History of Tithing

The origins of tithing can be found in the Bible, yet many Christians and non-Christians alike, practice some form of tithing today.

The word tithe has Christian connotations, referring to the contribution of a tenth of one’s income for charitable purposes to Church as a kind of Church giving. Anyway, the idea is a part of most world religions. In Islam the word used for this is ‘Zakat.’ In the Indian religion of Sikhism, there is a rule of keeping apart one-tenth of one’s income for spiritual purposes and it is called ‘Dasvandh.’ The practice has been initiated by the tenth religious head Guru Gobind Singh. According to the Indian scriptures of the Upanisads and the Bhagavadgita, the ‘perfect alms’ are that which is offered with a sense of obligation in a correct place and at a correct time to a deserving person from whom the giver does not expect anything in return.

The origin of the word tithe can be traced to the Hebrew work ‘asair’ which also means to give one-tenth of a thing, generally an individual’s income. Today, tithes, or tithing, is a cash payment and is voluntary in nature. Nevertheless, in certain European countries there is still the provision for enforcing tithing by allowing the church to make it mandatory.

Denmark is a case where the Church of Denmark members have to pay a church tax, which is different in different municipalities. It is commonly about 1% of a person’s taxable income. The situation is similar in Finland where members of state churches have to pay a tax which can be anything between 1% and 2.25% of income and these taxes form a part of the common national taxation system.

However the practice of regular tithes was not established until after Exodus. Tithes were common throughout the ancient Near East, as well as in later Lydia, Arabia, and Carthage.

The Hebrew custom of giving tithes finds mention in the Bible, starting with the gift from Abraham to Melchizedek, the Canaanite king and priest (Genesis–:20). Tithing was also common in former Lydia, Carthage and Arabia. The practice of tithing was espoused by the early Christian church, and was discussed in councils at Tours in 567 and at Macon in 585. Formal recognition to these was given under Pope Adrian I in 787.

Tithing in some Christian churches is controversial because it applies an Old Testament process to a New Testament organisation (the Church). No evidence exists in the New Testament for the tithe to be applied to Christians. Indeed, only Jews living in the promised land were required to pay the tithe in the Old Testament, as it was actually a form of income tax used to support not only the government of Old Testament Israel, but also the temple and the priesthood.

Modern day Tithing

In spite of its origins in the Bible and olden day Christianity, nowadays it is a perfect way to give every time you get something. Giving EVERY time you get things is such a perfectly beautiful form of giving as it allows the giver to feel in fullness something indescribably powerful – more on that afterwards.

Let us return to history. That section of the Bible that Christians refer to with regard to tithing is Malachi 3:10. Lots of Christians tithe to their church as they feel that they are under obligation to do so according to the Bible. And many Churches then as well as now insist that their members contribute to the church to help it carry on its activities. In spirit though, if the giving is not done out of free will and with a happy intention, it does not accomplish its proper benefit – if in fact you want to create a proper benefit by the gift.

Conflicting Views about Tithing

Tithing has often been a contentious topic. The issue whether a Christian should pay tithe is often argued in many Christian congregations.

In an article in Wall Street Journal regarding tithing named ‘The Backlash Against Tithing’, Suzanne Sataline says, ‘As Churches push donations, congregants balk; ‘that’s not the way God works’.’

Regrettably, the different ideological perspectives, desire to dominate, and a narrow outlook, can lead to a Jekyll and Hyde scenario – the pure goodness of giving being lost in the fog and misinterpretation of religion. In spite of the disputes, tithing is still a fully and marvellously powerful act that any person can do to turn around their lives to face a fuller pathway.

For those who are desirous of understanding the Christian perspective of tithing there is unlimited material available to read. For those who are interested in understanding the reason WHY tithing is so wonderful, continue reading.

Why is Tithing so compelling?

This is indeed a very forceful question because if you just heedlessly take a certain path without considering what the whole process entails you may be advancing on the wrong road.

If more of the people who do regularly practice tithing knew exactly why tithing is effective when done in the full spirit of a perfect gift, then it could possibly release a better yearning to give even more. And for those who give not on a regular basis, it could motivate them to give every time they get something.

To analyse the real ‘why’ of how routine giving leads to more we have to understand something about Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Physics. The laws of these realms vary a lot from that of our own material or Newtonian world.

The film ‘What the Bleep’ explains the quantum world through examples that can be understood by the layman. The link below explains things about how matter turns into waves and acts like fluids when viewed through a quantum physics lens: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1349535/4653525.

The movie describes an amazing world viewed from a quantum space. When a beam of electrons is fired through a plate with a slit in it onto a wall – as you would expect, it would it within a single line on the wall straight opposite the slit.

If the experiment is conducted by using an energy wave that reacts the way a water wave does, one gets a foreseeable result. As the wave strikes the plate it rebounds off the plate but where there is the opening, a part of the wave goes across through the opening. Coming out of the other side of the opening, the surging water moves out in the pattern of an arc, resulting in a new wave just as in the old laboratory tests done in schools in analysing wave patterns. As the surge of water strikes the wall across, it will have maximum force in the middle straight opposite the opening and will have lesser force all across the wall. This is exactly like the line the electrons make.

If one more cut is made in the plate and a wave sent through, the result would again be foreseeable – two lesser waves would emerge through the cuts and when these come into contact with each other, they would stop being separate and would give rise to an interference pattern. Many small waves would then strike against the wall opposite producing a stripped effect. All these are normal behavioural patterns as far as wave energy is concerned and so fully expected.

Now this is where the quantum experiment gets interesting. With the two slits in place if electrons were fired at the plate we would expect to see two lines to be created on the wall. But guess what – instead a stripped affect appears – an interference pattern is created! This is totally unexpected. Somehow the matter had changed into a wave. You would think that electrons were bouncing off each other creating a wave; so then if you fired the electrons one at a time and then see what happens. The result is the same! This can only happen if the electrons leave as a single particle, splits into a wave of potentials when it hits the plate, passes through both splits and then interferes with itself on the other side of the plate. This is simply amazing – matter behaving like a wave – or solid behaving like a liquid. Maybe the world is different to what we think it is after all!

Though the world that we live in appears to be hard and solid, it is perhaps possible that in reality we are living in a place that has more properties of a fluid – liquid energy or persistent movement of a fluid, which reacts more like the fluids in our material world. According to the rules of physics, similar fluids have a tendency to congregate, while those with dissimilar properties tend to diverge and remain separate. A typical example of this is oil and water. Chromatography explains how a single substance can break up into its individual components in clear bands the way groups of people break up into smaller ones with common interests, potencies or aims.

The key is that when we give we feel joyful and experience joy. As a giver we receive the most divine gifts of all the gift of joy. Often we think that it is the receiver of a gift that receives something and it often overlooked that the giver actually is the greatest receiver. If you’re not too sure about this, then watch yourself around children and see how you feel when you give to them and observe how you feel no matter how they respond.

When we understand that we are first giving to ourselves when we give and that we do this because we want to feel joy then we have a key. This key unlocks the door of understanding to giving. And when we give repeatedly the momentum builds up just like a wave getting bigger and bigger the more we add to it with our giving.

The reality that we feel contented when we give someone something modify our perspective literally – we feel empowered and on that instant we appear more beautiful to others. There may be peddlers on the street offering napkins or other sundry things that one is not in need of, but one day you may buy it just to see that smile lighting up the face of the peddler in relief and thankfulness. It is the same satisfaction one gets by responding to a street musician.

Someone who is joyful exudes a natural attraction that draws others in and in doing so draws in better life experiences. It is simple. They attract to them those who are either wanting to experience that feeling or those who already experience it.

So just like water and oil, givers and non-givers gather in separate areas. And the best place to receive something is in a place where givers hang out! But of course you can only stay in the giving group while you give! Givers love to give to those who give.

We may be able to look at quantum physics for resolving things, but these are very much in front of us all the time. Alike attracts alike – right. See what is going on all over the world. Lions like to be with lions, students like to be with students, women prefer the company of women, guys like other guys, ‘poor’ people prefer to be with ‘poor’ people and ‘rich’ people like to form groups with ‘rich’ people. And yes – givers like to make friends with givers.

So if you every give from guilt then it will have the reverse effect for you – you will attract others feeling guilty and guilt-feeling people are not usually that joyful and happy. Guilt is a short step away from anger emotionally; so people giving from guilt often make the jump in that direction. Where as joy is almost at the top of the ladder of human emotions – and the jump from there is just to love – which we are all looking for.

So when you initiate the act of giving, you are very close to knowing perfect love – really wonderful to know that it is. More so as we know that most people are continuously trying to find love. We now know that the answer is so easy – begin giving! And gifting money is only an aspect of giving – giving on the whole will create a special place of joy for us, no matter how ‘little’ the amount.

There is also an emotional aspect to giving consistently. This aspect might not in the beginning appear to have connections to the sensation of joy – in the end it completely bonds us to the absolute bliss of joy.

When we share an item with someone – particularly something that we ourselves do not possess in abundance – we are sending a persuasive communication to our own brain that life is trustworthy. When we give something and later analyse the act we are connecting with the trust. The converse of trust is terror. So again, a group of terrified people are not likely to be happy and fine and so no one would find them appealing. On the other hand, a gathering of trustful people would themselves be happy and would attract many others to share their perfection. So finally when we believe the belief gets transformed into happiness and again we are very near to love – the most important thing that all of us are searching for.

So the essence that has been forgotten over the ages is right here today for anyone to connect with simply and easily. My son received a lot of money for Christmas and I asked him what he was going to do with it. He said he was going to save most of it. I asked him how much he was going to give. He had not considered that an option until I shared it with him. What would happen if the first thing we did when we received was to give some away – do you think we would experience more joy

Transaction based charity – or transaction based generosity

This leads us to the power of transactional giving. Many businesses give when they have lots of money. When they have little they tend not to give. Because of this their potential levels of joy are always go up and down based on the market trends – they have no control. But those who give EVERY time they receive are in control and connected with their experience of joy regularly.

Transactional giving rather than lump sum giving is tied into the business profit cycle so it is a ‘no-brainer’ way of giving. Now every time you receive something you give something – simple. If you have a slow month you still give, but less based on sales. And as your business booms you can give more.

One of the major secrets of transaction based enterprise is that you can partake in the joy of giving so perfectly with all concerned – clients/society – staff – and enterprise. In this scenario customers understand that when they buy something they are also giving though it does not cost them anything other than choosing and shopping with you they feel power of the giving – that is why the traditional CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility, gets transformed into Customer Social Responsibility, with the customer responding perfectly to giving just by appreciating you and have that extra cause, though an elusive one, for preferring to do the shopping with you.

Your personnel will also be able to partake in the happiness of giving as every time they manage to close a sale, they realise that they have managed to give something to a needy person. This is an extremely satisfying experience especially in a team as it can get converted into motivating the team and encouraging the staff.

Any business, including startups with no profit, can do Buy1GIVE1 transaction-based giving – there literally are no barriers to entry and the business controls everything. The contribution amount per transaction starts from just one cent and goes up to thousands of dollars with each business choosing their own level of giving and charity cause project to support depending on their business type and profitability. There is simply no reason not to give this way when the benefits of giving are so numerous. Businesses who are currently giving to a cause can usually convert very quickly and easily to Buy1GIVE1 transaction-based giving while still supporting the same cause providing extra tangible benefits to the business.

At the end of the day commercialised giving is the current day reincarnation of tithing that is simple and manageable for any person, anywhere. Now that we recognize that it is not about the amount that we give such as a specific percentage, but only about the fact that we are giving that is making all that effect. When we enter the brotherhood of givers we move into a restricted and exclusive world that only those who give can enter. And if you do not begin giving today, you may not ‘get’ giving and never will till you begin. So get going.

‘We’re not here to gift in order ‘to take.’ We want more to be able to give more.

Discover more about how Buy1GIVE1 (BOGO) can transform your business using Cause Marketing.

Can making dreams come true be as easy as this? Is it possible to let go of our doubts? Can it be possible? Is it possible to do it so magically so that it could be as easy as brushing our teeth? This excerpt from the book named ONE by Masami Sato would show us how it can be done in a step-by-step manner, so that one can start walking towards one’s dreams today itself.

We all have dreams. But not all of us have the faith in ourselves, that we can have and live those dreams in our lifetime. Actually, the secret to have such certainty is simple. And the reason why we doubt it so much is also straightforward.

Let us start with the first question that can be asked to us..

Why do we not do the things we want to do?

Often, our thinking stops our actions. Often the more we think about it, the less we usually are committed to achieve what we originally wanted to do. Often the more we think about something, we come up with a greater number of reasons for not doing it.

Is it then possible to be sure that we will definitely accomplish what we want to do in our life?

Yes, definitely! For a start, let us look at the power of habits..

If we have to be present at a meeting tomorrow night, we would not be spending too much of time thinking whether we would be able to get there or not. We would not be worried about the possibility of having a car accident and failing to attend the meeting. In fact, when we go to use the toilet, we are unlikely to worry if it might be out of order.

We have so much more sureness about these types of ‘normal’ activities we indulge in every day. They are the habits.

However, we are doubtful about our dreams

Most interestingly, there are plenty of things we are not equally sure about. Particularly the things that we really want to in life – our Dreams!

Then, what is the secret for the conviction that we will accomplish our dreams?

First: Decide to make it a daily habit!

We can begin with being more assured about our actions to fulfil our desires – the type of dreams that really nurtures our life.

For example, if a person’s dream is to make his fair share of contributions to the society, and giving is a big yearning in his life, there is no need to doubt the possibility of being able to make that contribution. Al that is necessary is to make it a daily habit.

Second: Make is as important (and equally easy) as brushing one’s teeth.

Realising dreams can be just like brushing one’s teeth. It simply doesn’t feel nice if we do not brush our teeth for pretty long, isn’t it? We can’t bother to spend hours considering which toothpaste we should use or wait to clean teeth till there is some need to do so. We feel a little out of sorts if our teeth are not clean. So we clean them. That is all!

Back to our example, if giving is our utmost desire, then we need to ask ourselves these questions: What if giving actually was as important as brushing our teeth? What if it makes us feel good? And what if it kept our life healthy?

Irrespective of how much or how little we own right now, we surely can start offering it and sharing it today. As such, no matter how improbable the realisation of dreams might appear, we can start walking towards them today. We can definitely do, if we see it as a crucial issue, a top priority that we should stick to every day! Then we will be uncomfortable if we do not do it. Just like cleaning our teeth.

and Third: Give first, then we will get

When we start giving before we even have what we hope to get – that which we dream of – we are sending out a powerful message to ourselves which tells us, ‘there is enough, and more will come.’ It allows us to feel the joy today – the joy of giving.

If you want to be wealthy, be munificent. Then you are sure to be blessed with abundance. If you are intelligent enough to do so, do not hesitate to teach others. Then you will learn more. If you feel like giving, just give the whole of you. And do it without expecting anything in return. Just let go. The act of giving is its own reward. The simple satisfaction of giving.

So do not be hesitant to dole out and share what you have, for it will not prevent you from achieving your purpose, whatever it is. It will only help you to realise your dreams more easily. And your journey through that path would be full of joy.

But surely habits are much smaller in scale, compared to our BIG dreams?

Just manage do it, no need to worry about the ’scale’.

Because anything is possible in life. We might start things in a small way. And these small things will always take us to another action, and another. Having certainty in our small actions and executing them one by one always takes us forward. But if we thought it was ‘impossible’ to do something now because it just seemed ‘too big’, it will never happen.

The secret to achieve your dreams has always been here, and will always be here. The people who create miracles, inspirations, and the real sense of joy, already know this. They are always using it.

Dreams and marvels are not accidents. We make them through our options.

So, would you start walking towards your dreams today?

Contents are excerpted with minor modification from ONE, a book written by Masami Sato. To get a free copy of ONE, visit www.B1G1.com and start sharing the joy of giving. Feel free to use or republish the content of the above article, fully or partially, as long as it is preserved in its original content, with proper attribution to Masami Sato and www.B1G1.com.

Find out more about how Buy1GIVE1 (BOGO) can transform your business using Cause Marketing.

As the age old adage says, health is wealth. Here we are speaking about soul’s wealth. Nutritious food is good for one’s health because body can absorb its essence – it is ditto with our life. When we espouse life in its entirety, enjoying all the impressions and sensations in it, our soul will be able to take in its ‘quintessence’, coming to terms with the core of our existence, and helping us to live our lives to the highest. Masami Sato shares the mystery of living a complete life in this excerpt from her latest book, ONE.

Why is it that many of us, (actually, most of us) now and then feel some sort of a barren sensation in our lives? It is like being ravenous. When we eat, we are satiated and become slightly indifferent to food. But after some time, we once again feel like having food. Then suddenly we are drawn again to the aroma and picture of food. We can also feel strange pangs of hunger when we are not actually craving for food – just after having eaten something. Some of us have a craving all the time.

Persistent emotional thirst is not the happiest feeling to have. Then how can we live our lives to the brim? How can we be more contented enduringly?

Maybe the answer is straightforward: just live our lives fully. The word ‘full’ holds the meaning of entirety. Then the secret to live a life in entirety is only to live it fully.

Let’s start to look at one example of this ‘wholeness’ with something awfully close to our heart-our stomach.

Whole Food VS Part Food

We have heard the term ‘whole food’. They say that eating whole food is the key to the health and wellness we seek. Then why is whole food so much better than ‘half food’?

A full grain throbs with a life of its own. If you put the full grain in water, drain the next day and keep for a few days, it shoots. It has its own life. When we dine on such food, our body takes in the entire live nutrients. It has all the qualities required to purify, remedy and foster different body cells.

And exactly like the example of a grain, much of customary eating includes consuming whole edible creatures as well. Eating full fresh fish used to be more prevalent than having a half of it and casting the rest away. It was exactly so for meat and every edible plant product.

‘Half food’ sometimes has more sweetness and flavour but not much other nutrition. We like its taste, but we could develop a long-term illness if we only ate ‘half food’ every day of our life.

So, to balance the missing part, we started to take dietary supplements. We have been studying and researching for a long time to find the perfect balance. It gets more and more complicated as we chop the food up, preserve and transport, and even try to balance with other parts coming from different sources, regions and seasons. Some of the nutrients even come from non-food items. They are chemically generated. After analysis and testing, we approve it for human consumption. But no matter how hard we try; we cannot put all the ‘bits’ together to make it come alive.

Semi Life-’Sweetness’ of Life

So, if we looked at our life now, part of what we are doing can be like eating the ‘half food’. Just savouring the sweetness of life but throwing away the real nourishing part. And if we soaked our ‘half life’ in water with other bits and left it in the sunlight, could it shoot and grow into a beautiful whole life?

Whole food is not (as some people perceive it) poor in taste. It is actually tastier when we prepare it properly. But while the demand is low, it is more expensive. It is actually more economical in the long run though, as we have less medical expenses later on. When more people start eating it, it will naturally become cheaper because it is a simpler food with less processing and waste.

Our life is very similar. When we only value the ’sugariness’, and cast out the rest as litter because we don’t perceive its value, we may be throwing out the most important portion. And what we jettison could have the biggest power for the endorsement of our life and our financial health. It also takes more strength and resources to cast it out. Better still, that which is thrown away comes free.

So, what is it that we do not perceive?

Think of a life where we didn’t actually sense we were missing anything there.

The secret is right there. The secret of a whole life.

Full Life-The Complete Life

When it is ‘full’, it does not matter how big the full is. It can spread out all at once. It can still have within it all the components to uphold itself as a complete living thing. Once it develops to a given size, it can continue to live without some portions of it. Like plants can remain alive after birds feed on a little of it or trees survive even after losing their leaves. But if we ignore the equilibrium for a pretty long time, finally it can lead to a deadly disproportion. Then it might become too difficult to revert to normalcy.

We do not have to revert to Stone Age to find entirety. Entirety exists in the current. All we should do is watch intimately; watch intimately enough to actually see.

When we start seeing our life as a whole and stop throwing away what nourishes our life the most, we start feeling more and more fulfilled without looking for ‘things’ to fill holes and dents of our life. Everything finally falls into place. We now understand the mechanism of our world in a very different way.

Yes, it is now time to find out how we can create (and see) this balance, continuously and sustainably.

The real nourishing part of our life is what makes us feel good deep down. It is like the part of food that makes our body become healthy in the long-term. Feelings we experience in our everyday life are the real key to our long-term happiness. And there are feelings that make us feel more complete.

The smiles we see when we give acknowledgements to others. The joy we feel when we give gifts to others. The love we feel when we see our children being happy. The inspirations we receive when we feel our life is full of meaning

Let’s experience these moments of our life fully and enjoy the flavour of our whole life. Then we will see how it is not so necessary to continuously fill our mind (and stomach!) with temporal gratifications-those types of things that make us even hungrier afterwards.

We can actually feel this joy, gratitude and love in order to experience the life as a whole at any moment regardless of the situations. It is not about what we see, what we hear or what we do that complete our life as a whole. It is about what we ‘choose to’ feel about our life.

Yes, our life indeed is already absolute.

When we initiate taking actions based on this knowledge, we can have real control over the balance creation – enduring health, prosperity, enriching connection and delight.

Discover more about how Buy1GIVE1 (BOGO) can transform your business using Cause Marketing.

You know, the themes of succeeding and success have been around as long as mankind. Current definitions have endured for at least three generations, namely for ourselves, for our parents, and for our grandparents. Three key points appear to emerge.

First of all, being successful means different things to different people and in different scenarios. Making a fortune is not the only definition. Success may be simply doing one’s best and making the most of one’s own abilities, whatever they may be.

It may be about making the most of your life. Not only for yourself, but also in terms of your impact on the lives of others. It may mean a combination of success in work life, family life, social life, and in life at various stages from birth through to maturity.

We are only blessed with a single life. Therefore, we need to look at life success in the broadest possible way. This means perceiving it in its totality, in which the work part of our lives, naturally forms a critical component, since we all have to earn an income, to live.

Secondly, success in life usually doesn’t happen by chance (although it can occur accidentally). Success is more usually as a result of a deliberate attempt to make it happen. So this means that success, whatever way people choose to define it, is invariably targeted and pursued.

In my research audience of 100 world famous successful people, 85% were ambitious or driven self starters when they were young people. For them, success was more about something that was intended. It did not just happen by accident.

Thirdly, life success has been considered in a similar way for three generations. So grandparents, parents and young people have comparable notions when it comes to thinking about success in life. Accordingly, influence by the family, particularly parents, is likely to be a critical aspect, at the heart of developing success in life.

Indeed, 65% of the successful people I studied, benefited from positive family influence when they were young people. This was in the form of their parents acting as role models. It was also through their specific advice.

Now comes the crunch time. Try to define life success for yourself. Obviously, your definition will cover how you make a living. But also, it will need to relate to your whole life, not just the work part of it.

If you want to find out more about Success, then visit Peter Stephenson’s site to find the most effective Career Advice to meet your needs.

While many uninsured anticipate Obama’s Health plan to take effect, this season’s flu epidemics serve as a gentle reminder that being uninsured is non-negotiable. According to the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC), the H1N1 virus is responsible for 20 deaths and 476 hospitalizations. [Source: Illinois Department of Health http://www.idph.state.il.us/h1n1_flu/sf_statistics.htm] Residents covered with Illinois health insurance, as well as those, who are uninsured, are advised to obtain flu and H1N1 vaccinations. Given the uncertainty of the virus, minor to fatal events are possible.

Insurance companies are working in accordance with the Centers for Disease control, the American Medical Association IAMA) medical facilities, as well as other locations throughout Illinois. Unfortunately, these benefits are not applicable to the uninsured. Approximately, 250,000 children are uninsured in the state of Illinois. [Source: http://www.allkidscovered.com/]. Following the sudden death of a 14-year old high school student of Naperville, families without medical coverage have several affordable health insurance options.

Forgoing Illinois health insurance proved to be a sickeningly expensive misstep for the Kronish family. When the head of the household loss his job, extending cobra benefits for a family of six seemed unreasonable. Besides, their four children aged 14, 13, 11 and eight were always healthy.

After their 11-year old son complained of all the symptoms associated with H1N1, an emergency room visit turned into a 23-hour observation; and, thus a $3500 bill for all the tests and overnight stay. In an effort to prevent more of the same, the remaining Kronish family members were vaccinated, costing an additional $375.

Between the ER visit, five H1N1 vaccinations of $375, medical bills were a total of $3875, the same price it would have cost the family to maintain their cobra health benefits. Meanwhile, the Kronishs’ remain uninsured with a new hospital bill. Hopefully, they will not be struck by another medical emergency that will set them back even further, financially. In the interim, all Illinois health insurance plans are offering free vaccinations at the doctor’s office, health facility and designated companies (CVS, Osco-Drugs and Walgreens).

Sick days, doctor’s visits, and medications reflect just a few of the cost differentials between having Illinois health insurance and being uninsured. Most physicians and clinics charge $65 to $150 for a single medical visit. These fees do not include any vaccinations, antibiotics or other medical services. H1N1 is the perfect example of a simple emergency room and overnight observation can mount into a single expensive incident that otherwise an Illinois health insurance would cover.

Bookmark or visit Illinois Life & Health for more information pertaining to Illinois medical insurance. The site maintains the latest news, resources and a no obligation Illinois medical insurance quote, online.

With the increased number of online bachelors degree courses available today there is no reason you can not further your education. The number of online bachelor degree courses from established and respected colleges and universities has never been larger and the degrees awarded for completing these programs carry equal weight to a degree earned through a traditional on campus program. This gives you the opportunity to be quite selective and take the exact course you need to pursue the career you desire.

We have never known a time in history when getting your degree has meant more. That’s due to the extremely packed job market, which has been made even more suspect due to the recent economic turbulence. Even the best companies have been laying off thousands of employees. That means you have to be able to ensure your worth to an employer, and obtaining your bachelors is one of the best ways to do that.

Having said that earning a bachelors degree is not an easy thing to do for most people. Your education will need to be flexible enough to fit in around your current commitments. Many people have to juggle their study around existing work and family commitments. It is for this reason that online programs are so great. You can do all your learning online via the internet from the comfort of your home, at any time of the day, seven days a week.

The scope of online degree courses has expanded significantly so much so that virtually every common course can be completed online. There are many different colleges offering their courses through a distance learning program so the chance of finding something that suits your needs and objectives has never been better.

You no longer have to accept any online program because it’s the only one available. You can be picky and choose something that fits your style and your needs, whether you’re interested in the arts, philosophy, sciences, business or anything else.

There are no age requirements are other factors that inhibit you from enrolling for an online degree program, and it’s an extremely convenient option. Unlike with a traditional campus, you won’t have to be commuting back and forth, using up time and gas money. You also won’t have to attend a local school just because it’s close by. As an online student you can enroll in a program from any location with no trouble at all.

The flexibility of online programs is increased when you consider that you can learn on your own schedule. There is no class schedule that says from 4-6 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays you have to be at class. You can study and do your work whenever it fits into your life, whether it’s first thing in the morning, the middle of the day or late at night. And you can pace yourself however it makes sense. You can enroll and just take one course at a time if that’s what you need to succeed.

With an online program you can take as many or as few classes as you choose. That means if you’re really busy you can take just one course and chip away at your degree. It also means that if you’re ready to take on a full load you can find accelerated programs that enable you to fly through the process. With a program like this and a full slate of courses, you can knock out your bachelors degree in half the time it would take in a traditional setting.

Attending on campus courses simply doesn’t work for most adults with families and job responsibilities. The positive news is that online bachelors degree programs are more accepted and more accessible than ever before. You’ll get unmatched flexibility and the sky will be the limit with your career and future.

The crisis in the housing industry and the current slide in the economy have made loan modification top news. Literally thousands of Americans are facing home foreclosure, and the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Act of 2009 from Congress has given many homeowners hope that their home loans can be negotiated with a home modification loan, thus resulting in the ability to stay in their homes and make lower monthly mortgage payments.

However, there’s a catch with this that many people don’t know about. That is, homeowners have been told to try to contact their lenders themselves and renegotiate their terms. However, for many, this leads to frustration and does no good at all, since these companies don’t seem to want to help.

There is help today for those who are facing foreclosure, but getting that help can be very difficult. When homeowners are in danger of foreclosure, most try to contact the bank by themselves without an attorney’s help. In many of these cases, people never actually do get to talk to a real person, even though they may spend hours on the phone trying to get help with no luck.

There have been many reports of desperate homeowners trying to get in touch with their banks for a loan modification with no results at all. Many have spent hours on the phone, only to get automated responses, put on hold, and given the run around from person to person in the company. Yet in the end nothing has been resolved at all.

The only thing they’re left with after all of that hard work is frustration, and hopelessness that has no apparent end. ABC news even focused on one Congresswoman who was trying to help her constituents get loan modification help necessary to save their homes, only to experience the exact same difficulties her constituents did, with hours spent on the phone and no results in the end.

One positive note to this is that there is indeed help for those who want to modify their mortgages and stay in their homes. However, they’re probably not going to be able to get that help by themselves. Even if you are a homeowner who has only met with frustration and resistance in previous attempts, you may still be able to avoid foreclosure on your home and have a solution to this problem.

Getting a loan modification and avoiding foreclosure will usually require professional help, though. If you try to pursue a loan modification on your own and have gotten nowhere with it, try again with professional help that can help you get the results you seek. To do this, find a loan modification company that has the experience to help you. Most of these companies offer free consultations initially, so that you can have a meeting with one of these companies and explain your specific circumstances without ever having to worry about paying for something that’s not going to help you.

These loan modification companies know how to deal with lenders and banks, and they know how to manage loan modifications. They can provide you with the assistance and professionalism you need to get results, which is to avoid foreclosure and stay in your home. Again, their initial consultation is almost always free, so you’ll have nothing to lose if you try to go through one of these companies.

If you are one of the many homeowners who has been given the runaround by your lender, been put on hold, or have heard only automated messages with no end result, try consulting a loan modification company. Having a loan modification company on your side may help you save your home, which is of course what you want.

Wondering what all you can do with your latest iPhone? The choices are limitless! You can presently get Apple extras that give you a different look every time you walk out your door, customize your voicemail messages for every mood, and provide you with non-stop entertainment. You can utilise your iPhone to make sure you never get weary once again! Use it to draw a crowd or impress someone. Utilise it to make a statement. The list just goes on. Make your iPhone uniquely yours, and your iPhone will make sure you’re outstanding in a crowd.

How can something so small do so many things? The magic is entirely in the extras you utilize to turn your iPhone into something much more!

What’re several of the best Apple extras?

One of the most noted extras for your Apple iPhone is your wallpaper. Your wallpaper can determine what kind of person you’re. You can portray whatsoever picture you desire to the world with your wall paper. You can be serious, funny, outrageous, happy, sad, whatsoever. You could even coordinate your iPhone’s wall paper to match your dressing! Say you want an incredible deal on a great choice of wallpapers, then check out TheiPhoneDVD.com. Their entertainment package includes twenty over thousand wall papers – all on one DVD. Now that actually gives you an option!

Some other popular Apple extra that permits you to uniquely customise your iPhone is ring tones. Utilizing a different song for every other friend or family member likewise lets you know who’s calling without your even having to glance at your iPhone when it sounds. Your complete best deal for ringtones is also over at TheiPhoneDVD.com. They’ve collected thirty-thousand mp3 ringtones, and put them in 1 astounding package!

What about your voice mail message? Does it genuinely say what you wish it to say? There are a couple of nifty Apple extras with sound effects you could utilise in your voicemail messages to get your point across with out a doubt. Where could you find your best deal on a fantastic voice mail collection? So sorry to be redundant, but it’s also at TheiPhoneDVD.com.

Speaking of the iPhone DVD, numerous of the best extras for your Apple iPhone bring you tremendous entertainment. And that is where your iPhone DVD package actually comes in handy. TheiPhoneDVD.com brings you the best in converting your DVD movies over to your iPhone promptly and easily. It too includes 1500 video-clips made for your iPhone. And you’ll discover links for your favorite games you can download from the Web in iPhone format.

Yet better, all of these Apple extras are included on 1 DVD at TheiPhoneDVD.com. They have stuffed 4.7 GB of wall papers, ring tones, sound effects, pictures, animations, software apps, and fun into a disc that fits in your DVD-ROM. Its the most astounding Apple extras deal out there! Never spend another boring moment. Be the envy of your friends. Check out TheiPhoneDVD now!

If you were to ask any person you know what he believed should be changed about himself or his life, you would probably receive either of two answers. Most people either believe they are perfect or complete disasters; there is rarely any middle ground.

Depending upon the person you were speaking to, he would probably either assert that everything about himself was fine as it was, or else he would be able to give you a long list of grievances surrounding everything he felt was wrong.

Self motivation training can relieve you from this irrational extreme. It will help you to see that you, have some faults or weaknesses which could stand to be improved upon; and it will also help you to see that even if you do possess major problems or difficulties, this is neither a reflection on you nor on your ability to overcome them.

We want you to think of self motivation training as a tool. And by learning how to effectively use this tool, increase the enjoyment of all aspects of your life. By taking responsibility for your actions great things begin to happen.

Self motivation is the key to improving many different areas of your life. By putting forth the effort to improve you relationships in your personal life you will be improving your communication skills in your business life as well. Thus you will begin an upward spiral in improving your self-confidence without even realizing it.

Quickly you will see yourself improving in areas you never even thought about such as time management. By being more self motivated to get things accomplished you will become more productive. Being more productive in one area will allow time for you to accomplish goals in other areas that were originally not even considered.

Now comes the happiness part. As you become more productive your confidence goes up and with your confidence increase come a increased sense of well being. Instead of looking at you day and complaining about all the bad you can now look back and smile at all the good you accomplished.

Everything boils down to how you perceive your position in life. If you expect things to just fall into your lap and blame others for that not happening, nothing will help you. Yet if you can begin a process of becoming self motivated many good things will begin to change for you.

A fulfilled life is the reward for becoming self motivated. Start small and build with one success after another and before you know it you will be looking into the mirror and seeing a happy person.

If you are thinking about what is the better means to discipline your own singing power when you are up on stage, there is no better way than to buy the Karaoke SuperStar DVD package.

This collection of karaoke Dvd Discs is the ideal purchase for anyone who is debating achieving singing perfection, but how can you benefit from this compendium?

1. With over 800 songs, you’ll surely find what you want

The Karaoke SuperStar DVD bundle is superb due to the fact that it presents so many choices to rehearse and discipline your singing voice with. With over 800 karaoke song tracks accessible it would be near impossible to not find a song that is close to your heart. Whatever is your treasured musical style or mode, there is no question that you will acquire the perfect song that will fit your needs, and even a couple more that are would be ideal for you to perform.

2. Total portability in 4 DVD disks

The Karaoke SuperStar DVD package can be extraordinary as it involves no real effort in making your own house into the perfect karaoke place. Working through most stereo or DVD players, all you require to do is pop in the karaoke DVD disc, plug in the microphone, and select your favorite song, and you are afoot.

3. Enjoy singing and practise your vocal skills

The number one rationality why people purchase karaoke Dvd Discs such as these as it leaves them the opportunity to practice at home and train their potential in singing. As it is quick and simple to set up, it does not take long to start up and get singing, granting you the opportunity to perfect your vocal range and tones whenever you have a spare hour available.

4. DVDs at an insurmountable cost

Purchasing the Karaoke SuperStar DVD bundle is superb as you definitely get a marvelous value for your money. With over 800 songs available on the karaoke Dvd Discs, you have such a huge range of songs to select from. Begin off with your favourite karaoke songs, and before long you will be on bigger and better affairs as your power and confidence with the mike increases.

5. Your assurance is the key

The greatest part about buying the DVD bundle is that it gives you the chance to construct your self-assurance to perform live on stage. By practising with the karaoke Dvds whenever you have a minute ready, it will not be long before you have a lot of confidence about your singing ability.