Clumps of Violets

We seem hell-bent (I mean it literally!) on having a good time in life, even in our churches. The word “sacrifice” no longer exists. I don’t mean it in the sense of sacrificing a bull on the altar, but in the sense of sacrificing what we feel is an immediate need (which is probably a luxury) for some common sense. I’ve had to quit perusing sales brochures because when I glance at them I feel I need this product, now. That’s what advertising is for, to whet our sated appetites for even more of what we don’t really need. It’s quite an art. The beat of the drums goes on and on, too. I haven’t taken the time to time the ads during a one-hour TV show, but I’ll bet it’s at least a third of the hour anymore. And the ads get dumber and dumber (an understatement!). As Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does,” and if we rush out to get the latest gimmick, well then….!

What started this train of thought is the following: "A happy life is not built up of tours abroad and pleasant holidays, but of the little clumps of violets noticed by the roadside, hidden away almost so that only those can see them who have God's peace and love in their hearts; in one long continuous chain of little joys; little whispers from the spiritual world; little gleams of sunshine on our daily work. So long have I stuck to nature and the New Testament I have only got happier and happier every day" (Edward Wilson).

What ever happened to the small and wonderful joys of life? I so like this quote from Dr. Charlotte Kasl, who wrote something that really touched my heart and made me realize that we take too much for granted in our lives: “So next time you sit down to a simple supper, crawl into a cozy bed, have a warm chat with a friend--Imagine that you are at the end of the rainbow...this is life, and it’s wonderful....” Imagine, being at the end of the rainbow all the time, simply because we realize that it is indeed the ordinary things that are so extraordinary!

Final thoughts:

“If I cannot be a pine in God's forest, I may be a tiny flower to send forth the fragrance of Jesus in this world of sadness” (Anonymous).

“The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions--the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimals of pleasurable and genial feeling (Cooleridge).

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never; in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony” (William Henry Channing).

“We ought all to be content with the time and portion assigned to us. No man expects of any one actor in the theatre that he should perform all the parts of the piece himself: one role only is committed to him, and whatever that be, if he act it well, he is applauded. In the same way, it is not the part of a wise man to desire to be busy in these scenes to the last plaudit. A short term may be long enough to live well and honorably” (Cicero).

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

Christ, the Invisible God

Meeting with a devout Catholic cousin who knew that I abandoned my Catholic faith for the Church of Christ sometimes ended up into an argument which also lead him to realize a truth recorded in the Bible. He knew that the Church of Christ upholds the teaching that Christ is not the God but He's only the Son of God. And because of this, he called me a Christian who has no God.

He's actually insulting me with that way of persecution. But I didn't mind his insults. Instead I asked him a question: "What do you think? Is God invisible or not?"

"Of course God is invisible," he immediately answered.

"Well, that's true, " I said. "If God is invisible, then Christ would be invisible too, isn't it?

So, here's the point of asking him something like that...

He agreed that God is invisible. And that is true because Apostle Paul said this: 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise,[a]be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (I Timothy 1:17, NKJV) It is because God is spirit; 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24, ibid) And the Spirit according to Christ has no flesh and bones: 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." (Luke 24:39, ibid) And since he believe that Christ is God, so I asked him if Christ is also invisible because God is invisible. But He answered no or that Christ is not invisible.

Actually, he is again right, that Christ is not invisible because according to the Gospel written by Apostle John, the Apostles saw Christ and even touched Him. And then Christ even said that He is not spirit but someone who has flesh and bones. 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." (Luke 24:39, ibid) From here, we can already tell the difference between Christ and God. God is invisible while Christ is not. God is spirit while Christ has flesh and bones. And one thing that we should know, that no one has seen God at any time, just like what Apostle John said: 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. (I John 4:12, ibid) If Christ is really the God then Apostle John wouldn't say that, because he was with Christ even before Christ ascended to heavens. We all know that saying that "no one has seen God at anytime" means from the very beginning until the time the Apostle John wrote that part of the Bible, no one has ever seen God physically.

So, accusing me as Christian without God just because I believe that Christ is not the God, is something that should be refrained, because it is only based on his own belief not on the truth recorded on the Bible. My belief on the true God that Christ taught me remains in me and will not be moved by such persecution because this belief means the eternal life through Christ: 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:1,3, ibid)

About the Author:

Sustines E. Laplana (SELaplana: http://www.selaplana.com ) is the first Pinoy Blogger and EMarketer in Southern Leyte, Philippines who blogs on Technology, Society and Reviews/Promotions of products and owns the Cellphones For Sale blog ( http://cellphones-for-sale.blogspot.com ). Writing articles is his passion. And writing religious articles is his love, so that everyone will learn the truth taught by the Bible.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

Choosing Titles For Your Articles

Very often when I search the web for information, I’m taken to articles that have been written about the very topic I am looking for. I just can’t say enough how important a well written article is to your marketing strategy online.

Today, I was visiting a new forum to me. The forum has been around since early 2004. This forum has an article message board. Being the information lover that I am, I decided to jump in and begin reading the many articles that had been posted. I very often will click the link in a resource box to satisfy my own personal curiosity about who the author is. Over and over again, the websites were no longer in existence. Yet these articles were wonderful.

Then I began looking, I mean really looking at the titles being used. They were titles with no keyword relevance. For example, one title was “Interview Tips”. While this might seem very relevant, these two words will be lost in the search engines. There are over 2 millions pages for “interview tips”. What if the author instead had written articles such as “how to dress for an interview”, or “The Do’s and “Don’ts of Job Interviews?” These titles would’ve been much catchier to someone looking for interview tips.

I found another article titled “Resume Tips”. Again, those two words alone are not going to do well with search engines. Instead, what about “How to Write a Resume For Today’s Job Seeker?” Or what about “Resume Tips for the New Graduate?” Or what about “How to Fit All of Your Experience and Skills Into a One Page Resume?”

Choosing a title for your article is just as important as the information you put into the article. I could’ve named this particular article “Article Writing”, but instead I chose to be much more specific and call it “Choosing Titles For Your Articles.” You knew before you ever opened the article that the words you would be reading would all be about the titles for your future articles.

Give some thought to the titles you’ll be using for your articles. Consider which words will cause your articles to be opened and read by others.

Audrey Okaneko has been working at home since 1983. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com.

[tags]article writing, marketing, article titles[/tags]

Changing Your Flow of Thoughts

While you are reading this I do not want you to think about
your shoes (or your feet if your not wearing shoes).
Through the entire article never at any time are you to think of the color, style or fit of your shoes nor the
temperature or feel of your feet.

Why such a ridiculous way to start this article – well to
prove a point. The first thing most of you did, of course,
was think about your shoes or your feet. Even though you
were specifically instructed not to, you did it for at
least a moment. That is how the human mind works. When
you consciously attempt not to think of a specific thought,
you’ll generally think of it between 6 and 15 times in a
5-minute period.

This works in the realm of negative thoughts as well.
Focusing your power on trying not to think negative
thoughts can and will prompt negative thinking. View
thinking as a flowing stream of water, actually its more
like a strong river. The current starts off as a trickle
and builds into a rushing power that can erode the very
earth it winds though. You thoughts are much like this
river in that you cannot stop them. You can however change
the flow to your advantage. Changing the flow of your
thoughts is possible, stopping them is not. Changing the
flow from negative to positive will keep that river of
thought from eroding deep, dark, dismal ravines into your
attitude, and into your life.

You can think discouraging, disheartening and depressing
things to yourself; or you can think inspiring, motivating
and rousing things to yourself, but again you will not be
able to stop thinking things to yourself all together. So
instead of attempting to build a dam for your river of
thoughts, channel and direct them in the way you WANT them
to go.

How? That is a good question, and in it hides the answer.
You channel your thoughts in the direction you desire with,
questions. However, your questions have to be empowering
questions. You will cause yourself more harm than good by
asking, “Why do I always get the projects nobody else
wants?”

You want to ask a question or questions that will move you
forward and empower you to take action. Like: “How can I
accomplish this project and enjoy the process?” Now you
have directed any negative thinking to a more positive
flow. This positive flow will encourage action and give
you results.

If you are tackling a big problem ask questions like, “How
can I break this down into workable steps?” “How can I
solve the first step, the second step and so on?” Or “What
is the first action to resolving this first step and so
on?”

Should you be going through a “bad” experience -- if there
is such a thing, for while we have experiences we don’t
enjoy, are they truly BAD in the long run? Don’t we gain
valuable knowledge and experience we can apply later? But I
digress. Let us get back to the topic at hand. If you are
going through a “bad” experience, then channel your flow
with questions like; “What can I learn from this
experience?” “How can I grow from this experience?” “How
can I keep this from happening to me again?” “How can I
make lemonade out of this lemon?” (Remember Velcro was
actually a failed experiment so was the glue that now is
used on Post-It Notes – both of these lemons have become
sweet profitable lemonade for the inventors and their
companies)

Now that you have asked your question(s) really let your
mind run with it. Don’t just ask the question once, ask it
again and again. Whenever you have a minute of spare time
or when your alone driving home, seriously mull over the
question and let your mind turn over to you the ideas and
actions that will bring you to the positive results of changing your flow of thought.

(Oh, and remember don’t think about your shoes!)

Think Successfully & Take Action.

Tracy

http://www.SuccessAtlas.com

(C) Tracy Brinkmann 2000-2005 all rights reserved

Tracy Brinkmann is an goal setting and success counselor. Through his company Success Atlas, he provides goal-setting, motivational & educational material, & training via live presentations as well as digital/audio products.
Sign up for his free e-Zine http://www.successatlas.com

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

But There Aren't Enough Article Topics to Reach My Target Market

Recently a subscriber asked me about how she could continue to publish articles on her website if there weren’t enough topics to write about. Here’s her question:

"Alice, you talk about adding articles to your websites on a frequent basis and I understand the benefits like search engine rankings and so forth. However, I cannot come up with enough topics to sell my product. There just aren't that many things to write about."

And here’s my answer:

When you started Internet Marketing, you were probably told to be specific about your target market and define whom you’re marketing to. That was great advice. If you sell a product, you want to market it to a specific target market.

Let’s say you sell a product that shows parents how to potty train their child. Your target market for your product is parents of toddlers who are trying to potty train their child. You can help promote your product by publishing potty training articles to draw in highly-targeted prospects for your highly-targeted product.

But there’s a problem - that’s a very narrow window to grasp the right prospect for your product. You have to reach them right when they are ready to potty train their child and convince them to buy your product.

Why limit yourself like this?

Article marketing is an inexpensive venture and can dramatically increase your pool of leads. It can even help you increase your bottom line by adding new streams of income. If you sell a potty training product and you want to market with content – go WIDER. For the purposes of article marketing, you have the wider market of parents and there is NO shortage of article topics to reach parents.

Parents need help with their kids, no matter what age they are. And a funny thing happens with parents – they often have more kids and know other people with kids. So, if you can start targeting parents in general with your wide variety of articles you can do the following:

- Build your mailing lists

- Gain the trust of your prospects and sell them your product when the timing is right for them

- Sell other relevant products through affiliate programs

- Add extra income by using content-targeted ads like Google Adsense.

So, please…if you think there is a shortage of topics you can write up, just start to think wider…no matter what product you sell.

Alice Seba shows others how to make the most of their article marketing by offering completely free Article Marketing Tips at http://www.ArticleMarketingSweetie.com

[tags]article marketing, article writing, target markets, alice seba[/tags]

Bird by Bird

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by marketing. First, there’s so much to learn: What works? What’s a waste of your time? Where should you invest your energy and money?

Then you have to prioritize: Where should you start? What’s the ONE THING that, if you don’t do anything else for a while, is your best first step?

Next, you’ve got to figure out how to get it all done. Marketing’s not your regular job, but you could work at it full time, given all there is to do.

And don’t forget…how do you stay on track and motivated? Sure, it’s one thing to be inspired during a marketing workshop or by ideas from a book. But then the reality of execution sets in.

Believe me, I feel your pain. Working on some major, next-level projects of my own right now, it’s tempting to stick my head in the sand and say forget it. Since I’m writing from the beach this week, it literally would be that easy.

Instead, I’m taking it “bird by bird.”

Author and writing teacher, Anne Lamott, coined this term to encourage budding authors in her book, Bird by Bird. The phrase refers to a school report about wild birds that her younger brother had to write as a child. He put it off until the night before it was due. Sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by piles of books, he was overwhelmed and frozen by the task at hand. His father, also a writer, told him to just take it bird by bird…first write about one bird. Then write about another bird. Then another. Before he knew it, his report would be done.

Faced with your own pile of marketing tasks? Here are some things you can do to take it bird by bird:

1. Don’t start with a whole bird. Start with some feathers. A beak. The feet. My point is, just start on one, tiny thing…like spend 15 minutes brainstorming your Positioning Statement (and if you don’t know what this is, email me!). Then stop. Come back to it tomorrow and spend 15 more minutes. Eventually, you’ll be done.

2. Be okay with lousy first drafts. Creativity experts know this. Famous authors count on it. Whether you’re working on your website, a client proposal, deciding where to network or writing an actual article, just get the ideas out of your head and onto paper. Don’t worry about complete sentences, clever themes or specifics. The point is to just start.

3. Invest by carving out the time. If you want to attract more clients for the long haul, you’ve got to carve out time to work on this stuff. It won’t happen by itself. Look at it as an investment in what matters most to you (your future? your sanity? your family? your freedom?). Then carve out the time to invest. Start small – 15 minutes of uninterrupted, honest-to-god-I’m-not-going-to-do-anything-else time every day – then expand to 30 minutes and more. I’ve found that the daily discipline is what makes this magic.

4. Protect and guard this commitment. Others will try to lure you away (that crucial client meeting…the latest staff crisis…family and friends), interrupt you, to make their needs more important. Don’t take the bait. Make your commitment to this investment more important. Julia Cameron shows us how to keep from being “blocked by falling in with other people’s plans for us,” in The Artist’s Way.

5. Use a timer. Okay, I know this sounds anal…but it works. I learned this from my friend, Susan Rose, whose book, ‘Bourbon? Babes, comes out this fall. Now I’m addicted. Instead of stressing about the time I don’t have, I simply set a timer and do the work. When the alarm goes off, I stop. It’s very freeing, since I don’t have to decide when to stop – the alarm decides for me. Try this every morning for a week and see how much you accomplish.

6. Show up and see what happens. Carving out the time to work on marketing is half the battle. The other half is being open to what you come up with during the time you’ve set aside. The best ideas will come to you if you don’t pre-judge your efforts. Why put that kind of pressure on yourself?

7. Be gentle with yourself. Remember lousy first drafts? Again, go easy. Take a page from The Artist’s Way, where Julia Cameron encourages us to “go gently and slowly…no high jumping, please! Mistakes are necessary. Stumbles are normal. Progress, not perfection is what we should be asking of ourselves.”

8. On the other hand, no whining. In his Little Red Book of Selling, Jeffrey Gitomer gives us a tough love message that, when in doubt, give yourself a swift kick in the rear (his words are less delicate, but you get the idea). His main advice: no whining and kick your own a--!

9. Don’t go it alone. Yes, you have to carve out the time, show up, and stop whining. But you don’t have to go it alone. Create a system of support. Schedule a weekly check-in meeting with someone. Subscribe to marketing e-newsletters and online groups. Start a Marketing Book Club and meet monthly to share ideas. Join one of my Marketing Action Groups, Online Discussion Forums, Marketing BootCamps or Advanced TeleClinics. Get marketing coaching. The best athletes, performers and executives have ongoing support…why not you?

Getting started is the hardest part. I promise you, that once you carve out the time and just start, you’ll notice progress. And that progress – however small – will act as a magnet. It will attract you to the work of being a marketer, in ways that you can’t imagine now.

To Julia Cameron’s point (she uses the word ‘artist’ where I use ‘marketer’)

“Remember, that in order to recover as a marketer, you must first be willing to be a bad marketer. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. By being willing to be a bad marketer, you have a chance to be a marketer, and perhaps, over time, a very good one.”

References

Cameron, J. (1992, 2002). The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. New York: Tarcher Penguin.

Gitomer, J. (2004). The Little Red Book of Selling. Austin: Bard Press.

Lamott, A. (1994). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books.

TurningPointe Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Marketing educator, Kelly O'Brien, is creator of the Create a TurningPointe! Marketing BootCamp and Advanced Marketing TeleClinic. To learn more about these step-by-step programs, get her FREE 20-page Marketing Guide and more how-to articles, visit http://www.TurningPointeMarketing.com

[tags]marketing strategy, marketing, marketing implementation, marketing strategy implementation, coaching[/tags]

Being with Stress

Identifying your particular sources of stress, which stem from your interpretations of, and feelings about these situations, is the first step to resolving them. Becoming aware of how your mind works is also critical for harnessing your ability to make more creative decisions, and to manifesting a calmer, healthier and more satisfying life for yourself and those around you.

Work stress can drain your energy in a variety of ways. Job uncertainty in our hobbled economy, conflicts in business strategies, organizational change, long hours, upper/lower management friction, productivity demands, reluctance to delegate, as well as promotion with its increased expectations, are but a few of the myriad ways work can overload your system.

Personal relationships are another prime target for a stress review. Are your relationships a source of pleasure or are you dogged by unmet expectations of your partner, children, extended family, or aging parents? Has lack of time meant certain decisions are left on the back burner, or do arguments tend to fester without resolution?

Self-neglect will certainly elevate your stress levels over time. Projecting an image of invulnerability, pushing yourself to near exhaustion, relying on coffee and tea to remain alert and alcohol to unwind, long hours, or overeating, with no energy for exercise, let alone for hobbies and activities separate from work or family responsibilities.

In addition to these common sources of stress, the uncertain times we are living in, with the threat of terrorism, war, economic uncertainties, and the ever present threat of Sars, each winter, has topped up most people’s stress levels.

You may have symptoms that are a clue to your levels of stress. Common symptoms include daily fatigue, a short temper, increasing interpersonal conflict, a heightened sense of tension or anxiety, especially in anticipation of certain activities, mood swings, sleep problems, declining productivity, frequent headaches, or weight gain or loss. If these symptoms persist over time, they may well be signs of incipient burnout. Identify the sources of your stress and then target action to resolve each specifically, as well as action to calm your body and mind, so you will be better equipped to cope with potential stressors in the future.

Much has been written about stress releasers, those activities which basically get your mind off your sources of stress, at least temporarily. These diversions include team and solitary land and water sports, cooking, gardening, cultural pursuits, sweating out your stress at a gym or on a yoga mat, meeting up with trusted friends, pursuing a long held (non work-related) interest, pampering yourself, and taking short holidays.

Stress reducers on the other hand, have the potential to counter your tendency to react to perceived stressors with additional mental, emotional and physical stress. Developing the capacity to relax is at the foundation of any program undertaken to overcome any form of stress. I am referring in particular to the undisputed benefits of establishing a simple mindfulness meditation practice, using the breath and focused attention to be fully present with whatever is going on within you at the moment. With the practice of mindfulness meditation, your habits of evaluation, assumptions, interpretations, feelings and responses become available to detached observation and potential change. You begin to cultivate awareness, attentiveness and alertness to what is happening without being ensnared by it. Rather with awareness you can explore, moment by moment, the truth of what is arising within your experience. There is a strength and maturity of mind in true awareness that sees life without judgment, comment, resistance or holding on.

“Whenever things start feeling complicated, I’m sure that struggle, non acceptance and aversion are somewhere in the neighborhood. At those times, I remind myself that meditation is not about bullying the mind or shaping experience in any way. Meditation is about loving the mind back into the present moment.” (G. Harrison, In the Lap of the Buddha)

Find a quiet, private place where you won’t be disturbed by anyone or anything for at least 15 minutes. Whether you choose to sit cross-legged on a pillow or in a chair, be sure your back is erect, with nothing pressing against your spine. Lift the back of your head up toward the sky, thereby elongating the spine.

Sit quietly, with your hand on your abdomen, feeling your breath rising and falling. Focusing on your breathing, in itself, is a rapid and reliable way to begin to settle your stomach, steady your heartbeat, lower your blood pressure and focus your mind. To help you disengage from distractions, begin by focusing on your breath. Determine where you experience the breathing most clearly. It may be the tip of your noise, the rise and fall of the abdomen or the movement of your chest. Begin counting each inhalation and exhalation as one until you reach ten complete breaths. If your mind wanders from any inhalation or exhalation you begin again from one. This in itself is a challenging but calming exercise.

After the counting, allow your awareness to settle on your natural breathing.

As you do so, observe whatever comes into your awareness, be it a thought, feeling or physical sensation. Whatever arises, be it pleasant, painful, fearful or neutral, just observe it without grasping, judgment or impatience. When you find yourself distracted (hence no longer present with yourself) bring your attention back to your breathe. Rest your attention lightly on the steady rise and fall of your breath.

This is not concentration in the usual sense because you are not trying to exclude or suppress thoughts, feelings or sensations. Rather allow them to come and go, or simply be there, while gently holding the mind’s focus on the breath. Like doing a task while music plays in the background, you can hear the music but your mind remains on the task. When some distressing thought, preoccupation or feeling becomes predominant in your awareness, observe it clearly and directly without getting lost in interpretation. You will notice how such experiences change constantly, even as you observe them. In the process you are learning how your mind works, what it clings to, rejects, and how your emotions follow from your thoughts.

As your mind disentangles from stressful thought it becomes more tranquil and automatically clearer: like still water, the sediment settles. As an observer, you are then able to experience some insight into your usual automatic reactions. You begin to notice what your mind is doing, the tricks it plays on you and how. The effect of this direct perception is that the mind changes, you are less distracted, more tranquil, and so you are able to bring a calmer, more present intelligence to your life situations.

The continual practice of meditation causes mindfulness to grow - just as training with weights causes muscles to grow. This growth of mindfulness fosters the growth of tranquility, hence less distraction and inner turmoil and an enhanced ability to deal with stress and change.

Long established in Hong Kong, Dr. Melanie Bryan of http://www.mindmatters.hk
specializes in short-term therapy & hypnosis with long-term results.
Working with individuals & couples, Dr. Melanie brings a solution-focused approach to helping people quit smoking quickly, overcome
fear of flying/public speaking, overeating, anxiety, couples conflict,
infidelity, infertility, command training stress, unattractive habits,
insomnia, career change and expat adjustment challenges.
Dr. Melanie also offers Changing Lifestyles and Post-Divorce Coaching.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

Being Black

Being Black and being a man in this day an age is almost like taking a roller coaster ride through life, Whoa! I hear you say, Before you get on your high horse, just let me say that I have spoken to loads of my friends about this, Black and White and they all agreed with what I had to say…So Can I continue? Cool! Right where was I…

Yes, being a young black man and living in the UK or in my case London each day it can be as suggested a roller coaster ride. Here are just a few of the examples of the Highs and Lows of being a Black man, well for me anyway!

Firstly I must say, the one thing that gets me is the staring, it’s the obvious low!

White women, white men, Chinese men and women etc, they all stare, it’s funny but Indian Men and Women don’t stare as much, maybe they feel safe or are just use to the same treatment! Who knows? I mean I can walk on any street, night and day and its always the same, take just the other day, it was 5pm on a Thursday, it was a lovely day, there I was walking up a very prominent road near Holland park, close to where I actually live, I always walk on the right hand side of any road or street, I don’t know why its just my way! So as I was walking, playing tunes from my ipod and taking in the sights of the lovely beautiful Houses on this road. Ahead of me I could see a very attractive woman and yes she was white, as I got closer to this woman I noticed that she was looking directly at me, I thought to myself great she’s stunning and she’s looking at me, cool! But as we got closer she paused and crossed over to the other side of the road and as she did, she kept looking back at me…Hmm! I thought to myself, not good! Now again, don’t fly of the handle but to me it looked as though she was scared of me or found me threatening. Which is understandable in this day an age with the way society is but what got me was that this road was pretty long and if she wanted to cross over why didn’t she do it much earlier? But it got worse for me that particular day because within a minute or two…it happen again and this time the lady was much older. I was starting to think that I must look like a right villain even with the fact that I was dress very decent plus I was carrying my guitar (case) on my shoulders.

This could be just the area of Holland Park I hear you say but I will tell you that this happens every other day to me and also to most Black Men around the UK. We won’t talk about the police and the stop and search factor but I will say that, that’s just gone completely over the top, too much stories to tell so I’ll stop there because that’s just the one of the lows, now let me give you a high, I think you deserve to hear the positives as well as the negatives but after hearing it, would you say it was a positive thing or a negative thing?

Well! Here it is…one of the best things about being a Black Man is how Women perceive us, Black men attract women in a different way than the normal man, or should I say a white man. White men will always get women because it’s their world and that’s fine by me but being Black we have something they will never have and understand. We have the difference! Women who like this difference may tell you, that they like it because they just prefer black men, I think that there’s a deeper meaning to the madness. I think it comes down to one thing and that is fear. Again I can almost hear you all say, what the hell is this guy talking about? Well take it from me; we know that if we want something and we know we can’t have it, we tend to go out of our way to get it and that’s how all of this started, it has just progressed quietly within different generations, cultures and life in general. Are you still with me?

Good to know…

I have travelled around the world and every time I leave the UK I am always racially abused in some way, from airport security around the world to European cities where there are zero Black men and so as soon as you get of the plane you become like a alien and everyone stares at you and sees the difference that I have been talking about. But going back to the women for a second or two, they do tend to see something else than their male counterparts. Most times it’s good for me, sometimes it’s not but being just a man you can’t always get the girl! Different women from around the world prefer a certain type of man, be it regarding their religious beliefs, or sexually traits or even their fear of the difference, What I have seen and have made a note of is that Asian women i.e. Indian or Chinese won’t be seen dead with a Black man, Eastern women are a little different, the new generation of young women do find Black men more appealing but that depends on the nationality of the Black man. American women are certainly mixing it at the moment much more than ever but that’s down to the way Black men are portrayed in the USA. English Women are showing signs but for me mostly in cosmopolitan London. Irish and Scottish White women will not go down that road. The welsh women are much more open to the idea but in general there is still segregation amongst the mixing of Black Men and White Women around the world, again for me it’s very much understandable.

In my case I get loads of attention from White women in fact much more than I would get from Black Women, so what does that tell you! So as I said, is it a good thing or bad thing? If you don’t believe me just check out any dating site, that’s where all the evidence is. Just look at what the women want and you will see...90% of the women want white males and only 10% don't care what the man looks like. Why, Well! Again that’s just the way the world is, preference is very important to most people.

So the ride continues...we have had our ups and downs, what more can I add, well the worse part of the ride for me is simple and it’s the way society sees Black men as a whole! This is a touchy subject that haunts me to the core of my soul but what people really don’t understand is that being Black we see things very simple, we don’t go around thinking we are better than anyone that’s the first thing, we don’t see racism through our eyes when we look at another culture, we don’t question why you are that colour and why we are this colour but with the way we have been duped by the world with simple things like Good is shown by the colour White and Bad is shown as Black, its simple things like this that continues beliefs in white society that colour Black should be feared.

Also the lack of White people around the World, not knowing just where they come from and their own history, Being a Black Man or Black Woman we naturally want to know our origins and we pursue this everyday and most of the new generation of Blacks around the world know so much more about where they come from, much more than a White Person. The History of Black people is rarely told so we are left to our own devices to find the questions and answers so that we can be the proud people and race that we are today. Remember this is just my view point of the situation about being a Black. Yours may be different but that is what makes us the people we are. So today and the next day and the months and years ahead I will continue my Roller Coaster Ride as a Black man and hopefully I will see some changes in my time, Hopefully!

ฉBy Mark J Stevens

Mjsmusic

Singer/Songwriter Mark. J. Stevens is slowly making a name for himself as one of the best new music talents coming out of the UK! Mark is currently putting the final touches to his debut recording Album. But in his spare time he writes articles and is also currently writing a play. Mark says, 'Writing is a great way to release your emotions, sitting down at my PC and writing is one of my favourite things I like to do'. Watch out for this New Music Artist, we think he has a great future as a writer.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

August Thoughts

August 1

"The sluggard says `There is a lion in the road..." (Proverbs 26:13). We think there are huge lions on our roads of life. One is fear of failure. Jesus never considered success or failure in His life; He simply went on with duty and love and then was crucified for His efforts. The fearful man is a fruitless man because he is fearful. "For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you" (Isaiah 41:13). Much has been written on the will of God, but His promises are His wills for us. "...Before [you] call, I will answer; while [you] are still speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24). Blessed promises!

August 2

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." (Jeremiah 1:5). "The birth of a little child reveals God; the helplessness of a little child proves providence; the innocence of a little child illustrates heaven; the death of a little child implies immortality. Surely no little one sent into an earthly home, even but for a day, and bequeathing these beautiful and sublime lessons can be thought to have come and gone in vain." W.R. Alger. "But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace" (Galatians 1:15). Yes, He planned--and still plans--for us.

August 3

"...Pick out some of the best of your circumstances, and consider how eagerly you would wish for them, were they not in your possession." Marcus Aurelius. We miss what we don't have, and we miss it doubly if we once had it and then lose it: the loved one who was with us last Christmas but whose place is empty this year; the first love of religious awakening gone because of neglect, etc. It might do us good to visualize our cherished one's chair as empty and thank our Creator that it isn't. Let us appreciate those we have while we may and, let us remember, the best of circumstances is today.

August 4

"Touch Me and see..." (Luke 24:39). My friend, touch My anguished heart and accept My compassion; touch My eyes and see what I see; touch My ears and know that I hear your pleadings; touch My pierced hands that hold you close to My own human heart; touch My arms that hold you up when human strength can no longer sustain; touch My pierced feet that walk before you that you may walk in My footsteps; touch the all of Me and see that I am flesh and bone as your own flesh and bone. I want you to ask of Me. Yes, I understand your doubts and fears. My son and daughter, walk with Me and touch Me for I am your Friend.

August 5

The woman was crying. "My friend from church came and she told me I don't have enough faith or God would heal me. But my doctor told me it's terminal." It is cruel for a professing lover of God to tell a dying person he or she hasn't enough faith. God does not heal everyone. We don't know why; the secret belongs with God. Is it any wonder some people hate God when they hear this nonsense? It's sad enough to witness death, but it is an even worse sorrow to pick up the pieces left behind by Job's comforters who forget that God gives grace to the dying as well as to the living. This is what we can share.

August 6

"How blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream..." (Isaiah 32:20), so..."Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9), "...Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for wahtever good he does..." (Ephesians 6:8). There is a law of spiritual reciprocity, and it is God's justice. The first of Murphy's Laws whimsically states that no good deed goes unpunished. It may seem so at times, but our God doesn't work that way. Justice will be done in a way we may not see for now. This is yet another of God's marvelous wills for us.

August 7

Charles Darwin wrote: "If I had to live my life again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a week; for perhaps the parts of my brain now atrophied would thus have been kept active through use. The loss of these tastes is a loss of happiness, and may possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character, by enfeebling the emotional part of our nature." Without the finer aspects, we starve what is good and noble, just as truly as we would starve the body if we didn't eat daily. Good poetry, music and art are God's gifts to make life sweeter.

August 8

Leslie Paul, in The Annihilation of Man, wrote about Charles Darwin: "What happened to Darwin has in a way happened to the whole of Western civilization: it ceased to understand or to value, as a whole, anything but the materialistic interpretation of the universe; its spiritual life has therefore fallen into decay; it is no longer able to think in the terms which would give it release from its prison. A blinded Samson, it brings down the temple." True mores give way to greedy mores; noblesse oblige to oblige for the sake of convenience. God forgive us for defacing the good and goodness He has given us.

August 9

"...I beg you to listen to me patiently" (Acts 26:3c). How many times we have wished someone would listen. What a gift to give to others: to bear and endure with them. Elderly people especially need another's ear and heart. "Nature has given to men one tongue, but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak" (Epictetus). "Let the wise listen and add to their learning" (Proverbs 1:5). We say again, how practical the Bible is. The less we say, the less trouble we will accumulate. Every person can teach us something, if only a lesson in what we should or shouldn't be or do.

August 10

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you...Do not let your hearts be troubled..." (John 14:27). "The more quietly and peaceably we all get on the better--the better for ourselves [and] for our neighbors. In nine cases out of ten the wisest policy is, if a man cheats you, quit dealing with him; if he is abusive, quit his company; if he slanders you, take care to live so that nobody will believe him: no matter who he is, or how he misuses you, the wisest way is generally to let him alone; for there is nothing better than this cool, calm, quiet way of dealing with the wrongs we meet with" (Bishop Patrick).

August 11

Indifference or involvement? "But a Samaritan...when he saw him he took pity on him...and bandaged his wounds..." (Luke 10:33,34). The others passed by, even the priest, but the one whose name was a by-word of reproach, one regarded as alien and foreigner, this is the very one who bandaged his wounds and took him to the inn and paid for his care. Here, then, is genuine love, for the Samaritan didn't know the man, but perhaps because of his own position as an outcast, he understood his needs and ministered to the half-dead man. O Father, help us to go and do likewise!

August 12

Some students at Oxford heard that Rudyard Kipling was getting a shilling a word for his writings. They decided to play a joke on him and they wrote, "Please send us one of your words." Kipling immediately sent back the unexpected "Thanks." Whately said, "It is generally true that all that is required to make men unmindful of what they owe to God for any blessing, is, that they should receive that blessing often and regularly." "I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing" (Ezekiel 34:26b). Our trouble, so human, is in recognizing the refreshing and restoring showers of life.

August 13

"...Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers" (Philemon 22). What faith! Paul was that sure of their prayers. "Pray for each other...The prayer of a righteous [person] is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). "I exhort...that...intercessions...be made for all..." (1 Timothy 2:1). When a loved one is dying physically or spiritually, we intercede with the God of love. When we pray for our beloved, we are both raised before His presence. The prayer of the right-minded person changes human will into Divine will and passion into submission for us both.

August 14

The Election Law is as follows: God has one vote, and that is for you; the devil has one vote, and that is against you; you have one vote, and it is that vote which decides the election. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise...He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). "He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will" (Ephesians 1:5).

August 15

Someone we love deeply is in trouble of mind and body. Let us pray for our friend by using the words "our" and "we" and "us" to our Father: "[We] love you, O Lord, [our] strength...In [our] distress [we] called to the Lord; [we] cried to [our] God for help. From his temple he hear [our] voices; [our] cry came before him into his ears" (Psalm 18:1,6). Our cherished one may be too ill in body and heart to pray, so let us take his or her prayer before the throne and offer it to the One who can understand all hurts and relieve all burdens. Yes, "The Lord is [our] rock...and [our] deliverer..." (Psalm 18:2).

August 16

"Though my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me" (Psalm 27:10). When her son committed suicide she decided she would like to know who her real father was--he had forsaken her unmarried mother. Perhaps there would be a clue to the son's despondency to the point of self-destruction. She joined a group that searches for relatives. As she listened month after month to stories of fruitless calls and trips, and the thousands of dollars and many years wasted, she knew then she didn't need to know who her father was--for she knew who her Father is, and that was all she needed to know.

August 17

"Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one...goes to law against another--and this in front of unbelievers!" (1 Corinthians 6:5,6). The cry of the land seems to be, "Sue 'em!" When Mickey Mouse gets sued for accidentally stepping on Precious' toes, we are in deep trouble. Then there was the suit initiated by Daddy because his sweet little girl didn't get her toy from the Cracker Jack box. Here was his golden opportunity to tell the little princess the tooth fairy doesn't always get there, and life is not always fair. Where are wise minds to keep us out of the courts?

August 18

"The garment of praise..." (Isaiah 61:3). "A people cannot be regenerated by teaching them the worship of enjoyment; they cannot be taught a spirit of sacrifice by speaking to them of material rewards...Say to men, Come, suffer; you will hunger and thirst...be betrayed, cursed; but you have a great duty to accomplish: they will be deaf, perhaps, for a long time, to the severe voice of virtue; but on the day that they do come to you, they will come as heroes, and will be invincible." Mazzani.

August 19

"`Come now,' he said, `I thought you had agreed to forgive and forget.' She replied: `Sure, but I don't want you to forget that I have forgiven and forgotten.'" Leslie R. Smith, This Love of Ours. C.S. Lewis wrote, "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive." He also wrote, "It is not that people think forgiveness is too high and difficult a virtue. No! It is that they think it a hateful and contemptible one." Corrie ten Boom, in The Hiding Place, tells about forgiveness. She, too, cried from her cross, "Father, forgive them..."

August 20

Jonah wasn't about to let God get away with forgiveness. God was pleased the people of Nineveh repented, but "Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry...`I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity'" (Jonah 4:1,2). Jonah was so angry he was even willing to die: "Now, O Lord, take away my life..." (v.3). Absurd! The prodigal son's brother (Luke 15) wasn't at all happy about the attention and the forgiveness his father gave to that black sheep, either. As we forgive, we are forgiven (Matthew 6:14). It's another spiritual law of reciprocity.

August 21

"She is clothed with strength and dignity..." (Proverbs 31:25). Strength: vitality, courage, effectiveness, fervor, stamina and ability; Dignity: decorum, composure, reserve, honor and stability. This is substantial clothing for the lady of the house and world to wear every day for it assures warmth and health. True women's liberation has always been to make others' lives less burdensome. Woman is not the weaker sex; she is the gentler sex and should be the happier for it. Abrasiveness is so unlike our Jesus.

August 22

Choices: Proselyte or parasite? Conduit or call-it-quits? Kisses or cusses? Discuss or fuss? Mingling or singling? Underline or undermine? Humorist or fatalist? Charles Lamb said, "The measure of choosing well is whether a man likes what he has chosen." Choose this very day who and what we will serve, and in that choice will be seen what we like well enough to serve. But let us have insight enough to know whether our choices will be constructive or destructive to spiritual, mental and physical life. We cannot serve two masters. God has told us there is no choice if we truly love Him with all of our heart.

August 23

Great liberty is accorded the praying man, if only the heart is in rapport with God. People pray kneeling: 1 Kings 8:54, Ezra 9:5, Daniel 6:10, Acts 20:36; standing: Jeremiah 18:20; sitting: 2 Samuel 7:18; lying prostrate: Matthew 26:39; silently: 1 Samuel 1:13; aloud: Ezekiel 11:13; alone: Mark 1:35, Matthew 6:6; together: Psalm 35:18, Matthew 18:19, Acts 4:31; at fixed times: Psalm 55:17, Daniel 6:10; everywhere: 1 Timothy 2:8; in bed: Psalm 63:6; at any time: Luke 18:1; spontaneously: Matthew 6:7; and for everything: Philippians 4:6, Genesis 24:12-14, 1 Timothy 2:1-4. God hungers for our fellowship, not our posture.

August 24

Is our hope a cable or a cobweb? "...Christ Jesus, who is our hope..." (1 Timothy 1:1 NAS). That word is is, present tense, a right-now conviction that there is a chance of help: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help [and hope] in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). The verse doesn't delineate the trouble; it only tells us we will have help when we need it. Our hope is our friend. It is Christian hope that helps us to bear the burdens of life. We may be at the end of our rope, and that is exactly when God reaches down and pulls that very rope--and us--up to Him. So our hope is God's rope.

August 25

"He drew me out of deep waters" (Psalm 18:16b). "And...the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left" (Exodus 14:22). All finally have a Red Sea experience. What matters is, do we drown or do we forge ahead? "Why are you crying out to Me...move on" (v.15). "...The Lord drove the sea back...and turned it into dry land" (v.21). Our duty is to believe God will keep His promises of a dry land while we go through the waters of affliction. The waters become walls of protection, as God brings us through to deliverance.

August 26

"We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..." (Hebrews 4:15a). He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. As we follow in His steps, we find sacred blood in the footprints. As He touches our hearts, we see the nail prints in His hands. How can we not be influenced by such a thought as this, that the greatest became the least that we the least might rise out of our depths to His heights? In the dark night of our soul how much it eases the pain to know Jesus has gone before us and marked the path and pushed aside hindrances to make a clear way for us.

August 27

We crave excitement, so the TV writers rack empty brains to come up with more and more violence and stupidity to satiate what they perceive to be an unending appetite for grossness, gruesomeness and silliness. Years ago Alexander Pope left us this grand epigram for addicts of the perverse: "Vice is a monster of so frightful mein/As to be hated needs but to be seen;/Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,/We first endure, then pity, then embrace." Sometimes certain programs are preempted so something else can be shown. The problem is, common sense, decency, literacy, love, hope and joy were preempted years ago. TV is seen much too oft! And what a waste of God's time....

August 28

Christianity is not only believing the impossible but doing it as well. Philippians 4:13 tells us, "I can do ALL things through Him who strengthens me." That ALL covers it all. That means the entire, complete, whole of life. It is the "greatest possible," the "all kinds of," the "any whatever" of life. It is the ALL of Romans 8:28, that glorious rod and staff of the grieving: "We know that God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I know (wisdom) I can (possibility) do (accomplishment) all (faith) things whatsoever He asks.

August 29

Ten Commandments for a good marriage:

1) List your spouse's good points;

2) List your negative contributions;

3) If possible, read God's Word together;

4) Use your imagination to visualize yourself loving your spouse;

5) Let God have the last word;

6) Forgive, as God has already forgiven;

7) Give thanks to God for this person; 8) Don't discuss problems with friends who thought the marriage a mistake;

9) Be grateful for this set of circumstances; it can mean growth;

10) Make the first move: "I'm sorry; forgive me," whatever it takes to get the marriage back on God's track.

August 30

"The precious possession of a man is diligence" (Proverbs 12:27b NAS); "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives...he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Timothy 5:8). We live in an age of lotteries and legalized gambling: the get-rich-quick schemes of those who get rich quickly off the schemes. The average man must work daily. Jesus the carpenter worked, and the servant is not greater than the Master. "...Nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you" (2 Thessalonians 3:8). Work is a divine appointment.

August 31

"He...was...asleep...; and they awoke Him and said to Him, "`Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?'" (Mark 4:38 NAS). Many a weary and grieving soul has cried this. Storms are sudden and devastating. Is God sleeping through our turmoil? It is a cry of faith that knows the Master can save us, and yet non-faith, for we are tempted to ask if He will save us. We sleep through each others' Gethsemane moments, just as the disciples slept through Jesus' agony: "Could you...not keep watch with Me for one hour?" (Matthew 26:40). When our ship seems to be sinking, let us remember that our extremity is God's opportunity to show His love.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

Assume Nothing Spell It Out

37 years ago today, America landed the Apollo 11 lunar module upon Earth's moon. For those of us old enough to remember this event we have that day permanently etched in our memories. On that date I was an almost 11 year old kid taking a summer clarinet class -- we interrupted our squeakings and honkings to watch the events unfold on a black and white television as they happened.

So, why am I saying all of this? Am I attempting to mark the occasion for some reason? Well, yes and no. Truly, in the course of human history man's landing on the moon was a big event. Talk about going where no man had gone before! Yet, I also realize that the vast number of people alive today have no recollection of the event. Figure that anyone under the age of 42 or 43 remembers nothing about the first moon landing. Subsequent landings perhaps, but maybe not the first one in 1969. Furthermore, we haven't been back to the moon in over 30 years. How many people alive today only know about these events via the history books?

Okay, I am no longer young but I haven't quite hit the jurassic era either. Still, when writing about events of long ago there is one thing that I must remind myself of regularly: don't assume that people know what you are talking about. This is true for whatever types of writings you do: spell out acronyms, expound your thoughts, and make it crystal clear to your readers what you are conveying. Your readership may be a lot younger, much less informed, or simply unable to grasp what you are trying to say. Give them background information even when it seems as if they should know what you are writing about.

Copyright 2006 – For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

[tags]article marketing, article directories, article writing, articles, freelance writer, free articles[/tags]