 Some people do not grasp the meaning of true happiness. Others wonder if there is happiness in this world. When you look around, you see a lot of misery and sorrow. People frequently undervalue happiness due to erroneous beliefs about it. Some people believe that happiness leads to sloth and selfishness, yet this is not the case. I feel empowered when my heart is full of delight. The joy motivates me to perform all my duties without feeling tired. It takes me less time to complete my tasks. I get inspired to write. The joy that makes a person happy acts as a motivational pusher or adrenaline, which energizes them to sing, run, say kind words to others, perform their usual duties, exercise, etc. Research confirms that happiness improves productivity. For example, Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, indicates seven principles of positive psychology. According to those principles, when people are happy their productivity increases. In her book, Positivity, Professor Barbara Fredrickson states that when people are happy or positive, they come up with better ideas and are more creative (Coursera). WHAT IS HAPPINESS? Every human being has a different understanding or prerequisite for happiness. It all depends on the person’s personality, needs, wants, or desires. That which makes one person happy might not be a source of happiness for another person. Happiness is defined in different ways for different people: power, wealth, material things, social status, control, leisure, hobbies, family, fame, attention, constant praise, admiration, etc. In my understanding happiness is true joy that makes you smile, fills your heart with love and hope, gives you an inner strength, empowers and motivates you. At times, this joy makes one laugh, say funny things, smile, praise and thank the Lord, express gratitude, and be more compassionate towards others. The reasons behind that joy are elements that make one happy. Those could be family, good people in your life, hobbies, activities such as volunteering, loving relationships--the list is too long to set down here. Happiness is serenity, peace of mind, abundance, love, etc. Living a meaningful life makes one happy as well. Life itself is a journey, with a destination that most try to get to. Most people pursue happiness or success. Yet Viktor Frankl, in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, said, “Don’t aim at success--the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to other than oneself. “ One should prioritize happiness without persuading it, while making happiness-enhancing decisions and living a meaningful and fulfilling life. Yet, some only care about reaching their destination/goals. They get so tied up with attaining those goals that they are not fully appreciating or savoring the experiences. They don’t pause to enjoy the fruits of their efforts. Some give more time to their career or business than to loved ones; at times marriages end because of this. They don’t take time for leisure. When illness comes or old age finds them, they regret the missed opportunities or not living life meaningfully and to the fullest. According to Professor Czikszentmihalyi, people are happiest when they are engaged in “meaningful flow experiences.” (Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience/Coursera) These flow moments are characterized by certain features, such as distorted perception of time, lack of self-consciousness, and undivided focus on the present time or activity. For example, when I work on my book, I feel relaxed. Yet, my mind is fully focused on the plot of my book. It seems as if time passes so fast. If during that time someone asks me a question, I will not hear what they say because I am deeply immersed into typing my story. These flow experiences enhance the level of happiness because they make our lives more interesting and fulfilling. The state of flow happens when people become immersed in challenging activities, which stretch them to the limit and make them able to meet those challenges. It is said that compassion can make one happy. Every human being has a need for love as well as a need to give. When those needs are met, we feel good. When people can bring something positive into society, they feel competent, useful, and capable. When I show kindness towards others, I feel joyful; for example, for some time I had been volunteering at a retirement home. Seeing the residents’ joy because of my presence and kindness towards them made my day brighter. I knew that I was doing something meaningful and good. Michael Norton of Harvard University organized an experiment where money was given to some students. They were asked to either spend it on themselves or others. Those who spent it on themselves on that day didn’t feel happy, but those who spent it on others did. (The Harvard Gazette) Kylie Hamlin, Lara Acknin, and Liz Dunn, in an experiment with children rather than adults, also confirmed that givers are happier. OBSTACLES TO HAPPINESS As was mentioned before, people devalue happiness. They sacrifice their happiness for something else. For example, a stubborn person will pursue an argument for the sake of being right. This will cause problems in the relationship. At times you just must let go. You don’t need to always be right in an argument. Anyway, you are not going a trophy for being right!! Keep peace in your relationships!!! At other times people will choose a higher-paying and stressful job over a job that they enjoy the most. Some might buy something for its monetary value instead of buying what they really like. Another element that affects a person’s happiness is the desire or pursuit of superiority for the sake of being powerful, wealthy, and/or famous. To my mind, this is a misguided notion. Do you think famous people have a peaceful life? They are always being bothered by others. They have no privacy. At times their safety is jeopardized. It is not unusual for people who are feeling lonely and depressed to become avoidant. They avoid social interaction and become lonelier. This leads to psychological problems such as deepening of the depressed state, insomnia, obesity, etc. Avoidant people lose connections with their friends, which is not good. They keep their issues to themselves instead of trying to get emotional support or comfort. To combat this, the best cure is to surround themselves with understanding and supportive friends. This is sometimes a very difficult thing to do, but it is highly recommended. Gratitude for the help of these friends should be expressed strongly. They must also practice self-compassion by being kind and compassionate to themselves. Neediness affects the level of happiness as well, as opposed to healthy relationships that make one happy. Needy people put themselves in wrong situations. In some cases, they weaken themselves by building relationships with another person who does not really care about them, such as narcissists. They get attached quickly and yearn for love and attention. They might become psychologically damaged if those needs are not met. Learn to love yourself, but not in a selfish way. You don’t need to be in a relationship to feel happy or loved. Take care of yourself emotionally and physically. Get involved in activities that make your day brighter. Parents, nurture your children with love and keep them safe. Don’t forget to encourage them and give deserved praise and affection. Hug them and spend time with them. This way they will not become needy, and will have the self-esteem that will prevent them from running to the wrong people for affection. Another obstacle to happiness is being over-controlling. This approach/mentality is moved by a desire to control situations, outcomes, and people--and when things do not go their way, they get angry, depressed, or feel miserable. This affects their health, relationship with people, and the quality of their decisions. This type of people doesn’t accept views or input from others. Avoid being over-controlling. You are not God. Therefore, you cannot control all outcomes. Go with the flow and let go of this poisonous mentality. Learn to trust, and give people the ability to express their own views and ideas. Let it go before it affects your life and relationships, both at home and in the workplace. No one wants to be controlled. . Professor John Helliwell studied happiness levels in other countries. He concluded that the more people agreed that others can be trusted, the happier they were. Therefore, there is a correlation between happiness and trust level. Trust is an important tool in building healthy relationships. However, at times people who trust a lot get hurt or used by others. According to Helliwell, we should trust others in a way that maximizes our benefits. At the same time, people should minimize the chance to get hurt. (https://brandgenetics.com/Coursera). One must take personal responsibility for one’s own happiness. This will lead to development of internal control, removing the need for external control. Internal and external control are compensatory forces. It means that when someone has internal control, the desire for external control diminishes. However, when people don’t feel good internally, they seek external control that negatively affects their level of happiness. Those who believe in God have a strong internal control, because their faith that God will help gives them hope and something to look forward to. As you wake up every day, thank God for everything and PRAISE HIM. Expressing gratitude will improve your mood. Try to practice mindfulness by being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and senses without judging them, instead of thinking about the past or future. There are many benefits to practicing mindfulness. It decreases stress, enhances the ability to deal with illnesses, and decreases depression symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue. It helps in the struggle to stay focused, and reduces high blood pressure. Mindfulness enhances creativity, and improves emotional intelligence, heart health, and the health of the immune system. Here is one way find joy in life: every night before you go to sleep, write down two or more things that made your day better or gave you joy. If there is nothing good to recall, then write down three things that upset you and if something positive came out of it. For example, you might feel upset because it rained, and you couldn't meet your friends. Yet because of the rain, something positive happened. You were able to stay at home, relax, or do something that you couldn't do before. Maybe your house got cleaner!!!! People are frustrated right now because of the Covid pandemic. Quarantine, death, restrictions, poverty, and job loss are taking a toll on everyone. However, even in this situation there is something positive. For example, those who had never taken time to get involved in personal activities are now spending more time with their children and their partnerships. Some have found time to read, remodel the house, etc. Others (like me) have taken up gardening. We have learned to appreciate what had been lost and have started doing things differently. That is a positive thing. Therefore, always look for positiveness even in difficult moments, instead of feeling sorry for yourself or being depressed. You will find a reason to smile. Most importantly, practice humility--and be humble and kind towards others. Emiliya Ahmadova Author of Broken Chains , A Hell For All Seasons, My Twin Sister And Me and Caribbean Tears. https://www.amazon.com/Emiliya-Ahmadova/e/B01N3BIZLE?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_18&qid=1625913479&sr=1-18 Book list https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-classic-Holocaust-ebook/dp/B00EKOC0HI/ref https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/money-spent-on-others-can-buy-happiness/ https://www.verywellmind.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-biography-2795517 https://brandgenetics.com/speed-summary-world-happiness-report-2021/ Changing Attitude and Attaining God’s Grace Humans are constantly chased after something. Yet, when they reach their destination or satisfy their desires, at times at the expense of others, they don’t find complete happiness or peace of mind. Sometimes the feelings of emptiness and dissatisfaction stick to them. Destructive self-pride grows, turning into arrogance and selfishness. Some constantly burn with hunger for more. They are never delighted with anything; neither do they express gratitude. ‘Give me more’ is their motto!
Some have forgotten the important fact that nothing in this world is everlasting. There is habitually an end, especially when death arrives, almost always uninvited. With it, all material gains and success are left behind. These things do not contribute anything positive towards the soul’s ultimate destination. Neither buys you a ticket to Paradise! That is, unless some are employed for the purpose of helping the poor, sick, and hurt. The road to Paradise is extremely narrow and rugged. According to the Christian faith, one must follow God’s commandments, practice humility, take communion, confess their sins, and show true repentance or remorse to enter Paradise. You should have pure thoughts, pure hearts and deeds, and love God and His people. Love must be demonstrated with actions or deeds, not empty words or promises. Forgiveness is one of the traits that we must exhibit. If we cannot forgive, how can we expect God to forgive us? Forgiving does not mean allowing someone to hurt you! It means letting go of anger and bitterness. You give the person a chance to improve. If she or he is unable to change, you leave them behind without hate. You can even pray for their salvation. Once you forgive, you will obtain inner peace and be able to move forward instead of focusing on something negative and feeling miserable. It is therefore not easy to pass through the gates of Hell. Especially when satanic forces lure humans and deceive them. Satan is a big liar! He identifies the weaknesses of humans and employs them against us. However, humans cannot blame Satan for their wickedness or mistakes. God created mankind with brains that can think and reason. He, in addition, gave us free will. If someone uses their gifted free will to kill, rape, abuse, lie, deceive, steal, lust, gossip, envy, or molest children, he is responsible for his choices. One day such people will face the consequences of their sins! Right now, we live in a world consumed with evil. So many humans are suffering. We hear on the news about missing children or trafficked women. Cases of rape and domestic violence, as well as crime, increase. Hunger and poverty, as well as illnesses, claim many lives around the world. Some blame their governments for increased crime, etc. Government alone cannot change the situation in their countries. These must start from your own family and yourself. First, ask yourself the following questions. What role does God carry out in your life? What kind of example are you demonstrating to your children? How do you bring up your children? Are you an abusive spouse, a drunkard, a cheater, or a cruel parent? Do you cuss around your children? Do you show disrespect and hate towards others? Do you make racial remarks? What thoughts and desires are lurking in your mind? What comes out of your mouth? Is it something kind or positive? Maybe your mind is filled with lust or dirty or even hateful thoughts? If you exhibit any of these, what do you think you pass on to your children and spread into society? Children become what you place into them. Childhood experiences are critically important for a child’s healthy character and personality development. Control your thoughts and desires. Focus on God and inner change, and you will alter the outcome of your actions. Fill yourself with pure and cheerful thoughts. Remain a better version of yourself. The government cannot do this for you. While others suffer, some keep getting wealthier and more powerful. In some instances, as wealth grows, the condition of the soul becomes adverser. Greed and sinful desires or thoughts corrupt the soul. At times, when humans achieve their goals, they cannot indeed enjoy them fully. Why? Some of them may be coping with illness. It is possible they are constantly brooded about things. Perhaps their marriages break up or their children cause trouble with their rebellious behaviour. They cannot find peace. And why? How can one have peace of mind where, instead of God’s grace, there is constant frustration? How can someone gain grace by forsaking God behind and choosing sin over good? Look at what is happening presently around the world! We are coping with the effects of COVID. Those effects are fear, anger, frustration, depression, isolation, joblessness, death, etc. DID YOU KNOW THAT, EVEN DURING DIFFICULT TIMES, ONE CAN FEEL HAPPY AND AT PEACE? When God blesses someone with His grace, even during tribulations, this person is filled with joy. Even frustrations do not bother him anymore. This grace is more precious than anything else in this world. Yet, I have started thanking God for the hands that can still iron. One must receive it by building a genuine relationship with God. In addition, one should devote his time to prayer and better his or her inner self. The most significant thing is to practice humility and see your own sinful nature instead of judging others. Without humility, one cannot enter paradise. Let me give you an example. I never used to like ironing. So often it used to frustrate me. Yet, I have started thanking God for the hands that can still iron. I even thanked Him for the mop for the first time. Yet I am not, therefore, I find gratitude in the smallest things. After all, I could be ill in bed, unable to walk. Yet I am not, therefore, I find gratitude in the slightest things. While thanking God, my heart started filling with sheer joy. As I started singing ‘Alleluia,’ praising the Lord, I stopped getting frustrated or worried. Along with it, my heart filled with more love towards others. I just felt like hugging everyone. This does not mean all my dreams have come true. However, God’s grace made me understand that even during difficult situations we can find joy. As I get up early in the morning, I sing ‘Alleluia,’ filled with easiness and joy. Now I comprehend why the venerable fathers in our past still felt delighted and at peace while living in poverty, taking cruelties from others. They had God’s grace, and that was enough for them. All of us should focus on gaining God’s grace by following His path. Yes, it is not easy, but it can be achieved. Instead of feeling frustrated and worried, start thanking God for everything. Change your attitude to gratitude. You are still alive. I am certain you have things in your life that you should be grateful for. Keep praising the Lord and singing ‘Alleluia’ as much as you can. With your mind focused on God and a positive attitude, you will experience inner changes. You will find comfort and peace in God. We need Him. He is our hope and salvation. When you are filled with God’s grace, it also changes the people around you or maybe their behavior towards you. They will feel your positive vibes and love towards them. To make this world a better place to live in, changes should start from your heart and mind that will cause you to care for others. However, true change comes through repentance!“Changing Attitude and Attaining God’s Grace!” by Emiliya Ahmadova | News | Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE (theorthodoxchurch.info) LIFE IS A GIFT FROM GOD THAT SHOULDN’T BE WASTED Life is a gift bestowed by God to us. Most people invest many years of their lives living in the past. For some, their days are filled with anxiety, anger or chasing after relationships that don’t last. Others eagerly trying to prove something to someone or impress. So the days become wasted as we grow older and the lost time cannot ever be returned. The page turns over as we move forward at times feeling sad, empty, content, happy, joyful or grief. Perhaps others are concealing the pain behind the smile or weeping while no one is nearby.
“Changing Attitude and Attaining God’s Grace!” by Emiliya Ahmadova What should be done? Instead of worrying or arguing, one must let go of what is not good for him or her. Open your heart for someone who would become your most beloved friend and companion. Conceivably you must invest more time with those you love while they are still around. Perhaps you should show some kindness and love towards others. Get involved in the activities that make you smile. Spread your joy to others while loving yourself in an effective way! Maybe some old wounds must be healed. The healing will come with forgiveness and letting go of the pain. A heart filled with love makes you smile, but at times cry. However, loneliness imparts to you the feeling of emptiness and brings tears to your eyes. Burdens that humans carry seem to be like a heavy load. At times humans barely carry that load falling many times. Yet, making one step at a time they become stronger and keep walking till the end. A few just give up forgetting life given by God shouldn’t be cut short. One must learn to carry his cross till the end. He should live his life meaningfully or find little joy and hope even during dark times. Hope is like a guiding light in our lives that comes with faith in God. He helps up to rise when we fall. As long as there are hope, faith and love, humans will keep moving forward with God being a guiding light in their lives. He is like the sun that spreads its rays around the world blighting up the earth. Without this LIGHT we will be lost in complete darkness. Yet, when the last sparkle of hope disappears people give up. At times they turn away from God sinking in the deep dark hole. Turn to God with your heartfelt prayer and sincere repentance. Have faith and your prayers will be answered one day. Who knows maybe when you least expect something good will find its way into your life. Something will make you smile again and warm up your heart. After all, life is full of surprises, and God is gracious. “Life Is a Gift from God that Shouldn’t be Wasted” by Emiliya Ahmadova | News | Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE (theorthodoxchurch.info) PUBLISHING BOOKS WITH INGRAMSPARK AND KDP.When publishing books it is good to have your own ISBN. You can use the same ISBN to publish your books on other platforms. In some instances, you might have to fill out a form to transfer a title from one distribution platform to the next.
For example, you can publish the same book with both platforms such as KDP and IngramSpark. First, you should publish your book with KDP using your own ISBN and then with IngramSpark. While publishing with IngramSpark you will get a message that your ISBN is already in use. You will be given a form to transfer your title from Amazon to IngramSpark. Fill it out and submit it to IngramSpark. For no reason unpublish your books from KDP. You will lose your reviews. The only thing you must do with KDP is to remove your books from other distribution channels for transfer to happen. Do this as soon as a form submitted to IngramSpark. Once it happens you still will have your books on KDP and IngramSpark at the same time. So your income will come from both channels. ISBN can be bought from Bowker. It is cheaper to buy 10 at a time than one. I must warn the cost of printing books with IngramSpark cost more but they distribute books to many channels and print hardcover books as well. Bookstores prefer buying books from them. Customer service is good but the royalties statement can be confusing. You have to pay a small amount to set up an account and publish your books. After that, you will pay 25 US if you decide to republish an edited book. If you plan to publish a hardcover book strictly use their book cover template that would be built according to information provided by you. If you do not follow the template's requirements, your book will not be accepted. Never accept book returns when publishing your books. Those returns will eat up your money. https://www.myidentifiers.com THE UNUSUAL JOURNEY OF AN AUTHOR TO ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITYAuthor E. A.- OCP News Service – 13/01/19 I am a writer, and through my works, I try my best to cultivate hope among people (things can change for the better). However, these changes come with certain conditions. One must have a strong faith and hope in God, and as well as in the belief of a good outcome. If you have an unquestioning faith that God will help you, even in the worst situation, you will not feel frustrated or hopeless. You will have a strong determination to move forward. When you follow God’s way, He will bless you with Thy Grace. My granny used to tell me that my gift of writing came from Jesus. Why? Because of a dream that she had. When my mom was pregnant with me, my granny had a dream. She dreamed that my mom was ill in bed. Jesus, holding papyrus and a quill came up to my mother and touched her head. It wasn’t until after that dream that my granny found out about my mother’s pregnancy. Therefore, I try to use my gift of writing to bring positive changes in people’s lives, as well as to entertain them with stories that everyone can relate to themselves. My stories guide, teach, sometimes inspire, and show how to deal with various issues. They also show that with God in your life, everything is possible. Today, I would like to tell you the story of my journey to Orthodox Christianity I was born into a modern Azerbaijani family in Baku and was raised in the Islamic faith. However, my great-granny, Semenikova Mariya Fedorovna (b. 1918) was an Orthodox Christian Russian woman. Her father and uncle were Orthodox priests (who were forced to flee Russia and moved to France). Their fate remains a mystery to me. Mariya moved from Russia to Azerbaijan and got married to a Muslim man and gave birth to my granny as well as other children. Even though my granny (Mariya’s daughter) was a Muslim, she always used to tell me stories from the Bible and encouraged me to read the Holy Book. She used to say that the Bible is full of wisdom. Surprisingly she believed that Jesus is the Son of God. At my home, we always had the Bible and the Quran, as well as a book on Orthodox Christian faith. I have to admit that, as I grew up, I did not give attention to that book. As a child, I believed that Jesus was our savior, and I promised to build a Church for Him. I even defended Him when my Muslim friends used to say that he was only a prophet. In 2012, while lying in bed sick, burning with fever and in a lot of pain, I felt saddened to be away from my mom, my people, my country. At the same time, I realized that I wanted to get baptized in the Eastern Orthodox Church because I believed that we can only be saved through Jesus Christ. I wanted to go to my country to get baptized, but could not get a ticket. When I realized that I would not be able to get an airline ticket, I asked God to open up my way so that I could go home and get baptized. Not long after, I got my airline ticket. When I arrived in my homeland, I told my mother about my plans to get baptized and spoke to a Matushka to arrange a date for my baptism. My mother was not happy with my decision. She told me that if I betrayed my Muslim religion, my life would get worse; in their eyes, it is a huge sin. I got worried, and the night before my baptism I prayed to God. I told Him, “Lord do You really want me to get baptized? Is it coming from You? Please give me a sign.” Shortly afterward I fell asleep (for a few minutes). During that time, I dreamed that I was lying on the floor in the same bedroom. My hands were crossed over my chest. A blue shiny circular light approached me. In my dream, I knew that the light was from God, and it was approaching me in order to baptize me. Then I recalled my mother’s warning that if I get baptized my life would change for the worse. I got scared because of her words. However, the light surrounded me and I woke up right away. I felt so overjoyed and happy because I knew God had given me a sign. The only thing that puzzled me was why the color of the light had been blue. I looked up on the internet and found out that It spiritually signifies the Healing Power of God. The next morning, I went to Church and got baptized in the freezing water. Because of the cold water, I got sick again and had to stay in bed for a few days. However, I was happy and at peace because I became an Orthodox Christian. We had the book on Orthodox way of living and the Bible at my home (for more than 8 years). I took them with me. theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/the-unusual-journey-of-an-author-to-orthodox-christianity/?fbclid=IwAR2tnAbWDzmLxJ8-qnXLAlwF3feyzEPpFcew-gxFWRAq46DkZANWE96SRV4  Author Emiliya.A – OCP News Service – 22/1/19
Some people have a wrong notion on Salvation. They think that if they believe that Jesus is the savior, it will save them and they would enter paradise. Demons believe that Jesus is the savior but they still cannot find salvation because of their evil ways and broken relationship with God. The doors to paradise are locked for them. Because they have chosen evil over good and sin over the righteous way. They disrespected God’s laws and His will. The acceptance alone of Jesus as a savior is not enough. I don’t like religious discussions. They tend to cause unnecessary arguments and might spread heresy. Anyway, I had a discussion in one of the non-orthodox prayer groups because I felt that a few people tend to have wrong ideas. Below is my answer to a person who thinks that one faith in Jesus and accepting Him as the savior is a ticket to paradise. Many believe that Jesus is the savior and still they burn in Hell. Why? because they lived a sinful life?! It is because they failed to change or repent. If one believes in Jesus and do not follow God’s commandments, neither do charity in His name, they will never enter paradise unless they seek forgiveness, repent, confess and try to stay away from sinful ways. Unreported and unconfessed sins will also push one to hell. As you see the road to paradise is narrow. The lives of Orthodox Christian saints were not a bed of roses. Many suffered a lot. However, in every righteous action, prayers, love for others, kindness and much more have pleased the Lord. Why? Because they loved Jesus Christ, tried to gain holy spirit and paradise. They knew that sin destroys and would lead to Hell. Therefore, one must live a life according to God’s expectations. If you just state that you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, but ignore His commandments and Will, then you are mocking Him and only fooling yourself. theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/is-your-belief-in-jesus-christ-a-ticket-to-the-paradise/?fbclid=IwAR0GhIXPrB31aDgJmIb1TWqWAV6c63JKcGfJnM6B2x6NOfEY9hP2VdKggSE  The answer is big NO! Last time when I spoke about suicide someone got upset because one of her relatives committed suicide. Yes, it hurts to know that your loved one was not able to enter Paradise. However, will not it be cruel of me to know the consequences of suicide and keep it to myself? Why should not I educate others so they can choose the right path instead of making a huge mistake that would bring great suffering? My goal is not to upset anyone but to warn and help. There are many people who struggle and face trials. Some of them unable to handle depression or other issues have ended taking own life.. They thought that suicide will take them away from the pain, or give some relief. However, they were wrong. Suicide is never a solution to the problem. It is a FREE ticket to HELL! Satan's desire is to see all of us in Hell burning and suffering for eternity. He with his demonic forces work hard to push us into the path of sin in order to welcome us in Hell. Therefore, evil forces that surround us want humans to take their own lives., so they can take away every chance that humans have to be saved. Taking own life is a huge and unforgiven sin. It leads one straight to Hell. Therefore, it causes more and eternal pain. It is not a way of getting out of your earthly problems or suffering. Can we ease up the plight of those who took own life? Maybe a little bit, only by giving charity to the poor and constantly praying for their souls. For those who think about this avenue of solving own problems, please find a better solution to your problems. Face your trials and treat your depression, surround yourself with supportive people, have faith and hope and keep praying. Do not give up! Do not condemn your soul into Hell. It is better to suffer for a short while on the earth than to burn in Hell For Eternity! Just be patient and carry your cross as Jesus did for us. However, keep trying to change your situation. I am sure things will work out for you. Sometimes it takes years of trying and praying for someone to see the fruits of hard work. Therefore, do not feel discouraged if your prayers were not answered right away. Keep praying and trying and you will succeed one day!  Many people struggle to achieve their dreams or to find a better life. Failures diminish their faith in their own abilities or possibilities of everything.At other times they are asked to give up on what seems to others as unachievable dreams and move on. Therefore, some do not get a chance to grow or to achieve their self-potential. However, the achievements and success of many, have proven that: if someone puts a lot of effort and tries harder, success is possible, even after the failures. They can move to a better life and even achieve what seemed for them to be impossible dreams! For example, Jon Mack, a beautiful actress and singer as well as a music producer, has been able to live out her dreams, utilizes her talents, and achieves self-potential. Do you wonder why? Because she had set goals, dreams and used her talents, which she has used towards best purposes. Not only to save animals but also to offer joy with her songs. She worked hard to get to where she is now. Along with singing and producing, she has performed roles in the following movies: Playing for Keeps (Connie), Mind Blown (Gertie McAffie), Stormageddon (Agent Smith), Blunt Force Trauma (Reggie), Spiders 3d (Doctor Stella), The Perfect Boyfriend (Marcie), Playing For Keeps (Connie), A Christmas Wedding Date (wedding singer), Stalked at 17 (Elizabeth), Dinocroc vs. Supergator (FBI Agent), Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (Ava Gardner). Her performance as Ava Gardner was her first appearance in movie industry. According to IMBD, Jon Mack is a staunch supporter of foundations that try to raise awareness of animal poaching and trophy hunting. I was fortunate enough to meet this talented actress and singer, and she was kind enough to let me interview her for the Non Profitable Portal #echaritygr I work for as a representative abroad.  Emiliya Ahmadova: What attracted you to a career as an actress and a singer? Jon Mack: I started acting in theater productions my mother directed when I was just 5. Music was always a passion for me since I can remember. Emiliya Ahmadova: What has been your greatest accomplishment in the music and movie industries? Jon Mack: Seeing my career grow over the years and feeling that I’m learning more with each experience. With music, it was teaching myself a lot about the recording and production process which led me to my independence as an artist.  Emiliya Ahmadova: What kind of roles have you performed throughout your career? Are you satisfied with these? Jon Mack: They’ve always been varied, which I like. I’ve played light and dark characters and always want to keep growing and exploring. I don’t think any artist is ever fully satisfied since that what drives art forward. Emiliya Ahmadova: Of all the roles you have played, which one is your favorite? Jon Mack: I don’t have any favorite at the moment but I have a few that I am quite fond of and those are usually the ones where I get to exist outside the box and take risks. Emiliya Ahmadova: Did you have to change yourself in order to be accepted into the entertainment business? Jon Mack: No. The only thing I had to develop was a thicker skin and resilience in the face of adversity. I don’t know if that’s changing or more likely growing. Emiliya Ahmadova: Who is your favorite actor and actress, and why? Jon Mack: I have many that I admire and they run the gamut from Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren to Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman and Christian Bale as well as those who are no longer with us likePhilip Seymour Hoffman and Health Ledger. There are so many talented actors that I still look forward to working with out there. It’s very inspiring to work with this caliber of talent because it raises the bar for everyone. Emiliya Ahmadova: What are you working on now? Jon Mack: I have some things in the works at the moment that I can’t talk about yet but will able to soon. What I can talk about is an episode that I’m finishing with my musical ego “Auradrone” that will be coming out in September 2018. Emiliya Ahmadova: When you face setbacks, how does that emotionally affect you and your work? Jon Mack: I think it emotionally affects every human when they encounter a setback but this is what makes us who we are and makes the successes that much sweeter. It’s not always easy but I try to keep my eye on the bigger picture at all times and that definitely helps. Emiliya Ahmadova: You are a founder and president of an organization that defends endangered species. Can you give us some more specific information? Jon Mack: I founded Defending the Endangered in 2015 as an effort to gather artists and use our talent to educate and join the fight against poaching and trophy hunting. We have been building and gathering momentum since and had our first event last year in Los Angeles. We are currently planning our next event very soon. More details are available at : www.defendingtheendangered.com  Emiliya Ahmadova: What pushed you into this activity?
Jon Mack: My lifelong passion for animals and all wildlife. I grew up on a farm and that probably had a lot to do with it. I’ve always been absolutely in love with animals and trying to help them since they truly are the voiceless and innocent. Emiliya Ahmadova: Have you been involved in other charitable activities? What was your part in it/them? Jon Mack: I have worked with a few animals charities over the years including my role as a celebrity ambassador for the Heaven on Earth which is an amazing group of people who rescue and rehabilitate homeless and abandoned cats from the highest kill shelters and streets of LA. They basically take the most hopeless of cases and give them a home no matter what. I was involved with them for many years before I started DTE. Emiliya Ahmadova: Did you ever have difficulty with any characters that you played? What was the role, and why was it challenging? Jon Mack: No, not really difficult. All roles should be challenging but I’ve never had trouble with them. Emiliya Ahmadova: Your talent as well as achievements inspire many. What would be your advice to the victims of abuse–or any struggling soul? Jon Mack: I think to anyone who is struggling right now…Please never ever give up on yourself. This is the key that has given me the strength to survive the mad world of Hollywood and world at large. We’ve all had our battles and life is a series of battles but what matters is your belief in YOU. No one can give that to you and no one can take that away. This is the force that will move mountains in your life even when all things look dark. We must know that there is an inner spark in us that can indeed surpass these obstacles.  Why do authors put endless efforts into creating a piece of art derived from imagination, knowledge, or experiences? Let’s try to find out.Some write to make money. This helps them to pay bills, to have a roof over their heads, and to support their families. Others choose this path because of their love of creating something new, something that can captivate a reader’s attention. There are still others who have a different agenda – a need to educate the population, warn, inspire, and/or lead readers in the right direction. I have met a few authors whose fictional books cover the reality of what is going on in our lives and in this chaotic world. It is a known fact that the Devil exists, as Hell does. There is an ongoing battle in this world – a battle between good and evil. Demonic forces constantly try to destroy our relationship with God and to take away any chance that we might have to enter paradise. If you look around, what do you see? Conflict/Wars:
Along with conflicts/wars, we are witnessing cases of domestic abuse, drug addiction, violence, increased crime rates, lost lives due to crime, and depression or illness. Marriages fall apart. Some walk this earth feeling lonely and dejected, either filled with hate or low self-esteem. Are these elements caused by choices, mistakes, wrong desires, the thirst for power, mind illness, or greed? Or is there something else that causes destructive events? Chaos in this world is caused not only by humans’ own will and actions, but also by evil forces that indirectly push mankind into a life of sin by planting the desires of greed, power, and lust. They feed our emotions with anger and jealousy, and push us into a depressed state of mind. K.R. Morrison tries to show the real side of evil, as well as its battle for the human soul, in her book, Be Not Afraid. K.R. has lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. Be Not Afraid is the first book in her four-part series, Pride’s Downfall. Be Not Afraid is the marvelous story of Lydia’s struggle with dark forces. A woman whose life is peaceful suddenly faces dark forces that put her in great pain and trouble. Her entire family becomes the prey of a cunning and evil vampire—one that represents the devil himself. She has two choices—either to accept defeat or fight for the future of humanity against the dark forces that are after every human soul. The way the author depicted the classification and the love of Jesus makes one emotional. In her marvelous masterpiece, she shows us how a cunning demon enters someone’s life possessed by one goal—to destroy. This is what Satan does best—he takes every step to hunt a soul down and take God’s grace from it. Only faith in God and constant prayer stand in his way. In order to find out what pushed K.R. Morrison to write Be Not Afraid, I decided to ask her a few questions. Emiliya Ahmadova: When did it dawn upon you that you wanted to be a writer? K.R. Morrison: I don’t believe I ever “wanted” to be a writer. This tangent in my life was pretty much pushed on me by circumstances that it seemed I had no control over. Emiliya Ahmadova: Is it true that the topic of Be Not Be Afraid was inspired by your dream? K.R. Morrison: I can’t say that it was a “dream” as much as it was a nightmare. Emiliya Ahmadova: Can you please tell us what it was about? K.R. Morrison: It was very short, but I could sense everything about it. I was being bitten by a vampire—even now the memory makes me cringe—and I could feel my veins collapsing and my heart speeding up, then gradually slowing. That’s when I woke up. Once I realized it had been a nightmare, I sort of fell back to sleep and dreamed another scene that’s in the book. It didn’t stop there. Instead of becoming a mere memory, the dream(s) kept going through my head, and every time the story got longer and more detailed. This went on without ceasing for about three weeks. At this point, it took about an hour to go through the entire thing. Then it would start over again, all the time I was awake. Once I finally wrote it all down (in about two weeks’ time), the dream left my head. Emiliya Ahmadova: What was your purpose of writing Be Not be Afraid? K.R. Morrison: At the time, it was merely to try to get it out of my head. But as I wrote, it seemed to me that there was a message I was supposed to convey. And when saints and angels, and God Himself, came into the picture, I knew this was much more than the alleviation of a pesky nightmare.  Emiliya Ahmadova: What was your hardest scene to write? K.R. Morrison: Anything in which the vampire actually did his dirty work. Scares me to even read those scenes—I can hardly believe I wrote them. But I did—with one hand over my eyes!! Emiliya Ahmadova: Why did you choose a vampire as your main evil character? K.R. Morrison: This character was not of my doing—as noted above, that was the main culprit in the nightmare. Emiliya Ahmadova: What is the most important thing about your book in your opinion? K.R. Morrison: It shows the love between people and faith that never gives up. Emiliya Ahmadova: Does Be Not afraid carry a message? K.R. Morrison: It is this: God loves all of His creation, humans especially, and will never turn aside from anyone who seeks Him—no matter what religion or belief. Emiliya Ahmadova: In what format your book can be bought and where? K.R. Morrison: Good question—let me go look those up…Best place, I guess, would be Amazon.This is my author page. Emiliya Ahmadova: Have you written any other books? K.R. Morrison: There is a prequel to this one, called UnHoly Trinity. My third and fourth books in the series have not been published yet. www.amazon.com/Unholy-Trinity-Prides-Downfall-Book-ebook/dp/B01BIGXDC6/ref  Emiliya Ahmadova: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
K.R. Morrison: This one took a month or so of feverish writing. Thank heavens my family left me alone so I could get it done. The other two (which was one, but then was split because it was too large) took a year or so. My fourth took a couple of years due to having to work full-time. Emiliya Ahmadova: How long on average does it take you to write a book? K.R. Morrison: This one took a month or so of feverish writing. Thank heavens my family left me alone so I could get it done. The other two (which was one, but then was split because it was too large) took a year or so. My fourth took a couple of years due to having to work full-time. This book is packed with wisdom that gives not only spiritual knowledge but also shows how our thoughts affect our life. If you would like to become closer to God as well as change your life or outlook to your surroundings read this book.
Here are my own thoughts after reading this great book. In order to achieve a peace the humans must change their behavioral patterns as well as inner thoughts. Thoughts generate the circumstances and wrongful desires that many try to change or avoid. A positive mind strives for a peaceful way of finding a solution. God plays an important role in his life. An envious, greedy and angry soul always strives for more power or revenge. He is guided by negative thoughts, wrong desires that do not allow him to find an inner peace. He would not stop until his desires are satisfied. Therefore, guided by his own thoughts and sinful desires he leads himself and others into the destruction. The finale result is many lives are destroyed, children and women are raped, endless wars, hunger and people killed. These kind people would achieve their goals but might face a Hell at the end of their journey.Therefore, a peace must start within yourself. Once your mind generates thoughts of love, kindness and your heart is free of anger and can forgive, you would find your peace. Another step is to stop misjudging others or making wrong conclusions because you do not know anything about them neither lived their lives. But only making fool of yourself and destroying your soul by false accusations. Consequently, once you build relationship with God and change your ways those around you would be positively affected by the good energies that you would give out. Strive for God's grace and His love. www.amazon.com/Our-Thoughts-Determine-Lives-Teachings/dp/1887904190 I have indeed enjoyed reading this book. It is full of wisdom and first-hand experiences that can help anyone. Therefore, I would recommend this book to every struggling soul or anyone who turned away from God or keeps searching for the meaning of his existence.
The author's experiences with demonic forces as well as God’s grace and love give the readers valuable lessons. He clearly explains how the dark forces trap the innocent souls and drag them in the world of darkness and emptiness away from God. The author has also introduced us to the saint elder Paisios- a man from whom we must learn how to love unconditionally and achieve God's grace. After reading this book I was pushed to write the following: You pray to statues representing many Gods and offer sacrifices to them as well as keeping animal as something sacred. How can you enter paradise if you are constantly fooled by Satan and worshiping him? There is only One God that you must worship but you have forsaken Him. Animals are his creation. A cow cannot be worshiped or treated like God. Fool is searching for answers or a meaning of the life in wrong places and keep jumping from one religion to next. He feels as if something is missing. He turns to yoga, meditation, witchcraft, astrology, hypnosis or fortune tellers looking for solution. However, the answers that he finds come from Satan. With the wrong choices, his soul becomes a prisoner of demonic forces. Slowly he starts experiencing strange occurrences unaware that they come from dark side that settled deep down in his soul. He has built a bond with evil forces! Is it late for him? Who can save him now? It is time to free yourself from the demonic forces. Confess, repent, pray and worship to true God. He is loving God who will forgive and take you back even though you are worthless of His forgiveness. www.amazon.com/Gurus-Young-Man-Elder-Paisios-ebook/dp/B00AFFFCDK Along with writing my books I am also trying to guide people or prevent them from mistakes.
When people come to me with their problems I listen and advise.This advice was given to one of the females and might be useful for all of you . Praying means we pray from heart and we have a strong faith.We believe and we are patient. Also we get up and make every step to change our lives or get out from negative situations. But not day dreaming and blaming God for our own choices, mistakes or laziness. We try every avenue and keep having a faith and hope. At the same time learning from old mistakes and not repeating them. You are now vulnerable and feel lonely. In this condition you would attract any jerk that might pretend to be nice just to trap you. Now you should not really worry about getting a man but making sure that your child is fine and you are healed. If you meet another jerk now you might blame God again for your own choice.However ,it would be your fault, not His. Nothing wrong with wanting someone to love you. But if you cannot love yourself what kind love would you attract? Your life is now like a jigsaw puzzle. Many pieces are missing. Put them together become full. Learn to fly like a bird and free yourself of your past and hurts. First learn to love and respect yourself, find a peace, forgiveness and inner healing. Make sure that you and your child are fine. When you fit all pieces of jigsaw puzzle together you would attract a good man. The last advice stick to God but not to anger or bitterness and blaming games. There are those who fail to comprehend the true meaning not only behind freedom, but also behind independence. However, neither concept does justice to the experience of victims of abuse--for instance, the factors fueling the victims' respective decision-making process, together with their emotions when a controlling partner steals this freedom and independence from them. Defying logic, some even argue that a bully is justified to be angered by a partner as the reason that such a spouse becomes the victim. Absolutely rubbish! Such misconceptions are not surprising since those who remain ignorant do not believe in God's grace. Moreover, they lack a wealth of life experiences and the wisdom to appreciate the negative experiences of others. Instead, they persist in passing judgment by conveying faulty advice based on their own fanatic religious beliefs as well as distorted and extreme views. According to Maslow's hierarchy, people have five important needs: self-actualization, esteem, a sense of belonging and love, safety and security, and psychological factors. Self-actualization allows one to achieve a potential. Esteem gives one a sense of accomplishment and respect. A sense of belonging and love revolve around giving love and feeling loved, since one desires to participate in a meaningful activity or in an organized group. Safety is just that: the need for security. Psychological needs include food, water, rest, and warmth. In conclusion, all of these needs are significant and key to human life. The goal of entering into any relationship involves having one's needs met, along with satisfying a spouse's needs. In fact, the primary purpose of marriage remains to spend the rest of one's life together with a loved one. Indeed, both parties ought to give and not just take, supporting one another both in good times and in times of illness, the very essence of the oath of marriage. Moreover, each relationship must be founded on respect, love, and understanding. Partners ought to learn to respect the needs of the other one, not only refraining from exerting control and thereby limiting the other person's life, but also demonstrating a willingness to make sacrifices. However, in any relationship when one half of the partnership becomes abusive, the hierarchy of needs is shattered at the expense of the victim. Under such circumstances, the dominant and abusive spouse has a singular goal in satisfying his or her needs exclusively. Thus, the victim’s existence is entirely caged, with the needs for love, respect, inclusiveness, and self-actualization remaining unaddressed. The focus is completely governed by the bully’s needs for absolute control and manipulation, with the victim treated with utter disrespect, feeling unloved and at times not even permitted to study or work. With such a confined structure, the needs for belonging and for self-actualization lapse into disrepair and disregard. In other circumstances, the weaker and submissive partner is compelled to feel as if he or she is completely worthless, with a mere existence absolutely controlled financially through the imposition of strict limits. Often, the abuser depicts the victim as useless like junk thrown into the trash. It should be of no surprise that most victims yearn for freedom and independence according to the following principles: • Leading one’s daily life by doing what one pleases, not what is expected • Pursuing one’s goals without fear of angry reprisal from the abusive partner • The satisfaction and ability to be oneself • Planning activities that nurture emotional development If we define a partnership in terms of traditional marriage, indeed sharing life together with mutual love and patience are mandatory. Nonetheless, each spouse must focus on sacrifices without making these in a forced fashion but only by the person’s choice alone. However, it is always the case that nothing in this world can justify a bully’s misconduct because God has not brought two human beings together merely for one to make the other’s life miserable, let alone engage in unremitting and ceaseless disrespect and vulgarity. In this way, if one spouse makes the conscious choice to remain abusive, the other should not be blamed for his or her actions. After all, God gave us the notion of will such that if one half of a partnership exercises it inappropriately and even to an extreme, the other half certainly ought not to be blamed or accused. God always expects us to exert labor within a marriage, and where suitable making sacrifices for the sake of the family. The best course of action remains confronting your partner about precisely how he or she denigrates and debases you emotionally, demanding that this unnecessary, unwelcome, unwanted, and unwarranted behavior cease immediately and change for the better. Such change might include healing through counseling, always allowing space for your partner to adapt and transform. While it remains important to love by forgiving, starting over, accepting your spouse’s faults, and taking time to listen, one must never settle on viewing abusive tendencies as acceptable or as a mere fault. Bear in mind that any spouse willingly chooses his or her actions. Yet, at times, such lashing out is a manifestation of the trigger of inner turmoil, in which case couples can work together to avoid these triggers by finding forgiveness with a desire to start over through change. Nonetheless, in the end, if the victim chooses to leave and walk away, this is not a sign that he or she does not love the other. It simply signifies that the victim has had enough and is saying “NO!” because of not only becoming exhausted at the persistent abuse, but also desiring to stand up for one’s rights by gaining respect in seeking to be treated as a fellow human being rather than as some sort of beast imprisoned at the local zoo. Always remember that after a defined sense of time when the abusive spouse does not change, you have two options: either to carry the cross that God expects from all of us or to exit your negative situation and thrust it behind you well into the past by starting life anew, especially if the negativity affects children. At the end of the day, we humans must always put children’s needs first and foremost, always protecting them while at the same time doing what is best both for their emotional needs and for the parent’s own mental health and spiritual development. In order to educate,entertain,give a hope and inspire I wrote Broken Chains.This books is not only for females but also for males. So please share this article and the book if you think it can help others. Do not forget to review and rate the book.Your feedback make a big difference. I always want to know what people think about my wriitngs. Broken Chains As a moving piece of motivational fiction, at the heart of Broken Chains lies the core inspirational issue: How can one best live with a deep sense of inner freedom and independence? In setting up an intriguing novel of romance and family saga, the author starts with an encounter between the parents of the protagonist that leads to a brief affair and an unwanted pregnancy. Esmira, the mother, raises her daughter alone under difficult circumstances. Once an adult, Silvana must confront the horrors of abusive relationships on her own. This is not only a page turner that serves as fundamental self-help to its readers, but also a deeply moving tale of one Azerbaijani woman's struggle to avoid the same fate that befell her mother. She flees Azerbaijan to an uncertain future. In addition, the novel serves as a gripping story of making sacrifices, overcoming suffering, finding true love, dealing with family conflicts, coping with inhumanity, finding redemption, and attaining liberty. Finally, this intriguing tale introduces readers to the exotic country of Azerbaijan, geographically located between spheres. www.amazon.com/Broken-Chains-Emiliya-Ahmadova-ebook/dp/B01N9YR6ZK  To lead one not only must have leadership skills and charisma, but also must be able to listen, understand, reserve patience, devote time for others, and simply live up to his or her teachings and preaching. These require such skills as compassion and empathy. True leadership should be shown not by beautiful and empty words, but by actions and examples. For example, if a spiritual leader talks about God and teaches people how to live to please God, when people come to him or her with problems and the leader cannot understand them and is unwilling to listen to them, who will follow these leaders or believe to what they teach?
When you follow God’s path and proceed to praise the Lord but forget the most important matter that God expects from you (namely, compassion and love toward others), you do things your own way and this will not please the Lord. Therefore, to distinguish a good leader from a false one, look at his or her behavior, lifestyle, and their deeds for others. By communicating, asking questions, and serving them, you may witness what they are made of. Jesus Christ was a true leader who showed his love by forgiving others, possessing patience, listening to people’s problems, and healing. He showed his love with his actions toward humanity and died on the cross for us. Mother Teresa was the power behind missionaries of charities, who run hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis. I am certain that these activities require leadership skills such as organizing, planning, control, delegating, timing, and motivating. Her focus was not limited to prayers and praising the Lord because she knew that was not the only matter that God expected from her. Her goal was both to please God and to help humans by eradicating poverty and showing compassion toward others. She showed her love to the Lord by helping the poor and sick and being a mother figure to many. She was a leader that I ADMIRE and one day I aspire to live up to her charity! Currently, the world is full of false leaders who wear the masks of charmers, good priests, and spiritual leaders. However, if you look deeply into their lives, you may become shocked. Some priests are child molesters and sports coaches in high schools preying on the kids. Politicians are increasingly involved in sex scandals or fraudulent activities and take bribes. Others walk around praising the Lord and talking about love, but do not care for you! I may sound judgmental, but I cannot close my eyes to these facts. Thus, do not come and ask me if I admire any current leaders. I do not! At times, we endure trails and tribulations with not only seemingly insurmountable difficulties, but also painful and perplexing dilemmas. Problems can often seem so unbearable that we reach the edge of an abyss and simply give up and relinquish a control over our lives and our destiny. In addition, when we become disappointed or hurt, we might become reactive and turn around and blame God or others around us for our misfortunes and wonder why God did not come to our aid or prevent this sensation of ill will enveloping us. Negativity or disappointments that we face augment this seething anger within us. When emotional pain increases, this builds resentment and interrupts our spiritual development, which in turn makes happiness seem unattainable.
Yet, we should realize that sometimes bad things happen to us in life for a good reason. For instance, you may get divorced and later you may meet someone better. In that way, your divorce will open the door for a wonderful relationship and propel you forward into the future. God never takes leave of someone and never intends for that person to suffer. He loves us without hesitation yet allows us to suffer not only so we learn to rely on a God, but also so we become better persons and thereby gain the knowledge that we can use to help others. Faith and hope helps us to pass through trying times. Prayers are always heard and God answers, but only in his own time. However, for prayers to be answered, you need to have firm faith and endure, so that your wishes and hopes are answered. In this way, if you have any problems in your life, continue praying every day and believe that good things will eventually enter your life. Just remember: no matter how hurt you are or disappointed, do not allow yourself to relinquish your faith in God. Believe in yourself, and believe in a God. Faith and a positive attitude and outlook are the keys to success. Stop crying or blaming others for your problems. .Such complaints cause you to dwell on negativity and cause a swell of negative energy that can envelope you. Hence, forgive those who hurt you, and pray and take on activities to turn around and work toward solving your problems. Do the following: write down the names of the people that hurt you on a piece of paper. Then write: "I forgive you for everything that you have done to me.” Finally, burn the paper and throw the ashes away. Forgiveness will help you heal and expunge your anger. The following is a good daily prayer. For those who are not Christians, my advice is to say our own prayers as they relate to your own religion and you will get the same results. With faith, hope, and persistence, you will eventually succeed. The Miracle Prayer Lord Jesus, I come before Thee, just as I am, I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Thy Name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. I give Thee my entire self, Lord Jesus, I accept Thee as my Lord God and Savior. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul, and spirit. Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Thy Precious Blood, and fill me with Thy Holy Spirit, I love Thee Lord Jesus, I praise Thee Lord Jesus, I thank Thee Jesus, I shall follow Thee every day of my life. Amen. Mary, My Mother, Queen of Peace, all the Angels and Saints, please help me. Amen. Would you like to give hope to a hopeless soul? Do you want to demonstrate that God always hears your prayers as long as you have faith? Do you tend to gush about what lurks in your heart or make pronouncements about your festering pain or never-ending frustration? At times, we endure trails and tribulations with not only seemingly insurmountable difficulties, but also painful and perplexing dilemmas. Problems can often seem so unbearable that we reach the edge of an abyss and simply give up and relinquish a control over our lives and our destiny. In addition, when we become disappointed or hurt, we might become reactive and turn around and blame God or others around us for our misfortunes and wonder why God did not come to our aid or prevent this sensation of ill will enveloping us. Negativity or disappointments that we face augment this seething anger within us. When emotional pain increases, this builds resentment and interrupts our spiritual development, which in turn makes happiness seem unattainable.
Yet, we should realize that sometimes bad things happen to us in life for a good reason. For instance, you may get divorced and later you may meet someone better. In that way, your divorce will open the door for a wonderful relationship and propel you forward into the future. God never takes leave of someone and never intends for that person to suffer. He loves us without hesitation yet allows us to suffer not only so we learn to rely on a God, but also so we become better persons and thereby gain the knowledge that we can use to help others. Faith and hope helps us to pass through trying times. Prayers are always heard and God answers, but only in his own time. However, for prayers to be answered, you need to have firm faith and endure, so that your wishes and hopes are answered. In this way, if you have any problems in your life, continue praying every day and believe that good things will eventually enter your life. Just remember: no matter how hurt you are or disappointed, do not allow yourself to relinquish your faith in God. Believe in yourself, and believe in a God. Faith and a positive attitude and outlook are the keys to success. Stop crying or blaming others for your problems. .Such complaints cause you to dwell on negativity and cause a swell of negative energy that can envelope you. Hence, forgive those who hurt you, and pray and take on activities to turn around and work toward solving your problems. Do the following: write down the names of the people that hurt you on a piece of paper. Then write: "I forgive you for everything that you have done to me.” Finally, burn the paper and throw the ashes away. Forgiveness will help you heal and expunge your anger. The following is a good daily prayer. For those who are not Christians, my advice is to say our own prayers as they relate to your own religion and you will get the same results. With faith, hope, and persistence, you will eventually succeed. The Miracle Prayer Lord Jesus, I come before Thee, just as I am, I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Thy Name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. I give Thee my entire self, Lord Jesus, I accept Thee as my Lord God and Savior. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul, and spirit. Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Thy Precious Blood, and fill me with Thy Holy Spirit, I love Thee Lord Jesus, I praise Thee Lord Jesus, I thank Thee Jesus, I shall follow Thee every day of my life. Amen. Mary, My Mother, Queen of Peace, all the Angels and Saints, please help me. Amen. Would you like to give hope to a hopeless soul? Do you want to demonstrate that God always hears your prayers as long as you have faith? Do you tend to gush about what lurks in your heart or make pronouncements about your festering pain or never-ending frustration? Hello Stranger. I know that you are in pain and struggling to survive. Your life is not piece of cake and sometimes feeling hopeless you are ready to give up. Life is a jigsaw puzzle with many missing pieces that one must fit together. Life is never easy but you must have a reason or will to fight for your future and for your child's happy life with you. I am here to let you know that you are not
alone. You have God by your side and he loves you a lot. You are beautiful from inside and outside. You deserve the best and have a good future before you. However, you need to gather all your strength and try to change your life. Learn to love and respect yourself, know your value. In God's eyes you are a diamond. Hence move away from losers. They do not deserve to be around you. Your are much better than them. Be strong and become a winner. You can do it.Now put your hands together and ask God to bless your every effort and forgive you for your mistakes. Ask him to help you to make things right and move forward with hope and faith.I made this card for you! With love, Emiliya O'Lord, my soul is lonely
Crying for help but no one listens It's locked in a cage Open the door! O'Lord, heal my hopeless soul Dry my tears Help me break free of the chains So that I can fly free like a bird! O' Lord, I'm tired of struggling Just wishing to get released Yet something keeps me back Heal me and let me go! O' Lord, Silvana cries to you every day She doesn't have the strength to endure Hear her prayers and crying voice Test her no more, no more, no more! O' Lord, Silvana walks in the darkness Brighten her path since she needs you and your light She can't survive without you Break the chains because she can't fight any longer! O' Lord, she's lost in emptiness and mired in a rut Just trying to run far away But these chains are keeping her down Keeping her soul far away! O' Lord, don't let Silvana down anymore Release all her pain and break now the chains Your blessings may let Silvana go far away! Author Emiliya A
As I have found as an author of fiction, to prevent rejections by literary agents or publishers, it is imperative that your manuscript be polished before submission. Although many professional editors advertise their services online, Mr. Brian D. Harvey has helped me in untold ways to perfect the text of my novel after it was edited by another good editor Sue. He holds degrees from UC Berkeley, Middlebury, UC Extension, and the University of Oxford. His editorial expertise dates back three decades for both American and British publishers. Brian offers superior editorial services for academics, business professionals, authors of fiction and nonfiction, and students. His work history is multifaceted, including research (Stanford University), nonprofit (The Ford Foundation), and publishing (Oxford University Press). By profession, he is a modern linguist (Russian, French, and German) and comparative film historian and can be reached at kinovedenie@gmail.com."
Have you completed your manuscript yet find that you do not know what to do next? Here are some tips for you. Just do not get frustrated by packing your bags and heading for the hills!
Before I started writing my novel Broken Chains, I did not know what was entailed in getting a book published. By the time I found out, it was too late to retreat. As an author, I have learned that the process is not all that straightforward. It not only involves writing, but also laborious developmental editing and copyediting, searching for literary agents, writing numerous queries, and most important promoting both your book and yourself as an author. To me, the process of writing is not all that difficult, but marketing is the most time-consuming activity. Publishers expect you to have a web presence and have multiple accounts on social media, so that they can “inspect” your personal narrative and “size you up” or “take stock of you.” You have to allow for mounting numerous posts to make yourself known and your voice heard, not to mention obtaining as many likes on your Facebook page as possible (bringing dopamine to the brain) and garnering many followers on Twitter. By the time I had almost completed my novel, I had learned that it is difficult to get a book published by well-established publishers. Large and some small traditional publishers do not accept manuscripts other than through literary agents. Hence, if you want to get published by a well-known publisher, you absolutely must engage an agent. However, it is not easy to arrange for an agent to represent your work. You can count on receiving many refusals from literary agents. However, before contacting agents and publishers, ensure that your manuscript is polished and error free. You will be required to write a perfected, honed, chiselled, sculpted, punchy, and short “query proposal” or “query letter.” How do you provide information and details about your book, including the word count and genre? What makes it different from other books in that particular genre? Why are you the right person to tell the story? How do you plan to market it? You also need to compare your novel to bestselling novels in your genre and in the book market overall. You are also required to submit a brief synopsis of your book as well as your biography. Before contacting literary agents, research their biographies and requirements and make sure your query meets their standards. Write to as many literary agents as you can, and do not give up until you get the answer “yes.” Do not send your query to more than one agent at the same firm or group; otherwise, you will get rejected. Send your query to one literary agent at a time, and if you do not hear from that agent after a month, contact the next one. Do not pay any literary agent anything unless a publisher concludes a contract with you. When an agent gets a publisher to adopt your book, then you will charged 15 percent. While looking for publishers, you will come across two types: traditional and vanity. Vanity publishers will charge money for publishing a book. Stay away from them. Never pay a publisher to publish your book. Publishers have to pay you. Do not forget this! Traditional publishers will pay you royalties and sometimes an advance. There are some traditional publishers who will accept your manuscript without literary agents. However, larger houses will not accept your manuscript without a literary agent. Do research about a publisher before submitting your work. However, if after years of trying to get published you decide to give up, then use such self-publishing websites as Lulu, Amazon, or CreateSpace. These are the links that will help you to reach both publishers and literary agents: http://www.mdbookcovers.com/ http://www.pegasusbooks.net/ http://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/p/publishers-looking-for-authors.html http://www.writersmarket.com/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2FMarketListings%2FLiteraryAgents%2F167797%2Cchalberg-sussman http://www.agentquery.com/ http://agentqueryconnect.com/ https://querytracker.net/ https://www.awmonline.com.au/ http://www.critiquecircle.com/ http://www.everywritersresource.com Do you ever get the feeling that you are trapped in a bottomless pit or in quicksand? As a reaction, do you attempt to escape yet cannot? Do you allow your fears to control your life? If the answer is “yes,“ then read this article. At times when many of us feel trapped, we go to all lengths to solve our problems or redirect our lives, but sometimes no matter how hard we try, we discover that change is impossible. As a result, we become disappointed, and some of us just surrender or lapse into depression.
Who said life is easy, simple, or straightforward? Life is not a fine and neat sweet piece of birthday cake to enjoy. Life is always full of struggles and worries. We are always distressed about something, fearful of making mistakes or of looking ridiculous. Therefore, we ought to lead our lives to the fullest, not seeking to find solutions to problems, but instead finding new positive changes. We permit a degree of frustration while fear overruns us. Fear is namely an emotion that affects one's behavior and the entire direction of one’s life. Once we allow this to happen, we become permanently stuck. Fear is our worst enemy possible. It stops us from getting what we deserve and from doing the activities we enjoy. It even makes us miss out on new opportunities and avenues for development. Someone ends up not going to a job interview worrying that he or she is not ready or not good enough. Hence, an opportunity of getting a job is lost or missed. While growing up, my protagonist, Silvana, behaves the way she thinks she is expected to. She lives by her parents’ rules as well as by society's. Thus, she does not go out socially or talk to men because she fears that someone might get the wrong idea and start gossiping about her. Therefore, because of her fears, she misses out on many things in her life. Fearing to make mistakes and not knowing what her decisions might bring her prevents her from leading her life fully and from being herself. One of her problems revolves around her fear of making the wrong decisions in the event that people may misjudge her. She always is wondering what might occur if she does certain things. Because she does not have the answers, she does not take any steps to get out of her predicament. However, one day she realizes that because of her fears, she is missing out on many aspects of her life. For years, she does not conduct her life to the fullest extent possible. She knows not only that she is getting older, but also that every lost day cannot be recovered. Nevertheless, she desires to enjoy her life and do what makes her happy. Then, one day after praying to God and asking for guidance, she decides to make changes and not to worry about the consequences of her steps or decisions because she knows that she is not doing anything wrong. In the end, she confronts her fears and starts leading her life to the fullest and allows herself to just be. She reads the bold print and lets the footnotes be. If you really want to change your life, then you need to get rid of your fears first or just confront them. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and we learn from them. Do not be inactive wondering what will happen if you take this or that step. You will miss out on opportunities, even love. If there is woman or man who you like, do not hesitate to approach her or him. If you do not take these risks, someone will take your place and you will miss out. Hence, be bold and seize what is meant for you, but do it in the proper way. After considering the pros and cons of your personal situation, go ahead and move forward with your life. Stop worrying about what people think about you. We have but one life to live, so let it not be wasted by not doing what we enjoy. Start taking part in activities that make you happy. If you enjoy singing, dancing, painting, or traveling, then do these activities and pasttimes. Remember that everything is achievable in your life, and by following your heart’s desire, having God at your side, and never giving up, you will undoubtedly get what you want and need. Your future depends on what steps and choices you make now as well as through God's will. If God thinks what you want is good for you, then you will attain it. Ask for God’s blessing, and act as a change agent by taking life into your hands. Make necessary changes and alterations in your conduct and overall outlook. At the same time, surrender all your fears and worries to God. Please share this passage with anyone you know who lives in fear. Many people suffer from depression in silence, a condition that affects a human being’s ability to function adequately and forge and maintain relationships with others. This condition can result from stress, one’s environment, chemical imbalances in the brain, situational negativity, and low self-esteem. To diagnose the real cause of depression and obtain correct treatment, one should visit a medical practitioner as soon as symptoms become apparent, which can prevent further complications that might lead to suicidal ideation or even damaged relationships and negative changes in lifestyle. Only a medical practitioner can prescribe the right treatment and thereby prevent a suicide and other long-term negative consequences.
Depressed people suffer from mood swings and live in darkness, feeling as if the whole world has fallen on their shoulders and everyone and everything are against them. One minute they are full of joy, while the next minute sadness fills their hearts. They may feel lonely, empty, frustrated, and hopeless--as if something is missing from their lives. They do not have the will to live anymore, with suicidal thoughts subsequently developing and evolving. This may not happen to everyone because people react differently, but depression is a serious condition. During these moments, they either shun friends or look for emotional support and understanding while becoming passive. Unfortunately, some of them get repulsed because of misunderstandings and as a result of appearing overly needy. If you suffer from depression, let friends know about your condition. Join a group such as church or some other form of a support group that speaks to your activities or pursuits. The fact is that you require emotional support from good friends and a sense of community or beloning. Stay busy with activities that make you happy, including exercise and time enjoying natural beauty. Exercising helps to battle stress. Right after exercising, you feel better. Try it and let me know if I am right. Be sure to get enough sleep and adequate rest. Not sleeping enough can worsen depression and affects your daily functioning. Remember you have nothing to be embarrassed about and you are not alone. Do not suffer alone, but surround yourself with positive and understanding friends. Turn to God, who never rejects anyone. If you continue becoming closer to God, you will gain a sense of grace. With God's blessing, your heart will be filled with joy and depression may diminish. At the same time, seek out medical advice. Doctors can prescribe medications and dispense useful advice. Sometimes, only medication and the right diagnosis of depression can provide a solution. If you do not see a practitioner, you may inch or even plunge toward suicidal ideation due to a sense of hopelessness. If your depression is caused by environmental factors or even abuse, then take leave of those surroundings and begin all over. If low self-esteem exacerbates depression, try to adopt a sense of self-confidence and daily positive affirmations. For instance, remind yourself: “I am intelligent and beautiful. I deserve only the best. I love and I am loved. I deserve to be loved and treated with respect. I have a right to be happy and I deserve it. I am worth everything good.” Remember that you deserve the best and that those who rejected you were not genuine friends. Forget, forgive, and move on. My dear readers, I believe in you and know that you are beautiful souls that deserves happiness, love, and peace. Pray and ask God for those desires in your life and, most important, believe that God will answer soon. Always see your doctor as soon as possible. Please share this text if you know someone who suffers from depression Over the course of years, many couples try to have a child, yet to their disappointment they are unable to conceive. Some of them may even give up trying, instead choosing to adopt. However, for many couples there exists a new solution called assisted reproduction. Why should a couple try this innovation if they are unable to conceive? First, both the male and female partner need to consult a doctor and establish if there is a medical reason why they are not capable of conceiving. A variety of different tests will determine the best course of action to increase this puzzle-and riddle-like chance for a successful pregnancy. About these developments, I interviewed Juliet Skinner, MD (the consultant gynaecologist and head clinician at the Barbados Fertility Center) for a more detailed explanation of infertility treatments available for couples. “There are many couples who suffer from infertility. What are the reasons for not being able to conceive?” There are many reasons why a couple may not be able to conceive: there could be female factors or male factors, or even a combination of the two. There may not even be any obvious medical reason at all: this is known as unexplained infertility. Whatever the reason for infertility, if a couple has tried for a year with no successful outcome, then they must seek medical intervention. Depending on the diagnosis, it may be necessary to try iIntra-uterine insemination (IUI) or a fuller form known as an vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. Each couple we treat is individual, and no two couples are the same. We take a detailed medical history from both the male and female partner, and ask for tests to determine the cause of their infertility. “What kind of tests are performed?” Male infertility is very common and affects about one in twenty men. Our intention is to analyze the male partner's semen for its motility, which shows how well the sperm can swim. In turn, we examine the morphology; this is the shape of the sperm. Female infertility is far more complex, and there are certain diseases such as poly cystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, and fibroids, which all affect a woman's ability to conceive. Age plays a substantive role in female infertility. Moreover, men and women are unlike, with women born with all of their eggs and after 35 there is a marked decrease in ovulation. We also specialize in reproductive immunology and advanced fertility treatments such as hysteroscopy and laparoscopy. We take into account many factors and determine the best course of action for each individual patient. “Can you please tell me the difference between IUI and IVF?” IUI is the introduction of prepared sperm into the uterus to improve the chances of pregnancy. IUI can be used when the female partner has open fallopian tubes and the male partner has normal semen parameters. IVF refers to the procedure whereby the embryo is fertilized outside of the body, so the female eggs are retrieved and are placed in glass with the male partners prepared sperm. When we fertilze these in the embryo, these are then transferred back to the uterus. How much do these procedures cost?” A couple can only try IUI if the female has open fallopian tubes, and this procedure starts at US$375 for the procedure. A full IVF cycle is US$5750. However, as we treat each couple based on their individual medical history, costs can vary depending on the medication that they need to prepare for treatment. We work hard to keep our costs down and have not increased our prices since 2007. This makes us a very attractive option for couples in Europe and the United States, since our costs can be as much as half the cost. "What options do a couple have if the male partner’s sperm is of poor quality?” In such a case, we prepare the sperm in such a way as to use the male partner’s sperm of the best quality, and we can also take sperm directly from the testis, if necessary, to find sperm that is strong enough to fertilize the egg. In addition, if necessary, we can also use donor sperm. "What is Clomid used for?" Clomid is used to stimulate the ovaries and, in turn, release eggs from the ovaries. “Is it true that after IVF some women taking Clomid, as well, become pregnant with more than one child?” Clomid increases the number of eggs that we retrieve and, in turn, means we can end up with more than one good grade of embryo, which in turn has a good chance of survival. The decision concerning how many embryos we transfer back to the uterus is taken in consultation with the couple and very much depends on their medical history. "I have heard many positive stories about your Barbados Fertility Center. What makes you different from other fertility clinics?” We offer our patients individualized care, and we do everything we can to increase every couple’s chance of success, even if that is only 1 percent, since that 1 percent could mean a baby! We combine cutting-edge treatment with holistic therapy at our on-site spa, The Life Wellness Center, which means our patients are at their optimum of relaxation to undergo treatment. We have a high success rate of 80 percent of women under 35 and offer low-cost treatment compared to our international competitors. Finally, we are JCI-accredited, assuring our patients of the best practices upheld at BFC .We are listed among the elite group of clinics that hold JCI accreditation, about which we are proud. I would like to thank Juliet Skinner, MD, for this valuable information. If you have tried for over a year to conceive, please contact the Barbados Fertility Center at +1 246-435-7467 or visit their web site at www.barbadosivf.com for more information. |
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