Latest Articles by bcanderson

Easy Ways to Develop Your Psychic Skills

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Everyone has within them some amount of psychic ability. It is innate in people, just like the ability to paint or play a musical instrument. With training we can learn to play the piano, and in the same way we can learn to harness that psychic ability that is already within us.

The key to tapping into this force is focus.

The basis of every thing on earth, from the people to the plants, animals and things we create, is energy. Psychic skills have to do with tapping into that energy and gaining a better understanding of how energy works.

For a really quick example of the feeling of energy, rub your hands together for about 30 seconds. After you have done this, start with your hands a couple of feet apart and slowly bring them closer together, but don't let them touch.

Can you feel the energy between your hands? Try this again with your eyes closed so that you can focus more on the feeling of the energy. This energy is the basic building block of the universe, and the more you can tap into that energy, the more you can develop your psychic skills.

First you can try to sense when someone is coming closer to you by feeling his or her energy pattern. You can also begin to feel the energy that is held in objects and see if you can tell anything about the person who owns or owned the object just by touching it.

If you haven't had a lot of psychic experiences before, this may seem preposterous, but relax, hold the item in your hand and visualize it clearly in your mind, remembering that the energy of the person is in the object. There's actually a step-by-step process that can help you to "read" objects, which you can learn easily in just a matter of days.

In the beginning some of this information is sure to be inaccurate, incomplete or somehow confused. As with any other skill, it takes practice to tap into this energy and to understand what it is trying to tell you.

The most important thing you can remember when trying to develop your psychic skills is that we are all energy and the universe is the same energy. There is no need to connect to a higher power or plane of existence to tap into your psychic abilities—it is already all within you.

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Conrad Raw is an expert in practical techniques for personal and spiritual development. He is the author of "Forbidden Secrets Of Personal And Energetic Development." He travels the world to learn and teach and is the founder of Greater Human Potential, a website devoted to bringing you easy to learn techniques to increase your human evolution. Visit his website for a free newsletter filled with tons of great tips and advice.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Harness Your Energy with Breath Control

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

You probably already know that the brain has two hemispheres, the right and left, and that the left side of the brain generally controls the right side of the body and vice versa.

The left part of the brain is in control when logic is needed. It controls verbal tasks, paying attention to details and linear thinking. The right hemisphere, on the other hand, is more creative. It covers visualization and intuition.

Wouldn't it be great if you could call on the creative or the logical qualities of your mind or the other when you needed it?

The truth is you can, just by using a little breath control. Paying attention to how you breathe and taking the time to breathe correctly can make a big difference in your energy levels.

You've probably thinking you didn't know there was a wrong way to breathe, and there really isn't, there are just more efficient and less efficient ways depending on what you want to do.

Let's say for example that you're studying for a test. Maybe it's a math test. You need all the logical brain you can handle so that you can focus on remembering and understanding the material at hand.

Take a quick break from your studying, use the tip of one finger to gently close your left nostril by pressing it against the fleshy part of the nose. Then just breathe in and out through the right nostril for a couple of minutes.

Likewise, if you need energy to harness your creative powers, gently hold the right nostril closed and breathe only through the left nostril. This process works because it activates different energy pathways in the body, activating different properties of your mind. It's a very powerful process.

This is a really simple way to change your energy patterns through breath control and to give yourself a little boost and an extra dose of focus. It has been scientifically shown that we naturally breathe out of one nostril at a time, and we unconsciously change which nostril we are using about every 90 minutes, and the levels of activity in the parts of the brain actually change correspondingly to the change in the breath.

This makes a lot of sense because it keeps a good supply of oxygen going to both parts of the brain, but when you need a boost you can easily selectively breathe through one nostril or the other to bring more energy and focus into the work that you are doing.

This is one simple way to use breath control to improve your life. It just takes a few seconds; I hope you'll try it!

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Conrad Raw is an expert in practical techniques for personal and spiritual development. He is the author of "Forbidden Secrets Of Personal And Energetic Development." He travels the world to learn and teach and is the founder of Greater Human Potential, a website devoted to bringing you easy to learn techniques to increase your human evolution. Visit his website for a free newsletter filled with tons of great tips and advice.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Meditation and Brain Wave States

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Most people know that there are different brain wave states that the brain can be in at different times. The beta state is what we are normally in when we are completely awake and focused, while the alpha state is reached through daydreaming and meditation, theta is the dream state and delta is reached in very deep sleep.

It is possible to alter your brain waves and enter the alpha state whenever you want, which is what people do when they meditate. Consciously synchronizing the brain wave patterns of both hemispheres of the brain can provide you with all sorts of benefits, such as:

*A feeling of relaxation
*Diminished stress
*Increased feeling of well-being
*Increased confidence
*Feeling better about yourself
*Diminished headaches and migraines
*Heightened immune system
*Lower blood pressure
*Less insomnia and better sleeping patterns
*Improved intuition and creative visualization skills

Of course you will not see all these benefits after the first time you try meditation, but sticking with a routine of regular meditation (or consciously getting your body into the alpha brain wave state) will bring about these changes for you.

The trouble with the way most people are taught to meditate is that it is just too hard for most of us to "think of nothing." Our minds wander quickly and it is difficult to bring ourselves back to the calm place of peace and quiet we are told we're supposed to be in to meditate.

Then we feel like we're wasting our time because we're not accomplishing anything, which keeps us even farther away from that quiet place we were hoping for!

Instead of trying to clear your mind, it can help to focus on an object or the wall and slowly count backward from 100. Over time you can count back from 50, then 10, then five, and by the time you have counted you will find yourself shifting into alpha brain state, at which point you will feel your body relax, at least in the beginning.

If you have time, try to get in this state two or three times a day. This dynamic meditation is also very energizing and controllable than the kind of passive meditation we are used to hearing about, in which you can't really control the experience or know what the benefits are going to.

Just as with passive meditation, however, learning to meditate in a way that alters your brain waves can take some practice. Be gentle with yourself as you work with this technique, and soon you will see the benefits of meditation coming to fruition in your life.

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Conrad Raw is an expert in practical techniques for personal and spiritual development. He is the author of "Forbidden Secrets Of Personal And Energetic Development." He travels the world to learn and teach and is the founder of Greater Human Potential, a website devoted to bringing you easy to learn techniques to increase your human evolution. Visit his website for a free newsletter filled with tons of great tips and advice.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Tai Chi for Spiritual Growth

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Tai Chi is known as a soft martial arts technique that emphasizes health, longevity and proper form above self-defense. Tai Chi originated in China but in recent years it has become popular around the world, particularly among older people looking for an exercise that is smooth and easy for them but that also contains a mental or spiritual aspect.

The idea behind Tai Chi is that you are working to balance two extremes, the yin and yang. It works to balance the flow of energy through the body, which can improve:

*Blood circulation
*Body heat retention
*Breath movement through the body
*Functioning of the lymph system

Tai Chi also focuses on relaxation through slow, repetitive movements rather than muscle contraction, which makes the exercise less stressful and more relaxing than other martial arts styles.

Many think of Tai Chi as a moving meditation because there is so much focus on making precise body movements, breathing steadily and seeking balance. The way Tai Chi is often practiced in Western countries the martial arts/self defense aspects are set aside for more emphasis on the health and meditative aspects.

Like yoga, Tai Chi is a practice that can lead you to spiritual growth, even if that is not what you were intending when you began the practice. Focusing inward to do the movements steadily and properly causes people to pay attention in a way they might not have for a long time previously. This can help open you up to spirituality and a deeper feeling of connection with the world around you (especially when Tai Chi is practiced in nature).

If you are looking for spiritual growth through practice of Tai Chi, mindfulness is the key. Pay attention to your breathing, to what parts of your body are moving and which are standing still as you go through the movements, and where your balance is coming from.

Move through the practice with thoughtfulness and grace, and visualize yourself becoming more in balance, both internally and with the world around you. Breathe in golden light and breathe it back out as your gift to the world.

Whatever reason brings you to Tai Chi, you will find many health and spiritual benefits. Some studies have show Tai Chi may help people lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular and respiratory function. You may find you have more literal balance as well as more grounding and spiritual balance after just a few weeks of regular Tai Chi practice.

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Conrad Raw is an expert in practical techniques for personal and spiritual development. He is the author of "Forbidden Secrets Of Personal And Energetic Development." He travels the world to learn and teach and is the founder of Greater Human Potential, a website devoted to bringing you easy to learn techniques to increase your human evolution. Visit his website for a free newsletter filled with tons of great tips and advice.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Assumptions about Church Building Lead to Costly Mistakes

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

One of the biggest mistakes that churches make when they are looking to expand their existing structure is assuming that they can just build on and add whatever they want and still be in compliance with building codes and zoning ordinances.

Just because your church building was in compliance with all the city or county rules that applied to it when it was first built does not mean that it will continue to be so when you build onto it.

Even minor updates to your church design like replacing carpet and paint could trigger mandatory building code upgrades throughout the building when you try to get a permit for cosmetic changes to your building.

If you're building a new church building on the same property as your existing building, you need to make sure the proximities are right or again you could trigger required code upgrades to your existing building.

And if you change the use for part of your building, such as adding a café or a daycare, you may be subject to completely new building codes and may no longer be considered just a church for the purposes of zoning, which could mean the need for a variance and could require substantially more costs than you were expecting to get that operation up and running.

Many church building committees just assume they can do whatever they want if they already have a church building existing on a property, but the city or county government will want to be involved every step of the way to make sure you're complying with zoning, safety and land use regulations.

That's why it is so important to develop a master plan before you get into the design process of your new church building or remodeling project. You need to know what the legal ramifications are when you choose to build a new building or change your existing structure in a particular way.

So many churches skip this step because they go to a bunch of different vendors — surveyors, landscape architects, designers, etc. — and none of them really look at the big picture of what impact this development will have and the legal and public safety hurdles they'll need to jump through. Savvy churches utilize church design and construction consultants that are able to coordinate all of the team players.

Even churches that have full-fledged building committees might be missing out on some of these details because the committee members are so concerned with the big picture of how beautiful and useful their new building is going to be that they don't think about the mundane permitting and zoning aspects — but doing these things incorrectly can cost you big money if you have to redraw plans, pay to get a variance or land use change or have to make substantial infrastructure upgrades to comply with the existing land use and concurrency regulations.

Taking the time to plan your project right on the front end will give you peace of mind that you can meet your budget as the project continues.

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Bruce Anderson is a nationally recognized church design and construction consultant and president of Build-Masters Group LLC. Visit his site for a free report, "The Top 10 Mistakes Pastors Make in Designing and Building Their Church…and How to Avoid Them."

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Designing a Master Plan for your Church Design

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

When planning a big project like a new worship center, children's center or church relocation, having a master plan is the key to success. A master plan is a comprehensive analysis of long-term ministry strategies and how they interface with your land and development strategies.

Put more simply, to have a master plan means that you think long and hard about how the space is going to be used and how you can meet different needs for, as an example:

*Operational needs
*Ministry needs
*Demographic changes
*Financial needs
*Existing physical structures and land use
*Legal requirements
*Safety requirements

Knowing your current needs and thinking about what your future might require will make it a lot easier for you to plan your new church structure because you'll be able to develop something that is right for your congregation now and in the future.

While all this sounds pretty intimidating, pastors tend to have a pretty good instinctual feeling about how their church is used and how the population of the congregation has changed and will continue to change over time.

The major piece of the master planning puzzle that some churches have trouble with is the land use and legal aspect, that is, what your city or county will actually allow you to do with your land.

Even if you have a planning committee, they probably have spent a lot of time clarifying their dreams and goals for the new building but they probably aren't thinking a lot about those technical aspects that are so important to the actual physical development process.

At some point you have to combine these two aspects into a fully-fledged master plan that encompasses the whole world of details that need to be handled before your new church building can be realized.

Preparation and planning aren't very exciting, but they are absolutely crucial to the success of your project. A church is usually a large development that is subject to the same rules that a shopping center or any other building would be subject to. That means you have to follow the same zoning rules, safety and building codes and other regulations that any other development would.

If you're in the beginning stages of developing a new church building, make sure that you are taking into consideration all the pieces of the puzzle. Your new building needs to not only suit your needs and the needs of your congregation, but also the rules and regulations of the city or county and the wishes of the neighborhood in which the church is located.

Taking time to consider all the technical and legal aspects before a design for your new building is drawn will ensure you are going about things the right way with your church construction project.

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Bruce Anderson is a nationally recognized church design and construction consultant and president of Build-Masters Group LLC. Visit his site for a free report, "The Top 10 Mistakes Pastors Make in Designing and Building Their Church…and How to Avoid Them."

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

How Land Use Regulations Can Affect your Church Construction

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Getting in compliance with land use regulations and concurrency requirements is a key part of any church construction project. Developing land and meeting the requirements of concurrency can cost a church as much as 40 percent of your total project budget, but most churches don't think to add this expense to their total project budget projections in the initial stages.

Here are just some of the things you might need to pay for in the realm of land use and site preparation before you even talk about designing and building your new church:

Impact fees
Utility extension fees
Tap fees
Tie-in costs
Soil analysis and stabilization
Retention
Traffic studies
Landscaping
Signage
Lighting
Parking
Offsite requirements

When you're planning a church construction project, it is common to find a piece of property that you think is going to be perfect for development, but when you look closer you may find there are land issues that will either cost you more money or make it impossible for you to build on the land (such as easements, wetlands and other issues).

Another big issue if you happen to be planning your project for an area that's not growing very quickly or is underdeveloped is known as concurrency. This means that city or county planners can compel you to slow down development on your project until such time that the infrastructure is in place to support your church buildings. So a piece of land can look perfect on the surface, but if you have to wait 10 years for the state to build a highway so your parishioners can get to church, that's not a good deal for you.

And if there are already roads where you are planning to build, the traffic trip counts will have to work in your favor for your project to be viable. The city or county will have a certain number of trips per day that it says are allowable on a certain street, and if you expect your project will exceed the number of trips suggested for that road, your development might not get approved.

The potential problems don't end just because you're building on to an existing structure or on property where your current church building exists. Such expansion projects can subject you to bringing the old building up to current codes, which can be very costly, and building on the same site as an older building can also make you subject to proving that the current building is up to code and meets all current regulations.

All of this makes it sound like your city or county doesn't want to you to expand or develop a church. While in some areas that could well be the case, the truth is that the planning process is blind and you would face the same regulations if you were building a store or a house as you do building a church. The key is to not resent the rules and to know that doing everything according to the regulations is part of the process of designing and building your dream church.

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Bruce Anderson is a nationally recognized church design and construction consultant and president of Build-Masters Group LLC. Visit his site for a free report, "The Top 10 Mistakes Pastors Make in Designing and Building Their Church…and How to Avoid Them."

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

What Every Pastor Should Know Before Building a New Church

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

You've decided to build a new church or to build on to your existing church. This is a very exciting time in the life of a congregation, full of big dreams and excitement about the fellowship that will be enjoyed in your new house of worship.

But don't let all that excitement keep you from seeing the hard reality that a church construction project is a very complex process that can end up costing you a lot more time and money if you don't do it right.

It is imperative that you find professionals to work with on your project who actually have documented experience working with your type of project. While a development is a development in the eyes of city planners, it will help you tremendously if you can work with someone who has been through the process of church construction in the past.

Just because you hire the best expert church builders out there, however, does not mean that your voice as the pastor of the church should not be heard. It's your money — really, your congregation's money — that is going to build the church, and if your needs aren't being met you need to find new people to work with or insist on doing things the way you think is best for your congregation.

There are many legal and technical hurdles that need to be cleared in the process of building a new church, from site selection and improvement to making sure you can actually build on the site and get utilities there, traffic studies, zoning codes, sign regulations and much more. These land use details can take up a big chunk of your budget, and most pastors don't even think about them in the planning process.

That's why it is so important to work with a professional in church construction who can really help you with your master plan so you know how big of a building you need, what kind of spaces should be included and how to position it on your site so that it meets all code requirements.

When you're excited about getting a new building it can seem like a waste of time to take these slow planning steps, but good master planning is never a waste and often saves you money because you know the potential issues before they come up.

This will allow you to really enjoy the design and construction process for your new church and will ensure that you're meeting all the necessary requirements your city or county have for new construction. It's not glamorous, but it's very important for your project's success.

Why You Need a Master Plan for your Church Project

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Back in the good old days, people wanted to have churches in their neighborhoods. Churches provided a backbone for the community, a place where people could gather, and an unconscious sign that this was a good neighborhood.

These days, some people aren't as friendly to church construction as they used to be. Neighbors might be worried about the noise or traffic problems caused by having a large church move in. Others might be worried that a new church would impact sale of alcohol at the corner store. For whatever reason, congregations building new churches today need to be very mindful of regulations and neighborhood sentiments as they plan their project.

You might not think that having a master plan is all that important, but it really is vital to the success of your project. The main reason: money.

Having a good plan before you start design or construction can save a congregation money by using their land in the most efficient way possible. It can also save you money on construction costs for poorly sited buildings, so that you build a church that's large enough to grow into the first time and don't have to build a new building every few years.

Without a master plan, you won't know what potential issues you need to work around in your site development. There are many different issues that can cause potential problems for your planning, such as:

*Zoning regulations
*Historic district rules (or neighborhood covenant design rules)
*Easements and utility tie-ins
*Ordinances having to do with landscaping and signage
*Land use ordinances
*Building codes
*Permits
*Variances

Only about 60 to 65 percent of your budget is going to actually go to the building; the rest will go to such things as developing the site, soft costs, furniture, fixtures and equipment. So if you haven't done this master planning work before you start the church design process and you tell your architect that you have a certain budget for the building, you may find yourself in a position of being 40 percent over budget.

Having a master plan that looks at all the stages and needs of your church development is vital to avoid unexpected costs and to make sure that everything is legal when it comes to your building. All of this is vital to being a good neighbor to the homeowners in your area and getting your church built the way you want and need for your congregation.

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Bruce Anderson is a nationally recognized church design and construction consultant and president of Build-Masters Group LLC. Visit his site for a free report, "The Top 10 Mistakes Pastors Make in Designing and Building Their Church…and How to Avoid Them."

Source: http://www.articletrader.com