Health Upgraders

Having problems writing? I don’t know why. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll writes up to five columns a week. After all, if he can write five columns, you should be able to write a five-lined poem-but that does not seem to be the case.

How does he do it? Carroll claimed to recite lines from Rudyard Kipling’s “The Elephant Child”:

“I have six humble serving men

They taught me all I knew

Their names are what

And where and when

And why and how and who.”

I’m more than sure that two incentives for Jon Carroll are 1.) Creating deadlines and 2.) His salary! Yes, we writers DO get paid every now and then!

Basing my philosophies on those few lines of Kipling’s “The Elephant Child”, my advice is to “Simply Ask Questions”. Rummage through some old work (whether it be poetry, nonfiction, or fiction) that you’ve written and use the following techniques to enhance your skills. And, then, ask yourself the follow questions.

WHAT is the underlying theme?

Try to come up with a single-word or phrase to describe your story. Perhaps one reason your story has not been effective in the past is that you have too many intertwining stories. This, in turn, can cause confusion for the reader. So, ask yourself, “What is my story about?” And, give yourself answers such as: Desolation, Lost Hope, Self-Confidence, Racism, Attained Dreams, etc. If you can KISS (keep it simple stupid), then your readers won’t MISS your point.

As practice, read some of the great contemporary writers and ask yourself the same question-”What is the underlying theme?” Describe the book in one word or one phrase, instead of using a high school book-report technique.

WHERE does your story or poem take place?Knowing the setting can allow you to be a bit more descriptive with your work. Does your poem or prose take place in Alaska? Florida? China? Yugoslavia? Hawaii? Kentucky? Each of these places is, perhaps, equal opposites of the next. To know your setting you have two choices– 1.) Be a good researcher; collect pictures and read as much as you can about the location, or 2.) Take a road trip! Nothing can be grander than to spend your weekend visiting unknown territories.

WHEN did the events take place in which you are writing?If you’re doing factual reporting-this is especially a MUST-DO. For instance, if you read a news article a reader wants to know when Ms. Johnson’s house was burglarized. Did it happen June 20, 2001? June 20, 1984? Did the events take place when it was winter with ten inches of snow? Or, better still, did the events take place at Virginia Beach mid-August?

WHY did the events take place?Is there a conflict within your character? A lot of times character’s (and real people too) have problems only because their conscious is “eating them away”. Is this the case? If so, why does your character feel so guilty that he made such decisions? Perhaps the events that take place are only cause-effect. Most always people cause their own mental downfall and breakdown. Always know why your characters complete every task and why the events take place.

How did the events happen?Too often people will say, “I had a car wreck today…” But, do they leave it at that? No, no, no. You must always tell how the events happened. Were you driving in the incorrect lane, but still feel it’s not your fault? Did you skid uncontrollably on a patch of ice? Maybe, you wanted to avoid the slow-moving tortoise that crossed your lane? If other characters are involved, it’s important to get their perspective in dialogue. Maybe they feel the events happened differently.

Who did the events happen to?Who your events happen to is one of the main focuses. You have to choose your characters carefully. Why? Well, it would change a story completely if you wrote of a 68-year old cheerleader. Your work would be a different story if the character were an autistic adult. How would the events change if, let’s say, the main character was indeed the Elephant Child, child of the deceased Elephant Man? Be creative with your characters and allow their personalities to work well for you when creating your piece.

Sometimes writers can use techniques that allow them to disregard some of these steps. Oh, Really? -You question. Yes. For instance, a writer may know the intentions of a character, a location-but you may not want to put it in print. My suggestion is that you KNOW all the answers to the above questions to make the work have more substance. By knowing all the answers you can create images, people, and scenarios by using symbols and customs of a particular area.

About The Author

Stephen Jordan has five years experience within the educational publishing industry. Stephen was a freelance editor with such educational foundations as Princeton Review, The College Board, New York University, and Columbia University. Away from the office, Stephen promotes his creative writing with his home-freelance business OutStretch Publications and his artwork. Stephen holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in writing and literature from Alderson-Broaddus College of Philippi, West Virginia.

Editor@OutStretch.net

Planning a wedding is a very exciting and stressful thing to do. There is so much to consider and many people are usually involved with the process. The last thing that you want to have to deal with when planning a wedding is dealing with people that do not belong at your wedding. These people are called wedding crashers.

In some cases, the wedding crashers are complete strangers. This is just a simple and harmless prank that some people like to do to random weddings. They do not cause any trouble while they are there. They will eat dinner, drink and enjoy the people and music just like everyone else. There are some people that do this on a regular basis a little bit of fun for them.

Another type of wedding crasher is the people that do this to bring turmoil to the happy couple’s special day. These are people that usually know at least someone in the wedding party. They may want to destroy the wedding and make it impossible to be a success. This is some thing that every wedding couple needs to be on the lookout for.

There are many people that can help to take watch for these wedding crashers. This is some thing that would make the couple feel better and allow the couple to have a peaceful marriage without interruptions. This is especially a good idea if there is someone that is suspected of doing this to the wedding.

Having a successful and wonderful wedding is something that can be achieved with out having a wedding crasher totally destroys the wedding. You can be a little cautious and be aware of what can happen. Having the right information and the right help is one thing that makes a wedding a fabulous success.

Wedding crashers can happen at any time. They are everywhere and usually have no preference when it comes to the wedding that they crash. Most of the time, they are doing it for the thrill and excitement of seeing if they can actually get away with it. Most of the people that are wedding crashers are doing it because they have nothing better planned for their night. This is a way for them to have some harmless fun and get a good meal at the same time.

Being prepared for a wedding crasher to join your party is always a good idea. If you do notice that one is intruding you on, you may want to just let them alone. If they are not causing any grief, they may be no threat at all. In other cases, you may want to quietly ask them to leave the party with no trouble.

You want to give your site’s visitors a way to contact you by email but don’t want your emali address to be abused. Here are a few ways to protect your email address when building your website.

1. Use defined users and filters

Don’t use the catch all email facility. Instead define users such as enquiry@ or sales@. It’s better if you can avoid the most obvious ones like info@ as some people might speculatively try these. It’s best to use a person’s name which does not appear elsewhere on the site.

Most email providers or email software offer you filters to use on incoming email. You define a parameter in the email and then filter out any incoming mail which does not contain it. For example, you could set your email link as

mailto:info@companyname.com?body=security%20code%20123%20 (please%20leave%20intact%20in%20message%20body)

then filter out any mail which does not contain the text “security code 123″. Please note that a space is replaced by “%20″ ni the mailto parameter.

This will prevent email from automated systems but you could miss out on genuine mail if the sender fails to understand this measure. Be sure to explain it well on your contact page.

It is important when using filters on an address that you don’t use this address to send other mail as your replies could be filtered out. Keep one address purely for email from your website.

2. Use a form

Use a form for your site’s visitors to contact you. This hides the email address in the browser but it may still appear in the HTML coding. If it does yuo can get around this by defining a subject line, e.g. info@companyname.com?subject=enquiry and filtering out all incoming mail which does not have this subject line.

3. Use JavaScript for links

It is possible to write the text link in JavaScript instead of HTML. The script breaks the email address down into its elements and then puts it back together. It appears just as a normal HTML link in the browser even down to the way it appears in the browser’s status bar. This method keeps everything looking as the visitor would expect but protects your address from Spam harvesters, programs designed to crawl sites and find mailto links in the code.

Copy this code replacing the 4 variables user, domain, extension and link with your own information. This example uses the made up email address info@companyname.com. It should be obvious which parts to change and to what.

[script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"][!--

var user = "info";
var domain = "companyname";
var extension = "com";
var link = "Email Us";

document.write('[a href="mailto:' + domain + '.' + extension + '"]‘);
document.write(link + ‘[/' + 'a]‘);
// –][/script]

Please note that the square brackets must be replaced with angled brackets for the script to work. The square brackets are merely to enable me to display the coding here.

Chris Smith is a full time web developer building websites for small businesses and individuals.

Please visit his site to see live examples of these techniques in action and for further information on web design and development.

Web Development | Email Links

How To Deal With Co-workers

This article is Part II of “How To Be a Christian In the Workplace”

Keys To Building Better Relationships With Co-workers: Colossians 3:23; Galatians 6:9; Proverbs 12:24; 13:4; 19:15; 24:30-32; Titus 2: 9-20; 1Timothy 6:1-2; James 1: 8.

To be interesting and liked, you need to be interested in and like others!

Be open to others around you who can teach you more about your job!

Care about what you do, and show you care.

Be a pleasing and warm person, not a gossiper or conniver and schemer!

Find an expert from whom you could learn insights about your job, so you can seek how to be better in it. No matter how long you have been there, you can always learn more, and ultimately become the best you can be for our Lord!

Avoid laziness and procrastination like the plague (Proverbs 10:4,5,2:11, 15:19; 18:9)!

Remember, your work is an act of worship, since it is God you are serving!

Reevaluate your attitude toward your employer and fellow employees as much as you can.

Notice others in your workplace, how you can learn from them, and how you can come along side and help them!

Focus on objectives, not obstacles, and make sure your objectives are clear!

Be totally honest with your time, expenses, and relationships!

Remember your workplace is also your most effective outreach. You may not be able to verbally share the gospel, nor should you on work time, but you can be a Christ-like example so others will seek you out and ask you what makes you different!

Fighting Depression In the Workplace Jeremiah 29:11

Make sure you have someone in your church you can talk to and vent to at times also, such as a small group or a trusted friend. Be growing in your faith and study of the Word. That will make you stronger, and will enable you to better weather the storms of life. Be aware that depression is usually a sign of a deeper problem. Thus, do not afraid to seek help. Even Moses, Elijah, and Jonah suffered from depression! The real problem is not so much on how you feel, but what are the root cause(s) of those feelings. Here are three of the most common causes of depression–fatigue, fear, and frustration:

Fatigue! (Moses’ problem) If you are a control freak, attempting to control everything and everyone around you, you will be riddled with anxiety. When you try to continue in a stressed out and hectic pace without delegating or having support, you will burn out. This will set you up for depression as well as many other problems! You cannot do it all! So, you need to be a team player, seeking out relationships and team building, not competition and antagonism. Moses’ father-in-law had to teach him to delegate. (Numbers 11: 10-17).

Fear! (Elijah’s problem) Whenever you try to manage all of your worries and fears, your body will break down. Instead of focusing on your depression, ask yourself, What is the worse case scenario? How can I get through it with help from God and others? Are my fears realistic? How can I let go of them? Elijah had to recognize that God was indeed in control and then learn too trust Him to handle the situations he was in (1 Kings 19: 1-18).

Frustration! (Jonah’s problem) When you do not see a plan or purpose behind the trials and activities of your life, you will get confused, and even disillusioned! Eventually, hopelessness will come in and overpower you. We, as humans, need to feel significant and needed. Thus, when we feel our life has no meaning, we will become depressed. When we finally understand God’s purpose for our life, or just trust Him for it, our depression will fade fast! Jonah had to also trust that God was in control and had a bigger plan that what he could envision (Jonah 1-4)!

Sometimes, life in the workplace can seem to be an endless rat race! Stop and rethink your actions, your attitudes, and your options. Search out these Scriptures on how you can improve your situation, understanding that the best way we can do that is improve ourselves! Ask God to open your eyes and help you see His purpose and plan for your life. If you still feel disoriented and confused, focus on the character of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit (Romans 12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Peter 1:3-4) that we are to emulate, as this is the primary Will of God and what we are to heed! Remember, God made you. He loves you, and has something to say to you, so focus on Him and not your situation!

How To Get Excited For Work (when we usually dread it!)

When we stay in a rut or a bad situation with continual weariness and fatigue, we will lose our primary focus, be ineffective, become a stumbling block to others, burn out, or go into a depression. We will miss out on other options and opportunities, start to disintegrate into a person with a bad attitude, and even become ill!

I am mainly speaking about physical and emotional fatigue, which can turn into spiritual fatigue. There is no normal order. Each one could be the one to start it off, and the other two will soon follow! Thus, frustration, stress, worry, anger, guilt, indecision, unrealistic expectations, resentment, and many other negative emotions will accumulate and then compile upon ourselves to bring us down in our personal relationships, family, and our relationship to God. We, therefore, will not be able to function as He called us, nor will we be able to worship, as is our primary reason for being and existing in life! Work, which is supposed to be a tool for living and an opportunity for outreach, becomes our focus and sole life, when it is not to be so.

You can visualize your personal and work life as a three legged stool. The first leg is a good diet of fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and lots of clean filtered water, with vitamin supplements and exercise along with a lot of regular rest to help out the physical fatigue. The second leg is a concentration on attitude and outlook, which will help you with the emotional fatigue. The third leg is a good church, Bible study, daily prayer, and devotions that will help your spiritual life. Each one leans against the other. If you let one leg go, you will not be able to stand, or work effectively!

Just a little more rest will be some help to you, but it will not keep the stool from falling from under you. Neither would even a weekend of rest and fun. You must develop a plan including all three legs, and be consistent! God desires you to take good care of His temple, your body (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16)!

More Ways To Balance Your Stool and Work

Be a person who forgives, who lets things roll off his/her back. If you let resentment build, it will break your back. If you let it go, you will be stronger and more effective (1 John 1: 9)!

Keep your focus on Christ. Look at your work as worship, and as serving Him, not just a labor or chore. Be open for opportunities, and take them as gaining insights and experience so as to be better for Him and others around you! If you get stuck, consider a new perspective. Try to look at your work from a different viewpoint. You cannot always control your situation, but you can control your attitude and respond as our Lord has called us to do!

Anxiety and stress is often a matter of outlook (Col. 3:23).

Get yourself involved in a good church (Isaiah 40:31).

Surround yourself with people who will listen to you and give you godly advice (Heb. 10:25).

See your work as a means to use the talents, creativity, and gifts that God has given you (Gen.1: 26-28).

Let your work give you self-respect and self-confidence (Prov. 22:29).

Allow your work to develop your aptitude and confidence, patience, forgiveness, values, loyalty, integrity, and be a place to build and develop character (Eccl. 10: 10; Luke 16:10-12).

Set goals and keep focused (Phil.3: 13-16).

Allow your work to build you up, not tear you down. If it does, and you have tried all of these suggestions, take a career assessment test. Perhaps you are not in the career for which you were designed. Remember, we are not to be devoted to our work, but rather devoted to our Savior. At the same time, we are to be diligent and be the best we can be in our job. The Christian should be the finest person at their job by means of integrity, godly character, and modeling Christ, regardless of the situation!

What would we have to gain if we put all of our selves and our time in our career, giving up all the other aspects of life? Nothing! When I visit rest homes with youth groups, I ask the youth to get life stories and perspectives from the elderly residents to catch sight of what they have learned in life, and what youth can learn from them. These were very rewarding. With dozens upon dozens of visits over twenty years, we never had anyone say they regretted that they did not spend more time in their career. The regrets expressed, if any, were about losing time with family by being workaholics, forfeiting relationships, and such. All could have been avoided just by adhering to Jesus’ simple words in Mark 8:36. Look it up and see for yourself!

Our work ethic will be the measure of how people see our true character, as well as that of our Lord!

This is from a supporter of our ministry:

How do I pray for my coworkers or workplace?

B-L-E-S-S them!

Praying for unsaved and hurting coworkers:

B. Body – health, protection, strength L. Labor – work, income, security E. Emotional – joy, peace, hope S. Social – getting along at home, at work, and in the neighborhood S. Spiritual – salvation, faith, grace

Praying for others at work:

B. Board of Directors L. Lordship of the business E. Employees S. Senior management, Supervision S. Stockholders Praying for my company:

B. Bottom line, profitability, paying expenses L. Lawful, longevity, lasting E. Excellence, equality S. Synergy – good relationships between management and employees S. Satisfied customer/clients and employees

Richard J. Krejcir Into Thy Word © 2003 www.intothyword.org

« Previous Page