Low Carb Does Not Mean No Carbs

June 22nd, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Frances Coleman In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given everything they needed to be healthy and happy. They had plenty of vegetables, fruits, fish, and meats. The garden was a buffet of all you can eat healthy foods. Now when I say all you can eat, I am not talking about your local pizza buffet or the greasy spoon buffet. I am talking about an abundance of healthy carbs and lean meats. Yes, they probably had potatoes but without a deep fryer or butter and sour cream, those potatoes were not a problem. There were no chocolate trees, no potato chip factories, no sweet soft drinks, and definitely no ice cream. They were provided with the nutrients that their bodies were created to need and nothing more. Unfortunately, when they were thrown out of the Garden, the road to unhealthy eating had begun. As with everything in history, as man progresses, he regresses. The first warrior’s weapon of choice was a stone. Look how far we have come from that stone that was used for the first murder. Now we have bombs that can blow up whole countries. Progress? — maybe not. In terms of food, we have more choices than ever before in history, but one truth has survived since the beginning of time. If you consume more calories than you utilize, you will gain weight. Every diet, no matter which one you look at, still runs on this principal. Eating a balanced diet of Adam and Eve’s fruits, vegetables, and lean meat will allow anyone to lose weight. Add exercise and you will lose more weight. Even a twenty minute walk will help you lose weight. How many of you ride around a parking lot five or ten minutes to find the closest parking space rather than walk a few extra steps. Don’t deny it; I know you are out there because I have seen you. I have lived in the South my whole life. Yes, we love fried foods, bountiful tables of food, and a good dessert and yes even bread. For centuries our Southern ancestors ate this way and created our tradition of fabulous Southern cooking. We cooked our vegetables in meat and couldn’t imagine a meal without biscuits or cornbread. My grandmother cooked that way and to this day I remember her meals. My mother cooked that way and I can still taste her fried chicken. The difference is that in those days people didn’t have to run on a treadmill or use exercise equipment. Exercise came from hard work. My mother picked cotton when she was young. My grandmother never had inside plumbing. She worked hard all of her life. She expended those calories she was eating by years of cleaning, cooking from scratch, walking to the out house, using a wringer washing machine, and carrying heavy pans of boiling water for baths and dish washing. Yes, in short they could eat what they wanted because they expended more calories than they took in each day. Today, we simply do not work as hard. With all of our appliances that make work easier and non manual labor jobs, we simply cannot eat the way our ancestors did. We can’t eat the fried everything, the greasy vegetables, bread at every meal, and the desserts our forbearers ate. Of course, we can, but we will pay the price by gaining weight. My blog is all about finding ways to eat healthy without feeling deprived or hungry. I include recipes that I have created for my husband and myself that follow the guidelines for low carb eating but are delicious and easy to prepare. I don’t know about you, but if a recipe has more than five ingredients, I move on. Learning to stay home and cook simple, delicious meals will also help you to stay away from restaurants where the chef piles your plate with enough food for not only you but the whole table. Restaurants are definitely a place where you can eat low carb, but take a look at the calorie count. When I did, I was horrified. The slightly boring meal that I thought was low carb and, therefore, low calorie was a disaster. I could have had something really tasty for the calories contained in that mediocre meal. Low carb has become my life and I have never felt better or healthier. Remember; when you have that desire for bad foods, ask yourself what would Adam and Eve have done. On second thought maybe that’s not such a good idea. It’s their fault we have all these problems in the first place. If it weren’t for them, we’d still be in the Garden of Eden eating the way we were created to eat and we would all be slim as super models without all the air brushing. After years as an educator and more degrees than she can count, Frances Coleman now writes professionally. She is a prolific reader with an advanced degree in research techniques. Read her daily blog about Free Low Carb Recipes and Tips. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frances_Coleman http://EzineArticles.com/?Low-Carb-Does-Not-Mean-No-Carbs&id=120845 e-z payday loans in t cash out fha loan well fargo personal loans no checking account required payday loans

What is the Real Personal Impact of Rising Interest Rates?

June 19th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tracy_Piercy]Tracy Piercy My work is to help people (myself included) understand and apply the principles and strategies of financial independence. I was in the middle of preparing a lecture on analyzing financial statements to help make investment decisions, when I found myself wondering about the real impact of a rise in mortgage rates by 0.5%. So I invested a half an hour with my financial calculator and a few good web sites to do some analysis. The real aha for me came when I realized that I was in fact doing financial statement analysis on a personal level. This is probably a skill not common to most of the population. Yet, at the same time, the majority of the population is affected by these economic changes and could benefit from a personal analysis and by the more informed decisions they could make in response. I was considering the impact of rising mortgage rates, so lets look at what it takes to qualify for a mortgage. First, the property must meet certain criteria then the person seeking a mortgage must qualify for a loan (unless of course they have enough money to make a cash purchase we can still do that you know!). A lender will want at least a 5% down payment and a total debt service ratio (TDSR) of less than 40% in most cases. What is a TDSR you ask? Its simply the total of your monthly debt obligations plus costs to maintain the property and the new mortgage payment divided by your monthly gross income. This is key information if you have any credit use. Why? Because you can have a great credit rating, but if you have too much available credit, it can impact on your ability to borrow. If you have many credit cards, even if they are paid regularly and have no balance, which can impact your ability to borrow also. These are all things to discuss with your lender before you need a loan or mortgage. So heres what I did: I compared a $230,000 30 year mortgage at 6% and at 6.5%. If I only looked at monthly payments, the difference between the two rates was $72.08 per month. It is important to note that this exercise can be done with any other frequency of payments with similar results. And, you can personalize the results by finding a mortgage calculator online and using your own numbers or by sitting with your own financial advisor. So what does $72 a month really mean? It will certainly buy some things, pay some bills or do well somewhere. Ill challenge you to seriously consider what you would do with the money. If you take this a step further, and consider the value of $72 a month actually invested somewhere say at 4% - over the life of your mortgage it would mean about $50,000 to you. What could you do with an extra $50,000? What would an extra $50,000 mean when youre retired and your mortgage is fully paid? $72 a month can also be used as a loan payment on about $3,700 or at the lower rate of 6% could produce a mortgage that was $12,000 higher. What does that do for your home? All this of course, and we havent even considered the enormous impact of adding $72 to your existing mortgage or loan payments what a huge savings that could make!! Considering that the total interest paid on a 6% mortgage of $230,000 would create total interest over the 30-year mortgage life of $262,502 compared to a 6.5% mortgage creating total interest charges of $288, 648 when you add a simple little $72 a month to your 6% mortgage you end up paying only $221,459 a savings of 41,043!! What would you do with an extra $72 per month really? There is obviously a significant amount of money at stake long term, but lets get back to today and the discussion of total debt service (TDSR). If we use the following personal financial information we can easily see that this small jump in rates really can have a profound impact today: Gross monthly income: $6,000 Household heat: $75 Property tax: $150 Minimum payment on $10,000 available credit on cards: $300 Car payment: $300 Mortgage payment on $230,000 at 6%: $1,368 This existing debt service would be 37%. By simply adding the extra $72 from the higher rate we bump the ratio to 38%. This would still be within some lenders qualification requirements, but at the limit for others. Now we have a situation where we are somewhat limited in our options and more likely to experience a cash crunch. My suggestion is to learn about some of these ratios and qualification numbers and use that information to monitor your own personal financial situation. If we treat ourselves like a business, the full economic impact of rising rates can be anticipated and planned for. Awareness of the short and long term effects that changes in the economy have on our personal lives means we are more in control and able to make more informed financial decisions both big ones like buying a home, and day-to-day ones like whether or not to buy a $3.50 snack five days a week - $70 a month! MoneyMinding Inc. and Tracy Piercy accept no liability for the content of this article, or for the results of any actions taken or not taken on the basis of the information provided. The content is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional, personal financial advice. Tracy Piercy, a Certified Financial Planner, offers step by step proven success principles, tools, ideas and strategies integrated with practical financial planning strategies. She has worked in the financial industry, in insurance, banking, and as a well respected investment advisor with CIBC Wood Gundy, for more than 15 years. Tracy is the author of Enlightened Wealth, a personal money journal [http://www.moneyminding.com]http://www.moneyminding.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracy_Piercy http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-the-Real-Personal-Impact-of-Rising-Interest-Rates?&id=143723 bad debt personal loan uk loans for small business short term federal bid loans research articles on personal loan in pakistan money more send loan

An Overview of Microdermabrasion

June 15th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Ricardo Silva From wrinkles to blotches, the appearance of our face is critical. While there are many treatments available, microdermabrasion is one with positives and negatives. The field of plastic surgery is one of the fastest growing areas in medicine. New developments and techniques are constantly being developed to correct many different areas that are causing cosmetic concern in both the young and the elderly. One part of the body that causes considerable stress to people in a cosmetic way is the skin, specifically the skin of the face and neck. Wrinkles, discoloration, scars and acne all affect the way people look, which in turn affects their self esteem. Luckily, a new type of procedure is available to help erase these problem areas. Microdermabrasion is not really a surgical technique, rather it is a non-invasive procedure performed in spas and plastic surgery offices that gives terrific results without the use of knives or lasers. Basically, microdermabrasion is the process of using an abrasive (rough) service to polish away the outer surface of the skin, known as the stratum cornea. Some of the substances that are used to accomplish this are jets of zinc or aluminum oxide crystals, or rough surfaces akin to very fine grade sandpaper. When the mechanism is passed over the skin, the stratum cornea is literally sanded off, and it is then suctioned off (in a dust like form) with a small wand vacuum. Since this layer of skin is composed of dead and old skin cells, the removal of this skin surface doesn’t hurt any of the important tissue underneath. It also does not hit any nerves, so no anesthetic is needed and microdermabrasion is not painful. There are other things to consider about microdermabrasion, most importantly, what it can and can’t do. After a course of microdermabrasion, your skin will be left looking smoother and glowing because you’ve removed the layer of dead, lackluster skin cells that was sitting on top of your healthy skin. You may see a reduction in fine lines and small wrinkles, as well as a reduction in the appearance of acne or raised scars on your face. Microdermabrasion does not, however, get rid of large wrinkles, deep discoloration, or large deep scars. It is not a complete solution for acne, either; repeated treatments are required to treat acne and keep it from coming back. Microdermabrasion is a good alternative to more invasive skin procedures but only if you keep in mind its limitations. Ricardo de Silva is with PlasticSurgeonPractices.com - a directory of plastic surgeons. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricardo_Silva http://EzineArticles.com/?An-Overview-of-Microdermabrasion&id=293375 no tele check cash advance no hassle no fax no employment verification payday advances smart choice paycheck loans payday loans california

Cosmetic Surgery Loan to Take the World by Surprise

June 7th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Pane]Amanda Pane Do you think your flat nose hampers your beauty and lessens the impressiveness of your personality? Are you dissatisfied with it and deeply desire to get it sharpened? Well; you can go for a cosmetic surgery and sharpen the nose up to the level of your satisfaction. But cosmetic surgery is highly expensive; you may not be able to afford so big an amount at a time. Then the best option is a cosmetic surgery loan. Through this loan you can take out enough cash to bear the expenditure of the surgery. Cosmetic surgery loan can be taken in secured and unsecured type. If you are a homeowner and there is equity available in your home then you can take a secured cosmetic surgery loan by offering the home as collateral. The most important benefit of this loan is the low rate of interest. Other benefits of a secured cosmetic surgery loan are big amount, small monthly repayment installments, and a repayment period stretched over a long time. But there is a risk factor in this loan. In case you fail to pay off the loan the collateral you offer will be seized by the lender to recover his money. For an unsecured cosmetic surgery loan you will not require offering collateral. So you can avoid the risk of losing your home in the event of failure. It has other benefits like fast processing, less paperwork and quick money delivery. However, the seamy side of this loan is that it carries a comparatively high rate of interest. Cosmetic surgery loancan be availed despite a poor credit record. So avail the opportunity of this loan to carry out the cosmetic surgery and take the world by surprise with your new look. About The Author The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting apply-4-loans.co.uk as a finance specialist. For more information please visit: http://www.apply-4-loans.co.uk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Pane http://EzineArticles.com/?Cosmetic-Surgery-Loan-to-Take-the-World-by-Surprise&id=232478 90 day payday loans get a quick small loan with bad credit organizations that provide small personal loans for people who have bad credit fort worth small business cash advance

Ultra Violet Pond Filter

June 1st, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Robert Dorrance Having an ultra violet pond filter will give you a much better chance at keeping your pond water clear. When used in conjunction with your regular pond filter, its more than likely that you will have nice clear pond water. The way it works is this. As water in your pond passes through the ultra violet pond filter, the UV light inside of the tube kills the algae. As the algae dies, it begins to clump together. Now your regular pond filter goes into action and traps these dead algae. Without one of these ultra violet pond filters it will be difficult to keep your water clear, and on sunny warm days you will get algae blooms like you wouldnt believe, which in turn will make your water pea soup green. You can get a couple different kinds. They make a submersible kind and an external one. Personally, I think its better to have a submersible UV light, just for the simple reason that theyre out of sight. They are durable and should last you for years, although you may have to replace the light bulb after so many hours of use. In a nutshell, you really dont want to be without an ultra violet pond filter. Robert Dorrance has had a pond for the last eight years and would like to share his experiences with you. Be sure to come by and download the free e-book, How To Build A Beautiful Backyard Pond. Find out more at http://www.Backyard-Pond-Guide.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Dorrance http://EzineArticles.com/?Ultra-Violet-Pond-Filter&id=36683 hialeah car company loan online bad credit secured personal loan how to get a loan with bad credit cash advance lender unemployed

The Perfect Eating Plan To Lose Weight

May 29th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Roy Miller Most “diets” are fads. They claim some special weight loss power. You try them. You lose some pounds and feel good about it. Then you put them back on within a year. That means most diets don’t work. If they don’t help you keep the weight off for more than a year, what good are they? Being fat, thin, and fat again is psychologically damaging. What you really need is healthy eating habits. Any family physician will tell you so. It doesn’t matter what you call it. I recommend something like the Mediterranean Diet, which is has been a good idea since it was “discovered” in the 1950s. But gosh, it isn’t rocket science. Did your mother ever tell you to eat your vegetables? There you go. A healthy diet has lots of fiber, complex carbohydrates, and protein. It deemphasizes red meat, fat, and sugar. Well, duh. You’ve always known that, just like you’ve always known smoking is bad for you. If you eat junk, you’ll feel like junk, and look like a jalopy. Don’t go overboard. You can occasionally have a cookie, or some pizza. But you can’t have Mt. Saint Pizza very often. If you do, you’ll never lose the pounds you want to lose. Cut the calories, lose the weight. Learn to “eat right,” as your Mom probably told you, and you’ll keep that weight off forever. So if you’re looking for the perfect eating plan to lose weight, remember to eat your veggies, and cut out the junk. Copyright by Roy Miller You probably know Roy Miller as an online marketer, and creator of http://www.resale-money-machine.com. But he also struggled with his weight for 20 years…until he figured out how to lose weight, and keep it off forever. Roy created the Get Thin For Life System. If you liked this article, visit Roy’s website to learn about the ideal eating plan to lose weight, and keep it off forever. Just for visiting, you can pick up a free copy of his report called Why Fad Diets Fail: The Shocking Truth From A Physician. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Miller http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Perfect-Eating-Plan-To-Lose-Weight&id=167839 help getting a bad credit loan bad credit secured personal loans uk personal loan interest rate cash purchase vs auto loan

Business Administration Schools Offer Exciting Career Opportunities

May 26th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Michael Bustamante Business Administration Schools offer the education and expertise needed for exciting career opportunities and advancement in business and industry. A degree in Business Administration can open the door to success in all fields of business and all types of organizations, from the largest corporations to non-profits and small businesses. Business Administration Schools teach the subjects of quantitative theory, accountancy, marketing, microeconomics, computer technology, management sciences, financial management, communications, human and organizational management, and business ethics. Students can choose to specialize in any of these fields. Depending on the level of education, graduates of Business Administration Schools may find employment as Administrative Assistants, Financial Planners, Human Resources Managers, Auditors, Bank Examiners, Insurance Underwriters, and many others. A college degree in Business Administration demonstrates a level of education that today’s employers find very desirable. With a plethora of Business Administration Schools, students have many options for earning Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BBA) degrees and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees. If you are interested in learning more about Business Administration Schools, colleges, and universities, please search our site for more information and resources. DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com. Copyright 2006 - All Rights ReservedMichael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active. Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Visit our Traditional School Directory and find Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Bustamante http://EzineArticles.com/?Business-Administration-Schools-Offer-Exciting-Career-Opportunities&id=264495 personal installment loans for bad credit minority sba loan guarantees payday loan washington dc direct lenders payday loans

Fly Fishing - The Feeding Behaviour of Trout

May 17th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Wayne Smith Fly fishing, in all it’s variations and sub-areas (casting, fly tying, etc), centres around a single goal To successfully tempt a fish (Most commonly a trout) to take an artificial fly as a food item. Sighting, hooking, playing and landing the fish are also important parts of the successful fishing experience, not to mention being able to get the fly to the fish in the first place, by the unique casting methods utilized solely in fly fishing. However, along with all that work, and the practice of the skills involved in bringing it all together at that crucial moment, comes that pivotal element of convincing the fish that what they are considering is indeed food-like in nature. Without this key element, we can forget the rest, and this is the one step of the exercise which is dependant upon the decision of the fish, rather than ourselves. In this, fly fishermen spend untold amounts of time researching, studying, and imitating countless insect types in aid of presenting a believable decoy to their quarry. We tie our flies, the fish takes it, our efforts paid off, right? But is everything as it seems? Did we deceive the fish for exactly the reasons we thought? Although there are many factors involved in getting that fly to a timid fish, and fly fishing itself was obviously designed around overcoming all of those obstacles, considering it’s significance, understanding the ‘Feeding behaviour’ of the trout has probably taken somewhat of a back seat, compared to some of the other areas or skills of fly fishing, we fishermen often seem to focus our efforts on. The feeding behaviour of trout is the sum of two main factors: Firstly, through the fry and fingerling stages of development, the identification of specific Food Recognition Keys are ingrained resulting from the repetitive feeding pattern of their natural survival instincts. Secondly, as they get larger, they can manage larger diet articles. Supplementary behaviour is then learned out of a reactive response to the local fauna they find in the area where they are hatched or released. Local knowledge is naturally beneficial here and this is normally what we focus on when fly fishing. The behavioural patterns of trout vary significantly between the species, the size and the circumstances in which they are found. Trout habits also change through different times of the day, and again depending on weather conditions. Feeding habits and behaviours also change between faster and slower waters, and so on. As in most types of fishing, there is not just one single or simple answer. If there was, it would have been made common knowledge, a long time ago. What this does tell us, is that to increase our odds of convincing the trout of the validity of our fly, it’s going to be far more beneficial to concentrate on presenting specific ‘Recognition keys’, which remain consistent, rather than the far more subjective; ‘Circumstance-specific learned behaviour’ which will often vary greatly from fish to fish, and particularly from place to place. There are many pieces to this puzzle. The more pieces you can find, understand and put together, the more it multiplies your fly fishing results. What this methodology does do for us especially, is simplify and sharpen our learning curve by quite an incredible degree. Therefore, instead of studying dozens, even hundreds or more, of insects and the flies designed to imitate them, I’ve found that in nearly all circumstances, you need only a few fly patterns, each designed to do a specific job in the varying circumstances found on the stretch of water you’re fishing. Trout Flies then induce fish ‘Takes’ by the use of food ‘Recognition Keys,’ rather than by intended imitation. For this method then, local knowledge becomes relatively irrelevant. This means flies do not need to imitate anything to catch trout. What!?! Say that again.- Flies do not need to imitate anything to catch trout. Certainly nothing specific anyway. Flies can then be tied to counter stream or water conditions, or to counter, and or take advantage of, various aspects of trout behaviour. This, then (Not being restricted by specific imitation), opens up possibilities for us to incorporate the use of innovative strategies, tactics and trout fly construction, to give ourselves a far greater edge than previously thought possible. The more time we have spent fishing with incorrect or insufficient knowledge, the more time you have spent developing the mindset that the trout is a vastly superior, cunning and unpredictable adversary, and results like mine become seemingly unattainable, and without such knowledge becoming available, the practical reality remains precisely that. Normally it takes years of studying these fish, trial and error with different fly patterns, different fishing techniques, different innovative designs and methods with the right focus to get to a place where you understand these creatures adequately for the outstanding results we normally only see the Pro’s achieving. Fortunately, with the right focus, we can now be achieving much greater success in much shorter time frames by understanding and taking advantage of these ‘Recognition keys’, combined with other behavioural patterns of the trout species we are targeting and just some basic skills of fly fishing. Wayne Smith, author of the acclaimed ‘Fly Fishing For Trout - A Quiet Revolution’ which can be found here: Fly Fishing Find Great Resources here: Fly Fishing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Smith http://EzineArticles.com/?Fly-Fishing—The-Feeding-Behaviour-of-Trout&id=155626 sba loan interest rates no faxing payday loans no direct deposit buy appliances utah county monthly payments no credit check duluth mn bad credit auto loan

Designing Your Flower Garden For Year-Round Beauty

May 14th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Michael Russell Season of bloom: A big mistake that many gardeners make is to buy only what they see blooming in the garden center in the spring. Their gardens end up looking lovely in spring and early summer, but lack color during the rest of the summer and fall. A balanced flower garden has about one-third of its plants in bloom at any given time. Divide your flowering season into thirds (or fourths, if you live in a long-growth season climate) and choose plants that bloom in each part of the season. Visit garden centers in mid to late summer to fine attractive plants that bloom in those seasons Flower color and form: Gardeners usually make flower color their top priority when deciding which plants to purchase. Popular garden themes that revolve around color include single-color plantings, such as white gardens, soft pastels, bright crayon-box colors, or motifs to match the color of your house. Although you really can’t go wrong in mixing flower colors, some hues naturally go well together. Color wheels, which you can find at your local art supply store, show the rainbow as a circle of colored slices. Color wheel opposites, such as red and green, orange and blue, purple and yellow complement each other. Colors that form triangles on the color wheel, such as blue, green-yellow and red-purple, also make good combinations. A single hue (such as red) has many lighter and darker colors (such as pink and scarlet) within its family and combining these make single-color theme gardens more interesting. Red, yellow and orange - called hot colors - jump out in the landscape and can appear closer than they are. Blue, green and purple - called cool colors - blend into the garden and look farther away. Use these colors to achieve certain effects. Cool colors in a small garden can make it appear larger, for example, while hot colors draw more attention to street-side plantings. White also stands out in the landscape, especially in dim light and is useful for planting with more colorful flowers to brighten or moderate the mix. Flower size and shape contribute to the plant’s overall appearance, too. Add variety and interest to your garden by blending plants that produce masses of small flowers with those that bear larger or single blooms. Plant height and spread: Most gardens have a front, back and middle. To arrange plants by height, put the shortest ones in the front and tallest in the back, just like the lineup for a family photograph. Pay attention to the mature width of your plants and give them the space they need. But watch out for aggressive plants that travel unbidden throughout your garden. These usually creep rapidly above- or underground or spread by numerous seeds. Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Gardening Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell http://EzineArticles.com/?Designing-Your-Flower-Garden-For-Year-Round-Beauty&id=216948 bad credit direct personal loan lenders no middle man pay day loans tempe az bad credit school loan secured personal loans

The Purpose of Creation: the Kabbalah of Transformation

May 9th, 2008 by cecillafoest

By Shifra Hendrie I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details. Albert Einstein I would ask, Why was the universe created? Because then I would know the meaning of my own life. — Albert Einstein G-d is infinite and ungraspable. By definition, the more we understand, the more there is to understand. But to know how G-d created this world, His intent and purpose, not only is possible, but part of our mission on this earth. Kabbalah is the key. Some traditions describe our world as a school; a place where souls come and go in order to learn important lessons. But, even though incarnation in a physical body is the vehicle through which the soul expresses itself and its potential, this is far from the whole story. Life in a body does more than usher the soul through a series of developmental stages. The ultimate aim of life in a body is to provide us with the chance to become intimate with G-d, to know His thoughts. Kabbalah explains that there are many levels of spiritual beings, such as angels, and that all of these are powerfully aware of their spiritual source. In fact, this experience is the most important feature of their existence. It defines who and what they are. To these beings, the experience of G-d is all encompassing. They relate to Him like a humble and insignificant servant relates to a great and mighty king. The servants entire life is devoted to the king; the king is his whole reality. But the two remain separated by an enormous, unbridgeable chasm. The servant will serve the king faithfully, but he will never be able to relate to him. This is not true for us. Paradoxically, it is precisely through our limiting experience as souls in physical bodies that we can come to know G-d. We will know Him not only from a distance, as servants, but up close and personal. Passionately. Intimately. Lets look at why. G-d is above it all, independent of, all circumstances; Creator and source. He is the only reality. Everything else that exists is only a highly limited expression of Him. The beings that inhabit the many spiritual worlds all take vast pleasure in His presence, praise and serve Him. But beyond that they are passive recipients. Like rays of sunlight to the sun, they experience and express the light of their source, but no more than that. Physical beings are different. By definition, we physical beings, in our untransformed state, cannot sense our spiritual source. Instead of experiencing G-d as the center of our existence, as the sun, and ourselves as a ray of sunlight, we feel like the center. We ourselves, and our own perspective, are more real to us than anything else. It is our nature to feel sourceless, separate, alone, and centered in our own unique and limited experience. Despite the fact that G-d is the only reality, our experience contradicts this fact. Instead, we inevitably experience ourselves, our circumstances and our perspective as real and G-d as a concept. This is as far as you can get from the truth. In addition, this essential isolation and self-centeredness is the root cause of most of the conflict and suffering that human beings experience. We are cut off from the larger picture. We are disconnected from each other. We feel insubstantial and vulnerable. We compete for resources, like love, attention, success, recognition and money. Much of the time we experience life as the struggle for physical and emotional survival. For all of these reasons, Kabbalah calls this physical world the lowest world. But paradoxically, this lowest world is where all the action is. This is the only place where the purpose of Creation can be fulfilled. This is true because of our uniquely limited nature, because of the fact that we feel sourceless, solid and alone. Only we physical beings have the potential to actually relate to G-d, who is in fact, sourceless, and alone - the only reality. Heres the paradox: As long as we are in the dark, blind to our source, we remain the lowest world, a world of darkness, suffering and evil. But, when we begin to see through our own limitations to our source and purpose, we become the highest. We will always maintain the sense of unique selfness and solidity that makes us human, but this selfness will be fully illuminated by something beyond the limitations of our human experience. We will gain a tangible awareness of G-ds presence and purpose in every detail of our human lives. What initially concealed the truth will ultimately reveal it. Through this process, this physical, lowest world will become the place where G-d is most fully expressed, His true home. This transformation is the purpose of creation. You are here to take a world that is blind to the truth, filled with darkness, negativity and evil, and transform it into a home for G-d. To reconnect with your source. To allow the light of your soul, and the awareness of your Creator, to shine through the limitations of your solid, physical body and linear mind. In embracing this mission, you will begin by transforming yourself and your environment. More and more, you will live a life that is an expression of your own highest potential. And in doing so, you will create an inhabitable world; a world that is a joy to live in, a true home. This is the ultimate win-win. And, by the way, its the ultimate reward. Kabbalah views the afterlife as a temporary stopping place between one incarnation and the next, where learning is processed, corrections made, and the soul cleansed and refreshed. The real reward is here, on earth, as evolved souls, in transformed bodies, in a transformed world. Sharing a home with G-d. We are in the final stage of the transformation process, at the end of the millennia of darkness and separation. It is time to reconnect with our source. Our souls sense this, even if our consciousness is a step behind. Thats why so many of us are searchers. And thats why for the first time, the Divine wisdom of Kabbalah has been made available to ordinary people. As a culture we have begun the transition from blindness and self-centeredness to wisdom and purpose. We are becoming searchers. Its possible now with the right knowledge and with sincere effort - to see through the walls of our physical existence to the true nature and purpose of life. To begin to know the thoughts of G-d. In this process, Kabbalah is our guide. Kabbalah as the blueprint for Creation, is the inner spiritual process through which G-d creates, sustains and transforms our world. Since it is the blueprint, studying Kabbalah will automatically give you insights into the workings of your own soul and the world around you. And, because we are entering the climax of history, the path of authentic Kabbalah has been opened to every person, Jewish or otherwise, who sincerely wishes to reach his highest potential as a human being created in the image of G-d. As a side effect, it will change your world. Shifra Hendrie 2005 Shifra Hendrie is a personal and spiritual coach who has been studying, teaching and living the principles of authentic Kabbalah for over 20 years. Her unique, highly effective workshops deliver this transformational spiritual wisdom in a structured coaching environment, where it can be integrated and applied to core challenges of participants lives. For a limited time only, you can download Shifras new book, Seven Kabbalah Secrets that Can Change your Life absolutely for free,. To download this one-of-a-kind book, visit http://www.kabbalahoftransformation.com. To learn more about Shifras transformational Kabbalah workshops, classes and coaching services, or to subscribe to her free Kabbalah ezine, log onto http://www.kabbalahoftransformation.com or email shifra@kabbalahoftransformation.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shifra_Hendrie http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Purpose-of-Creation:-the-Kabbalah-of-Transformation&id=10299 how to determine taxes on paycheck personal garentte loan educationminnesota short term loans international loan lenders that gives out personal loans to caribbean people