HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
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1/4/08 OBJECT LESSONS, SNOW PLAY, SENIORS, ORGANIZE, PRECIOUS GEMS
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IN THIS ISSUE:
OBJECT LESSON: WHEN YOU PASS THROUGH THE WATERS, I WILL BE WITH YOU!
MAKE UP YOUR OWN OBJECT LESSONS FOR SPECIAL FAMILY TIMES
FREE COOKING LESSONS -- STEP BY STEP -- PICTURE BY PICTURE
CREATIVE SNOW PLAY
WINTER SUN CATCHERS
MEETING THE NEEDS OF WOMEN AROUND US
REMEMBERING SENIOR CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
A TENDER ACT OF KINDNESS
ORGANIZING YOUR HOME
ANOTHER TEETHING TIP
MULTIPLE USES FOR M&M'S
SLOW COOKER FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES
HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE ARE YOU ON ROE V. WADE?
RECORDING PRECIOUS GEMS FROM OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF YOUR BABES
OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES
NEWSLETTERS COMING FOR VALENTINE'S DAY AND NINTH ANNIVERSARY
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
OBJECT LESSON: WHEN YOU PASS THROUGH THE WATERS, I WILL BE WITH YOU!
By Lois Breneman, © 2005, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
This object lesson will show how much Jesus loves you, as it makes Isaiah 43:2 come alive! Take the time to do this with your children or delegate it to one of your children to take charge and demonstrate to your family. Stuff a paper towel all the way to the bottom of a clear glass (one you can see through), so it will remain there when turned upside down. Fill a large mixing bowl or sink with water. Now completely immerse the glass, upside down, into the water, keeping the glass straight (no tipping to the side). You will see that the paper towel remains completely dry, even though the entire glass is immersed deep in the water. The paper is totally shielded, even though there is no lid on the glass! Now pull the glass straight out of the water, without tipping, and you will see it is completely unaffected by the water!
You can talk with your family about how we are like the paper towel and the Lord is able to shield and protect us in real life as the glass does. The Lord is L"OO"KING after you!
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze. ~ Isaiah 43:2
MAKE UP YOUR OWN OBJECT LESSONS FOR SPECIAL FAMILY TIMES
http://www.krampf.com/experiment_vid.html
Children learn lessons in a more permanent way when they not only hear a concept, but see it as well. This educational resource of Robert Krampf's is an excellent tool for parents and grandparents. Just go to the Internet, watch one of his favorite science experiments on video, and write out your own object lessons to teach children biblical concepts.
Homeschoolers, Christian school teachers, Sunday school teachers and camp directors will also find this link to be a great resource. Each science experiment has the possibility of not only teaching a scientific concept, but a biblical lesson found in God's Word.
FREE COOKING LESSONS -- STEP BY STEP -- PICTURE BY PICTURE
http://heart4myhome.blogspot.com/
A dear "Heart to Heart" subscriber, Nichole Martelli in Texas, has a wonderful blog that she gave me permission to share with everyone, after I saw how she writes out her recipes in such a unique way. Teens would especially love these recipes with step by step photographic instructions from start to finish! I love it! It's like free cooking lessons for those wanting to learn the art of making delicious food! You'll find her recipes for macaroni and sour cream cheese, chili, meatloaf, Mexican crockpot beef stew and many others. There are several ways to find the recipes. (1) Click on "Homemaker/Recipes." (2) As you scroll down through the posts, click "Older Posts" to see everything. (3) Go to the blog archive and click on each month. It should bring up everything including all the recipes that were posted. You will also find beautiful harp music, inspirational devotionals, Bible reference studies, crafts, and so much more. In fact, I enjoy listening to the harp music while working on the Heart to Heart Newsletter!
CREATIVE SNOW PLAY
By Lois Breneman, © 2002, Revised 2008, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
Growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania was great fun -- and work, of course, but in the winter we loved ice skating on our pond, sometimes having the church youth group or friends from Youth for Christ there for "crack-the whip," hot chocolate, snacks and a good time. Once when the ice was thick enough, we even had a bonfire at the edge of the pond!
My brother, Carl, and I had great fun building a snow fort once in the cow pasture when we were quite young, with walls about two feet tall to divide the rooms -- no roof. Our older sister preferred the indoors and our baby brother was too young at the time to join in the fun. We built a kitchen (even a kitchen sink) in our snow fort where we made "snow hamburgers," as we played "house." Later Carl went outside our fort and speared a pretend walrus for another meal!
Another day we decided that making a snowman was too ordinary, so we made a huge snow lion! We built igloos too, but if your children try this, be sure there is an adult with them, (outside the igloo), in case of a cave-in! We also had fun writing in the snow and making angels. Since our frozen pond was at the bottom of a big hill in the cow pasture, sometimes we'd go sledding down the hill, up over the bank of the pond, slide across the pond and fly up over the other bank and down to the other side of the pasture! We also made snow speed bumps and ramps for a more exciting sled ride. No wonder we have aches and pains today, but I suppose the fun we had back then makes the aches and pains serve as good memories of our childhood!
After I was married and our three children were still at home, we had fun making a snow bear in our front yard, with two faces -- one facing our house and one facing the road, so we could enjoy it from inside our house as well as the people driving by. Then we went over to a neighbor's house and helped them make four more bears -- one for each of their family members. Another fun and easy idea would be to make a snow turtle. We've done this with sand at the beach, and snow would work well too. Be sure to draw a design on his back with a stick, then paint it in with water and different colors using food coloring or tempera paints. Your children could also paint pictures in the snow using watercolors. Spray painting the snow is fun as well. As the snow melts, the colors will run together and that's fun to watch too.
If you want to build a unique snow man, snow lady or snow baby, trim them in a special way for a one-of-a-kind, out-of-the-ordinary snow person! For *eyes*, use large dark buttons attached with toothpicks, radishes attached with toothpicks, chunks of grilling charcoal or dark-colored stones. Nothing beats a carrot *nose*, unless you want to use a red radish to depict a very cold nose. The *mouth* could be made by bending a red, pink or orange pipe cleaner into a smile. Several cranberries or holly berries would also work for a mouth. For *ears*, cut a lemon or orange in half, scoop out the fruit to eat later, and attach each half with a few toothpicks around the edges of the rind. For *arms*, sticks will do, but you can also add extra snow close to the body for arms that come to the front in a handclasp. But since the *hands* are difficult to make, attach mittens in the front with toothpicks. Or have the snow lady or child hold something like a bouquet of silk or plastic flowers or a bouquet of fresh holly. The man might hold a dish of birdseed (stick an unbreakable plate into the snowman's stomach -- ouch! -- just above his hands and fill with birdseed) or he might be a plumber, holding a plunger. The baby could hold a toy. The *scarf* should be of a bright, cheerful color. Even a piece of unfinished fabric will do fine. Or a substitute for a scarf might be a ribbon tied into a bow. The snow people's *hats* could be almost anything -- a stocking cap, a straw hat, a piece of fabric or a winter headband. Use strands of yarn or pine needles for *hair* sticking out from under the hats and for a snow baby, just a pipe cleaner curl sticking straight up! *Buttons* can be raisins, real buttons, cranberries or holly berries, all attached with a toothpick or they can be pieces of charcoal. Mom might even look good in an apron!
Or try building a snowmobile! The February, 2002 issue of the Family Fun Magazine told how to do this, and I added a few extra instructions. Since winter forts and snowmen are so common, why not upgrade to a fantastic snowmobile? A little extra "snow-how" (see directions below) and some household supplies make this baby purr. Once done, the kids can name their car (maybe Blizzard?) and go for a pretend joyride! It would be a good idea to gather the necessary supplies now for a snowmobile and other possible snow activities, so you have them handy when the snows come. Here are the directions:
1. The Body: Using a shovel, mound snow up to form the sides of the car. Fill in the hood and trunk areas. Pack it firmly and trim away excess snow with your shovel or an old cookie sheet. Once you've got the basic shape, it's a matter of customizing. Using a garden trowel or spackling knife, kids can add tail fins, extend the back to create a pickup-truck bed for carrying passengers or hauling snowballs. Or build a sporty design or a copy of your own car.
2. Engineering Factory Features: You can make a radio antenna with a willow twig, a stick for a stick shift, and dashboard indicators made from colorful laundry detergent caps or toy box odds and ends. The headlights can be two yellow or orange plastic cereal bowls or two halves of grapefruit rinds. The tail lights could be rubber balls or plastic cups. The wheels can be Frisbees or fancy wheels drawn on posterboard. Use a safe metal lid for the side mirrors or stick the handle of a hand mirror right into the snow. For a steering wheel, use a disposable plastic plate, cut in the center and mounted on a bottomless plastic bottle. Push that into the dash panel. Several twigs pressed vertically into the front of the car can be the grille. If your children have a bike horn, this would be a great addition! A plastic toy lion would work as the hood ornament. This snowmobile, of course, is a convertible, because you wouldn't want the roof to cave in!
3. Be sure to get several pictures with your children driving! Smaller children can be lifted into the car by a teen or adult, so it doesn't get ruined. Ladies, please be sure to send me a picture of the snow creations that you and your children make! Or at least tell me about them. I just wish Carl and I would have had these snowmobile directions back in our childhood years!
WINTER SUN CATCHERS
By Julie Druck, Editor of "A Heart for Home," a monthly e-mail newsletter for families.
My sister-in-law, Amy, threw an impromptu ice skating party last year when their pond froze over. She and I helped each of our sons make these lovely sun catchers to hang in the branches of one of her trees. They looked magical!
Heres how: Place a sturdy disposable foil pan (or better yet, two inside of each other) on a cookie sheet. Arrange orange rounds, cranberries, small pinecones and small pieces of pine branches in the pan and add enough water to cover them. To hang them, cut sturdy twine into 2 lengths for each sun catcher (about 2 ft. each). Lay one end of each piece of twine in the pan, submerging it at least several inches. Place the pan in the freezer and store overnight or until frozen. Remove the ice block from the pan (run a bit of warm water over the back if needed) and tie it to a tree with the ends of the twine. Its best to do this when the weather is very cold, so that the sun catchers dont melt too quickly. You could put them back in the freezer for another time if you want.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF WOMEN AROUND US
By Lois Breneman, © 2008, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
A "Heart to Heart" subscriber wrote and asked for ideas on how she could help meet the needs of women in both her business and through the women's ministry in her church.
I would suggest first of all that if you are quite sure a woman is not a Christian, simply be her friend to her in some of the ways mentioned below. Don't try to push your faith on her, but ask the Holy Spirit to infuse the fruit of His Spirit into your life and help you live out the Christian life before her with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control, as Galatians 5:22 and 23 instructs.
Ask the Lord to shine through your life to others around you each day.
Ask the Lord to open doors for you to encourage other women and be a witness for Him.
Smile, be courteous, and show kindness.
Never gossip or share about others in a negative way.
Be a genuine/real friend to her.
Be yourself. Don't pretend to be someone you are not.
Don't think of yourself more highly that you ought to think.
Show an interest in her - ask her to tell you about her own interests.
Put her interests above your own.
Invite her to your home for breakfast or lunch.
Invite several women into your home at a time - possibly ask each one to bring a dish to share.
Invite her and her family to join your family for dinner.
Offer to babysit one evening, if you see she is lacking time alone with her husband.
Ask her if there is anything she would like you to pray about for her or her family. Then do so.
Remember her on her birthday with a card and maybe a small gift.
Ask her advice pertaining to a talent she has or ask if she would teach you in that area.
Offer to help her in the area of your expertise - maybe knitting, card making or sewing.
Never jam your "religion" down any unbeliever's throat, but live the Christian life before her, waiting for the right moment to share your faith with her, little by little. Then when the opportunity arises you could tell her how the Lord has changed your life or helped you through a particular situation. When you do share, bathe each word in prayer and follow the Lord's prompting, rather than your own.
REMEMBERING SENIOR CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
By Lois Breneman, © 2008, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
Many of us have aging parents or grandparents who tend to be lonely and in need of a tender loving hug, a phone call, a card or a letter. When it comes to gifts for an older person, it is difficult to know just what to give an older person to express our love and care for them. When we ask for ideas, they most often say, "I don't need anything. I already have all I need." Many times they are trying to get rid of their extra personal possessions, because of down-sizing their homes and they certainly don't need new appliances or knick knacks. So just what is a friend or loved one to give them? Here are a few ideas.
Give a sturdy decorated box (covered with fabric or gift wrap) filled with fresh fruit and snacks from the grocery store that they enjoy. A shoe box lined with tissue paper works well. You might bake muffins, cookies and bread for great additions! Add a jar of jam made from only fruit. A nice warm quilt or throw would be a cheery welcome on cold winter evenings as well.
Often elderly people living alone in their homes do not eat well, because they don't feel like cooking for just one or two people, and they will appreciate their favorite foods being ready to eat in an instant. You could prepare several of their favorite dishes in multiple small portions and give to them already frozen, to use as needed. Examples might be soups, casseroles, quick breads, muffins, mini meatloaves, chicken, mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. Package several of the same food item together in a larger freezer bag.
Prepare a book of stories, memories and pictures for your parents or grandparents. They will cherish that for sure! Have all the grandchildren together to make a musical cassette tape for the grandparents. They can sing some hymns and other songs. I know grandparents would appreciate this gift for a long time to come. Give coupons -- one for each month -- for something you will do for them. A back rub, foot rub, clean the bathrooms or the entire house, cook a meal in their home, offer to set up and take down some Christmas decorations for them, bake some cookies or muffins while you visit with them, give a piano concert just for them, give a foot massage, watch a Gaither Homecoming video with them, read a book to them, listen to their own childhood stories, help them to write checks and keep records, etc. Many older people don't get nearly enough hugs and tender touching as they need, so a good back rub would be so appreciated.
An aquatic garden with a Betta fish or a birdfeeder with black oil sunflower seed would provide hours of entertainment and enjoyment. Give a "Reacher," or "Grabber," a long-handled instrument used for picking up things from the floor without bending or for reaching things on a high shelf without climbing up on a stool or chair (about $10). Give a long handled sponge for applying lotion to the back, without the help of another person. (about $6) How about a heating pad? The previous three items can be found at most drug stores.
If your loved one is living in an assisted living facility or nursing home, a nice wreath for their door would be a welcome gift. Be sure to also provide a wreath hanger. An even better idea would be to change out their wreath to keep it seasonal. Since they have limited space to store things, offer to store wreaths from other seasons for them in your home. A good radio / CD player would be a very welcome gift, along with CD's of hymns and music they would enjoy. A calendar with scripture verses or family pictures would be enjoyed all year long. Calling cards are wonderful so they can keep in touch with friends and family on their schedule. Even if they are fed three meals a day in the facility, snacks would be a welcome treat. Take them a single rose or a few roses in a vase for many fragrant sniffs and smiles of contentment, but since many roses today have no fragrance, be sure the ones you give do. If you enjoy sewing, ask if you could do any mending or special sewing for their room - make a pillow or dresser scarf.
Hopefully these ideas will be helpful for a birthday, as well as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas or any time you want to bring extra happiness and joy to an elderly loved one or friend to let them know how much you care. Send cheery cards. If their sight is mostly gone, but their hearing is reasonable, send them a musical card. Tell them how much you love them and care about them. Above all else, faithfully pray for them, and let them know that you do.
A TENDER ACT OF KINDNESS
A blind person can see kindness and a deaf person can hear kindness, because it is felt from deep within the heart.
ORGANIZING YOUR HOMEBy Debbie Williams,
[email protected], Copyright 2007, Used by permission
One of the key rules in organizing and decorating is to utilize vertical space. Often we place furniture around the room with nothing above it, forming a nice horizontal line. There is a ton of unclaimed storage and visually appealing space right above the furniture line! For most organizing projects, you have four choices: hang it, put it in a drawer, store it on the floor, or shelve it.
Getting Started ~ Gather several boxes labeled: To Keep, To Trash, To Sell, Undecided. Begin sorting. Don't try to find a place for everything until your items are sorted. Group your items by category. Decide what will be folded, what will be placed on hangers, what will go into drawers. By planning wisely during your sorting process, you have eliminated the need for many storage items. Use what you have around the house, then buy specific sizes for the articles you need to organize.
Closet Space ~ Up off the floor!! Use multilevel rods for hanging items. Bins and shelf dividers keep folded items stacked. They are inexpensive to buy and can usually be found in discount stores or home stores. The time you save sorting through things on the floor or in drawers for purses and accessories will be well worth the small investment. This will not only free up valuable drawer space, but can eliminate the need for chest of drawers altogether. When organizing your closet, keep all blouses together. Sort by color, casual or dressy, long sleeved or short sleeved. Do the same for skirts, dresses, slacks and jeans.
Kitchen Capers ~ Stack it Up. Use plastic or wicker in-baskets and go vertical to utilize counter space. Don't spread; stack. Purchase wire shelves for pantries and cabinets at your discount store. These double the space for dishes, pots, and pans. Lid organizers and baking tray racks store stackable pots and pans.
Hang On ~ Hang on. Use over-the-door hangers or door-mounted holders to display pantry items. Holders for seasoning envelopes, spice boxes, and plastic wraps consolidate these elusive items once and for all. You can even buy under-the-shelf organizers for paper plates, napkins, and coffee filters.
Junk Drawer ~ No more junk drawer? No way! Just use any type of plastic basket or cutlery organizer for your junk drawer, and clean it out routinely.
Pretty Is As Pretty Does ~ Since counter space is at a premium, don't display all your knickknacks on the countertop. Hang framed prints rather than resting them on easels. Consolidate fridge photos with a magnetic mat, or adhere a magnetic sheet to each picture creating your own photo magnets. Store tall utensils in pottery or your favorite pitcher. This makes your favorite things do double duty, creating more drawer space and reducing countertop clutter.
Kid Clutter ~ If you have a two-story home, upstairs toys are not dragged downstairs, they stay in the bedroom or playroom. Keep a few toys on a small shelf, in a wicker basket or toy bin downstairs in the family room. These must be cleaned up each night before bedtime. Downstairs push or riding toys must stay downstairs and off the steps.
To further utilize vertical space, install shelves and paint them to match the wall. Hang toy hammocks for stuffed animals. Spray paint a long shower tension rod, wrap with Velcro strips, and stick up stuffed animals.
Old soda crates found at flea markets can be cleaned up, painted, and will house treasures of all kinds: collections (shells, rocks, key rings, kids meal toys). Smaller versions can be purchased at craft and discount stores.
Interior decorators encourage us to keep our collections, but to consolidate rather than scatter them for drama. Encourage your child's creativity by enlisting their help for novel solutions for storage. Give them a budget, make a list of things to contain, and see what they come up with. Perhaps they'll surprise you and suggest taking a box full to their favorite children's charity, or have a garage sale to raise money for newer toys. Involving your kids in the planning, prioritizing, sorting, and containing stages ensures better (not perfect) participating in the maintenance of clutter. And who knows? You may actually nurture a minimalist of your own in
the process. Or a packrat with incredibly organized closets.
In the lower grades of elementary school, the classrooms are set up in learning centers. And to contain the clutter in the classroom, Miss Crabtree has a strict rule of putting a toy away before taking out another one. This may seem strict in your own home and does not work with every child. With my own son, I have the "three toy rule": he may play with three toys, then it's time to put them away before dragging out another one. It works well with puzzles, books, and other like items. If you start young, they may continue this "clean as you go" rule throughout life.
Small plastic shoe boxes are perfect for Legos®, Barbie® clothes and accessories, and Hot Wheels. Find the totes a size larger with handles on the top for easy carrying to and from the play area.
Larger tubs hold blocks, play food and dishes, and other pieces that just seem to multiply in the night.
Save the extra large tubs for train sets, car tracks, doll accessories, and sports gear.
Flat under-the-bed boxes are wonderful for out of season clothes and toys. Most closets are not large enough for toys and clothes, so why not store unused toys as you would clothing: kites, beach gear, and baseball gear is stashed during winter months; football, hockey stick, and ice skates are stored during the summer.
By using some of these organizing tips, you will reclaim storage space and cut down on the clutter in your home. Use the basic principles of clutter containing for each area in your home. By containing clutter, you'll find yourself well on the way to becoming a bit more organized.
_____________________________________________________________________
Debbie Williams is an organizing strategist and parent educator who offers tools and training to help you put your house in order. She is the author of "Put Your House In Order." Learn more at
http://www.organizedtimes.com
ANOTHER TEETHING TIP
I was told of a teething remedy that has proved very effective. Instead of Oragel, rub a small amount of Benedryl on the baby's gums. This definitely seemed to help my baby, but the real proof came when I cut my own wisdom teeth - Benedryl helped like nothing else! ~ Thanks to Lorna Wanner in Virginia for this great tip!
MULTIPLE USES FOR M&M'S
When I buy too many Christmas M&M's or Hershey kisses, I sort out the red and pink ones to use for Valentine's Day, and save the green for St. Patrick's Day! ~ Jeanie Martin in PA
Pastel M&M's on sale after Easter worked great over ten years ago to make favors for our daughter's wedding reception. They were put into little teal lace bags that I sewed up to match the bridesmaids' dresses and tied them with white ribbons. They looked nice in baskets to pass out to the guests. We were able to save a bundle buying the M&M's after a holiday. One of our sons and his bride used dark chocolate multicolored M&M's in their wedding reception as favors that I wrapped in circles of burgundy tulle and tied with white ribbons. ~ Lois
SLOW COOKER FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES
5 lb. boneless rump roast 1/2 tsp. rosemary, dried
1 Tbsp. garlic powder 2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 tsp. cayenne 1-2 cans beef broth
1/2 tsp. oregano, dried
Put all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on SLOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours. If the gravy is too thin, add a cornstarch and water mixture and heat until thickened. Slice thin and serve on French bread or rolls. Delicious!
HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE ARE YOU ON ROE V. WADE?
January marks 35 years since abortion was made legal in the United States of America. Pray often for the lives of babies to be saved from this barbaric act of destruction.
RECORDING PRECIOUS GEMS FROM OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF YOUR BABES
A Most Meaningful Gift for Your Children When They Expect Their First Child!
Over Christmas I gave our son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Rachael, the notebook of kids' quotes from our three children, as they are expecting their first child in April! It's a gift I am giving to each of our children as they await the birth of their first child.
You all probably know by now how much I encourage all mothers to scribble down the cute and profound quotes from their children, as well as the cute things they do. I know how busy all moms of young children are, because once upon a time, I was one. So I know it can be done. Believe me when I tell you, that if you don't write down their quotes now, you won't remember them in the years to come! The dullest pencil is sharper than the brightest mind. Some day your children will thank you if you do preserve their cute quotes! I have even taken my envelopes of "scrap paper scribbles" on trips and read them to our three children on long car trips. They loved hearing them and we all laughed and laughed! They kept saying, "Read us some more!"
At first when I attempted to record my children's quotes, I thought I had to write their quotes neatly in a pretty little book, but knew that would never happen - writing neatly when in a big hurry with little ones hanging onto my legs! You know the feeling! So I kept scrap paper (8 1/2" x 11" pieces of paper, torn into four pieces) in several strategic rooms of the house - kitchen, nursery, children's rooms, our bedroom, plus in the car - where most of the quotes were heard. Then when those cute, hilarious, and sometimes profound statements were expressed by my children, I simply scribbled the date, child's name and the quote or situation right when it happened or as soon afterwards. We even have a few funny quotes from the kids as teenagers. Then I kept each child's quotes in their own separate envelope - in a designated place - with some pictures under the living room sofa, if you must know! I still have those envelopes of scribbled notes, even though they have since been typed in WORD and put into notebooks.
Some examples of our kids' quotes:
Joy at 4 years - She had just learned how to tie her shoes a few days earlier. She was concentrating so hard on singing a new song she had just learned while tying her shoe. (Multi-tasking - something she does all the time now as a mom!) When she was finished tying her shoe she exclaimed, "Oh dear! I forgot to put my foot in!"
Jeff at 4 years - We got the game, Parcheesi, for Christmas. Jeff asked if that was the game where the mouse got caught in a trap!
James at five years -- He told me how when Jesus was made to die on a cross, some men sold his clothes at a yard sale.
The notebook Jeff and Rachael received also includes every little detail from each child's baby book, notes given to weekend babysitters of words they could say, foods they liked and disliked, as well as instructions. Fourteen pages of special family events and vacations are listed in some detail. A few special songs, poems, some scripture verses they knew, and a long list of my childhood memories are also included. Our daughter recently suggested that I add their son, Justin's quotes as well, so she sent them to me. I can see the next notebook could be even thicker, possibly with quotes from Ryan Elizabeth and maybe even our third grandchild! How fun is that?
OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES
Thanks to these three Heart to Heart ladies who shared their kids' quotes with me so you could enjoy them too! I'd love for YOU to do the same!
As I was having my precious 23 month old grandson, Larson, spend the night with us, he woke up at 4:30 AM, talking about his trucks that he got for Christmas, saying so sweetly, "Thank you for the trucks!" Although my heart just melted, I didn't say anything to him in hopes that he would fall asleep again, and happily he did and slept another three hours! ~ Thanks to my good friend since childhood, Carol Miller in Pennsylvania for this quote!
We have two children - Caitlyn, 3 years, and Levi, 8 months old. Often one child is laughing while one is crying. When Levi has had enough Caitlyn begins to sing out loudly, "Jesus, loves me this I know; for the Bible tells me so..." Once in a while it will get Levi quieted down and smiling again. ~ Thanks to Erin Wilson in Washington for this!
I hear many dear things from my little ones. One of my favorites is to hear them sing. One day Monte, age 3, was singing, "Burbans are lifted at Calvary" Can you guess what vehicle we drive? ~ Jeanie Martin in Pennsylvania
NEWSLETTERS COMING FOR VALENTINE'S DAY AND NINTH ANNIVERSARY
The second newsletter in January will include ideas, tips and recipes for this romantic season. Then the first edition in February will consist partly of comments from Heart to Heart subscribers, along with tips. Until then ...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Apart from God every activity is merely a passing whiff of insignificance. -- Alfred North Whitehead
The reason that most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first. -- Robert J. McKain
Our valleys may be filled with foes and tears; but we can lift our eyes to the hills to see God and the angels, heaven's spectators, who support us according to God's infinite wisdom as they prepare our welcome home. -- Billy Graham
Even when it is not well with our circumstances, it can be well with our souls. -- Jennifer Rothschild
I don't see the big picture. I don't have a clue. But I know God does. I'm going to declare that, even if I don't feel it right now. -- Steven Curtis Chapman
Only 14 Different Calendars! ~ Were you aware that if you had fourteen different calendars, that's all you would ever need? Did you know that a
1980 calendar will work for 2008? In 2009, you can use calendars from
1998 and
1987! Then in 2010, calendars from
1999 and
1993 are identical. I know this isn't a great money-saving tip, but it
is a way of still using nice calendars that you may have filed away for the pictures.
For all the year correlations go to: http://www.vpcalendar.net/Year_Correlations.html Click on any year for a calendar. Do you know on which day of the week you were born. Check it out!
Please remember to pray for each dear Heart to Heart lady as you receive your newsletter.
Pray each day for the protection of our troops, as well as for their families left at home!
(¨`·.·´¨) God bless you and your family and keep you in His loving care!
`·.¸(¨`·.·´¨) And remember, I love to hear from you dear ladies!
`·.¸.·´ Your Heart to Heart friend,
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by listing your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person and sending it to Lois at <a title=mailto:[email protected] href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]. New subscribers will receive a Welcome, a "Start-Up Kit," and several recent newsletters.
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