Franklin Connection

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Copyright © Margie Franklin
http://www.franklinconnection.com

Today we find that Liv has booked travel to China. She decided to venture out of the country and head to the home of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

After searching several travel websites, Liv found the ideal China Tour Package at http://www.franklinconnection.com. Choosing this travel website was the right decision because it also alerted her that a China Visa is required for this tour. Luckily, she was able to download & print it from http://www.franklinconnection.com.

The China Visa is required, in addition to having a passport. The fee is $200.00 and it must be requested at least a month prior to the departure date. Liv was glad that http://www.franklinconnection.com had given her advance notice.

Liv prides herself in trying to “expect the unexpected.” To that end, she also bought the Travel Protection Plan. She’d hate to forfeit the money she paid for the China Tour if an emergency caused her to cancel the vacation. The Travel Protection Plan costs a little extra, but gives her peace of mind.

China was chosen as a vacation place because it sounds fascinating. Liv already new a few things about Chinese culture from high school. For instance, she knew that the Chinese are only allowed to have one child per family. Although some families receive authorization to have 2 children. The One Child policy was established to help with the over population issue. It seems to be working, but there’s also a rumor that abortions have increased and infancy deaths, especially for females. It seems that the Chinese prefer to have a son than a daughter. Liv is puzzled by this. It conveys a negative message to the world that the Chinese do not believe in a woman’s ability to excel or achieve greatness.

Liv’s vacation plans to visit China were already confirmed prior to the recent tragedy of the earthquake in the Sichuan province. Since the earthquake included the collapse of many schools, several families lost the only child they had. That made their loss even more devastating. The earthquake didn’t stop to consider one’s gender, it just destroyed everyone and everything in it’s path. There’s been over 60,000 deaths reported thus far, 26,000 people are missing and over 353,000 were injured.

The outreach of love, compassion and financial assistance has been overwhelming, but much more funds are needed to reconstruct Western China.

Even though the earthquake was quite devastating, China has not canceled the Summer games. Liv is so thrilled to be attending the major event of the year where several countries come together as one and participate in friendly competition. She really hopes to see the Olympic Flame too, but there’s been a lot of controversy & turmoil surrounding it. It seems some activists have made an attempt to snuff out the torch. They want to boycott the Summer Games because they’re protesting China’s crack down in Tibet. Liv applauds the brave, proud torch bearers who will keep the flame lit during the 130 day, 85,000 miles journey from Greece to China.

There’s so much to do in China. The Great Wall is definitely a must see for Liv. She’s heard so much about how fantastic it is. The Great Wall is the largest man-made construction and took several dynasties to complete. It was actually started in the 5th century BC and completed in the 16th century. It winds through the countryside for over 4000 miles and was built to protect the northern border of the Chinese Empire from invasions and attacks.

Liv can visualize the men hard at work, sweat dripping down their backs with a look of determination on their faces as they constructed the Great Wall. They had to overcome numerous challenges as the years turned into centuries, but they persevered. Millions of men lost their lives during construction of the wall.

From Beijing, Liv will fly to Shanghai and visit Cheng Huang Miao (Temple to the Town Gods), which is loved by tourists. From there she will travel to the famous Nanjing Road and…go…shopping! Nanjing Road is known as the best shopping street in China. The shopping district stretches for over 3 miles and is lined with hundreds of upscale department stores, theaters, bars, and fast food restaurants, and many other forms of entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, there’s a rumor that a young man ran for several minutes on Nanjing Road in the nude before he was finally caught.

If she can fit it in her budget, Liv hopes to extend her stay in China so that she may catch some of the Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games start 12 days after the end of the Olympic Games. These games are inspirational as the athletes had to overcome illnesses and other challenges in order to compete. It would be great to be there to cheer them on to victory.

Although it’s too late now, Liv is hopeful that in the future the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games merge into one fantastic event!

When her vacation comes to a close Liv will be wondering what the next adventure will be. The destination is unknown, but she’s sure that she’ll book it at http://www.franklinconnection.com because of it’s so easy to use & has competitive prices.

At the end of her China Tour Liv will ride the Maglev train back to the airport. It travels over 258 miles per hour and is the world’s fastest train. Although Liv had lots of wonderful and unique experiences in China, she anxiously looks forward to sleeping in her own bed. It’s great to take vacations, but there’s no place like home.

About the Author:

Margie Franklin, The Home Biz Diva

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To book airfare, cruises, hotel reservations,

car rental, use the best honeymoon registry

or buy passports visit:

http://www.franklinconnection.com

http://www.livethedreamwithfaith.com —————————————————————–

Copyright © Margie Franklin

Olivia,  Liv” for short, is considered to be “The Virtual Travel Diva” by her friends and family. They call her “The Virtual Travel Diva because she is living her dream by virtually traveling the world.

It all started quite innocently. Liv didn’t get to take vacations as a young girl, so she vowed to take several each year when she became financially stable. Now Liv has traveled to many highly sought destinations, thanks to http://www.franklinconnection.com.

When it came to choosing a website to book her vacations, Liv considered the older ones, like Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity. But she chose franklinconnection.com because she had read about the owner, Margie Franklin, online. Her research showed Liv that Margie is a real down to earth person who truly cares about helping others. On the other hand, Liv hadn’t heard anything about the people behind Orbitz, Expedia or Travelocity. Plus, the prices on franklinconnection.com are competitive & there’s many exciting options available on the site. Therefore, to Liv, franklinconnection.com was the obvious choice.

One of Liv’s favorite fun-in-the-sun places to visit is Key West. It’s a fairly new resort called Parrot Key Resort, which is part of the Singh Resort beach house family. Liv loves the name “Parrot Key” because it puts her in mind of beautiful, multi-colored things such as rainbows & Joseph’s coat of many colors, as well as the gorgeous bird. Multi colors are a sign of the good things in life.

Liv chose to vacation in Key West because it’s home to America’s only living barrier reef. She had also heard of Key West’s “live and let live” motto and that suited her just fine. She’s fairly liberal herself and a happy-go-lucky, spirited person.

Memories of the breath taking sunsets of Key West & sandy beaches rate high on Liv’s places to see. Many people flock to the Sunset Celebration on the Mallary Dock because it’s the best place to be at that time of day. Part of the excitement is being entertained by the jugglers, mimes, musicians and artists while awaiting the sunset.

Liv enjoyed the “Duval Crawl” which has everything from pubs, clothing stores, restaurants & souvenir shops. There’s such a huge variety of novelty stores that no excuses are allowed for not being able to find souvenirs for friends and family.

Key West is also famous for their fun-filled night life on Duval Street, scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, sailing, big game fishing & museums. A word to the wise…there’s limited parking and the streets are often filled with scooters & bikes…so be cautious and considerate to others.

As for the experience, Liv found it to be very rewarding and definitely worth repeating.

About the Author:

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Margie Franklin, The Home Biz Diva, owns her own online

Travel Agency and Work at Home Opportunities. To book airfare,

cruises, hotel reservations, car rental, or to use the best online

honeymoon registry, buy passports visit:

http://www.franklinconnection.com or

http://www.livethedreamwithfaith.com

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Read more >>

Copyright © Margie Franklin
http://www.LiveTheDreamWithFaith.com

Recently, I was once again reminded of just how fragile life is. A friend of my teenage daughter died unexpectedly. The news of Ashley Dillon’s death was devastating because she was loved by all those who knew her. During her short time on earth she made many friends, volunteered at her church, competed in sports & participated in the high school band. According to my daughter, Juanita, there was never a time when her friend didn’t have a smile on her face or a kind word for those around her.

Juanita called me to tell me of the loss of her friend, but I could hardly understand what she was saying because of the huge sobs coming from her. I had never heard her cry so deeply. Upon arriving home, we spent time talking about Ashley. My daughter kept repeating that her friend was a good person, who always got A’s on her report card & was nice to everyone. She just didn’t understand why God would take a person who had such a positive influence on others.

My thoughts turned to the family. No one expects, nor wants to out live their children. I wanted to reach out to them and let them know how deeply this has touched me and that they are in my thoughts and prayers. I wish I could erase the huge loss that the family is experiencing, and take away the pain & anguish.

We must not question why such a loving, brilliant individual’s life was snuffed out at such an early age. For it is God’s will and he wanted Ashley to be with him. Only faith in our Lord will help get friends and family through these extremely challenging times.

I love my teenage daughter deeply and would be devastated if anything happened to her. I call her my “P & J” (pride & joy). While she’s lovable the majority of the time, there’s occasions when we have disagreements. I’ve discovered that the teenage years tend to be challenging for parents and children alike. I call the struggles & moodiness that teenagers experience “the teenager syndrome.”

My P & J was always an angel during her pre-teen years. But, lately a different side appears from time to time. It’s during these moments that I must keep reminding myself that the angelic side will reappear & stay for good once the teenage years are behind her. Until then I’ll continue to motivate, love, nurture and guide her. No matter what challenges we may have we both know that we’ll overcome them. For the love in our family is strong and the Lord’s blessings are many. I cherish our time together.

I can’t imagine that Ashley experienced “the teenager syndrome” because she had such a big heart. On the other hand she was a teenager and may have had mood swings. Therefore, I want her family to know that Ashley loved them very much. I’m sure she admired them for standing firm in their beliefs and family values. I would also venture to guess that if she had ever been “grounded” or not allowed to hang out with her friends, she knew that she was being disciplined out of love.

Ashley Dillon was only 16 years old when she died. However, in her young life, she managed to become an inspiration in the lives of many. Please remember to focus on the positives and don’t beat yourself up wishing that you would have handled things differently. Ashley wants you to hold onto the precious memories that you created together.

About the Author— —————————————————————–
To find the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home visit:
http://www.LiveTheDreamWithFaith.com —————————————————————–

Copyright © Margie Franklin
http://www.LiveTheDreamWithFaith.com

All of my life, or at least as far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be known as a Humanitarian or Philanthropist. In order to accomplish this I believe that I must first be financially successful. After all it takes money to help improve the welfare of others & increase the well-being of humankind. What better way to become financially independent than having a home-based business?

I also wanted to raise children, although I had no desire to carry or deliver them myself. So you can imagine my joy & elation when I was approved to be the legal guardian of a little girl who was named after my mom. Actually, this little girl was related to me, but my anticipation of being a mom was so great that you would have thought that I was carrying her in my womb.

In April 1993, I flew out west to meet my great niece for the first time and to bring her home. It was at that time that I was advised that her older brother was also in foster care. Because the children were placed in two different foster homes neither child knew the other existed. My great niece was almost 2 years old and my great nephew was almost 3. Well I couldn’t just take my great niece home and leave her brother in foster care, so at age 38, I instantly became the “parent” of two toddlers. Both in need of lots of TLC…and potty training.

It was very rewarding keeping the family together instead of letting strangers adopt them. I nurtured them, supported their dreams, cheered their efforts & accomplishments in academics, sporting events & talent competitions; gave them positive reinforcement when they were disappointed, held them when they were scared & nursed them to health when sick. Over the years I watched them grow into very special individuals…each with their own distinct personalities.

I tried my best to attend every special event in their lives & I was there for them when life dealt what they perceived to be major setbacks in their lives. Of course, as you probably know, they bounced right back & soon forgot what caused them concern in the first place. They got me through my ups & downs, as well and brought much joy & happiness in my life.

Fast forward to January 2008…now those cute little toddlers are both teenagers & life is very different for all of us. All of a sudden my opinions don’t seem to matter to them very much anymore. If there’s something out there called ‘the teenager syndrome,’ we’re going through it right now. I’ve found that teens value the advice of other teens much more than their own parents. I will continue to support them & pray that they make the right choices & decisions when faced with challenges out in this great world of ours.

I still have my dream of becoming a Humanitarian, although I haven’t yet become financially successful. I won’t give up until I succeed or the Good Lord takes me to be with Him. You see, in July of 1993 I lost a brother to AIDS. There was nothing I could do to prevent the pain, anguish & humiliation that he went through. But I believe that I can & will help others. One of the promises I made to myself is to fund housing for people living with AIDS & to help find a cure.

I also have a burning desire to provide all the comforts in life for my mom. This includes buying her very nice home and car. Mom dedicated her life to raising 7 children & working numerous hours just to put food on the table & pay the bills. Although she’s 75 years old and raising her granddaughter as her own child, she never asks for anything. My mom is one strong woman and my role model!

Yes, my dreams are huge, but without huge dreams there would be few accomplishments in this world. My favorite poem is entitled “It’s All in the State of Mind.” This poem reminds me of one of Napoleon Hill’s quotes: “What ever the mind of man (or woman) can conceive and believe, it will achieve.”

I believe that ‘Friendswin’ and my other home-based business ventures will bring financial wealth. Financial freedom will allow me to fund homes for individuals living with AIDS which will also bring me peace, but finding a cure will be the ultimate accomplishment.

2008 will be great with FriendsWin!

About the Author:
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To find the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home visit:
http://www.LiveTheDreamWithFaith.com
http://www.viralurl.com/Blessed-/friendswin

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Why is PMA so powerful? Perhaps a famous quote of Napoleon Hill’s can give some insight to how I feel about PMA. “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. ” I think it’s important to add “with PMA” at the end of that sentence. Napoleon believed, as I do, in the power of PMA.

PMA, (positive mental attitude) was first introduced to me by W. Clement Stone’s company, Combined Insurance. That’s when I also learned of two other PMA powerhouses, Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill. Speaking of Zig, I will finally get a chance to see him in person next week. I am so excited!

A positive mental attitude helps give one that extra boost of energy needed to overcome challenges. It also contributes to your cheerful mood and lets you enjoy life more than those with negative attitudes. In my opinion Internet Marketers must have PMA, with faith, to be successful. It helps to keep us motivated when faced with adversity.

Speaking of PMA, I had a very special coach in high school. Her name was Jean Marks and she coached basketball, field hockey, volleyball, & track & field. Yes, she was well versed in many different areas & as a result she inspired our teams to numerous victories and helped build our character.

It was through Coach Marks that we adopted a poem as our pre-victory chant. Prior to each basketball game our team would get in a huddle and start reciting the poem. We’d begin softly & slowly, almost in a whisper, and as the poem progressed we’d increase our volume and speed. By the time we finished we were super psyched up for the game and ready to take on the world.

The name of the poem is “It’s All in the State of Mind.” Unfortunately, the author is unknown. Here’s the way that I remember it:

It’s All in the State of Mind!

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch, you won’t.

If you think you won’t, you’ve lost.
For out in this world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will,
IT’S ALL IN THE STATE OF MIND.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself,
Before you ever can win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go,
To the strongest or swiftest man.
But sooner or later the one who wins,
IS THE ONE WHO THINKS SHE CAN!

Recently I saw a version of this same poem while reading a book written by Napoleon Hill, called “Think & Grow Rich.” Boy was I amazed & elated. For many years the only time I had heard this poem was when I was reciting it to my kids & friends. I was very excited to discover that Mr. PMA, as I call Napoleon, included my favorite poem in his book!

The awesome power of PMA made a deep impression on me and I set my mind to live by it. Over the years my friends have asked how I can remain in a good mood and not let certain things bother me. My only secret is because I believe in the power of PMA, with faith.

Catch the PMA fever and all of a sudden the world will be a better place! It’s contagious!

By Margie Franklin

www.livethedreamwithfaith.com

www.shoptillyoudropglobalmall.ws

www.franklinconnection.com