The LuxMob Info Tags

Bovine Colostrum is the form of “milk” taken from dairy cows, within 24 hours of giving birth to a calf. The liquid is known for its high protein immunoglobulin and antibody contents, and numerous immune and growth factors that can be highly beneficial to humans.

Although many animals have some sort of colostrum, a lot of scientific research conducted in the last decade has shown that the combination of immune and growth factors in bovine colostrum are almost identical to those in human colostrum. Research has also shown that the substance of bovine colostrum is not species specific, and can work effectively to benefit humans as well as other mammals.

Colostrum is highly beneficial to humans because of the fact that once puberty has passed, out bodies gradually produce less and less of the important immune and growth factors that help us heal damaged body tissue, and fight off dangerous diseases. It is due in part to the loss of these essential immune components, our bodies age and eventually die. Colostrum is the only completely natural source of these vital components, and has demonstrated the ability to kill viruses and bacteria, stimulate tissue repair (especially that of the bowel lining), stimulate fat utilization for fuel, optimize cellular reproduction, and ultimately slow down the aging process.

Taking Colostrum is especially important for those persons who were not breast fed at birth. Those of us who were formula fed, and missed out on the natural benefits of breast-feeding may have immune and digestive systems that are somewhat compromised. Colostrum can help in restoring these systems to optimal functioning levels, no matter how old we are.

Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of Immune Wellness, your source for high quality information about Colostrum and other health products.

There have been many studies on the different so-called stages of dying including, of course, the famous Kubler-Ross study and that of Debbie Messer Zlatin, but few, if any, have offered much insight into issues involving the relationship between hope, dignity grief, and mourning. Suffice to say I have always adhered to the theory that the totality of a person’s life as well as his or her own personality and experiences will influence their particular way of coping with impending death.

Obituaries often state that a person passed away “after a brief illness………..” but those words cannot begin to tell the real story, for they fail to state how unexpected the illness was or how valiantly the battle was fought. . Nor do they mention that there may have been different phases to the “brief illness,” phases or stages that may have involved a frustrating roller coaster of buoyant hope and deep despair; stages that may even have required emotional preparation for excruciatingly painful and potentially guilt-ridden surrogate decisions involving the life and death of a loved one; stages that may even have required such a decision to be made. No, obituaries don’t tell this story.

Those who have faced this know that at that dreaded point in time when “reversible” becomes “irreversible” and when “non-terminal” becomes “terminal”, the stairway of hope has diminished and the roller coaster has come to a slow, albeit final stop. But also at this point, another and more definitive phase can be engaged, one in which the transition can offer a new stairway that focuses fully on preserving dignity for your loved one, and while grief overrides all, this effort to embrace dignity can perhaps mitigate the depth of one’s own sense of grief.

There are many ways to do this. if one elects the assistance of hospice as I did, the overall comfort and supportive environment provided by the “angels” who perform their miracles there can be of enormous help. Here the mere presence and closeness of visiting friends, family and loved ones can be supportive and comforting; here tears are shed without shame; here life’s joyous memories are recalled and related; here deeply personal and quiet conversations affirm love, affection and closeness; here intimate and tender whispers of love are exchanged; here prayer and expressions of faith offer comfort; here final “see you latter’s” are poignantly made; and here the final passing is achieved with dignified peace and hands held softly together.

But then, after the burial or memorial, grief tends to set in even more sharply. Someone I loved, is now gone from my life; a piece of me has been torn away from my very fabric and the painfully deep wound must be healed. Grief and mourning are ways by which my mind can heal this hurt. Like snowflakes, these are intensely personal and unique experiences. Grief is a person’s internal experience, thoughts and feelings related to the experience of a great loss, while mourning is the outwardly expression of this grief. Through this expression, we gradually come to accept the loss. For us to go on with our lives and once again care about others……… although with all the risks we have now so painfully learned about…….. we need to let go of those we love who are no longer with us. We need to let go.

But stages of grief often do not occur in any orderly progression. Depending on the situation and the persons involved, one may not even experience some stages, or may move in and out of the same emotional state several times. One thing is certain, though, there is no easy way. Some are stoic and appear strong, others are intensely emotional. Some celebrate or memorialize a person’s life and accentuate the positive. Others never accept death or elect to attach themselves to denial. Some choose to suppress their grief, others share it. Some can never find resolution, others get through it remarkably well. Some turn to grief counselors, others go it alone. Many turn to their faith or spirituality. Some deal with introspection in order to find answers. Some, like the writer Joan Didion, bury themselves in their work or write about it and attempt to articulate thoughts and feelings that many of us would rather not deal with. And when death is unexpected and sudden, grief can truly be more profound…….though even when the death involves a long expected release from a painful illness, it can still be a profound experience and a stark realization of just how fragile and impermanent life is. As Ms. Didion struggles with in her new book, “The Year of Magical Thinking,” sometimes there just is no way to understand the overwhelming nature of grief nor the illusion of one’s control that the random, sudden and scary nature of death can strip away.

On a personal level, I would never, ever begin to suggest a panacea for grieving. There is none. I know, however, that it was helpful for me to move as seamlessly as I possibly could from the highs and lows of hope to the many tasks and issues associated with ensuring that an appropriate degree of dignity could be achieved and preserved for my loved one.

I also know that sooner or later, there will be a deferred effect regarding my own profound issues of loss. How I achieve resolution remains to be seen, but in so doing I shall not delude myself by trying to make any sense out of the senseless.

“Like a bird singing in the rain,
Let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.”

Robert Louis Stevenson

Ted Sares, PhD, is a private investor who lives and writes in the White Mountain area of Northern New Hampshire with his wife Holly and Min Pin Jackdog. He writes a weekly column for a local newspaper and many of his other pieces are widely published.

If you are trying to maximize the space in your room, consider
purchasing a loft bed or bunk bed to elevate your sleeping area.
With loft beds, the bed is elevated on a platform with space
left underneath for living, working, or playing. Bunk beds work
on the same principal, but with another bed underneath the top
bunk. Both are popular with children and teens, who often have
limited space in their rooms; however, many parents worry about
their safety.

Each year, thousands of children are rushed to emergency rooms
after falling from the top bunk of their bunk beds or loft beds,
while many more receive less serious injuries that are not seen
by a medical professional. Typically, the main reason of injury
involving bunk beds or lofts beds is horseplay and not from
improperly installed beds. Before you purchase bunk beds or loft
beds for your child, consider the age of the child and plan to
make rules regarding the use of the bed. Although younger
children are thought to experience more injuries, the most
problems occur with older children who are more apt to disregard
rules and exhibit unsafe or risky behavior.

For the most part, bunk beds and loft beds are just as safe as
conventional beds. For smaller children, consider designating
the lower bunk as their bed instead of allowing them to
regularly climb to the top bunk. Also, ensure the bed is
properly maintained and meets all current safety regulations and
standards. Additionally, approximately eight percent of bunk bed
related falls and injuries that must seek medical attention are
related directly to the ladder. In addition to ensuring the
ladder is properly installed, instruct your child on the correct
method of ascending and descending the ladder.

When you begin searching for an appropriate bunk bed or loft bed
for your child, choose a bed that appeals to all the safety
standards. A bunk bed should have guard rails that have no more
than three and one-half inches of space between the rail and the
mattress. This will prevent children from falling through the
space and potentially injuring themselves. If necessary, you may
need to install extra boards if the space between the guard rail
and the mattress. Furthermore, the guard rail needs to extend no
less than five inches above mattress so that your child will be
unable to roll off the top bunk.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the bunk bed or loft bed
your purchase has guard rails on both sides. Even though one
side of the bed will be placed next to a wall, a guard rail is
essential due to a child potentially falling next to the wall
and becoming trapped between the wall and the bed frame. Again,
the guard rail should be no greater than three and one-half
inches above the bed frame. Also, you should ensure that the
mattress purchased to fit the bunk bed or loft bed properly fits
the frame. Many parents choose to use a preexisting mattress
used on a child-sized bed that is smaller than a traditional
twin bed frame. Children can potentially fall between the
mattress and the frame in this situation, so you should ensure
the mattress is of the proper size.

In addition to ensuring the mattress is of proper size, you
should also check that the mattress foundation is properly
suspended above the bottom bunk or the space below. If the bed
sits on a wooden platform, consider reinforcing the mattress
with wooden slats or metal straps. This will prevent the top
bunk from collapsing, especially if the lower occupant is
kicking or pushing the above mattress.

By purchasing a quality, well constructed bunk bed or loft bed
that meets all safety guidelines, you can make certain that your
child will be safe and free from injury from the bed.

I know a good Christian lady who cuts hair for a living. That’s her occupation. That’s how she makes a living. She is very good at it. Why is it that when Christians come to her shop they expect a “discount” just because they go to the same Church that she attends? There are some who refer to this practice as a “believer discount”.

Now I am not opposed to finding discounts and deals, but not at someone else’s expense. If someone decides that they want to give me a haircut at no charge, or half price, out of love, then that’s fine. But to just expect that Christian businesses are supposed to give discounts to all the “brothers and sisters” is not love. It’s actually an indication of a poverty mind set. I’ll explain that later.

For me to think that my Christian brothers and sisters are obligated to give me a cheaper price is selfish and it takes money away from them. Suppose you couldn’t find a Christian for the service or product you needed? What would you do? You would end up paying someone the price they charged.

I know some Christians who are very good at doing car repairs and some of them even do it as a business. And hardly a week or two goes by that another Christian asks them for help in fixing their car, expecting to pay little or nothing for services rendered. That is very selfish and, again, an indication of a poverty mentality.

Here’s a startling thought: pay your Christian brother or sister more than they normally charge! Now that’s a concept that has love written all over it. Why would you do that? First of all it is indeed a blessing to have a Christian provide a service or a product. If they operate their business with integrity and love, that love will have an impact on my life. Secondly, by believing God’s promises of abundance you can go over and beyond and give more to the person who is providing you the service or product. That increases their prosperity. But, if you have a poverty mentality, you are always looking for someone to charge you less for everything and expecting any Christian to give you a discount. Why not believe God’s promises of prosperity, receive His abundance, and then share that abundance with others?

Now I would rather pay a Christian for a product or service, but there is another side to this coin. Just because I am a Christian does that mean I have to find another Christian to provide my products and services? Suppose I know a Christian who could get the job done, but not with the quality I require? Am I obligated to hire a Christian anyway and then have inferior work done? Some say that would be the “Christian thing to do.” I say, “No.”

If I hire you to fix my car I am expecting you to know what you are doing and to do it right the first time. If that doesn’t happen then I have wasted the money God gave me to steward, not to mention the time that I have lost. Perhaps the “Christian thing to do” would be to be honest and tell someone that their work is not the quality that it could be. Instead of feeling obligated to hire them, why not give them some money so that they can get the training they need so they can do quality work? Feeling sorry for someone and then having them do a job that they or someone else will need to re-do it is not helping my brother or sister.

As a final thought, why shouldn’t Christian businesses be the best businesses on the face of the earth? That takes a lot more than just having a Christian sounding name. It means quality work. It means integrity and honesty. It means operating biblical principles of giving more value. Having a Christian business reflects back on our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, whether we own a business or are simply employed by someone, the “Christian thing to do” is to work heartily, ethically, and honestly with the love of God. Our light should so shine that everybody, Christians and non-Christians alike want our products and services.

Michael A. Verdicchio is the author and producer of “Inspirational Pep Talks”, available at http://www.inspirationalpeptalks.com He is also the author of the book, “Healing From God is Available”. He has produced other motivation and inspirational items, including the audio CD, Healing Words, available at http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com.

Star tattoos seem to be a pretty old and yet a very popular design. It is one of the most requested custom designs. Why are they so popular and are they over rated? You know there is this on going controversy between the “tattoo traditionalists” and the new generation of “tattooers”. I put those in quotes because they are terms that I made up for this article.

A “tattoo traditionalists” like the old school tattoos. Things that are done in black ink and nothing that would be considered popular. They feel that each tattoo should be unique and say something about the individual. They are strongly against anyone that gets a tattoo because it is a popular design. For example they are against star tattoos because of their popularity. They would most likely be against the good old tribal arm band tattoo or a barbed wire arm band etc. You know the tattoo designs that are so popular and done over and over again. The “tattoo traditionalists just hate these.

The new generation of “tattooers” are pretty much the opposite. They like what is cool and hip and want to get tattoos done that are popular and in style. They will often look at celebrity tattoos or the tattoos of friends to get their ideas from which they might do some customizing and etc. Their designs typically feature a lot of color and are bright!
I have written more about these groups in other articles so for now I will stick to the topic at hand of star tattoos. You see there is a phenomenal growth in star tattoo designs. Tons of people want to get everything from simple star tattoos, groupings of moon and star tattoos, nautical stars, and even shooting stars. Star tattoo designs are pretty much everywhere.

So why are they so popular?

1. Star tattoo designs and celestial tattoos are especially popular themes among women and this is a rapidly growing market.

2. Star tattoos can be very gender neutral. Men and women can get star tattoos done.

3. Star tattoos are often inexpensive to get designs of and cost very little to get done.

4. Star tattoos often make a great first tattoo design for someone who is a little worried about getting started in tattoos. They are small and easily covered up and also less painful to get because of their size and therefore popular among first timers.

5. Star tattoos because of their size can fit into or among other existing designs or can make great cover up of a bad tattoo.

6. Stars are pretty universal symbols of good things. Most all religions have some type of star symbolism and star and stars don’t make a strong statement about the world but just kind of thought of as fun and light hearted.

So who is right? Are star tattoos a great design to get done like the new generation of tattooers is doing or should you avoid them at all costs because they are not unique and they are overdone like the traditionalists would say?

Well, like all great questions in life and in the world of tattoo design the decision really is your to make. It will be your tattoo and one that you will live with for a long time. I think the best middle ground between the two groups is to just get something you like. If you like star tattoos for their own sake if they are popular or not then go ahead and get one and who cares. However if you are just getting a star tattoo because your friend just did or because the latest pop diva got one then it might be better to wait. Either way the choice is your to be made.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He
likes helping people find the custom tattoo designs and where to get them done by professional tattoo artists.
Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist
and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and
make some money in your spare time. Check out this article on

star and shooting star tattoos on the site.

There is no doubt that the market for houses has been on fire recently. More and more people are taking advantage of low interest rates and easy mortgage loan terms to go from being renters to being home owners. With so many people entering the market, it is inevitable that questions will arise.

There are many things to consider when buying your first home. Some of the most important steps to buy a house are:

Step 1: Learning the home buying process

Start by learning as much as you can about how the home buying and mortgage application process works. Read as much as you can about buying a home. Check out the many books in your local library that offer hints to first time home buyers. Read financial web sites on the internet for tips for first time home buyers. You may even want to sign up for a class aimed at first time homeowners. Many towns and cities offer these kinds of classes, and they can be a great source of information for the buyer looking for his or her first home.

Step 2: Find out the pre-qualified price range

It is important to find out how much you can borrow before you start looking for a home. Talk with several mortgage lenders in your area and get pre-qualified for a particular price range. The mortgage lender will be able to help you determine how much you can borrow based on your annual income. In general, mortgage lenders recommend that all home related expenses, including the mortgage payment, insurance premiums and real estate taxes, do not exceed 28% of your monthly income.

Step 3: Get Pre-approved for mortgage loan

The next step is to get pre-approved for mortgage financing. This is similar to getting pre-qualified for a price range, but it is a more formal process. You will need to supply proof of your income for the pre-approval process to move forward. Most lenders will want to see income tax returns from the past two years as proof of the income you are claiming.

Step 4: House hunting

After you have been pre-approved for your mortgage loan, it is time to actually start house hunting with a realtor (find out why you need to find a realtor before buying a house?). Your mortgage lender will give you a letter stating that you have been pre-approved for a mortgage and the amount you are authorized to borrow. You will need to present this letter to the real estate agent when you get started. It is important to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan before beginning your home search. The real estate agent and real estate company will be much more willing to work with you if they know you can afford the home you are looking at. In addition, sellers will take your offer much more seriously if it is accompanied by a pre-approval letter from your mortgage lender.

Step 5: Make an offer

Once you have found a home that meets your needs, it is time to make an offer on the property. You will already know the most you can spend from the pre-approval process, and you probably will have your own ideas on what the property is actually worth. In addition, your real estate agent can guide you through the negotiation process and offer procedures. A copy of your pre-approval letter will be presented as part of the written offer. This will ensure the seller that your offer is legitimate.

Step 6: Negotiation process

If the seller accepts your first offer, congratulations. Your negotiations are over and you’re ready to start preparing for your move. More likely, however, is that the seller will come back with a counter-offer. This negotiation process can go on for a short or long amount of time, depending on factors like the motivation of the seller, the local real estate market, and a host of other factors. The real estate agent will be a good guide through the negotiation process. After all, he or she will have been through this process many times before.

Step 7: Provide copy of Purchase and Sale Agreement to mortgage broker

After the negotiation process has been completed, you will need to present your mortgage broker with a copy of the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the home.

Step 8: Work to close the mortgage loan

After presenting the Purchase and Sales Agreement, you will need to work with the mortgage broker to ensure you meet all the conditions required for the closing of the mortgage loan.

Step 9: ome inspection prior closing

Prior to closing, you will want to make sure to have a thorough home inspection performed by a qualified and certified home inspector. A home inspection will protect you from flaws in the construction and condition of the home that are not obvious to the naked eye. Home inspections can uncover things like foundation cracks, termite infestation and other home quality issues.

Step 10: Hand over down payment

After the home inspection has been performed and the report has come back clean (or all the items uncovered have been repaired), it is time for the buyer to actually hand over the money for the down payment and sign the loan documents.

Step 11: Collect the house key

After the closing of the loan, the fun part of home buying begins. Your real estate agent will hand over the keys to your new home and you can actually move in and enjoy your beautiful new home. Welcome to moving day!

Andrew is the web owner of Home Buying Tips: How to buy a house, a website that provides complete guide on home buying, selling house, home mortgage, foreclosure, real estate investment and more. You can visit his website at:http://www.buy-and-sell-house-fast.com/