God Is Agape Love: by David Nelmes

A beautiful article about the different levels of love, including some great spiritual insights:

Relationships are everything...simply because they are all that exist. Nothing has meaning until you decide how it relates to you or how you relate to it. It is the process of making these associations that will determine the outcome of our experiences in life.

We are creatures of love that have thrust ourselves into what appears to be a world of hate. We once knew there was only one form of love, but now the influence of fear and separation has provided us with the perception that love can exist on several levels. The current levels of love are:

EROS LOVE known as ’erotic love’, is based on strong romantic feelings towards another.

PHILOS LOVE a love based on friendship between two people who share a mutual, ’give and take’ relationship.

AGAPE LOVE unconditional love that is always giving and impossible to take or be a taker. It devotes total commitment to seek your highest best no matter how anyone may respond. This form of love is totally selfless and does not change whether the love given is returned or not. This is the original and only true form of love.

The description of ’Agape Love’ that is accepted by most beliefs as the love that God provides, is identical to how his love is described throughout A Course in Miracles , which is founded upon the primary principle that God’s love for us has never allowed him to even begin to see us differently, regardless of what we may have done or believe we have done. The Course is repeatedly clear how God never takes and only gives, which is how creation works since God creates by extending himself...as he also extended himself into what has come to be known as us, the Son of God.

God never takes...and since we are created in his likeness...with his same method of thinking and being, our true selves (not these ego shrouded human shells) also know this is true. We inherently know that it is never better to take or require that somebody give. Giving is natural and never includes loss of any kind. True giving is like creation in that you do not lose what you give, but you extend that thing and it grows larger as you give it, or share it...like sharing a story or experience.

True giving is rarely experienced on a physical level since we perceive the thing as missing once it is given. On a physical level, you believe you have less after you give or that you have more when you receive. As you can see, this physical world has nothing to do with agape love since this world is based upon taking and having more or upon losing and having less. Agape love is based upon giving through sharing and knowing you already have everything and have nothing to lose. Agape love acknowledges that we are all connected and can only move that thing amongst ourselves, but never outside, so we never lose it. Everything is simply shared.

In a spiritual reality, only thoughts of agape love exist. Nothing else can exist there since everything is in harmony. There is no thought of less or loss or sacrifice since all needs are met before they even exist. This is where the mind of our God exists and it is from here where he teaches us and speaks to us. Every thought or idea that has truly originated from the mind of God, originated from his center of Agape Love.

Since we are no longer centered in agape love, the issue we have while forming relationships is that we tend to severely limit the capacity of the relationship to what we can get from the other or what we think the other wants to take from us. This form of relationship stems from philos love which indicates you share a like mindedness (eg. if you agree with me, I will love you). A philos love relationship is a mutual, give and take relationship which ends the moment one side either does not get what they want or is asked for something they do not wish to give.

Our confusion on the purpose of love relationships is often then applied to how we think God relates to us, where we imagine that God only loves us when we please him, or that God will only walk with us if we acknowledge him, or that God will only extend his hand and carry us back to him in heaven if we agree with what we think he demands from us. In doing this, we have created a philos love relationship with God which is totally at odds with his agape love since agape love only gives and never takes and is void of any necessary condition. Agape love asks for nothing and gives everything....simply because we are the children of agape love.

Having built walls between ourselves and our creator, we have distanced ourselves from sensing God’s love and the world we see around us is a reflection of living without real love. This environment breeds calamity and destruction since that is the result of life based upon fear instead of love. If accepting perfect love can cast out fear, then likewise, accepting fear removes our ability to sense perfect love.

Fortunately, our creator views any problem or tragic moment as an opportunity to reach into our hearts and provide reason for change. No matter what loss appears to have occurred, he is not angry or upset at who we think is at fault because he knows nothing has been lost. Since material things have no eternal value, they do not matter at all to him. In addition, any person you believe has died, is still safe in spirit form, and since God exists spiritually, he does not sense the loss of this being and therefore has no reason to be upset at anyone. His only thought is to help us see that life can be happier... life can be fuller... it is better to be kind... it is better to be loving, and then our time down here will become a focus on preparing ourselves to return to our creator. Regardless of what happens here, He has not and never will lose one of us because we are created eternal spirits, just like him. Jesus proved when he rose again that you can kill the body, but the spirit remains, untouched and unaffected by anything that happens while here in this physical world.

Agape love is seeing the answer and sharing that with whoever is seeing or experiencing the problem.

Agape love is never judgmental and is eternally patient with any thing that must be learned.

Agape love is totally without demands or requirements.

Agape love is total truth in that it does not change, no matter what appears to change around it.

Agape love knows not of time since time does not exist in heaven.

Agape love is unconditional forgiveness for any event because agape love transcends the concept of needing forgiveness in that it knows we are simply misguided and therefore our actions are not held against us in the first place.

Like frightened children running through a dark forest, we act irrationally and do things out of fear and panic. Agape love knows this and seeks only to help us resolve our fears so that we can see clearly once again and return to full communication with our creator.

Nothing physical matters. Nothing can be lost. Nothing can be taken. Nothing needs to be given. In our true form, we know this, but right now we can only recite the words...but we don’t really believe them...and that’s why we are here. We are in a place where we believe we have been removed from agape love and have written books about a god who does not behave as though he is agape love, but this is not so. The closest our reality can be described here is to think of this as a collective dream on a universal scale. We, the Son of God, attempted to perform something separate from our creator and this is not possible, so instead, this action created a place... a dream, where Gods agape love does not seem to exist...and this is a horrific thought and thus our lives have been horrific.

God has sent the Holy Spirit to help awaken us and to help us see that this world is upside down and totally backwards in thinking. This world teaches taking. God teaches giving. This world teaches sacrifice and guilt. God teaches you have nothing to lose so there is nothing to sacrifice and therefore nothing to make others feel guilty about. This world teaches that fear is necessary to survive, but God teaches that love casts out fear and that we will only truly live when we cast out our fear and embrace agape love once again.

Every lesson, teaching or guideline that ever truly came from God, can only originate from the unchangeable spirit of his unconditional love and endless patience, and his truths, or love, can speak of nothing else. We do know the truth when we hear it because God created us in his image, therefore, we too are agape love. Once we learn to really embrace this, we will remember who we really are and then we’ll wake up to see our creator right where he always has been....everywhere...above us, beside us, below us, within us. Everywhere.

About the Author: David Nelmes - David considers it a wonderful blessing that his insight and writings can provide opportunities for those around him to see things from perspectives they had not considered before. He pursues Gods truths and invites you to join him. Web site: http://www.beingwilling.com
Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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How to Spice Up Valentines Day For Your Wife: by Tom Kranz

If you have been married for quite some time then you already know that it can be a challenge to give your wife a surprise on Valentines Day. You have already been through the dozens of roses and boxes of chocolates as well as the stuffed animals and taking her out to dinner. So just how do you surprise her with something fresh and exciting? Well the answer to that question is simple; you just need to be a bit creative and resourceful.

Why not give your wife a gift that will last throughout the year. There are many gifts to choose from that she can enjoy throughout the year. There are unique gifts as the wine of the month gift where she will get a different bottle of fine wine each month for an entire year. Many chocolatiers will deliver a monthly tasting selection as part of a chocolate taster’s club, where an unusual or new variety of exclusive chocolate will be delivered in a special gift wrap once a month.

You can really go all out and get her a coupon book or make one yourself. These make the best gifts as you can either get them preprinted from such places like Hallmark or you can sit down and make the entire coupon book yourself. This is a gift that she will enjoy over and over again and again. She will love the gift as it lets her know that you will take the time to do something just for her when she want or needs it.

The pre printed ones come with a variety of coupons. Each coupon will say something like “good for a 30 minute back rub” or “good for one bubble bath, complete with back scrub”. Be sure that you read through the entire coupon book if you buy it already printed so you know what you will be getting yourself into.

If you choose to make the coupon book yourself then you can tailor it to what she likes and for things that she needs. You can make coupons good for a free night of babysitting so she can have a girls night out or you can add something in there for a full night out, kid free, where you have a sitter for the entire night so you can go away for the night.

You can even include the kids in on the coupons. You can have them make coupons for 1 day of no cooking or 1 day with no chores. Let the kids be creative. This is something she will love to cash in on as women love to take a break from the family once in awhile.

No matter what you choose to do, try to make the gist something that will last her throughout the year. This will make her Valentines Day better then the others. It will add a bit of spice into each day for her and you as well. Personal, lasting Valentine’s Day gifts like this are the key to long term happiness in an established relationship.

About the Author: Tom Kranz writes articles on Valentines Day, Valentines Day gift ideas, and Valentines Gift ideas. His articles regularly appear on http://www.valentines-giftideas.com
Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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Empower Your Broken New Year’s Resolution Any Time of Year: by Wendy N

Found this great article on new year resolutions. Though not related to relationships, makes for a great read, so added it to my blog. Here goes:

You had good intentions. But that resolution is broken, or on its way. Just like last year. This year you’ll learn what to do about it. Next year you’re a pro. Frankly, there are problems with traditional New Year’s resolutions:

1. Why we make them: a yearly tradition. It a rare person who makes them only when aiming for something compelling. Making a New Year’s resolution is a tradition our country shares, not always meaningful to the individual. We create them haphazardly.

2. How we declare them: on New Year’s Eve or Day. We invest little thought or effort. We do it after imbibing champagne. Yet that little scribble is supposed to guide our year, inspire our lives? Who are we kidding?

3. Lack of follow through. We have no plan. We think that by making a statement and jotting it down, we’ve done the work.

4. Failure is expected. Perhaps required. We failed last year. The year before. Our friends failed. Our officemates. There’s a lot of joking about failed resolutions. It gets attention. Creates camaraderie. If you talk about success, however, you may become an outcast. Ouch!

5. Resolutions are forgotten. Do you write yours down? If yes, where is it? If in your keepsake box, or at the bottom of the laundry bag, how often do you look at it? Remind yourself? Make adjustments? Is NEVER often enough for you? So should we just stop making New Year’s resolutions? Not so fast.

Here are five ways to succeed with resolutions, if you dare:

1. Make them meaningful, whether tied to the beginning of the year or not. Do better by distancing them from the tradition of New Year’s resolutions you don’t intend to keep. Try Feb 1 as resolution day. Add meaning and stick to it ivity to your resolutions, by committing to very few; Make those simple and meaningful.

2. Enrich them with detail, but not too much: rite down the answers to these questions about the desired outcome of your resolution: What is it specifically that I want? (Usually an outcome or result: I will lose 15 lbs. this year.) Is it achievable—by a human being—and particularly, by me? How will I know I have achieved it? Be specific: what will I see, hear, feel that will provide evidence? Is this outcome within my personal control? (If other people and forces are involved significantly, it is not completely within your control. But if you can do your part and then work to enroll others in the mission, it may be quite do able.) What will it cost me: in time, resources, money, relationships? Is the outcome worth the costs? Do I have the necessary resources? Can I acquire them? To learn more about these powerful questions, search for info on the “well formed outcome” in articles about neuro linguistics.

3. Make goals manageable: Break them down into bite sized pieces, and grow them as you go. A client initially resolved to lose weight, start a degree program and find a new job all at once as part of her whole soul makeover. But with coaching (and coaxing!) she agreed to explore first what she wanted her new career to be, and take only the first required course. By the end of the semester, she had learned enough about the field to be goal specific, and began losing weight when new confidence made nervous eating unnecessary. The job then came from the recommendation of one of her teachers.

4. Flexibility trumps failure: Concreteness is helpful, but inflexibility is rarely helpful. Failure isn’t permanent or insurmountable. If you see the project as an experiment, whatever doesn’t go as expected is not failure but additional information. Become a good student and find the adjustments that are needed, then make them.

5. Be open to other insights and perspectives. Actively seek assistance and coaching from friends, and opportunities to be accountable—but not commiseration. Remember to reward yourself for even the smallest successes. ©2009 by Wendy Lapidus Saltz. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Wendy Lapidus-Saltz helps people break habits they don’t need, create possibilities they want, and remake themselves and their lives. To the question “It’s 2009, isn’t it time life got better?” she answers a resounding “Yup!” And she’s helping it happen. Find out more at http://www.hypno-attraction.com/ and http://www.nonsmoker4life.com/ . Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

Top 40 'Things Said On Christmas Day' every year : by Martyn Brown

Top 20 Statements, Comments & Questions At Christmas time

1 This single cream seems to be thicker than the double cream
2 Who's gonna pull this cracker with me?
3 Put your Christmas party hat on, you miserable git.
4 Where did you buy your crackers?, they're really good.
5 Do you want stuffing, Grandma?
6 Calm down you kids, you're all over excited!
7 That was you, you filthy pig!
8 What's your joke, Brian, what did you get in your cracker?
9 It's a shame to throw the paper away, isn't it?
10 The Queen's on in a minute, Mum!
11 I would give it a few minutes before you go in there - phew!
12 You won't eat all that, put a small amount on…you can always come back for more.
13 Chocolate anyone?
14 Does your mum still take sugar?
15 The turkey's lovely, isn't it?
16 Can someone pass the sprouts?
17 Don't you like Christmas pudding? - how strange.
18 You don't like mince pies? - how strange.
19 Who's gonna eat the sixpence from the Christmas pud? - ha ha ha
20 Where did we go last year, love?.

20 Comments, Statements & Questions At Christmas time -
From Children

1 Daddy, can you build this for me.
2 Mummy, can YOU build this for me.
3 Daddy, have you got a screwdriver
4 Daddy, have you got any of this size battery
5 Mummy, Jenny's just done a poo and she didn't wash her hands.
6 Mummy, I want some more
7 Daddy, Jenny's just hit me
8 I DID hit her back, look, she's on the floor.
9 This is the best Christmas I've ever had
10 Can I open another present?
11 What time is Aunty Wilma coming up?
12 Have I got any more presents to open?
13 I didn't WANT clothes
14 Mummy, I've just kicked your drink over - again.
15 I spy with my little eye - um - I don't want to play anymore.
16 Can I have another drink?
17 Mummy, Jenny's just tipped a bowl of custard over the cat.
18 Mummy, Daddy's just swear'd.
19 Daddy, this just broke off
20 Mummy - I feel sick!

About The Author

©2006 Martyn Brown: Writes for many home business newsletters and magazines. To download your free copy of his current 'work from home' magazine, Visit: http://www.WorkingHoursMagazine.co.uk

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Six Tell-Tale & Funny Signs That U're Addicted to Christmas: By Noel Jameson

In case you didn't know it -- it is possible to be addicted to Christmas. Certainly, some level of excitement over Christmas is normal, but at what point does it border on unhealthy (or even insane)?

For many individuals, a Christmas addiction poses a greater threat than getting run over by a reindeer. If you want to know what the top six signs of being addicted to Christmas are, read on...

#1 -- Boycotting Anti-Santa Malls

If you refuse to shop at a mall that doesn't have a Santa on duty at all times, you're probably suffering from a Christmas addiction. (Reality check: Once you hit the age of 7 or 8, you probably don't need to get your photo taken sitting on Santa's lap!)

#2 -- Spiking Your Eggnog?

If you need spiked eggnog just to make it through your Christmas shopping marathon, it's a telltale sign that you're probably addicted to Christmas.

#3 -- Desperately Seeking the North Pole

If you've tried Googling directions from your house to the North Pole five times and still aren't sure how to get to Santa's house, you are probably addicted to Christmas.

#4 -- Expecting Mail from Santa

If you check your mail everyday hoping Santa sent you a letter, you should seek help to deal with your Christmas addiction.

#5 -- Taking the Christmas Theme Too Far

If you sleep on red and green plaid sheets and wear red and green pajamas with socks and underwear decorated with Santa every night beginning on December 1 until Christmas Eve, you are definitely addicted to Christmas (and you should really keep that secret to yourself).

#6 -- Identity Issues

Finally, if you've submitted a name-change application to legally change your last name to Clause (and you're getting all new monogrammed towels embroidered with a red and green ?S? and ?C?), you have some serious Christmas addiction issues.

What Is the Solution for Christmas Addiction?

Eat two Christmas wreath cookies each and every day until December 25th and call me in the morning. It has been documented that Christmas addiction rapidly subsides at 11:59 p.m. on December 25. Take your cookies, drink plenty of eggnog, and wait it out until then.


About The Author

Noel Jameson LOVES Christmas. Whether you need help finding Christmas gifts or you want tips about Christmas decorations, Christmas crafts, or even Christmas humor, check out her entertaining and impassioned blog at http://www.christmasrants.com.

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Bringing Together Old And New Christmas Traditions: by Melanie Smith

Nowadays, you can see a cosmic mixture of the age old Christmas traditions, fresh, current spins on old customs, but regardless of your viewpoint, majority of people have a short breather from the regular day by day pound of daily life, and somewhere within, the spirit of the time of year that connects a lot of people around a distinctive matter of good will is a sentiment we find ourselves hoping we could maintain the whole time of the year.

There is no better method to educate children the spirit of generosity than bringing to their awareness those less lucky ones, for whom Christmas isn’t a trouble free time. For this form of learning and generosity, little troops of children work finest. Let your children call one or two very close acquaintances to help.

Call your local Department of Child Services if you want to ask inquiries about whom to get in touch with or someplace to go to adopt a kid (or family) for Christmas giving, however try to opt a foster child since they are likely to obtain plenty of presents, while further, less fortunate kids may not. Poor families you might identify as being poverty stricken are good option. Once you have chosen the kid or the family you want to take on, take your kids, and with a specific budget in mind let them to help you buy presents. If you can, it is also good to create some easy food presents, such as gingerbread cookies, Christmas chocolate chip cookies, and many others to offer to both your adopted, and the elderly in your neighborhood a unique present to let them recognize you are thinking of them this Christmas season.

As soon as the shopping has been completed, gather all family members including your adopted kid or family to bake cookies, candies, and food presents. Allow the children to help, and even benefit from some hot chocolate and cookies, or try some hot spiced apple juice, a winter weather favorite. Here is a recipe on how to make a hot spiced apple juice.

Hot Spiced Apple Juice Recipe

- Bottled apple juice or cider
- Red hot cinnamon candies

In a nonstick pan, pour the apple juice and add plenty of red hot, cinnamon candies. Heat the pan, stirring constantly, until all candies are melted.
Serve straight away, or pour the mixture into thermal container to preserve heat.

Cookies and candies can be placed into economical Christmas tins or Christmas loot bags. Make sure to keep a supply of snacks within reach, take all the kids in the center of the floor with a stack of gifts, papers, tapes, ribbons, and bows and let them wrap up the gifts. When you all go away to deliver the gifts, take the Christmas cookies and candies with you, and let the kids bring them in and wish the elderly in the area a Merry Christmas.

This is a brilliant moment to have a sleep over, letting other parents have some time to go shopping without their kids. It would also be an exceptional way to educate children that Christmas is a time for generosity.

About the Author: Melanie Smith is a regular article writer at Merry Christmas 24 website, to read more of her articles please visit our website at http://www.merrychristmas24.com. Read more about Christmas traditions by clicking on this link http://www.merrychristmas24.com/traditions.aspx
Article Source: ActiveAuthors.com

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How Christmas Changed My Life: by Genevieve Dawid

How Christmas Changed My Life - By A Dyslexic

When I look back, I was quite a privileged child in more ways than one. I had a wonderful family and friends, lived in a lovely house with a large garden to play in. We went on marvelous family holidays by the sea, and traveled abroad, something I adored. I didn't have a private education but went to a local school that was "state of the art". However, for all this idyllic childhood, and the wonderful new facilities the school had to offer, learning was a nightmare for me as a child; I just hated trying to learn and so school was a place where I didn't achieve. I had no idea how other children knew the answers to questions and understood figures and numbers. I kept the same school reading book for weeks on end; one of my worst struggles was with writing my name.

Then one Christmas, my elder brother, who was a great artist, received a drawing set. He would do a drawing and then show Mum. When it came to my turn, instead of trying to create a picture, I took the note pad and drew each of the letters of my name over the whole page - but not in the right order nor in a straight line, as I didn't know how.

When showed Mum what I had drawn, she looked closely at it. "Well look at that, you do know the letters of your name, don't you?"; she said, and then asked me if I could put the letters in the right order, and in a straight line. I shook my head.

Mum took a ruler and wrote the letters in order, in a row. Instantly, I could now see each word. Using a ruler I copied the letters in order, again and again, until I got it. I had finally learnt to spell my name! Next Mum got my school reading book and used a card over the page, revealing one word at a time. I could now make sense of it. We progressed to me holding a card under each word to separate them so I only saw one word at a time. In this way, during the school holidays, Mum taught me to read.

I returned to school thrilled that I could now read and write and was instantly taken out of the additional remedial class. However, the teachers were furious with my parents and accused them of interfering with my learning! Despite the fact that for the first two years at that school their methods hadn't worked for me, they didn't like it that my parents had found a way to help me.

With practice at home, within weeks I could read any book for a child of my age. It was like a miracle. I continued to have some difficulty with spelling and grammar, my mathematics was poor and every new thing that I had to learn was incredibly difficult, but my parents had proved to me that there was always going to be a way. They just needed to help me identify the problem and together we would find the answer by finding an alternative way to learn. This was a revelation to me.

That Christmas, a simple plain sheet of paper and pencil allowed me to transcend what was in my mind - to see a solution to something that I knew was a problem, but couldn't explain.

From then on I always had an exercise book and pen nearby, and using the page like a mirror to reflect what was in my mind, the problem was copied as a visual image on a page. Seeing it on the page enabled my parents and me to identify and resolve the problem.

You have to know your own mind to identify the problem, before you can go forward, and then you will go forward with speed.

Gradually my mother found many ways of teaching me, and these things I included in my book, The Achiever's Journey. As I got older, I started interpreting my mind through writing and drawing. Interestingly, many other people found this useful, including those without any learning difficulties. I couldn't believe it, what a revelation to find out that others didn't really know their own minds either.

As my education continued, I still found the school's teaching methods virtually impossible to learn and virtually gave up. I learned in secret at home and to cure my boredom whilst at school, I started to share the benefits of transcending the mind, and spontaneous words and drawings using paper and pencil, with my classmates.

About The Author: Genevieve Dawid is a published author and highly successful consultant, mentor and lecturer for dyslexics, individuals and corporations. Her book "The Achievers Journey" is a partial biography and explains how she mastered her dyslexia and dyspraxia. http://www.theachieversjourney.com.