Quote from Forum Archives on April 16, 2010, 6:16 pm

Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>

   HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN

Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman

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4/16/10  Family Movie Tonight, Girls, Make Your Own Mixes, Parenting Tips, Disciples

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The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more.  Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person to Lois at jhbreneman@juno.com.  New subscribers will receive a "Start-Up Kit." 

 

Please let me know if you ever stop receiving the newsletter, but did not unsubscribe. 
Send ADDRESS CHANGES to Remain on the E-mailing List - Reply to newsletter with full name, plus old & new address.  
I suggest you PRINT this newsletter to read at your convenience, but save the original e-mail for checking websites.
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IN THIS ISSUE:  
TIPS AND TIDBITS 
HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING MIX 
HOMEMADE BISQUICK MIX
SKILLFUL SPEECH BRINGS BETTER BEHAVIOR
IDENTIFY PET PEEVES
THE TWELVE DISCIPLES
PRECIOUS GEMS
NEW BABY
PLEASE PRAY

TIPS AND TIDBITS

Family Movie Tonight ~ Secrets of the Mountain will be aired on April 16^th on NBC ~ Focus on the Family recommends this great family movie on www.pluggedin.com.   Even the commercials are supposed to be decent.  This website is an excellent resource for checking out movies before you get to the theaters and regret having gone because of the content and foul language.  

Bringing Up Girls ~ A brand new book by Dr. James Dobson is available to purchase, beginning this week!  (www.focusonthefamily.com) He said it took much longer to write this book than his book on boys, since girls are so much more complicated.  Bringing Up Boys was published over seven years ago, just in time for our first grandson, so there is good help for all parents and grandparents of boys or girls.  Dr. Dobson had more than 3,000 pages of research for his book on girls!  Wow!  Did you know we were such complicated creatures?  I suppose our husbands know that by now!

More on The Twilight Saga ~ Escaping the Vampire Within.  Addressing The Twilight Saga, this brand new book by Kimberly Sweet Powers, offers young women a real immortal hero through Christ.  Kimberly, a graduate of Cedarville University, is the executive director of Walk the Talk Ministries, a national nonprofit youth ministry.

Great Resource for Parents and Teachers ~ Dancing in the Dessert is a new release by Mary Rice Hopkins -- a CD for the entire family!  Children will learn about Moses and the Israelites through songs such as:  "Put 'em in a Basket," "Plagues," "Grumble," and "Ten Commandments."  Adults will be encouraged to hold steady in their own desert journeys by listening to:  "God Made A Way Through," "God Can Do," "Up This Mountain," and "What Seems Impossible.”  Order by phone (818-790-5805) today!  You may also want to receive Mary's monthly newsletter which contains a complete Bible lesson with story, activities, and projects which can be used either at home or at church.  Visit www.MaryRiceHopkins.com. 

Tips for Good Skin and a Lovely Complexion ~ Protect your skin from the sun, stay away from sweets, and never smoke.  Wash your face each morning and night.  Use a good moisturizer.  Drink plenty of pure water and eats lots of fruits and vegetables.  These tips will go a long way to having good skin.

Safety Warning Concerning Cleaning Grills ~ Flammable Alert ~ The WD-40 can says it is flammable, so it is certainly recommended that common sense be used by cleaning it while the grill is lit.  However, another alternative in cleaning your grill would be to lay wet newspaper over it while it is still hot, just as soon as you remove your grilled food and have turned off your gas grill.  If using a charcoal grill, be sure the high heat has died down first.  Close the lid and allow the grill and wet newspapers to cool overnight; then brush the grill with a wire brush to remove any grilled on food.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING MIX

2 Tbsp. chili powder
5 tsp. Paprika
4 ½ tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container for up to six months, or make a larger batch and freeze.  Use 3 tablespoons of this seasoning mix and one cup or water for each pound of ground beef.  Cook meat mixture until the water is reduced about half and serve!


HOMEMADE BISQUICK MIX
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com
I recommend using whole grain flour, rather than white, and a tiny amount of stevia can be substituted for sugar.

• 5 cups flour


• 1/4 cup baking powder


• 2 Tbsp. sugar


• 1 tsp. salt


• 1 cup butter or margarine

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.


2. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks or in the freezer for longer storage.  Makes approximately 6 cups.

To make Biscuits:
Mix together 1/3 cup of milk for every 1 cup of mix.
Drop onto un-greased cookie sheets and bake at 450º for 10-12 minutes.
Add any additional ingredients you wish such as cheese or herbs before adding the milk.
1 cup of mix will yield about 6 biscuits.

To make Pancakes:
Mix 2 cups of mix with 1 cup milk and 2 eggs. Cook on hot griddle.
As with the biscuits you can add any flavoring or other ingredient you desire. 

SKILLFUL SPEECH BRINGS BETTER BEHAVIOR
by Brenda Nixon - www.brendanixon.com - Used by permission

Early in my parenting career I thought I was being a positive mom when I smiled and said to my daughter, "Good girl" for an appropriate behavior. Later I smartened up - learning that my vague comments did her little good - what's "good" about a good girl. I learned that naming her cooperative behavior was helpful and assisted her in knowing how to behave. For example, "I like the way you picked up toys" is more helpful than "good girl."

 

"I like the way you work quietly" helped my daughter repeat her quiet behavior more than if I'd said, "good girl." Using words to describe her appropriate behavior made a healthier, positive mom/daughter relationship. Plus our home was more positive because she knew what appropriate behaviors to repeat.

 

In your daily discipline, remember to use specific words to encourage a child's appropriate behavior. For example, it's more helpful to say, "I like the way you pick up toys," or "Thanks for sitting down," rather than, "Good girl!" The latter is vague and doesn't give the child helpful feedback. Kids need to hear what they do right so they can repeat it.

In your daily discipline, use words that are specific and helpful to your child and you'll see better behavior.

 

IDENTIFY PET PEEVES
This parenting tip is taken from the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and Your Kids by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.  To receive tips yourself, you can sign up at www.biblicalparenting.org.  Used by permission

Anger is a problem in many families. One of the ways you can address it is by having some honest and even fun conversations about anger in family life. Here's an activity that can launch your family into an interesting discussion. Who knows where the interaction will lead you. You might have this discussion around the dinner table or part of an evening devotion time.

Begin with this statement:  Let's all share some pet peeves that we each have. A pet peeve is something that others do that makes you mad or easily irritated. Other people may not be bothered at all but you have a hard time whenever this thing happens.

One mom said, "Here are some of mine. I don't like to see towels on the floor in the bathroom or bedrooms. I get angry when I lose my keys, or when the car gas tank is on E after Dad drives it."

Dad said, "That's interesting. I didn't know that was one of your pet peeves. You know, one of mine is when my tools aren't returned to the toolbox or when you drive my car and don't put the seat back in place."

The kids smiled as they saw their parents expressing pet peeves and were able to think of some themselves, borrowed toys, irritating noises or touching, and being interrupted while on the computer.

Then you might talk about being tolerant and thoughtful of each other. This discussion can be very practical and lead to many helpful thoughts and ideas about anger in daily family life.


THE TWELVE DISCIPLES
Author unknown.  Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for sending this!

Matthew - Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound 

Mark - Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead 

Luke - Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost

John - Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome.  However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. 

He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Odessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully. 

Peter - He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.  According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died. 

James - Just the leader of the church in Jerusalem was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.  When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club. *This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation. 

James the Great - Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian. 

Bartholomew - Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia.  He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey.   Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip. 

Andrew - Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired. 

Thomas - Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent. 

Jude - Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. 

Matthias - The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded. 

Paul - Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament. 

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the disciples during their times for the sake of the Faith.  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. - Matt. 10:22

PRECIOUS GEMS

The best excuse I've heard today was when asking Anna (2) to help me find her cup because she was thirsty.  Her answer was, "I cant find it because I have little eyes!!" ~ Stacy Harris in Virginia 

Alex was learning the 23rd Psalm when he said, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not whine." ~ Stacy Harris in Virginia        

My grandson, Austin (2) was showing me his piggy band and its contents.  First the coins came out, and he kept shaking and shaking it. Then he reached in his little fingers and drew out a $5.00 bill and said, "I need more of these."  (He learned that lesson when his mom, Jennie, took him to the store to buy a new Geo Track train with his own money.  It took a couple of trips till he figured out he needed more money.) ~ Linda Bahn in Pennsylvania


NEW BABY

Julia Ann Neff was joyfully welcomed into the Neff family on April 8, 2010!  She is the daughter of Ben and Michelle Neff and the little sister of Josiah.  The Neff family lives in Ohio.

PLEASE PRAY

Ladies, pease pray for Diane, a young woman very dear to my heart, who just learned she has cancer.  She has four young children.  Another dear friend, Carol, is also battling cancer after a year.  Please pray that God would intervene for both of them and completely heal their bodies.  Thanks so much!

Also please pray with me about the direction of Heart to Heart.  Having had so many frustrating problems with our e-mail, making it difficult to put together the newsletters during the past six months, it is taking too much time to send a newsletter twice a month.  I've been unable to retreive valuable files and may be dropping back to only one newsletter each month or I might send them out as I am able.  That may actually work better for many of you anyway.  Your feedback is welcome, although I may not be able to reply, due to the slow speed of our ISP.  I certainly do appreciate your prayers concerning this ministry!

             

                                   Many Heart to Heart ladies and their families need our prayers,

                                         so please remember to pray for each Heart to Heart lady as you receive your newsletter.

(¨`·.·´¨)                                                   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,

                                                                                                                       Lois

                

 

The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more.  Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person to Lois at jhbreneman@juno.com.  New subscribers will receive a "Start-Up Kit." 

Disclaimer: Various web sites are given as credits or to supply additional information for readers.  However, all the views and advertisements represented by web sites given in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the20 editor.  Please use your own discretion regarding all information given in this newsletter.

 

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