Archive for February, 2008

Funny Wedding Speeches - Add Some Humor To Your Speech!

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

By James Nardel Adding a bit of humor to a wedding speech is a great thing to do to change things up a little bit while letting the bride and groom know that you are excited for them. Funny wedding speeches are a great way to liven up what can be a very sappy, and overly emotional part of any wedding reception. Wedding toast humor is also for those that feel as though they just cant get sappy and sentimental in front of a room of other people. A truly funny wedding speech is a hard art to master but in this article I’m going to give you some tips so you can write a funny wedding speech no one will forget in a hurry, so let’s get started! Tip 1 - Know your audience This is really important. A joke that is funny to a 20 year old person might not be funny to a 70 year old person. Also, if you know there are people in the audience (and the bride and groom) who don’t like profanity or sexual talk, don’t say anything to offend them! You don’t want to be known as the man who insulted half the wedding party. Know your audience, think about who is coming and what sensitivities they have. Tip 2 - Stay away from inside jokes Just because you and the groom think a joke is funny, doesn’t mean every one else will get it. Try and stick with jokes that every one will understand and that they find some what funny. There is nothing worse then half your audience laughing and the other half thinking you’re weird. Tip 3 - Re live a funny moment Re living a funny moment that you had with either the bride or groom is a good idea as long as it will be funny to every one. Again, no inside jokes like “hey Phil, remember that time when you know what happened to you know who?” That won’t make sense to most people. Re live a funny moment in both of your lives that every one will find amusing. Tip 4 - Use a funny one liner A funny one liner joke is a good way to start a speech or end it. Again, knowing your audience is important but here are two of my favorite one liner jokes for wedding speeches. “To our wives and lovers, let’s hope they never meet” and “It’s not too late to leave now (insert brides name) the gifts are refundable!” Article by James Nardel, expert author at EasyWeddingToasts.com. For more tips and information on wedding speeches and toasts and free wedding speech examples for entire wedding party visit http://www.easyweddingtoasts.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Nardel http://EzineArticles.com/?Funny-Wedding-Speeches—Add-Some-Humor-To-Your-Speech!&id=187840 websites to buy phentermine pharmacy order phentermine phentermine with no prescription order phentermine without prescription

Development of Liberal Theology: An Overview (Part 3)

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

By Saundra L. Washington As senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of New York, Fosdick preached a sermon one Sunday in 1922 that aroused the righteous indignation of fundamentalists and he suddenly found himself at the center of a heated theological controversy. In order to understand the tension that existed between fundamentalism and modernism, it is necessary that I briefly delineate the fundamentalist position at that time. Fundamentalism is a rather broad movement within Protestanism which claims the absolute inerrancy of the words of the Holy Bible. It attempts to preserve what is considered to be the fundamental ideas of Christianity against criticism by liberal theologians. Bishop Pike noted that the fundamentalist regarded any particular assertion or narrative in the Scriptures that is challenged, qualified, or treated as myth; any attempt to rethink and restate the verities to which the Bible witnesses, fundamentalists suspects of infidelity and unbelief (A Time for Christian Candor). Between 1909 and 1915, anonymous authors published twelve small volumes entitles, The Fundamentals. Millions of copies were distributed to various religious organizations and institutions. I believe it was about 85 or 90 articles that were written for the series with at least 30 devoted to the issue of biblical authority. The spirit of the work coincided with the spirit of early fundamentalism calm, determined, intending merely the reaffirmation of what was perceived as fundamental truths. It was from the title of the publication that the movement got its name. The primary doctrines that the fundamentalist thought should be accepted without challenge were: 1) The inspiration and infallibility of the Bible. 2) The doctrine of the Trinity. 3) The Virgin birth and deity of Christ. 4) The substitutionary theory of the atonement, and 5) The bodily resurrection, ascension, and the second coming of Christ. To a large extent, fundamentalism was a reactionary movement. It reacted against the prevailing intellectualism which was increasingly attracting the modern worlds attention. Liberal scholars challenged biblical authority; utilized historical research to question previously accepted Christian doctrines and their influence was beginning to be felt very strongly in schools, seminaries and churches. And if that wasnt enough, in addition to the growing strength of liberalism, Darwin and Spencers evolutionary theories began to be used to discredit orthodoxys theory of the origin of man. Consequently, firmly convinced that the Bible was being destroyed by liberalism and that the fundamentals of the Christian faith were not properly being taught in seminaries, fundamentalism rose to reassert the basics of Christian doctrines. So, it is clear that the flames between the fundamentalist and modernists had existed for some time, but Fosdick, perhaps unwittingly; perhaps not, added fuel to the fire when he preached his controversial sermon, Shall the Fundamentalist Win? According to Fosdick, the sermon was intended as a plea for church tolerance that would allow for a diversity of theological view points. But the Fundamentalists took it as a personal assault and they subsequently, counter-attacked. They made it their business to become more publicly visible. They began publishing newspapers and magazines that leaned toward their religious philosophy, established missions, and erected their own schools and seminaries. In other words, Fundamentalists courageously rose to firmly reassert orthodoxy over and against the claims of liberalism. In regards to the outcome for Fosdick, by 1923 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (to a great extent influenced by William Jennings Bryan), adopted a resolution asking the Presbytery of New York to insist that Fosdick accept full membership into the Presbyterian fold and to conform to the Presbyterian system of doctrines. Fosdick rejected those terms and even though the Presbyterians tried to work out an agreeable compromise, the controversy became so heated and intense and for Fosdick personally insulting, that he resigned and preached his last sermon at First Presbyterian Church some time during the early months of 1925. It appears that during early twentieth century, liberal influence began to wane. Following the depression of 1929, a mood of disillusionment settled over the land and man at best felt lost. What could optimistic liberalism say to the modern man of twentieth century to rebuild his faith? Philosophies such as positivism and naturalism became fashionable but were unfriendly towards liberalism. As Hordern stated, the Bible became a problem for liberals. For one thing, if the truth of the Bible is only that which we can experience in more modern categories, and which we can know by reason, why bother with the Bible at all? Unfortunately, liberals did not have satisfying answers. Even Fosdick himself later admitted that modernism, in and of itself was not enough. He came to believe that liberal theology had to do more than accommodate itself to the times or it would become shallow and transient.; 1) A preoccupation with intellectualism 2) It was dangerously sentimental 3) It tended to water down the concept of God and adjust itself to a man-centered culture and 4) It lost its ethical standing ground and its ability to launch a moral attack. These criticisms along with many, many others helped to decrease liberalisms influence and impact upon the modern world. Liberalism however, is by no means dead. Its concern for relevance has continued to grow and many liberal theologians are currently absorbed in the serious study of hermeneutical difficulties. Liberalism has undergone many changes and made substantial modifications of its former theological stance. We appear to be presently living in an age of Neo-liberalism. But the basic affirmations underlying liberal thought continues to be their stress on the importance of the inductive method of inquiry which was proving to be so successful for progress in other areas of human endeavor; their reliance upon experience, not the Bible, s the primary authority, their stress on continuity between God and humanity, reason and revelation, and their emphasis on human potential to overcome personal inadequacies and the shortcomings of the social order. Last Word We have surveyed the historical context out of which liberal theology emerged and the dominant characters and ideas disclosed in its development. Liberalism gradually grew out of Protestant orthodoxy. Great philosophers such as Spinoza, Hume and Kant played important roles and laid the building blocks which later scholars built upon, but the process was slow and not a radical departure from traditional Christianity. Though I tried to specify certain time periods in which one phase of liberal was dominant, it should be understood that there is no definite point in the history of liberalism at which a decisive break with the past can be clearly discerned. Liberalisms religious position has always been in the process of evolving yet continuous with what has always been central and valuable in their Christian heritage. Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available in July. You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Soul’s Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification or to browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall. Blessings to all! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Saundra_L._Washington http://EzineArticles.com/?Development-of-Liberal-Theology:-An-Overview-(Part-3)&id=45557 cheap phentermine on line purchase phentermine with mastercard phentermine online no perscription phentermine without a dr prescription

Evolving Health Services

Sunday, February 10th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Adam_Jaylin] Adam Jaylin More often than not, every time you begin with the process of making a claim for your medical health insurance, it begins with the referral of the friendly General Practitioner, GP. Now this all important GP is going to get more helpful as government’s GPs tsar says that NHS and its patients could save a lot of time and money if they are being treated by the GPs instead of the specialists. All the GPs specialize in one field or another during their medical training and if they are asked to treat patients instead of referring them to the specialists or consultants, it would be efficient use of the present resources. It would mean less pressure on hospitals and more time for them to deal with emergency services and core specialist services. In the process to make the largest employer in Europe function few more policy changes have taken place. The new regulation will allow National Health Service to recover the costs of medical treatment from insurers in cases where compensation is paid for personal injury. The recognised trade organisation of the health insurance sector the Association of British Insurers made it clear two years back that it would add a further 5% to the cost of employers liability cover for an average business. These few steps taken is public welfare will help towards the cause of better public health but few things that even the public should keep in mind are the way they choose their health insurance policy. Be it an individuals health insurance or your familys health cover one should be judicious in selecting the right avenue to avail it. Regular and timely payment of the premiums is essential so its important that one should avail such a health insurance policy that is affordable for you! Remember affordable [http://www.ukonlinemarket.co.uk/Insurance/Health_Insurance.php] health insurance policy doesnt mean a cheap health policy! The definition of the term affordable is relative so what is affordable for you may not be affordable for me! So affordable will generally cover most of your basic/essential health requirements and for emergency needs the NHS is always there. But cheap will mean that the policy will cover only very few things and might leave some situations out. So while taking a low cost scheme that is offering limited cover, one should insure that his essential requirements are in place. More often than not in-patient treatment and day-patient treatment will be covered but if you need to consult a specialist as an out-patient then what will be the procedure or the damages (expenses!) to do that. The range of hospitals that you will go to get treated might also differ with the amount of premiums. So these are little things that can make a big difference in your life. Be careful and stay insured! Learn more about [http://www.ukonlinemarket.co.uk/Insurance/] insurance and [http://www.ukonlinemarket.co.uk] Online Shopping Article Source: [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Adam_Jaylin ] http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Jaylin [http://ezinearticles.com/?Evolving-Health-Services&id=444292 ] http://EzineArticles.com/?Evolving-Health-Services&id=444292 phentermine on line without prescription online pharmacy phentermine cod prescription phentermine without a prescription buy phentermine online no prescription needed

The Proper Purposes of Weight Loss

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

By Donovan Baldwin Why question anyone’s “reason” or “purpose” for losing weight? Well, I am not trying to “question” anyone’s goals and dreams. However, I have had opportunities to observe the setting of these goals and the motivations behind them in many people, including myself, over the last half century, and I do have a few thoughts on the subject of the proper purposes, or reasons, for weight loss. Partly, these conclusions are based on the many failures and few successes I have seen. While I am happy to learn of anyone who is concerned about their health and happiness and is willing to do something about it, I am concerned that many people fail to achieve their health, fitness, or weight loss goals because of a lack of knowledge or because of an undefined sense of purpose. Obviously, the numbers (statistics) bear out the definite relation of weight loss to health in a general way. However, what exactly does losing weight do for an individual? What CAN happen to people with a body mass index of 25 or above, those categorized as overweight and obese, when they DO lose weight? It has been shown statistically that those in the categories of “overweight” or “obese” are facing increased risks of cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance syndrome, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, liver disease, gallstones, and sleep apnea. All of these conditions, many of which are fatal in a worst-case scenario, also have their own complications. It is also not uncommon to find combinations of these conditions in overweight and obese individuals, thus increasing the overall dangers to health and happiness exponentially. Looking at these simple facts, it is easy, and very natural, to come to the conclusion that, in the obese and overweight, weight loss at any price is worth the potential gains in health, quality of life, and longevity. Faced with this general sense of information, many people will assume that any weight loss program that “works” will deliver these gains and improvements. However, I see two questions. Are some weight loss programs, systems, or methods more likely to deliver all three? Is it possible that some methods of losing weight may create new problems of their own? The answer to both questions is, “Yes.” Due to a lack of knowledge of the problem or the solution, many people, quite naturally, focus on their immediate perceived problem (I can’t get into my old clothes. It’s getting harder to do things. I need to lose weight for my health - whatever that is.) rather than viewing weight loss as a long-term, life-altering solution to an entire panoply of current and potential ills as outlined above. Often, this single focused goal is not strong enough to help maintain motivation. However, understanding ALL the many benefits of a healthy weight loss program, including delay of death and easing of the negative aspects of aging, could conceivably provide a stronger degree of motivation than simply depriving oneself of favorite foods over a long term in order to drop a dress size. In hopes of “losing a few pounds” or a lot of pounds, many people resort to the use of all kinds of fad diets, diet pills, weight loss supplements, and chase the elusive promises of every new idea that pops up on TV or in the supermarket tabloids. However, most of these have more basis in economic health of the company selling them than the physical health of the user. The claims seem good, and sadly the claims, though based in fact, are inflated to make an item or method that COULD help someone who is in a healthy weight loss program seem as if it SHOULD BE the weight loss program. Sadly also, in addition to diverting the public’s attention away from real solutions which could actually help bring about better overall health and reductions in future health risks, these get-thin-quick programs may actually either promote dangerous attitudes and practices and, in extreme cases, may have their own health risks or simply add their own risks to the list. Many seek to accomplish the goal of “weight loss” through manipulating the normal functions of the body in extreme ways or by curtailing necessary nutrition so that other problems may be encountered. Even worse, many touted weight loss solutions, in addition to being ineffective, can actually lead to weight gain. Just for an example, many diets demand severe restrictions in the quantity and types of food eaten. The fact is that dropping calories below a certain point can cause the body to lower its basic metabolic rate, thus learning to survive on even fewer calories than before. Since the basic metabolic rate can be key to healthy weight loss, this does not seem like a good thing! To make things worse, when the dieter gets fed up with eating the labels on the cans instead of the contents of the cans and goes back to old eating habits, it will take fewer calories to pack on fat than before. This often leads the dieter to gain weight, then to try another diet, usually with the same results. The term for this is yo-yo dieting and it usually results in weight gain rather than weight loss. Additionally, restricting the types of foods allowed also restricts the access to needed nutrients, creating additional potential health problems. Ready for some good news? It has long been known that increasing physical activity, either through lifestyle changes or through planned exercise programs, together with a few alterations to the daily diet, i.e. healthy eating habits, can result in a healthy weight loss experience. Additionally, exercise and healthy eating habits bring with them their own benefits to health and fitness levels. Through regular, moderate exercise and healthy eating, rather than through fad diets and diet pills, anyone can improve their chances for a longer, healthier, happier, and more rewarding life. It’s cheaper too. Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting, yoga, weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life. He has a collection of articles on health, fitness, diet and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory, and a blog on the same subjects at http://nodiet4me.blogspot.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donovan_Baldwin http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Proper-Purposes-of-Weight-Loss&id=569883 phentermine without prescription cod buy phentermine without perscription phentermine 37.5 no prescription mastercard phentermine diet pills in

Bottlecap Magnets

Friday, February 8th, 2008

By Marcus Peterson Making bottle cap magnets is defined as a “junk-craft” in which the bottle caps which are usually thrown away are utilized to make attractive show pieces. Beautiful bottlecap magnets can be made, provided they are available in the required quantities. Bottle caps can be chosen from empty beer or soda bottles. The edges of the cap can be twisted out to spread them. Fill the cavity with glossy acrylic white glue till the required thickness is achieved. Coating of the cap with poly urethane gel offers it a thick and glittery appearance. Since poly urethane is a yellow gel, the bottle cap on drying displays that color. Beautiful pictures can be cut out and pasted. You can spray adhesive to lock them to the bottle-cap. Hand painting and printing can also make the work attractive. After the glue has adhered to the cap along with the picture, the magnet is to be glued at the back of the cap and this can be made possible by spurting hot glue gun on the cap. Home setting of bottle-caps can mean a source of fun as well as a money saver. Trendy bottle caps in charming colors and designs are available. These handcrafted, printed or hand drawn bottle-cap magnets are available with a variety of pictures such as cartoons, animals, historical paintings, topography, maps, constellations and even portraits of saints. Some are also engraved with famous proverbs and teachings or sayings of celebrities. These lovely bottle-cap magnets can be presented as a gift since the caps are also printed with occasional wishes and greetings. They are available in cute boxes, all set for gifting. Manufactured bottle caps are sealed with non-toxic resins for permanency. They are graced and decorated with colorful glitters and sequins. They all have small and weightless magnets attached. Magnets provides detailed information on Magnets, Mosquito Magnets, Car Magnets, Refrigerator Magnets and more. Magnets is affiliated with Custom Printed Lanyards. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Peterson http://EzineArticles.com/?Bottlecap-Magnets&id=405705 buy discount phentermine online phentermine union pharmacy buy phentermine with out a prescription phetermine diet pills

Yarn Companies

Friday, February 8th, 2008

By Steve Valentino There are many different yarn companies all over the world which sell different kinds and qualities of yarn. There are some small yarn companies which sell only a few kinds of yarn, whereas other larger companies offer a wide variety of yarn to their customers. Large departmental stores, art and craft stores and even certain garment and clothing stores, stock and sell different kinds of yarn made by different companies. One cannot say whether a particular company is better than another in producing yarns, but there are companies which specialize in certain kinds of yarns and are known for them. Regular users of certain kinds of yarn prefer to buy yarn from the same company, rather than changing the brands every time. Some of the popular and larger yarn companies include Alchemy Yarns, Alpaca yarn company, Bouton d’Or, Briggs and Little, Catalina Farms, Crystal Palace Yarns, Opal Yarn, Karabella Yarns, Fiesta Yarns, Unique Kolours, Jagger Spun, Custom Yarns, Muench Yarns and Prism Yarn among others. These companies offer a large variety of yarns, ranging from simple cotton yarn, to high quality, luxury yarn in a wide range of sizes and colors. Most of these companies retail from various yarn shops, art and craft stores, and many large departmental stores, thus, it is very easy to get hold of their products. Some companies may also take bulk orders from customers and are willing to offer their products at an economical rate. But this happens only during holiday season and other times when they have big sales. Many of the larger yarn companies also sell other kinds of items which are of use for knitting, crocheting and other such activities. These items include a wide variety of buttons, different size and types of needles and button covers, among others. Yarn provides detailed information on Yarn, Knitting Yarn, Discount Yarn, Yarn Shops and more. Yarn is affiliated with Wholesale Soy Candles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Valentino http://EzineArticles.com/?Yarn-Companies&id=405717 phentermine online doctor buy phentermine with no perscription phentermine 37.5 no prior prescription buy phentermine no prescription required

Let Her Be Covered Part Four

Thursday, February 7th, 2008

By B. White Again, lets call attention to our text: Let her be covered. One more question: Why? Well, I hope that some answers have already gotten through to you. To all that, I would add this: Wear the headcovering because you know God wants you to! I cannot supply you with a more valid reason for the performance of any deed than simply to know that God wants you to do it. Can you? Can you think of a more valid reason to motivate any action? For every pliable saint, what God has written right here should be enough to settle the matter. It is here made apparent that God wants to preserve an awareness of His divinely established order. That is urgently needed in todays society. Furthermore, he wants YOU to have a part in that, not only the sisters, but also the brethren. He wants both Christian men and Christian women to give visible evidence of their pledge to abide by that order. For the man, that visible witness is given by the non-wearing of a religiously significant covering. For the woman that witness is given by the wearing of a religiously significant covering. The God-supplied long hair will not suffice for this because it is not a personally supplied witness. It doesnt necessarily reflect a personal endorsement of Gods arrangement. It doesnt convey the clear signal that Im voluntarily submitting to mans leadership. The humanly supplied covering should be worn to convey that signal. To all who see it, it proclaims this message: I will not attempt to dominate, I will not attempt to manipulate my head. I submit to Gods plan. Now, to all of this, the response of the critic might be: So what? There is no salvation in it! That is as much beside the point as to say that theres no salvation in baptism or in any other of the ordinances. We dont keep the ordinances to become saved, rather being saved we gladly keep those commandments. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. Its very obvious that some portions of this passage have not been touched on in this message. Perhaps they can be touched on some other occasion. Before I close, I wish to add some remarks bearing on the more practical side of this practice. We as church leaders try to monitor changes in covering styles and covering sizes, but changes can be made so gradually that we may not always be abreast of what is happening. Little by little, you can make your covering smaller and smaller, and you may suppose that no one else notices it, but God knows it, and you know it, and very likely more people take notice of that than you realize. You may never know. If you take that course, you may never know how many other sisters are influenced to do likewise. Now you may take that course if you choose, but that will not build the kind of church life that I think you want. It will not build the kind of church life that you want for your children. Im glad for the healthy signs among us. Its a healthy sign when daughters appear with coverings as large as their mothers. Thats something to rejoice over and thank God for. Really, anything less than that will lead in the wrong direction. If, in successive generations, the daughters covering every time is just a little smaller than the mothers, it will only be a few generations until the covering is lost. I dont think you want that to happen here, so I plead with you to help to keep it from happening. Shall we come before the Lord in prayer? For those that have read all four articles I trust they were enlightning and helpful to you. If you still think that I do not know what I am talking about visit www.successmagnet.org Should you like to more about Christian living please write:Living Waters For thirsty Souls,40 Wood Corner Road,Ephrata, PA, USA,17522 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=B._White http://EzineArticles.com/?Let-Her-Be-Covered-Part-Four&id=19698 buy phentermine from union pharmacy inc pharmacy phentermine cod phentermine online rx phentermine 37.5 no prior prescription