Rock Bottom

I finished reading the Book of Job again today. Even if you’re not a regular Bible reader, you’ve probably heard the name.

Job’s the guy who has become synonymous with life’s troubles. If the old Hee Haw song “Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me” ever applied to anyone, it fit Job. And that’s only if you’re willing to place a little comic relief between yourself and the book’s pages.
Reading Job without such a buffer zone is tough going. At the beginning of the book, Job loses practically everything in life except his own life. His wealth evaporates. His children die. His body succumbs to a disease that covers him with oozing sores and wracks him with fever.
Some “friends” show up to try and help Job come to grips with what he’s facing, and that’s when the book gets really interesting. Drop the “r” out of “friends” and you get a picture of the deeper character of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu.
Their compassion for Job goes only so far as his verbalized woes fall in line with their “God in a box” personal theologies. As soon as Job’s laments jar their pietistic ears, they shift from “We’re here for you, Job!” to “How can you possibly say that, you reprobate?!?”
You could easily fill a shelf with books and commentaries written on Job. I’m just going to note a few quick takeaways.

  1. As uncomfortable as it can be, I need to put myself in the place of Job’s friends. Sure, I want to always see myself as Job, the suffering hero and spiritual giant. But I’m way too prone to direct my own “God in a box” explanations at others who are going through pain. I need God’s help to avoid that path and come alongside others in genuine compassion.
  2. When I’m struggling to voice to God my own pain and need, I can take heart from Job’s many anguished prayers. No, he wasn’t perfect by any means. But his honest grappling with God never changed his relationship with God or caused God to give up on Job. That’s why God placed the record of Job’s prayers so prominently in Scripture. They are proof positive we can come to our Heavenly Father in absolute naked honesty.
  3. Context is everything! You’d be amazed how many little quips about God and His creation that end up on Scripture calendars or posters actually fall in the middle of long and hateful diatribes from Job’s “comforters.” In following God, as these passages well illustrate, we can so easily fall into the trap of leveling little truisms at each other in attempts to defend any number of bogus assertions.
  4. Finish reading Job, and you run into the Psalms. Yes, I know the placement of the Bible’s books is not deemed an act of divine inspiration so much as an act of various historical committees. At the same time, I don’t believe it’s mere human accident that billions of Bibles have been printed with these two components side by side. Psalms reminds us that no matter what happens to us, life is to be lived in songful praise to God and with the attendant joy such praise brings. Like Job, the Psalms can be gut-wrenchingly honest about life’s pain. But keep singing!

If you’re at rock bottom today, take heart. You may need to lay it all on the line in honest painful prayer, but don’t flinch. So long as you refuse to allow rebellion to trump reverence for your Creator, you can be sure He is with you and will bring you through.


 

Tips To Increase Your Online Exposure For Your Website

SEO Proccess

Does your business rely on their online presence for customers and revenue? If so, you need to learn how to increase your online exposure. The bottom line is that every business can benefit from marketing, but not all business’s can need to do it online. For example, gas stations are one of the industries that don’t need to do much online marketing. For these types of industries I simply set up a Google listing and make sure their address is correct. For the majority of other companies social media and a good solid website will really help out.

Depending on your industry your social media and all around marketing strategy will differ. At the end of the day, there’s no cookie cutter strategy and every single business is different. The one thing that’s the same is no company can afford to do nothing. As each day passes the influence of network television is dwindling. In the old days running a TV Commercial was the top thing you could do to promote your site. Furthermore, things like radio ads and print ads were key to getting the word out about your business. Nowadays, those types of advertising mediums are loosing influence and moving to online. Social media and internet videos have replaced television commercials. Plus, running a great internet video can be done for a lot cheaper than a TV commercial. Newspapers are quickly going down in readership while those viewers move to online forms of communication to get their daily updates.

Here are my top tips to increase your websites online exposure:

  1. Build a good website with high-quality photography.
  2. Build the top 3 social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  3. Take high-quality photography of your staff and owners in action.
  4. Use online advertising to boost exposure and reach new customers.
  5. Use offline guerrilla marketing tactics to spread the word about your website.

That’s my top 5 tips to increase your online exposure in 2017. These tactics are only a small sample of the different things you can do to make more money and reach new customers. Depending on the industry you in will depend on which method of advertising you rely on. For some, Facebook marketing will be king and your best use of funds. For others, putting the majority of your advertising budget in search engine optimization or SEO will pay the biggest dividends. These types of business’s will convert customers best when they search Google and land on your company. For some, high-quality photography and video will give you the edge over your competitors. For others, a strong ground game passing out business cards and coupons will be your path to riches. At the end of the day, it’s up to your to asses the best way to spend your advertising dollars. One thing we do know is that traditional forms of media are dying and advertisers just aren’t getting the exposure they used too. Instead of paying $500 for a TV spot and reaching a small amount of people, you could spend $500 on Facebook ads and reach thousands of people that are more likely to buy your product.

To learn more, visit Portland SEO Marketing Company and find out how they can help you with your online business today.

Oregon Web Solutions | Portland SEO
1717 NE 42nd Ave #3800
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 563-3028


Lumber and some facts about it

The lumber and woodworking industry offers employment for several professions. Construction is one of the main industries that utilizes lumber on the greatest level. In construction, you tend to work with and use many different types of lumber such as Pine, Doug Fir, Maple, and Oak. Oak is one of the more popular types that is typically used for interior trim, doors, cabinets and various other uses as well. Flooring for many years typically was made from Oak as well, and now they use a variety of different materials. Teak lumber is readily worked, yet solid, which makes it desirable for woodworkers. This is very popular for decks due to it’s strength and toughness to abuse and heavy use. 

In the event you thought about using solid wood flooring, it is recommended to think about safeguarding this from wood decay in addition to invasion of pests. Teak flooring and decking is becoming more and more popular in the modern society. Natural bamboo flooring can be found in planks. Bamboo laminate flooring is stronger and simple to install. If you’re trying to find a nice but inexpensive wood flooring, laminate bamboo flooring is the smartest choice available.

The sort of wood you use is easily the most important aspect to be thought about while designing a plan for a picnic table. If it is not seasoned when used, it does stand a higher opportunity of developing mold. Not every form of wood will get the job done for each job. Reclaimed wood delivers an unusual possibility to match current materials when renovating an older home. Reused wood is going to have few holes or damages that have to be patched up. It is as important to get the most suitable wood and tools to deal with that wood. Just as Pacific Trail of the difficulties of dealing with old wood if you do not have the right equipment. 

Using this method, you minimize the quantity of lumber used in your house, reduce your continuing maintenance outlays, and you won’t harm the local habitat. CCA treated lumber does not result in an extreme wellness risk. The principal timbers will probably not be a stock item and needs to be special ordered at a nearby lumber yard. Select lumber is of a decent physical look and finish. Select superior lumber is a great excellent wood that is totally free from blemishes.

Make a list of all of the lumber you’ll need. The lumber looks about the same and it looks like a fantastic method to reduce material expenses. When building a wooden fence, make certain you get lumber with the correct retention levels. It’s extremely versatile and among the very best lumber to work for an industrial project. Reclaimed lumber is now popular for various reasons. Because of these characteristics, it is a highly marketable product that draws a large field of interested buyers. The 2nd most common softwood lumber employed in the world is Fir.

If you are deciding to go with an old school milling method and saw your own lumber like a lot of people are doing these days, you are going to need to make sure your saw chain guide bars are perfect and in good condition. It is a lot of time and effort to cut your own lumber although the results give people a great feeling of building everything themselves and having all of that love and labor into something is a great feeling. 


 

Paddle Boarding Is Way Better Than Surfing!

paddle boarding

Paddle Boarding As Opposed To Surfing

If you’re considering picking up Paddle boarding, you’re going to need a board. These things will be worn for all sorts of surfing. Clearly, any paddling is an excellent workout, but the stand up paddle boards kick this up a notch. If you were not aware, the sport originates from Hawaii long ago just like surfing

Purchasing a SUP paddle is the optimal/optimally gift it’s possible to give to yourself. Paddle boarding has come to be really popular over the past ten years as it is challenge, but it could also be quite relaxing.

The specially designed paddle, which ought to be 7-8 inches longer than you’re tall, offers loads of resistance leading to an excellent core workout. Paddle boarding isn’t hard to learn. Lots of people are seeking to take pleasure in the popular paddle boarding sport.

As soon as you get accustomed to it, you’ll find it simpler for you to try it on waves. Just cruise, you’ll receive your waves even when you don’t have a lot of time. Don’t forget the faster the wave, the quicker you will need to paddle.

When you master this sport it’s very enjoyable and very addicting. The sport of surfing keeps growing everyday. If you’re likely to try out the sport for the very first time it’s possible to employ the equipment. It’s a sport, you may enjoy with friends and family members.

When you select the boat rentals, you should confirm the boat condition and spend the ride within the Indian River. SUP rentals are an excellent method to try out the sport without purchasing a board. There are lots of paddle board rentals Florida. Paddle board sale in the USA will explode on such a basis alone!

Based on what you’ll be doing with your board, there are several things to focus on when it regards the rocker, but for the time being, we will keep it simple. When fully inflated, it feels very like a normal fiberglass board. Ideally you require a fairly flat board with minimal rocker, and a cozy deck pad. Rentals Stand-Up-Paddle surf boards arrive in an enormous selection of shapes and sizes.

You will want to consider about where you’re likely to use your stand up paddle board. Paddle boards have become high tech. Whenever you’re riding the paddle board, you simply feel like a complete body workout. If you can’t keep on the paddle board for a beginner, an individual won’t enjoy the experience and will probably give this up. When you’re trying to find a paddle board, then it’ll be far better think of a couple factors. Stand-Up Paddle Boards are an excellent means to remain fit or train during off season, and they’re a fantastic adventure to share to your entire family, and they’re a terrific new sport for you to really learn.

A wider board will likely carry considerably more surface area on the other side of the water and is also not as likely to fall over. It is possible to acquire a larger board for stability, but a broader board paddles slower, and therefore you don’t need to secure bigger than you need and I would do more research by reading paddle boarding reviews online. It is necessary to pick out a board that is large enough to provide you with stability based on your weight and height.


Surfing In The US

oregon-coast-surfing

In recent years surfing has exploded in popularity around the United States. There are many theories to why this is the case many of which contribute it to peoples new found fondness of the outdoors. With the advent and explosion of popularity of computers in the 90’s people became obsessed with the digital world. Video gamers built entire lives online instead of interacting with nature. Computer nerds spent nearly every waking hour in front of a glowing screen that they manipulated and programmed. Studies show that the average TV watchers spends up to 10 hours or more a day in front of the television.

The obsession with the digital world hit all time highs in the early 2000’s but then something different started to happen. Once again people wanted to experience the great outdoors instead of being a slave to technology. In my opinion this has prompted a rise in surfing because people are ready to get back to nature. Nature provides us with something that technology never can. There is something about being in the woods that makes you feel at ease.

There’s something about being in nature that calms the spirit and warms the heart. The other reason I feel people have turned to surfing is that it’s free to do. Instead of paying huge fees like you would at a golf course for example, the ocean is free. Sure, one could argue that you must buy gear like a surfboard, wetsuit, and leash. Next, one must have transportation from their place of residents to their favorite local surf break, but after that, there are no more expenses.

The energy to get out past the waves comes from your paddling, and then nature carries you back in. This cycle is continued as long as one wants to enjoy the ocean and riding waves. The other factor that I feel has really contributed to the rise of surfing is Instagram. This may seem very strange but stick with me here. Instagram is all about taking photos, primarily photos of the outdoors. This means that people must live exciting lives in the outdoors and in nature in order to capture such photography.

There’s no way to capture amazing outdoor photos unless one is out in nature. Therefore, this has inspired many people to get out of their house and experience nature more. By no means am I declaring the days of technology over, but I think in coming years we will see a battle between the virtual world and the real world.