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Personal Items in a Federal Prison Camp

Sunday, July 29th, 2007 by www

You can have your wedding ring but it has to be a plain band with no stones on it. Again, call the institution to be certain because rules change.

Important note:

Make sure you bring the items you want during check-in because once you are in, family members will be limited to what they can mail to you.

For example, I left my wedding ring behind to keep it from being lost or stolen. After a few weeks I decided that I would like to have it and inquired as to how I would get my ring. The camp counselor instructed me to fill out a form with detailed information on the specific item and submit the form for approval. After filling out the paper work I went back to the counselor to turn it in, to my surprise he tells me they discontinued the service. I took that as a sign from God to leave it home.

My comment:

When you self-surrender, there is a time in which they do paper work to get you checked in and they mail your street clothes back home as you trade them for a prison uniform.

Why you should not rely on the FCC to control Television Violence

Monday, May 28th, 2007 by www

Television Violence is a serious problem. However, that does not mean that giving the FCC more power is the solution. In fact, there is reason to believe that giving the FCC more power will make the problem worse.

First, the FCC already has the power to regulate sexual content on TV. Under their wise guidance, between 1998 and 2005 the amount of sex references on TV doubled. I see no reason to expect that they would have any more success controlling violence.

Second, last fall the FCC was caught red-handed censoring reports that conflicted with their policy goal of loosening restrictions on media ownership. The taxpayer-funded reports found that locally owned stations produced more local news (surprise! surprise!). So, the FCC ordered the reports destroyed. When the reports surfaced, all the FCC officials denied any knowledge of the reports. Obviously, these officials cannot be trusted with any power, especially not the power to control what billions of Americans see on their televisions every day.

Finally, parents have the power to control the content their children see on TV already. Many are just not using it. If you want your kids to watch less violence, you need to boycott TV violence in your homes; stop letting your children watch TV in their bedrooms unsupervised; stop letting your children watch cartoon violence; stop letting your children watch so much TV; and start spending more time teaching them non-violent ways of responding to the world (which means cutting back on TV).

The audiobook online maze

Friday, December 15th, 2006 by www

We all know about bookstores. And real books. But just where do we find audiobooks?

Prior to the Internet, we all had no option but to physically visit the bookstores or order via phone or mail. But now with the advent of the Internet, you can search for the exact audio book you want, check out the cost and order it… without leaving the comfort of your home or office.

It is now safe to say that the audio book market place is now on the Internet. Physical bookstores can’t match the incredibly abundant advantages that shopping for audio books on the Internet provides.

The audio book market place on the Internet gives you the opportunity to instantly search for and find the particular audio book you are looking for.

This can’t be compared to the era of physically going through several bookstores and manually checking the thousands of books available before you find the audio book of your choice.

For those of you who don’t have an online audio book store in mind, you can get started by using the search engines to search for the audio book title of your choice.

There are hundreds of sites offering thousands of book titles in many varied categories and genres.

Save the Marriage Alone: Where Do You Begin?

Monday, December 4th, 2006 by www

Divorce used to be viewed as a sign that you had “failed” at marriage. But in today’s society for many people, they see divorce as a sign of freedom. Even those who would consider themselves to be religious and see divorce as being “unholy”, are now getting a divorce because it has become more socially acceptible than ever before.

The next generation of children are growing up in broken homes. Instead of dealing with normal issues like puberty and other social issues, children are now faced with parents who start a new life and even a new family of their own.

But most couples don’t know any better.

We are all raised to believe that it’s simply “tradition” to have a big wedding with lots of people, go on a luxurious honeymoon and then go on your merry way being..well..married.

Many couples actually feel pressured from their very own family members to have a big wedding. Then once the wedding and honeymoon are over, the couple is faced with a large amount of debt from their elaborate celebration.

The first couple years of marriage are usually relatively painless, but as time goes on, the couple starts to get back into their normal routines and eventually they stop meeting each other’s “Ultimate Expectations”.

Why? Simply because they didn’t realize they were meeting them in the first place! The downward spiral that leads to divorce begins when one spouse becomes more discontent than the other. And that’s when resentment sets in…along with that “little voice inside your head”.

You know the one.

It’s the one that says, “Why should I have dinner ready when he gets home, what has he done for ME lately? He comes home, flips on the TV and that’s it…no quality time like we used to have!”

…or…

“Why can’t she just leave me alone sometimes? I just want to come home and just relax! But all she wants to do is talk, talk talk. I need some peace and quiet for once!”

The big problem is that couples don’t realize they’re on the “Secret Path to Divorce” until it’s too late…usually when one spouse brings up the “D” word or says, “I love you, but I’m not in love with you”.

And that’s when I get the call…or in most cases..the email. Most people want to know if their spouse has reached the “Point of No Return”. They desperately need to know if there is any hope left for their marriage.

And I don’t blame them! When you’re struggling with uncertainty, hanging on just a thread of hope, divorce may start sounding appealing for the mere fact that you won’t have to worry anymore!

But I don’t want you to give up hope just yet.

I’ve pulled marriages out of divorce court as a judge put a hold on the proceedings insisting that the couple get some help first before they go on with the divorce.

The couples end up tearing up their divorce papers.

I say this to you, not as a promise, but as an indication that anything can happen while the “divorce machine grinds up it’s marriages”.

So what now?

Well, since it’s nearly impossible for me to give you useful advice to help you save your marriage. You can visit www.marriage-success-secrets.com get free marriage advice and read a wide variety of articles on marriage to help you understand what went wrong in your marriage and what you can do about it.

Many couples ask me what the first step is in healing a marriage.

While many books and self help authors have led you to believe that you need to “do good…and then you’ll feel good.”

(An example of this would be establishing some sort of “touch” with your spouse to try to obtain a physical connection between the two of you. This may mean holding their hand or rubbing their back.)

In reality, there is one huge, gaping hole in this theory.

In one word…contempt.

That’s right.

All couples struggling in their marriage experience contempt in one form or another. Hurtful things are said that only add to the resentment and anger already present in the marriage.

Chances are, if you were to attempt to hold your spouses’ hand, they would view it as an insincere gesture.

At this point, your spouse is thinking, “too little, too late. If you wanted to hold my hand, you would’ve done it a long time ago. You’ve haven’t fulfilled my needs for a long time and now it’s too late.”

So what is the first step you ask?

You need to “feel good FIRST…and THEN do good.”

If you’re wondering, “how can I save the marriage alone“, get a free 30 minute consultation to learn how you can “feel good first, and then do good”.

Online shopping tips for the holiday season

Monday, November 27th, 2006 by www

The holiday shopping season is in full swing and once again this year, online retailers are expecting record sales as Americans shop on line instead as standing in line. Before you start your cyber shopping, here’s some tips for online success.

Before you click… compare. The Net is awash in comparison-shopping sites and my best advice to you is use them. Sites They make it so easy. Type in the item you’re looking for and zap… back comes a roundup from the Web on who has it and at what price.

Shopzilla is another great comparison site.

So is eBay… yes… e-Bay. The auction site has lots of online stores which, because of low overhead and no middleman markups, offer really good buy-it-now pricing.

But price isn’t everything. Look for online specials like free shipping. Thast can add up to big savings and most merchants have stocked up on the best selling ones so prices can be kept at a minimum.

If you don’t know the online site, look for buttons from the BBB or the Hacker Safe security site. Stores that show these have to be checked out for reliability,meaning you can shop in confidence.

One last tip. Shop early. If you order this week or next, delivery will be in plenty of time for Christmas. But the longer you wait the busier shipping companies will get.

And don’t foget to look for opportunbities, too, like sites which help you make money on the web by setting up your own online sites and selling popular items like audiobooks or clothing or whatever interests you.

It’s a wide open world wide web.

Article On Single Parenting

Friday, November 24th, 2006 by www

There are many articles concerning about single parenting. Single parents need not worry on how to handle your situation as a single parent to your children.

You may search for articles like this one through various website and even in local magazines. For more brief and precise articles about single parenting, you may also visit the libraries and bookstores. Reading and understanding the articles for single parenting may give you tips and guides in handling your day-to-day relationship with your children.

Because of the growing number of people who are becoming single parents caused by break-up of marriage, teenage pregnancies, divorce and death of other partner, the publication of articles on single parenting have also increases. There is a growing demand for self-help tips in raising a child or children by a single parent.

The cure for feeling lonely: Join a small group at church

Tuesday, November 21st, 2006 by www

Here’s an important question to answer: Right now, if you really needed some help, how many friends do you have that you could call who you know would mimmediately be there for you?

Still thinking?

This is not good!

You were not made to go it alone.

God created us for relationships with others.

Have you ever realized that four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the remaining six deal with our relationship to each other. All 10 are about relationships.

The most important relationship is a personal relationship with our heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ . But we are also supposed to be connected to others.

“Bowling Alone “is the title of a popular book from a few years ago that talked about how we in the United States have become a nation of loners.

This is not good. Doctors tell us that loneliness is a major health problem. A Boston Globe story on the issue reported recently that people who are socially isolated like this but otherwise healthy are twice as likely to die as those who have friends. A similar study fund that isolated men are up to 25% more likely to die of all causes at any age versus non -isolated men. The odds for women are 33%.

George Callup’s organization says Americans are among the loneliest people on earth, with more than a third saying they fell isolated and alone.

But George Gallup tells us something else, something he personally discovered that he says is “profoundly good news.” Let me quote him:

“I want to report to you now on a trend that may be contributing to a transformation of America. You will not read about this trend in our daily newspapers or on television, yet it is a powerful undercurrent in our society that, I believe, gives us cause for encouragement about the future! This trend could be described as a sociological and spiritual phenomenon: Americans on a massive scale are rediscovering each other, and coming together regularly in small nourishing support groups, many with a spiritual dimension.”

The news Gallup discovered is so profound that he has now basically retired from his survey company’s day-to-day leadership and has devoted the remaining part of his life to the development and encouragement of small groups. George Gallup, in case you didn’t know, is a devout Christian.

Christian Small groups are all about relationships. And that’s something that Jesus teaches in the Bible that we are to develop and nurture.

Jesus said our love for each other is to be our witness to the world.

There is nothing intimidating about a Christian small group. They’re a lot like families. Think of them as a group of friends who meet regularly to support and encourage one another and to grow in knowledge of the Lord through Bible study, prayer and application.

For most, application means reaching out and helping others, beyond their immediate circule of friends. Many groups have regular outreach projects during the year. There is no shortage of needs. Working at a food pantry, babysitting for single Moms, mentoring school kids and visiting the sick in hospitals are just a few ideas.

Interpersonal relationships bring balance to life. And the best such relationships are when we make connect with others in a basic Christian community.

That’s the small group.

If you were to count them all up, the New Testament has over 50 references to how Christians are to be connected in friendship and fellowship. Bible scholars call them the “one another” passages. For example, we’re commanded to “love one another”, to “pray for one another” and to “build up one another”.

It’s clear from the Bible that God wants us to be in regular, close fellowship with each other. But such relationships are often the first to be sacrificed to our busy schedules..
This doesn’t make sense. For relationships, not wealth or prestige or the accumulation of material things, are what matters most in life.
Now listen. That is just plain wrong. That is sinful. And I say this on the authority of the Bible.

In Matthew 22:36-40. “Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.’ ”

That’s called the Great Commandment.

In Matthew 28:19-20. “Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ ”

That’s called the Great Commission.

Both of those commandments emphasize relationships.

Here’s the bottom line: You cannot be the mature believer God intend unless you get involved with people. You will stagnate. It is unbiblical not to be connected with others. Pastor Rick Warren in big Purpose Driven Life Book said it this way: “If you are too busy to be connected you are too busy.”

Clearly, we must make friends a priority if we are going to be obedient to God.

All this is about having friends. And being a friend. We’re commanded by Jesus to love and pray and support one another.

What better way is there than in a Christian small group?

The author is the publisher of the Online Christian Shopper evangelism resource site (www.onlinechristianshopper.com), a shopping site specializing in Christian T-Shirts and Christian jewelry. He also writes the Share Your Testimony evangelism Website (www.sharetestimony.com).

Effects Of Single Parenting

Wednesday, November 15th, 2006 by www

Times are rapidly changing. The elderly always argue that the modern culture has forsaken and outgrown the values taught and instilled by old customs, beliefs and traditions.

Moralists and conservative people are almost always raising their brows and expressing disgust over how current belief and culture systems are evolving. What has been unacceptable in the old world is now becoming fast and rapidly rising trends.

Taboos and outcast-driving issues of yester years are now very common have set minds of people that they actually are just normal and acceptable.

The Child

Because effects single parenting is somehow a choice and decision, taken by the parent, one voice is still unheard of. It is that of the child’s.

What Defines a

Monday, November 13th, 2006 by www

Why bother reading YET ANOTHER study, grinding out the insignificant details
of why we have YET ANOTHER social problem?

ALL problems in our society really only come from ONE problem.

The trouble in our past, present and future can be explained in one simple
sentence…

Failing fathers create challenging and troubled
children!

I’ll prove it…

Let me take you on a brief tour of the history of ‘failing fathers’ so you
can see what kind of children they’ve produced.

Let’s start with Saddam Hussein…

When Saddam’s father left the family, it was up to his mother to raise him.
When she could not, he was given over to his uncle Khairallah Tulfah, an army
officer and Arab nationalist.

A deep bond between Saddam and Khairallah developed.

When Saddam was still a boy, Khairallah was expelled from the army and sent
to prison for 5 years because of his public sympathy for Adolf Hitler and the
Nazi belief system.

With Khairallah away at prison, young Saddam was sent back to live with his
mother who had remarried a poor and reportedly lazy man named Hassan
Al-Ibrahim.

Saddam’s step father found him to be nothing but an inconvenience. When he
was not neglecting Saddam, Hassan Al-Ibrahim would repeatedly abuse him.

And what kind of adult did Saddam grow up to be?

I don’t think I even need to answer that.

Let’s move on to Adolph Hitler…

Adolph’s father was more than strict. Adolph’s older brother ran away from
home to avoid the violent beatings from his father. Adolph’s father then shifted
his attention to Adolph who then received daily beatings from his father.

What about Joseph Stalin?

Joseph Stalin’s father was frequently drunk and often inflicted brutal blows
on young Joseph.

Stalin’s years of cruel treatment from his father developed a vindictive
attitude that created his desire for revenge against any figure of
authority.

Now let’s look at the children of FAITHFUL fathers…

George Washington’s memory of his father instilled a work ethic and integrity
into George at an early age. Even though his father didn’t live to see George’s
twelfth birthday, he fully imprinted his POSITIVE values on George during his
most impressionable years.

Martin Luther King Jr. had one particular childhood memory etched into his
mind regarding his father. He recalled his father taking him to Atlanta’s
segregated downtown to buy shoes.

When the clerk insisted that both father and son move to the back of the
store to be waited on, Martin Jr. watched his father speak firmly to the clerk
saying, “We’ll either buy shoes sitting here or we won’t buy shoes at all.”

Martin Senior took Jr.’s hand and confidently walked out of the store.

The LAST example…

Football coaching legend Vince Lombardi is quoted endlessly. His father,
Harry Lombardi, regaled his children with philosophies about freedom and
responsibility. He consistently lectured them on his triangle of success: sense
of duty, respect for authority and strong mental discipline.

So there you have it.

Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler are children of FAILING
fathers. George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. and Vince Lombardi are
children of FAITHFUL fathers.

Which did YOU have? A FAILING father or a FAITHFUL
father?

To find out, give your father a “Real Dad Score”.

The following definition sets the standard for what a TRUE father must be in
order to produce a positive and productive child.

The first thing you need to do is scan your memories during the first ten
years of your life. Throughout those years, rate your father according to the
following definition on a scale of 1-100%, (With 100 being the highest
rating)

REAL DAD DEFINITION: My dad was consistently
tough but fair. He took a genuine interest in the challenges, opportunities and
joys of each of his unique children.

Look back at your childhood years with your father.

If your father’s score is in the 90’s, chances are, you’re
already successful. If you rated your father in the 80’s, you’re leading a
content life with very few struggles.

The 70’s mean you may have some issues, but they’re not
anything you can’t work around. Read Dad scores in the 60’s indicate the
beginning of life troubles.

Real Dad scores in the 50’s and below create a troublesome
life unless you deliberately rebel against the way you were raised.

When your Real Dad score drops below the 50’s, the effects
can be seen in your career, marriage, social life and the lives of your OWN
children as well.

You’ve heard the slogan, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”,
but now you can see how it applies to REAL LIFE.

And that’s the profound truth.

Fathers create the quality of “apple” (son/daughter) and with few exceptions,
apples remain where they fall.

If you have troubles today, it’s NOT your fault, but it IS your
responsibility to take control of them. Should you place blame on your father
and be angry that he saddled you with these problems?

Of course not.

What your father did or didn’t do DOESN’T MATTER ANYMORE.

It’s HISTORY. There’s nothing you can do to change your past.

Since your father can’t repair the damage he did, placing blame on him only
gives you temporary emotional relief, but that will quickly wear off leaving you
back to square 1 - STUCK with your emotional pain once again.

Bottom line?

Don’t blame your dad for what he did back in your childhood. He did what he
did based on what HE KNEW at the time. (What he learned from HIS
father.)

This is the reason why generations of successful families produce generations
of successful adults as seen in the Rockefellers.

It also explains why there are “crime families”.

If you didn’t have a Real Dad yourself, you can STILL change the course of
history for YOUR CHILDREN.

Start by focusing on following the “Real Dad” definition and applying it to
every situation with your children.

Repeat the definition to yourself during those times when your children
challenge you and test your patience. You must resist the urge to give in to
your negative feelings that tell you otherwise.

YOUR CHILDREN NEED YOU TO SUCCEED. They NEED a FAITHFUL
father.

Now that you have a clear target or goal that you can strive to achieve,
focus on the Real Dad definition.

It will keep you going in the right direction and ensure that you raise a
confident and successful child who will contribute to our nation’s future.

And lastly, if you’re a woman reading this thinking it doesn’t apply to
you…THINK AGAIN.

YOUR JOB is to spread the word to the men you know about
what a Real Dad is and why it’s so important to become one.

By doing this, we’ll be able to stop this vicious cycle of troubled fathers
creating troubled children once and for all.

Â

If YOU didn’t have a Real Dad and you’d like to learn how to instantly eliminate painful feelings, STOP dwelling on your problems and start feeling better FAST, get your FREE 7-day email mini course here: Eliminate Painful Feelings

Do Marriage Counselors Do More Harm Than Good?

Monday, November 13th, 2006 by www

Before you begin screening marriage counselors to help you save your
marriage, you MUST consider the potential drawbacks of marriage
counseling so you can get all your facts straight FIRST. This article will help
you avoid making a costly mistake that could not only set you
back financially…but cost you your marriage as well.

In July of 1999, at a conference for professional marriage counselors, a
credible marriage counselor by the name of Dr. William J. Doherty, gave a
shocking report on the state of marriage counseling to his fellow
professionals.

According to Doherty, most marriage counseling is HAZARDOUS, not
helpful to your marriage.

Therapy-based, American style marriage counseling (practiced by most marriage
counselors) can actually do more HARM than good in your marriage.

All hope is NOT lost however, for the rising number of struggling couples.
There ARE more effective alternatives to marriage counseling - they are so
effective in fact that even professional marriage counselors are admitting that
couples need MARRIAGE EDUCATION more than they do marriage
therapy.

In June of 1999, USA Today reported that, “Even fans of marriage
counseling are saying disturbing things. Research shows that it doesn’t work as
well as we once thought and it might not last.”

That report reinforces the research that shows a great majority of marriage
counselors conducting therapy have had no formal training at all.

This research further documented that two years after couples went through
marriage counseling, 25% of the couples were WORSE OFF than before they started
the therapy.

Up to 38% of them actually divorced.

Perhaps what’s even more shocking is the fact that therapists who actually
work with COUPLES, are in the minority.

80% of all private practice marriage counselors in the U.S. say they conduct
marriage therapy, yet only 12% are in a profession
that requires them to take EVEN ONE course on dealing with couples.

If you ask marriage counselors about their approach, the vast majority will
tell you that they find working with individuals much more “productive” than
working with couples.

Dr. William J. Doherty stated, “Couples therapy is the most difficult
therapy of all because every session starts with the threat of
divorce”.

After training marriage counselors for a living, in his 1999 address at the
conference for professional marriage counselors, Dr. Doherty called the methods
of marriage counselors, “Hazardous to your marital health.”

He established four ways that marriage counselors have produced DESTRUCTIVE
outcomes in marriages.

According to Doherty, there are four ways marriage counselors can do more
harm than good in your marriage…

1. By being incompetent

2. By being neutral

3. By pathologizing (telling you why your marriage is
“sick”)

4. By being overtly undermining (attempting to break up the
marriage)

INCOMPETENT: In the case of incompetent marriage
counselors, the counselor has not been trained to work with couples
together. They believe working with two people is an expanded version
of working with one, but it is not. An individual is easy to listen to, but a
battling couple is not. Working with couples requires skill, structure and a
very different approach than one-on-one therapy.

NEUTRAL: These marriage counselors, Doherty claims,
are not neutral about marriage at all. When a counselor appears to be neutral,
but actually takes sides with the more self-oriented spouse, they are
undermining the marriage. “When a counselor uses the language of individual
self interests, it undercuts the moral commitment that is owed to the
marriage.” Doherty stated.

PATHOLOGIZING: Pathologizing is when marriage
counselors build a case insisting that the couple has a “sick” relationship.
They actually ENCOURAGE couples to get a divorce by saying things like, “Why
SHOULD YOU hang in there? Why be a victim?” These marriage counselors make
couples believe that they’re being abused, which causes both spouses to draw
their only conclusion: “If the professional thinks this is over, then I
should too.”

UNDERMINING: While telling couples what they should
do is against the code of ethics of the American Association for Marriage and
Family Therapy, many therapists still do it. These therapists say phrases
like, “You should probably end this marriage.” or, “If you’re going
to stay sane, you should move out.” Undermining therapists urge husbands
and wives to sever their relationships with family members and spouses.Â

If you’re looking for a good marriage counselor, Dr. Doherty urges you to ask
questions first. Learn about the therapists’ values by asking questions like
these:

1. Are you self taught, workshop-trained or college educated in
working with couples?

Bad Answer: College educated.

Good Answer: Self taught or workshop trained and they speak
convincingly about how their program saves marriages.

2. What is your attitude about saving a troubled marriage vs. helping
a couple break up?

Bad Answer: “It’s not my decision. Couples have to make their own
decision.” This is an evasive answer…not a good sign.

Good Answer: “I help couples find ways to stay together and help them
understand and overcome their problems.”

3. Where do you stand when one spouse wants to stay and the other
wants a divorce?

Bad Answer: “I try to get people to understand their own feelings.”
This is a focus on the individual, NOT the couple.

Good Answer: “This is normally what I see with couples. I have ways to
help them both handle this in positive ways.”

4. What percentage of your practice involves both husband and
wife?

Bad Answer: “I find working with husbands and wives individually to be
more practical.”

Good Answer: “All of it. When both people are with me and following my
process, I find they have the greatest success.”

5. Of all the couples you treat, what percentage stay married and
have a better marriage in the end?

Bad Answer: “100%” or “I don’t keep that type of information”

Good Answer: About 70 to 80% stay happily married, while the rest drop
out of my process and are unwilling to finish.

The difference in the answers you receive from marriage counselors is the
feeling you get when you talk with them. Bad answers feel evasive or vague while
good answers are confident and positive.

Now that you know the right questions to ask, you can confidently screen
marriage counselors, separating the GOOD from the bad. But if you’re
hesitant about bringing a marriage counselor into your marriage, as Dr. Doherty
suggested, marriage education might be the answer you’re
looking for.

Want to get back on track with the one you love? Find out if you’re already on the “Secret Path” to Divorce and learn how to stay off it forever. Get your FREE Special Report here: Stop Your Divorce

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