How to Build Up Your Husband

Many of us, after several years of marriage, admit glumly to ourselves that our marriage hasn’t lived up to our expectations. How can we improve our relationship?

Much of our disappointments and tensions of marriage develop from the couple’s lack of respect for each other. Often this lack of respect creeps in so gradually it goes unnoticed until it becomes a crisis.

What are the common symptoms of crisis in a marriage?



Full Article: How to Build Up Your Husband

What to Wear on a Date



Be beautifully dressed not only on a first date but for all dates for that matter. Beautiful doesn't always mean "fancy" unless the occasion calls for it. A casual lunch date should not be underestimated. You should always look groomed, stylish, subtle, and sexy. A seductive get-up is not all cleavage or skin -- it's more about showing off your figure to your best advantage.

Full Article: What to Wear on a Date

Planning a Romantic Dinner at Home



It has been known that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach— if I may add, it works the same way for us, women, too. One of the sweetest efforts you can do for the love of your life is to stage a romantic dinner for two. You don’t need to be a gourmet cook to do this.

Full Article: Planning a Romantic Dinner at Home



Tips to a Great Conversation


One of the characteristics of an interesting person is being a good conversationalist. A good looking person who is nonsense to talk to makes a boring companion. It is not difficult to develop this skill. Here are tips to keep a conversation going.

Full Article: Tips to a Great Conversation

You May be Happier Than You Think


You might think you’re stressed, but have you considered that, beneath it all, you’re actually pretty content? Here are the telltale signs. See if you can relate to most of these...


Full Article: You May be Happier Than You Think

Are Women Really More Emotional Than Men?



Women are traditionally thought to be more emotional than men, but there are studies that refute this.




 Full Article: Are Women Really More Emotional Than Men?

How to Overcome Loneliness


Here are three ways to recognize and overcome the feeling of being lonely:

1. Recognize loneliness for what it is.

What is loneliness? It is an enemy, a disease that eats away happiness, alienating you from all that is worthwhile in life, and it sours and thickens the spirit. Calling it your “friend” or accepting it as a cross you must bear is deadly to your peace of mind. Wallowing in your misery brings out the most acute feelings of loneliness, feeding it by keeping yourself in that state, sometimes leads to a point that it becomes enjoyable. Watch out when this happens. It is a sign of danger — not only to you but to others around you as well.

2. Distinguish between loneliness and being alone.

These are not the same. Loners are not necessarily lonely. Some of the most creative and productive people find it necessary to be alone much of their time. They have learned to use their solitude creatively. Fact is, we need periods of solitude. It is where we generate the physical and spiritual reinvigoration from our crowded schedules. King David, the psalmist of the Bible also writes about this saying, “He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul.” All of us experience loss in one way or another. It is our choice if we let grief stay only for a temporary episode of our life or allow it to become a crippling disease to rot our life away.

3. Make yourself useful.

Instead of wallowing in a pool of misery, find time to make yourself and your life useful to others. There are dozens of ways in which you could help. Go out into the community, find a church, offer your services, and your talents. Join a cause. You will be surprised at how you gain fulfillment in serving others, in making others smile, in being an inspiration to live. You’ll soon find out that your former state of self pity is just all about being too concerned about yourself, when you see that there is a whole world out there, and humanity is just as needy as you are. Find in yourself something you could offer to make this world a better place.

Now get up and find your purpose!

On Love: Attraction, Reciprocation, Fantasy, and Wavelength


As the two mutually attracted people get to spend more time together, intangible factors such as personality, goals in life, principles, social and financial status, and even each other’s problems enter the love equation. From there the love affair either blooms or sputters out...

The Epiphany and The Significance of The Gifts of The Magi

Epiphany is the Christian commemoration of God’s revelation of the divine plan for redemption of all humanity, signified by the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child.

Engaged in the traditional celebration of Christmas, we may minimize the significance of the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. In fact, the traditional date of Epiphany, January 6, often passes unnoticed in our churches. Yet it has implications for all people, even outside the Hebrew tradition and faith.




Essential Christmas Message in Rembrandt’s Nativity Scene of Peace


In Rembrandt’s portrayal of the nativity scene, the attention was entirely focused on the Babe in the manger. He did this by painting a shaft of light so that it falls exclusively on the Christ-child. Although he included other figures, they are shrouded in shadows. Rembrandt wanted nothing to detract from the significance of that Baby—who was God in the flesh. The painter wanted Christ to be the sole object of adoration.

Christmas Choices: Not Everyone is Excited About Christmas



The glitter of bright and colorful decorations, the sounds of joyous Christmas carols, the happy children, and the cheerful greetings of “Merry Christmas!” may give the impression that everybody is glad that Jesus came to our planet. But reality is, that isn’t true, and it never was.

Christmas Decor and Safety Concerns during the Holidays



Here are basic tips on how to keep your home and your loved ones safe during the holiday season.

Holiday Cherry Cheesecake



A sumptuous and enticing cheesecake perfect for the holidays.

See recipe here: Holiday Cherry Cheesecake

My Most Unforgettable Christmas Songs


Why some Christmas songs are more special to me than others, let me tell you the Reason. As the Christmas season approaches, more and more Christmas and holiday tunes are resounding wherever we go. It reminds us that we need to finish our shopping list, too.Numerous songs have been written for and about this glorious season of the year, but I have kept a steady list of my favorites. Most of which are classics and in the minor key. I have ten of my most loved Christmas songs. I know, I know... Christmas is a joyous occasion, to some it's all about tradition, pretty decor, happy gatherings, festivities, the pomp, the show, and some do celebrate of the Messiah's birth. I personally prefer the contemplative peaceful side of the Christmas mood.

Christmas Carols and the Victorian Era


On the first Chirstmas Eve, nearly two thousand years ago, the hills around Bethlehem echoed with song. Sleepy shepherds learned of Jesus' birth from angels singing praises to God and journeyed, amazed, to visit the infant in the manger. As they walked back to their flocks the shepherds, too, sang songs of rejoicing.
The Victorians loved music so it is no surprise that they revived the old medieval carols and also composed new ones, both secular and religious.

The Nostalgia of Victorian-Inspired Christmas Cards

Victorian art is synonymous to opulence, timeless beauty and nostalgia. Its style holds a timeless charm especially when used in items pertaining to the Christmas celebration.
All the more, if these cards were given personally to someone special, I believe it could still release in the magic of Christmas even at this modern age, even in the most "Scroogiest" personalities.

Practical Guidelines on Gift Giving

Christmas is indeed one of the busiest, if not the busiest, season of the year. It pays to plan ahead in order to avoid the burned-out feeling of the Christmas paranoia. Due to this, sometimes we tend to forget to enjoy the reason for the celebration. Here are three basic rules you may apply in your gift giving practices.

Getting More Out of Christmas

Christmas can be a perfect time when less can be more.
A few days before Christmas, some of us will still do the last minute Christmas shopping. Many are weary of shopping because the store merchants began urging us to start buying our gifts and treats long before Thanksgiving. Some purposely wait up to the last minute in the hopes of getting in on some sales.

The Schizophrenic Holiday Called Christmas

Christmas may carry Christ’s name but someone else gets most of the attention.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m no Scrooge dedicated to banishing innocent make-believe. On balance, Santa Claus has probably made the world a happier place for thousands. But it seems significant that we have invented a fantasy-figure for our children and ourselves that resembles the Savior so closely.

Full Article: The Schizophrenic Holiday Called Christmas

Homemade Dips And Spreads As Christmas Gifts


Make up a basket of treats for a friend, neighbor, or a loved on with choice dips and spreads as gifts.

Christmas Cookie Bonanza



Seven different cookies all from one basic recipe!

1 cup sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda


SEE RECIPE HERE: Christmas Cookie Bonanza

Homemade Relishes for the Festive Holidays

Enhance any holiday table with one of these flavorful relishes. Label your gift jars and add a pretty holiday greeting sticker.

Marinated Olives
Mexican Relish
Cranberry Orange Relish
Mushroom Relish
Peppery Relish

See recipes here: Homemade Relishes for the Festive Holidays

The Inspiring Story Behind the Song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

As the holiday of 1938 came to Chicago, Bob May, 34-year old ad writer for Montgomery Ward, a father of a four-year old girl, was exhausted, broke, and about to lose his wife to cancer.

One night, Barbara, his daughter aked him, “Why isn’t mommy like everybody else’s mommy?” As he struggled to answer his daughter’s question, Bob remembered the pain of his own childhood. A small, sickly boy, he was constantly picked on and called names. So he began to spin a tale about a reindeer with a bright red nose who found a special place on Santa’s team.

Read the rest of the story here: The Inspiring Story Behind the Song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Yule Log Cake Recipe



Here’s a special cake you may serve as a centerpiece for Christmas dinner. This would also make a perfect gift for family and friends.

See the recipe here: Yule Log Cake Recipe

The Messiah: Handel’s Musical Legacy

image source

The most remembered work of Handel is his oratorio Messiah – the single work that made him a household name. Paul Henry Lang, in his exhaustive study of the composer writes, “Messiah is perhaps the only major work about which public sentiment is unanimous. Its freshness, its warmth, its beautifully rounded forms and sculptured melodies offer universal experience to men of all walks of life and all shades of faith.

Read the whole article here: The Messiah: Handel’s Musical Legacy

The Nutcracker Suite: A Memorable Christmas Ballet



One of the landmarks in ballet history was Pyotor Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s creation of the Nutcracker Suite. With Swan Lake (1876) and The Sleeping Beauty(1879) behind him, he was commissioned by the director of St. Petersburg’s Imperial Theater to write a new ballet to a book by Marius Petipa, who completely outlined the moods and dances the musical score was to fit. The first night was not as triumphant as that ofSleeping Beauty’s. It was confusing for the Russian audiences of that day to see a performance dominated by children in the first act, and they did not exactly favor the German story on which it was based either. Today, however, there is hardly a major world dance company or regional ballet that does not mount an elaborate Christmastime production of The Nutcracker.

Homemade Giftable Mix Recipes


Imaginative and different, these recipes are sure to please as gifts. Be certain to label each bottle or jar and give directions on how to use the mix.

See recipes here: Homemade Giftable Mix Recipes

Homemade Gifts for People Who Love Sweets: Dessert Toppings



What lovelier gift for that someone with a sweet tooth, than a trio of delectable dessert toppings!

See recipes here: Homemade Gifts for People Who Love Sweets: Dessert Toppings

Your Christmas Gifts Reveal Something About You

The nearer Christmas gets, the more frantic we become, until finally we rush out to buy something—anything. We’re bothered about these choices because we want the receiver to like his or her gift because we fear people’s opinion of us, based on our gift.
You can carefully choose the gifts and you don’t have to buy them in bulk. You can buy gifts in a series of shopping trips. But no matter how early one plans the gifts to give, it is quite realistic to say that no Christmas ever dawns that doesn’t bring its own disappointments, regrets, and plain old sulking...



Read whole article here: Your Christmas Gifts Reveal Something About You

The Lost Art of Thankfulness

An accurate definition of ingratitude, though not the one usually found in dictionaries might be worded like this:

“Ingratitude is the attitude of the person who receives every good and perfect gift without so much as an appreciative nod in the direction of the donor, be he human or divine.”

There is no creature so ungrateful as a human being. Even animals will seldom bite the hand that gives him bread. Not so with man. ...READ MORE>>>

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