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25 Christian ways to reduce stress NEVER 'BORROW' YOUR WAY OUT OF DEBT 10 ways to save energy this autumn Do some exercise this autumn – while flat out on your couch Why not become a magistrate? (and give something back to your community) Need a party? Why not organise a barn dance?
25 Christian ways to reduce stress
1. Pray. 2. Go to bed on time – so you get the sleep you need.
3. Get up on time - so you can start the day unrushed. 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your own time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. 5. Simplify and un-clutter your life. 6. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. 7. Take one day at a time. 8. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. 9. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. 10. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. 11. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 12. Do something fun for yourself everyday – no matter how small. 13. Look out good books to read – and read a bit each day 14. Eat right. 15. Get organized so everything has its place. 16. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life. 17. Write down thoughts and inspirations. 18. Every day, find time to be alone. 19. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Don't wait until bedtime. 20. Make friends with godly people. 21. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). 22. Sit on your ego. 23. Talk less; listen more. 24. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. 25. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful to God for.
GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) So trust in him.
NEVER 'BORROW' YOUR WAY OUT OF DEBT
It seems like you only have to switch on the television and an advertisement jumps out at you. This is especially so when it comes to loans and it becomes very tempting to believe that somehow you can 'borrow' your way out of debt by taking some form of consolidated loan.
Sadly what is likely to happen is that this borrowing just becomes one more debt that has to be repaid. The intention is to pay off the other loans and credit cards but then you remember that the washing machine needs replacing or that the car is coming up for its MOT and is not going to pass without some substantial work being done on it!
There are other things that are never mentioned in the adverts. Joe Bloggs may well have been paying £300 a month before and only £125 a month now, but what the advert fails to tell you is that this is now over a much longer period. In fact he almost certainly will be paying far more in total than he was in the first place.
The other thing that is not mentioned but is usually visible on the television screen if you have excellent eye-sight is a fairly important statement – 'your house may be at risk if you do not keep up your payments'. This is vitally important. Most loans including credit cards and overdrafts are 'unsecured'. This means that the worst thing that can happen if you fail to pay is that you could be taken to court and refused credit for a period of six years in the future.
But consolidated loans are usually 'secured'. You may have taken out a loan at a lower interest rate than before but you have increased the risk to yourself and your family immensely. With a secured loan if you fail to maintain payments you run the real risk of having your home repossessed. Having been quiet for a number of years we are beginning to see the number of houses repossessed increasing.
So if you are tempted by such adverts ignore them. Instead do two things: 1. Log on to www.creditaction.org.uk for help in cutting down your spending. 2. Seek free and confidential help from a reputable debt counselling agency. You could either visit your local Citizens Advice or ring the Consumer Credit Counselling Service on 0800 1381111.
Both routes will be of far more use, and save you much more money, than trying to borrow your way out of debt. It simply can't be done!
10 ways to save energy this autumn
These tips will help you make your home more energy-efficient...
1. Turning a room thermostat down by just one degree centigrade can cut up to ten per cent off your heating bill.
2. Installing cavity wall and loft insulation will save you energy and money – and could repay your investment over just a few years.
3. Don't waste money by leaving your central heating on when you don't need it.
4. Turn off lights when you are not in the room, and don't leave your TV or video or computer on stand-by.
5. Replace 100W light-bulbs with low-energy equivalent bulbs and you could save up to £10 a year in electricity.
6. Help cut costs by insulating your hot water tank to a minimum of 75mm. Check the tank's thermostat to make sure it's set no higher than 60 degrees centigrade.
7. Replace your old boiler with a modern condensing version – and you could cut your heating bills by up to 32 per cent.
8. Cut costs by not fully heating unused rooms like spare bedrooms or studies.
9. Save energy in your kitchen by putting lids on saucepans and not overfilling kettles. Avoid washing up under running hot water and keep an eye out for dripping hot taps.
10. Draught-proof external windows and doors to cut costs in an instant.
Do some exercise this autumn – while flat out on your couch
On the sofa Your sofa is an ideal environment for a really good stretch! Lie flat out on your sofa, arms above your head and stretch as much as you can. Relax and repeat as many times as feels comfortable. This will help get rid of tension in the whole body.
When you stretch a muscle, you squeeze the blood out of it. When the stretch is finished and your muscle springs back to its normal size, it is automatically bathed in fresh blood that cleanses and nourishes it. This is one of the reasons why stretching brings you a sense of renewal.
Place a small cushion between your knees, squeeze and hold for four seconds, release and repeat five times. You can also do hand squeezes with a soft tennis ball any time you are watching TV. This exercise will strengthen your biceps, triceps and forearms.
If you make a cup of tea during the adverts, do some squats while the kettle boils. And if someone else is making the tea, do some head tilts instead – turn your chin to touch your shoulder to release tension in the neck area. Alternatively, let your head drop so that your ear touches your shoulder.
Finally, your best move would be to lose the remote control once in a while and heave yourself off the couch to change the channels.
In the car If you have to spend a lot of time in the car this autumn, don't get jumpy in traffic jams - instead try exercises such as inhaling, and squeezing your buttock muscle together. (Hold for four seconds, and release.)
Turning around as far as you can to check through the rear window is excellent for suppleness and flexing the upper back. Or try circling your shoulders forwards and backwards several times. 'Bucket' car seats are very bad for your back, so place a small cushion behind it. You can then use the cushion for knee squeezes while you are waiting in the next traffic jam.
Why not become a magistrate? (and give something back to your community)
Thousands of people help the wheels of justice turn in this country by sitting as magistrates. Magistrates (in various forms) have been around since 1195, and today they still play a vital part in the judicial system.
The work of a magistrate includes adjudicating criminal and civil cases, including family law, enforcing financial penalties and handling appeals in connection with the liquor licensing system. Lay magistrates are unpaid, but may receive travel and subsistence allowances. The retirement age is 70, but appointments are not made above the age of 65. A magistrate must sit at least 26 half days a year, but should try to be available for up to 35. There is also a requirement that the bench should reflect the gender, ethnic, political and employment make-up of the community it serves.
What qualities does it take to be a magistrate? Applicants must: - be of good character - have personal integrity - have sound common sense - have the ability to weigh evidence and reach reasoned decisions - live or work in the area - have good local knowledge and understanding of the local community - be able to work as a team member - be firm, yet compassionate
Causes for exclusion - an un-discharged bankrupt - a member of Her Majesty's forces - anyone who is not of good character and personal standing - a member of a police force - a close relative of a magistrate on the same bench - a traffic warden or any other occupation that might be seen to conflict with the role - anyone who, because of a disability, cannot carry out the duties required
For further information, contact our local magistrates' court.
Need a party? Why not organise a barn dance?
This autumn, if you have a party to organise, why not consider a barn dance? Barn dances and ceilidhs are great fun: the exercise releases feel-good hormones, the music is cheerful and uplifting, and such a party can be aimed at almost any age! Barn dances can be used to celebrate anything from retirement to weddings to a fund-raising event.
Some tips:
1. Choose your music to suit your guests. Bouncy, rocky folk music will delight young people, while more sedate and traditional music will suit Auntie's 80th birthday party.
2. Decide on the right band and the right caller. They vary from those with big PA systems to the more traditional fiddler with a guitar. The library has a copy of The Folk Directory, which lists bands and barn dance callers countrywide. Our local bands and callers include (editor – for you to fill in)...
3. Decide on the dances. Barn dances usually run for three-and-a-half hours, with a half-hour interval. Generally, older people like couple dances, younger married people like pattern dances (where you change your partner but come back to your original, and perhaps involve the children), and teenagers like a lot of action and a laugh.
4. The venue should have enough parking and easy access – and a suitable floor for dancing! Make sure you obtain any necessary licences for parties/alcohol.
5. Your budget should cover the cost of the band's fees, the hire of the premises, and the cost of food (fish and chips or a ploughman's are popular).
6. Posters and invitations can be generated on a home computer. For more public barn dances, local shops, public libraries, free newspapers will help spread the word.
For more advice and ideas, please contact The English Folk Dance and Song Society at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY 020 7485 2206.
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