Watch This to see if Jesus is Really Real - Video

Lamb of God - How You Can Become Like Jesus

Lamb of God is one of the Names of Jesus Christ. It was the Name given Him by John the Baptist. He saw Jesus walking by, and he said, "Look! There goes the Lamb of God!"

Jesus was a little sheep. God was His Father and He was His child. God was the Ram protecting Him and nurturing Him. Jesus was the young growing up to be like His Father.

Christians are like sheep. Or they should be. They should be the flock of their Lord Jesus Christ. And they have another leader too--the sealed person. Why the sealed person?

Because he is a lamb just like Jesus was. He is the child of God his Father. And he is a sacrifice for his people--the people of God, just like Jesus was a sacrifice for their sins.

He was willing to lay down his life in order to be sealed. And just like Jesus the Good Shepherd, he is another good shepherd. He risks his life to protect his sheep just like the Father protects him.

He laid his life down once and God wrote His Name in his forehead. That was only the beginning. He laid his life down many more times and yet lived. He lost his life in this world and yet saved it.

You can have God write his name in your forehead too. Then you will be a good shepherd. After you have become a sacrificial lamb. You will grow up from one of the children to one of the fathers.

You will grow up from one of the followers to one of the leaders. The best of the leaders. Just like Jesus and His Father were and are. You can be sealed with the Father's Name and become like the Lamb of God.

Jason invites you to find out more about the Prophecy of Jesus by visiting Jason Witt dot org

Lighting a Charcoal BBQ Grill Fast and Easy

The best as well as the easiest way to light charcoal briquettes is by using a charcoal chimney starter. This is an aluminum cylinder with a wooden handle on the outside and a metal shelf on the inside that separates the cylinder into to sections. The top section is about 2/3 the length of the cylinder and the bottom section is 1/3 the length of the cylinder. There are round holes surrounding the bottom 1/3 of the cylinder as well as holes inside on the shelf that separates the two sections.

To use the charcoal chimney starter, you need 2 to 3 sheets of newspaper. Wad or roll the sheets together loosely into a long cylinder. I don't wrap it too tight so that air can circulate while it is burning. Curl the the sheets into a donut shape with a hole in the center. Fit the paper donut into the bottom of the chimney starter. Try to have a few stray pieces of paper sticking out of the holes. This makes it easier to light. If you want you can use paraffin cubes either bought in the store or made out of something like a cardboard egg crate you buy your eggs in.

Fill the top section of the cylinder with charcoal. I prefer to use briquettes in the chimney starter. Lump charcoal burns too quickly. Place the chimney starter on the floor or charcoal shelf of your bbq grill and light the newspaper through the holes on the bottom of the charcoal chimney starter. The charcoal lights fairly fast and should be ready in about 15 minutes. Lump charcoal is a lot faster to start but also burns out faster, so I don't use it in the chimney starter. The charcoal is ready when you see a coating of white ash over almost all of the charcoals.

When the coals are ready, carefully poor the coals into the grill and spread them evenly around the grill bed. Remember to safely place the very hot charcoal chimney starter away from pets and children so they don't get burned. Also, don't put the hot chimney starter on the grass because it can cause a fire.

A second method to light the charcoals is with paraffin cubes bought at a store or made at home with cardboard egg crates. Place a few paraffin cubes in the middle of your grill bed or charcoal grate. Then build a pyramid of charcoal briquettes over and around the paraffin cubes. Light the cube and when all the briquettes are evenly lit and covered with ash spread them evenly out around the grill bed.

I don't like or recommend starter fluid readily available in stores. These fluids can impart a taste to the charcoal that I don't like and I prefer a more natural non chemical way to start my fire.

A chimney starter holds about 90 to 100 briquettes. This should cover 2/3 of the area of a standard 22 1/2 inch standard charcoal kettle grill like the commonly used Webber kettle grill. It is important to use the right amount of briquettes so that you get an even heat. The charcoal briquettes should extend a minimum of 4 inches in every direction beyond whatever food you are cooking. This will allow an even heat and let your food cook evenly.

For more tips and great information to make your next barbecue memorable visit the bbq-expert.com We show you what to look for in your next bbq grill, how to light a charcoal bbq grill properly and everything in between.

Should The Bible Be Edited

Grandparents and Child Custody Rights

Grandparents often feel out of touch when it comes to issues of child custody and divorce. While they undoubtedly love their grandchildren, the tension involved with a divorce can cause them to be overlooked by the natural parents. But what many grandparents don't know is that they too have a say in the custody hearings. Every state now recognizes grandparents as immediate members of the child's family. This means they can fight for things like visitation rights if they don't feel like they have been treated fairly.

In cases where both parents are dead, or for instances neither parent can provide a suitable home, grandparents can be considered for legal custody. The court always looks to place children with a blood relative whenever possible. The process gets slightly more complicated when there are multiple siblings and grandparents who qualify, and in these cases a formal custody hearing with all parties is conducted. Parents who would prefer to have their parents look after the children in the event of death should make sure they have the proper legal documentation in place to expedite the process.

Visitation for grandparents after a divorce is an issue is much more common these days. Many spouses will try to use the children as bargaining chips for their own selfish desires. There are cases where the grandparents are blocked from seeing their grandkids only to spite the other family. Not only is this tactic immoral, but it is also illegal in most circumstances. Grandparents who feel like they have been unfairly excluded should research their rights and get involved with the agency who is handling the divorce case. By making the court aware of the situation in the early stages it is possible to avoid long-term problems down the line.

Petitioning for grandparents custody or visitation rights requires that they show a history of involvement with the child as well as sufficient means to care for them. While visitation rights are rarely denied in court, they can be granted with restriction. For example, the judge may require a parent be present for all custodial sessions or they may grant partial custody, which allows for unsupervised visitation for a certain amount of time each month. If the grandparent believes there will be issues with securing visitation time then they should make it a priority to seek involvement with the custody hearing. In the event they get resistance from either parent then the next step is to hire an attorney and file their own petition for custody.

There are many different types of child custody situations, but the one that receives the least amount of discussion are those that involve grandparents. Most people would agree that the love and nurturing of a grandparent is an important part of a child's development. Having exposure to the experiences and knowledge of our elders helps us to navigate the through the peaks and valleys of life. Unfortunately there are rare scenarios when one or both parents try to prevent the grandparents from seeing their grandkids. This can be a stressful situation to deal with, but the grandparent should recognize that they do have rights, and they are entitled to use these rights to gain visitation privileges.

No one should keep you from participating in your grandchildren's life. Learn more about custody rights for grandparents by visiting ObtainCustody.com

If I Hate My Brother

One Thing at a Time

Are you a multi-tasker? Most of us are - particularly women. We have to be, right? Otherwise things just wouldn't get done.

Like many other people, that's what I used to believe. I used to think that if I did more than one thing at a time it meant that I was more efficient with my time; that I was getting more done. In fact, the opposite is true.

What actually happens when you do more than one thing at a time is that your energy is scattered. The energy that you're putting into whatever tasks you are doing is scattered, making you less effective and meaning that you don't do such a good job of anything.

I remember sitting in an internet training class recently. We all had our laptops with us as the instructor was showing us how to do certain things and taking us through it step by step on the screen. Each time there would be people who would complain that "my screen doesn't look like that" or "it's not working for me". These were the people who had been busy checking their e-mail or doing other things on-line while the instructor was talking. The result - they were scattered, they became frustrated, the instructor became frustrated with them for not paying attention, and the rest of the class became frustrated with them for making everything take twice as long as it needed to. Did they learn from this and pay attention next time? No. Checking e-mail was too tempting. Listening to the class must have been too boring.

Think about how often you do this. You're talking with someone on the phone and you're checking your e-mail or doing something else on your computer at the same time. Do you know what this actually does for your relationships? You then start to wonder why your relationships are not satisfying any more, it's because the energy you're putting into them is scattered. Next time somebody is talking to you, whether it's on the phone or in person, try giving them your full attention. Stop thinking about other things, like what you've got to do next, or what you're going to prepare for dinner. Give them your full attention. If you do this you'll start to find that your relationships will improve. You'll get on better with your family, your spouse, your co-workers. Why? Because you're being fully present with them. You're actually listening and connecting with them instead of only partially interacting with them.

Try this also the next time you're doing a task. You're doing something and the phone rings, so you pick up the phone and talk and continue with the task that you were doing before the phone rang. Next time, just continue with the task and don't answer the phone. When you are doing something and you put your full attention on it, give all your energy to it, not only do you do it much better - the quality of it will be much better - you'll also probably find that you can do it faster and more effectively.

I know it probably sounds counter-intuitive. It does seem like you'd get more done if you did more things and multi-tasking often seems like the only way to go. But I invite you to try it and see how it really can make a difference - here's what you'll find:

You'll feel calmer, less stressed
You'll be more focused
You'll be more efficient and productive
Your relationships will improve
People will like you more and you'll like yourself much better too
The quality of what you do will improve dramatically
You'll be much less scattered, more energized

There's no great mystery to this. It's simply being present with whatever it is that you're doing and not allowing yourself to get distracted. If you're a chronic multi-tasker it might be difficult to change, but I encourage you to try - you'll be glad you did.

Linda Binns shows you how to be more successful in all areas of your life by working with your environment. Sign up for her free 9-step E-course at http://www.HarmoniousLifeChoices.com

Linda Binns is author of Feng Shui for Your Relationships: Changing Your Environment to Create Better Relationships. She has been a Feng Shui Practitioner, Author, Speaker and teacher for over 10 years. She has appeared internationally on television and radio and in local publications. Linda is also the founder of The Feng Shui Success Institute - which teaches in-depth Feng Shui training and practitioner certification.

Personal Development

The Similarities and Differences of Pilates and Yoga

You can barely turn on the TV nowadays without hearing about Pilates or Yoga. When you take up a magazine, you are bound to find articles about these two exercise methods and it seems like everyone is doing either one or the other. What is all of the excitement about? Why are these techniques so special? What are the differences and similarities between Pilates and Yoga?

Yoga aims to unite the body, mind, and spirit. The person who aspires to do Yoga views that the body and mind are one. They believe that if the body is given the right tools and is taken to the proper environment then the body can find harmony and will be able to heal itself. Yoga is considered to be therapeutic. You will have a heightened awareness of your body's alignment, posture, and patterns of movement. Yoga tends to make your body more flexible and it will help you to relax even if you are in the middle of a stress stricken environment. Therefore, one of the most important reasons as to why people start practicing Yoga is that they want to feel more energetic, be more happy, feel more fit and be at peace.

One performs Yoga mainly in a group setting on a special Yoga mat with the help of a Yoga instructor. You use your body's own weight for resistance. You must also focus a great deal of your attention to the flow from one posture into that of another. Yoga styles are varied and there is not one style that is considered to be better than another. These styles also vary in their emphasis, and the style you choose is a matter of personal preference.

Pilates also seeks to reach many of the same goals as does Yoga by way of a series of movements that are very controlled. The major difference between Pilates and Yoga is that while doing Pilates exercises not only makes use of a mat, but it also incorporates work on different Pilates machines. The main thrust of the Pilates exercises is to improve posture, strengthen the abdominal muscles, improve balance, lengthen and stabilize the spine and improve overall strength. Pilates will tend to give you a leaner, longer, dancer-like line.

A Whole Body Workout

Unlike a variety of other training programs, Pilates makes an effort to work the whole body and places its emphasis on precision, control, and concentration in both the body as well as the mind. There is no attempt made at doing many repetitions at a time in a rapid, haphazard fashion. Instead, the focus is placed on quality and not the amount of reps you do. The "powerhouse" that consists of the lower back, abdominal muscles and the buttocks are at the center of all movement and this allows the rest of your body to move fluidly and freely. When one focuses on core stabilization, it makes the student stronger from the inside out.

This is critical for the advancement of the Pilates student. Pilates is low impact by nature and, therefore, it is ideal for the prevention of injury and for rehabilitation. Pilates has six guiding principles - concentration, centering, flow, control, breathing and precision. These principles train the body to move more efficiently while placing minimal impact on the body. With Pilates, there is a definite balance between flexibility and strength that creates a vigorous, symmetrical and health workout for all of the different muscle groups, which will result in a more balanced, leaner, and stronger body.

There are a range of DVD's on sale at http://www.pilatesorstretchforbackpain.com which have been recommended by a leading British Osteopath/Physiotherapist

Please visit my blog at http://www.stretchorpilatesforbackpain.com

The author, Steven Giles is a 55 year old former accountant who has been suffering from back pain for several years and has found that Pilates provides relief from this. He lives in Greater Manchester in the North-West of England

Paulo Coelho

Super Christians and Conversion

Soren Kierkegaard
Friedrich Nietzsche

Why do Muslims and Islam Honor Jesus and Mary

Many do not know that Muslims honor Jesus and Mary as part of their religious beliefs. The following highlights some of the facts regarding Muslims beliefs about Jesus and Mary.

* Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet. They believe that God (Allah) sent many prophets to mankind and Jesus was one of them

* As the Muslim religions foundation is to believe in one God and not to associate anyone with God and His powers and attributes, Jesus was only a human being that was raised by God and will return him to this earth in this life. Jesus will then die as a regular human being.

* Muslims believe that Bible was revealed on Prophet Jesus. However, with time, as that book was changed, God (Allah) revealed His last book, the Quran on the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad.

* Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years

* Muslims believe in Mary as the Virgin mother of Prophet Jesus

* There is an entire chapter in the Quran that explains in detail the birth of Jesus, his family, etc. The chapter is called Chapter of Mary

* Muslims believe that Jesus although was put on the cross was never crucified. Instead, he was raised to the heavens by God (Allah) and another person instead was crucified in his place. These teachings and the fully story are narrated in the Quran.

* Muslims also believe that Jesus will come back to earth, unit the Christians and the Muslims and will kill the anti-Christ.

* The Quran teaches Muslims that Jesus though was a normal human being but had special powers from God (Allah) including raising the dead and curing diseases.

Waseem works for HilalPlaza.com, an Islamic and Middle Eastern Portal Website.

Dealing With Macho Mentality

Can You Ask God For Wisdom

Mark Douglas
Religions

Hinduism, Buddhism and the Devil

No sect of Hinduism personifies the powers of evil in one figure corresponding to Satan, or the Ahriman of Persia. In proportion as a nation thinks pantheistically it is disinclined to regard the world as being mainly a contest between good and evil. It is true there are innumerable demons and innumerable good spirits who withstand them. But just as there is no finality in the exploits of Rma and Krishna, so Rvana and other monsters do not attain to the dignity of the Devil. In a sense the destructive forces are evil, but when they destroy the world at the end of a Kalpa the result is not the triumph of evil. It is simply winter after autumn, leading to spring and another summer.

Buddhism having a stronger ethical bias than Hinduism was more conscious of the existence of a Tempter, or a power that makes men sin. This power is personified, but somewhat indistinctly, as Mra, originally and etymologically a god of death. He is commonly called Mra the Evil One, which corresponds to the Mrityuh ppm of the Vedas, but as a personality he seems to have developed entirely within the Buddhist circle and to be unknown to general Indian mythology.

In the thought of the Pitakas the connection between death and desire is clear. The great evils and great characteristics of the world are that everything in it decays and dies and that existence depends on desire. Therefore the ruler of the world may be represented as the god of desire and death. Buddha and his saints struggle with evil and overcome it by overcoming desire and this triumphant struggle is regarded as a duel with Mra, who is driven off and defeated.

Even in his most mythological aspects, Mra is not a deity of Hell. He presides over desire and temptation, not over judgment and punishment. This is the function of Yama, the god of the dead, and one of the Brahmanic deities who have migrated to the Far East. He has been adopted by Buddhism, though no explanation is given of his status. But he is introduced as a vague but effective figure-and yet hardly more than a metaphor-whenever it is desired to personify the inflexible powers that summon the living to the other world and there make them undergo, with awful accuracy, the retribution due for their deeds.

In a remarkable passage called Death's Messengers, it is related that when a sinner dies he is led before King Yama who asks him if he never saw the three messengers of the gods sent as warnings to mortals, namely an old man, a sick man and a corpse. The sinner under judgment admits that he saw but did not reflect and Yama sentences him to punishment, until suffering commensurate to his sins has been inflicted.

To learn more about Buddhist teachings and beliefs, you might be interested in my FREE E-EBOOK "Buddhism for the Non-Buddhist Layman"

You will also find many free articles about Buddhist teachings, beliefs and practices in my site:

• Buddhism Through Buddhist Eyes

Power Of Visualization

Did Jesus Actually Ever Get Mad

Linda Page
Andrew Weil

Hoping to Enter Heaven - Religious Views Based on Hope

I was told by an advertising executive one day that all of your advertisements need to deliver some sort of hope for the people you're trying to persuade into buying your products. Funny, if you think about it, I got some and great advice about life from someone in the advertisement business.

Most people are looking for hope, in everything they do. Most of our daily activities revolve around hope and this gives our lives some sort of direction. If you believe in an almighty being and creator of the universe, often you will try to please him, ....or her, ....or it, in hopes of entering the kingdom of heaven or the promised land after you die.

Often our fears will increase our levels of hoping, the fear of doing something against your religion can often inspire you to become a more spiritual person, a good and moral person. Fear of making the wrong choices will inspire us to make better, moral choices, all for the sake of acquiring a ticket to Heaven or Nirvana. You're hoping, your good deeds on earth will earn you a place in heaven.

Most people are afraid of dying and leaving this world, for good. They don't know where they're going and that seems to scare most people. If we can offer someone a little hope, that they are going to a much better place than here, we can often ease the pain and suffering associated with death. I have to admit, most religions of the world promise another world, after we're done with this one.

If you're living a honest and moral life with the hopes of living a bountiful life in heaven, could you be wrong. What if you're seeking Hope in the wrong religion? If you're a Christian and the Hindus are right and you're wrong, do you get to enter there eternal kingdom.

Think about this question, I'm about to ask you. What if spend your whole life studying your religion and it's wrong? There is no heaven and when you die, that's the end of your existence

Have you ever wondered why you believe in your religion and someone in another country or even a couple of miles away believes in something entirely different.

Don't get mad at me or yourself, simply think about the question for a while, this question has transformed my life and put me on a wonderful spiritual path of learning.

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

If you want to read something funny and get your daily laugh in, you need to read this, it's funny Using Religion Responsibility. It's based on overindulgence.

Smiles Are Free So Give Them Awa

Ideas About Your Religion and Trees - Something To Think About

Phineas Quimby
Emma Curtis Hopkins

Spirituality and The Bottom Line

Whadda ya know?

Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?
Put aside all opinions, beliefs and theories for a moment and address this one straight question: What do you know for sure? Or, as Thoreau put it:

"Let us settle ourselves, and work and wedge our feet downward through the mud and slush of opinion, and prejudice, and tradition, and delusion, and appearance, that alluvion which covers the globe... through church and state, through poetry and philosophy and religion, till we come to a hard bottom and rocks in place, which we can call reality, and say, This is, and no mistake; and then begin..."

In other words, let's cut the crap and figure out what's real. The cogito does exactly that, and it's very simple. The question is: What do you know?

The answer is: I Am.

All other so-called facts are really non-facts and belong in the category of consensual reality and relative truth, i.e., unreal reality and untrue truth.

::: Cogito Ergo Sum

Cogito ergo sum is the equation that proves the fact. But first, before we go on, let's ask what else we know. What else can be said for certain?

Nothing. We don't know anything else. And that's the real point of the cogito. The importance of I Am isn't that it's a fact, but that it's the only fact.

I Am is the only thing anyone has ever known or will ever know. Everything else, all religion and philosophy, is nothing more than dream interpretation. There is no other fact than I Am. The cogito is the seed of the thought that destroys the universe. Beyond the cogito, nothing is known. Beyond the cogito, nothing can be known. Except I Am, no one knows anything. No man or god can claim to know more. No God or array of gods can exist or be imagined that know more than this one thing: I Am.

We can't avoid letting this topic drift briefly into the Christian realm. When Moses asked God His name, God answered, "I am that I am." The name God gives for Himself is I Am.

Note that I Am is unconjugatable. It allows of no variation. God doesn't say, "My name is I Am, but you can call me You Are, or He Is." The cogito, the I Am equation, does not extend beyond one's own subjective knowing. I can say I Am and know it as truth, but I can't say you are, he is, she is, we are, they are, it is, etc. I know I exist and nothing else. Understood thusly, I Am, aka God, truly is the Alpha and the Omega; the entirety of being, of knowledge, of you.

::: The Line Is Drawn

The cogito is the line between fantasy and reality. On one side of the cogito is a universe of beliefs and ideas and theories. To cross the line is to leave all that behind. No theory, concept, belief, opinion or debate can have any possible basis in reality once the ramifications of the cogito have fully saturated the mind. No dialogue can take place across that line because nothing that makes sense on either side makes sense on the other.

We all think we know what the cogito means; this is an invitation to challenge that assumption. If professors of philosophy truly understood it, they wouldn't be professors of philosophy. Alfred North Whitehead said that all philosophy is a footnote to Plato, but all philosophy, Plato included, is rendered obsolete and irrelevant by Descartes. Nothing but the subjective I Am is true, so what's the point of prattling on?

The cogito isn't a mere thought or an idea, it is an ego-eating virus that, properly incubated and nurtured, will eventually devour all illusion. Once we know the cogito, we can begin systematically unknowing everything we thought we knew, and unraveling the self we aren't.

::: Life is but a Dream

There is no such thing as objective reality. Two cannot be proven. Nothing can be shown to exist. Time and space, love and hate, good and evil, cause and effect, are all just ideas. Anyone who says they know anything is really saying they don't know the only thing. The greatest religious and philosophical thoughts and ideas in the history of man contain no more truth than the bleating of sheep. The greatest books are no more authoritative than the greatest luncheon meats.

No one knows anything.

::: Disprove it for Yourself

Anyone wishing to deny these statements about the meaning of the cogito need merely prove that something, anything, is true. By all means, give it a try, dash your head upon it, but it can't be done. Cogito ergo sum, however, isn't the endpoint of inquiry, it's the starting point; it's a tool that helps us see, without intermediaries, exactly what is true and what isn't.

How great is that?

::: About the Author

"Jed McKenna is an American original." -Lama Surya Das

Jed McKenna is the author of "Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing" and "Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment", published by Wisefool Press. Coming in 2005: "Spirituality X" and "Jed McKenna's Notebook". Visit http://www.WisefoolPress.com to learn more.

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The Real Meaning of Easter and Springtime

In nature and inside ourselves are energy patterns and dynamics that activate. Humanity evolved over a million years or more responding to the seasons of the year. Thus we have built into our genes, our psyches, a natural energy rhythm that we would do well to acknowledge and not avoid.

- finding Easter Eggs in an Easter egg hunt

- going to Easter Sunday church service when you don't go other times of the year

- getting in a car accident you never intended to happen, or did you?

- starting a love affair, whether married or not

- buying new clothes for yourself to go into summer with

- marrying the wrong person, and so later you have to get a divorce

- wanting to take a week's vacation instead of work at your job

- reading the latest mystery novels just out this year at this time

- going into nature with your friends and doing at least a walk there

- feeling depressed because you have nobody to love

THE ARCHETYPE OF EASTER-SPRINGTIME

What does the above list have in common?

- Why must you watch out for its effects?

- Why do certain celebrations occur traditionally at this transition from winter into springtime that is the 21st of March and the month of April?

In Jungian terms the archetype of Death-Rebirth becomes most active at springtime.

Death-Rebirth? What is that?

In nature and inside ourselves are energy patterns and dynamics that activate. Humanity evolved over a million years or more responding to the seasons of the year. Thus we have built into our genes, our psyches, a natural energy rhythm that we would do well to acknowledge and not avoid.

For what is not faced consciously in our awareness gets acted out anyway unconsciously.

Why do Norwegians every springtime take a week or more vacation at their summer cottages by the sea or in the mountains?

It's a wonderful thing to do. After the long Northern winter of more darkness than light, of more cold than warmth, the Norwegians are used to the seasonal shifts.

The spring equinox is the transition point when the hours of night equal the hours of day. We can imagine the long winter nights of the Northern countries, such as Norway. When spring finally arrives a sense of happiness comes with it, or so we think.

What about the dark side, the people who commit suicide when the spring comes, the people who have accidents?

One strange custom that has developed in Norway is that Norwegians when they go in the spring to their cottages also take along this year's published thrillers and mysteries. This type of genre is all about being killed and finding the killer. Why should a strong people who have just survived the winter then want to read fiction about death?

Well, don't think everything is just fine in the springtime. Norway has other forms of death for you, like quicksand in the forest because the ground is no longer frozen. Or how about you are hiking up the big mountain in Norway and suddenly the ground under you on the path just collapses into running water and mud and you are swept off the mountain to your death?

Yes, things like this happen every year in Norway. Several deaths occur to hikers in the Norway mountains when the springtime is arriving. Death is not over. Springtime is also the time they find the thawed-out bodies of those Norwegians who have chosen to commit suicide in the past winter by going into the forest and sitting under a favorite tree and freezing to death.

Deaths like this are no stranger to the Norway clime.

What is going on?

Since Death-Rebirth is the archetype of springtime this means that one must experience death first and then rebirth, then new life. The religion knows this with its Black Friday and then its Easter Sunrise service.

You don't have to go to an actual church service to feel the effects of Death-Rebirth. But the archetype is there.

Part of the monastic service is to have a midnight service and the lighting of the new pascal candle which has nails in it representing the crucifixion.

Thus built into our psychology is the recognition that we have to acknowledge our suffering and hurt and go through a letting go process to release ourselves into new birth.

The beauty of doing a sunrise experience is that you experience in nature Death-Rebirth, and this experience becomes a conscious part of you for as long as you live.

I went with some friends years ago and drove to the top of the local mountain, Mt. Diablo, in Northern California. There in the darkness we waiting all night looking out over the near and distant cities that kept their street lights on, the energy of humanity. We talked. We meditated. We knew the significance for us in our own lives of the Death-Rebirth experiences we were going through. Finally from the stone-walled walkway we saw the dawn breaking in the far distance. We had stayed up all night in our vigil and sharing together.

Here was our reward: the new dawn to a special day of rebirth. It is never to be forgotten.

Of course, the important level is to also take such things inside.

As a dreamwork psychologist, I wanted to figure our why when I lived and taught in Norway that the Norwegians read the new mystery novels at springtime. They did not know consciously themselves. It was a fad that most of them did.

Could it be that the Norwegians had waited out the long winter cold and at last when they did not have to be so strong any longer they could indulge in reading about surviving death?

What is the essence of these death-defying thrillers if not to catch the murderer before he or she catches you.

We all know we are under sentence of death but with indefinite reprieve, as Victor Hugo, the French writer, put it, but we don't know when our death will come. Will it be this year or the next, or after that? But it will come.

It's great in reading a thriller to realize that though there are deaths in the story, none of those victims are you. You are alive one more year, or so you hope.

Thus for me in the Norway sun and rains, and the new leaves on the branches of the trees, I felt a certain sadness. I was so glad to be alive still another year, and always planned to make good use of my "luck." But I also knew that one of these years the spring would come and I would not be there to marvel in its new life. The very wooden Norway house I lived in could have been built by those no longer alive. I lived in a dead man's house. And if not the house being there after me, at least the other houses of our community in the country of Norway, beloved land of all the seasons, would surely outlive me.

Whether by the sea in spring in California, or high atop the mountain elsewhere, it is a time to go adventuring and meditate on all your life is now.

What must you lose and give up? What must you sacrifice so you don't have to sacrifice life itself, even gruesomely as recounted here?

Better to realize the death part of your life now, the letting go of what can never more be. This is the base, the preparation to look forward to, and to experience through choice the new life you will dedicate yourself to with passion and awareness, as you live further your existence purposefully on this earth.

View Drs Kaplan-Williams' extraordinary blog at: http://strephonsays.com/blog/2008/11/hello-potential-members

Was Jesus Really Born On December 25th - Video

Hypnotic Writing
Game Of Life And How To Play

Hoping to Enter Heaven - Religious Views Based on Hope

I was told by an advertising executive one day that all of your advertisements need to deliver some sort of hope for the people you're trying to persuade into buying your products. Funny, if you think about it, I got some and great advice about life from someone in the advertisement business.

Most people are looking for hope, in everything they do. Most of our daily activities revolve around hope and this gives our lives some sort of direction. If you believe in an almighty being and creator of the universe, often you will try to please him, ....or her, ....or it, in hopes of entering the kingdom of heaven or the promised land after you die.

Often our fears will increase our levels of hoping, the fear of doing something against your religion can often inspire you to become a more spiritual person, a good and moral person. Fear of making the wrong choices will inspire us to make better, moral choices, all for the sake of acquiring a ticket to Heaven or Nirvana. You're hoping, your good deeds on earth will earn you a place in heaven.

Most people are afraid of dying and leaving this world, for good. They don't know where they're going and that seems to scare most people. If we can offer someone a little hope, that they are going to a much better place than here, we can often ease the pain and suffering associated with death. I have to admit, most religions of the world promise another world, after we're done with this one.

If you're living a honest and moral life with the hopes of living a bountiful life in heaven, could you be wrong. What if you're seeking Hope in the wrong religion? If you're a Christian and the Hindus are right and you're wrong, do you get to enter there eternal kingdom.

Think about this question, I'm about to ask you. What if spend your whole life studying your religion and it's wrong? There is no heaven and when you die, that's the end of your existence

Have you ever wondered why you believe in your religion and someone in another country or even a couple of miles away believes in something entirely different.

Don't get mad at me or yourself, simply think about the question for a while, this question has transformed my life and put me on a wonderful spiritual path of learning.

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

If you want to read something funny and get your daily laugh in, you need to read this, it's funny Using Religion Responsibility. It's based on overindulgence.

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Another Insight on Mary Magdalene - Movie Video

This video has more information on Mary Magdalene, great video on advanced spiritual thinking.

If you're really seeking the kingdom of heaven, the glory of God and the true vision that Jesus had, check out some great Christian articles . These articles are designed to teach and educate Christians.

Advice To Jealous Partners
What Is A Exorcism

Changing the Focus of Halloween for Christians

Some Christians avoid mention of Halloween. Some celebrate it anyway. Now, one company may change the way Christians view Halloween forever.

They have come up with a way to use Halloween as an opportunity. They have a Memory Cross card to hand out to trick-or-treaters with your Halloween candy.

What is a Memory Cross card? It is a four panel interactive card that is designed in an origami style. It unfolds to display selected bible verses. They target kids ages 4-13 and use colorful graphics to hold the both children and adults attention.

The original intention of a Memory Cross cards was for creator, Pastor Andy Lambert, to use in his sermons to tell bible stories. However, now there is yet another use. Because people love to play with these cards and flip them around, they easily learn Gods Word. These are great evangelism tools. Even the shy kids will want to pass them out to their family and friends.

Now for Halloween, they have a product that is designed to fold like the originals, but presents the gospel message. It starts out and says FREE CANDYWhat could be better than that? and then goes on to share the gospel. It is colorful. It has a photo of candy corn on the front and makes kids want to take a look inside.

Soinstead of just handing out candy this year, Christians can bring the hope of the gospel into the homes of every child who knocks on their door!

Sheryl Frey is a Christian dedicated to helping others find great Christian products like Memory Cross to share their faith. She also organizes the Memory Cross Kids challenge. For more information please see http://www.memorycrosskidschallenge.com

Starting With Simple Things

False Prophet Are Biblical Facts- Movie Video

Can you believe this guy, if you look up these verses in the Bible, you will see that there and there, but how did he come up with these ideas about the Sabbath, teenagers and the fact that the Bible is repulsive.

If you're really seeking the kingdom of heaven, the glory of God and the true vision that Jesus had, check out some great Christian articles . These articles are designed to teach and educate Christians.

Missing Years Of Jesus
Make A Live Out Of Your Life

Book Review - Mixed - My Life in Black and White

"I hate covert racism. I always hated guessing whether someone is being mean/rude/nervous because they hate my race or because they are having a bad day. As I got older, I noticed that covert racism is like depression: You know it when you feel it, but it's hard to explain to someone who has never experienced it. It's like a sixth sense that God has given people of color that white people don't believe in. We just know."

In her memoir "Mixed: My Life in Black and White" (2006), Angela Nissel writes of the struggles she faces while growing up biracial. Nissel's name may be familiar to fans of the NBC comedy series "Scrubs." She has been a staff writer for the show for four years and is now consulting producer. As a starving artist (a.k.a. freelance writer), Nissel sold some goods on eBay for extra cash. The winning bidder for one of those items was a television executive who had read her first book "The Broke Diaries" (2001), which was about her days as a broke college student. The eBay winner introduced Nissel to a television literary agent who sent copies of "The Broke Diaries" to shows hiring comedy writers. Nissel had numerous job offers, but chose "Scrubs."

Her knack for sarcastic, quick-witted humor that is a driving force in "Scrubs" is what makes "Mixed" a must read. When Nissel is in the fourth grade, two of her classmates, Jimmy and Michael, call her a zebra. (That isn't the humorous part.) Nissel's father finds out and goes to the boys' houses with Angela. Jimmy's parents scold their son. However, Michael's father slams the door in Angela's father's face. That father's dog has been using the Nissels' yard as a bathroom, so Angela's father concocts a hilarious scheme involving an Ex-Lax pill. Angela asks her father whether the Ex-Lax will hurt the dog. "'No, just Michael's father's carpets,'" her dad replies.

Later, though, Angela discovers that her father has been cheating on her mother, but even this situation is steeped in humor. "I already knew my parents were having problems and she suspected my father of cheating. (Note to parents: Trying to have cryptic conversations by spelling words out no longer works once your child is reading.) Then later, "Ever since the first argument about my father c-h-e-a-t-i-n-g with w-h-o-r-e-s, my mother had started working a lot...."

The thing about this book is that the comedic moments are also sad ones. And this is Nissel's strength: She makes you laugh, but she also makes you think. Comments from people about her looks teach her that there is "good" hair and an "ugly" nose. The features people consider pretty are from her white father.

She went to all-black schools, all-white schools, public, private, schools associated with different religions-yet she never fit in. She was never white enough or black enough, so she was the target of merciless teasing. "Being a mixed child, you get used to people staring at you," she writes. She immediately follows with humor: "I learned that rolling my eyes or sticking out my tongue was the quickest way to get people to avert their gazes." She learns that being biracial is no easier in the dating world. She notices that of six black male coworkers at a production company, "five had white wives and one was dating an Asian girl."

The book is filled with Nissel's struggles, but she doesn't want you to feel sorry for her; she is explaining how her experiences (good or bad) made her who she is. She makes you care about the people in her life, particularly her mother, who let her daughter change schools and religions-almost as often as she changed her clothes-in an attempt to find herself. Nissel doesn't censor herself-or anyone else-which makes for brilliant dialogue and unapologetic honesty.

http://www.whitneybrennan.info

Creating A Habit

Spiritual Awareness With The Good and the Bad

Spirituality is a subject that is so vast that it can lead to endless discussions. Although most people do admit there is a Spiritual side to every human been not everybody wants to embrace that part. What do you mean by that I hear you ask? And if so then why is it like that?

First let me try to answer another question. How do we know we are spiritually aware? The answer is if you are alive and if you have emotions you also have a spiritual awareness to things. Don't tell you never say: 'I knew that." There is a connection we have to the unknown that we can't describe, but it is as if we have insight to certain things before it happens. I do think everybody has a spiritual awareness even though they do not call it that. So if we all have are and if it is so valuable to have, why don't we all try to embrace it?

A possible answer is because it is a subject that attracts so much hocus pocus. This is something the reasonable man can't embrace. Just recently I saw a television program about a spiritual healer. Now though I can never say he or she isn't, I noticed things that bothered me. This woman surrounded her with things such as the Egyptian Ank, Tibetan bells, candles, crystals etc. She also made certain statements that I frowned upon. She mentioned that she used crystals because its vibration is very close to the vibration of the human body? I wonder what Asimov would have said about that? Can anybody show proof of such statements/

To come back to the discussion, I find that traditional Western people only come to a spiritual awareness level later in life. Some only after they got addicted to all the other things. Once they gave up drugs, alcohol and the rest that failed to supply them with answers, they suddenly discover spirituality. But boy do they discover it then. Within months they buy anything and everything that is available and they throw that together in a concoction that can cure anything physical and emotional. They suddenly have all the answers and throw around jargon that is very impressive. For some this actually works but for the rest, the Lotus flower and crystals disappear.

To the contrary, in Tibet, India, Taiwan and other places known for their temples and people who study religious texts, you don't find this. Here you find a more serious and focused concentration on the subject. In Tibet the monk uses his bells, in Egypt he used the Ank and in Japan he used a Zen garden. Each to its own.

In Zen Buddhism it is believed that if you want to grow you need to take away something everyday, not add more. They also believe in Simplicity. Less is better. I have a feeling this way will lead to a deeper understanding of the subject that will last longer. I could be wrong.

If subjects such as these interest you, then you must have a look at my site http://ozymandeus.com or find out what the word Ozymandeus means

Backup Plans Feel Good

David Lynch on Transcendental Meditation Part One

Are You Fed Up With Religion
Benefits Of Meditation

A Culmination Of Pagan Practices

Christmas Is The Most Celebrated Holiday In Christianity. Some Consider It The Most Holy Day Of The Year.

The exaltation of Christmas is in itself a travesty. Most historians, and Christian scholars know that Jesus was not born on December 25th. They realize that his birth date was probably in the fall. This is backed up by circumstances surrounding Jesus birth.

People knowingly follow a false date set aside to exalt Jesus. Not only is the date a fraud, but also so are the practices. Many manmade traditions have been mixed in with the worship of God. This is like mixing dung with balsam.

The majority of the activities associated with Christmas have no relationship to Jesus. Sure there is an adopted religious (paganish) Nativity scene about Christ. But there are many more adopted pagan customs that are totally unrelated.

Christmas originated in Rome in the 4th century. The tradition came after the Council of Nicaea met in 325 C.E. For kingdom unification, the Council adopted the idea that Jesus was God. Christmas was a Christian substitute for the pagan celebration of winter solstice.

The winter solstice usually occurred around December 25th on the ancient Julian calendar. This celebration was a part of another Roman celebration called Saturnalia. Saturnalia began each year on December 17th. At that time the Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture. Also celebrated was the lengthening of daylight following the winter solstice. Romans did this by glorifying Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light. These and other winter festivities lasted until January 1.

The Roman Catholic Church chose December 25 as the day for the Feast of the Nativity. This was in order to give Christian meaning to existing pagan rituals. The Church replaced festivities honoring the birth of the Mithra by commemorating the birth of Jesus. They called Jesus the light of the world. The Church hoped to draw pagans into its religion by overlapping their revelry.

Traditionally, the sacred Christmas season starts with Advent. Advent continues to Christmas Day. During Advent, Christians make preparations for commemorating Jesus birth on December 25th. They also look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

About 600A.D., Pope Gregory I decreed that Advent start the fourth Sunday before Christmas. He decreed that the season end on Epiphany, January 6th.

Over the next 1200 years, Christmas observances followed the expansion of Christianity. It expanded throughout Europe, into Egypt, and eventually into America. Along the way, Christian beliefs combined with other pagan feasts and winter rituals. This created many distorted long-standing Christian traditions of Christmas celebrations.

Some examples are:

1)The ancient Europeans believed that the mistletoe plant held magic powers to bestow life and fertility, to bring about peace, and to protect against disease. They associated the plant with the Norse goddess of love, Freya, and developed the custom of kissing underneath mistletoe branches.

2)The Roman Catholic Church first introduced the midnight Mass in the 5th century. The dramatization of the biblical story of Jesus birth was a practice begun by Saint Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.

3)Many cultures continue the pre-Christian custom of burning Yule logs during the midwinter season; the Yule log symbolizes the victory of light over the darkness of winter. According to ancient tradition, the ashes provide protection against bad luck during the year.

4)The German custom of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmastime has become one of the most popular images of Christmas around the world. At one time, Germany supplied the world with almost all of the decorative glass ornaments for Christmas trees. On the evening of December 5th, children wait for a visit from Saint Nicholas, who brings them gifts. Most children also receive gifts on Christmas Eve. In some parts of Germany, Santa Claus distributes gifts, but in other regions Knecht Ruprecht, a mythical figure dressed in animal skins, delivers childrens treats. On Christmas Eve, families traditionally gather around Christmas trees decorated with lights, ornaments, and Lebkuchen, which are spiced cookies cut into decorative shapes. Worshippers holding candles illuminate Church services on Christmas Eve. The Advent wreath, which consists of four candles anchored in a circle of evergreen branches, originated with German Lutherans; many churches and families have adopted the tradition. At the beginning of each of the four weeks preceding Christmas, Christians light an Advent candle as they say a prayer.

5)In Italian folklore Santa Claus is not a prominent figure. Instead, Italian children wait for La Befana, a good witch who rides her broom to their homes on Epiphany to distribute gifts. According to folk belief, La Befanawhose name refers to the word Epifania (Epiphany)was too busy to accompany the Three Wise Men on their journey to visit the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. Now, to atone for her failing, she visits all good children, leaving treats. She also visits bad children and leaves them lumps of coal or bags of ash.

6)In England religious customs of Christmas celebrations center on recounting the story of Christs birth. Most people who celebrate Christmas also participate in such secular customs as watching Christmas plays, feasting, singing, and helping the poor. Before Christmas Day, children write wish lists to Father Christmas, who is the British version of Santa Claus. They then throw these letters into the fire. Children believe that if a draft draws the letter up through the chimney, their wishes will be fulfilled. Children open their gifts on Christmas afternoon. Many people in England also make charitable contributions to churches and to the needy on the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day. They also give small gifts known as Christmas boxes to those who have performed personal services throughout the year.

7)America has become a melting pot for many world Christmas traditions, with many new customs, many of which started in the 19th century. Before then Christmas had been an ordinary workday in many communities, particularly in New England, where early Puritan objections to Christmas celebrations remained highly influential. Families almost never exchanged Christmas gifts among themselves.

These early Christmas traditions in America quickly changed. Among some groups, Christmas became an especially boisterous event, characterized by huge feasts, drunkenness, and raucous public revelry. In an English tradition that survived in some parts of North America, Christmas revelers would dress in costume and progress from door to door to receive gifts of food and drink. Most holiday gifts were limited to small amounts of money and modest presents passed from the wealthy to the poor and from masters to their servants. The rapidly expanding industrial economy of the 19th century flooded the market with new goods for sale, and also helped establish a new middle class. Christmas gained increased prominence largely because many people believed it could draw families together and honor children. Giving gifts to children and loved ones eventually replaced the raucous public celebrations of the past, and Christmas became primarily a domestic holiday.

With the new custom of Christmas gift giving, the marketplace exerted an unprecedented influence on holiday celebrations. Commercial innovations such as department stores and mass advertising further expanded the custom of exchanging Christmas gifts. Seasonal retail sales helped fuel the economy, causing merchants and advertisers to become some of the seasons most dedicated promoters. Many holiday celebrants regretted these changes and began voicing the now common grieve that Christmas has become too commercial. With the influx of immigrants, who introduced a wide variety of religious and cultural practices to North American life, celebrating Christmas became a way for people from different parts of the world to create a sense of community in the cities. The holiday forged a sense of nondenominational Christian spirit in the communities, as it promoted a sense of collective good will.

Christmas, the most Holy Day of Christianity, has many built-in errors and influences. Although it has become a Day to reflect on goodwill toward mankind, the core of Christianitys foundation (Jesus birth) has pagan roots. Just imagine how many more pagan customs are embedded into other Christian holidays and beliefs. All of the Christian traditions need to be investigated thoroughly, if one is to take them literally.

With Christmas, like other holidays, Christians give reverence to images and symbols. With Christmas there is the symbol of the Christ child. In Rome this image is called Santo Bambino Jesu.

There are also other pagan images, adopted for various reasons. Some of these images include: mistletoe, prayer cloths and beads, people, spirits, Crucifixes, etc. To include the worship of any image or object is an abomination. God wants our total dedication to Him only, in spirit only.

Biblical Scriptures read:

Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Deut. 5:8.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Deut. 6:5.

Jesus said:

Have ye ever seen dung mixed with balsam?

Now I tell you that there be in the world greater madmen, because with the service of God they mingle the service of the world. So much so that many of blameless life have been deceived of Satan, and while praying have mingled with their prayer worldly business, whereupon they have become at that time abominable in the sight of God. Tell me, when ye wash yourselves for prayer, do ye take care that no unclean thing touch you? Yea, assuredly. But what do ye when ye are making prayer? Ye wash your soul from sins through the mercy of God. Would ye be willing then, while ye are making prayer, to speak of worldly things? Take care not to do so, for every worldly word becometh dung of the devil upon the soul of him that speaketh. GB: 84.

More is revealed on this subject of: False holidays and customs, as well as on the subjects of: Gods Knowledge and Worship, and the Judgments of God, in the Guide Book: ONE GOD ONE WORD: The TRUTH About The KNOWLEDGE and WORSHIP of GOD.

Visit website: http://OneGodOneWord.com/ for additional information.

Backup Plans Feel Good

Video Clips on the the Secret Movie

the Movie the Secret Was a Big Success, Watch Some Clips from the Oprah Winfrey Show on This Video

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

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

Problem Solving Tips
Gay Teenager Problems

World's Worst Mass-Murderers - Religious Extremism Or Enlightened Secularism?

History - Written in Blood

The history of the world has been written in blood, until recently by dominating religions, intolerant of other faiths or beliefs: from dark-age pogroms, to early Islam's rampages, to the Crusades, to conquest of the New World, to the Inquisition, and to Stalin and Hitler and genocidal Holocaust. Throughout this gory litany, peace-seeking philosophers, war-weary, have dreamed periodically of a world without conflict. Other than the cultures and countries which worshipped the glory of mortal combat, e.g. the rulers and elite citizenry of ancient Rome, Sparta and more recently Prussia, most philosophers, and certainly at-risk commoners throughout history have dreamed of quiet lives without conflict or violence, safe from both external and internal attacks upon their freedoms and persons, hoping only to be permitted to enjoy their families and accomplishments in peace - and to die in bed at a respectable age.

Early on, wars were fought and peoples murdered to spread religion, coercive conversions forcing acceptance of the God of a dominant power. Dismayed at the carnage, rational humankind philosophized that no true divinity could tolerate, much less demand, such unwarranted cruelty - hence they must all be false - hence an anti-religion philosophy of rule-by-rationality should-be superior. Mankind began searching out a workable approach to peaceful governance - coexistence among peoples of differing faiths and philosophies - without bloodshed. By an "either-or" argument, if God and Religion seemed to be more cause than solution, perhaps durable peace could be achieved between nations - if "faith" would be discarded and replaced with "reason".

Such daring thinking was envisioned, then espoused - the concept of "enlightened" rule was developed - a peaceful society, governed by fairness in rules of conduct and justice; it was embarked upon and grew, with democratized liberation of countries from prior religious domination. Such optimistic and exciting "Enlightenment" theories took root, conceptually non-tyrannical authority being envisaged - neither rule by royal-lineage nor by divinity figures, instead leaders to be selected from the populace by majority choice, government by rational, impartial laws and justice, replacing religious dogmatism. The theory was implemented with confidence, preamble efforts beginning in (1776 in the US - excluded hereinafter, and) 1794 with the French Revolution. The ringing phrase "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" became the slogan of hope in France .

This expectation of a better approach was, however, short-lived, lasting but two years - ending with a parade of citizens, deemed unworthy of life, escorted to the guillotine - and a flood of blood. Subsequently, perhaps inevitably, the pendulum of non-religions or "enlightened" governance went into "overswing" - the world experiencing (perhaps) the ultimate in authoritarian rule based upon the moral compass of mere men - dictatorships - Communism and Nazi-ism!

Extremism of religious ideology and bigotry in living memory as well as recorded history, cannot be denied. Millions of lives have been taken by hatred as frenzied zealots of one religion held power over others - oft-times given a no-win choice, forced conversion or the sword. Even greater extremism is evident today, the virulence being obvious in the venue selection - where civilians, especially children gather - bloodied body-parts of innocents are shown in lurid photos and described in every newspaper - blown-up in buses, restaurants, marketplaces, houses of worship. Human intolerance of faiths other than their own, especially during outbreaks of mob psychology - particularly when exhorting a divine "commandment" to kill "the infidel" - are spurred on by inflammatory and instantaneous distribution of world news. Such bloodshed is even more commonplace today than in the past. So what is the carnage scorecard?

Undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of helpless human beings have been killed by the excesses of religion in recorded history, inflamed zealots, dark-age pogroms, genocides leading to the Holocaust, and present-day Islamo-terrorists. However, in contrast, when the supreme decision authority for life and death has been placed in human ethical standards of morality and justification, the pursuit of ever-greater powers and conquests are apparently irresistible. Rationalizations and cold assessments of benefits and advantages seem to easily overwhelm restraint - leading to carnage and ferocity - greatly exceeding even inflamed religious bigotry. Instead of the envisaged tolerance and fraternity, the end result of political experiments in "enlightened" human authority has been both unanticipated and uninhibited, the untethering of the worst instincts of human beings.

Over 100 Million Killed

Totaling the score can only be done in round numbers, but despotic rulers have caused over 100 million people being killed - by Communism and Nazi-ism within this past century: China, Soviet Union, North Korea, Cambodia, Africa, Afghanistan, and Nazi Europe. These human beings were killed, not in battle or by faith-based hatreds ("if your god is not my god, then you must die"), but from an ideology that denied "faith" itself ("There is no god, only man is the judge of right and wrong!"). With "political correctness" holding sway, it is religion itself that is targeted.

The history of humankind is a history of killing, not for food as in the animal kingdom, but to increase power, dominance of peoples and for land-mass acquisition. Today, of the world religions, all but one seem to have grown beyond desires to kill or compel conversions of other faiths, only the Muslim religion seems to still justify the sacrifice of not only their own lives but also those of their own children, in order to deny others a desired worship of their own gods.

Clearly, man's warlike nature is not curbed by devotion to a divinity. But the record shows that governance and morality considerations - which if not restrained by considerations superior to human authority - seems to lead to rationalizations for abuses with much more extreme end-results. Human nature, absent the moral and ethical compass of religion and with authority without limitation, seems to the inevitable justification of the ultimate in extremism, rationalizing away impediments to increasing authority and acquisition - mass murder without conscience.

Aaron Kolom qualifies as a "rocket scientist" with over 50 years aerospace engineering: Stress Analyst to Chief of Structural Sciences on numerous military aircraft, to Corp. Director Structures and Materials, Asst. Chief Engineer Space Shuttle Program through first three flights (awarded NASA Public Service Medal), Rockwell International Corp.; Program Manager Concorde SST, VP Engineering TRE Corp.; Aerospace Consultant.

Aaron L. Kolom - from Brainwashed* and Miracles**
* The Perceived Mind-Set of the Secular Elite re Darwin Evolutionism!
** To Believe in Them - Have Faith - In Science and Logic!

Visit website at http://www.brainwashedandmiracles.com to learn a bit about Science vs the Bible, from conflict to confirmation.

Creating A Habit

Observer and the Observed

So quantum physics tells us that the observer causes the observed, or at the very least that the observer interferes with that which is being observed by the very process of observing it. Ive heard some people crying "heresy!" They do not like the idea that once the observer is not observing the observed, then the observed is not.

In my mind that misses a large, obvious point which makes the concept ludicrous. We are all one, god if you will, or at the very least energy, unseparated my anything other than atomic configuration which on a larger scale appears to create separation of bodies of mass. Since we know better, then theres a couple other points we cannot overlook.

Firstly, because we are all one energy field, for lack of a better term, there is no disappearance of anything when it is not being observed. Our human notion of not existing encapsulates anything not within the small frequency band our six physical senses can pick up. Perhaps the observer causes the observed to become a manifest, physical experience (to the observer), but the lack of observer in no way takes away the existence of that experience/being/energy.

Secondly, because all energy is the same, and we as apparently individual human beings are conscious, then its very difficult to imagine that any spec of the energy field of all-that-is could not be conscious. The type of consciousness may vary greatly, in an infinite number of ways, but is still basic consciousness nonetheless. For us to be conscious implies that everything is, that energy itself is consciousness. That ours is focused into a small amount of matter at the moment (exclusively, as far as what we deem our conscious mind is concerned) does not mean that every other piece of this energy shares that form of focalised consciousness.

If our rule of free will stands up, as it must, in that the law of attraction clearly states that we create our reality by what we think about, thereby allowing that to become part of our reality, then all forms of consciousness must inherit this same trait, although perhaps experentially very different. Therefore the observer cannot observe the observed unless the observed is also an observer that is observing the original observer.

With this understood, all observers are in fact by nature observed, as that which they are observing is also by nature observer. The process of observation therefore does not contain observed and observer, but both of those in both participants, or what I will now call observed(er).

I dont mean to shake rocky ground, but this places all new challenges on the understanding of the role of observer in the observed.

And having raised an issue without providing satisfactory resolution, I leave you now.

jonpeeoh (http://www.jonpeeoh.com) is a new web community devoted to raising consciousness, magick, and teaching others to take control of their powers as creators of their own reality.

Developing Wealth Building Habit

Another Insight on Mary Magdalene - Movie Video

This video has more information on Mary Magdalene, great video on advanced spiritual thinking.

If you're really seeking the kingdom of heaven, the glory of God and the true vision that Jesus had, check out some great Christian articles . These articles are designed to teach and educate Christians.

If Only I Had This
Vibration And Universal Energy

Dispel Grief With a Positive Bereavement Poem

After a loved one dies, it feels like the world has come to a crashing stop. Grief and mourning can be so intense that you feel like you are sailing through a hurricane and then sinking in a sea of quicksand. A positive, faith and hope filled bereavement poem can help dispel grief and raise your spirits. The dark clouds of grief and loss can leave you and your family as you rise above the waves of fear and walk on the water of solid emotional and spiritual faith.

Loss and mourning are two obstacles to face and endure after a loved one dies. That might be a spouse, child, or family member. Or a close friend or neighbor, someone at church or even a personal role model. For example, when famous actor like Paul Newman died, many people who loved his example of a faithful marriage, his salad dressing, his famous roles movies like The Sting, and his good humor were shocked and numb. Death hits harder when the people are closest to us. Why do sympathy poems help after the death of a loved one?

Bereavement poems are a form of sympathy prayers that remember your loved one's life, with the hope of eternal life that follows. An effective bereavement poem contains several words of condolence and sympathy sayings, and even sympathy prayers.

The key words of a grief poem are expressions of hope. The virtue of hope looks forward to something new, something better in life, a transformation of even life after death. For example, in the Christian religion, disciples of Jesus Christ believe in the resurrection and new life with God that follows death. In many religions, hope is a gift that points toward eternity - a lasting union and friendship with a Supreme Being.

The symbol of hope in the Christian religion is an anchor, that holds a boat steady during a storm. The rope that holds the anchor to a ship during a stormy time of life relies upon being cast into a sea bottom of faith and love. That rope is a life line to hang on to, when the hurricanes of life come blowing through. The fact is that death happens to every person.

A bereavement poem that contains a prayer of hope and words of consolation brings peace to your mind and calm to your heart. All you need to do is to find a simple sympathy poem that is easy to say and includes the names of your deceased loved ones.

Discover a bereavement poem and prayer that you can customize to include the names of your deceased loved ones. Visit http://www.my3strands.com today.

30 Days To Creating Super Habits

Aum Mantra For Mediation

Ahhhhh is the sound of God and can be used for meditation. Listen to this wonderful sound and try to find God in it.

Question Your Religion

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

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

Governments Through History
A Road Full Of Boulders

Why Should We Give Thanks in Times Like These?

According to History.com, the first Thanksgiving took place in Massachusetts during the Pilgrim Settlers second winter in America in December 1621. The first winter had killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. And because an unexpected trading vessel arrived, and swapped beaver pelts with them for corn, they were able to survive. Since next summers crops brought hope, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast on December 13, 1621, which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. Although this feast is considered to be the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. The Pilgrims gave thanks to God for helping them find acres of land that had no hostile Indians and for newfound religious freedom. They also celebrated with the friendly Indians who brought wild turkeys and venison with them. As well as prayers, sermons and songs of praise. They spent three days feasting and praying. Since that time, Thanksgiving is a celebration of thanks of gratitude to God for His grace and mercy upon us. And President Lincoln officially set aside the last Thursday of November in 1863, "as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father." In 1941, Congress ruled that after 1941, the fourth Thursday of November be observed as Thanksgiving Day and be a legal holiday.

But why should we give thanks in times like these today? It is true that in today's society, some of us may think we don't have much to be thankful for. From loss of jobs, homes, cars and possessions, what's left? From the fall of Wall Street, the never ending war and the bad economy, why should we still be thankful to God? 1 Thessalonians says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." This means, no matter what we may go through, good or bad, God will always make a way for us. Even at our darkest time or hour, God will always turn a negative into a positive, if we only believe and trust in Him. Even in the book of Exodus, the Israelites sang a song of thanksgiving as they were delivered from Pharoah's army after they crossed the Red Sea. And the book of Psalms is full of songs of thanksgiving for God's grace to the Israelite people as well as for His individual graces to each of us.

In this life there will always be things to complain about. But God gave us a choice. Do we choose to be positive or negative? Is the glass half empty or full? No matter how grim our situations may be, there will always be something to be thankful for. Did we live to see another day? Do we have our health and strength? Are our families ok? Do we have clothes, food and shelter? If we only believe and trust in God, He will give us our needs and not necessarily our wants. For Romans 8:28-30 says, "For those who know Christ, God also works everything together for good, even events we would not necessarily consider good." May God grant that He may find us grateful everyday for all gifts- spiritual and material.

Wanda is a wife, mother, public speaker and contributing author of EzineArticles.com. She has been writing about God and spirituality for over 20 years and has researched the bible and its history. Wanda also specializes in Christian poetry and children books and believes and teaches that regardless of a person's background or their mistakes of the past, God has a place for them.

She is the publisher and bestselling author of "Kids Ask The Darndest Things About God And The Beginning- Answers From The First Five Books Of The Bible" available at http://www.amazon.com

Visit Ball Publications Christian Books at http://www.ball-publications.com and sign up for "The Knowledge" monthly Newsletter. Gain Knowledge and Power with articles, discussions, tips and special offers that will be provided from time to time. Take advantage of up and coming events, radio broadcasts and recommended products of interest for you and your family!

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

Words Create Powerful Beliefs

Could you imagine someone telling you that if you don't do something, you're going to suffer a horrible punishment and possibly death, because you chose to ignore their message. Can simple words create powerful beliefs, isn't this what some religious doctorines create? Even the media does it, think about it the next time you turn your television on or read the newspaper.

You seem to believe something because someone told you that's how it is and when you go to question them, they simply repeat the simple statement, that's how is. It's hard to imagine a few words, articulated almost perfectly can create an overwhelming emotion in someone.

The Germans used propaganda to create fear with a few of these words. It's not just a few of these words, there's more power behind these words if their repeated often. These words can build up someone's hopes and dreams or tear them apart.

Is there a quote that you're fond of? You probably memorized it and it has some sort of significance or creates a certain feeling when mentioned. Quotes are organized words that create powerful beliefs in some people.

If I mention the words," I have a dream" you probably think of Martin Luther King. These four words meant a lot to people that were struggling for their freedom, not only in America but around the world. These words are a example of powerful words that have created a wonderful feeling.

When these powerful words create fear you know it. If you watch the news, night after night and they keep telling you how bad the economy is, it doesn't take long before you believe it. You tighten up your budget and stop spending money, because you are now fearful and don't want to lose what you have. When everyone starts holding onto their money, the economy actually does become worse over time.

Can simple words create powerful beliefs? Yes obviously they can and they do, so be careful when listening to words that create fear and try not to spread this fear around to others. Fear can be turned into relief if the right words are used, I would suggest using happy words to create a happy world. Have a nice day.

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

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

Developing Wealth Building Habit

Conscious Creation In the Universe

Here's a different point of view of how life originated in what's going on on our planet and throughout the universe.

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

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

Governments Through History
Changing Your Thinking

Weight Loss Spells For Those Interested in Witchcraft and Magick

Weight loss spells are becoming more and more popular. Both female and male witches alike often cast weight loss spells with hopes of obtaining their "dream bodies." A weight loss spell falls into the same category of "beauty spells" and "glamor spells." But do they really work?

Weight loss spells don't just magically work in the sense that they *poof!* make the witch thinner, but they can help the witch become more motivated to work out and to eat healthier. In order to lose weight, healthy eating and working out are always the most important things to do. But neither can be done if the witch has no willpower. Thankfully, a weight loss spell can help with that.

If you're interested in witchcraft and weight loss, here is a spell you can try:

Every Friday night for a month, light some white and pink candles (or red if you're a male witch or mage. I won't make you light pink ones.) Drink at least one full cup of water before, during, and after the spell. Have some jasmine incense burning as well, if you're not allergic to it. During the spell, while drinking the water, look in front of a full length mirror and visualize yourself shrinking and becoming thinner. Try imagining that you actually FEEL yourself getting thinner. Spend a few minutes doing this while saying this mantra:

"Extra weight go away, Venus be with me this day. Give me the strength, give me the power. I shall lose weight starting this hour."

Say this over and over again while visualizing yourself getting thinner.

After the weight loss spell is over, snuff the candles out and then set them in a private place until the next Friday. You may resume where you left off every Friday night until you begin noticing differences in your eating habits. Don't forget to thank Venus often.

If you are interested in a weight loss spell or any other type of spell, this is a great site to visit: http://www.AvonleeStarkeeper.com At this site you will find tips on love spells, money spells, luck spells, justice spells, REIKI, psychic readings, and more!

You Have To Start Somewhere

The Ovum Factor

The Ovum Factor by Marvin L. Zimmerman is one of the best intrigue novels I have read in some time. There were several aspects that stood out for me with this book. Marvin is able to bring several environmental, moral and ethical issues to the reader. He is also able to show us a little of an insider's view into the corporate world. His passion for the planet is so well interwoven into the story's plot that readers will find themselves tense and wanting to read more. Another interesting aspect of the book is that Marvin also shows us the importance of Indigenous knowledge and the dangers of eradicating life-systems.

The lead character is David Rose who becomes involved with a Nobel Prize winning professor, Charles MacMillan. Charles is driven by a traumatic event from his youth and this passion has helped discover one possible thread of hope for man and the destruction of Earth. Early on in this tale readers are introduced to controversial subjects from genetic manipulation to social ethics. David, however, has no idea of the role that religious leaders going back in time have played in keeping this knowledge from reaching the public. In his ignorance Cardinal Cardoso sends a reformed assassin, Dario Santini, to stop Professor MacMillan's project. A romance develops between David and Professor MacMillan's assistant, Emily Chang - a woman with a troubled past and who has a hidden agenda of her own. David soon finds himself trekking through the Amazon forest in search of a plant that may no longer exist due to vast abuse to the land. His guide, Galileo is also far from what he seems at first and David becomes more than a little reliant on this man.

The Ovum Factor is a sad, gripping, emotionally charged book that is both realistic and intelligently written. Action, legends, adventure, romance and travel are all here. I truly enjoyed the author's style and the simple way he blends fact and fiction. Readers are shown comparisons between modern society and the indigenous peoples and the effect our society has on theirs.

I also enjoyed the concept of fate and the interconnected web of life. We see characters finding purpose in life, and pursuing it. The plight of the planet and the loss of life described in this book may help some readers feel inspired to become proactive in life. I believe that the main message of The Ovum Factor is that there is a potential hero in each one of us.

Marvin Zimmerman has been the publisher and editor of INMR Quarterly Review, focusing on electrical energy, for more than 15 years. His work as a consultant for business and marketing strategy and as an instructor of international business at two of Canada's largest universities must have played a role in the accurate corporate world we see in The Ovum Factor. Mr. Zimmerman is a life-long environmentalist and, interestingly, wrote most of the book on location.

Rating 5 out of 5 stars.

~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; host of the Conscious Discussions radio show (http://www.brummet.ca)

30 Days To Creating Super Habits

What's so Important about Learning - Zig Ziglar Video

Zig Ziglar explains how the learned will inherit the earth.

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

Dealing With Selfish Thoughts
Spiritual People I Admire