Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband was killed along with four other missionaries in Ecuador, says that her life was completely controlled by fear. Every time she started to step out to minister, fear stopped her. Then a friend told her something that set her free. Her friend said, “Why don’t you do it afraid?” Elisabeth listened and took that advice. Together with Rachel Saint, the sister of one of the murdered missionaries, they went on to evangelize the Indian tribes of Ecuador, including the very people who had killed their loved ones.

Many times we think we should wait to do something until we are no longer afraid, but if we did that, we’d probably accomplish very little for God, for others, or even for ourselves. Both Abram and Joshua had to step out in faith and obedience to God and do what He had commanded them to do—even though they were afraid.

I believe the words fear not simply mean don’t run. So the solution to fear is simple: Rather than bowing our knee and giving in to it, we must stand firm against it, knowing that God has gone before us and prepared the way.

This is precisely what God wants us to do. Even if our mouth is dry and our knees are shaking, we need to keep asking God to strengthen us. We need to determine that our lives are not going to be ruled by fear but by the Word of God.

As we saw before in Genesis, God gave Abram a tall order. He said, “Pack up and leave everyone you know and everything you’re comfortable with and go to a place I will show you.” If Abram had bowed his knee to fear, he never would’ve fulfilled his destiny to become all God created him to be—the father of many nations.

In the same way, if Joshua hadn’t overcome his fear and been obedient to God’s command to lead His people into the Promised Land, they never would’ve enjoyed all that God had prepared for them.

Giving in to fear alters God’s best plan for your life. So use the power of God’s Word to do what He wants you to do…even if you have to do it afraid! The rewards are great.

As I lay in bed a few mornings ago in the quiet stillness my eyes opened to a familiar sound. The birds were chirping. It is Spring. After all being asleep and going within during the winter season now it is time for the snow and ice to melt away allowing the fresh new growth to come through. As the seasons are changing so are we.

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. The winds of change visit many of us during this time of year. Winter has given us so much time to slow down and reflect on our lives. Now it is time for allowing the old to fall away and birthing new. So, do not be surprised if you and those around you find yourselves ending relationships, jobs, old patterns and more to allow for new ’seeds’ to be planted. During these times of transformation, connecting with nature can help you feel centered and help make the transition easier.

As we begin to live in harmony with the earth including the rhythm of the seasons we will find that we are at peace and all will be more flowing in life. Walking through the woods, sitting with a tree, digging in the dirt and breathing in the fresh spring air are a few simple ways to harmonize during this beautiful time of year as we experience rebirth and renewal. As the winds of change blow through remember to honor yourself and others in whatever ways you choose and welcome Spring!

Lisa R. Marshall is the facilitator of Path to Nature…honoring life through whole health, natural living, herbal healing, sacred celebrations & journeys. She is also a mother & doula. Lisa is a facilitator to those who want to make changes in their lives.

Please visit http://www.Pathtonature.org for further information or to contact the author.

One of the many benefits available to Christians is freedom from fear. When we avoid making changes or confronting issues in our lives because of fear or dread, we need to remember that God has promised to go before us and bring us through victoriously as we obey Him.

When we’re facing a job interview, for example, instead of being afraid that we’ll make a bad impression and fail to get the position, we need to ask God to prepare the heart and mind of the interviewer and help us present ourselves in the very best light. When God “prepares the way,” we can trust that whatever happens will turn out for our good according to His perfect plan for us.

The Bible tells of a man named Abram who trusted God in spite of his own personal fear. Now…the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you (Genesis 12:1).

How would you feel if God told you to leave your home, your family and everything that is familiar and comfortable and head out to an unknown destination? Full of fear? That’s precisely the challenge Abram faced—and it frightened him. But God’s words to him were, “Fear not.” It’s the same message He gave to Joshua when He called him to lead the children of Israel to take the land He had promised to give them as their inheritance (see Joshua 1:6-9). And to all who set out to follow God’s plan today, He says, “Fear not.”

Have you ever been downtown at night, maybe attending a concert or sporting event and were impressed with the lighting along a park walk or on a fancy office building? Most of us, at one time or another, have experienced awe, comfort, serenity or relaxation at the sight of well-designed landscape lighting. Sometimes lights pointing up at the side of a tall building or low profile lights under plants along a downtown walkway can have a very powerful effect on you. Beautiful lighting can completely changing your mood and experience of events around you.

As far as our homes are concerned we tend to think about outdoor lighting in strictly practical terms. We have a light outside at the front and back doors and maybe a motion detector triggered light above the garage door. They are attached to the house or garage and are there just so you can safely see where you are going when outdoors at night.

But your homes outdoor lighting can be so much more than that. It doesn’t need to be just for seeing things at night. Properly done outdoor lighting can have a beauty and charm all its own and at the same time provide nighttime safety for your walkways and garden.

For many years savvy homeowners have tried to duplicate this beauty with landscape lighting in the yard around their homes and in their gardens. For the most part it has not worked out very well for the average homeowner. In the past most dependable landscape lighting systems were powered by standard household electricity (120 volt). It had to meet a strict electrical code and you had to have an electrician do all the installation and hookup. The connectors, fittings and bulbs all had to be heavy duty, waterproof and weatherproof. It was too expensive and outside the budget for the average homeowner. Those homeowners that followed through with all of that often ended up with a system that didn’t look right. A common mistake is to use too many lights, or put them in the wrong place. You don’t want your sidewalk or garden path to look like an airport runway. So doing it properly often meant hiring a landscape architect or a contractor who specialized in landscape lighting. Of course, that pushed the price up even further; and usually outside the reach of all but the wealthy.

Low voltage landscape lighting (12 to 18 volt), however, has several distinct advantages. Electrical codes are much less strict and because it is low voltage you don’t need an electrician to install it. You can buy an inexpensive kit and often install it over the weekend. Because it is easy to install and setup you can spend more time working on the light locations and lighting design and not worry so much about hiring a landscape architect to do all that for you. If you don’t like the light locations, you can change it yourself without too much trouble. You don’t need an electrician or designer to move it. One common problem with low voltage systems 20 or 30 years ago was the durability of the components. Back then low voltage outdoor lighting systems were often little more than toys. But today all of that has changed. The do it yourself low voltage lighting system you buy at your local hardware store is usually not only affordable, but durable as well.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Lighting

Koozies are sheaths designed to insulate a can or stubby bottle. The insulation helps keep the cold beverage from warming due to body heat or ambient temperature. Koozies also prevent condensation from forming. Today, koozies are usually made of neoprene, but other materials such as leather and cloth can be used. While koozies can be used on most standard size cans and stubby bottles, they are most often used on beer cans and stubby beer bottles. People that love beer really love their beer, so having a koozie can be very important and having a cool custom koozie can be even better. Customized koozies have become very popular gifts, party favors, wedding favors, and promotional items. Koozies are cheap to produce, so having a custom koozie made can be very inexpensive. Let’s consider some various koozie designs you may want to use as gifts or promotional items.

If you are going to be throwing a party and would like to have some custom koozies made as party favors, you can have the koozie design relate to the theme of the party. For example, let’s assume you are hosting a Halloween party and you have your costume in advance. You can have a custom koozie made with you in your costume printed on it. Your friends will always remember that party whenever they use the koozie to keep their beer cold. In the picture you use for the koozie, you may want to be holding a beer in a koozie or be doing something otherwise humorous.

If you are involved in the planning of a wedding, you can have custom koozies made as wedding favors that help people remember that special day. If the wedding cake is made in advance, you can have a picture of the wedding cake printed onto koozies. Guests will think it is very unique and creative to have the actual wedding cake on the koozie that are using at the reception. If you cannot get a picture of the wedding cake in time, you can use a picture of the couple, or maybe a humorous picture of their parents mock fighting.

If you have a friend of family member that loves beer, you may want to make them a custom koozie that says “keep your hands off” or “property of ______” and have their name printed on it. You can even include a picture of them on the koozie so that everyone who sees it knows exactly who the beer belongs to.

If you know someone that has a strong dislike for the taste of beer, you can play a joke on them by having a koozie made that makes the can appear to be something else. You can have a generic term like “Grape Soda” printed on the koozie with some grape-related artwork to make the can appear like it has grape soda in it. Of course the cozy should be of a tall design to help mask the can. Offer them some grape soda and watch their reaction.

If you don’t mind doing a little scissor work yourself, you can make a very unique koozie by having a picture or design printed on it, and then cutting the top of the koozie to shape. For example, you can take a picture of a picket fence and have it printed on a koozie, and then cut along the top of the fence in the picture and produce a koozie with a unique shape.

Get custom koozies at http://www.kustomkoozies.com

Marketing with a viral e-book is an excellent way to promote your various products. Viral e-books are capable of reaching a large audience and are limited only by the enthusiasm of the participants. So, the question is how do you make your e-book known to as many people as possible and as quickly as possible? You will not benefit from it unless you let others know that you have an e-book.

If you are like most marketers, you purpose for creating a viral e-book is simply, to increase your cash flow. In order to accomplish this, you will need to exposed your e-book to as many people as possible. However, trying to do this on your own would not be efficient and could take up a whole lot of your time.

Clearly defining your target audience is the first thing you will need to do. You will need to determine the characteristics of your ideal customers. Your promoting time will be more efficient and effective by defining your customer.

The next thing you will want to do is build a list of subscribers. Take some time to create an e-zine or newsletter that will target your desired market. In your newsletter you can place articles, news, and tips that relate to the subject matter of your e-book and products it may be promoting.

Make sure that you feature your e-book prominently in your newsletter. There is no point in creating the newsletter if you don’t promote your e-book or other products within it. Just try not to make your promotions to obvious.

After you have determined what your newsletter is to contain, you will need to start gathering subscribers for it. One way for you to get a subscriber is to include a squeeze page in your web site where people can subscribe. Another way that works is to have a small pop up box where people can enter their email addresses to subscribe. Pop up boxes can be extremely annoying but they do work. As incentive, try giving away something of value that relates to your viral e-book. In fact, you could give away your e-book as long as it contains other products within it that you are marketing.

A great way to promote your newsletter is to get it listed on group subscription forms and inside the pages of high traffic web sites. Signing up for a free publisher accounts on various e-zine directory listings will be beneficial because you can add your newsletter in their directories.

Beside the e-zines and newsletters, you will need to actively promote your e-book on your own web site. Create one or more page devoted solely to your e-book. Placing it in a list together with all your other products won’t be much help. Creating a separate page allows it to stand out.

You should also make it easy for your visitors to find out about your e-book anywhere in your web site. Prominently place the e-book on all of your pages. If that is not possible, add a navigation bar just for your e-book. You may want to feature some excerpts from your e-book to arouse visitor curiosity about it.

As the author, include information in the e-book about yourself. Having your own e-book establishes you as an expert in the area of your subject matter. The more people know about you, the more they will began to trust you. Also, placing a picture of yourself in the e-book will add more credibility to you.

Make sure that your e-book gets listed in all e-book directories to gain greater exposure. There are quite a few of these e-book directories out there. Also another great way to actively promote your e-book is to join forums that talk about the same topic as your e-book. You can post threads or reply to other peoples post that might be related to what your e-book is offering. To maximize exposure to your e-book, you should apply one of the first principles of viral marketing. Give your viral e-book away to people who might find it interesting and useful.

These are just a few of the ways you can promote your e-book. There are many other possible avenues that you can explore. Just use your imagination and creativity. However, the methods listed here are sufficient to get your viral e-book promotion started.

Craig Cawthorne is a provider of the latest ebooks and marketing tools on the internet today.

Visit his site to find resale rights products and articles on how to make substantial profits online.

Also visit his how to make money with adsense site.

The World Bank recognizes that collaboration between civil society, government, and the private sector can significantly enhance efforts to promote economic growth and sustainable social development. Civil society, in particular, plays an important role in development by:

Ensuring that voices of poor and marginalized people can be heard by governments, and their views factored into policy decisions.

Promoting public sector accountability and transparency through increased pressure for good governance.

Building common-ground through participatory approaches and strengthening national development strategies and poverty reduction initiatives.

Providing technical expertise and offering innovative and cost-effective solutions to local problems.

Partnering with governments to provide social services, particularly in fragile governance and post-conflict settings.

How the Bank Engages with Civil Society

The Bank began formally interacting with CSOs in the late 1970s through discussions over concern about environmental impacts of Bank-funded projects. In 1981, the Bank’s Board of Directors approved the first policy on relations with CSOs. Recently, the Bank published a policy paper titled Issues and Options for Improving Engagement between the World Bank and Civil Society Organization., The report analyzes the Bank’s relationship with civil society and provides an institutional framework and provides a 10-point action plan for further strengthening these relations. In January 2005, the paper was presented to the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, whom reaffirmed support for civil society engagement as an important component to strengthening its own poverty reduction efforts worldwide.

In the area of policy dialogue, the Bank consults with CSOs to get their views and suggestions on a range of issues from global policies such as social safeguards to specific projects at the country level. The Bank also encourages and supports developing-country governments to engage CSOs in the formulation of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) which define a country’s policies and plans for poverty reduction. The most recent consultation process occurred in 2007 and was centered around the Governance and Anti-Corruption Strategy. This involved meetings with civil society representatives in over 40 countries across the globe.

The Bank has steadily increased its operational collaboration with civil society by involving them in Bank-funded projects and by funding their own development initiatives. The projected involvement of CSOs in Bank-financed projects has increased from 21 percent of the total number of newly funded projects in Fiscal Year 1990 to an estimated 72 percent in Fiscal Year 2005. Unprecedented Bank and civil society collaboration occurred in response to the Asian Tsunami in 2004, particularly in Indonesia, where the Bank and CSOs have worked closely in rebuilding efforts.

Support of civil society development efforts worldwide has increased through the establishment of numerous funding mechanisms. Grants are typically provided to CSOs working in areas such as: rural poverty alleviation, community health, micro-enterprise development, environmental protection, primary education, and gender rights. The Bank funds CSOs directly through Washington-based mechanisms, and indirectly through government-administered social funds in more than 60 countries.

Emmanuel Ayomide Praise is a world leading internet entrepreneur and investor. Some of his areas of interest include sport management, merchandise, ownership, internet entrepreneurship, investments, media and writing amongst others.

Business URL: http://www.emmapraise.blogspot.com, http://www.nigeriasoccer.blogspot.com

Civil society has grown exponentially over the past decades and today is recognized as an important development actor throughout the world; monitoring public policies, providing technical expertise, and partnering with governments to provide community services.

The Bank has greatly increased its cooperation with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) over the past 20 years, and today it is estimated that CSOs are involved in 72 percent of new Bank-financed projects each year.

The Bank funds thousands of civil society initiatives each year in areas such as: post-conflict reconstruction, HIV/AIDS prevention, environmental protection, and poverty reduction.

More than 120 civil society specialists work at the World Bank to ensure the views of CSOs are considered and to encourage CSO involvement in Bank-financed projects.
The Growth of Civil Society

The Civil Society sector – composed of non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, trade unions, indigenous people’s groups, charitable organizations, community groups, and foundations among others – has emerged as a major force in international development in the past 20 years. There has been a dramatic expansion in the size, scope, and capacity of civil society which has come in the wake of growing democratic governance throughout the world. The number of international NGOs was reported to have increased from 6,000 in 1990 to 26,000 in 1999. CSOs have also become significant players in global development assistance, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reporting that as of 2003 at least $12 billion in international assistance flows through CSOs.

CSOs’ have demonstrated an increased influence and ability to shape global public policy over the past two decades. This dynamism is exemplified by successful advocacy campaign movements which have mobilized thousands of supporters around the world on issues such as: the banning of land mines, debt cancellation, and environmental protection. The most recent example of the vibrancy and importance of civil society was the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), which was organized by a coalition of international CSOs to influence the discussions on debt and trade at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland in July 2005. The campaign was estimated to have mobilized over 100 million citizens around the world to demonstrate their concern for global poverty by wearing white wristbands, attending concerts, and lobbying their government officials.

Of course, we’re talking about ladies briefcases! No need to buy the same case that your father, brother and husband buy. Now there’s a huge selection designed with women in mind. They are available in every kind of leather imaginable and in every color. Because women like fashion, the color and type of leather and style is dictated by what is popular in the leather goods industry. Besides red, black, and tan, there are also rich cranberry colors, caramel, navy and grass green. For the adventurous, there’s fuchsia, buttercup yellow, cream, chartreuse, orange, petal pink and pool blue. Many of the cases are designed to hold a laptop, your cell phone, any and all types of PDA cases, glasses and keys. There’s usually a zipper pocket inside where you can hide personal items or just tuck away some money. One of the popular brands of briefs for ladies is Lodis.

There designs are associated with superb quality and meticulous attention to details as well as unique and innovative designs and styles. They make a selection in sleek and supple calf leather with shiny nickel hardware. They also have smooth grain Italian leathers in many fashion forward colors. All of them have the organization pockets inside that woman appreciate. Matching wallets and notepad covers to match are also available. For women that like the softer leathers, they have a soft drum dyed leather accented with contrasting stitching. Saffiano leather is softly grained leather that keeps its new look for years and years. While the majority of women prefer leather, there is a large selection available in micro fiber that is waterproof and often has leather trim. Lodis is a popular brand for this fabric, along with Tumi, Victorinox Swiss Army, Hobo Accessories and Kenneth Cole.

The classic Italian grained croco-leather is a popular look. Jack Georges and Lodis are two of the popular manufacturers of this beautiful long lasting leather for women. Jack Georges has many ladies tote style briefs in his line. These are handy because they are designed like an oversized handbag. They can carry small amounts and large amounts of papers, etc., when necessary. This leather is known for its durability, strength and scratch resistance. Because of the expandable insides, they can even accommodate a pair of shoes, or a folding umbrella when necessary. Kenneth Cole designs their cases in traditional black full grain cowhide leathers. They have roomy double compartments and are fully lined. They offer both the convenient top handles and removable, adjustable shoulder straps. Their organizers will accommodate a variety of business essentials. They are a well-known brand in both discount luggage and business cases.

Where would women be without rolling business cases? Sometimes, we just need to roll our papers along. McKlein is known for their superb quality and innovative designs for women in this field. The wheels and extendable handle are removable so the case can be carried on it’s own. This is accomplished by a SmartZipper, which simply unzips the wheel housing from the leather briefcase. Because of this easy to use design, these cases are ideal for travel. Wheeled cases are a little roomier, and will store all of your necessary travel accessories as well as necessary incidentals. The patented system, which allows you to completely detach the wheel and handle system, serves you well in multiple environments. Whether it’s a lighter load or a crowded space, sometimes just a shoulder brief simply works better.

For outstanding price and quality, Dilana is the brand women desire. Each leather case has a unique leather trimmed organized inside which will accommodate all of the business essentials a women could possibly need. They are available in soft nappa leathers as well as polished Italian leathers. Tote styles have adjustable straps, which can be made longer or shorter by the push of a button. Women know they need longer handles in the colder months to accommodate bulky coats and jackets. In the warmer months, you need shorter handles. Dilana briefcases are known for their exceptional quality and attention to detail. These are very often used as popular corporate gifts and can be embossed or hot stamped with a company logo or name. Individual initials can also be monogrammed on the leather to personalize the case. Briefcases are your own personal statement in the business world. Now successful, smart, stylish women can show their fashion sense and their own individuality.

Maxine Greco has worked in the luggage and travel industry for over 36 years.

She is currently employed at Village Luggage & Gifts.

It is estimated that about fifty million Americans are allergic to one or more things. Our body’s immune system produces antibodies when it mistakes any harmless substance or allergen as an intruder. These antibodies are produced to defend the body against the substances mistakenly regarded as offenders. The cells around the affected areas also produce histamine and other chemicals. The release of histamine can result to sneezing, hives, itchiness and other known allergic reactions. These allergic reactions usually appear in areas of the body where the allergen comes to.

Among the most common types of allergies are food allergies, allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and allergic contact dermatitis. Each of these types has its own specific symptoms and probable form of treatment.

It is estimated that about 100 Americans are killed each year due to food allergies. Studies show that only 1 to 2 percent of all adults with allergies are suffering from true food allergies. The most common food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, almonds and cashew. It is estimated that about 3 million Americans are allergic to peanuts and tree nuts - the number one causes of food allergy deaths. People suffering from food allergies may experience swelling and tingling of the lips. There may be itchiness, hives or rashes occurring in any part of the body. Additionally, those suffering from food allergies may also feel bloating, abdominal cramps, gas, diarrhea and vomiting.

In severe cases, food allergies can be life threatening. Fortunately, this is rarely the case. If you have known food allergies, the best treatment is to avoid the offending food sources. Otherwise, antihistamines may be administered for mild reactions. Corticosteroid creams may be used to treat skin rashes. For life-threatening reactions, an injectable epinephrine such as EpiPen may save your life. Allergy shots can also be administered especially if drugs don’t work, or if you are unable to avoid the allergens.

Allergic rhinitis is a form of allergy which affects one in seven Americans. This form of allergy may occur during a specific season as in hay fever. This can also be perennial, meaning it can be a whole year round condition. Both types however, exhibit similar symptoms. Hay fever is commonly caused by pollen from trees (usually during the spring season), grasses and ragweed. On the other hand, perennial allergies are triggered by indoor allergens like dust mites, feathers, mold spores and pet dander. The most common symptoms of allergic rhinitis are itchiness, watery eyes, sneezing, sore throat and stuffy nose. Allergic rhinitis is commonly treated with antihistamines, decongestants and inflammatory sprays.

Allergic asthma is perceived to be a potentially hazardous disease. Once a person with allergic asthma is exposed to offending allergens, breathing difficulty may commence. This is often elicited by allergens such as pollen, spores, mold, feathers, pet dander and cockroach droppings. Allergic asthma is characterized by coughing, wheezing, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath. Bronchodilators are the treatment of choice during allergic asthma attacks. These function to widen the patient’s airways and cease sudden attacks.

Skin contact with allergens like poison ivy, skin care products, jewelries and a person’s saliva can trigger allergic contact dermatitis. Common symptoms are itchy, dry, red skin patches with blisters. Corticosteriod creams are used to treat the mild forms of contact dermatitis. Oral corticosteroids may be administered for severe cases.

Finally, allergies affect both children and adults. It is observed that adults hardly ever outgrow their allergies completely. However, the symptoms may become lesser and less severe with time. Others also develop allergies as they grow older. The best defense against allergies is through avoidance of the known allergens.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Allergies