Holidays in our sweet little place

     We waited long time to finish all what we have to do,  pick up our things and go to spent several days in small fishing place.There is nature so full of colors that you feel your heart beating faster when you look around.We have house almost in the middle of wood with very, very blue sea around. Just about twenty meters is far from sea. Imagine !
   I feel now great. My batteries are full again.
I have to walk outside with my dog and I'll continue next time this story.
   What to tell you more? Simply when you spent same times out of your usually area started to feel like new energy overhead you and it's great feelings! As soon as I come back I started a new canvas oil painting , than I sit in front of my comp and spent some time there,than I did all what is usually to do at home etc. Still I am full of energy.I hope I''ll feel like now long time.Here I 'll show you some more pictures from our little place ,also our turtles...

             

Date Because it's Fun

There are number of things that we have talked about already when it comes to the dating game. But it must be remembered that after all is said, the most important thing that you have to do, is to have fun. The reason that you are out there exposing your neck, is to receive pleasure and to enjoy your life as much as possible. So don't forget that dating is not supposed to be a chore.

When you go out there to meet people, you have to enjoy what you are doing. You will be a much better dater if you do it because you love it. People are only good at the things that they love to do. The biggest reason for this is that when they love to do something and are having fun doing it, they are willing to put in all the time in the world to get the best results possible. Think about why it is that you are so good at video games, or riding your bike, or whatever it is that you love to do as a hobby? The reason is that you spend hours doing it. No one has to prod you to hook up and kill aliens for hours; they don't have to, because you love to do it.

For the same reason, you should date because it's fun. If it is not fun, then there is something that is bothering you. Look into what that is and change it. Don't approach dating as a chore or as a frightening thing like cold call sales or something. Do it because you enjoy women and you love to meet them, be with them, etc :)

When you do it because you deeply enjoy it, you bring joy to others. Women will see that you are fun and happy and they will love you for it. Basically what makes you happy, makes the women that you are dating or approaching happy. It sound too good to be true I know, but this is the case. If you don't believe me, then go out there and try it and see what happens.

Go out there and enjoy yourself. Have fun meeting gorgeous women that give you joy. If you this, you will discover in a very short time that happiness is very contagious.

Fears In Human Life

Fear is the most basic human instinct. It's based on a defensive mechanism that is used to protect you from things like pain, and threats.

It's a necessary emotion to ensure our survival when something like a tree is falling and we are standing right under it. The emotion of fear itself is only supposed to last for a short amount of time. If it occurs for a long period of time it can be damaging to our bodies.

Fear is the emotion that debilitates you and prevents you from being free. It affects the healing process in your body and your overall well-being. It can affect our lives directly and indirectly. In this article I hope to bring up the indirect ways as regard to our health industry.

As a reader I hope you get much more out of it and apply whichever method(s) to improve your overall life.
Psychologists have mainly looked at fear regarding phobias and how it affects our lives socially and emotionally. Phobias only account for a small percentage of the population.

The lighter forms of fear affect the population on a much larger scale.Fear is as real to you as you think it is and last for as long as you hold unto it. Fear can be the stealer of your life and the killer of your soul.

Fear is dispelled the minute you take action to face it head on; the moment you move against the pressure, the thoughts and do the opposite, the power of that fear dies instantly. It's like having a fear of heights and making the decision to take the elevator to the Empire state building, get out of the elevator and walk out onto the balcony.

There you realized that what held you captive were simply what you fed to your mind and it really had no power over you; only what you gave it. The release and rush you experience in that moment can be summed up in one word "freedom".

Freedom from the fear of failure, rejection and the unknown makes room for love and faith to grow. Love, faith and fear cannot dwell together, one will always over power the other. The force that has the most power will prevail; fear is always seeking to paralyze our thinking, as is the force of love and faith always seeking to strengthen and free us.

Human Nature

There are aspects of human nature, like the stealing, cheating, killing and all the other violence, which are in conflict with modern civilization. But even these behaviors are evolved as our tactics to survive.
Prehistorically, they are "lovely" tactics. Our modern civilization should not be defined as the opposite of human nature, instead it should be defined as a better way to serve our human nature, and to serve the most essential human natures.
Our civilization is a massive social structure characterized by its high degree of labor specialization and commercial trading on top of the specialization. This new social order (in contrast to the prehistoric small tribal life) has significantly increased our productivity and efficiency, thus can satisfy our essential human nature (human needs) much better than prehistoric life style.
Unfortunately, this new social order requires us to collaborate in a massive scale with mutual trust and social order, instead of cheating and killing of each other.
Thus, our "lovely" surviving tactics of killing, stealing, and cheating, which are the products of million year evolution, might no longer be appropriate. Our evolution process is too slow compared with the social and culture changes, and we have not yet completely evolved into model citizens.
But I am sure, compared to our hunting ancestor ten thousand years ago, we are much more tame. We don't want to kill someone on the street without good reasons. We still cheat and occasionally steal a bit, but what is the big harm? Sometime it might even serve some social needs. It has been said that you cannot survive a single day without lie.
The big human tragedies is more a result of civilization went wrong, rather than a result of basic human nature.Human nature is the only thing we have, it is the center, it is the basis to define good and bad, correct and wrong.
Beyond human nature, there is no direction. How do you know what they said (above human nature) is really above, not below. What do they use as the measure? There is only one thing they can use, that is God, the imaginary God. Yes, if you believe in God, believe in super nature, then everything related to out human selves is filthy, vice and none worthy.
Restricting ourselves is the best way to follow God. God is above, is the direction, and what the Bible said is the direction. But what a pitiful life to degrade ourselves to such a low position.

How do you know what they said (above human nature) is really above, not below. What do they use as the measure? There is only one thing they can use, that is God, the imaginary God. Yes, if you believe in God, believe in super nature, then everything related to out human selves is filthy, vice and none worthy. Restricting ourselves is the best way to follow God. God is above, is the direction, and what the Bible said is the direction. But what a pitiful life to degrade ourselves to such a low position.
What is the fun of living? Why should not we kill ourselves? The trouble in religion is that we cannot even kill (eliminate) ourselves, since our soul will survive! I haven't seen any recipe to kill the soul yet. A person with such a view will have a very low self esteem, lower than the life of ant. It is a fundamentally miserable life, because they are told to do everything against their nature. They distaste themselves, and cannot even kill themselves. For them, rise above their human nature is their daily struggle, because they are still human, they are merged in human nature.
Human nature is the goal, is the thing we need to follow, need to serve. We should do things for the human nature, not against human nature, and not restrict human nature. As the possible conflicts within the set of human natures under the modern setting of civilization (labor specialization and goods trading), like the violence, we have to sacrifice the small part in order to better serve the larger and more essential part. But it is a sacrifice. We have to do it, not we want to do it. But the overall goal is to better serve our human natural as a whole, especially the basic natures, like the food, sex and intelligence. The goal is to make us happy, not to make the God happy.

Learn Oil Painting

Oil paint dries very slowly, Unlike acrylic paints which dry very quickly. Acrylic paint was initially created as an underpainting medium for oil painting.

It is perfectly stable to put a base of acrylic and then place oil paint over it. Linseed oil added to oil paint will extend color, increase flow and increase workability. Oil paint with added medium is called long, oil paint used directly from the tube is called short or stiff.

You place you oil paints on a wooden board called a palette the very best palettes are made of pear wood.

It is very important to understand your paints and know which colors are:

Transparent (see through) Semi Opaque (slightly see through) and opaque (not see through) getting started put as much oil paint on your brush for two strokes three maximum always end your brush stroke on the canvas.

Make sure that you use linseed oil only when you are painting with the wet on wet method or process.

Do not confuse yourself with all of the many other mediums. Wait to discover those when you are more experienced. If you can actually afford the professional paints, definitely go ahead and buy them. You will notice immediately that they are completely different from the student paints.

Always buy the best brushes that you can afford. The Da Vinci brand brushes are the best professional brushes. Buy long handle bushes. The technique is to hold near the end of the handle. When developing talent one point to consider is the ability to take risks. Just play around with your paint however first understand it, only paint at an easel and make sure to stand back from your painting all the time. Never put your expensive brushes in turps when you are working in a session. Go ahead and wipe them clean with paper towels or cloth wash out your brushes in turps or a similar solvent at the end of a session and then be sure to clean immediately with soapy water.

Preparing the canvas the foundation of you piece

It is quite essential that you put on the first underpainting or wash on your canvas. This takes away the glare of the white (which will reflect back at you, quite annoying) and the more layers of paint you get onto your canvas the better and the more professional looking your painting, the more luminous the paint ant the more the painting will sing out with color and texture.

Traditionally an earth color of a burnt umber or raw umber, raw sienna or an ochre was painted on as a good first underpainting. Sometimes it can be pretty exciting to paint on a bright red or dark blue as your first underpainting especially when you are in the habit of putting on three or four layers and seeing the underpainting come through your painting. Use a big wash brush to apply the first underpainting it you use acrylic as your underpaint it will dry quickly and get you started quicker.

How to apply oil paint in two methods

1. Wet on wet or All Prima (in one step)

2. Stage Painting or Glazing Fat over lean

Wet on wet is applied by using the paint stiff, which is directly from the tube Or thinned to the consistency of salad dressing with linseed oil the essential part of painting wet on wet is making your brushes and painting knives do the work for you.

You definitely want to have full control of your brushes and experiment with different brushes to see the marks and texture streaks that they make.

Never work with turps unless you are working with the glazing method.

Never ever stand your brushes in any turps working in your painting session.

Turps will burn the bristles and inevitably there will be some left in the brush when you start to use color.

This will make it difficult to keep control of the flow or thickness of paint. The glazing technique is a process of building up your painting in a series of layers of the thinned paint.

I found this specific method for the glazing technique with oil paint it is called fat over lean

A Lean 1st layer thinned with solvent

A Lean 2nd layer thinned with less solvent

A Lean 3rd layer thinned with less solvent

A Fat 4th layer straight from tube

A Fat 5th layer thinned with little linseed oil

A Fat 6th layer thinned with more linseed oil

It is very essential that you this process exactly follow or the layers of paint will dry at different levels and possibly crack the paint. Granted, it is a slow method and you absolutely need some patience however the results are spectacular tonal values which are essential in painting. This glazing method gives you full control of creating tones in acrylic paint. Here there is no mystery about paint.

Remember that paint is just pigment with a binder. In the case of oil paint, it is just a pigment with a drying oil usually linseed oil is used for this. The very best professional oil paints you will find are Michael Harding and Old Holland. Windsor and Newton and some other makes are good as well just make sure they are called professional paints and not the lesser quality student paints.

One last thing, Oil Paint dries very slowly, have patience and enjoy the journey. Paint on.

Mixing Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint is favored by artists who have the ability to work fast. The reason for this is because acrylics dry fast. It is therefore important to understand the science of mixing acrylic paint. When you use oil paint it takes hours and even days for the paint to dry. Acrylics can dry almost straight away. When you use acrylics you can use it from the tube. If you want the paint to be thinner then simply add a little water. Water can be used as a medium because acrylics are water based. Mixing acrylic paint correctly can mean the difference in the success of your work.

When beginning mixing acrylic paint, to conserve your acrylics it is advisable to release tiny amounts onto your palette. It is a good idea to use a plastic palette for acrylics. This will enable you to spray water over the palette and acrylics to keep it moist. A simple every day spray bottle will do. Another good alternative is to use a palette called 'stay wet'. The acrylic paint is placed on wax coated paper. This paper is put over damp watercolor paper. Doing it this way may be awkward for the painter because there is no thumb hole.

After mixing acrylic paint you must keep damp cloths on hand to wipe your brushes. You wipe the brushes after you rinse them. Wiping with a damp cloth will stop water channeling down the ferrule on your work. If water does this it will leave splotches. Acrylics mixed with water can be used in exactly the same way as watercolors. It will also make acrylic painting suitable for air brushing. However, if you want a better flow of paint but don't want to compromise color strength then choose some other medium instead of water.

Anything that is going to take extra time is a hazard when acrylic painting. This is because it gives the paint time to dry before you are finished with your task. One such task is the blending of colors. The only way to counteract this is by working as quickly as you can, using dampened paper and your spray bottle. Any painter using acrylics must work confidently and it also saves time if the painter plans beforehand. On the other hand, there are painters who like the idea of using quick drying paint. They say it elevates their creative process and they are left with a painting that could be regarded as spontaneous.

Those painters who plan before they start painting will know exactly where and when they want to produce edges that are sharp. An effective and cheap way of doing this is to use masking tape. One of the benefits of acrylic painting is you can use masking tape and it will not ruin a layer of paint that is already on the board or canvas. If you want to be left with a sharp line that is even then the edges of the masking tape must be firmly pasted. Do not paint acrylic too densely over the edges. If the acrylic is too thick there won't be an even line when the masking tape is lifted.

Many artists use either oil or acrylic painting to produce their work. Acrylics are more economical and it is a way for art enthusiasts to afford a great piece of art work as opposed to oil paintings that are a lot more expensive to paint and to buy. Though acrylic is a cheaper paint option, you can produce extraordinary art once you've mastered the correct method for mixing acrylic paint.

Paint Brushes

The quality of a paint job is highly dependent on the tools used. The consistency of the paint film and its final finish are dependent upon the condition and quality of the brushes. If the brushes are stubby and inflexible, the work will be marred. Brushes of an inferior quality are a continuous source of frustration and not worth the money saved. The bristles on cheap brushes tend to loosen and stick to the wall. Good brushes, although more expensive at first, will prove economical and satisfactory, in that they will last longer, aid considerably in producing a better finish, and save time and effort.

With a comparatively small number of brushes, it is possible to do nearly all ordinary painting jobs. Common wooden furniture like a bathroom cabinet, cupboard, or bathroom vanity can be painted with basic tools. Bathroom cabinets are simple enough to sand and paint, though bigger and more complex projects most likely require a wider array of brushes. Taking good care of your brushes is essential in saving money and getting the best quality work from them.

Before dipping a new brush in paint, tap it gently across the hand to remove dust and the loose bristles, which were left in the brush when it was finished. Brushes that are to be used again the following day may be kept fresh by placing them flat on a paint-can cover, and pouring a small amount of linseed oil over them. Do not bend the bristles. Another method is to wrap them in wax paper, or in several thicknesses of newspaper. Varnish brushes should be kept apart from paint brushes. Never keep brushes in water.

This practice is to be severely condemned. Water will ruin the bristles and the brush will lose its flexibility. Thus, when cleaning your brushes, do not leave them overnight to soak in water from the bathtub. even if you were using bathtub paint. Brushes that are not to be used for some time should be washed well in benzine or turpentine (benzine is much cheaper), then washed with soap and warm water. Do not use hot water. Stipple brushes should be washed in benzine or turpentine, and then washed with soap and water, even if they are to be used the next day.

Shellac brushes may be cleaned in alcohol or in dilute ammonia. If cleaned in ammonia, they should be rinsed in clear water. Wash calcimine brushes thoroughly in cold water, rinse well, and hang to dry. Do not put calcimine brushes in hot calcimine. Dry brushes, if not too far gone, may be reclaimed by placing them in hot kerosene. Place the brush container in a pail of hot water away from fire and let brushes soak until softened. Wash in benzine and shake out well. Brushes, especially new ones, should not be kept in a hot place. The bristles are held in place by the handle.

Heat will cause shrinkage of the base of the handle and consequent loosening of the bristles. This is one reason why people do not often paint while taking a steam bath or a hot steam shower, even if it is enclosed in a steam shower unit. One method of removing water or other liquids from a brush is to place the brush in a container wide enough so that the sides are free, and then to twirl the brush between the hands. This method will remove most of the liquid without injury to the brush.

Don't Be Sad

Don't Be Sad - An excellent book to read and benefit from. Don't be sad is an excellent book by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni.This book is based on Islamic principles and gives excellent advice on variety of matters like handling past, dealing with criticism, handling boredom, being content and patient, how to handle the wrong done by others. People are many times affected by what others say about them. If they let others affect them too much, then they are actually giving a lot of power to others. We should not let this happen. We should try and not be overcome with grief when someone says something bad about us. People will always find fault with others, throw tantrums at them and be jealous of the successful ones.

If someone is jealous of you and constantly throws tantrums at you, then it is infact a thing to feel happy about. It is because the author says that people will not kick a dead dog. There must be something in you that makes others jealous of you.

There must be some quality, some skill in you that is making others feel inferior or insecure. So they resort to such behavior with you. You can let them feel more rage by forgiving them for their behavior, ignoring their negative comments and constantly trying to further improve your skills and strengths.

The book talks from an Islamic perspective on improving yourself, your life and dealing with sadness. If you want to know how to overcome grief and not fall prey to depression and sadness then this book might be a must read for you.

There are many reasons for depression. Among them are stress, boredom, loneliness, not being treated properly with others, criticism, past memories etc. If we can learn how to effectively deal with these things so that they no longer affect us, then it can be a big bounty for us.

This book comes out with sound advice for dealing with all the above mentioned problems. So its an essential read for almost all people of all walks of life. It can help us get better at handling our negative emotions so that we do not get easily affected by problems and negatives happening in our lives.You can buy this book at many popular stores, If you are unable to find it at your local bookstore, you can purchase it online. It is available at Amazon.com and other such sites.

Famous Indian Contemporary Artist - New Style of Painting the Canvas

Indian art is of great essential significance in harmony to its civilization and legacy.

Art is a mixture of different types and styles; it modifies its phases, as the paint brush comes in the hands of diverse painters belonging to wide areas in world, having different background, sense of style.

In the present time the modern and figurative art form is of high demand not only in India but also in foreign countries. Modern form of painting is the outcome of the creativeness plus experimentation that the stalwarts of art have started.

Indian contemporary Art introduced in 21st century is a wide-range art. It ranges and has made his mark from the exclusive business empires offices, royal classes, to the houses of the middle-class art lovers. Indian art can be categorized variedly based on many criteria, one of them is medium. In which the artist is classified as oil painting artist, acrylic painting artist, water color painters and many more.

But this should not be the main criterion, as in 21st century painting artist do not work on any single pattern, they have a versatility in them to experiment new shades altogether.

The other way in which artists are classifieds is the place to which they belong i.e. their origin.

On the other hand most of the artists keep on moving from one place to another. They do not do not append their artwork with any typical school of art.

Indian contemporary artists take their insight from a mixture of sources and styles; Indian Artwork has still maintains its separate style and flavor. It has the capacity to merge the new style of art in it.

Indian contemporary art has won applause from all over the world. An unbelievable variety and originality is present in the Indian art. The contemporary Indian art is an ideal intermingle of Indian culture, history, religious beliefs, philosophy and diversity. This art form is day by day becoming more popular and famous all over the world. It has a great demand in the art market.

India has many famous contemporary artist added to its list. Their style of painting is a much of high class superiority, for the upper class people. It's a smooth, shinny; glossy style showcasing the wide range of variety. In this growing contemporary style modern materials are also used to give it a new edge. Natural fabric material like wool, cotton, silk, linen is used. These contemporary artist has the art to impress you with there brilliance and imaginative values.

Acrilyc Paint And Oil Paint Are The Best For Canvas

Oil paint and acrylic paint are the best for canvas. There are advantages and disadvantages for each type of paints. Centuries ago, artists did their masterpieces in canvas.

For beginners though, canvas painting can be daunting. There are so many materials to use like brushes, paints, canvas, etc. Oil on canvas has been a very popular choice for many artists over the years. They are best for extended projects because the oils don't dry fast.

Artists paint by layers because applying a thick coat of paint will eventually crack when it dries. Artists can put off painting for the next day, and they just rejuvenate oil, artists use mineral spirits and turpentine.

Also, it is easier to correct mistakes because of the time it takes to dry up. Brushes used for oil painting have a shorter life span because these brushes need to be thoroughly cleaned and in the process they lose their shape.

Canvas painting using acrylic paint is different from using oil paint because acrylic paint dries fast. Paintings are finished as quickly as they are thought of. If you are in a rush or are impatient, use acrylics because painting by layers will only take you hours.

To avoid smearing, some artists can use masking tape on the dried acrylic paint. This cannot be done with oil paint. Like oils, acrylic paint can be mixed and the possibility for color is endless. Unlike the brushes used for oil paints, you can clean brushes for acrylic paint with soap and water. These brushes retain their shape and have a longer lifetime.

Canvas Paintings For Home Decor

Canvas paintings give people tasteful options for filling their empty walls and hallways. Aside from adding color and texture, a painting can also speak much about the personality of the homeowner. It does not have to be too expensive to be able to be considered fine art. The more important thing is that the homeowner appreciates it and understands it.

The first thing to consider is where it is to be placed. It is obvious that a different kind of painting is more suitable for every room. It would be a good step to envision a painting in a room before deciding to purchase one. The size of the painting should coincide with the space allotted for it. For instance, it would not be a good idea to put up a huge painting in such a small space. It would lead to making the room look more cramped. Likewise, the color theme of the painting should also be considered. The overall color palette used in the specific room intended for the painting should accommodate the colors in the painting. Unless the work of art is intended to be used as an accent, the colors should not be too far from the color concept of that room.

More importantly, the specific style the room has should be complemented by the selected canvas paintings. For instance, it is very common for modern style to have neutral walls in shades of cream, white and grays. The canvas paintings can take the role of being the accent pieces in the walls. This means that against those neutral walls, paintings with bases such as reds and oranges would really stand out. At the same time, homes with a modern style need to stick to clean cut designs meaning the paintings should tone down on the curves and flourishes and stick to jagged lines and geometric shapes.

Colored Glass in Your Home

In accordance with the style and theme of your room you may choose from traditional, contemporary, transitional and Tiffany pendant lighting fixtures. All these varieties provide elegance, clean cuts, bold lines and architectural superiority. However, it is better not to mistake pendant lighting with chandelier lighting. The former generally hung from a single sconce on the ceiling and sprouts a single chain or metal tube from there.

The colored glass pendant lightings come in a large variety of shapes and size including rectangular, square, triangular and round. The contemporary lighting designers even experiments with a wide spectrum of shapes in order to create exclusive and appealing light fixtures. You can also find some pendant lights that have abstract shapes and designs that can revise the atmosphere of your room and create a mesmerizing effect.

However, the most common type of colored glass pendant lightings are dome shaped and cone shaped. The dome shaped pendant lightings are either shallow spreading ample amount of light or narrow in order to release more direct ray. These types of colored glass pendant lightening are usually crafted with materials that are capable of holding a dome shape. The cone shaped pendant lightings are more directional lighting source that allows only a little amount light to escape.

Antique glass includes so many different decorations, sizes, forms and shapes. Having any type of antique glass in your home can add to the beauty and character or theme that you would like to create. No matter what the size of your room or home is, there is always room for a piece of antique glass. Let us explore the shapes, sizes and forms that antique glass can take.

First of all, antique glass is not always clear. As a matter of fact, antique glass tends to be colored. This is not always the case, but stained glass is a classic antique feature that is found in churches, on antique lamp shades, and even on chandeliers. Clear glass allows light to shine through, which offers a beautiful rainbow that can reflect on a wall, mirror, or floor. Colored glass can sparkle when light shines upon it, giving is an elegance and a glow.

Antique glass comes in many shapes as well as colors. Glass chandeliers, vases, dishes, glass baskets, and bowls are among the different forms that antique glass can take. You might find clear glass antiques in these varieties, or some that are colored glass in yellow, green, blue, purple, and virtually any other color. You might even see what is called "milk glass" which is like a white porcelain antique glass. Milk glass is often painted with flowers or other designs to give the antique piece distinction and character.

There are many other types of antique glass besides milk glass. There is art glass, opalescent glass, pressed glass, historical glass, elegant glass, depression glass, carnival glass and Victorian glass. Flint glass, and early American Pattern glass are popular. Each style has a different texture, thickness, color, design and uniqueness to it.With so many forms, styles, shapes and colors to choose from, it may be difficult to choose which kinds of antique glass you will want to add to your home.

How on Earth Do You Stand Steadfast When Your World is Crashing In?

Many are hanging on by a thread and going through some very difficult trials. Daily we hear of someone losing a loved one, terminal cancer diagnosis, mental struggles with panic attacks and anxiety, job losses, abuse, and the list goes on and on. When your world feels like it is crashing in you can find strength to make it through and come out stronger.

For starters, you need to know there are some things that will never be developed in you without going through a struggle in life. After the storm, you will also know and be able to say ... 'if it hadn't been for the Lord'. Your confidence and trust in the Lord will increase and you'll know it wasn't your own doing that brought you through.

No doubt about it, when there's a knock on the door at the midnight hour you need more than your own strength or theory of who God is. You need God - with no trepidation and fear. You need to KNOW God. And you need to know God did not bring you this far to leave you now. God is your very present help in time of trouble.

Bear in mind also, if your heart is still beating you are a target for the devil. But what the devil meant for bad, God can turn to good! God's grace is sufficient for you during your trials.

Like my pastor often says, 'Life is Life for Everyone'.

In 1 Peter 4:12 it tells you not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice. Then James 1:2 says to count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Some key references to help you through the storm:

Temptation is common, but God is faithful and will provide a way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The waters will not overflow us and the fire will not burn us because the Lord is our God and He is with us. (Isaiah 43:2-3)
When I am weak, then I am strong through Him. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Cast All your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivers them out of them all. (Psalm 34:19)

Are you with me? You must remember that you are not staying in the trial, but going through it. To overcome your trials the word of God must abide in you. We are told in 1 Peter 5:9 to resist the devil steadfast in our faith. Standing steadfast requires speaking only what the word of God says. (Not confessing our troubles.)

It's no secret that, many of our struggles are attacks from the enemy. But we have help to overcome. The sword of the spirit is the spoken word of God and an offensive weapon. We have the ability to speak and chose our words, so we Must Chose Them Wisely. Imitate Jesus when He was tempted and say 'it is written', 'it is written', 'it is written' and speak what is written in the word of God over your situation.

Don't abandon ship during the storm, because 1 Peter 5:10 says that after we have suffered a while, the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, will make us perfect, established, strengthened, and settled. God's grace is sufficient to bring us through the storm better developed and stronger than ever before.

May you experience growing prosperity as you overcome the trials of life through your faith!

Your Future Starts Now

When we are young it is easy to believe that we have all the time we need. The future is so far away that it feels like there is no end to it. As we get older, the future begins to get shortened and we can begin to see the horizon, although it still seems far away. Suddenly, we realize that the future isn't far away, and we don't have as much as we once had.

Waiting until someday leads to disappointment. There isn't anything wrong with planning for the future, but we need to live in the present. If there is something you want to do, now is the time. The future may or may not be waiting for you. Don't put off what you want because you think you have plenty of time. You might, but you might not. As the quote reminds us, "Live each day as if it is your last. One day, you will be right."

Consider This

Today is the future you have been waiting for. Don't put off living until someday. Live today as if your future is not guaranteed because actually it isn't. So often people put off doing what they want to do thinking there will be plenty of time; when work slows down, next year, or just plain simply "someday". Don't put your dream off. Begin living it today. When the future comes it will be a bonus and you will have a longer time to enjoy the dream you created.

Reflections

Are you waiting for the future to have the life you want?

My Request

This week begin doing what you have been putting off for the future. A new project, a change in your environment, an improvement to your relationship; whatever it may be for you there is always a step or two you can take today to realize your dream. You don't have to wait. The sooner you get started on the dream, the longer you will have to enjoy it. Consider that "someday" will never come and it will never be found.

Notable Quotes

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time." Abraham Lincoln

"Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed." Wayne Dyer

"Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and playtime." W.E.B Du Bois

The Mystery of Life

"To the average person life is an enigma, a deep mystery, a complex, an incomprehensible problem, or appears so, but it is very simple if one holds the key. Mystery is only another name for ignorance; all things are mysteries when they are not understood, but when we understand life, it no longer appears mysterious."

As I was reading these words today from Working With The Law by Raymond Holliwell, I could not help but recall a time when life for me seemed to be an enigma, a deep mystery as Holliwell describes it.
It was not until my mid thirties I had a mental shift and realised that what I held foremost in my mind created my outer reality.

For this reason I have come to believe that this Law of Thinking long before I had heard of this term or read about it, is by far one of the most powerful laws in the universe. Our mind is a powerful force, perhaps one of the most powerful forces we know.

As Bob Proctor says " thought waves are cosmic waves that penetrate all time and space".

In essence this law states that what we mentally dwell on will continue to show up in our lives over and over and over again.

If we continue to dwell upon thoughts of lack, fear of losing our jobs, fear of being cut back from work, fear of losing someone in a relationship, fear of losing money, fear of getting sick, these conditions will gravitate towards us and manifest in conditions in our life.

Keep in mind that whatever you think in your mind are seeds that will grow. Good or bad thoughts, whatever they be, will sprout out into your world. And if you want good seeds to grow, plant good thoughts. As for the bad thoughts, replace these thoughts .

As Holliwell writes " As we replace the thoughts that are as weeds, they will die of their natural selves, for such weeds die from lack of cultivation. As long as we allow things to seem real to us, we are putting our energy into it. We are nurturing it; we are feeding it; we are keeping it alive; we are putting our faith into that things, whether we lie it or not, and it must naturally grow, for the Law of growth is ever working to produce whatever seed plant.

Thinking is something that flows though us continually. There isn't a moment nor even a microsecond that we are NOT thinking. If our thoughts are scattered, we serve only to cause for ourselves confusion and much unhappiness.

Now one can see the value in needing to collect our thoughts and harness and control our thoughts. For if we harness it; in other words discipline ourselves to a more constructive state of thinking then we will not be victims of what is quite often termed 'bad luck' or a 'raw deal'. There is no such thing.

Once we begin to comprehend this we can fully appreciate what Holliwell means when he says that " life no longer appears mysterious".

Sarah Winchester and Her Mystery House

Sarah L. Winchester was an heiress and the owner of the Winchester Mystery House. Sarah Winchester was born in September 1839 in Connecticut. She married William Wirt Winchester, the heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company empire. They had only one daughter, who died a few weeks after her birth in 1866. In 1881, her husband William died of tuberculosis leaving her 50 percent of the company, which fetched an income then of $1,000 per day.

In her grief, Sarah was led to believe that the family was cursed by the ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifle. A psychic advised that to exorcise herself, she should move west and build a house for herself and her spirits.

In 1884, she moved to what is now San Jose, California where she bought a house located on 162 acres of land. She began extending the house without any apparent plan, a procedure that continued 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 38 years. Two issues obsessed her -- 1) the number 13 and 2) the belief that if she ever stopped building she would die. She tried to incorporate 13 wherever possible, like having 13 bathrooms, windows with 13 panes etc. Since the construction went on haphazardly, it was full of anomalies such as staircases that led nowhere and windows opening onto walls. A stage was reached where workers had to navigate by using a map. Construction stopped only when Sarah Winchester died in 1922 at the age of 83.

Today, the Winchester Mystery House is a historic national landmark. It is open to the public seven days a week except for Christmas.

The Mystery of Stone Ship

(Advance) It's a very old rock structure, brown, with a sandy like texture to it, about the size of a 17th Century Ship, it resides in the middle of the Perene Rio, in the Central Jungles of Peru, called Satipo. Deep within the jungle nearby this rock structure, lived a tribe of natives, the 'Ashaninka,' derived from the earlier natives called the 'Arawak' ...I have visited an Ashaninka tribe myself; they are a warm hearted peaceful people, very creative in the arts. And so now for the Legend...:

Throughout the bloody and frightfully sixteen-hundreds, the so called Colonists (Colonos), with their slave ships, sought out the Ashaninka natives, for slaves, sold them to the highest bidder, in the Lima, and Huancayo markets, and in other parts of Peru, along with other cities of South America. The Colonists jammed an absolutely peaceful people into the guts of the ship; it was absolutely body to body. The officers were very cold and dehumanizing. The aftermath of these years took a toll; the Colonists had rapped the land like fire in dry grass-of its masses, putting them into slavery. These natives: insulted, frightened, none of them to return to their tribes. And the Colonists kept their recurrent surge up, keeping the slave-flesh, in the hole of the ship, with stale, deadly breath and putrid surroundings, many died on the journey to the markets, thrown over the stern of the ship for the fish and vultures to eat, once dead.

On a given day, something took place, that would mold into a legend, something, every Colonist would ponder on thereafter, and ship captains would forever take into account, when they'd sailed down the Rio Perene by what would be named-forevermore the 'The Rock of Stone Ship.'

It was an atrociously hot day. The rain had stopped; the captain had anchored his ship in the middle of the river, scouts lowered a small vessel into the waters, turned the boat towards an orchard like opening of the jungle, they were to search for tribal members, and return to the ship with the information, where they were now, how many of them were useful as slaves. In the meantime the Captain and his crew remained waiting onboard.

In those days, the chief of the Ashaninka kept a look out for the ships. They knew what the Colonists were contemplating, and of course the ship was taller than anything in sight and filled a good portion of the center of the river, and it was of course a symbolical threat once seen. And on this hot summer's day, it was seen by the chief, and his bodyguards.

The path the chief and his bodyguards were on came out on to the top of a hill; there they prayed that none of their kind would be kidnapped into slavery this day.

The scouts from the ship looked about spent quite a lot of their time trying to find stragglers, or the tribe itself, but they saw nothing, nothing but massive trees which shaded them from the hot sun, and would condemn them as they rested and fell to sleep, and when they awoke and went back to inform their captain of their fruitless search, they noticed suddenly the ship was gone. Refusing to believe the ship and its crew, and its captain could have left so anonymously, they moved about, but the only thing they found was a rock island mound in the middle of the river, that wasn't there before, it resided where the ship had been anchored.

It was a brown structure, likened to the ship itself in design and some details, as if it was melted down from wood to soft stone, somewhat circular dimensions, the rock island being the same size of the ship, which was now covered with large ants, running about.

The Chief, now looking down from the top of the hill, could see the newly formed mound, and the three scouts standing on it, in disarray, he said nothing, just bowed his head.

Written 7-17-2009, in part, at the hotel in Satipo, while visiting the rivers and falls and natives of this Central, Peruvian Jungle

Does Your Pictures Send The Right Message

Will your picture send the right message?

I had a conversation the other day with a complete stranger. An 80-something year old woman. The two of us rambled on about knitting (a hobby I recently picked up) and art, and she said something that's had me thinking for days. "When you are doing anything, you must have a vision. You must have a plan for the finished product or you will end up lost in the process."

This is something I have heard over and over, and I am sure you have, too. But how many of us follow it? If you have been studying art for any amount of time I'm sure you understand that the plan you had and the finished product are most often different. Sometimes because you changed your mind, or what you wanted just didn't look right when implemented. However, there are a few "golden rules" you need to decide on before you begin your painting (or whatever your chosen media is). One of the most important things to decide is lighting. Lighting set the mood for your painting and without it, your art may not convey much of a message.

The same piece with lighting from above would look very different when lighted from below or behind. Two source of light can create great effects. Think logically about lighting before you begin your art, and you will be much happier with your results.

Some questions to think about are:
Is there one source of light or more?
What direction and how far away is the light coming from?
Is it shining through anything?
Is there anything in the picture for light to reflect off of? Things like clothing, jewelry, walls, ceilings, etc..
Is the light natural or artificial?

Deciding all of these in the planning stag will help you move through your art with more confidence and ease, and you'll end up MUCH happier with the results. Even if you change you mind multiple times throughout the process.

Music Evokes Emotion and Influences How We Perceive the World

Music has an undeniable power to evoke emotion. Music is present at every important social gathering - weddings, funerals, birthdays, inaugurations and more. Every 'normal' human being responds to music's mysterious ability to tap into the boundless ocean that is human emotion. Music even calls into question the long-standing notion that there is one objective reality which can be accurately perceived. Music brings up fundamental questions such as...

Why does music evoke emotion?

How does music affect emotion?

Is music a basic human need like shelter, food and meaningful work?

Such questions cut to the very core of human nature. Answers to these questions would help to clarify the unique role of music in our lives.

Music Impacts Our Emotions

It has been shown in research that different types of music evoke different emotional reactions (in most people). For example, Lewis, Dember, Schefft and Radenhausen determined the effects of music versus videos on several assessments of mood - the Optimism/Pessimism Questionnaire, the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List, and the Wessman-Ricks Elation and Depression Scale (1). Experts rated a number of songs and videos as either positive or negative. The study found that songs had a major impact on the emotional state of the listener, yet the videos did not. Not surprisingly, music that was rated positively increased participants' positive moods. It was exactly the opposite for negative (i.e., sad) music. As you may have guessed, the mood of a piece of music tends to induce similar emotions in the listener.

Chastain, Seibert, and Ferraro (2) backed up these findings and found that certain music narrowed participants' attention. It was found that participants attended to and recalled words that matched the mood of the music. In and of itself, this is not surprising.

Music Influences How We See Inanimate Objects

More surprising are the results reported by Stratton and Zalanowski (3) where the mood of the music influenced how participants perceived paintings. The music influenced participant emotion and emotion influenced perception. In the study, paintings were paired together with music. Each piece of music was either depressing or positive in the emotion it evoked per the experts. Participants rated the emotions evoked by the paintings as well as the songs. Participants categorized the paintings by the type of music to which the listened, but not vice versa. In other words, paintings rated as sad by experts were perceived as sad by participants when paired with sad music. Yet those same paintings were perceived as positive when paired with happy music; the same findings were reported when positive paintings were paired with happy or sad music, respectively.

Amazingly, the way in which we perceive a seemingly static object is not as clear-cut as first thought. The emotions invoked by music influence not only our ears, but our eyes as well. Emotions most likely influence every one of our senses (i.e., smell, touch, taste, and mind).

Music Affects How We Perceive Others

If emotions and music can influence our senses and how we perceive objects around us, do they also influence how we view other people? They do. Music seems to prime our minds to perceive people in a similar emotional light.

In a fascinating study, Bouhuys, Bloem and Groothuis looked at the extent to which music influences how participants read the facial expression of emotions of others (4). Studies have demonstrated that normal people are quite good at correctly identifying the emotion on a person's face (without music). Yet listening to music can lead one to believe that an individual's face looks more happy or sad than it really is. For instance, a slow tempo, melancholy song can influence participants to believe that a person looks sad even when they are expressing no emotion at all. On the other hand, when participants listen to faster tempo, upbeat, elevating music, they believe a neutral face is more or less happy. Music has a significant effect on how we perceive the world.

Although it is not clear why music has such an influence on our emotions, mood and behaviors, it seems clear that music does alter how we perceive the world around us.

Temporary emotions caused by music change what we pay attention to, what we perceive, and how we interact with others. It brings into question the notion that there is one objective reality that can ultimately be accurately perceived.