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HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER 
                    ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN                    
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman

 

4/10/04 EASTER MESSAGE, REGISTER, BABES, PLANTS, TIPS, ASSURANCE

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CONTENTS:
OUR PRESIDENT'S EASTER MESSAGE
REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE - HERE'S HOW 

ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH

TRUTH THROUGH CHILDREN'S EYES
OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM

ORDINARY MIRACLES 
NEWSPAPER MULCH

HOW TO GROW PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS

MONEY-SAVING TIPS FROM THE DOLLAR STRETCHER 

PRACTICAL KITCHEN TIPS

FREE CHRISTIAN BOOK OFFER 

ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION

 

OUR PRESIDENT'S EASTER MESSAGE
Easter 2004 ~ http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040409.html

The Lord is risen indeed ~ Luke 24
Contributed by Barb Campbell of Mississippi

I send greetings to Christians around the world as they gather to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus' life and teachings continue to speak to every generation, and Christians believe his miraculous Resurrection provides hope for the future and offers us the promise of new life.

Through His ministry and sacrifice, Jesus demonstrated God's unconditional love for us. He taught us the importance of helping others and loving our neighbors. His selfless devotion and mercy provide a remarkable example for all of us.

As families and friends gather to enjoy this Easter season, we celebrate God's gift of freedom and His love that conquers death. For those who observe Easter, our faith brings confidence that good will overcome evil and that joy is everlasting. Today, we give thanks for God's many blessings and pray for His peace in the affairs of men.

Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a happy Easter.
--  GEORGE W. BUSH

 

 

REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE - HERE'S HOW 

By including the above Easter message by the President of the United States in this newsletter, along with information on registering to vote, rest assured that this is not a political message.  It is a message geared to protect our faith and families, however.  We Christian parents, grandparents and singles all need to stand up and be counted, because our religious freedom is already on the line.  Our families are being attacked, especially with the legislation on the altered meaning of marriage.  Christian beliefs are already discriminated against, in case you didn't know.  We need to get our heads out of the sand and be educated on legislation in Washington, D.C. that affects our freedom to worship and the protection of our families.  

 

CitizenLink is one of the best ways to be informed and do something about these faith and family issues.  The information below is just one of the benefits of this wonderful source of educating Christians on issues.  We can't afford not to be informed and be involved.  It's our family we are talking about!  And our freedom of religion!  

 

Please subscribe to free e-mails from CitizenLink at www.citizenlink.org to keep informed on issues that affect your faith and family.

Now about registering to vote online:  This is a crucial year in the history of the United States with many family issues at stake, including the meaning of marriage, which will affect all families, whether we realize it or not.    We remember all too well how close the presidential election was in 2000.   We need to do all we can to put men and women in all levels of leadership positions who will stand up for what is right in God's eyes and fight for the family.  Every single vote really does count!

 

Focus on the Family and CitizenLink are making it easy for you to get registered to vote.  They have launched a Voter Registration and Education Project to spotlight the importance of participation in the electoral process and to help churches and individuals spread that message to others.  Below are the components to this effort.
 
*Register to vote by going to http://capwiz.com/fof/e4/nvra/?action=form&state. You can
complete the registration form online. Then e-mail the link to friends and family so that they can take a few minutes to register as well.
 
*If you want to encourage your pastor to speak on the importance of civic involvement or are a pastor yourself who wants some help in developing a sermon on the subject, check out a sermon outline developed by the staff of Focus on the Family's Pastoral Ministries team at the link below.   http://www.family.org/pastor/resources/sos/a0006511.html

 

 

ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH

Author Unknown ~ Contributed by Annamarie Kresge of Virginia

A man and his 10-year-old son were hiking the back trails.  The boy stopped to inspect a medium-sized boulder at the side of the trail.  "Dad, do you think I can move that rock?"

The man eyeballed the rock and said, "Yes son, if you use all your strength, you can move that rock."

The boy braced against the rock and pushed and strained with all his might...the rock didn't budge.  "Well Dad, you were wrong, I can't move that rock."

"No Son, I wasn't wrong, I said that if you used all your strength you could move that rock.  But you didn't use all your strength ... because you didn't ask me for help."

 

 

TRUTH THROUGH CHILDREN'S EYES
Contributed by Shelley Camden, Virginia
 
A little boy wanted $100 very badly and prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to write God a letter requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter to God, USA, they decided to send it to the President.
 
The president was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5.00 bill. The president thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.
 
The little boy was delighted with the $5 bill and sat down to write a thank-you note to God, which read:
 
Dear God:
Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington, D.C., and, as usual, those turkeys deducted $95 in taxes.  

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

Contributed by Debbie Webster, Virginia

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.  The winner was:
A four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.  Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into  the old gentleman's yard,
climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.  When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
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Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family.   One little boy in the picture had a different color hair than the other family members.  One child suggested that he was adopted. A little girl said, "I know all about adoptions because I was adopted."
"What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child. "It means," said the girl, "that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy."
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A four year old was at the pediatrician for a check up.  As the doctor looked down her ears with an otoscope, he asked, "Do you think I'll find Big Bird in here? " The little girl stayed silent.  Next, the doctor took a tongue depressor and looked down her  throat.  He asked, "Do you think I'll find the Cookie Monster down there?"  Again, the little girl was silent.  Then the doctor put a stethoscope to her chest. As he listened to her heart beat, he asked, "Do you think I'll hear Barney in there?"  "Oh, no!" the little girl replied. "Jesus is in my heart.   Barney's on my underpants."
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As I was driving home from work one day, I stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home.  As I sat down behind the bench on the first-base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was.

"We're behind 14 to nothing," he answered with a smile.
"Really," I said. "I have to say you don't look very discouraged."
"Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet."
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Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play.  His mother told me that he'd set his heart
on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement.  "Guess what Mom," he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."
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An Eye Witness Account from New York City, on a cold day in December some years ago:
A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and said, "My, little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?"

"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand and went into the  store and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy.  She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel.  He quickly brought them to her.  She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with a towel.  By this time the clerk had returned with the  socks.  After placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.  She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave  them  to him.  She patted him on the head and said,  "No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more comfortable now?"
As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with these words: "Are you God's Wife?"

 

A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM
 
Celeste Sibley, one-time columnist for the Atlanta (GA) Constitution, took her three children to a diner for breakfast one morning. It was crowded and they had to take separate seats at the counter. Eight-year-old Mary was seated at the far end of the counter, and when her food was served she called down to her mother in a loud voice, "Mother, don't people say grace in this place?" A hush came over the entire diner and before Mrs. Sibley could figure out what to say, the counterman said, "Yes, we do, Sister. You say it." All the people at the counter bowed their heads. Mary bowed her head and in a clear voice said, "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food."  -- Cited in Bits & Pieces, May, 1990, p. 10.

 

 

ORDINARY MIRACLES 
A small church in Sierra Leone, Africa, dreamed of having an organ with which they could make beautiful music to praise the Lord. They had saved up $200 to put towards the organ; they trusted God to provide the rest. So the local missionary sat down to pray as he wrote a letter to a friend back in the States. Strangely, the letter was sent to the wrong address. It ended up in the hands of an Indiana insurance salesman named Paul Sell.
 
The morning that Sell received the letter, he had sold some insurance to an elderly lady who owned an old pump organ. Her asking price for the instrument? Fifty dollars. Sell contacted a piano-moving business that donated a couple of specially-constructed crates in which to transport the organ. With the help of friends and family, Sell got the organ to New York, where it was loaded for transport to Sierra Leone. The cost of sending the organ? One hundred and fifty dollars. Two weeks later, the members of the Sierra Leone church played songs of praise to the Lord on their new organ.  -- Rebekah Montgomery, Ordinary Miracles, (Uhrichsville, OH.: Promise Press, 2000), pp.  -- 113-118. Cited on www.sermons.com

 

 

NEWSPAPER MULCH

Newspapers can be successfully used as gardening mulch but must be at least 2" or more thick.  First apply newspapers, overlapping them in complete sections found in the daily paper (Example: Sports section, Classified section, etc.).  Give the newspaper a good soaking, then cover with 4" to 6" of wood chips or grass clippings.  This method of mulching works very well for paths in a garden between the rows.  And no weeds!
 

 

HOW TO GROW PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS

From The Frugal Life News, Published Weekly by Randal Watkins
http://www.thefrugallife.com

 

Free plants? You bet! Many plants will readily grow from stem cuttings, and it's embarrassingly easy to do.  Here's How:
 
1.    Select and prepare the preferred medium for the plant you have chosen. See the link on the list below for a list of popular plants and their preferred rooting mediums.
2.    If possible, have the planting medium prepared in the pot when you take the cutting. If this isn't possible, temporarily wrap the cuttings in wet paper towels, then cover in newspaper or a plastic bag.
3.    Use a sharp knife to take the cutting, and don't make the cutting too large. Four leaf nodes (leaf joints) are usually sufficient.
4.    Cut the leaves from the portion of the cutting that will be immersed in the medium.
 
For the rest of the directions go here:
http://gardening.about.com/cs/techniques/ht/takecuttings.htm
<a href="http://gardening.about.com/cs/techniques/ht/takecuttings.htm">
Growing Plants From Cuttings</a>

 

 

MONEY-SAVING TIPS FROM THE DOLLAR STRETCHER

Gary Foreman, Editor ~ [email protected] ~ Used by permission

 

Just Cutting Up ~ I am slowly learning to turn my black thumb green, but I don't want to shell out a lot of money while I am still learning to care for plants. Whenever I am visiting with someone who has plants I admire, I ask them how they take care of it and ask for a cutting. I've never been turned down, and knowing that I have this little memento of a friend or family member keeps me motivated to care for the plant. People are touched that you want to include them in your home this way. ~ Judi McL. Boston, MA

 

The Eyes Have It ~ My eyes began to do the "mid-40s thing" and I had to break down and buy reading glasses. Well, even nonprescription ones in the drug store cost about $20 a pop. 

Then, I discovered the dollar store. They were loaded with reading glasses in most every style imaginable. They even have the trendy names on the tags, such as Gloria Vanderbilt, Foster-Grant, Anne Klein, etc. The price? $1 per pair. They include store closeouts, discontinued styles and some seconds. Who cares?  Oh, I have one last tidbit. Being new to needing glasses often during the day, I was forever laying them down and then spending lots of time trying to find them. Solution? I bought ten pair (total $10) and put a pair in every room in my house. Now I spend very little time trying to locate them. Whenever a pair breaks or scratches badly, I say "oh well" and toss them in the garbage, and replace them for a buck! ~ Cathy
 

Frozen Beef Storage ~ I buy ground beef in bulk when it's on sale. I repackage it into one-pound units by weighing it on a small kitchen scale, put it into resealable freezer bags, and flatten the packages after sealing them. I lay the packages on the shelves of my freezer until frozen, then they stack easily.  I can then take out only what I need. I defrost them in the microwave, which saves a lot of time as well. ~ Carl
  
Creative Grease Stain Remover ~ I found a way to get grease off clothing. It can be anything
from cooking grease to car grease or axle grease. My husband is in sales and he is in and out of his car all day and in some filthy places. You can buy a bottle of eucalyptus oil in the pharmacy section of Wal-Mart or other discount type stores.  It costs a little, but it will last and last and last. And it does not spoil. My sister and I have used the same bottle for eight years. I have saved so many dress pants/shirts and all kinds of other clothes. It even gets the greasy food stains off clothes. I have yet to find anything it would leave a stain on and it has never hurt my clothes. Our clothes look nice much longer. Believe me, it has saved many clothes.  Also Murphy's Oil Soap is a furniture polish and laundry stain remover. It works much better as a laundry stain remover than a furniture polish. ~ Bonita T.

 

PRACTICAL KITCHEN TIPS

Reuse plastic honey bear bottles for olive oil.  Store (uncapped) in a cabinet near your stove, so you can reach for it and squeeze oil in a pan with just one hand.  Saves time!

 

Reuse squeezable mustard bottles by washing and filling with frosting for decorating cakes.
 

Before pouring cake batter into a cake pan, trace around the pan onto wax paper.  Cut to fit in the bottom of the pan.  After the cake has baked, run a knife around the edge to loosen.  The cake will come out of the pan without sticking.  Peel off the wax paper.

Make heart-shaped cupcakes by slipping a marble in between the muffin tin and muffin liner.  Fill half full and bake as usual.

 

For low fat baking, substitute applesauce for cooking oil in muffins, bread and cakes.  You can go with half oil and half applesauce as well.
 
Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

 

When baking a pie crust without any filling, pour dried beans into the crust before baking, to prevent the crust from puffing up.  Save those beans in a bag to reuse just for this purpose.

 

When you prepare a casserole or meatloaf, at least double the recipe and freeze one meal for an effortless meal later.

 

Prepare spaghetti, chile, Spanish rice, meatloaves, and casseroles in large quantities to freeze.  I use a basin to mix ingredients, spoon them into casserole dishes, freeze, run hot water on the bottom of the dish, insert a knife into the side of the dish and pop out the meal.  Then I wrap it in foil or insert into a freezer bag and label.  To save money, let the grocery store sales be your guide as to what you prepare in bulk.

 

Even quiche can be prepared (unbaked) and frozen for use later.  When ready to use, simply thaw and bake according to directions.  Quick and delicious with a salad or vegetable!

 

Make use of fresh and dried herbs in your cooking.  Herbs are extremely easy to grow, because they love hot sun and very little water.  In other words, they like to be neglected - easy for most of us!  Easy herbs to grow, freeze and/or dry are sweet basil, oregano, thyme, garlic chives, chives, parsley, sage, lemon balm, peppermint (keep the last two self-contained, unless you have space to allow them to spread). 

 

Store flour in a shaker (as from Pampered Chef or Kroger) to use for a flour coating on meats.  Just shake flour on one side, lay in a greased pan, shake on second side before turning.  This saves time and there is no waste as when dipping meat into a dish of flour.

 

 

FREE CHRISTIAN BOOK OFFER

Contributed by Barb Campbell of Mississippi

 

Samaritan's Purse (Franklin Graham's organization) is offering a free book right now -- there are 3 choices:
1. Rebel With a Cause (Franklin Graham's autobiography)
2. Living Beyond Your Limits by Franklin Graham
3. This One Thing I Choose (biography of Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision and Samaritan's Purse and co-founder of Youth for Christ)
Here is the link: http://click.email-publisher.com/maab54paa5Bunbm7ZDlb/

<a href="THIS!</a

 

ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION

Note from Lois: Be absolutely sure of your salvation.  If you already are sure, maybe you can help someone else, using this article, based on God's Word.

 

Sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

Daily Encounter by Dick Innes. Copyright by ACTS International. Used by permission. www.actsweb.org/detoday

 

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son [Jesus Christ]. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life"(1 John 5:11-13, NIV).

 

A Daily Encounter reader writes: "Hello my name is ______ and I want to know if there is a way of being absolutely sure of your salvation. I asked Christ to come into my life eighteen years ago. I remember the day, but I have wrestled with this issue all this time. I would like to
know how I can get that assurance once and for all. Can you help?"

 

Actually, this is a question that many people struggle with.  One of the problems is that many of us want to have an emotional feeling when we receive Christ as Savior and continue to have this same feeling. Some people do, but probably most of us, including myself, don't. We need to take God's Word by faith regardless of how we feel. I know this is easier said than done, but that's what we need to do. Our feelings come and go, but God's Word remains constant.

 

If you asked Jesus to come into your heart and life as Lord and Savior and meant it, then He did come in and you are a real Christian -- regardless of what you feel.

 

Also, sometimes we have problems with our feelings because of unresolved past issues. For example, most people tend to feel towards God, the Heavenly Father, as they do towards their earthly father (or mother if she was the dominant one). If a child had a close, loving, warm relationship with her/his father when they were growing up, it is very easy to feel the same towards God, the Heavenly Father.

 

Or, if a child felt her/his father was cold, distant, absent, angry, punitive or whatever, we tend to project those same feelings onto God, the Heavenly Father--and feel that he, too, is distant, absent, punitive, etc. But that isn't so. It's just the way we feel!

 

Sometimes to feel close to God, we need to resolve those early childhood negative feelings. Some of us, if we were hurt deeply as a child or any time in the past, may need professional counseling to help us work through and resolve these feelings so we can be free from them. I've needed to do this myself.

 

I encourage you to read our gospel message, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian -- Without Having to Be Religious" at: http://www.actsweb.org/htbs1.htm

 

Remember, too, that God IS with you, always. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, he has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

 

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your promise that if I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, that you will never leave me nor forsake me. And that I can know that I know that I know that I have the gift of eternal life.  Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

 

Have a blessed Easter as you celebrate OUR RISEN LORD!

Love from your “Heart to Heart” friend,
Lois 

The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to bring godly and practical encouragement to women through creative ideas for the Christian family – regarding homemaking, marriage, children and much more.  You may receive this bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, country and the name of the person who referred you to Lois Breneman at [email protected].

 

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