Saturday, May 31, 2008
The Mind and Body During Sleep
This focus article examines what happens in the brain and body during sleep by discussing the different stages of sleep and their functions; the brain systems that regulate sleep; the importance of daily rhythms of sleep and wakefulness; and, the changes that occur in sleep across the life span. This knowledge can foster a greater sense of control over sleep by making sleep more understandable and less mysterious.
The Stages of Sleep
During the night, we pass through five stages of sleep that, collectively, are termed REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is commonly called dream sleep while non-REM sleep consists of stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 sleep.
When we close our eyes to go to sleep at night, we first enter a relaxed state of wakefulness that is characterized by a brain wave (EEG) pattern called alpha. Good sleepers usually spend less than ten minutes in relaxed wakefulness before falling asleep, and some spend as little as a few seconds in this state. Falling asleep almost immediately at bedtime means one of two things: you are very sleep deprived; or, you are a very good sleeper.
After spending a few minutes in relaxed wakefulness, you drift into stage 1 sleep. This is not a "true" sleep stage because it is really a drowsy, transitional state between waking and sleep from which we are easily awakened. You've experienced stage 1 sleep if you've ever found yourself "drifting off" while lying on the couch or during a boring lecture or meeting. Stage 1 sleep is characterized by a brain wave pattern called theta and the simultaneous disappearance of the alpha rhythm. Our bodies relax deeply during stage 1: respiration slows, the muscles relax, and heart rate drops.
Most people who are awakened from this stage will report that they were "drifting off" but were not really asleep. This state is often described as drowsy, drifting, floating, and wandering. Mental activity during stage 1 sleep involves an abundance of mental imagery that sleep researchers refer to as "hypnagogic imagery". Here there is a letting go of our usual conscious thought processes and awareness of the external world. Relaxation techniques facilitate stage 1 sleep.
Most good sleepers only spend a few minutes in stage 1 sleep before descending to stage 2 sleep. This is considered the first true sleep stage. It is defined by specific changes in brain wave patterns called sleep spindles and K-complexes that probably represent intermittent attempts by the brain to preserve awareness before we lose conscious awareness of our surroundings. Here we become even more detached from conscious thought and the outside world as our brain and body become more deeply relaxed. Although stage 2 is deeper than stage 1, it is still a light stage of sleep for we are easily awakened from it. Insomniacs underestimate how much sleep they obtain, in part, because they are more likely to perceive stage 2 sleep as wakefulness.
We spend about thirty to forty-five minutes in stage 2 before entering the deeper stages of sleep called stage 3 and stage 4. We produce delta brain wave patterns during these two sleep stages, which are collectively called deep sleep. During deep sleep we reach the lowest levels of physiological activity during the 24 hour day. Deep sleep is also a period of dramatically reduced blood flow and energy use for the brain, which is probably crucial for restoring energy that is used during the daily demands of self-conscious awareness (e.g., thinking). It is very hard to wake up from deep sleep because the brain has turned off its awareness of the external world. We spend about forty-five minutes in deep sleep, revert to stage 2 for a few minutes, and then enter rapid eye movement (REM), or dream sleep.
Dream sleep is an intriguing stage of sleep. It is characterized by rapid eye movements (hence the name rapid eye movement sleep), intense visual imagery in the form of dreams, significant physiological activity, and heightened emotional activity in the brain (particularly emotions such as fear and anxiety). Because REM sleep is such an active period for the brain and body, we are more likely to awaken from this sleep stage than deep sleep. Many areas of the brain are highly active during dream sleep, particularly those involved in emotions and stress, as evidenced by increased blood flow and energy expenditure (increased use of oxygen and glucose). However, the area of the brain that is involved in complex cognitive functions and self awareness- the frontal lobes - become inactive during dream sleep. Dream sleep is often called paradoxical sleep because, except for muscle paralysis so that we can't act our dreams, our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate are as high or higher than during waking, and our brain wave patterns resemble wakefulness.
The eye movements that occur during dreaming do, in fact, appear to coincide with the actions in our dreams. Most individuals who are awakened from dream sleep will report a dream, and even though many of us don't remember our dreams in the morning, everyone dreams. The content of a dream is often detailed, has a continuous quality, and is vivid, bizarre, and sometimes frightening. Despite the fact that dream content is often impossible or improbable, we experience dreams as if they are real because there is a complete suspension of self-reflection (we are not aware that we are dreaming) and logic (impossible experiences of time, places, people, and actions) during dreaming.
During the course of a night's sleep, we progress from Stage 1 to Stage 4 and then through REM sleep in about ninety minutes. Therefore, a six hour sleeper will move through four of these one and one-half hour cycles during the night while an eight hour sleeper will experience about five of these cycles. We spend about 5 percent of the night in Stage 1, 50 percent in Stage 2, 20 percent in deep sleep, and 25% in REM. Early in the night, deep sleep periods are longer (sometimes lasting up to one hour) whereas REM periods last only a few minutes. Later in the night, deep sleep periods grow shorter and the duration of REM periods increase so that, by the final REM period of the early morning, REM sleep may persist for an hour. As a result, we obtain most of our deep sleep during the first half of the night and most of our dream sleep during the last half of the night. And because sleep grows lighter in the second half of the night, awakening are more prone to occur in the second half of the night.
The Functions of Sleep
Despite the significant advances in sleep research over the past half century, no one theory about the function of sleep has been accepted by most sleep researchers, nor is there agreement about the answer to the question "What is sleep?" Sleep used to be defined as a state of quiescence and rest but we have just seen that the brain and body can be very active during sleep. Based on brain imaging studies, there is general agreement that sleep can be defined by a hallmark feature- loss of self-consciousness- and that sleep serves a general function of enforcing energy conservation and restoration.
In fact, it may be that energy conservation and restoration is particularly important to the self-conscious human brain because it uses a tremendous amount of energy to plan, solve problems, reflect on itself, respond to a very complex stimuli, and ponder complicated thoughts.
The various stages of sleep appear to serve particular functions. For example, deep sleep affords the brain and body a profound state of rest by allowing it to go "offline" to recover from the energy that we expend during normal conscious wakefulness. In this sense, deep sleep may serve a major restorative function that renews physical and mental energy. Blood flow decrease to the brain during deep sleep so that it can be directed to the muscles to help replenish physical energy. There is also good evidence that our immune system turns on during deep sleep to combat illness, which is why we need more sleep when we are sick.
Deep sleep seems to be the most important stage of sleep for, if we are deprived of sleep, the brain will recover or "make up" deep sleep first. Furthermore, loss of deep sleep produces the greatest impairments in daytime functioning compared to the loss of other stages of sleep.
Dream sleep is viewed by leading sleep researchers as the brain's system for processing emotions, discharging emotional stress, consolidating memories, and regularly suspending daily self-consciousness. Dr. Allan Hobson, a leading dream researcher at Harvard Medical School, has characterized dream sleep as being similar to psychopathological conditions such psychoses.
For example, dream sleep is, like psychoses, characterized by illogical thinking, lack of self-awareness, and hallucinations (that is, we believe something is real during a dream even though it is imaginary). Why the brain insures that we experience such non-rational states on a daily basis is unclear. Nevertheless, the fact that this occurs every night during sleep suggest that loss of self-awareness is in some way beneficial to the brain.
Dream sleep is also involved in processing and saving newly learned information into memory. Like deep sleep, dream sleep is very important since the brain will try to make up for dream sleep deprivation in the form increased dream sleep (called REM rebound). However, the brain attempts to recover all of the deep sleep it loses but only half of lost dream sleep. This suggests that deep sleep is more important than dream sleep.
Stage 2 sleep is probably a less potent form of deep sleep and is also involved with energy restoration. Stage 1 sleep is more akin to a deep relaxation state than a true sleep state; its main purpose is to prepare the mind and body for the entry into sleep.
Sleep Control Mechanisms in the Brain
The brain contains two complex systems that control sleep- a wake system and a sleep system. In simple terms, the wake system promotes alertness during the day while the sleep system promotes sleep at night. These two systems work together so that the wake system is dominant for about sixteen hours a day while the sleep system is dominant for the remaining eight hours of the day. The wake system is strongest in the morning, late afternoon, and early evening but weakens for a period of time in the mid-afternoon when we feel tired and are designed to take a nap.
The longer the wake system is "on" or active during the day (that is, the more waking time we accumulate during the day), the greater the drive or pressure for nocturnal sleep. Sound sleep is the result of a strong sleep drive and sufficient prior wakefulness during the day. However, one cause of disturbed sleep on a particular night is low sleep pressure caused by too much strength in the wake system and an insufficient period of prior wakefulness.
The other brain control mechanism that regulates sleep and wakefulness is the brain's internal 24 hour clock. This clock is regulated by a structure in the brain called the superchiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN contains a kind of pacemaker that acts as a "clock for all seasons" by being tuned to daily and seasonal changes in light. In mammals, changes in light and darkness at various times of the year play an important role as a signal for breeding and other behaviors such as eating, sleeping, and putting on weight.
In humans, the primary role of the SCN appears to be to regulate daily rhythms of sleep and wakefulness and seasonal changes on mood. (Some people tend to become more depressed in the winter months as light diminishes, a phenomenon known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD).
The SCN acts on changes in light and darkness by affecting the release of a naturally occurring hormone in the brain called melatonin. When sunlight enters the eyes, melatonin concentrations decrease, which promotes wakefulness and increased alertness by signaling body temperature to rise. Body temperature generally rises during the day except for a brief dip in the afternoon, and then hits its daily peak around 6:00 p.m.
We are typically most alert in the late morning and early evening when body temperature is highest. At nighttime, light ceases to enter the eyes, which causes the SCN to trigger the secretion of melatonin. Body temperature drops, alertness wanes, and the descent toward sleep begins. Body temperature continues to decline and reaches its daily low at around 4:00 am; it then prepares us for eventual wakefulness by beginning to rise before sunrise. Once we awaken, the cycle of increasing body temperature during the day and falling temperature at night repeats itself.
Changes in Sleep With Aging
Sleep patterns change from the beginning to the end of life, particularly regarding how much we sleep, the timing of our sleep, and the stages of sleep.
Adolescents sleep about nine hours per nights; young adults about eight, middle aged adults about 7.5, and the elderly slightly less. Thus, our sleep need seems to decline by about one hour during our adult years. However, the elderly tend to compensate for reduced nighttime sleep by increased daytime napping.
There is also a change in the quality of sleep as we age. By our 30's and 40's, less deep sleep is experienced. As a result, we sleep more lightly and experience more awakenings during the night. In fact, deep sleep almost disappears entirely by age seventy.
Although we are not sure why sleep quality and the need for sleep declines with age, it is likely due to the fact that the sleep drive (e.g., the sleep system) weakens with age like many other functions.
The Stages of Sleep
During the night, we pass through five stages of sleep that, collectively, are termed REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is commonly called dream sleep while non-REM sleep consists of stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 sleep.
When we close our eyes to go to sleep at night, we first enter a relaxed state of wakefulness that is characterized by a brain wave (EEG) pattern called alpha. Good sleepers usually spend less than ten minutes in relaxed wakefulness before falling asleep, and some spend as little as a few seconds in this state. Falling asleep almost immediately at bedtime means one of two things: you are very sleep deprived; or, you are a very good sleeper.
After spending a few minutes in relaxed wakefulness, you drift into stage 1 sleep. This is not a "true" sleep stage because it is really a drowsy, transitional state between waking and sleep from which we are easily awakened. You've experienced stage 1 sleep if you've ever found yourself "drifting off" while lying on the couch or during a boring lecture or meeting. Stage 1 sleep is characterized by a brain wave pattern called theta and the simultaneous disappearance of the alpha rhythm. Our bodies relax deeply during stage 1: respiration slows, the muscles relax, and heart rate drops.
Most people who are awakened from this stage will report that they were "drifting off" but were not really asleep. This state is often described as drowsy, drifting, floating, and wandering. Mental activity during stage 1 sleep involves an abundance of mental imagery that sleep researchers refer to as "hypnagogic imagery". Here there is a letting go of our usual conscious thought processes and awareness of the external world. Relaxation techniques facilitate stage 1 sleep.
Most good sleepers only spend a few minutes in stage 1 sleep before descending to stage 2 sleep. This is considered the first true sleep stage. It is defined by specific changes in brain wave patterns called sleep spindles and K-complexes that probably represent intermittent attempts by the brain to preserve awareness before we lose conscious awareness of our surroundings. Here we become even more detached from conscious thought and the outside world as our brain and body become more deeply relaxed. Although stage 2 is deeper than stage 1, it is still a light stage of sleep for we are easily awakened from it. Insomniacs underestimate how much sleep they obtain, in part, because they are more likely to perceive stage 2 sleep as wakefulness.
We spend about thirty to forty-five minutes in stage 2 before entering the deeper stages of sleep called stage 3 and stage 4. We produce delta brain wave patterns during these two sleep stages, which are collectively called deep sleep. During deep sleep we reach the lowest levels of physiological activity during the 24 hour day. Deep sleep is also a period of dramatically reduced blood flow and energy use for the brain, which is probably crucial for restoring energy that is used during the daily demands of self-conscious awareness (e.g., thinking). It is very hard to wake up from deep sleep because the brain has turned off its awareness of the external world. We spend about forty-five minutes in deep sleep, revert to stage 2 for a few minutes, and then enter rapid eye movement (REM), or dream sleep.
Dream sleep is an intriguing stage of sleep. It is characterized by rapid eye movements (hence the name rapid eye movement sleep), intense visual imagery in the form of dreams, significant physiological activity, and heightened emotional activity in the brain (particularly emotions such as fear and anxiety). Because REM sleep is such an active period for the brain and body, we are more likely to awaken from this sleep stage than deep sleep. Many areas of the brain are highly active during dream sleep, particularly those involved in emotions and stress, as evidenced by increased blood flow and energy expenditure (increased use of oxygen and glucose). However, the area of the brain that is involved in complex cognitive functions and self awareness- the frontal lobes - become inactive during dream sleep. Dream sleep is often called paradoxical sleep because, except for muscle paralysis so that we can't act our dreams, our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate are as high or higher than during waking, and our brain wave patterns resemble wakefulness.
The eye movements that occur during dreaming do, in fact, appear to coincide with the actions in our dreams. Most individuals who are awakened from dream sleep will report a dream, and even though many of us don't remember our dreams in the morning, everyone dreams. The content of a dream is often detailed, has a continuous quality, and is vivid, bizarre, and sometimes frightening. Despite the fact that dream content is often impossible or improbable, we experience dreams as if they are real because there is a complete suspension of self-reflection (we are not aware that we are dreaming) and logic (impossible experiences of time, places, people, and actions) during dreaming.
During the course of a night's sleep, we progress from Stage 1 to Stage 4 and then through REM sleep in about ninety minutes. Therefore, a six hour sleeper will move through four of these one and one-half hour cycles during the night while an eight hour sleeper will experience about five of these cycles. We spend about 5 percent of the night in Stage 1, 50 percent in Stage 2, 20 percent in deep sleep, and 25% in REM. Early in the night, deep sleep periods are longer (sometimes lasting up to one hour) whereas REM periods last only a few minutes. Later in the night, deep sleep periods grow shorter and the duration of REM periods increase so that, by the final REM period of the early morning, REM sleep may persist for an hour. As a result, we obtain most of our deep sleep during the first half of the night and most of our dream sleep during the last half of the night. And because sleep grows lighter in the second half of the night, awakening are more prone to occur in the second half of the night.
The Functions of Sleep
Despite the significant advances in sleep research over the past half century, no one theory about the function of sleep has been accepted by most sleep researchers, nor is there agreement about the answer to the question "What is sleep?" Sleep used to be defined as a state of quiescence and rest but we have just seen that the brain and body can be very active during sleep. Based on brain imaging studies, there is general agreement that sleep can be defined by a hallmark feature- loss of self-consciousness- and that sleep serves a general function of enforcing energy conservation and restoration.
In fact, it may be that energy conservation and restoration is particularly important to the self-conscious human brain because it uses a tremendous amount of energy to plan, solve problems, reflect on itself, respond to a very complex stimuli, and ponder complicated thoughts.
The various stages of sleep appear to serve particular functions. For example, deep sleep affords the brain and body a profound state of rest by allowing it to go "offline" to recover from the energy that we expend during normal conscious wakefulness. In this sense, deep sleep may serve a major restorative function that renews physical and mental energy. Blood flow decrease to the brain during deep sleep so that it can be directed to the muscles to help replenish physical energy. There is also good evidence that our immune system turns on during deep sleep to combat illness, which is why we need more sleep when we are sick.
Deep sleep seems to be the most important stage of sleep for, if we are deprived of sleep, the brain will recover or "make up" deep sleep first. Furthermore, loss of deep sleep produces the greatest impairments in daytime functioning compared to the loss of other stages of sleep.
Dream sleep is viewed by leading sleep researchers as the brain's system for processing emotions, discharging emotional stress, consolidating memories, and regularly suspending daily self-consciousness. Dr. Allan Hobson, a leading dream researcher at Harvard Medical School, has characterized dream sleep as being similar to psychopathological conditions such psychoses.
For example, dream sleep is, like psychoses, characterized by illogical thinking, lack of self-awareness, and hallucinations (that is, we believe something is real during a dream even though it is imaginary). Why the brain insures that we experience such non-rational states on a daily basis is unclear. Nevertheless, the fact that this occurs every night during sleep suggest that loss of self-awareness is in some way beneficial to the brain.
Dream sleep is also involved in processing and saving newly learned information into memory. Like deep sleep, dream sleep is very important since the brain will try to make up for dream sleep deprivation in the form increased dream sleep (called REM rebound). However, the brain attempts to recover all of the deep sleep it loses but only half of lost dream sleep. This suggests that deep sleep is more important than dream sleep.
Stage 2 sleep is probably a less potent form of deep sleep and is also involved with energy restoration. Stage 1 sleep is more akin to a deep relaxation state than a true sleep state; its main purpose is to prepare the mind and body for the entry into sleep.
Sleep Control Mechanisms in the Brain
The brain contains two complex systems that control sleep- a wake system and a sleep system. In simple terms, the wake system promotes alertness during the day while the sleep system promotes sleep at night. These two systems work together so that the wake system is dominant for about sixteen hours a day while the sleep system is dominant for the remaining eight hours of the day. The wake system is strongest in the morning, late afternoon, and early evening but weakens for a period of time in the mid-afternoon when we feel tired and are designed to take a nap.
The longer the wake system is "on" or active during the day (that is, the more waking time we accumulate during the day), the greater the drive or pressure for nocturnal sleep. Sound sleep is the result of a strong sleep drive and sufficient prior wakefulness during the day. However, one cause of disturbed sleep on a particular night is low sleep pressure caused by too much strength in the wake system and an insufficient period of prior wakefulness.
The other brain control mechanism that regulates sleep and wakefulness is the brain's internal 24 hour clock. This clock is regulated by a structure in the brain called the superchiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN contains a kind of pacemaker that acts as a "clock for all seasons" by being tuned to daily and seasonal changes in light. In mammals, changes in light and darkness at various times of the year play an important role as a signal for breeding and other behaviors such as eating, sleeping, and putting on weight.
In humans, the primary role of the SCN appears to be to regulate daily rhythms of sleep and wakefulness and seasonal changes on mood. (Some people tend to become more depressed in the winter months as light diminishes, a phenomenon known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD).
The SCN acts on changes in light and darkness by affecting the release of a naturally occurring hormone in the brain called melatonin. When sunlight enters the eyes, melatonin concentrations decrease, which promotes wakefulness and increased alertness by signaling body temperature to rise. Body temperature generally rises during the day except for a brief dip in the afternoon, and then hits its daily peak around 6:00 p.m.
We are typically most alert in the late morning and early evening when body temperature is highest. At nighttime, light ceases to enter the eyes, which causes the SCN to trigger the secretion of melatonin. Body temperature drops, alertness wanes, and the descent toward sleep begins. Body temperature continues to decline and reaches its daily low at around 4:00 am; it then prepares us for eventual wakefulness by beginning to rise before sunrise. Once we awaken, the cycle of increasing body temperature during the day and falling temperature at night repeats itself.
Changes in Sleep With Aging
Sleep patterns change from the beginning to the end of life, particularly regarding how much we sleep, the timing of our sleep, and the stages of sleep.
Adolescents sleep about nine hours per nights; young adults about eight, middle aged adults about 7.5, and the elderly slightly less. Thus, our sleep need seems to decline by about one hour during our adult years. However, the elderly tend to compensate for reduced nighttime sleep by increased daytime napping.
There is also a change in the quality of sleep as we age. By our 30's and 40's, less deep sleep is experienced. As a result, we sleep more lightly and experience more awakenings during the night. In fact, deep sleep almost disappears entirely by age seventy.
Although we are not sure why sleep quality and the need for sleep declines with age, it is likely due to the fact that the sleep drive (e.g., the sleep system) weakens with age like many other functions.
Inseparable
In his book Divine Lord and Savior,theologian Albertus Pieters tells about a man who was known as "Old Pete." Although he had little education, he had a good grasp of God's Word.
On one occasion when he was visiting Dr. Pieters, Old Pete made a simple yet profound observation. He said, "If God should take me to the very mouth of hell and say to me, 'Here you go. Pete; this is where you belong,' I would sav to Him, 'That's true, Lord, I do belong there. But if You make me go to that place. Your dear Son Jesus Christ must go with me. He and I are now one and we cannot be. separated anymore. "'
Every person who has trusted in the Lord Jesus for salvation has been united with Him. And that union is inseparable. It gives the child of God a song on his lips and peace in his heart as he travels through life and anticipates his heavenly home.
Old Pete was right. Romans 8:1 states, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Our union with Christ assures us of our freedom from condemnation.
Remember, as believers we are united with Him. We are inseparable! --RwD
On one occasion when he was visiting Dr. Pieters, Old Pete made a simple yet profound observation. He said, "If God should take me to the very mouth of hell and say to me, 'Here you go. Pete; this is where you belong,' I would sav to Him, 'That's true, Lord, I do belong there. But if You make me go to that place. Your dear Son Jesus Christ must go with me. He and I are now one and we cannot be. separated anymore. "'
Every person who has trusted in the Lord Jesus for salvation has been united with Him. And that union is inseparable. It gives the child of God a song on his lips and peace in his heart as he travels through life and anticipates his heavenly home.
Old Pete was right. Romans 8:1 states, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Our union with Christ assures us of our freedom from condemnation.
Remember, as believers we are united with Him. We are inseparable! --RwD
He'll not let my soul be lost,
Christ will hold me fast;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast.
Christ will hold me fast;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast.
BECAUSE CHRIST LIVES IN US NOW, WE WILL LIVE WITH HIM FOREVER.
Friday, May 30, 2008
JESUS FROM THE DUST!
For years I had a framed picture of Jesus. It wasn't until recently that I needed the frame for something else. As I took the frame apart I noticed that the picture of Jesus was perfectly imprinted with dust on the glass. This is a rare and valuable item. How is it that dust can collect right were in needs to be in order to see His eyes, His lips, even His nose with such detail? This is a one time offer to be able to own something so special. Consider this natures art, which can have more than one meaning. This item is framed with care in an oak frame.
Ways to Deal with Anger
- Smile. You can’t work yourself into a rage without an angry face. Relax the muscles in your jaw, forehead, and lips to keep cool, then eke out a grin.
- Look ahead. Will this thing matter in five minutes? Five months? Five years? If not, why bother wasting energy on it?
- Put yourself in charge. Saying “I am choosing not to get angry about this” (or the opposite) can be empowering.
- Adopt a more flexible philosophy of life. A few truths: Things won’t always go your way. Accidents happen. The world is an imperfect place. Repeat as necessary.
- Think of the harm you may cause. Say your child comes home past his curfew. Your options are screaming (outcome: an ugly late-night shouting match) or telling him that you’re quite upset and that you’ll talk first thing in the morning (outcome: a more coherent and calm discussion).
Success In Marriage
The couple seated across from me wanted to get married. Neither had much of a church background. The young man asked about costs. "My only charge is to meet several times to talk about your marriage" I said. "If that's the case," he said, "we'll have to find someone else. We want to be married this weekend." I asked. "Why did you bother to come to me? A justice of the peace will marrv you anytime." The woman blurted out, "Bob and I want to be married in a church by a preacher. We want our marriage to be sacred!"
I admired their desire for a “sacred marriage” yet I wondered what they meant. Apparently, they believed that getting married in a church by a minister let them tote God home with them like a church bulletin, and that would guarantee success. How wrong!
Before two people enter into a lifetime relationship, they each need to enter into a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet a Christian marriage is much more than the marriage of two Christians. Ultimately, its strength reaches down beyond a couple's mutual love to their bedrock faith in Christ, a faith made real in daily living.
Success in marriage comes as we let God work in us and in our relationship to our mate. ---HWR
SUCCESS IN MARRIAGE IS MORE THAN FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT IS BEING THE RIGHT PERSON.
I admired their desire for a “sacred marriage” yet I wondered what they meant. Apparently, they believed that getting married in a church by a minister let them tote God home with them like a church bulletin, and that would guarantee success. How wrong!
Before two people enter into a lifetime relationship, they each need to enter into a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet a Christian marriage is much more than the marriage of two Christians. Ultimately, its strength reaches down beyond a couple's mutual love to their bedrock faith in Christ, a faith made real in daily living.
Success in marriage comes as we let God work in us and in our relationship to our mate. ---HWR
The bond that holds two hearts in love,
A love that is secure,
Receives its strength from Christ's great love,
A love that will endure
A love that is secure,
Receives its strength from Christ's great love,
A love that will endure
SUCCESS IN MARRIAGE IS MORE THAN FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT IS BEING THE RIGHT PERSON.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
VIRGIN MARY IMAGE
Windows that thousands of visitors believed bore the image of the Virgin Mary were discovered broken recently. The three top panes that showed what appeared to be the Virgin Mary’s veiled head were destroyed, with just shards of glass remaining in the window frames. The damage was discovered when a ministry worker arrived the next morning. The image first appeared a week before Christmas in 1996. Hundreds of thousands of people have since visited the church to worship and take pictures. The imagestretched 60 feet high and twenty feet across on nine bronze colored glass panels. The image was evocative of a stained glass portrait of Mary. Shades of purple, blue, yellow, and green washed across the mirrored surface and swirled into a robe-draped figure with downcast head. Unfortunately however, the upper panels of the glass image were destroyed by an 18 year old kid for no particular reason other than to be mean. The vandal received a jail sentence of 10 days and ordered to pay the ministry $1200 for the damage. “He took something that was irreplaceable to the community,” prosecutor Doug Ellis told the kid. The jail stay will be followed by two years of probation.
5 Steps to Resolving Conflicts
Step 1: Determine what you really want.
Say you’re arguing with your sister about caring for your elderly parents. You feel as though you’re shouldering more than your fair share. In the heat of the moment, you can easily become angry and flustered, and that’s not the time to negotiate. Instead, stop, acknowledge that you want to work things out, and “suggest an alternate time for discussion,” says communication expert Rick Brinkman.
What’s most important is thinking about your ideal outcome — in this case, a more equitable distribution of responsibility. Writing down your feelings or talking through them with a friend may help give clarity to your thoughts, says mediator Elinor Robin.
Step 2: Gather information.
Once you’ve worked out your thoughts, get a handle on the other person’s. “Don’t assume you know the cause of a problem or what the other person is feeling,” says mediator Elinor Robin. “Arm yourself with as much information as you can before starting your discussion.”
Suppose you didn’t get a promotion you thought you deserved. Don’t confront your boss in outrage; ask why she felt you weren’t right for the position, then use that information as the basis for a subsequent career discussion. Or maybe your husband blew up at you because of high clothing bills. Instead of shouting back, ask what’s bothering him about your budget. Is money tight? Does he think you spend a lot more than he does? You might also research how much, on average, American women spend on clothing, then discuss with him how your expenditures compare.
Step 3: Determine your negotiation process.
Start by deciding whom you want to be present for the discussion and when and where it will take place. Choose a setting that will make both parties comfortable — the den rather than the kitchen, a conference room rather than the boss’s office. “Using a neutral spot to resolve a conflict can make all the difference in the world,” says communication expert Rick Brinkman.
Next, “set ground rules for how you’ll talk to each other,” says psychologist Eileen Borris. That is, vow to keep name-calling and accusations out of the process. Decide ahead of time who will speak first.
Step 4: Send the right message.
Go into the discussion with several ideas of how to resolve the conflict. Make it clear that you’re there to work things out, saying something like “OK, we both want to come to an agreement” to establish common ground. “It’s hard to fight with someone who says, ‘I want to find a solution that works for both of us,’” says mediator Elinor Robin. That message has to be physical as well as verbal, so avoid movements that indicate irritation or frustration, like tapping your fingers, crossing your arms, and rolling your eyes.
Step 5: Negotiate.
Take turns airing your grievances — speaking only when it’s your turn — and keep things as amicable as possible as you try to find solutions together. “It can go right down the tubes here if you start arguing with the other person,” says professor and author G. Richard Shell. If you start to lose your cool, negotiation expert William Ury suggests what he calls “going to the balcony” in your mind: “Take a deep breath or two, wait a few seconds before responding, and slow down the communication with a rote phrase, like ‘Let me understand what it is you’re saying.’”
If All Else Fails…
When a resolution eludes you no matter how hard you try, bring in a mediator, the experts suggest. This neutral third party gathers information from both sides, then brings them together to find an equitable solution. A friend, a family member, or a colleague with no stake in the conflict could fill the role, but a professional will know techniques to keep the negotiation process on track.
The important thing to remember is that avoiding or ignoring a conflict won’t make it go away. Taking positive steps toward a resolution will leave you feeling better in the end.
Say you’re arguing with your sister about caring for your elderly parents. You feel as though you’re shouldering more than your fair share. In the heat of the moment, you can easily become angry and flustered, and that’s not the time to negotiate. Instead, stop, acknowledge that you want to work things out, and “suggest an alternate time for discussion,” says communication expert Rick Brinkman.
What’s most important is thinking about your ideal outcome — in this case, a more equitable distribution of responsibility. Writing down your feelings or talking through them with a friend may help give clarity to your thoughts, says mediator Elinor Robin.
Step 2: Gather information.
Once you’ve worked out your thoughts, get a handle on the other person’s. “Don’t assume you know the cause of a problem or what the other person is feeling,” says mediator Elinor Robin. “Arm yourself with as much information as you can before starting your discussion.”
Suppose you didn’t get a promotion you thought you deserved. Don’t confront your boss in outrage; ask why she felt you weren’t right for the position, then use that information as the basis for a subsequent career discussion. Or maybe your husband blew up at you because of high clothing bills. Instead of shouting back, ask what’s bothering him about your budget. Is money tight? Does he think you spend a lot more than he does? You might also research how much, on average, American women spend on clothing, then discuss with him how your expenditures compare.
Step 3: Determine your negotiation process.
Start by deciding whom you want to be present for the discussion and when and where it will take place. Choose a setting that will make both parties comfortable — the den rather than the kitchen, a conference room rather than the boss’s office. “Using a neutral spot to resolve a conflict can make all the difference in the world,” says communication expert Rick Brinkman.
Next, “set ground rules for how you’ll talk to each other,” says psychologist Eileen Borris. That is, vow to keep name-calling and accusations out of the process. Decide ahead of time who will speak first.
Step 4: Send the right message.
Go into the discussion with several ideas of how to resolve the conflict. Make it clear that you’re there to work things out, saying something like “OK, we both want to come to an agreement” to establish common ground. “It’s hard to fight with someone who says, ‘I want to find a solution that works for both of us,’” says mediator Elinor Robin. That message has to be physical as well as verbal, so avoid movements that indicate irritation or frustration, like tapping your fingers, crossing your arms, and rolling your eyes.
Step 5: Negotiate.
Take turns airing your grievances — speaking only when it’s your turn — and keep things as amicable as possible as you try to find solutions together. “It can go right down the tubes here if you start arguing with the other person,” says professor and author G. Richard Shell. If you start to lose your cool, negotiation expert William Ury suggests what he calls “going to the balcony” in your mind: “Take a deep breath or two, wait a few seconds before responding, and slow down the communication with a rote phrase, like ‘Let me understand what it is you’re saying.’”
If All Else Fails…
When a resolution eludes you no matter how hard you try, bring in a mediator, the experts suggest. This neutral third party gathers information from both sides, then brings them together to find an equitable solution. A friend, a family member, or a colleague with no stake in the conflict could fill the role, but a professional will know techniques to keep the negotiation process on track.
The important thing to remember is that avoiding or ignoring a conflict won’t make it go away. Taking positive steps toward a resolution will leave you feeling better in the end.
How To Be Miserable
From an unknown source comes an article titled, "How To Be Miserable." It says, "Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use 'I' as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Insist on consideration and respect. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them. Never forget a service you have rendered. Shirk your duties if you can. Do as little as possible for others."
Seeing ourselves as the center of the universe leads to misery. We weren't made to be the focus of our own attention. According to today's Scripture reading. we were made to give our hearts to "the High and Lofty One," who lives with those who have a contrite and humble spirit (Is. 57:15). He brings comfort and peace to those who sense their need of Him (vv.18-19).
Lord, help us to turn our thoughts away from ourselves and focus our attention on You, the only source of true and lasting peace. -MRDII
A PERSON IS NEVER SO EMPTY AS WHEN HE IS FULL OF SELF
Seeing ourselves as the center of the universe leads to misery. We weren't made to be the focus of our own attention. According to today's Scripture reading. we were made to give our hearts to "the High and Lofty One," who lives with those who have a contrite and humble spirit (Is. 57:15). He brings comfort and peace to those who sense their need of Him (vv.18-19).
Lord, help us to turn our thoughts away from ourselves and focus our attention on You, the only source of true and lasting peace. -MRDII
Self-centeredness brings misery,
A proud heart brings much pain;
But those with true humility
A lasting peace will gain
A proud heart brings much pain;
But those with true humility
A lasting peace will gain
A PERSON IS NEVER SO EMPTY AS WHEN HE IS FULL OF SELF
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
5 Secrets To Look Sexy
5 Secrets To Look Sexy With Flat Sandals
Flats have been in trend since years but some don't like wearing them for their simple appearance. Women do like wearing sandals for style aspects and to appear sexy. But flats don't give the sexy appeal they want. But this spring, it's all about flat sandals to boost up the joy and fun in you. These sandals are alternative sure-fire footwear for this hot summer and spring fashion.
Some women don't like wearing as they aren't as flattering as the stylish and sexy stilettos. But one can really appear seductive in these shoes, if they are paired with proper outfits. Well, here you can find some great secrets of looking sexy with these fabulous flats. So, skim through the below mentioned secrets and gain a seductive appearance with this footwear.
Flats have been in trend since years but some don't like wearing them for their simple appearance. Women do like wearing sandals for style aspects and to appear sexy. But flats don't give the sexy appeal they want. But this spring, it's all about flat sandals to boost up the joy and fun in you. These sandals are alternative sure-fire footwear for this hot summer and spring fashion.
Some women don't like wearing as they aren't as flattering as the stylish and sexy stilettos. But one can really appear seductive in these shoes, if they are paired with proper outfits. Well, here you can find some great secrets of looking sexy with these fabulous flats. So, skim through the below mentioned secrets and gain a seductive appearance with this footwear.
- Pick a beautiful color that dazzles every step you walk. This season, flat shoes are designed in an array of colors and beautiful hues with superb styles. The most prominent and beautiful color of all is burnished bronze ballet flats, perfect for any club dance or disco. Silver too is versatile and the perfect cherry on the cake for beautiful evening gowns.
- Showing a little gleaming flesh on your legs when pairing these flats will gain you a heck lot of sexy appearance. Capri pants will perfectly fit the bill for any casual wear while knee length capri pants will be the right bet for a more flattering look.
- Floral designs are this seasons trend alert. So, in a sunny day, prefer wearing any beautiful floral dress paired with elegant floral ballet flats to appear cool and stylish in the hot summer.
- Avoid wearing this footwear with flared pants or bell bottoms. This combination will truly give you a laid back style. Prefer wearing clean lines that give you a sleek and lean appearance. You can even prefer wearing straight and slender pants, streamlined skirts etc to charm your appearance.
- Color of the sandals too plays a vital role in giving you a sexy appearance. Red, black, fuschia, silver, bronze etc will be the right cup of tea to go with any outfit giving you a luscious appearance. These colors lift your spirit to the endless skies of fashion and take your sex appeal go off the roof.
10 Ways to Sex Up Your Look
What's sexy without being sleazy?
Adding unexpected touches (a wrapped shirt, a grand exit) and glamorous essentials (red lips, shades).
It's about dressing in fabrics that feel great against your skin.
And it's about choosing more original ways to express your sensuality than by merely donning a micromini.
Our get-sexy looks work for any age or budget: some are after-dark only (shoulder-duster earrings), while others can work for daytime (touchable fabrics, hats).
Here's how to add sizzle to your look without sacrificing your modesty.
1. Wear something ordinary in an unexpected way.
It doesn't have to be a huge statement like wearing a jacket backwards; subtle alterations pack the chicest punch. For example, take a basic man's white shirt (slightly oversized), unbutton it, wrap it so that one side overlaps the over and tuck in.)
2. Do red lipstick.
Pale lips may be trendy, but nothing does the job like red. Use lipliner for a perfect appearance, choose a creamy matte in a red that best suits your skin tone (blue-reds for darker skin tones; orangey hues for olive; true reds for blondes). Use a light hand for the rest of the face because the lips should take center stage.
3. Add a hat.
Nothing attracts attention quite like a hat. First, it takes guts to wear one. Second, it takes panache to carry it off. Combine the two qualities and you get major sex appeal. Stay with classic shapes -- the fedora, the beret -- to make it easier to pull off.
4. Accessorize with shoulder-duster earrings.
Skip every other piece of jewelry, pull your hair back and make sure your makeup stays soft. This look goes great with bare shoulders and updos, too. Definitely an after-dark look.
5. Make it metallic.
Black may be supersexy, but gold, silver, copper and pewter are especially luminous when you're going for vavoom. Look for simple shapes (the story here is the fabric and color, not the line of the outfit) and tones that flatter your skin color. Pass on major jewelry and makeup to let the dress really shine.
6. Adopt an exotic look.
The cheongsam is a classic example of a dress with international allure. Harem pants, sarongs and embroidered items are all borrowed ethnic looks with tons of feminine charm. The mandarin-collar dress from China is flattering, chic and always intriguing.
7. Wear shades.
Perhaps the single sexiest item you can own are a great pair of sunglasses. They add tons of mystery, look cute even on top of your head and actually serve the practical purpose of protecting your eyes.
8. Make a grand exit.
Sexy is all about surprises, so a deceptively simple dress from the front can be a showstopper in the back. Open backs, lace-up backs, great dress trains all make for dramatic effects.
9. Stay soft with touchable fabrics.
Forget everything you've ever heard about hardcore leathers or sparkly sequins being heat-inducing. Cashmere, silky satin, buttery soft suedes are the real scene-stealers. Touchable fabrics not only invite another's touch, they have the added bonus of feeling great against your skin so you feel pampered and sexy.
10. Play peekaboo.
No need to bare your breasts, even with lace. Nude linings, camisoles and slips all keep you covered while the lace itself stays really suggestive.
Adding unexpected touches (a wrapped shirt, a grand exit) and glamorous essentials (red lips, shades).
It's about dressing in fabrics that feel great against your skin.
And it's about choosing more original ways to express your sensuality than by merely donning a micromini.
Our get-sexy looks work for any age or budget: some are after-dark only (shoulder-duster earrings), while others can work for daytime (touchable fabrics, hats).
Here's how to add sizzle to your look without sacrificing your modesty.
1. Wear something ordinary in an unexpected way.
It doesn't have to be a huge statement like wearing a jacket backwards; subtle alterations pack the chicest punch. For example, take a basic man's white shirt (slightly oversized), unbutton it, wrap it so that one side overlaps the over and tuck in.)
2. Do red lipstick.
Pale lips may be trendy, but nothing does the job like red. Use lipliner for a perfect appearance, choose a creamy matte in a red that best suits your skin tone (blue-reds for darker skin tones; orangey hues for olive; true reds for blondes). Use a light hand for the rest of the face because the lips should take center stage.
3. Add a hat.
Nothing attracts attention quite like a hat. First, it takes guts to wear one. Second, it takes panache to carry it off. Combine the two qualities and you get major sex appeal. Stay with classic shapes -- the fedora, the beret -- to make it easier to pull off.
4. Accessorize with shoulder-duster earrings.
Skip every other piece of jewelry, pull your hair back and make sure your makeup stays soft. This look goes great with bare shoulders and updos, too. Definitely an after-dark look.
5. Make it metallic.
Black may be supersexy, but gold, silver, copper and pewter are especially luminous when you're going for vavoom. Look for simple shapes (the story here is the fabric and color, not the line of the outfit) and tones that flatter your skin color. Pass on major jewelry and makeup to let the dress really shine.
6. Adopt an exotic look.
The cheongsam is a classic example of a dress with international allure. Harem pants, sarongs and embroidered items are all borrowed ethnic looks with tons of feminine charm. The mandarin-collar dress from China is flattering, chic and always intriguing.
7. Wear shades.
Perhaps the single sexiest item you can own are a great pair of sunglasses. They add tons of mystery, look cute even on top of your head and actually serve the practical purpose of protecting your eyes.
8. Make a grand exit.
Sexy is all about surprises, so a deceptively simple dress from the front can be a showstopper in the back. Open backs, lace-up backs, great dress trains all make for dramatic effects.
9. Stay soft with touchable fabrics.
Forget everything you've ever heard about hardcore leathers or sparkly sequins being heat-inducing. Cashmere, silky satin, buttery soft suedes are the real scene-stealers. Touchable fabrics not only invite another's touch, they have the added bonus of feeling great against your skin so you feel pampered and sexy.
10. Play peekaboo.
No need to bare your breasts, even with lace. Nude linings, camisoles and slips all keep you covered while the lace itself stays really suggestive.
Facts of Heart
Let's get straight to the heart of the matter. The heart's job is to move blood.
Day and night, the muscles of your heart contract and relax to pump blood throughout your body. When blood returns to the heart, it follows a complicated pathway. If you were in the bloodstream, you would follow the steps below one by one.
Sure, you know how to steal hearts, win hearts, and break hearts. But how much do you really know about your heart and how it works? Read on to your heart's content.
Put your hand on your heart. Did you place your hand on the left side of your chest? Many people do, but the heart is actually located almost in the center of the chest, between the lungs. It's tipped slightly so that a part of it sticks out and taps against the left side of the chest, which is what makes it seem as though it is located there.
Hold out your hand and make a fist. If you're a kid, your heart is about the same size as your fist, and if you're an adult, it's about the same size as two fists.
Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.
Give a tennis ball a good, hard squeeze. You're using about the same amount of force your heart uses to pump blood out to the body. Even at rest, the muscles of the heart work hard--twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting.
Feel your pulse by placing two fingers at pulse points on your neck or wrists. The pulse you feel is blood stopping and starting as it moves through your arteries. As a kid, your resting pulse might range from 90 to 120 beats per minute. As an adult, your pulse rate slows to an average of 72 beats per minute.
The aorta, the largest artery in the body, is almost the diameter of a garden hose. Capillaries, on the other hand, are so small that it takes ten of them to equal the thickness of a human hair.
Your body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood. This 5.6 liters of blood circulates through the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels a total of 19,000 km (12,000 miles)-- that's four times the distance across the US from coast to coast.
The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime--that's enough to fill more than 3 super tankers.
Day and night, the muscles of your heart contract and relax to pump blood throughout your body. When blood returns to the heart, it follows a complicated pathway. If you were in the bloodstream, you would follow the steps below one by one.
- Oxygen-poor blood (shown in blue) flows from the body into the right atrium.
- Blood flows through the right atrium into the right ventricle.
- The right ventricle pumps the blood to the lungs, where the blood releases waste gases and picks up oxygen.
- The newly oxygen-rich blood (shown in red) returns to the heart and enters the left atrium.
- Blood flows through the left atrium into the left ventricle.
- The left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body.
Sure, you know how to steal hearts, win hearts, and break hearts. But how much do you really know about your heart and how it works? Read on to your heart's content.
Put your hand on your heart. Did you place your hand on the left side of your chest? Many people do, but the heart is actually located almost in the center of the chest, between the lungs. It's tipped slightly so that a part of it sticks out and taps against the left side of the chest, which is what makes it seem as though it is located there.
Hold out your hand and make a fist. If you're a kid, your heart is about the same size as your fist, and if you're an adult, it's about the same size as two fists.
Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.
Give a tennis ball a good, hard squeeze. You're using about the same amount of force your heart uses to pump blood out to the body. Even at rest, the muscles of the heart work hard--twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting.
Feel your pulse by placing two fingers at pulse points on your neck or wrists. The pulse you feel is blood stopping and starting as it moves through your arteries. As a kid, your resting pulse might range from 90 to 120 beats per minute. As an adult, your pulse rate slows to an average of 72 beats per minute.
The aorta, the largest artery in the body, is almost the diameter of a garden hose. Capillaries, on the other hand, are so small that it takes ten of them to equal the thickness of a human hair.
Your body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood. This 5.6 liters of blood circulates through the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels a total of 19,000 km (12,000 miles)-- that's four times the distance across the US from coast to coast.
The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime--that's enough to fill more than 3 super tankers.
God's Enablement
Author Gary Inrig tells an amusing story of a man who complained to a psychiatrist about having an inferiority complex. The doctor listened patiently, then said. "The good news is. you don't have a complex. The had news is, you are inferior!"
Gideon was a lot like that man. He was an unlikely candidate for national leadership. Because he was afraid of the Midianite raiders, he tried to remain unnoticed by threshing his wheat in a winepress. He never dreamed of leading Israel to a military victory over their enemies. But the Lord called him to a task that required great courage and leadership. lie pushed aside Gideon's plea of inadequacy. "Go in this might of yours,"He said. "Have I not sent you:"' (Jud. 6:14) God would equip him. Gideon's responsibility was simply to obey.
The Lord has made effective church leaders and teachers of people Mho never dreamed they could do the job. We must not let feelings of inferiority get us down or become an excuse for disobedience. God can enable us to perform far beyond our natural abilities
There is a special niche for you to fill. Ask God to help you be and do what He wants. The same God who enabled Gideon will enable you.
GOD'S RESOURCES ARE ALWAYS EQUAL TO HIS REQUIREMENTS
Gideon was a lot like that man. He was an unlikely candidate for national leadership. Because he was afraid of the Midianite raiders, he tried to remain unnoticed by threshing his wheat in a winepress. He never dreamed of leading Israel to a military victory over their enemies. But the Lord called him to a task that required great courage and leadership. lie pushed aside Gideon's plea of inadequacy. "Go in this might of yours,"He said. "Have I not sent you:"' (Jud. 6:14) God would equip him. Gideon's responsibility was simply to obey.
The Lord has made effective church leaders and teachers of people Mho never dreamed they could do the job. We must not let feelings of inferiority get us down or become an excuse for disobedience. God can enable us to perform far beyond our natural abilities
There is a special niche for you to fill. Ask God to help you be and do what He wants. The same God who enabled Gideon will enable you.
You may not be a superstar.
Your talents may be few;
But God will give ebablement
And power to see you through
Your talents may be few;
But God will give ebablement
And power to see you through
GOD'S RESOURCES ARE ALWAYS EQUAL TO HIS REQUIREMENTS
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Are You Drinking Enough Water ?
If you're not, you could end up with excess body fat, poor muscle tone, digestive complications, muscle soreness -- even water-retention problems.
Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days. Yet most people have no idea how much water they should drink. In fact, many live in a dehydrated state.
Without water, we'd be poisoned to death by our own waste products. When the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, these must be dissolved in water. If there isn't enough water, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones. Water also is vital for chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration. Water also lubricates our joints.
We even need water to breathe: our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. It is possible to lose a pint of liquid each day just exhaling.
So if you don't drink sufficient water, you can impair every aspect of your physiology. Dr. Howard Flaks, a bariatric (obesity) specialist in Beverly Hills, Calif, says, "By not drinking enough water, many people incur excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness and water retention."
Water retention? If you're not drinking enough, your body may retain water to compensate. Paradoxically, fluid retention can sometimes be eliminated by drinking more water, not less.
"Proper water intake is a key to weight loss," says Dr. Donald Robertson, medical director of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If people who are trying to lose weight don't drink enough water, the body can't metabolize the fat adequately. Retaining fluid also keeps weight up."
The minimum for a healthy person is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day," says Dr. Flaks. "You need more if you exercise a lot or live in a hot climate. And overweight people should drink in an extra glass for every 25 pounds they exceed their ideal weight. Consult your own physician for their recommendations.
At the International Sports Medicine Institute, we have a formula for daily water intake: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you're not active (that's ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you're athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight).
Your intake should be spread throughout the day and evening. You may wonder: If I drink this much, won't I constantly be running to the bathroom? Yes. But after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and you urinate less frequently but in larger amounts.
And by consuming those eight to ten glasses of water throughout the day, you could be on your way to a healthier, leaner body.
By: Leroy R. Perry, Jr.
Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days. Yet most people have no idea how much water they should drink. In fact, many live in a dehydrated state.
Without water, we'd be poisoned to death by our own waste products. When the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, these must be dissolved in water. If there isn't enough water, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones. Water also is vital for chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration. Water also lubricates our joints.
We even need water to breathe: our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. It is possible to lose a pint of liquid each day just exhaling.
So if you don't drink sufficient water, you can impair every aspect of your physiology. Dr. Howard Flaks, a bariatric (obesity) specialist in Beverly Hills, Calif, says, "By not drinking enough water, many people incur excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness and water retention."
Water retention? If you're not drinking enough, your body may retain water to compensate. Paradoxically, fluid retention can sometimes be eliminated by drinking more water, not less.
"Proper water intake is a key to weight loss," says Dr. Donald Robertson, medical director of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If people who are trying to lose weight don't drink enough water, the body can't metabolize the fat adequately. Retaining fluid also keeps weight up."
The minimum for a healthy person is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day," says Dr. Flaks. "You need more if you exercise a lot or live in a hot climate. And overweight people should drink in an extra glass for every 25 pounds they exceed their ideal weight. Consult your own physician for their recommendations.
At the International Sports Medicine Institute, we have a formula for daily water intake: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you're not active (that's ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you're athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight).
Your intake should be spread throughout the day and evening. You may wonder: If I drink this much, won't I constantly be running to the bathroom? Yes. But after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and you urinate less frequently but in larger amounts.
And by consuming those eight to ten glasses of water throughout the day, you could be on your way to a healthier, leaner body.
By: Leroy R. Perry, Jr.
Drinking Warm Water After Meal
This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about heart attacks. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot green tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating.
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and may lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this & Send the link to a friend. It could save a life. So, please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.
Some people say that it is just an old myth to drink warm water to prevent heart attacks and I'd also like to point out that snopes.com declares this information as an urban myth and many other people agree that cold water is not related to cancer or heart attacks in any way. So, I have no idea if this is true and there is no research to support this theory however I still wanted to share this information about "heart attacks and drinking warm water" with all of you because its always better to be safe than to be sorry.
Heart Attack Information
A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is suddenly and permanently cut off, causing permanent damage to the heart muscle. Chest pain is typically severe and does not go away with rest or medicine that is effective with angina. Symptoms may indicate your heart is in danger many months or years before a heart attack occurs. Persistent symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea, great fatigue, angina/chest pain, fainting spells and gas-like discomfort, are red flags.
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and may lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this & Send the link to a friend. It could save a life. So, please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.
Some people say that it is just an old myth to drink warm water to prevent heart attacks and I'd also like to point out that snopes.com declares this information as an urban myth and many other people agree that cold water is not related to cancer or heart attacks in any way. So, I have no idea if this is true and there is no research to support this theory however I still wanted to share this information about "heart attacks and drinking warm water" with all of you because its always better to be safe than to be sorry.
Heart Attack Information
A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is suddenly and permanently cut off, causing permanent damage to the heart muscle. Chest pain is typically severe and does not go away with rest or medicine that is effective with angina. Symptoms may indicate your heart is in danger many months or years before a heart attack occurs. Persistent symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea, great fatigue, angina/chest pain, fainting spells and gas-like discomfort, are red flags.
- 1 in 3 adults, both men and women, has some form of cardiovascular disease.
- In 90% of adult victims of sudden cardiac death, two or more major coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked.
- Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4-6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest.
- It is in the early or initial stage that the heart disease is almost certainly treatable.
- The heart and brain muscles are the ones which cannot be revived once dead.
- For a large number of patients, the first and only symptom of heart disease is a fatal heart attack. Thus diagnosis becomes extremely important for everyone and that too pre-emptive and non-invasive.
Just A Word
It was just a word spoken, without a doubt, in the proper context and with good intent. But it surprised at least one little listener.
Five-year-old David was ,sitting in church with his parent happily drawing and looking at pictures. seemingly oblivious to the pastor's message. But then the preacher said the word stupid David Sat bolt upright in his pew. frantically tapped his mommy on the arm and reported. "He Said stupid! Apparently this was a word David's parent had taught him not to use at home so when he heard the pastor. of all people, say it. he was filled with as much surprise and righteous indignation as a 5-year-old Could muster.
David didn't have the discernment to know that the pastor had not used the word in the hateful way his parents disliked. He didn't expect someone like the pastor to use the word at all.
People have a right to expect that our language Will he different from the world', because we are followers of Jesus Christ. It is inconsistent for us who have Christ living in us to use words of hate or profanity or cursing. That's James' point in today's text. Our words should always he sweet, not bitter words that would never offend a child. ---JDB
Five-year-old David was ,sitting in church with his parent happily drawing and looking at pictures. seemingly oblivious to the pastor's message. But then the preacher said the word stupid David Sat bolt upright in his pew. frantically tapped his mommy on the arm and reported. "He Said stupid! Apparently this was a word David's parent had taught him not to use at home so when he heard the pastor. of all people, say it. he was filled with as much surprise and righteous indignation as a 5-year-old Could muster.
David didn't have the discernment to know that the pastor had not used the word in the hateful way his parents disliked. He didn't expect someone like the pastor to use the word at all.
People have a right to expect that our language Will he different from the world', because we are followers of Jesus Christ. It is inconsistent for us who have Christ living in us to use words of hate or profanity or cursing. That's James' point in today's text. Our words should always he sweet, not bitter words that would never offend a child. ---JDB
Words are things of little cost.
Quickly spoken, quickly lost;
We forget them, but they stand
Witnesses at God's right hand
CHILDREAN OF THE KING SHOULD USE THE LANGUAGE OF THE COURT
Quickly spoken, quickly lost;
We forget them, but they stand
Witnesses at God's right hand
Monday, May 26, 2008
read/write NTFS from DOS
NTFS4DOS Private is the only free for private usage tool that allows unrestricted full read and write access to NTFS volumes. Thereby it is the ideal solution for offline AV scanning, backups or it might be used as an ERD solution.
NTFS4DOS Private is loaded as a simple program like a CD-ROM extension and can coexist with any other tools like TCP/IP network, AV-Scanners or ghosting software.
As a bonus you get an NTFS checkdisk application for DOS as well as a defragmentation utility for any FAT/NTFS volume for DOS.
NTFS4DOS Private is from the same authors then the famous "CIA Commander 2" and "CIA DRiVE.net" recovery tool.
Download:
NTFS4DOS 1.8
NTFS4DOS Private is loaded as a simple program like a CD-ROM extension and can coexist with any other tools like TCP/IP network, AV-Scanners or ghosting software.
As a bonus you get an NTFS checkdisk application for DOS as well as a defragmentation utility for any FAT/NTFS volume for DOS.
NTFS4DOS Private is from the same authors then the famous "CIA Commander 2" and "CIA DRiVE.net" recovery tool.
Download:
NTFS4DOS 1.8
I'm Not Perfect
Musician Ken Medema was born blind, but his parents determined to treat him as a normal child. They taught him to play games, ride a bike, and water-ski. They weren't denying his condition; they were affirming his worth as a person. Growing up with that kind of love, Ken developed an inner wholeness that almost made him forget his disability.
One day on campus, he accidentally bumped into another blind student who said, "Hey, watch it. Don't you know I'm blind?" Instead of mentioning his own handicap, Ken apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you."
As Christians, we too bump into tough situations in which our weaknesses are revealed. Unlike Ken, however, we often react immaturely and use our weakness es as an excuse. "After all, I'm not perfect," we argue.
The Corinthian believers had much spiritual growing to do I Cor. 1:11 ; 3:1). Therefore, as Paul closed his second letter to them, he wrote, "Become complete." He used a word that also means "adjust, mend, repair." It's our responsibility to make the needed adjustments. God's part is to keep on affirming His love for us regardless of our tendency to sin. And that He does, for Paul assured us that the "God of love" will be with us. -DJD
TO GAIN SPIRITUAL STRENGTH, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE OUR WEAKNESS
One day on campus, he accidentally bumped into another blind student who said, "Hey, watch it. Don't you know I'm blind?" Instead of mentioning his own handicap, Ken apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you."
As Christians, we too bump into tough situations in which our weaknesses are revealed. Unlike Ken, however, we often react immaturely and use our weakness es as an excuse. "After all, I'm not perfect," we argue.
The Corinthian believers had much spiritual growing to do I Cor. 1:11 ; 3:1). Therefore, as Paul closed his second letter to them, he wrote, "Become complete." He used a word that also means "adjust, mend, repair." It's our responsibility to make the needed adjustments. God's part is to keep on affirming His love for us regardless of our tendency to sin. And that He does, for Paul assured us that the "God of love" will be with us. -DJD
Prayer
Father, forgive us for making excuse for our
selfishness and pride. Work in us so that those
who are spiritually blind may see Your love in us
Father, forgive us for making excuse for our
selfishness and pride. Work in us so that those
who are spiritually blind may see Your love in us
TO GAIN SPIRITUAL STRENGTH, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE OUR WEAKNESS
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Phoenix Spacecraft Lands at Mars
Picture taken from Phoenix
(Click The Picture To Enlarge)
(Click The Picture To Enlarge)
NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars today to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm.
Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53:44 p.m. Eastern Time) confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier. The signals took that long to travel from Mars to Earth at the speed of light.
Mission team members at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.; Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver; and the University of Arizona, Tucson, cheered confirmation of the landing and eagerly awaited further information from Phoenix later tonight.
Among those in the JPL control room was NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, who noted this was the first successful Mars landing without airbags since Viking 2 in 1976.
"For the first time in 32 years, and only the third time in history, a JPL team has carried out a soft landing on Mars," Griffin said. "I couldn't be happier to be here to witness this incredible achievement."
During its 422-million-mile flight from Earth to Mars after launching on Aug. 4, 2007, Phoenix relied on electricity from solar panels during the spacecraft's cruise stage. The cruise stage was jettisoned seven minutes before the lander, encased in a protective shell, entered the Martian atmosphere. Batteries provide electricity until the lander's own pair of solar arrays spread open.
"We've passed the hardest part and we're breathing again, but we still need to see that Phoenix has opened its solar arrays and begun generating power," said JPL's Barry Goldstein, the Phoenix project manager. If all goes well, engineers will learn the status of the solar arrays between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time (10 and 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time) from a Phoenix transmission relayed via NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter.
The team will also be watching for the Sunday night transmission to confirm that masts for the stereo camera and the weather station have swung to their vertical positions.
"What a thrilling landing! But the team is waiting impatiently for the next set of signals that will verify a healthy spacecraft," said Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, principal investigator for the Phoenix mission. "I can hardly contain my enthusiasm. The first landed images of the Martian polar terrain will set the stage for our mission."
Another critical deployment will be the first use of the 7.7-foot-long robotic arm on Phoenix, which will not be attempted for at least two days. Researchers will use the arm during future weeks to get samples of soil and ice into laboratory instruments on the lander deck.
The signal confirming that Phoenix had survived touchdown was relayed via Mars Odyssey and received on Earth at the Goldstone, Calif., antenna station of NASA's Deep Space Network.
Phoenix uses hardware from a spacecraft built for a 2001 launch that was canceled in response to the loss of a similar Mars spacecraft during a 1999 landing attempt. Researchers who proposed the Phoenix mission in 2002 saw the unused spacecraft as a resource for pursuing a new science opportunity. Earlier in 2002, Mars Odyssey discovered that plentiful water ice lies just beneath the surface throughout much of high-latitude Mars. NASA chose the Phoenix proposal over 24 other proposals to become the first endeavor in the Mars Scout program of competitively selected missions.
The Phoenix mission is led by Smith at the University of Arizona with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix .
(Click The Picture To Enlarge)
(Click The Picture To Enlarge)
NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars today to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm.
Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53:44 p.m. Eastern Time) confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier. The signals took that long to travel from Mars to Earth at the speed of light.
Mission team members at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.; Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver; and the University of Arizona, Tucson, cheered confirmation of the landing and eagerly awaited further information from Phoenix later tonight.
Among those in the JPL control room was NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, who noted this was the first successful Mars landing without airbags since Viking 2 in 1976.
"For the first time in 32 years, and only the third time in history, a JPL team has carried out a soft landing on Mars," Griffin said. "I couldn't be happier to be here to witness this incredible achievement."
During its 422-million-mile flight from Earth to Mars after launching on Aug. 4, 2007, Phoenix relied on electricity from solar panels during the spacecraft's cruise stage. The cruise stage was jettisoned seven minutes before the lander, encased in a protective shell, entered the Martian atmosphere. Batteries provide electricity until the lander's own pair of solar arrays spread open.
"We've passed the hardest part and we're breathing again, but we still need to see that Phoenix has opened its solar arrays and begun generating power," said JPL's Barry Goldstein, the Phoenix project manager. If all goes well, engineers will learn the status of the solar arrays between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time (10 and 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time) from a Phoenix transmission relayed via NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter.
The team will also be watching for the Sunday night transmission to confirm that masts for the stereo camera and the weather station have swung to their vertical positions.
"What a thrilling landing! But the team is waiting impatiently for the next set of signals that will verify a healthy spacecraft," said Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, principal investigator for the Phoenix mission. "I can hardly contain my enthusiasm. The first landed images of the Martian polar terrain will set the stage for our mission."
Another critical deployment will be the first use of the 7.7-foot-long robotic arm on Phoenix, which will not be attempted for at least two days. Researchers will use the arm during future weeks to get samples of soil and ice into laboratory instruments on the lander deck.
The signal confirming that Phoenix had survived touchdown was relayed via Mars Odyssey and received on Earth at the Goldstone, Calif., antenna station of NASA's Deep Space Network.
Phoenix uses hardware from a spacecraft built for a 2001 launch that was canceled in response to the loss of a similar Mars spacecraft during a 1999 landing attempt. Researchers who proposed the Phoenix mission in 2002 saw the unused spacecraft as a resource for pursuing a new science opportunity. Earlier in 2002, Mars Odyssey discovered that plentiful water ice lies just beneath the surface throughout much of high-latitude Mars. NASA chose the Phoenix proposal over 24 other proposals to become the first endeavor in the Mars Scout program of competitively selected missions.
The Phoenix mission is led by Smith at the University of Arizona with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix .
F1 RESULT GRAND PRIX MONACO 2008
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
2. Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber F1 Team
3. Felipe Massa (BRA) Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
4. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull Racing
5. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Scuderia Toro Rosso
6. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Honda Racing F1 Team
7. Kazuki Nakajima (JPN) AT&T Williams
8. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
9. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
10. Fernando Alonso (ESP) ING Renault F1 Team
11. Jenson Button (GBR) Honda Racing F1 Team
12. Timo Glock (GER) Panasonic Toyota Racing
13. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Panasonic Toyota Racing
14. Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber F1 Team
Not Classified
Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India F1 Team
Nico Rosberg (GER) AT&T Williams
Nelson Piquet (BRA) ING Renault F1 Team
Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India F1 Team
David Coulthard (GBR) Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Bourdais (FRA) Scuderia Toro Rosso
Download torrent more efficient
µTorrent is an efficient and feature rich BitTorrent client for Windows sporting a very small footprint. It was designed to use as little cpu, memory and space as possible while offering all the functionality expected from advanced clients. With BitTorrent, you can download files faster and contribute by sharing files and bandwidth.
Features:
What's New in version 1.8 Build 10364 Beta:
uTorrent 1.8
Features:
- Multiple simultaneous downloads
- Smart bandwidth usage
- File level priorities
- Configurable bandwidth scheduling
- Global and per-torrent speed limiting
- Quickly resumes interrupted transfers
- UPnP support (WinXP only)
- Supports popular protocol extensions
What's New in version 1.8 Build 10364 Beta:
- Change: grey out association buttons if associated
- Change: stagger PEX interval per-torrent
- Change: keep the RSS publication date after the torrent is added, for 'Added On'
- Fix: (XP UPnP) no need to remove the mappings if they are the same port number
- Fix: crash when saving resume.dat with very large peer lists
- Fix: crash when a connection limit is hit and there is no "most inactive" peer and a local peer connection arrives
uTorrent 1.8
Tips for a bikini body
Since its first appearance in the 1940's, the bikini has been legendary. But before you dare to wear one, you probably want to tone any existing problem areas. If you opt not to wear a bikini (and most people won't don a bikini) read on for some great tips to look your best in this season's swimwear.
trouble spots
The four problem areas that concern most of us, especially during swimsuit season, are as follows: the abs, butt, arms and shoulders – and hips and legs. Not to worry, though. Each of these zones can be improved upon with careful attention to diet and regular exercise.
Here are some cardio exercises to enhance those spots "not yet fit for the beach:"
Sometimes it's difficult to stay on track with your fitness goals. That's when it helps to join a 24 Hour Fitness Group X class. They're free to members and offer several excellent options to shape up for swimsuit season. Some are 30 minutes and others one hour.
"My number one choice for getting swimsuit-ready would be the Pilates class," says Michele Chovan-Taylor, Divisional Group X Manager for 24 Hour Fitness. "It's an overall body workout. It will strengthen and lengthen the entire body, with a focus on abdominal strength." Another one-hour long class that will prepare you for the beach is 24 Lift, a resistance workout to strengthen the entire body.
If you are short on time, other classes such as Yoga Buns provide a vigorous workout in just 30 minutes. The class applies traditional yoga principles to target the glutes and lower body. "I was sore for three days after taking Yoga Buns," says Chovan-Taylor.
BodyXpress, AbXpress and LegXpress are also shorter classes designed to tighten and tone. All of the aforementioned classes can be modified for both beginners and advanced, depending on how much weight is lifted or how advanced you make the poses.
Chovan-Taylor recommends taking Group X classes, or participating in some other form of exercise, at a minimum of three times per week, but personally advocates exercising five times per week.
nutrition is key
Of course, no amount of exercise will help ready your body for a bikini if you're overeating. Nutrition is a critical part of a back-to-the-beach plan. It's best to eat a sensible diet and watch your calories year-round so you don't pile on the pounds in the winter. If you've gained weight, sign up to work with a 24 Hour Fitness personal trainer for the Lean Path Solution.
Have you managed to maintain your weight through the winter months? Congratulations. To continue on that course, try some of these healthy low-calorie snacks this summer:
Even though these are healthy snacks, always be careful to watch your portion sizes. In addition, drink as much water as possible because it aids in digestion and decreases the appetite.
hit the beach
During your quest to shape up for summer, keep yourself motivated by leaving that new swimsuit hanging up in plain view. Or post a picture of yourself in summer clothes or a swimsuit where you look great. Another tip to stay motivated: Keep a journal of your progress, for instance the amount of inches or pounds that you've lost.
Remember – strive to look your best, not for perfection and choose a swimsuit that's flattering to your figure. You can always use a cover-up. But if you've achieved a toned, fit body, show off the results with a bikini!
trouble spots
The four problem areas that concern most of us, especially during swimsuit season, are as follows: the abs, butt, arms and shoulders – and hips and legs. Not to worry, though. Each of these zones can be improved upon with careful attention to diet and regular exercise.
Here are some cardio exercises to enhance those spots "not yet fit for the beach:"
- Abs. Flatten the abs with aerobic dance exercises that include bending and twisting.
- Arms and shoulders. Work arms and shoulders by using a dual-action elliptical trainer, the kind where you move both arms and legs.
- Hips and legs. Whittle down your hips and legs by taking spin classes.
- Butt. Choose cardio exercises such as running or walking – or use a stair climbing machine.
Sometimes it's difficult to stay on track with your fitness goals. That's when it helps to join a 24 Hour Fitness Group X class. They're free to members and offer several excellent options to shape up for swimsuit season. Some are 30 minutes and others one hour.
"My number one choice for getting swimsuit-ready would be the Pilates class," says Michele Chovan-Taylor, Divisional Group X Manager for 24 Hour Fitness. "It's an overall body workout. It will strengthen and lengthen the entire body, with a focus on abdominal strength." Another one-hour long class that will prepare you for the beach is 24 Lift, a resistance workout to strengthen the entire body.
If you are short on time, other classes such as Yoga Buns provide a vigorous workout in just 30 minutes. The class applies traditional yoga principles to target the glutes and lower body. "I was sore for three days after taking Yoga Buns," says Chovan-Taylor.
BodyXpress, AbXpress and LegXpress are also shorter classes designed to tighten and tone. All of the aforementioned classes can be modified for both beginners and advanced, depending on how much weight is lifted or how advanced you make the poses.
Chovan-Taylor recommends taking Group X classes, or participating in some other form of exercise, at a minimum of three times per week, but personally advocates exercising five times per week.
nutrition is key
Of course, no amount of exercise will help ready your body for a bikini if you're overeating. Nutrition is a critical part of a back-to-the-beach plan. It's best to eat a sensible diet and watch your calories year-round so you don't pile on the pounds in the winter. If you've gained weight, sign up to work with a 24 Hour Fitness personal trainer for the Lean Path Solution.
Have you managed to maintain your weight through the winter months? Congratulations. To continue on that course, try some of these healthy low-calorie snacks this summer:
- Fruit salad with delicious seasonal fruits
- Low-fat yogurt mixed with low-fat granola
- Carrots, celery or bell peppers dipped in salsa or reduced-fat hummus
- A slice of whole-grain bread with reduced-fat peanut butter
Even though these are healthy snacks, always be careful to watch your portion sizes. In addition, drink as much water as possible because it aids in digestion and decreases the appetite.
hit the beach
During your quest to shape up for summer, keep yourself motivated by leaving that new swimsuit hanging up in plain view. Or post a picture of yourself in summer clothes or a swimsuit where you look great. Another tip to stay motivated: Keep a journal of your progress, for instance the amount of inches or pounds that you've lost.
Remember – strive to look your best, not for perfection and choose a swimsuit that's flattering to your figure. You can always use a cover-up. But if you've achieved a toned, fit body, show off the results with a bikini!
Prisoners Free !
God's wonderful offer of salvation reaches everywhere, including prisons. Many men and women have found spiritual freedom behind bars.
At the annual dinner of a prison ministry in Muskegon, Michigan, Chaplain Mel Rikse introduced two special guests: ex-cons who had found freedom in Christ. The first was a middle-aged, respectable woman whose home had been turned into a dope house by so-called friends. Jailed after a drug bust. she was humiliated-until the chaplain led her to Christ. She testified. Because of Christ, I am not ashamed. He saved me and forgave me...
Then a young man slowly rose to speak. "You know the guys you told your kids to stay away from? That "as me. I broke every law. I was drunk all the time. I was always in jail. Even when I was out of jail I was a prisoner-a prisoner to myself. Then my cousin received Christ in jail. lie invited me to go to church with him. Me. in church! I heard the message of Jesus' love, and I believed. Now I'm free. not only from nights in jail but also from the prison of myself."
What about you'? Are you behind bars' Perhaps you are imprisoned by feeling,,, of sin and guilt. Put our trust in Christ. He sets prisoners free!
OUR GREATEST FREEDOM IS FREEDOM FROM SIN
At the annual dinner of a prison ministry in Muskegon, Michigan, Chaplain Mel Rikse introduced two special guests: ex-cons who had found freedom in Christ. The first was a middle-aged, respectable woman whose home had been turned into a dope house by so-called friends. Jailed after a drug bust. she was humiliated-until the chaplain led her to Christ. She testified. Because of Christ, I am not ashamed. He saved me and forgave me...
Then a young man slowly rose to speak. "You know the guys you told your kids to stay away from? That "as me. I broke every law. I was drunk all the time. I was always in jail. Even when I was out of jail I was a prisoner-a prisoner to myself. Then my cousin received Christ in jail. lie invited me to go to church with him. Me. in church! I heard the message of Jesus' love, and I believed. Now I'm free. not only from nights in jail but also from the prison of myself."
What about you'? Are you behind bars' Perhaps you are imprisoned by feeling,,, of sin and guilt. Put our trust in Christ. He sets prisoners free!
The burden of my guilt is gone,
My conscience is set free;
Christ purged my sin and paid my debt
By dying on the tree
My conscience is set free;
Christ purged my sin and paid my debt
By dying on the tree
OUR GREATEST FREEDOM IS FREEDOM FROM SIN
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Tips before wearing a bikini
With the opening of China's economy, women are also becoming more open about showing their bodies, and they can do it with bikinis in the summer.
This swimwear is becoming popular among Chinese girls. But before wearing a bikini, there are a few things women need to know before donning a bikini.
Many women will try to lose weight before wearing a bikini. Yet fashion experts say that in order to look attractive in a bikini, the following eight things are more important than weight.
Tip 1: The color of your skin means much more than the color of the bikini you wear.
According to a survey conducted by an international fashion magazine, tanned looking skin is more attractive to men than perfect body curves on beaches. So when going to the beach, apply foundation darker than the one you use in office.
Or you can apply self-tanning products which are water-proof and can give the appearance of darker the skin. The “tan” will fade in three to seven days. Sisley’s herbal sun tanning jelly (77g, 590 yuan) and Biotherm magic sun tanning body spray (150ml, 300 yuan) are both good choices.
And for a glittering touch, add shimmering powder to your collarbone, shoulders and cleavage to make you look sexier.
Tip 2: Pay attention to little corners of your body.
Women don’t pay enough attention to their backs, elbows and knees when in the office, but you need to make up for it before setting out for a beach.
Before you go, have a hot bath. It will help soften the hard skin on your back. If you can have someone scrub your back, it works even better.
For knees and elbows, apply a polishing cream with big grains in it to exfoliate the dead skin. Biotherm Body Polishing Scrub (20ml, 30 yuan) works rather well.
Bruises can also diminish the looks of a charming lady. The way to get rid of them is to use a tube of yellowish correcting cream, apply it to the bruised area, and then cover it with some dark foundation powder.
Tip 3: A bloated body is far from attractive
During traveling, lack of sleep and adapting to a strange place can both lead to a bloated body.
To prevent the body from swelling, don’t wear tight pants or socks and wear low-heeled shoes. If you body is bloated, here are four life savers:
No.1 Drink four to five glasses of Job's tears water (Chinese barley) the day before you go to the beach. This helps drain extra water from your body.
No.2 Massage slimming cream or massage oil onto your body for 15 minutes, and the next day you’ll have a slimmer body.
No.3 If you don’t notice you have a bloated body until just before starting for the beach, drink a cup of black coffee with an empty stomach and that can drain extra water out of the body quickly. But this method isn’t very good for the stomach, so avoid it if you have a weak stomach.
No.4 If all three above tips fail, here is the last suggestion. Make your arms look slimmer by putting your hands on your waist Akimbo arms make arms look slimmer and leaning the body forward at a 45 degree angle makes whole body appear slimmer!
Tip 4: Have a pair of charming feet.
A pair of neatly groomed feet adds to your charm. Moisturize your feet. Bathe them in hot water and then apply some body lotion to your feet. Wrap them with thin plastic wrap and warm the feet with hot towels for 10 minutes. Paint your toe nails. Pearly white and bright red are mostly commonly used nail colors. When applying nail polish, leave some room on nail edges to make nails look more delicate.
Tip 5: Give skin after-beach care.
Direct exposure to salty seawater and strong sun rays harms the skin and makes it dry andthen peels. Some skin is even allergic to ultra violet rays. So it’s necessary to take special care of the skin within one hour after coming back from seaside.
Cool your whole body by having a green tea bath. Soak a make-up pad with a cooling lotion and then keep the pad in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Pat burning areas of the skin with this pad and keep it on sensitive areas like shoulders, back and chest for 20 minutes. After this cooling treatment, apply a soothing gel to supplement water to the skin.
4 Rules for Managing Credit Cards
- Pay the balance in full and avoid interest. Beat the card companies at their own game.
- Never pay late, if possible. Pay by phone, or overnight a check if necessary.
- Before signing up for a card, assess it carefully and weigh out all the terms and fees. And remember just applying for it can affect your credit score.
- Use higher-interest rewards cards for small purchases and a low-interest card for any big buys.
Can You Hear Me ?
A man was having difficulty communicating with his wife and concluded that she was becoming hard of hearing. So he decided to conduct a test without her knowing about it.
One evening he sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Her back was to him and she could not see him. Very quietly he whispered, "Can you hear me'?" There was no response.
Moving a little closer, he asked again. "Can you hear me now'?" Still no reply.
Quietly he edged closer and whispered the same words. but still no answer.
Finally he moved right in behind her chair and said, "Can you hear me now'?" To his surprise and chagrin she responded with irritation in her voice. "For the fourth time, yes!" What a warning to us about judging!
Most of us criticize others to cover up for the same faults in our own lives. We also tend to find fault with someone Mien in tact sae are the ones in the wrong, not the other person.
Jesus knew human nature well. That's why He said, "Judge not, and you shall not be indeed." -RWD
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR FAULTS TO CORRECT, TRY LOOKING IN A MIRROR
One evening he sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Her back was to him and she could not see him. Very quietly he whispered, "Can you hear me'?" There was no response.
Moving a little closer, he asked again. "Can you hear me now'?" Still no reply.
Quietly he edged closer and whispered the same words. but still no answer.
Finally he moved right in behind her chair and said, "Can you hear me now'?" To his surprise and chagrin she responded with irritation in her voice. "For the fourth time, yes!" What a warning to us about judging!
Most of us criticize others to cover up for the same faults in our own lives. We also tend to find fault with someone Mien in tact sae are the ones in the wrong, not the other person.
Jesus knew human nature well. That's why He said, "Judge not, and you shall not be indeed." -RWD
The faults I see in others' lives
Are often true of me;
So help me, Lord, to recognize
My own hypocrisy
Are often true of me;
So help me, Lord, to recognize
My own hypocrisy
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR FAULTS TO CORRECT, TRY LOOKING IN A MIRROR
Friday, May 23, 2008
Boost your download speed
Using power of this free download manager and accelerator you can retrieve files and complete websites up to 600% faster than before. It utilizes the entire bandwidth of your internet connection even if you download from slow web sites.
Features of the download manager include: integration with Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla and FireFox, powerful scheduler, downloading from mirrors, adjusting traffic usage, ZIP file and audio/video preview.
download:
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Features of the download manager include: integration with Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla and FireFox, powerful scheduler, downloading from mirrors, adjusting traffic usage, ZIP file and audio/video preview.
download:
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How to Be Nice to Strangers and the World Around You
- At a tourist spot, ask people if they would like you to take their picture in front of a beautiful view or a historic monument.
- Subtly alert people when they have food in their teeth, an undone zipper, or toilet paper stuck to a shoe. They’ll be far less mortified than if they find out two hours later.
- Pay for the drive-through order of the car behind you.
- Leave your extra change in the soda machine for someone else to find. Better yet, leave enough change for a soda.
- Athena Williams-Atwood, the president and CEO of Inspired Action, a consulting firm in San Francisco, carries rolls of quarters with her for parking. “If I see someone else’s meter running low,” she says, “I just pop a couple of quarters in. I may have saved that person $30 or $50 — all for 50 cents.”
- Stop your car to let someone merge into traffic from a side street, or wave someone into the parking spot you were both eyeing.
- When an elderly person is crossing the street slowly, walk alongside her at the same pace the whole way across. She’ll feel less embarrassed when the light changes if you’re in the intersection with her.
- Trade your low ticket number at the deli counter for that of someone who seems to be in a hurry (or is shopping with children).
- If you’re at an event or a party where you know lots of people, look around to see if anyone is there alone. If so, introduce yourself — and then introduce her to others.
- When someone looks lost, stop and ask him if he needs directions. “I’ll never forget the people who have helped me when I was traveling,” says Real Simple staffer Melinda Page. “One man in Italy saw me looking at a map in confusion, asked if he could help, then walked five minutes out of his way to show me the place I was looking for, because it was hard to explain.”
- Give blood. To find out where to donate, go to the website of the American Association of Blood Banks, at www.aabb.org.
- Carry plastic bags when you’re hiking or camping, and pick up litter that you find along the way.
- Instead of tossing magazines and old books into the recycling bin, drop a stack off at a local women’s shelter or your gym.
- If you use public transportation on your commute to work, offer a fellow passenger your newspaper rather than tossing it in the trash.
- “Adopt” an animal (via donation) from your city’s zoo or aquarium. You’ll get a photo and a bio of your new family member, and you can take your kids to visit it.
- Charlene Moser of Northglenn, Colorado, started the nonprofit organization Lynda’s Legacy (www.lyndaslegacy.com) in honor of a close friend who died at age 30 after battling a serious illness for years. “Lynda introduced me to the concept of creating happiness for other people as a way to feel like you could make a difference,” Moser says. Today she and her family plan “kindness field trips,” such as driving around town handing out cold drinks to people working outside, or sending flowers through the deposit tubes at drive-through banks. “Lynda was a person of action,” says Moser. “When she died, I wanted to ensure that ‘Lyndaness’ wouldn’t stop.”
Tell it to Jesus
When I was a young boy. a neighbor who lived two doors from us suffered a terrible tragedy. She often played and sang at her piano, but after her great sorrow the first song she always sang when she sat down to play was "I Must Tell Jesus." The words of that lovely old hymn made a deep impression on me, and they are even more precious today.
What comfort in those Lords: "I must tell Jesus all of my troubles; He is a kind, compassionate Friend. If I but ask Him. He will deliver, make of my troubles quickly an end. I must tell Jesus' I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear these burdens alone: I must tell ,Jesus, I must tell Jesus Jesus can help me, Jesus alone."
I learned later that God answered our neighbor', prayers in such unusual ways that out of her sorrows came great blessings. Apparently Jesus had become more real to her than He had ever been before that terrible tragedy.
Matthew said that after John the Baptist was beheaded his disciples "took away ° his body and buried it" (14:12). The record is strangely silent about any sorrow, but the last part of the verse says it all. Matthew wrote that they "went and told Jesus." It seemed the only thing to do.
Are you heavy -hearted! Tell it to Jesus! --HGR
NO ONE UNDERSTAND LIKE JESUS
What comfort in those Lords: "I must tell Jesus all of my troubles; He is a kind, compassionate Friend. If I but ask Him. He will deliver, make of my troubles quickly an end. I must tell Jesus' I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear these burdens alone: I must tell ,Jesus, I must tell Jesus Jesus can help me, Jesus alone."
I learned later that God answered our neighbor', prayers in such unusual ways that out of her sorrows came great blessings. Apparently Jesus had become more real to her than He had ever been before that terrible tragedy.
Matthew said that after John the Baptist was beheaded his disciples "took away ° his body and buried it" (14:12). The record is strangely silent about any sorrow, but the last part of the verse says it all. Matthew wrote that they "went and told Jesus." It seemed the only thing to do.
Are you heavy -hearted! Tell it to Jesus! --HGR
Are you weary are you heavy-hearted,
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus;
Are you grieving over joys departed?
Tell it to Jesus alone
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus;
Are you grieving over joys departed?
Tell it to Jesus alone
NO ONE UNDERSTAND LIKE JESUS
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Create your own icon for Windows XP and Windows Vista
IcoFX is a freeware icon editor. Create easily icons with transparency for Windows XP and Windows Vista.
In the integrated workspace you can easily preview, save, change your icons. You can convert your favorite images into icons, or icons to images. With the help of many tools and more than 40 effects icon creation is made easy. It offers powerful tools like Brighten, Darken, Blur and Sharpen for retouching your icons in minutes.
Features:
IcoFX 1.6.1
In the integrated workspace you can easily preview, save, change your icons. You can convert your favorite images into icons, or icons to images. With the help of many tools and more than 40 effects icon creation is made easy. It offers powerful tools like Brighten, Darken, Blur and Sharpen for retouching your icons in minutes.
Features:
- Support for Vista icon with PNG compression
- Create icons for Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista
- Support for transparency (alpha channel)
- More than 40 effects + custom filter
- Resolutions up to 256x256
- Data types: 2, 16, 256, True Color, True Color + Alpha
- Extract icons from 32 bit exe and dll
- Import and export images
- Transparent, Brighten/Darken, Blur/Sharpen tools
- Built in resource editor for creating icon libraries or changing icons inside exe files
- Zoom icons up to 10000% for increased precision
- Import image dialog, for creating icons from images
- Convert Macintosh icons to Windows icons and vice versa
- Open, save, edit and convert Macintosh OS X icons
- Extract Macintosh icons from resource files
- Snapshot window for creating overviews of the icons
IcoFX 1.6.1
How to Be Nice to People on the Job
- When the temperature dips, offer your mail carrier or the teenager shoveling your walk a fresh cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Buy lidded disposable cups so they can have it “to go.”
- If someone goes beyond her job description to help you, call or send an e-mail to her supervisor praising her. The employee will get a small career boost, and the boss will probably be thrilled to hear something other than complaints.
- Avery Horzewski, a communications consultant in San Jose, California, likes to give chocolates or Starbucks gift cards to grocery clerks, delivery people, and others who are especially friendly or helpful.
- Bring in a box of doughnuts for your building’s maintenance staff. Just don’t consume all the jelly-filled ones before you pull into the company parking lot.
- When you make an in-person donation to a nonprofit organization (such as an animal shelter), also drop off something to brighten the day of the people working in the trenches.
- Lindsey Schocke, an administrative assistant in Atlanta, knows how stressful starting a new job can be. So whenever her company hires somebody, she makes a point of extending a lunch invitation. “I can answer some questions for them,” she says, “and then they have a friendly face to say hello to until they get to know everybody.”
- Overtip your breakfast waiter. He probably put forth just as much effort as someone on the evening shift would, but his take-home pay is probably lower.
Reflecting Christ
The only way most unbelievers will see Jesus is by seeing Him in the lives of Christians. We are called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to reflect His character.
I recently talked with a 38-year-old medical doctor who takes this responsibility seriously. She has chosen to serve in a federal penitentiary rather than have her own private practice. She is convinced that the only way many of the prisoners will see Jesus is by observing the actions of Christians who choose to work with them. Although most of them seem untouched by her kindness and compassion, she faithfully gives treatment to all of them. The fact that a few have responded is reward enough.
After my conversation with this doctor. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that God leaves us on earth to reflect the kindness, love, and purity of Christ. I recalled that a man once said to me, "If God wants me to believe on Jesus, why doesn't He send Him down and have Him hover over us until everyone has seen Him?" I told him that God has no obligation to do this. The biblical record of what He did in Christ is enough to bring about faith.
As I think back, I wonder if that man saw Jesus in me. Can people see Him in you`? -HVL
WE ARE THE ONLY PICTURE OF CHRIST SOME PEOPLE WILL EVER SEE
I recently talked with a 38-year-old medical doctor who takes this responsibility seriously. She has chosen to serve in a federal penitentiary rather than have her own private practice. She is convinced that the only way many of the prisoners will see Jesus is by observing the actions of Christians who choose to work with them. Although most of them seem untouched by her kindness and compassion, she faithfully gives treatment to all of them. The fact that a few have responded is reward enough.
After my conversation with this doctor. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that God leaves us on earth to reflect the kindness, love, and purity of Christ. I recalled that a man once said to me, "If God wants me to believe on Jesus, why doesn't He send Him down and have Him hover over us until everyone has seen Him?" I told him that God has no obligation to do this. The biblical record of what He did in Christ is enough to bring about faith.
As I think back, I wonder if that man saw Jesus in me. Can people see Him in you`? -HVL
Help us. O Lord, to live our lives
So people clearly see
Reflections of Your caring heart,
Your love an purity
So people clearly see
Reflections of Your caring heart,
Your love an purity
WE ARE THE ONLY PICTURE OF CHRIST SOME PEOPLE WILL EVER SEE
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Dock your Windows application to the System Tray
Iconize is a simple and small, yet very powerful little program that can dock any Windows application to the System Tray.
Features:
Iconize 2.0
Features:
- Can Dock Any Windows applications to the System Tray.
- All Applications are restored to their previous states when "Iconize" exits.
- If the Internet Explorer shell crashes, Iconize will rebuild your docked icons, and it´s own icon.
- Simple right click menu allows you to select any running windows application to be docked.
- Double click your programs System Tray Icon to restore the program.
- A Simple two mouse clicks will dock any program.
- Running programs are to dock are shown in the right click menu list, with their icon.
- Does not use any gobal or system wide hooks, too keep your system running faster and smoother.
- Double Clicking the System Tray icon will minimize all applications for you. (Great for WinNT, which doesn´t have "Show Desktop"!)
Iconize 2.0
How to Be Nice to Your Neighbors
- Make a list of local shops, restaurants, hair salons, and other services for new neighbors. When her friends Anna and Matt Dowling moved to her city of Portland, Oregon, Erica Heintz put together a binder of information, including MapQuest driving directions to various locations from their new address. “It was the perfect housewarming gift,” says Anna. “For the first few months, we kept that binder with us in the car at all times.” If the neighbors have kids, draw a street map and highlight the homes of families with children around the same age.
- Take a dozen fresh-baked cookies to your local fire or police station. Bring the kids along to say thank you for their constant service.
- When someone leaves a pie plate or a casserole dish at your house, return it with something tasty inside.
- When a guest brings a bottle of wine to a party you’re throwing, jot her name on the label. Down the road, when you finally pop the cork, dial up your friend to let her know you’re having a drink in her honor.
- Shovel the snow from your neighbor’s driveway after you’ve tackled your own.
- Send a note to a former teacher, telling her how much she inspired you. (If she’s no longer at the same school, the office may be able to tell you where she is now.)
- Invite someone who has moved here from another country to share your holiday feast. Pinky Vincent, who came to New York City from India three years ago, still remembers how lonely she was at first. “I had no family members here or family friends,” she recalls. “But people I met invited me over for Christmas or Thanksgiving and made me a part of the family.”
Headed Right? Keep Going!
Joseph Chamberlain was a famous British statesman (1836-1914). In his younger years, he taught Sunday school in Birmingham. His favorite verse of Scripture was a sentence from Genesis 12:5, "They went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came" (Kjv). It was a motto well-suited to a man of his determination and iron will. It also gave him a biblical basis for citing two qualifications for success in life. One is to have the right destination "They went forth to go to the land of Canaan." The second is to keep going after we have started "into the land of Canaan they came."
As he was facing death, the apostle Paul reflected on his life. He was not a leaf tossed about by the winds: he was an arrow headed for a target. Paul found his direction and destination in his relationship with Christ. And he wanted to cultivate in Timothy the virtues of a well-lived life. He offered himself as a model: "You have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance" (2 Tim. 3:10). "Stay with it," he seemed to be saying to young Timothy.
Keeping Christ uppermost in our lives will keep us headed right and give us the strength to keep going. -HWR
CONSIDER THE POSTAGE STAMP: ITS VALUE LIES IN STICKING TO ONE THING UNTIL IT GETS THERE
As he was facing death, the apostle Paul reflected on his life. He was not a leaf tossed about by the winds: he was an arrow headed for a target. Paul found his direction and destination in his relationship with Christ. And he wanted to cultivate in Timothy the virtues of a well-lived life. He offered himself as a model: "You have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance" (2 Tim. 3:10). "Stay with it," he seemed to be saying to young Timothy.
Keeping Christ uppermost in our lives will keep us headed right and give us the strength to keep going. -HWR
My life, my love i give to Thee,
Thou Lamb of God who died for me;
O may I ever faithful be,
My Savior and my God!
Thou Lamb of God who died for me;
O may I ever faithful be,
My Savior and my God!
CONSIDER THE POSTAGE STAMP: ITS VALUE LIES IN STICKING TO ONE THING UNTIL IT GETS THERE
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
All You Can Do is Pray
We were making our way along a busy two-lane highway when a leisurely afternoon drive turned into a heart-pounding ordeal for our family. A pickup truck swerved wildly as it passed us, giving us some excitement we didn't want. The truck began tailing a semi and weaving across the road. Twice the driver, who was obviously drunk, forced oncoming cars oft the pavement.
As we followed the pickup from a safe distance. I looked for a police officer who could Let this person off the road. See rig none, we could only pray that no one would be killed. Then we saw the dust fly as the truck left the road. flipped over, and smashed against some trees. The
driver survived but was seriously injured.
Abraham must have felt helplessness as he pleaded with God to spare the wicked city of Sodom for the sake of just 10 righteous people, hut not even 10 could be found. Only Lot his wife, and two daughters escaped.
Often we meet people careening through life who won't listen to warnings or seek the hell) they need. They are tragedies waiting to happen. But we aren't helpless. We can ask God to he merciful to them in spite of themselves.
When all we can do is pray. praying is enough. --JDB
PRAYER MOVES THE HAND THAT MOVE THE WORLD
As we followed the pickup from a safe distance. I looked for a police officer who could Let this person off the road. See rig none, we could only pray that no one would be killed. Then we saw the dust fly as the truck left the road. flipped over, and smashed against some trees. The
driver survived but was seriously injured.
Abraham must have felt helplessness as he pleaded with God to spare the wicked city of Sodom for the sake of just 10 righteous people, hut not even 10 could be found. Only Lot his wife, and two daughters escaped.
Often we meet people careening through life who won't listen to warnings or seek the hell) they need. They are tragedies waiting to happen. But we aren't helpless. We can ask God to he merciful to them in spite of themselves.
When all we can do is pray. praying is enough. --JDB
Pray on, then, child of God, pray on;
This is your duty and your task
To God the answering belongs;
Yours is the simpler part - to ask.
This is your duty and your task
To God the answering belongs;
Yours is the simpler part - to ask.
PRAYER MOVES THE HAND THAT MOVE THE WORLD
Monday, May 19, 2008
Why you can not say this .....
Some things should never be said. Here are some tips on how to avoid putting your foot in your mouth -- and what to use instead.
Don't say: "You look tired."
Why: It implies she doesn't look good.
Instead say: "Is everything OK?" We often blurt the "tired" comment when we get the sense that the other person feels out of sorts. So just ask.
Don't say: "Wow, you've lost a ton of weight!"
Why: To a newly trim person, it might give the impression that she used to look unattractive.
Instead say: "You look fantastic." And leave it at that. If you're curious about how she got so svelte, add, "What's your secret?"
Don't say: "You look so good for your age."
Why: Anything with a caveat like this is rude. It's saying, "You look great -- compared with other old people. It's amazing you have all your own teeth."
Instead say:"You look great."
Don't say: "I could never wear that."
Why: It can be misunderstood as a criticism. ("I could never wear that because it's so ugly.")
Instead say: "You look so good in skinny jeans." If you slip, say something like "I could never wear that...because I wasn't blessed with your long legs."
Expert: Clinton Kelly, cohost of the TLC show, "What Not to Wear."
What not to say in the workplace
Don't say:"That's not my job."
Why: If your superior asks you to do something, it is your job.
Instead say: "I'm not sure that should be my priority right now." Then have a conversation with your boss about your responsibilities.
Don't say: "This might sound stupid, but..."
Why: Never undermine your ideas by prefacing your remarks with wishy-washy language.
Instead say: What's on your mind. It reinforces your credibility to present your ideas with confidence.
Don't say: "I don't have time to talk to you."
Why: It's plain rude, in person or on the phone.
Instead say: "I'm just finishing something up right now. Can I come by when I've completed this?" Graciously explain why you can't talk now, and suggest catching up at an appointed time later. Let phone calls go to voice mail until you can give callers your undivided attention.
Expert: Suzanne Bates, president and chief executive officer of Bates Communications, an executive-training firm in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and author of "Speak Like a CEO."
What not to say during a job interview
Don't say: "My current boss is horrendous."
Why: It's unprofessional. Your interviewer might wonder when you'd start bad-mouthing her. For all you know, she and your current boss are old pals.
Instead say: "I'm ready for a new challenge" or a similarly positive remark.
Don't say:"Do you think I'd fit in here?"
Why: You're the interviewee, not the interviewer.
Instead say: "What do you enjoy about working here?" By all means ask questions, but prepare ones that demonstrate your genuine interest in the company.
Don't say: "What are the hours like?" or "What's the vacation policy?"
Why: You want to be seen as someone who focuses on getting the job done.
Instead say: "What's the day-to-day like here?" Then, if you've really jumped through every hoop and time off still hasn't been mentioned, say, "Can you tell me about the compensation and benefits package?"
Expert: Mary Mitchell, president of the Mitchell Organization, a corporate-etiquette training firm in Seattle, and author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette."
What not to say about pregnancy and babies
Don't say: "Are you pregnant?"
Why: You ask, she's not, and you feel totally embarrassed for essentially pointing out that she's overweight.
Instead say: "Hello" or "Great to see you" or "You look great." Anything besides "Are you pregnant?" or "What's the due date?" will do. Save yourself the humiliation and never ask.
Don't say: "Do you plan on breast-feeding?"
Why: The issue can be controversial, and she may not want to discuss her decision publicly.
Instead say: Nothing. Unless you're very close, don't ask. If you slip, make up for the blunder by adding, "And do you feel comfortable telling me?"
Don't say: "Were your twins natural?" or "It must have been hard for your child's birth parent to give him up."
Why: You're suggesting that natural conception is better than in vitro fertilization (IVF) or adoption.
Instead say: To a parent of multiples, try a light "Wow, you have your hands full!" To an adoptive parent, say the same stuff you would to any other parent: "She's adorable!" or "How old is he?"
Expert: Kim Hahn, founder and chief executive officer of "Conceive" magazine.
What not to say to a single (or newly single) person
Don't say: "You were too good for him."
Why: You are basically saying she has bad taste. And you'll be embarrassed if they ever patch it up.
Instead say: "His loss!" It gets the same point across without disparaging her judgment. Real Simple: How to express sympathy
Don't say: "I'm glad you got rid of him. I never liked him anyway."
Why: She'll wonder about your fake adoration for him while they were together.
Instead say: "I'm confident you'll find someone who will give you exactly what you want." It focuses on what's to come, not on the dud you're glad she's done with.
Don't say: "How could someone as perfect as you still be single?"
Why: A statement like this comes off as a backhanded compliment. What she hears is "What's wrong with you?"
Instead say: "Seeing anyone?" If she's tight-lipped about her love life, move on to other topics.
Expert: Bethany Marshall, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills and the author of "Deal Breakers: When to Work On a Relationship and When to Walk Away."
What not to say during a fight with your beloved
Don't say: "You always" or "You never" or "You're a [slob, jerk]" or "You're wrong."
Why: Speaking in absolutes like "you always" and "you're wrong" is playing the blame game, and resorting to name calling makes your partner feel helpless, which puts him on the defensive and makes a bad fight worse.
Instead say: "I'm upset that you left the dishes in the sink again. What can we do so that this stops happening?" Starting with the pronoun I puts the focus on how you feel, not why he's in the doghouse, and it will make him more receptive to fixing the problem.
Don't say: "If you really loved me, you would..."
Why: The more you treat your partner as if he'll never satisfy you, the less satisfied you'll be. Controlling your partner by imploring him to do something isn't a good way to build intimacy.
Instead say: "I feel taken for granted when you don't help around the house. I would feel better if we could..." The best way to keep a productive fight from becoming a dirty one is to be clear about why you're upset and then offer a solution.
Don't say: "You look tired."
Why: It implies she doesn't look good.
Instead say: "Is everything OK?" We often blurt the "tired" comment when we get the sense that the other person feels out of sorts. So just ask.
Don't say: "Wow, you've lost a ton of weight!"
Why: To a newly trim person, it might give the impression that she used to look unattractive.
Instead say: "You look fantastic." And leave it at that. If you're curious about how she got so svelte, add, "What's your secret?"
Don't say: "You look so good for your age."
Why: Anything with a caveat like this is rude. It's saying, "You look great -- compared with other old people. It's amazing you have all your own teeth."
Instead say:"You look great."
Don't say: "I could never wear that."
Why: It can be misunderstood as a criticism. ("I could never wear that because it's so ugly.")
Instead say: "You look so good in skinny jeans." If you slip, say something like "I could never wear that...because I wasn't blessed with your long legs."
Expert: Clinton Kelly, cohost of the TLC show, "What Not to Wear."
What not to say in the workplace
Don't say:"That's not my job."
Why: If your superior asks you to do something, it is your job.
Instead say: "I'm not sure that should be my priority right now." Then have a conversation with your boss about your responsibilities.
Don't say: "This might sound stupid, but..."
Why: Never undermine your ideas by prefacing your remarks with wishy-washy language.
Instead say: What's on your mind. It reinforces your credibility to present your ideas with confidence.
Don't say: "I don't have time to talk to you."
Why: It's plain rude, in person or on the phone.
Instead say: "I'm just finishing something up right now. Can I come by when I've completed this?" Graciously explain why you can't talk now, and suggest catching up at an appointed time later. Let phone calls go to voice mail until you can give callers your undivided attention.
Expert: Suzanne Bates, president and chief executive officer of Bates Communications, an executive-training firm in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and author of "Speak Like a CEO."
What not to say during a job interview
Don't say: "My current boss is horrendous."
Why: It's unprofessional. Your interviewer might wonder when you'd start bad-mouthing her. For all you know, she and your current boss are old pals.
Instead say: "I'm ready for a new challenge" or a similarly positive remark.
Don't say:"Do you think I'd fit in here?"
Why: You're the interviewee, not the interviewer.
Instead say: "What do you enjoy about working here?" By all means ask questions, but prepare ones that demonstrate your genuine interest in the company.
Don't say: "What are the hours like?" or "What's the vacation policy?"
Why: You want to be seen as someone who focuses on getting the job done.
Instead say: "What's the day-to-day like here?" Then, if you've really jumped through every hoop and time off still hasn't been mentioned, say, "Can you tell me about the compensation and benefits package?"
Expert: Mary Mitchell, president of the Mitchell Organization, a corporate-etiquette training firm in Seattle, and author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette."
What not to say about pregnancy and babies
Don't say: "Are you pregnant?"
Why: You ask, she's not, and you feel totally embarrassed for essentially pointing out that she's overweight.
Instead say: "Hello" or "Great to see you" or "You look great." Anything besides "Are you pregnant?" or "What's the due date?" will do. Save yourself the humiliation and never ask.
Don't say: "Do you plan on breast-feeding?"
Why: The issue can be controversial, and she may not want to discuss her decision publicly.
Instead say: Nothing. Unless you're very close, don't ask. If you slip, make up for the blunder by adding, "And do you feel comfortable telling me?"
Don't say: "Were your twins natural?" or "It must have been hard for your child's birth parent to give him up."
Why: You're suggesting that natural conception is better than in vitro fertilization (IVF) or adoption.
Instead say: To a parent of multiples, try a light "Wow, you have your hands full!" To an adoptive parent, say the same stuff you would to any other parent: "She's adorable!" or "How old is he?"
Expert: Kim Hahn, founder and chief executive officer of "Conceive" magazine.
What not to say to a single (or newly single) person
Don't say: "You were too good for him."
Why: You are basically saying she has bad taste. And you'll be embarrassed if they ever patch it up.
Instead say: "His loss!" It gets the same point across without disparaging her judgment. Real Simple: How to express sympathy
Don't say: "I'm glad you got rid of him. I never liked him anyway."
Why: She'll wonder about your fake adoration for him while they were together.
Instead say: "I'm confident you'll find someone who will give you exactly what you want." It focuses on what's to come, not on the dud you're glad she's done with.
Don't say: "How could someone as perfect as you still be single?"
Why: A statement like this comes off as a backhanded compliment. What she hears is "What's wrong with you?"
Instead say: "Seeing anyone?" If she's tight-lipped about her love life, move on to other topics.
Expert: Bethany Marshall, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills and the author of "Deal Breakers: When to Work On a Relationship and When to Walk Away."
What not to say during a fight with your beloved
Don't say: "You always" or "You never" or "You're a [slob, jerk]" or "You're wrong."
Why: Speaking in absolutes like "you always" and "you're wrong" is playing the blame game, and resorting to name calling makes your partner feel helpless, which puts him on the defensive and makes a bad fight worse.
Instead say: "I'm upset that you left the dishes in the sink again. What can we do so that this stops happening?" Starting with the pronoun I puts the focus on how you feel, not why he's in the doghouse, and it will make him more receptive to fixing the problem.
Don't say: "If you really loved me, you would..."
Why: The more you treat your partner as if he'll never satisfy you, the less satisfied you'll be. Controlling your partner by imploring him to do something isn't a good way to build intimacy.
Instead say: "I feel taken for granted when you don't help around the house. I would feel better if we could..." The best way to keep a productive fight from becoming a dirty one is to be clear about why you're upset and then offer a solution.
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