My Cash Cow System

My Cash Cow System is a new hot work from home job that is taking the business scene by storm! When visiting My Cash Cow System you will be provided with tons of great and very easy to understand information about how this system can work for you to make you money! By taking the time to look over the entire website you will learn that the system runs on auto pilot no matter what time of the day, all day long, even if you are on vacation the system is making money for you.

My Cash Cow System is a program that can help an average person earn an extra paycheck per week and of course a whole lot more month! The more work you are willing to put in, the more money you make. What person in the world would not like to work from home? There are so many people being laid off daily because of the worsening economy and parents wanting to stay at home with their children. Finding that perfect work from home job is right at your finger tips when plugging into My Cash Cow System.

When deciding to join this great system you are provided with training that easy enough for even the simplest person to understand. You get unlimited support from the community around you, helping you every step of the way. You are provided with tools such as your own website to market and free videos to watch to get people interested in your system. Cash commissions are paid weekly!

When it comes to working from home you must take the time to look over the business very well before getting started. In today's times people are getting ripped off more and more every day by the thousands. When looking over My Cash Cow System you will get the peace of mind knowing that this system is not a rip off. Its purpose is to make you money and that is exactly what it will do for you. Another wonderful thing about this system is that it is fully automated! Although you are not guaranteed to make money with My Cash Cow System, as every work at home opportunity, you do get all the help you possibly can ask for in order to raise your odds of success greatly.

My Cash Cow System is defiantly a system worth checking into. When wanting to make just enough to supplement your income or a pretty good amount of money, you will want to defiantly give this the once over and go ahead and jump in! Making money with My Cash Cow System is proven to get you results. When needing help they are there for you, they don't stick you out there and that its. My Cash Cow System can help you build the home business of your dreams!

For more information http://blog.sandirenteria.com

Treat your body like a temple, not a woodshed. Make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you.~Jim Rohn

I was recently struck in the head with a renewed sense of awareness and focus, of the fact that I am responsible for everything in my Life.

The truth is that nobody forces you to think, feel, or behave a certain way.  While you may not be accepted by society or even punished if you don't follow certain rules, still nobody else can "make" you do or feel anything.  You are not a victim to people or circumstances.  This is not to say that you can control all situations, undoubtedly you cannot.  But you alone are responsible for your thoughts, emotions, and actions in relation to that situation.  

Do you really want to spend your life letting other people decide how you feel? Use your own mind; make your own decisions. Be responsible for your own life.

You must stop blaming someone else for your problems...take responsibility of your own actions.

Taking responsibility for choices, actions, and direction is so powerfully important. Without taking responsibility, you'll likely look at your life as a failure. People who take complete responsibility for their lives experience joy and in-control of their circumstances.

Three Steps on How to Take Responsibility for Your Own Life

The most important aspect of taking responsibility for your life is acknowledging that your life is your responsibility. No one but YOU can Live your LIFE. You are in charge. No matter how hard you try to blame others for the events of your life, each event is the result of the choices you have made and are making. Listen to the little voice in your head. Do you hear yourself taking responsibility or placing blame?

• Listen to the voice in your head. Eliminate blame; eliminate excuses. Stop shifting responsibility for your decisions to other.
• Listen to yourself when you speck. In your conversation, do you hear yourself blame others for things that dont' go exactly as you want? Do you find yourself pointing fingers at your coworkers or the way you were brought up, your parents' influence, the amount of money you make, or your spouse? Are you making excuses for goals that you have not achieved or deadlines that you've missed? Stop blaming others.
• If you receive constructive criticism from someone you respect, that you make excuses and blame others for your actions or the outcome, take the criticism seriously. Control your defensive reaction and deepen your understanding with the respected individual.

Remember, you control your actions, so therefore you can change the outcome.

Stop looking for it to change, and remember in order for it to change you must change it. It’s not it or them it’s you! If you do not like something or the outcome of your situation; do something about it….change it!

If you don’t like where you live do something about it!  If you don’t like where you work do something about it. If you don’t like the number in your savings account do something about it, don’t just blame someone or something. Anything that you don’t like you have the power to take responsibility for changing it.

Several years ago, I found myself in this situation…I didn’t like working long hours for someone else, while someone else was raising my children. So I did something about it. I had a choice to change my situation...I choose to work from home so that I could raise my own children. I am in control of my Life, I took 100% responsibility for my life. You can to, it’s your choice.

www. blog.sandirenteria.com

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"If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!" ~Brian Tracy

1. Consider your audience

Even if your blog is generally personal, still, it would be better to consider the minds of your readers. You have to think of something that would interest them.

After all, most of the reasons of people who write blogs are not at all confined to their own personal motives. Most of them would love to be “heard” (or read) and would love to be known, in some way or another, even for just a minute. Hence, it is very important to come with a write up that everybody can understand, not necessarily that these people can relate to it but they can understand it.

Can you believe graduation season is upon us! I have received two college graduation and three high school graduation announcements.

Where has time gone?

As I start to ponder about what gift I should give, I reflected back on my college days…what could I have used.  I heard someone say that we have a choice to take something that most people dread, and change it into a motivating factor.

The alarm clock….which this person called it the “Opportunity Clock”.

When does an alarm go off? When something bad is happening! Well, waking up isn’t bad. Walking up is good! Infact, waking up is an opportunity. Each new day brings with it the opportunity to enjoy our families and other people. It enables us the opportunity to work hard, and earn a living that will enable us in turn to provide our families. (excerpt from C. Widener)

We get the opportunity each day to dream and achieve those dreams.

The conclusion is that I will get each of the new graduates an “Opportunity Clock”, with a short note, reminding them that they are 100% responsible for the choices in their life.

Follow your Dream…and Don’t Give Up! You may fall a few times, that’s OK…just get back up, dust yourself off, and try it again; until you Succeed!

I followed my dream, I always wanted to work for myself, be my own boss, work when I want, from where I want… it took me a few years, but then I got it! And I did something about it.

If you want to find out more about what I do, visit my website and be sure to fill in the box with your name and email address – I’ll even send you a FREE Marketing report.

It’s all in the outlook and attitude.

“The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” ~Randy Pausch

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt

Apart from the chat rooms, instant messengers and electronic mails created for communication and dialogue beyond turf are the emerging innovations that help man build opportunities for interaction.  The need for a personalized and human face aspect of building online communities is slowly changing the technological landscape of the Internet.

Blogging is all about individuals reaching out to other individuals. Having a blog has its own set of advantages:

• Freedom of Expression. If you want people to hear you out and give their own opinion, this is the best way to create a line of communication;
• Networking is at its best. Having a blog is a good platform for exchanging genuine ideas from consumers to you as marketer of a certain product. Sound opinion and point of view is better than just showing the price quote;
• Excellent advertising platform. Blogging is a new way to advertise products, a refreshing change from the traditional advertising outlets and it is cost-effective.
• Gauging public opinion on products and services. The key is nice and catchy titles with ne w ideas presented in your content. This is an assurance of quick and repeated responses from your readers.  Blogs is an excellent spot for the exchange of ideas between the seller and the consumer. Good for measuring public opinion regarding services and products, even political and business matters alike.
• Useful tool for internal communication. This will help your company to build a knowledge-based community of employees. Also good for harnessing employee relations and identifying human resource issues in advance.
• Other benefits like search engine optimization (SEO) will help your blogs to be seen often by as many people as you wish. This is very good exposure for your products and services.

• create a style that meets the needs of the audience;
• establish an open, credible tone;
• schedule weekly updating of blog - ideally, a few times a week;
• include weblinks of other website and blogs;
• blog post should be in the “first person;”
• focus on the business blog objective; and,
• maintain an honest, engaging conversational quality.

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~Jim Rohn

1. Blogging is simple.  The simplest way to get your piece on the net is through blogging.  No skills are necessary… an average adult can read and type, or at least click a mouse.  It’s like having a virtual piece of paper and you just write your ideas, experiences, new products, and hope that the truth behind your articles comes out and entice your reader to also try your product.  If you have a PC and an Internet connection (who doesn’t?) then you can blog and advertise.
2. Blogging is authentic.  In this day and age where advertising saturate our lives, we question the credibility of promoters’ claims.  However, in blogs, real people share their real-life experiences, unscathed by paid advertising.  Reading blogs about first-hand product use is like talking to people about their first-hand experience.  You definitely want to buy a tried and tes ted product.
3. Blogging is free.  Because blogging is yet to be proven as a mainstream online advertising media, most sites see it as something to augment current marketing tools and thus offer it for free.   Any opportunity for free webtime is definitely a bonus especially to businesses that are starting up.  Needless to say, paid blog pages can generate more income for your seriously growing business.
4. Blogging builds credibility.  As you get more and more into writing your experiences on a particular product or industry, your readers come to realize that they can depend on your posts for their own information needs.  As such, you become an expert on it; as a consequence, more readers visit your site and more bloggers link to your blogs.  As companies and professional organizations notice the growth of your readership base, they may soon get in touch with you for advertising on your blog page, or make you an affiliate, which pays for every referral generated from your blog site.
5. Blogging builds your market.  Unless you are a Hollywood star, chances are, only your Mom reads your posts.  Mom has a lot of friends, so she lets her friends know how interesting your blog site is.  But you need not depend on Mom to increase your readership base.  Lo= ok into the following ways to build your market through blogging:

• By using your e-mail.  Today, blogging is overcoming the e-mail’s popularity in=2 0quickly and effectively reaching and expanding a market.  In this age of speed and quick access, logging in and downloading e-mail is simply taking longer than clicking into a blog site.  Let them explore your site by using a short e-mail message as teaser to your blog site.  If your e-mail is on an entirely different subject, use your e-mail signature to give a link to the site.
• By using subscription.  An easy way to get your readers e-mail is to give them an opportunity to subscribe to your blogsite.  Keep some exclusive information for your subscribers to entice readers to subscribe and give their e-mail address.  Just be responsible in using their e-mail address, as the last thing you want is a comment on your blog that you are a spammer.
• By understanding your readers.  Conduct a simple survey for your readers to understand their profile and advertising preferences.  Ask consumers to give you feedback on a post, an ad link, or a trial that you shared.  In this way, it is like interviewing your readers without the commitment and intrusion of a face-to-face interview.
• By joining a blog network –A network of blogs maybe a collection of blog sites that share the same industry, interest, readership base, payment mode, etc.  Consumers find credibility and convenience in clicking one link to several real bloggers about a single subject.  Clearly, more bloggers are better than one.
• By using RSS. RSS is the fastest growing technology on the Internet today.  As such, having RSS feeds to your blog is definitely another means of generating awareness for your readership base.  Having a variety of feeds can add interest to your blog site. 

"Living in the past is kind of like living in a coffin…it's totally constraining, and ends up being a lid on your growth…" ~Doug Firebaugh

Your Enthusiasm is Contagious...

You've heard the saying... "Set yourself on fire and people will come from miles away to watch you burn."You're burning with emotion and action...no wonder you're excited about achieving your dreams!

What steps are you taking to achieve your dreams? Who have you shared your story with? How many people have you shared your story with? Who will you take on this incredible journey? Who has joined you for the ride of a lifetime?

Build your belief, tell your story.... enthusiasm is contagious!

I have built a successful team, and it all started by sharing my story everyday - you can too.

This was my next step, so what's yours?

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."  Milton Berle

The road to success, is not always a road. ~Mac Anderson

Know what you want to achieve.

"Know your target or you will for sure miss it."

When you know what you want, and you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to get it. If you have a burning desire to reach your goal, you'll figure out how to accomplish it.

Do you know where you're going? When you arrive, do you know what that will look like? The best way to know is to start with the end in mind and write your goal down, so that you can view it every day. And be sure to have a sense of urgency to share, because your desire will lose its value without consistent action.

"Desire tends to evaporate, leaving no trace of future conduct, unless it is translated into action."

Keep moving - take action every day to reach your goal.

"There is NOTHING that can stop you-but there is SOMEONE who can deceive you into thinking you cannot do something- that person would be YOU." ~Doug Firebaugh

You are already "Successful"

Success is neither magical nor mysterious, neither impossible to achieve nor so distant as to feel unnatural. Instead success is the very natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals in every situation. Financial success is something you can achieve, because with a mindset of "I can do" it will become your natural expectation.

Success is 20% skills and 80% activity.

Success is inside of you! Apply your skills but concentrate on mastering the fundamentals by continually repeating them... over and over again.

1. Save your mp3 or wma file on the server.  You may skip this step if you know that the file exists on another server and know the link to that file.  Make sure that the link has a .mp3 or .wma extension.
2. Open your text editor and type the path to the file.   Include the http:// and the file extension.  Repeat this step until you have included all the links to the files that you would like to be included in the playlist.
3. Save the playlist with a .m3u extension.
4. Upload the m3u file on the directory where the music files are hosted or to your server.
5. Open your html editor and embed the link to the m3u file.  Through this, you can also set if you want to have the playlist to autoplay if someone visits your site of if you want your visitor to control playing the music.  You can also set the volume level.

You are unique, the only person in the world who truly knows what is possible in your life. Just as the eagle can't be a chicken...just as a fish can't be a bird...you too can't be someone else. But you CAN be all that YOU can be.

Click road map and see the map that I found that will give you an opportunity to make your Dreams a Reality!

It's the little things, not the big ones, that will earn the respect of your people.

Momentum is the Key to Your Success!

It's true that consistent activity will develop momentum. But be sure your activity is focused in a positive direction, because you can actually build positive or negative momentum based on your activity. Get busy, this will create the kind of energizing momentum that will build your business. Get distracted by people who don't believe in your dream, and you may suffer from negative momentum... and time is too short for that.

I can help you believe in, create and realize your personal dream...all through a constant plan of action that becomes the new way you approach your future. Be positive and consistent as you share your dream, and you'll create enormous momentum.

One must change their thoughts to have a better life. I found this list and as #38 says "Share with someone", I decided that I would add this to my blog. These tips have really helped me put things into prospective - I hope they will help you too!

You can simply start implementing several of them a day; make a point to read over them ofter, they will become habit - and you my friend will be on your road to a much Better Life!

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk,
   smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did the previous year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of six.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
38. Share this with someone you care about.

I hope you have enjoyed reading these Tips for a Better Life... I read these often and try to implement as many as possible - each day!

I can say that my I'm Living My Best Life NOW. Try it you will LOVE IT!

1. For personal acquaintances, relationships and hobby. A person can write a blog about his daily activities, what’s going on with his life as his way of telling his family and friends the things that goes on in his life. Likewise, one may also write a blog just so he can express what he feels about himself, or about a certain subject matter that is of interest to him.
2. Topical. Some blogs are committed to a precise topic, like computer hardware or politics. These are frequently read like magazines.
3. For marketing.  Corporations are too, into blogging; when well written and implemented, this20kind of blog can be a powerful instrument for business communications, forming eagerness and anticipation regarding their products and services offered, or used as tool within the company, keeping employees well informed about company issues and news.

I have complied a list of twitter tools that may be helpful in your quest to become an expert twitter.

Have fun with it...

twtpoll

Twtpoll is a simple survey/poll twitter app. Enter your question there! Then share your poll on Twitter, Facebook or via email.

Mr. Tweet

Mr. Tweet helps you easily build meaningful relationships by looking through your network and tweets.

TwitterFriends

TwitterFriends helps to find out the hidden network of Twitter contacts that are really relevant for you. You can also visualize the network of your relevant contacts and their contacts.

Twitter Grader

Twitter Grader measures the power of a profile. In simple words, you can measure the power and authority of your twitter profile using this service.

Tweetree

Tweetree puts your Twitter stream in a tree so you can see the posts people are replying to in context. It also pulls in lots of external content like twitpic photos, youtube videos and more, so that you can see them right in your stream without having to click through every link your friends post.

Twitterless

Twitterless tells you who stops following you and graphs your follower history over time, making this info available in a variety of useful views.

Phweet

A Phweet is a shortURL that makes conversations and conference calls possible between Twitter friends and across other social networks. Let your friends know you are talking. Invite them to join in. No numbers, no new profiles. Simple, just start Phweet talking.

Happytweets

Happytweets is a measuring stick for how positive, or happy, a particular Tweep is.  Enter the Twitter username for you or one of your buddies, click the “get happy” button, and you’ll find out how happy your Tweets are.

Retweet Radar

You can get hourly, daily trends on hot terms, people and urls ‘retweet’ed on Twitter via retweetradar.

TweetCube

TweetCube allows you to share files on Twitter. Simple as that. Blast out your images, videos, music and more with just a couple of clicks, and your files are automatically posted on Twitter. The maximum file size you can upload is 10mb.

EasyTweets

EasyTweets is an online marketing tool to promote and grow your business by leveraging the power of microblogging. You can use it to post to and switch between multiple Twitter accounts in seconds, check replies, and track new followers.

TweetStats

TweetStats can graph your Twitter Stats including Tweets per hour, Tweets per month, Tweet timeline, Reply statistics.

Twittermail

You can send an e-mail to your secret TwitterMail address. The body of the message will be published in your Twitter Profile. If a friend send you a post on twitter (by using @yourusername) it will send it to your email address.

HelloTxt

HelloTxt lets you update your status and read your friends’ status across all main microblogging and social networks all at once.

tweetwrappr

One of the unique service that helps you to gift wrapped your tweets and send to your family, friends etc. This is really good to wish on any events or occasion to anyone in more fun way.

Twitturly

Twitturly is a service for tracking what URLs people are talking about as they talk about them on Twitter. On Twitturly, people “vote” for a URL. The more votes it gets the better it ranks. If it does well enough, it gets promoted to the home page and as the votes increase it gets displayed higher up the home page.

Tweet your secret

SecretTweet was created to allow Twitter users to share secrets anonymously.

Twuffer

Twuffer allows the Twitter user to compose a list of future tweets, and schedule their release.  You can tweet hourly/daily/monthly announcements.

TwitterCounter

TwitterCounter is a service for Bloggers, Social networkers and other well connected individuals to communicate and track the number of followers they have on Twitter.

Twits Near Me

Twits Near Me is very simple but interesting service that shows you what people near you are saying on twitter.

Twitbin

Twitbin is a firefox extension that allows you to keep up with all of your Twitter conversations right from your browser sidebar. Send messages, receive messages, share links, and more from Twitbin, the best twitter addon for firefox out there.

Commuter Feed

Commuter Feed is a free service that lets you post reports on traffic and transit delays in your local area using Twitter.

Twittervision

A real-time geographic visualization of posts to Twitter. You must have a location and an image defined to appear on the public feed.

Twessenger

Twessenger is a Twitter add-in for Windows Live Messenger. When enabled, Twessenger automatically updates your Messenger Personal Message at regular intervals to reflect your latest Twitter tweet.

twitsay

Twitsay is just a simple service which lets you send 10 seconds of voicemessages to your Twitter account. Your data will be encrypted and stored in our database and is used to send your voicemessage to Twitter only.

TweetLater

You can schedule tweets and keep your Twitter stream ticking over with new tweets even when you’re not in front of your computer. Publish tweets when your international followers are online and you’re asleep. You can send automated thank you notes to new followers, and automatically follow new followers, if you choose to do so.

twitterfeed

Twitterfeed is a free service that will automatically tweet any post directly via your rss feed on twitter that you publish on your blog.

Twidentify

This will help you see what discussions are current, and how interest in specific topics changes over time.  You can search all of Twitter, but sort the results by the people who get retweeted the most.

Twitlonger

Twitlonger is a way to let you post to Twitter when 140 characters just isn’t enough. With Twitlonger, you can write what you need and a link to what you said will automatically be posted to your Twitter account.

My Tweeple 

My Tweeple is a great way to manage all of my Twitter people in one place. You can easily see who are you following and who’s following you. With a simple click, You can follow, unfollow, or block people, and these changes instantly update Twitter.

Tweetburner

Tweetburner is the webservice that lets you shorten URLs, post them to Twitter and follow statistics about them. Simply, Tweetburner lets you track what happens with the links you share.

Why English Is One of

the Most Difficult Languages to Learn…

We polish Polish furniture.

He could lead if he got the lead out.

A farm can produce produce.

The dump was so full, it had to refuse refuse.

The soldier decided to desert in the desert.

The present is a good time to present the present.

At the Army base, a bass was painted on a bass drum.

A dove dove into the bushes.

I didn’t object to the object.

The insurance for the invalid was invalid.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

The two were too close to the door to close it.

The buck does funny things when does are present.

They sent a sewer down to stitch a tear in the sewer line.

To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

After a number of Novocain injections, my lips got number.

I shed a tear over a tear in my shirt.

I had to subject the subject to a number of tests.

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friends?

I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt.

"The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." ~ Ben Stein

Don't Let Distraction Get in Your Way!

The best way to reach the economic freedom you want...you must always keep your eyes on the right road. But even that road can twist and turn. You will face your own adversity or personal disappointments. Know that these are things that keep you striving for your goal - as long as you always keep your eyes on the right road!

You're not alone in having to deal with those issues, not by a long shot. But the road to your personal success is measured by the way you react to adversity and disappointment...and you don't have to let those issues become distractions that prevent you from reaching your dreams.

In reality, those issues only become distractoins when your eyes are not on your target, your goal. Time is your most precious commodity. You can always make more money but you can never make more time.Don't be distracted by the challenges you face, because all they do is steal valuable time from you.

Keep Your Eyes on The Road!

• Customize the banner -- The banner usually has the most generic designs that are common to the blogs from a blogging company or service.  You can perso nalize this banner by having a graphic with the dimensions of the banner.  You can also edit the graphic so that it will also include the title of your blog.  In this case, you can create your own graphic or you can purchase professional looking graphics online for less than $10. 

• Personalizing photos -- Of course, most of the photos that you will be posting will be your own.  However, if you don't customize the photos before posting them, you may miss maximizing the enhancing benefits graphics can add to the page.  Adding photo borders can help the photo stand out from the page.  It can also add to the design of your blog.  You can choose a standard border or you can also create your own border which can be associated with your blog's templates.  

• Add a favicon -- Don't you think sites with icons on the address bar before the website's URL are cool?  Many people do.  These favicons add a professional look to the URL.  These easy to do using photo or graphic editing softwares.  

• Check out blog templates, layouts, backgrounds, textures and skins from sites -- There are sites that offer free blog templates, layouts, ackgbrounds, textures and skins.  You can make use of these so your blog will not look generic like most of the blogs hosted by the service provider.  

• Include RSS feeds -- This is a cool way to inform peo ple with newsreaders about your blog headlines.  Tutorials on RSS feeds are available on the internet.  

• Audio makes your blog more personal -- Not only does audio personalizes the blog; it can also keep your visitors coming back.  You can try having streaming radio stations, mp3 file or playlists loading with your blog.  

• Advertisements -- If you have signed-up with Google Ad-Sense, which I am sure you would like to do, make sure that the ads are conveniently placed that these will not hinder your readers' ease in accessing the information on your blog.

Be grateful for your doors of opportunity -- and for the friends that oil the hinges.

Did you Know?

Alaska (AK, US-AK) is the largest state. It is just over twice the size of Texas. Alaska was bought from the Russians in 1867 for two cents an acre! Parts of Alaska were occupied by Japanese troops during World War II.

Approximately half of Alaska's residents reside in Anchorage. Alaska remains the least densely populated state.

Alaska has more coastlines than anyother U.S. states combined. Alaska has over 3 million lakes, marshlands and wetland permafrost.

Alaska Motto: "North to the Future."

Alaska is known as "The Last Frontier", "Land of the Midnight Sun" or "Seward's Icebox".

Capital City: Juneau

State Area: 663,268 square miles

State Population: 686,293 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood: January 3, 1959, 49th state

State Environments: Coast, Mountains

State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan

State Tree: Silka Spruce

State Flower: Forget-Me-Not

State Song: Alaska's Flag 

Elevation: Highest Point - Mount McKinley 20,320 feet
Lowest Point - Pacific Ocean 0 ft

Time Zone: East of 169 degrees 30' Alaska UTC-9, DST-8
West of 169 degree 30' Aleutian UTC-10, DST-9

You Reap What You Sow!

How many times have you sow another seed that has the opportunity to bear great fruit? The more seeds that you sow the more likelihood you will reach your goal.

So plant well and plant often, because you can't control the decisions that people are going to make or the timetables they'll make them on. What you CAN control are your efforts to make sure they here your opportunity. You can always do more than you think you can, so don't be afraid to push yourself to sow more seeds and reach a new milestone toward your goals.

Sow Seeds Every Chance You Get!

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner." ~Barbara Sher

Make This Your Best Day Every!

Practice Makes Perfect!

Every day is a new opportunity to drive further on your road to success. Remember, there is no speed limit on your road to economic freedom. You determine how far and wide you'll go every day. The speed of your success will be determined by you actions on a daily basis. And that means every day counts!

You can do nothing about yesterday and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do today. Constant improvement and personal success comes from the recognition of this little secret. Foucus on the fundamentals.

Practice the small but priceless disciplines that when added up over time result in great success. Learn more about the daily practices and action steps you can take to help you go further down the path of success. Today is the day to make the most of the positive actions that will bring you Success!

A Journey of a Thousnad Miles Starts with a Single Step...Keep Going!

Your Goals can be Extraordinary!

Set Your Goals to Stay the Course!

Do you realize the power that you have? At times while traveling along, you could think that your vehicle may not be big enough, fast enough, strong enough... you may even doubt yourself as a driver. But the truth is that you have unique skills that can lead you to reach your dreams, if you have one more thing... It is the perseverance to never, never, never QUIT.

One thing is true... if you quit before reaching your goal, you're guaranteed to never achieve it. How best do you continue to persevere? One way is to define your goals and write them down. Written goals are critical to your success because they are themselves part of your personal road map... they help you define your speed, your range, your vision and dreams.

Here is an amazing fact: Of the entire 1953 graduating class of Yale University, only 3% had clearly defined and written goals - twenty years later, that same 3% of the class had a net worth greater than the combined net worth of the entire 97% of the rest of the class. Do you have your GOALS clearly defined and written?

Unique Talent plus Extraordinary Perseverance WINS!

"Help others get ahead. You will always stand taller with someone else on your shoulders." ~Bob Moawad

Business blog is an incredible online marketing tool that saves you thousands of dollars but provides great business opportunities in just one click. Blogs are user-friendly, customized and flexible medium for disseminating useful information for effective positioning of your products in the market. 

• Word-of-Mouth. In a survey, there are currently 14 million blogs with 80,000 more being added each day and about 30 percent of the 50 million users are blog readers. Imagine how much gain your company will have, if your products are advertised through blogs. With Internet, information spreads so quickly especially if an impressive write-up goes with your product. Soon your blogs will be passed on to hundreds of possible customers.
• Awareness and loyalty.  Open communication with your customers creates trust and loyalty among them. Being there to respond to their questions and comments make them all the more willing to try your products and services.
• Feedback. Blogs is good for product research and reviews. It would be easier to improve on your products if you observe your customers’ thinking and behavioral patterns. You can also take immediate action to your customers’ concerns.
• Community halo-effect. Bloggers are reasonable, friendly and helpful. They are more than willing to create blogosphere of comments regarding your product. The only thing you have to do is embrace and take active part in the culture and your product will surely be considered in their next stop to the supermarket.

1. Several blogs are dedicated to teaching people the do’s and don’ts of blogging, READ them! Include in your reading materials blogs that are consumer-based too to give you an idea. 
2. Setup several test blogs right away.

• Study blog design. Blog hosting services provide pre-designed templates. But if you opt for paid blog service, you can ask your artist to design and layout your blog site to match the company’s identity and needs.
• Choose a topic. Its good to have a line-up of topics you want for your blogs but be sure they are in consonance with your business objectives. This would be a test of your flexibility and open-mindedness since results may be going against the set objectives.

1. Remember the following safety measures in blogging:
   - legal issues are sometimes involved in blogging; it is safer to include  disclaimers and limitations of liabilities;
   - corporate communication and legal department are responsible in educating the senior management on how blogs might affect business;
   - create blogging policies; set limits on who gets to blog and what information are allowed to be made public;
   - avoid outright marketing blog or you will shy away your readers;
   - make content updated, relevant and fresh;
   - reinforce the company’s core values; and,
   - encourage employees to use it.

• Start blogging and complete 20 posts before going to marketing.
• Begin marketing.
• Regularly monitor the coming ins and outs of readers and get updates. Then, measure your results.
• Adjust if needed. You can always play with your designs in the blog site as long as it remains to match the company s identity.
• Strive to be consistent with your topic all the time.
• Try to have unrelated topics with general and broad appeal.
• Schedule updates regularly. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday would be best to update blogs.

You Did Your Absolute Best!

Dedication is The Key to Your Success!

The road to Success is an exciting road, one that is taking you to the economic freedom most people just dream about. It's a thrilling ride to success you can achieve not just of yourself, but for everyone you know. Now ask yourself...Have I made the best use of my time so far on the road to Success?

Remember, you can do nothing about yesterday but learn from it, and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do right NOW! Set your next GOALS based on the most important fundamental you know. Simple activities can lead to financial independence if you commit to it as your primary action plan. That is a very small discipline...but one that when practiced over time can create fortunes!

Your Drive to Success Begins Today... Enjoy the Ride!

Did you Know?

California (CA, Calif. US-CA) One out of every 8 Americans lives in California. California was the first state to produce goods and services worth over a trillion dollars. In fact, if California was a country, it would be the seventh largest economy in the world.

San Francisco Bay is considered the world’s largest landlocked harbor.

It is estimated there are approximately 500,000 detectable seismic tremors in California annually.

California’s Proposition 215 (1996) was the first statewide medical marijuana initiative to pass in the USA.

California Motto: “Eureka” (I have found it)

California Nickname:  The Golden State

Capital City: Sacramento

State Area: 163,707 square miles

State Population: 36,756,666 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood: September 9, 1850, 31^st state

Major Industries: Agriculture, Oil, Mining, Movie Making, Entertainment, Tourism, Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Aerospace-defense

State Environments: Coast, Desert, Mountains

State Bird: California Valley Quail

State Tree:  Redwood – the Redwood is the tallest tree, growing up to 370 feet tall and living for over a thousand years. One redwood in California is 2,220 years old. The roods of this giant conifer are shallow, but spread sideways up to 250 feet from the trunk.

State Flower: California Poppy

State Mammal: Grizzly Bear

State Gem: Benitoite

State Song: “I Love You, California”

Elevation: Highest Point – Mount Whitney 14,495 feet
Lowest Point – Death Valley 282 ft below sea level, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

Time Zone: Pacific UTC-8/-7

Average Rainfall: 17.28 inches

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." ~Norman Cousins

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." ~ Willie Nelson

Did you Know?

Connecticut (CT, Conn. US-CT) The term “pumpkin head” comes from Connecticut and refers to a law, which requires men to have haircuts that fit a certain shaped cap. Pumpkin shells were sometimes used instead.

Connecticut played a prominent role in the Revolutionary War, serving as the Continental Army's major supplier. Sometimes called the “Arsenal of the Nation,” the state became one of the most industrialized in the nation.

Connecticutalso has a very active bicycling community, with one of the highest rates of bicycling ownership and use in the United States.

Connecticut is well known as the home of  Yale University (701), which maintains a consistent ranking as one of the world's most renowned universities and has one of the most selective undergraduate programs of any university in the United States (a 7.5% acceptance rate in 2009). Yale is one of the largest employers in the state, and its research activity has recently spun off dozens of growing biotechnology companies.

Connecticut Origin of Name: From an Indian word (Quinnehtukqut) meaning “beside the long tidal river”

Connecticut Motto: “Qui transtulit sustinet” (He who transplanted still sustains)

Connecticut Nickname:  Constitution State, The Nutmeg State

Capital City: Hartford

State Area: 5,544 square miles

State Population:  3,501,252 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood: January 9, 1788 5^th state

Major Industries: agriculture, industry (especially insurance), tourism
Connecticut factories produce weapons, sewing machines, jet engines, helicopters, motors, hardware and tools, cutlery, clocks, locks, silverware, and submarines. Hartford has the oldest U.S. newspaper still being published—the Hartford Courant, established 1764—and is the insurance capital of the nation.

State Environments: Coast, Rolling Mountains

State Bird:  American Robin

State Tree:  White Oak

State Flower: Mountain Laurel

State Mammal: Sperm Whale

State Gem: Garnet

State Song: “Yankee Doodle”

Elevation: Highest Point – Mount Frissell 2,380 feet
Lowest Point – Long Island Sound 0 ft  

Time Zone: Eastern UTC-5/-4

Average Annual Rainfall: 44.39 inches

Some of us remember our childhood tips to the 5 & Dime Store. Where I grew up, they were called TG & Y stores, in eastern Oklahoma. We would spend time looking through aisles of merchandise, trying to find the few special items we could afford. At Christmas each of us five kids would get $10 each to buy gifts. It was tough, but we managed, some of the gifts that were given were homemade.

At the time, we were growing up in times where money was in short supply and the future was uncertain. Repairing our shoes and mending our pants was not out the ordinary; it was just what was done, and the youngest child was definitely the last in line. The last kid in line happens to be me, and I always got my sister's hand-me downs. Going out for dinner was only for special occasions and the movies were a treat we would look forward to.

I can remember at the beginning of a school year, my parents would purchase (2) packages of 500 sheets of notebook paper, they would ration it out to each of us kids. And yes, it was forbidden to waste on writing silly notes to our friends. Today our kids, grand kids don't even think twice about wasting paper, or using the backside of a sheet of paper!

That was more than 45 years ago. Since that time we have experienced unprecedented economic growth. For most of us, our standard of living increased, and we grew up in a culture of excess, not having to wait for anything. Instead of buying on lay-away, we used a credit card. Instead of buying used, we bought new. Instead of growing into the expensive house, we would leverage the purchase and have what we wanted, now.

The generations over the last 45 years have only had one experience, only one economy, and one life-style. It was all very good, but not realistic, and when anything is done to excess, corrections are inevitable. Today we find ourselves in the middle of a recession, something most of us have never experienced. Many of the houses that were over-leveraged are being foreclosed. Credit cards have been maxed out and bank lines of credit have been terminated. Financial situations became out of balance, and we are now in the adjustment period. Today we shop at the dollar store, looking for bargains. The car we were going to trade in will have to last a few more years. We eat at home more often and we go out for special occasions. Outside entertainment is a special treat.

This chapter in our lives with the recession has began to bond and recreate our relationships, it is forcing us to communicateagain, spend time with family and friends! Barbequing and backyard entertainment is at an all time high

Perhaps we can now understand a little better what our parents experienced. They weathered the storm, just as we will. After the dust settles, we will have a deeper appreciation and a sense of gratitude for what we have. It's all part of the balance.We can tell the future generations what we went through, but they won't understand.

Some things we just have to experience for ourselves to completely understand.

via The Prairie Rambler, February 1998

1. Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase "It's not fair" 86 times a day.

    

2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. This may come as a shock.

    

3. Sorry, but you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone, either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a designer label.

    

4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.

    

5. Flipping burgers is not beneath dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity.

    

6. It's not your parents fault if you mess up. You're responsible! This is the flip side of "It's my life" and "You're not my boss."

    

7. Before you were born your parents were not boring. They got that way paying your bills and listening to you.

    

8. Life is not divided into semesters. And you don't get summers off. Not even spring break. You are expected to show up every day for eight hours; and you don't get a new life every 10 weeks.

    

9. Smoking does not make you look cool. Watch an 11-year-old with a butt in his mouth. That's what you look like to anyone over 20.

    

10. Your school may be "outcome-based," but life is not. In some schools, you're given as many as times as you want to get the answer right. Standards are set low enough so everyone can meet them. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life—as you will find out.

Good luck! You are going to need it—
and the harder you work, the luckier you will get.

"You either have to be first, best, or different." ~Loretta Lynn, Country music singer

Did you Know?

Delaware (DE, US-DE) Every May, the Delaware coast is visited by one of the oldest animals in the world. The horseshoe crab has been around for 250 million years, since before the dinosaurs.

The nation’s first scheduled steam railroad began in New Castle, Delaware in 1831.

The United States battleship Delaware was commissioned in 1910.

Delaware is the only state without any National Park System units such as national parks, seashores, historic sites, battlefields, memorials, and monuments.

The most historic site in Frederica is Barratt’s Chapel, built in 1780, east of town. The chapel is where the Methodist Church of America was organized in 1784.

Thomas Garret, a Quaker merchant, lost his entire fortune in his battle against slavery. He was sued by a Maryland slave owner and fined for aiding a black family in flight. Over his lifetime, Garrett reportedly helped more than 2,000 fugitive slaves move through Delaware, an important stop on the Underground Railroad.

The 87-foot Fenwick Island Lighthouse was painted in 1880 for a total cost of about $5.00.

Delaware Origin of Name:  Delaware was named to honor the early Virginia governor, Lord De La Warr.

Delaware Motto:  “Liberty and Independence”

Delaware Nickname:  First State, Diamond State, Blue Hen State, Small Wonder

Capital City:  Dover

State Area:  2,489 square miles

State Population:  873,092 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood:  December 7, 1787 1^st state

Major Industries:  Business, agriculture and tourism

State Environments:  Coast, River

State Bird:  Blue Hen Chicken

State Tree:  American Holly

State Flower:  Peach Blossom

State Gem:  Sillimanite

State Song:  “Our Delaware”

Elevation:  Highest Point – Ebright Road (near Pennsylvania state line) 442 feet above sea level
Lowest Point – Atlantic Ocean 0 ft  

Time Zone:  Eastern UTC-5/-4

Average Annual Rainfall:  41.38 inches

A weblog (or simply blog) is a website that 'publishes' or features articles (which are called 'blog posts', 'posts', or 'entries'), written by an individual or a group that make use of any or a combination of the following:

• Straight texts
• Photographs or images (photoblog)
• Video (videoblog)
• Audio files (audioblog)
• Hyperlinks

• Online journal or a web diary
• Content managament system
• Online publishing platform

• Post date -the date and time of the blog entry
• Category - the category that the blog belongs to
• Title - the title of the blog
• Main body - the main content of the blog
• RSS and trackback - links the blog back from other sites
• Comments - commentaries that are added by readers
• Permalinks - the URL of the full article
• Other optional items - calendar, archives, blogrolls, and add-ons or plug-ins

1. Political blog - on news, politics, activism, and other issue based blogs (such as campaigning).
2. Personal blog - also known as online diary that may include an individual's day-to-day experience, complaints, poems, and illicit thoughts, and communications between friends.
3. Topical blog - with focus either on a particular niche (function or position) that is usually technica l in nature or a local information.
4. Health blog - on specific health issues. Medical blog is a major category of health blog that features medical news from health care professionals and/or actual patient cases.
5. Literary blog - also known as litblog.
6. Travel blog - with focus on a traveler's stories on a particular journey.
7. Research blog - on academic issues such as research notes.
8. Legal blog - on law (technical areas) and legal affairs; also known as 'blawgs'.
9. Media blog - focus on falsehoods or inconsistencies in mass media; usually exclusive for a newspaper or a television network.
10. Religious blog - on religious topics
11. Educational blog - on educational applications, usually written by students and teachers.
12. Collaborative or collective blog - a specific topic written by a group of people.
13. Directory blog - contains a collection of numerous web sites.
14. Business blog - used by entrepreneurs and corporate employees to promote their businesses or talk about their work.
15. Personification blog - focus on non-human being or objects (such as dogs).
16. Spam blogs - used for promoting affiliated websites; also known as 'splogs'.

• Personal bloggers - people who focus on a diary or on any topic that an individual feels strongly about.
• Business bloggers - people who focus on promoting products and services.
• Organizational bloggers - people who focus on internal or external communication in an organization or a community.
• Professional bloggers - people who are hired or paid to do blogging.
• Problogging (professional blogging) refers to blogging for a profit. Probloggers (professional bloggers) are people who make money from blogging (as an individual blog publisher or a hired blogger).

• Advertising programs
• RSS advertising
• Sponsorship
• Affiliate Programs
• Digital assets
• Blog network writing gigs
• Business blog writing gigs
• Non blogging writing gigs
• Donations
• Flipping blogs
• Merchandising
• Consulting and speaking

1. Be patient. Problogging requires a lot of time and effort, not to mention a long-term vision.
2. Know your audience. Targeting a specific audience or group is a key to building a readership.
3. Be an 'expert'. Focus on a specific niche topic and strive to be the "go-to" blogger on that topic.
4. Diversify. Experiment with various add and affiliate programs that enable you to make money online (aside from blogging).
5. Do not bore your readers. Focus on the layout. White spaces, line spacings, and bigger fonts make a blog welcoming to read.

"Don't go through Life, grow through Life." ~ Eric Butterworth

Did you Know?

Florida (FL, Fla. US-FL) Florida’s Everglades is America’s greatest wildlife habitat. The vegetation acts like a massive filter, cleaning water for the thousands of species that live there. The Everglades may be a swamp, but it prevents flooding by slowing the flow of rainwater.

Cape Canaveral is America’s launch pad for space flights.

Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.

Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where the drink was first developed.

Miami installed the first bank automated teller machine especially for rollerblades.

Key Largo is known as the Dive Capital of the World.

Florida Origin of Name:  From the Spanish Pascua Florida, meaning “feast of flowers”

Florida Motto: “In God we Trust”

Florida Nickname:  The Sunshine State

Capital City: Tallahassee

State Area: 65,758 square miles

State Population:  18,328,340 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood: March 3, 1845 27^th state

Major Industries: agriculture (oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes), tourism, electronics

State Environments: Coast

State Bird:  Mockingbird

State Tree:  Palmetto Palm

State Flower: Orange Blossom

State Mammal: Florida Panther

State Gem: Moonstone

State Song: “Suwannee River”

Elevation: Highest Point – Britton Hill in Walton County 345 feet above sea level
Lowest Point – Atlantic Ocean 0 ft 

Time Zone: Eastern UTC-5/-4
            Central: UTC-6/DST-5

Average Annual Rainfall: 49.91 inches

Its about to being, again, a journey that took me to incrdible financial heights in the past... The ease of making money online is something that, with the right system in place and be easy and simple...if not, frustrating and costly.

Working with some close friends, I found that being in this right place at the right time is essential. Getting in early is just one of the keys...but getting in is THE key...

If youw ant to know more you will ask...if not, you won't...

find me at www.JoeGrushkin.com if you are supposed to be making money on line...

Onward & Upward,

Joe

Did you Know?

Georgia (GA, US-GA) Atlanta, Georgiais the birthplace of Coca-Cola. The sweet drink was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton, but the name was suggested by Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson.

In Gainesville, the Chicken Capital of the World it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork.

Georgia is the nation’s number one producer of the three P’s – peanuts, pecans, and peaches.

Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River.

The annual Masters Golf Tournament is played at the Augusta National in Augusta every first week of April.

Fort Benning, Georgia is the home of the world’s largest Infantry training center.

Georgia Origin of Name:  Georgia was named to honor King George II of England

Georgia Motto: “Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation”

Georgia Nickname:  Empire State of the South, Peach State

Capital City:  Atlanta

State Area: 59,441 square miles

State Population:  9,685,744 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood: January 2, 1788, 4^th state

Major Industries:  textiles, timber (especially pine), agriculture (cotton, corn, peanuts, soybeans, poultry)

State Environments: Coast, Mountains, Plains

State Bird:  Brown Thrasher

State Tree:  Live Oak

State Flower:  Cherokee Rose

State Mammal:  Right Whale

State Gem:  Quartz

State Song: “Georgia on My Mind”

Elevation: Highest Point – Brasstown Bald 4,784 feet
Lowest Point – Atlantic Ocean 0 ft 

Time Zone: Eastern UTC-5/-4

Average Annual Rainfall: 48.61 inches

How To Bring Consistent Monthly Revenue

Starting your own business can be tough. You need to market and know where to market your site. There are alot of preparation to go into business for yourself.

How Money Is Actually Made:

You need to....

1) Get More People

2) Get More Money

3) Sell More Often

To get more people you need to get leads and then convert them into sales, right? In order to get leads you need traffic.

The big "Gurus" who are making alot of money online always say "The Money Is In The list", they are absolutely right.

Your list can be your very own GOLDMINE because you have people who gave you their name and address because they are atleast curious about what you have to offer. This can be a very big ADVANTAGE for you.

So now you have the list and you can email them and tell them about all the advantages of your products and/or services.

If you can convince them that you have the best product and/or service, you now have a relationship. These relationships are important because they could potentially bring you more customers through referral and OFTEN times become a repeat customer.

We definetly need to take care of our customers and deliver on everything we PROMISE. This is a very important step in building a business and gaining the respect of our customers and future potential customers.

This will reduce the risk of customer returns. If your customer returns your product, how likely would it be that they return or even refer you to other people especially if you make it real difficult for them to return their item(s)

Through studies we have found that it takes about 7-10 emails before someone responds, so we have to be patient with our prospective customers and only send about 1 email every week or two. This is not true for all of them, but it's very important to build trust and by about the 7th email, they start to feel like they know you.

This is actually what the "Top Dogs" online are doing

An average 20% of Back-End Buyers also buy on the Up-Sale

With any great website shouldn't you get a bonus or freebie, I Think So!!!

You should always have something on your site that has real value to give away. This is very important for your customers to know they are getting what they paid for and then some. It's WIN-WIN, you have something they need and they walk away with the PRIZE.

Here's My Point:

So what if there was a website where you can find out how to help you achieve all these things. Marketing and Making Money taken to a whole new level.

We are ready to help you achieve the level of success that we know you can achieve. This System has been tested and proven to be the best system on the internet.

Stay Tuned For More Tips On How To Start a Successful Home Based Business

Free Report Just For Visiting

Click Here To Check Out This Incredible Opportunity

Success and Failure.

We often think of them as opposites,
but they're really not.
They're companions -
the Hero and the Sidekick.

~Laurence Shames

Influence/Association
by Jim Rohn

There are two parts to influence: First, influence is powerful; and second, influence is subtle. You wouldn't let someone push you off course, but you might let someone nudge you off course and not even realize it.

We need a variety of input and influence and voices. You cannot get all the answers to life and business from one person or from one source.

Attitude is greatly shaped by influence and association.

Don't spend most of your time on the voices that don't count. Tune out the shallow voices so that you will have more time to tune in the valuable ones.

"No" puts distance between you and the wrong influence.

You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me?  What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay?

Don't join an easy crowd; you won't grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.

Some people you can afford to spend a few minutes with, but not a few hours.

Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.

___________

Since reading this short article by Jim Rohn... I realized that I had adopted this philosophy a few years ago. It was a process that was a first hard, because I had to disassociate myself from friends in my life that I loved. I still love them, but I don't spend large amounts of time with them. It has changed my attitude and my outlook on life.

I suggest if you have individuals in your life that are negative and naysayers - you should start detaching yourself from them. You will be amazed at your attitude and outlook!

Remember, Attitude is Everything!

Influence/Association
by Jim Rohn

There are two parts to influence: First, influence is powerful; and second, influence is subtle. You wouldn't let someone push you off course, but you might let someone nudge you off course and not even realize it.

We need a variety of input and influence and voices. You cannot get all the answers to life and business from one person or from one source.

Attitude is greatly shaped by influence and association.

Don't spend most of your time on the voices that don't count. Tune out the shallow voices so that you will have more time to tune in the valuable ones.

"No" puts distance between you and the wrong influence.

You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me?  What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay?

Don't join an easy crowd; you won't grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.

Some people you can afford to spend a few minutes with, but not a few hours.

Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.

___________

Since reading this short article by Jim Rohn... I realized that I had adopted this philosophy a few years ago. It was a process that was a first hard, because I had to disassociate myself from friends in my life that I loved. I still love them, but I don't spend large amounts of time with them. It has changed my attitude and my outlook on life.

I suggest if you have individuals in your life that are negative and naysayers - you should start detaching yourself from them. You will be amazed at your attitude and outlook!

Remember, Attitude is Everything!

. . . . . . . . . . Sunday Sermon Masterpiece Collection, Vol. I

It was high noon in midtown Manhattan. The streets were buzzing with activity—crowds of people scurrying to lunch, car horns honking, brakes screeching, a siren wailing. Two men were making their way through the throng of noon-time lunch-goers. One was a native New Yorker, the other a Kansas farmer on his first visit to see his city cousin. Suddenly, the farmer stopped and said to the city dweller, "Hold on! I hear a cricket!"

His cousin replied, "Are you kidding? Even if there was a cricket around here, which isn’t likely, you would never be able to hear it over all this noise."

The farmer remained quiet for a few moments, then walked several paces to the corner where a shrub was struggling to grow in a large cement planter. He turned over several leaves and found the cricket. The city dweller was flabbergasted.

"What great ears you have," he said.

"Not at all," the farmer replied. "Your ears are as good as mine. It’s a matter of what you’ve been conditioned to listen for. Here, I’ll show you." Whereupon, he pulled a handful of coins from his pocket and let them clink to the sidewalk. As if on signal, every head on the block turned. "You see," said the farmer, "you hear what you are tuned in to listen for."

Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Voicings Publ.

Business students at a large university were assigned the task of interviewing a cross-section of the local community and submit a report on the experience.

One student was less than enthusiastic about the assignment. "I considered it to be a complete waste of time," he said, "until I asked a farmer in his late 70s, ‘How much education have you had?’ He answered, ‘Well, I had six years of schoolin` and seventy-two years of learnin`.’"

Schoolin`and learnin` (acquiring knowledge and acquiring wisdom) are not the same. In our present day society, we seem to have little or no time in our busy schedules for practicing the pursuit of wisdom through serious, uninterrupted, quiet reflection on the mystery of life: who we are and what we ought to be doing with our lives. We are crippled in our search for wisdom by a society which insists on describing success as the ability to acquire knowledge and to skillfully apply that knowledge to the pursuit of personal gain.

…As we acquire knowledge at breakneck speed, are we wise enough to realize the need to slow down, and seriously reflect on how to handle it? Are we wise enough to know what to do with it? Are we wise enough to use it to uplift the human spirit and to better our human relationships? Are we wise enough to apply our learnin` to our schoolin`?

Faith & Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Source Unknown

There was an old man who operated a rowboat for ferrying passengers between an island and the mainland. One day a passenger noticed that he had painted on one oar the word "Works," and on the other oar the word "Faith." Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of this.

The old man replied, "I will show you," dropping one oar, rowing only with the oar named "Works." Of course, the boat just went around in circles. Then he switched oars, picking up "Faith" and dropping "Works." And the little rowboat went around in circles again—this time in the opposite direction.

After this demonstration, the old man picked up both oars "Faith" and "Works," and rowing with both oars together swiftly coursed over the water. He looked at the passenger and said, "You see, that is the way it is in life as well as in rowing a boat. You got to keep both oars in the water, otherwise, you’ll just go in circles."

Focus on the Task at Hand
by Max Lucado

Life is tough enough as it is. It's even tougher when we're headed in the wrong direction.

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. Not once do we find him walking down the wrong side of the fairway. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff; yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept his life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of his future, he could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which he could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. He could have been content to be a teacher and educate minds or to be a physician and heal bodies. But in the end he chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus himself. "The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them" (Luke 19:10). "The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people" (Mark 10:45).

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day he left the carpentry shop of Nazareth he had one ultimate aim--the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that his final words were, "It is finished" (John 19:30).

How could Jesus say he was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could he say he was finished? Simple. He had completed his designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put away his pen. The job was done.

Wouldn't you love to be able to say the same? Wouldn't you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do?

by Chris Widener

Destiny. What a powerful word. And the great thing about it? Everyone has one! You have a destiny! Another great thing about destiny? We have a significant role in shaping our own destiny! In essence, you can choose your date with destiny - powerful!

Your destiny is the dream that lies within you of your desired and preferred future. And the things that we choose each day are what lead us to that destiny: Our actions, our words, our attitudes, and our relationships. They all add up to develop and shape that date on which we will reach our destiny.

Here are some thoughts to think about as you work on shaping your Date with Destiny:

The Mental Question: Do you believe that you can achieve a life of abundance?

The frank truth is that many people simply do not believe that they can achieve what lies in their heart. Success is for someone else, a better person, or a smarter person. This is not true and is perhaps the greatest obstacle we face on the journey to our destiny. If we are to achieve the abundance in life we must first believe we can, or face our own continual self-sabotage of what a college professor of mine called "stinkin'-thinkin."

Here is the truth:

• It doesn't matter what your intelligence is.
• It doesn't matter what your current resources are.
• It doesn't matter what you currently earn.
• It doesn't matter what family you came from.

Nothing in your current circumstances matters in whether or not you can achieve your destiny! Nothing! Now, your current state may make it a longer or harder journey than someone else, but the possibility is always there no matter what your current circumstances are.

And that is the message we need to continually tell ourselves. "I can do it." Not "I can't do it."

Clear vision. Do you have one of your destiny? Here are some questions to determine whether or not your vision is clear.

• Can you describe it in intricate detail?
• Can you "see" it?
• Can you "feel" it?
• Can you "hear" it?

Here are a couple of illustrations.

Perhaps you came from a dysfunctional family and your dream is to have great moments with your family. Let's start with a Thanksgiving meal. Can you see each person there? What are they wearing? Are they smiling? What is the conversation? Can you hear the laughter? Can you experience the joy? Can you smell the turkey? Can you see people hugging each other and saying "This was wonderful," as they leave?

Another scenario: Your company. Can you see the large building you are in? Can you see the workers? Can you feel the positive attitude they have as they carry out their work? Can you experience the excitement as you get the quarterly results? Can you see yourself handing out healthy bonuses that bring pleasant surprises to your employees?

This is where it begins. A clear vision of your destiny.

Consider your resources. Are you aware of the resources you will need in order to set your date with destiny? Do you know how you will go about getting them? What are your natural gifts and talents that you have? How can you best utilize them in achieving your destiny?

What is your current level of resources?

•         Money?
•         Time?
•         Emotional health?
•         Help from others such as friends, family, employees or volunteers?

What will be your needed future level of resources? And have you developed a plan to achieve this level?

The last thing I would encourage you to do is fix a date in the future that you believe you could be living your destiny by. A real date. What this enables you to do is then begin to work backwards in setting goals to move you along the way, providing you with future points to strive for and an evaluation point to reflect upon.

Here are the points again:

• Answer the mental question: Do I really believe?
• Develop a clear vision.
• Consider the resources needed.
• Set a date with destiny.
• Develop a plan to get there.

-- Chris Widener

Give a daily gift to others and to yourself.

To your enemy, Forgiveness.

To an opponent, Tolerance.

To a friend, Your Heart.

To a customer, Service.

To all, Charity.

To every child, a Good Example.

To yourself, Respect.

by Jim Rohn

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.

Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain.

The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism. You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.

The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.

The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it's an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid over-caution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing,

Windows that need cleaning,

And gutters that need fixing

Because it means I have a home….

I am thankful for the piles of

Laundry and ironing because

It means my loved ones are nearby.

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Did you Know?

Idaho (ID, US-ID) Idaho’s Hell’s Canyon is the deepest river gorge in America – even deeper than the Grand Canyon. Carved by the great Snake River, Hell’s Canyon plunges more than 8,000 feet.

Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at Wilson Butte Cave near Twin Falls in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in North America.

The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is the largest wilderness area in the 48 contiguous states – 2.3 million acres of rugged, unspoiled back country.

Five of history’s pioneer trails, including the Oregon Trail and the California Trail, cross Southern Idaho Wagon ruts are still visible all along the rugged terrain.

In the late 1800s, there were several sightings of strange creatures in Bear Lake (on the Idaho/Utah border). The Bear Lake Monster causes residents and visitors to Idaho to question whether they are in Idaho or Scotland.  The serpent-like monsters were up to 90 feet in length, could move faster than running horses, and were witnessed by several different people. To this day, there are still those who refuse to night fish on the lake.

The world's first alpine skiing chairlift was (and still is) located in Sun Valley. Built by Union Pacific Railroad engineers, it was designed after a banana-boat loading device. The 1936 fee: 25 cents per ride.

A person may not be seen in public without a smile on their face in Pocatello, Idaho.

In Idaho, it’s against the law for anyone over the age of 88 to ride a motorcycle.

In Idaho, riding a merry-go-round on Sundays is considered a crime!

Shoshone Falls (212 feet), near Twin Falls, Idaho, drops 52 feet further than Niagara Falls.

Appropriately named the “Gem State,” Idaho produces 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones, some of which can be found nowhere else in the world.

Did you know that Idaho has a seaport? The Port of Lewiston allows the exportation of millions of bushels of grain down the Snake and Columbia Rivers for overseas shipment.

One of the largest diamonds ever found in the United States, nearly 20 carats, was discovered near McCall, Idaho.

Idahois the only state that was possibly named as the result of a hoax (the so-called "Idahoax") although this is disputed. The exact origin of the name remains a mystery

Idaho Origin of Name:   An invented name whose meaning is unknown.

Idaho Motto:  Esto perpetua (Let it be perpetual) May it Endure Forever

Idaho Nickname:  Gem State

Capital City: Boise

State Area:   83,574 square miles

State Population:    1,523,816 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood:   July 3, 1890, 43^rd state

Major Industries:  Food processing, lumber and wood product, machinery, chemical products, paper products, silver and other mining, tourism.

Agriculture: Cattle, potatoes, dairy products, wheat, sugar beets, barley.

State Environments:  Mountains, Plains

State Bird:   Mountain Bluebird

State Tree:   Western White Pine

State Flower:    Syringa

State Horse:   Appaloosa

State Gem:   Idaho Star Garnet

State Song:   "Here We Have Idaho"

Elevation: Highest Point – Borah Peak 12,662 feet
Lowest Point – Snake River 710 ft 

Time Zone: North of Salmon River Pacific: UTC-8/-7
Remainder Mountain: UTC-7/-6

Average Annual Rainfall: 11.71 inches

It's not about doing one thing 100% better - it's a matter of doing 100 things, 1% better each day. ~BJ Gallagher

by Jim Rohn

Parents, leaders, employers, teachers and volunteers have you discovered one of the great positive mysteries of life? Here it is - All life seems to wish to reward its benefactor.

If you become the benefactor, you will receive these incredible rewards. If you are the benefactor to the garden, the flowers seem to bloom and say, "Look at me. Look how bright and beautiful I am because you took care of me. I wish to reward you by being beautiful, lovely, spectacular."

Your own children, if you become their benefactor, they want to reward you with their progress. I taught my daughters how to swim. And my daughters would say, as they were about to dive, "Daddy, daddy watch, watch, look, look, watch" as if to say; 'look what you have created here, you've spent the time with me and now look at me. This is the payoff. ‘Watch me dive." I was their benefactor.

I have found that all life wishes to respond to the benefactor. The ones who give their time, give their effort, give their patience, give their ideas, the benefit of their experience. Whatever has benefited from that, wishes to respond. The crop wishes to grow. The child wishes to show you how much progress they've made.

And remember that whatever you move towards tends to move towards you. Just as when you move toward education, and education starts to seek you out. Or when you move toward progress and progress seems to want to now embrace you. You will find that, just as predictably, as you move towards helping those in your care they will wish to repay you with their own success and accomplishments.

~Jim Rohn

by Brian Tracy

Decide How to React
It is not what happens to you that counts. It is how you react to what happens to you, especially when you have unexpected problems of any kind.

Here are four things you can do to assure that your attitude is the very best it can be, under all circumstances.

Focus on the Future
First, whatever challenges you face, focus on the future rather than on the past. Instead of worrying about who did what and who is to blame, focus on where you want to be and what you want to do. Get a clear mental image of your ideal successful future, and then take whatever action you can to begin moving in that direction. Get your mind, your thoughts, and your mental images on the future.

Think About the Future
Second, whenever you’re faced with a difficulty, focus on the solution rather than on the problem. Think and talk about the ideal solution to the obstacle or setback, rather than wasting time rehashing and reflecting on the problem.

Solutions are inherently positive, whereas problems are inherently negative. The instant that you begin thinking in terms of solutions, you become a positive and constructive human being.

Look for the Good
Third, assume that something good is hidden within each difficulty or challenge. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a major proponent of positive thinking, once said, “Whenever God wants to give us a gift, he wraps it up in a problem." The bigger the gift you have coming, the bigger the problem you will receive. But the wonderful thing is that if you look for the gift, you will always find it.

Seek the Valuable Lesson
Fourth, assume that whatever situation you are facing at the moment is exactly the right situation you need to ultimately be successful. This situation has been sent to you to help you learn something, to help you become better, to help you expand and grow.

Decide to Be Positive
A Positive Mental Attitude is indispensable to your success. You can be as positive as you want to be if you will simply think about the future, focus on the solution and look for the good. If you do what other successful people do, if you use your mind to exert mental control over the situation, you will be positive and cheerful most of the time. And you will reap the benefits enjoyed by all successful people.

Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action:

First, become solution-oriented with every difficulty you face. Make a habit of looking for the answers to your questions, the solutions to your problems.

Second, seek for the valuable lesson in every adversity. Make a list of every idea or insight you can gain from every setback or difficulty.

Third, think on paper. Take some time to write out every detail of the problem, and then take the most logical next step to solve it.

-- Brian Tracy

"The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does." ~unknown

So many people believe that success
is reaching a certain accomplishment
or attaining a certain status or
possessions. They believe that
the end result will be the reward
they are working towards.

The true gift, the reward, is the
journey.The path you are on is
your opportunity for true success
and fulfillment.

Often times people never receive the
reward because they are completely
unaware of it. Then they get to the
end and gain the accomplishment, status
or possession and they still feel
unfulfilled. The reason that happens
is because the real gift was who you
have been becoming on your journey.

Don't take your journey for granted or
be resentful about it. The journey,
the path you are on, can be so beautiful.
Stop, breathe, and be present in this moment.
In this moment feel absolute gratitude.

When you appreciate this moment in time and
focus on absolute gratitude, you will experience
your bliss. Move forward on your amazing journey
in a state of joy, gratitude and inner peace.

Pay attention to who you have become on your
journey and embrace your incredible transformations.

written by Ryan Pearson
Personal Empowerment Coach

Did you Know?

Indiana

Did you Know?

Indiana (IN, Ind., US-IN) There were a lot of firsts in Indiana. The first professional baseball game in 1871 and the first long-distance automobile race, Indianapolis 500, was in 1911, with a car that went 75 mph. The latest winner averages 167 mph.

During WWII the P-47 fighter-plane was manufactured in Evansville at Republic Aviation.

Marcella Gruelle of Indianapolis created the Raggedy Ann doll in 1914.

Santa Claus, Indiana receives over one half million letters and requests at Christmas time.

Historic Parke County has 32 covered bridges and is the Covered Bridge Capital of the world.

More than 100 species of trees are native to Indiana. Before the pioneer's arrive more than 80% of Indiana was covered with forest. Now only 17% of the state is considered forested.

Although Indiana means, "Land of the Indians" there are fewer than 8,000 Native Americans living in the state today.

Many Mennonite and Amish live on the farmland of Northeastern Indiana. One of the United States largest Mennonite congregations is in Bern. According to Amish ordnung (rules) they are forbidden to drive cars, use electricity, or go to public places of entertainment.

Indianapolis grocer Gilbert Van Camp discovered his customers enjoyed an old family recipe for pork and beans in tomato sauce. He opened up a canning company and Van Camp's Pork and Beans became an American staple.

Before public schools families pitched in to build log schoolhouse and each student's family paid a few dollars toward the teacher’s salaries.

Indiana Origin of Name:   Indiana is a word that refers to the local Indians. Meaning “land of Indians”

Indiana Motto:   “The Crossroads of America”

Indiana Nickname:   Hoosier State

Capital City:   Indianapolis

State Area:   36,420 square miles

State Population:   6,376,792 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood:  December 11, 1816, 19^th state

Major Industries:  Agriculture (corn, soybeans, wheat), manufacturing, mining (coal, limestone), steel-making

State Environments:  Plains

State Bird:   Cardinal

State Tree:   Tulip Tree

State Flower:   Peony

State Stone:  Limestone

State Song:   “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away”, by Paul Dresser

Elevation: Highest Point – Hoosier Hill, Wayne County 1,257 feet above sea level
Lowest Point – Ohio River and mouth of Wabash River, Posey County 320 feet above sea level 

Time Zone: 80 counties Eastern UTC-5/-4
12 counties in Evansville and Gary Metro Areas Central UTC-6/-5

Average Annual Rainfall: 33.34 inches

by Melissa Taylor

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ; he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"   2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Devotion:

Once a liar, always a liar.  Once a bitter person, always a bitter person.  Once a failure, always a failure.  Once impure, always impure.  Once a bad mom, always a bad mom.  Once a person living in fear, always a person living in fear.  "Once a ____, always a ____." 

What did you fill in the blank with?  Do you have anything from your past that still defines you?  I have good news for you. You can stop living like this today.

Who is Jesus to you?  That is a question we all need to answer.  Jesus' disciples were asked this in Matthew 16:15.  ^"Then Jesus asked them, 'But who do you say I am?'" (CEV).  Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (v.16).  How would you answer Jesus' question?

So many of us know and believe Jesus is indeed the Son of the living God, but what does that mean to us in terms of our identity? The Bible tells us in John 3:16-18 that God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but live forever in eternity.  "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned." (CEV)

Did you notice that last part?  Jesus did not die for our sins so that we would live under condemnation of them.  Nor did He die so we would forever be labeled and falsely identified by our sins.  He died so we would be set free from our sins and their shame, labels, and condemnation.  Don't believe anyone who tells you different.  Know who Jesus, your Savior from sin, is and rest in that truth.

Maya Angelo said, "When people show you who they are, believe them...the first time."  I will have to disregard Ms. Angelo's statement.  "Once a ___, does not make me (or you) always a ____."  Why?  Because of who Jesus is in us. Our God is not only a God of second chances, He is a God of infinite chances, forgiveness and grace.  

We can't change what people think about us.  Sure, we can try to explain how we've changed, but often others will define us by one or more sins we've committed in the past.  It's happened to me before. Even though I may have once earned the "Once/Always" names I was called, I know that's not who I truly am.  Our identity is NOT in what we did, but in who and Whose we ARE.

"Once a ___, always a ___"?  No ma'am, that is not true in the context of Christ!  In Christ, you are washed clean.  Look again at our key verse, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the old has gone, the new has come."  The old has gone.  Gone.  Gone.  It's gone!  Answer the question Jesus asks, "Who do you say I am?" And believe the answer that He is your Savior from condemnation.  You are a new creation in Christ Jesus.  No person or past action can take that from you because, "Once a beloved child of God, always a beloved child of God."  That is the truth!

"One Today is worth two Tomorrows." ~Benjamin Franklin

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers out there. I enjoyed reading this short story by one of my favorite motivation speakers "Jim Rohn". I hope you enjoy it too.

"Invest in your family and they'll invest in you. Inspire them and they'll inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the details. When my father was still alive, I used to call him when I traveled. He'd have breakfast most every morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho. So Papa would go there and have breakfast and I'd call him just to give him a special day. Now if I was in Israel, I'd have to get up in the middle of the night, but it only took five minutes, ten minutes. So I'd call Papa and they'd bring him the phone. I'd say, 'Papa I'm in Israel.' He'd say, 'Israel! Son, how are things in Israel?' He'd talk real loud so everybody could hear - my son's calling me from Israel. I'd say, 'Papa last night they gave me a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean.' He'd say, 'Son, a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean.' Now everybody knows the story. It only took 5 - 10 minutes, but what a special day for my father, age 93." -- Jim Rohn

by Jim Rohn

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.

All disciplines affect each other. Mistakenly the man says, "This is the only area where I let down." Not true. Every let down affects the rest. Not to think so is naive.

Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.

Discipline has within it the potential for creating future miracles.

The best time to set up a new discipline is when the idea is strong.

One discipline always leads to another discipline.

Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.

You don't have to change that much for it to make a great deal of difference. A few simple disciplines can have a major impact on how your life works out in the next 90 days, let alone in the next 12 months or the next 3 years.

The least lack of discipline starts to erode our self-esteem.

I took a Leap of Faith and it PAID off last night, see for yourself. Click Here

Did you Know?

Iowa (IA, Ind., US-IA)  Dubbed by Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Iowa is home to the most crooked street in the world. Snake Alley in the city of Burlington is a winding hillside street that manages to pack five half-curves and two quarter-curves in a switchback design into just 275 feet.

If you like corn, you’ll love Iowa. About one-fifth of the country’s corn comes from Iowa’s rich farm lands.

Iowa has the highest literacy rate in the United States. More than 99 percent of Iowa’s citizens can read.

Iowa gets more tornadoes than any other state. A tornado is a mighty twisting windstorm. At the center of the storm, the wind can travel as fast as 300 miles per hour.

Strawberry Point is the home of the world’s largest strawberry.

Can’t decide between a chocolate bar and ice cream? Get both! The “Eskimo Pie” – a chocolate-covered ice cream bar was invented in Iowa by Onawa native Chris Nelson.

Elk Horn is the largest Danish settlement in the United States.

Kalona is the largest Amish community west of the Mississippi River.

Fenlon Place Elevator in Dubuque is the world’s steepest and shortest railway.

Wright County has the highest percentage of grade-A topsoil in the nation.

Quaker Oats, in Cedar Rapids, is the largest cereal company in the world.

Cornell College is the only school in the nation to have its entire campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Born Marion Robert Morrison (aka John Wayne) in Winterset on May 26, 1907 was the son of a pharmacist and grew up to become one of Hollywood’s most popular movie stars.

The town of Fort Atkinson was the site of the only fort ever built by the U.S. government to protect one Indian tribe from another.

Campers and motor homes are manufactured in Winnebago County. They’re called Winnebago’s.

Iowa is the only state whose east and west borders are 100% formed by water. Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Iowa is the only state that starts with two vowels.

Iowa Origin of Name:  From the Iowa River which was named after the Ioway, French word for the Bah-kho-je Indian tribe that lived in the area.

Iowa Motto:  Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.

Iowa Nickname:   Hawkeye State

Capital City:   Des Moines

State Area:   56,276 square miles

State Population:   3,002,555 (est. 2008)

Admission to Statehood:  December 28, 1846, 29^th state

Major Industries:  agriculture (corn, soybeans, hogs, pigs), food manufacturing, insurance

State Environments:  Plains, Prairie

State Bird:   Eastern Goldfinch (aka Wild Canary)

State Tree:   Oak

State Flower:   Wild Rose

State Stone:  Geode

State Song:   “Song of Iowa”

Elevation: Highest Point – Hawkeye Point in Osceola County in northwestern Iowa 1,670 feet above sea level
Lowest Point – Where the Mississippi River and Des Moines River meet; 480 feet above sea level 

Time Zone: Central UTC-6/DST-5

Average Annual Rainfall:   34.71 inches

by Denis Waitley

By re-energizing and renewing yourself frequently, you will avoid burnout and become much more motivated and productive. Don’t keep your nose to the grindstone for years and wait for retirement to travel. Balance and consistency are the keys. Enjoy the process, not just the result. Don’t fight the passing of time. Don’t fear it, squander it, or try to hide from it under a superficial cosmetic veil of fads and indulgences. Life and time go together. Do enjoy each phase of life. Do make the most of each day, and draw maximum joy from each moment.

Many people today are concerned with quality time – time generally defined in part as that spent on recreation, personal pursuits, time with children, spouses and friends. While I certainly believe quality time is important, I believe two other aspects of time are equally important.

First, one must also spend quantity time. The average father spends less than 30 minutes each week in direct one-on-one communication with each of his children. How can we possibly expect good family relationships with so little communication?

Second, one must spend regular time. Many supervisors and company presidents go for weeks, even months, without seeing many of their employees. There’s no substitute for regular meetings and open forums in which managers and team members can share ideas.

Time has a dual structure. On one hand, we live our daily routines meeting present contingencies as they arise. On the other hand, our most ambitious goals and desires need time so that they can be assembled and cemented. A long-term goal connects pieces of time into one block. These blocks can be imagined and projected into the future as we do when we set goals for ourselves. Or, these blocks of time can be created in retrospect as we do when we look back at what we’ve accomplished.

It’s not in the image of our big dreams that we run the risk of losing our focus and motivation. It’s the drudgery and routine of our daily lives that present the greatest danger to our hopes for achievement. Good time management means that you maximize the daily return on the energy and mental effort you expend.

Ways to maximize your time productivity:

• Write down in one place all the important contacts you have and all of your goals and priorities. Make a back up copy, preferably on CD, DVD or Zip disc. Write down every commitment you make at the time you make it.

• Stop wasting the first hour of your workday. Having the chat and first cup of coffee, reading the paper, and socializing are the three costliest opening exercises that lower productivity.

• Do one thing well at a time. It takes time to start and stop work on each activity. Stay with a task until it is completed.

• Don’t open unimportant mail. More than a fourth of the mail you receive can be tossed before you open or read it, and that includes e-mail.

• Handle each piece of paper only once and never more than twice. Don’t set aside anything without taking action. Carry work, reading material, audiotapes and your laptop computer with you everywhere you go. Convert down time into uplink time.

• Spend twenty minutes at the beginning of each week and ten minutes at the beginning of each day planning your to do list.

• Set aside personal relaxation time during the day. Don’t work during lunch. It’s neither noble nor nutritional to skip important energy input and stress-relieving time. Throughout the day, ask yourself, “What’s the best use of my time right now?” As the day grows short, focus on projects you can least afford to leave undone.

• And as we said at the beginning of this message, take vacations often, mini-vacations of two or three days, and leave your work at home. The harder you work, the more you need to balance your exercise and leisure time.

Action Idea: Plan a relaxing 3-day vacation within the next three months without taking any business work with you. Reserve it on your calendar this week.

-- Denis Waitley

"Showing a profit means touching something and leaving it better than you found it." -- Jim Rohn

I am your constant companion.

I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.

I will push you onwards or drag you down to failure.

I am completely at your command.

Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed - you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great people and, alas, of all failures, as well.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a person. You may run me for a profit or run me for ruin - it makes not difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am HABIT!

A Young Psychology Student serving in the Army decided to test a theory. Drawing kitchen duty, he was given the job of passing out apricots at the end of the chow line.

He asked the first new soliders that came by, "You don't want any apricots, do you?" Ninety percent said, "No."

Then he tried the positive approach: "You do want apricots, don't you?" About half answered, "Uh, yeah, I'll take some."

Then he tried a third test, based on the fundamental either/or selling technique. This time he asked, "One dish of apricots or two?" And in spite of the fact that soldiers don't like Army apricots, 40 percent took two dishes and 50 percent took one!

Quote:

"As long as you're going to think anyway - you might as well think BIG!" ~Donald Trump

by Chris Widener

Sometimes success is found through the things that you don't do. Here are some ideas for what we shouldn't do.

Don't say "I can't." There are two words that we don't allow in the Widener household - I can't. The fact is that most of what we say that we can't do can actually be done, if only we put our mind to it. My mother taught me from an early age that if someone else had already done it, I could too. And if no one else had already done it, I could certainly be the first! Good advice!

Practical application: When you are up against a problem, and you are tempted to say "I can't," begin to think of all of those who have already done it. When you see how many already have, you'll be encouraged. For instance, if you want to write a book but think, "I can't get this published," you should take a trip to the local Barnes and Noble. Walk through and ask yourself if your book wouldn't be better than even just one of the books that is already been published and stocked. You will find yourself saying, "Surely I can!"

Don't give up. If you are going to achieve anything in life, you are going to get knocked down along the way. Those who succeed are those who get back up and forge ahead. My oldest child was in gymnastics and one day on the way to practice we were talking about determination. I am convinced that more often than not, success lies on the other side of the river hardship. Determination and a "don't give up" attitude will see us through the hard times and onto victory!

Practical application: The next time you feel like the wind has gone from your sails, and you feel like quitting, take awhile to rethink the situation. Remind yourself again why you started out in the first place. Remind yourself of how you will feel when you get there. Then, reassert yourself and set a goal of another month (or whatever time frame is needed). In one of my ventures, early on I was weary and felt like giving up. Instead, I kept telling myself, just show up for one more week. Good news - it worked!

Don't get discouraged. Discouragement is an attitude. Instead of going to the depths of the dumps, tell yourself you are going to do great. Choose to be courageous! One of the greatest powers we have been given as humans is the ability to choose our attitude. All people experience hard circumstances. Yet some say to themselves that they will learn from them and forge ahead a better person. These people, who do not allow themselves to get discouraged, are those who become successful.

Practical application: Find the most positive person you can and take them to lunch. Make sure they are someone who believes in you already. If nobody else, get your mother - she will always believe in you! When you get them out to lunch, tell them that you are discouraged and in need of some encouragement. If you have picked the right person, they will do the rest. Chances are, they will even do some follow-up calls with you. And by all means, pick up the tab for lunch.

Don't be a lone ranger. Anybody who has achieved greatness has done it with the help of many others who bought into the vision and pushed the cart. The most famous and accomplished achievers in the world all had a cast of others who helped them along. You may not be able to name Tony Stewart's pit crew, but they were there. Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has an awesome front line to protect him, but I can't name one of them. If the greats need others, then so do we. The sooner we realize that we need others, the quicker we will achieve our dreams.

Practical application: Sit down and write down the answers to the following questions: What partners do I already have? What ways are they already helping me? What ways could they help me? Who are potential partners who would make me better? What workers do I already have? What ways are they already helping me? What ways could they help me? How many more workers will I need to achieve my dreams? How will I go about gaining them?

Don't accept anything less than excellence. Good gets along, excellence succeeds. Have you ever heard anyone say of the greats "Yeah, they were pretty good." No! They were excellent! We should never, under any circumstances, accept less than excellence. We should constantly be striving to better ourselves, our situations, our relationships, and the people around us, helping them to become excellent.

Practical application: First, evaluate. Is ______________ excellent? Second, determine what would qualify as excellent. It would be excellent when ____________ is true. Third, set a course, step-by-step, toward excellence.

Remember, when it comes to the above - Just don't do it!

-- Chris Widener

"No, that's what God gave you two arms for: To carry me!" -- My five-year-old daughter

Chris' Commentary:
Okay, the conversation before this: I was walking a short distance with my then five- and six-year-old daughters. The five-year-old was dragging behind and complaining that she was tired. She said, "Dad, will you carry me?" I replied, "Nope, that's what God gave you two legs for: So you can walk." Then came her amazingly quick retort: "No, that's what God gave you two arms for: To carry me!" The lessons you learn from little ones!

Action Point:
What did God give you your arms for today? Take some time to be sure to build something beautiful or carry someone along or defend someone weak. Wave hello, lift something up that needs to be lifted or give someone a hug. Use your arms to make yourself successful today. Use your arms to help someone else. That's what God gave them to you for!

I started in network marketing back in 2007.  I spend one year working a system where all you had to do was market to drive traffic to your web page.  This proved not to be as easy as it sounded and the system has a few flaws that made sales of the product sold not quite so easy.  After one year on this system I followed my heart and left the marketing tool behind and decided to give sales on my own a try. 

I will admit I am not a sales person and though I refused to make phone calls I still managed to make as many sales in 2 months as I did on the previous system I was using to market for the last year.  Though I was starting to gain momentum I knew in my heart I would be out of business soon unless I found another marketing tool to help make a significant amount of sales in a shorter time frame.

I followed my heart and prayed for an answer.  Then one day last month I got an email from a friend who was associated with the old marketing system I was using.  I trusted this person as well as knew God was trying to show me a path to follow.  I did what it took to get started with this marketing system even though it was still in prelaunch stage.  Now I am part of a system that allows me to market my previous product as well as more products at a wider range of pricing.

I share this information as a way to show others that you do not have to live your life going to a job each day.  As a former banker who knew I deserved more, I now live a life where I can spend as much or as little time I want working my business.  I have many networking sites and I open my heart to anyone who wants to know more about who I am and how I live life.  I am a man who helps others in order to help make this world a better place.

I invite you to get to know me as well as learn what I am about .  Take the time to look into who I am as well as the product you may see associated with my webpages.  I have a mission to make this world a better place.  I work as this mission one person at a time.  I try to have a positive affect on every person who comes into my life and do something to show love as well as share ideas how to make live more enjoyable.

I am honored and blessed to be part of the team who put this system together that I use to market.  This system simply gives me the means to live the lifestyle that I have grown accustomed to living.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

May God guide you in all you do.  Prayer is the pause that empowers.

Kenneth Winston

kwinston62@msn.com

708-203-7644

http://www.globalresortsnetwork.com/livefreewinston/biz

The ladder of success may now be an elevator, but it's still self-service.

"Nobody notices what I do, until I don't do it.

A young couple paid a visit to Donald Wright's music store looking for the right piano for their new home. Wright directed them to a particular piano. After Wright explained in great detail the sound box construction, stringing scale, pin blocks, etc., the couple seemed satisfied with the piano's quality, but were still undecided about its styling.

As they were about to leave to look at more pianos elsewhere, Wright suggested that they take a couple of benches home to compare with the styling of their other furniture. They did, and came back later that same day to buy a piano. Since then, Wright has used this particular technique numerous times and with great success.

"You can't just sell products. You have to sell benefits and solutions."

We have taken a similar approach to our Easy Button Income, we give you all the benefits and solutions to make extra income easy, just a few hours a day.

"My family gave me values that have sustained me through situations that would challenge any person. My personal relationship with the Lord inspires me in all I do." ~Kathy Ireland

Each of us will one day be judged by out standard of life, not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our seeming greatness. ~William Arthur Ward

by Luann Prater

This is a great story and I can't tell you how many times I have seen children try to catch those soapy bubbles in their mouths and then make a face when they realize that the bubbles taste like soap!

"Look grandma, this makes super-duper bubbles!" my grandson squealed.  The new bubble gun I bought him at Cracker Barrel was indeed a marvel at propelling hundreds of soapy spheres at the touch of a button.  He entertained himself for hours, shooting bubbles then chasing them across the yard.

At some point he decided catching them in his mouth might be fun, to which I warned it might make him sick.  Grandpa chimed in, "That bubble might go down in your tummy and get bigger and bigger!"  Matt stopped in his tracks, fixated on my husband, and replied, "Is that what happened to you grandpa?"  This four-year old comment made me chuckle and then ponder.

What does God see when He looks at me?  Does He see a wide-eyed child who simply believes Him?  I'm afraid that innocent, uncomplicated girl got lost. And I don't think I'm alone in this.  Simple faith is a rare find. 

In this information age, the journey for knowledge has become the driving force in our society.  As Dragnet's Sgt. Joe Friday always said, "Just the facts, ma'am."  Faith gets pushed aside in exchange for internet wisdom.  If you haven't been bitten by the know-it-all mentality, you simply haven't let your fingers do the walking across your keyboard!  Do you want to find out how to build a house, take apart an engine, or stay up on the latest news?  Google it.  You can instantly become an expert in almost in field!  So if God tells me to, "Go," my first instinct is to research the web for direction, instead of trusting His voice. 

During a concert performance recently, our church choir wore costumes from Bible times.  It struck me as I watched and saw only their faces showing, how each one had a childlike image. No one out-dressed the other.  No one was thinner or heavier.  No hair was perfectly styled. They all had rosy cheeks, bright smiles and joy in their eyes.  The prevailing trait we find in children - innocence - shone through.  I found myself wondering if that is what God sees when He looks at us, simple children.

When we come to Jesus it is critical to come like a child, innocent and amazed.  My grandson simply believed his grandpa.  When was the last time you simply believed God?  No analyzing the situation.  No studying alternative theories.  Plain and simple, childlike trust in the One who created the heavens, the earth and you.

Today, I want to focus on coming to Him as a child.  I want to stop the grown-up worry and gaze lovingly into His Word.  Today, I want to enjoy being "the least among you all" so I can spend time with the greatest, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is a great lesson that was sent to me from
one of my personal coaches that inspires me.
This simple exercise that can help you learn
to forgive yourself and forgive others. It can
help you heal.

Here is your quote for the day:

"The practice of forgiveness is our
most important contribution to the
healing of the world." ~Marianne Williamson

In order to reach true enlightenment,
we must learn to forgive wholly and
completely. Hanging on to anger and
resentment is one of the most debilitating
things we can do.

One of the biggest reasons for disease is
the unwillingness to forgive. Many people
hang onto anger and resentment towards
others or themselves. Emotions are energy.
When the energy gets blocked, especially
toxic energy like anger and resentment,
it turns into disease and physical ailments
in our body.

Forgiveness is one of the greatest acts of
love. By forgiving, you are not saying that
you condone a persons actions. You are saying
that they are a child of God, they are one with you
and they did the best they knew how at that
time.

We need to learn to forgive even the most horrific
acts. We must learn to come from a place of
unconditional love and non judgement. When we
can forgive anyone for anything, we heal ourselves,
we heal them and we do our part to heal the world.

Not only must we learn to forgive others, we MUST
learn to forgive ourselves. Most people carry some
form of guilt of something they have done or didn't
do. Recognize that you did the best you knew how
at the time. Holding onto guilt will not change
the past. If anything, through the Law Of Attraction,
it will cause you to attract and act in a similar
way in the future.

Remember we are one. We are all doing the best
we know how, given the circumstances and life
experience we each have. When we can all
master non judgement, unconditional love and
unconditional forgiveness, we will ALL truly
experience heaven here on earth.

Here is an exercise that can greatly heal your heart and
spirit. Make a list of everyone you are holding onto
anger or resentment towards, including yourself.

One day at a time, write a letter to each person on
that list, including yourself. In that letter express
all of your feelings 100% open and honestly. Then,
in that letter, write your forgiveness for that
person and the circumstances or acts that occurred.

After you have written the letter, fold it up and
put it away somewhere. Hold onto the letter for three
days. In three days take the letter out and make the
decision if you want to mail the letter or rip it
up and throw it away. It is not necessary for the
other person to read the letter, unless you really
want them to. This exercise is for you.

You will be amazed at how free you will feel after
releasing those feelings. Chances are, if you have
been 'stuffing your emotions', a lot of powerful
emotions will surface and probably be there for
a few days. Sit with those emotions. You are
cleansing yourself.

Ryan Pearson
Personal Empowerment Coach

by Dr. John C. Maxwell

When I was a kid, every once in a while my parents would back my brother, Larry, and I up to a doorframe, lay a ruler across our heads, and mark a line with a pencil to chart our growth. They would then write the date next to it. It was always exciting to see how much I'd grown since my last measurement.

If only measuring our effectiveness as a leader was so easy. Why is it so hard to get a clear picture of our own strengths and weaknesses?

Self evaluation means:

* Being willing to critique myself.

* Asking for and accepting honest feedback from those who can most accurately assess our leadership-those who follow us.

* Exercising self-discipline.

This last point is perhaps the hardest. I define self-control, in the beginning of life, as the choice of achieving what I really want by doing things I really don't want to do. Once this becomes a habit, discipline becomes the choice of achieving what I really want by doing the very things I now want to do! I really believe that a disciplined life becomes a joy – but only after we have worked hard to practice it.

All great leaders have understood that their number one responsibility is cultivating their own discipline and personal growth. Those who cannot lead themselves cannot lead others.

Here's what I call the START plan for becoming a disciplined leader.

* START ON YOURSELF - We'd all rather focus on changing everyone else to conform to us. The only problem with that is we end up with an organization full of people who reflect our weaknesses!

* START EARLY - I'm grateful for parents who taught me the value of a disciplined lifestyle early on.

* START SMALL - A simple plan will more likely bear fruit than anything elaborate will. Remember the value of small things, consistently practiced over time, in transforming a life.

* START NOW - The will to prepare is more important than the will to succeed. The dream to succeed, apart from the will to prepare, is simply wishful thinking.

* START ORGANIZED - Those who take time to organize have a special power. Organizational skills allow for the possibility of gaining stamina and momentum as your successes build. You gain a reputation as the person who always follows through.

Now that you've started down the road of self-evaluation, receiving constructive criticism, and self-discipline, you're ready to determine where you are as an effective leader.

-- Dr. John C. Maxwell

"A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities." ~William Arthur Ward

What are You Listening For? . . . . Sunday Sermon Masterpiece Collection, Vol. I

It was high noon in midtown Manhattan. The streets were buzzing with activity—crowds of people scurrying to lunch, car horns honking, brakes screeching, a siren wailing. Two men were making their way through the throng of noon-time lunch-goers. One was a native New Yorker, the other a Kansas farmer on his first visit to see his city cousin. Suddenly, the farmer stopped and said to the city dweller, "Hold on! I hear a cricket!"

His cousin replied, "Are you kidding? Even if there was a cricket around here, which isn’t likely, you would never be able to hear it over all this noise."

The farmer remained quiet for a few moments, then walked several paces to the corner where a shrub was struggling to grow in a large cement planter. He turned over several leaves and found the cricket. The city dweller was flabbergasted. "What great ears you have," he said.

"Not at all," the farmer replied. "Your ears are as good as mine. It’s a matter of what you’ve been conditioned to listen for. Here, I’ll show you." Whereupon, he pulled a handful of coins from his pocket and let them clink to the sidewalk. As if on signal, every head on the block turned. "You see," said the farmer, "you hear what you are tuned in to listen for."

Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!

WHEREAS, The Senate of the United States; devoutly recognizing the Supreme authority and just government of Almighty God in all the affairs of men and nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And Whereas, it is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

And, insomuch as we know that, by His Divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People. We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God.

We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope, authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.

Abraham Lincoln,
President

William H Seward,
Secretary of State

Hello from sunny Iowa!  We want to update and tell the world what we've been doing!!  We went to Iowa Diamod on 6-22-09, we bought......A LOT and we DON"T have buyers remorse!!!  We both love the rings that we picked out and we can't wait to show them to the world, they're that awesome!! 

We have been on the motorcycle for a few short rides and Gina insists that she has to know when we will be going on rides so that her hair doesn't get all frizzy.  She doesn't like the bugs either!!

We have been busy with our EBI/ILS business as well.  We have a new domain/website that Gina will be working on but is not yet published.  It will be called www.ragingredheadmarketing.com.  On it, Gina will be offering marketing consultation, ad copy writing, speech writing, voice over (she has an awesome, sincere voice), among many other topics.  There are many other ideas that we're working on for her site, including advertising.  We have one advertisement besides our own right now called www.cruisesbyjim.com.  Jim is an online friend of mine that is working toward buying his own ocean liner cruise ship!  He has sponsorship from at least 1 VERY successful and influential person and we want to help Jim any way we can.  He is a great man and he is far too humble for me to tell you about why I think he deserves his dream, please take my word for it.  He is a mentor to us.  The www.ragingredheadmarketing.com site will be operational around July 1, 2009.  We have also purchased a video camera for our EBI/ILS business so please continue to follow us for future video updates.

We asked you to stay with us during our journey through our personal relationship as well as our new business relationship and we wanted to bring you up to date on both. Things are going great for us!  We will be traveling to Minneapolis/St. Paul soon to watch a Twins/Yankees game with our children.  That will be interesting!!  Gina is an only child with an only child and I am the oldest of 3 with 3 (a TEENAGE girl and 10 yr old twins, boy/girl).  I think that there may be some sensory overload for Gina and her daughter!!!!  Stay tuned!