Some might call it brainwashing, others indoctrination, still others see it as edification. Whatever you call it, repetition is central to gaining and retaining recruits and members.

Consider for a moment just how much indoctrination members of some cults, Smith’s Friends in particular, willingly subject themselves to. Most members attend several meetings a week, listen to messages on cassette tapes, cds, DVDs, during the day, spend many weekends in special event meetings, and use their summer vacation to attend a regional conference where there are at least 3 meetings a day.

These meetings can run from one hour to three or more hours, depending on the size of the congregation and esteem the main speaker carries. Just how long does it really take to learn Christian doctrine?

The result of so many meetings is that members cease to think independently. They certainly are good employees, students and such and often receive high praise for their work ethic, yet, critical, independent thinking just cannot co-exist with a never-ending drone of the same message over and over again.

No wonder university education is not encouraged! A liberal arts education basically serves no purpose for such people. Since literature is written by non-members it just cannot be trusted, so why should anyone read it? What good is art anyway, if the soul is the enemy of the spiritual life? The only music allowed is their own and a few sanctioned variants. Oddly much of their music is taken from other people and new words are added.

Can you really expect a musician at heart to be satisfied with playing simple melodies over and over again ad nauseum? I personally knew a member who was an outstanding musician and painter. He was reduced to painting Donald Duck “wet paint” signs at his local boat factory. There is no use for anything else artistic.

This repetition permeates every aspect of daily life. The noble desire to make ones words and deeds agree so there is growth and development becomes lost because there is actually very little real life. Conformity, group speak, and a self-centered preoccupation with one’s own thoughts replaces actually doing things that might be of benefit for others.

Even the seemingly selfless deeds done for others are constrained by the repetitious teachings. In fact, there are almost never any occasions when something is done for anyone outside of the group. When it is, there is a selfish motive, such as fund-raising to pay for very expensive building in Brunstad, Norway, the headquarters.

Small talk rarely happens because it is idle talk. Visits with relatives are kept to a minimum because they might influence the member in an ungodly manner. In the end, these people can be quite isolated, indoctrinated, self-serving and extremely self-righteous.

After all, if the leaders are the most spiritually developed men on earth, how can they be wrong? So many well-meaning and sincere people are swept up by the apparent community, fellowship, clean living, high standard of living and seemingly sound teaching. Only later do they realize they have lost their soul and missed out on most of what life has to offer for their own self and family.

Should parent's charge rent?

Now, this is a good question:  “Should parents charge rent to their own grown kids?”

After having experienced this myself both as a child and as a parent, I have some ideas.

Today at work I asked a 24 year old apprentice if he was still trying to buy a house.  He has a closing in a few days, but it was a comment he made in response to my question that struck me.

He told me how thankful he was because his father-in-law had only charged him $200 a month for rent for the last year or so. As a result, this 24 year old has managed to save over $20k over the course of the past 3 years.

Contrast this with another 24 year old I know who is bitter that his own father dared to charge him $300 a month for room and board for a few months. He was working full-time and making much more than the first 24 year old, yet had no savings at all.  In fact, he had squandered all his savings in one winter while snow-boarding and partying.

Some kids need more help than others, some are more inclined to take full use of the opportunities presented to them, and others seem to despise any good opportunity.

As a parent you want to help your children to succeed and because they are all so different and situations vary so much, there doesn’t seem to be any clear cut, standard answer. Each case is unique and demands unique wisdom.

It is also true that enabling lazy teens and twenty-somethings is wrong. It is not helping them in any way to allow them to laze around, gaming, sleeping late, partying, eating your food, using your car, spending your money and so on.

Cutting the strings can be very difficult and the thoughts of what-if, plus the guilt that can be laid on you make it even more complicated.

So, generally, in my opinion, yes, you should charge them rent or some equivalent thereof. Even a small amount, such as paying the electric bill or heating bill can give them a sense of responsibility and sharing the burden. They will most likely be more thankful as well.

Welcome home, son...

This Christmas holds a lot of promise for me.

My oldest son has been off searching for his own path for a number of years, nearly completely estranged from his rather large family.

Recently he contacted me and sent me the most interesting, long and highly detailed recollection of his childhood together with me, his Dad. The level of detail was amazing, with place names, people I had nearly forgotten and all kinds of references to events we shared.

As his Dad, I devoted myself exclusively to doing anything and everything for my family. Of course, like  a lot of fathers, I had to work long hours to make ends meet. To me, I was always there, to him, I was nearly always gone.

So, Christmas day he returns to his family. May we have the grace to accept him, however he presents himself. I am so excited and hopeful, yet I realize that nothing goes in a straight line. I love him and miss him!

Best Christmas present ever!!

We all are exposed to a huge amount of stress on a daily basis; but why do some people seem to know how to deal with stress, while others are crushed by it?
This is the topic of an ongoing series in our site: www.Stress-FamilyHealth.net

It would be nice if we could all live in a peaceful, quiet, and pleasant world with no stress. Then again, maybe not. Sometimes we all need pushing, prodding and conflict to help us do our best.

Read the series and find out how to deal with stress. It is a fascinating look at one person’s journey and how he developed a personal method to survive some really ugly situations with some very difficult people.

How to deal with stress

Having the opportunity to learn a second language is something a lot of people think about. Once you learn Spanish, or another language, you will discover that your life is enhanced. You might have learned it to position yourself professionally, or for speaking with family, or just because you want to.

A common misconception is that learning a second language is very difficult and time consuming. That is the number one reason that most people don’t even try. It simply does not have to be so hard to learn Spanish. In fact, a Learn Spanish Audio CD can enable you to learn Spanish while driving in the car to and from work . You can utilize all of your normally wasted time in the car and learn Spanish at the same time.

Once you own your learn Spanish audio CD, you will be able to use it whenever you wish and as often as you want. You will discover this to be quite convenient, whether driving or working around the house. You can choose to learn Spanish by yourself or even with another person.

A side benefit is that your children will also learn along with you as you use your audio CD program. When you hear the various dialects spoken, you will naturally begin to learn the subtle differences. This is a real benefit.

So what is the best way to find out which Learn Spanish Audio CD is the best for you? Sometimes the best is not always the most expensive course, right? One excellent method is to find a website that compares Spanish courses, then you can make a good decision.

It is only fair to mention that you will only get results from a product that you put effort into. You cannot simply listen to a Learn Spanish Audio CD and speak the language instantly. Once you pick your quality course, you can follow the plan and actually become proficient in your new language. Before you know it, and without really noticing it, you will be chatting away in Spanish, using the new knowledge you have worked for.

Learning to speak another language is really not that hard. It will take a little time, but if you really want to learn Spanish the only thing stopping you from doing it is yourself!

Randy Hough has a website: Compare Spanish Language Courses that talks about the many ways to learn Spanish.

Sadly, sleep disorders can plague children as well as adults. There are many types of infant sleep disorders, however a physician is often the only person who can properly diagnose them.

Infants have irregular sleep patterns because of their need to frequently eat. Some sleeping disorders happen because of learned behaviour instead of a legitimate disease. If you change your baby’s environment, you will gently teach them to improve their sleeping habits.

Children often go through periods of having nightmares as they get older. Sleep terrors or night terrors are other forms of sleep disorders. The child usually outgrows these forms of sleep disorders.

A child who stops breathing for short periods of time in their sleep is known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea are mostly diagnosed in premature babies. In fact, it is a proven fact that a premature baby is more likely to have sleep apnea than a baby that is born at full term.

Usually, you have to rub the baby’s back or nudge them and they will start breathing on their own again. In rare cases, infant CPR is needed to revive the baby. When a parent brings back an infant with sleep apnea, it is usually very scary. The fear of their child stopping breathing in the middle of the night can cause any parent to sit up all night beside the crib.

Before any hospital releases a baby who has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, the parent or parents are required to go through an infant CPR course.

When the baby is released, it is usually with a piece of machinery called an apnea monitor. The baby’s breathing is monitored with electrodes attached to the baby’s chest. The monitor will alert you if it detects abnormal breathing patterns.

You will be alerted by the monitor with a loud high-pitched alarm when the baby’s breathing is too shallow or stops altogether. For anyone who has experienced this sound, especially in the middle of the night, it can be a heart stopping experience. Only sleeping baby’s needs to be attached to this monitor.

Medical personnel will take readings from the monitor to make sure it’s being used correctly and to check for problems. The will give all readings to the child’s pediatrician so that they can monitor your baby. The pediatrician will tell you when the monitor is no longer needed. No decisions will be finalised before the pediatrician has discussed your baby’s progress with you.

Quinton van Oudtshoorn

If your baby is having sleep problems then take a look at The Baby Sleep Solution audio program. Click Here, it’s the quickest way to solve your baby sleeping problem – guaranteed!

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Smart cycle is a new idea for indoor activity. It is a stationary bike, a gaming system and a learning center combined in one product. This interactive bike and game combo promotes both learning and physical exercise by guiding the child through various educational games. Children can learn upper and lowercase letters, counting, spelling, shapes, matching and spatial reasoning. How great is it that you can now keep your child active even while indoors! This is especially ideal during the cold, snowy days of winter and the rainy days of spring. A Hamleys Awards nominee, the Smart Cycle is no doubt going to be one of the hottest toys for this fall/Christmas season. Smart cycle has won a toy industry award for "most innovative toy of the year award", it was listed for one of the best toys during 2007 by a company called AllAboard.com. The Smart Cycle requires 4 “D” (LR20) alkaline batteries that are not included. It also contains an extra long lead & height adjustable seat. It is designed for children over 4 years of age. All you have to do is plug the cycle into your TV, and as your child pedals, favorite characters will lead him through games, exciting races, and one discovery after another in the huge world of learning. There are several levels of play for different stages of development. It helps significantly to improve hand to eye coordination and also helps with balance for bike riding skills. Smart cycle come with a learning adventure cartridge. Themed games with Dora, SpongeBob, Hot Wheels, Barbie & Dinosaurs are sold separately. You can use the joystick for a number of other games and activities. The software works in three different modes. In the Explore/Encounter mode, the child can pedal through different settings and situations such as, Math Mountain, Shape Lake, Number Fields, and Letter Creek, learning along the way. In the Arcade Games mode, the child takes a break to play a game using the joystick. They may be taking a rest from the physical aspect of exercise, but they are still learning. The games teach important early skills concepts, like numbers, letters, shapes and colours. In Race mode, the child can race with other cars or engage in a timed race with another player. The Fisher Price Smart Cycle has received many positive reviews from both retailers and consumers alike. In a day when childhood obesity is becoming a frightening epidemic, this product allows children to get plenty of exercise even in inclement weather, all the while learning important educational concepts.

Reports have shown that there are more than 6000 babies die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) each year and out of these cases, more than 900 cases are due to babies sleeping on soft baby nursery bedding. Therefore the question, is your baby bedding safe?

Soft baby nursery bedding can cause an infant to suffocate when the baby is being placed on her belly and her head sinks into the soft mattress. Cushy mattresses are comfortable for babies, however they might not be as safe as one might think.  As infants are too weak, when their heads are being placed on the soft mattress, they might not have the strength to roll over to recover from the dangerous position. Disastrous accidents might happen if no one is around to take good care of the little one.

To avoid such accidents, parents can select a baby nursery bedding with a firm mattress that does not get depressed easily when some weight is being applied on it. They can simply experiment it by pressing one hand onto the bedding to determine it’s strength in withstanding the force applied. The stronger the resistance of the bedding, the safer it is.

The fulffy bumper pads that are added to the crib can also cause suffocation. Bumper pads make the baby nursery bedding look cute and pretty, however, suffocation can happen when infants have their face pressed against the soft and fluffy bumper pads and are unable to free themselves.

Babies are naturally weak and vulnerable during this period, and parents should be more careful when it comes the safety of your child. Some people recommend to purchase bumper pads that are more compact and firm while others just don’t use them at all. The latter being the best method because, though rare, there are also incidents of strangulation by the long strings of the bumper pads and suffocation when babies are pressed between the bumper pads and another object.

Researchers also observed that there are poisonous gases in mattresses which can harm the baby’s health . Scientists found that there are certain substances containing phosphorous and arsenic which are used as fire retardants, are being included in mattresses which can be very unsafe for children. Once these chemical compounds interact with certain reactants, they release poisonous gases which may be fatal if a baby breathes in a large amount of it when sleeping in the baby nursery bedding.

Scientists later found that a fungus that frequently grows in baby bedding might be one of the reactants which can help to release the poisonous gases. Therefore, they urge parents not to reuse old baby nursery bedding which may contain such fungus after being used for a long period of time. Although, infants use baby beddings for a couple of months or longer only, parents should buy new bedding instead of reusing to avoid the existence of such fungus. Furthermore, a new baby nursery bedding will look prettier than an old reused one.

Looking at all these factors, parents should be able to evaluate if they have a safe baby nursery bedding. Otherwise, go get a new one and select one safe bedding so that not only will your baby be able to sleep safe and sound, but you will also be able to rest at ease throughout the night.

The moment you give birth to your child, you will feel your best and that you are showered with a blessing and you would plan and think of spending most of your time with your newborn. It is natural that a woman gives birth to a child, but what really makes you the best is the way you bring up your child.

Good and sensible mothers should give all happiness to her child like timing food and sleep and other needs. If you’re going to buy home needs or any important things no need to leave your baby alone, buy a carrying basket made for new born babies. And baby care items. Travel with your baby to any ware Keep your baby healthy and happy

The basic needs of every newborn do not vary much from one another; hence the baskets containing unique baby gifts are planned and designed with much care. This unique baby gifts basket is indeed a gift to the mother rather than the child as it provides space to keep all necessary items needed for the nourishment of the child thereby reducing the burden of mother.

If you’re planning to greet your friend’s newly arrived infant with a present that has real use, why not make it an entire set of unique baby gifts? An attractive arrangement of extraordinary infant clothing, diapers, toys, pacifiers, talcum powder, and an especially lovely blanket will be a delight and a boon for both the little one and his or her mama and papa as well.

You can find all sorts of lovely sets of infant presents, many packed in attractive wicker or fabric gift baskets. Search online for the right one to meet all the daily needs of a newly arrived bundle of joy. There are numerous sites which specialize in various types of gift baskets, some of which are especially geared toward newborns.

If you are gifted with twin babies, these are online shops that sells twin baby gift baskets which are customized for both babies. The salient feature of twin baby gift baskets is the duplication of all baby items in order to get equal treatment from their mom. Twin baby gift baskets provides mental satisfaction to new moms in the treatment of the new borns. These can be purchased online based on choice and price range with zero shipping cost.

Looking for the perfect gift for a busy new mother? A lovely basket filled with unique baby gifts is the most thoughtful present you can give. What could be better than giving her everything she needs to keep her baby happy and entertained? Many varieties of new baby gift basket are available for sale online. Baskets contain a range of essential items such as toys, clothes, pacifiers, and blankets. Parents of newborn twins can find twin baby gift baskets, which carry every item in pairs so that both babies get what they need. You may place orders for all gift baskets online. They will be delivered free of shipping charge.

Just do it…put on a party for fun

Throwing a party is in our nature. It seems almost an  innate human need to see others, and spend time with others. We long for reasons to celebrate and party; there are a myriad of reasons.

There are more birthday parties celebrated each year than any other kind of event, but then, sometimes people just have parties for the sake of getting together. People, added to good food, music and drinks has the making of a memorable party  . Your party needs to be tailored to the guest’s interests, age and desires for fun activities, all combined into one memorable happening.

The optimum party agenda is to have guest grabbing activities, throughout the party. The objective is to stimulate, meet, talk, eat, drink and have fun, where you are the orchestral conductor of party affairs.

Games add  diversity to party entertainment

In particular, no birthday party is complete without games to play and have fun. These days you can find all kinds of interesting games for the kids and even bigger kids; new on the scene and worthy of your thought, are giant games which will keep them engaged for a long time.

Then, if you want your party to bubble along, it’s a great party opener idea to welcome your guests on arrival with a glass or two of bubbly. Even more special is to carry the party theme over onto specially customized party  beer holders or stubby coolers. They are not too pricey and can be quickly personalised.

Co-ordinated party theme’s are so much easier with all sorts of funky home bar accessories like, party signs, drink coasters, party badges and heaps more. Just let your mind run wild. There are so many ideas for parties today; look around for what catches your eye.

Just remember that the golden party rule is just to have fun, and you can’t go wrong!