HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman
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1/4/05 BOOTS, FAMILY DINNERS, ORGANIZED MORNINGS, PUZZLE, PHOTOS
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IN THIS ISSUE:
NEW BOOTS FOR WEARY FEET
LITTLE OLIVIA KEEPS US ON OUR TOES!
THE GRANDMOTHER PRINCIPLES
TWO NEWSLETTERS FOR KIDS:
THE CHRISTIAN KID'S ANIMAL LOVER NEWSLETTER
HOPEFUL PRAYERS - ENCOURAGING GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD TO PRAY
INTERESTING PUZZLE ON THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
FAMILY DINNERS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR KIDS
A MEAL PLANNING TIP
7 SPEEDY TIPS FOR ORGANIZED MORNINGS
TIDBITS ABOUT TELEPHONES, TRUTH, TURKEY, AND OTHER THINGS
"HEART TO HEART" BABY ANNOUNCEMENTS
ONLY FORGIVENESS FREES US FROM THE INJUSTICE OF OTHERS
THE POWER OF FORGIVING
AUDIO TAPE ON FORGIVENESS
PLEASE SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH ME FOR UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOTS
PRAYERS FOR ASIA
NO, YOU DIDN'T MISS ANY NEWSLETTERS
NEW BOOTS FOR WEARY FEET
This is from a tried and true devotional by June Masters Bacher -- The Quiet Heart: Daily Devotional for Women (©1988) ~ Contributed by Barb Campbell in Mississippi
My New Year's Prayer
Dear Lord, we praise You for the beauty and glory of Christmas. We praise You for the loveliness of the world around us -- and for another New Year, a chance to try again. You see, we want to continue to give good gifts as the year progresses: to our enemies, we would offer tolerance; to our friends, our service and loyalty; to our children (whether we be mothers, grandmothers, teachers, or neighbors), our patience and a fine example; to our parents, deference and the kind of conduct that will make them proud of their daughters; to ourselves, confidence and respect; to our mates, our love renewed; and to You, our hearts!
But, Lord, we are tired. There is so much to do. Already Christmas seems like a memory (except for the tinsel on the carpet, the dropping Christmas tree, and the leftovers to be wrestled with). And spring seems but a dream. We need Your help, Lord, as we try to navigate through the snowdrifts we yet must climb. You have blessed an old world with a New Year. Now we need hope for old situations and new courage to face them. Give us, we pray, new boots for our weary feet.
Open our eyes to small things. No matter how good our vision, let our hearts probe deeper. Unstop our ears that we may hear the sounds of Your voice in nature. Strengthen our legs as we search out small corners in which we may serve others. Sharpen our intellects and our awareness. Let us ponder the wonderment of our existence, building bridges to the unforeseeable future of this year, leaving a daily heritage for those who come behind us.
Pick us up, Lord, when we falter. Give us the faith and the strength to begin each day anew in service of our families, our friends, the "outsiders," and You. Let us so live that when this year is finished we may say -- as we say at life's end -- "It is good to have been a woman!"
LITTLE OLIVIA KEEPS US ON OUR TOES!
By Margie DeMonbrum in Missouri
When my five year old granddaughter, Olivia, went to see Santa this year, the line was LONG; so her mom said they would come back another evening. The next evening they were at another mall and there was Santa. However, Olivia announced LOUDLY (much to the dismay of other little ones and their parents), "That's not the real Santa! This guy's a fake! The real one is at the other mall!" So back to the other mall they went; and sure enough, there was the real Santa. My daughter said Olivia and Santa had quite the discussion!"
Last year Olivia had her 4th birthday just ahead of Christmas. She was very, VERY upset that she didn't get one of the pieces to her Thomas the Train set. So when she saw Santa they had a talk. It went something like this: "And what would you like this year for Christmas?" "Well. I just had my birthday and Daddy didn't get me the piece I need for my Thomas the Train. I was really hoping I would get it. It only costs $16.95. Think you can handle that?" (Poor Daddy had been looking for weeks for that piece, even on E-Bay. He finally found it......just in time for December 25th!) Very good timing for Daddy!
On that Christmas morning Olivia called me up and said, "Nina. Santa remembered to get me Edward!" She was so excited! "And guess what else, Nina? I left out cookies and milk for Santa. He ate the cookies and drank all the milk. And you know what? He even cleaned up his mess! He rinsed off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher!"
Believe me, this very precocious child keeps us all on our toes! 🙂
THE GRANDMOTHER PRINCIPLES
Young moms, this would be a nice gift for your mother or mother-in-law! ~ Lois
What a treat for Grandmas, wanna-be Grandmas, and anyone who remembers Grandma with her wit, wisdom, humor, and of course, her hot out-of-the-oven, mouth-watering oatmeal cookies! Yum!
We highly recommend The Grandmother Principles by Suzette Haden Elgin. This straightforward guide to grandmothering is based on the principles that all grandmothers need to know. These principles-commonsense aphorisms ranging from "The grandmother way is the easy way" to "Grandmothers don't have to be politically correct"- teach women how to think like grandmothers and discover the grandmotherly way to handle any situation that comes along in their lives. In the past women learned these skills by observing their own grandmothers. But in today's highly mobile society, fewer and fewer women have access to grandmother "role models." And that is why author Suzette Haden Elgin, an experienced grandmother of ten, has written this inspiring, information-filled book. She covers all aspects of grandmothering, including:
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Mediating family arguments
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Learning the art of growing old gracefully
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Saying no without feeling guilty
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Coping with emergencies
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Managing resources-money, time, and energy
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Being a long-distance grandmother
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Keeping the family history
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Teaching crafts to grandchildren
Dozens of sidebars provide invaluable tips on topics as diverse as traveling with kids, wonderful gifts that can be made on a copying machine, and the best grandparenting sites on the Internet. Illustrated with delightful cartoons that underscore the joys and challenges of grandmotherhood. The Grandmother Principles is an indispensable reference for -- and a great comfort to -- grandmothers of all ages and experience. Check out this helpful resource at your local library or bookstore.
TWO NEWSLETTERS FOR KIDS:
THE CHRISTIAN KID'S ANIMAL LOVER NEWSLETTER & HOPEFUL PRAYERS
Message from a young editor: My name is Susannah Elizabeth Cline and I live in Maryland. My mom receives the Heart to Heart Newsletter. I am an 11 year old Christian girl, who loves animals. I have five pets and am a tomboy. A few months ago I started a newsletter for people with pets, who love animals like I do. The Christian Kid's Animal Lover Newsletter is free and will be sent by e-mail to subscribers once a month. Please note that if you want to subscribe, e-mail me at [email protected] and write "Subscribe" in the subject line. Your articles are welcome.
Note from Lois: Susannah sent me a copy of her newsletter and I can see that she puts a lot of time and energy into putting it together. In her Christmas edition she included two "Critter Crafts" - (Perky Penguin Puppet and Cat and Mouse), a recipe, animal poems, animal jokes and very interesting animal information. If any of you ladies, or your children would like to share animal information with her, she would be happy to receive it. I told her what fun it would be if someone who worked at a zoo or as a veterinarian would send her an article to include in her newsletter! So any of you moms who would like to encourage this young editor, please send her animal stories, jokes, recipes and information and encourage your children to receive her interesting newsletter and do the same!
Mandy Joy Johnson, almost 11 years old, living in Florida, is another budding editor who has sent her own newsletter, Hopeful Prayers - Encouraging Girls Around the World to Pray. Some of the contents include a memory verse, prayer requests, a poll, recipe, craft, beauty tip, joke, and how to tell others about Jesus, as well as other interesting topics. She's been sending her newsletter to young girls since the age of ten. After Mandy's grandma asked to receive "Heart to Heart," Mandy began corresponding with me by e-mail and later by phone. Soon afterwards Mandy and I adopted each other and now she always calls me "Grama Lois!" Mandy's real grandma is very gracious to share her precious granddaughter with me, and she has become a good friend as well! We pray for each other.
Mandy's e-mail newsletter, "Hopeful Prayers," from another very grown-up young lady, can be received by e-mailing Mandy at [email protected]. About six months ago, after I recommended Mandy's newsletter to Heart to Heart mothers - for their daughters, Susannah began receiving Mandy's newsletter. Now these two girls are very good friends!
Other wonderful relationships have been formed through Heart to Heart, and we all thank the Lord for putting together many special bonds of love and friendship through this newsletter!
INTERESTING PUZZLE ON THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
Author unknown ~ Contributed by Mandy Joy Johnson of Florida, as posted in her newsletter, Hopeful Prayers - Encouraging Girls Around the World to Pray
Watch for the answers in the next newsletter! If you can't find all 30 books, have your family and friends help! It isn't too difficult - except for those last few! Copy and paste this section for others. J
This was really fun finding the books of the Bible in the paragraph below.
The 30 books are both Old and New Testament. Have fun!
There are thirty books of the Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them? This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an Airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much; he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist Friend was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper Column. Another friend judges the job of solving this so involving puzzle, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find Themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it Usually takes a minister or scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the Difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent Fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi Lemonade booth set a new sales record. The local paper, the Chronicle, Surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one of the Most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, the Books are all right there in plain view hidden from sight. Those able to find All of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may Occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus, there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found.
FAMILY DINNERS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR KIDS
Written by Wayne Rice ~ © 2005 by Understanding Your Teenager ~ Used by permission
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (November 11) reports that family dinners improve kids' health, their grades, and their relationships with other members of the family. In addition, kids who eat dinner with their families regularly are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs. A University of Michigan study found that meal time with the family was the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores and fewer behavioral problems – even better than going to church! Makes you want to go set the table right now, doesn't it?
Of course, not all family dinners are the warm bonding experiences that they're sometimes cracked up to be. But they are definitely worth doing. For some helpful tips on how to improve your family dinner-times, we posted a few on our web site: http://www.uyt.com/dinner.htm.
Visit us on the web at http://www.uyt.com Contact us: [email protected] or at (800) 561-9309.
A MEAL PLANNING TIP
When our children were young, we made up menus for our evening meals on index cards and the children helped plan them. I wrote the menu on one side of the card and the ingredients on the reverse. Everyone had a chance each week to pick their favorite and I would take the index cards with me to the grocery store. This worked well for our family for many years!
Frances S. Gillend, Virginia
7 SPEEDY TIPS FOR ORGANIZED MORNINGS
by Maria Gracia ~ www.getorganizednow.com ~ Used by permission from Maria Gracia
Sometimes it's difficult to get going in the morning, and time can really fly if you're getting ready for work or if you have errands to run. Here are 7 speedy tips to make your mornings more organized.
1. Keep a radio in the bathroom.
When you make it to the bathroom for your shower, shave and other morning routines, flip on a waterproof radio to an upbeat music station at a volume that you'll be able to hear when you're in the shower. Music has a way of waking you up and getting you moving. Plus, it can be used as a time tool so you know how long it's taking you to complete your morning ritual.
2. Speed up your shower.
I've found that I can take a shower within the length of time it takes for 2 songs to play--I listen to a popular music radio station and the songs average 3 minutes or less. Taking a quick shower will save you time and it will conserve water.
3. Re-evaluate your cosmetics.
It shouldn't take you more than one or two songs to put on your make-up. If it's taking you longer, you may consider re-evaluating your cosmetics collection and if you truly need to apply lots of cosmetics on a daily basis. A little bit of concealer, a simple tinted moisturizer, some face powder, blush, mascara and lip gloss can get most women looking wonderful in 5 minutes or less.
4. Choose a simple, quick-drying hairstyle.
Allow your hair to air dry a bit while you're putting on your makeup, or while you're shaving. This will reduce hair dryer time. If you can get away with it, let your hair air dry completely while you're eating breakfast, or walking the dog. If you must use a hairdryer, time yourself to determine how long it's taking to dry. If it's taking over five minutes, it may be time to simplify your hairstyle.
5. Have a nutritious, quick breakfast.
A quick breakfast each day is suggested for some early morning energy. But save the pancakes, eggs or anything that is going to take time to make, for the weekends. On the weekdays, opt for a quick bowl of hot or cold cereal, and some fruit.
6. Prepare the night before.
Preparation the night before will help you have less rushed, less stressful mornings. Before you go to bed each night, iron and lay out tomorrow's outfit, set the breakfast table at night, make bagged lunches, set the coffeepot timer, make your To Do list, and so on.
7. Determine how much time you need.
Determine approximately how much time you need for your morning routine and then pad that time by a minimum of 15 minutes or more, depending on the weather, if there will be traffic, etc. You'll then have a good idea of what time you should wake up so you can get going without having to run around like mad each morning.
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Organize your kitchen, basement, desk, office, closets and every other room in your home or life! Better manage your time, eliminate procrastination, stop being late, prioritize like a pro. Get your paper under control, create a more effective filing system, motivate yourself to get
and stay organized. You'll find it all, and more in my book, Finally Organized, Finally Free!
For a full description, visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/newbook.html
TIDBITS ABOUT TELEPHONES, TRUTH, TURKEY, AND OTHER THINGS
Headset for Telephone ~ Using a telephone headset to plug into your cell phone while driving is a great safety feature, still leaving two hands for the steering wheel, for times when you need to talk on the phone while driving. A telephone headset is a wonderful timesaver for in the home as well. You can still work in your kitchen, iron, fold clothes or do many other things (with two hands and no kink in your neck) ~ Tips from Becky Zipfel Noell in Virginia and Margie DeMonbrum in Missouri
Just 2.9 Cents Per Minute for Long Distance ~ Check out
www.onesuite.com for this low rate! We have used this plan for several years and we find it saves us a lot of money, without having to go out and buy a calling card. Calls can be made to all fifty states and overseas 24/7!
Blinds and Wallpaper at a Discount ~ Save money by calling (800) 214-4391 to receive free catalogs of blinds and wallpaper. If you want to decorate a child's bedroom with a butterfly and kitten theme in yellow, go to www.decoratetoday.com and do a search. All the wallpaper and border prints that pertain to those three subjects will come up. They carry over 300,000 selections! You can also give the code number for any wallpaper or blind available on the market, and this company can get it for you at a guaranteed low price. Free UPS shipping.
Turkey Breast That Tastes Like Pork ~ For a turkey breast that tastes like pork, add sauerkraut, an envelope of dried onion soup mix and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cook it all in a crockpot for a delicious meal! If you don't have a crockpot, you could roast it in a slow oven as well. My aunt, Sherlyn Kohr, in Pennsylvania gave me this tip. I tried it and it's delicious!
Easy and Delicious Pot Roast ~ Slowly brown a chuck roast in olive oil in a heavy pan. Drain fat. Add 2 cups water. Sprinkle an envelope of dried onion soup mix over the roast, and spread a can of cream of mushroom soup over that. Cover and simmer on stove top or in 325 degree oven until tender (about 3 hours). In the final half hour, add thick slices of raw potato and whole carrots and cook until tender. This is a delicious meal for your husband to come home to, yet so easy! Today I used a chuck roast on sale for $1.88 per pound. The entire cost for the meat was just $5.89 and my husband and I have enough for 2-3 more meals! The last meal may be vegetable beef soup.
LOW FAT OATMEAL MUFFINS
(2.5 grams fat and 128 calories per muffin)
Make a double batch of these muffins to freeze. These would qualify for a "healthy quick breakfast," as suggested in the article above, "7 Speedy Tips for Organized Mornings!"
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (half whole wheat and half unbleached works well)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray 2 muffin cups with cooking spray. Whisk egg whites till frothy, whisk in maple syrup, orange juice and milk. Add vanilla, spices and orange zest. Stir in oats, flour and baking powder. Fold in pecans and cranberries. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until baked in the center. These muffins are not fluffy, but rather heavy. They do provide energy though and fill you up so you don't find yourself snacking soon afterwards.
"HEART TO HEART" BABY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Note: "Heart to Heart" ladies who would like their new baby or recent grandchild's birth announced in this newsletter, please send me the your information as shown in these announcements below. ~ Lois
Daniel Russell Francis was welcomed into the family by Steve and Rebecca Francis on August 13, 2004. This family of nine is formerly from Florida, but now living in Pennsylvania.
On December 8, 2004, Jackson Palmer Adams was an "early Christmas gift" from the Lord for Sam and Melissa Adams. Jackson is the fifth child for the Adams family. They serve as Word of Life missionaries in the Czech Republic.
Jonathan and Brenda Sauder are the proud parents of Faith Elizabeth Sauder, born on December 17, 2004. Faith is their first child and they live in Pennsylvania.
Wyatt Andrew Suhr was born on December 23, 2004 to Jason and Rachel Suhr. Wyatt, his two big sisters and parents live in Virginia. Wyatt is the grandson of Jeff and Beverly Suhr, also of Virginia.
ONLY FORGIVENESS FREES US FROM THE INJUSTICE OF OTHERS
THE POWER OF FORGIVING
Just thinking about resolving a hurt can help. In a 2001 study, psychologist Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, Ph.D., of Hope College in Holland, Michigan, hooked 71 college students to sensors and had them relive lies, insults or betrayals by family members, friends or lovers. Told to imagine forgiving the offenders, the subjects experienced heart rates and blood pressure two-and-a-half times lower than when they thought about holding a grudge."
-- "The Power of Forgiving" by Lisa Collier Cool, Readers' Digest, May 2003. P 93.
AUDIO TAPE ON FORGIVENESS
Pastor Greg Huffman gave one of the best messages I've ever heard on forgiveness. He said if we have unforgiveness or resentment in our heart toward anyone, we might as well stop praying, because our prayers will not be answered - and so much more on the subject!
To order a tape ($3.00 each - no shipping charge) --
[email protected] or (540) 366-2431. Specify the 8/22/04 tape on "Forgiveness" and if e-mailing, be sure to give your name and mailing address. An envelope in which to mail your payment will be sent with the tape. I believe this is a tape we will all want to have in our library to hear on a regular basis.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH ME FOR UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOTS
Ladies, I have a running list of some great photography ideas and illusions, especially for taking pictures of children. In the next newsletter I will include those ideas. But I know many of you have even more unique ideas in this area, and I'd love to hear from you, so your ideas can be shared in the next newsletter as well - Christmas card photo ideas or for anytime of the year! Please reply to this newsletter and tell me your photography ideas. ~ Lois
PRAYERS FOR ASIA
Our hearts go out to those in Asia in the midst of all the terrible suffering! Two Heart to Heart missionary ladies and their families living in that part of the world are safe and we thank the Lord so much for His protection! You and your families have been in my prayers, Saria Marantika (Indonesia) and Linnet Gupta (India). Let us all be in prayer for the missionaries who are ministering to the needs of thousands.
NO, YOU DIDN'T MISS ANY NEWSLETTERS
Some of you may have thought you missed an issue or two of "Heart to Heart," but you probably didn't. December is always a little different than most months. Because most ladies want lots of Christmas ideas and recipes, I refer back to past newsletters and add to them, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to use with your family. Then because of the usual busyness of the month, I try to send the extra newsletters early in the month, and then no more until January. You should have received one newsletter on December 8th and six more on December 9th with a mixture of old and new ideas. They didn't get sent as early as I had hoped, due to our daughter's miscarriage early in December. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for all who prayed for Joy this month. She is doing real well now and I was able to spend several days in Georgia helping her - a wonderful blessing for us both! God is so good - all the time!
May the Lord be glorified in our lives in 2005!
Love from your "Heart to Heart" friend,
Lois
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to bring godly and practical encouragement to women through creative ideas for the Christian family – regarding homemaking, marriage, children and much more. You may receive this bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, country and the name of the person who referred you to Lois Breneman at [email protected].
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