Practical Ideas For Business Goal Setting

With any type of business goal setting you need to be careful. Setting too high goals will lead to disappointment and frustration and if you set your goals too low then you will not be motivated. There are a few tactics that are important to set goals. By using the following tactics you will create a ladder of goals that can be reached successfully.

You need to be passionate as the goals that you are passionate about will be the most powerful and generally include what you want, what you do and who you are. You need to discover your passion and then set a goal based on that passion. It is important to be realistic. If you want to make 1 million dollars in a year but only make 500, 000 don't think of that as failure. You just made 500,000 dollars, which is great!

You should be value driven and your goals should not conflict with your values or beliefs. If you think there may be some overlaps then you should list out your goals and your values. If the goal does not include at least of your values then you shouldn't waste time pursuing it. You need to be as detailed as possible as just having the goal is not enough. You also should have an achievement date and a way to measure the goal.

You should always have a plan to reach your business goals by starting with your final result and working your way backwards. You also need to be held accountable and hold yourself accountable to that goal. The best way is to have a due date for each part of your plan and report to yourself or another person. It is also important to have fun and reward yourself even when things get tough.

You also need to believe that you will reach the goal. You will never be successful if you don't believe that you can reach that goal. Almost all individuals also need support so don't be afraid to look for some support. Finally the most important step is not to give up. You may need to alter your goal a bit but you can succeed and have fun at the same time.

For more help on how to set goals just click here

Lemon Juice As a Natural Cleaning Product

One of the most popular cleaning products is lemon juice. Lemon, aside from being a very healthy citrus fruit, also makes a very good household cleanser. This is because of the acidic content found in its juice.

There is myriad of ways of how to use lemon juice as a green cleaning product. It can be used as a stand-alone - which means that it can clean areas in the home just by itself, not combined or mixed with other products. Also, lemon juice makes a very good ingredient in natural cleaning solutions that you can make at the comfort and safety of your very own home.

There are so many reasons why you should opt for lemons as a part of your household cleaning regimen. The smell of lemons has already been closely associated as the scent of cleanliness. There are so many cleaning products that are sold commercially that mimic the smell of lemons for the buyers to enjoy. However, nothing still could match the natural smell of fresh lemons.

Lemons are naturally acidic. The natural acids that they have are one of the major reasons why they are considered good green cleaning products. The acid provides antiseptic and antibacterial properties to be used for cleaning.

So how do we clean with lemons? What are the household problems that we can solve using these natural cleaning products?

Copper

You can clean pots and pans made with copper using lemon juice. Copper-bottom pans can easily be transformed into spotless clean bottoms in no time with lemon juice. Other materials that are made of copper can also greatly benefit from a thorough and proper cleaning power of lemon juice extracts. All you have to do is cut the lemons in half. Dip the half in a little table salt and you can use that half to rub on the copper fixtures or copper pots.

Countertop Stains

Stains in countertops can easily be removed by letting lemon juice sit on the countertop stains for a few minutes. The minutes can range from 15-30, depending on the size of the stain and on how stubborn it is. After waiting, you can scrub the affected area with baking soda. The cleaning combination of baking soda and lemon can easily erase these stains, leaving your countertops looking brand new and spotless clean.

Drains

Lemons also make a great household deodorizer. You can freshen the drains in your home through lemons. Lemon rinds can be placed in the garbage disposal area in order to make that area smelling fresh and clean all day, every day. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice into hot water and use this solution to pour down the drain. These technique can help clean and leave your drain smelling fresh.

Bleaching

Lemon juice, with its acidic property, also acts as a powerful natural bleaching agent. You can place lemon juice in your white cloths, clothes and other fabrics and let them dry out in the sun. This technique is effective in removing stubborn stains away from your clothing and also has a very efficient and powerful bleaching effect.

Vinegar Smell Neutralization

Vinegar is another known natural cleaning product. But some people don't like using vinegar because of its awful smell. This is when lemon juice comes in. You can add a few drops of lemon juice into your vinegar solution to neutralize the strong smell of vinegar. Lemon juice will not just take away the vinegar odor, it can also add a nice citrus smell that you will surely love.

Lemon juice is a good green cleaning product. Discover other natural cleaning products that you can use right from your kitchen cupboards.

Meeting The Monkey On Your Own Back

I have a friend. His name is Ubastard. I named him that because that's what he calls me when I let him. He lives in my head and is the monkey on my own back. I suspect I have befriended him by now and give him a comfy place to live in there, but I wish he would go away.

Ubastard has an amazing ability to bridge the gap between my mind and my emotions. Once he starts his dialogue with me, I can literally feel him connect the two. Since emotions are the body's reaction to the spinning of the mind, the little booger seems to have the amazing ability to start the processes of anxiety or a bit of depression at will. Ubastard!

I believe UB has live there since I was a kid but spent most of my own childhood just growing up himself. I don't remember all that many discussions with him when I was kid. I didn't even know his name was Ubastard until I went to Bible College. It wasn't really a seminary. The way the Bible was studied was to simply read it and weave it together in one complete incoherent whole. There was no study of the who, what, where, when, why and how's of scripture. I have had to do ALL that during my time as a Pastor and since. Let's face it, when you go to a denominational school, you get the denominational spin. I would have done better at Harvard Divinity School where one no doubt can freely admit to other perspectives on the topic. As a life long liberal Dutchman, I am sure I could have been persuaded to let go of guilt, shame and fear aspects of religion and enjoy the philosophical study of theology. But oh no, I had to affiliate with the literalists who feed Ubastard and inserted him in my mind when I was either deep in prayer or sleeping.

Anyway, at Bible College, one gets molded, shaped and eventually cloned into the very image of God, even though you don't. I remember sitting in first year Bible class which was a survey of the harmonious Gospels which later I came to see aren't. We heard a lot about the life and times of Jesus and his merry men, but a lot about sex as well. Ubastoring young people on the topic of sex in Bible College is a must. While I was wondering how the 12 could go so long without intimacy or sex, I was being assured that they had become Eunuch's for the Kingdom of God's sake. Ewwww. I did read where Peter had a mother-in-law, and thus a wife, but then she faded quickly out of the picture. For either one year, or three or ten, depending, these guys must have been serial killers at heart walking around in the desert and saying "behold" all the time. Guys who don't experience intimacy and sex do this I believe...and are very angry inside. I get curious when a pastor dwells on the evils of sex. But I spare you.

The should not's and must nots were endless. We were entertained with the professor prancing around the stage action "queer" as that was the in word then and we all were supposed to laugh and be men about it all. We tried to talk in deep masculine voices and not wear pink so as not to be confused with the enemy. Once, he counted slowly to four to illustrate to the women in the class just how quickly a man could aroused over their not dressing discretely. My buddies and I estimated he was more than two seconds off on the slow side and that what a girl wore had little to do with it. Add to all this weekly in class meme programming, weekends of Bible Study and Sermons, and Ubastard has acquired an endless supply of criticism to throw at me when I left him out of the picture.

Of course, we had to become perfect in all things. We had to think like Jesus thought and Act like God in all things. I once called someone a fool just as Jesus did from time to time, but got reamed out for being in danger of hell fire as Jesus taught would be the fate of those that called people fools. I'm confused!

I could have come up with the "What would Jesus do" thing years ago, but I was too busy feeling inadequate, fearful, guilty and shameful as was expected to think I could do what Jesus would do. Years later I came to wonder just what exactly Jesus was doing with Mary Magdalene who it seems ended up on the right hand of him in DaVinci's Last Supper. I can see where the part in the Gospel of Thomas with Peter chiding Jesus for kissing her too often on the lips, didn't make the NT cut of acceptable books. I believe he also asked Jesus why Jesus loved Mary more than the guys, but Jesus is said to have replied, "Why does she love me more than you do?" Whoa...nice comeback!

I remember the couple that found themselves the first semester and got kicked out by the second. They married and I spent the next three years wondering how their sex lives were going. All the rest of us were in limbo over this and Ubastard was in full swing by now. "ONE, TWO...doh" I tried all I could to get to FOUR, but I was evidently a particularly perverted Dutchman. I found out later that the only ones allowed to break the rules of God, as layed down by the professor, were the kids of the Evangelists, faculty kids and those that grew up in the denomination and were only allowed to go to this particular school being programmed from their youth to do so. Actually they didn't have a Ubastard from all I can tell. There is no freedom like the freedom church kids have when they grew up soaking in something they had no intention of doing.

At any rate, Ubastard still lives and chatters too much in my mind. Some believe this is good as his purpose it to direct me to the straight, narrow, righteous and true. Some say God put Ubastard there as my monkey on my own back guide. But personally Ubastard, the Monkey on My Own Back is a creation of my mind to keep me less than authentic, under the control of the powers that be and kept in line with guilt, shame and fear, which a the trinity of worthless emotions if ever there was one.
Guilt, shame and fear are all imposed upon one in some way as a way to keep one weak, compliant and pliable, to the will of others...to the tribe or church if you will. They all assume there is just one way to be as a human being and any stepping outside of the the organizational box produces these emotions to get you back in. Maybe back in is not where one really needs to go.

There are several ways to defeat Ubastard. One is to breathe through when his fear, shame and quilt shatter provokes anxiety which is projected fear into the future or the fear of future consequences for not getting back into Ubastards camp. Just breathe...slowly, from the tummy and breathe. I don't know why he does not like that, but he doesn't seem to thrive in deep slow breathing. Ubastard is more of an upper chest breather and does it quickly. Maybe opposites defang him. Maybe his way of making my body breathe sends my brain the chemicals he loves to bathe in, which of course is fear, quilt and shame. Slow breathing might send the message to my mind that all is well and that it can keep the fear, quilt and shame juice but feel free to send the love, joy and acceptance juice on down! I think that's how it works. That's one of the few times Ubastard calls me Ubastard, and leaves me alone for a time.

Of course meds can be helpful. Whoever created Ativan must work directly on the right hand of God. On occasions breathing won't cut it and Ubastard has the upper hand. So as not to have a completely worthless and anxiety ridden morning, I take it. I don't like to, but I do and it's my decision. I know when Ubastard is on the offensive, I need some keymasters to help out. It runs right to the favorite cell receptors for Ubastard's mix but blocks them so his keys are worthless and he can't get into my breathing, tummy or thought spinning cells. Ha! Locked out! Take that Ubastard! I'd like to think, in time and with skills of thought that this amazing biosuit I wear to transport my spirit and experience my world in a limited five sensed way, could take over and simply remove Ubastards keys once and for all.

There are hundreds of sites with wonderful information on defeating Ubastard the Monkey on your own back. I think I tolerate him because I am supposed to keep him around for my good, but he doensn't feel good and in both the short and long haul, doesn't serve me much good.

I have watched thousands apply the rules of Bible School to themselves all my life. Some do nicely but admit to a certain duplicity behind the scenes. Some claim no duplicity, but seem sad and unfulfilled. Some seem happy and and bouncy and I consider these the most dangerous of all. I always want to know what's really going on with them. Me thinks you gush too much in Jesus. I am often proved right down the road. Many are stuck in relationships that feel more like brother-sister stuff. Nothing much to look forward to. Nothing much left to say. And no creative intimacy or talk about how one really feels down deep inside. Certainly they are not going to explore anything the church would disapprove of, even if the minister was doing that himself.

Ubastard seems to govern just how much one allows themselves to speak about as well. Let's face it, it is no fun sharing when, in fact, one is supplying the one spoken to the bullets with which to shoot back at you. As a result, there are many quietly desperate human beings who neither speak their heart nor share their thoughts out of anxious fear , guilt for doing so or shame over what they feel they need in life, before it goes away. Human stuff really and Ubastard, the Monkey on One's Own Back, seems bent on keeping the human in line with a thousand soul sucking organizations, churches and denominations , that feed him endless shoulds, musts, should nots and must nots, but never free to find no need for them and seek an authentic self.

This is why "Born Right the First Time" is quite a dose of poison for Ubastard and I am pretty sure he simply can't handle the thought. It would take away his power of control and his litany of reasons one has qualified today as Ubastard. All I know is that it does not help and does not serve me personally in any meaningful way to strive for a perfection the book says we must and yet not know one single person on the planet to point to as having done well in that. Perfect people are scary people and duplistic beyond measure behind the scenes. Perfect people, with the perfect understanding of the perfect on set of perfect truths are perfectly scary and often make a big splat when they fall and join the human race. Ted Haggard, former head of the National Association of Evangelicals comes to mind as an example of struggling with Ubastard all one's life and never just being authentic. Of course being authentic often means you lose your job and high position in the minds of others who know Ubastard only too well themselves. Sometimes a church congregation is content to let a pastor be the sacrificial life of goodness and light, while they can tell Ubastard to go to hell anytime they wish. As long as the pastor type proves it can be done as expected, all is well. Let the pastor prove himself way too often in open conflict with Ubastard, and out you go. Scares the people that they might get caught next.

One hint to me is that all Ubastard seems to say to me is that you really aren't good enough as is. You need to be more like someone else, who I am not sure is who I really ought to be like or even need to go to the trouble of being like. I haven't found another human on the planet , save maybe the Dali Lama, who appeals to me as the kind of person I'd rather be. And I am also not so naive to think that wanting anyone else's dirty laundry is a good swap.

So here we are. A little piece of consciousness contained in our limited five sensed carbon based wetsuit for a short time of experiencing this world as best we can. It's all a wonder and I believe benevolent more than malevolent, though some people let Ubastard take over and loose themselves completely in becoming the sharped fanged nasty Monkey personified. No longer is UBastard the monkey on the back of a person...he is the person. The monkey ate the man.

I'm not advocating exterminating Ubastard completely. But I think there need to be some rules of engagement.

1. Ubastard shall not endlessly repeat one topic over and over. He will understand that I am usually way ahead of him and don't need to keep hearing it over and over.

2. Ubastard will not use fear of eternal punishment when a human life is less than a hair width's experience in the arena of billions of years of galactic, star and planetary evolution.

3. Ubastard will acknowledge that "born right the first time" has merit and never being good enough is a tool of control and results the unhelpful experiences of anxiety and depression in which nothing good gets done.

4. Ubastard is not allowed to only quote ancient texts of Taliban perspectives in his onslaught but is now assigned to read and understand Conversations with God by Neil Donald Walsch, The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. No bananas if he refuses to read and apply these books.

5. Ubastard is not allowed to disturb sleep time.

6. Ubastard is not allowed to quote only from the King James, New International, and the Bible for Modern Dudes in promoting guilt fear and shame.

7. If Mebastard finds Ubastard not to have done and understood the above mentioned assignments, let him be banished to the forest of guilt, shame and fear where he seems to thrive better anyhow and there are millions backs he can easily jump on....just not mine anymore.

How to Install Natural Stone Veneer

Natural stone veneer can be applied to retaining walls, indoor or outdoor fireplaces, wall facades, and pillars. Thin stone veneers are made from real stone so they resist warping, cracking, fading, and chipping. Additionally, if they do become chipped or cracked nobody will notice since, unlike fabricated fake stone veneers, the color and texture of the stone goes all the way through the stone. Stone veneer is also faster and easier to apply since it is lighter and easier to handle.

Natural thin stone veneers come in a wide variety of styles and colors to choose from. They are quarried in Arizona, Lannon, Fond Du Lac, Chilton, and Michigan. Thin stone veneer is the ideal stone application since it is superior in terms of being very durable and flexible in matching nearly every style, color, and design. Stone veneers are thinner and lighter than manufactured fake stone veneer and fiberglass stones.

The Basics

Stone veneer installation on any surface needs the same basic methods of application. First there needs to be a moisture barrier, a frame or structure for the mortar to grip, mortar, and then the stone of your choice. The moisture barrier and backbone frame are necessary components to ensure that your thin stone veneer will last a lifetime.

When installing stone Veneer to plywood, paneling, wall sheeting, wall board, or other non stone surface:

1. Cover the wall with a moisture barrier that is weather resistant and protects the underlying wood and the back of the stone veneer from moisture damage.

2. Apply a metal lath, mesh, or sheeting with galvanized nails or staples according to your local building code. This supplies rigid support for the mortar to stick to which provides a firm backbone for your stones to grip.

3. Apply your mortar, and on top of that apply your choice of stone veneer with mortar in between the "joints."

4. After your mortar has hardened, simply use a stiff brush and some water to scrape away any mortar that has found its way onto the face of your stones.

Concrete Masonry Stucco

1. As long as the masonry contains no oils, surfactants, or other chemicals on its surface and is clean and dry then you can feel free to apply the stone veneers without any prep. Just make sure that the backside of the masonry will not be exposed to a water source such has those used for retaining walls, ponds, or garden beds.

2. If it does contain chemicals or oils simply etch the surface with muriatic acid and score with a stiff wire brush.

3. Apply your mortar and your stone as usual.

4. If your surface has been treated with paint or other chemicals, simply sand blast this surface away or follow directions above and apply a barrier material, metal lath, mesh, or sheeting and install stone as you would for a plywood wall.

Metal Buildings

1. Install paperbacked 3/8 inch expanded metal lath to metal cladding supports. Use metal cladding supports of at least 12 to 20 gage and using 1 inches -12 pancake head super tight screws. Make sure that the screws penetrate at least 3.8 inch beyond the inside of the metal surface and at least every 12 inches.

2. Apply a 1/2 inch to a 3/4 scratch coat of mortar and allow it to dry at least 48 hours.

3. Apply the mortar and install the stones.

4. After the mortar had been allowed to dry at least 24 hours simply clean any mortar stains form the face of the stones with a stiff brush and water.

Natural Thin Stone veneers

Natural stone veneers are durable and long lasting. In the long run, real stone is more economical since it requires nearly zero maintenance, should never need to be replaced under normal conditions, and resists cracking, fading, chipping, erosion, and weather conditions.

Thin stone is available in a wide variety of colors and styles because it is made from natural stone. Therefore you can choose from more colors and cuts than fabricated stone.

Halquist Stone, Wisconsin's premier supplier of thin stone veneer, offers thin stone veneer that is cut from quarries in Arizona, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Looking for a supplier of Natural Stone Veneer? View the many different styles of Stone Veneer and granite countertops in Wisconsin that Halquist Stone has to offer. For more information, call (262) 246-9000 or visit HalquistStone.com to request a free brochure

The Blessed Man Versus the Ungodly Man

Living in relative freedom has brought about an attitude of carelessness in the Christian community that has allowed wickedness to easily integrate itself into the congregation of believers. Christians in general are not careful to avoid evil. It is taken as 'just a part of everyday life', and treated as though it were of no consequence. This is the first step on the path to becoming part of an ungodly society.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:11, 'have no fellowship with the works of darkness, but rather reprove them'.

I Kings 11:2 warns us, 'Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods;'.

The teaching of the Lord our God is very clear that we are to not mingle with non-believers. You can classify anyone who does not follow the teachings of the Bible as 'non-believers'. My dear friend, Evangelist Evan New, (who is now with the Lord) likened determining right from wrong like picking a clean shirt from among the dirty shirts. He said, 'Smell the shirts. Some are obviously dirty; some are obviously clean. But, some are a little more difficult to decide. They don't smell clean, but they really don't' smell dirty. If it is doubtful that the shirt is clean, it is dirty. End of story.' (As long as I knew Evan, Judy provided him with very clean shirts, so I suppose he came up with that analogy when he was in college.)

The truth is that in today's world of 'everything is gray', and 'nothing is black and white', it is becoming increasingly difficult to clearly see what is right and what is wrong. Yet, rightly dividing the word of truth, and living your life accordingly, has never been more important than it is today. Your future depends on it, as well as the future of your family, your church, and your country.

Psalm 1 gives us a contrast between the way of the blessed man and the ungodly. It says;

(1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
(2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
(3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
(4) The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
(5) Therefore the ungldly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
(6) For the LORD knoweth of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Today is a good day to choose if you are willing to walk the path of the believer who is blessed to the Lord, of if you will walk the path of the ungodly.

The first step onto the path of the godly is through salvation by grace. You must believe on Jesus Christ to be saved. (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved. Acts 16:31)

The next step is to decide if you will live a life that ends like Lot's or like the blessed man in Psalm chapter 1.

Verse one tells us that the blessed man separates himself from evil. He is like the man in Psalm 119:115 who says, 'Depart from me, ye evil doers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.'

The entire congregation of believers should separate themselves from evil according to the example of Nehemiah 9:2 which says, 'And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.' But, for an entire Christian congregation to separate themselves, the individual believer must first be willing to separate his or her self from evil.

The man who is blessed delights in the law of the Lord. Jeremiah 15:6 says, 'Thy words were found, and I did eat them: and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoicing of mine heart:'.

Every true believer wants to blessed of the Lord. The problem preventing blessings comes by at least two avenues.

First, the believer may have some serious problems in his own life. He may not want to be 'blessed of the Lord' enough to surrender sins in his own life. He may find it easier (at least for the moment) to fight his own battles than to surrender to the Lord.

The second avenue is more subtle. It is given to us in detail in verse one. The blessed man:

DOES NOT - walk in the counsel of the ungodly, The blessed man doesn't even walk near the counsel of the ungodly.

DOES NOT - walk in the way of sinners, The blessed man doesn't stand still long enough to listen to what the ungodly have to say. He doesn't go down the road them 'just a little way' in order to be sociable. He cannot be beguiled with their fancy words if he refuses to listen to them in the first place. (Think Eve here.)

DOES NOT - sit in the seat of the scornful. The blessed man does not join in with the ungodly for any reason.

ON the other hand, the ungodly:

DOES -listen to the counsel of the ungodly. He is willing to listen to whatever is 'new' or 'exciting'. Honestly, there is nothing new in the realm of religion, or anywhere else for that matter. Everyone faces the same lie today that Eve faced in the garden. You will either listen to the liars who say things like, 'you can be a god,' or this path other than the Jesus Christ leads to heaven', or you will just keep on walking like the blessed man.

DOES - quit walking and stop to listen to what the ungodly have to say. This man walks with the world a ways down the road. He sees the success of the worldly. He notices that he might apply their methods of success to his own life, to his church, to his business, to his family.

DOES - sit down and join the ungodly. Pretty soon, the ungodly have joined in with the world. If they were Christians to begin with, you can not tell them from those who belong to the god of this world. An example is of course Lot. He looked at the prosperity of Sodom. He walked down and considered their way of life and 'principles' of prosperity. He joined them. He became just like them.

This is how weak and ineffective preachers of the gospel come about.

They pay attention to what the world says about how to build a successful business and manage that business profitably.

They apply worldly tactics to the church.

They join in with the world, putting money and numbers above the grace and humility of Christ. They measure success by the measuring stick of the world which tells them they are successful if they bring in enough money.

This could not happen unless the leaders and members of the church were ALSO walking with the ungodly, standing still to listen to their 'siren song', and some have even joined the ungodly.

The blessed man: (v2)
Enjoys studying and learning the word of God.
He considers God's law day and night in every thing he does.

Then, the blessed man is blessed even more.
His roots have grown deep into the world of God. He knows right behavior from wrong behavior. He is prosperous and fruitful.

On the other hand - The ungodly do not receive these blessing, but instead are failures;

They are like wheat chaff blown away in the wind. This is a terrible way to live. They have no foundation on which they are able to stand. Political, social, and religious ideologies and changes keep them anxious about everything. They do that which is right in their own eyes.

They do not stand in the judgment, or in the congregation of the righteous. They have not submitted to God, but instead of established their own righteousness.

The LORD knows their ways, and they shall perish. Their end is destruction. If the ungodly are such as Abraham's nephew Lot, they are saved, but without any good works.

The ungodly face judgment day with fear.

The saved who have lived an ungodly life are spoken of in I Corinthians chapter 3. Verse 13 says, 'Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (v14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (v15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.'

Those whom God never knew are those spoken of in Matthew Chapter 25. Verse 46 says, 'And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. Matthew 7:23, also speaking of the judgment, says, 'And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from, ye that work iniquity.'

What an unspeakably horrible way for a soul to end up. It becomes even worse when you know such an end could have been avoided.

If you think that your life is your business, think again. What you do does matter. How you live your life does count. Again, consider Lot. Just suppose that Lot had gone down to Sodom with a heart set on the Lord like Abraham's heart. Lot would not have conformed to the behavior in Sodom. He might have been able to change the mind set of some of the people of the city. Perhaps Lot's influence could have influenced at least ten people in Sodom to turn from their wickedness and turn to the Lord God Almighty. Lot would have been instrumental in saving the city.

So, is this a good time to consider how your life is going at the moment? You are saved or lost. If you are lost - then it is time to get saved. If you are saved, you are either living a life is clearly following the pattern of the blessed man spoken of in Psalm 1:1; or, you are not. If you aren't sure, here is a good way to decide.

Isaiah 58:1 says, 'Cry aloud, spare not, lift up they voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.'

The way you live your life is supposed to be so different from the life of the world that you stand out like a clear blast on a loud trumpet.

Unfortunately, many Christians are living such a half-hearted Christian life that the 'trumpet sound' of their lives tells the world nothing. I Corinthians 14:8 says, 'For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"

That is what happened to Lot. He spent his life joined to the people and ways of Sodom. Many Christians today are doing the same thing on different scales. Some live just as worldly as Lot lived. Others are much less openly sold out to the world, but never the less, the sound of the trumpet 'heralding their Christianity' is so off key it only causes the people around them to hiss or ridicule Christianity. It does not prepare them to understand that must decide for Christ, or they have decided against Him.

If you put a bunch of Christians living the life of the ungodly together, and they all blew a trumpet with the skill equal to the way they live their Christian life, you would get the whole bunch of trumpets blowing loudly, but without a single pure note in the bunch. Can you imagine what an awful sound that would be?

Is it any wonder that Christians are not transforming the world when our own lives have not been first transformed? Christians should live their lives in a way that stands out like a loud and true trumpet. A figurative question for many Christians is, 'Is it time for you to learn to play the trumpet?'

The Judge of your heart is God. It is not me, or any other human being. But when I look in my own heart, or the lives of many so called Christians, I see two things wrong.

First, Christianity as a whole is lacking in humility and meekness. Moses was a mighty man of God. At some point Moses became humble enough to understand that he could not do anything through his own power. Then he became meek enough to understand that God could do all things through him. Moses still accomplished great things, but he knew by whose power his deeds were really accomplished. By the way, have you noticed that all the great men of the Bible made it clear that it was God who was doing great things through them?

Second, the saving message of the Gospel of Christ is not presented with humility and grace. Our hearts are supposed to be broken over the lost. We are supposed to love them as Christ loved them. The Gospel message should not be presented in a manner that says, 'Well, you can just get saved, or you can go to hell.'

The blessed man should never forget Romans 5:8 which says, 'But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'

The song for this article is 'Just a Closer Walk With Thee'.

A closer walk with Jesus is what is necessary to transform the ungodly man into the blessed man. If you doubt it can be, remember the transformation of Saul, persecutor of Christians, to Paul, the greatest mortal to the Gentiles. The first step that Paul took was to be saved. Then Paul followed the teachings of Christ. His eternal destination was settled when he became a believer in Jesus Christ. His earthly destination was set as a 'blessed man' when he chose to become both a hearer and a doer of the word.

What kind of man or woman are you? Are you blessed or ungodly? Today is a good day to chart a new or clearer course as one who is determined be like the blessed man of the first chapter of the book of Psalms.

Thank you for reading my article. God bless you.

Barbara Henderson
http://barbarahenderson.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

'Just a Closer Walk With Thee'

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/u/justaclo.htm
________________________________________
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Refrain
When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Refrain

Real Savings With Artificial Stone - Decorating

Home builders today are challenged as never before to deliver quality homes at affordable prices. The current economic climate -- reduced access to credit, lower prices, and nervous investors -- means builders must compete in a tough buyer's market. It's essential to reduce costs wherever possible.

Yet, home buyers still demand top quality and enduring beauty.

Increasingly, builders are solving this dilemma by taking advantage of modern materials like artificial stone veneer, sometimes referred to as a stone facing, manufactured stone, or faux stone. This remarkable material makes possible fresh and innovative designs, greater flexibility, and reduced costs, all adding up to the ever-important curb appeal that attracts qualified buyers.

Out With The Old

Traditional brick is a proven building material and has been used for centuries. But it is also expensive, both in its initial cost and in the added costs of shipping, masonry labor, and reinforced foundations required to support its extra weight.

To counter these drawbacks, builders have lately turned to vinyl siding, drawn by its cheaper cost, lighter weight, and easier installation. But these advantages are not enough to overcome a major drawback: the tendency to use the siding in unimaginative, even boring designs.

The popularity of brick and the convenience of vinyl siding has inhibited creativity and led to a rash of new subdivisions filled with repetitive designs that look as if they all came off the same assembly line. Limiting themselves to these conventional materials means many builders miss opportunities to attract new and design-conscious buyers.

In With The New

Countering this trend, savvy builders have discovered the range of possibilities provided by artificial stone veneer. Modeled after natural stone and virtually indistinguishable from the original, artificial stone veneer is manufactured from a formulation of Portland cement, natural aggregates, and carefully selected pigments. Durable, light weight, and easy to work with, the material can substitute for wall stone in both interior and exterior projects ranging from chimneys and fireplaces, to fences, pillars, stone walls, and stone facings.

There is also the option to add stone veneer to popular traditional materials like wood siding, stucco, and board-and-batten, giving your home a custom-built look at affordable prices. Now, in combination with stone veneer accents, these techniques make possible unique designs that are more attractive then vinyl siding and less expensive than traditional brick.

Solid Savings

Using artificial stone veneer instead of traditional brick leads to remarkable savings. Besides the lower cost of the product itself, artificial stone veneer's light weight means a substantial reduction in the cost of shipping, labor, and foundations and footings. For example, builders can easily achieve a savings of between $1,700 and $4,000 (Canadian) on an average-sized detached home.

When selecting a vendor for artificial stone veneer, it's important to look for a company with both a superior product and a solid reputation. For Canadian builders, Stone Selex satisfies both requirements.

In addition to its existing product line from Artistic Stone, Stone Selex is now an authorized distributor for Canyon Stone, giving customers -- builders and renovators alike -- even more options for creating stunning stone designs to attract buyers and increase the value of a home. For your security, they offer a 50-year warranty on every stone they sell, keeping you covered for generations to come.

Contact Stone Selex to find out more about how you can achieve real savings with artificial stone.

Jerry Lebiedzinski is the President of Stone Selex, a premier supplier of artificial stone wall and manufactured stone in Canada. Visit Stone Selex at http://www.stoneselex.com for the best options in manufactured stone veneer

Shopping Online For Your Bathroom Vanity

Shopping online for bathroom vanities and vanity cabinets can be a smart way to remodel your bathroom. Not only will you be able to find more choices than you might in a regular supply store, but you will also be able to compare prices to see if you're getting the best deal possible. However, with these benefits come responsibility on your part to know what you're choosing and whether it's the right fit for you. Here's a primer that will help you find the best cabinet or vanity for your needs - at a great price.

Know your size

The first thing you will want to do is measure the distance from the wall to where you want the front of your vanity to be. Most bathroom vanities can be found in widths of under thirty inches to up to six feet. While you might want bathroom vanities to be larger in order to store more things, this can also cause your bathroom to appear cramped and much smaller than it really is. To help you with your measurement, you may want to find a cardboard box that can simulate the various sizes of bathroom cabinets online in order to get a clear mental picture of what your bathroom might look like once it's installed.

Know the wood color and texture

Just as there are hundreds of bathroom vanities, there are dozens of colors that you can choose from in terms of vanities. Some of the more traditional colors include wood veneers like cherry, maple, oak, and walnut. You can also find natural woods that are merely covered with a shiny sealant. Or you may opt for a glass cabinet or shelving system. You might also want to choose a particular color that falls in line with a theme that you have picked out. No matter what color you choose, you will want to ask for a clear picture of the cabinet first before you actually purchase it. A computer screen can sometimes distort the color that you see on the website.

Know the type of cabinet you want

While it seems fairly obvious what vanity cabinets are, bathroom vanities can range in size, shape, and purpose so you will want to know what's out there before you start shopping. Some of the common types of cabinets include:

" Shelving - This can be open, recessed, surface mounted or be placed in a corner. Choosing shelving means that any items that are stored here will be in plain view of anyone in the bathroom.
" Cabinets - Just like the name, these bathroom cabinets will be fully enclosed with doors of wood, glass or another material.
" Countertops - What type of countertop do you want
" Sink - The vanity that you choose may be determined partly by the type of sink that you want. If you want a vessel sink, you must find a vanity that accommodates that type of sink. If you want an undermount sink, then you should narrow your search to those vanities that have that type of sink.

When you're online

Knowing what the descriptions mean when you're shopping online for websites will allow you to pick the best fit for your needs as well as receive the cabinets that you really wanted. Most online retailers of bathroom vanities and vanity cabinets will have a customer service phone number that you should utilize if you have any questions.

For a site that's as helpful as they are stocked with the cabinets you need and want, go to http://www.discountbathroomvanities.com

Dave Robert is a district sales manager at Discount Bathroom Vanities Publishing, and an avid fixer-upper who's been restoring old houses for more than twenty years. Readers can tap into Dave's knowledge about home remodeling, and kitchen and bathroom design, at: http://www.DiscountBathroomVanities.com