained in advertising methods and provided with a fully functioning website that you run, which advertises Coastal vacations. All customer sales are completed through the call center provided by Coastal vacations. Once a sale is made and the client was directed from your site, you earn the sale commission. This opportunity includes no selling, no MLM, no prospecting, no inventory and no timeshares.

You can learn more about this opportunity through the official coastal vacation site. Here you will be provided with the full details on their business, their product and their job opportunities. You will see that the travel packages are full of enticing offers and based on well-known travel companies. You will see that you will receive training that sets you up for success instead of failure. You will have the tools and support that are needed to make your business succeed and earn the income that you dream of. On top of this solid job opportunity you also earn travel discounts for life.

Through product sales or advertising services you will work five to twenty-five hours per week and earn a gross profit of 85% on average. It carries a minimal risk factor and carries extensive tax benefits. Your income earning potential is unlimited. You earn what you put into your position. You can have the time, freedom and money that you want to have. You run your business for yourself but not by yourself, as you will have support calls and conferences to aid you in your career. You simply expose people to this home business solution and make a healthy income.

The top three reasons to choose this legitimate opportunity are:

1. You are offering an established, quality product that sells. You do not have to talk people into this product or opportunity. You simply provide information.

2. The membership pays for itself. Any amount of money you put into Coastal Vacation you make back with profit due to the successful business model used.

3. Tax benefits. You can save thousands on taxes by simply running your own home business through Coastal vacation.

You have the opportunity to earn $1000-$3000 per week and vacations for pennies on the dollar for life and it is an honest and legitimate business that you can run from your home. You simple visit the official Coastal vacation site, learn about this opportunity and begin your training. You will be on your way to making a legitimate income through Coastal vacation in a minimal amount of time.

Which wedding favour

The dress has been ordered, your future husband is actually getting excited now and most of the preparations are done. Now it's time to decide on which wedding favours will best suit your theme. Choosing between edible wedding favours [such as candy wedding favours] and inedible wedding favours [such as candle wedding favours] is really quite a dilemma! Your guests will always remember the favours that you choose. It's strange to think that after all that money, effort, stress and panic involved in wedding planning, that the guests only memories of the day will be the bride's dress and the wedding favours. Therefore, deciding between edible wedding favours and alternative wedding favours such as candle wedding favours is a tricky business and needs careful consideration.

On one side of the fence there are inedible favours that vary hugely from photo album favours to wedding favour coasters and seed packet favours to candle wedding favours. The selection is quite vast so it is really a case of choosing which ones best suit your wedding theme. On the positive side, inedible wedding favours can be kept forever and therefore provide a life-long lasting memory of your special day.

In addition, after a delicious wedding banquet, 3 glasses of champagne and a piece of wedding cake many guests are turned off by the thought of having to eat more!

Research has shown that not all edible wedding favours are actually eaten anyway as many guests wish to have them as a keepsake. So perhaps you may want to seriously consider favours that are not edible. There is nothing more special than lighting a wedding candle favour some months after the happy event is over. As the wick is burning, the happy couple and their future happiness together is foremost in your thoughts!

Alternatively, edible wedding favours are really rather tasty - especially for the younger guests. It is hard enough for little ones to sit through the whole event without having a tantrum only to realise that there are no candy wedding favours on their arrival at the reception. The promise of candy wedding favours is a real incentive for mums who are struggling with their little terrors during a lengthy church ceremony! As far as more traditional guests are concerned [your Great-Grandmother and old Auntie Doris], a wedding just wouldn't be a wedding without edible wedding favours such as sugared almonds or delicious dragees! Of course, the 5 candy wedding favours inside the net, bag, pouch or box date back some centuries and represent: fertility, health, happiness, longevity and wealth.

There are many wedding guests who may feel offended not to receive a traditional edible wedding favour as the consumption of said favour is intended to bring about these 5 qualities wished for the happy couple.

Candy wedding favour or candle wedding favour - the choice is yours. But, it is also important to realise that you cannot please all of your guests all of the time, unless... you decide to offer candy wedding favours to your younger and older wedding guests and offer candle wedding favours for your modern guests.

Debt after divorce - discover what an unsecured debt consolidation loan can do for you

If financial stress is your constant companion as a result of divorce, an unsecured debt consolidation loan is an option worth considering. Divorce is emotionally exhausting and probably one of the most stressful experiences we can have. After all, we get married with positive hopes for our future together. Nevertheless, many of us not only experience the emotional devastation of divorce but also find the experience so financially devastating that we can find it difficult to ever get back on our feet.

High legal costs, inequitable arrangements with regard to past debt, the costs of separating and establishing ourselves in new accommodation can all push our debt levels through the roof. Divorce can cause us to drown in debt in a situation where we no longer have the financial contribution of the other person to rely on. If you are juggling credit card payments, a car loan and may be even consumer credit loans for furniture, an unsecured debt consolidation loan could save your financial hide and relieve you of an enormous amount of stress immediately.

Look for an unsecured debt consolidation loan with the low fees and low interest and over the best term to give you financial breathing space. A good debt counselor or financial advisor may be able to direct you to the best unsecured debt consolidation loan for you. The goal is to bring your monthly debt repayments down to a manageable amount over the shortest time possible so you are out of debt as quickly as possible.

Another excellent advantage of taking out an unsecured debt consolidation loan, is that you are not risking your home or any other assets. If you were to consolidate your debt using a home equity loan, for example, and got behind in payments for any reason, the lender could take your home and sell it to get the amount owed. They do not have to get the best price for you and you have no control over the outcome.

Divorce is stressful enough without being also being overwhelmed by financial stress. Anger, bitterness, fear, regret, disappointment, sadness and even depression are all common responses to divorce. To get through the process, we need to be able to go through all the stages of grief and acknowledge our genuine feelings. If we are struggling financially at the same time and feel unable to cope with our monthly debt costs, we can be robbed of much needed emotional space to simply deal with the personal impacts of the divorce. It is therefore important to quickly get our financial affairs under control so that we can be free to deal with these.

An unsecured debt consolidation loan can help you to simplify your finances and manage your debt, releasing you from a great deal of financial stress immediately. This decision can help you take back control of your life and move ahead from a position of strength rather than weakness.

The world s largest wine producer

The largest wine producing area of the world can be found at the border of the Mediterranean Sea, in between Spain and the Rhone delta. Out of a population of 2.4 million, there are fifty thousand involved in growing vines. The area they consume spans twenty seven thousand and four hundred square kilometers (10500 miles). There are 400 cooperatives and about 2800 private wineries in the land with Banyuls to the southwest and Muscat to the east. Out of that comes two billion bottles of wine.

The area has hot summers and mild winters. The soil ranges from sandstone and limestone to granite pebbles. Cargnan, Merlot and Grenache other red wines are produced here and among the white wines there is Roussane, Chardonnay and Viognier.

It was the Greeks who started the cultivation of vineyards in this area as early as the 6th century BC when the Romans arrived in the region this cultivation was developed and it went on with the Visigoths in the 5th century. The monasteries in the 9th century developed the hillside regions for the vineyards and used the valleys for grains and in the 19th century the plains became vineyards as well. Currently it is the plains of Herault, Gard and Aude that make up a half of France’s overall grape yield.

For some years the quality of wines began to lag but in the past few decades with the emergence of Syrah there is been a return to quality. Syrah is opaque, purple in color, and has the scent of sweet black berry spiced with cassis and black pepper

The Vin de Pay D’Oc has been improving the region’s reputation in the past ten years with the Corbieres and the earthy Minervois.

Most winegrowing areas are dominated by a particular Chateau. In this area this is not so, most wines are produces by cooperatives who buy grapes grown on local farms. The grapes are put through a process that includes adding grape spirit. This stops the fermentation, saves the sweetness and raises the alcohol level to fifteen or sixteen percent. Wines such as Vin Doux Naturel made from Grenache or Muscat and Muscat de Frontignan or Banyuls are made from this process. They are wonderful dessert wines and are similar to port when it comes to aging potential.

White wine grown here are also of high quality. The Chardonnay and Marsanne are grown in Argelier, an area west of Bezier. The dry, fresh taste with an aroma of apple and oak comes from the chalky soil and the early harvesting process which allows for only a few hours of skin contact before pressing.

There are other red wines of interest such as the full bodied, spicy Corbieres that are made from Carignan and Grenache grapes grown in marl, sandstone and limestone. There are more than seventy million bottles produced that can go through three to seven years of aging.

In the sunniest region of France the Pyrenees in Roussillon produces another variety of reds. The area is closer to Spain and the Carignan is the main grape variety grown in the region. The wine produced is of medium body, spicy and has hints of licorice.

Weight loss for brides - drop at least one dress size before your wedding

The stress and anxiety that most brides experience as their wedding day approaches can be overwhelming for them. The amount of preparation involved and the countless number of details needing attention can make it very difficult to eat sensibly and maintain even a modest level of good nutrition. I can recall countless conversations with brides who are so stressed out in the month or so before their wedding that they abandon all good eating habits and either starve themselves or binge on junk food to handle the stress.

Many are genuinely terrified that they’ll be overweight and unattractive on their wedding day or even worse won’t be able to fit into their dream wedding gown.

I have been working with a personal trainer for the past 10 years who continually reminds me how just a few simple changes to your daily routine can make a huge difference. The four basic principles I outline below really do work. I’ve had personal success using these strategies and continue to follow them on a daily basis. Many of my clients who have requested my help and followed this advice have had remarkable results. Start this program at least 3-4 weeks before your wedding day and see for yourself.

1. Water, Water and more Water

Hydration is critical. While the benefits are countless this is one of the hardest things to implement into your daily routine. Whenever I would neglect this item my trainer would recite how water lowers body fat, flushes cellulite, improves digestion, gets rid of dark circles under the eyes, and makes you feel full. These are just a few of the benefits of drinking the required 2.5 litres of water per day.

This may seem like a lot but I found the easiest way to get into the habit is to break the amounts down into manageable amounts:

• Keep a bottle of water beside your bed. Before you go to sleep drink 1/2 the bottle and as soon as you wake up (before your feet touch the floor) drink the remaining 1/2 bottle

• Before each meal drink a half a bottle of water

• Carry water with you and sip it throughout the day

I can’t overemphasize how important this step is.

2. Go for a 10 minute Walk Every Day

Start with this...you can always increase later after it becomes routine. It’s enough to gently boost your metabolism and keep you active.

3. Eat Often but Only in Small Portions

Before I started this method of eating I would starve myself for a couple of days whenever I wanted to lose weight. It seemed logical to me at the time. When I started personal training I had to modify many of my bad eating habits. I had to start eating 6 meals a day. Don’t panic, it’s easier than it sounds. Every 3-4 hours from the time you wake up eat a little something. Your digestive system is far more efficient at handling a series of small meals than it is at tackling one large meal.

I usually eat at 7am, 10 am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10 pm

Your meal portions (meat, veggies, carbs) should be no larger than the palm of your hand and no thicker than the palm of your hand.

4. Eat Healthy

I could spend days offering suggestions on meal variations but there are many excellent books that have been written to give you ideas. I will share my recommendations in another upcoming article.

So to make it simple a typical meal should be a protein, a carbohydrate and a vegetable or fruit.

Here is a sample daily meal plan that I eat to get you started:

Meal one: Protein shake with 1% milk (I like whey protein drinks such as IsoPro)

Meal two: 1/2 an apple and cottage cheese or yogurt

Meal three: Piece of chicken (no skin) and a small salad

Meal four: Cheese and the balance of the apple

Meal five: Piece of lean meat, rice or potatoes, vegetables

Meal six: Low fat chocolate pudding mixed with protein powder

5. The Best Part – Reward Yourself!

Choose one day a week as your reward day and eat whatever you want and as much as you want. Whether you like pasta, cookies, ice cream or my personal favorite chocolate.

Enjoy!

Don’t worry, you won’t gain fat if you do this because for the past six days your body has been used to eating what I term ‘clean’ food. On the seventh day your body thinks you are going to do the same and when you don't it gets fooled and eliminates the effects of the ‘junk’ food. In essence you are tricking your body that day but you must eat cleanly on the following day.

I have told many upcoming brides about this method of eating and almost all of them have emailed me back to let me know how thrilled they were at reaching their target goal of weight loss. I hope it works for you too.

As a final note of encouragement, my daughter used this method of eating and in 1 year she went from a size 18 to a size 2. This was four years ago and she has still maintained her weight to this day.

These simple techniques will not only help you quickly, safely and effectively lose at least one dress size but they will also help you feel more energetic, vibrant and healthy. Not to mention the positive effect it will have on your skin texture and overall appearance.

Stay on track and you’ll be amazed at your results. Eat well, drink plenty of water and as you progress, simply imagine your groom seeing you for the first time in your wedding gown and watching his jaw drop in speechless silence.

Easy guitar tabs

Guitar tabs are an easy solution for you if you have no idea of how to read sheet music but are constantly bugged by the notion that you want to be a guitarist. Guitar tabs are easy to learn and allow you to begin playing songs right away, even if you are not familiar with them. Once you have bought your first guitar, it is time to begin looking for easy guitar tab versions of some songs to find out what it feels like to be a guitar player. Which songs you need tabs for depends on how you see yourself as a musician. Do you want to play your favorite songs chiefly for your own amusement or do you want to aim your repertoire at a potential audience? Let us look at your audience for a minute. The most popular songs in the world are all from years gone by. If you sit a bunch of people aged between ten and fifty down and play songs at them you will find some universal favorites, and they will all be old songs. If you want to please a random audience, your ultimate goal should be to have about one hundred popular songs ranging from the 1940's to the present, but you could probably narrow the range to just include songs going back to the sixties.

So what are the easiest songs to learn from tabs? What can a beginner guitarist learn quickly without too much trouble? Well, I did a little searching on the internet concerning that question, and I found that "Horse With No Name" contains only two chords, and dead simple ones at that! You could be playing that song in a convincing fashion today! "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" makes use of the chords G D C and Am - all easy chords. Building on chords you have acquired learning these songs, you can go onto "House Of The Rising Sun" which uses Am C D F E and E7. Once you have learnt that, it's only natural to go onto another beautiful song, "California Dreamin'" which has the same chords. If you do not like the idea of beginning your guitar playing with these songs, do an internet search in the country music and blues genres. Actually a working knowledge of twelve bar blues is very useful for a guitar player just starting out.

Now for a short list of songs that are both easy to play and have proven to be popular with audiences of all ages. You can find tab arrangements for these songs by typing the titles into a search engine.

"Angie" by The Rolling Stones

"Blowin' In The Wind" by Bob Dylan

"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison

"A Day In The Life", "Here, There And Everywhere" and "Hey Jude" by The Beatles

"I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash

"Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton

"Gloria" by Van Morrison

"Hotel California" by The Eagles

"Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who

"Scarborough Fair" by any number of performers, and

"White Room" by Cream

Once you have some guitar songs under your belt, you could learn more popular favorites that do not fit into the "Easy Guitar Tabs" category. Wilson Pickett's "Dock Of The Bay" and "American Pie" by Don Mclean come to mind. But do not let the tastes of the masses be your only guide. If, for example, you decide you would like to do a folk guitar arrangement of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" then you could use tabs for the original electric guitar version as a basis for your new work. With a bunch of easy guitar tabs at your disposal, the only limits to your musical achievements are your imagination and your audience's supply of tomatoes.

Natural beauty has new meaning when you choose a natural skin care product

Every day there is a new health warning cautioning against the very products that make our lives easier. It seems that convenience could be killing us and killing the environment. Now that health food stores and organic markets are becoming more and more common, it is getting easier on consumers to find natural alternatives to the harmful chemical products that have been traditionally used. Or has it?

Trying new products can be a bit of a gamble. Because the market for natural goods is still relatively young, a lot of the name brands are unknown to consumers and this can lead to confusion and anxiety over which products are the best. For example, consider a natural skin care product; these products are fast becoming popular, but which ones are the best and what are the actual benefits?

Someone who is not using a natural skin care product is using one filled with harsh chemicals, heavy perfumes, and toxic dyes. Research now shows that the chemical ingredients found in cosmetics and other toiletries can lead to severe allergic reactions in users. In addition, these products, which are meant to provide users with a youthful appearance, are actually having the opposite effect. The chemicals often cause dry, itchy and irritated skin which exacerbates wrinkles and speeds the effects of aging.

Now consumers have an alternative to the harsh chemical products. Many natural skin care product lines have been on the market for several years, but are really picking up in popularity now. These products provide the desired effects without the allergic reactions and irritations. An added benefit is that the natural products are not just good for the body; they are also good for the environment too. Unlike their chemical counterparts, natural products are produced from organic ingredients using methods that respect sustainable manufacturing practices.

Shopping for a natural skin care product used to be limited to a few choices on the shelves. People can now find natural alternatives for every beauty product they have ever used. These include natural moisturizers for all skin types, acne prevention products, and even wrinkle defense creams. In addition, there are also entire companies devoted to natural cosmetics, allowing women to love the environment and their skin while still wearing foundations, concealers, eye shadows, and bronzers. The choices are endless.

All these options can sometimes become overwhelming for a consumer. They may feel confused by the sheer magnitude of product types and not know where to begin. It is important to do some research first. A great place to start is with Live Earth Friendly, a website that provides information about the dangers of chemical products and the benefits of natural ones. In addition to educating the public on why to purchase natural items, Live Earth Friendly also provides a Products Section for help in selecting the best natural products to suit any lifestyle.

Transforming fear

Anything that is built on fear is like it is built on sand.

In our world today, it is extremely important to release and transform fear! When there is so much fear around us, you may ask yourself what is the importance of this and how to do this?

The importance of changing fear into trust changes the way we see our life and how we live it.

When we live in fear we react out of fear and everything becomes limited. The shallow, tight feeling of fear affects the way we breathe and even our immune systems. When our immune systems are depleted we invite physical challenges. Our limited thoughts color the way we imagine our lives. For example do you see the glass half empty or half full? Our thoughts draw to us exactly what we are most afraid of so that is why this work is so important. The first step to transforming our fears is to identify them.

Identify one of your fears.

Begin doing this by intuitively checking into your life like you would swing a pendulum. If you swing into a part of your life and you feel resistance, you most likely are making a decision out of fear. If you then again try to swing into the same situation and the swing makes your heart feel open, there is trust. If you find a place where fear is a foundation, you need to let that go, because anything that is built on fear is like it is built on sand. It really won’t stand firm in the newness. Be willing to change the fearfulness into trust and limitlessness.

Embrace your fear.

One way to begin transforming your fear is to sit quietly and visualize that fear and bring it close to you. Whether this is a belief in your relationships, career, or health, remember it is part of you and is like an old friend. A good way to release that fear is to sit quietly and imagine you by the sea. Bring in either a whale or dolphin to assist you in your relaxation. Let the fearfulness be released using the whales and the dolphins. Use their energy to exchange your fear patterns. This is their greatest gift for you and to you. They will exchange your fear patterns quite joyfully, playfully. You don’t need to give your fear patterns to them, but you can bring the fear patterns to them for exchange: release them into the sea and be filled with their (the dolphins’ and the whales’) joyfulness, their limitlessness, and their fearlessness. And you will see so clearly how it all works because they have it to give.

That is their purpose—to give — and more and more of you will be drawn to their hearts because you are ready at last to give up what has really never been yours. You have worn old fear from who knows when and how, and it really doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you no longer wear the fear, because it is like old clothes that no longer fit you. If they were never yours, they don’t belong to you and don’t suit you.

Let go of things that no longer suit you until you are more and more free and clear to play in the wind and the sand and the sun—until you are more and more free inside yourselves to just be who you are.

Be not afraid, for those who have filled you with limited fearful thoughts are around you in your everyday lives. As you know, you can always go out and find fear whenever you ask. If you ask around long enough, you will find an answer that is filled with fear, and then you won’t take your next step.

Remember, without fear everything is available to you.

Stay firm in your commitment to joyfulness, and you will see things change around you that have never changed prior to this. You will see—as you begin experiencing the end of old beliefs, resolution of old conflicts, the tearing down of old structures where there is any foundation of fear—they will be replaced in the essence of the new.

As you change within yourself, you will help to change your world. Continue to clear and love yourself, and you will feel the depth of your world shift.

When you find yourself with the feeling of ultimate resistance or fear, bless that polarity, for that is given to you so you can work upon something inside yourself that can be changed and shift your outer world. Take that fear, that polarity, those relationships, and place it (them) on a Bridge of Light. You can do this with any part of your life to receive support where there is resolution needed.

Remember joy is your choice-choose it!

The power of storytelling

Each and every day as we are building our businesses, we all know the key to a successful presentation is a product being sold to the end-line consumer and/or sponsoring a new person. In an upcoming issue, I am going to write about the difference between making a sale and having customer loyalty in the sales process. In the sales process, you are fighting many different types of animals. For most of us who are in direct sales, you have 45 minutes to present a product/business concept and make a person believe in you, your product, and more importantly have them make a decision that they want what you are offering.

When you are presenting the business, it is very easy for you to get very factual and completely lose the interest of your prospect. When you tell a story about the success of someone who is using the product or have a person give a live testimonial about how much they love being a distributor, you will keep the interest of new people who are listening for the first time.

For most of us, the first time in our lives that we were ever presented with the concept of a live audience was back in kindergarten when we played "show and tell". Everyone was always interested in what you were saying because you were simply telling a story. We have all heard of the famous K. I.S. S. rule: Keep It Simple Stupid. When presenting your business or product, the key play is to tell a story and keep it simple. Everyone can relate to the grandmother, who can talk about their grandchild as the most beautiful, precious child in the world. She will make you feel as if her grandchild would be such a gift to own as your own. You need to take that same simplicity and utilize it during your presentation and create the same result - ownership of your product.

As you tell stories, people will remember those stories versus all the facts in the world. "FACTS TELL, BUT STORIES SELL." They should want to get involved in your business or purchase your product because all of the success stories that you told. People love to be part of a winning team. Storytelling keeps people tied into you and your presentation. I always say when in doubt during a presentation, tell a story in order to bring people's attention back to you. When I present, I ALWAYS tell many stories because when I was first introduced to direct sales, what perked my ears was a story of a young lady who had a lifestyle I wanted. The personal story of her lifestyle is what made me decide to get involved in the business. In that business, I went on to build an enormous organization and all I did was tell my story and tell the company's story over and over!

Combining the key strategy of storytelling along with the correct mindset, you can achieve your wildest dreams!

Find your WHY and Fly!

John Di Lemme

FindYourWhy. com