Wise Observer

Do you ever think about how to discover best friend gifts and restore or recharge your comradeship? Familiars are not always best friends and as much as you tell them how much you care, on occasion it really is smart to give a best friend unique gift to your object of friendship just to reveal, “You are worth a more effort.”

Do you ever need to have your fuel cells “re-loaded”, or you may need a boost to your self-confidence. You might be facing a very frightening situation–like turning another year older with a BIG zero behind the digit–and need a powerful and dependable presence.

How about having a strong shoulders to vent your stress to and get feedback, but only if it is requested. On a pleasant tone, you may want to take a spontaneous trip to the unknown with intelligent conversation, watching the birds and catching up on the day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find–and then hold on to–a close friend, the one that fits these requirements, plus much more!

If you had your second cup of coffee, we’re talking about best friends! It is all so important to identify and value one of the greatest unique gifts on our earth–best friends! They are truly rare and can save you literally hundreds of dollars in doctor’s bills. Once identified, this person can serve as “counsel” on everything from children, spouses, religion and social topics.

Now, it is also important to realize that these best friends are a trusty parachute and resource, and not to be taken for naught. You have a responsibility to preserve them.

Make sure to respect not only their efforts, but also their outlook option when you ask for their opinion. Treat your best friends like the precious stone they are, and guarantee their safety. After all, it’s difficult enough to find and keep good friends–much less best friends.

Finding a great best friend gift is always a great notion. Best friends are great to have around to stave off loneliness. Just a text message away your best friend is an outstanding resource to call upon. It is like they say, “A best friend does not get you out of the slammer, they are sitting on the bench in the cell next to you.” Click Here for all your “unique best friend gifts”.

There are so many details that need to be considered to make your wedding day an absolutely incredible experience for you, your family, and your friends. You want to try and make every moment memorable for all of your loved ones that you have invited to share in your special day. I am going to discuss how you can make the table decorations really catch their eyes from the minute they walk in the door until they glance over their shoulders to get one last look before the day is done.

Since I have been making wedding days sparkle with Swarovski crystal centerpieces, I have come up with many of the ensembles through my own creativity. I have also gotten myriads of ideas from working with the brides themselves as I make their imaginations come to life. All of the arrangements and pieces that I will speak of in this article are only the beginning, please let your imagination run wild as you read this article and think of what is possible.

Lets start with the bouquets and floral arrangements on your tables at the reception. Swarovski crystal stems are very versatile, the stainless steel stems can be bent to work into arrangements that tower over the tables with calla lilies, the stems can be cut shorter to nestle in the center of roses, or even fall over the edges to mock ivy that dangles below the blooms.

Crystals can be incorporated in the ensemble by adding them to your décor with votive cups and candles that have Swarovski crystal “flat backs” glued to them in the shape of little hearts or wedding rings. I always thought it would be pretty to set a table with either bowls or tall, slender vases with floating candles in them. You could put loose crystals in the bottom of the water, and then set the decorated votives around them with tea lights. Doing this would make a very simple and elegant setting for a formal or informal wedding reception. One of the wonderful characteristics of Swarovski Crystals is that they are very brilliant, even in very low light.

Another way to have some sparkle on the table is to have crystals as your favors. The crystals will enhance the theme at everybody’s place setting and give them a memory of the day that they’ll have for years to come. You could put Swarovski Crystal Wine Glass Markers on everyone’s glass; just imagine how pretty it would look when they are all raised for the toasts. You could also use Swarovski Crystal Napkin Rings as a way to bring glamour to the table and have a light-on-the-wallet but heavy-on-the-glitz favor for all of your friends and family to take home.

As I said in the beginning, this is only a scratch to the surface of possibilities that can be created from crystals. It is very easy to create a very glamorous and whimsical setting using crystals that will last in your heart and mind forever.

Penny Olson is the owner and designer for Brilliant Wedding Jewelry, specializing in crystal wedding favors and gifts.

These verses of Scripture from St. Paul are commonly used in Christian marriage ceremonies. They speak of the relationship between Christ and the Church in terms of the relationship between a husband and his wife. As beautiful as they are, they are also very misunderstood and misinterpreted. Look closely and see their wisdom for your marriage.

In Eph 5:21 to 33 Paul writes,
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

“In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

There are four important points here. First, Christ loves us so much that He wants to marry us, He calls us His Bride, and He uses marriage as a picture of His relationship to the Church, and to each of us as his followers.

Second, there is the “S” word. Submission. Submission does not imply INFERIORITY. God made Eve out of the side of Adam, to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh - his equal - his companion. To say that submission somehow implies inferiority is to say that Jesus, when he submitted to the Father, was somehow inferior to the Father. Submission does not imply inferiority in any way. It is a voluntary reliance on another. In fact, the Apostle Paul says that we are all to submit to each other. Wives to submits to husbands, husbands to wives, both to Christ.

Third, husbands are to be the leaders of the family, the Pastors in the home. And men are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, and even died for it.

And finally, just as Jesus is preparing his bride, the Church, for the day when she will be presented in Heaven without spot or wrinkle, so husbands, as leader, are to prepare your wives to stand before God one day. Always remember that leadership in the home is primarily a spiritual responsibility.

May God richly bless your marriage.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library’s family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

Invitations are they still useful? In Montreal the right way to
do things never goes out of style. We live in a world where we
get instant gratification. Are invitations really needed? We can
simply email an invitation from some e-card site or send out a
group email. In 2 minutes all my invitations can be done. This
is one way to do things.

Maybe your the type that will subscribe to your cellular company
for television. Today I heard of a new service that will send
you a message on your phone to view the highlights of your
favourite team. Imagine 10 seconds after your team scores a goal
you can view it. To me this seems a bit excessive, no watching
the highlights on the news or on ESPN, no reading the newspaper
and no more buying Sports Illustrated. To each his own. If this
seems right then probably you’ll want to email your wedding
invitation.

To the other 90% you probably understand that your invitation
sets the tone for an event. Holding a classy proper affair takes
planning, co-ordination and a lot of hard work. Chosing an
invitation tells a lot about you to your invitee. Celebrations
are few and far between and life is short. Take the time to
savour your celebration and do it right. The event lasts one
night but the memories are for ever.

Now that you’ve decided to do things the right way, how do you
do everything with your limited time. The internet is a great
tool. Most businesses are open the same time you work. Taking
time off for everything is impratical and possibly detrimental
to your career aspirations. There are many sites like
www.solutionsink4u.com which offer you a vast selection online
to view, test different fonts, different verses and different
colors all at the press of a button without commiting to any
purchase. Before you go ahead and decide on an invitation on the
internet, request a sample to feel it. No one wants a bad
surprise. Ask all your questions over the phone or through
email. The invitation is the first step in planning and
executing a successful affair.

Try to choose an invitation company that also is a printing
company. These companies can help you come up with a unique
invitation that matches your personality. Usually these
companies have an in house graphic artist who can add those
special touches that will leave a lasting favourable impression.
A second advantage is that they understand printing they can
help you choose the appropriate fonts, colors and sizing. Lastly
even if you choose a stock invitation, try to do something
unique like a program or thank you card that will make your
affair stand out.

Steven Schneidman owns a successful printing, invitation and
promotional product, has an MBA, worked as a finance professor
at a Canadian University, and has worked for the second largest
bank in Canada.

If you need any help please in planning your next affair please
visit my company, Solutions Ink’s website,
http://www.solutionsink4u.com or drop me an email at
steve@solutionsink4u.com.

Here’s hoping your next affair is all that you wish it will be!

While jumping headfirst into ‘romance mode’ is fun and exciting,
after a while it will start to become stale just like a
relationship can. Being romantic can always be fresh and fun as
long and the couple understands what the motives are behind the
romance and the underlying intentions. Understanding romance is
the most important part of being romantic.

When you decide that you want to begin being romantic, you
usually take it slow and carefully consider what your partner
likes and prefers when it comes to gifts, actions and gestures.
Each romantic expression should have a significant meaning
behind it. How you are going to be romantic is far more
important that why you are going to be romantic. The process of
how you are going to be romantic generally encompasses the ‘why’
in a much bigger way and is far more effective in conveying any
message.

When you first met your spouse, you most likely experienced the
‘crush’ or ‘puppy love’ phase of your relationship. While you
may experiences moments of similar feelings, it is almost
impossible to recreate that feeling after spending years
together. However, you can always have passion with your spouse.
Wouldn’t you agree that passion is much more desirable than
‘puppy love’?

When you hear people talking about relationships, you often hear
them mention the word ‘chemistry’. Why is it that people value
chemistry with another person over compatibility? If you think
about it, compatibility coupled with romance equals passion.
Would you prefer basic chemistry or passion in your relationship?

When you look at your partner and you consider being romantic,
try not to look too deeply into his or her gender. Gender
biasing can really deflate a wonderful intention, especially
when it comes to romance. Respect your spouse as the unique
individual that he or she is and never allow stereotypes to
enter into your romantic intentions. Never point out what you
are doing, though! It will be noticed on some level by your
spouse. Not only will it be noticed, but it will also be greatly
appreciated.

You need to remember that no one is perfect especially when it
comes to matters of the heart- this includes romance. You are
not and will never be an expert at any point! You will, however,
learn and improve as time goes on. Your spouse will teach you
through reactions and suggestions as long as you pay attention.
It is all worth the time and effort, as life passes by too
quickly not to be a hopeless romantic.

No matter how many years you’ve been living with the same
person, you may think that they don’t want romance but it’s not
the case. Everyone wants to have a tremendously rewarding and
romantic relationship. It’s not an exaggeration to include every
single person on the planet. The way in which romance is carried
out is usually what makes each relationship unique and sometimes
even a challenge! Everything worthwhile takes a little bit of
work, but what is more worthwhile than a lasting romance with
your spouse? You’ll discover that being a romantic makes both of
you happier than most other people.

Let’s face it, not many of us have the kind of skills or experience to write truly poetic wedding vows. Or do we? Here’s the truth: Even if you don’t know Dylan Thomas from Bob Dylan, and you’re pretty sure T.S. Elliot was that guy who wrote the words to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Cats,” all is not lost! In fact, there are ways to learn to write the words you want. With four simple steps, you can take what you feel in your heart and make it come out as sweetly as any Shakespearian sonnet.

Step 1: Decide on a theme

Finding a theme should arguably be the easiest part of writing poetry for your wedding vows. But you don’t want to be stuck with something trite or cliché, even though the theme of romantic love is probably the oldest known for poetry. There are lots of ways to avoid writing the same old “roses are red, violets are blue” type of poem. One trick the pros use is to envision what a newspaper article about your relationship would say. Would it discuss how and where you met? How your relationship has stayed strong, even during the hard times? What your love has meant to one another? Since newspaper articles get right to the point, this exercise can help you pick out an overriding theme for your vows.

Step 2: Allow time for reverie

No, not “revelry” (hopefully that will be what your wedding day is all about), but reverie - a quiet time devoted to a kind of dreamy meditation. Try some tricks for allowing yourself time to truly think about your poem — and not just those things that allow you to “act like a poet.” Go for a walk alone, listen to instrumental music, or simply shut the door to a room in your house and ask not to be disturbed. The most important thing to remember with any of these methods is that you don’t let other people interrupt your time.

Step 3: Choose your topic

Theme, as discussed above, is the driving idea behind your poem. The topic, however, is the specific vehicle you use to express the theme. While finding the theme should be the easiest part of writing a poem for your wedding, finding a topic that isn’t hackneyed and trite can be a challenge. For instance, love is your theme, but the beauty of your betrothed’s eyes may be the topic. You are using the example of her eyes as the symbol for your love. The key is to find something new. There’s something that makes your chosen one special, be it appearance, wit, or style. That’s the topic you want to choose. Poets use tools like automatic writing, journals, or “dream work” to come up with topics for their prose. (These tools are all discussed in detail in the home-study course I put together for couples personalizing their wedding vows - visit http://www.WeddingVowToolkit.com for more info.) But anything that allows you to spark your creativity can suffice if you’re short on time.

Step 4: Pick Your Style

As many different poems as there are, there are almost an equal number of styles in which they are written. There are traditional forms, modern, post modern, and many more. You can work on fitting your rough draft poem into one of these many forms, or you can go with no form at all. The benefit of working on an art form is that there are no hard and fast rules on what the end product must look like. Perhaps you’d like to try your hand at penning your vows in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet. Or, to go a completely different route, maybe “experimental” is right up your alley. No matter what you choose, just make sure it fits your style. After all, personalizing your wedding vows means just that - they should be personal, not forced to fit into a style that just isn’t “you.”

Chris Simeral is the creator of The Ultimate Wedding Vow Toolkit, the wedding-coordinator-approved home-study course for couples personalizing or renewing their wedding vows. Learn more at http://www.WeddingVowToolkit.com.