Death is coming

The closer death creeps up upon me the less I am able to understand the reasons for life or living.

Yes I have experienced a close family member dying and unlike television it takes decades to handle such a thing. To think I am going to put my family through such a thing when I finally leave is more horrific to me than the thought of death itself.

My life was and is still a learning experience but when all said and done what am I to do with all this accumulated learning over my lifetime if I just die. There is no logic or reason to this.

Long ago I became aware that the God story that is sold to the majority is just a nice story to give mankind with a message of a basic layout of how nice life could be if everyone followed these ideas. Not many in life do and if one thinks about it the good and evil structures actually depend on each other. The good that can be experienced in life is only understood as good when there is it's opposite to compare it to. This is not rocket science only common sense in reality. I am not saying we need to experience bad but understanding in it is needed to appreciate the great things many of us can have in our lives. From birth to death there are many ways mankind helps his fellow man. How many ways can you help?


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Real Voodoo That Wasn't Highlighted By Hollywood

By Jade Davidson


Is voodoo the only religion or spiritual belief that makes images that can contain spirits? No. As we are aware, catholics make statues of saints that are considered as holy to their standards. The muslims also have certain images such as the crescent and certain holy pictures that are said to be blessed. The same is true for the buddhists, taoists, and hindu faiths. The problem is that voodoo has recieved a very ugly publicity, one that is distorted by movie makers.

Voodoo actually has two 'main dolls' that serve different purposes. The first is the ever famous voodoo doll, which is said to possibly bless or harm an individual. The second type of doll is the ju-ju doll, which is considered a guardian doll to ward off evil forces. Let's differentiate the two.

The voodoo dolls can be created from different materials. These materials are clay, wood, paper, root, wax, and cloth. The voodoo doll can serve two purposes - as lucky charms and fetishes, or as a representation of another person. This representation of the 3rd party can cause the person to be blessed, healed, and also to be cursed and harmed.

Now, let me introduce you to the ju-ju guardian doll. These are possessed by people who want to receive luck. This is a charm doll that can be used as an amulet. These are blessed (by you, or a voodoo doctor) and will keep you safe at all times. There are also different kinds of ju-ju guardian dolls. There are ju-ju guardian dolls that bring health, wealth, love, and power. There are 3 primary colors for these ju-ju guardian dolls - green represents faith, gold represents power, purple represents justice. These ju-ju guardian dolls are very good for people who want to enjoy success in the aspect aimed targeted.

The mysterious art and belief that comes with voodoo is an aspect that is not widely explored. This may be due to the fear that a person may feel while learning more about it. Many label it as a cursed person's path, and constantly avoid it. But voodoo is not always being practiced to harm people, therefore, we must accept whatever belief the other people choose for themselves.




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Monday, November 28, 2011

An Essential Guide To Ancient North African Deity Clothing

By Gamal Rasheed


The pantheon of the Egyptians contained numerous deities, but Bastet was given the primary position. She was portrayed to have a cat-head, due to which Egyptians placed cats in a place of reverence. As decades passed by, her clothing underwent a constant change so that its portrayal also kept changing.

The initial picture of this god showed the formidable form of a lioness. But later, with the domestication of cats as the Egyptian people started liking them, this deity was rendered to show a cat-headed lady rather than the formidable lioness.

Bubastis, a temple of Bastet was built by the Egyptians. There were scores of idols within the temple showing this cat-headed goddess. An in depth observation of these idols has helped historians to discover the way the god was usually attired.

The majority of the statues depict her as a cat headed woman although there are some exceptions in which she is depicted as a leopard and in some older statues as a lion. The trademark statue had the head of a cat upon a body of a youthful woman.

The clothing of the deity was decorative with lots of stylish features added to make it intricate. A small purse carried by her adorned many of the sculpted images, whereas a few others portrayed her holding a musical instrument namely, the Sistrum in one of her arms whereas, she has a tender basket worn on the other arm.

Also part of her attire was a breastplate that formed the center of her attire. According to Egyptian mythology this deity had a love for music and dance. She was also regarded as having a generous nature while being very rich as well. Actually the basket that the statue of Bastet was wearing was meant to represent the bountiful harvest which the goddess was associated with.

The temple dedicated to the god had many living species of Egyptian cats in reverence of the goddess herself. Archeologists have been able to find thousands of mummified bodies of cats from the temple of Bubastis which was considered as being a burial ground for domesticated cats in Egypt.

A bronze sculpture clothed in the regular style was supposed to be empowered to bring luck, and so many Egyptians took possession of them. Many people offered these bronze sculptures within the temple. Therefore, many of them reaching to thousands have been found by archaeologists in the temple.

Cats attained a unique place amongst the Egyptians because of Bastet. There were special laws in place that protected cats. Any person who would intentionally harm a cat was to be punished and similarly they had elaborate burial rituals for when a domesticated cat died in a family.




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Experience Yourself Near Death

By Elaine M Tiedemann


Being near death is not something that you should be scared of. In fact, if you start preparing your own self on what comes after life there is no need to fear death. Since death is something that is definitely a part of cycle. When 1 is born, another dies. And when one dies, another lives. It is a never ending cycle that distinguishes the beginning and end of everything.

Near Death Experiences: Hoax or Truth?

Many people confessed of experiencing this phenomenon widely known as Near Death Experience (NDE). All these individuals caught a peek at what dead people were supposed to see after their lives had ended. They saw the "light". They saw past the limits but were privileged enough to come back to their original bodies and live to tell their very own testimonies. No one knows if such thing exists. But analysts genuinely consider that certain humans possess the capability to see what lies beyond death.

Be Closer, Be Near Death

If you were to ask yourself, would you really believe that it exists? Would you think all these tales regarding death's boundaries or life's light? With some help with international or even local movie films which had carressed such subject, your belief could possibly be affected. Yes, you would believe on them for a short while. But it would eventually pass and be forgotten as if such a thing does not exist.

Ample studies were presented in order to explain Near Death Encounters. But none of them had been fully proved. More facts is necessary. Much more proofs of it need to be provided. Not only testimonies from the people but actual live manifestations that there lies a boundary beyond death. And what is inside that border is yet to be discovered.

Life and death are linked with one another. The two could also be explained with Newton's law of motion. "That in every single action, there is certainly an exact but opposite reaction." If 1 was bound to die today, another will take its place. When and where, we all don't know. That is the mystery of life and death. And each time we talk about this mystery, there's a lot of questions that are raise and adds to the unanswered thoughts concerning life and death.




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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Stressful Days? Learn How To Live Stress-Free

By Andy McDonald


One of the worst parts about stress is that it can arrive in many forms and show up at any time. Just when you think things are going well, you can enter into a bad situation and stress will piggyback right in on it. If you have problems with stress, these tips may be able to help you get rid of it.

In order to reduce stress in your life, avoid bottling up your feelings. Instead, say what is on your mind in a caring and respectful way so that people know how your are feeling. Keeping your feelings to yourself can often lead to resentment and anger, whereas open communication can help you find solutions to even the most complex problems and situations.

Simplify the things in your life. Start with your bedroom closet, and go from there. Eliminate the many things that you do not use. You will quickly see that many of the things around your house are just clutter and serve absolutely no purpose in your life. De-cluttering will lessen the stress in your life.

Try a tonic or other form of homeopathic medicine in order to reduce stress. Research shows that these types of medicine and natural substances go a long way in helping your stress level. Kava Kava and other herbal extracts also can help your stress level immensely. Try homeopathic medicine, and see what you think.

A great way to help you fight stress is to substitute walking for driving whenever you can. Everyone knows that driving can be a highly stressful activity. You can bypass all of that by simply walking to where you need to go instead. You'll feel much better and your stress will go down.

A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to eliminate caffeine from your diet. Even though drinking coffee has become so popular these days, getting too much caffeine can have serious side effects. Cutting out caffeine will help you feel much less anxious.

Delegate! It's easy to become overwhelmed when we attempt to retain personal control of every aspect of our lives. The result can be stress. Break jobs up into small doable portions and spread them around amongst your subordinates and coworkers at work. There is only so much on person can do!

Take several deep breaths from your diaphragm. Research shows that deep breathing oxygenates your blood, which can help to relax you almost instantly. This is a great way to reduce, or sometimes even eliminate, the negative feels that stress causes. Try slow inhalations, through the nose, for optimum results.

To help yourself relax during a long day at work, be sure to leave the office for lunch. Even if you just step outside to eat your bagged lunch in the park, getting away from your office can do wonders to decrease your stress. A 15 to 20 minute break from your environment makes a long day a whole lot easier to cope with.

A great way to deal with your stress is to get regular exercise. Try jogging, biking or swimming three to five days a week for about thirty minutes. In response to exercise, your brain releases endorphins, which help lift your mood and reduce your stress. Not only will you feel better, but you will get in better shape.

Do not carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Doing this usually not only requires you to take on too much of your own stress but also has you taking on other people's stress as well. Adjust your way of thinking, your attitude, and allow yourself to relax and handle life the way it should be handled.

Aromatherapy is a great way to reduce stress levels and create a relaxing atmosphere for you. Relaxation is different than resting. Aromatherapy consists of many different options, including smelling different herbs and burning different incenses. Certain herbs and incenses can help relax you and provide a rather euphoric and concentrated thought process.

A great tip that can help to you keep your stress levels down is to take a hot bath. The hot water will make you feel relaxed and you'll forget about all of your troubles. Taking a hot bath can help keep your stress in check and it's something you can do everyday.

If the weather is nice outside at night, look up at the stars in the sky. This will help you to realize how large the universe is and why the problems you have should be put in perspective. Also, this beautiful scenery can help to improve the way that you feel.

Stress has a tendency to show up when you least expect it and most certainly when you are expecting it. It's funny that way; stress just loves to show up period. You can take control of your life, though, and fight those stressful feelings by using the tips you've read in the above article.




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3 Techniques to Assist You in Leaning Italian

By Enrique Kelley


Learning Italian can be fun in additional to educational. You can choose numerous methods to learn it, but the key thing is to continue doing it long enough so that you will see good results. Don't think that you will learn it in only a couple of day, but be happy when you learn a little bit each time.Use the referenced tips and you will realize that learning Italian is not as difficult as you thought.

Regardless of the devices or strategies you utilize to learn Italian, it's very important for you to develop regular study rituals. Even if you're attending an official class, it is essential for you to have the proper amount of self discipline to dedicate toward your habitual study times. The main reason many people fail at learning a new language is that they approach it half-heartedly and only study when they feel like it. After routine listening and speaking, you learned the language you grew up speaking. While it might not be feasible for you to entirely immerse yourself in Italian, it is crucial for you to be able to devote the proper amount of time to it that it becomes forefront in your mind. Make sure you study a little Italian every day, even if you only have a few minutes for every session.

You may not be able to actually visit Italy, but you can still make it easier on yourself by other places where it is spoken. There are many areas in the United States, Europe and other places where Italian speaking immigrants live, and spending time in these areas can expose you to the language and give you a chance to practice it. You can locate shops and restaurants that owned by Italian people and even Italian language newspapers and magazines. Just being exposed to Italians on a daily basis will help you so if you live near Italian neighborhoods you should visit as much as possible.

It really does not matter how you choose the main part of your Italian learning program, but you really should also add a portable audio program to your system as well. It you ride public transportation to work or school on a daily basis, you can listen to your audio program. If you carpool to work every day, you can listen to your audio program while riding into work or school. This provides an avenue for you to learn the language day to day and also provides a way for you to practice saying the words again and again. Repeating the words to yourself again and again is a great way to learn a new language and a great audio program will make this happen much sooner.

To conclude, it doesn't have to be tough to learn Italian if you utilize the right strategies and put in some repeated effort. Remember that you have to increase your knowledge gradually, which is why you have to study a little every day so you retain what you learn. You can use some of the strategies we have shared in this article to assist you in making swift progress in your Italian studies. If you are dedicated, you will find that in a few months you'll be surprised how much Italian you can speak and understand!




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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Jesus Teachings on Discipleship

By Mercy Nikenya


Jesus had called disciples to help him in his works, he chose folks of different classes with no regard for their status in the society. Indeed His first followers were fishermen who were less regarded in the Jewish society. Jesus had to tell them what true discipleship was as they could miss to understand the real meaning of it and believe that they had a better chance in entering the kingdom of heaven. Have you read about discipleship in Christian forums or other christian websites?

Does it mean that one is free from all troubles of the world by being a disciple of Jesus Christ? Many people desired to be followers of Jesus Christ thinking that they had a better chance of inheriting the kingdom of heaven, as they associated themselves with the son of God, but what did Jesus teach them about true discipleship?

One was to be prepared to leave everything; Jesus told them that they ought to be ready to leave everything of their possession, including their families, wealth and anything they valued. John, James and peter were prepared to leave their nets and their work of fishing to follow Jesus. Like his true disciples who abandoned their works to follow him, we should too be ready to do so. By that I mean we ought to be ready to put God's work first.

One was expected to show love for all; true discipleship required one to be of great love for all, Jesus showed love for all, he spent most of his time with sinners than spiritual leaders, this made people to nick-name him 'a friend of sinners.' He comments in the Luke's gospel that one had to have love for his brother, his own wife and children and even love oneself to qualify to be his disciple. He asked them to love their enemies and pray for them; do you show love for all people despite some of them being your enemies?

Jesus guaranteed them to expect rejection and opposition; a true disciple was expected to face opposition and rejection from the people around them. Like when a friend retires from a wicked group and searches for deliverance, the members will say all sorts of bad things about her or him and even hate him/her. Similar to the mission of evangelizing the word of God to other folks, the disciples were told to expect cruel times and conditions, as not all people could allow them in their land and welcome them in their homes.

They were expected to give freely and expect nothing in return; a real disciple of Jeus was expected to perform works of charity to those in need and expect nothing in return, like in the example of John and Peter when they healed the person at Jerusalem temple's entrance, they went and did it for no payment as this was God given, it should not be charged for in exchange. Christians should too do the same and avoid trading on the gifts given by them.




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Through All World History God Has Fundamentally Unveiled Himself To Human beings In A Reasonably Obnubilate Way

By Neil Baulch


Part 7. That is the reason why God does not show Himself completely to us, to the point at which there's no longer any doubt about His existence and character, because if He came as a super hero with all His capabilities and displayed them in public then all humankind would know without question that He existed and would follow Him for fear of going to hell. (I will explain what 'hell' is in a later article) Where is the real relationship in that? Or the genuine religion?

God is a god of faith, it takes effort to believe and we are to be the equivalent. When you study it, where would the pleasure be, in everyone telling you that they adore you and want to be with you, desperate of fear - simply to fend off hell? I desire my children to obey my directions because they honour and love me not because they're terrified.

This is why God has shown Himself to man through history (see timeline) in a comparatively little way, and why Jesus, when He came, came as a servant and not a super hero in an impressive way to blind all humankind forever.

Some say to me "Oh, I believe in God but I don't need to go to church to prove it." Sure, going to church doesn't prove that we have a belief in God, but the actual problem here is - to believe in God is to Act, it is not something passive. Say, for-instance, you did a great thing for another person at massive expense to yourself, you would expect some type of gratitude and recognition. God also , having paid a great price for us, expects some type of appreciation - He expects us to give over our life to working for Him and His plan for mankind.

I need to explain that when I quote the Bible, I am I am referencing God's words, not just some ancient book that has suffered many trials over the centuries and is now an undependable list or diverse old mens imagination's. A dependable Bible timeline chart will exhibit the consistency of what I am saying. (I can provide you with evidence of the genuineness of the Bible as being from God if you want to see it). The Bible calls itself the 'Living Words of God ' in one Timothy 3 16 in the NT.




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