Archive for March, 2008

Dear Pastor,
I walked down the busy street, knowing I was late for an important meeting. My eye fell upon one of those unfortunate, homeless vagabonds that are found in every city these days.

Wearing what can only be describes as rags, carrying every worldly possession in two plastic bags, my heart was touched by this person’s condition.

Some people turned to stare. Others quickly looked away as if the sight would somehow contaminate them.

Recalling some long ago Sunday school admonition to ‘care for the sick, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked.’ I was moved by some powerful inner urge to reach out to this unfortunate person.

Yes, where some people saw only rags, I saw a hidden beauty. A small voice inside my head called out, ‘Reach out, reach out and touch this person’!





So I did……….


I won’ t be in church this Sunday!

Weekends should be a time to relax, to unwind and get over the stresses of the past-week while recharging the batteries for the week ahead. But, instead too many of us now actively dread the thought of the two-day break as it has become busier than the working week!

The truth is that for far too many, planning for the weekend has become akin to a working out the logistics for a co-ordinate military exercise. Making sure that we the squeeze the maximum amount of activity into a mere 48 hour period has become, like everything else in our lives, a competition. We compete against each other and the dreaded clock as we strive to produce the ‘best’ possible weekend.

But we don’t help ourselves, because we live in an age when too many of us are consumed with guilt when idle. So, instead of relishing any peace, there is a nagging doubt that we should be doing something productive; so it’s no wonder that we have trouble sleeping. Sleep deprivation is on the rise according to the government, as we simply find it far too difficult to switch off from life. Even though the body needs rest the mind simply can’t stop ticking over.

To compound stress levels further, it appears anyone equipped with the latest versions of smart phones can never escape the office. Wherever they go they can be contacted. Employers expect us to be at the desk for the allotted working hours, but many now even consider contacting workers outside of core hours as the norm. Can we ever escape?
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Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea.

Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression.

Did you know people are taking green tea extract as an aid to weight loss? Scientific research shows us that this herbal supplement can actually help the body get rid of excess fat by revving up the its metabolic rate, the energy burning process.

Metabolism is a chemical process carried out by the body that creates the energy you need to live. Increasing the metabolic rate requires means more fuel is required to be burned and this is where the body will usually draw on its fat reserves to enable the process, this is how your overall weight is reduced.

The end result, as desired is of course, is achievement of weight loss. But naturally this only happens as part of an overall effective weight loss program. You still need to eat healthily and take regular exercise.

Personally I prefer drinking green tea as it was meant to be and enjoying it that way! But if you do not like the taste then this is a good way to still take advantage of the health benefits.
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These are only some of the few things I examine in the following twenty features I have come up with concerning life and all its intricacies. Some will make you laugh, others will make you scratch your chin, but whatever your behaviour, each and every one of these twenty or so queries.

1) How come when you close a glue cap the glue sticks but this same paste does not stick to the sides of the glue tube?

2) Did you know that according to mental research that has been carried out all over the world twenty-five percent of the population are suffering from one from of mental deficiency or the other. In lay terms, this means that if you have three friends that are sane, you are the one insane!

3) If you have either a television or a Video Receiver or a DVD or anything that needs a remote controller, this odd behaviour is familiar. Have you noticed that whenever the batteries begin to get dull, we press down harder? Are we expecting to squeeze more out of them?

4) Supposedly the man from the jungle lives in the jungle, yes? Then, how and where did his beard disappear to?

5) How is it that no matter how tight you close the shutters of light bulbs, flies or other insects manage to get inside?

6) Still use plastic bags instead of the more nature-friendly paper ones? Ok. Then, pray tell, why can’t I ever manage to open one on my 1st attempt?

7) Why do they use sterilized needles when injecting a convict on death role?

Why do the banks charge extra if you withdraw more money than is present from your bank account? Don’t they realize that there’s no money in the account?
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Let me reveal a secret for you: Anyone can learn how to perform magic tricks.

Is it easy to do what magicians are doing in front of many spectators? How does it feel if you are the one who is performing these kinds of magic sleights? Have you ever wondered how the magician on stage managed to get the rabbit out of the hat? Or how he managed to get the girl out of the coffin when she was sitting right next to you?

Well, magic tricks are not easy to learn or perform. But there is a huge art lying behind the madness and the magic. It may not be easy for you to start making people vanish into thin air, but you surely can try your hands at some sort of magic tricks. But most people keep wondering where to start and they end up never starting at all.

If you know how to use your computer, you can instantly learn magic tricks or even card tricks because the Internet is the answer.

By searching the internet, you can find almost all kinds of magic tricks that you want to learn. Be it magic tricks according to your age, or your skill level, you will find them all on the internet. The main factor that you need to consider and realize is that you are not going to become David Copperfield after you learn these magic tricks. But you surely you can become the center of attention at the next party. You can even impress friends and family members.

The best option is to start of with introductory level magic tricks that are meant for kids from the age of 3 or more. Now you may think that you are not that dumb, but there is nothing like starting from the basics. Though most of these magic tricks may seem corny to you, it will give you a taste of the basic magic tricks that you may use in advanced ones in the future. The hand movements, use of props, grabbing attention, diverting it, they are all covered in these basic Magic Tricks. So start off with the basics.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall.
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Let’s not get too excited here, after all- a tiny micro bikini is a bikini…but so much less! (Ok, now your heart can start racing)

The bikini was invented and launched by two French designers: Jacques Heim and Louis Reard. Heim was a swimsuit designer who had created a two-piece suit to be sold in his beach shop in. He marketed the swimsuit as the “atome,” (named for its small size and meant to be compared with the atom, the smallest particle of matter known). No doubt, it was an outrageously tiny swimsuit.

So, what’s a girl (or guy) to do when he/ she can’t (or doesn’t want to) go completely naked, but wants a minimal tan line, and that oh-so-sought after feeling of freedom and sensuality?

The bare minimum is key here, as only enough fabric to cover the naughtiest of parts is provided. Fabric tastefully put together with dazzling designs, clinging tightly to the beach goers well toned figure.

To understand the micro bikini, you should first understand its’ origin.

It all started out as a legal technicality when nudists found themselves banned. It seemed some of the townsfolk didn’t appreciate all that human form crowded together in one place. After all, what would their visiting friends and relatives think of such erotic sun frolic?

Not to be outdone by the law of the ‘man’, beach enthusiasts began piecing together their own bare minimum attire. A leaf here, a cut up piece of sock there, maybe a strategically placed doily for good measure.

It wasn’t pretty (or maybe it was), but it was legal. Barely.
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Xia Aifeng, 36, combs her super long hair standing on a bench at home in Shangrao, East China ‘s Jiangxi Province , April 11, 2007.

The 1.6-metre-tall woman is keeping the long hair measuring 2.42 metres.

I don’t know why some people do this kind of stuff,

but I would be very curious to find out.

I met money one day. I said,

“You are just a piece of paper.”

Money smiled and said “Of course, I am

a piece of paper, but I havnt seen a

dustbin yet in my life”

We read about experts who can help de-clutter our homes and make the difficult decision as to what we should get rid of. This is a dilemma many of us hoarders face as the storage space available and the items one has collected over the years face a stand-off.

Women are told that the overwhelming number of clothes they have collected can be sorted out through a simple question to be asked of each item. Have I worn this in the past year or so? If the answer is no, you can safely put it away in a bag marked “To Be Given Away Immediately”. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

But the execution of what seems a simple task is fraught with emotional overtones. You take a look at that worn out pair of jeans and the years flash past before your eyes. You recall all the occasions it has been worn and its impeccable record of service.

Then there’s that dress you bought on a whim. You told yourself then that though it would require some nerve to carry it off, you would find the courage to wear it some day. Somehow that day never arrived although it was a serious contender for your approval for that special evening out.

As you cast it one last, long lingering look, your hand reached out for another more comfortable outfit. And back it went into the deep recesses of your cupboard.

It is easy to advise others on what they should do without but when it comes to getting rid of personal junk, possessiveness rears its ugly head. We know from a reading of scriptures that material goods are of no value and that spirituality is what really counts. But being human we are obsessed with the acquisition of earthly goods. And this weakness is fed by the constant barrage of advertisements.
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The love of my life DID IT, you can do it too, he writes….

“I said goodbye to an old friend a few weeks ago. We’ve known each other almost thirty years, ever since I started high school really.We were together on my first date, first kiss, and first trip overseas. We were hand in hand when I left home to go to university.

My friend was there when I started my first real grown-up job, has seen girlfriends come and go, and has been my solace when I had nobody to turn to.

We briefly parted ways from time to time but always managed to find each other. We laughed, we danced, we stressed and we wept together.

We shared our ups and downs. Some times we exercised together and every now and then we even bathed together. That’s a lot of togetherness.

In the past few months I have slowly wakened up to the fact that this friend of mine, who I thought had always been there for me, has slowly been poisoning me from the inside out.
My friend has been blackening my lungs, stinking up my clothes and shortening my breath.

There is more to creating or destroying health than diet. If you are still smoking tobacco, or are concerned about a loved one who is then read on. Even if you are a non-smoker or x-smoker remembers the rule of polluted air – if you can smell it you are inhaling it.

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