Is the Sunday Sabbath From the Bible or Rome?

Having traced the idea of a Sabbath all the way through Scripture, I am still at a loss to make a completely valid decision.With all I have learned, something is still missing. What seems to be strong and important to God loses its significance as the Bible story continues on. Let's take a look at how the church of later generations understood their Sabbath responsibility before God. But because the church is always fallible, we must reserve the right to come back to the Scriptures, and see if we can discern what grace has done to the law of God. When it is all said and done, will the Sabbath go the route of circumcision and burnt offerings? Will it be at the level of the tithe? Will it be changed into a different day altogether likewise labeled Sabbath? Or will it be written on our hearts like the other of the ten commandments? I'm far from finished with this quest

What says History?

It certainly is a long way from the statement "Do this or die!" as the Old Testament speaks of Sabbath-keeping to the idea,"Do this wrongly and you might as well not do it at all!" as Jesus had to teach the leaders of His day. It's even further to saying , "Choose whatever you want or even nothing at all," as Paul seems to be saying later in Church history. What did we miss along the way? Why the radical change? Can God's heart desires really be that different? What did the early and later church do with all of this?

To begin, consider the following two quotes and see if you agree:

1. T. Enright, C.S.S.R., February 18, 1844 lecture: "I have repeatedly offered $1000.00 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says: 'No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.' And lo! the entire civilized world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church.' "

2. D.B. Ray, The Papal Controversy, 1892, p. 179: "From this same Catholic Church you have accepted your Sunday, and that Sunday, as the Lord's day, she has handed down as a tradition; and the entire Protestant world has accepted it as tradition, for you have not one iota of Scripture to establish it. Therefore that which you have accepted as your rule of faith, inadequate as it of course is, as well as your Sunday, you have accepted on the authority of the Roman Catholic Church."

What say you? Is there any iota of truth about a Sunday holy day in Scripture? Well, we cannot say that those who built this doctrine started from nothing. Let's admit to the iota anyway, maybe even a few iotas, but nothing more. Let's look quickly at these particles of Scripture and then see how history built from there:

1. We can't forget that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. There is no official Scriptural union made between His resurrection and our weekly observance of 24 hours of celebration, but the resurrection does figure into why people believe the first day is now holier than the others. Of course, it was a day of work for God the Father. It was in fact the greatest work accomplished on the planet.

2. Pentecost, the very birthday of the Church of Jesus, when the Spirit of God fell and empowered the apostles, is likewise on the first day of the week. Still there is no commandment given to continue this observance every week until the end of the Church age. But a strong "silent" case certainly seems to be made by what God sovereignly did. Remember always that the word did implies yet more work. This too was not a day of rest.

3. Acts 20:7 is perhaps an even stronger argument for something happening on the first day, but certainly not for an all day rest. I quote: "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."

So did the disciples meet every first day either before or after Troas? Even if this could be proved, the only message being given in this passage is that the first day was becoming a meeting time, and that the actual clock hour was after sun-down. Could this in fact have been Saturday evening, following Sabbath observance? Or was it Sunday night? Whichever, there is no reason to jump from first-day celebration to first-day holy Sabbath of rest. But church history is clear that this jump was made anyway.

4. Finally there is that command of Paul about a certain offering, I Corinthians 16:2. "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come." This could well stop the mouths of those who say there was nothing special about that first day. Not only in Asia Minor , but now here in Greece there seems to be a growing practice of meeting on this day to celebrate the resurrection, fellowship in the Spirit, hear the Word of God, even minister to the material needs of the saints. In short, church. I think it important to say again here that from the beginning of the church, there was a daily fellowship of believers and a daily intake of souls into Christ, Acts 2:46-47, but it is hard to avoid the rising up of this first day as a clear pattern developing in those early days.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Three Revenue Generating Ideas

Many of Google's products have revolutionized the idea of Internet marketing, and AdSense is no exception. If you already have a web site or are serious about putting one together that has good search engine optimization, there are some excellent ways to make money with AdSense. Here are just a couple.

Distribute Free Articles

In order to increase traffic to your AdSense site, your top priority needs to be spreading your URL throughout the Internet. The more people who come across the URL the more chances you're going to have people who will be able to reach you. However, if you don't know how to boost that traffic, one of the easiest ways is with the distribution of articles. Many sites will allow you to submit articles for free. Then these articles can be duplicated for free by other users as long as they include your resource box. Within that resource box, you need to include that URL.

When people follow the URL back to your site, they will also find the AdSense articles and will be more likely to click on them and earn you some much desired revenue. Remember the better your keyword selection and the more targeted your traffic the better the results are likely to be. That's one way to make money with AdSense.

Head to Message Boards

Another good way to generate greater exposure for your site on the Internet is by spending a great deal of time at message boards and in forums. Each time you post in these forums or ask a question, you have the chance to include a signature line that can include almost anything you want, including links. You can even add the link into your reply to another question. For example, if your site is about weddings and you have AdSense ads about wedding stationery, you could answer questions about this topic by directing people back to the site and to the ads. This way to make money with AdSense requires a little bit more work because you need to be in those forums regularly to get your message across but you can always hire a couple of trusted people to assist you in your endeavor.

Work on SEO

Another good way to gain exposure for your site and to increase your ability to make money with AdSense is by improving your search engine optimization. A well optimized site is going to rank higher than the competition thus it will have more traffic. Plus, if you've done a good job with your keyword research that extra traffic is going to be targeted and will be a better return on your investment than others. The bottom line is that SEO is definitely a good way to make money with AdSense.

Bottom Line

If you are interested in being one of thousands of people who have started earning a steady stream of revenue through AdSense advertisements on their site, then the ideas above will definitely help you boost those numbers.

Do you want to Make Money With AdSense? Don't hesitate. Head over to http://www.goodinternetmoney.com/FREE_Report1.php for more information today.

Gotten a Rhema Lately?

Bible believers should enjoy bursting bubbles, if done with love, of course. Bubbles are all over the Body these days. Like for example the proposed difference between the logos word and the rhema word.

We're told by those who are supposed to know that the logos is the inspired word found in Scripture but not necessarily a word to bless or inspire us personally. The rhema, they say, is a special message directly from God to the heart, a personal word. It may or may not be in the Bible.

A believer, at least this believer, can accept the notion of a living God who speaks a living Word to His people, enlightening them as they are reading the Holy Word. We also must acknowledge that there are portions of the inspired Book which are very difficult to digest, other portions for which we are not ready.

So the division is not so bad, but the choice of terms won't stand a Biblical test. Yes, both words are in the Greek. Both mean roughly the same thing: an utterance, something said. The key is how both words are used in the Bible.

How about when talking about a gift of the Spirit, the word of wisdom? Seems like that should be rhema by the current definition. Nope. logos. How about when Paul is talking generally about the law and says it can be fulfilled in one word? "logos"? No, "rhema."

"I say to you by the word of the Lord..." Paul's clear personal word from God to individual believers. You guessed it. Logos.

There are times when both words fit the modern description and times when they don't. In other words, the sheep have fallen for another fad. Not a big point. But everyone reading can think of a similar silliness floating around. Let's be on our guard and give no place to anything God has not said.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Three Steps For Getting Motivated

When the financial markets are down, housing sales are less than desirable and the norm seems to be chaos, one of the hardest things for a person to do is motivate yourself. It doesn't matter what it is you are working on or need to get done; you just can't seem to get started.

Do you need a "jump start" to get going but don't know where to go to get powered up. Or, maybe you feel more like a flat tire. You know the tire is flat and you know that you need to put air into it before you can drive the car, but how do you go to get air for the tire if the tire is already flat?

Is there a solution, a readily available one? Can you "jump start" or re-energize yourself to the point that you are once again motivated?

Amanda, a bright talented department head, was having a lot of trouble getting started on projects she'd ignored for weeks, maybe months. It was becoming quite a chore. She had procrastinated long enough on her given projects that they were really piling up making self-motivation and the projects seem overwhelming and insurmountable tasks.

Where Do You Begin

Amanda would say, "I just don't know where to begin. I don't think I have enough energy to get started." She was even overheard saying, "maybe if I leave the stuff there long enough, it will disappear on its own." While she didn't need anyone to discourage her, she did need to know projects never go away on their own.

The more she procrastinated, the more unmotivated she became, turning what might once have been a routine simple project into a mountain sized sand pile to move with only a teaspoon. The only way to tackle these types of issues is head on. You eat a mile high pie (or move a mountain sized project) the same way you eat anything else, one bite (one teaspoon or step) at a time.

Re-energizing self and self motivation is really much easier than you might think when you apply some basic Feng Shui principles. There are three easy steps Amanda used to shift her energy that you can follow.

First - decide that today is the day to begin. Once you have made that decision you have put into play all of the necessary energy shifts you will need to move forward. When it comes to personal actions, energy follows intent. By making a commitment to yourself that you will begin that much overdue project, event, un-cluttering or you fill in the blank __________, your personal energy will follow your intent. Feng Shui is all about using positive energy (in this case the positive energy of self-motivation or re-energizing) to bring about desired results (getting on with the projects, events or procrastinations you've been putting off). Remember, what you focus on multiplies. If you focus on getting motivated that is exactly what will happen.

Step two - get a pencil and paper so you can make a list. Place on the paper all of the projects, issues or events that need to be taken care of. Once you have everything listed, carefully review the list to find the single most important item on that list that would give you the best energy boost if you no longer had to worry about it. Make it No. 1 on your list. Then review each of the other items on the list giving them an appropriate value of importance. Now, you have a plan. Just creating the plan is very motivating because once you see your plan; you can also see that you have become focused and energized about getting those items done that are on your list.

NOW, get started. Begin with on item No. 1. The most important way to motivate self is to take action. You will immediately feel energized. You will also feel in control and not at the mercy of all of those projects, events or issues you've been dreading to tackle for months on end; or ever since the chaotic doom and gloom hit the news cycle. Taking action means you've taken one bite of that mile high pie or you've removed one teaspoon of sand from your mountain. With each bite or teaspoon you get closer and closer to completion and more and more motivated.

By applying these few principles of re-energizing and motivating herself, Amanda slowly became more and more motivated to move forward. The positive energy of completing one project was helping her focus positive energy on completing the next project as well.

Amanda didn't need a massive make over. She simply needed to create a plan and take one step at a time to see her plan to completion. Like Amanda, once you've recognized what needs to be done, make your plan and "take that first step." You will be on the road to completion. With every step you take, with every bite of your pie or every teaspoon of your mountain you move, your energy and self motivation will grow by leaps and bounds.

Re-energizing and self-motivation are all about making a plan and taking action. Positive action creates positive motivating energy which in turn creates desired results. Use this simple formula, it really works.

Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2009

Pat Heydlauff, president of Energy Design, uses Feng Shui design principles to eliminate chaos and stress at home and within oneself. More than a Feng Shui expert, Pat is a consultant and speaker who helps remove clutter and negativity while encouraging personal growth, improved relationships and prosperity. Her book, "Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It" shows how small changes can lead to a big improvement in one's personal and professional success. For information on her consulting, speaking and artwork, visit: http://www.Energy-by-Design.com or call: 561-799-3443.

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

Chinese Zodiac - Tiger

The Tiger just like the animal counterpart is fierce less and known for bravery. They are very competitive and can get very aggressive when challenged. They are also very charismatic so people generally find it hard to say no to them. Because of this reason watch out, when you are up against a Tiger personality.

Tigers are very restless. They are constantly looking for the next mountain cross and when they cannot cross the mountain they can get very depressed, isolated and miserable. Tigers have good leadership abilities and they may excel in managing and leading positions. They can be very proud and charismatic leaders, good strategists and always work with a hidden agenda.

Tigers are like magnets. Friends love to surround them because of the confidence they exude. Tigers are very passionate and romantic. They enjoy sex and life.

Because Tigers have a very restless nature it is very hard to tie them to a routine.

Tigers make excellent pilots, race car drivers, artists, actors and writers.

On the positive side Tiger is independent, brave, confident, dynamic, intense, energetic, sacrificing, and faithful.

On the negative side Tiger is reckless, moody, hot-headed, selfish, impatient, impulsive, opinionated, and rebellious.

The gemstone of Tiger is Sapphire.

Find out your compatibility with the other Chinese signs. The strengths and weaknesses of Chinese Zodiac may vary based on their element sign. The five different elements in the order of productive cycle include Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. It would help to know the element of your Chinese zodiac sign.

Veda Singam offers quality articles, short snippets on Feng Shui and Astrology. Moreover she also offers astrology horoscope content. Her work is published in Astrojasta.com, a free online resource for astrology horoscopes. Visit the Zodiac Zone of that website for free monthly and daily horoscopes, astrology, numerology, feng shui and kua number resources.

Timothy Leary

Growing Your Own Sprouts

Hello, time for a little about the joy of sprouting? In our quest for need to know health info we have tried all sorts including sprouting! and man, we love the joy of a good sprout. Nature has decreed that things are packed full of life force and goodness when young, so in the veggie world, sprouting is a good way to take advantage.

What is sprouting? It's the simple practice of germinating your own mini plants in the comfort of your own home, providing you with a continual crop of easy to digest power packed super food that you've grown yourself! Probably using your own sprouter

A simple sprout fact, check this out! In some cases sprouted young plants contain 60 times the amount of enzyme packed nutrition than their unsprouted or dormant bean. This is a gift from nature, take your bean, seed, whatever, just add water and you unleash its bioavailable goodness! KA POW! Did I mention that sprouts are possible one of the most easy to digest foodstuffs available? Imagine that! Your own organically grown, zero food mile, nutrition rich, super food mega crop growing in your kitchen for virtually pennies. Sprouting is the new bling, trust me, P Diddy has mung beans germinating all over his "crib"

What you need for Sprouting
Air: sprouts need air to breath!! They are living breathing things! Good air circulation is essential to prevent them rotting and for optimum growth.

Water: after a good overnight soaking, sprouts need water every 12 hours at least and more if it's warm. They need a good soak to wash off the enzyme that stops them from germinating.

Temperature: Sprouts like kind of what we do, nice and warm for good growth and a happy plant, comfy room temperature is the way to go

Room: remember after soaking sprouts can increase in size 30 times, give them room or they'll fight it out with each other!

Light: sprouts that produce leaves do need some light eventually, indirect sunlight is fine.

A sprouter: well they'll grow anywhere really, but a sprouter does make it easy!

Things to Sprout

Green stuff

Alfalfa a daddy amongst sprouts, a true super food

Cabbage, full of life-force as sprout, undoubtedly cabbage even as a tiddler

Clover (red) lovely in salads and ready to eat in 6 days

Fenugreek green, good and somewhat groovy, a nice large sprout crop

Mustard hot little buggers these, add a little or you'll be blowing out an imaginary candle

Radish turbo charged again and a hot one

Sunflower super tasty and ready in 10 days

Wheatgrass another super food, wheatgrass is a super food and a medicine

Beans, nuts and pulses

Adzuki a super bean, a super sprout!

Barley ready in 2 to 5 days

Chickpea cook this one though ready in 4 days.

Lentil very easy to grow, steam them or eat sparingly on salads, ready in 5 days.

Mung good old mung beans, great in salads

Oats you can eat sprouts raw, sweet tasting

There we go, the joy of sprouting is you've grown your own crop, you know where it's come from, I doubt you will have sprayed it with pesticide and its all green goodness. Get sprouting today!

For more information on sprouting, juicers and health click the link

or for juicers and blenders look here

Mark Snare is a keen raw foodist and owner of juiceproducer

Using Words In The Bible Effecti

Wall Fountains Will Spice Up Your Home

Wall fountains are an exciting way to add spice to a rooms decor and enhance the beauty of your home. Indoor water fountains will transform a room into a relaxing oasis as it captures the magnificence of an outdoor waterfall. They are decorative works of art that add beauty and elegance to your home. Wall mounted fountains are great for small spaces, or to give a living area a sense of peace and cozy relaxation.

Indoor waterfalls will enhance any room in the most enchanting way by adding a visually eye catching focal piece. Glass wall fountains, particularly, are pleasing to the eye and the waterfall sounds make any room seem brighter. Glass is available in many styles including etched, smoked and mirrored. Glass and mirror fountains usually feature a frame made of stainless steel, copper or fiberglass.

Indoor wall mounted fountains allow water to gracefully cascade over a sheet of plastic, metal, or stone. You can also buy wall fountains that have a print of a tropical scene so that it looks as if the water is flowing over places where there would actually be water present in the picture.

Indoor fountains:

• Come in a variety of materials and colors
• Require no plumbing
• Do not take too much floor space
• Instantly add drama to a room
• Are therapeutic and bring calmness to the room.

Water fountains are available in different forms, shapes and sizes and they are real space savers and do not take too much floor space. Indoor wall mounted fountains do not require any plumbing because they use recirculation pumps hidden in the water reservoir so they can be installed anywhere that an electric power source is available.

They instantly add drama to a room and give it a great ambience. Wall fountains are perhaps the most popular new kind of fountains and are increasingly becoming a staple feature of entryways, patios, decks and lobbies.

When choosing your elegant fountain, look at the style and impact of slate, pebble and glass wall mounted water fountains as well as other fine materials including Italian copper, natural slate and river stone. Many are lightweight resin which is better for some situations. Many have a cast stone finish which resembles antique statuary. Steel and glass fountains are sleek and blend in well with a minimalist theme. If your decor is opulent or boasts rich and sumptuous fabrics, granite fountains will fit in perfectly.

Indoor water fountains are also known for their ability to help act as air purifiers as well. This is because indoor fountains balance the energy around them by producing negative ions while creating a peaceful and calm atmosphere. Interior wall fountains are used in the art of Feng Shui to help focus a room around positive energy and the vitality of running water. Indoor water fountains are known for their healing and relaxing powers. Indoor water fountains have been bringing joy to people for years, much like the serenity of a natural waterfall, babbling brook, or a river right in your own home.

In todays fast-paced society, its no wonder that indoor wall fountains have increased in popularity.

Now emerging from the mist of a colorful and varied career, Ian Patterson was born early in is life somewhere in a long forgotten postal code. The mantra that he learned from his parents, while growing up on their farm was "if you want it done right, then do it yourself". That's just what he did.

Ian Patterson is someone who's been there, done that, printed the T shirt and wrote the book. A firefighter, soldier, yachtsman, skier, climber, mechanic, plumber, electrician, data technician, business continuity planner, and web writer are just some of the things he's been. He was a pescaterian before it was fashionable and is an avid animal lover and a longtime dog handler. He has travelled to most countries around the world. Set up home in three of them and learned their language and culture.

Now he is the founder and CEO of Write Research Office since 2004.

Dale Carnegie

Glass Bottles

In the modern world, the use of glass and the need for the same is slowly diminishing. This is due to the fact that environmentalists have argued that it is better to replace such bottles with recyclable materials such as plastic. The latter is much lighter meaning it can be easily carried around, it is unbreakable compared to the former and the cost of manufacturing it is much lower.

Most beverage companies have adhered to these demands and have resorted to packing their drinks in pets, but for others such as those who deal with wine, it would be hard to do so since the temperature of wine would never allow it to be packed in any other material other than glass bottles. There are many advantages associated with this kind of packaging, an explanation why the ware will not depart from us as yet.

The quality of the material used in its making is one of the advantages that is associated with using it as a packaging material. The material is pure with no chemicals in it making it possible to have the beverage kept free from impurities. On the other hand, plastics are associated with chemicals that may contaminate the beverage making it unhealthy for consumption.

Glass bottles are also known for their ability to retain the temperature of the beverage, an example being wine which needs to be stored in a certain temperature and as such, the material comes in handy. For this case, the type of drink in question also matters in that some require thick storage materials while others require those made of thin materials.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Stained Glass. For More Information on Glass bottles, Visit His Site at GLASS BOTTLES You Can Also Add Your Views About Glass bottles At My Blog here GLASS BOTTLES

Religion Articles

Who Said The Bible Was Easy To Understand

Mark Twain
Inerrancy Of The Bible

The Sacred Feminine in Western Religion

'God', or 'Divinity', however you use these terms, is endless, infinite, and timeless, and as such is inherently indefinable and unknowable.

But the Sacred Feminine aspect of the creation is the vehicle, the 'Vessel', through which the infinite Divine can be expressed in our finite world. And only the Sacred Feminine can lead the soul back to the Divine.

A defining characteristic of the Masculine is the need to think things through in a linear, step-by-step manner, to experience a reality that is limited and finite and therefore straightforward, controllable, and 'knowable'. A defining characteristic of the Feminine, on the other hand, is the ability to experience reality in a holistic, open-ended, all-at-once manner, to take in and accept limitlessness and infinity. Needless to say, we each have a share in both of these characteristic abilities, but the Sacred Feminine in the world (women) and within the individual (the heart) must introduce the Sacred Masculine to the unknowable reality of the Divine. In the sacred stories, for instance, it is the Celestial Aphrodite who must unbind perfected souls and release them into bliss. And this is why Miriam had to die first, before Aaron and Moses: the Shechinah must lead the way.

Another defining characteristic of the Masculine is that it expresses the Active force within the creation, and as such it is always involved in doing, fixing, making, and acting. The Feminine, on the other hand, is the Passive/Receptive force of creation. This quality of passivity has been given a very bad name in our frantically productive society, where it has been saddled with negative and destructive connotations of weakness and submission. But if the truth be told, passivity is the higher quality. Action is the emblem of the realm of Matter and Time: the Masculine 'does'. Passivity is the emblem of the realm of Spirit and Eternity: the Feminine 'is'. It is this ability to be passive, to 'be' without having to 'do', that allows the Sacred Feminine Vessel to receive pure, endless, unknowable Being, without having to limit it or define it through any agenda of her own, and then to bring it to birth as infinite abundance and love in the physical world.

In the Old Testament, the Sacred Feminine is represented by various characters, including Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, and Miriam, who nurture and protect the patriarchs and Moses. In the New Testament, She is represented by the Marys, who nurture and protect Jesus (who represents the Sacred Masculine). But the Feminine power in the scriptures is not some sweet gentle 'goddess', representing all the 'nice' qualities that are missing in men. She is the Shechinah, the 'Presence' of God in the Creation, the force that hovers over the Ark of the Covenant, the 'Mother of All Living' who pours forth all the forms and qualities in the infinite universe. She is Life, from the primordial Chaos, to Eve, to 'Rahab, the harlot of Jericho'. She is the Beauty of Rachel and the Wisdom of Leah. She is Miriam's prophetic power. She embodies the secret of the Red Cow, for she is the mystery of blood, sex, birth, and death. She is the Sea, the boundless power of the Unconscious. She is the Mother and the Whore and the Wife and the Destroyer.

In the Christian story, She first appears to Jesus in the guise of an abundance of women led by a triad of Power, Grace, and Joy, reuniting with the Sacred Masculine so that together they will be capable of completing the journey back to Divinity.

"Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene [which means 'High Tower'], from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna [which means 'Grace'], the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna [which means 'Joy'], and many others, who provided for them out of their resources." (Luke.8.1-3)

To say that Mary Magdalene had been 'cured of seven demons' does not mean, as has often been said, that she was a particularly egregious sinner. She was no more a sinner than you or I. But Mary Magdalene had been fully initiated. In scriptural symbolism, 'Seven' signifies complete achievement, and this means that every single level of Mary Magdalene had been purified and perfected. She is the archetype of the soul that drinks in the total experience of life on earth, who has the good sense and humility to ask for God's help (like the Samaritan woman), who pours forth love and attains complete forgiveness (like the woman with the alabaster jar), who completes all of the Great Work and has been healed at every level of her soul, and who will now remain the powerful ally and protectress of the Spirit right to the very end - Mary, unlike the other apostles, will still be present at the Cross. And apart from Jesus himself, there is no indication that anyone else in the New Testament achieves her level of initiation, with the single exception of her male-counterpart, Lazarus.

Was Mary Magdalene the secret wife of Jesus? Was she the 'vessel' of his semen and his children, the mother of a lost line of kings, and thus the authentic 'Holy Grail'? All of this is beside the point. Not because it is unimportant to return the Sacred Feminine to her rightful place in western civilization. On the contrary. It is urgent. But chasing after gossip, scandal, and conspiracy theories, is not the way to do it.

Socrates taught his pupils that only those things which help to perfect one's soul can be called 'moral' or 'good'. If we found a Marriage Certificate with both of their signatures buried in a desert cave, how would this discovery contribute anything to the perfection of one's soul? The search for this kind of 'proof' is fascinating and fun, but it is of no spiritual significance. It is merely a diversion. We should put aside the scientific demand for 'proof' and the academic fascination with textual criticism, and ask ourselves more important, human, and relevant questions: What are these stories trying to tell me? How can these words help me with my life? How can my struggle to unveil their inner meaning help my soul evolve? What are they telling me to do, and how can I do it?

The reason we must restore the Sacred Feminine to her full divine stature in our lives and culture is because without her all spiritual evolution is impossible! Without her all the ancient myths and holy scriptures are useless! We cannot follow Demeter and Persephone back up to Olympus, we cannot obey the Law of Moses, we cannot walk in Christ's footsteps, if we continue to misconstrue everything that is said about the perfect equality, the required harmony, and the absolute inter-dependence of 'Male' and 'Female' at every level of Creation. All of this is in the stories. Nothing is hidden. But the meaning of the words has to be penetrated and understood. As we have seen, only the Sacred Feminine, within the soul of a human being or the soul of a civilization, can receive the pure, endless, unknowable Being of God, without trying to limit or define it, and then bring it to birth as infinite abundance and love in this world. And only the Sacred Feminine, through pure noetic intuition, can reconnect us to that infinite, timeless, Divine Being, and lead us home.

The consequences of her degradation, a crime for which men and women are equally responsible, are constantly and painfully visible in the disintegration of compassion, decency, kindness, and human meaning, that we witness all around us.

Dr. Andrew Cort, D.C., J.D., is a Teacher, Attorney, and Doctor of Chiropractic. His books, including "Return to Meaning: The American Psyche in Search of its Soul", "From Joshua to Jesus", and "The Song of Songs: A Lover's Poetic Dialogue", can be browsed and ordered at http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2XMNRI4GIYFES. Dr. Cort lives in the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts.

50 Psychology Classics

Can You Ask God For Wisdom

Thomas Williams
Christopher Hitchens

Can It Actually Prove That God Does Exist

Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung

Philosophy in a Nutshell - Freedom Versus Determinism

Two of the most important and most noble purposes of philosophy are to promote intellectual independence and to awaken the thirst for wisdom. Put simply, philosophy aims to get individuals to think, hopefully to ponder deeply about more fundamental issues than those which occupy most of our everyday lives. A brief examination of the issue of freedom versus determinism helps to define the scope of philosophy and related controversies.

Theories concerned with the issue of freedom versus determinism seek to discover the cause of human behavior. Are human actions predictable in a scientific manner? In other words, are there laws of nature, though complex and largely unknown, which would tell us exactly what a person will do in a given situation and which completely rule out any other possibility? This view, known as determinism, has been bolstered since the sixteenth century by the scientific principle of universal causation: every event has a cause and predictions of results can be made with total accuracy.

Hard determinism further holds that moral responsibility is incompatible with universal causation. Soft determinism argues that some behavior is free of compulsion so that people can be held morally responsible. Libertarians maintain that human beings do possess freedom of action. Otherwise, libertarians claim, human deliberation is an illusion. This, they assert, would be absurd. Furthermore, libertarians believe that exact laws of human behavior will always be elusive. Human behavior will therefore remain unpredictable and uncontrollable. In addition to this, a society perfected through application of science to produce specific human behaviors would be morally unacceptable.

This process of questioning the very foundations of life takes a certain amount of courage and psychological fortitude. Independence of thought is critical for a free society, and philosophy aims to spur us on to deep thought about the things that matter in life.

Kathleen Karlsen, MA is a professional artist, a freelance writer and marketing consultant residing in Bozeman, Montana. Karlsen offers classes and workshops on symbolism, sacred art, healing art and the psychology of design. To learn more about color symbolism, visit http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infocolorsymbolism.htm

For information about the meaning of flowers, please visit http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infoflowermeaning.htm

Spiritual Growth

Prayer In My Earlier Life and Its Effects

Thomas Nelson
Stephen Mitchell

Did Jesus Actually Ever Get Mad

Bob Proctor
Michael Losier

Don't Tithe If You Can't Afford to - Poor Christians Beware of Motivated Church Leaders

Jon Kabat Zinn
Wayne Dyer

Hope in All Religions

I was reading a book on advertising when the author mentioned, "All Advertising Is about Hope."

This got me thinking about other people's dreams and aspirations, most of this is wrapped around them hoping to accomplish something or do something. I never gave it much thought but hope is one of the most important things in our lives. Some people go around hoping that they will keep their job, when the economy is in bad shape. Others go around hoping for forgiveness for their sins or other bad deeds they have done in the past.

What is it you're hoping for? There's got to be something. Are you hoping to become a multimillionaire or even the world's first trillionaire. Are your dreams big or small? Are you the kind of person who is happy living a simple life with very little possessions like a Buddhist monk or are you one who is seeking the lifestyle of the King.

Hope supplies us with the will to continue through hopeless obstacles during our lifetime.

Most people seeking hope are looking for a way out of something or a way toward a better life. These people often fall easy prey to large religious organizations, as they take them under their wing and slowly start to brainwash them. They seek the weak minded, helpless, poor and trusting people and build their organizations using them. I once believed in Christianity, but it no longer offers me true hope, the more I study Christianity and other organized religions, I noticed certain similarities based on inspiration.

I hope I live the good life, so I can go to heaven, the promised land, our ultimate enlightenment.

I hope I am living the true will according to God, Buddha, Krishna or other supreme beings.

I hope that the Bible is wrong about the 144,000 people from the 12 tribes.

I hope I'm living a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

If you're part of an organized religion, ask your religious leaders, any questions that you have about your religion. If they can't answer these questions, try to find them on your own. Books, videos, and the Internet are great sources for information. If you're living your life for the sole purpose of going to heaven one day, you could be disappointed, when that day arrives.

Ask a couple of questions and I hope you will get honest answers to them.

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

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

What Are Affirmations

How Many Disciples Were There, Really

What Changed My Thoughts
My General Spiritual Beliefs

Ideas About Your Religion and Trees - Something To Think About

Catherine Ponder
Robert Collier

Did Jesus Actually Ever Get Mad

Is King Solomon Going To Heaven
How Did You Choose Your Religion

How to Find a Spiritual Community

Spiritual communities provide benefits we can't find in other social circles. Throughout known history, people have sought out such communities. And in these communities they revealed the most important and personal developments in their lives. Joys and sorrows, vows and confessions, hopes for a better life beyond life on earth, and fears of eternal abysses have all been shared in spiritual communities around the earth. And yet, spiritual communities have also been the causes of much deep-set heartbreak and disappointment. Corruption and depravity have destroyed churches, synagogues and mosques, as well as numerous alternative spiritual communities. Then the faithful often scatter, and some decide to never trust or be a part of a spiritual community again.

How can you know if a spiritual community is likely to be strong and hold integrity or become corrupt and fall apart?

Common Pitfalls for Spiritual Communities
The quality and dedication of a spiritual community's leadership is central to its success or failure. The most common cause of a spiritual community's breakup is the fall of the leadership into sexual or financial scandal and opportunism.
Spiritual leaders often are confronted with great temptation to abuse the trust their congregations or students have given them. Misguided or troubled members may offer sexual favors or naively believe that sexual relations with a spiritual leader will help them grow spiritually.
Many religious and spiritual organizations also keep no checks and balances on the moneys generated through their membership and services, and the leaders are allowed to take extravagantly from the generosity of others who trust them.

Finding the Right Spiritual Community for You

How then might you find a spiritual community with integrity? You can start researching the websites of various groups. Do note that there are hate-groups and people who deride almost all small spiritual groups, so do not go by what they are saying on the Internet.

Instead, if you see a group that interests you and that resides in a place you are willing to travel to, find out if they have introductory classes or services which you could attend to get to know them. Ask about their sexual and financial mores: Do the leaders or ministers sleep around? Do they make exorbitant salaries that are not commensurate with what their typical members make? Do they live ethical lives?

When you visit the communities you are considering joining, trust your heart. Is there an atmosphere of warmth and love that is also honest and open? Does this group help their members learn better communication skills? Do they teach how to develop a deeper relationship with God?

You will want to know yourself enough to know what you are looking for. If you want a quite in-depth spiritual training program, then you will need to find a place that offers that. If you mostly want a social spiritual group, then look for that. Take your time, trust your heart, and treat yourself to a spiritual community with which to grow and deepen.

Mother Clare Watts is a mystic, ordained priest, Master Teacher, and Co-Director of an independent, mystical Christian Order and spiritual school that has spiritual centers, called Centers of Light, in 15 cities nationwide. She holds a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology, with extensive post-graduate training in Jungian analysis, is a Certified Professional Midwife, and has enjoyed successful careers in both fields. She is the mother of four grown children and currently lives in Dolores, Colorado, where she directs The Peace Temple Initiative - an organization working to build a retreat center for peace workers from around the world. She is a nationally known speaker and lectures in a different city nearly every weekend of the year. She has also been a featured guest on several radio broadcast programs, including Wisconsin Public Radio's At Issue with Ben Merens, Contact Radio in Seattle, and Seeing Beyond in San Francisco. Jim Lewis, author of The Oxford Handbook of New Religions, as well as 11 other works, and leading scholar internationally on new religious movements, is currently writing a scholarly book about the Order that Mother Clare co-directs, expected to be published in the spring of 2009.

Mother Clare has found recent acclaim as the author of the book, Giving Birth to God: A Woman's Path to Enlightenment. This moving account of her life tells of her journey through yoga ashrams and Sufi training schools to find a mystical Christian spiritual school with Master Teachers. Wonderfully moving stories give an in-depth rendering of the inner spiritual path. As she writes in the book, "Each of us was created with the full potential to become masters over everything on Earth, not so that we might dominate the Earth, but so that we might bless it with consciousness."

To hear Mother Clare's podcasts, visit http://www.AskMotherClare.com

A Life Of Spiritual Education

Who Said The Bible Was Easy To Understand

Dr Seuss
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

What Does God Really Look Like

Bill Gates
Walt Disney

Christians Who Believe Everthing That They Hear And Read

Alain De Botton
Wing Tsit Chan

The Sound of Soul

Have you ever wondered if soul has a sound? We may experience the sound of soul more than we know. Any time you move your attention to the inner dynamics of what lies behind your body and your mind, your soul will reveal itself to you.

Soul can be experienced outside your body and your mind as well. Just the other day, I was riding in my car with my friend Suzanne. We drove by an old barn that was caving in upon itself.

At some point, this barn stood upright. It was strong and enclosed many vehicles and animals for years. As with people, this barn aged over time. What once was a structure capable of containing many experiences of life, now, became a broken reflection of moments filled with life suspended in time.

You and I are a structural mind/body system that holds experiences within us just like this barn. As we recall these memories, these past experiences move our awareness toward an expression of experience where stillness allows us to re-live soulful memories filled with life and vitality. These inner visions, feelings, and experiences are our soul's way of speaking to us.

In silent reflection, our attention moves into expressions of living that are eternal. It is the part of us that is aware of our awareness. The part of us aware of our awareness and not identifying with the need to compete, become successful, or any other manifestations of the material world.

Our soul is the identification with what lies behind all appearances of separateness. This part of us needs no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no hands to touch, no tounge to taste, and no nose to smell. Our soul is completely free of any expression of our world. Our soul is the part of us that infuses all these qualities of attention.

Our soul is the silent spaces between every thought, word, and deed. It is a pregnant silence, all pervading, all knowing, and filled with eternity. Our soul is a connecting point from the world of flesh and the world of Spirit. The sacred human relationship between the form and formless states of our being create a spacial quality of existence within and beyond us whereby infinite possible correlations become the path of our soul.

* Try this exercise:

The next time you wake up in the morning, listen to your surroundings, just listen and do not analyze any sound. Let your attention be drawn into the sounds around you. Notice how far they are from you or how close. Do not try to define anything - just notice. You may hear birds, cars on the street, or the sounds of your home. Now, notice the part of you noticing all these sounds. What does this part of you sound like?

There is another sound within you. It is the part of you constantly speaking, analyzing, and judging. This part of you begins to plan your day, organize, and worry. It is the part of you that drives you out of silent witnessing all the events taking place around you. This part of you will get you out of bed in the morning.

At this point, learn to integrate the two consciously. They are going on anyway. This way ordinary events in your life will become sacred human awareness and a life filled with gratitude for every moment. Did you notice the difference between these two sounds? One moves your attention into the material world. The other moves you deeper into silence - the part of you aware of life's inner qualities the Sound of Soul.

Sam Oliver, author of, "A Fish Named Ed"

http://www.soulandspirit.org

Don Miguel Ruiz

Was Jesus Really Born On December 25th - Video

Gregg Braden
Julia Cameron

New Trick For Christians Who Believe Without Any Doubt

Svengali
Richard Mackenzie

Changing the Focus of Halloween for Christians

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Did Jesus Actually Ever Get Mad - Video

Governments Through History
Problems With Catholicism

Super Christians and Conversion

Lifes Suffering Cycles
Change Can Lead To Suffering

Ezekiel Prophecy - Bridge Uniting House of Judah and House of Joseph

The following is a bridge from the Native American spiritual path, the Red Road, as taught by Cherokee elder John Red Hat Duke, to Torah, the holy scriptures of our ancestors in Jerusalem, on which Judah (Jews) and Joseph (Hopi and those tribes associated with them) may unite with HaShem's blessing.

Note: The union of the House of Judah and the House of Joseph is the same event as the completion of the Hopi migration back to Jerusalem, as revealed to Dorothy by Creator. Ezekiel 37

Step 1: Observe nature with awe and gratitude. A sense of love and respect for all creation will begin to grow within me.

Creation. Our universe. The cycles of life and death. A vast composite of exquisite harmony; a truly beautiful harmonic symphony of melodious verse with each vibratory element sustaining one another, loving one another. This is truly a miracle of melodies played out in the grand scheme of creation.

HaShem's plan for humanity is wondrous and exciting! As the salmon swim upstream every year to spawn, they are led by HaShem's awesome spirit. In the wondrous scheme of HaShem's creation, all of creation follows an internal instinct, and so Jacob's children yearn to go home. HaShem has provided an inheritance for them in Judea-Samaria so His plan of creation may be fulfilled.

Step 2: Learn to trust Creator and accept my circumstances. Overcoming adversity will produce spiritual growth within me as I walk the Red Road.

Today we face great adversities, probably greater than any of us have ever seen in our lifetimes. It is also a wonderful time of great opportunity for spiritual growth. We have the potential of rising to great spiritual heights; even to the place of forgiveness, love and tolerance where we will be prepared for the coming of Messiah.

Moses' life was filled with circumstances that tested his faith in HaShem, G-d. He was instructed by Creator to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses had to trust HaShem or he would have given up on his mission before he ever began it because in his mind the work was impossible. Yet, if he had given up and not trusted HaShem, the Israelites could still be living as slaves under the Egyptians, but HaShem's plan was fulfilled. The Israelites were protected and sustained. Creator led them through the wilderness to the land of milk and honey. Through all the adversity of wandering in the wilderness, Moses had to convince the people of Israel to accept their circumstances and trust HaShem and He would lead them home.

We have a tendency to quickly enter the land of 'fire and ice," where our emotions fluctuate to extreme anger (fire) and to coldness and judgment (ice.) Now we must learn to enter the land of 'milk and honey,' where we will nourish, i.e. provide milk for all the children of Jacob with an attitude of sweet forgiveness, i.e. with the sweetness of honey. May we move beyond the place of being extremely difficult to appease to a place where we will bring joy to Jacob and all of our ancestors who wait with hopeful hearts that we will enter the land of milk and honey.

Step 3: Seek for truth within myself, that I may remove hypocrisy and evil intent from within my heart.

Creator is the third partner in procreation. It is He who gives life. It is interesting to note that procreation is the first mitzvah mentioned in the Torah, which gives it primary importance.

Children are the greatest blessing we can have in this life, and Jacob's children were no exception. They were his greatest joy, and it is said that Joseph was his favorite.

This apparently caused jealousy in the hearts of his brothers, except for Benjamin. So they contrived evil action against Joseph to get rid of him. They contemplated killing him, but ended up throwing him down a well from which he was sold into slavery in Egypt.

Joseph's brothers, including Judah, then went home and practiced possibly the greatest hypocrisy and deception of their lives. They pretended to be grief stricken, and convinced their father, Jacob, that Joseph had been mauled to death by wild animals.

However, HaShem was with Joseph, and turned the evil action of his brothers into a positive guidance and blessing for Joseph and for all of Israel.

There is a way to remove jealousy and evil intent from our hearts and return to live in the abundant blessings and unconditional love of HaShem. HaShem commanded the Israelites that He is Yahweh their God who brought them out of Egypt where they lived as slaves. They shall have no other gods to rival Him.

As we serve others with loving-kindness, we serve HaShem. As we allow His Living Waters to flow through our hearts and bring joy to others, the flowing water also purifies our own hearts through love, and this prepares our hearts to be ready for the coming of Messiah. The reason the union has not occurred between Judah and Joseph prior to now is because the people have not been ready! There has been no water in the well!

Is there any other way for all the children of Israel to regain wonderful blessed companionship with Creator except to accept each other with unconditional love and return to being the unified family of Jacob? Let's bring Joseph back home to his father and receive HaShem's blessing.

Step 4: Repent and humbly surrender my will to Creator, that I may become one with Great Spirit.

The joy of walking in harmony with Creator cannot be surpassed by any worldly activity. It produces a profound sense of peace and completeness; it answers the question, "Who am I?"

The House of Israel sinned against HaShem. We chose to live wickedly and rebel against Him. Before we can walk in harmony with Him again, we must see our own wickedness as repulsive and turn away from it in humility and repentance. We must ask HaShem's forgiveness.

We must surrender our arrogant self-will to Creator's will. For instance, He told us to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, and He declared the seventh day as the Sabbath.

Some of us feel it does not matter which day we choose to call the Sabbath, but that is not humble surrender to the will of HaShem; it is arrogant self-will! The Sabbath given to man was a blessing from HaShem, and a blessing once given cannot be changed! If we desire to walk in companionship with Him and receive of His blessing, we must repent and humbly surrender to His will.

When we have turned away from our wicked ways, and received Creator's forgiveness, then we will be ready to accept our inheritance in Judea-Samaria. Currently, Judah is in control of this area. Although HaShem has promised to join together Judah and Joseph as one stick, it will only be accomplished when the people are ready. Judah must be ready as well as the Ten Northern Tribes; the House of Joseph.

It is not enough to walk in the ways of the Noachide Laws, or to adhere to the 613 laws of the Torah. This is like singing in low bass; a very low vibration. We must sing in high tenor or soprano at a much higher vibration. We must walk the higher spiritual path of purity and unconditional love; the spiritual path of the Keetoowah, the Red Road, in the truth of the Torah. This can only be accomplished by learning to walk in the way Creator commanded when He told us to not bear any grudge against the children of His people, but to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Leviticus 19:18)

All children of Jacob, Israel, must accept one another in the way HaShem commanded before we will be ready to fulfill the prophecy in Ezekiel 37:19. May we be quick to forgive perceived wrongs, and not relish being cruel and difficult to appease. May Israel again see all his children united as one family.

Step 5: Communicate with Great Spirit from my heart; listen, and live the insight I receive.

Israel is to listen! Yahweh our G-d is one G-d, and we must love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Have we lost the unity between our body, mind and spirit? Is our worship of HaShem lip service only? We can try to convince others that we walk with HaShem by speaking about holy things. However, our actions speak much louder than our words, and our actions betray what is in our hearts, and what is in our hearts is who we really are.

Some Israelites were thorns in the side of Moses. They tried to convince the people that they should return to Egypt to the good life. These are the dark forces that are with us still.

Today, Joseph wants to return home and claim his inheritance, but there are those who would deny him that which HaShem has provided, saying Joseph's children are an abomination in the sight of Creator and would only destroy eretz Israel if they were allowed to return.

Judah is refusing to invite Joseph back home, and in some ways he has good reason. The Ten Northern Tribes of Israel have not been living as a light reflecting the wonderful love of HaShem. They have assimilated into the many Nations of the world and many of them are living in idolatry today.

But what has Judah done to draw them back into the love of HaShem? Where is the light that would light the pathway for the rest of Jacob's children to find their way back into the joyous place of living in harmony with Creator? Judah, herself, does not appear to carry this light!

We must rise above the material world of law, only, into the spiritual world of HaShem. It is here that love resides; that HaShem resides. It is here that Light exists. It is here that our thoughts exist and we make our choices.

Creator has given us instruction; we are to have a heart full of unconditional love. If we refuse to accept our brothers and sisters of the House of Israel with unconditional love and forgiveness, and with a helpful spirit to help each other prepare to stand before HaShem in purity and truth, then we are a hypocritical people; we worship HaShem with our lips only! We must live His commands if we are to truly be His people! We must love our people as ourselves; all the children of Jacob!

Step 6: Learn true abstinence. It is in serving others, with an attitude of loving-kindness that I create a flow of Living Waters which will purify my heart.

Joseph served his Egyptian master well. Even when he was falsely accused and imprisoned, he retained his attitude of servitude and loving-kindness by interpreting the dreams of the chief cup-bearer and the chief baker. When the pharaoh had two dreams and could find no one to interpret them, the chief cup-bearer remembered Joseph and told the Pharaoh how he had interpreted his and the chief baker's dreams accurately.

So the Pharaoh called Joseph to him and asked him to interpret his dreams. He did so, and then suggested how the Pharaoh should govern in the approaching times of plenty and famine.

Pharaoh approved of his suggestions and the interpretation of his dreams, and therefore promoted Joseph to chancellor. Only his own throne was above Joseph.

Joseph was blessed by HaShem, and because Pharaoh accepted Joseph into his household, he prospered.

Joseph knew and acknowledged that it was HaShem who interpreted the dreams. He also knew that when he served others, he served Creator.

When Joseph's brothers came to him during the famine and asked for food, Joseph lovingly fed them and provided additional food for them and their families. It was this service with loving-kindness that created tremendous joy in Joseph's heart; the joy of serving HaShem.

Jacob's family was reunited, and the flow of love, the flow of Living Waters, moved them all to tears. This is why water is used as the symbol for the cleansing of the soul. Flowing water purifies, and love flowing from HaShem through compassionate servants like Joseph purify their hearts with the flow of living waters.

This same joy will be experienced again when Joseph's brothers serve HaShem by welcoming Joseph's children and the other members of the House of Israel home. It is then that HaShem will establish a new covenant with the House of Judah and the House of Israel. It will be a covenant written in the heart, a covenant of unconditional love without judgment. It will be a time of great joy and abundant blessing as we experience the wonderful love and compassion of HaShem.

Step 7: Attain complete, joyous harmony with Great Spirit; walk the Red Road. This requires that I totally surrender my will to the will of Creator, and love others unconditionally without judgment because that is who I am.

IAM is calling. Have we forgotten how to listen to His voice? Have Judah and the House of Israel become deaf to the voice of HaShem and turned to self-worship in the ways of the world?

We must return to the ways of the traditional ancestors if we would be ready to welcome Messiah (Masaau). We must return to the ways of Abraham, and the ways HaShem taught Moses when he called His children out of Egypt; out of bondage into a land of milk and honey.

We are invited to enter the land of milk and honey and we can do this by inviting our children home with a sweet, forgiving spirit.

It is time to do more than talk about HaShem and about holy things. It is time to BE that which we were created to be. It is time to become one with the wonderful, awesome IAM; to walk in companionship with Him as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

Joseph was a wonderful example, and we can do this as he did. With a forgiving spirit, he fed his brothers when they came to ask for food from him in Egypt during the famine.

Joseph depicted a man totally surrendered to the will of HaShem, else he would have judged his brothers guilty and unconditional love and forgiveness would not have been possible.

Joseph walked the Red Road by fulfilling HaShem's Law of Love, and now Joseph's children are asking his brothers to complete HaShem's plan of Creation by walking in companionship with them along the Red Road and inviting them to come home. Will HaShem hold Judah guiltless if they do any less?

For more information about gaining eternal life in the presence of Creator, and about the return of the long awaited Hopi Pahana, read the books Red Hat Speaks, and Red Hat's Wisdom, by Dorothy K. Daigle. These books can be ordered from any bookstore or online from http://www.iuniverse.com or Amazon.com

Dorothy was taught by Cherokee elder and wisdom keeper, John Red Hat Duke, for over ten years in the Keetoowah Cherokee spiritual ways, in Eastern philosophy, and in Judaism. She was raised Christian so she has a good working knowledge of Christianity. She now follows no religion but strives to walk the Red Road spiritual path according to Jesus' teachings.

She received her call from Creator in the fall of '92, and was then taught by the great prophet Elijah for four years. She was given four assurances by Creator when He called her. She was told that she was anointed by the Holy One of Israel, that she would be protected until this work was done, that Creator would go before her whenever He sent her somewhere, and that she did not have to prove herself to anyone. She is one of Creator's prophesied Two Witnesses. She carries wisdom of many years of living under Creator's guidance and direction.

Starting With Simple Things

Elements of Green Building - "Steel Framing"

What is Steel Framing? -

Imagine the wood framing of a traditionally built home, but where there are 2x4s, 2x6s, etc., there are steel studs. The studs themselves start out as large steel sheets. These sheets are passed through a series or rollers, none of which use heat, to bend the steel to make more useful shapes for buildings, like the flanges, web, and lips of a stud or C-shape. Steel studs come in various shapes and sizes, much like those that builders are accustomed to seeing in dimensional lumber, including 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 2x10, etc. The lengths are custom cut in the steel plant. And, since there is no heat used to shape the steel, no integrity or strength is lost. The shape makes the studs stronger than the original steel sheet. The steel studs can either be sold as is or placed into configurations to be sold as wall panels.

Applications -

Since steel is so strong, durable, versatile, and affordable, it can be used as framing for a great variety of situations, from superstructures like skyscrapers, bridges, and high-rises to lower-scale building projects like commercial shopping centers and residential homes. Since steel's strength-to-weight ratio is so high, it is ideal for situations that require long spans. For example, steel opens up possibilities for wide, open living spaces in residences.

Advantages -

* Steel framing's higher strength-to-weight ratio gives designers and engineers more options to use less framing material, allowing longer spans and wider on-center spacing schedules. In other words, fewer studs need to be used in the erection of a house or building, and larger open spaces are available in a home or building.

* Steel studs and joists are strong, light-weight, and made from uniform-quality material.

* Galvanized steel is noncombustible, unsusceptible to rot, and resistant to corrosion. It does not shrink, warp, twist, crack, split, or swell. This means your walls are straight and square for the life of the house, which will be a long life at that. Steel framing contributes to better drywall and exterior appearance, as well as the fit of doors and windows.

* Steel is insect and termite resistant. It is also mold resistant.

* Steel performs well in high wind and seismic areas.

* Steel provides a more reliable supply of framing materials for the building industry. It isn't affected by the shortages and sharp price increases of the lumber industry.

* Remodeling and additions are no issue with steel framing since, just like wood framing, non-load-bearing walls can be removed.

* It is at least partly made of recycled materials and is 100 percent recyclable after use.

* Since steel is fire retardant, withstands high winds, and is more durable in hurricanes and earthquakes, homeowners may enjoy lower insurance premiums.

Disadvantages -

"Thermal bridging" occurs when hot or cold air is drawn to a stud, resulting in heat loss or gain. In cold climates, thermal bridging could result in increased heating costs and in hot climates, heat gain could result in moisture damage. When we build with steel, we use thermal barrier insulating materials to provide exceptional heat and cooling loss protection to steel-built homes.

What makes it "green"?

* Steel is completely recyclable. In fact, steel is North America's most recycled material. More than 65 million tons of steel scrap is recycled each year. More steel is recycled than paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic combined. As an end result, recycling steel scrap also saves landfill space and natural resources. When the steel framing of a home has outlived its useful life, it can be recycled into new steel.

* An average 2,000 square foot steel framed house can generate as little as a cubic yard of recyclable scrap, diverting material for local landfills. This is partly because steel studs are cut to exact lengths from steel stud machines so there are no wastes at the construction site. The wastes in the steel plant are recycled to make more steel.

* Steel framing contains at least 28 percent recycled steel and is completely recyclable. Using recycled steel takes the pressure off renewable resources. For example, a typical 2,000-square-foot home requires about 40 to 50 trees, about an acre's worth. With steel, only the equivalent of about six scrapped automobiles is needed.

* When used with thermal barrier materials, there is minimal heating and cooling loss. Steel framing also results in less loss around windows and doors as well as foundation and roofing connections because the steel will not warp and move, ridding concern of gaps and accompanies energy loss created over the life of the house.

* Steel framing means less need for lumber. Today, more than 90 percent of North America's old-growth forests are already being harvested. This eases the strain on these dwindling forests, saving the wildlife that lives in those forests, as well.

* Steel is non-toxic and allergy free, which means healthier living for occupants.

Written by Tasha Lucas, Monster Constructors, L.L.C

You can also see this article on the Monster Constructors website:

http://www.monsterconstructors.com

http://www.monstergreenbuilding.com

Materials For Stair Treads

Never Let Anyone Get Your Goat

Stay Happy, never let anyone get your goat.

Whether phrased as "push your buttons," "get your goat," "get you riled up," or "annoy you," it's no fun to be on the receiving end. How to cope?

1. Don't take it personally. Even when someone criticizes your actions or demeans your very nature, know that they are merely directing their inner turmoil in your direction. Someone else's opinion of you is mostly irrelevant, and basically none of your business. Don't assume that there is any validity to an accusation. Perhaps there is a valuable lesson buried inside the unkindness that merits objective consideration, but negative emotions are best quickly discarded.

2. Look to the positive people in your life for support. If you balance many positive and supportive friends against one or two negative influences, it is much easier to cope. If you don't currently have enough positive people in your life, begin a focused effort to add positive people to your inner circle. If you don't have personal connections, search for groups of positive people at MeetUp.com.

3. Remove negative people from your life. Yes you can, even if it's your boss. You don't need that job so much that it's worth your health or happiness. Everything in life is a choice. Sometimes making a change is important, while other times just knowing that you hold the power to make a different choice is enough.

4. Forgive the offender, not for their sake, but for your own sake. The act of forgiving releases your anger and provides space for rational thinking and action.

5. Be grateful for the wake-up call. Any time that someone or something grabs your attention is a good time to be grateful - even if the message is unpleasant. Something is happening that requires your conscious awareness. Perhaps you have a lesson to learn or an action to take. Perhaps it is time to remove another negative influence from your life.

6. Release any expectations that the unkind person should have acted differently. Life is not fair, and you only cause yourself unhappiness if you hold an expectation that life or any individual should be fair or kind.

Visit Jonathan's Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote blog at http://www.DreamThisDay.com, and read his article: Stop Anger Before It Stops You - 7 Secrets for more ways to cope with anger.

Jonathan Lockwood Huie is an author of self-awareness books. He has been dubbed "The Philosopher of Happiness" by those closest to him, in recognition of his on-going commitment to seeing Joy in all of life.

Today is your day to dance lightly with life. It really is. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Getting Up Earlier

Mary Magdalene and Spirituality - Movie Video

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

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

Choices We Make In Life
What Is A Exorcism

Lighting Your Path From Within

You might have heard the expression, 2009 is your year to shine. Please, let that be true every year! Yet there is truth in that statement. The Universal energies are revved up at the moment to help bring your evolution to new heights. This is a highly charged time to help you create the life of your dreams, and more importantly, fulfill your higher purpose. As you radiate your inner light, you act as a beacon of hope and inspiration for others, and truly make the world a more beautiful place.
2009 is a Universal year of 11. (We derive this by adding the numbers 2+0+0+9=11). 11 an extremely powerful number; in numerology, it is considered a master number. As the name implies, master numbers require skill and dexterity as they present great challenges and subsequently, immense rewards.

It is evident what many of the challenges are at the moment; we are all aware of the crumbling global economy and the energy crisis that threatens our standard of living. And yet, these crises initiate an immense opportunity for us to change our collective future in ways that galvanize our innate healing and creative powers.

Every crisis, whether personal or universal, is a message from our soul to seek a new restorative path. Our current global economic collapse reveals a necessity for us to build healthier more efficient businesses based on the principles of integrity and service. Our pending energy deficit is a directive for us all, at long last, to end the cycle of depleting and polluting our earth's resources in favor of harnessing the unlimited power of nature in a clean and regenerative way. There can never truly be a shortage of energy; it is all around us. As long as the sun is shining, the winds are blowing, and the waters are flowing, we have an unlimited supply of vital life-giving energy. You too have an unlimited supply of infinite creative Source energy that you can tap into at any time to invigorate your life.

We are fortunate now to experience the powerful vibration of 11. The highly charged 11 is considered the number of intuition and illumination. In fact, the word LIGHT reduces to the number 11. The 11 vibration emphasizes the need for you to rely on your inner light, to align yourself with Spirit to find your true calling, and illuminate your path from within. Should you choose to place your faith in the external material world for your security, you might experience confusion or fear. However, if you choose to listen to that voice inside of yourself that believes in the goodness within and around you, and trust your unique calling, you will always find your way.

You might hear people refer to 11 as being a number of the number of wishes. Perhaps you have an awareness that seeing 11:11 signifies something magical. Your thoughts are indeed more potent during this mystical alignment. The shape of the 1 is like an antenna, creating a conduit between you and the Divine. In the Tree of Life, the number 1 is at the top of the tree, at our crown where we receive our inspiration, as well at the bottom of the tree, where the divine becomes manifest into being. 1 is the Alpha and the Omega. The sacred geometry of the number 1 allows you to receive inspiration from Spirit and materialize those visions into reality very quickly. It is electric!

The double 1s in the number 11 create something even more profound. Look closely at the shape of number 11; the double columns of the creative 1 energy represent the pillars of the soul - a portal into a higher realm. Should you have the courage to walk through those pillars into the unknown, amazing opportunities await you!

So how do you do this? How do you face the unknown without fear? One thing to remember is that you came into the world with an intention. Not one person on this planet can offer your unique brand of humor, wisdom, creativity, kindness, healing or love. If you chose to incarnate at this time it is because you had something you wanted to learn and contribute. Any gift inside of you was given to you by the same infinitely powerful Creative forces that will help you bring these gifts into being. If you were given a dream, you were also given the tools, power, strength, and support to fulfill your heart's desire. All of the forces in the Universe will help you manifest your purpose.

The genius of your creation resides inside you like a seed that is planted deep within the earth. A seed innately knows the correctness of its purpose while it unabashedly reaches towards the sun. It needs only careful tending to reveal its true magnificence. Your spirit is like a flower that needs proper nourishment to grow and thrive. Just like a flower, when you express yourself in all of your beauty, all who experience you will bask in the joy of your being.

You might want to reflect on what seeds you are cultivating in your life right now. Are you nourishing seeds of joy, hope, serenity, love, and compassion? Are you honoring your spirit by living passionately and expressing your truth? Or are you focusing on what is not working in your life now and what you are afraid of?

Your passions will inevitably lead you to your purpose, and joy will guide you towards your calling. You know you are on the correct course when you are passionately engaging in your journey, flowing with the natural rhythm of your life. During these moments all of your cells will wake up and say "Yes! This is it! Keep going! It is like being on a highway and seeing signs towards your desired destination. Spiritual energy is light. It actually feels light. When you feel joy within you, you radiate a positive loving energy and those around you cannot help but feel better in your presence. And truly, your ultimate calling is to be joyful and share that joy with others.

Consequently, when you feel heaviness, confusion, or fear, that's your body's way of telling you that you are not in alignment with Spirit. Material concerns, while very real, can often distract you from your soul's truth. Feelings of worry, regret, comparison, can all seem very rational and logical, yet can take you out of your awareness of the now. The energy of the future is being created by the energy that you are cultivating in the moment. So while you are engaging in worry about your future, or regrets of the past, you are merely perpetuating a continuous cycle of worry. Rather, a series of simple and beautiful present moments will create a future of joy and serenity.

Now is a potent time to ask yourself - what do I really want to do with my life? If I wasn't afraid of the consequences, or what people thought of me, or who I would be disappointing, what would I really do? Instead of asking your head for the answers, ask the wisdom of your heart. Take a moment to put your fears aside, relax with a deep breath, sink into the infinite lightness of your being, and ask your heart, what do I really want right now?

The answer could be something very simple. Perhaps you would like to have more time to yourself, garden, dance, or do yoga, or something more pronounced like starting your own business or moving to another part of the world. Anything that nourishes your spirit and feeds your soul will lead you towards your destiny. When you nurture your gifts, bringing them life, energy, and power, you are tending the growth of the great miracle of creation that is YOU.

I remind you in these tumultuous times, as the winds of change blow in your direction, that you need not be afraid of the dark. You have all that you need for your spiritual journey within you; your passions to energize you, your imagination to inspire you, and your intuition to guide you towards your destiny. You will inevitably meet other courageous dreamers along the way, who dare not dim their brilliance. Together, you will illuminate the path for many brave souls to shine brightly like stars in the sky, and the whole world will celebrate in a glorious festival of lights.

Kari Samuels is an Intuitive Counselor with an international clientele. She helps guide others towards the realm of inspiration, self-awareness, and divine living. She utilizes a variety of modalities for a holistic vision of our spiritual journey including numerology, tarot, astrology, and transpersonal psychology. It is her joy to help others manifest their greatest potential. Visit her website at http://www.karisamuels.com

Getting Up Earlier

Storage Rentals Make Remodeling Easier

A person may need storage rentals for a variety of different reasons. They can make many unpleasant tasks a lot easier. It isn't just individuals renting these storage containers. In fact, a number of retail businesses and even sports teams rent them for temporary storage of equipment and inventory. For the homeowner, some of the most common reasons to rent a storage container are when one is remodeling the house. From tearing down walls to adding a new bathroom, a remodel can become a messy affair. It is good to have a safe place in which to put all of your valuables.

It is just as handy for other, smaller jobs you are doing on the house. If you are going to take out the carpet and replace it with hardwood floors, or if you are repainting, you may want to use storage rentals to secure your belongings while you work. You will need to call the storage company and tell them the date on which you want the container delivered. Depending on the amount of material that you need to move into the container, you may want to have it delivered a few days ahead of time. This ensures that you won't have to rush the procedure.

Although there are many companies that offer storage equipment on the Internet, you should find one that has been in business for a while and has a professional staff. These professionals will listen to your needs and can help you with the proper storage container solutions. Learn more about a professional storage rental company by visiting ABRichards.com.

A.B. Richards, Inc., is a company that offers great storage rentals. To look at the available storage options, visit http://www.abrichards.com.

Building Safe Stairs