Archive for October, 2007

Accountant Job Description

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

By Rebecca Game An accountant’s job entails working to ensure that business firms and individuals are keeping good records and paying taxes properly and on time. Though the accountant job description for some accounting positions may be simple, other accountant job descriptions are not quite as clear because of the number of duties that are required. In general, an accountant performs vital functions to businesses, as well as individuals, of all types by offering a very wide array of business and accounting services, including public, management and government accounting, as well as internal auditing. These four major fields of accounting, and in addition to having a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, each has a separate accountant job description. 1. Public Accountant A public accountant job description can be summed up in what most people envision as “typical” accountant’s work. It involves performing a broad range of accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting activities for their clients, which may be corporations, governments, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Specialties in public accounting are often chosen. For example, a public accountant may choose to concentrate on tax matters, such as advising companies about the tax advantages and disadvantages of certain business decisions and preparing individual income tax returns. Other public accountants may choose areas such as compensation or employee health care benefits, or may design accounting and data processing systems. Still other public accountants may choose to specialize in auditing financial statements and inform investors and authorities that statements have been correctly prepared and reported. Public accounts are usually Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), and generally own their own businesses or work for public accounting firms. 2. Management Accountant Another accountant job description is that of a management accountant. Also called a cost, managerial, industrial, corporate, or private account, management accountants record and analyze the financial information of the companies for which they work. The management accountant job description includes a detailed listing of responsibilities, such as budgeting, performance evaluation, cost management, and asset management. Management accountants are often a part of executive teams involved in strategic planning or the development of new products, where they analyze and interpret financial information that corporate executives need in order to make sound business decisions. They also prepare financial reports for other groups, including stock holders, creditors, regulatory agencies, and tax authorities. Management accountants are usually a part of an accounting department, employed a large company, and may work in many areas that may include financial analysis, planning, budgeting, and cost accounting. 3. Government Accountant A government accountant works in the public sector, maintaining and examining the records of government agencies and auditing private businesses and individuals whose activities are subject to government regulation and/or taxation. This accountant job description, while detailed, is much more specialized. Government accountants are employed by Federal, State, or local governments, and work to guarantee that revenues are received and expenditures are made in accordance with laws and regulations. Those employed by the Federal government may work as Internal Revenue Services agents or in financial management, financial institution examination, or budget analysis and administration. 4. Internal Auditor Accountant The accountant job description of an internal auditor can basically be summarized by the job title. Internal auditors verify the accuracy of their organization’s internal records, and check for mismanagement, waste, or fraud. It is an increasingly important area of accounting, because internal auditors examine and evaluate their firms’ financial and information systems, management procedures, and internal controls to ensure that records are accurate and controls are adequate to protect against fraud and waste. They also review company operations, evaluating their efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with corporate policies and procedures, laws, and government regulations. The accountant job description of an internal auditor can vary with different companies, and may include job duties such as electronic data processing, environmental auditing, engineering, legal auditing, insurance reviews, banking, and health care auditing. Accountants in all four areas can work for a company, or can be employed by an accounting firm, which would in turn be hired by a company for consulting. An accountant can also be self-employed, and provide accounting services to individuals, businesses, or both. Most accounting jobs include an accountant job description that requires a bachelor’s degree, at minimum, in accounting or a related field, and some accountant job descriptions might include the requirement of a master’s degree or Certified Public Account (CPA) certification, obtained through a four-part, Uniform CPA Explanation prepared by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). While the two-day CPA examination is rigorous, and only about 25 percent of those taking the exam pass every part they attempt, CPA certification can greatly assist in the rate of pay received, and in most states, the examination can be taken in two parts, which may assist in preparing for and passing the exam. According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow at a faster than average rate, for all accounting occupations from all accountant job descriptions mentioned, through the year 2014. This is due to an increase in the number of businesses nationwide, changing financial laws and regulations, and increased scrutiny of company finances. In addition to these reasons for new accounting jobs opening up, there will also be a need to replace accountants and auditors who will retire or transfer to other occupations. The field is also becoming more specialized due to technology and new, accurate accounting and auditing software experience becoming a crucial addition to an accountant job description. An accountant job description may include, in addition to educational and technological requirements, strong interpersonal and communication skills, simply due to the fact that most accountants work on teams with others from different backgrounds, and will need the ability to communicate accounting and financial information clearly and concisely. Regardless of one’s qualifications, competition in the accounting field will remain strong for the most prestigious jobs, as well as for obtaining clients for those accountants that are self-employed. Rebecca Game is the founder of Digital Women , Digital-Women.com, an online community for women in business. She is a 30 year entrepreneur and dedicated to helping other women find business loans and business grants. Visit her site: Business Grants and Loans for Women http://www.digital-women.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Game http://EzineArticles.com/?Accountant-Job-Description&id=154682 ambien day next online zolpidem online pharmacies cheapest place to buy zolpidem online buy ativan online no prescription required

Liberal Think Tanks are a Lie

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

By Lance Winslow And most all think tanks in my opinion that are liberal are a lie because they start out with the false premise that does not take into consideration unique characteristics of mankind, but rather lives with a utopian view that is impossible because it does not yet exist. This is not to say you could not take a Liberal think tank in the present period and re-establish it in the year 2300 and it might actually means something. That is to say if mankind can work together in a common cause and unite the world in order to live in the utopia that all nations and free people of the world to seek then the liberal line of reasoning is valid for the future. Unfortunately Liberal think tanks presently are misguided and additionally many are funded by people like George Soros, a socialist who has political ambitions of taking over the planet and using politicians in the United States of America, the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind to do just that. We must realize that since we have the greatest nation we must protect what we have built and not allow it to be redistributed to the rest of the world, which does not operate at our level or care to. Much of the world is still run with guns, drugs, arms and human trafficking. The United States of America does not stand for this and yet many Liberal think tanks who wish to do redistributed wealth of the world have not considered the full impact of what their saying. Perhaps we should shut down all Liberal think tank for purporting such a lie yet on the other hand someday their perception although a false one may allow us to actually get off our butts and build the utopia we all seek without the politics. Consider all this and 2006. And please do not e-mail me you are a Liberal who disagrees. Simply think on it. “Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow http://EzineArticles.com/?Liberal-Think-Tanks-are-a-Lie&id=229225 buy keyword soma valuerxmedscom online phentermine meridia soma tramadol ambien carisoprodol link onlinereltopnet order us licensed pharmacy free consultation overnight shipping soma 150 tabs

Sugar Surprise! How Much Sugar Are You Eating?

Monday, October 29th, 2007

By Meri Raffetto Health professionals around the nation are urging people to decrease their intake of refined sugars to help combat rising health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. The USDA recommends for people to consume less than 10 percent of their calories from sugar. For someone eating a 2000 calorie diet this would equate to about 12 teaspoons of sugar a day. Seems simple doesnt it? Unfortunately, its a little trickier than you might think. The harsh reality is that on average, Americans consume around 20 teaspoons a day. It can be quite confusing to figure out how much sugar you are consuming especially when some of it comes in natural forms such as fruit, and fruit juices. The easiest way to eliminate this problem is to back off the juice and dont worry too much about the sugar you take in from whole fruit (unless you have diabetes or hypoglycemia). Juices are pretty much pure sugar yet they are better for you than soda because along with the sugar comes loads of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. However, this sugar will still lead you to gain weight so it is best to limit juice to a couple times a week and drink only a 6 ounce serving size. As far as the whole fruit goes, if we were only getting our sugars from eating just fruits an vegetables wed be better off and would have a lower risk of chronic diseases. So how can you tell how much sugar is in your foods? Read the labels! The first place to look is the sugar section on your food label which is located under Total Carbohydrate. A quick way to convert the sugar grams to teaspoons is to divide the number of grams by four. For example, if your food label shows 16 grams of sugar, divide that by four and you will get four teaspoons of sugar per serving. Now that you know this little trick you will be amazed how quickly that sugar adds up. Rememberyour goal is around 12 teaspoons per day or less. The next thing to be aware of is hidden sugars on the ingredient list. Here are some disguises of sugar: Sucrose Fructose Maple Syrup Molasses Dextrose Turbinado Amazake Sorbitol Carob powder High fructose corn syrup Keep your eye out for these names on the ingredient list of your food packages. You will be surprised, just picking up a can of baked beans shows molasses, sugar, and fructose which are all driving the sugar content up. Keeping sugar to less than 10% of your calories will go a long way towards managing your weight and health. Limit the obvious sugars such as sweets and sodas but also look into some of the common foods you buy and see if there are any sugar surprises that you have found. Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness.Learn about her online Balance Weight Loss Program and sign up for her free monthly newsletter to receive nutrition tips, inspirational stories, and healthy recipes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meri_Raffetto http://EzineArticles.com/?Sugar-Surprise!-How-Much-Sugar-Are-You-Eating?&id=70724 phentermine online with mastercard can i buy phentermine online phentermine mexico pharmacy phentermine without doctors prescription

Cash Flow 101

Sunday, October 28th, 2007

By Alexander Gordon Cash flow is very important, as many businesses have failed due to lack of cash flow rather than any other reason! Having a clear idea of how much cash is available at any given time is crucial for implementing new strategies and for planning any short term or long term funding requirements of the business. When cash flow is carefully predicted, planned and monitored, it will be easier for the business to function. Businesses use cash flow projections or forecasts to manage cash flow problems. When cash flow forecasts are made accurately, a clear idea of how much cash will be needed at any given time can be determined and finances can be arranged to ensure that the business does not have a sudden cash crunch. Cash flow projections will help make clear exactly how much cash will be available at any given period so that necessary actions such as investing or using surplus cash available usefully can also be planned and executed. At times, the business will have some problem coordinating the expenses and the income, at such times cash flow projections will also be helpful in dealing with the situation. Thus, cash flow 101 serves as excellent fiscal management tools and it is vital that the fiscal aspect of a business is under good management for a business to succeed. Basic Rules of Cash Flow 101:  Make sure you never run out of cash, as businesses have sometimes never recovered from that.  Give money the respect it deserves and handle it with care, manage and use it wisely.  Make sure you know your current cash balance at any given time, by managing records and using cash flow projections.  Be as accurate as possible in estimating the cash flow, as errors can have serious consequences.  Hire qualified people to do the math if you find it difficult, make sure they are organized and keep records well as well as prepare accurate cash flow statements.  Never make the mistake of thinking bank balances and cash flow statements are the same. It will be a perfect prescription to doom if you do so.  Be accurate and estimate the cash flow projections for as much as 6 months in advance.  Have the ability to understand the cash flow 101, understand when there will be a cash crunch, and take appropriate actions to counter them such as applying for a loan to tide you over etc.  Make periodical cash flow projections taking into consideration any changes and planning accordingly.  Cash flow projections help to develop your strategic business plans helping improve business. These few things will help you learn all about cash flow 101. There are firms that offer their help and services to make the process of running a business easily. Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business. Business Owners all across the country are joining “The Community of Small Business Owners to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Gordon http://EzineArticles.com/?Cash-Flow-101&id=392442 valium vicodin prescription buy valium otc valium no prescription needed valium where to buy

How Would Your Manager Rate Your Hassle Factor - High or Low?

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

By T. Jason Smith About five years ago, my wife and I bought a new car to replace my aging college jalopy. We used every resource we had to bring the price down to where we could afford it: credit card points you could apply to vehicles, an employee discount through my company, trade in of the old car, and a little bit of cash we raised picking up cans by the side of the road (O.K., maybe the last part was made up, but we did use everything else). By nature we are not extravagant spenders, but for this purchase, we went all out. Leather seats, all the bells and whistles, even the flashy red paint that was limited to the high end model. We planned on making this car last for awhile, so we were O.K. with the expense. For about four years, the car ran great and we really enjoyed how it handled and rode. The gas mileage was good and because it was a six cylinder, it had plenty of power when it was needed. Our car was our friend. Somewhere around Year Five, however, the friendship started to go south in a hurry. The water pump failed, spraying coolant all over the engine and requiring a complete change of belts. Two (yes, two) batteries died and one came close to exploding, according to the service guy who seemed a bit nervous as he removed it from the car. Strange noises came from the wheel well, making us wonder if it was something minor or if we would soon see our left front wheel waving to us from the other lane. Then, just after fixing yet another coolant leak, which caused us to keep a close eye on the coolant level every other day, the topper: complete and total engine failure due to a fully drained battery and dead alternator at four thousand feet of elevation on a stretch of a mountain road where there was absolutely no cell service. It is one thing to be fuming mad that you were going to incur yet ANOTHER repair bill on a car that you would love to push off a cliff. It is a completely different experience to be fuming AND trying to coast a two-ton rolling chunk of metal down a mountain with no power steering or power brakes. We no longer own this car. It was sold for a few magic beans and its blue book value approximately two weeks after this little experience. Why, you ask? An alternator is a relatively cheap repair compared to replacing the whole car, isnt it? Werent the leather seats still soft and comfortable? Didnt the six cylinder engine still kick out enough power and give you decent gas mileage? Did the gadgets still work? Yes to all of it, but the key factor wasI could no longer trust it. Its hassle factor became too high. I see the same concept of hassle factor come into play when managers describe employees who contribute a significant amount through their jobs but require more than the average amount of attention. Such as: The sales employee who consistently beats his sales numbers but treats fellow employees so poorly that people quit the company or leave the department; The graphic design employee who produces phenomenally creative work but cannot be counted on to deliver the completed project by the deadline; The project manager who is the best in the company but spends at least an hour a week in her supervisors office complaining about her pay and asking for a promotion; The programmer who produces fast, efficient results but has a temper that makes clients reluctant to work with him on projects. These examples illustrate some of the ways an employee can reduce the value of their contribution to their employer and more importantly, their manager, by having a high hassle factor. Managers may tolerate employees who do tremendous jobs but create headaches for them, but only under certain conditions. What are these conditions? Imagine a balancing scale. One tray holds the contributions of the employee and the other tray holds the frustrations or extra work a high hassle factor employee creates for his or her manager. As long as the employees contribution side is outweighing or equal to the frustrations side, the manager will most likely put up with the employees problematic behavior. But should the scale begin to tip the other way, it is likely the manager will reach the end of his or her patience and either address the issue through discipline or move the employee out of the organization. High hassle factor employees create problems for everyone. They can create resentment among other employees in the workplace. These low hassle factor employees are working hard and not causing trouble, but they do not see their boss spending any extra time with them. They may also wonder if they would receive the same preferential treatment if they hit a rough patch in their job performance and needed the boss to be patient while they worked things out. High hassle factor employees cause problems for managers, too. The managers dilemma is whether to try and mold the employee into shape, hoping the employee will get over whatever problematic behaviors are exhibited, or just keep cleaning up the messes? So what do we do about it? We (employees) do not do anything about it. That is why managers get paid the big bucks to handle headaches like this. But you can serve yourself well by making sure you understand your own hassle factor, or those things that could create a hassle factor for your boss, and try to keep your factor as low as possible. For this exercise, you will need to step back and take an honest look at yourself and say, do I have any habits or behaviors that could potentially grow into hassle factors for my manager or supervisor? As with other guidance I have given you throughout this book, feedback from others who know you well would be of tremendous benefit as it is difficult to be objective about ourselves. Some areas you may be able to assess on your own, however, are: Are you chronically late? If so, could this lateness impact your work in any way? Would people know when they could expect your work to get done? Do you handle accountability well or do you over-commit and under-deliver on your obligations and responsibilities? If the latter, it is not a question of when your work would get done, it is a question of whether it would get done at all! Not something a manager wants to worry about from an employee for very long. Do you keep your emotions in check when dealing with other people in difficult situations, or do you take the opportunity to prove the saying Never back down from a fight? Will your boss need to go behind you to manage the damage to your department or your companys reputation as a result of your confrontations? What is the #1 hassle factor of all time? In my experience, the hands-down winner is the chronic complainer. Lets put this into context, however. Problems do crop up in the workplace and the only way a manager knows about many of them is if someone complains about them. Obviously, a manager cannot fix what he or she does not know about. The most effective complaints, however, are followed up with instead, could we try it this way? or what might work differently is I personally love these complaints because I find out about the problem AND learn a possible solution. But when the high hassle factor complainer shows up, they usually complain about nothing specific (they do not have a particular problem but they are not happy and they want you to know it) or they have a specific, lengthy complaint but have no idea or recommendation for how to resolve it. They also seem to have a need to perpetually bring problems/complaints of every shape and size to the managers door. If you have a complaint or problem, DO bring it to your manager for discussion, but include at least a general suggestion on how the situation could be remedied. Otherwise, it is as if you just vomited on your manager and walked away you feel better but they have a mess on their hands. I do not particularly care for people doing that to me, and I am thinking your manager will not be fond of it, either. If you cannot think of a solution to your problem, it may be that you do not have a true complaint. You may just need to whine. Work problems need to be shared with your manager; whines should be shared with friends. But if you feel the need to behave like the chronic complainer, do so at your own peril. As the saying goes, chronic complaining is like a car alarm people start tuning it out after awhile. Your boss may begin dismissing your opinions and completely tune you outjust like we ignore car alarms. Excerpt from Leaving Campus and Going to Work by T. Jason Smith ISBN 0-9777237-6-3 Aspen Mountain Publishing Release date April 12, 2006 For the past fourteen years, Jason Smith has held Human Resources positions in the oil and gas, merchant power, and media industries. He holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resources from the University of South Carolina, a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Finance from East Tennessee State University, and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the Society of Human Resource Management. 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Five Tips for Landing Your Dream Job

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

By Liz Ryan Do you ever waste a half hour day-dreaming about your dream job? The good news is that real people do get Dream Jobs every day. But you have to go after your Dream Job - it’s unlikely to come to you. Here are five tips for zeroing in on your Dream Job, and getting it. 1) First off, decide what’s important to you. What kind of environment and work makes you happy? Too many people are doing jobs that they fell into out of college and never left - maybe they’ve changed their actual jobs, but the industry and/or function hasn’t changed. There are a lot of great careers out there. It’s never too late to rediscover yourself! A quick online tool like the DiSC (widely available) can help you figure out what kinds of work environments will make your heart beat faster. 2) Instead of sitting online reading the job listings, talk to people around you (at the gym, at church, or people you meet through an online networking group like WorldWIT, www.worldwit.org) about their career choices. You’ll find out about career options you never knew existed! Just yesterday, I had lunch with a woman who is an expert in WBE (woman-owned business) certification for entrepreneurs, but is also a handwriting analysis expert and a botanical illustrator. There are lots of other unusual combinations of talents out there. You’d be amazed at how your professional skills and your passion can be combined in a career you may never have heard of! 3) Once you have an idea of what you want to do, sit down with a piece of paper and draw a logical ‘roadmap’ between what you’ve done and what you want to do. If you’ve been an Accountant, for instance, and want to get a job running an art gallery, think about the skills you’ve acquired that will lend themselves to the role you want. Your goal is not only to develop a pitch for prospective employers (about why they should hire you), but also to convince yourself that you really have what it takes to make a leap to your dream job! 4) In making a career switch, you have to network like a fanatic. It’s okay if you’ve never networked before. Create a profile on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com ) and connect to people you know who also use that site for networking. Re-connect with former colleagues, people you went to school with, the parents of your kids’ school friends - everyone. Make networking a priority in your Dream Job search - the benefits are extraordinary. 5) As you begin to interview for your Dream Job, keep in mind why you’re making your move in the first place. Speak your truth at every job interview: don’t get pushed into that “smile and say what you don’t mean” corner that so many corporate people suffer in every day. It’s not a dream job if you can’t be yourself. Put yourself out there, with every person you meet. It’s a new day - Dream Jobs are everywhere. You just have to get a hammer and start building. Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, an entrepreneur and a workplace expert. She leads the world’s largest online discussion network for professional women, called WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Ryan http://EzineArticles.com/?Five-Tips-for-Landing-Your-Dream-Job&id=102084 xanax online overnight delivery buying xanax online order xanax online xanax 2mg buy

New York Florists

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

By Seth Miller Flowers are accepted as universal gifts on almost all occasions including birthdays, weddings, funerals, at farewell parties, for starting a new venture and many other events. They are available in various colors symbolizing different meanings. Since there are no other sources of gifts that can express a thought or a wish as explicitly as flowers can, they rank among the topmost priorities of the gift list of all occasions locally as well as internationally. New York City, which is situated in the United States of America, has a number of sources where good quality flowers can be bought at affordable prices. Various institutes in New York City offer courses to excel in floristry. These institutes and schools provide students with knowledge about the different types of flowers, the various methods of arranging them and skills of flower basket designing. Expert florists share many years of experience deliver training with students help them master the art of flower arrangement. Various florists in New York City and Manhattan have flower shops that cater to the needs of the customers. Many trained florists prefer to set up their shops in the locality, while other florists work for different flower decoration companies. Individuals will come across flower shops that have a variety of seasonal flowers and wreaths to be delivered at their doorsteps. New York City florists are generally particular about placing orders and it is advisable to order flowers before 5:00 pm. Customers who are interested in the same can book flowers online or can order by phone as well. Some of the New York City florists work from Monday through Saturday. New York City florists are very organized and regularly ensure that their customers are served well. New York City hoards all kinds of florists from local to florists with higher profiles and impressive shops and known for sheer creativity, warm service, freshness, and value. Florists provides detailed information on Florists, Retail Florists, Florist Delivery, Online Florists and more. Florists is affiliated with Best Florists Online. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Seth_Miller http://EzineArticles.com/?New-York-Florists&id=428962 buy diet meridia pill online pharmacy reductil 30mg adipex meridia online phentermine prescription l buy meridia cheap

The Confession of Sins - Is 1 John 1:9 a Part of God’s Will for the Present Dispensation of Grace?

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

By Ken Lawson “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Guilt is a killer. A killer of our joy, our peace, our enjoyment of intimacy with God. It is one of Satan’s most effective weapons against the sons of men. Psychiatrists and doctors tell us that unresolved guilt is the number one cause of mental illness and suicide. Over half of all hospital beds are filled by people who have emotional illnesses. Guilt kills relationships, both among people and with God. We cannot freely forgive others until we first receive that forgiveness from God. Our gracious and loving Father has provided a full and complete deliverance from sin and guilt. But if we believe a lie and fail to deal with guilt in the way God has dealt with it, we fall into a snare and it becomes a most grievous and cruel weapon against us. Guilt is that moral sense of blameworthiness that each of us feels when we know that we have done wrong. It is not necessarily bad, for it tells us that we have sinned and that something must be done about it. Just as our bodies should hurt when they are diseased or injured, so our God-given conscience should hurt when we violate what we know is right. At the beginning, we must realize that God has not dealt with the guilt problem in the same way throughout Bible history. This is of utmost importance to know, for so many of the problems regarding guilt are made worse by people trying to obey God’s commands given to people of other dispensations. For example, under the law of Moses, the children of Israel were commanded to “afflict your souls” as the high priest made atonement for their sins through animal sacrifice (Lev. 16:29-31). The writer of Hebrews elaborates on this Day of Atonement and the inability of the law to provide complete forgiveness. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. “For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:1-4). Although this was a merciful provision in Israel for the time then present, the law was inadequate to make the worshippers perfect in conscience in relation to the guilt problem. The very fact that the sacrifices had to be repeated was a constant reminder that God’s forgiveness was given out piecemeal, i.e., on an installment plan. It was never completed. God’s people were expected to lament and afflict their souls, which is the antithesis of a perfected conscience. Indeed, far from being a satisfactory answer for guilt, Paul tells us in no uncertain terms why the law was given. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). God graciously provided the sacrificial system of the law to temporarily atone (cover) the sins of his people until the “precious blood of Christ” could be shed to purchase eternal redemption for us. Those living before the Cross were “saved on credit,” so to speak, until the fullness of time arrived for the complete removal of our sins. Even in portions of what we call the New Testament, forgiveness was conditional and therefore not complete (Matt. 6:12,14,15; 18:34,35; Mark 11:25,26; Luke 6:37c). The revelation of the Mystery through the Apostle Paul by the ascended, glorified Christ was yet future from the perspective of Matthew-John. And so the capstone of divine revelation concerning the total forgiveness of sins remained missing until that time. All of this is essential to understand throughout the remainder of our study. With this in mind, there is one Scripture which in this writer’s view has caused untold harm and detriment to the people of God. Not because the verse itself is faulty, for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, but because religious leaders have so miserably misinterpreted and misapplied its original intent. What makes this all the more tragic is that it comes not from the enemies of Christ but from sincere, well respected, Bible-believing Christians. The verse I speak of is 1 John 1:9. In order to view the verse within its context, I ask you simply to prayerfully consider the following passage from 1 John 1:1-10. 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5. This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. 7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. Are you confident that you understand verse 9 in context? Let us see. Although men have many variations of interpretation on this verse, we will mention here only three of the most popular. 1. It is a salvation verse which tells the sinner how to receive the forgiveness of sins today. 2. It is a restoration verse. a. Restoring one to salvation or, b. Restoring one to fellowship 3. It is a verse pertaining to the Jews under the Kingdom program of Prophecy and has little if any application to the Gentiles today under the Body of Christ program of the Mystery. For the time being, I would like to pass over numbers 1 and 3 and deal directly with number 2. The other two will take care of themselves as we come to understand the passage. Part 2-a is the most easily answered. This is the view that a saved person can become lost again through backsliding, carnality, losing faith, etc. Often a person is told that his sins are forgiven up to the time he is saved. From that point forward the merits of Christ’s death are beneficial to him only as he is faithful to confess his sins to God and thus stay cleansed in His sight. First of all, regeneration or the new birth is spoken of as a one time experience. No Bible passage speaks of being born again and again and again. During my college years, I attended a tent meeting for three nights with some friends. I couldn’t help noticing that the same people went forward each night after the sermon to receive forgiveness. One night the evangelist quoted 1 John 1:9 and made the statement that no one with unconfessed sin will enter heaven. When I pressed him about this after the meeting, he finally conceded that John probably meant the grosser forms of sin. This underscores another problem with this view. How many sins did God allow Adam and Eve before they were cast out from His presence in the garden of Eden? Only one. And all they did was eat a piece of fruit that the Lord told them not to. How many unforgiven sins do you suppose it will take to banish you to the everlasting burnings? Only one. God is holy and of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity. If your forgiveness depends on your confession of sins, you better be diligent not to forget even one. The second reason 1 John 1:9 cannot refer to a restoration to salvation is that eternal life is a free gift. It is given by God’s grace not merely to the undeserving, but to those who deserve the exact opposite. If God rescinded His gift, that would make Him more gracious to His enemies than to His own children. God does not take back the gift if you become unworthy. We were never worthy to begin with. Thirdly, God wishes for us to enjoy the gift of salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. Man’s only responsibility is to believe. Does God want us to walk through our Christian lives with a cloud over our heads? Those who believe that their forgiveness depends on their continual confession of sins soon find that their Christian experience has turned into “a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” The Scriptures tell us that upon believing that the Lord Jesus died for us and rose again we are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph. 1:13,14; Rom. 8:31-38). With the gospel of the grace of God, we have the pleasure of declaring the total forgiveness of sins. This brings peace, joy, and stability. More about this later. Number 2-b above also speaks of restoration, not to salvation or even to maintain it, but rather to fellowship. Those who hold this view understand clearly the teaching of eternal security and the preservation of the saints. The issue this time is intimacy with their heavenly Father. Our relationship is like the Rock of Gibraltar, steadfast and immovable. On the other hand, our fellowship (we are told) is like a tiny thread which the slightest sin in thought, word, or deed can break. Perhaps the best illustration of this view is the fellowship between a father and son. If the son sins against his father, the intimacy formerly enjoyed by both is broken and the pleasure of each other’s company is strained. The blood relationship of father and son remains intact, but the fellowship must be restored by confession of wrongdoing. Likewise, Christians have a blood relationship to our heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ. While nothing can break our relationship as sons of God, fellowship can only be restored by acknowledging the sin and an apology made, preferably with a pledge not to repeat the offense. This re-establishes the sweetness of fellowship and the pleasure with which both Father and son can relate to each other. Believers who seek to practice this often speak of “keeping short accounts with God,” that is, making sure you confess sins regularly so your account does not build up with unconfessed sin. Psalms 32, 51, and John 13:1-20 are often quoted to confirm this position. This view of 1 John 1:9 has more to commend it than the previous one. “Confession is good for the soul” is a truism which holds good for all ages and dispensations. Indeed, Proverbs 28:13 says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth1 and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” In my formative years as a Christian, this view seemed to me to be logical, balanced and right. I knew many respected Bible teachers who taught this. Through the years, however, I believe the Spirit of God was pricking my conscience to show me things which revealed the shortcomings of this approach. Among them were: 1. It is based on a performance system of conditional blessing, and shifted my gaze away from Christ and His grace to my own faithfulness (or usually failure) to confess. 2. If what I believed concerning confession was true, I was probably “out of fellowship” much of the time, and so were most believers. 3. There were many things in 1 John Chapter 1 which are inconsistent with this view. 4. Concerning the popular father-son illustration, several rhetorical questions could be asked to show its weakness. What if the son fails to confess wrongdoing? Should the father continue to show him the cold shoulder until he does? What kind of father would that make him? Would this be a fitting picture of how our loving heavenly Father deals with His children today under grace? Further, the phrase “faithful and just” more aptly describes the judge in a courtroom than a father in the family room. 5. I had to honestly admit to myself that I found it extremely difficult to confess all my daily sins on a consistent basis. 6. This view of 1 John 1:9 must, of necessity, occupy a major plank in a person’s belief system. Without regular confession of sin, the promise of continual cleansing is rendered null and void resulting in broken fellowship. And who wants to be out of fellowship with God? 7. Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, is silent in all his writings on confession of sins for forgiveness, parental or otherwise. 8. Paul’s epistles give us a positive affirmation of total, complete and unconditional forgiveness for all those in Christ Jesus. A few examples should suffice, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Col. 2:13). Forgiveness for the believer is now spoken of as a finished transaction, past history. We do not plead for daily forgiveness any more than we should for daily redemption. It is a part of the “all spiritual blessings” with which we have already been blessed (Eph. 1:3). For further references to Paul’s doctrine of forgiveness for the present dispensation of the grace of God, consult the following Scriptures: Colossians 1:14; 3:13; Romans 4:5-8; Acts 13:38,39. To be continued… Endnotes 1. We have not mentioned the Roman Catholic tradition of confession to a priest, but one verse from Paul should suffice to show the error of this custom. “For there is…one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). This article appeared in the Berean Searchlight, the free monthly magazine of the Berean Bible Society. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Lawson http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Confession-of-Sins—Is-1-John-1:9-a-Part-of-Gods-Will-for-the-Present-Dispensation-of-Grace?&id=234903 prescription drug ultram medication order ultram buy cheap tramadol online mexico pharmacy ultram

Eight Ways to Divorce Proof Your Marriage

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

By Xxavier T. 1) Write a mission statement: Most brides spend more time planning for their wedding day than for the marriage itself and are unprepared for what happens after the I do. More than half of newlyweds will struggle to maintain a fraction of the friendship they now enjoy with their spouse. Lack of a realistic vision of how married life will be or a plan to help this vision manifest is the first mistake many new brides make. If you and your mate have been functioning without written objectives, you must come together and create a concise set of goals for your family unit and institute a plan of action to achieve these goals. An individual goal should never undermine or take precedence over a mutual goal. You must train yourself to think, work and play as a team. Selfish behavior is like poison to any marriage and helps to guarantee a quick demise. 2) Dont withhold sex from your mate: Married men resent when women use sex as a bargaining chip and make them feel that lovemaking is something they have to earn. Over a long period of time, this type of manipulation can prove disastrous. When you enter into matrimony you are agreeing to be solely responsible for fulfilling your husbands sexual needs, unless you are a swinger. Men have no problem separating their emotions from their physical desires, which is why they still expect hot sex after a heated argument. 3) Dont compete with the people/things that he loves: So youve always hated his pesky childhood friend who is constantly around or his love affair with Play Station 2, but youre holding your peace until after the big day. Huge mistake! Never wait until after the wedding to start a turf war with the things or people your husband loves. Instead, you should be making plans on how you can incorporate them into your life in a way that both you and your husband can appreciate. Perhaps his pesky best friend is talented with wood work and can help you restore a family heirloom, or maybe you can convert the bedroom into a scene from a Play Station 2, complete with interesting bonus points. Whatever you decide, remember that your husband is a grown man and not a child; you cannot choose his friends or predilections. As problems arise in your marriage, search for solutions that bring you closer together and not drive you apart. 4) Plan ahead: Small things make a big difference and will help to determine if your husband enjoys the prospect of getting out of bed and starting another day with you. What is the atmosphere in your home in the morning? Is there peace or is there confusion? Does your day begin with disorganization or is your home running like a well-constructed device. Unnecessary drama can be avoided with organization. As your marriage evolves and expands to include children or aging parents, good organizational skills will be paramount to your relationships success. Careful thought should go into the daily atmosphere within your home. It is a refuge and sanctuary for your man or a place from which to retreat? 5) Find an experienced mentor and confidant: The intimate details of your relationship with your spouse should only be shared with a trusted few. The women you meet in church are no exception to this rule. Anyone can be tempted when given enough information and ammunition. And many husbands have been led astray inside the house of the Lord. Find an older more experienced couple to mentor you and your mate. Plan a monthly activity with your mentors when possible. Dont discuss your man or marriage with your girlfriends who do not like your spouse or with your girlfriends who are angry with men in general. This almost guarantees that you will receive tainted advice. Seek out positive supporters who can encourage you. Remember that an ally builds and an adversary destroys. 6) Leave the past behind: Everyone brings a little baggage from their past relationships, but this needs to be kept to a minimum. Think travel bag and not suitcase. The past should be used only as a guide to reflect on the victories youve one, the obstacles youve overcome and the lessons youve learned amidst your failures. Do not wallow in the past or on past offences. Do not spend time obsessing on past relationships, or worse, obsessing on the past relationships of your spouse. After all, he chose you. 7) Never fake an orgasm: Why do this? Really? Im intrigued about the type of woman who pretends her husband is getting her off when he is not. I think faking an orgasm is a cop out for those who lack the communications skills or experience necessary to convey what they really want. This is a deceitful practice and it ensures that your husband will remain at a disadvantage through the duration of your marriage. It can also cause you to have a wandering eye. If your mate does not sexually fulfill you, as you would like, find a constructive way to tell him. You should be able to convey exactly where the problem lies and how the problem can be corrected. Many women do not realize that they are putting their mates at a disadvantage if they are relying solely on his previous experience. Take time to explore your own body and be able to communicate what you have learned. If you dont know what you want, why should he? 8) Be quick to offer forgiveness: An unforgiving spirit will devastate any relationship. Mercy is not based on merit but on the condition of your heart. You either choose to extend it or you dont. Once you have offered forgiveness to your mate, never bring up his past offences in a future argument. Old wounds continually reopened cant heal. Sought-after relationship coach and motivational speaker Xxavier T. is the author of Treat Your Man Like A V.I.P.: Topless Tactics You Were Never Taught. Xxavier holds a degree in psychology from Southern University at New Orleans, but maintains that the majority of her expertise is based on the first principal of discovery observation. Xxavier writes a romance column for Offline Magazine that can also be accessed via the internet at http://neworleansblack.com/romance/index.php or browse Xxavier’s book at http://centurionhouse.net/browse_book.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Xxavier_T. http://EzineArticles.com/?Eight-Ways-to-Divorce-Proof-Your-Marriage&id=50729 reviews medspricedright order thread posts ambien questions vip viagra find sites phentermine free buy pages search href ambien prescription drug ambien online pharmacy ambien

Choosing Unusual Wedding Colours-5 Tips to Avoid Smashing Through the Budget!

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

By Emma Cooper Tarry Long gone are the days when white, cream, gold and silver were the only available colours to the happy couple for their wedding day. Over the last ten years, weve seen even the most traditional style weddings start to incorporate a little colour outside of the standard choices. These days, its unusual to go to a wedding where there isnt a little extra colour to the proceedings! However, for the couple who want everything to match, here are 5 ways to stop it all costing you a fortune! 1) Choose your colour scheme in the right orderstarting with the most expensive items first. 2) Resist the temptation to commit straightaway to a particular colour until youre sure you can carry it through without breaking the budget. 3) Talk to all your suppliers first before committing to a colour. By this, I mean the venue, the caterers, the people supplying your outfits, whoever is supplying your invitations and other wedding stationery, and your proposed florist. 4) Be a little flexible variations on a colour theme can be very beautiful and a lot less of a headache than if you try to get everything absolutely perfectly matched (its probably impossible anyway unless you choose white, and even that comes in a variety of shades, believe it or not!!) 5) Be a little creative if you cant get favour boxes, for example, in exactly the colour you want, get them in a complementary colour instead and tie them with an appropriate ribbon colour. Or make little tags and print them in the right colour. So getting it in the right order you should consider: A) Your outfits, and those of your bridesmaids/ushers/pageboys/flowergirls etc Depending on your outfit supplier, you may not even be able to match the boys to the girls if you choose an unusual colour for either. Check with your supplier about making waistcoats/cravats in the bridesmaids material, for example but dont book anything until you know you can match it to other things! B) Your reception colour scheme Something many brides dont consider when choosing their colour scheme is the existing venue colours: Dont make the same mistake! If your reception is in a hotel or other static venue, often the basic colour scheme of the room is quite bland, but clashes are best avoided. Have a good think about what is going to work, and take into consideration the colour of the chair upholstery, the available tablecloth/linen napkin colours, and whether the hotel intends to supply menus or other table decorations. Have a good chat with your point of contact about what they are prepared to do for you on the day some places will refuse to set out napkins other than their own, for example, and this is all best dealt with in advance! If youre having your reception in a marquee, talk to the supplier about a coloured lining if you dont want white. Also, many caterers offer either only white or only ivory tablecloths, and standard chairs in white plastic, or burgundy and gilt, which can clash horribly. This is definitely something I would flag as a big headache for many brides when trying to plan the table decorations make sure that youve asked to see the chairs the marquee company are proposing to supply, and have a chat with the caterers about your colour scheme before you even decide to book them. Like the hotels and venues mentioned in the point above, some caterers will refuse to set the table with anything that isnt their standard issue, so make sure you understand what they include in the price they quote you - this is all best dealt with in advance! There are companies that will hire out coloured table linen, but the colours can be limited and it gets quite pricey quite quickly (assume around 10 per tablecloth, and 2.50 per chair cover). Again make sure your colour scheme is going to work with whatever theyre offering before you commit to either!! C) The wedding stationery, and getting it to all match on the day! Those fabulous peacock coloured invitations may look like just the thing, but pause for a second and think about thisDo you want your colour scheme to carry through from the invitations to the day itself? and if so, can the same company supply you with everything? Youll need some or all of the following that can be made from the same card/paper supplies: Beforehand, you will need:save the date cardsinvitationswedding list detailsrsvp cards On the day you will need:orders of servicetable plantable numbers/namesplace cards you might also consider:menusfavour boxescake boxesconfetti conesnapkin ringsfavours afterwards, youll need:thank you cards Now, obviously you dont have to have everything matching, but in an ideal world, there should be consistency and you dont want to be changing the colour scheme half way through because its proving too much of a nightmare! D) The florist: These days, you can more or less have any kind of flower at any time of year, but the price will vary widely with the month and the seasonality. If you want your blooms your corsages, bouquet, church/registry office flowers and your table decorations to go with your scheme, have a good chat about whats possible and how much youll need to spend BEFORE you commit to your final colour scheme And please remember, a little patience will go a very long way!! (finally, if youre completely stuck and youve already booked and paid for lots of things and you cant source the remaining items in the right colour, we at I-Candi offer a colour matching service for everything you could need at your wedding except the flowers (we dont supply brides or grooms either, sorry ;-). So pretty much everything! If you have a problem and no one else can help, give us a call on 01227 860886 or email me at emma@i-candi-designs.co.uk and well do our best to assist!) Emma Cooper Tarry is the founder and owner of I-Candi Designs in Kent, UK. I-Candi’s weddings department specialises in bespoke and unusual accessories for weddings. We have many unusual colours permanently in stock, and we can always find what you’re looking for! Give us a call if you’re stuck - +44(0)1227 860886 or email Emma: emma@i-candi-designs.co.uk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma_Cooper_Tarry http://EzineArticles.com/?Choosing-Unusual-Wedding-Colours-5-Tips-to-Avoid-Smashing-Through-the-Budget!&id=129805 phentermine prices $ phentermine online without prescription www phentermine com phentermine 30 mg without prescription