Positive Thoughts Of The Day!

1. Friends are the sunshine of life.
2. Prayer puts God's work in his hands and keeps it here.
3. Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.

Encouraging Word

What skills do you take pride in? A sharp mind? The ability to make others feel comfortable? Remember that all such gifts come from a loving God. Your value is based on him rather than on yourself.
   ...I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ... - Philippians 3:9 NLT

Your Life, World and Water Cooler Topics!

Headlines:
   --- Bush looks offshore for remedy to high oil prices Nearly all the American coastline has been banned in part to protect tourism and to lessen the chances of beach-blackening spills.
   --- Celtics wins 17th NBA title with 131-92 rout of Lakers
   --- Delta Air Lines is introducing a paperless boarding pass system today on domestic flights out of New York's LaGuardia Airport. Other Airports will get the system by the end of the year.
   --- A British hospital has developed a clean computer keyboard that's more resistant to infectious bacteria. It also features a red light alarm that flashes when it needs cleaning.

School's out! How do you plan on keeping the kids from getting bored this summer? Keep kids from getting the summer blues with these ten great ideas.
   -- Build an Ice Cream Stand – Find a local ball park busy with little league ball games and set up an ice cream stand.
   -- Organize a Summer Playgroup – Ask other parents to join you and your kids at a local park once a week. Play on the playground, organize lawn games, or provide crafts for the kids.
   -- Plan a Treasure Hunt – Write up clues that will lead your kids on a hunt through the neighborhood and to local places of interest. Supervise but don't interfere.
   -- Start a Neighborhood Business – If your child is old enough, pet watching, dog walking, mother's helper, or house watching (getting mail, watering plants).
   -- Host a Neighborhood Cookout – Encourage your neighbors and friends to take a break from their busy lives.
   -- Join a Reading Contest or Challenge – Encourage your kids to get lost in a good book.
   -- Start a Summer Scrapbook or Memory Jar – Start by saving small mementos and make it fun give the kids a challenge.
   -- Hold a Carnival – Kids can be kept busy building a ticket booth, organizing games, planning food, and buying prizes.
   -- Write a Family or Neighborhood Newsletter – Put your kids in charge.
   -- Start a Puzzle – Pick out a large challenging puzzle.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT NOW? If your place of employment encouraged teleworking, you wouldn't be the only one reaping the benefits of a more flexible schedule and the ability to work from home. The company itself would benefit, because employee loyalty would skyrocket.
   According to a survey by WorldatWork, flextime is even more important to employees than paid vacation time -- and teleworking has been shown to increase productivity and positive competition while reducing stress and absenteeism. In addition, many Human Resource Departments have found that "offering telecommuting options is among the top five approaches being used by companies to help employees deal with gas prices."
Phoner: Have you done the math? How much is your commute costing you?
Phoner: If your office offered teleworking, would you?

Ten Bad Habits That Lead To Debt In A Hurry Sometimes the only way to stop a snowballing problem is to go back to the top of the hill and find out what started it.
   If you're up to your eyeballs in credit card debt, take a step back and recount your money missteps. Knowing your weaknesses could help prevent you from falling back into the bad credit pit and show you a way out. The Ten Are:
   1. Misusing balance transfers.
   2. Not checking credit reports -- you can't change them anyway.
   3. Failing to alert creditors about a financial hardship.
   4. Thinking of "budget" as a dirty word.
   5. Using retail store credit cards to make use of discounts.
   6. Procrastinating on creating an emergency fund.
   7. Denying yourself a financial education.
   8. Charging purchases instead of paying in cash or with a debit card.
   9. Making credit payments late.
   10. Making the minimum payment only.

NOT SO FAST Though the restaurant industry remains skeptical, a new study finds that seeing calorie information may convince customers to place healthier -- or at least smaller -- orders.
   In the study, when customers saw calorie information before ordering, they purchased an average of 52 fewer calories than customers who overlooked the calorie counts.
Phoner: Would it be helpful to you to see the calorie count on food before ordering it?

8 Ways To Cut Your Power Bill This Summer: Don't lose your cool over rising costs. These easy-to-follow tips will help you save money without making major sacrifices in your lifestyle.
   With summer finally kicking into gear across the country, you can almost hear the gentle hum of air conditioners ratcheting up. And with it climb home energy bills.
   These days, the average household spends $1,900 annually on energy (based on electricity and gas usage), according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But much of that is money wasted, energy conservationists say.
   The good news: Here are eight easy ways to save this summer.

See a Huge Moon Illusion Tonight: As the full moon rises this Wednesday evening, June 18, many people will be tricked into thinking it's unusually large.
   The moon illusion, as it's known, is a trick in our minds that makes the moon seem bigger when it's near the horizon. The effect is most pronounced at full moon. Many people swear it's real, suggesting that perhaps Earth's atmosphere magnifies the moon.
   But it really is all in our minds. The moon is not bigger at the horizon than when overhead.

CAR OF THE FUTURE?: Honda rolled the hydrogen fuel-cell FCX Clarity off a Tokyo assembly line yesterday. It uses hydrogen and oxygen to make electricity (emitting water from the exhaust). It's twice as efficient as a hybrid vehicle, running up to 385 miles on a single fuel stop at speeds of up to 100 mph.
   But don't head to the dealer yet. Only 500 will be made in the next three years.

ROAD RAGE: A new study by Colorado State University found that drivers of cars with bumper stickers, window decals and personalized license plates are not only more likely to get mad but get even. And it didn't matter whether the messages were positive or negative.
   Apparently the markings are a sign the driver is establishing “territoriality.”

HIS AND HERS? Many married couples have joint checking and one savings accounts. Others keep things separate. Still some have a mixture of the two philosophies. Here are some pros and cons of both:
   *Joint account pros: Pooling all funds together encourages a couple to talk more about savings goals and budgeting.
   *Joint account cons: If you have very different spending habits or ideas it could cause trouble.

   *Joint+separate pros: It's also a good approach for people who feel strongly about their independence.
   *Joint+separate cons: It will take more coordinating.

   *Separate account pros: Good for people who really, really need their independence. Or, remarried with child support or alimony.
   *Separate account cons: With so many common bills to pay when you are a couple, it can get kind of tiresome.
Phoner: How do you work out your finances?

GOT AN IDEA? Reality TV is still ruling the airwaves and apparently producers in Hollywood are running out of ideas! Producer John de Mol (creator of Deal or No Deal, Big Brother, Fear Factor), says anyone can have a great idea for a reality show, and he's starting a website, TalpaCreative.com, to solicit concepts. de Mol says that everybody has an idea about TV and that they are looking for the “next big thing."
   **Because they have tried everything!
   **FYI: The originator, who can be involved in development, will be paid greater amounts depending on how far the project goes.
Phoner: Do you have an idea for a Reality Show?

ON MY OWN Many employees, frustrated that their companies are unwilling to pay for the laptops, cell phones and other electronic devices that they want on the road, are spending their own money to get them. Nearly 40 percent of professionals paid for a laptop that they regularly carried.
   Cell phone users often picked up their bill. Businesses say they must carefully choose which electronics to provide for employees because they're expensive.
Phoner: What “tool” would you like for your office to pay for?

RECESSION PROOF With a souring economy and rising food and gas prices, you may be worried about a layoff. But what if you worked in an industry immune from economic downturns?
   According to many economists, industries that may keep workers out of the unemployment office include health care, education, environment, security and energy.
   *Government jobs - The federal government out sources a lot of its jobs, including food provision, waste removal, security and call centers. While tax revenues may be down and hiring limited for state and municipal positions, there will always be a demand for public safety officers, court clerks, administrative service managers and the like. Average pay: $68,000.
   *Health care - A bad economy may limit what people spend but probably won't keep them from seeking medical attention. Health care is one of the fastest-growing job sectors. Average pay: $58,500.
   *Security - A recession won't stop crime. In fact, as funds are limited more crimes may occur. The demand for police officers, port security specialists and security experts will increase. Average pay: $41,470.
   *Environment - Many Americans are thinking green to help combat global warming. As companies try to develop "green" technology, demand for engineers and scientists will grow. Average pay: $47,960.
   *Energy - As gas prices rise, those discovering new means of developing fossil and alternative fuels will be needed. About 80 percent of oil industry employees will reach retirement age in the next decade. Average pay: $72,910.

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION
   Q: On average, people fear these more than they do dying. What are they?
   A: Spiders
   **FYI: However, statistically you are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than by the bite of a poisonous spider.

Previous Stuff in Your Life and World.
  Plus a link below to the previous days stuff...

Four Money Mistakes Single-Income Families Make Four things to avoid doing, or to at least think twice about.
   --- No Life Insurance.
   ---No Disability Insurance.
   --- Saving for College Before Saving for Retirement.
   --- Using Your Home as a Credit Card.

Steven Curtis Chapman Returns To Stage: The beloved Christian artist has decided to re-start his tour put on hold after the loss of his young daughter. Though the family is continuing to walk through this very difficult time, and some unforeseen additional issue might cause a change at a later time, as of today we fully expect and plan to play Chapman's previously scheduled US dates. All international dates are canceled at this time.
  JULY
   11 Oshkosh, WI/Lifest
   12 Chesaning, MI
   13 Fremont, NE
   17 Clarkson ,MI
   18 Euless, TX (SCC solo - between Dallas and Ft. Worth)
   24 Wheaton, IL For more Dates and Information go here.

Well this summer it's important to keep kids safe and now there is a new web site that offers safety tips. It's called the Safety Mom dot com. There is advice from installing child safety seats to the kind of swimming pool fences that are best... Plus, how you can take precautions to protect your unborn child from illness and accidents and a whole lot more.

Students can feed their brain and bodies at summer food service program - Nacogdoches Independent School District, along with the federal government, provides free breakfast and lunches each summer for children between the ages of 1 and 18. But this year, students who participate in the program can also borrow books from each feeding site and participate in games and activities.
  The food program will begin Monday, June 9, and last until Aug. 8th Last year, there were 19 sites. But this year, there will be 27 sites.

Get Your Exact Tax Rebate Date: This online tool will give you the exact date your federal tax rebate should be coming.

Calculator: How Much Will You Get From Uncle Sam?: The rebate checks began going out in April... Go to this link to calculate approxiamately how much you may get. Have your tax return ready. You will need information.

Calculator: How To Pay Off My Balance on Credit - A great calculator designed to show how much and how long you need to pay to kick that debt balance.

Archived Morning Show Prep - Click for the previous days information