Even though life brings quandaries in our lives that rock the very core of our being (foundation); God’s Word can keep us anchored. In Luke 6:46-49, God teaches us the principle upon which we should build our lives. These verses tell us that the man who hears the Word and does not follow it is like the man who built his house on the sand. When the storms came and the waters began to beat, it immediately fell and washed out to sea. However, the man who built his house on a foundation of rock was left unshaken when the floodwaters rose and began to beat vehemently upon the house. I compare our physical bodies to the houses described in these scriptures. We must build strong minds and bodies so we are better equipped to deal with the raging storms of life, such as a stressful job, the death of a family member, or an unwanted break up. The pain of these experiences is often so raw and disheartening that we are left feeling helpless, hopeless, and undisciplined.

The manner in which we conduct ourselves while in the midst of a storm is the true test of the strength of our foundation. Therefore, we should continue to pray and study the Word of God, in addition to eating nutritious meals and exercising regularly.

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It is really exciting to see all the developments under construction in Dubai taking shape, and we can’t wait to see what the finished results are and if they meet our expectations. A number of these Dubai properties are well under construction, and some are quite a few years away, but nonetheless, the Dubai real estate market brings something new each month. Here are the top five projects that we know are going to be started, or finished very soon!

1. Burj Dubai Downtown. This is an amazing feat of architecture and design; we think it will be a massive success. Many of the different apartment sub-developments are complete or almost so, are they all look great. The tower itself is due for completion in December 2008, but until then, the freehold properties surrounding it will be released steadily, and the Dubai Mall is due to open before the actual tower does. When this entire project is finished, it is definitely going to be worth a look, and if you happen to live in the building, I guess you can enjoy it every day!

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Too often we see Web sites “under construction,” “coming soon” or announcing events that were over long ago. When a site becomes outdated it tells visitors that the site owner is sloppy and unreliable, that there is no reason to look further at the site or to return in the future.

Even an ignored site has a voice.

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The greatest American dream has always been of owning land. From the crossing of the Atlantic by brave Europeans, to the migrations of Western expansion, migrations into the cities, then out to the suburbs, and now into exurbia, Americans have a love affair with land. Now that you’re ready to purchase your own piece of heaven, and build your Dream Home, there are some things to keep in mind to make sure you don’t wind up with a cup full of heartache.

The first step in building a new home or buying an existing home is evaluating the site. Look at the topography of the site. Is it very steep; will you be able to get up a driveway in possible snow? What type of exposure is the site optimized for? Most home owners want southern exposure. It has a “warming” affect in the winter and makes for a nice bright home year round. So you’ll want to make sure the southern side of the site isn’t crowded with trees. Do your research on zoning regulations and restrictions. What are the set-backs? Are there any large developments planned for or applied for in the area? Consider the water table height and the drainage of the site. If the water table is too high, having a basement is a bad idea. If the drainage is poor you may want to select another site, or risk flooding. Are you in a flood plain or wetlands? Both are signs of a poor site. A good indicator is the number of pine trees on the lot. Pine trees avoid wetlands, and you should too. Find out where the utilities are regarding your site. Where’s the closest public sewer and water connection? Will you have a well and septic system? Where are the electric lines? Having a perk test done, and a well drilled can be expensive. If there is a well in place, find out how many gallons per minute it provides, to get an idea of how much water you’ll have on hand. Also consider the area the site is in. Are the schools good? Even if you don’t have children this will affect your re-sale value and property taxes. Are you close to a large city? Are there any restrictions on what you can build on the property? The most important part of buying a piece of land or a home is to get title insurance right off the bat. If you don’t, you may be liable for a previous owner’s misdeeds. If there are liens on the land or home, without title insurance, they’ll wind up becoming your responsibility. Make sure you update the title report and do a title search.

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We are all living through the Residential Real Estate Meltdown

*** that’s Strike One ***

Speculation and criminally easy credit built the Bubble and now we watch its sloooow motion bursting in the real estate sales and price numbers daily.

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Residential ships are a way to share expenses instead of owning your own private yacht. The concept seems reasonable, but there is some price gouging going on in the business.

The ship that started the current spate of luxury residential homes aboard cruise ships was “The World,” operated and managed by ResidenSea. All the residences onboard “The World” are already sold-out, but occasionally an owner puts one up for sale. If you have to ask the price, you probably cannot afford it.

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The United States was once synonymous with having the largest incarnation of just about anything you could think of - whether it was the world’s largest ball of string or the tallest free-standing structure on the planet. However, out of the top ten current tallest buildings in the world, Uncle Sam has only two structures, neither of which sits in the top slot. That honour is held by Taiwan, whose Taipei 101 structure measures a lofty 509m in height, almost 70m taller than Chicago’s Sears Tower, the United States’ tallest building.

While Taiwan can claim to have the world’s largest industrial building, Dubai can lay claim to having the world’s tallest hotel. In fact, Dubai is home to three out of the top ten world’s tallest hotels with the Rose Tower - despite still being under construction - the tallest at a height of 333 metres. When construction began, the Rose Tower was supposed to reach 380 metres - the height of the Empire State Building. However, design modifications led to its projected height being reduced, and while it is still under construction, the honour of tallest hotel is unofficial.

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Let’s face it; the line from A Field of Dreams isn’t the whole truth. There’s more to getting people to come to something than simply building it. Someone built the old run down historical mansion, but hardly anyone visits it (except maybe people you wouldn’t want to run into). People want to find a place online that caters to them, specifically. They want it to be pleasant on the eyes, up-to-date, simple to understand and easy to get around in. But, this isn’t an area where everyone succeeds. And sadly, some of the reasons for failure seem small, almost minute. Below are six website design disasters and simple steps that you can take to avoid them.

1. Sloppy Copy. Despite what you may have read in the latest free e-Book, you can’t just place any words on a page to trick you customers to spend fistfuls of cash on your site. One of the primary reasons people are cruising the net is to find information, and not just the same information over and over and over.

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