The Law of Gratitude

By Lori Klauser
When you are feeling your lowest, I’m sure you can’t imagine one thing to be grateful for. When you think you are deprived, your feelings and thoughts revolve around what you don’t have. You may not believe you deserve for good things to happen to you. Being grateful and thinking along the lines of the good that is in your life brings more good to you. Admit it, even you are sick of hearing you whine. It gets you nowhere and it just brings more negative upon you.

Why not give gratitude a try? Look around you and notice the good that is in your life. Even if it isn’t perfect, acting as if will bring you immeasurable things. We must be grateful for and appreciate the things we do have before more will be given to us. Say thank you for what you do have. If you concentrate on finding the good in every situation you encounter, you will find a life filled with gratitude and wonder. You have nothing to lose, so why not?

If you don’t know what to be grateful for, be grateful for everything. Everything presents an opportunity for us to be grateful. It is an opportunity to learn and to grow. When you look at the things in your life, even if they do not measure up to what you perceive as perfect, be grateful. Appreciate what you do have. Pretend, fake it, force it if you must. It may not seem logical to you, it may not seem practical, but you will start to see changes. Your attitude may be the first to change. You will start to accept what you do have. You will start to act ‘as if’.

If you expand your thinking in gratitude, it will boost your well-being. It is the forgotten factor in your happiness. It means taking nothing for granted. Be thankful that you woke up in the morning and have another day before you with limitless opportunities. Once you make a habit of looking at things and being grateful for them, it will help you begin receiving the abundance that you deserve. It will open you up to the fullness that life offers you to be a part of.

Gratitude seems to be the secret that successful people have that the rest of us don’t. But it doesn’t have to remain that way. Gratitude is a very powerful force. After you accept what you do have and feel gratitude for it, everything will change. Things that you need will come to you. You have practiced and acknowledged feeling grateful for what you do have. That will free you and bring better to you because you have cleared the way for more. Whenever you encounter a problem, summon up gratitude. There are lessons to be learned everywhere. Be grateful for the problem and the lesson that you will learn.

You may have gone without, you may be deprived of certain things, and you may have difficult circumstances and feel as if you have nothing. Accept what you do have. Be grateful for what you do have. It doesn’t mean that is what you will always have. It just means that where you are today is where you are supposed to be. Before you can get more, you must be grateful for what you have right now. Make it a point to write down three things you are grateful for in your life every night. It will open a path for more to come.

Be aware of your feelings and never believe that all you have is all you can have. Make awareness a goal. You were destined for great things. Believe that is true. Be aware that thinking alone is not enough. Act as if. What you believe will come to you once you are grateful for what already is. It’s the law of the universe.

© 2007 Lori Klauser



About the author:
Visit Lori at http://loriklauser.com. Receive her free ebook Traveling the Road of Codependency for signing up for her newsletter. She takes codependency one step at a time; delivering concepts that help you master healing.

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Insights Into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Law

By Jon Arnold
When an individual consumer, not a business or corporation, is looking to file for bankruptcy, it is almost always most appropriate for them to either file under Chapter 7 bankruptcy law or Chapter 13 bankruptcy law. The majority of consumer bankruptcies are filed under Chapter 7. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the consumer is able to get rid of almost all his debts, thereby providing them with the chance to start over again, where their focus would be on rebuilding their severely tarnished credit report.

That last sentence is important to realize for anyone considering filing bankruptcy under any chapter or code. If your bankruptcy is approved by the federal bankruptcy courts after an extensively and detailed look at your current financial situation, the bankruptcy will be highlighted and readily visible on your credit report from each of the major credit bureaus for the next seven to ten years. This is a big reason why it is important to consider the act of bankruptcy as a last resort option, where you have thoroughly examined and evaluated each of your bankruptcy alternatives and found that proceeding with the bankruptcy petition is really your best option in your circumstances.

Even with the drastic changes in the bankruptcy laws in recent years, it should be noted that the underlying PUPOSE of filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy has not changed. But with that said, be aware that the changes in the bankruptcy laws have significantly changed the method and procedure for doing any kind of bankruptcy, including Chapter 7.

For the consumer considering chapter 7 bankruptcy, this is most often caused by a huge pile of debt, usually credit card debt and usually with high interest rates, where the consumer is unable to pay even the minimum amount due each month. Note that "fault" is not assigned in a bankruptcy hearing. The financial situation of the consumer may have come about due to things out of the control of the consumer, not due to the financial mismanagement of the consumer. The most frequent causes that lead up to this situation are a job layoff, high unexpected medical expenses that are not covered under one's health insurance plan, a hotly contested divorce settlement, and too many other things which are out of the consumer's direct control to list here.

This can be a problem. Most consumers really want to pay off their debt if they had the ability to do so. But a consumer with, for example, $60,000 or more in debt could find themselves continuing to pay on that debt for the next 20 years or more, even if they did not acquire additional debt and even at low or no interest rate being assessed.

After the bankruptcy petition is filed, the consumer needs to show up in court on a specified date, a date of which all his creditors have been notified of, and each side presents their case. The creditors, if they show up (they often do not) may argue that money was loaned to the consumer with fair expectations of repayment. It is ultimately up to the bankruptcy judge to decide how to proceed, and there is not a set or established standard for how this plays out, since each individual case is different.

Although Chapter 7 bankruptcy could conceivably be done without a bankruptcy lawyer, this is strongly not recommended. With the changes in the bankruptcy laws, compounded with variations of the law from state to state, the consumer could find himself spending more time and money that what the lawyer fees would have come to, and it is almost always worth the investment in a bankruptcy lawyer to guide you through the process, since they have a very thorough understanding of bankruptcy law and what the variations are in your state.

About the author:
For more insights and additional information about Chapter"> http://www.bankruptcy-data.com/review-of-chapter-7-bankruptcy.php">Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Law as well as getting a free bankruptcy evaluation from a qualified bankruptcy lawyer local to you, please visit our web site at http://www.bankruptcy-data.com/review-of-chapter-7-bankruptcy.php

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Family Relationships: Take My Mother-In-Law, Please

By -- --
Bad joke fodder aside, what makes a good mother-in-law? Or is that an oxymoron? Most women today fill several simultaneous roles; wife, mother, step-mother, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, mentor, boss, employee�"but being a mother-in-law remains the most challenging one, and it’s loaded with pitfalls.

Even before the role is assumed, the tendency for jealousy can rear its ugly head: “No one is good enough for my son (or daughter)!” Or we selectively forget our own mother-in-law woes presuming we will do a better job. But without forethought and conscious effort, we will blunder into this important role reactively rather than considerately�"a mistake that could have major consequences.

How major? Researchers who study family relationships know that in-law relationships can be an accurate predictor of whether a marriage will succeed�"or end in divorce. One Iowa State University study found that “adult children’s marriages are more likely to be cohesive if the married adult children are autonomous and there is little conflict between the adult children and their parents. This is particularly important during the first few years of marriage. Thus, it was not surprising to find that among newlyweds, low levels of conflict with in-laws predicts marital happiness for both husbands and wives.”

Unfortunately, it is too easy to naively dismiss such concerns. After all, we only marry a mate�"not a family. But is this really true?

A couple becoming a new family doesn’t sever all previous family ties, and it shouldn’t. However, as the Journal of Family Therapy pointed out in a 1990 article by Judith L. Silverstein, “Conflicts often arise out of a failure to establish clear boundaries with the family of origin. In-laws become rivals or competitors for the spouse’s attention. . . . In-laws may also be used to avoid intimacy within the couple. On the other hand, in-laws often greatly enrich family life, providing added support, friendship and guidance.”

Some in-law conflicts can be traced to simple differences in life and health experiences. One doesn’t raise a future son-in-law or daughter-in-law; they come to their mate’s family fully grown. The best approach is to treat them as the adults they are. We can’t replace someone’s mother and shouldn’t try but we can become their friend. For example, rather than “telling” our daughter-in-law how to be a good wife, why not show her? Examples speak volumes.

Compliment her abilities rather than nitpick. Only give advice when asked; never meddle. When we avoid taking sides, (favoring a child over their mate) it is easier to build a lasting relationship. This is, after all, the main goal.

The transfer of intergenerational wisdom that can occur if we don’t alienate our daughter-in-law is unlimited. There may be grandchildren . . . great-grandchildren. These future generations need grandparents in good standing. Make each occasion together pleasant, quality time. Leave them hungering for more, not dreading the next visit or phone call. The benefits to the young couple will be enormous if their space is respected. Send a clear message that the younger couple's decisions are supported no matter what. Most parents had to make mistakes as newlyweds and so do their children.

Another factor that can complicate mother-in-law-hood is the phase often called “empty nest syndrome”. If the void isn’t filled with useful activities, parents can obsess over controlling their adult children. This is unhealthy for adult children as well as for parents. The slogan “Get a life” takes on a whole new meaning. If a calm and warm atmosphere can be created for adult children to visit, parents will most likely see adult children and grandchildren more often, which is more than a minor consideration.

There may not be a great number of self-help books out there for the mother-in-law to consult but common sense is still the best teacher. In every role we play, we must think how we would like to be treated and treat others the same way. This ancient wisdom is just as applicable today as when it was first written.

Rather than resemble a bad mother-in-law joke, why not strive for the alternative? Keep a healthy sense of humor and create a family-friendly environment for adult children. Done properly, it will draw our children to us eagerly, now, and in the future.


About the author:
Author, Linda Elliott, contributes articles on family relationships for Vision Media. More information about these and other topics can be found at the Vision Media web site.

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Buy a Water Cooler it’s the law… and it also helps increase staff ...

By Justin March
Buy a Water Cooler it’s the law
According to Business Link UK employers are required to “make an accessible seated area available for staff to eat, with access to drinking water and hot drinks” (1). If employees regularly eat in the workplace they are entitled to expect an accessible area in which they can eat and if food is likely to be contaminated elsewhere (such as within a factory or workshop) they are also entitled to seating arrangements, hot drink facilities, and a way of heating food. In addition to this employers must also provide free drinking water and cups, unless the water is dispensed via a drinking fountain or similar.

Employers have a duty of care and must ensure that the water that employees have access to is free from contamination, the Health and Safety Executive website states that water maybe sourced “preferably from the public water supply…” and that “…bottled water dispensers are acceptable as a secondary supply” (2).

If water availability is dependant on delivery such as a bottled fed water cooler employers need to be careful that “there are adequate supplies, taking into consideration the temperature of the working environment and types of work activity” (3).


Manual Handling and your Water Cooler
If your staff are being asked to carry water bottles it’s important that you make them aware of the correct Manual Handling procedures possibly by sending relevant staff members on training courses, or asking your water cooler company for a Manual Handling Guide. For help with your overall health and safety risk assessment consult the Business Link website (see the list of resources below for the URL).


Hygiene and your Water Cooler
Whatever your cooler type whether its mains fed or bottle fed the machine needs to be cleaned and sanitised on a regular basis. The sanitisation process should be carried out every 3 months or sooner if there has been any known contamination of your water cooler or water machine. If your machine or cooler is left unused or left empty for a length of time then you should also sanitise the machine immediately before letting people dispense water.

When adding a new bottle to your water cooler you need to take the same kind of precautions that you would take when handling any food stuff. Ensure that your hands are clean, and that the bottle is still in date, it’s also important to ensure that the bottle is clean prior to placing it on your cooler.


Buy a Water Cooler it also helps increase staff productivity
Up to 75% of the human body is water, it helps us to digest and absorb food, carry blood around the body, and helps remove waste and toxins. Every day the body looses an average of around five pints of water. If the water that is lost is not replaced then dehydration sets in which can cause headaches, tiredness, lack of concentration, confusion and irritability not exactly ideal conditions for getting the best work out of your staff.

Resources
1. http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l1=1073858799&topicId=1074469549&r.l2=1073877897&r.s=tl
SOURCED ON: 29 May 2007

2. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg293.htm
SOURCED ON: 29 May 2007

3. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg293.htm
SOURCED ON: 29 May 2007


WaterCoolers Direct.com Ltd offer this article as ‘Guidance Only’. Therefore, WaterCoolers Direct.com Ltd and its employees or representatives cannot be held responsible for any work carried out by YOU and/or ANY third party using the instructions either in writing or over the telephone via the HelpDesk.

Copyright © WaterCoolers Direct.com Ltd 2007


About the author:
Written on behalf of Water Coolers Direct a company that sells all types of water coolers, fountains and machines to customers throughout the UK.

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The Law of the Ox (Bull) in Bible versus Quran

By Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
The law of the Ox (bull) in the Bible

Kill the Ox
Kill the Owner of the Ox
The price of the life of male or female slave is 12 ounces of silver

If an ox gores a man or a woman to death,
• The ox shall surely be stoned to death
• And its flesh shall not be eaten;
• But the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman,
• The ox shall be stoned to death
• And its owner also shall be put to death.

If the ox gores a male or female slave,
• The owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver,
• And the ox shall be stoned to death.

Thirty shekels of silver equal about 12 ounces or 342 grams in weight
This means that the price of the life of male or female slave is 12 ounces of silver!
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The three verses of the Law of the Ox in different versions of the Bible

Exodus 21:28, 29 and 32

New American Standard Bible

28] "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.
29] "If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.
32] "If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

King James Version

28] If an ox gores a man or a woman that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
29] But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
32] If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
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The law of the Ox (Bull) in the Noble Quran

There is no specific Law for the Ox and/or the Owner of the Ox in the Noble Quran!

However, the two verses 2:178-179 give a general Law in cases of murder

Verse 2:178 says:
O you who believe, the Law of retaliation is prescribed for you on equal terms, regarding the slain, both in the attributes [of the one slain] and in the action involved;
In the matter of the murdered ones;
a free man, is killed, for a free man,
and a slave for a slave,
and a female for a female
a life for a life
The freeman for the freeman, a freeman who premeditatedly kills another freeman And the slave for the slave, a slave who premeditatedly kills another,
And the female for the female, a female who premeditatedly kills another
A life for a life, this is the Law
And for him who is forgiven somewhat by his brother,
Whoever forgives the killing and takes instead blood money,
Allah commands the person who asks for blood money to claim this money according to practiced usage: three years if it is full blood money, two years if it is half of the blood money, or one year if it is a third (and payment unto him)
The person who is required to pay blood money is commanded to give the custodians of the murdered person what is due to them (in kindness) without the need to go to court or making it difficult for them.
This pardon is alleviation, appeasement and a mercy from your Lord towards the killer such that he is not killed.
He who transgresses after this, after taking the blood money and kills the murderer will have a painful doom; he shall be killed and will not be forgiven or allowed to pay blood money.
And verse 2:179 says:
And there is a life for you in the law of retaliation
a continuation of existence and a lesson,
O men of understanding, those who possess sound minds among people,
that you may ward off (evil))
that you may ward off killing one another for fear of retaliation

Chapter 2: AL-BAQARA 178 and 179


﴿178﴾ o ye who believe! the law of retaliation (equality) is prescribed to you in cases of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman. but if any remissions are made by the brother of the slain, then grant any reasonable demand, and compensate him with handsome gratitude, this is a concession and a mercy from your lord. after this whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave penalty.
﴿179﴾ in the law of retaliation (equality) there is (saving of) life to you, o ye men of understanding; that ye may restrain yourselves.

----------------------------------------------------
What if the Quran was the Book which commands to kill 1) the Uncircumcised, 2) who curses his parents, 3) the gay, 4) the Zoosexual and the Beast, 5) who works in the Sabbath! 6) Your brother, your son, etc. if they try to turn you away from the LORD and 7) all who live in that town, 8) the prophet and 9) all the Midianites, men, women and boys and 10) the Ox, and the owner. What if the Quran says that the Price of the Life of a human being is 12 Ounces of Silver?
What the Western Media would have said? What names they have given the Quran in such case?
=========

Back to the main issue of my series of articles; this is my question to you smart readers: "Is the Quran quoted from the Bible?"


About the author:
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University., Egypt.
And, President of The Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers


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