Preparation for 3rd Stage of Life

This is a follow-on story from the original “Three Stages of Life”.

In Stage One, in the Womb, there are Parts of the Physical body that are present but not fully developed. The Arms and Legs are obvious as some that are just seen as potential in the Womb and then fully developed after the Physical Birth.

It is the same while we are in the Second stage.

Before we take the voluntary steps that lead to our Spiritual Birth, we do have some potential that will only be developed further after our Spiritual Birth.

As an example we do have the ability to Pray and to read the Bible!

These are developed further as we grow spiritually.

Before our new Spiritual Birth these seem dry and boring, while after they become fruitful and exciting.

Also as we utilise these, we then become aware of other newly available abilities that need developing.

While we are looking at this development as a preparation for Stage Three, this whole development process also makes us better people while we are here on Earth. As we develop we become more like Jesus and are better able to fulfil the tasks He has for us here.

As we Pray we will notice the Holy Spirit talking to us and inviting us to trust Him further into a more mature spiritual walk. These are usually personal areas of change that lead us into Maturity.

Growth in this area is often seen as a development of our Character to become more like Jesus.

As we see answers to Prayer, we have an increase in Faith, but this is soon seen to need to be developed to show other characteristics that portray moral excellence.

Then as we grow in our knowledge of God we develop a greater degree of self-control.

This in turn leads to patient endurance and a devotional fear of God and Love towards His Family and to all our fellow mankind.

These can be seen in 2 Peter 1:5-11.

As we read the Bible we also notice areas of out lives that require further development. These are to be seen in all our New Family and as they are developed will show more and more Family traits.

In fact if these are not seen one could doubt if one has fully made the correct decisions for the New Birth to take place!

As we read about these it will be more obvious.

Take for instance the “Fruit of the Spirit”. As we allow the Spiritual New growth to develop in our lives these Fruit will become more obvious. The first is a self-sacrificing Love, then an inner Joyfulness and a Peace as an inner quietness and trust in God. Then Patience towards all types of irritants, Kind giving towards others in need and a Good attitude towards all evil resulting in a positive response. A reliable trustworthy Faithfulness, a humble Gentleness instead of anger and Self-control over all types of human desires.

Also if we show no signs of these Spiritual Fruit, it shows we do not allow the new Spiritual life develop in our lives.

The Gifts of the Spirit or symbols of spiritual power that the Holy Spirit gives to us are only formed to a small degree during our Second Stage here on Earth. Some even doubt their usefulness. However I am sure these will be developed to a greater extent in Heaven.

They are the ability to give wise advice, have special extraordinary knowledge and an unusual measure of faith in the Holy Spirit’s power. There is a gift of physical healing and an extraordinary power to perform miracles. Then the verbal gifts of the Spirit with ability to give prophetic messages, the ability to discern between messages from the Holy Spirit and those that are not. Then there is the ability to speak in an unknown language and the ability to interpret what has been said.

All believers are given at least one gift to be used in the helping of others but the Greatest Gift is Love! A Love that is willing to give sacrificially and to suffer, willing to show acts of charity and self-sacrifice. A Love that is patient, bearing with certain annoyances or inconveniences without complaint. A Love that is Kind is gentle and mild and always ready to show compassion. A Love that is not jealous, working willingly with others who have differing gifts. A Love that is not boastful or proud, not showing any superiority. A Love that is not rude but polite, courteous. A Love that does not demand its own way but looks out for others and seeks the best interests of others. A Love that is not irritable, easily angered or touchy. A Love that keeps no record of wrongs, making allowances for others differences and willingly forgets wrongs done to them. A Love that is never glad about injustices but rejoices when the truth wins, never tainted by evil but seeking truth, desiring truth, protecting truth and proclaiming the truth. A Love that never gives up but willingly protects others. A Love that never loses faith and gives the benefit of doubt so people are free to be honest and open. A Love that is always hopeful, knowing God is working at different levels in the lives of others. A Love that endures through every circumstance not stopped by hardship or pain. A Love that lasts forever!

Not many will develop many of the above but I believe that many of these areas will be brought to their full development when we pass into our Third Stage of our Life in Heaven.

How to Successfully Date Outside of Your Race – Acceptance Is Step One

Moving to a Western country is likely to make you a minority. Your quest on how to find love, especially with someone of the same race, will be made much more challenging obviously because you are in a foreign land. You may want to start accepting a few facts of life when you are on a “find me a girl” or “find me a man” mode in a country not your own. Acceptance puts you in a frame of mind that will open you to possibilities you may not have considered before.

Successfully move into the dating scene in a Western country by starting to accept the following:

  • The inevitability of dating (and falling for) somebody not of the same skin color. The law of attraction for love may work itself upon parties that may not necessarily share a lot of common ground;

  • The new cultural reality you will have to adjust with anyway, dating or not. Understanding the cultural values of your new home will make you better accept future dates whose values may altogether clash with yours. You will be in a better position to get into the process of how to find love when you are open to welcome people of different backgrounds into your life;

  • The likelihood of criticisms from conservatives. The West has its fair share of men and women who have not moved past the 20th century. Love spans cross-cultural relationships, which are going to be the new standard as we live in a progressively global community. The rate of change, however, is not the same for all people. There will always be individuals not as adaptive as you are when it comes to cross- cultural relationships, even though the truth is already in their face;

  • The downside to dating somebody with an entirely different set of world view, philosophies, and established values. Many cross-cultural relationships fail to make progress because parties may not be willing to compromise; to give up something of a lower order to achieve another of a higher order. Among people of the same heritage, a certain degree of compromise is still important for the relationship to confer mutual benefits. This is all the more critical when dating somebody who brings a different cultural frame of reference in a relationship;

  • The prevalent dating practices and norms in your new home country. As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. The same truth rings loud and clear in today’s dating scene, so wherever you find yourself, leave all your dating preconceptions at the door. The answer to “how to find me a girl” or “how to find me a man” starts with an open mind; for all you know, it will blindside you one lazy afternoon when all your guards are down.

The process of how to find love in a new environment indeed entails a willingness to discount prejudice and a readiness to embrace (drastic) changes. This does not mean, however, giving up who you are, which was largely shaped by where you came from. Date according to your comfort level. Know your boundaries, and enforce them. Understand what you can only work with at this point, because that will slowly prepare you to what you can work with at a later time. You still would want to be comfortable in your own skin, even as you “change your color” to adapt.

Birthday Ecards: A Fun Way To Send Birthday Wishes

Giving birthday wishes, presents, and cards is a tricky undertaking. Getting the perfect gift, in the perfect color can be challenging. However, with birthday ecards, you can never go wrong, since they provide an exceptionally beautiful way of saying happy birthday to your friends and family. These cards portray a beautiful wish, presented with music, and a hint of humor. Secondly, you do not have to worry about envelopes, or mailing, since you just select the card, type in your birthday wishes, and send it off by email; the recipient will get it within seconds.

With birthday ecards, you do not have to worry about singing the same old birthday song. There is a wide variety of songs that you can select. The music cannot be compared to that played by musical birthday cards; this is digital music tat will have the recipient dancing once the card is received. The music varies from ballads, to rock, country, or techno. It would be a good idea to find out what kind of music the celebrant loves, so you can make a choice that he or she will cherish.

Although traditional birthday cards come with some humorous imagery, you cannot compare them to the animated characters that are put on birthday ecards. Depending on the recipients age, you can select from simple animations, to interesting dancing characters. The animations are set to play on a loop, so the card can go on delivering joy, for as long as the celebrant wants. Age should not stop you from sending a dancing animated character to your grandfather; you may have him dancing like he used to do in his younger years.

The sound of laughter during a birthday celebration is music to the ears. You want to know that the message that you send will not only have a sentimental value, but also plenty of humor. You can get funny birthday ecards that will elicit anything from a faint chuckle, to an all-out guffaw, from the celebrant. The character may be a TV cartoon that your young children will love, or a wildly naughty character, that you can send to adult celebrants. Whichever card you choose, you can be sure that the gesture will be appreciated.

These are some of the reasons why birthday ecards have become so popular, so the next time you want to send a birthday card, forget going to the mall, and get to an online birthday ecard site and send a memorable birthday wish.

Linguistic Mini-Guide To Understand Russian Brides

The Russian people have a long history of learning the English language. However, in recent years the purpose of the language use has changed. During Soviet times the most important thing was to know how to read and understand how the grammar works – just for the sake of knowing a foreign language. When the era of worldwide traveling, international marriages and the internet started, English became more than another useless subject in school.

Russian parents understanding the importance of speaking English send their little ones (as young as 3 years of age) to English classes. Hopefully, this new generation will be fluent in English. However, Russian ladies for marriage these days still encounter some language problems. I asked a friend of mine who’s been living in the United States for quite a while to tell me what the common mistakes are that ladies from Russia make when speaking English.

She told me that there are different areas of language in which Russian ladies tend to make mistakes. Enemy number one is pronunciation. She said that she can tell if a person is from Russia by a specific “Russian” pronunciation – the habit of speaking English with Russian sounds, distinct and harsh.

The other mistake that is very common among Russian brides is transferring grammar rules or common expressions into English. The English word “normal” means almost the same as in the Russian language with a slight difference that implies “it could be better” in certain situations. Some examples are when you answer how things are with you or how the picture turned out. It is quite common to say that things are normal in Russia meaning that everything’s great. In English the meaning is slightly different. In the same vein, brides from Russia literally translate some of the most popular expressions and proverbs.

Thus, my friend often heard the wrong usage of “come to your senses” as “come to yourself”, which is just a word by word translation. Though some of these expressions just cause slight misunderstanding, which does not interfere with communication especially when people around you know that you are a foreigner, there are some expressions that can make you a laughing stock. You should tell your Russian bride that it is very wrong, to say “I feel myself bad/good”, when she just wants to say that she is fine.

Another mistake that ladies for marriage make in the United States is using British English instead of American English. It is self-explanatory – schools in Russia consider British English to be the real English. However, when you are in the New World using “porridge” instead of “oatmeal”, will most certainly result in having something else for breakfast.

Though knowing vocabulary, pronunciation and popular expressions are very important, ladies coming to a foreign country should pay even more attention to cultural aspects. The period of blending-in can take quite a while, but knowing some of them can get you there a lot faster.

My friend shared her own story about how she made a crucial mistake when going to restaurants: “I had a limited vocabulary and tried to use only basic words, because I was afraid that I would not be understood. Every time I went to a restaurant and the waitress asked me how my food tasted, I would reply that it was OK. I could never understand why they all tried to ask me if they could replace it or what was wrong with it. I would again say that it’s OK. Later I learned that you have to be more expressive in these situations. You should say that the food is good, great, fabulous or fantastic with a very cheerful tone in your voice. Mentality differences, what can I say?!”

In other words, dear men who wish to marry a bride from Russia – get ready to help her with some slight language problems. Good luck in your linguistic discoveries.

Perfectly Molded and Beautifully Crafted

Looking beautiful and having brighter skin is not really much of a hassle nowadays. You can look pretty without having to take trips to the saloon or the skin clinic on a regular basis, just wash your face and moisturize. Always make a point to drink lots and lots of water and take vitamins, as one of your survival tactics, which can help you going. Always try your best to be happy by making time to do things you love. Being active in your organizations and staging performances make you feel great.

During times when you’re really busy or stressed, having a positive outlook and being at peace make things brighter. Apart from eating well, getting enough sleep, and saying no to drugs, you should also follow the four step regimen in taking care of your skin – cleanse, tone, correct, and moisturize.
Some routine in making their skin look bright are pretty simple. They basically just wash their face and moisturize in the morning, evening and in between.

You can brighten your day by utilizing survival techniques you know, such as making real conversations with your friends or by calling them up on the phone or by hanging out in the mall. Helping others with their school work, personal problems, org work and the like can also make you happy. Indulging in food, so small cheap thrills work: chocolate, coke, potato chips, ice cream, sweets, and coffee to name a few, can also lift your spirits and make your day brighter.

Nothing beats going out with your friends in the malls, the movies, or even anywhere for hours, for relaxation and fun. Talking and hanging out is the best thing in order to distress. Just being with people you love makes any day a whole lot brighter. Sleeping habit is something you should never give up for anything – even for work. This is the best way to take care of your self. You will always feel good the next day after a good night sleep, your body functions well and your skin looks great – all because you have enough sleep.

You can also brighten your day even with those simple things like watching television or listening to some romantic music. Survival tips helps too, and perhaps one of most important though is to know your priorities and keeping things in order. When your mind is at peace, you radiate the feeling, and this will always brighten your day.

You can also brighten your day even with those simple things like watching television or listening to some romantic music. Survival tips helps too, and perhaps one of most important though is to know your priorities and keeping things in order. When your mind is at peace, you radiate the feeling, and this will always brighten your day.

Four Ways to Cope If He Hasn’t Proposed Yet

You’ve been dating him for what seems like an eternity. You know he’s the man of your dreams, and you are the woman of his. So, what’s taking him so long to pop the question?

While you are confident he wants to marry you, you may never know what is going on inside his head. Perhaps he’s still trying to pick out the perfect princess cut engagement ring. Maybe he’s waiting until he can use his vacation days to ask your father’s permission in person. Or perhaps he just hasn’t decided he’s ready for such as big commitment yet.

You can’t control what he’s thinking about or what he does, but you can control how you cope with it. You may want that wedding ring on your finger right now, but, trust us, you don’t want to be the girl who makes a big deal about it, cries about how long it’s taking him to ask you, or whines to her friends about how anxious you are.

The following are a few tips to help you properly cope with the fact that he hasn’t proposed yet.

How to Cope When He Doesn’t Propose

  • Take Care When Talking to Your Friends- There’s going to come a time when your friends bring up the topic of engagements and marriage, and the way you react to those questions will determine how stressful the discussion is for you. Instead of saying “I don’t know what’s taking him so long. I feel like he’ll never ask”, redirect the question or act indifferent, by saying something like, “He’ll propose when he’s ready and the time is right.” This is especially important if your friends ask while your man is present. He may feel like he’s on the spot and pressured for an answer. If you react indifferently, he will feel much more relaxed about the situation.

  • Don’t Bug Him- Nagging him about when he’s going to propose is only going to create stress, and the more stress you put him through, the more confused or angry he is going to feel. You might just talk him out of proposing completely with your nagging. Instead, give him some space and let him think. This will create a stress-free atmosphere you can both live in harmoniously.

  • Don’t Start Planning the Wedding- What little girl doesn’t want to get a sneak preview of what her wedding is going to look like? While you think you will feel better about your man not proposing yet making future plans, trying on dresses, and talking to vendors, you might actually make yourself depressed. After all, all of the vendors, consultants, and boutiques are going to ask you two questions you just can’t answer: where’s your ring and when’s the date?

  • Live for Now- You know he loves you and is going to present you with engagement rings and ask you to spend the rest of your life with him eventually, so why stress? Live for the moment. If your relationship needs sparks, don’t obsess about a proposal; try something new together. Take a class, go on a picnic, or learn a new skill together.

If you are struggling with the fact that your man hasn’t popped the question yet, don’t obsess about it. Use these tips to keep your stress level down and enjoy the dating life you have now, so you can truly enjoy your engagement later on.

If you’re in the market for a specially designed piece of jewellery that you help to create, Global Diamonds can do that too. With skilled jewellers on staff, loose stones, and exquisite ring mountings, Global Diamonds creates timeless designs for that special occasion or person. Visit our website for more information on your next diamond or fine jewellery purchase.

Let Your Secrets Set You Free

Last weekend I met a woman who shared a secret with me. This woman was a Doctor. An accomplished professional. She had it all, including a wonderful husband, supportive family, and friends. We were talking about her claustrophobia when she unloaded the thing she’s been carrying in silence for more than thirty years. She was molested as a child. Small spaces sent her spiraling and it was having a serious impact on her life.

As she was sharing her story, I could tell she was filled with shame. This shame had been following her for a very long time. She felt very alone and had felt that way for more than thirty years. In her aloneness she believed she was the only one who felt the way she did about herself. It shocked me because she’s a Doctor. A doctor who treats women.

Here’s the thing. A lot of women and men for that matter have experienced the devastating effects of abuse or assault. When I say a lot, I am going to up the ante here and say most. That’s right. It’s an unfortunate reality, but it’s true. Sexual abuse or sexual assault is much more commonplace than anyone wants to think. No one wants to think it and NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT.

However, what if we did? What if we pulled out those deep dark secrets and put them out in the light? What if you knew that the woman sitting next to you at church had experienced something similar to your deepest trauma? What if you were to find out your own mother or sister had been abused? What if you found out your Doctor was uncomfortable in the small exam room because she’s been molested in a small room as a child? Would it help to know you aren’t alone? Would it lighten the load of shame?

I’ll start. I was sexually assaulted on a date when I was 25. I didn’t report. I told no one for years. I lied to my friends and said I’d had a good time on a first date. I repressed the memory of that event with all my might. I went into hibernation, I got depressed, and I got sick. Then I got help and you know what? I got over it. There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?

In many years of my practice talking to women, I have come to understand that I am not alone. I wish it was a rare experience. It’s not. Understanding that helped me to be able to begin to distance myself from that trauma without the weight of shame holding me back. I began to be able to do something that some might find wrong or inflammatory. I began to normalize the unthinkable.

I am not saying that sexual violence should be commonplace by any stretch of the imagination. It’s horrible on every level. What I am saying though, is unfortunately it’s much more commonplace than we think. The statistics on this subject back that up. According to Childhelp.org, in 2009 there were reports or allegations of sexual assault or abuse against children in the US alone that involved more than 6 million children. Six Million. One year. According to Rainn.org, every two minutes someone in the US is sexually assaulted.

Are you shocked by those numbers? Don’t be. I think they are low. I think those numbers are a culmination of experiences that are touching your life, through people you know and love, and quite possibly you. Those numbers prove you are not alone and have nothing to hide.

Why Get Engaged?

While you may be enjoying your romantic life as a normal boyfriend-girlfriend couple, there comes a point when you realize that you want something more. If you find that you are very happy with your partner and want to spend the rest of your life with him or her, you start thinking about taking things to the next level. This means getting engaged. If you are still not sure whether this is for you, here are some of the things that you should verify to see if an engagement is something that you should consider.

Have you been a couple for a long time? – think about it. If you have been a couple for a very long time, you will not be able to avoid thinking about an engagement. It is the natural evolution of your relationship. In fact, if you have been with your partner for a long time already, chances are, you have already talked about an engagement. If you are just a new couple, then an engagement is a subject that is too far off in the horizon that you will not be able to see it just yet.

Do you want to settle down already? – an engagement is a huge commitment. It is not just like dating exclusively or just being in a normal boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. An engagement is almost the closest thing to a marriage because it is basically a promise of marriage. Once you level up to an engagement, you are basically opening your door to a lifelong commitment.

Do you want to be with your partner for the rest of your life? – this is the most important question that you should answer before even thinking about having an engagement. If being with your partner makes you happy and you cannot just bear the thought of not being with your partner, then maybe you should propose an engagement.

Do you need to work to prepare for a good wedding? – if you are lucky to have enough money for your dream wedding, then you can skip the engagement and get married right away. However, if you still need to work and save up the money for your wedding, then it is high time that you get engaged as soon as possible. This way, you will be working together to prepare for your eventual wedding. It will also ensure that you will be committed to each other even if you are not yet married.

How To Strengthen Your Relationship – Tips For A Flourishing Relationship

Successful relationships are not like born babies. For it to flourish, both you and your partner should know how to strengthen your relationship. You need to find ways on how to make it work and last and be filled with more love.

Be Friends With One Another
Almost all relationships start with friendship. To be friends with one another, you need to practice kindness, appreciation and respect. You need to support one another, to listen when the other needs to speak and even to laugh together. Being rude or disrespectful is never going to get you to a successful friendship or relationship.

Remain Connected With One Another
Connection may mean a lot of things in a relationship. To get connected, you must communicate with one another. You cannot understand one another if both or any of you simply keep things privately. When you have something to say, tell it to your partner appropriately. Whatever you feel or think should be shared with one another so that there will be no room for guessing and misunderstanding. Being connected also cover the emotional state of both you and your partner. For this, you need to set some quality time to spend together. You need to go out on a date from time to time or find time when you could be alone together.

Get Physically Intimate
Intimacy is very important in any relationship. When physical intimacy has become less, somehow it makes a person think that the relationship has faltered already. To be intimate with your spouse is a natural part of your relationship. At the end of the day, you probably just want to sleep due to exhaustion. This is understandable, but refusing to ‘do it’ with your partner almost all the time can create a big gap between you. You need to set some time particularly for making love and being intimate to one another. Momentarily leave all your worries behind and allow yourself to fully enjoy the pleasures of intimacy with your spouse.

Practice Being Affectionate And Kind All The Time
When you love a person, it means that you are affectionate and kind to him/her. Demonstrate your affection and love even through little things like saying ‘I love you’ every now and then. Give compliments to your partner and appreciate him/her for all the efforts he/she is putting into your marriage and family.

Argue Well
Arguments are parts of every marriage/relationship. No marriage is complete without some fighting. Fighting is inevitable; but when it does happen, makes sure that the fight is worthwhile. Disagreements should not be allowed to last more than ten minutes. Do not sleep on your misunderstanding and simply let the days pass until you both have forgotten about it. As much as possible, fight and argue and talk so that things are properly settled. Allow you to get over the anxiousness and then discuss what have just happened. Never be afraid of admitting your mistakes, if you were the one who have done wrong. Do not be too proud not to accept sincere apologies. Learn from your arguments and let your relationship flourish from it.

Tension Set Rings: A Great Choice for a Diamond Engagement Ring

Tension rings are otherwise known as “suspended” or “floating diamonds.” They are called this name because they appear magically suspended or floating in their design. These types of rings are the recent favorite of most women because of their stunning beauty and extraordinary appearance.

Historically, tension rings were introduced by a German jeweler Friedrich Becker by employing a lateral pressure between a spring-hardened shank to hold precious stones. In the following years, improvised methods were used to create sturdier compressions. Since a shank of a tension set ring does not meet, only hard gemstones like diamonds, rubies, sapphires, zirconium and cubic can be mounted and tensed.

You might wonder if this ring would last long. Yes it would. Using the aforementioned methods used to clip the stone in between the shank’s end, you can expect the ring to last more than hundreds of years before loss of pressure may be experienced. In purchasing a tension ring, look or ask for those rings that use special metals and heat treatments to ensure the longevity of a ring.

At first glance, you might think that tension rings are in a precarious situation. But you don’t have to worry about it. A real tension set rings is safely and securely placed by experts. Notice that the restrains in between the shank are as wide as the gemstone in order to protect the stone from being chipped or snagged. Thus, it is important to choose a real and authentic tension set ring. Real tension set rings cannot be pulled apart using your hand because of the proper metallurgical techniques used in the process of making it.

One great thing about this kind of ring is that it allows greater visibility of the diamond which is perfect for a diamond engagement ring. Because of the position of the mounting, which is pressed in between, it allows more light to penetrate the diamond compared to any traditional ring. And since the stone looks suspended while flashing a brilliant light, tension set rings are simply irresistible.

Just one important consideration in choosing a tension ring for your engagement ring is that it is difficult to resize, though not impossible. Since the shank of this ring is hard to cut, it is best if you choose the ring that fits to your future wife’s finger right away. You can bring a sample of your fiancée’s ring to ensure that the ring you’ll purchase will surely fit in her fingers.