2/19/09 Pattern, Safeguards, Admiration, Crafts, Tips, Chicken, Cheap Eats, New Uses, Kids' Quotes
Quote from Forum Archives on February 19, 2009, 2:27 pmPosted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~
2/19/09 Pattern, Safeguards, Admiration, Crafts, Tips, Chicken, Cheap Eats, New Uses, Kids' Quotes
~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~If "Heart to Heart" fills a need in your life, bringing blessing and encouragement, please INVITE your women friends and family to subscribe and be blessed and encouraged as well. Instructions appear at the very end of each newsletter.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
PATTERN OFFER: SPECIALLY DESIGNED ADVENT CALENDAR
SAFEGUARDS TO KEEP OUR LITTLE ONES SAFE FROM HARM
YEAR ROUND ADMIRATION OF YOUR HUSBAND!
HIDDEN LOVE NOTES FOR ANYTIME
FUN WINTER CRAFTS
FUN SPRING CRAFTS
TIPS AND TIDBITS
CASHEW CHICKEN
CHEAP EATS
10 NEW USES FOR OLD ITEMS: DECORATING WITH FINDS FROM THE PAST
BEWARE OF THIS BOOK THAT OPRAH IS PROMOTING FOR CHILDREN
THE RESUME OF JESUS CHRIST
SMELL THE RAIN
WHAT CHILDREN HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SNOW, SALVATION, BAPTISM AND BABIES
BRAND NEW BABYPATTERN OFFER: SPECIALLY DESIGNED ADVENT CALENDAR
A beautifully designed Advent Calendar with all the felt ornaments was created by a very special lady, Gladys Weddle. She made it to teach her own children about the true meaning of Christmas years ago. Later she shared her calendar for many more years with small groups of women. One occasion was the Bible study I was privileged to be in for fourteen years as a young mother, and this calendar has been a special part of our family's Christmas each year since 1980. A few years ago Gladys also shared her calendar with a group of local Heart to Heart ladies in my home. All these years Gladys has used her Advent Calendar for her own personal devotions during every month of December, so it's not just for children. It makes the true meaning of Christmas come alive for young and old alike! Nursing home residents would also love seeing this presented!Each colorful felt ornament is paired with several specific scripture verses for each day of December. One of my favorite ornaments is a Jack-in-the-box, symbolizing the rapture of Jesus. Children find this calendar fascinating and it is a wonderful tool to teach them not only about Christmas, but salvation and the whole gospel, including His soon coming.Recently I asked Gladys if she would allow me to offer you ladies her Advent Calendar pattern, and she willingly gave her consent. She told me she claims no copyright to her pattern, and the most important thing to her is that children and grownups study the scriptures and know the many aspects of the true meaning of Christmas - not only the story about the manger. She wants everyone to know that Christmas begins with the Baby Jesus, but we need to dig deeper into the scriptures to understand what His plan is for each one of us. When Gladys asked her grandchildren what their favorite part of Christmas was, they all told her with enthusiasm, "The Advent Calendar!"Gladys and I both thought a small fee of $5 would be reasonable to cover the expenses for printing, postage and the time to mail them out. For those living outside the United States, the extra postage will need to be figured in. I will let you know what that would be after you contact me.So If You Are Interested in Receiving This Very Special One-of-a-Kind Advent Calendar Pattern and Directions:Please e-mail me at [email protected], and include your complete name and mailing address. I will reply to you as soon as possible about how you can receive the Advent Calendar pattern.You Will Receive:1. Patterns for ornaments2. Scripture verses - You will only need to cut out the squares of paper containing scriptures for each day
3. Complete directions4. A picture of the ornaments hanging on the calendar - sent by e-mail5. Short cuts and variations of the pattern. For instance, you may decide to make only the ornaments and store the scriptures and the ornaments for each day in separate envelopes, rather than making the calendar with pockets to hold everything. The ornaments could then be hung on a tiny tree or even a bulletin board, using green push pins to form a tree and red push pins to hold each ornament. The ornaments involve mostly cutting felt and gluing. There is some hand embroidery, but if you choose to take the quick and easy route, you can use liquid embroidery. You can make this project as elaborate or simple as you'd like! The choice is yours.27 SAFEGUARDS TO KEEP OUR LITTLE ONES SAFE FROM HARMBy Lois Breneman, © 2009, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
(Please let me know if you can tell me of other safeguards.)Children are very priceless, God-given treasures, and we want to do everything in our power to keep them safe, but accidents happen so quickly and can happen to any one of our families. There are, however, many precautions we can take, without being paranoid. Many of these tips are common sense, but you may be unaware of a few of these ways to help prevent a tragedy involving a precious little child.Recently it was reported in the news that a toddler left the home in the middle of the night, wearing only a diaper and T-shirt, and was found frozen to death in the morning a half a mile away from home! Lock doors to prevent inquisitive toddlers from escaping the safety of their home. Special child-proof door knob covers can be purchased to make it much more difficult for a toddler to open them. Install chain locks high on the door. Alarms that go off when a door or window is opened are another safeguard.Never leave a bucket or basin of water setting out, uncovered or without a very tight fitting, child-proof lid. Young children have fallen into buckets and drowned.Keep toilet seats down and keep bathroom doors closed, as a double safety precaution to keep toddlers from falling in a toilet head first.Put your baby to sleep on his back, rather than on his tummy, due to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). It's also recommended that no pillows, blankets or stuffed toys be in the baby's crib, because of a chance of suffocation. Be sure there is no space between the crib mattress and the bed, where a baby could get lodged in between.Long ties on clothing can get caught in escalators or on a sliding board, so be aware of that. Also if you ride an escalator with your children, be sure you are able to handle everyone. Otherwise the elevator may be a better option. Crocks, the popular shoes, have also been known to get caught on escalators.While children are riding in a vehicle, of course, have them buckled in safely in the back seat. It's a law that helps save lives.Tragically we have all read in the paper more than once about parents forgetting their baby, toddler, or a sleeping child, as they drove to work with so many things on their mind. They forget to drop off their child at the day care, and to their horror they return to their car at the end of the work day and discover that while they worked all day, their child had died inside their car from the heat or frigid temperatures! As a safeguard for not forgetting your precious baby or toddler in his car seat, put your purse on the floor right in front of your child's car seat when you strap him in.While children are riding in the car, do not allow them to play with the automatic windows. If you are able to lock the windows from the driver's seat, do so. Another tragedy in the news was an incident where a child had a jump rope hanging out the window, watching it blow in the wind. The rope caught something outside the car as they drove, and the child's hand was severed!Decks can be enjoyable if little ones are carefully supervised, but a dangerous place if children are left to themselves. Some decks would allow a child's head to get caught between the slats, while others have slats far enough apart for a small child to fall through!Never leave a child unattended in the bathtub. Don't ever depend on a four or five year old to watch a baby or toddler in the tub while you leave the room. Read to your children or teach a song to them while they bathe - or catch up on some of your own reading.Toddlers climbing up on chairs can pose a problem - that of falling down and landing on their head. Of course kitchen chairs get used often to use this idea, but if the dining room chairs are a temptation, try tying the chair legs together with bungee cords, so they can't be pulled out from the table.Cover the fireplace hearth with a padded seat cover. You can purchase thick foam at a fabric store, and cover it with fabric.You may want to use swimmer's noodles as buffers for sharp edges. Cut off a length of the noodle, slice it down the middle using an electric knife, then place over sharp edges of coffee tables and such.Children under one year of age should not be given honey, as it could cause botulism. After age one, honey is safe to use.Take precautions to prevent little fingers from getting smashed in car doors or any other door.Candles should be kept out of reach of little ones, and never leave a child in a room alone with a candle. Some children are too inquisitive to leave it alone.Tiny toys and other objects are serious choking hazards. This can get complicated and rather difficult when older children play with Legos or other small toys, and there is a baby or toddler in the home. Keep a close guard on this problem.Chop food into tiny pieces for toddlers to prevent choking. Grapes should be cut into fourths.If you have fans or space heaters in use, set them up out of reach. Take extra precautions, and teach your children of the dangers.
Be careful of bunk beds. Too many children have fallen from the top bunk and injured themselves, ended up in intensive care, and have even suffered permanent brain damage.Be alert to baby products and children's toys that have been recalled because of safety reasons.Use electrical receptacle covers to prevent a curious child from inserting a sharp instrument into the hole and electrocuting himself.Keep matches, scissors, knives and other sharp objects out of a young child's reach. Don't allow them to run around with pens, pencils, lollipops, or anything that could be jammed down their throats if they should fall.Never mow while children are nearby. Objects like sticks and stones can go flying without warning.Be extremely careful when backing a car into the driveway. Little ones playing nearby may not ben seen.Keep doors to stairs closed to prevent little ones from tumbling down. Use baby gates.
It would be a good idea for parents and grandparents to know First Aid, CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver, just in case any of these skills are ever necessary to save a life of a family member, friend or stranger.
YEAR ROUND ADMIRATION OF YOUR HUSBAND!Thanks to Helen Rutrough in Virginia for her comment about the idea mentioned below!I've been meaning to tell you since last Valentine's Day that I followed one of your suggestions of making hearts and writing on them things about Gary that I admire and things that have meant a lot to us in our marriage. I made 30 of them last year and laminated them so they would last and hung them around different places for him to find. After a couple days he had found them all but he told me not to take them down that he wanted them left in place! Well they're been in place for almost a year now! Still hanging from his truck mirror, on his coffee mug, wrapped around a pair of socks, hanging in the laundry room, on our bedroom mirror, etc. It was a big hit with him and there's no plans to remove them any time soon! Thanks for all your creativity and for sharing it with us ladies!HIDDEN LOVE NOTES FOR ANYTIMEto
By Lois Breneman, © Revised 2009, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]For Valentine's Day eight years ago when my husband and I were married for thirty-two years, I traced and cut out 32 red hearts, and wrote on each one a reason why I loved my husband, things I appreciated about him or wrote "remember when" memories of our dating years and 32 years as husband and wife. After punching a hole in each heart and inserting ribbons, I tied the notes everywhere so he would find them throughout the evening and into the next day -- on his socks, toothbrush, toothpaste tube, to the stem of an apple in his lunch, to the doorknob, to his silverware, under his plate, around his glass at dinner, inside his napkin, to his coffee mug, to his pillow, in his jacket pocket, etc. Later that evening I tied some to the steering wheel, his car keys, and tucked one in his lunch to find the next day. He was still finding red hearts the next day! I did this again this Valentine's Day - with 40 hearts.Examples for notes:
I first knew that I loved you when...
I remember our first date...
I remember just before you asked me to marry you - how I felt your heart beating so fast while holding hands that I took your pulse and it was 110 beats per minute. Then, after you asked me to marry you, you took mine and it was 112! Pitter patter!If you don't want to go to the bother of hiding the hearts (though it's lots of fun!), you could tie each one to a stem in a silk bouquet of flowers. Then you could display the flowers in your home as a sweet reminder of the love you share.Two other variations of this idea:(1) Color copy an entire page of pictures of you and your husband from during your dating years and afterwards. Crop the pictures and make a small scrapbook for your sweetie or simply glue them to card stock with cute captions.(2) Use color copied pictures to make a little romantic booklet with fun captions for him.Whatever you do, I'm sure he will love it! Our husbands need our acceptance, admiration and adoration, no matter what day it is or how many years we've been married.This quote is good, even after Valentine's Day. Make every day a special day!
"Despite its commercial underpinnings, I think Valentine's Day is a great idea. ... It's never too late to put a little excitement into your relationship. Marriages must be nurtured, or they can whither like a plant without water."
— Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the FamilyFUN WINTER CRAFTS
These crafts would be fun winter gifts to send your grandchildren living a distance from you, with supplies and directions on how to make them. This sled would also make cute Christmas ornaments for next Christmas - made assembly line style with your children or grandchildren.Snowmen Fence
Snow Globe ~ A lovely art project for the children! http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/winter-snowglobeFUN SPRING CRAFTS
Spring is right around the corner! Last week I saw a periwinkle blooming in our front yard! Goldfinches, coming to feast three feet from my kitchen window, are beginning to have more yellow feathers, and we've seen several convertibles with the tops down! So after a few more cold snaps and maybe some snow, spring will be here!TIPS AND TIDBITS
A Very Sweet Video ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rooyt3ptNco ~ Thanks to Karen Coughlin in Florida for this one!Do a Search for the Many Peanut Butter Food Product Recalls ~ http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm
New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information About Potential Harmful Effects
Even more reasons why you should avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague.Stevia Is a Healthy Solution to artificial sweeteners and sugar. Health food stores and grocery stores with health food sections carry stevia in liquid or powdered form. I like to sweeten unsweetened applesauce with stevia to satisfy my sweet tooth. I buy the jars of Kroger Natural Applesauce and stir in a little stevia. Kids love it too! I do the same with plain Dannon yogurt. Because of stevia (and the Lord's help), I've been able to go without any sugar or artificial sweeteners for the past seven months. It truly does satisfy a sweet tooth, contrary to an article I read in the newspaper this week, which disputed this fact. One has to use it to know.
10 Diseases Linked To Soda
You won't need any more reasons to throw out the soda after reading these sobering facts about America's favorite beverage. Learn to love pure water, made so by distilling or reverse osmosis.Solution for Damp or Wet Electronics ~ You may be able to save a camera, cell phone, or other electronic gadget that has gotten damp or even wet. First of all, do not turn them on. Immediately remove the battery and the SIM card from your cell phone. Place all the pieces in a bowl of dry rice for 48 to 72 hours. Keep white rice on hand for things like this. There is very little nutrition in it, but the rice will absorb the moisture and your phone just might not need to be replaced. It's worth a try.
Rice Box for Kids ~ Use an under-the-bed storage box as an indoor "sand box" for your children, using inexpensive white rice. Add a funnel, colorful lids from laundry detergent bottles and a few toys for a new fun activity on a rainy or snowy day.
"Forever" Stamps are now 42 cents, but will be able to be used after a projected postal price increase in May. Now's the time to take advantage of this. Forever stamps will be accepted at the current price, even if prices increase.
Feed the Birds ~ See lots of ideas in pictures! http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/2009/01/feed-the-birds.htmlHomemade Suet for the Birds ~ In a large mixer bowl, mix shortening, peanut butter, and flour. If you have buggy flour, this is a good use for it. You may add other ingredients such as corn meal, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats or other grains, but they certainly aren't necessary. The most inexpensive shortening, peanut butter and flour will do. This attracts nuthatches, chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, catbirds, mocking birds, and downy woodpeckers. My husband made me a feeder that is surrounded by wire about five inches from the suet, so only the smaller birds can get in to feast. This prevents squirrels from cleaning it out in one day, or raccoons from cleaning it out overnight, which used to happen.
Solution to a Very Stubborn Stain on Stove ~ After making beef vegetable soup recently, using some tomato paste, I noticed two very stubborn tomato stains on our new stove - the one that finally replaced our thirty-five year old avocado green stove that was installed when our home was built! That's what happens when your husband fixes everything! Anyway, even wiping with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or Clorox wouldn't budge these tomato stains. So I tore a tissue in half, folded up each half, stretched a piece of masking tape across the tissue, and douched it with Clorox. After taping the "Clorox bandages" to the stains, and leaving them on for about half an hour, the stains were gone!
Olive Oil in Spray Bottle ~ Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania says that instead of buying olive oil spray containing propellant, she bought a small empty spray bottle with a trigger from Walmart (in the "travel size" aisle) and put it through the dishwasher to "super clean" it. Then she put olive oil in it, labeled it, and now when she's ready to work with bread dough or put some oil in her skillet, it's just a squirt away!
Wrap and Roll Party ~ Get together with some girlfriends and make Homemade Egg Rolls for each to take home!
http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/01/homemade-egg-rolls-recipe.htmlHomeschooled Teen Publishes Her Historical Novel ~ 1/25/09 ~ Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for sending this!
http://www.washingtontimes.com:80/news/2009/jan/25/home-schooling-teen-pens-book-on-patriotic-girl/
When young Stephanie Scheffler had to write a story for a Girl Scout project, she penned the tale of a young girl whose family fought in the Revolutionary War. What was to have been a short story, however, kept growing. "It's about an 11-year-old girl in Williamsburg, Virginia," Stephanie explained in a recent interview. "Her brothers and dad are fighting in the war, and when she hears they've been captured, she makes a plan to go to prison camp and save them." The fledgling author is the second of the Schefflers' 10 children who are being taught at home on a 40-acre homestead in Peyton, Colorado. The Washington Times
CASHEW CHICKEN
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3/4 cup orange juice 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/3 cup honey 4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce 3 large carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 celery stalk, sliced
1 tsp. ground ginger (or freshly grated) 1/2 cup cashews
1 tsp. garlic powder 3 cups brown rice
Cook the brown rice in 6 cups of water for 45 minutes. If you have some cooked and frozen ahead of time, thaw and use that. In a small bowl, combine juice, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch and seasonings. In a skillet or wok, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil until hot. Stir fry vegetables for several minutes until the onions are tender. Remove vegetables from skillet and heat another tablespoon of oil until hot and stir fry chicken strips until browned and tender. Add cooked vegetables, cashews and sauce mixture. Continue cooking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Serve over hot brown rice. Makes 6 servings.
CHEAP EATS
By Leanne Ely, CNC - Copyright 2008 - Used by permission
Healthy food is not out of your reach or your budget
A lifestyle of poor diet and lack of exercise kills about 400,000 Americans every year. That's as many as have died from smoking. Can you imagine? And that's only Americans. This number does not count the rest of the world that eats poorly and neglects to exercise! Yikes!
It's a tough world out there and today's grocery store is no exception. Here are some tips to navigate the grocery store successfully and buy the healthy foods you need and avoid the unhealthy ones that could kill you! Healthy foods don't need to bankrupt you or make you spend untold hours in the kitchen. Here are some tips for getting healthy happening in your kitchen today:
1) Fast Food - Look for stuff that is fast and easy to make, like sweet potatoes (stab, bake, eat). Sweet Potatoes are cheap eats, massively good for you and filling. And one of my favorite fast foods is soup. Yes, soup! (For some great recipes, keep reading.)
2) Go Green - Baby spinach is fast-food friendly too. Not as cheap as sweet 'taters, but worth the cost of admission! I like mine stir-fried (little bit of olive oil and lots of garlic) and in salads.
3) Brown Rice - You can make a vat of this stuff, scoop into individual freezer bags and freeze for later use if time is of the essence. Having a box of quick cooking brown rice at home isn't a bad idea either, but the long cooking stuff is much less expensive.
4) Grown Your Own - Having a veggie garden is a lot easier than you think. Check out www.squarefootgardening.com for a plan for nearly everyone.
5) Thirst Out - Water is about as economical as it can get. If you want clean and fresh water, check out different water purifiers and start pile driving the water. Cheaper than anything else you can drink!
6) Seasonal Stuff - Buy in season (summer is the time to find cheap watermelon, not the middle of winter), buy locally when at all possible and buy organically.
7) Garlic and Onions - These are very inexpensive and will ratchet up the flavor and potency of nearly anything you make, not to mention the antioxidant factors as well. Keep them on hand!
8) Read Labels - And remember, if you have to spend 10 minutes deciphering a food's label with unpronounceable chemical additives and you have no earthly idea what they are, your body doesn't know what they are either. Not only that, but also you're going to pay for those expensive chemicals at the cash register and in your own health. Skip anything with fake colors, flavorings or "flavor enhancers." They all rob you of your health.
9) Vegetarians Unite - Once a week, go vegetarian. That doesn't mean eating a bunch of soy-based processed foods, but rather choosing a vegetarian meal each week. We had fresh tomato sauce on pasta with chopped fresh oregano and feta cheese sprinkled over the top. The tomatoes and oregano came from my garden and the whole meal was divine!
10) Beans, Beans - The ultimate healthy, yet frugal food, dried beans need to be soaked, cooked and then can be made into a multitude of cheap eats, from soups to chilies to salad. Eat your beans for corn's sake!
Don't become a statistic and please don't think healthy food is out of your reach or budget! It's not hard. It's enjoyable and the cool thing about eating healthy, grown in the ground food is you always know what you're eating. No labels necessary!
___________________________
For more help putting dinner on your table, check out Leanne's website www.SavingDinner.com or her "Saving Dinner" Book series (Ballantine) and her New York Times Best selling book "Body Clutter" (Fireside).
Take the Next Step: Determine today that you will not become a statistic. Healthy food is not out of your reach or your budget. For more on healthy foods, please visit http://www.stretcher.com/menu/topic-g.htm#grocery-health10 NEW USES FOR OLD ITEMS: DECORATING WITH FINDS FROM THE PAST
By Kathy Wilson, author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For thousands of free budget home decorating ideas, visit her at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com. - Used by permissionCreativity reigns in budget decorating, and there is no better place to showcase your creativity then repurposing old things. Just a couple of great ideas can make a room scream with style, and add loads of personality.
1. Crate It! -
Use an old wooden crate once used for pop bottles or wine as a shelving or wall display unit. Be sure to attach it to the wall studs with heavy duty hardware. Display pretty knick knacks, books or use it as storage in the kitchen or bath.2. Bring in the Birds - Pick up an old concrete birdbath at a thrift shop or yard sale for a song. Top it with a round of glass for a one of a kind end table.
3. Open Doors for Your Dining Room - Another creative table idea is to use an old door as a dining table. Have glass cut to top the table, and add legs from a home improvement store. The shabbier the door, the better! Peeling paint and rusting hardware adds character to the piece, and the glass adds elegance.4. Mirror, Mirror - Pick up small wall mirrors on clearance from your local discount store and use as candle trays. Place pillar candles on the trays in groups of three to five. The mirror will reflect the candle light, doubling the sparkle!
5. Fence in Your Pots - Find an attractive piece of iron fencing at the salvage yard and use as a pot rack in the kitchen. Hang from the ceiling with
chain. Be sure to secure the hanging hooks into studs for safety. Use metal s-hooks to hang pots, pans and utensils.6. Serve Coffee on a Bench - Yard sales are full of old wooden garden benches with lots of character. Use them in a casual home as creative coffee tables in the living or family room. They can also serve as entry tables.
7. Make Candlesticks - Old turned table legs or stair balusters make wonderful candlesticks. Use a paddle drill bit to create a seat for the candle just and inch or two deep. You can both sand and paint the candlesticks to match your decor, or enjoy their weathered appearance.
8. Use Old Fabric - Old tablecloths can be sewn into wonderful curtains, and pretty quilts can make wonderful table covers! Cut up stained pieces to create chair covers or placemats. Even a worn floral gown can be salvaged and made into pillows.9. Plates and Cups - Glass, stoneware and china plates and cups can be re used as wall art, flower vases, planters and candle holders. Check out thrift shops for a great selection for only pennies per piece!
10.
Picture Frame Panels - Dollar shop picture frames can be used to add traditional wall panels at a budget price! Remove the glass and backing from the frames, and hang in square or rectangular groupings beneath the chair rail. This will mimic the wood molding panels in expensive homes.
BEWARE OF THIS BOOK THAT OPRAH IS PROMOTING FOR CHILDREN
Both Ann Stiff in Virginia and Miranda Chang in Hawaii sent me material on this.Another source on this subject:
"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ by Warren Smith - http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm See also Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift by Warren Smith
The twisted "truths" of The Shack & A Course in Miracles and From God's Truth to the "New Spirituality"For all Oprah's talk about "God," she is not talking about the LORD God of the Bible. God is Who He says He is, not a creation/remake of a man's imagination. Oprah's spirituality is very new age, and she endorses new age "thinkers."
You can go Online and check out this book at Amazon.com. They allow you to preview the excerpt. The author of this book calls God the greatest victimizer of all. Talk about being far from the truth. This book is straight from the devil and I only read the excerpt. I can see why they are trying to pushing into our public schools.
Conversations with God... It is devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to Church/e-mail addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends.
Two particular books are, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."
The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase),
When a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences.
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?"
His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."
Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."
Not only are these books false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances they quote (in error) the Word of God. And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to school children through The Scholastic Book Club, and we need to be aware of that is being fed to our children.
The children of our nation are under attack. So I pray that you will be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and youngest of its prey.
Please pay special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV, in movie theaters, on the Internet, and the music they listen to, but also be alert regarding the books they read.
THE RESUME OF JESUS CHRISTAddress: Ephesians 1:20
Phone: Romans 10:13
Website: The Bible.
Keywords: Christ, Lord, Savior and JesusHello. My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.
Qualifications:
I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19
I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7)
I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7)
I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13)
The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14)Occupational Background:
I've only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49).
I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful.
My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15-17)Skills Work Experiences
Some of my skills and work experiences include:
empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18).
I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6).
People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil, (See Proverbs 1:33).
Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)Educational Background
I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, (See Proverbs 2:6).
In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (See Colossians 2:3).
My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, (See Psalms 119:105).
I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart, (See Psalms 44:21).Major Accomplishments
I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times, (See Genesis 1:26).
I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15).
I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly, (See Colossians 2:15).
I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!
There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located
at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.References
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healings, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance.In SummationNow that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart.In summation, I will properly direct your paths, (See Proverbs 3:5-6),
and lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47).
When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15).Send this resume to everyone you know, you never know who may have an opening! Thanks for your help and may God bless you!
SMELL THE RAIN
Author unknown ~ Thanks to Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania for sending this inspirational true story!A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.
That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24 weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs.
"I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one."
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.
"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away. Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live - and live to be a healthy, happy young girl.
But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements. Diana remembers, 'I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen.' I said, "No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the doctors say; Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!"
As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Danae's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.
Five years later, Danae was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs, whatsoever, of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.
One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her chest, Danae asked, "Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."
Danae closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain. Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."
Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of the first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.
WHAT CHILDREN HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SNOW, SALVATION, BAPTISM AND BABIES
It's snowing here in KY...again! Stephen (7) asked me how God made the snow. Well, Silas (5) being the genius he is, said "I know, I know!" I said "Well, Silas, tell Stephen how God made the snow."
"God takes sugar in a jar and puts it inside a snow cone. Then he shakes it up and drops it from where he lives in heaven." So there you go folks - How God makes snow! ~ Elizabeth Beck in KentuckyThought you might love to hear that Elise (4) accepted Christ as her Savior last Wednesday, and Laura (9) was able to be baptized on Sunday by her daddy, Bill! Elise's Sunday school teacher has been teaching the kids that you can talk to God no matter where you are, and Elise has been asking lots of questions about salvation, sin, Jesus, etc. We could tell she was starting to put all the pieces of the puzzle together in her heart and mind.
Last Wednesday Elise came home from AWANA, came bounding down the stairs, went in to use the bathroom, and came out with a big smile. "Mom, guess what? I asked Jesus to be my Savior!" she said. "Wow!" I replied (choking back tears of joy), "Did you do that at Cubbies tonight?" "No," she said, "I did it in the bathroom!"
Last Saturday Elise said, "Mom, guess what! Laura's going to get Bibletized tomorrow at church!" So we've had our first official "Bibletism!" ~ Tracy Coupe in EcuadorThree year old Mariah, was visiting her new little cousin, Bryce. She was holding Bryce on her lap, and he was making newborn baby sounds. Bryce's grandmother said to Mariah, "Oh, I think he likes you. He's talking to you. What's he saying?"Mariah said, "Me don't know. Him speak Spanish." ~ Linda Bahn in PA (Mariah is the daughter of Lisa Knokey.)BRAND NEW BABY
Aric Jonathan Martin was born on February 1, 2009. He is the fourth child of Jeff and Keli Martin in Ohio. Kyra (8) won't stop kissing him all over, Kyle (7) read all the manuals to make sure Mommy is using his baby gear correctly, and Ethan (4) can't wait to teach him how to play video games.I thank my God upon every remembrance of you (dear ladies). Phil. 1:3
Please pray a "Blanket Prayer" for each Heart to Heart lady and her family as you receive your newsletter.
So many ladies are going through very tough times and need our prayers!
Some have lost loved ones and others have lost jobs, homes or their good health.
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,
"Heart to Heart" LoisThe 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:jhbreneman@... href="mailto:[email protected]" target=_blank>[email protected]. New subscribers will receive a Welcome, and a "Start-Up Kit."Disclaimer: Various websites may be given as credits or to supply additional information for readers. However, all the views and advertisements represented by websites in this newsletter
are not necessarily the views of the editor. Please use your own discretion and common sense regarding all information given in this newsletter.
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
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2/19/09 Pattern, Safeguards, Admiration, Crafts, Tips, Chicken, Cheap Eats, New Uses, Kids' Quotes
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IN THIS ISSUE:
SAFEGUARDS TO KEEP OUR LITTLE ONES SAFE FROM HARM
YEAR ROUND ADMIRATION OF YOUR HUSBAND!
HIDDEN LOVE NOTES FOR ANYTIME
FUN WINTER CRAFTS
FUN SPRING CRAFTS
TIPS AND TIDBITS
CASHEW CHICKEN
CHEAP EATS
10 NEW USES FOR OLD ITEMS: DECORATING WITH FINDS FROM THE PAST
BEWARE OF THIS BOOK THAT OPRAH IS PROMOTING FOR CHILDREN
THE RESUME OF JESUS CHRIST
SMELL THE RAIN
WHAT CHILDREN HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SNOW, SALVATION, BAPTISM AND BABIES
BRAND NEW BABY
3. Complete directions
(Please let me know if you can tell me of other safeguards.)
If you have fans or space heaters in use, set them up out of reach. Take extra precautions, and teach your children of the dangers.
Keep doors to stairs closed to prevent little ones from tumbling down. Use baby gates.
It would be a good idea for parents and grandparents to know First Aid, CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver, just in case any of these skills are ever necessary to save a life of a family member, friend or stranger.


I first knew that I loved you when...
I remember our first date...
I remember just before you asked me to marry you - how I felt your heart beating so fast while holding hands that I took your pulse and it was 110 beats per minute. Then, after you asked me to marry you, you took mine and it was 112! Pitter patter!
"Despite its commercial underpinnings, I think Valentine's Day is a great idea. ... It's never too late to put a little excitement into your relationship. Marriages must be nurtured, or they can whither like a plant without water."
— Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family
These crafts would be fun winter gifts to send your grandchildren living a distance from you, with supplies and directions on how to make them. This sled would also make cute Christmas ornaments for next Christmas - made assembly line style with your children or grandchildren.
Snow Globe ~ A lovely art project for the children! http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/winter-snowglobe
Spring is right around the corner! Last week I saw a periwinkle blooming in our front yard! Goldfinches, coming to feast three feet from my kitchen window, are beginning to have more yellow feathers, and we've seen several convertibles with the tops down! So after a few more cold snaps and maybe some snow, spring will be here!
TIPS AND TIDBITS
A Very Sweet Video ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rooyt3ptNco ~ Thanks to Karen Coughlin in Florida for this one!
Do a Search for the Many Peanut Butter Food Product Recalls ~ http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm
New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information About Potential Harmful Effects
Even more reasons why you should avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague.
Stevia Is a Healthy Solution to artificial sweeteners and sugar. Health food stores and grocery stores with health food sections carry stevia in liquid or powdered form. I like to sweeten unsweetened applesauce with stevia to satisfy my sweet tooth. I buy the jars of Kroger Natural Applesauce and stir in a little stevia. Kids love it too! I do the same with plain Dannon yogurt. Because of stevia (and the Lord's help), I've been able to go without any sugar or artificial sweeteners for the past seven months. It truly does satisfy a sweet tooth, contrary to an article I read in the newspaper this week, which disputed this fact. One has to use it to know.
10 Diseases Linked To Soda
You won't need any more reasons to throw out the soda after reading these sobering facts about America's favorite beverage. Learn to love pure water, made so by distilling or reverse osmosis.
Solution for Damp or Wet Electronics ~ You may be able to save a camera, cell phone, or other electronic gadget that has gotten damp or even wet. First of all, do not turn them on. Immediately remove the battery and the SIM card from your cell phone. Place all the pieces in a bowl of dry rice for 48 to 72 hours. Keep white rice on hand for things like this. There is very little nutrition in it, but the rice will absorb the moisture and your phone just might not need to be replaced. It's worth a try.
Rice Box for Kids ~ Use an under-the-bed storage box as an indoor "sand box" for your children, using inexpensive white rice. Add a funnel, colorful lids from laundry detergent bottles and a few toys for a new fun activity on a rainy or snowy day.
"Forever" Stamps are now 42 cents, but will be able to be used after a projected postal price increase in May. Now's the time to take advantage of this. Forever stamps will be accepted at the current price, even if prices increase.
Feed the Birds ~ See lots of ideas in pictures! http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/2009/01/feed-the-birds.html
Homemade Suet for the Birds ~ In a large mixer bowl, mix shortening, peanut butter, and flour. If you have buggy flour, this is a good use for it. You may add other ingredients such as corn meal, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats or other grains, but they certainly aren't necessary. The most inexpensive shortening, peanut butter and flour will do. This attracts nuthatches, chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, catbirds, mocking birds, and downy woodpeckers. My husband made me a feeder that is surrounded by wire about five inches from the suet, so only the smaller birds can get in to feast. This prevents squirrels from cleaning it out in one day, or raccoons from cleaning it out overnight, which used to happen.
Solution to a Very Stubborn Stain on Stove ~ After making beef vegetable soup recently, using some tomato paste, I noticed two very stubborn tomato stains on our new stove - the one that finally replaced our thirty-five year old avocado green stove that was installed when our home was built! That's what happens when your husband fixes everything! Anyway, even wiping with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or Clorox wouldn't budge these tomato stains. So I tore a tissue in half, folded up each half, stretched a piece of masking tape across the tissue, and douched it with Clorox. After taping the "Clorox bandages" to the stains, and leaving them on for about half an hour, the stains were gone!
Olive Oil in Spray Bottle ~ Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania says that instead of buying olive oil spray containing propellant, she bought a small empty spray bottle with a trigger from Walmart (in the "travel size" aisle) and put it through the dishwasher to "super clean" it. Then she put olive oil in it, labeled it, and now when she's ready to work with bread dough or put some oil in her skillet, it's just a squirt away!
Wrap and Roll Party ~ Get together with some girlfriends and make Homemade Egg Rolls for each to take home!
http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/01/homemade-egg-rolls-recipe.html
Homeschooled Teen Publishes Her Historical Novel ~ 1/25/09 ~ Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for sending this!
http://www.washingtontimes.com:80/news/2009/jan/25/home-schooling-teen-pens-book-on-patriotic-girl/
When young Stephanie Scheffler had to write a story for a Girl Scout project, she penned the tale of a young girl whose family fought in the Revolutionary War. What was to have been a short story, however, kept growing. "It's about an 11-year-old girl in Williamsburg, Virginia," Stephanie explained in a recent interview. "Her brothers and dad are fighting in the war, and when she hears they've been captured, she makes a plan to go to prison camp and save them." The fledgling author is the second of the Schefflers' 10 children who are being taught at home on a 40-acre homestead in Peyton, Colorado. The Washington Times
CASHEW CHICKEN
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3/4 cup orange juice 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/3 cup honey 4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce 3 large carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 celery stalk, sliced
1 tsp. ground ginger (or freshly grated) 1/2 cup cashews
1 tsp. garlic powder 3 cups brown rice
Cook the brown rice in 6 cups of water for 45 minutes. If you have some cooked and frozen ahead of time, thaw and use that. In a small bowl, combine juice, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch and seasonings. In a skillet or wok, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil until hot. Stir fry vegetables for several minutes until the onions are tender. Remove vegetables from skillet and heat another tablespoon of oil until hot and stir fry chicken strips until browned and tender. Add cooked vegetables, cashews and sauce mixture. Continue cooking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Serve over hot brown rice. Makes 6 servings.
CHEAP EATS
By Leanne Ely, CNC - Copyright 2008 - Used by permission
Healthy food is not out of your reach or your budget
A lifestyle of poor diet and lack of exercise kills about 400,000 Americans every year. That's as many as have died from smoking. Can you imagine? And that's only Americans. This number does not count the rest of the world that eats poorly and neglects to exercise! Yikes!
It's a tough world out there and today's grocery store is no exception. Here are some tips to navigate the grocery store successfully and buy the healthy foods you need and avoid the unhealthy ones that could kill you! Healthy foods don't need to bankrupt you or make you spend untold hours in the kitchen. Here are some tips for getting healthy happening in your kitchen today:
1) Fast Food - Look for stuff that is fast and easy to make, like sweet potatoes (stab, bake, eat). Sweet Potatoes are cheap eats, massively good for you and filling. And one of my favorite fast foods is soup. Yes, soup! (For some great recipes, keep reading.)
2) Go Green - Baby spinach is fast-food friendly too. Not as cheap as sweet 'taters, but worth the cost of admission! I like mine stir-fried (little bit of olive oil and lots of garlic) and in salads.
3) Brown Rice - You can make a vat of this stuff, scoop into individual freezer bags and freeze for later use if time is of the essence. Having a box of quick cooking brown rice at home isn't a bad idea either, but the long cooking stuff is much less expensive.
4) Grown Your Own - Having a veggie garden is a lot easier than you think. Check out http://www.squarefootgardening.com for a plan for nearly everyone.
5) Thirst Out - Water is about as economical as it can get. If you want clean and fresh water, check out different water purifiers and start pile driving the water. Cheaper than anything else you can drink!
6) Seasonal Stuff - Buy in season (summer is the time to find cheap watermelon, not the middle of winter), buy locally when at all possible and buy organically.
7) Garlic and Onions - These are very inexpensive and will ratchet up the flavor and potency of nearly anything you make, not to mention the antioxidant factors as well. Keep them on hand!
8) Read Labels - And remember, if you have to spend 10 minutes deciphering a food's label with unpronounceable chemical additives and you have no earthly idea what they are, your body doesn't know what they are either. Not only that, but also you're going to pay for those expensive chemicals at the cash register and in your own health. Skip anything with fake colors, flavorings or "flavor enhancers." They all rob you of your health.
9) Vegetarians Unite - Once a week, go vegetarian. That doesn't mean eating a bunch of soy-based processed foods, but rather choosing a vegetarian meal each week. We had fresh tomato sauce on pasta with chopped fresh oregano and feta cheese sprinkled over the top. The tomatoes and oregano came from my garden and the whole meal was divine!
10) Beans, Beans - The ultimate healthy, yet frugal food, dried beans need to be soaked, cooked and then can be made into a multitude of cheap eats, from soups to chilies to salad. Eat your beans for corn's sake!
Don't become a statistic and please don't think healthy food is out of your reach or budget! It's not hard. It's enjoyable and the cool thing about eating healthy, grown in the ground food is you always know what you're eating. No labels necessary!
___________________________
For more help putting dinner on your table, check out Leanne's website http://www.SavingDinner.com or her "Saving Dinner" Book series (Ballantine) and her New York Times Best selling book "Body Clutter" (Fireside).
Take the Next Step: Determine today that you will not become a statistic. Healthy food is not out of your reach or your budget. For more on healthy foods, please visit http://www.stretcher.com/menu/topic-g.htm#grocery-health
By Kathy Wilson, author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For thousands of free budget home decorating ideas, visit her at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com. - Used by permission
Creativity reigns in budget decorating, and there is no better place to showcase your creativity then repurposing old things. Just a couple of great ideas can make a room scream with style, and add loads of personality.
1. Crate It! -
Use an old wooden crate once used for pop bottles or wine as a shelving or wall display unit. Be sure to attach it to the wall studs with heavy duty hardware. Display pretty knick knacks, books or use it as storage in the kitchen or bath.2. Bring in the Birds - Pick up an old concrete birdbath at a thrift shop or yard sale for a song. Top it with a round of glass for a one of a kind end table.
3. Open Doors for Your Dining Room - Another creative table idea is to use an old door as a dining table. Have glass cut to top the table, and add legs from a home improvement store. The shabbier the door, the better! Peeling paint and rusting hardware adds character to the piece, and the glass adds elegance.4. Mirror, Mirror - Pick up small wall mirrors on clearance from your local discount store and use as candle trays. Place pillar candles on the trays in groups of three to five. The mirror will reflect the candle light, doubling the sparkle!
5. Fence in Your Pots - Find an attractive piece of iron fencing at the salvage yard and use as a pot rack in the kitchen. Hang from the ceiling with
chain. Be sure to secure the hanging hooks into studs for safety. Use metal s-hooks to hang pots, pans and utensils.6. Serve Coffee on a Bench - Yard sales are full of old wooden garden benches with lots of character. Use them in a casual home as creative coffee tables in the living or family room. They can also serve as entry tables.
7. Make Candlesticks - Old turned table legs or stair balusters make wonderful candlesticks. Use a paddle drill bit to create a seat for the candle just and inch or two deep. You can both sand and paint the candlesticks to match your decor, or enjoy their weathered appearance.
9. Plates and Cups - Glass, stoneware and china plates and cups can be re used as wall art, flower vases, planters and candle holders. Check out thrift shops for a great selection for only pennies per piece!
10.
Picture Frame Panels - Dollar shop picture frames can be used to add traditional wall panels at a budget price! Remove the glass and backing from the frames, and hang in square or rectangular groupings beneath the chair rail. This will mimic the wood molding panels in expensive homes.
BEWARE OF THIS BOOK THAT OPRAH IS PROMOTING FOR CHILDREN
Both Ann Stiff in Virginia and Miranda Chang in Hawaii sent me material on this.
Another source on this subject:
"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ by Warren Smith - http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm See also Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift by Warren Smith
The twisted "truths" of The Shack & A Course in Miracles and From God's Truth to the "New Spirituality"
For all Oprah's talk about "God," she is not talking about the LORD God of the Bible. God is Who He says He is, not a creation/remake of a man's imagination. Oprah's spirituality is very new age, and she endorses new age "thinkers."
You can go Online and check out this book at Amazon.com. They allow you to preview the excerpt. The author of this book calls God the greatest victimizer of all. Talk about being far from the truth. This book is straight from the devil and I only read the excerpt. I can see why they are trying to pushing into our public schools.
Conversations with God... It is devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to Church/e-mail addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends.
Two particular books are, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."
The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase),
When a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences.
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?"
His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."
Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."
Not only are these books false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances they quote (in error) the Word of God. And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to school children through The Scholastic Book Club, and we need to be aware of that is being fed to our children.
The children of our nation are under attack. So I pray that you will be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and youngest of its prey.
Please pay special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV, in movie theaters, on the Internet, and the music they listen to, but also be alert regarding the books they read.
Address: Ephesians 1:20
Phone: Romans 10:13
Website: The Bible.
Keywords: Christ, Lord, Savior and Jesus
Hello. My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.
Qualifications:
I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19
I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7)
I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7)
I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13)
The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14)
Occupational Background:
I've only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49).
I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful.
My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15-17)
Skills Work Experiences
Some of my skills and work experiences include:
empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18).
I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6).
People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil, (See Proverbs 1:33).
Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)
I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, (See Proverbs 2:6).
In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (See Colossians 2:3).
My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, (See Psalms 119:105).
I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart, (See Psalms 44:21).
Major Accomplishments
I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times, (See Genesis 1:26).
I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15).
I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly, (See Colossians 2:15).
I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!
There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located
at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healings, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance.
and lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47).
When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15).
Send this resume to everyone you know, you never know who may have an opening! Thanks for your help and may God bless you!
SMELL THE RAIN
Author unknown ~ Thanks to Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania for sending this inspirational true story!
A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.
That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24 weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs.
"I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one."
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.
"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away. Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live - and live to be a healthy, happy young girl.
But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements. Diana remembers, 'I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen.' I said, "No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the doctors say; Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!"
As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Danae's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.
Five years later, Danae was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs, whatsoever, of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.
One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her chest, Danae asked, "Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."
Danae closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain. Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."
Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of the first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.
WHAT CHILDREN HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SNOW, SALVATION, BAPTISM AND BABIES
It's snowing here in KY...again! Stephen (7) asked me how God made the snow. Well, Silas (5) being the genius he is, said "I know, I know!" I said "Well, Silas, tell Stephen how God made the snow."
"God takes sugar in a jar and puts it inside a snow cone. Then he shakes it up and drops it from where he lives in heaven." So there you go folks - How God makes snow! ~ Elizabeth Beck in Kentucky
Last Wednesday Elise came home from AWANA, came bounding down the stairs, went in to use the bathroom, and came out with a big smile. "Mom, guess what? I asked Jesus to be my Savior!" she said. "Wow!" I replied (choking back tears of joy), "Did you do that at Cubbies tonight?" "No," she said, "I did it in the bathroom!"
Last Saturday Elise said, "Mom, guess what! Laura's going to get Bibletized tomorrow at church!" So we've had our first official "Bibletism!" ~ Tracy Coupe in Ecuador
Aric Jonathan Martin was born on February 1, 2009. He is the fourth child of Jeff and Keli Martin in Ohio. Kyra (8) won't stop kissing him all over, Kyle (7) read all the manuals to make sure Mommy is using his baby gear correctly, and Ethan (4) can't wait to teach him how to play video games.
Please pray a "Blanket Prayer" for each Heart to Heart lady and her family as you receive your newsletter.
So many ladies are going through very tough times and need our prayers!
Some have lost loved ones and others have lost jobs, homes or their good health.
Pray each day for the protection of our troops, as well as for their families left at home!
"Heart to Heart" Lois
are not necessarily the views of the editor. Please use your own discretion and common sense regarding all information given in this newsletter.