Every Day!

      When you awoke this morning how did you feel about the prospects that you were going to be facing?  All throughout the day you will be facing decisions:  small ones and large ones!  Some which would make very little difference in the scheme of things in the world at all.  Others that would cause major changes in the world that could lead to unbelievable results.  Let me give you an example of each:  First, you are an international hit man.  Today you wake up and decide to have eggs and sauage for breakfast.  Although you almost always have bacon with your breakfast, today you decide to have sauage instead of bacon.  The change this morning would probably make very little difference, if any, on the world scene.  On the other hand, suppose when you woke this morning it was revealed to you that your current assisgnment for the day was to assassinate a world leader.  However, you decide this morning you were NOT going to carry out your assingment but instead take the day to go fishing.  Thereby the world leader continues to live.  This decision could create major changes and ripples within the time line.

     In accord with this line of thinking there appears to be two additional aspects of these scenarios which must not only be considered, but must be understood to be able to project some type of future outcome.  One we must determine WHICH decisions are the critical ones that may  have a world shattering effect and which are only the "mundane" decisions that do not effect the "scales of balance."  The second point would be WHO are the people who would make the decisions that become major  changes and who are the ones that cannot make any major changes.

     Until we could decifer the correct answers to those two questions we would only be "taking a shot in the dark" as it were to obtaining the bullseye on a target designed to adjust the future as we felt it should be altered.

     Even if such capabilities were possible there is not one of us in a position to be worthy of caring for such a huge responsibility.  Due to our imperfections we could never know if our decisons could be the right ones.  We could never know if any of our decisions would be the one that would cause ultimate complete destruction.  We may think we could be wise enough to make it all work out, but we would only be wise in our own eyes.  It would be as if we traveled to the past and attempted to change a single event and thereby starting the "butterfly effect" that would cause untold catasthrophy in our present.

     I'm only suggesting that since we can't be sure of the outcome of our decisions, we need to use our best thinking ability and make the wisest decisions we can, because we're only human.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Every day I do my best

and leave the rest to God."

Why?

     It seems that for over a hundred years humans have sought peace and yet have been unable to obtain it.  Why?

     People pray for peace.  Governments have talks and sign agreement after agreement and yet peace does not exist.  I think the American Indians had a saying that has proved true for most cases:  "White man speaks with forked tongue."  For the most part this has always happened.  While sitting at the negotiating table and talking peace, at the same time plotting the next event of destruction upon their "enemy."

     Various governments of this world have understood the advantages that might be gained by knowing their enemies strengths and weaknesses.  They also promote, although usually covertly, the appearance of "cooperation" with guidelines to support and foster "goodwill" among their adversaries and at the same time laying plots to overthrow or subvert the actions of their comrads.

     The one against the other and so it continues month after month, year after year, and administration after administration.

     Such nations have the right plan of attack:  know your enemies and their tactics!    They fail to realize the problem is they have the WRONG enemy!

     The bible tells us that "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." [1 John 5:19]  This "wicked one", Satan the Devil, sits behind the scenes, as it were, manipulating the affairs of human governments to his will and purpose.  It is his purpose to keep humans "busy."  Confussed so they pay no attention to what is happening as the "bigger" picture.

     His future of destruction has already been decreeded and he wants all whom he can take with him to have the same such future.  However, it is the will of God that we can gain salvation for a marvelous future prospect and He has already made the arrangements for us to take advantage of his offer.  But the decision is ours.  We must choose life and live, for the alternative is eternal destruction.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"We may never understand the reason why,

but can we not be obedient?"

Vacation

     When you retire and just “work” when you want to, it’s kind of hard to get yourself worked up for a vacation.  However, next week my wife and I will be taking a week off.  My son and his family along with one of my granddaughters and her husband are taking us to Branson, Missouri as part of our 50^th wedding anniversary.

    Actually our anniversary was back in April.  Then they gave us a nice party with many of our friends being invited to attend and share the moment with us.  At that time they informed us about taking us on a trip.  Over the next few months details of the trip got finalized and now we are excitingly getting prepared

     Neither my wife nor I have been to Branson so we are anticipating what is going to be involved.  My daughter-in-law has laid out all the details and provided us with a daily itinerary of our activities.  There’s going to be shows, swimming, boating, museums, and sight-seeing in various areas around Branson.

     We feel that the most important part of this entire trip is the fact that we will be sharing it with our family.  Together over the years we have done many things and shared many various experiences, but the fact that we can continue to experience these things together adds a greater and more fulfilling experience to the entire adventure.

     I forgot to mention that we will be taking this trip together by van!  It’s only about an 8-9 hour driving time, but we’re going to take two days going there and two days to return.  There are places along the route that my daughter-in-law wants us to visit.  Again it will be because we are sharing this journey together that is going to make it most enjoyable.

     As I mentioned we don’t really consider ourselves at a point in our lives where we take “vacations.”  But we are really looking forward to spending this time together with our family.  And who knows, if it works out the way we are thinking it will, “vacation” may be something we begin to look at more seriously.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"A vacation is a time to get away from the stress,

but that's hard to do when you 

carry your worries in your mind."

Suicide

     It’s almost impossible for me to imagine but suicide is the 10^th leading cause of death overall in the United States.  When you add to that statement this point from the National Institute of Mental Health:  “Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54”; the stats on this are staggering to say the least.  In 2016 almost 45,000 suicides were reported.  Add to this figure the sad reality that for every suicide committed approximately 25 attempts are made.

     Here are some additional facts according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

The annual age-adjusted suicide rate is 13.42 per 100,000 individuals.

Men die by suicide 3.53x more often than women.

On average, there are 123 suicides per day.

White males accounted for 7 of 10 suicides in 2016.

Firearms account for 51% of all suicides in 2016.

The rate of suicide is highest in middle age — white men in particular.

     I was really saddened to see that for the State of Colorado (for 2016) the rate per 100,000 individuals was 20.47: approximately 7 more individuals than the nation’s annual rate!

     What is the cause of these horrific figures?  People may consider suicide when they are hopeless and can't see any other solution to their problems. Often it's related to serious depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a major stressful event in their life.

     Is there any help for such individuals?  Therapy and medicines can help most people who have suicidal thoughts. Treating mental illnesses and substance abuse can reduce the risk of suicide.  If someone talks to you about suicide, you should take it seriously. Urge them to get help from their doctor or the emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). It is available 24/7.

     We are only human and can only help in a limited way, but we can look forward to the time mentioned in Isaiah 33:24 “And no resident will say: “I am sick.””  Until that time let us all continue to pray for one another and help as our circumstances permit.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Enjoy your life now, 

and look forward to enjoying it forever."

Happiness

     Some people seem to work all their lives and find it.  Others seem to drift aimlessly through life and have it all around them.  What am I talking about?  Happiness!

     It has been said that happiness is as elusive as trying to catch a butterfly.  The harder you try to obtain it the more it escapes your grasp.  If you forget about the search, it will light upon your shoulder.

     I’m not sure if that is a true analogy of happiness, but it certainly does evade the lives of many people.  But, I think there is a more plausible understanding to the matter.  I feel that the reason so many have not been able to find happiness in their lives is because they have the wrong definition of what happiness really is.

    One definition of happiness provided by Merriam-Webster is a state of well-being and contentment.  Therein lies the problem for so many.  They are never content with what they have.  Even when they say that “this or that” level of attainment will make them happy, when they achieve that level they are no longer satisfied with it and want to have something more!

     We have all done that type of thing before.  I recall after I graduated from High School and had a nice government job my thoughts were “if I could only make $10,000 per year I would have it made.”  Of course, for some of you that type of thinking will only be giving away my age.  But that is what I thought.  Many years later my thoughts were “if I only made $10,000 per month I would have it made!”  Certainly that shows the change in my view of what would bring happiness.

     I think maybe we should not be worrying so much about finding that elusive happiness in our lives as we should be more concerned with understanding the word contentment better and how we can infuse that concept into our life.  The problem we always run into is that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Happiness is knowing how to be content 

regardless of the present circumstances."

The Manual

     I can’t speak for everybody, but having spent almost thirty years in the automobile industry, I’ve come to realize that when most people purchase a new vehicle one item they always want to receive is the owner’s manual.  This is a publication which explains all the operating systems of the vehicle.  It describes for you how everything is suppose to operate and it explains the necessary maintenance required to keep the vehicle running in its tip top state of condition.

     This is not a unique situation to the automobile industry.  Practically every product manufactured comes with an operation or owner’s manual.  People want to know how to keep their purchases in “like new” condition for as long as they can.  And considering most of these products come with some type of warranty one is expected to follow the maintenance requirements to keep the warranty validated.  If you misuse the product, don’t keep it properly maintained, or fail to follow all the required actions, your warranty will be void or perhaps worse, your product will cease to function at all.

     Why am I discussing owner’s manuals and warranties on products?  Because in the beginning of creation when the first humans, Adam and Eve, were on the planet they were given oral instructions on how they should live their lives and obey the requirements that were placed upon them by God.  Of course, we know they failed in their properly using their “products”, their lives, the way which was intended for them.  They lost perfection not only for themselves but for all their descendents after them.

     That’s why we find ourselves in the sad predicament that we are in today.  Not only did our first parents fail to follow the instructions they were given, but many today continue to abuse the precious property that we were given, our lives.  It simply comes down to the fact that many people today are not following the instructions, the owner’s manual, that we have available to us.

     As sad as the conditions appear today, the manual offers us a wonderful hope for the future:  A future were we can be “upgraded” to a new and improved model of our old selves.  We only have to follow the instructions within that manual to gain those marvelous benefits.  The choice to obey or not belongs to each one of us.  What will you do?          

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"To obey is better

than a sacrifice."

1 Samuel 15:22

Employment

     I heard an interesting comment today about employment.  It basically stated that there are no jobs where an individual should be looked down upon.  Any good, honest employment is fitting for some human to receive recognition for doing and if they are doing it they should be treated as fairly and decently as you would treat anyone else.

     It’s true that some jobs or careers may have a more prestigious title or may be looked upon by some as being more desirable.  However, the truth is that all types of honest, hard work should be viewed by everyone as a means for someone to make a living for themselves and their families.

     That is usually the difference between some people.  They try to determine WHO you are by WHAT you do.  They don’t want to consider that there are so many jobs in the market place that have to be done or other things couldn’t get accomplished.  Think of something simple: buying food at the grocery store.

     Of course, we think of the farmer who grows the food, or the manufacturer who cans or processes the food.  We think of the store where we make the purchase.  But look at all the in between jobs.  We have people who test the food, people who do the paperwork for the process (in every situation), we have the truck drivers or the rail workers, and we have the “stock boys” and all the clerks working at the grocery.  And there are many others “behind the scenes” who are making the process work out to its completion.  And not a single one of them have a job that is less important than any of the others.

     Let us not be labeled by WHAT we do for a living, but HOW we treat those who live around us.  Try not to look at a person’s outward appearance, but look at the person they are on the inside.  Be willing to treat all people as if they are better than you are and you will find that your relationships with others will be greatly improved.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Most people who get a job

want a title or a position,

but they don't want to work."

Think About It!

     We are a strange bunch of creatures, us humans.  We say and do things that make very little sense at times, but we continue to do them anyway.  I’ve just thought about it today and I’ve decided to list a few of the things I am talking about.

     Think about it:  We complain week-end after week-end that we have to get out in the yard, go to our storage sheds and remove the lawn mower.  We have to make sure it has gas and is well prepared so that we can cut the grass.  We complain week after week.  Yet, as soon as we have cut the grass what do we do?  We get out the hose or sprinkler and water the lawn so that it will grow!  We are truly a strange bunch.

     Here’s a little quick one to think about:  We are constantly getting the proper use of our words into situations that should be just the opposite.  Consider:  We DRIVE on the PARK way and we PARK on the DRIVE way!  Why couldn’t we get the word and the usage to make more sense?

     I think all of us could relate to this when we were growing up.  I’m sure this never happened to you, but you’ve done something to make you Mother REALLY mad at you.  She has you sitting or standing in front of her while she is trying to explain the situation to you and why you were wrong and are now getting this verbal scolding.  Then the words come out of her mouth: “Don’t say a word while I’m talking to you!”  Do you remember that?  Any yet only a moment later she looks at you with THAT look.  You know the look I’m talking about and she says:  “Why don’t you answer me when I ask you a question?”  You begin to explain and then she fires back:  “Don’t you say a word!”  You remember the situations.

    Yes, we are simply a funny lot!  But then again we’re only human.

    

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Think of every moment of your life 

as a teaching experience.

Some moments teach us what to do or say,

others teach us what not to!"

Value

     When I was a younger person I used to act as such and I thought as such.  I’m sure you probably did the same.  At a very young age you are not experienced enough or knowledgeable enough to truly understand the concept of the value of some things its hard to make good choices.

     As a young child I recall being offered the choice of having a shiny new dime or a larger nickel.  Of course I chose the nickel because it was much bigger.  I was too young to understand the “value” of money.  I thought it would be better to have the larger coin instead of the smaller one.

     There are some such circumstances today which present a similar dilemma.  Consider in many countries the enormous annual expenditures for military armaments!  In the United States alone hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars are spent as part of the military budget.  Large sums of financial aid are spent in other countries as well.  Now whether such expenditures are justifiable is not the purpose of this post, but it certainly shows that with what is normally received in return by such expenditures it is normally NOT something of equal or greater value.

     However, as consideration of expenditures made in another area, look at the education program.  Here individuals could be receiving the schooling and training needed to improve their minds and elevate their thinking ability.  Governments seem to consider the killing and destruction of human lives as a more important value on return instead of improving minds of their young citizens.  They appear to be looking at the “large coin” and not the true “value” of their perceived returns.

     Yet this has always been the thinking of those in positions of decision making within higher levels governmental.  The years I was in the Air Force demonstrated the reality of this.  Whenever a situation would develope that created a “fix or repair” decision, it was always decided to repair.  I recall one specific situation which would have cost approximately $150,000 to fix the situation or approximately $35-40,000 each year to “repair” the situation.  The government chose the “repair” option!

     Personally I have known that most governments have no real concept of value.  They almost always want to get a project approved, knowing that during the three, five, or ten years needed to complete the project the cost is going to escalate the final billing several times its original projected expense.  This is part of the reason that some projects never get started and why all things associated with government are complicated to say the least.  It's hard for them to comprehend the true "value" of their actions when they feel if someone else is voted into office later they will have to deal with the problems that have been created.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Get the project started,

you can justify the cost later."

A Thought

     It seems that today many crimes and vicious acts are committed and the perpetrator goes, for the most part, unpunished.  Often the public has to “care for” those you are in prisons for years.  This is all at the expense of the taxpayers.

     First, let me explain I’m not talking about those who have been unjustly tried and have been spending their lives behind bars due to no fault of their own.  There are some that we are learning about today who have themselves become victims of the legal system.  I’m referring to those individuals who are known to have committed crimes and now sit within jail cells waiting to find out if they are “competent” enough to stand trial.

     There are some individuals who have been “waiting” for years and yet are no closer to being held accountable for their crimes than they were on the day they committed them!  The only persons having any real benefit from such situations are the lawyers.  The families of those who were killed are certainly not gaining any closer or peace of mind!

     I’m not purposing this as the only reason, but let’s consider the situation today for some.  With economic conditions as they are it’s hard to find work for many.  The costs of housing, food, medical care, insurance, etc. have continued to climb out of the reach of many.  Perhaps for some the easier way is to commit some type of crime and let the “state” take care of you.

     Consider this:  If you are sent to prison your housing is cared for, you have good meals every day, you get medical care provided to you, there are no worries about insurance and you can even be given some type of work to do for pay!  You can also avail yourself of educational training and in some cases individuals have gotten college degrees while they were in prison.

     It would seem that everything would be better for you by committing a crime and getting all your needs cared for by the “state”.  However, I am NOT recommending that you follow this plan.  Things may not work out for you for many other reasons.  But again we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Many are prisoners, not of bars,

but within their own minds."

Truth

     According to a New York Post article “Rudy Giuliani declared “truth isn’t truth” on Sunday while expressing his concerns over having President Trump sit down for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller as part of the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.”

     I don’t like politics and don’t really care how these individuals feel about each other or the various situations that they talk about.  However, “truth isn’t truth” has got to be the dumbest statement I have ever heard an “educated” individual utter!

     In believing that you can say what you want and then subject your comments to no rational reality, that doesn’t make your statement true!  If that were the case you could argue that whenever a person wanted to go against the “value of society” or “norm” he or she could make any statement they wanted and then justify it to be true.

     Just because you want something to be true doesn’t make it truth.  That is easily proved.  Just go to the top of any building and make the statement: “I am going to step off the edge of this building and I WILL NOT fall but walk straight across the open parking lot to the other buildings rooftop.”  Now that you have made that statement do you really believe it to be true?  Could you step off the edge of the rooftop and NOT fall to the ground?  I don’t think so!  By making the statement it has not become truth.

     That having been said leads me to the thought that most people rationalize that truth is the opposite of a lie.  We are given this rational thinking from early in our schooling.  Many tests are only true-false questions.  Many people have trouble with having to “write out” an answer to a question where you have to consider many variables and make conclusions based on different assumptions.  Then a true-false scenario becomes cloudy.

     This relates to our thinking abilities.  We may KNOW something is true.  We may THINK something is true.  We may PERSUME something is true.  Or we may HOPE something is true.  However in the BIG picture we can only base truth on a “touch stone”.  That is we must have a good, reliable source upon which to gage other statements, events, etc. against in determining if something is true or not.

     Often we try to justify our “true” statements by making the assumption that based upon what others have said or done, our statement is the most ACCURATE!  So in an attempt to “clarify” his comments, Mr. Giuliani made the following statement as reported in the Los Angeles Times: "My statement was not meant as a pontification on moral theology but one referring to the situation where two people make precisely contradictory statements, the classic 'he said she said' puzzle," Giuliani said. "Sometimes further inquiry can reveal the truth other times it doesn't."

     It just goes to show that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The truth can be concealed from the uninformed,

but it will always be exposed to those who seek it."

Another "DEEP"

     It’s time to go deep into my mysterious mind again and try to do some thinking on one of those topics that most people don’t want to think about: Aliens!

     Now I’m not talking about the word as some may apply it to individuals who enter a certain country from another and are referred to by this term.  I’m talking about those beings that some say are visiting this planet from another planet, or from another dimension, or from the future, or as some suppose from within this planet itself!

     It will usually depend on who you speak to as to which possible location the origination of these visitors may be.  It will also depend upon whom you talk to as to what these visitors look like also.  And don’t begin to discuss with some people as to WHY these visitors are here.  You will get a great array of reasons as to why they are here.  Or as to why they are coming back.

     When you try to put together some type of scenario, some people will pull into the equation other mysterious creatures: Bigfoot, the monster of Loch Ness, the New Jersey devil, and other such creatures.  So the alien question becomes even more difficult to discuss or even begin to unravel.  Of course, part of the problem of having a credible discussion on this topic is that there are a number of people who just plain think you are “nuts” if you voice your belief in even the possibility that aliens even exist!

     This is one of the big barriers to having a legitimate discussion of the subject.  You can’t have an open dialog on something that you have already determined in your mind cannot be true!  It is just NOT going to happen.

     So if you are one of those individuals: The person who has determined in your mind that it is totally impossible for any “being” to have visited our planet from a location that is not of this Earth I want you to think about this.

     If we use the term “extra-terrestrial” instead of alien: That is someone who IS NOT of this Earth.  If we tell ourselves and others that we believe in the Bible, we must recognize and acknowledge that angels and even Jesus himself are not of this Earth.  They are “extra-terrestrials” who have made visits to this planet.  They have also had great influence to the humans of this world.  Some, the Devil and his demons, have had a very corruptive influence.  Jesus on the other hand has had an uplifting affect upon all those willing to live their lives in harmony with his teachings. 

     When the discussion comes up in the future as to a topic that may or may not seem possible, perhaps you should keep an open mind until you get enough facts to make your own decision.  However, some people will always want to “straddle the fence” as it is said and not make any decision.  As always this is probably the case because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"A mystery is only the unknown

before we have all the facts."

Tears

     According to eyebeautytips.com: “The primary purpose of tears is to clean and lubricate the eyes.”  However I think we all know that tears are more important to us than that.

     We cry (or produce tears) for a various number of reasons.  Have you ever peeled an onion and NOT cried?  I’ve heard it can be done by peeling the onion under water in the kitchen sink, but I’ve never tried it.  I don’t like onions, never have, but that’s a different story than what I am writing about here.

     We also cry because we become sad over a situation or because we are extremely happy about something.  Sounds funny, but that’s the way we work.  It has to do with our emotions (one way or the other).

     Sometimes our emotions seem to overwhelm us when we experience a tragic event in our lives: perhaps the sudden loss of a loved one.  Then for some perplexing reason, many years later, we can have the event come up into our minds and once again we are suddenly stricken by the grief of this long past event and will begin to cry.

     It seems that women are more emotional than men.  A woman can be fine one moment and without any “apparent” reason just begin to cry.  Men often (and not for the better) have a hard time understanding this.  In one study that was reported on by bustle.com concerning men and women being left alone in a room to “meditate”.  Afterwards they were setup in the same situation but were allowed to give themselves a brief “shock” to take their minds off their loneliness.  Men gave themselves shocks more than two thirds the numbers of times done by the women.  In other words, most men would apparently rather experience physical pain than be alone with their own thoughts!

     Of course, great happiness can also make us cry.  We can experience situations that simply are beyond our understanding: such as, when we are extended kindness in such a way that it is completely unexpected and it overwhelms us.

     Perhaps we should stop and consider just how wonderful our tears are and what they not only do for us, but how they help us get through many various situations.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"I cried when you left.

I cried when you came back.

I hope you can tell the difference."

Baggage

     Have you been flying on an airplane somewhere lately?  Forget the fact that you will probably have a lot of work to do to get a decently priced ticket for the flight you are also going to pay a hefty fee for those extra bags that you want to take with you. 

     It’s true that most people try their best to pack as lightly as they can so that MAYBE they have ONE checked baggage and a carryon bag.  But that’s not always possible.  You can only do the best you can and then the airlines are going to begin adding those extra fees to the cost of your flight.

     Many of us have the same problem going through life on a day to day basis.  We have things that have happened within our past that for whatever reason we cannot or WILL not let go of.  Regardless of what the “baggage” maybe we continue to carry it throughout our lives.  This really becomes an extra burden upon us and we will PAY for carrying that baggage for a long time.

     What we need to do is learn how to “let go” of those emotional weights and lighten our load.  If things have bothered us in the past we need to face them for what they are, deal with them as may be necessary to do, and then set them down and stop paying those extra “fees” of quilt or remorse.

     No one can do those things for us.  We certainly can have support and assistance as may be necessary, but we are the ones who must make the decision to put those things in our lives “aside” and NOT to pick them up again!

     If we can master this necessary aspect of our lives we will be much happier and our required load will become lighter because we will not have all that extra baggage to carry around.

     It may take some time to get the various events of the past into a controllable “container” that we can then set aside and discontinue carrying the heavy burdens they represent, but the benefits to do so will far outweigh the efforts that will be necessary to get it accomplished.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you find that your problems have dug you

into a hole, the first thing you have to do is STOP digging!"

Ignorance

     I look back on my life and think of the many times when I was in a situation to meet new people.  Sometimes I was held back because of preconceived ideas about them without really giving them a chance to show me who they really were.

     I’ve had the opportunity to have made trips outside the United States to several different countries and what I found was that most people are the same.  Well it’s true that the language might be different, their cultural beliefs or traditions may be different, but when you take the time to understand them we are basically the same.

     Most people worry about how to get through the day and provide for their families.  They want to work at a productive job and provide the basic necessities for those that they love.  They laugh and enjoy having a good time.  Their children want to have the chance to grow up with a good education and the hope of a good future.  They have many of the same fears as you and I and they look forward to a life that is free of turmoil and strife and a time when they could have better health care.

     It’s true there are many bad and crazy people in the world.  Unfortunately we have to be cautious today in our surroundings.  But that is true regardless of the country you are living in.  It seems there will always be those few who are intent on creating bad conditions for others around them.  Yet, the majority of humankind only wants to live in peace and harmony.

     These are critical times hard to deal with!  That is for certain.  However, they are NOT impossible to deal with.  If we can educate ourselves about human nature and seek to treat others the way we would like to be treated we will find that many situations that result in confrontation and hatred could be resolved in love.  The saying that ignorance is no excuse is true in many cases.  Understanding our human kin would be an excellent place to practice striving to put ourselves into the “shoes” of others.  Remember all of mankind is in this “game of life” together.  And we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"There is no smarter man than one who 

knows how truly ignorant he is."

Website?

     This is probably one of the MOST frequent questions I hear from individual wanting to start their own business.  Hopefully the following information will be of help.

     People always want to follow the latest thing, be it in fashion, sports, that kind of thing. Websites have become a necessity to almost everyone. Companies, businesses, individuals, even young adults have created personal websites with their respective purposes, be it for profit, or for entertainment.

     What one must consider, however, before creating a website, are the factors in which must be put to thought before doing so, such as the cost, maintenance, use, web hosting and so forth.

     Firstly, associating with the cost, we must always try to find an affordable host, not spending too much, or too little. A cheap host does not exactly symbolize a credible reliability rating, but we must always look for value for money deals. Also, regarding the efficiency and server/web host reliability, there are many cases of web hosts not providing the service they had assured other people, some had even shut down and were nowhere to be seen. Keep this note in mind, if you would like a long-lasting website, this would be the first thing to look for.

     Next, would hiring a professional be affordable? Is it the best option? For simple websites, we could always pick up the coding, or even use programs, as it is relatively simple. However, when it comes to more complex coding, and when you want it to do a tad more than just providing information, hiring help in doing so would be the best way. Not only in terms of design, but security is also a key factor in assuring a quality website. If the website also acts as a portal for businesses, security would definitely be the issue here.

     So, having considered the things to do before building a website, do we actually NEED one? If creating one would boost sales or promote positive implications, then by all means, go ahead and do what’s best. Yet again, planning is the key to success, in everything we do.

     Here are 5 Important Rules in Website Design that you would want to keep in mind if you are doing your own website design work.

1) Do not use splash pages

     Splash pages are the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They normally have a very beautiful image with words like "welcome" or "click here to enter". In fact, they are just that -- pretty vases with no real purpose. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the "back" button! Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.

2) Do not use excessive banner advertisements

     Even the least net savvy people have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements so you will be wasting valuable website real estate. Instead, provide more valuable content and weave relevant affiliate links into your content, and let your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.

3) Have a simple and clear navigation

     You have to provide a simple and very straightforward navigation menu so that even a young child will know how to use it. Stay away from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don't know how to navigate, they will leave your site.

4) Have a clear indication of where the user is

     When visitors are deeply engrossed in browsing your site, you will want to make sure they know which part of the site they are in at that moment. That way, they will be able to browse relevant information or navigate to any section of the site easily. Don't confuse your visitors because confusion means "abandon ship"!

5) Avoid using audio on your site

     If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your site, reading your content, you will want to make sure they're not annoyed by some audio looping over and over on your website. If you insist on adding audio, make sure they have some control over it -- volume or muting controls would work fine.

Here’s some information that may be of help:

     Design Free Websites:  Review this information to see all the FREE stuff you can get.

     Your Own FREE Website:  You only have to pay for annual hosting fees.  You design the website the way you want it!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You may be the best at what you do,

but WHO knows that?"

Fault

     Sometimes we find fault with others that we see and the things they are doing or saying.  However, can we really say that we understand their situations?  Had we been through the same things in our lives would we have been any different? 

     It’s easy to say we would!  But we don’t know that for a fact.  As just one simple example:  I’ve seen and hear for years about the scams that are pulled on the elderly.  This people who have very little money and others take serious advantage of them.  I’ve often wondered how someone could be so gullible to have fallen for such an obvious deception.

     Then one day I found myself caught in a scam and was literally one thousand dollars lighter in the bank account!  How could this have happened?  How could I have let myself be taken by such an obvious ploy?

     We never know at times how we will react to certain situations.  So how can we judge others when we don’t know their circumstances?  Why doesn’t he get himself a job instead of living off the government?  How can they treat their families the way they do?  And there are many other comments that we have heard or perhaps made ourselves.

     We must also remember that not all people react to the same situations as would others.  We may find that what has absolutely NO interest to us may be the biggest problem that another would have to face.  And some people have chemical imbalances within their bodies that we don’t understand.  It could make them react completely different from what we may view as the “normal” response. 

    The only life that we have any semblance of control over is our own.  Do we do all that we can to make ourselves the best person we can be?  Do we endeavor to change things within ourselves so that we can cope with today’s anxieties?  These are the things we have to work on.  But we must never forget “we’re only human!”

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Looking for the faults in others is easy.

Correcting the faults within yourself is more difficult."