Compiled by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - 2015
Thanks to all the moms who allow me to include their kids' quotes for all of us to enjoy!
Looked out my window and saw Eva (8) sitting on the top of the
grapevines reading a book in the warm afternoon sunshine!! I love that
she can't get her nose out of a book! ~ Elizabeth in Virginia
Things your kids say in SAMs: "Mommy can we buy a canoe today?" ~ Sarah in Virginia
Conversation while getting ready for bed:
Me: Jeremiah are you cold?
Jeremiah (2) (shivering): No, I'm Jeremiah!
Me: Well then, we have a little Chuck Norris.
Jeremiah: I'm not Chicken Norris. I'm Jeremiah. Michael. Fields. ~ Heather in Virginia
Papa and grandma are here to visit. Erin (6) kept wiping her eyes
saying, "I can't stop the water from coming out of my eyes!" Happy tears
to be with Papa and Grandma... Such a sweet girl! We are blessed with
wonderful grandparents. ~ Aisling in Indiana
So we're in Walmart,
Zach (9)... Mom, I need a calendar.
Me... Why do you need one buddy?
Zach.... A man's got to know what he's doing each day. He can't wake up and be puzzled. ~ Jessica in Virginia
"Mommy are you 74?" Innocently asked my youngest daughter (6). "No" I replied. "Well are you past 74?" ~ Elizabeth in Virginia
Chloe (5): "Mommy!!! What's going to happen to you when Garrett and
Caylie and me grow up and get married and get our own dogs? What will
happen to you then???" ~ Amy in Virginia
My children are
playing "dentist." Eva (8) kept saying, "We have to pull the T-nines
out, we have to pull the T-nines out." Mia (6) looked at her and said,
"They are called canines, Eva, not T-nines." ~ Elizabeth in Virginia
So tonight Maddie (6) and I were the last two eating dinner when the
boys had gotten up and played basketball. We were eating healthy food,
and they were kind of eating junky hamburgers LOL! So it spurred on this
little lady's thoughts....."You know mom, we should make a healthy
snack and a junky snack and somehow connect electricity to the junky
snack so that as soon as Zach (9) grabs the wrong one, boom!! He will
get zapped!!!!" And then she looks at me and says, "Now how exactly can
we do that?!!" ~ Jessica in Virginia
Oh boy! In the last five
minutes I have explained why we don't kiss on the lips, been asked why
boys smell worse than girls, and what does it mean to commit adultery? ~
Elizabeth in Virginia
Ben (5) is trying his hardest to
convince me that he needs a new Lego set. I told him that we don't need
to use our money to buy that right now. "Well mom, I'm pretty sure one
of them is priceless." After further conversation I found out that his
definition of "priceless" doesn't match up with mine. ~ Liz in
Washington
Camden (5): "Mommy I just need a few sips of your coffee because it's going to be a hard day at preschool"~ Bethany in Virginia
There are days when parenthood is really, really hard. And then there are days where there are blessings that blow you away.
Last Friday night, I was tucking Samara (5) into bed, and we were
having a heart-to-heart talk, just like many other bedtime snuggles and
conversations. It started with talking about her Papaw (my Dad).
She
was there when Papaw held our hands as he took his last breath here (on
earth) and breathed his first in Jesus' presence. Even then, she seemed
to understand that God called him home, and that he would be happy and
waiting for us there in Heaven.
But she wanted to know more. To be
sure. On Friday night, she wanted me to tell her again what we need to
do to make sure we would be with Jesus one day, when we die. I tried to
keep it simple. You know, she is only 5, after all. I went through the
message of the Gospel with her. She surmised that, if Jesus had never
died on the cross, there would be no way we could go to heaven because
even if all we did our whole life was to lie once, we would not be able
to be in Heaven. I agreed.
We talked for quite a while. She wasn't ready to talk to Jesus about that yet though, she said, because she wanted to think.
She told me and Brian (her daddy) that, after I tucked her in and
prayed with her that night, she talked with Jesus, and told Him that she
was sorry for her sins, and that she believed that He died on the cross
to make her sins go away, and that he was living in Heaven. She said
that she told Him she wants Him to be her Savior.
Clear, decisive. She made the decision to follow Christ!
My heart is dancing! Thank you, Lord! ~ Diane in Montana
Inspirational Home and Family Blog
Monday, March 30, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
How to Dye Eggs Using Old Silk Ties
Use old 100% silk ties or other silk clothing from Goodwill to make beautifully stunning one-of-a-kind dyed eggs! I wish I had seen this when my children were small, but I will definitely have to try this with my grandchildren!
You start with uncooked eggs, wrap them with silk squares, then white cotton fabric, tie, and boil! When you unwrap the egg, you will be amazed at the beautiful creative eggs you've made!
Follow Kendra's clear instructions on this video:
http://faithtap.com/2767/how-to-dye-eggs-using-silk/
You start with uncooked eggs, wrap them with silk squares, then white cotton fabric, tie, and boil! When you unwrap the egg, you will be amazed at the beautiful creative eggs you've made!
Follow Kendra's clear instructions on this video:
http://faithtap.com/2767/how-to-dye-eggs-using-silk/
Friday, March 6, 2015
Attributes of the Proverbs 31 Woman
She is loyal to her husband (vs. 10-12).
She is faithful in her home (vs. 13-16).
She is tireless in her responsibilities (vs. 17-19).
She is generous toward the needy ( vs. 20).
She is fearless about circumstances (vs. 21-23).
She is honest in business matters (vs. 24).
She is secured for the future (vs. 25).
She is wise in her utterances (vs.26).
She is dependable in daily duties (vs. 27).
She is praised by her children (vs. 28-29).
She is beautiful in her conduct (vs. 30).
She is appreciated by her neighbors (vs. 31).
She is faithful in her home (vs. 13-16).
She is tireless in her responsibilities (vs. 17-19).
She is generous toward the needy ( vs. 20).
She is fearless about circumstances (vs. 21-23).
She is honest in business matters (vs. 24).
She is secured for the future (vs. 25).
She is wise in her utterances (vs.26).
She is dependable in daily duties (vs. 27).
She is praised by her children (vs. 28-29).
She is beautiful in her conduct (vs. 30).
She is appreciated by her neighbors (vs. 31).
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
5 Habits That Will Save Your Marriage
by Daniel Colston - Used by permission
Your partner doesn’t know what you don’t tell them.
As humans we’re all egotistical self-loving manipulators.
You need to remember that your spouse is just as human
The only way to free yourself from this is to forgive
and then do your best to forget.
1. Communicate Well.
Your partner doesn’t know what you don’t tell them.
Please just do yourself a
huge favor and be honest
with them about what’s going on in your life.
You
have to open up to your partner or they won’t be
able to get to know
you. Share with them what you
think about, what your dreams are, and
constructive feedback about them. Be known
by your spouse!
Overcommunicate, dialogue,
engage, and laugh, but don’t stop there.
A
lot of people have no problem articulating their
feelings, but they’re
still horrible communicators because
that’s only half the process of
communication. And
the other half is just as important! It’s listening.
And
it’s implied in listening that you’re also understanding.
AT LEAST
20% of quarrels could be totally avoided by
simply listening to and
understanding your partner.
Please do your spouse and everyone else
around you
a huge favor by actually listening when they are talking.
Don’t interrupt, jump to conclusions, or think about
Don’t interrupt, jump to conclusions, or think about
what you’re going
to say while they’re talking. Just
listen. You’ll save yourself a lot of
heartache, and
grow your professional skills as well.
2. Love Your Spouse More Than You Love Yourself.
As humans we’re all egotistical self-loving manipulators.
It doesn’t work
too well when you put two of those things
together in the same cage, for
life. But that’s what we call
marriage. And the only way it works is
when both
egotistical self-loving manipulators consciously battle
egotistical self-loving manipulators consciously battle
the
selfishness within them. Over time this creates
two well-adjusted human
beings who have learned
the art of compromise and humility. Loving your
spouse more than you do yourself is excellent
because it allows your
spouse to love you more
than they love themselves! What could possibly
be better than someone who cares about you
more than you do yourself?
3. Stop Expecting So Much.
You need to remember that your spouse is just as human
as you are. No
matter how sexy she was when you were
dating, she is not a goddess and
she will not look that
way forever. No matter how good he was at wooing
you, he will sometimes smell, burp, a wear clothes
that don’t match. If
you expect too much from your
spouse then you end up placing a burden on
them
that they cannot carry. You end up unsatisfied and
they end up
crushed with feelings of failure.
4. Forgive.
You
are more intimate with your spouse than anyone
else which means you are
also more vulnerable to
them than anyone else. When they hurt you it
can
feel more damaging than hurt from others because
they are so close
to you. The tendency is to hold it
against them, get bitter about it,
and use it for
leverage in the next argument. You try to mete
out just
punishment on them by quietly distancing
yourself, making cutting remarks, and withholding
affection. This is so damaging to your relationship.
yourself, making cutting remarks, and withholding
affection. This is so damaging to your relationship.
Your love given and reciprocated tanks will be empty.
You go from “in love”
to “indifferent” to “spiteful.” The only way to free yourself from this is to forgive
and then do your best to forget.
5. Value Them More Than Anyone Else.
If
you consider anyone a better “best friend” than your
spouse then you’re in dangerous territory. No one, not
spouse then you’re in dangerous territory. No one, not
even your kids, should take
relational precedence
over your spouse. Your wife is more important
than your golf buds. Your husband should be more
important to you than your parents. This means that
important to you than your parents. This means that
the opinions, values, and plans of your spouse
are
more important to you than anyone else’s.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Ginger for Good Health
by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - 2015
The following benefits can be yours by drinking ginger tea, juicing with ginger, consuming it in your foods, as well as by using ginger essential oil (a more concentrated form).
I use a therapeutic grade of essential oils because of their purity and safety in being able to use most of them internally, something that most companies cannot claim. In a health food store I asked about a brand that stated on the front label, "100% pure" whether or not it could be ingested. The answer was, "Oh, no! Never!" However, that same oil in the therapeutic brand that I use could be safely ingested.
The following benefits can be yours by drinking ginger tea, juicing with ginger, consuming it in your foods, as well as by using ginger essential oil (a more concentrated form).
I use a therapeutic grade of essential oils because of their purity and safety in being able to use most of them internally, something that most companies cannot claim. In a health food store I asked about a brand that stated on the front label, "100% pure" whether or not it could be ingested. The answer was, "Oh, no! Never!" However, that same oil in the therapeutic brand that I use could be safely ingested.
In doing research I read that for beverages it is suggested that one drop of ginger oil be used for each 4 ounces of beverage. In making a syrup, they suggest one drop to one teaspoon of honey.
Research says children under age six should not be given ginger essential oil internally.
It can be applied neat (straight from the bottle) for adults, but because of repeated use, that can result in contact sensitization for this oil.
So for adults I would dilute 1:1 with fractionated coconut oil.
For children dilute even more. In a 10 ml. bottle use only 3-10 drops, then fill the bottle with fractionated coconut oil.
A drop or two of ginger essential oil, added to a daily cup of tea, would go a long way in boosting your health!
Certainly incorporating ginger into your daily regimen would help cover a lot of bases. The easiest way to do that is to use a roller bottle of ginger, and possibly other essential oils, diluted with fractionated coconut oil, and rub it on the bottom of your feet every morning or night. Since ginger is a beneficial food, if a little more ginger is ingested by way of juice, food, or tea, during the day, that's a good thing.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
How to Make Fresh Ginger Paste
by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - Revised 2015
Ginger helps aid in digestion and does so much more. Check out the article on "Ginger Benefits" in the side bar to see other reasons to include this in your diet as often as possible. Ginger also adds great flavor to many soups and countless other dishes!
Pureed ginger paste is available to purchase in small jars at your grocery store. But I'll share with you how you can easily save money by making your own ginger paste that will be even more fresh than jarred ginger.
Buy a large hunk or two of ginger root in the produce department of the grocery store. Cut it apart into easy-to-peel sections, and peel with a vegetable peeler, or scrape with a spoon - whichever works best for you. Slice all the peeled ginger into about 1/2-inch chunks, and put them into a Vita Mix or a good blender with a little water and olive oil. You will want it to be the consistency of paste, so just add a tiny bit of liquid at first. Blend until smoothly pureed, and spoon the ginger paste into Tupperware midget cups, very small containers, or an ice cube tray, and freeze for adding flavor, zip, and nutritional benefits to many dishes. I keep one small container handy in the refrigerator door to add to recipes.
For delicious lemon-ginger tea, drop a few slices of fresh ginger root into a large teacup with a lemon zinger teabag. Fill with boiling water and steep (covered) for about 5 minutes. Add stevia and enjoy!
Pureed ginger paste is available to purchase in small jars at your grocery store. But I'll share with you how you can easily save money by making your own ginger paste that will be even more fresh than jarred ginger.
Buy a large hunk or two of ginger root in the produce department of the grocery store. Cut it apart into easy-to-peel sections, and peel with a vegetable peeler, or scrape with a spoon - whichever works best for you. Slice all the peeled ginger into about 1/2-inch chunks, and put them into a Vita Mix or a good blender with a little water and olive oil. You will want it to be the consistency of paste, so just add a tiny bit of liquid at first. Blend until smoothly pureed, and spoon the ginger paste into Tupperware midget cups, very small containers, or an ice cube tray, and freeze for adding flavor, zip, and nutritional benefits to many dishes. I keep one small container handy in the refrigerator door to add to recipes.
For delicious lemon-ginger tea, drop a few slices of fresh ginger root into a large teacup with a lemon zinger teabag. Fill with boiling water and steep (covered) for about 5 minutes. Add stevia and enjoy!
Cooking Dried Beans for Easy Digestion
by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - Revised 2015
Satisfying, versatile, and very inexpensive -about $1 per pound - at a time when budgets need to be stretched to put gas in our vehicles, and to purchase other essentials!
I just cooked another four pounds today! They are delicious with butter, salt, and an herb mix. Have you ever heard the call for supper, "Hot butter beans, come for supper!" And these freeze very well for a great, filling addition to many future meals!
A few months ago I shared how to cook beans to be easily digestible. A nutritionist told me to soak grain overnight by adding 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar for every cup of grain. However, I adapted the following recipe and found it works just as well without the beans soaking up so much vinegar.
Soak the following overnight in a large Dutch oven or cooking pot:
4 pounds of dried beans, washed thoroughly in a colander (Great Northern or pinto beans are very good)
1 gallon of filtered water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Note: Do NOT add any salt at this point! Salt will prevent the beans from getting tender. Salt and season later.
After soaking overnight or at least 8 hours, drain and rinse the beans several times. Cover with more pure water and bring to a boil. A foam may cover the top after they come to a boil. Skim off the foam with a large spoon. I hold the lid in my left hand and spoon the foam into the lid, then rinse it off, letting it go down the drain. This needs to be done until the foam is about gone (5 minutes or so). Simmer beans for about an hour or more until the beans are tender (the time may vary). I drain the beans unless I plan to make bean soup. You can season at this point or wait until serving.
Spoon some of the beans into containers to freeze. Save some with the liquid for bean soup, and make hummus with the remaining beans for dipping carrots, celery or crackers into this high protein snack.
How to use beans as a Complete Protein:
By eating a grain with beans, you will have a complete protein (a meat substitute). Whole grain bread or crackers, rice cakes or crackers, or a bean and rice dish will suffice.
I just cooked another four pounds today! They are delicious with butter, salt, and an herb mix. Have you ever heard the call for supper, "Hot butter beans, come for supper!" And these freeze very well for a great, filling addition to many future meals!
A few months ago I shared how to cook beans to be easily digestible. A nutritionist told me to soak grain overnight by adding 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar for every cup of grain. However, I adapted the following recipe and found it works just as well without the beans soaking up so much vinegar.
Soak the following overnight in a large Dutch oven or cooking pot:
4 pounds of dried beans, washed thoroughly in a colander (Great Northern or pinto beans are very good)
1 gallon of filtered water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Note: Do NOT add any salt at this point! Salt will prevent the beans from getting tender. Salt and season later.
After soaking overnight or at least 8 hours, drain and rinse the beans several times. Cover with more pure water and bring to a boil. A foam may cover the top after they come to a boil. Skim off the foam with a large spoon. I hold the lid in my left hand and spoon the foam into the lid, then rinse it off, letting it go down the drain. This needs to be done until the foam is about gone (5 minutes or so). Simmer beans for about an hour or more until the beans are tender (the time may vary). I drain the beans unless I plan to make bean soup. You can season at this point or wait until serving.
Spoon some of the beans into containers to freeze. Save some with the liquid for bean soup, and make hummus with the remaining beans for dipping carrots, celery or crackers into this high protein snack.
How to use beans as a Complete Protein:
By eating a grain with beans, you will have a complete protein (a meat substitute). Whole grain bread or crackers, rice cakes or crackers, or a bean and rice dish will suffice.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
I Am Yours, You Are Mine
2/26/2015
by Michelle Gill - Used by permission  Our relationship with Jesus seems to have stages and seasons like all relationships. There are rhythms in all of nature, so I assume the seasons are intentional in our growth as well. When my dad was sick and dying, my twelfth through sixteenth years, God's presence was evident and was about fact. Even in an insecure environment as a child, I knew Jesus was with me. I knew the truth. But when my first husband got the simple flu at the healthy age of twenty-seven and died, Jesus burned in me, like my heart was made of wood and he used a burner, that I am His and He is mine. When I would wake in the night and realize again that I was now alone, I could hear Him. The Word says in Zephaniah that He sings over us and for that season He allowed me to hear Him. (I posted on my blog an experience when someone praying over me could also hear it.) I did not audibly hear Him but I would wake and a song would be rolling through my mind. I cannot carry a tune and sometimes I would not even be familiar with the song but I would hear the words and the music. I would wake in the morning unable to think of being alive yet another day and He would fill me with Himself, so I could literally get off of the floor and amazingly at times in joy and always in peace. My daughter was only four so she would talk to me daily of daddy. I would look up and ask Him to help me, and He gave me words and kept me together. He would send people at just the right time. He placed me in a church six months prior to the Christmas flu tragedy that knew how to take care of me. For two months they fed me and my family, sent me encouraging messages, helped me move, fix my house, and provided for me. He kept whispering to me over and over again that "I am yours and you are Mine!" Now I am remarried and Casi is eight years old. I was reading The Circle Maker the other day and was touched by the quote of the author regarding his father-in-law. He wrote, "He had a familiarity with God that was disarming." I just sat there and cried. Oh to know Him like that. Then a short while later I went to let the dog out and opened my front door and there sat a box. In the box was homemade applesauce, a dozen fresh eggs, frozen ground beef, butter, home canned green beans and pickles, organic ketchup, a roll of paper towels, a gift card to the grocery store, and a little art sign that read "SHE KNEW THAT THE LORD WAS WILD ABOUT HER." I can't tell you in words what that meant to me. I have no idea who it was from. Maybe someone left it at the wrong house, I don't know but I know God meant it for me. The thoughtfulness of the homemade items to care for me and the statement on the art piece allowed me to hear it from His mouth. It made me feel again that He sees me, really sees me and knows me. So if someone who reads this newsletter gave me that box, Thank you! You have no idea how nurturing it was for me. He says to each one of you "I AM YOURS AND YOU ARE MINE." Let Him care for you and show you His sweetness. He is able to heal all. His tenderness knows no limits.  |
Two Parents Living in Separate Homes Raisng One Child
by Amanda Jasek - Used by permission
To be apart from your child for any length of time is challenging but when days go by it makes the challenge even harder. If you are like me or know someone living this out, today my hope is that I can send some encouragement your way through my story and what I have learned in this six year process.
At only eight months old her daddy and I separated. As in most divorces it was painful, messy and scary. Dealing with our emotions while deciding what to do with the house, the items in the house, but most of all, our precious baby would be quite a journey. How could we agree to go days without seeing her? And so, the divorce/custody process began. After many lawyer visits, co-parenting counseling and court visits the decision was made: Mommy’s house Thursday evening to Friday morning and Daddy’s house from Friday evening to Thursday morning every other week.
Insecurity was huge for me. Questions of her loving dad and his family more to forgetting me while she was away were hard. The best of all was, “I’m not really a mom because I don’t have my child full time.” It wrecked me. Friends and family were scared too and so I prayed. I remember it so clearly, while I was praying over all these emotions I felt this inner strength come over me and it became so clear - “I am her momma no matter where she is.” I realized that no matter how many people we encounter in life, there is no replacing Mommy and Daddy. Realizing my role is where my confidence as a momma began to blossom. Yes the insecurities still pop up, but God has been and is so faithful to carry me through into a new vision and strength to carry on.
A few things I practice are:
1. Words. NEVER speak ill of Daddy. He is her heart and I want to nurture that relationship as best I can.
2. Share. If it is my week with her but something important is going on that Dad wants her to be a part of, I am totally OK with it.
3. Stay engaged. Even though I am not in the home, I keep the relationship open with her dad so in the event she is sick and needs Mommy I can be there.
4. Encourage. There are only two people that are going to love this kid alike…. Mom and Dad! Encourage each other of that.
5. Pray. When a child is away from the other parent it is special to cover the other parent in prayers.
6. Honesty. A child is not to be split between parents. Sometimes their heart hurts not being with the other parent and that is OK. Allow honesty to flow.
7. Confidence. Be confident in who you are as the parent which provides security.
8. Structure. What happens at your house does not sway based on what happens at the other home.
9. Talk. If there is something that concerns me I chat with her dad about it.
10. Trust. Trust that the other parent does have the best interest of the child at heart.
11. Together. When a new person is brought into her dad’s life as I am re-married, the “mission statement”, if you will, is “you marry him you marry me.” We are two parents, two homes…. one mission.
Each family has its own challenges this I know but I encourage you to be the best that you can be! Pray most, forgive often and embrace each day moment by moment. And for those times when people ask me where my girl is, I simply reassure them she is with her daddy because she needs both of us. Most people will react to it the way you respond to it. Be confident and remember no competition is to be had. We each have special roles in her life.
Follow Amanda on her blog at http://2himigo.wordpress.com.
As the journey of blending a family & co-parenting continue, there are many growth opportunities Amanda is discovering along the way. With her determination to know God on an intimate level, and her dedication to study the Bible, she has learned many truths – some discovered through tears and some in moments of joy. It is her passion to share those truths with other women so they too can experience freedom and obtain courage to continue in the journey of life. Amanda Jasek has been married to her "love from above" for 3 years. She and her husband, Aaron, reside in VA with their 3 daughters named Alyssa, Stephanie and Madalynn.
To be apart from your child for any length of time is challenging but when days go by it makes the challenge even harder. If you are like me or know someone living this out, today my hope is that I can send some encouragement your way through my story and what I have learned in this six year process.
At only eight months old her daddy and I separated. As in most divorces it was painful, messy and scary. Dealing with our emotions while deciding what to do with the house, the items in the house, but most of all, our precious baby would be quite a journey. How could we agree to go days without seeing her? And so, the divorce/custody process began. After many lawyer visits, co-parenting counseling and court visits the decision was made: Mommy’s house Thursday evening to Friday morning and Daddy’s house from Friday evening to Thursday morning every other week.
Insecurity was huge for me. Questions of her loving dad and his family more to forgetting me while she was away were hard. The best of all was, “I’m not really a mom because I don’t have my child full time.” It wrecked me. Friends and family were scared too and so I prayed. I remember it so clearly, while I was praying over all these emotions I felt this inner strength come over me and it became so clear - “I am her momma no matter where she is.” I realized that no matter how many people we encounter in life, there is no replacing Mommy and Daddy. Realizing my role is where my confidence as a momma began to blossom. Yes the insecurities still pop up, but God has been and is so faithful to carry me through into a new vision and strength to carry on.
A few things I practice are:
1. Words. NEVER speak ill of Daddy. He is her heart and I want to nurture that relationship as best I can.
2. Share. If it is my week with her but something important is going on that Dad wants her to be a part of, I am totally OK with it.
3. Stay engaged. Even though I am not in the home, I keep the relationship open with her dad so in the event she is sick and needs Mommy I can be there.
4. Encourage. There are only two people that are going to love this kid alike…. Mom and Dad! Encourage each other of that.
5. Pray. When a child is away from the other parent it is special to cover the other parent in prayers.
6. Honesty. A child is not to be split between parents. Sometimes their heart hurts not being with the other parent and that is OK. Allow honesty to flow.
7. Confidence. Be confident in who you are as the parent which provides security.
8. Structure. What happens at your house does not sway based on what happens at the other home.
9. Talk. If there is something that concerns me I chat with her dad about it.
10. Trust. Trust that the other parent does have the best interest of the child at heart.
11. Together. When a new person is brought into her dad’s life as I am re-married, the “mission statement”, if you will, is “you marry him you marry me.” We are two parents, two homes…. one mission.
Each family has its own challenges this I know but I encourage you to be the best that you can be! Pray most, forgive often and embrace each day moment by moment. And for those times when people ask me where my girl is, I simply reassure them she is with her daddy because she needs both of us. Most people will react to it the way you respond to it. Be confident and remember no competition is to be had. We each have special roles in her life.
Follow Amanda on her blog at http://2himigo.wordpress.com.
As the journey of blending a family & co-parenting continue, there are many growth opportunities Amanda is discovering along the way. With her determination to know God on an intimate level, and her dedication to study the Bible, she has learned many truths – some discovered through tears and some in moments of joy. It is her passion to share those truths with other women so they too can experience freedom and obtain courage to continue in the journey of life. Amanda Jasek has been married to her "love from above" for 3 years. She and her husband, Aaron, reside in VA with their 3 daughters named Alyssa, Stephanie and Madalynn.
Stop Sitting - It May Save Your Life!
by Lynn Bode www.workoutsforyou.com - Used by permission
Even if you try to eat healthy and even if you are maintaining a healthy weight, you most likely are doing something that is extremely detrimental to your health. You probably do it for hours upon hours each day and don’t give it a second thought.
What’s the dangerous habit? Sitting! Individuals spend record amounts of time sitting now and it may be killing us. Even if you fit in regular exercise time each week, if you are spending the rest of your time plopped down in a chair then you are at risk.
According to the Institute for Medicine and Public Health, it's likely that you spend a stunning 56 hours per week sitting on your bum. That’s an average of eight whopping hours per day idle in your seat.
A study from Australian researchers published two years ago found that spending more than four hours a day in front of a computer or television was associated with a doubling of serious heart problems, even among people who exercised regularly.
Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, concurs. She says “for people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking.”
Wow, that is staggering. And most likely comes as quite a shock to most. After all, we’ve been presented with guidelines that urge us to participate in three hours of brisk exercise a week in order to stay fit. If we do that, then we pat ourselves on the back and feel we have met our goals.
But based on this surprising data related to sitting, we can’t just meet our weekly exercise goals and then sit back. We must evaluate our entire daily physical activity efforts.
"Independent of weight and independent of physical activity and all of these other things that can lead to long-term health problems, the more we sit, the more likely that bad things happen in the body," says Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C.
Garry Sigman, MD, director of the pediatric obesity program of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., agrees. "We evolved from a place where we needed to walk around a lot and not sit still to survive, and now in modern society, there is more opportunity where we sit and that is not healthy for more than one reason," he says.
So, we must find a way to return to our ancestral beginnings while living in our modern world. For thousands of generations our environment demanded nearly constant physical movement in order to survive. We may not have that same survival need today but if we want to live a long, healthy life then we should return to that survival mode.
Here are some ways to slash our sitting times significantly and to move well beyond just our scheduled weekly exercise time.
• Watching t.v. This is a pretty obvious change. Stop watching so much t.v. We almost always sit when viewing the television. So, if you just can’t break ties with your much-loved weekly show, then at least modify your viewing time by watching while on a treadmill, or while standing.
• If you have a desk job, see if your company would be willing to give you a working treadmill work station.
• At your job, suggest walking meetings. Instead of the years-old tradition of meeting in a conference room and plopping down for hours on end, suggest taking your group meeting outdoors for a walk. You’ll be amazed how your brain can think outside-of-the-box too when your body is moving. It’s a win-win for both body and mind.
• Don’t just plop down in a fold up chair at your kids’ weekend sport activities. Stand or even pace throughout the game.
• Don’t send a co-worker an email or call them, walk to their desk and stand to discuss pertinent business.
• Instead of sitting on your couch while chatting on the phone with a friend, pace throughout your house.
• Don’t spend hours seated while playing video games. Enjoy an active version like Wii or Kinect.
• Set your phone timer to remind you to get up every 10 minutes, even if just for one minute. That can have significantly positive effects. Once you master this habit, consider changing it to a one minute break every five minutes that pass.
• If you have a disability that inhibits you from standing, please talk to a physician/physical therapist for movement ideas specific to your individual needs.
Even if you try to eat healthy and even if you are maintaining a healthy weight, you most likely are doing something that is extremely detrimental to your health. You probably do it for hours upon hours each day and don’t give it a second thought.
What’s the dangerous habit? Sitting! Individuals spend record amounts of time sitting now and it may be killing us. Even if you fit in regular exercise time each week, if you are spending the rest of your time plopped down in a chair then you are at risk.
According to the Institute for Medicine and Public Health, it's likely that you spend a stunning 56 hours per week sitting on your bum. That’s an average of eight whopping hours per day idle in your seat.
A study from Australian researchers published two years ago found that spending more than four hours a day in front of a computer or television was associated with a doubling of serious heart problems, even among people who exercised regularly.
Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, concurs. She says “for people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking.”
Wow, that is staggering. And most likely comes as quite a shock to most. After all, we’ve been presented with guidelines that urge us to participate in three hours of brisk exercise a week in order to stay fit. If we do that, then we pat ourselves on the back and feel we have met our goals.
But based on this surprising data related to sitting, we can’t just meet our weekly exercise goals and then sit back. We must evaluate our entire daily physical activity efforts.
"Independent of weight and independent of physical activity and all of these other things that can lead to long-term health problems, the more we sit, the more likely that bad things happen in the body," says Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C.
Garry Sigman, MD, director of the pediatric obesity program of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., agrees. "We evolved from a place where we needed to walk around a lot and not sit still to survive, and now in modern society, there is more opportunity where we sit and that is not healthy for more than one reason," he says.
So, we must find a way to return to our ancestral beginnings while living in our modern world. For thousands of generations our environment demanded nearly constant physical movement in order to survive. We may not have that same survival need today but if we want to live a long, healthy life then we should return to that survival mode.
Here are some ways to slash our sitting times significantly and to move well beyond just our scheduled weekly exercise time.
• Watching t.v. This is a pretty obvious change. Stop watching so much t.v. We almost always sit when viewing the television. So, if you just can’t break ties with your much-loved weekly show, then at least modify your viewing time by watching while on a treadmill, or while standing.
• If you have a desk job, see if your company would be willing to give you a working treadmill work station.
• At your job, suggest walking meetings. Instead of the years-old tradition of meeting in a conference room and plopping down for hours on end, suggest taking your group meeting outdoors for a walk. You’ll be amazed how your brain can think outside-of-the-box too when your body is moving. It’s a win-win for both body and mind.
• Don’t just plop down in a fold up chair at your kids’ weekend sport activities. Stand or even pace throughout the game.
• Don’t send a co-worker an email or call them, walk to their desk and stand to discuss pertinent business.
• Instead of sitting on your couch while chatting on the phone with a friend, pace throughout your house.
• Don’t spend hours seated while playing video games. Enjoy an active version like Wii or Kinect.
• Set your phone timer to remind you to get up every 10 minutes, even if just for one minute. That can have significantly positive effects. Once you master this habit, consider changing it to a one minute break every five minutes that pass.
• If you have a disability that inhibits you from standing, please talk to a physician/physical therapist for movement ideas specific to your individual needs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)