TN9 Info

http://christians.what.cc

We grew up in various denominations or in atheistic surroundings
but we have all come to realise, that different paths do not
lead to one and the same destination. There are so many ways out
there to choose from, so many people offering answers;
Protestants, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Adventists,
Methodists, Pentecostals, Buddhists, Moslems, atheists, … The
question is:

What is the right way, what is truth?

The answer you often hear is “Everybody has his own truth”, or
“No one can really know it”. In our opinion, such statements
contradict the fact that there is a reality. Either the earth is
round or it is flat. It cannot be both. The one reality remains
absolute and unchanged regardless of the way you look at it. It
is the same with religious questions. When it comes down to it,
it is not possible for two opposing and contradictory
alternatives to exist simultaneously, one for you and one for
me. If the reality is that there is a resurrection after death
then there cannot be reincarnation. You cannot have both eternal
life after death and annihilation of the soul. If matter was
created by God it cannot have existed from eternity. Or let us
consider some other questions to which contradictory answers
cannot both be right: Is Jesus God, or is he not? Does God
predestine people to condemnation, or does he not? Can a man
fall away from God, or can he not? Is man sinful by nature, or
is he not? Does hell exist, or does it not?

Do not such questions and others like them inspire everybody who
wants to get to know God’s nature to have a standpoint? Can we
remain indifferent to these questions if we are interested in
finding out how to live according to God’s will?

To find answers to these questions we think that we need neither
a new revelation nor a new special method of interpreting the
Bible. Nor do we think that we are the source of the truth - we
are far from being arrogant or from being perfect - but we
believe that truth is accessible, because Jesus revealed it to
the mankind.

The majority of people hold the opinion that there is no
absolute truth. In our society, the view that the truth is
relative is the predominating ideology. Many people have become
accustomed to this stream of thought and think that one’s idea
of truth is relative and has no validity for others, “What seems
good to me is what is right!” However, if everything has the
same validity, then in the end nothing matters; the standard
according to which good and bad, right and wrong are measured,
is completely missing. Everyone can find something to suit his
own personal taste and needs. People paint their own picture of
heaven, choosing the colours from a palette of their own desires
and wishes, creating their own religion, which seems to fit well
enough for the time being… In fact, religion is widely treated
as yet another branch of the arts, like the world of fashion in
which people shape trends and trends, in turn shape people.

However, God’s way is different:

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you
continue in My word, {then} you are truly disciples of Mine; and
you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
(John 8:31-32)

In God’s eyes, all people who do not seek the truth are
captives. He wants to set us free from selfish desires and
sexual sins, from vanity and envy, from the feeling of
inferiority and pride, from arrogance and the urge to win the
favour of other people. He wants to set us free from misleading
teachings, which lead people to concentrate on themselves even
more in the effort to save themselves. But he also wants to set
us free from wrong ideas which people call Christianity, where
people devote vast amounts of time and energy in striving for
social justice but neglect the spiritual fight against sin. He
wants to free us from teachings, which provide an assurance of
God’s forgiveness but forget that discipleship means to follow
Jesus. He wants to liberate us from doctrines, which promise
God’s grace, but renounce obedience as legalistic. For this
reason, we seek the truth, searching for God’s will in both our
lives and teaching.

This search for God’s will led us to the question:

How does God want me to use my life? What should Christian
community look like?

In the case of the first Christians in Jerusalem, it looked like
this:

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer… Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals
together with gladness and sincerity of heart,… (Acts 2:42 and
46)

For Christians in that time it was natural to meet and to deal
with the teaching every day. It was a testimony of their great
interest in, and love for God and their brothers and sisters. We
too have this great wish to share our lives with our sisters and
brothers in faith, to read the Bible together, and to take part
in the joys and sorrows and spiritual fights with each other. We
are very thankful that we can live in a time in which good
transport and convenient working hours make daily community
possible. Daily community is for us an expression of love and a
result of the wish to live out what we believe, to devote our
time to God and our brothers and sisters in faith. We use our
time for what is important for us.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a
liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has
seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:21 And this
commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should
love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21)

This intensive fellowship helps us much to be able to strengthen
one another in our struggles and practice the principle
expressed in the Bible:

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is
{still} called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by
the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13)

We do not want to build superficial relationships or put on a
good front for one another and by doing so avoid revealing the
reality about ourselves. Instead, we confess our sins and
weaknesses to one another in order to help one another in the
fight for holiness according to Jesus’ example.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even
as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John
13:34)

This is the kind of love we want to live - not just on Sundays
or at celebrations but every day alike; not only with particular
friends but with anyone who wants to live in the truth.

See our homepage: http://christians.what.cc

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Everyone from time to time gets a craving for a certain type of
food. Sometimes we just crave something to eat. No real reason,
other than to eat. Sometimes this can be because you are bored,
or because you seem something suggestive about food. How many
times have you seen a television commercial advertising burgers
and it made you want one? This is healthy. We all do it. Hell,
I’d say that we probably do this several times per week. Did you
know, that you can be addicted to food? I know that sounds a
little weird, but it is true. How can you tell if you are a food
addict? Sometimes it might not be as easy as you think. There
are many things that might come in your way of knowing if you
are a food addict. You might be depressed or in an emotional
downward spiral that will tarnish your ability to see what is
going on. Over a period of time, you will be able to tell if you
have an eating problem. If nothing else, you will see it in your
waist line. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. What
foods are addictive? Well, that is a hard answer. There is no
hard answer on what is addictive. It is like saying what is more
addictive, beer or whiskey. Though there are a few foods that
are extremely addictive. Caffeine. We all know that this is
addictive. I’m sure if you are a coffee drinker, you know how
you get the shakes in the morning if you don’t have your coffee.
Is coffee addiction bad for you? It depends on how much that you
drink. If you are drinking a few cups a day, I don’t think that
it is harmful. If on the other hand you are drinking several
pots per day, you have a problem. Even though it is addictive,
you can control the amount that you consume. Unless you have a
very addictive personality. If this is the case, I would suggest
that you avoid coffee and other caffeine containing products all
together. Sugar. This is addictive. We try not to think of it as
being so, but it is. It is addictive because of the jolt of
energy that it gives us. If you haven’t had your daily truck
load of sugar and you feel tired, worn out, cranky, you are
going through withdraw. Did you know that heroin addicts that
are going through withdraw consume large amounts of sugar? It is
said that sugar helps ward off the cravings of heroin. Sugar is
one of those things that is hard to avoid. The best thing that
you can do is avoid candy and other sweets. You will digest some
sugar, but if you avoid those things, you will cut out a big
portion of your sugar consumption. You should also avoid sodas.
They are loaded with sugar. Carbs. This is one thing that people
will get frustrated at me over. I do think that carbs are
addictive. For the same reasons that sugar is addictive. The
best thing that you can do is avoid eating too much bread and
pasta. That is the best way to avoid getting addicted to carbs.
I’m not saying that if you are addicted to carbs you will be
like a junky. What I am saying is, that you will become
dependant on them. I think that many people are addicted to
carbs and don’t know it. It isn’t something that we think about
when it comes to addictions. What should you do if you are a
food addict? If you can control it, you should do your best to
do so. If you are the type that has a strong will, it shouldn’t
be too hard. The problem is, most of us don’t have a strong will
when it comes to addictions. We are a race of addicted
creatures. I’m beginning to think that most of us are addicted
to something. No matter if it is coffee, cigarettes, booze and
so forth. If you don’t feel that you can control it, you need to
go to your doctor. You need to tell him what is going on. Don’t
be ashamed to talk to him about it. You should be more ashamed
of yourself if you do nothing about it. After you talk to him
you should look into finding a support group for people who have
food addictions. Your doctor will probably point you to a
therapist. The therapist will know of a support group you can
attend. If you aren’t to point that you can talk openly about
such a thing in person, you can find support groups online. They
are free to use, meaning they don’t charge any money. You will
begin to find out what treatment and other things are available.
These are people who fight what you are going through every day.
Don’t be ashamed or afraid. Most of the changes in life are
things that are hard to do. This is no different.

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www.natural-stamina.com/LoseThatWeightFast.html

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Unlike other cities, Downtown Los Angeles isn’t the center point of the city but is a cosmopolitan area with many ethnicities that form a whole mini city on their own. Traditionally this is the business center of the city and hotels in this area were usually occupied by business travelers.

All this is changing today thanks to a major clean-up initiative taken in the last 90s. Today the Downtown LA area is the cultural center of the city and also had many nice restaurants, making it a popular destination for leisure travelers.

There are plenty of hotels to choose from in Downtown Los Angeles. The hotels are filled by business travelers through the working week and when they leave over the weekend, the area takes on a new image… one that is vibrant and colorful. Most of the hotels offer weekend packages at excellent rates. These packages give excellent value for money.

If you choose to live in Downtown LA, you don’t have to worry about city highlights being too far away. Many freeways pass through the area and you can drive to any place wit minimum problems. However try and avoid rush hour traffic, as you might find yourself stuck in a spot for hours. Alternately, you can take the Metro Line up to Universal Studios.

Despite the low weekend rates and irresistible weekend packages, Downtown Los Angeles can at times feel like a ghost town. The lively and energetic surroundings of Venice Beach or West Hollywood will be missing. There isn’t much nightlife in the area and it is particularly dead after sundown.

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Recently I was talking with Fred, a new manager, who said
he couldn’t win for losing. When he delegated and
checked up, his employees would get annoyed, stubborn,
and resistant, claiming he was micro-managing. If I don’t
check, he said, they don’t do it. In either case, I’m not
getting what I need, and what our clients need. Clients are
complaining and my manager thinks I’m not producing.

When we looked at a specific example, the problem started
to get real clear.

Upper management had asked for an upgrade for an
existing service. They wanted additional features, requiring
new technology. The technology was common in the
industry, and should have been easily implemented.
Implementation was slated for the end of the quarter, an
easy 3 month project.

In the past, Fred would have delegated it to the appropriate
junior employee, then checked in regularly, like a couple of
times a week, to see if it was done. His employees were
understandably annoyed. They hadn’t had time to source a
vendor, let alone implement any changes before he was
asking if they had finished.

So, this time, Fred delegated the task to Grant, told him
when to be done, and then didn’t mention it, except in the
weekly staff meetings. Each week, Grant would have a good
story why things weren’t moving along. It had now been four
months for a task that should have taken two at the very
most.

Fred was past annoyed, especially when his boss asked
him in public, one more time, when was it going to be done.
This latest embarrassment was enough to trigger an angry
blow up, targeted at Grant who had let him down. He
finished off the dressing down by calling the vendor himself,
only to learn this vendor didn’t supply the model necessary
for the upgrade.

Four months had gone by; the project was still at step one.

Where did Fred get off track?

Rule #1.

Fred was delegating and checking, but not acting on
lack of performance. A sure recipe for continued lack of
performance, frustration, and angry blow up.

It all goes back to Rule #1: behavior that’s rewarded is
apt to be repeated. And, the Corollary for Rule #1: the best
reward for bad behavior is to do nothing. By asking
about progress, and then not taking action when there
wasn’t progress, Fred taught Grant that his poor
performance, not meeting deadlines, had no
consequences.

Time for consequences. Timing consequences.

See the article Managing Poor Performance with
Consequences for a further discussion of this topic.

416 words

See the articles that discuss this further:

Managing Poor Performance, Coaching Conversations, and
Counseling Conversations.

Patricia Wiklund Ph.D. works with managers who are
challenged with a difficult employee or colleague, and
organizations that need to get back on track to effectiveness
and productivity. Start increasing your management and
leadership skills with her new audio coaching program on
Emotional Intelligence: The Leadership Edge. Just click
here: http://www.PatWiklund.com/eiaudiocoaching.shtml
Contact Pat at Pat@patwiklund.com

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With deregulation in both the energy and telecoms markets it has
now become possible to switch service providers. When choosing
an energy or telecoms company it’s important to look at the
service levels they provide and not solely concentrate on just
price alone. Consumer websites such as Which
(http://www.which.co.uk) can give you an unbiased opinion as to
the best and worse performing companies in each specific
industry.

A recent independent MORI survey has revealed that over 100,000
people switch their gas or electricity each week. Over 90% of
these customers report that the switching process was easy!

Changing supplier is very easy and best of all it’s also free
(provided you’re not still in an initial contract). For gas and
electricity any new supplier will require your MPAN (Meter Point
Administration Number) to transfer your electricity supply and
your MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) to transfer your gas
supply. Both numbers can usually be found on your most recent
bill.

If you do decide to transfer your supply we would suggest that
you contact your existing supplier to inform them of your
decision. It would also be a good idea to make sure your bills
are up to date as this can affect the transfer process.

Your new supplier should send you details in the post confirming
that they have initiated the transfer. Please bear in mind that
this process can take up to six weeks. There will be no effect
to your supply during this change-over period.

You should also receive notification from your new supplier of a
specific date when the transfer takes place. Please remember to
submit a final reading to your old supplier and opening reading
to your new supplier on this day. This will help to ensure that
no confusion arises further down the line.

If you do have any problems with either your old or new supplier
then you can contact Ofgem the independent regulator of the gas
and electricity industries on 0207 901 7000 or on their website
at http://www.ofgem.gov.uk.

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The largest sale that I ever closed was negotiated over hot dogs and a soft drink at a refreshment stand, just off the exhibit floor, at a Superintendent of School Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I met an educator who was interested in the summer study abroad programs that I was selling at the show. He saw my nametag for the Foreign Study League and wanted to learn more about my products. His school district filled two and a half jet airplanes with over 400 students (at more than $1,000 each) who enrolled in my firm’s summer study programs in Europe. Exhibiting and selling at tradeshows, if handled properly, is the most cost-effective selling tool in which a business or professional organization can invest.

By attracting prospects, clients or customers to a single location, a tradeshow exhibit is an “ideal selling situation,” because you can sell at your booth, meet prospects at vendor sponsored cocktail parties or even promote your products or services during the down times when the show attendees are supposed to be in meetings–like the school superintendent that cut a convention session to learn more about my high school summer study abroad programs. In a day or two at a tradeshow, you can meet more decision-makers than you can contact over many weeks of cold calling and/or in-person meetings. And, participants who visit your exhibit are for the most part pre-qualified, with an interest in or a need for what you are selling, giving you access to decision-makers in a non-threatening and fun environment.

Research shows that tradeshow participants rarely see the meetings and exhibits as a selling event, so there is less resistance to your product or service promotions. Also, Tradeshow Weekly magazine reports that: 86% of a tradeshow’s attendees make or influence buying decisions for their business or professional organization. The magazine’s researchers have also found that over 80% of the decision-makers attending a show were not even contacted by an exhibitor’s representative prior to a given event. Yet, 75% of the attendees left an exhibit area having made a commitment (i.e. agreeing to taking the next step or setting an appointment) or actually concluding a purchase. As these statistics illustrate, often it’s the little things you do prior to the show or with your exhibit that can make the difference in your level of success. To make the most of a tradeshow opportunity, you might want to call in an expert to help you orchestrate the many small details that can make the show a profitable event. Just go to http://www.thesellingedge.com/tradeshows.htm to learn more about the expertise and programs available to businesses and professional organizations that want to generate the most business from a tradeshow event.

Obtain Free The $elling Edge®, Inc. Sales Myths E-Training Program At: http://www.mcssl.com/app/contact.asp?id=32989&afid=&formid=&preview=

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, tradeshows and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Wells, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Thompson Learning. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. Check them out at:http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/Book1.htm.

Virden teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University at Lubbock, Texas and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com. or learn more about him at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com .

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2006 has brought record highs in the cost of gasoline, and Americans all across the country are looking for some form of relief. While state legislatures are worrying about gas taxes and the threat of price gauging, there are a few things you can do save a little money at the pump.

1. Be conscious of what grade of gasoline your car actually needs. Take the owner’s manual out of your glove box and set the record straight. Many cars don’t actually need the premium quality gasoline, and cutting back to regular can save you a significant amount of money.

2. Get your vehicle its regular maintenance and oil service. A smooth running engine keeps your gas mileage at its best, and better gas mileage saves you money.

3. Don’t carry any extra weight. Take the time to clean out your back seat and trunk. Carrying heavy items will weigh your car down, and cause your engine to burn more gasoline.

4. Monitor your use of air conditioning. While the summer months can get pretty hot, try opening the windows as often as you can instead. While the breeze may not be as powerful as the A/C, remember that air conditioners increase your engine’s workload.

5. Watch your step! It’s easy to be lazy and careless while you’re driving, especially when you’ve been stuck in traffic for more than an hour. Try your best however, to keep your foot from resting or riding on the brake when you are driving. Not only does this wear out your brakes faster, but it also takes its toll on your engine, using up more gas to get you where you’re going.

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Dedicated web hosting has its difficulties and problems from time to time like all technology. However, there are certain things you can do to prepare yourself for any server downtime or other problems that might arise. The key, however, to these tips is that you are aware of them before the problem occurs rather than afterwards. The following three timesaving tips will help you with your dedicated web hosting and save you a lot of time.

Tip #1 Managed Dedicated Server
When you have your own dedicated server someone has to manage it. So, you have two options. You can either choose a managed server and have a hosting company handle all of the details, maintenance, and updating that must take place. Or, you can hire an administrator to handle this maintenance for you. The last option is you can manage it yourself, that is, if you are skilled in those kinds of things. Basically, if you hire an administrator it will cost you extra money as well. Regardless, if you have a managed dedicated server installed you should know beforehand who will be handling the maintenance and other details to keep everything running smoothly with as little downtime as possible.

Tip #2 Know the Details
You always need to know all the details regarding your dedicated server as well as your web host. When you know all of the details you know what to expect when a situation occurs and how it will be handled. If you do not know the details when you involve yourself in a contract with a dedicated web host then you will be asking for trouble. Save yourself from this and make sure you know everything there is to know about your equipment, who is responsible for what, and the game plan if any problems arise.

Tip #3 Support
Another key element you need to know that will save you time when problems arise is the kind of support you have from your web host. You want to have a web host that provides support 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year. If your web host is not offering this then you might prefer to find one that does because for some reason problems seem to arise after hours and not weekends or holidays.

Now that you know these timesaving tips you will be better prepared to choose a dedicated web host that meets your businesses needs. Also, since you are already aware of everything in advance you will not have any problems dealing with situations that arise due to your web host because you are already prepared for anything!

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This article may only be reproduced in its entirety, including the resource box and subscription information electronically or in print. A courtesy copy of your publication would be nice, too!

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The first and foremost amongst the Do’s and Don’ts is - `DO’
start to work at home & `DON’T GIVE UP’. I am not saying it
because I myself work at home. On the contrary I am saying it
because there was a time when I did not work at home! I know
the difference. Period.

I was a normal office going, 9-5 rut -routine person, much
against my likings and wishes.And as any other beginner I was
fresh and enthusiastic when I joined a corporate career, put in
200% in everything that was assigned to me. But as time passed,
I realized, I was not cut out for the job.

Forget commuting and following a discipline…it was the easiest
to cope. What I disliked was the the chaos beyond. Not being
able to relate to the corporate jargon, educated moves,
politically correct reactions, aligning with lobbies… none of
these were my way of looking at a long term career. So, my
career merely became a job for me. The `ambitious’ bird flew out
of the window.

But then, I have always preferred to be `normal’ than an
`average’ person. My definition of an `Average’ person is
“Someone who does what most people under similar circumstances
would do, without questioning”. And a `Normal’ person according
to me is “Someone who will do what she/he feels is right for
him/her irrespective of what most people under similar
circumstances would do or think”

So, I started looking out for the opportunity. And while surfing
the net “Work at home business - found Me”! How much ever
clichéd it may sound - I would like to say it anyway - I have
found my calling. There is lot of money, conveniences and
straight clean rules.

Coming to the basic Do’s and Don’ts - Join work at home
opportunity which has been around for a while & talk to the
senior successful members. It should have 24X7 online
supporort.Dont pay a fee to join work at home based business.
Don’t miss out on their rules and private policies.

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