The Happiness Quiz تست میزان شادی و رضایت از زندگی

How content are you with your life? Take this HAPPINESS QUIZ to find out how happy you really are.

Across All Cultures, Dreams Affect Behavior رویاها بر رفتار انسان تاثیر می گذارند

They may rarely predict future events, but most people believe they are meaningful- Kevin McKeever

SUNDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- People worldwide subscribe to the belief that you are what you dream, concludes a new series of studies published in February's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

"Psychologists' interpretations of the meaning of dreams vary widely," lead author Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said in an American Psychological Association news release. "But our research shows that people believe their dreams provide meaningful insight into themselves and their world."

For example, 149 university students in the United States, India and South Korea in one survey largely agreed that hidden truths present themselves in their dreams, a theory a nationally representative sample of Americans also supports.

Dreams also affect how people act when they awake, another study found.

Not all dreams are equal, though. When asked to recall a dream about a person they knew, 270 Americans taking an online survey gave more significance to pleasant dreams about someone they liked than bad dreams about someone they didn't like.

"In other words, people attribute meaning to dreams when it corresponds with their pre-existing beliefs and desires," Morewedge said.

Praying 'aids mental health' دعا خواندن به سلامت روحی و روانی کمک می کند

People who pray frequently are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, according to a study.
Much research has recently focused on the relationship between mental health and religion - with conflicting results.

A study by psychologists from Sheffield Hallam University looks into what aspects of religious observance are particularly likely to influence mental well-being.

They studied 251 men and 223 women aged between 18 and 29, and measured their reasons for having a religious belief, the frequency with which they attended church and their tendency to depression.

Women were more likely to be religious than men, but for both the frequency with which they prayed was strongly associated with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.

And although people who saw religion as being present in every aspect of their lives were less likely to be mentally ill than others, only those who also prayed frequently had noticeably higher self-esteem.

The researchers, led by Dr John Maltby, say their findings suggest that the relationship between mental health and religion is linked to the way people use prayer to deal with stress.

A spokeswoman for the Mental Health Foundation, which recently published a book on religion and mental health, said it had also found that those with a personal spirituality and life philosophy were more likely to be able to cope with stress.

The spokeswoman said it appeared spirituality in its widest sense had a positive effect on mental health.

"It may be as simple as having personal time and space and prayer may give people that," she said.

"Not having enough time to focus on yourself can contribute to mental distress."

Where's Your Umbrella?

We all have something to learn from this girl.
As a drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community of
farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. Rain was important to keep
their crops healthy and sustain the townspeople's way of life.
As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting
to ask for rain.

Many people arrived. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in. As
he walked to the front of the church to officially begin the meeting he
noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and socializing with
friends. When he reached the front his thoughts were on quieting the
attendees and starting the meeting.
His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven
year-old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming with
excitement. Next to her, poised and ready for use, was a bright red
umbrella. The little girl's beauty and innocence made the pastor smile as
he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the congregation
had brought an umbrella.

All came to pray for rain, but the little girl had come expecting God to
answer.

Does God Exist? خدا را لمس كرده ايد؟

A woman went to a hairdresser to have her hair cut and blow-waved as
usual. She started to have a good conversation with the hairdresser.
They talked about many things and various subjects. Suddenly, they touched
on the subject of God. The hairdresser said: "Look, I don't believe that
God exists as you say."
"Why do you say that?" asked the client.

"Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize that
God does not exist. Tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick
people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be
no suffering nor pain. I can't think of loving a God who permits all of
these things."
The client stopped for a moment thinking but she didn't want to respond so
as to cause an argument. The hairdresser finished her job and the client
went out of the salon. Just after she left the salon she saw a man in the
street with long hair and a beard. (It seems that it had been a long time
since he had his cut, and he looked so untidy).

Then the client again entered the hairdressing salon and said to the
hairdresser:
"You know what? Hairdressers don't exist."
"How can you say they don't exist?" asked the hairdresser. "I am a
hairdresser and here I am."
"No!" the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did there
would be no people with long hair and beard like that man who walks in the
street."

"Ah, hairdressers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to
me."
"Exactly!" - affirmed the client. "That's the point. God does exist, what
happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why
there's so much pain and suffering in the world.
SURELY GOD EXISTS.LET'S TRUST ON HIM AND WE'LL UNDERSTAND HOW CLOSELY HE WATCHES US AND KEEPS US ON THE SAFE ROAD.GOD HAS LET ME TO FEEL HIS PRESENCE MORE THAN BEFORE SINCE 3 MONTHS AGO.THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING MY DEAR GOD.

The "Be" Attitudes

Be understanding to your perceived enemies.
Be loyal to your friends.
Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.
Be generous to those who need your help.

Be frugal with that you need yourself.
Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.
Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.

Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.
Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be last to criticize a colleague who fails.
Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.

Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.
Be loving to those who love you.
Be loving to those who do not love you; they may change.
Above all, be yourself.

HOW CAN YOU BE YOURSELF?

GREAT GOD

God makes Man, His first priority.
But, Man makes God his last resort.
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-Ceasar Rodriguez, Jr.

have to learn that the aim in life is God's, not mine. God is using me from His great personal standpoint, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him, and never say -- Lord, this gives me such heart-ache.... He simply asks me to have implicit faith in Himself and in His goodness.
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-Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost For His Highest"

Who can believe? At last I did it! With the help of my great God, I could be transfered to ......................

My poor weblog, How R U?

Long time,no see! You see my dear, your UP depends on my students' presence in here. Now that the school year has come to its end, there is no incentive for me to put new entries and so no comments. No matter dear! Surely you realize this fact that you were supposed to be an educational weblog not a personal one. However, I’ll make my utmost attempt to let you know about all wonderful incidents in my life. The two most recent ones are moving to Tehran and attending IELTI 4 in tir 27-28, 1386. Great scholars and professors I met at IELTI and wonderful papers were presented there. Too much learning and motivation to keep on my choice of life style!
Dear, just pray and look forward to a new educational year full of learning along with many enthusiastic students.
Hopefully your creation and integration into my English class will yield a great paper (God willing).Please have in mind that you and I owe a debt of gratitude to all my great professors esp. Dr. Marandi, an expert in this field.
Best,
F.N.N

نامگذاری حفره های سیارات منظومه شمسی با نام بزرگان علم و هنر

The name of the late researcher and physician Azar Andami has been registered on Venus planet as the first and sole Iranian woman along with 997 other noted women from around the world.
"International Astronomical Union"--founded in 1919--assigned her name to one of the craters in the Venus in 1992 in an effort to hail her scientific efforts.
The crater is 30 kilometers in diameter.

Different parts of each planet have been named.There are 799 names on Mercury.
All Mercurian craters are named after famous writers and artists such as
Charles Dickens, Sadi Shirazi, Roodaki, Nezami..... .

On which planet would you like your name to be put and why?

A Memo From God یادداشتی از خدای مهربان برای دوستانش

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: God
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

The Day of Kindness and Benevolence جشن نیکوکاری

What a nice and precious occasion! The Public Invitation for Participating in Giving Aid to the Needy and the Relief Seekers under the Protection Of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF)

My previous post,Lunch With God, is related to Thursday occasion,Esfand 17,The Day of Kindness and Benevolence, in which we offer our cash and non-cash aides of the humanitarian to the needy. Delivering services to the deprived ones is considered as one of the sweetest prayers in our religion and it has been the custom of the Holy Prophet (PBOH) and the Innocent Imams.

So, about this matter God the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

“Those who hold it dear, give sustenance to the poor, the orphan and the captive saying ‘We feed you for Allah’s sake only; We seek of you neither recompense nor thanks.” سوره مبارکه انسان آيه 8و9 :

«و به دوستی خدا به فقير و اسير و طفل يتيم طعام مي دهند و گويند ما فقط براي رضاي خدا به شما طعام مي دهيم و از شما هيچ پاداش و سپاسي نمي طلبيم.»

Let's have a great lunch with God.Help yourselves to God's blessings everywhere and everyday.

Lunch With God صرف ناهار با خدا

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted. They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, yet they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave. Before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own home a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I'ver ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face, and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Ten things God won't ask خداوند از ده چیز سوال نخواهد کرد

1...God won't ask what kind of car you drove;
He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

2... God won't ask the square footage of your house,
He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3...God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet,
He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4... God won't ask what your highest salary was,
He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5...God won't ask what your job title was,
He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6...God won't ask how many friends you had,
He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7... God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived,
He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8...God won't ask about the color of your skin,
He'll ask about the content of your character.

9...God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation,
He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

10...God won't ask how many people you forwarded this to,
He'll ask if you were ashamed to pass it on to your friends.

My students' weblogs وبلاگ های انگلیسی دانش آموزان عزیزم

Terrific! You may not believe it. Last week my first grade students created more than 20 weblogs in blogger. This is part of their portfolio implementation project supposed to be representative of my students' progress in reading and writing skills during this spring semester of the year. They were full of enthusiasm while working on their own weblogs. Some of them keep on working and completing their weblogs at home, sth Which is amazing esp for some of my less motivated students. Thanks God. Again this new experience gives me more energy to continue studying and working and working and working and.............
Their weblogs have been linked. It's worth visiting them.

O' My God, you know I have spent a great deal of my time on studying, surfing the net and researching. I wish all these were just for the sake of YOU.

شعر زيبا از یك بچه آفریقایی کاندیدای جایزه ادبی 2005

When I born, I Black,
When I grow up, I Black,
When I go in Sun, I Black,
When I scared, I Black,
When I sick, I Black,
And when I die, I still black...
And you White fellow, When you born, you pink,
When you grow up, you White,
When you go in Sun, you Red,
When you cold, you blue,
When you scared, you yellow,
When you sick, you Green,
And when you die, you Gray...
And you call me colored???

How to be successful? راز موفقیت

We should not forget the "Fruits of Gods' Spirit"

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH تخته سنگی در وسط جاده

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

Although it takes a lot of my time to work on this weblog and surf the net for nice stories for my nice students, it's surely worth working. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing its benefits. (GOD WILLING)

The man and the Priest گفت وگوی مرد جویای حقیقت وکشیش

“Holy man” – said a novice to the Father Abbot - My heart is full of love for the world and my soul is free of temptations from the Devil. What is my next step?
The abbot asked the disciple to accompany him on a visit to a sick person who needed extreme action. After comforting the family, the abbot noticed that in one of the corners of the house there was a trunk.
“What is inside it?” he asked.
“Clothes that my uncle never used”, said the sick man’s nephew.” He bought everything, always thinking that the right occasion would arise to wear them, but they ended up rotting inside it”.
“Don’t forget that trunk”, said the Father Abbot to his disciple, when they left. “If you have spiritual treasures in your heart, put them into practice now. Or they will rot away.”
اگر همه انسانها گنجهای معنوی درون خویش را با دیگران تقسیم کنند چه دنیایی خواهیم داشت

To Be Like a River Flowingدرسهای بزرگی که یک رودخانه برای ما دارد چیست؟

“A river never passes the same place twice,” says the philosopher. “Life is like a river,” says another philosopher, which leads us to the conclusion that this is the closest metaphor to the meaning of life.

I contemplate the river again, try to be like it, and see the lessons that it is teaching me now:

A] We are always experiencing the first time. While we pass from our source (birth) to our destination (death), the landscapes will always be new to us. We must face all these novelties with joy rather than fear – because it is useless to fear what cannot be avoided. A river never stops flowing.

B] In a valley we walk more slowly. When everything around us becomes easier, the waters are calm; we grow broader, more expansive, more generous.

C] Our banks are always fertile. Vegetation only grows where there is water. Whoever comes into contact with us needs to understand that we are here to give those who are thirsty something to drink.

D] Stones have to be avoided. Of course, water is stronger than granite, but that requires a lot of time. It is no use letting yourself be dominated by stronger obstacles, or trying to fight them – that is just a waste of energy. The best thing is to understand where the exit lies, and move in that direction.

E] Depressions call for patience. All of a sudden the river runs into a kind of hole and stops flowing as joyfully as before. At such moments the only way out is to rely on the help of time. When the right moment arrives, the depression fills up and the water can move ahead. Instead of an ugly, lifeless hole, now there is a lake that others can look on with happiness.

F] We are unique. We are born in a place that was meant for us and that will always keep us supplied with enough water so that when faced with depressions we may have the necessary patience or strength to move forward. We start our course in a gentle, fragile way, when even a simple leaf can stop our progress. However, as we respect the mystery of the source that generated us and trust in its eternal wisdom, little by little we gain all that is needed to follow our path.

G] Although we are unique, soon we shall be many. As we travel on, the waters from other sources join us, because that is the best path to follow. So we are no longer just one, but many – and there comes a moment when we feel lost. Nevertheless, as the Bible says, “all the rivers flow to the sea”. It is impossible to remain in our solitude, however romantic that may seem. When we accept the inevitable encounter with other sources, we end up understanding that this makes us far stronger and we get round obstacles or fill in depressions much more easily and in far less time.

H] We are a means of transportation. Of leaves, boats, ideas. May our waters be ever generous, may we always carry forward all the things or persons that need our help.

I] We are a source of inspiration. And so, let us leave the final words to the Brazilian poet Manuel Bandeira:

“Be like a river that flows
Silent in the middle of the night
Not fearing the dark of the night,
Reflecting any star that is in the sky.
And if the sky fills with clouds,
Clouds are water, like the river, so
Reflect them too with no regret In the silent depth.”

A story about Heaven and Hell:The Road to Hell داستانی در مورد بهشت و جهنم

Once upon a time, a man was travelling with his horse and his dog. When they passed by a huge tree, lightning struck and all three were killed.

Not realising that they was dead, their souls continued the journey. They walked up a hill and they were tired and thirsty. Soon, they reached a beautiful place which had a marble gateway and fountain sprouting crystal clear water.

“Good morning” the traveller greeted the guard at the gateway.

“Good morning,” he replied.

“What place is this?”

“This is Heaven.”

“It’s beautiful. I am glad to come here. Can I have a drink?”

“Sure, help yourself.”

But when the traveller moved forward with his horse and dog, the guard stopped him, saying, “Sorry, animals are not allowed in here.”

The traveller was very mcuh disappointed. For although he was very thirsty, he did not want to drink without his companions. They decided to move on.

Some distance further uphill, they came upon another gateway, plain looking compared to the marble one. It led to a rocky path lined with trees. A man there was resting beneath a tree, apparently a sleep.

“Good morning,” the traveller greeted him.

He nodded, not saying a word.

“Is there a place we can get a drink?” the traveller asked. “My horse, my dog and I are very thirsty.”

“There is a stream behind those rocks over there,” the man pointed.

They went ahead and refreshed themselves. They returned and thanked the man. The traveller asked, “By the way, what place is this?”

“This is Heaven,” the man replied.

The traveller was surprised. “But the guard at the marble gateway said that was Heaven.”

“Don’t let him fool you,” the man said. “That place is Hell.”

“Well, I was nearly fooled,” the traveller said. “You should not allow the people there to abuse your name. You know, wrong information can lead to a lot of confusion.”

“Actually, they are doing us a great favour,” the man at Heaven’s gate said. “Because the people who stay on in Hell have proved that they are willing to abandon their friends.”

Paulo Coelho