Macon

I know that I did not say. I love you son, very much indeed. I know I did not do all the things your friends dads did as often as they did.

I know that I did not have the answers for your questions when I know I should have had. To be very frank and honest son I have been a very lousy dad.

But in my years I have grown into a man that finally can be honest without a drink. And I am sorry for my weakness for all those years that I hurt you But today this is the truth I think.

You can be better and stronger And a wiser man then me. If you can just believe in Your heart that you can really be free.

It's a long way from a bar to the healing balm of a counselor It's a long way from a boardroom to the refreshing change of clean clothes after a day out with the boys without a drink in my hands.

It's a hurried conversation that I don't need It's excuses and trying to find a person to blame It's a loss of words for my wife It's having steady hands when I hold a bread knife at breakfast

I am happy that I am sober I am happy that there is no more sore heads first thing in the morning with destruction that needs clearing up things I did before bed.

I love you son I need you to know that I am sorry It may be a little to late just hope it helps you not make the same mistakes.

Matthew fellowships in a Salvation Army church and has preached on a number of occasions. He is being trained up by the Lord to be a gifted teacher and writes new articles each week here on this site. He is Pentecostal in his giftings and yet comes from a traditional Baptist background and is open to addressing any church in Australia that would like him to preach or share with their congregation.

Matthew is the author of a new book called The Musings of a Mad Prophet which is a collection of articles on mental illness, divorce and many helpful Christian subjects. He shares his life, his breakdowns, his marriage collapse and many helpful insights in a large format 264 page book. He will encourage you, inspire you and the Holy Spirit might convict you in his writings and would be happy to hear from you via email. His book is available from here.

You can read what one reviewer has said about the articles in his book one by one as Matthew posts them titled "articles reviewed for Musing of a Mad Prophet" from the expert author link below and you can contact Matthew via email at www.online-prayer.net

If you own a second home that's bound for the vacation rental market, you may wish to take note of some tips from some of the most successful vacation rental owners.

One...what's in a name? Everything! Come up with a unique, memorable name for your property. The Grizz, Bare Bear or the Texas Treehouse are far more descriptive and romantic names for a rental property than the Smith House. They'll stand out in people's minds and actually contribute to their level of enjoyment during their stay. And don't forget about the impact in the internet search engines. A unique, descriptive name featuring some of your area's most popular search terms (cabin, condo, bungalow, cottage, etc.) will be much easier to find in an online experience.

Two...decide on how aggressively you wish to pursue rentals. For some, it's a business and every single booked night counts. Others may wish to rent it just enough to cover their monthly expenses, with occasional owner stays. Still another segment of vacation rental owners may not be concerned about the number of rental nights at all preferring to rent only occasionally. Be aware of which group you fall into, as each one requires a different marketing approach.

Three...price it right. Right pretty much depends on which group you fall into under tip two. If you're in the vacation home business, you'll want to be particularly aggressive in pricing to keep the calendar filled. If you're just covering expenses, the area norm for a similar property or a few dollars more will probably work best. And if you're fortunate enough to be unencumbered by the frequency of rentals, you may seek a premium price.

Four...how many is too many? Selecting the appropriate occupancy for your rental unit is important. There are three bedroom rentals that accommodate six people and there are three bedroom properties that accommodate fifteen. If you wish to stimulate rentals you may wish to add beds and go with a higher number of occupants. Others may chose to establish a lower maximum number of guests to appeal to a different renter profile. Remember, all things being equal ten people will be much harder in wear and tear on things than a group of five.

Five...no place like home! Make your vacation rental warm and inviting. Don't skimp on the decor with plenty of art, plants and knick knacks to give that unmistakable air of...home. And don't forget a guest book for all to sign. Some owners even leave a small profile of themselves encouraging the guests to email or call them with feedback on their stay.

Six...advertise wisely. Some vacation rentals owners have success with ads in small, local print publications. Others may experience results with paid ads on popular local websites. But many of the best ways to promote your venture may be available to you absolutely free! There are literally hundreds of internet directories and sites that will post a listing about your vacation rental at no charge. Most likely your state department of tourism maintains an extensive website that is ready and willing to help you promote your second home. Usually, as a member of the local chamber of commerce you're entitled to appear on their website. Additionally, there are many specialty websites that will list you at no charge. For instance, if western is the theme of your rental you may choose to list it on www.cowboy.com . If you have a golf course condo, you might seek out golf oriented sites. Just invest in some web surfing time and you'll find more than enough opportunities to promote your rental unit.

Seven...talk it up! Let everyone know what you have available. Tell folks at work or church and perhaps offer them a special discount. You may wish to donate it to a local church or civic group to use as a retreat. If these folks have an enjoyable stay they're bound to tell others. This is the best form of advertising that you can generate...word of mouth!

Eight...a picture is worth a thousand words. Whatever way you choose to advertise your vacation rental, pictures will most likely be involved. Do not underestimate the need for high quality photographs to make people want to visit your home. Instead of the run of the mill, blurry, underexposed shots invest in good quality photographs. For $150.00 - $200.00 (probably the cost of just one night's stay) you can hire a competent local photographer to produce a series of shots that will create real impact with potential guests.

Nine...niche markets. You may wish to specialize in a pet friendly property or a unit with handicap access. If your property is right on a river or lake, you may wish to decorate in the atmosphere of a fishing shanty. If you're on a golf course you may include golf memorabilia as part of your decor. Identify people with special needs or requirements that may be otherwise ignored in your area and make them your target.

Ten...seek professional help. If you don't have the time, temperament or inclination to do everything yourself, secure the services of a property management company to maximize the ROI that you expect. They are involved in all of the above on a daily basis and can help you achieve the type of results you seek from your vacation rental.

Bob Huntington works in property management in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Visit his websites at www.casasderuidoso.com and www.ruidosofree.com Bob also authors the blog Visiting Ruidoso-The Ruidoso Blog at www.visitruidoso.blogspot.com

Did you know theres a way to make it much easier for other people to find you on MySpace and even in the search engines?

Making one small change will enable you to get much more exposure to your MySpace profile and make it easier for your profile URL to be remembered by others. Its done by choosing a MySpace URL, also known as a MySpace User Name and adding it to your profile to replace the one provided. By changing your default Friend ID Number to one that is customized by you youll find it much easier for your friends to remember and others to find you.

Instead of sharing a profile URL with a bunch of random numbers you can provide a distinct URL of your choosing. For instance if you have a love for puppy dogs youll want to set your address to www.myspace.com/Ilovepuppies, or something that appeals to you. Not only will your friends be able to remember your address easier, but youll eventually show up on Google where other people with the same interests can find you.

Changing your unique MySpace URL is done by signing in to your profile and selecting Edit Profile. Once logged in to your profile youll want to select Name and then click Pick your permanent MySpace User Name/URL.

Youll then be presented with a screen that informs you to pick the name you would like to select for your new MySpace user name. You should think carefully about your choice because once you have selected a name it becomes permanent. Once youve selected a name and clicked Ok, your asked to enter your real name. If you do not wish to do so you may select Skip.

The benefits of changing your URL are numerous. Focusing your profile on your favorite hobby or interest and selecting a relevant URL can have some surprising results. Youll find that with the right keywords and URL selection you can begin to show up on many of the search engines. Ive even used this strategy to successfully build a network of like minded profiles and increase my Google page rank.

Just remember, once youve selected a new user name theres no turning back. It becomes your permanent name and will be yours forever. Pick a name youll be happy with and you can share with others. After all, your mom might be on MySpace too.

For more information about how you can use MySpace marketing to increase your online exposure visit http://www.CashMachineBook.com Get the best ways to make money online, visit: http://www.paidinsider.com/forum