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Christian marriage Q & A from a minister, writer and successful marriage partner of nearly 25 years!
------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: While I am a pastor, I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or degreed counselor. Please understand this (I will remind you often). What I *am* is a wife of nearly 25 years who has made many observations, both humorous and grave, enlightening and frustrating, and who has come to many conclusions about marriage. The purpose of this column will be to share the Biblical insight God has given on this remarkable union between woman and man, and to share the minuscule traces of wisdom that I've acquired from doing marriage wrong, and doing it right!
Q: I'm not married yet, but when I do marry, I want it to last forever. What can I do to ensure I don't end up in divorce court like so many of my friends?
Read Marriage By the Book... Priority One! And then be sure that you give your marriage priority in your life. If you're serious about building a successful marriage, it takes work... a LOT of work. That old adage that "marriage is a 50/50 proposition" is a lot of hogwash (what IS hogwash, anyway?). At any rate, it just isn't true. Marriage takes 100% from BOTH partners to succeed. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently!
There may be times when one partner is able -- or required -- to give more than the other. But at other times those roles will be reversed. We carry each other sometimes. That's one of the reasons we're together. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up..." This applies to marriage as well. It's a partnership that involves teamwork and devotion.
Put Christ first in your life and your spouse second, and you'll do a lot toward ensuring you never end up in divorce.
(All scripture references taken from the NIV.)
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Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Successful Promotion Using Flyers
Thinking of using flyers to promote your business? Good thinking! Flyers are a GREAT marketing idea that cost little and give lots of exposure.
Some simple tips to make your promotion successful:
• Make sure your design is clean and uncluttered.
• Proofread!
• Add a simple photo or graphic... not mandatory, but adds visual interest.
• Copy on colored paper, if you like, but opt for pastels rather than brights - they're easier to read.
Once you've designed and printed your flyers, leave them EVERYWHERE!
• Under doors
• On counters at neighborhood stores
• Stapled or taped to utility poles (if your city or county allows this!)
• On community bulletin boards
• At schools and colleges
• Enlist your kids to go door-to-door
• Swap distribution with others who have flyers, too - you hand out theirs and they hand out yours
• On car windshields
• ANYWHERE else you can think of!
Flyers are a proven, low-cost marketing method that truly works to get your business name known in your community. Make the most of them and watch your business grow!
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Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Some simple tips to make your promotion successful:
• Make sure your design is clean and uncluttered.
• Proofread!
• Add a simple photo or graphic... not mandatory, but adds visual interest.
• Copy on colored paper, if you like, but opt for pastels rather than brights - they're easier to read.
Once you've designed and printed your flyers, leave them EVERYWHERE!
• Under doors
• On counters at neighborhood stores
• Stapled or taped to utility poles (if your city or county allows this!)
• On community bulletin boards
• At schools and colleges
• Enlist your kids to go door-to-door
• Swap distribution with others who have flyers, too - you hand out theirs and they hand out yours
• On car windshields
• ANYWHERE else you can think of!
Flyers are a proven, low-cost marketing method that truly works to get your business name known in your community. Make the most of them and watch your business grow!
-----
Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Thursday, February 21, 2008
What Should We Pray?
Prayer is an important aspect of our Christian faith. That's probably why there are hundreds - or thousands! - of books and articles on the subject of prayer. Many of them address the issue of HOW to pray without covering WHAT to pray... what to say when you pray.
As a pastor, it's sad to say that my own prayers bore me at times. My lack of imagination causes me to pray the same things over and over...
"Lord... meet their needs. Draw them to you. Forgive them. Open their eyes. Heal them. Touch them."
While the desire is to see God work - and that's a good thing - there are times when I yearn for more creative, original thoughts when praying.
Here are three things that I've "borrowed" from others whose prayers have touched my heart and reached into my soul. Perhaps they'll help you as much as they've helped me.
• Pray the Scriptures.
There are many beautiful passages in the Scriptures that truly draw our hearts toward God. The Psalms, being poetry and songs, especially seem to invite us to let the words become our own.
Psalm 100 has always been a favorite of mine, perhaps because it was one of the few I memorized as a child. But Psalm 51, Psalm 37 and Psalm 24 have also meant a lot to me in times of need and I have prayed them often.
When looking for other passages, the books of Isaiah, Joshua and John come to mind as offering a number of sample prayers. Then there's the well-known "Prayer of Jabez" (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) and of course, Psalm 23 and the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-12) which are classics.
• Pray a song.
There are many wonderful hymns that are actually prayers. Select your favorites and sing or recite them to the Lord. But don't neglect newer numbers. Many contemporary songs offer amazing, creative approaches for communing with God.
Bob Carlisle, best known for his hit, "Butterfly Kisses," has recorded several songs that I've personally used as prayers many times. His songs "Use Me" and "Chance I Have to Take" from his debut album had more to do with me accepting God's call to full-time ministry than anything else in my life at the time. The lyrics of these two songs became, literally, the cries of my heart. And God heard those cries and called me to full-time service for Him.
Be careful what you pray for.
• Read the prayers of others.
Books of Christian poetry often contain prayers. Or you can visit some wonderful Websites with prayers and poems to help you creatively draw near the Father.
While I'm not a member of the Roman Catholic church, I thoroughly enjoy the idea of praying the Apostles' Creed as many Catholics do. Then there is always the "Serenity Prayer." You can also search Google or Yahoo for websites with "sample prayers" for many other options.
There are many other options for praying, including memorized prayers, silent meditations and simple conversations with God. While prayer doesn't have to contain flowery phrases or uniquely imaginative words, it does help us to put some thought into our prayers so they don't become simply "sounding brass" or "clanging cymbals" in the ears of our Lord.
Article copyright © by Darlene Bishop. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
As a pastor, it's sad to say that my own prayers bore me at times. My lack of imagination causes me to pray the same things over and over...
"Lord... meet their needs. Draw them to you. Forgive them. Open their eyes. Heal them. Touch them."
While the desire is to see God work - and that's a good thing - there are times when I yearn for more creative, original thoughts when praying.
Here are three things that I've "borrowed" from others whose prayers have touched my heart and reached into my soul. Perhaps they'll help you as much as they've helped me.
• Pray the Scriptures.
There are many beautiful passages in the Scriptures that truly draw our hearts toward God. The Psalms, being poetry and songs, especially seem to invite us to let the words become our own.
Psalm 100 has always been a favorite of mine, perhaps because it was one of the few I memorized as a child. But Psalm 51, Psalm 37 and Psalm 24 have also meant a lot to me in times of need and I have prayed them often.
When looking for other passages, the books of Isaiah, Joshua and John come to mind as offering a number of sample prayers. Then there's the well-known "Prayer of Jabez" (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) and of course, Psalm 23 and the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-12) which are classics.
• Pray a song.
There are many wonderful hymns that are actually prayers. Select your favorites and sing or recite them to the Lord. But don't neglect newer numbers. Many contemporary songs offer amazing, creative approaches for communing with God.
Bob Carlisle, best known for his hit, "Butterfly Kisses," has recorded several songs that I've personally used as prayers many times. His songs "Use Me" and "Chance I Have to Take" from his debut album had more to do with me accepting God's call to full-time ministry than anything else in my life at the time. The lyrics of these two songs became, literally, the cries of my heart. And God heard those cries and called me to full-time service for Him.
Be careful what you pray for.
• Read the prayers of others.
Books of Christian poetry often contain prayers. Or you can visit some wonderful Websites with prayers and poems to help you creatively draw near the Father.
While I'm not a member of the Roman Catholic church, I thoroughly enjoy the idea of praying the Apostles' Creed as many Catholics do. Then there is always the "Serenity Prayer." You can also search Google or Yahoo for websites with "sample prayers" for many other options.
There are many other options for praying, including memorized prayers, silent meditations and simple conversations with God. While prayer doesn't have to contain flowery phrases or uniquely imaginative words, it does help us to put some thought into our prayers so they don't become simply "sounding brass" or "clanging cymbals" in the ears of our Lord.
Article copyright © by Darlene Bishop. All rights reserved worldwide.
-----
Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Marriage By the Book... Priority One
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Christian marriage Q & A from a minister, writer and successful marriage partner of nearly 25 years!
------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: While I am a pastor, I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or degreed counselor. Please understand this (I will remind you often). What I *am* is a wife of nearly 25 years who has made many observations, both humorous and grave, enlightening and frustrating, and who has come to many conclusions about marriage. The purpose of this column will be to share the Biblical insight God has given on this remarkable union between woman and man, and to share the minuscule traces of wisdom that I've acquired from doing marriage wrong, and doing it right!
As I share information on this topic from time to time, I hope you'll take the time to share your comments, ideas and questions, as well as your own insights about marriage. You may agree or disagree, think I'm right on target or absolutely insane -- I'd like to hear it all. (But please be nice... God isn't finished with me yet, and tears might ruin my keyboard!)
Q: What's the most important piece of advice you can offer a newly married couple?
A: Though it sounds like a bridal shower game, my first thought is the importance of communication. You MUST be able to communicate with your spouse! Men being the creatures (from another planet?) that they are, this is much more difficult for them than for women.
But then there is trust... who can have a marriage without trust? And honesty, which goes hand-in-hand with trust. And compatibility... an almost forgotten aspect of marriage. And what about kindness, and forgiveness, and self-sacrifice? All of these are important to a healthy marriage. But the *most important* aspect of a successful marriage? I'd say that the marriage be centered around Christ.
Psalms 127:1 says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." This applies to the home, as well. Without Christ as our foundation, it's too easy to find fault with each other, to seek our own wants and selfish desires, and to forget that we have united to "become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Build your marriage on a strong foundation with Jesus as the cornerstone and it can't fail!
-----
Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Christian marriage Q & A from a minister, writer and successful marriage partner of nearly 25 years!
------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: While I am a pastor, I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or degreed counselor. Please understand this (I will remind you often). What I *am* is a wife of nearly 25 years who has made many observations, both humorous and grave, enlightening and frustrating, and who has come to many conclusions about marriage. The purpose of this column will be to share the Biblical insight God has given on this remarkable union between woman and man, and to share the minuscule traces of wisdom that I've acquired from doing marriage wrong, and doing it right!
As I share information on this topic from time to time, I hope you'll take the time to share your comments, ideas and questions, as well as your own insights about marriage. You may agree or disagree, think I'm right on target or absolutely insane -- I'd like to hear it all. (But please be nice... God isn't finished with me yet, and tears might ruin my keyboard!)
Q: What's the most important piece of advice you can offer a newly married couple?
A: Though it sounds like a bridal shower game, my first thought is the importance of communication. You MUST be able to communicate with your spouse! Men being the creatures (from another planet?) that they are, this is much more difficult for them than for women.
But then there is trust... who can have a marriage without trust? And honesty, which goes hand-in-hand with trust. And compatibility... an almost forgotten aspect of marriage. And what about kindness, and forgiveness, and self-sacrifice? All of these are important to a healthy marriage. But the *most important* aspect of a successful marriage? I'd say that the marriage be centered around Christ.
Psalms 127:1 says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." This applies to the home, as well. Without Christ as our foundation, it's too easy to find fault with each other, to seek our own wants and selfish desires, and to forget that we have united to "become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Build your marriage on a strong foundation with Jesus as the cornerstone and it can't fail!
-----
Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Ways to Get Articles Without Writing Them
Need original website content? Fresh articles for your ezines? Bylined writing that you can submit to other publishers? Don't we all! And while you may think the only way to acquire quality content you can use is to write it yourself, there are several other ways to produce articles without having to write them.
Using a ghostwriter is one way, using private label rights articles you have bought is another option and doing an expert interview is yet a third way to generate quality articles for your ezine or website.
Summarizing another article is yet another way to provide content for readers. Give the original author credit within the body of your article and quote the article, or several articles, to create something new and unique.
This is a can't lose situation for everyone. You don't need to actually write an article, the writer who wrote the original article gets free publicity, and the reader gets fresh information they want or need. Everybody wins.
Using public domain articles related to your subject is one more option. Permission from the author to use their work isn't necessary, but letting your reader know where the content originated will keep their trust. Don't try to pass the words off as your own.
Use survey results from a self-conducted survey as an article. This means you'll have to write a little, but compiling the results and turning it into a fast article is easy and is not very time-consuming. You can create surveys through Survey Monkey at http://www.surveymonkey.com.
Use government provided information. Articles written by United States Government authors are automatically in the public domain. The government is a prolific writer on a wide variety of topics. Visit any United States Government website and you will be greatly surprised with the amount of information that is free for the taking.
As you can see, providing quality articles without writing a single word, or with just a bit of writing is possible. The information and means is there. Use them to your profit and success.
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Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Using a ghostwriter is one way, using private label rights articles you have bought is another option and doing an expert interview is yet a third way to generate quality articles for your ezine or website.
Summarizing another article is yet another way to provide content for readers. Give the original author credit within the body of your article and quote the article, or several articles, to create something new and unique.
This is a can't lose situation for everyone. You don't need to actually write an article, the writer who wrote the original article gets free publicity, and the reader gets fresh information they want or need. Everybody wins.
Using public domain articles related to your subject is one more option. Permission from the author to use their work isn't necessary, but letting your reader know where the content originated will keep their trust. Don't try to pass the words off as your own.
Use survey results from a self-conducted survey as an article. This means you'll have to write a little, but compiling the results and turning it into a fast article is easy and is not very time-consuming. You can create surveys through Survey Monkey at http://www.surveymonkey.com.
Use government provided information. Articles written by United States Government authors are automatically in the public domain. The government is a prolific writer on a wide variety of topics. Visit any United States Government website and you will be greatly surprised with the amount of information that is free for the taking.
As you can see, providing quality articles without writing a single word, or with just a bit of writing is possible. The information and means is there. Use them to your profit and success.
-----
Darlene "Dee" Bishop is a writer and creative designer with decades on online experience and the owner of Bishop's Corner, an online/catalog shop offering hundreds of quality gifts, home decor items, toys, housewares, furniture and more with nearly 1,000 products under $20. Visit her today at http://BishopsTN.com
Business Articles for Reprint
I've been working so hard lately to build my World of Products business online to help supplement our income. As such, you'll find a variety of articles on Christian Daily that - while not specifically Christian - offer tips to help Christians, and non-Christians alike, build their own businesses and supplement their own incomes. I'd love your feedback and comments... and as long as you include my resource box with each article, feel free to reprint the articles on your own site or in your newsletter.
Have a topic you'd like to see covered? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Have a topic you'd like to see covered? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Coping with Clutter
A friend asked me how I cope with clutter in my life... thought my response to her might be helpful to you as well.
I've been dealing with the issue of clutter and organization since moving to Crossville, TN (from Knoxville, TN). We moved from a three bedroom home to a two bedroom and it has been HARD! But I've developed a few things that work for me:
* Find a place (even if it's just a box in the closet) for EVERYTHING. If you can't find a real place for an item, you need to ask yourself if you really need that thing.
* Put everything back in its place IMMEDIATELY after use, or at the very least before you go to bed. We don't have kids in the home now, but this was a rule when we did. They had to put away the toy they were playing with BEFORE getting another one out. Yeah, a few hassles to implement - but once it's done it makes life SO much easier.
And I quit fussing at hubby to pick up after himself and just started doing it myself. You pick your fights and that one wasn't worth the fight to me. :o)
* Get rid of EVERYTHING you don't need. As I've been unpacking and putting things away, I've re-considered every thing we own. If I feel we don't need it, I've put it in a yard sale box. I'm having a HUGE sale this spring and what doesn't sell is going to a thrift store somewhere. We don't need all this stuff and I can't stand the clutter any longer.
* Quit buying what you don't need. This has been hard for me. I love yard sales, thrift stores, etc. and I LOVE a bargain. But even if I like something, I grill myself as to whether or not I really need it, or have a place for it, or can afford it. If the answer is no to any of those questions, I don't buy it. This has been my biggest challenge, but I'm getting better at it. Just takes practice.
* Remember the adage... out of sight, out of mind? Well, for me, that applies to clutter. When I want to really clear things out, I get a big box, or a laundry basket, and dump everything in it... junk mail I want to look over, coupons I should use, catalogs, you name it. If I find myself looking for something, I check the box and pull out what I need. If I don't use it/look at it for a couple weeks or more, I go through the box one more time, then trash it. If it's important to me, I'll be looking for it right away.
These are some "top of my head" ideas, but they're things I do and things that work. Hope some of them help. Clutter is EXTREMELY stressful to me... I hate it! And I understand the need to deal with it to keep your sanity.
I've been dealing with the issue of clutter and organization since moving to Crossville, TN (from Knoxville, TN). We moved from a three bedroom home to a two bedroom and it has been HARD! But I've developed a few things that work for me:
* Find a place (even if it's just a box in the closet) for EVERYTHING. If you can't find a real place for an item, you need to ask yourself if you really need that thing.
* Put everything back in its place IMMEDIATELY after use, or at the very least before you go to bed. We don't have kids in the home now, but this was a rule when we did. They had to put away the toy they were playing with BEFORE getting another one out. Yeah, a few hassles to implement - but once it's done it makes life SO much easier.
And I quit fussing at hubby to pick up after himself and just started doing it myself. You pick your fights and that one wasn't worth the fight to me. :o)
* Get rid of EVERYTHING you don't need. As I've been unpacking and putting things away, I've re-considered every thing we own. If I feel we don't need it, I've put it in a yard sale box. I'm having a HUGE sale this spring and what doesn't sell is going to a thrift store somewhere. We don't need all this stuff and I can't stand the clutter any longer.
* Quit buying what you don't need. This has been hard for me. I love yard sales, thrift stores, etc. and I LOVE a bargain. But even if I like something, I grill myself as to whether or not I really need it, or have a place for it, or can afford it. If the answer is no to any of those questions, I don't buy it. This has been my biggest challenge, but I'm getting better at it. Just takes practice.
* Remember the adage... out of sight, out of mind? Well, for me, that applies to clutter. When I want to really clear things out, I get a big box, or a laundry basket, and dump everything in it... junk mail I want to look over, coupons I should use, catalogs, you name it. If I find myself looking for something, I check the box and pull out what I need. If I don't use it/look at it for a couple weeks or more, I go through the box one more time, then trash it. If it's important to me, I'll be looking for it right away.
These are some "top of my head" ideas, but they're things I do and things that work. Hope some of them help. Clutter is EXTREMELY stressful to me... I hate it! And I understand the need to deal with it to keep your sanity.
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