Thursday, January 31, 2008

Dos and Don’ts: Student loans

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sylvester_Marc]Sylvester Marc Parents should begin saving money early for their children’s college education because of the high costs and expectations that parents will pay part of the costs associated with the education. Several stock mutual funds are recommended. Here’s a question that’s as pleasant to consider as a fraternity hazing: How will you come up with the money to send your child to the campus of his or her choice? If you’re like most Americans, your answer is probably loans–unless you start saving and investing more effectively. According to a recent MONEY poll, fully 87% of U.S. moms and dads expect their kids to go to college. But nearly half of them, 47%, have not yet stashed away any money to cover the costs, which currently run an average of $7,118 a year for tuition, fees, room and board at four-year public schools and $18,184 at private universities, according to the College Board. And at the current growth rate of 5% a year, the cost of a four-year degree is projected to rise to $73,834 (public) and $188,620 (private) for a child born in 1997. The survey of 1,118 adults with children, conducted by ICR of Media, Pa. (margin of error: plus or minus 2.9 percentage points), also provides a wake-up call for parents who say they are saving for their kids’ college costs. More than half stash their savings in unwise college investments, such as certificates of deposit. And nearly a quarter of parents who are saving are putting away a paltry $500 or less a year for each child. Yes, your child can lessen your burden by working part time and by pursuing scholarships (see “Strategies That Can Cut Costs 30% or More” on page 126). But financial experts say that the average parent should be prepared to pick up at least a third of total college costs. If your child is in high school and you haven’t saved enough, check out our advice on page 138 on borrowing for college. If your children are younger, however, the sooner you start to save, the better. For example, Richard and Deborah Winters of Milford, Conn. (pictured at left) began putting away col- lege money for son Kyle, 4, when he was six months old and for daughter Kar- lie, 2, when she was 1 1/2. Oakland registered nurse Iris Winn (pictured on page 139), a late starter, now stashes a whopping $12,000 of her $70,000 annual salary into college savings for her daughter Monique, 15. But whenever you start your savings regimen, you can maximize your dollars by planning and investing wisely. Later in this article, we suggest investment strategies for families with college-bound children. But before you get to the specific advice, study these basic rules–the dos and don’ts of smart invest- ing for college: –Do set family goals. You must first figure out how much you need to carve out of today’s spending for tomorrow’s college costs. To do this, you can use the savings calculators included in popular software such as Quicken, online services like MONEY’s college savings calculator (http://www.pathfinder .com/cgi-bin/Money/collsave.cgi) or free worksheets offered by brokerages and mutual fund companies, including Charles Schwab (800-435-4000) and Fidelity (800-544-8888). “Parents and children should work together to make sure they are focused on the same goal,” says James Pearman of Fee-Only Financial Planning in Roanoke. “That way, you can face tough questions early on–for example, what to do if you are planning to pay for 75% of tuition at an in-state public school and your child wants to go to Harvard.” –Do start saving early. Every year, as your investment principal grows, so do the earnings on your money. The lesson is simple: Don’t put off investing. –Do invest in stock mutual funds. According to the MONEY poll, parents saving for college have plowed 53% of their education investments into low-risk–but low-interest–CDs and savings accounts at banks and money-market mutual funds. The parents have invested only 23% of their money in stocks and stock funds. That’s a serious mistake. While stocks carry some risk, they are your best bet for making your money grow over five years or more. Since 1926, stocks have gained an average of about 11% a year, more than any other type of investment. Moreover, you can’t count on bank account and CD yields to keep pace with tuition hikes. The safest, easiest and most disciplined way to invest in equities is through mutual funds. Not only do funds offer diversification but many will also waive initial investment minimums if you make automatic deposits every month, typically as little as $50 or $100. To avoid having any money siphoned off in commissions, stick with no-load funds like the ones we name in this article. –Don’t neglect saving for retirement. Planning for your child’s education should not sidetrack you from making regular contributions to your own 401(k), IRA or similar tax-deferred retirement account. You simply don’t want to miss the chance to make the most of the tax-deferred gains available in such accounts. And retirement assets won’t affect your eligibility for federal need-based college financial aid. –Don’t invest in esoterica. From time to time, you may encounter sales pitches encouraging you to save for college with investments such as annuities or cash-value life insurance. Both defer taxes on your investment earnings but at the price of costly withdrawal rules. Many deferred annuities, for example, charge penalties of 7% or more if you need to take out money within seven years of making your investment. Tempted to buy zero-coupon Treasury bonds, which recently yielded 6.6%? They can be fine investments–as long as you buy ones that will be redeemed when you need the money. If you have to sell a zero before maturity, you may lose principal if interest rates have risen since you bought it. Prepaid-tuition plans, another way of building up college savings, can make sense if you’re too nervous to invest in stocks (see the box opposite). –Don’t put your money in your child’s name if you hope to get financial aid. College financial aid formulas generally require a child to contribute 35% of his or her assets toward costs, but parents typically need to put up no more than 5.6% of their savings. With those basic dos and don’ts at the heart of your investment strategy, here are moves to make, based on your kid’s age: If your child is 13 or younger, you have enough time to weather any short-term stock market squalls. Investment strategists therefore recommend that you put 75% to 100% of your college savings in stock funds, depending on how much risk you can tolerate, and the rest in such fixed-income investments as bonds and bond mutual funds. You might start your savings program with a fund that holds shares of large and mid-size companies with consistent earnings gains and strong growth potential. Financial planner Michael Zabalaoui at Resource Management in Metairie, La. suggests Oakmark (up an average of 25.13% annually for the three years that ended June 30; 800-625-6275). Pearman recommends Vanguard Index Value (up 25.46%; 800-851-4999). Both funds seek out undervalued equities and bear below-average risk, according to fund ranker Morningstar. After you have accumulated $5,000 in your starter portfolio, you can move as much as a third of your holdings into small-company and international stock funds, which offer the prospect of juicier returns but also carry greater risk. For funds specializing in shares of small companies, Zabalaoui favors Berger Small Cap Value (up 22.6%; 800-333-1001). Among international funds, he likes Janus Worldwide (up 24.7%; 800-525-8983). If your child is 14 or older, reduce risk to safeguard savings. Zabalaoui recommends getting at least 50% of your money out of stocks by the end of your child’s freshman year and moving all of your college savings for that child into short-term bonds, fixed income and cash by the end of her sophomore year. To keep risk low, most investment experts prescribe short- and inter- mediate-term bond funds, which will add more pop to your total return than CDs or U.S. Savings Bonds. Pearman likes Vanguard Bond Index Intermediate-Term (up 8.62%; 800-851-4999). The fund shuns high-risk bonds and has an extremely low annual expense ratio of about 0.2% of principal, enabling more savings to go toward your child’s college costs. Marc Sylvester is expect based in Edison, NJ. He holds expertise in the banking and finance sector and is a conultant to leading business houses. [http://www.imdollar.com/student-loans]http://www.imdollar.com/student-loans/ http://www.imdollar.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sylvester_Marc http://EzineArticles.com/?Dos-and-Donts:-Student-loans&id=31924 phentermine online with mastercard need to buy phentermine pharmacy selling phentermine buy phentermine pharmacy
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Are You Sugar Scrubbing Yet?

By Carrie Lauth Sugar Scrubbing is a gentle way to exfoliate the skin just about anywhere on your body. A basic sugar scrub includes of course sugar and some sort of liquid and lotion or moisturizer. For a very simple sugar scrub mix some sugar with enough of your favorite body lotion to form a paste thats easy to rub into you skin. But why would you want to use a sugar scrub in the first place? Sugar scrubbing is a great way to exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating removes dead skin particles, as well as any oil and residue. This will soften your skin and preparing it for anything else to follow such as a moisturizer. A sugar scrub stimulates the lymph system, which is responsible for eliminating toxins out of the body. The gentle massage of rubbing a sugar scrub into your skin also improves the circulation of the blood right under you skin, giving you that healthy glow. Start your sugar scrubbing treatment by cleaning your skin with a gentle soap or other cleanser and warm water. Then grab a handful of the sugar scrub and massage it into your skin in circular motion. The grainy sugar will gently exfoliate your skin. Rinse the sugar off with plenty of cool water and use some more cleanser to get any sugary residue off your skin. Gently pat your skin dry with a soft, clean towel and follow with your favorite moisturizer. You should use a sugar scrub to exfoliate once or twice a week as needed to maintain that soft skin and healthy glow. Are you ready to give sugar scrubbing a try? Here are some great recipes you can put together in no time at all and give this a try. Invigorating Lemon Sugar Scrub Ingredients: 1 cup of sugar cup of extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp lemon juice 3 5 drops of peppermint essential oil Combine all ingredients to form a paste. Rub it into your skin in a circular motion and rinse. Tip For a calming sugar scrub, replace the peppermint essential oil with lavender or rosemary oil. Almond Grapefruit Sugar Scrub Ingredients: 1 cup of sugar cup of almond oil 5-10 drops of grapefruit essential oil Mix the sugar and almond oil until well combined, then slowly add the grapefruit essential oil drop by drop until you get the desired fragrance. Use like the sugar scrub above. Give sugar scrubbing a try. Youll be amazed at the results this simple beauty treatment provides. Not only will your skin get soft and glowing, but the scents in your sugar scrubs uplift your spirits as well. Before you know it youll be mixing sugar scrubs on a weekly basis, experimenting with different oils or lotions and using different essential oils. If you love sugar scrubs and bath salts, visit http://www.saltscrubsandbathmelts.com for more free recipes, tips and products for your natural bath. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carrie_Lauth http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-You-Sugar-Scrubbing-Yet?&id=248098 purchase phentermine with mastercard cheap phentermine no prescription free shipping phentermine order by cheap phentermine no doctor
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Monday, January 28, 2008

Quality Schools

By Kimberly Olver After presenting these ideas at the NAREN (National At-Risk Education Network) in Wisconsin last week, I was asked to write an article that would be able to reach more people to spread the exciting word about Dr. William Glassers work in the area of Quality Schools. There are many characteristics that are required in order for a school to be listed as a Quality School. There are currently 13 such schools in the country, with many more on their journey to become Quality Schools. In a Quality School, relationships are based upon trust and respect, and all discipline problems, not incidents, have been eliminated. Total Learning Competency is stressed and an evaluation that is below competence or what is now a “B” has been eliminated. All schooling as defined by Dr. William Glasser has been replaced by useful education. All students do some Quality Work each year that is significantly beyond competence. All such work receives an “A” grade or higher, such as an “A+”. Students and staff are taught to use Choice Theory in their lives and in their work in school. Parents are encouraged to participate in study groups to become familiar with the ideas of Dr. William Glasser. Students do better on state proficiency tests and college entrance examinations. The importance of these tests is emphasized in the school. Staff, students, parents and administrators view the school as a joyful place. All of the above criterion must be in place to be listed as a Quality School. When a school is a Quality School, the dictates of No Child Left Behind take care of themselves. Now, of course there will be a few children who have totally rejected school that are unreachable but for the majority, they will learn and do quality work. The way to achieve this is to implement the three conditions of quality. First, the school and each classroom must create an environment that will meet the needs of the students, and consequently of teachers. All humans are born with five basic human needs. We have the need for survival, connection/love, power, freedom and fun/learning. This is true of students and teachers. In order to help students meet their need for survival, the school and classroom must be safe. They must feel that they wont be hurt physically or emotionally. When students feel safe, there is no need to threaten teachers or other students. In order for students to satisfy their need for connection/love, they must have a relationship with the teacher and the other students. They must believe that the teacher has their best interest at heart. The more you give love and connection away, the more they come back to you. In order to satisfy a students need for power, teachers must listen to and respect their students ideas and issues. This does not mean that teachers must agree with their students but they must at least let the students know that they are important. When students feel listened to and respected, they dont disrespect their teachers and they tend to listen more. For students to have freedom, they must have choices. They must not be bogged down in rules and regulations. When students have choices, they wont have the need to create destructive choices of their own. In school, learning should be fun. Learning is always fun when the learning is useful and the students want to learn what is being taught. Imagine students having fun learning! Isnt that the dream of teachers everywhere? When your students are having fun, you do too. I know this sounds like an impossible task but there are many schools doing just that with training in Dr. William Glassers Choice Theory. Creating a need-satisfying environment is what actually eliminates discipline problems. If someone has a legitimate, appropriate way to get his/her needs met, then there is no reason to create discipline problems. Switching courses over to a competency-based approach is critical to the Quality School concept. Students are not permitted to get credit for less than B work and they have opportunities to improve their work until it meets the minimum standard for a B. Concepts are taught in such a way that reduces the need for memorizing facts that can be found in any encyclopedia or text. This and more speaks to the second condition of quality that students will only be asked to do useful work. It is the teachers job to convince students that what they are being asked to do is useful in the real world. If you are successful in that endeavor, you will have willing students. Wouldnt that make your job more enjoyable for you? The final condition of quality is self-evaluation. Students are asked to grade their own work. There are two essential items that must be met in order to get accurate self-evaluations from students. First, they must have no fear that the teacher or anyone else will hurt them with an honest self-evaluation. Second, there must be a clear rubric in place that will give students a model against which to compare their own work. Self-evaluation does not replace the need of the teacher or teachers aide (another student already judged to be competent in that particular area) from corroborating the students self-evaluation. Students are not punished for less than competent work. Rather they are shown where their work is lacking and given the opportunity to fix it. This, again, is a skill that is seen everyday in the real world. Rarely do people actually loss their jobs for substandard work. They are told what is wrong and asked to fix it. Of course this is just a thumb nail sketch of what is necessary to become a Quality School but if you or anyone you know is interested in learning more, visit http://www.coachingforexcellence.biz and check our calendar for upcoming teleclasses, chats and workshops. Kim Olver has an undergraduate degree in psychology, a graduate degree in counseling, is a National Certified Counselor and is a licensed professional counselor. Since 1987, Kim has extensively studied the work of Dr. William Glassers Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management. She was certified in Reality Therapy in 1992 and continued her studies to become a certified instructor for the William Glasser Institute. She is an expert at empowering people to navigate the sometimes difficult course of life—teaching them how to get the most out of the circumstances life provides them. These are incredibly powerful ideas with equal application to ones work and personal lives. Kim can work with you to empower your staff and clients and propel your organization to the next level. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Olver http://EzineArticles.com/?Quality-Schools&id=31151 phentermine diet pills by cod ordering phentermine online buy phentermine with cod phentermine w out prescription
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Sunday, January 27, 2008

How to Sell More Through Marrying the Power of Testimonials to “Once Upon a Time”

By Richard Stooker Most marketers understand the power of testimonials. What too many don’t realize is that telling an extended testimonial as a story ramps up their power. All of us hunger for stories. We love to follow along as likable people solve interesting problems. We love satisfying conclusions (maybe because they’re so few and far between in our real lives!). All too often marketers content themselves with typical lame testimonials such as: “Loved your weightloss product, it’s great.” Better marketers include benefits and specifics: “I lost 83 pounds in 11 months, without dieting or exercising.” Great marketers understand that their prospect really craves the story behind the testimonial. “I was so overweight my husband and kids laughed at me. I weighed 385 pounds. I was ashamed to leave my house. But the more miserable I felt, the more high calorie I wanted to eat. Then one day I got your letter in the mail and decided I didn’t have anything left to lose. “When the package arrived in the mail, my fingers were so fat I could barely open the little cap on the bottle, but finally I popped it off and took my first few capsules. “Frankly, nothing happened the first few days. I might have stopped, except your directions warned me not to expect instant miracles. The second week, I noticed that my clothes weren’t as tight.” . . . and so on. Don’t you start to feel happy for her? She had a problem, she found a solution (your product) and therefore is now on the road to a healthy body weight. Suddenly your prospect can start to think that she can lose weight too. She’s probably no worse off than the woman in the testimonial. Now she can start to believe that she can lose weight without dieting or exercising too. So customer success case studies help dissolve what’s often the biggest unstated prospect objection to any problem: “It wouldn’t work for me.” Sometimes this is a deep psychological defect on their part. Sometimes they just really believe that ordinary testimonials are written by people who aren’t like them, that somehow the deck was “stacked” in favor of the testimonial writer. (And sometimes they’re right.) But when you give them plenty of personal detail, document efforts and mistakes and eventual triumph over real obstacles, you help them visualize a solution to their own problems. Case studies are often used in business to business marketing, especially in the high tech industry, to verify that a company can solve another company’s problems. The truth is, every company that sells a worthwhile product should use these extended testimonials or case histories to sell their products — to businesses and consumers. c. 2006 by Richard Stooker Start taking advantage of the power of case studies in your marketing now. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Stooker http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Sell-More-Through-Marrying-the-Power-of-Testimonials-to-Once-Upon-a-Time&id=336047 phentermine online top pharmacy phentermine phentermine 37.5 mg diet pills phentermine online consultation
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Saturday, January 26, 2008

8 Simple Tips to Keep Your Lawn Mower Running

By Sarah June 1. If you have a non-electric mower which runs on petrol or gas have a look in the instruction manual to find out how to check and change the oil. Check the oil level often, add more oil when necessary and change it when its dirty. 2. Store the lawn mower in a shed or in some kind of protective environment so that it isnt sitting in the elements. 3. Check your lawn mower to see if it contains instructions for sharpening your mower blade. Some lawn mowers do encourage you to sharpen the blade and others do not. If the manual does direct you to sharpen the blade then do so frequently. 4. The best time to mow your lawn is after any dew from the night before has had time to evaporate. This means that the late afternoon is usually better than the morning as the grass cuts better when its dry and the humidity has left the air. Also, wet grass can cause problems with the mower and generally just makes a bigger mess! 5. Try mowing your lawn in different directions each time you mow. This will help keep your lawn healthy and will reduce the likelihood of any patterns forming over multiple sessions. 6. Make sure you keep the fuel and oil that you pour into your mower as free of foreign objects as possible. No matter what your daughter insists, her bottle of moisturizer added to the gas tank will probably not make your lawn mower run any better. 7. Take the time to clean the grass off the underside of the mower from time to time. Make sure the mower is off before you attempt to clean the underside. Make sure if you are going anywhere near the blade you disconnect the spark plug wire first. 8. Clean the air intake for the mower. Combustion (petrol or gas) engines need some type of air intake to run correctly and if the air intake on your mower is clogged with grass then the mower wont run at peak efficiency. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_June http://EzineArticles.com/?8-Simple-Tips-to-Keep-Your-Lawn-Mower-Running&id=63104 buy levitra online viagra buy viagra online cheap viagra prescription buy viagra online issues
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Friday, January 25, 2008

Relationship Renewal - Secrets of the Pros

By Kenneth Little Relationship Renewal is too often seen as being about how we can get others to change the attitudes and behavior of loved ones towards us. The Secrets of the Pros center on one truth that can quickly change a relationship breakdown into a Relationship Renewal. That one truth is the Scripture - “Love your neighbor as yourself “. It’s the second part of this verse that many fail to recognize and apply to their lives. You need to love and have a deep regard for yourself. Webster defines love as -”unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another”. Now you know you’re a three part being comprised of body, mind and spirit. The key is to get each of your parts to love the others. In other words your body-mouth- will only voice what you think is true and what you know in your “knower” - your spirit- is true. You can get a transformed relationship each time you follow this simple strategy because it will cause you to shine and have fresh favor in the eyes of your loved one. You’ll have dumped your self-centered approach to life and be focused on caring and loving others. Your life will become a series of experiences in which you seek to be well pleasing in all you do to others - without having any concerns about how they treat you in return. Your Relationship Renewal will serve you well as long as you maintain a “love” for yourself and “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another” Copyright 2006 Kenneth Little Kenneth Little is a writer, teacher, public speaker and the publisher of a re-released classic - in a revealing ebook- that will show you how to get the best of health and wealth out of all your future years. Find more on this at: http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com True success will be yours no matter what your age. Amazing “How I Became Young at Sixty” brings renewed strength to your body, hope to your mind and increased prosperity to your lifestyle. You Can Get your Free ebook “How I Became Young at Sixty” by going to: http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com/get-your-f-r-e-e-ebook.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_Little http://EzineArticles.com/?Relationship-Renewal—Secrets-of-the-Pros&id=164065 cheap viagra online buying viagra online weight loss pill sildenafil citrate order buy cheap viagra online now
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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Breaking The Power Of The Sin Nature

By Charles M Smith As human beings we all have two primary things in common we were all created in the image and likeness of God and because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden we are all born with a sin nature. In psalms 51:5 As David repents for his sins he appeals to God’s awareness of his sin nature when he says: “Behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me”. This verse tells us clearly that we are all born with a need to be set free from the power of the sin nature and Make no mistake, the sin nature is powerful. In fact, it is the primary force behind all of the misery,pain,heartache,destruction and death that we see in the world in which we live. Let’s stop for a moment and look at two words david mentions in the previous verse iniquity and sin. Iniquity- means to be perverted or crooked, it speaks of something or someone being out of alignment, bent in the wrong direction it means to be changed from a pure state to a defiled state. it also speaks of something that is inherent or woven like a pattern into ones nature and character. This is exactly what happened to mankind when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden (Genesis 3) they became perverted,crooked,out of alignment with God,bent in the wrong direction and defiled. like a vicious virus released into a computer hard drive sin made man corrupt and full of error messages. Man began to malfunction this is the power of iniquity, and Iniquitous patterns have been handed down from the first man through out all generations of men on earth. The next word David uses is Sin. Sin- literally means to miss the target or goal, due to a violation or an offense. Because of the inherent bent towards wrong,man is constantly violating Gods laws, offending the Holy nature of God and missing the destiny that God has planned for his life. There is not one person on the earth who can claim to be sinless. The bible declares without apology that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All means all and even as believers (those who claim to have a born again experience) we need to understand that we still battle with the sin nature and often fall short of Gods Glory. The Apostle John was speaking specifically to believers when he said “if we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. if we(believers) say we have not sinned,we make him a liar, and his word is not in us(I John 1:8-10). In Galatians 5:19-21 the Apostle Paul gives us a vivid picture of the sin nature when he says: Now the deeds of the flesh (the sin nature) are evident which are: 1.Immorality 2.impurity 3.sensuality 4.idolatry 5.sorcery 6.enmities 7.strife 8.jealousy 9.out burst of anger 10.disputes 11.dissensions 12.factions 13.envying 14.drunkenness 15.carousing and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul was speaking here by revelation to believers,he was challenging them not to let the old sin nature with all of its selfish, self-centered urges and tendencies dominate their new life in the spirit. Paul learned how to do this through understanding and revelation. The Apostle Paul explains to us in Romans chapter 7:14-25 that there is a war going on inside of us. It is the principle of Good and evil both wrestling within us. Paul noticed in his life that although he desired to do what was right in the sight of God he often found himself struggling with urges to do wrong and for a while it was puzzling, because as new believers we often think that we are not ever supposed to have urges to sin and if we do there must be something wrong with us. When the bible clearly teaches that we will be tempted (Read James 1:13-15). Being tempted is not sin it is when we yield( give in) to temptation that it becomes sin.The Apostle Paul discovered that there were two natures working with in him one was the New nature he received when he gave his life to Christ (which is the restoration of Gods image in us that was lost during the fall (read Genesis 3,Ephesians 4:22-24) and there was the old sin nature fully operating and fully intact even after being born again. Paul refers to this fleshly or carnal nature when he says “for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh(carnal nature) for the wishing( the will) is present with me, but the doing of the good is not (Rom 7:18). He goes on,”for the good that I wish (or will to do), I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish (Romans 7:19). He goes on to say,”but if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good(Romans 7:18-21). Paul continues: For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the Inner Man(the new nature in Christ, the spirit man), but I see a different law in the members of my body,waging war against the law of my mind(imagination), and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members (Romans 7:22-23). It almost sounds like a losing battle, but then paul declares: “Wretched man that I am! who will set me free from the body of this death. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:24-25). Paul by revelation came to understand the power and the purpose of the sacrifice or Christ on the cross for all humanity. Our Lord and Saviour came to the earth to take on our sin nature to literally become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) then to completely subdue and overcome our sin nature by experiencing temptation like we do but never giving in to it ( Romans 8:3,Hebrews 4:15). Then he was willingly nailed to the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins receiving the judgement that we should have received, and dying the death that we should have died. Romans 6:23 declares ” for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord. His shed blood atoned for our sins, and that is not all, he also rose up from the dead on the third day breaking the power of death and giving to us the advantage over the sin nature. Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:55-57: “O Death, where is your victory? O Death where is your sting? the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. And why did he do all of this? Because he loves us(John 3:16),this is the power of the gospel message and the good news that changes lives. So how do we appropriate all that Jesus accomplished on the cross and in the grave to overcome the sin nature. It begins by first acknowledging that we need to be free from the power of the sin nature and then embracing and most importantly believing the truth that Jesus Christ is the only one who can set us free and give us power over the sin nature. This is what the term being “Saved” is all about ,it means to be rescued and delivered from the power of the sin nature. Romans 10:9 says ” if we confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead we shall be saved (from the power and effects of the sin nature). The effects of the sin nature are many we can see them all through out our society and culture. Lets face it we live in a self-centered,violent,greedy,over sexed culture where good is called bad and bad is called good and it affects us more than we know. Yet beneath the callous hardened skin of a society and culture that rejects God there are souls crying out for freedom from the power of the sin nature and we proclaim that the atoning work of Jesus Christ is still the key to spiritual freedom and liberty. In Galatians 5:22-23 paul shows us the difference between the power of the old sin nature and the greater power of the Holy Spirit to produce a new nature in us when he says: The fruit of the Spirit is 1.love 2.joy 3.peace 4.patience 5.kindness 6.goodness 7.faithfulness 8.gentleness 9.self control, against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Chist Jesus have crucified the flesh (sin nature) with it passions and desires. We appropriate this great power by allowing Jesus to live his life through us. In Galatians 2:20 the Apostle Paul says it this way: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh (my mortal body) I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself up for me. To be crucified with Christ simply means that we choose to stop living according our sinful urges and tendencies and we choose to let Christ live through us and the good news is he gives us his Spirit and his Grace to do this when we call upon His Name. If you are reading this article and you are ready for a radical lifestyle change pray this simple prayer out loud. Lord Jesus I have receive your word,and my heart is ready for change. I have lived my life my way all this time,but now I call on your name. Lord forgive me of my sins those I know about and even the things that I never understood to be sinful. Deliver me from every iniquitous pattern in my life. I confess with my mouth that you are Lord and that through your shed blood I am redeemed, I believe in my heart Lord Jesus that you were raised from the dead to empower me to live an abundant life ,and for all you have done for me I am eternally grateful. I give you my heart and my life ,let your will be done in me I am yours forever Amen. Charles M. Smith is a worship leader, songwriter, author, and full time Minister. He is the founder of CMS Ministries and Clearzone Music Inc. for more information or to receive our free newsletter and E-courses on victorious christian living Email us at: cmsministries@aweber.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_M_Smith http://EzineArticles.com/?Breaking-The-Power-Of-The-Sin-Nature&id=420803 kamagra cheap viagra off line order form sildenafil citrate where to buy viagra in england order viagra prescription
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Successful Job Interview Tips

By Susan Fee Congratulations! You’ve finally landed that job interview you’ve been waiting for. Now the real work begins! Remember, resumes don’t get jobs; they merely get you in the door. Here’s how to make your resume come alive and make a good impression. Tell Your Story in 60 Seconds or Less. Believe it or not, one of the biggest stumbling blocks for job candidates is what to say when an interviewer opens with: tell me something about yourself. This is not the time to share where you were born, your love of cats, or how much you hate your last boss! Its your golden opportunity to make your resume come alive. Your story needs to highlight your top three selling points that are most pertinent to the job for which you are applying. Support your points with short examples (see below). You may have more selling points, and if the interviewer is interested he or she will ask. Practice telling your story out loud until its smooth and concise. Give Specific Examples. For every selling point youve listed on your resume, you need at least one strong, specific example to support it. Great at customer service? Wow them with the story of your best customer turnaround. Marketing whiz? Dazzle them with your best campaign. Brilliant computer programmer? Give an example of how you saved someone time, money, or solved a problem. Do Your Research. Theres no excuse for walking in the door unprepared. Check the company website, read magazine and newspaper stories; talk to friends or current employees. Ask the receptionist for old company newsletters, scour local business journals. The more you know, the more confidently you can match your skills to the companys needs. Think Benefits. No, Im not talking health and dental here! I mean, why should the company hire you? Whats in it for them? Most people sit down and start outlining all their needs: salary, hours, driving distance, blah, blah, blah. Fatal mistake. Companies are not in the business of handing out something for nothing. So what can you offer that nobody else can? Dont Be Afraid to Ask Questions. A person who is afraid to ask questions in an interview is one who wont ask questions on the job. That leads to costly mistakes. You need to ask just as many questions as they do. Start the moment your interview is scheduled. Who will be interviewing you? Find out names and titles. Is there anything special you should prepare? How much time should you expect? During the interview, ask questions that will help you determine if this is a good match. What would a typical day be like? What personality qualities does the company most value? DO NOT ask about money! Once youre offered the job, then its time to negotiate. Be Consistent. First impressions begin long before meeting face-to-face. Starting with your resume, proofread! A resume with typos broadcasts carelessness. Once youve sent your resume, be prepared for a call. Answer your phone professionally and be aware of your voicemail or answering machine message. What does it say about you? Be nice to the receptionist. That persons opinion can make or break you. Send a Handwritten Thank You Note. A classy move that few people make. Ask for a business card to get the correct spelling and follow up immediately. Susan Fee is a licensed counselor, communications expert, and author of Positive First Impressions: 83 Ways to Establish Confidence, Competence, and Trust. She can be reached through her Web site at http://www.susanfee.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Fee http://EzineArticles.com/?Successful-Job-Interview-Tips&id=14392 buy xanax bars xanax online overnight shipping xanax order now buy xanax without prescription in usa
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Monday, January 21, 2008

How to Write a Guerrilla Marketing Plan

By Peter Geisheker Behind every successful product or service is a well-researched marketing plan. A marketing plan guides a company how to market a product or service to a specific target market and helps a company remain focused on its marketing objectives. Developed by Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of Guerrilla Marketing, a Guerrilla Marketing Plan is a condensed version of a corporate marketing plan. It focuses primarily on the most powerful income producing strategies needed to generate sales. While a Corporate Marketing Plan may be 20+ pages long and full of detailed market research and competitive analysis, a Guerrilla Marketing Plan is short (3-5 pages) and focuses on the marketing strategies you will use to produce sales immediately. A Guerrilla Marketing Plan should include the following strategic marketing information: 1. Define your product or service. 2. What major problem does your product or service solve? 3. Determine who most needs the product/service being sold. Who is your target market? 4. Describe the #1 most important benefit a customer will receive from your product/service. 5. Why should a customer buy from your company instead of from a competitor? What benefit will a customer receive from doing business with your company? 6. Determine your companys position in the marketplace. Are you the company that focuses on extreme quality, low price, the largest inventory, the safest product, the best guarantee, etc.? What powerful slogan will you use in all of your marketing materials to convey your position? 7. What is your guarantee to your customers? 8. Determine a measurable sales goal for the next 12-months (i.e., $250k in sales). 9. Determine a marketing budget to achieve your 12-month goal. Your budget should be a minimum of 10% of your projected 12-month sales goal. 10. Determine the most powerful and cost effective marketing and PR strategies for marketing your product or service to your target market and achieving your 12-month sales goal. For more information, you can download a free ebook on how to write a marketing plan and 100+ strategies for marketing your business at http://www.marketing-consulting-company.com Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group Marketing Company. Peter specializes in developing and implementing strategic marketing programs for small businesses. For more information please visit http://www.marketing-consulting-company.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Geisheker http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Write-a-Guerrilla-Marketing-Plan&id=401935 order generic xanax online with no prescription overnight delivery buy xanax mexican pharmacies xanax purchase xanax without a prescription
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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Two Effective Niche Marketing Strategies

By Chris G Williams Effective niche marketing ideas Once you have chosen your niche and researched it you will need some ideas on what to do within that community to draw a huge stampede of traffic through your sites. One of the best methods of doing this is to find prominent members of the niche you are targeting and ask them if you can conduct an interview. Take some time to research the people you approach. Browse through some news sites related to your niche and spend sometime in forums. Try to find out what the most popular forum threads with a lot of interest from the niche community. Write down a sample list of questions which you can easily modify for different people. Next you should pick a number of people within the niche community and find out about them. You will need to find out their contact details, email address or a website where they can be contacted from. Make a short list and put together a short biography next to each of their names. Now slowly take your original interview questions and tailor them to each person. Now there are various ways in which you can conduct the interview. Most of the time it will be easiest to conduct a text based interview where you email your list of questions and ask them to take some time to answer each question and email it back. Other people may prefer a one on one approach and you can record a phone call or audio conversation from your computer. The best way to interview someone would to be to actually meet them in person and have a friend film you. This would be excellent content to distribute on you tube or any other viral video sites. Simple ideas such as this can be very effective in niche marketing. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you intend to charge people to read, listen to or watch your interview. Most of the time it’s better to brand the interview with your name and website and distribute it for free. The viral way this will spread around your niche will be highly effective at drawing traffic to your website. A simple email capture form will be all that’s needed. Ask your niche to sign up to your newsletter in return for your interview. This is an easy way to build a list and a good reputation within any niche. Another great way to draw traffic to your websites or to help you build a list of subscribers is to use forums. I’m not talking about using a signature with a link to your website in every forum post you make even though that is a very effective way and should also be used. You should make your own forum about your niche and spend some time to build a small community around this forum. The more different topics in your forum you can make for different sub niches relating to your niche, the better. If you can promote your forums amongst the community then you will be well on your way to building your customer base in the niche of your choice. You may even be able to break your niche down in to sub niches and then target your niche more effectively by releasing a series of different products related to each sub niche. There are a lot of forums out there, so you will have to be good at promoting and separating your forum from the crowd. Once you get a few regulars, word of mouth will spread amongst the communities and soon draw more people into your forum. Using the interviews to promote your forum is also a great way to put both of these traffic strategies together. You can also use this forum to build your list as you will have a captive audience who are there because they obviously respect your opinion and have taken the time to sign up. They will be prepared to at least look at your adverts or requests for them to join your list and you can also use your forum to promote your other free products, interviews and videos. Setting up a forum is easy to do. Most web hosts come with a one click install function for forums and other add-ons. In a matter of minutes you could be running your own niche forum and starting to build your own mini community. This combined with the interview method is a powerful strategy that will help you to create a successful niche marketing business in any niche you choose! Chris Williams is a Gamer with 10 years of experience in online gaming in game. He has been using niche marketing to boost his internet marketing business online. His new site teaches marketers how to effectively research a niche and learn how to profit from it. Niche Marketing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_G_Williams http://EzineArticles.com/?Two-Effective-Niche-Marketing-Strategies&id=459713 order xanax online from mexico buy xanax money order xanax online prescription xanax
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