The Info Backstage

Life is full of annoyances, and I shrug most of them off.
But one thing that really grinds my gears is the casual misquoting of biblical passages:

Pride goeth before the fall

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. -Proverbs 16:18

Money is the root of all evil.

the love of money is the root of all evil. – I Tim. 6:10

Even worse is the distorted lifting out of context from the Book of Ruth:

“I will follow you where ever you go” (at weddings!) (or, as an exhortation to a woman to follow her husband, regardless of her feelings on the subject)

1:11 Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

1:12 Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, ‘I have hope,’ if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons;

1:13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me much for your sakes, for the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me.”

1:14 They lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her.

1:15 She said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.”


1:16 Ruth said, “Don’t entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;

1:17 where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried. Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me.”

Last, and certainly the least of these, is one explanation given for why you must tithe – and here, I step into the shadow of doubt, for I fear to incense readers who may not see my point:

Of the twelve tribes of Israel, only the Levites were excused from the daily rigors of tilling the land and raising cattle. In fact, they received no land at all. Instead, they were charged with the care of the Tabernacle, the offering of sacrifices and generally, the spiritual matters of the tribes.
Well, they too had to eat, so it was commanded that they collect tithes from the other eleven tribes. One tenth of the tithe was an offering to god, while the Levites were entitled to the remaining nine tenths as a reward for their services. (See Numbers 18:26 – 31)

Yet, we commonly hear that “tithing to the church” means you must donate one tenth of everything you make! Technically, you would bring the first of your fruits, and one tenth of that is to be offered to god, while the remaining nine tenths went to the representative of the Tribe of Levites (your pastor.) So, if I am being a smart-ass, I would say, give the church your first paycheck and be done with it.
How the pastor offers one tenth of your paycheck to god, I don’t know (repaint the sanctuary?), but he is entitled to the rest, because he has bills to pay, too! Of course, the tithe was not a one-time collection, but occurred periodically. (I said I was being a smart-ass.)

I have heard some people say that you shouldn’t have to tithe at all, because with the advent of the New Covenant, the blood of the lamb for one sinner is replaced by the blood of Christ for all sinners. What they are implying is that the Old Covenant no longer holds force.

This, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34, is indeed the case; and, according to Matthew 25:26-29, the prophecy is fulfilled.

Even though tithing is part of the Old Covenant, that seems, to me, to be an underhanded way of getting out of supporting your spiritual leader.

And that, dear reader, is what really grinds my gears!

[Since this is my opinion, I have not rigorously researched this subject. However, I have discovered a delightful site about tithing, and you are welcome to explore it. Check out what it says about tithing under the New Testament. People forget that the Old Covenant was still in force under the New Testament, during the life of Christ.]

Mitchell Allen is an advocate for cross-networking: synergistically linking multiple social networks in order to increase membership exposure.

He writes for fun and profit at WritingUp.com

He maintains The Vertical Blog Tunnel Network at the social network, Ryze.com.

It seems like everyone these days is under a tremendous amount of stress. It’s a complicated thing – we feel stress strongly, but it’s so hard to define, so hard to know where it’s coming from. There are of course real stressors around us that we are simply unable to control. But there is also an inner switch that regulates one’s response to stress. If that switch isn’t working properly we cannot really be present in our lives, or be there for our family and loved ones.

Our nervous system is comprised of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Both have different functions that are useful for survival. The sympathetic system pumps adrenaline and gives us the energy we need to move quickly and get out of dangerous situations. The parasympathetic system promotes a state of calm and relaxation – the state in which our nervous system operates to regulate healthy body functions. Balance is key. A balanced system is a healthy one. Some stress is good for us. It’s when we get out of balance due to long-term stress that we develop problems. Then we get stuck in that sympathetic mode, which results in a constant state of anxiety or fear. Many doctors now recognize that stress is the precursor to numerous illnesses.

So what can we do? We need to release the built up stress in our bodies and learn to reset our nervous system. We need to get out of the sympathetic and into the parasympathetic mode.

Massage is a powerful aid in doing so. It releases built-up stress and helps the body remember to relax again. The power of touch also creates a deep connection with our body’s innate ability to heal itself. Getting a massage isn’t just about pampering and luxury. It’s a valuable way of caring for yourself and your family.

Mary Liccion is an Empathic/Intuitive Healer and Body Worker with over 10 years of experience in Holistic Healing. She has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2001. Mary currently works as an LMT at Scott Miller – a salon, spa, and store in Rochester, NY (http://www.scottmillerstyle.com). Mary has traveled extensively and also works as a spiritual counselor.

Many people who suffer from asthma and allergies don’t realize it, but a low immune system is very likely at the root of their problems. Medical experts agree that a lowered or improperly functioning immune system can and does result in several diseases such as asthma, allergies, arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer to name just a few.

The body’s immune systems first line of defense against disease are barriers that prevent antigens, which are large protein molecules of bacteria, viruses, chemicals and other substances that appear harmful from entering your body. The barriers include your skin, mucus, cough reflex, stomach acid and even enzymes in your tears, which destroy toxins. If the antigen or toxin manages to get past these barriers, then the immune system launches a second line of defense, found in your blood. They are white blood cells, which perform a protective function by seeking out and destroying foreign protein antigens.

If you suffer from a low immune system it is important to avoid things that suppress or act to destroy it, such as a high cholesterol diet, heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), fat, alcohol, fried foods, food additives, obesity, industrial pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, stress, prescription drugs, too much sunlight, tobacco, and radiation.

Unfortunately, there is no “magic bullet” that you can take to quickly repair your immune system, but there are several ways to help build and support it by providing your body with proper nutrition, regular exercise, adequate rest, relaxation and maintaining a positive mental attitude.

Taking the following dietary steps will help protect and build your immune system:

1. Limit saturated and trans fats, food additives and alcohol
2. Take a good quality multi-vitamin/mineral supplement daily
3. Ensure your diet includes adequate protein
4. Take 1000 mg of Vitamin C daily.
5. Eat 3 to 4 servings of vegetables daily.
6. Eat 3 to 4 servings of legumes weekly.
7. Eat 3 to 4 servings of omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods weekly

The length of time required to re-build a low immune system of course will vary depending on your individual situation and environmental exposure to immune system suppressants. This is not an overnight process, for some people it can take three months to two years. Obviously, the higher your exposure has been to immuno-suppressants, the longer it will take to build your immune system. Children tend to heal much more quickly than adults or the elderly.

People with allergies and asthma will find that their asthma and allergy symptoms become less frequent and less severe when their immune systems are strong. It’s important to avoid using allergy and asthma drugs, which have toxic side effects and act to lower the immune system. There are natural supplements that safely and effectively eliminate allergy and asthma symptoms.

Susan Millar is a former asthma and allergy sufferer. She is the author of The Dramatic Asthma Relief Report, based on proven research about genuinely effective treatment for asthma & allergies. www.dramatic-asthma-relief.com/

See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

Different lenders charge different fees.

Translated it says: Woon je in Lingewaal of Hoorn en hebt u BKR notering’ Lenen met een BKR notering is nog nooit zo gemakkelijk geweest. Haal snel een nieuwe caravan met nu geld lenen, 220316 euro is altijd mogelijk om te lenen. Van Hardinxveld-Giessendam tot Geertruidenberg, geld lenen met een BKR notering is altijd mogelijk.

To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 6 percent offered by competitors will change.

So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

Although most mortgage experts say that rates 9 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 11 percentage. See which lenders are charging fees 3 percent and for how much. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 5 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 9 percent. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 7 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 5 percent. Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 5 percent. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower.

Everyone knows that 666 is the sign of the devil and a day which represents this number is approaching fast. Will the first hurricane of 2006 Atlantic tropical hurricane season named Albert do be the devil? Will there be a war with Iran on June 6th, 2006? The truth is nobody knows, but something will happen on 666 or June 6, 2006.

Every day has news in it and every day both good and bad things happen, but what bad things will happen all on 666? Many parents are very worried in the deal even want to send their kids to school that day. Other very religious folks think that 666 is the beginning of the end. Could this be the end of days, Armageddon, the rapture or the day the devil is born?

One hospital in Florida noted that many women are canceling the appointments to have their babies delivered. Several women who are expected to give birth exactly nine months after conception found out that the baby was due on June 6, 2006. You can imagine how freaked out these ladies were, as they do not want to be the mother of the Antichrist.

I guess that makes sense really? A few mothers are asking to have labor induced born June 7th, 2007. Are you a Christian family who is worried about 666? Are you one of the millions of Americans who is worried for your lives on June 6, 2006? If you are; Booo! And

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

If you’re a new writer, you may be feeling overwhelmed with how much there is to do and keep straight in your head. You’ve got to get ideas, research, write, find markets, create queries, and send them off to markets. And you’ll got to do at least one or two of those things every day. Does thinking about all this make you exhausted?

If so, relax. Just do one thing at a time. For now, if you’re a new writer, tell yourself that the ability to do everything we’ve mentioned will develop as you develop as a writer. Let’s talk about growing your career and writing skills organically, because it’s important.

Every word you write will improve your writing skills. However, if you’re not selling as much (or for as much money as you’d like) you can become frustrated.

=> Let yourself grow organically

What does that mean— “organically”?

It means to let yourself develop by trusting yourself. There’s an excellent book: The Inner Game of Work: Focus, Learning, Pleasure, and Mobility in the Workplace by Tim Gallwey which talks about Self One and Self Two. Gallwey points out that we have two selves, Self One and Self Two. Self One is the bossy, didactic voice in our head. This voice is not our real self, it’s a false self which parrots every hurtful, destructive thing we’ve ever heard. It’s no wonder that we’re frightened of failure, frightened of success, and just plain frightened if we take Self One seriously.

Gallwey suggests that we trust our real self, Self Two. Our real self, Self Two, is much more powerful than Self One. Self Two is everything we are. If we trust ourselves, and allow Self Two to do the work, it gets done.

The problem is that Self Two is mute. It’s not verbal. It communicates with feelings, images and I guess — intuition. The easiest way to discover whether Self One or Self Two is currently in charge of our inner self is to ask: am I loving what I’m doing? Am I feeling joy? If the background feeling to what you’re doing is joy, then Self Two is in charge. Self Two is you, happily absorbed, completely engrossed with what you’re doing.

Letting yourself grow organically means putting Self Two in charge. Trust that as long as you’re writing, you’re letting Self Two take the lead.

When you start out as a writer, writing 500 words is a big deal. Sending out ONE query letter is a big deal. At this beginning stage, celebrate all these milestones. You got a query in the mail! You wrote a complete article! An editor wants to see your work! And of course — you’ve made your first sale!

If you’re in the first five years of your writing career, enjoy your writing. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. When you walk into a bookstore, imagine your books on the shelves. Walk along the shelves, and imagine your books, sitting alongside all the other books. It will happen.

As your career picks up pace, you will have sent out so many queries and proposals, that the process has become automatic for you. You get an idea, write up the proposal, and send it out, and the entire process has taken you no longer than ten minutes. You’ll write 2000 words of your book in two hours, and still have time to plot another book, answer your email, and write an entry in your blog.

=> Keep lists

Lists are lifesavers. As you become busier, and are working on several projects at a time, you need to develop the ability to compartmentalize. The easiest way to do this is to keep lists of what’s happening in each of your projects.

Your organizational skills will grow as your needs as a writer grow. Allow it to grow organically. Remember: you’ll know that Self Two is in charge when you’re excited and happy. Focus on maintaining that excitement, and let Self Two do the work.

Stuck in your writing career? Get a coach! Angela Booth coaches writers in copywriting (writing for business), nonfiction, and fiction. A veteran writer, published by major publishers worldwide, Angela is also an experienced writing teacher, who knows how to inspire and motivate. You CAN make a success of your writing career. Free daily info for writers at her blog: http://copywriter.typepad.com/ Start your writing coaching today by contacting Angela at her site http://angelabooth.com/ Angela offers personal one-on-one e-courses and mentoring for all forms of writing. Ask for a low-cost initial phone or email consultation.

Everyday I am challenged to find the good in things: world events; newspaper headlines; hometown issues; even my marriage. Of all of the Spiritual Scientist characteristics this one seems to go in and out of focus the most.

Six characteristics of a Spiritual Scientist:

1. Uses everything for learning, growth and awareness
2. Looks for the good in all things
3. Works masterfully with the human nature
4. Lives in the present with intention

5. Takes full responsibility for everything in their life
6. Develops multidimensional awareness as a divine being

When I am successful at shifting the lens from “I don’t like this” to “I see the good in this” and perceive and receive the awareness of ‘good’ in all things my body is flooded with peace. I have come to treasure this kinesthetic shift as very precious – a pearl of great price. And the ‘price” that is exacted, I have noticed, is letting go of my fear and seeing with the eyes of the soul.

Fear is the number one culprit that robs me of my peace and knowing the goodness that is present. Fear steals silently into my thoughts influencing and shaping how I hear, see, taste and smell a conversation, a news story, or a world event. If I am not vigilant I find myself mired in the fog of helplessness, hopelessness and contraction.

In other words, an illusion is created and one that my rational mind supports whole heartedly. The inner dialogue goes something like this….”This is not good. This is bad. What will be next? I better begin protecting myself.” or “That’s horrible. Why did that happen? I can’t trust this universe. Or I can’t trust …” And quite unconsciously, my heart shuts down.

When my heart is shut down I do not see ‘good’ anywhere because good is perceived by the heart – not the mind.

The key is to remember to shift out of my mind chatter and access the greater being – my divinity. My divinity is a direct door to greater wisdom, intuition and inner knowing.

My secret weapon is asking for the light – ‘living in God’s holy thoughts’.
When I ask for the light – again and again – my divinity breaks through my mind’s defense ever so gently with the compassionate query:
“What’s the greater picture here? What other possible choice could you make other than seeing this as bad?”
“What is the real fear that is present in this moment?”

Now here is a question that causes me to pause – And as I stop my mind chatter long enough to quiet and focus on my breathing I hear the truth…I’m afraid because I feel out of control. I can’t control that person, that situation or those people.

“But what is the ultimate control?” that gentle voice asks again. “Cooperating with what is…accepting that there is much I cannot control outside of me but what I can control is present here, inside, in this moment.” I take a deep breath in and remember, all is well.

“OK, what can I cooperate with in this moment?”, I ask myself.

A loving, caring heart
Willingness to hold for the unseen good
Compassion for myself and for all those that are involved
Peace that is beyond all the mind chatter

And so I have found the good, once again and I experience that precious presence of peace. I realize once more that good is present because I put it there. I am the creator and cocreator of the good.

And the good becomes:
Courage to face the fear
Willingness to make another choice
Inner strength to ask myself scary questions
Patience to wait for the higher revelation

As a Spiritual Scientist – one who has chosen to observe through the eyes of the soul and see the good, I serve myself, others and the world. Now, that is good.

Rebecca Skeele is the author of You Can Make It Heaven: How to Enrich Your Life with Abundance and Loving Her coaching and counseling business, Make It Heaven, LLC offers life changing courses and workshops inspiring people to become masterful at cocreating their personal heaven on earth. An ordained minister, Rebecca is an international workshop leader and speaker. Her new course, Becoming a Spiritual Scientist: A Course for Cocreators gives practical tools to move beyond story-based reality and begin living intentionally with divinity. Enrollment for FALL 2005 course now. For more information about Soul Salons and course enrollment visit Rebecca’s new website: http://www.spiritual-scientist.com or email course@spiritual-scientist.com

Kids love snacks. After school, in the late evening, or just about anytime, kids want snacks. You may be struggling with snack ideas for your kids that are healthy and inexpensive.

Here is a list of healthy snacks to give your kids.

Some of the healthy choices for kid’s snacks are unsweetened
applesauce, bottled water, fruit cups or snacks, raisins and other dried fruits, granola bars, low fat or fat free milk, and pure fruit juice.

Meat and Cheese: Low fat lunchmeats such as chicken, turkey, and ham make fun snacks when rolled around a small slice of cheese or on whole wheat bread, cut into finger size sandwiches. Cheese and low fat or fat free crackers served with low-sodium pickles are favorites as well as turkey hot dogs with mustard.

Fresh fruit: Kids love fresh fruit peeled and sliced into bits size pieces with some low-fat yogurt on the side for dipping. Peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread with a little sugar free jelly are great ideas for a healthy snack that your kids will enjoy.

Fresh veggies: Fresh vegetables cut into bite size chunks with some low fat salad dressing are fun snacks that your kids will love and not even notice that they are healthy.

Finding healthy snacks that your kids will actually eat is not
impossible. Give your kids healthy choices and arrange the various food items in a fun, colorful way on their plates as extra incentive to enjoy the healthy foods.

Childhood obesity is a major problem in our society. Make sure your kids eat healthy, fun snacks that give them some nutritional benefits and set an example of healthy eating from a young age.

Angela Tyler would rather spend time doing the things she loves
rather than being stuck in the kitchen. She invites you to
http://www.freequickrecipes.com where you’ll find quick recipes for mothers… and others. And, if you are looking for fun exercise for your kids, check out http://www.funexercisevideos.com/big-kid-exercise.php

Being the conscientious sugar glider parent you obviously will be it will be difficult to pass up any toy you think is something your glider will enjoy. As a new parent you may wonder what types of things your new sugar glider will have fun with. Everything! At least that is the short answer. As baby sugar gliders they will probably not spend a lot of time playing right off. They will be spending all their time getting used to their new surroundings. Simple toys like a climbing limb, or rope spiral will give them plenty of enjoyment.

As they mature they will be more and more active and enjoy a wider variety of items in their cages to keep them occupied when you are not around, or are sleeping. Your cute little darling will probably be wide awake and playing when you are snuggled in your bed. Just about any toy made for dogs, cats, and birds will excite your sugar glider. Careful choices will ensure that they will be safe when using them too.

Don’t buy items with lots of little strings as they can become dislodged and the tiny sugar glider can get wrapped up in them, strangling, or injuring and braking limbs. Try to buy things that won’t fall apart easily as small pieces of plastic or rubber from balls or things like that can be accidentally swallowed and your sugar glider could choke.

Your furry pocket pet will have plenty of fun in your house and on your body so toys outside the cage really aren’t all that necessary. If you like you can create entire jungle gym type play sets for your gliders, but it isn’t required. A few simple toys in their cages will keep them happy and occupied until it is time to play with their favorite toyyou.