Resolved Question
Okay so my boyfriend is really great guy, but I wish he was a little more sweet...Anything I could do..?
Like I wish he'd suprise me with a flower, card, something on our anniversarys. Or even take me out to dinner once, but I don't just want to come out and be like "hey be more sweet, and suprising" lol Anything I can do to hint I want that kind of stuff....
Like V-day, I honestly don't think he has anything cute planned...All my friends are talking about how their bf's have something planned for them, and it makes me want it more...Our night will more than likely consist of cuddling on the couch watching tv like always ( I mean I love cuddling with him but its always the same thing)
I always suprise him with cards on our month anniversarys, and random notes....Before we started dating he used to write me notes and hide them in my car before I got there so when i'd open the door I'd have a note from him and they were always sweet...I want that back...any advice??
* 2 m
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Guys like achieving things in life. Your boyfriend has already made the catch so he has quit trying. Maybe you need to quit cuddling on the couch, quit sleeping with him (I have the feeling you are). Your relationship sounds like your married already and your not. I bet he can count on you to be there all the time and knows exactly how you will react. You can't change someone else but you sure can change yourself. Try it, you will be very glad you did.
Connie
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
I think my boyfriend is about to break up with me...?
Things have been going great!No fights or anything lately...we've been getting along really well! weve been dating 6 months. Until today, he texted me "we need to talk about us" out of the blue! I asked him to come over after school (i stayed home sick) and he said ok. then, he told me his mom wouldn't let him, since apparently, he too stayed home. so i called him, he told me he needed to talk in person, and i was like why? "i don't wanna talk about it over the phone" "are you breaking up w me?" "not neccesarily..."
I don't know what any of this sh!t means1 I can't get my mind off of it and i have to wait till i see him at school tomorrow. I really really don't know why he would break things off w me! help? what does this mean??
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Well maybe by now you know the answer to your question. By what you said it sounds like he may want to break up or slow down the relationship. You mention that your both still in school so I am assuming your probably between 15 to 17 years of age. Assuming I am correct on your age let me ask you this question. You say you have been dating for 6 months. Are you two sexually active? If you are sexually active this is a BIG problem. Once you start it is very very difficult to stop. When kids date they should keep their hands to themselves, date in groups don't go off by yourselves. If you are the age I indicated don't feel to bad there will be many many more guys you will think you love. You really don't know much about love until your in your mid 20's. The person you think is cool today you won't think he is marriage material when your in your 20's. Take your life slow, enjoy being a teenage girl it is a once in a life time period. Don't try to grow up so soon. When you grow up there are loads of responsibilities, you need to get a job and ear a living, pay car insurance, buy your clothes. The list goes on and on. Whatever you do the most important thing for you to feel good about yourself is do not become sexually active with your boyfriends. You will feel used in the end.
Good Luck to you,
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
I don't know what any of this sh!t means1 I can't get my mind off of it and i have to wait till i see him at school tomorrow. I really really don't know why he would break things off w me! help? what does this mean??
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Well maybe by now you know the answer to your question. By what you said it sounds like he may want to break up or slow down the relationship. You mention that your both still in school so I am assuming your probably between 15 to 17 years of age. Assuming I am correct on your age let me ask you this question. You say you have been dating for 6 months. Are you two sexually active? If you are sexually active this is a BIG problem. Once you start it is very very difficult to stop. When kids date they should keep their hands to themselves, date in groups don't go off by yourselves. If you are the age I indicated don't feel to bad there will be many many more guys you will think you love. You really don't know much about love until your in your mid 20's. The person you think is cool today you won't think he is marriage material when your in your 20's. Take your life slow, enjoy being a teenage girl it is a once in a life time period. Don't try to grow up so soon. When you grow up there are loads of responsibilities, you need to get a job and ear a living, pay car insurance, buy your clothes. The list goes on and on. Whatever you do the most important thing for you to feel good about yourself is do not become sexually active with your boyfriends. You will feel used in the end.
Good Luck to you,
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Etiquette for drinking during a date?
Etiquette for drinking during a date?
I was wondering if it's acceptable manners to have a drink on a first date when you know your date can't have one. I usually have a beer or two during the date over lunch or dinner to relax a little, and I find that the girl usually does as well. It's just I am going on a date who is on-call and can't drink. I asked her if she wanted to go out at another time when she wasn't on-call, and she said it's fine. I doubt she's using it as an excuse to leave early or anything because she asked me out. Anyway, I am sure she can't drink while she's on-call, so would it be rude of me to ask her if she minded that I order a beer or would it be rude to have a drink? I mean most people will say it's ok to order a drink to be polite, and she will probably say it's ok regardless of how she feels about it. So is it rude to order a beer knowing she can't have alcohol? I don't think it's too bad, but your opinions please.
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
You sound like a very thoughtful person to even consider how your date feels, that is really nice. I don't see anything wrong with you having a beer. Like you said, just ask your date would you be offended if I had a beer? I believe her answer would be "Of course not, go ahead".
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
I was wondering if it's acceptable manners to have a drink on a first date when you know your date can't have one. I usually have a beer or two during the date over lunch or dinner to relax a little, and I find that the girl usually does as well. It's just I am going on a date who is on-call and can't drink. I asked her if she wanted to go out at another time when she wasn't on-call, and she said it's fine. I doubt she's using it as an excuse to leave early or anything because she asked me out. Anyway, I am sure she can't drink while she's on-call, so would it be rude of me to ask her if she minded that I order a beer or would it be rude to have a drink? I mean most people will say it's ok to order a drink to be polite, and she will probably say it's ok regardless of how she feels about it. So is it rude to order a beer knowing she can't have alcohol? I don't think it's too bad, but your opinions please.
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
You sound like a very thoughtful person to even consider how your date feels, that is really nice. I don't see anything wrong with you having a beer. Like you said, just ask your date would you be offended if I had a beer? I believe her answer would be "Of course not, go ahead".
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Etiquette for drinking during a date?
I was wondering if it's acceptable manners to have a drink on a first date when you know your date can't have one. I usually have a beer or two during the date over lunch or dinner to relax a little, and I find that the girl usually does as well. It's just I am going on a date who is on-call and can't drink. I asked her if she wanted to go out at another time when she wasn't on-call, and she said it's fine. I doubt she's using it as an excuse to leave early or anything because she asked me out. Anyway, I am sure she can't drink while she's on-call, so would it be rude of me to ask her if she minded that I order a beer or would it be rude to have a drink? I mean most people will say it's ok to order a drink to be polite, and she will probably say it's ok regardless of how she feels about it. So is it rude to order a beer knowing she can't have alcohol? I don't think it's too bad, but your opinions please.
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
You sound like a very thoughtful person to even consider how your date feels, that is really nice. I don't see anything wrong with you having a beer. Like you said, just ask your date would you be offended if I had a beer? I believe her answer would be "Of course not, go ahead".
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
You sound like a very thoughtful person to even consider how your date feels, that is really nice. I don't see anything wrong with you having a beer. Like you said, just ask your date would you be offended if I had a beer? I believe her answer would be "Of course not, go ahead".
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Thursday, February 3, 2011
UFO Hovers over Jerusalem's "Dome of the Rock Shrine"
A mystery UFO was filmed hovering over Jerusalem from four different angles.
A glowing orb filmed hovering over the skyline of Jerusalem has left UFO experts dumbfounded.
The circular object was seen descending slowly over the holy city's iconic Dome of the Rock before flickering and shooting skyward like a rocket. Similar clips have been seen before and debunked as hoaxes. But this latest sighting has proved more difficult to dismiss -- as it was recorded from four different perspectives.
Some UFO enthusiasts believe the videos -- which have taken the Internet by storm -- are final proof that aliens exist, while others say the unidentified object was the Hebrew god Elohim.
Adding to the mystery is the fact that flying over the Dome of the Rock landmark -- an ancient Islamic shrine -- is forbidden.
Two witnesses at the Armon Hanatziv panoramic lookout near Mount Zion filmed the object at 1am on Saturday. A little after one minute into the clip, the object descends slowly, almost to ground level.
The craft hovers there for a short while and then flickers before shooting upwards at an incredible speed.
Former Ministry of Defense UFO investigator Nick Pope said: "If these are real, they are some of the most incredible videos ever shot.
"If they are not, then this is a very well-planned and coordinated hoax designed to eliminate elements of doubt.
"The way it shoots up into the sky suggests it is unmanned, because no living thing could survive those kinds of G-forces.
"We know the Israeli army has some very high-tech drones at its disposal. If this is one, it is one of the most advanced pieces of technology created by man."
Another set of observers also uploaded their mobile phone footage to YouTube on Saturday.
They wrote: "Have fun debunking this one." In their video, the American tourists can be heard saying: "We've seen them in Mississippi like this."
Two other clips filmed from different viewpoints were posted online. Skeptics have noted the views come from perspectives that could make nearby objects seem farther away and faster-moving. Others say the whole thing was faked and have prepared several alternative versions of the videos which they say prove they are not real.
These include stabilized versions in which the brightness and contrast have been increased, which they claim highlights a major flaw of perspective.
Another is motion-tracked, and apparently shows the UFO "bouncing around like crazy".
A glowing orb filmed hovering over the skyline of Jerusalem has left UFO experts dumbfounded.
The circular object was seen descending slowly over the holy city's iconic Dome of the Rock before flickering and shooting skyward like a rocket. Similar clips have been seen before and debunked as hoaxes. But this latest sighting has proved more difficult to dismiss -- as it was recorded from four different perspectives.
Some UFO enthusiasts believe the videos -- which have taken the Internet by storm -- are final proof that aliens exist, while others say the unidentified object was the Hebrew god Elohim.
Adding to the mystery is the fact that flying over the Dome of the Rock landmark -- an ancient Islamic shrine -- is forbidden.
Two witnesses at the Armon Hanatziv panoramic lookout near Mount Zion filmed the object at 1am on Saturday. A little after one minute into the clip, the object descends slowly, almost to ground level.
The craft hovers there for a short while and then flickers before shooting upwards at an incredible speed.
Former Ministry of Defense UFO investigator Nick Pope said: "If these are real, they are some of the most incredible videos ever shot.
"If they are not, then this is a very well-planned and coordinated hoax designed to eliminate elements of doubt.
"The way it shoots up into the sky suggests it is unmanned, because no living thing could survive those kinds of G-forces.
"We know the Israeli army has some very high-tech drones at its disposal. If this is one, it is one of the most advanced pieces of technology created by man."
Another set of observers also uploaded their mobile phone footage to YouTube on Saturday.
They wrote: "Have fun debunking this one." In their video, the American tourists can be heard saying: "We've seen them in Mississippi like this."
Two other clips filmed from different viewpoints were posted online. Skeptics have noted the views come from perspectives that could make nearby objects seem farther away and faster-moving. Others say the whole thing was faked and have prepared several alternative versions of the videos which they say prove they are not real.
These include stabilized versions in which the brightness and contrast have been increased, which they claim highlights a major flaw of perspective.
Another is motion-tracked, and apparently shows the UFO "bouncing around like crazy".
Saturday, January 29, 2011
WHY MEN DON'T LISTEN TO WOMEN
In a recent posting I identified a list of the wrong things to say to someone who is upset. Interestingly, this led to a lot of comments on The Huffington Post, which got me thinking. The first thought I had was, "Why do men find it so hard to validate women?"
Before I get into this, I'd like you to think about the research by psychologist John Gottman. Gottman has been able to predict with 91 percent accuracy which couples will end up getting divorced. He calls these "The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse" -- along with other problematic styles of communication. The Four Horsemen are Criticism ("You are always whining"), Contempt ("You're a basket case"), Defensiveness ("I'm not the problem, you are!") and Stonewalling (withdrawing or becoming silent). Other problematic styles include starting the conversation in a hostile or intense style, giving off body-language that is defensive or cold, flooding your partner with negativity, and bringing up past memories, complaints and injuries. When you can predict divorce with 91 percent accuracy you know you are on to something.
Now I don't want to claim that men are always the problem -- or that they are even more likely to be the problem than women are. No group is innocent, no group is perfect. But I can see that a lot of times men have a great deal of difficulty validating and emotionally supporting the women in their lives. Here are some reasons.
The Seven Reasons Men Don't Listen
1. It's a Power Struggle. Some men view intimate relationships as a win-lose game. If the woman is venting her feelings, then she is winning and the man is losing. As a result these men may try to dominate and control the woman, telling her that she is illogical, out of control or just a pain to deal with. One man says, "You want us to be doormats."
2. Sarcasm
Many men describe their interactions in terms of "sarcastic" comments -- put-downs, contempt, criticism and condescension. For example, some men respond with, "It must be that time of the month" or "Get me a beer" or other problematic and self-defeating comments. They think that sarcasm will get the woman to either shut up or help her see that she is being ridiculous. She gets the message that he not only doesn't care -- but that he is the last person to ask for support. He thinks he's clever and funny -- and she thinks he just doesn't get it.
3. Macho Thinking
A number of men comment that to validate or to use emotional language to support the woman is unmanly. "You are trying to make us into wusses," a number of men say. They believe that the role of the man is to be strong, above it, domineering. Validating and allowing emotional ventilation is for feminized men, men who have lost their dignity as "real men." The women may think that some of the macho confidence is appealing, until it leads them to feel that the only emotion they can get from him is his anger.
4. Emotional Dysregulation
Some men find it so upsetting, so emotionally arousing to listen to their partners that they feel they have to ventilate their anger or withdraw. In fact, this is supported by the research that shows that their pulse-rates escalate during conflict and they find this unbearable. As a result of their own escalating emotion -- which they can't tolerate -- they either try to get her to shut up -- or they leave the room. She feels controlled, marginalized and abandoned.
5. Not Wanting to Reinforce Whining
This is another reason that men give for not supporting or encouraging expression. They believe that validating and making time and space for their partner's expression will reinforce complaining which, in turn, will go on indefinitely. So they want to stop it immediately by using sarcasm, control or stonewalling. She feels that he won't let her talk, that he is cold, aloof, hostile. So she goes somewhere else to get that support -- another woman friend -- or another man.
6. Demand for Rationality
Some men believe that their partner should always be rational and that irrationality cannot be tolerated. Their response to their partner's apparent irrationality is to point out every error in her thinking, dismiss her, become sarcastic or withdraw. This demand for rationality or "the facts" might sound "mature" but I have yet to hear someone say that they have a great sex life because they have the facts on their side. Communication is often more about soothing, grooming, connecting -- less about simply giving you the information and being logical.
7. Problems Have to Be Solved
These men think that the main reason for communication is to share facts that then can be used for problem-solving. They think that venting and sharing feelings gets you nowhere and that if their partner is not willing to initiate problem-solving then she is being self-indulgent and wasting everyone's time and energy. When he jumps in with problem-solving, she either escalates the emotion which she believes is not heard, or she withdraws.
Well, ask yourself, "Have these responses really worked?" Why is this kind of behavior and thinking so predictive of divorce? If it's not working -- and you and your partner both know it's not -- then maybe it's time to think about making a change. You can change your partner -- break up, get divorced. Or, perhaps it would be easier to change your response to your partner. In a previous posting I listed some possible responses.
Let me go back to a fundamental part of intimate relationships. We want to feel that our partner cares about and respects our feelings. We want to believe that they have time to listen. We want to feel supported, soothed and that we are not a burden. The seven beliefs and styles above -- which many men use -- only alienate the women that they claim they love. If it's not working, why would you continue to act this way?
The answer may be that some men view relationships in terms of power and control. They believe that being real men means never giving up your power. They think that women need to be kept in their place, not "indulged," taught how to think rationally and solve real problems. Of course, rationality and problem-solving are important, but if your partner wants to be heard and respected you better find out first before you jump in and take control. Real men share power, real men are partners, real men know that real women need real respect.
Before I get into this, I'd like you to think about the research by psychologist John Gottman. Gottman has been able to predict with 91 percent accuracy which couples will end up getting divorced. He calls these "The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse" -- along with other problematic styles of communication. The Four Horsemen are Criticism ("You are always whining"), Contempt ("You're a basket case"), Defensiveness ("I'm not the problem, you are!") and Stonewalling (withdrawing or becoming silent). Other problematic styles include starting the conversation in a hostile or intense style, giving off body-language that is defensive or cold, flooding your partner with negativity, and bringing up past memories, complaints and injuries. When you can predict divorce with 91 percent accuracy you know you are on to something.
Now I don't want to claim that men are always the problem -- or that they are even more likely to be the problem than women are. No group is innocent, no group is perfect. But I can see that a lot of times men have a great deal of difficulty validating and emotionally supporting the women in their lives. Here are some reasons.
The Seven Reasons Men Don't Listen
1. It's a Power Struggle. Some men view intimate relationships as a win-lose game. If the woman is venting her feelings, then she is winning and the man is losing. As a result these men may try to dominate and control the woman, telling her that she is illogical, out of control or just a pain to deal with. One man says, "You want us to be doormats."
2. Sarcasm
Many men describe their interactions in terms of "sarcastic" comments -- put-downs, contempt, criticism and condescension. For example, some men respond with, "It must be that time of the month" or "Get me a beer" or other problematic and self-defeating comments. They think that sarcasm will get the woman to either shut up or help her see that she is being ridiculous. She gets the message that he not only doesn't care -- but that he is the last person to ask for support. He thinks he's clever and funny -- and she thinks he just doesn't get it.
3. Macho Thinking
A number of men comment that to validate or to use emotional language to support the woman is unmanly. "You are trying to make us into wusses," a number of men say. They believe that the role of the man is to be strong, above it, domineering. Validating and allowing emotional ventilation is for feminized men, men who have lost their dignity as "real men." The women may think that some of the macho confidence is appealing, until it leads them to feel that the only emotion they can get from him is his anger.
4. Emotional Dysregulation
Some men find it so upsetting, so emotionally arousing to listen to their partners that they feel they have to ventilate their anger or withdraw. In fact, this is supported by the research that shows that their pulse-rates escalate during conflict and they find this unbearable. As a result of their own escalating emotion -- which they can't tolerate -- they either try to get her to shut up -- or they leave the room. She feels controlled, marginalized and abandoned.
5. Not Wanting to Reinforce Whining
This is another reason that men give for not supporting or encouraging expression. They believe that validating and making time and space for their partner's expression will reinforce complaining which, in turn, will go on indefinitely. So they want to stop it immediately by using sarcasm, control or stonewalling. She feels that he won't let her talk, that he is cold, aloof, hostile. So she goes somewhere else to get that support -- another woman friend -- or another man.
6. Demand for Rationality
Some men believe that their partner should always be rational and that irrationality cannot be tolerated. Their response to their partner's apparent irrationality is to point out every error in her thinking, dismiss her, become sarcastic or withdraw. This demand for rationality or "the facts" might sound "mature" but I have yet to hear someone say that they have a great sex life because they have the facts on their side. Communication is often more about soothing, grooming, connecting -- less about simply giving you the information and being logical.
7. Problems Have to Be Solved
These men think that the main reason for communication is to share facts that then can be used for problem-solving. They think that venting and sharing feelings gets you nowhere and that if their partner is not willing to initiate problem-solving then she is being self-indulgent and wasting everyone's time and energy. When he jumps in with problem-solving, she either escalates the emotion which she believes is not heard, or she withdraws.
Well, ask yourself, "Have these responses really worked?" Why is this kind of behavior and thinking so predictive of divorce? If it's not working -- and you and your partner both know it's not -- then maybe it's time to think about making a change. You can change your partner -- break up, get divorced. Or, perhaps it would be easier to change your response to your partner. In a previous posting I listed some possible responses.
Let me go back to a fundamental part of intimate relationships. We want to feel that our partner cares about and respects our feelings. We want to believe that they have time to listen. We want to feel supported, soothed and that we are not a burden. The seven beliefs and styles above -- which many men use -- only alienate the women that they claim they love. If it's not working, why would you continue to act this way?
The answer may be that some men view relationships in terms of power and control. They believe that being real men means never giving up your power. They think that women need to be kept in their place, not "indulged," taught how to think rationally and solve real problems. Of course, rationality and problem-solving are important, but if your partner wants to be heard and respected you better find out first before you jump in and take control. Real men share power, real men are partners, real men know that real women need real respect.
Friday, January 28, 2011
How to balance your checkbook-step by step instructions
Do you balance your checkbook each month? Here are four reasons why you should:
1. Balancing your checkbook verifies that your records match the bank's records.
2. Banks CAN make mistakes, but even more likely is that you'll make a math error in your checkbook register.
3. If you make a mistake or forget to post a transaction in your register, you may start bouncing checks and incurring fees of $25 or more.
4. If there's a problem, you won't need to wade through months of transactions to figure it out.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 10 to 30 minutes
Here's How:
1. Reconcile Your Checks
Determine if there are checks that haven't cleared the bank. Sort your cancelled checks in check number order, or use the listing of your cleared checks in numerical order shown on your statement. In your checkbook register, check off each cancelled check returned to you or each check that appears on the check listing, making sure the amount you recorded is the amount the bank shows.
2. Reconcile Your Deposits
Make sure each deposit shown on your bank statement is recorded in your check register (especially if you have direct deposit, which you can easily forget to record). Also, go through your deposit slips, paycheck stubs, etc., and make sure the bank statement shows all the deposits you made. Check off the deposits in your check register as you did for checks.
3. Reconcile Your ATM Withdrawals and Debit Card Purchases
Go through the same process with your ATM withdrawals or debit card purchases, checking off each transaction on the bank statement in your check register. If the bank shows transactions that aren't included in your check register, record them now.
4. Record Interest Earned and Bank Fees
Check your bank statement for any other fees and record them in your checkbook register. Also record any interest earned in your checkbook register.
5. List Outstanding Checks
Now go through your checkbook register and in column two of the balancing form list your outstanding checks (the checks that you did not check off in your check register as having cleared the bank), as well as any outstanding debit purchases or ATM withdrawals that have not yet cleared the bank. Total the column of outstanding checks, debits, and ATM withdrawals.
6. List Outstanding Deposits
Go through your checkbook register and in column one of the balancing form list the outstanding deposits (the deposits that you did not check off in your check register as having cleared the bank). Total the column of outstanding deposits.
7. Record Your Bank's Ending Balance
On line one of the bottom section of the Checkbook Balancing Form, enter the ending balance shown on your bank statement.
8. Enter Outstanding Deposits
On line two of the bottom section of the Checkbook Balancing Form, enter the total outstanding deposits from column one.
9. Enter Outstanding Checks
On line three of the bottom section of the Checkbook Balancing Form, enter the total outstanding checks from column two.
10. Calculate Your Balance
Use a calculator to total lines one through three, as indicated by the plus and minus signs on the form, and enter the new total on line four. This should equal the balance shown in your checkbook register. If it doesn't, check for math errors in your checkbook register, such as reversed numbers (e.g., $53 instead of $35), subtracting a deposit instead of adding it, adding a check written instead of subtracting it, automatic payments that you forgot to record, etc.
Tips:
1. If you're not convinced that balancing your checkbook monthly is an important task, read more in depth about why it's important: Balancing Your Checkbook: Four Reasons You Should Do It.
2. For the easiest method of balancing your checkbook, use the Printable Checkbook Balancing Form.
3. Don't fall for the common mistakes of never recording the pennies on the checks you write; entering bogus amounts in your check register to "fool" yourself into thinking you have less money than you really do so you can be pleasantly surprised later, or to provide a cushion for errors; or only balancing your checkbook once a year when you do your taxes.
4. Sometimes, if you really find your checkbook in a mess, you can't reconcile it even with your best efforts, and you're incurring fees because of errors, the best thing to do is to open a new account and start over, closing the old account after all checks have cleared.
5. If you don't reconcile, see if the amount you're off divides evenly by nine. If it does, it may be a transposed number. It's easy to transpose numbers in your register (you wrote $53.94 instead of $53.49, for example).
What You Need:
* Your most recent bank statement and/or cancelled checks
* A checkbook balancing form (see the link in this article)
* Your checkbook register
* A calculator and pencil
1. Balancing your checkbook verifies that your records match the bank's records.
2. Banks CAN make mistakes, but even more likely is that you'll make a math error in your checkbook register.
3. If you make a mistake or forget to post a transaction in your register, you may start bouncing checks and incurring fees of $25 or more.
4. If there's a problem, you won't need to wade through months of transactions to figure it out.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 10 to 30 minutes
Here's How:
1. Reconcile Your Checks
Determine if there are checks that haven't cleared the bank. Sort your cancelled checks in check number order, or use the listing of your cleared checks in numerical order shown on your statement. In your checkbook register, check off each cancelled check returned to you or each check that appears on the check listing, making sure the amount you recorded is the amount the bank shows.
2. Reconcile Your Deposits
Make sure each deposit shown on your bank statement is recorded in your check register (especially if you have direct deposit, which you can easily forget to record). Also, go through your deposit slips, paycheck stubs, etc., and make sure the bank statement shows all the deposits you made. Check off the deposits in your check register as you did for checks.
3. Reconcile Your ATM Withdrawals and Debit Card Purchases
Go through the same process with your ATM withdrawals or debit card purchases, checking off each transaction on the bank statement in your check register. If the bank shows transactions that aren't included in your check register, record them now.
4. Record Interest Earned and Bank Fees
Check your bank statement for any other fees and record them in your checkbook register. Also record any interest earned in your checkbook register.
5. List Outstanding Checks
Now go through your checkbook register and in column two of the balancing form list your outstanding checks (the checks that you did not check off in your check register as having cleared the bank), as well as any outstanding debit purchases or ATM withdrawals that have not yet cleared the bank. Total the column of outstanding checks, debits, and ATM withdrawals.
6. List Outstanding Deposits
Go through your checkbook register and in column one of the balancing form list the outstanding deposits (the deposits that you did not check off in your check register as having cleared the bank). Total the column of outstanding deposits.
7. Record Your Bank's Ending Balance
On line one of the bottom section of the Checkbook Balancing Form, enter the ending balance shown on your bank statement.
8. Enter Outstanding Deposits
On line two of the bottom section of the Checkbook Balancing Form, enter the total outstanding deposits from column one.
9. Enter Outstanding Checks
On line three of the bottom section of the Checkbook Balancing Form, enter the total outstanding checks from column two.
10. Calculate Your Balance
Use a calculator to total lines one through three, as indicated by the plus and minus signs on the form, and enter the new total on line four. This should equal the balance shown in your checkbook register. If it doesn't, check for math errors in your checkbook register, such as reversed numbers (e.g., $53 instead of $35), subtracting a deposit instead of adding it, adding a check written instead of subtracting it, automatic payments that you forgot to record, etc.
Tips:
1. If you're not convinced that balancing your checkbook monthly is an important task, read more in depth about why it's important: Balancing Your Checkbook: Four Reasons You Should Do It.
2. For the easiest method of balancing your checkbook, use the Printable Checkbook Balancing Form.
3. Don't fall for the common mistakes of never recording the pennies on the checks you write; entering bogus amounts in your check register to "fool" yourself into thinking you have less money than you really do so you can be pleasantly surprised later, or to provide a cushion for errors; or only balancing your checkbook once a year when you do your taxes.
4. Sometimes, if you really find your checkbook in a mess, you can't reconcile it even with your best efforts, and you're incurring fees because of errors, the best thing to do is to open a new account and start over, closing the old account after all checks have cleared.
5. If you don't reconcile, see if the amount you're off divides evenly by nine. If it does, it may be a transposed number. It's easy to transpose numbers in your register (you wrote $53.94 instead of $53.49, for example).
What You Need:
* Your most recent bank statement and/or cancelled checks
* A checkbook balancing form (see the link in this article)
* Your checkbook register
* A calculator and pencil
Most fuel-efficient cars if you drive mainly on the highway
Best city/highway mpg
Last reviewed: October 2010
Best city mpg
These cars use the least gas in stop-and-go driving.
Make & model MPG
Toyota Prius IV 32
Smart ForTwo Passion 30
Honda Insight EX 29
Toyota Camry Hybrid 28
Nissan Altima Hybrid 27
Volkswagen Golf TDI (manual) 27
Honda Civic Hybrid 26
Ford Fusion Hybrid 25
Scion xD (manual) 25
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI (manual) 25
Best highway mpg
If you drive mainly on the highway, these cars are the most fuel-efficient.
Make & model MPG
Toyota Prius IV 55
Volkswagen Golf TDI (manual) 49
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI (manual) 49
Honda Civic Hybrid 47
Honda Insight EX 45
Ford Fiesta SE sedan 45
Smart ForTwo Passion 44
Honda Civic EX 43
Ford Fiesta SES hatchback (manual) 42
Mini Cooper base (manual) 41
Toyota Camry Hybrid 41
Toyota Yaris sedan 41
Last reviewed: October 2010
Best city mpg
These cars use the least gas in stop-and-go driving.
Make & model MPG
Toyota Prius IV 32
Smart ForTwo Passion 30
Honda Insight EX 29
Toyota Camry Hybrid 28
Nissan Altima Hybrid 27
Volkswagen Golf TDI (manual) 27
Honda Civic Hybrid 26
Ford Fusion Hybrid 25
Scion xD (manual) 25
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI (manual) 25
Best highway mpg
If you drive mainly on the highway, these cars are the most fuel-efficient.
Make & model MPG
Toyota Prius IV 55
Volkswagen Golf TDI (manual) 49
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI (manual) 49
Honda Civic Hybrid 47
Honda Insight EX 45
Ford Fiesta SE sedan 45
Smart ForTwo Passion 44
Honda Civic EX 43
Ford Fiesta SES hatchback (manual) 42
Mini Cooper base (manual) 41
Toyota Camry Hybrid 41
Toyota Yaris sedan 41
The real costs for electric cars
What if a gallon of gasoline cost $2 in the middle of the night, was free at lunch and set you back $8 in the afternoon? Welcome to the world of electric cars. If you buy one, the cost of a fill-up will largely depend on when and where you recharge it, not to mention the rates your utility company offers.
In the U.S., the cost of electricity varies far more widely than the cost of gasoline, from a kilowatt-hour average of 8 cents in Washington state to 36 cents in Hawaii (a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the amount of electrical energy consumed when 1,000 watts are used for one hour). Someday soon, you might be able to recharge your electric vehicle (EV) for free during a lunch stop at the mall. But if the EV is going to be filled up at home, your rate could be much higher than the national average of 11 cents that the EPA will put on its fuel economy label for EVs.
Because of the variety of utility rates in the U.S., a 2011 Nissan Leaf that's a bargain to drive in Washington — $28.29 for 1,000 miles — is pricey in Hawaii, where those 1,000 miles would cost $97.21. A conventional car getting 36 mpg would make that trip for the same money. For consumers primarily interested in driving an EV to save money, it's critical to know actual electric rates (and the current cost of gasoline, for comparison purposes) instead of relying on national averages.
To figure out the cost of fueling an EV, start with the electric car's energy consumption rate, which is expressed as kWh per 100 miles (kWh/100m). This figure will be listed on the EPA's upcoming EV fuel economy label (the 2011 Leaf's preliminary label is shown here, complete with an erroneous 12-cent per kWh figure in the cost estimate that Nissan says it is correcting). The next figure is your home electric rate, assuming that's the primary charging site. Multiply the kWh/100m figure by the electric rate to get the cost per 100 miles. For instance, the Leaf's kWh/100m figure is 34. If electricity is 11 cents per kWh — the national average — it would cost $3.74 to go 100 miles.
Another way to calculate cost is to use the number of kilowatt-hours it takes to recharge the EV's battery. If an EV requires 20 kWh to fully recharge, and the rate is 11 cents per kWh, that's $2.20 to fill up the car. What does that equal in mpg? See that equation discussed here. Rather than worry about mpg, cost-conscious EV buyers should focus on how to get car-charging kWh at the lowest rates.
Rate Schedules
The cost of electricity is based on the rates set by utility companies, time of use and level of use. The more electricity you use, the more you pay for it. And consumers generally pay more per kWh for electricity used at peak hours. Unless EV buyers do some planning, they could find themselves paying rates much higher than the national average of 11 cents per kWh.
In California, for example, Southern California Edison (SCE) has five rate tiers for residential users, largely based on usage, and they range from 12 cents per kWh to 31 cents. The cost of electric-vehicle charging could easily fall into the most expensive tier, since the electric car is being added to a household's existing demands for powering such things as heating, cooling, lighting and entertainment systems.
SCE is offering EV owners two plans to avoid kWh sticker shock, says Edward Kjaer, director of plug-in-vehicle readiness at SCE. One uses a tiered structure that's similar to the utility's standard residential rate, but provides a "super off-peak" rate of 10 cents per kWh from midnight to 6 a.m., which is when many EV owners will charge up. The peak rate during the day, which is when SCE is supplying power to its business customers, is 55 cents per kWh.
SCE's other plan is a time-of-use rate. To take advantage of it, consumers must pay to have a second meter installed that only measures electricity used to charge the EV. They'll then be billed at a separate rate from the rest of the home. The rates for this plan are discounted to 11 cents per kWh for charging that occurs off-peak — before noon and after 9 p.m. SCE says the time-of-use option can give customers the lowest rates for EV charging, but it also involves more initial setup cost and time.
Kjaer suggests consumers who are serious about buying EVs should contact their local utility companies as early in the shopping process as possible to get guidance in choosing the rate that's best for them. SCE has resources that are specific to its customers, but there's also good general information there on EV readiness.
Real-World Experience
New Jersey restaurant owner Tom Moloughney has been driving an all-electric Mini E for 17 months and 45,000 miles. He's fanatical about logging data about his driving experiences and writes about them on his own blog.
Moloughney's Mini E has an energy consumption rate of 38 kWh per 100 miles — less efficient than the Leaf's 34 kWh/100m. But the Mini E also has 201 horsepower versus the Leaf's 107. Moloughney can choose between two electricity rates: 18 cents per kWh at home and a commercial rate of 12 cents at his restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey, where he installed an additional 220-volt charger.
"I charge at work as much as possible," Moloughney said. "It's the difference between paying $3.20 for a full charge at work — which is about 100 miles — and $5.25 at home for that same full battery."
With gasoline prices in the $3 per gallon range in New Jersey, driving an EV is saving Moloughney money. He'd have to get 66 mpg in a conventional vehicle to match his workplace cost of charging the Mini E. But the Mini E would be less economical if he just relied on his home charging rate of 18 cents per kWh. Then it's comparable to a conventional car getting 44 mpg.
Tom and Cathy Saxton, computer programmers who live in Sammamish, Washington, are a two-EV family: They have a 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV and a 2008 Tesla Roadster. They installed separate electric meters for the EVs in July 2009 and have been tracking energy use since then. The Saxton's Tesla is consuming at a rate of 30.8 kWh/100m (bettering its official EPA rating); the RAV4 is averaging about 35 kWh/100m.
The Saxtons pay 11.25 cents per kWh. But rather than describing their energy costs in terms of kWh per 100 miles, Saxton said he and his wife tell friends that their vehicles travel about 30 miles on a dollar's worth of electricity. Of course, that is a dollar's worth at 11.25 cents per kWh. If they were in Hawaii, where electricity is nearly 30 cents per kWh, it would be a much more expensive drive.
As the EPA mileage sticker for the Nissan Leaf reminds us, your results may vary, depending not only on the efficiency of the EV you're driving but also where and when you're charging it. The true cost of filling up your electric car turns out to be far more complicated than anyone expected.
In the U.S., the cost of electricity varies far more widely than the cost of gasoline, from a kilowatt-hour average of 8 cents in Washington state to 36 cents in Hawaii (a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the amount of electrical energy consumed when 1,000 watts are used for one hour). Someday soon, you might be able to recharge your electric vehicle (EV) for free during a lunch stop at the mall. But if the EV is going to be filled up at home, your rate could be much higher than the national average of 11 cents that the EPA will put on its fuel economy label for EVs.
Because of the variety of utility rates in the U.S., a 2011 Nissan Leaf that's a bargain to drive in Washington — $28.29 for 1,000 miles — is pricey in Hawaii, where those 1,000 miles would cost $97.21. A conventional car getting 36 mpg would make that trip for the same money. For consumers primarily interested in driving an EV to save money, it's critical to know actual electric rates (and the current cost of gasoline, for comparison purposes) instead of relying on national averages.
To figure out the cost of fueling an EV, start with the electric car's energy consumption rate, which is expressed as kWh per 100 miles (kWh/100m). This figure will be listed on the EPA's upcoming EV fuel economy label (the 2011 Leaf's preliminary label is shown here, complete with an erroneous 12-cent per kWh figure in the cost estimate that Nissan says it is correcting). The next figure is your home electric rate, assuming that's the primary charging site. Multiply the kWh/100m figure by the electric rate to get the cost per 100 miles. For instance, the Leaf's kWh/100m figure is 34. If electricity is 11 cents per kWh — the national average — it would cost $3.74 to go 100 miles.
Another way to calculate cost is to use the number of kilowatt-hours it takes to recharge the EV's battery. If an EV requires 20 kWh to fully recharge, and the rate is 11 cents per kWh, that's $2.20 to fill up the car. What does that equal in mpg? See that equation discussed here. Rather than worry about mpg, cost-conscious EV buyers should focus on how to get car-charging kWh at the lowest rates.
Rate Schedules
The cost of electricity is based on the rates set by utility companies, time of use and level of use. The more electricity you use, the more you pay for it. And consumers generally pay more per kWh for electricity used at peak hours. Unless EV buyers do some planning, they could find themselves paying rates much higher than the national average of 11 cents per kWh.
In California, for example, Southern California Edison (SCE) has five rate tiers for residential users, largely based on usage, and they range from 12 cents per kWh to 31 cents. The cost of electric-vehicle charging could easily fall into the most expensive tier, since the electric car is being added to a household's existing demands for powering such things as heating, cooling, lighting and entertainment systems.
SCE is offering EV owners two plans to avoid kWh sticker shock, says Edward Kjaer, director of plug-in-vehicle readiness at SCE. One uses a tiered structure that's similar to the utility's standard residential rate, but provides a "super off-peak" rate of 10 cents per kWh from midnight to 6 a.m., which is when many EV owners will charge up. The peak rate during the day, which is when SCE is supplying power to its business customers, is 55 cents per kWh.
SCE's other plan is a time-of-use rate. To take advantage of it, consumers must pay to have a second meter installed that only measures electricity used to charge the EV. They'll then be billed at a separate rate from the rest of the home. The rates for this plan are discounted to 11 cents per kWh for charging that occurs off-peak — before noon and after 9 p.m. SCE says the time-of-use option can give customers the lowest rates for EV charging, but it also involves more initial setup cost and time.
Kjaer suggests consumers who are serious about buying EVs should contact their local utility companies as early in the shopping process as possible to get guidance in choosing the rate that's best for them. SCE has resources that are specific to its customers, but there's also good general information there on EV readiness.
Real-World Experience
New Jersey restaurant owner Tom Moloughney has been driving an all-electric Mini E for 17 months and 45,000 miles. He's fanatical about logging data about his driving experiences and writes about them on his own blog.
Moloughney's Mini E has an energy consumption rate of 38 kWh per 100 miles — less efficient than the Leaf's 34 kWh/100m. But the Mini E also has 201 horsepower versus the Leaf's 107. Moloughney can choose between two electricity rates: 18 cents per kWh at home and a commercial rate of 12 cents at his restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey, where he installed an additional 220-volt charger.
"I charge at work as much as possible," Moloughney said. "It's the difference between paying $3.20 for a full charge at work — which is about 100 miles — and $5.25 at home for that same full battery."
With gasoline prices in the $3 per gallon range in New Jersey, driving an EV is saving Moloughney money. He'd have to get 66 mpg in a conventional vehicle to match his workplace cost of charging the Mini E. But the Mini E would be less economical if he just relied on his home charging rate of 18 cents per kWh. Then it's comparable to a conventional car getting 44 mpg.
Tom and Cathy Saxton, computer programmers who live in Sammamish, Washington, are a two-EV family: They have a 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV and a 2008 Tesla Roadster. They installed separate electric meters for the EVs in July 2009 and have been tracking energy use since then. The Saxton's Tesla is consuming at a rate of 30.8 kWh/100m (bettering its official EPA rating); the RAV4 is averaging about 35 kWh/100m.
The Saxtons pay 11.25 cents per kWh. But rather than describing their energy costs in terms of kWh per 100 miles, Saxton said he and his wife tell friends that their vehicles travel about 30 miles on a dollar's worth of electricity. Of course, that is a dollar's worth at 11.25 cents per kWh. If they were in Hawaii, where electricity is nearly 30 cents per kWh, it would be a much more expensive drive.
As the EPA mileage sticker for the Nissan Leaf reminds us, your results may vary, depending not only on the efficiency of the EV you're driving but also where and when you're charging it. The true cost of filling up your electric car turns out to be far more complicated than anyone expected.
Signs of the Times
Events of the twentieth century alerted Bible students to the tremendous potential for fulfilled prophecy, and many students of the Bible and eschatology recognize the events continuing to unfold in the world today as signs of the last days.
Today many secular as well as religious authorities recognize ...
"These are extraordinary times."
An Associated Press writer asks, "Is everything spinning out of control?" A Wall Street Journal headline read, "Millennium Fever: Prophets Proliferate, The End is Near." A New York Times book review began, "Some 50 million Americans share a belief that these are the last days." Even the Chicago Tribune ran a front-page story about the end times in a recent Sunday edition.
Even the most seasoned newsmen who have "seen it all" are in awe of the world developments in recent years. All of them realize that something unique in the history of the world is happening today. And what's most stunning about it all is the breath-taking rapidity of these recent developments.
Is civilization coming to an end?
"Armageddon is now near not because of this event or that event which may, in isolation, look like a prophetic fulfillment. Rather, it is because of the very nature of what causes Armageddon, coupled with the fact that our world today is rapidly assuming, on a global scale, the characteristics of that which underlies Armageddon." [William R. Goetz, Armageddon Next]
Malcolm Muggeridge suggested, "The basic condition for a civilization is that there should be law and order. Obviously this is coming to an end. The world is falling into chaos, even perhaps especially our western world... There are many other symptoms. The excessive interest in eroticism is characteristic of the end of a civilization because it really means a growing impotence, and fear of impotence. Then the excessive need for excitement, vicarious excitement, which of course the games provided for the Romans and which television provides for our population. Even the enormously complicated structure of taxation and administration is a symptom of the end of the civilization. Above all, there is this truly terrible thing which afflicts materialist societies - boredom, an excessive boredom which I note on every hand."
The signs of the times are visible all around us.
" wars and rumors of wars" - Matthew 24:6
TerrorismEndless war seem to rage in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism is spreading to nearly every corner of the globe. Since 2000 alone, America has been mired in conflict in Sierra Leone, Yemen, East Timor, Afghanistan, Philippines, Cote d'Ivoire, Iraq, Liberia, Georgia, Haïti, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Somalia.
We have elevated war today to include even unspecified enemies. The war on terror has no particular enemy and not directed towards any specific country. It has been generalized to include just about anybody that disagrees with the ruling power. As such, it almost guarantees perpetual war.
...but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
As Jesus points out, war is not necessarily a "sign" of the end of days, rather something that must happen as people continually slide into the chaos that results from their rebellion against God.
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." - Matthew 24:7
Other conflicts are raging in Darfur, Saudi Arabia, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thailand, Chad, Gaza Strip and the West Bank in Israel, Niger and Mali, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
"There will be famines and earthquakes in various places." - Matthew 24:7
Every year, earthquakes cause thousands of deaths, either directly or due to the resulting tsunamis, landslides, fires, and famines.
* 3,000 people died in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
* Around 110,000 were killed in the 1948 earthquake in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
* More than 5,700 deaths were reported following the strongest earthquake ever recorded in 1960 in Southern Chile.
* While only 15 people died in the 1964 Prince William Sound in Alaska quake itself, 110 more people were killed in the resulting tsunami.
* 66,000 were killed off the western coast of South America in the 1970 Peru earthquake.
* Between 250,000 and 655,000 died in the 1976 China earthquake that struck Tangshan, then a city of one million people.
* 63 people were killed in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake -- which struck the San Francisco area.
* 60 people were killed in the 1994 Northridge quake in Southern California.
* More than 5,000 were killed the 1995 Kobe, Japan earthquake.
* 230,000 (and perhaps as many as 290,000) people in 12 countries -- including about 168,000 in Indonesia alone were killed in the 2004 earthquake just off the west coast of the island of Sumatra, and the tsunami that followed.
* More than 80,000 people were killed in the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
* More than 69,000 people died in the 2008 Sichuan China earthquake.
We're hearing of an increasing scarcity of food on a worldwide scale, due to increased consumption in growing countries such as China and India and rising fuel costs. These shortages have caused riots in some places and some predict the future outbreak of wars fought over increasing food scarcities.
Change
The twentieth century was an unprecedented period of change and the twenty-first century is proving to be even more dramatic. At no time in history have more changes occurred in science and in the political structure of the world.
*
More changes occur in science in a single year than formerly occurred in a century. The breathtaking pace of technological advancements insures that few of us can keep up with the rapid change and perhaps more important, the inability of society to keep pace with the ethics or morality behind many of these changes.
*
The crumbling of the Eastern Bloc of Europe and the Communist Empire.
The opening of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of a divided Germany.
*
The world's brightest beacon of liberty has been corrupted by immoral bankers and is now quickly becoming one of the greatest forces of evil in the world.
*
With Israel restored as a nation in 1948, the panorama of end-time prophecy came into a focus in which Israel will be a prominent player. This event has been at the core of political instability in the Middle East, triggering the growing Islamic vs Zionist jihad.
*
The introduction of the concept of a world government, made real by the United Nations paints a scenario that is in harmony with Bible prophecy concerning a future world government.
*
The wholesale collapse of ethical and moral values throughout society and government. Children are killing their classmates, employees are killing fellow employees, and government leaders are promising change.
*
The weakening influence of our churches and their leaders.
The world has entered a time of dramatic and ominous change. At the present moment of history, the planet Earth is in grave crises. This celestial ball is on a collision course with its Creator. We have reached the day which the prophet had in mind when he wrote,
"Woe unto them who call evil, good, and good, evil" [Isaiah 5:20]
Man has pushed the self-destruct button. Foundations of godliness have crumbled; things sacred have come unzipped. We have embraced the pagan teachings of Al Gore while rejecting the time proven commandments of God. We are trying to build a peaceful world, but there is no peace within people's hearts.
We must have an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Somehow God must reveal himself to this lost generation. Everything else has failed. Education has failed our youth. For the most part, parents have failed them. Government has failed to reach them. Dead religion has turned them off.
Billy Graham quoted John Walvoord in his book, "Storm Warning":
"The present world crisis is not a result of any one factor, but a concurrence of causes and effects which combine to set the world stage for a conflict which may quickly bring an end to hundreds of years of progress in western civilization and establish new centers of international power. Whatever the future holds, it is going to be dramatically different than the past. In this dark picture only the Scriptures chart a sure course and give us an intelligent explanation of worldwide confusion as it exists today."
Where does it all lead?
Even though we see the end times signs so clearly, it's still difficult to comprehend. What does it all mean? Where is it all leading? Why is there so little peace in the world when we have such unprecedented knowledge and unlimited potential?
Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of Nobel Prizes in 1954 and 1963, has said he believes the greatest catastrophe in the world is approaching. This looming catastrophe might well result in a world war which could destroy civilization and spell the end of the human race. Or, it might take the form of mass starvation among a world population that has been doubling every 35 years. Civilization might end because of the collapse of the systems on which it depends; or the end of civilization might result from weather changes induced by governments to improve the yield of crops.
The book of Revelation describes the end times. It speaks of a one-world government, a godless dictator, total regulation of all business, plagues, crime and rebellion, and devastating disasters. To many, it seems like a far-off time. But there are "signs of the times" in today's headlines - signs Jesus said would herald His return.
Some people argue that the characteristic of 'end time' people have been our character throughout the ages and that people haven't really changed. In its simplest form, that is true. It's not that we don't do the same things, what's relevant is that we do it with increasing intensity and we are teaching new ways of doing it. Certainly, these things have been happening since the beginning of time. However, the intensity of these things today is such that we dare not blind our eyes to their meaning.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, `It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, `Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. [Matthew 16:1-4]
Jesus said, "You can read the signs of the weather in the sky, but because of spiritual blindness you cannot read the signs of the times." Our Lord was saying the Jews of that day were blind to the signs of their time. He indicated that only those who have spiritual illumination and discernment from the Holy Spirit can hope to understand the trends and meanings of history. This explains why so many people haven't got a clue about what's going on and why most of our political leaders are taking us down the path to destruction.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." [1Tim. 4:1]
We are now living in the "last days!"
The only way to understand the big picture is to look at the Bible and the various categories of signs that the Bible predicted would come together just before the return of Christ. The key to understanding current events is in some familiar old scriptural passages. Jesus Himself gave us the best insight shortly before his execution on the cross.
"Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [Matthew 24:4-14]
General 'signs' Jesus said would be visible prior to His return.
* Deliberate deception by men of God's Word
* Rise of false Christs
* Increase in wars and rumors of wars
* Famines, Pestilence & Earthquakes
* Discrimination and hatred against Christians
* Backsliding, turning from the faith, betrayal
* Hatred of Christian against Christian
* False Prophets and "New Age" leaders
* Lawlessness abounding
* Love and concern for others grows cold
* Gospel preached worldwide
Our Lord told us not to be troubled, because these are only the beginning of "birth pains" [Matt. 24:8]. I believe that God is warning the world. The world has broken His covenant and has gone away from Him and these events are warnings designed to turn us to Him. And what we have seen thus far is just a prelude. The warnings are going to continue during the next few years, even building in intensity. After these warnings, the real judgment is going to come.
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. - Matthew 24:15-28
Are You Ready?A day of reckoning will come.
There will be an end.
Today many secular as well as religious authorities recognize ...
"These are extraordinary times."
An Associated Press writer asks, "Is everything spinning out of control?" A Wall Street Journal headline read, "Millennium Fever: Prophets Proliferate, The End is Near." A New York Times book review began, "Some 50 million Americans share a belief that these are the last days." Even the Chicago Tribune ran a front-page story about the end times in a recent Sunday edition.
Even the most seasoned newsmen who have "seen it all" are in awe of the world developments in recent years. All of them realize that something unique in the history of the world is happening today. And what's most stunning about it all is the breath-taking rapidity of these recent developments.
Is civilization coming to an end?
"Armageddon is now near not because of this event or that event which may, in isolation, look like a prophetic fulfillment. Rather, it is because of the very nature of what causes Armageddon, coupled with the fact that our world today is rapidly assuming, on a global scale, the characteristics of that which underlies Armageddon." [William R. Goetz, Armageddon Next]
Malcolm Muggeridge suggested, "The basic condition for a civilization is that there should be law and order. Obviously this is coming to an end. The world is falling into chaos, even perhaps especially our western world... There are many other symptoms. The excessive interest in eroticism is characteristic of the end of a civilization because it really means a growing impotence, and fear of impotence. Then the excessive need for excitement, vicarious excitement, which of course the games provided for the Romans and which television provides for our population. Even the enormously complicated structure of taxation and administration is a symptom of the end of the civilization. Above all, there is this truly terrible thing which afflicts materialist societies - boredom, an excessive boredom which I note on every hand."
The signs of the times are visible all around us.
" wars and rumors of wars" - Matthew 24:6
TerrorismEndless war seem to rage in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism is spreading to nearly every corner of the globe. Since 2000 alone, America has been mired in conflict in Sierra Leone, Yemen, East Timor, Afghanistan, Philippines, Cote d'Ivoire, Iraq, Liberia, Georgia, Haïti, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Somalia.
We have elevated war today to include even unspecified enemies. The war on terror has no particular enemy and not directed towards any specific country. It has been generalized to include just about anybody that disagrees with the ruling power. As such, it almost guarantees perpetual war.
...but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
As Jesus points out, war is not necessarily a "sign" of the end of days, rather something that must happen as people continually slide into the chaos that results from their rebellion against God.
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." - Matthew 24:7
Other conflicts are raging in Darfur, Saudi Arabia, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thailand, Chad, Gaza Strip and the West Bank in Israel, Niger and Mali, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
"There will be famines and earthquakes in various places." - Matthew 24:7
Every year, earthquakes cause thousands of deaths, either directly or due to the resulting tsunamis, landslides, fires, and famines.
* 3,000 people died in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
* Around 110,000 were killed in the 1948 earthquake in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
* More than 5,700 deaths were reported following the strongest earthquake ever recorded in 1960 in Southern Chile.
* While only 15 people died in the 1964 Prince William Sound in Alaska quake itself, 110 more people were killed in the resulting tsunami.
* 66,000 were killed off the western coast of South America in the 1970 Peru earthquake.
* Between 250,000 and 655,000 died in the 1976 China earthquake that struck Tangshan, then a city of one million people.
* 63 people were killed in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake -- which struck the San Francisco area.
* 60 people were killed in the 1994 Northridge quake in Southern California.
* More than 5,000 were killed the 1995 Kobe, Japan earthquake.
* 230,000 (and perhaps as many as 290,000) people in 12 countries -- including about 168,000 in Indonesia alone were killed in the 2004 earthquake just off the west coast of the island of Sumatra, and the tsunami that followed.
* More than 80,000 people were killed in the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
* More than 69,000 people died in the 2008 Sichuan China earthquake.
We're hearing of an increasing scarcity of food on a worldwide scale, due to increased consumption in growing countries such as China and India and rising fuel costs. These shortages have caused riots in some places and some predict the future outbreak of wars fought over increasing food scarcities.
Change
The twentieth century was an unprecedented period of change and the twenty-first century is proving to be even more dramatic. At no time in history have more changes occurred in science and in the political structure of the world.
*
More changes occur in science in a single year than formerly occurred in a century. The breathtaking pace of technological advancements insures that few of us can keep up with the rapid change and perhaps more important, the inability of society to keep pace with the ethics or morality behind many of these changes.
*
The crumbling of the Eastern Bloc of Europe and the Communist Empire.
The opening of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of a divided Germany.
*
The world's brightest beacon of liberty has been corrupted by immoral bankers and is now quickly becoming one of the greatest forces of evil in the world.
*
With Israel restored as a nation in 1948, the panorama of end-time prophecy came into a focus in which Israel will be a prominent player. This event has been at the core of political instability in the Middle East, triggering the growing Islamic vs Zionist jihad.
*
The introduction of the concept of a world government, made real by the United Nations paints a scenario that is in harmony with Bible prophecy concerning a future world government.
*
The wholesale collapse of ethical and moral values throughout society and government. Children are killing their classmates, employees are killing fellow employees, and government leaders are promising change.
*
The weakening influence of our churches and their leaders.
The world has entered a time of dramatic and ominous change. At the present moment of history, the planet Earth is in grave crises. This celestial ball is on a collision course with its Creator. We have reached the day which the prophet had in mind when he wrote,
"Woe unto them who call evil, good, and good, evil" [Isaiah 5:20]
Man has pushed the self-destruct button. Foundations of godliness have crumbled; things sacred have come unzipped. We have embraced the pagan teachings of Al Gore while rejecting the time proven commandments of God. We are trying to build a peaceful world, but there is no peace within people's hearts.
We must have an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Somehow God must reveal himself to this lost generation. Everything else has failed. Education has failed our youth. For the most part, parents have failed them. Government has failed to reach them. Dead religion has turned them off.
Billy Graham quoted John Walvoord in his book, "Storm Warning":
"The present world crisis is not a result of any one factor, but a concurrence of causes and effects which combine to set the world stage for a conflict which may quickly bring an end to hundreds of years of progress in western civilization and establish new centers of international power. Whatever the future holds, it is going to be dramatically different than the past. In this dark picture only the Scriptures chart a sure course and give us an intelligent explanation of worldwide confusion as it exists today."
Where does it all lead?
Even though we see the end times signs so clearly, it's still difficult to comprehend. What does it all mean? Where is it all leading? Why is there so little peace in the world when we have such unprecedented knowledge and unlimited potential?
Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of Nobel Prizes in 1954 and 1963, has said he believes the greatest catastrophe in the world is approaching. This looming catastrophe might well result in a world war which could destroy civilization and spell the end of the human race. Or, it might take the form of mass starvation among a world population that has been doubling every 35 years. Civilization might end because of the collapse of the systems on which it depends; or the end of civilization might result from weather changes induced by governments to improve the yield of crops.
The book of Revelation describes the end times. It speaks of a one-world government, a godless dictator, total regulation of all business, plagues, crime and rebellion, and devastating disasters. To many, it seems like a far-off time. But there are "signs of the times" in today's headlines - signs Jesus said would herald His return.
Some people argue that the characteristic of 'end time' people have been our character throughout the ages and that people haven't really changed. In its simplest form, that is true. It's not that we don't do the same things, what's relevant is that we do it with increasing intensity and we are teaching new ways of doing it. Certainly, these things have been happening since the beginning of time. However, the intensity of these things today is such that we dare not blind our eyes to their meaning.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, `It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, `Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. [Matthew 16:1-4]
Jesus said, "You can read the signs of the weather in the sky, but because of spiritual blindness you cannot read the signs of the times." Our Lord was saying the Jews of that day were blind to the signs of their time. He indicated that only those who have spiritual illumination and discernment from the Holy Spirit can hope to understand the trends and meanings of history. This explains why so many people haven't got a clue about what's going on and why most of our political leaders are taking us down the path to destruction.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." [1Tim. 4:1]
We are now living in the "last days!"
The only way to understand the big picture is to look at the Bible and the various categories of signs that the Bible predicted would come together just before the return of Christ. The key to understanding current events is in some familiar old scriptural passages. Jesus Himself gave us the best insight shortly before his execution on the cross.
"Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [Matthew 24:4-14]
General 'signs' Jesus said would be visible prior to His return.
* Deliberate deception by men of God's Word
* Rise of false Christs
* Increase in wars and rumors of wars
* Famines, Pestilence & Earthquakes
* Discrimination and hatred against Christians
* Backsliding, turning from the faith, betrayal
* Hatred of Christian against Christian
* False Prophets and "New Age" leaders
* Lawlessness abounding
* Love and concern for others grows cold
* Gospel preached worldwide
Our Lord told us not to be troubled, because these are only the beginning of "birth pains" [Matt. 24:8]. I believe that God is warning the world. The world has broken His covenant and has gone away from Him and these events are warnings designed to turn us to Him. And what we have seen thus far is just a prelude. The warnings are going to continue during the next few years, even building in intensity. After these warnings, the real judgment is going to come.
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. - Matthew 24:15-28
Are You Ready?A day of reckoning will come.
There will be an end.
2010's World gone wild, the deadliest year in more than a generation
This was the year the Earth struck back.
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 - the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
"The term '100-year event' really lost its meaning this year."
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say.
Even though many catastrophes have the ring of random chance, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and weird year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes.
Poor construction and development practices conspire to make earthquakes more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable buildings in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes, the river breaches, or the tropical cyclone hits, more people die.
Disasters from the Earth, such as earthquakes and volcanoes "are pretty much constant," said Andreas Schraft, vice president of catastrophic perils for the Geneva-based insurance giant Swiss Re. "All the change that's made is man-made."
The January earthquake that killed well more than 220,000 people in Haiti is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people - many of them living in poverty - and more poorly built shanties than it did 25 years ago. So had the same quake hit in 1985 instead of 2010, total deaths would have probably been in the 80,000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University.
In February, an earthquake that was more than 500 times stronger than the one that struck Haiti hit an area of Chile that was less populated, better constructed, and not as poor. Chile's bigger quake caused fewer than 1,000 deaths.
Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding.
In the summer, one weather system caused oppressive heat in Russia, while farther south it caused flooding in Pakistan that inundated 62,000 square miles, about the size of Wisconsin. That single heat-and-storm system killed almost 17,000 people, more people than all the worldwide airplane crashes in the past 15 years combined.
"It's a form of suicide, isn't it? We build houses that kill ourselves (in earthquakes). We build houses in flood zones that drown ourselves," said Roger Bilham, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado. "It's our fault for not anticipating these things. You know, this is the Earth doing its thing."
No one had to tell a mask-wearing Vera Savinova how bad it could get. She is a 52-year-old administrator in a dental clinic who in August took refuge from Moscow's record heat, smog and wildfires.
"I think it is the end of the world," she said. "Our planet warns us against what would happen if we don't care about nature."
Preliminary data show that 18 countries broke their records for the hottest day ever.
"The Earth strikes back in cahoots with bad human decision-making," said a weary Debarati Guha Sapir, director for the World Health Organization's Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. "It's almost as if the policies, the government policies and development policies, are helping the Earth strike back instead of protecting from it. We've created conditions where the slightest thing the Earth does is really going to have a disproportionate impact."
Here's a quick tour of an anything but normal 2010:
HOW DEADLY:
While the Haitian earthquake, Russian heat wave, and Pakistani flooding were the biggest killers, deadly quakes also struck Chile, Turkey, China and Indonesia in one of the most active seismic years in decades. Through mid-December there have been 20 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher, compared to the normal 16. This year is tied for the most big quakes since 1970, but it is not a record. Nor is it a significantly above average year for the number of strong earthquakes, U.S. earthquake officials say.
Flooding alone this year killed more than 6,300 people in 59 nations through September, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, 30 people died in the Nashville, Tenn., region in flooding. Inundated countries include China, Italy, India, Colombia and Chad. Super Typhoon Megi with winds of more than 200 mph devastated the Philippines and parts of China.
Through Nov. 30, nearly 260,000 people died in natural disasters in 2010, compared to 15,000 in 2009, according to Swiss Re. The World Health Organization, which hasn't updated its figures past Sept. 30, is just shy of 250,000. By comparison, deaths from terrorism from 1968 to 2009 were less than 115,000, according to reports by the U.S. State Department and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The last year in which natural disasters were this deadly was 1983 because of an Ethiopian drought and famine, according to WHO. Swiss Re calls it the deadliest since 1976.
The charity Oxfam says 21,000 of this year's disaster deaths are weather related.
HOW EXTREME:
After strong early year blizzards - nicknamed Snowmageddon - paralyzed the U.S. mid-Atlantic and record snowfalls hit Russia and China, the temperature turned to broil.
The year may go down as the hottest on record worldwide or at the very least in the top three, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The average global temperature through the end of October was 58.53 degrees, a shade over the previous record of 2005, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
Los Angeles had its hottest day in recorded history on Sept. 27: 113 degrees. In May, 129 set a record for Pakistan and may have been the hottest temperature recorded in an inhabited location.
In the U.S. Southeast, the year began with freezes in Florida that had cold-blooded iguanas becoming comatose and falling off trees. Then it became the hottest summer on record for the region. As the year ended, unusually cold weather was back in force.
Northern Australia had the wettest May-October on record, while the southwestern part of that country had its driest spell on record. And parts of the Amazon River basin struck by drought hit their lowest water levels in recorded history.
HOW COSTLY:
Disasters caused $222 billion in economic losses in 2010 - more than Hong Kong's economy - according to Swiss Re. That's more than usual, but not a record, Schraft said. That's because this year's disasters often struck poor areas without heavy insurance, such as Haiti.
Ghulam Ali's three-bedroom, one-story house in northwestern Pakistan collapsed during the floods. To rebuild, he had to borrow 50,000 rupees ($583) from friends and family. It's what many Pakistanis earn in half a year.
HOW WEIRD:
A volcano in Iceland paralyzed air traffic for days in Europe, disrupting travel for more than 7 million people. Other volcanoes in the Congo, Guatemala, Ecuador, the Philippines and Indonesia sent people scurrying for safety. New York City had a rare tornado.
A nearly 2-pound hailstone that was 8 inches in diameter fell in South Dakota in July to set a U.S. record. The storm that produced it was one of seven declared disasters for that state this year.
There was not much snow to start the Winter Olympics in a relatively balmy Vancouver, British Columbia, while the U.S. East Coast was snowbound.
In a 24-hour period in October, Indonesia got the trifecta of terra terror: a deadly magnitude 7.7 earthquake, a tsunami that killed more than 500 people and a volcano that caused more than 390,000 people to flee. That's after flooding, landslides and more quakes killed hundreds earlier in the year.
Even the extremes were extreme. This year started with a good sized El Nino weather oscillation that causes all sorts of extremes worldwide. Then later in the year, the world got the mirror image weather system with a strong La Nina, which causes a different set of extremes. Having a year with both a strong El Nino and La Nina is unusual.
And in the United States, FEMA declared a record number of major disasters, 79 as of Dec. 14. The average year has 34.
A list of day-by-day disasters in 2010 compiled by the AP runs 64 printed pages long.
"The extremes are changed in an extreme fashion," said Greg Holland, director of the earth system laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
And that's just the "natural disasters." It was also a year of man-made technological catastrophes. BP's busted oil well caused 172 million gallons to gush into the Gulf of Mexico. Mining disasters - men trapped deep in the Earth - caused dozens of deaths in tragic collapses in West Virginia, China and New Zealand. The fortunate miners in Chile who survived 69 days underground provided the feel good story of the year.
In both technological and natural disasters, there's a common theme of "pushing the envelope," Olson said.
Colorado's Bilham said the world's population is moving into riskier megacities on fault zones and flood-prone areas. He figures that 400 million to 500 million people in the world live in large cities prone to major earthquakes.
A Haitian disaster will happen again, Bilham said: "It could be Algiers. it could be Tehran. It could be any one of a dozen cities."
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 - the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
"The term '100-year event' really lost its meaning this year."
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say.
Even though many catastrophes have the ring of random chance, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and weird year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes.
Poor construction and development practices conspire to make earthquakes more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable buildings in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes, the river breaches, or the tropical cyclone hits, more people die.
Disasters from the Earth, such as earthquakes and volcanoes "are pretty much constant," said Andreas Schraft, vice president of catastrophic perils for the Geneva-based insurance giant Swiss Re. "All the change that's made is man-made."
The January earthquake that killed well more than 220,000 people in Haiti is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people - many of them living in poverty - and more poorly built shanties than it did 25 years ago. So had the same quake hit in 1985 instead of 2010, total deaths would have probably been in the 80,000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University.
In February, an earthquake that was more than 500 times stronger than the one that struck Haiti hit an area of Chile that was less populated, better constructed, and not as poor. Chile's bigger quake caused fewer than 1,000 deaths.
Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding.
In the summer, one weather system caused oppressive heat in Russia, while farther south it caused flooding in Pakistan that inundated 62,000 square miles, about the size of Wisconsin. That single heat-and-storm system killed almost 17,000 people, more people than all the worldwide airplane crashes in the past 15 years combined.
"It's a form of suicide, isn't it? We build houses that kill ourselves (in earthquakes). We build houses in flood zones that drown ourselves," said Roger Bilham, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado. "It's our fault for not anticipating these things. You know, this is the Earth doing its thing."
No one had to tell a mask-wearing Vera Savinova how bad it could get. She is a 52-year-old administrator in a dental clinic who in August took refuge from Moscow's record heat, smog and wildfires.
"I think it is the end of the world," she said. "Our planet warns us against what would happen if we don't care about nature."
Preliminary data show that 18 countries broke their records for the hottest day ever.
"The Earth strikes back in cahoots with bad human decision-making," said a weary Debarati Guha Sapir, director for the World Health Organization's Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. "It's almost as if the policies, the government policies and development policies, are helping the Earth strike back instead of protecting from it. We've created conditions where the slightest thing the Earth does is really going to have a disproportionate impact."
Here's a quick tour of an anything but normal 2010:
HOW DEADLY:
While the Haitian earthquake, Russian heat wave, and Pakistani flooding were the biggest killers, deadly quakes also struck Chile, Turkey, China and Indonesia in one of the most active seismic years in decades. Through mid-December there have been 20 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher, compared to the normal 16. This year is tied for the most big quakes since 1970, but it is not a record. Nor is it a significantly above average year for the number of strong earthquakes, U.S. earthquake officials say.
Flooding alone this year killed more than 6,300 people in 59 nations through September, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, 30 people died in the Nashville, Tenn., region in flooding. Inundated countries include China, Italy, India, Colombia and Chad. Super Typhoon Megi with winds of more than 200 mph devastated the Philippines and parts of China.
Through Nov. 30, nearly 260,000 people died in natural disasters in 2010, compared to 15,000 in 2009, according to Swiss Re. The World Health Organization, which hasn't updated its figures past Sept. 30, is just shy of 250,000. By comparison, deaths from terrorism from 1968 to 2009 were less than 115,000, according to reports by the U.S. State Department and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The last year in which natural disasters were this deadly was 1983 because of an Ethiopian drought and famine, according to WHO. Swiss Re calls it the deadliest since 1976.
The charity Oxfam says 21,000 of this year's disaster deaths are weather related.
HOW EXTREME:
After strong early year blizzards - nicknamed Snowmageddon - paralyzed the U.S. mid-Atlantic and record snowfalls hit Russia and China, the temperature turned to broil.
The year may go down as the hottest on record worldwide or at the very least in the top three, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The average global temperature through the end of October was 58.53 degrees, a shade over the previous record of 2005, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
Los Angeles had its hottest day in recorded history on Sept. 27: 113 degrees. In May, 129 set a record for Pakistan and may have been the hottest temperature recorded in an inhabited location.
In the U.S. Southeast, the year began with freezes in Florida that had cold-blooded iguanas becoming comatose and falling off trees. Then it became the hottest summer on record for the region. As the year ended, unusually cold weather was back in force.
Northern Australia had the wettest May-October on record, while the southwestern part of that country had its driest spell on record. And parts of the Amazon River basin struck by drought hit their lowest water levels in recorded history.
HOW COSTLY:
Disasters caused $222 billion in economic losses in 2010 - more than Hong Kong's economy - according to Swiss Re. That's more than usual, but not a record, Schraft said. That's because this year's disasters often struck poor areas without heavy insurance, such as Haiti.
Ghulam Ali's three-bedroom, one-story house in northwestern Pakistan collapsed during the floods. To rebuild, he had to borrow 50,000 rupees ($583) from friends and family. It's what many Pakistanis earn in half a year.
HOW WEIRD:
A volcano in Iceland paralyzed air traffic for days in Europe, disrupting travel for more than 7 million people. Other volcanoes in the Congo, Guatemala, Ecuador, the Philippines and Indonesia sent people scurrying for safety. New York City had a rare tornado.
A nearly 2-pound hailstone that was 8 inches in diameter fell in South Dakota in July to set a U.S. record. The storm that produced it was one of seven declared disasters for that state this year.
There was not much snow to start the Winter Olympics in a relatively balmy Vancouver, British Columbia, while the U.S. East Coast was snowbound.
In a 24-hour period in October, Indonesia got the trifecta of terra terror: a deadly magnitude 7.7 earthquake, a tsunami that killed more than 500 people and a volcano that caused more than 390,000 people to flee. That's after flooding, landslides and more quakes killed hundreds earlier in the year.
Even the extremes were extreme. This year started with a good sized El Nino weather oscillation that causes all sorts of extremes worldwide. Then later in the year, the world got the mirror image weather system with a strong La Nina, which causes a different set of extremes. Having a year with both a strong El Nino and La Nina is unusual.
And in the United States, FEMA declared a record number of major disasters, 79 as of Dec. 14. The average year has 34.
A list of day-by-day disasters in 2010 compiled by the AP runs 64 printed pages long.
"The extremes are changed in an extreme fashion," said Greg Holland, director of the earth system laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
And that's just the "natural disasters." It was also a year of man-made technological catastrophes. BP's busted oil well caused 172 million gallons to gush into the Gulf of Mexico. Mining disasters - men trapped deep in the Earth - caused dozens of deaths in tragic collapses in West Virginia, China and New Zealand. The fortunate miners in Chile who survived 69 days underground provided the feel good story of the year.
In both technological and natural disasters, there's a common theme of "pushing the envelope," Olson said.
Colorado's Bilham said the world's population is moving into riskier megacities on fault zones and flood-prone areas. He figures that 400 million to 500 million people in the world live in large cities prone to major earthquakes.
A Haitian disaster will happen again, Bilham said: "It could be Algiers. it could be Tehran. It could be any one of a dozen cities."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The greater purpose of God's blessings
Psalm 67
It is God's nature to bless. However, we need to understand that He has a greater purpose in mind than we may realize. His ultimate goal is far more encompassing than just to make us happy, peaceful, protected, and prosperous. In fact, it is never the Lord's intention for His blessings to end with us. Rather, He wants them to flow out to others as part of His plan for the whole earth.
As we can see in today's psalm, the Lord blesses us so that His salvation, His ways, and His justice may be known by every nation and every people group around the globe (vv. 3-4, 7). He is always acting with this larger picture in mind—even while working personally in our individual lives. Knowing this should fill us with an awesome yet humbling sense of significance. Every believer has a part in helping others know and understand the one true God. Each blessing He gives not only benefits us personally but is intended to help further
this cause. On the other hand, we may sometimes not receive the things we want because they don't contribute to His higher purpose. But if we are willing to fit our requests into God's greater plans, we will position ourselves to be greatly used by Him.
When the Lord blesses you, He's not only doing something for you; He's also doing something in and through you to affect others' lives. Don't let the pleasures and comforts of His blessings blind you to their intended purpose. Ask God how to use His kindnesses as a way to point people to Him.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.
Watch Online Videos of Dr. Charles Stanley and In Touch Ministries at LightSource.com
and
Listen to Dr. Charles Stanley Online Broadcasts at OnePlace.com.
Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.
It is God's nature to bless. However, we need to understand that He has a greater purpose in mind than we may realize. His ultimate goal is far more encompassing than just to make us happy, peaceful, protected, and prosperous. In fact, it is never the Lord's intention for His blessings to end with us. Rather, He wants them to flow out to others as part of His plan for the whole earth.
As we can see in today's psalm, the Lord blesses us so that His salvation, His ways, and His justice may be known by every nation and every people group around the globe (vv. 3-4, 7). He is always acting with this larger picture in mind—even while working personally in our individual lives. Knowing this should fill us with an awesome yet humbling sense of significance. Every believer has a part in helping others know and understand the one true God. Each blessing He gives not only benefits us personally but is intended to help further
this cause. On the other hand, we may sometimes not receive the things we want because they don't contribute to His higher purpose. But if we are willing to fit our requests into God's greater plans, we will position ourselves to be greatly used by Him.
When the Lord blesses you, He's not only doing something for you; He's also doing something in and through you to affect others' lives. Don't let the pleasures and comforts of His blessings blind you to their intended purpose. Ask God how to use His kindnesses as a way to point people to Him.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.
Watch Online Videos of Dr. Charles Stanley and In Touch Ministries at LightSource.com
and
Listen to Dr. Charles Stanley Online Broadcasts at OnePlace.com.
Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, GOD LOVES "YOU".
God Loves You!
The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
The problem is that . . .
2 All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.
The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The wages of sin is death.”
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,
3 God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.
4 If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:
"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."
Did you pray this prayer?
YES NO
The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
The problem is that . . .
2 All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.
The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The wages of sin is death.”
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,
3 God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.
4 If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:
"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."
Did you pray this prayer?
YES NO
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
If you knew this was the last year on earth.
What If This Were Your Last Year on Earth?
If you knew that 2011 were going to be your last year on earth, what would you do differently? Are there things you would do more of? Less of? Would there be things you’d stop altogether, or start doing? Are there things you would want to say to certain people? Relationships you would try to change?
When we view life as though we were standing at the end of it, instead of assuming we are somewhere in the middle, our perspective changes. Suddenly our faith becomes more important.
Billy Graham, in a recent interview, was asked what he would change if he had his life to do over again. He said, “I’d spend more time in meditation and prayer and just telling the Lord how much I love Him and adore Him and [am] looking forward to the time we’re going to spend together for eternity.”
In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul said, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.” Consider his words of victory as he approached the end of his life:
“I have fought the good fight.”
The Christian life is a fight—a life-or-death fight to the finish against our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The battle is spiritual. The weapons are spiritual. And the solution is also spiritual. We may get knocked down, but we will never be knocked out, if we depend on the Lord.
“I have finished the race.”
There are hurdles and obstacles, distractions and interferences, but we must run the race in order that we might win. This means we need to cast off the weight of sin, and discipline ourselves to remain focused on the prize.
“I have kept the faith.”
The word “kept” carries the meaning of guarding, like an armed soldier guards his post against enemy attacks. Our faith is not something we should take lightly, not something we can neglect or disregard. We must guard it and preserve it.
As Christians, we are fighters, runners, and soldiers. With that in mind, let me ask you again: if your life were to end in 2011, would you be able to say the same as Paul? Are winning the fight against Satan and sin? Have you kept your pace in the race of life, or have you slowed down? Are you guarding your faith in the way that you live?
When it’s all said and done, we have three things to offer God: our treasure, our talent, and our time—and whether you are someone who likes to make New Year’s resolutions or not, it should be your resolve to live this year as if it were your last…
…because it could be.
If you knew that 2011 were going to be your last year on earth, what would you do differently? Are there things you would do more of? Less of? Would there be things you’d stop altogether, or start doing? Are there things you would want to say to certain people? Relationships you would try to change?
When we view life as though we were standing at the end of it, instead of assuming we are somewhere in the middle, our perspective changes. Suddenly our faith becomes more important.
Billy Graham, in a recent interview, was asked what he would change if he had his life to do over again. He said, “I’d spend more time in meditation and prayer and just telling the Lord how much I love Him and adore Him and [am] looking forward to the time we’re going to spend together for eternity.”
In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul said, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.” Consider his words of victory as he approached the end of his life:
“I have fought the good fight.”
The Christian life is a fight—a life-or-death fight to the finish against our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The battle is spiritual. The weapons are spiritual. And the solution is also spiritual. We may get knocked down, but we will never be knocked out, if we depend on the Lord.
“I have finished the race.”
There are hurdles and obstacles, distractions and interferences, but we must run the race in order that we might win. This means we need to cast off the weight of sin, and discipline ourselves to remain focused on the prize.
“I have kept the faith.”
The word “kept” carries the meaning of guarding, like an armed soldier guards his post against enemy attacks. Our faith is not something we should take lightly, not something we can neglect or disregard. We must guard it and preserve it.
As Christians, we are fighters, runners, and soldiers. With that in mind, let me ask you again: if your life were to end in 2011, would you be able to say the same as Paul? Are winning the fight against Satan and sin? Have you kept your pace in the race of life, or have you slowed down? Are you guarding your faith in the way that you live?
When it’s all said and done, we have three things to offer God: our treasure, our talent, and our time—and whether you are someone who likes to make New Year’s resolutions or not, it should be your resolve to live this year as if it were your last…
…because it could be.
Strong Winds will blow
Broken Vessels
by Virtue for Women on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 2:00pm
A few nights ago, a howling wind blew through, kicking up a fuss in the dark. It beat against my house like a prowler looking for an open window. Safe inside, I curled up with a good book and sipped tea while the wind rattled trees and chased their falling leaves into every corner of my yard. Next morning, I found the damage. A favorite plant on my patio was laying there, pot broken, soil scattered, and roots exposed. I scooped it up in a bowl and watered the little clump of soil still clinging to the roots. It was all I could do at the moment. I hoped it would be enough.
This little plant has safely weathered stronger winds than the one that sent it tumbling. It sat on a table under the patio eave, close to the house, protected from full exposure to the elements. An unlikely spot for a mishap, I would say—but a gust of wind can do mischief anywhere.
Why am I telling you about my wind-tossed plant? Because it reminds me of loved ones I’m praying for…family and friends who have abandoned their faith for one reason or another and strayed back into the world. When I think about them, I hurt and I wonder how it could happen. I struggle for words they will hear and not reject. But mostly, I ask God to help me to keep praying and not lose hope for them. He never gives up.
We recently finished our study in James and his closing words are tinged with sorrow but filled with hope. “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (NIV).
How can we bring someone back who is unwilling to come? After you have done what you must do and said what you must say, then what? Pray and keep on praying. James says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power.” (James 5:16 NLT) I can’t change a person’s heart, but I know the One who can! God promises that when we ask anything according to His will, He hears and will answer (1 John 5:14–15). So don’t give up praying for that loved one. Scoop them up and water their exposed roots with fervent prayer. They may not be listening now, but God hears your prayers and He knows what is needed.
Broken vessels are the casualty of sin. The Lord reminded me of this as I swept pottery shards into a dustpan and thought about tossing the uprooted plant away too. The enemy breaks so that he can destroy—but our loving Father doesn’t forget His prodigals. He watches and waits for them to come to their senses and return home. And when they do, He will welcome them with open arms. Will you trust Him to restore what’s been broken? In the meantime, never stop praying.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. –Psalm 51:17
by Virtue for Women on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 2:00pm
A few nights ago, a howling wind blew through, kicking up a fuss in the dark. It beat against my house like a prowler looking for an open window. Safe inside, I curled up with a good book and sipped tea while the wind rattled trees and chased their falling leaves into every corner of my yard. Next morning, I found the damage. A favorite plant on my patio was laying there, pot broken, soil scattered, and roots exposed. I scooped it up in a bowl and watered the little clump of soil still clinging to the roots. It was all I could do at the moment. I hoped it would be enough.
This little plant has safely weathered stronger winds than the one that sent it tumbling. It sat on a table under the patio eave, close to the house, protected from full exposure to the elements. An unlikely spot for a mishap, I would say—but a gust of wind can do mischief anywhere.
Why am I telling you about my wind-tossed plant? Because it reminds me of loved ones I’m praying for…family and friends who have abandoned their faith for one reason or another and strayed back into the world. When I think about them, I hurt and I wonder how it could happen. I struggle for words they will hear and not reject. But mostly, I ask God to help me to keep praying and not lose hope for them. He never gives up.
We recently finished our study in James and his closing words are tinged with sorrow but filled with hope. “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (NIV).
How can we bring someone back who is unwilling to come? After you have done what you must do and said what you must say, then what? Pray and keep on praying. James says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power.” (James 5:16 NLT) I can’t change a person’s heart, but I know the One who can! God promises that when we ask anything according to His will, He hears and will answer (1 John 5:14–15). So don’t give up praying for that loved one. Scoop them up and water their exposed roots with fervent prayer. They may not be listening now, but God hears your prayers and He knows what is needed.
Broken vessels are the casualty of sin. The Lord reminded me of this as I swept pottery shards into a dustpan and thought about tossing the uprooted plant away too. The enemy breaks so that he can destroy—but our loving Father doesn’t forget His prodigals. He watches and waits for them to come to their senses and return home. And when they do, He will welcome them with open arms. Will you trust Him to restore what’s been broken? In the meantime, never stop praying.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. –Psalm 51:17
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Where is one of those restaurants where they cook in front of you?
Where is one of those restaurants where they cook infront of you?
I'm looking for those restaurants where they cook infront of you in Los Angeles
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Go to Benhi Hanas Japanese Restaurant. They have one in Beverly Hills or go on line. It is my favorite restaurant. You can order chicken, steak, shrimp, sea food, white sticky rice or fried rice, they have fried vegetables too. When ever I have a special occasion I always go here. The chefs do a lot of entertaining things too that will make you laugh. You can not beat this place. Lunch is very inexpensive I think they serve from 11:00 to 1:00 or 2:00.
You will love it.
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
I'm looking for those restaurants where they cook infront of you in Los Angeles
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Go to Benhi Hanas Japanese Restaurant. They have one in Beverly Hills or go on line. It is my favorite restaurant. You can order chicken, steak, shrimp, sea food, white sticky rice or fried rice, they have fried vegetables too. When ever I have a special occasion I always go here. The chefs do a lot of entertaining things too that will make you laugh. You can not beat this place. Lunch is very inexpensive I think they serve from 11:00 to 1:00 or 2:00.
You will love it.
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Resolved Question
Show me another »
Can I make some one forgets about their love?
they are broken up now and he is married. Can I make her forget him with my love, or no matter what I do she will always remember him coz he is the first love??
p.s she loves me, I'm sure of that. And I really really LOVE her but I hate it when she remember some details about him and her eyes tear!!!!!
* 1 week ago
* Report Abuse
Connie by Connie
Member since:
October 23, 2010
Total points:
325 (Level 2)
* Best answer 13%
* 63 answers
Member Since:
October 23, 2010
Total Points:
325 (Level 2)
Points earned this week:
11
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Every one has that first person they thought they were in love with, even at a young age. Evidently she really loves you or she would not have married you. She should not be talking about him any more. What you might want to do is tell her that you love her very much, you know that she cared deeply for him at one time, that you too had someone you really cared for but all that is the past. We now need to get on with our lives. With time it will be unimportant to her.
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Show me another »
Can I make some one forgets about their love?
they are broken up now and he is married. Can I make her forget him with my love, or no matter what I do she will always remember him coz he is the first love??
p.s she loves me, I'm sure of that. And I really really LOVE her but I hate it when she remember some details about him and her eyes tear!!!!!
* 1 week ago
* Report Abuse
Connie by Connie
Member since:
October 23, 2010
Total points:
325 (Level 2)
* Best answer 13%
* 63 answers
Member Since:
October 23, 2010
Total Points:
325 (Level 2)
Points earned this week:
11
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Every one has that first person they thought they were in love with, even at a young age. Evidently she really loves you or she would not have married you. She should not be talking about him any more. What you might want to do is tell her that you love her very much, you know that she cared deeply for him at one time, that you too had someone you really cared for but all that is the past. We now need to get on with our lives. With time it will be unimportant to her.
Connie
http://conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Friday, January 14, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Girls only, how would you feel?
Girls only, how would you feel?
My school will soon be selling roses that are accompanied with a fern and they are both wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. There is a girl I like and she knows it but I just am not so sure if she is interested because she seems to always be busy during break which is when I ask her to spend time with me. Anyways, the roses that my school will be selling are delivered in school and this is where I need a girl's opinion. I want to send this girl some roses but will she feel embarrassed when she receives the roses in class or maybe even angry because she might not be interested. I wanted a girl's opinion on this so I can see whether sending roses would be a good idea or not.
Additional Details
I always tell the girl that she doesn't have to spend break with me if she doesn't want to but she said that it is not that but that she has to see whether or not she is busy at break. She even asked me where I will be at break but I guess she ended up busy. I've asked her five times to break but she just cannot make it each time. I caught her one time during break and she told me that she had to go to some classroom and work on something but she said fast and was losing her breath so I told her while she was explaining to quickly go where she is needed so that she doesn't end up in trouble or late,etc.
2 months ago
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
I say, go ahead and send her the flowers. Don't write anything mushy on the note, make it very simple. Something like...."Just because of who you are", I thought you deserved this beautiful flower today because your so special. A girl doesn't get flowers very many times in her life so I think she would think it was quite thoughtful of you, but don't make it mushy or it will turn her off because she doesn't really know you that well.
Connie
Connie
Source(s):
My school will soon be selling roses that are accompanied with a fern and they are both wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. There is a girl I like and she knows it but I just am not so sure if she is interested because she seems to always be busy during break which is when I ask her to spend time with me. Anyways, the roses that my school will be selling are delivered in school and this is where I need a girl's opinion. I want to send this girl some roses but will she feel embarrassed when she receives the roses in class or maybe even angry because she might not be interested. I wanted a girl's opinion on this so I can see whether sending roses would be a good idea or not.
Additional Details
I always tell the girl that she doesn't have to spend break with me if she doesn't want to but she said that it is not that but that she has to see whether or not she is busy at break. She even asked me where I will be at break but I guess she ended up busy. I've asked her five times to break but she just cannot make it each time. I caught her one time during break and she told me that she had to go to some classroom and work on something but she said fast and was losing her breath so I told her while she was explaining to quickly go where she is needed so that she doesn't end up in trouble or late,etc.
2 months ago
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
I say, go ahead and send her the flowers. Don't write anything mushy on the note, make it very simple. Something like...."Just because of who you are", I thought you deserved this beautiful flower today because your so special. A girl doesn't get flowers very many times in her life so I think she would think it was quite thoughtful of you, but don't make it mushy or it will turn her off because she doesn't really know you that well.
Connie
Connie
Source(s):
He says he won't date untill junior year, should I still go for it?
He says he won't date untill junior year, should I still go for it?
I really like this guy. He hangs out in my group of friends so I tend to see him once or twice a week. I'm not sure how he feels about me, but he looks deep into my eyes when we are talking and tends to laugh at stuff I say. He swears he wont date until hes a junior (we're sophomores now), but I really like him. I want to ask him to our schools Sadie Hawkins dance, but I'm not sure if he'd take that the wrong way, like I'm trying to push him or something. The other night, i felt like he was ignoring me and he wasn't hanging our with our group that much. I kinda felt like something was bothering him. I was really upset over this. Should I go for it? or drop him? If I should go for it, any advice on how to? I've only had one bf before, so this is still kinda new to me. Thanks for the help!
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
If I'm not mistaken, Sadie Hawkins dances always allow the girl to ask the boy right? If that is still the way it is then sure, ask him. Just say it like this " You know, the Sadie Hawkins dance is on such a such date and I wanted to see if you would like to go to the dance with me? He will either say yes or no.
Don't chase boys though, they really don't like that. The fun for them is trying to get you to like them.
Good luck, let me know how you do.
Connie
Don't chase boys though, they really don't like that. The fun for them is trying to get you to like them.
Good luck, let me know how you do.
Connie
Source(s):
http;//conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Why can't I get him off my mind?
Why can't I get him off my mind?
First off, I'm a girl, the picture i put up is just for fun. When I was in middle school up until now, I've had a huge crush on a guy. We went on a few dates, I knew he liked me but he never asked me out. He would just stare at me and would almost kiss me but then he would blush and turn away. The thing is that since we graduated from high school I can't stop thinking about him. I've moved on but he has always been on my mind. Lately I've had lots of dreams about him and I just don't know why. Why do you think this is? Please be nice...thanks :D
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
It seems like something he did or the type of person he was really stood out in your mind, something as being very special. Why not call him up and just say, HI, I was thinking about you and wanted to see what you have been doing in your life. Then let's see where it might go from there. Good Luck.
Connie
Connie
Source(s):
Please anwer this is a serious Question
Please answer, serious question!?
im 11 and i like writing poetry, i wrote this one off the bat, rate it from 1-10 10 for good and 1 that i suck, remember im 11
no one knows,
what you dont show,
your tears at night,
and your fears in sight
the pressure of being beautiful
it makes you feel horrible
the days go by slower and slower
and still yet,
nobody knows,
no one knows,
what you dont show,
your tears at night,
and your fears in sight
the pressure of being beautiful
it makes you feel horrible
the days go by slower and slower
and still yet,
nobody knows,
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Hi,This is Connie. Well, I have to say, if you are really 11 years old and wrote this poetry it is absolutely great. It seems like you have a very good mind. Make up a pretty book and put all of your writings in it so you can have them as a keep sake or maybe later in life if you would like to publish them you could do so. I am not just saying this but I would give this an "11".
Keep on writing, your very talented.
Connie
Do you believe that true love is never lost?
Do you believe that true love is never lost?
I am a 20 y/o female. A man (20) and I were in a relationship for 1 year. his best friend then passed away and he lost himself in life, no longer knowing what he wanted for himself. He then broke off the relationship saying that he just couldnt handle a serious relationship now. A month another the break up we had been talking and he invited himself over. he told me he missed me, thought about me often, still loved me, and was starting to regret his decision.
His entire family lives in TX.
He then went to TX, )which is half way across the country) for Christmas with his family. While he was there, he decided to move back to TX to live with his parents and brothers b/c he missed them so much. While he was in TX for about 1 month, we only talked once, on my birthday.
I thought he had moved on, gotten over me, and really just wanted to be casual friends that talked every now and then. When he returned to pack up this apartment and move, he asked me over to get my stuff and for dinner. We were just friendly at first, and then i told him i missed him. He said he never knew he would miss me this much when we broke up... that he thinks of me daily... and is sad. He said that he was planning on not moving, coming back from Christmas break and asking me back. But he said he cant live without his family right now, that he misses them too much.
We spent 2 days with each other packing, going out.... and reconnecting. We both agreed that if felt like we were back together as a couple (but without any sex) and that we both felt whole when we were with each other. He said he still loves me, that moving away is bitter sweet. He cried and said he didnt want anyone else to have me.... and that IF we are not meant to be that he will be jealous of the man who is meant for me b/c he is the luckiest man in the world. He said he may move back in a year, but he honestly doesnt know what will happen.
we are in love, and have so much respect and trust for each other. I feel like i have already met my husband and it is only a matter of time before the time is right for us to be together again. I know we both have individual growth to undergo.... and i want to complete that for myself....
He left for TX this morning.
Do you believe that true love is never lost? That some things are just "meant to be"???
His entire family lives in TX.
He then went to TX, )which is half way across the country) for Christmas with his family. While he was there, he decided to move back to TX to live with his parents and brothers b/c he missed them so much. While he was in TX for about 1 month, we only talked once, on my birthday.
I thought he had moved on, gotten over me, and really just wanted to be casual friends that talked every now and then. When he returned to pack up this apartment and move, he asked me over to get my stuff and for dinner. We were just friendly at first, and then i told him i missed him. He said he never knew he would miss me this much when we broke up... that he thinks of me daily... and is sad. He said that he was planning on not moving, coming back from Christmas break and asking me back. But he said he cant live without his family right now, that he misses them too much.
We spent 2 days with each other packing, going out.... and reconnecting. We both agreed that if felt like we were back together as a couple (but without any sex) and that we both felt whole when we were with each other. He said he still loves me, that moving away is bitter sweet. He cried and said he didnt want anyone else to have me.... and that IF we are not meant to be that he will be jealous of the man who is meant for me b/c he is the luckiest man in the world. He said he may move back in a year, but he honestly doesnt know what will happen.
we are in love, and have so much respect and trust for each other. I feel like i have already met my husband and it is only a matter of time before the time is right for us to be together again. I know we both have individual growth to undergo.... and i want to complete that for myself....
He left for TX this morning.
Do you believe that true love is never lost? That some things are just "meant to be"???
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Well it sounds like you have "something special". The very best part of your letter was when you stated you were together doing things but without any sex. That statement says a whole lot about the both of you. What I think you should do is pray about it. Let him go, don't chase him. He is at that age where he is turning into a man. If he starts calling you or comes back to you. I think you will have a GREAT MARRIAGE. You sound like a very nice girl with a level head on her shoulders. I will keep you in my prayers too.
Connie
http:conniescolumn.blogspot.com
Connie
http:conniescolumn.blogspot.com
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