Jaidyns Blog

The Greek holiday home market never used to be “flavor of the month”, however, over the past decade it has joined the handful of established Mediterranean second home destinations.

A buoyant market on a human scale…

Since the Greek property market opened to foreign buyers in the early 1990’s, thousands of holiday homes in Greece have been coveted -and ultimately purchased- by British, German, and other western European buyers. During the same period, the Greek property market has enjoyed steady growth rates of 8-12%. The Greek economy is, notably, one of the fastest-growing in the euro zone; and, thanks to the country’s stable and predictable economic growth, the real estate market can be relied upon to grow at a realistic pace as well, rather than in extreme upswings and drastic downturns all too often seen in up-and-coming markets.

Though pocket change is hardly enough to buy property in Greece, holiday homes here are, by comparison, still an excellent value for overseas buyers in search of that ray of sunshine and the downtempo lifestyle that goes with it. These are available in abundance; in fact, Greece is the perfect alternative to the traditional Mediterranean “favorites”: it is accessible, safe, beautiful, loaded with character, and prices in like-to-like comparisons of Greek and French or Spanish property can be up to 50% lower. There is a large variety of holiday homes for sale, but massive residential developments are not the norm. In most cases, summer homes in Greece retain their local style since, as a rule, the most sought-after locations for second homes are the islands and smaller villages where because of building rules, properties built are in the local traditional style. And, for supporters of “green” architecture, the sublime climate in Greece provides the perfect grounds for bioclimatic structures, maximizing the benefits of sun and breeze to create energy-efficient, sustainable homes with reduced maintenance costs.

Since a significant percentage of holiday home buyers originate from Western Europe, it comes as no surprise that a lot of new construction is customized to suit these buyers’ preferences. The concept of homes that are “ready to wear” has caught on, as travel times between Greece and the rest of Europe have diminished and popping over to Greece for a weekend is no longer utopian; fully equipped homes, sold turnkey with everything from furnishings to linens and cutlery sets, ensure that the fortunate owner can spend all weekend by the pool rather than curtain-shopping for the house. Similarly, the concept of Buy-to-Let properties is taking shape; while property management and guaranteed rentals are in an early stage of sorts, they are increasingly available in, primarily, tourist-savvy locations. This is an important feature, considering that holiday homes usually belong to absentee owners wondering how to make the most out of their investments while, at the same time, enjoying the peace of mind that comes with knowing their property is looked after while they are busy working to fund it.

It is rather unfair that Greece, one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, has settled in people’s collective conscience strictly as a Sea-and-Sun destination. As a result, the overwhelming demand by overseas buyers is for summer homes, with seafront properties carrying the respective price tag and giving credence to global real estate’s “Location, Location, Location” mantra. Still, inland traditional and newly-built properties abound and they are an excellent alternative for those who can’t afford a seaside property, but don’t mind driving to the beach and yearn for an insider’s take on the famously relaxed village life. After all, even on the larger islands, the beach is never too far away.

What’s next?

Is this buoyant market heading for a plateau anytime soon? Well, as in most situations, the answer is “It Depends”. At the moment, Greece is basking in the limelight. The 2006 tourist season ended with a record number of tourists visiting the country (an 8,5% increase compared to last year, according to The Economist), a promising statistic after a slower tourist influx in the previous couple of years, and despite the lack of any long-term marketing campaign on a national level. It is imperative that Greece waste no time capitalizing on the momentum generated by the very successful 2004 Olympic Games and the subsequent, priceless, visibility abroad. Furthermore, developments in Greek Real Estate are teeming with promise. Demand for holiday homes is expected to outnumber supply, keeping property prices rising, and real estate professionals expect holiday home prices to increase up to 10% over the next few years. It is no coincidence that so many large development companies with solid track records in commercial and urban real estate have delved into holiday home projects; their high quality developments with a western flair in select locations aim to attract discerning foreign buyers and investors.

Improvements in infrastructure and construction, largely because of the 2004 Olympic Games, have been tremendous. Thanks to new transportation and road networks, travel times have diminished and previously remote areas are within reach. Soon to be completed is one of the largest road construction projects in Europe, the Egnatia Motorway in northern Greece; a gateway to southeast Europe and the Balkans, it will provide a quick East-West link. Other significant developments with a favorable impact on the Greek holiday home market include:

 A nationwide Land Registry in progress which, upon completion, will greatly simplify the home buying process
 ADSL / Broadband internet connections are now widely available and enable individuals to conduct business away from home
 Mortgages with low interest rates are also widely available to both Greek and foreign buyers
 Improvements in the leisure industry, such as golf courses, which are gaining in popularity and becoming the highly marketable focal point of many new developments

Naturally, all that glitters is not gold. Newly introduced taxation laws (Capital Gains and/or Value Added Tax on select properties) may, according to some, have a deterrent effect on property purchases; whether or not this will be the case remains to be seen. Also, Greece must keep working to remain on the map of competitive Mediterranean real estate. The truth is that with the exception of a marketing campaign around the time of the Olympic Games, Greece is unfortunately not advertised enough, however the country’s list of charms is long:

 Clean, beautiful beaches
 A perfect 4-season climate
 Low crime rate
 A stable economy and long-standing EU membership
 Lack of internal strife
 Ancient history and a world-renowned culture
 An all-around very high quality of life
 Untapped potential of winter tourism

An overseas homebuyer usually visits Greece, and first falls in love with it, as a tourist. More tourists equal more homebuyers -it’s a simple logic.

Just as important, on the service level, is the need for integrity and professionalism. The real estate sector is no exception. The estate agent’s experience, professional affiliations, and language / communication skills (especially for foreign buyers) are of key importance for a painless, fruitful homebuying experience. The good old “word of mouth” way of finding a reliable estate agent is still, probably, the best way. The Hellenic Association of Realtors, the only official body recognized by C.E.I. (the European Confederation of Estate Agents), is another recommended starting point. After all, for most of us buying a home is the purchase of a lifetime; skimping on our homework at the last minute is definitely the wrong approach!

Katerina Roussou works with Property Greece Ltd., a group of Real Estate / Insurance Agencies throughout Greece. For more information on buying property in Greece, or to browse Greek property for sale, please visit www.propertygreece.com http://www.propertygreece.com . Questions? Feel free to send an email to info@propertygreece.com info@propertygreece.com

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Evangelicals have until recently held the line on major moral issues like abortion and same sex marriages. Rev Lieth Anderson the new president of the National Association of Evangelicals says that he doesn’t see these two issues going away for the organization that now represents about 45,000 churches. But things are morphing at an alarming pace among younger Evangelicals.

The new causes now being considered for the front burner are global warming, poverty, especially in places like Darfur and the scourge of aids. From California, the state that has Christians already deeply concerned about SB 777 a bill that effectively wipes the traditional family off the map, Pastor Rick Warren of Orange County’s Saddleback Church has endorsed the battle effort against these social issues as worthy of the churches foremost attention.

New York Times and Washington post have signaled a heads up about the death of Jerry Falwell and craftily connected it to the death of the entire Evangelical legacy of actively embracing political conservatism in America. This is no surprise considering the source, but is it true?

The answer is both yes and no. On the yes side it is true as much as it pertains to the willingness of Evangelicals to bring the much touted global warming and aids issues into their agenda. According to recent Barna and Pew Forum research estimates the social justice and the traditional moralist camps are about equal in size. But concerns are rising that the Evangelical church sees itself left out of the loop and may be afraid of appearing indifferent to issues that the rest of the country takes so seriously.

On the no side of the answer is the fact that although the numbers of moralists and traditionalists are shrinking somewhat they are intensifying. The new concentrated version of the old standard bearers is also fully capable of holding the line and getting the job done. To the churches still guided by the Bible, God and one are still a majority with or without Rev Falwell.

To many conservative Christians, getting onboard the social justice train is the equivalent of joining a local church because it looks good to the neighbors and the business community. The causes are worthy but the motive is not.

After careful scrutiny, the science of global warming is still fraught with diametrically opposed findings and scientific opinion leaving it in a very suspect state at best. It will take more than a panicky documentary from former Vice President Al Gore to convince the conservatives. Global warming hype is for some the new magic bullet that bypassed the Food and Drug Administration’s usual scrutiny and is now being taken as the cure for everything that ails both America and the world. To many Americans global warming frenzy is only proof that the snake oil peddler is still alive and well in the USA.

To the conservative Christian, deep concern over the spread of aids is not without reason but it raises questions about liberalism’s blatant social hypocrisy. Government and the Evangelical church combined are wearing their own helplessness to stem the tide of immorality, Educators that welcome the new morality and choose to add it too their mission, and media that rakes in billions promoting overall licentiousness hardly seem worthy or qualified to be on the forefront of this issue much less to put it on the front burner for the church.

Unknown by many outside the church is the fact that it is plagued by the same forces and shifts that dog the American political scene. Evangelicals, Pentecostals and many historical denominations in America have both conservatives and liberals trying to drive or hinder the polity of the church.

The Bible is the document that is questioned in the church. In national politics the Constitution comes under fire because it was drawn up so long ago that there are those who wonder if it applies to the rapidly changing face of the country’s social fabric.

In the church there are those who wonder if such an ancient book has anything at all to do with the business of the present day. The Bible addresses holiness and the Constitution speaks to freedom, both documents are subjective so it is easy to wrangle and wrest either one with other highly subjective interpretation or extrapolation and thus leave them impotent and meaningless.

It is the Conservative believer that holds the Bible up to its plainest and original interpretation. Such people have largely been Evangelicals in America, until lately. Neophytes of the new social justice set are at their best misinformed and at their worst they are fear mongering purveyors of all that is nascent and innocuous. Liberalism could never be charged with having a war to which nobody came. It does produce a war whose soldiers may be fighting against an imaginary enemy or at best the wrong enemy.

Liberalism is the plague of the modern church in America and some would add ecumenicism and syncretism to that diagnoses. Ecumenicism is the idea that separate denominations should come under one roof and function as one, developing a centralist leadership and purpose. It’s a big church house where one size fits all.

The rub with ecumenicism is that by its very nature it leads to syncretism, the next step in the plague. Syncretism is the need to unify the doctrine of the newly joined divisions of the ecumenicised body. This requires throwing out or seriously altering disparate views and doctrines to make everyone amenable to the final statement of faith. In the process many traditional beliefs or core beliefs are shattered all the way up to and including the Bible itself.

Many churches elect to stay out of the fray and remain autonomous and independent. Fortunately when the Bible forewarns of an apostasy it also implies that some will do just that, stand alone. Like the statesmen, soldiers or pioneers of early America, those who stood alone carried the day and often made history in the process. The church will do the same and in the end only those independent and conservative churches that refuse to meld into the greater emerging body will not be part of the promised apostasy.

Conservative Christians don’t see issues, causes or opinions in their Bibles. What they see is a plan laid out by a living God to aid the living. If the plan is not followed it leads to trouble, sickness, calamity and death.

If global warming is a fact it is an outgrowth of human indulgence. Our clamoring for ever more consumer goods, gasoline and toys keeps the exhaust fumes and smokestacks bellowing out the hydrocarbons. They are a byproduct of a sinful and concupiscent society that is panicking at the result or the effect of their behavior and not once admitting that they are part and parcel to its cause.

Our push for complete unbridled sexual freedom has created its own side effects. Blaming any particular person, group or section of society for causing the spread of aids is a debate that has come and gone. Sadly, the collective behavior of this nation and the whole world never comes into debate. Will the whole world accuse itself? It surely will not and it will resist anyone or anything that does, including the constitution or the Bible message.

Conservative Christians hold to the message of the Bible as the bottom line. What is that message and does it directly address the latest social justice issues that are slipping into the apostate church of the day?

The Biblical message addresses the latest social justice issues by prioritizing all the issues that affect civilization. At the top of the list is “sin” that penchant to indulge the body and the mind with anything it should desire at any moment of the night or day. It is this penchant for indiscriminate sexual fulfillment and insatiability in the pursuit of material goods that are the cause. The effect is among other things global warming and the spread of aids.

Denying nothing to ourselves is called the “good life” and will never be recognized as the bad way of life that conservatives say it is. Getting liberals to admit to any mistakes is hard enough, getting them to admit that they are the cause of the very problems they seem bent on solving would be a miracle. Liberalism doesn’t allow for miracles!

Forty years of witnessing the church and the body politic in this country slipping headlong into apostasy is disconcerting. More disturbing is that the cause and the answer for this downward trek is very simple to find and easily understood. It is not an answer that is readily accepted and that is what creates such a dismal bottom line.

Simply put, the Bible says that replacing the God given Biblical view of our world with the secular view is what causes every problem not just the latest social issues. Sin is still at the top of the list. It is in our nature, it is in our past, it will be in our future and it alone is our final demise.

Sin is the spider weaving its web all over our private and national life. Dealing with the effects of sin such as global warming or the spread of aids is like constantly sweeping out the spider’s webs but never doing anything about the spider.

Rev Bresciani is the author of two books. He also is a columnist for several online sites and magazines. His articles are read throughout the world. For more articles and news from around the globe visit The Website for Insight www.americanprophet.org http://www.americanprophet.org

AP - For Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, it’s too bad prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald ever came home.

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Quotes PR Newswire, among others, Generic Cialis leads all the way in new treatment initiations for Erectile Dysfunction, men all over the world increasingly selecting Generic Cialis over other ED medications after having tried multiple variations in the PDE-5 bracket. It has also begun to challenge the position of Viagra vis-?-vis it’s standing in the market.

Generic Cialis has reportedly claimed market shares of 19 percent to 39 percent across Europe, and outside. What needs to be remembered amidst the entire buzz surrounding the pill is that to choose generic Cialis is the safest. What’s more? This version has approval from The National Association of the Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

Here are some of the listed benefits that count:

A 36-hour opportunity for intimacy

The ability to take the tablet on an empty stomach or with meal, without concern that a high fat intake will reduce the absorption of the medication.

As for the duration of the sexual intercourse, it largely depends on the intensity of the arousal and the intensity of the intercourse itself.

Although the side effects are minor it is imperative to consult your doctor and should be avoided by those on Nitrates or Alpha-blockers, usually prescribed for chest pain, high blood pressure, chest pain or prostrate problems.

There are just too many sites, online pharmacies offering various versions of the pill for cheap, but to be doubly assured, go for the generic variety, have a word with your physician, and you’re all set.

Michelle Bob, an associated editor to finegenerics.co.uk, is a contributing author to the www.finegenerics.co.uk/ http://www.finegenerics.co.uk/ for distinct article sites/journals. Please feel free to visit www.finegenerics.co.uk/ http://www.finegenerics.co.uk/ for more information on General Health related issues like weight loss, men’s health, women’s health, pain relief, Anti depressant etc. Or write to him at finegeneric@gmail.com finegeneric@gmail.com . Any comments and /or suggestions will be highly appreciated. Please note that this article is not a substitute for medical advice.

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With the recent outbreak of e-coli traced back to bagged spinach of all things, the FDA now suggests consumers thoroughly wash all bagged produce (including salad) before consuming it to avoid the extreme diarrhea e-coli bacterial can cause.

The e-coli bacteria can be found in any raw or undercooked foods. Most often outbreaks are linked to undercooked meat, or unsafe handling of raw meat, particularly ground beef. What was up until now less well known is that e-coli can also be found on fresh produce like fruits and vegetables.

E-coli bacteria cause severe diarrhea often with bloody stool and can cause kidney failure and possible death. The old and the young are particularly prone to extreme cases of the infection. If you suspect you have been infected with e-coli, contact your physician right away.

E-coli naturally occurs in the intestines of animals like cows and chickens. As these animals are slaughtered and processed, traces of the bacteria can come into contact with the meat. Ground beef seems to be especially prone to getting contaminated. To kill any e-coli (or other bacteria for that matter) that may have “snuck in”, cook all meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 F.

So, how does this same bacteria get into our salad, veggies and fruit? Manure is often used as a natural fertilizer and gets’ stuck on the outside of the vegetables and fruits as they grow and are harvested. Produce is cleaned off before it’s bagged and shipped to you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all the bacteria are gone.

In particular vegetables including salad that are bagged provide a perfect growing environment for the e-coli bacteria. The bag ensures that there is always some moisture around the produce that allows the e-coli to multiply.

The recent outbreak of e-coli in bagged spinach along with previous outbreaks in bagged salad mixes and even containers of strawberries makes you wonder if we should just avoid all prepackaged and bagged produce. Fortunately we don’t have to go that far, but we should get in the habit of properly preparing those foods.

Salad and vegetables mixes in bags are often pre-washed and sold as “ready to serve”. Take a few minutes and rinse them with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water to avoid cooking the spinach or salad. Use plenty of warm water on hardier vegetables such as tomatoes or carrots and don’t forget to wash fruit with plenty of water as well, especially strawberries. Strawberries grow very low to the ground and are often fertilized with manure or are grown on soil that was previously fertilized that way. Since the berries grow practically directly on top of the soil, it is easy for the e-coli to catch a ride on the fruit directly into your home.

Washing raw fruit and vegetables with plenty of warm water should get rid of most of the bacteria, making it safe to eat. Make it a habit to wash your produce whether the packaging indicates it’s pre-washed or not. It will only take a few minutes and could prevent you from getting sick in the long run.

Susanne Myers is the co-publisher of the Healthy Menu Mailer, a weekly recipe and menu mailer that’s all about eating healthy. Join us for a free 7-day sneak peak at www.healthymenumailer.com http://www.healthymenumailer.com .

AP - Things really are bad all over - and they had gone bad even before the housing and finance industries crashed and sent the economy into a tailspin.

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One great way of getting more traffic and more importantly, making the traffic come back to your site over and over again, is by having your own blog.

The term, ‘Blog’, is becoming more and more popular, and these days most online companies have a blog.

How can you promote your blog? Once you get your blog known, if you have good enough content, then it will promote itself, thats the amazing thing with blogs.

Heres some quick tips to help promote your blog.

1. Allow your blog readers to subscribe to your own RSS feed. Subscribe with Feedburner. Feedburner allows blog owners and podcasters the ability to manage their RSS feeds and track usage of their subscribers.

2. Always set your blog to ping ‘update services’. What is that? If you use the Wordpress software, here is a great explanation, codex.wordpress.org/Update_Services http://codex.wordpress.org/Update_Services .

3. Take full advantage of Technorati. For a full explanation of what Technorati is and how it works, take a look here, www.technorati.com/about/tour.html http://www.technorati.com/about/tour.html .

4. Use the power of social netwroking sites, such as digg.com, reddit.com and del.icio.us . If you write a great article, submit it to these sites, if they get picked up by them, you will see a massive increase in traffic to your blog.

5. When writing a post, always make sure you link to as many related sites and blogs. Many blogs have a ‘trackback’ feature enabled which can see what other blogs, like yours, are sending visitors to their blogs. They then usually link back to your blog automatically for free.

6. Get your blogs web address in as many places as possible. Use forums, and put your blogs address in your signature.

7. Submit your blog to as many blog directories as possible, such as blogcatalog.com

8. Link to your blog from your websites homepage, and also in the footer of every other page on your website.

9. Get tips from 2 pro bloggers, such as problogger.net and shoemoney.com

10. Finally, and most important, write great content that is relevant to your website, and you will then find your readers will do your promoting for you.

Article Written By Phil From www.adquick.co.uk - Please check out AdQuick

This article was written by Philip Micheal of AdQuick, www.adquick.co.uk http://www.adquick.co.uk .

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For the non-angler fishing can seem like a strange sport. It involves lots of waiting around on a river bank, possibly for whole days and nights, and the likelihood of getting cold and wet is very high. After all that, you may not even be rewarded for your patience and you might go home empty handed and disappointed. So why on earth would anyone be tempted to go fishing?

Every angler will all have his own theories as to why the sport is so popular, but it’s likely that they will include some, if not all, of the following aspects:

Weather

You can fish in any weather. In the summer, you’ll be hard pushed to find a more glorious way of spending your time. It’s hot, the birds are singing, and the countryside (and hopefully, the water) is teeming with wildlife. Even in the winter, however, fishing can be immensely enjoyable. You can get a feeling of man against the elements. How well you are prepared for the weather can make or break your fishing trip. If you’ve come well wrapped up, with plenty of food and hot drink, then you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Escapism

Going fishing allows you to have some time to yourself. We all lead busy lives and now and again it is important to take a break, do something for ourselves and forget about the daily grind. With only your own thoughts for company and possible a radio or a good book, fishing gives you time to reflect on recent events.

Camaraderie

Just as fishing is a good time to enjoy your own company, it’s also a good excuse to get together with some mates. You’d be surprised how many new friends you can make as well, especially by visiting the same venue regularly. Competitions are also great fun because you’re pitting your wits against other anglers. There’s obviously an element of luck involved, but it’s also about using your skills and techniques in such a way as the situation demands.

Dog Lane Fishery in Warwickshire caters for all types of anglers. Whether you’re into big carp, match sized carp, bream, tench or big roach, there’s something for everyone. Visit their website now by clicking on doglanefishery.co.uk http://doglanefishery.co.uk

AP - Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu, once jailed as a Romanian communist-era “enemy of the state,” died Friday after years of fighting to reveal details of the country’s troubled past, the prime minister said. He was 80.

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You were my first real boyfriend. My first real lover. The only man I had ever given my heart to. The only man I allowed to see me vulnerable. To see my flaws. You were my knight. You told me you loved me. You accepted the things about me I didn’t accept.

That phone call made me question all of it.

My low self-esteem became lower, almost July, 1991. I had been binging on porn daily, and had lost all control to stop. Prior to getting married in 1989, I’d assumed that having marital sex would resolve my problem with lust, but a year into our marriage I succumbed to the pull again. No one knew about my secret; least of all Michelle, my young wife of two years.

I’d started a new business in March of that year, and had decided to take a three week driving trip across the U.S. to visit customers and get sales jump started. My plan was to drive from our home in Los Angeles to Missouri over the weekend, and start making sales calls in St. Louis that Monday.

Saturday morning I woke up at 5:00am, with nerves on edge. The idea of facing the temptations that come with the roaring silence of a hotel room for three weeks straight was like looking down over a precipice with a steep drop-off where I couldn’t see the bottom. The anxiety was so intense that I rushed to the bathroom to give up my breakfast. Michelle rushed to me in concern, but I couldn’t tell her what I was going through. “I’ll be okay; something I ate didn’t sit well,” I mumbled.

I made it to Blue Springs, Missouri that night; a drive of some 1,400 miles. Exhausted, I went to sleep not long after checking in. “I made it through the first night without falling,” I thought. “Maybe this trip won’t be so bad.”

As I made the 240 mile drive into St. Louis the next morning, the ache of loneliness started its assault on my emotions. I thought about being alone in a hotel far away from home for most of the day with nothing to do… and then thoughts of sexual fantasy fluttered in my mind like a butterfly-one I started chasing. By the time I checked in to the hotel I’d already decided to buy some porn.

Later that night I went to a convenience store and bought several adult magazines. As I flipped through the pages I was shocked to find that one of the “articles” had to do with Satan. Although I knew was playing with the demonic, it didn’t matter; I was determined to have what I wanted regardless of the consequences.

I spent that week in St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit, with the same pattern repeating itself: binge on porn all night, wake up with a shame hangover, and then function in the business world on a few hours of sleep the next day. By the time I arrived in Dayton, Ohio on Friday, pictures weren’t enough. Lust always leaves a man or woman a little emptier and hungrier than they were before, and I had hollowed out my soul to the point where I craved a bigger fix.

After dinner, I called Michelle. She was sweet, caring and kind as usual; when she finished the conversation saying she loved me, a needle of conviction poked at my rock-hard heart… and I reached for the phone book.

I found an ad for a company that offered the “service” I was interested in, and made a phone call. A woman was dispatched to my room; it was promised she would be there in a few minutes. I looked at my wedding ring; I couldn’t have sex with another woman and think about my wife, so I took it off.

$150.00 and an hour later, I had committed adultery with a woman who sold her body for money. Something was wrong though-I didn’t enjoy it; I wanted to get it over with almost as soon as it started. I felt like crying inside, as if something had died.

I had been with prostitutes before I’d been married, and the look in their eyes was often a reflection of what I was doing to myself-and them. When a man or woman gives them self up to sexual sin, there is a death within that takes place that goes beyond the searing of conscience. When I looked into the vacant eyes of a woman who was a prostitute, the life behind the eyes was missing.

Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.

1 Corinthians 6:18

After she left I had a strong sense that I was filthy, inside and out; a quick shower didn’t relieve this feeling. I put my wedding ring back on and thought of Michelle back home, who was unaware of what her Christian sex addict husband had done. Her words at the end of our last phone conversation came back to me, and I broke down sobbing. How did it get this far? I never would have imagined that after just two years of marriage I, the one everyone thought was a “good Christian guy,” would have committed adultery with a prostitute.

The next morning I checked out of the hotel as soon as I could; I couldn’t stand being there. The memories of what I’d done the night before haunted me like a demonic nightmare I hoped I would wake up from. There was no more hunger for lust, no thoughts of sexual fantasy; I was sick of it.

I met with a customer later that day, and then drove to Kitchener, Canada the next morning. I knew I needed to tell Michelle that I’d broken our marriage covenant, but was terrified of what her response might be. Looking for some advice (and hoping it would be that I shouldn’t tell her), I called a friend of in mine. John was in his fifties, and he and his wife had recovered from the multiple affairs he’d committed. When I asked John if he thought I should tell Michelle, his words sank all hope: “You have to tell her, or there will never be true intimacy in your marriage again; the person you committed adultery with will always be between the two of you.”

Then I asked him how long it took his marriage to heal: “Years,” he said. My mouth dropped. “Years???” I said in disbelief. “Years??? I thought surely you were going to say a few weeks or maybe even months, but years??!!”

“Yes, years” John repeated firmly. “The old marriage you had is dead and you have to build a new one. This is going to take a lot of time and effort on your part; you’ve got to kill her with kindness and win her all over again.”

There are some moments in life that are never forgotten, the impact is so intense that the memory burns into the mind. That phone call from Canada when I told my wife I’d betrayed her was one of them. As I unfolded the ugly account of my adultery, with porn, and then the prostitute, Michelle started crying. While I spoke, her sobs increased in intensity and sorrow: “Oh Mike, Mike, Mike…” she said… it was as if I was listening while she discovered that I had stabbed her in the back with a nine inch stiletto.

The napkins from our wedding day had said “Today, I married my best friend.” For many women, the shock and horror from uncovering the impossible truth that their best friend has betrayed them is far more traumatic than what was done.

When I heard Michelle’s reaction, I knew that the damage I’d inflicted on our marriage was far more severe than I’d anticipated. Most men are blind to what they’re doing to their wives until it’s too late. Even months later, some don’t get it; it’s not uncommon to hear a man say “when is she gonna get over this” when only a few months have passed.

In the Richter Magnitude scale,1 earthquakes that measure an intensity from one to 5.9 are defined as “very minor” to “moderate.” A moderate earthquake “can cause major damage to poorly constructed buildings over small regions… slight damage to well-designed buildings.” Very minor to moderate earthquakes are reported to occur more than 60,000 times each year.

Earthquakes measuring 6.0-6.9 are labeled “strong,” and occur 120 times per year. At the top end of the scale is an earthquake measuring 9.0, known as a “rare great” quake, an event that takes place once every 20 years. A rare great earthquake is estimated at having 32 gigatons of explosive force; no building near the epicenter of a 32 gigaton blast will be left standing. Everything is obliterated and must be rebuilt from the ground up.

All marriages have their “very minor” to “moderate” earthquakes which are easily withstood, but adultery is a 32 gigaton blast that decimates everything. The relationship is razed down to its foundation, wiping out all of the trust, love, and joy that had been so carefully constructed over the years.

Before I confessed my adultery to Michelle, she was passionate about our relationship. She loved talking to me; we enjoyed a closeness that I’d never experienced with another person. We freely laughed together, and shared our hobbies, fears and dreams with each other.

All of that changed overnight; what our marriage had been was irrevocably lost. Now, my mere presence would cause her to start crying. Laughter vanished, and our marriage became a desperate struggle for survival. In place of the open door of trust, barriers were constructed to protect against further damage.

Progress was dreadfully slow; there were days when it felt like healing might be impossible; I couldn’t “fix her” because I was the source of Michelle’s pain. Even apologizing caused crying and explosions of anger.

Masturbation with porn, by the way, is adultery; worshipping, loving and lusting after another woman by using self-sex to enhance the experience. I’ve heard stories of men whose wives walked in on them as they were acting out with pornography; the recovery process for these marriages take as long as if their wife had caught them with another woman. (The reality with porn is that they were having sex with another woman emotionally and spiritually while having sex with themselves physically.)

If the physical act of adultery is a rare great earthquake, binging on porn is a 7.0-a “major earthquake” with the destructive force of 50 megatons. While a 50 megaton blast isn’t as severe as the 32 gigaton version, major earthquakes occur 18 times a year. Since pornography is highly addictive and takes time to overcome, the continual trauma done to a marriage by successive 50 megaton blasts can be just as devastating as that caused by the rare great quake of physical adultery.

Betrayal: To deliver into the hands of an enemy in violation of a trust or allegiance; To be false or disloyal to, to lead astray; deceive.

American Heritage Dictionary

Only a close friend has access to the deepest, most secret places of our heart, and it is only a close friend who can enter this place-and destroy it.

For the Christian sex addict, there is another who they betray:

While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?

Luke 22:47-48

Like Judas, I kissed Jesus one moment and then betrayed Him the next. I would proclaim my love for Him during worship on Sunday mornings, and then fall down before the evil goddess of lust from Monday through Saturday. Every porn binge and act of adultery was a betrayal of my relationship with the Lord.

How does our adultery affect Him?

Have you ever noticed how God often describes the nation of Israel’s unfaithfulness to Him as adultery? At times, He sounds mad:

If you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the magnitude of your iniquity your skirts have been removed and your heels have been exposed. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil. Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw to the desert wind. This is your lot, the portion measured to you from Me, declares the Lord, Because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood. So I Myself have also stripped your skirts off over your face, that your shame may be seen. As for your adulteries and your lustful neighings, the lewdness of your prostitution on the hills in the field, I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?

Jeremiah 13:22-27

God’s response isn’t far off from how Michelle reacted to my betrayal; she was angry and bitter for months on end, and deeply hurt. Seeing God as angry is easy, but could we also hurt Him?

Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.

Ezekiel 6:9

The Lord exposes His heart to us and offers us His best, which included all the grace, love and life available through Jesus’ death on the cross. If He didn’t care deeply for us, He wouldn’t be so angry-and hurt-when we betray Him.

But He does love us, and He wants us back.

Fortunately, we serve a God who heals broken hearts. The rebuilding process begins the same way with Him as it does with our wives: by honest confession of our betrayal and adultery.

David wrote about the blessing that came from such an admission:

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord ; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

Psalms 32:1-6

In spite of how I hurt Him, God’s grace and forgiveness were extended to me when I confessed my sin. Such forgiveness and love still amazes me today; there is no sexual sin that the blood of the cross doesn’t cover.

I have written about what healing in a marriage and a wife’s heart looks like in other articles, so I won’t repeat this material here.

I will share that one of the most precious moments of my life was when Michelle forgave me for my betrayal of her. For a man who has committed what could have been the unpardonable sin in marriage, receiving such grace is priceless.

In 2006, fifteen years after that day in 1991 when I called Michelle and confessed my adultery, I asked her if she had ever forgiven me. We’d been through marital counseling and worked through the pain and anger in years past, but I couldn’t remember if she had ever said the words “I forgive you.” In response she wrote the following letter to me, which she read aloud one night:

Mike,

When you called me and told me what you had done, I felt this heavy weight on me that I couldn’t get off; my stomach felt like lead. I felt like I had to vomit. I think I kept repeating your name because if I did, somehow it wouldn’t be true. It was more of a feeling of bemoaning. Why? Why? Why?

non-existent. I was trying to measure up to something unattainable I thought would make you happy.

You took something that was ours and gave it away to a dirty whore. You just gave it away-it wasn’t even something that you could have asked me if I cared. It wasn’t something meant to be shared or loaned. It was ours and only ours.

You made it cheap. Expendable. No longer special.

You took my knight away. You made me grow up in a way I didn’t want - or I wasn’t ready to see the harsh reality of life. I had an innocence still, and that was destroyed.

I know today you are not that same person, nor am I, but you really hurt me, Mike. It was a blow I was unprepared for.

I don’t remember if I ever said I forgive you, or if I was ever ready because I probably hadn’t expressed what you had done to me. I do forgive you, Mike.

Love,

Michelle

John was right; recovery from adultery takes years.

The good news is that the Lord rebuilds and restores broken marriages.

References:

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_scale http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_scale

Mike Genung struggled with sex addiction for 20 years before God set Him free in 1999. He is the director of www.blazinggrace.org, a ministry to the sexually broken and their spouses, and the author of The Road to Grace; Finding True Freedom from the Bondage of Sexual Addiction (available at www.roadtograce.com http://www.roadtograce.com ). Blazing Grace also helps churches minister to the sexually broken by providing resources and helping them set up Strength in Numbers groups.

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Rollback Rx system restore software helps in disaster recovery. If you work with computers, you have to be prepared with a disaster recovery solution. What is disaster recovery? It is the ability to speedily recover from the loss of data. It restores system settings so that your system is ready to use as quickly as possible, retrieving data and making it accessible to you. Rollback Rx does this in minutes, whereas if one were to use manual recovery methods, there’s no guarantee that data will be intact, not to mention the hours or days that it might take to repair computers.

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Rollback Rx Retrieves Critical Data

In business organizations, if there has been data loss, their success in maintaining continuity of work depends more on their ability to retrieve their data as fast as possible, rather than getting the hardware up and running. The important information in most organizations resides in electronic form inside a computer - making it critical to have access to it at all times. Rollback Rx makes sure that you can recover your data right up to the moment your pc crashed - ensuring that you have your data back so that you are not stuck without vital information while making business decisions.

Rollback Rx system restore software keeps track of data and system files as they keep altering. Lets say you are working on a document and happen to delete a part of it, then save it after you change it. Suddenly you realize that you did not want to delete that information. Maybe it runs to several pages and will take hours to create again. With Rollback Rx software, you can revert right back to the earlier version of the file with absolutely no data loss. You can restore computer settings, registry settings, and rollback to any earlier moment in time. Suppose your system is affected by malware or unsolicited software downloads and installations, you can use Rollback Rx to fix computer problems by restoring your system back to an operational point.

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Over the years, industry professionals have looked for ways to telecommute. Whether the needs stems from a desire to spend more time with family, save on time and gas, or simply have increased flexibility in schedules, more and more people have looked for ways to work from home. Hundreds of companies have focused their attention on this growing group of individuals and have touted thousands of different ways for them to make money in a home based business. Some of these companies have targeted the self-employed, but most tout the benefits of creating extra wealth beyond the confines of a regular job. ITV Ventures provides individuals with the opportunity to work when and how they please, to determine their level of growth with their business, and provides a system of support to increase the individual’s profit and potential.

More than a few companies require a large up front cost of either time or money in order for an individual to begin reaping the rewards promised by the program. This sacrifice not only depletes the resources of the individual, it also increases stress and resentment towards the company, causing a lack of passion for the business. This lack of passion and trust then manifests itself through sales, resulting in increased loss of resources.

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Although every home based business is different, the best and most successful of these ventures are ones in which an individual has the flexibility to work in their spare time and later have the option of working full time. Because ITV Ventures eliminates all the paperwork, inventory, and advertising usually associated with home based businesses, ITV has created a flexible work environment to fit into anyone’s schedule. ITV Ventures has patented a system where calls arriving from new and existing customers are rerouted to ITV partners, allowing individuals to receive orders. Each individual ITV partner, or independent business owner (IBO), chooses when he or she would like to work and can immediately take orders and enter information into the system. Since ITV holds all the inventory and processes paperwork, the ITV partners only need to take orders from customers and enter them into a home computer. ITV creates the advertisements and infomercials for the products while the IBOs continue to make money off of the orders from enthusiastic consumers.

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Albert Milligan is a writer and editor of internet business opportunity related articles. He has over 20 years experience in business networking, marketing and computer training. You can find out more about ITV Ventures at: www.itvsimple.com http://www.itvsimple.com

Georgie Anne Geyer - WASHINGTON — With the president-elect’s most recent and most effective appointment — that of no-nonsense Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to be head of the Department of Homeland Security — we can finally hope that something intelligent will be done on immigration.

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It would seem that nowadays there are a lot of options for vegetarians. Meatless alternatives seem to abound everywhere, from the neighborhood deli, to the sushi shop, to the hamburger joint. The hamburger joint? Yes, you heard correctly. With the introduction of several brands of meatless “burgers,” vegetarians can brave the very den of carnivorous pleasure. Once viewed as an eccentric oddity, vegetarians have moved from the fringe to the mainstream. However, the truth is, all too often the meatless menu option isn’t vegetarian at all…it’s just a menu item, minus the meat. Unfortunately, a white hoagie bun topped with iceberg lettuce, pickles, onions, mayonnaise, and mustard is about as unappealing to the vegetarian as it is to the carnivore counterpart.

So what about the vegetarian at the barbecue?

With its increased popularity, it’s highly likely you have friends or family members who’ve adopted this lifestyle. Don’t let this cause you angst the next time you invite them over for barbecue. With the tips below, you can be assured they’ll be licking their fingers and singing your praise as enthusiastically as your steak-loving comrades.

The first rule of thumb when barbecuing for vegetarians is that veggies are not just a sideshow anymore. Don’t doom your vegetarian guests to pick and choose among the sides to make their meals. Potato salad, relish plates, and devilled eggs? Consider. You offer steak, chicken, and fish to your meat-loving friends, but the vegetarian in attendance is offered only corn on the cob? Lame! If you want to really impress your vegetarian guests, you want to offer at least one meat-free main dish. While there are a few meat substitutions out there I advise you to think outside the box. A quick search on the internet will reveal literally hundreds of recipes for preparing veggies on the grill. A short-list of the easiest to prepare, and most popular vegetables would include potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and zucchini. If you’re willing to put in a little more effort, you can prepare a bowl of pasta to serve with the grilled veggies. Don’t blame me if your meat-loving friends fill up on this entr?e and you have to make more!

The second tip to hosting a vegetarian-friendly barbecue is presentation. While a pile of juicy steaks thrown on a platter straight from the grill may look tempting, a pound of potatoes doesn’t quite have the same appeal. Take a few minutes to peruse a few vegetarian cookbooks, or preview the photographs of the recipes you check out on line. You may be surprised how tempting a plate of Stuffed Tomatoes looks with a sprig of fresh herbs and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar, grated cheese, or drizzled oil. Let your creative juices flow freely, and watch how mouth-watering the vegetarian alternative suddenly becomes.

This article wouldn’t be complete without a word on quality. Time after time I’ve found this to be the big difference between a veggie-lover and a veggie-hater. Usually the veggie-hater has never been exposed to good quality vegetables. If you want your vegetarian entr?e to come out tasting like a champ, it’s worth the effort to find the freshest produce available. Barbecue season also happens to be the best season for vegetables-so check out your local farmer’s market or neighborhood vegetable stand. Of course, the best place to get vegetables is straight out of the garden, and there are great recipes that even use the veggies you may otherwise throw away. (For example, the green tomatoes that get knocked off the vine grill up firm and tangy!) Trust me, everyone will love a vegetable that has been ripened by the sun, and picked in season.

There you have it! Take these tips with you to the grocery store and the vegetable stand, and I have no doubt your barbecue will be a big hit-for everyone!

Emma Snow is contributing author and publisher to www.bbq-shop.net http://www.bbq-shop.net an online resource that provides you with information, articles of interest related to barbecues.

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