4/19/08 Memory Jar, Crafts, Sisters, Sweeteners, Save $$, Games, Object Lesson
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
CREATING A MOM'S MEMORY JAR FOR MOTHER'S DAY
LINKS TO MOTHER'S DAY CRAFT IDEAS
A CAREGIVER'S PRAYER
SISTERS
NATURAL SWEETENERS
MONEY SAVING KITCHEN TIPS
TWO DOZEN USES FOR BAKING SODA
FRUGAL FUN: HOMEMADE GAMES
BUBBLE BONANZA AND AN OBJECT LESSON
FAMILY MATTERS
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A CHANGE OF HEART?
THE LORD'S PRAYER
JOYOUS BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS
KIDS' QUOTES
ALL IS WELL
CREATING A MOM'S MEMORY JAR FOR MOTHER'S DAY
by Melissa Edens
When I last visited my mother, I helped her work on cleaning out an overstuffed storeroom in her house. While we worked, Mom told me stories -- not fairytales but the stories of life. Her life. I heard about the first time the family had a tape recorder, an uncle who loved to play tricks (and the people he played them on), and another uncle who disassembled the family's brand new refrigerator the night before leaving for Navy basic training. (It was never repaired.) I heard the stories that are usually kept for special occasions, when the family gathers for holiday dinners. In the middle of one of Mom's stories, I stopped her -- but only long enough to grab my digital
recorder and turn it on!
Had I asked my mother to tell me her stories, she would have declined, saying that she hasn't had a very interesting life. As we worked to declutter her home and her life, the sights, sounds, and smells of the past triggered Mom's memories and the hidden stories came to light. This brought to mind an idea for creating Mom's Memory Jar. Creating a memory jar will help bring out your family stories by showing family members that people are interested in what they have to say and in their life experiences. The end result will be a treasure and a gift for you and for other generations in your family.
Begin by writing down a list of questions that you think will jog your mother's memory. Try to write out enough questions to fill a year; 52 questions will give you one story a week. Write or type the questions out onto strips of paper and drop the strips into a large Mason jar. On the outside of the jar, use a pretty ribbon to attach a notebook and pen that will be used to provide main points in answer to the questions. Include instructions telling the recipient to please tape the original question into the notebook and to write memory cues beneath the question. Remember to tell the storyteller that you'll be calling to hear and record the rest of the story! To complete the gift, wrap the jar in pretty paper or fabric before presenting it on Mother's Day.
Over the course of the following year, call or visit your mom once a week to record her stories on tape. Whether you are in contact from a distance or right next door, use the time together to renew your relationship with your mother, ask questions and learn more about who your wonderful parent is! At the end of each recording session, type out the question and answer and store it in a folder for later. By the end of the year, you'll have 52 stories to share. Copy them, add pictures and bind them for a one-of-a-kind keepsake book that your whole family will want to own -- and add to -- as the family grows!
About the Author: Melissa Edens is a Personal Historian and resides in Maryland with her husband and three children. Melissa helps to create memoirs, memorial books and mini-stories for generations to cherish. She is a member of the Association of Personal Historians and has worked with deployed military units and families across the country. Learn more about Melissa and Heritage Transcriptions at http://www.heritagetranscriptions.com. Turning oral histories into bedtime stories.
LINKS TO MOTHER'S DAY CRAFT IDEAS
1) http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/mothers-day/
2) http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/holiday_mothersday_crafts.htm
3) http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/specialfeature/mothers-day-crafts/
4) www.marthastewart.com/mothers-day-holiday-crafts?lnc=e4921384a96fe010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD
5) www.kidssoup.com/MothersDay/MothersDay_Crafts.html
6) http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/mothers-day/kids-crafts/index.html
7) www.homeschooled-kids.com/mothersdaycrafts.html
8) http://teachingheart.net/mompage.htm
9) http://www.homeandfamilynetwork.com/holidays/mothers.html
10) http://www.alphabet-soup.net/mot/mothercraft.html
A CAREGIVER'S PRAYER
Author unknown ~ Thanks to Annamarie Kresge in Virginia for this! (Read down left side of the column first.)
Each one of us is a "Caregiver," of some sort, whether that be giving loving care for our husband, children, grandchildren, parents, others in need - and the list goes on. I know of several "Heart to Heart" ladies who are caring for loved ones in great need. Giving care, unselfishly, is something we can make up our minds to do. But asking the Lord for His help makes everything so much easier, as we allow Him to love and care through us, as we do those sometimes menial tasks for God's glory! ~ Lois
Dear Heavenly Father, Give me peace and contentment
Give me a heart full of love In a world full of chaos
Tenderness and gentleness That I might serve Thee better
That come only from above. As long as I shall last.
Help me to be kind and give me Help me to be blind and deaf
A heart that's compassionate To the things that upset me
Watching what I say that my Help me to focus instead
Words might not be passionate. On your world full of beauty.
Help me listen with my heart The orchids in the garden
That I might feel another's pain The brush of butterfly wings
Give me words that comfort and bless Are nature's reminders of hope
And bring glory to your Name. That help my weary heart to sing.
Fill me with courage and strength Help me to see that caregiving
To do my duties with diligence Is not a heavy cross to bear
To care for my sick loved one But a precious opportunity to
With longsuffering and patience. Develop Christ's image so fair.
Thank you, God, for your patience
And your love that sustains
I'll praise you forever and ever
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
SISTERS
Author unknown
A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.
"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. And remember that "Sisters" also means your ladyfriends, your daughters, and other women relatives too.You'll need other women. Women always do."
"What a funny piece of advice!" the young woman thought. "Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup. Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!"
But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about.
As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life. After almost 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:
Time passes. Life happens. Distance separates. Children grow up. Love waxes and wanes. Hearts break. Careers end. Jobs come and go. Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Men don't call when they say they will.
BUT Sisters are there, no matter how much time or how many miles are between you. A Sister is never farther away than your needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley, and you have to walk it for yourself, your Sisters will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you. Or come in and carry you out.
My daughters, sisters, sisters-in-law, and "ladyfriends" bless my life! My world wouldn't be the same without them, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or devastating sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still. Tomorrow we will need each other even more.
http://www.About.com: Weekly Crockpot Recipe by Diana Rattray
1 pot roast, about 3 pounds, chuck arm or shoulder, bottom round, or similar cut
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup apple cider or red wine
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried crumbled leaf thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
Trim beef roast. Cut to fit crockpot, if necessary; place in the slow cooker (may use a cooking bag for this). Combine all remaining ingredients; pour over the roast.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Skim excess fat from gravy . Serve roast sliced with gravy, with potatoes or hot cooked rice or pasta. Serves 8.
(Note from Lois: For another "hurry-up" version of a melt-in-your mouth. falling apart pot roast, simply stir together a can of cream of mushroom soup and an envelope of dried onion soup mix; then spread over a beef roast (or turkey breast) in your slow cooker. Cook on Low for approximately 10-12 hours. If you want vegetables cooked along with the meat, you could even throw in some quartered potatoes and one inch pieces of carrot on the bottom of the slow cooker for an entire meal that's absolutely delicious! It's an old standby that we love.)
NATURAL SWEETENERS
http://www.freedomyou.com/recipes/natural%20sweeteners.htm - Excerpt from Whole Foods & Healing Recipes, a book by Ron Lagerquist. All you need to make the change to healthy eating, plainly written and complemented with entertaining cartoons to chuckle your way to nutritious living.
It is completely natural to desire something sweet. A sweet flavor is a signal to the body that there will be an abundance of easily-assimilated energy. With processed sugar, the body has been tricked into feeling satisfied, when in fact, the sweetness is completely deficient in essential vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and enzymes which would normally be present. A chocolate bar may satisfy hunger because of the high amount of sugar and fat, but it has created a deficit in the nutrients the body needs to run efficiently. Hence, we have people who are overweight, yet their bodies are starving for nutrients.
Trying to fight your sweet tooth by eliminating sugar from your diet is not the answer. Replacing man-made, processed, empty calories with natural sweeteners is the solution, and we have some practical suggestions.
Sucanat
For the sweet tooth, Sucanat is a joyous blessing from God. You can literally have your cake and eat it too. No feelings of guilt. No sneaking in the cookie jar. But enjoying one of the most delicious, natural sweeteners you have ever tasted. Sucanat is organically grown, freshly-squeezed sugar cane juice, evaporated by a special Swiss process. In its natural state, it is highly nutritious because the molasses is not removed. The flavor is quite extraordinary.
Brown sugar is simply white sugar with a bit of fancy molasses to give texture and color. Everything that you use white and brown sugar for can be replaced with Sucanat.
Sucanat in water, hot or cold, is a refreshing beverage. A teaspoon of dried Sucanat will even remove hiccups.
Unpasteurized Honey
Raw honey has the plant enzyme amylase which is concentrated in the pollen of flowers. It is effective in helping the predigestion of starchy foods. Try spreading raw honey on a piece of bread and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. The honey will immediately begin to break down the starches in the bread. Most commercial honey has been pasteurized, heated for up to 24 hours to prevent it from turning hard or hazy. In 1930, the German Honey Ordinance ordered that honey could not be sold for table use unless the enzyme, amylase was intact. North America has no such requirement. Although not as high in vitamins and minerals as Sucanat, honey is a useful natural sweetener.
Frozen Juice Concentrates
Keep in mind that all the frozen concentrates in your supermarket have been pasteurized. But we consider them far healthier for sweetening a sauce or salad dressing than white sugar. Pineapple, apple and orange concentrates are excellent for sweetening salad dressings or perking up fresh juice combinations, making Popsicles and for baking. A tablespoon of frozen pineapple concentrate can really liven up a fruit salad.
Dates and Raisins
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love (Solomon 2:5). Take a handful of dates, raisins or figs and place them in your blender with a 1/2 cup of water. Blend for 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Out of your blender will come a caramel pudding-like substance that is absolutely heavenly. It is hard to believe that this natural, healthy sweetener is so good for you!. It can be used for salad dressings, topping for fruit salad, creating healthy desserts and baking.
Fructose
Although assimilated into the body more slowly than white sugar, fructose has essentially the same nutritional value. Fructose is the sugar that is primarily found in fruit. It breaks down more slowly because it does not use insulin but is broken down by an enzyme in the bowel. Fructose sugar looks identical to common white sugar, but is significantly sweeter. It is a safer sugar to use for diabetics, hyperglycemics and hypoglycemics. Fructose is certainly more desirable than common sugar, but is still void of nutrients. Use sparingly.
Note from Lois: Green Leaf Stevia, NuStevia, Agave Nectar and Xylitol are natural sweeteners which are low in calories and carbohydrates. They can be found at a health food store or ordered Online by doing a search.
This link tells how to use sucanat in food and gives the nutritional analysis of sucanat: http://www.healthrecipes.com/health_sucanat.htm
MONEY SAVING KITCHEN TIPS
To Save on Shredded Cheese, I bought a little over 6# block of cheddar for a little over $15 and used my Kitchen Aid attachment to shred it. Then I bagged it in gallon freezer bags and laid them out flat to freeze. I got around 32 cups of cheese! When I compared with prices at the store, I came up with between $44 and $96 savings!!!!! Depends on what brand you get and those were on the cheaper side. And you don't have to eat the anti caking stuff they put in preshredded cheese when you grate it yourself. I found it works fine to do it the way I did, but a friend also gave me the idea of sprinkling a little cornstarch in to help with the caking. ~ Jalisa Wenger in PA
Save Over $500.00 a Year by cutting just one glass of juice per person per day for a family of four. Drink water for your meals. ~ Twara Kellam - http://www.LivingOnADime.com
Handy, Free Green Onions ~ One of my favorite inexpensive things to do is to buy green
onions in the grocery store. Then, when I cut them up for meals, I make sure to leave about half an inch or so of the white, along with the roots, and then plant the roots. With a little bit of care, they'll grow, and you can harvest more batches of green onions from them without trouble. I like
keeping them in the kitchen window, so I've got something to look at while I do dishes. ~ Tal - http://www.stretcher.com - Used by permission.
Homemade Croutons - Save bread crusts and leftover bread in your freezer to keep it from spoiling. Then when you have enough saved up, thaw and cube the bread by using a serrated knife. Allow the bread to dry out overnight on a tray or in a dishpan. Heat half butter and half olive oil in a pan. Toss in the bread cubes, add a few herbs, spices and seasoning and stir to coat the bread cubes and toast them in the pan a bit. For seasoning I like to use onion salt, dried basil, rosemary, tarragon, and dill. Teach your young children and teens how to make croutons. A fun and tasty way to save money! ~ Lois
Breaded Fish or Chicken ~ The croutons (above) can also be crushed in a food processor or blender to be used as seasoned breading for baking chicken or fish - your own "Shake and Bake!" To prepare meat for baking, dip it into a beaten egg mixed with a little water (or simply spray the meat with olive oil), sprinkle the meat with breading, then bake. Store unused breading in the freezer. ~ Lois
Butter Wrappers can be saved for greasing pans. Fold and store them in the fridge. ~ Lois
Free Soup - Save leftover meat, vegetables, pasta, rice, beans, broth, etc. in a container in your freezer. When it's full, make soup! You will find the blend of flavors makes a "melodious stew!" That's the name my husband gave it! For a quick, easy and almost "free" meal, bake some muffins to go with it and serve sliced carrots and cucumbers for crunchiness. I know the baby carrots are convenient, but buying a 2 pound bag of carrots and making carrot sticks yourself will be a savings over buying the baby carrots most times. ~ Lois
Celery Keeper ~ Does your celery rot before it gets eaten? Store celery in the refrigerator by wrapping it in aluminum foil, and it will stay fresh much longer. For a healthy snack, fill a rib of celery with peanut butter or dip celery sticks into peanut butter. ~ Lois
TWO DOZEN USES FOR BAKING SODA
By Irene Helen Zundel
(Note from Lois: These tips are great money saving ideas, since baking soda is usually much less expensive then the other products it could replace. Less storage would also be required.)
Inexpensive, versatile, and environmentally friendly, baking soda has a myriad of uses. From reducing baby's fever to cleaning dentures, and ridding your garden of pests, baking soda can be an easy, inexpensive solution to many of your problems.
Homemade Scouring Powder
1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
1 cup salt
Drain Cleaner
I cup baking soda
Add 1 cup hot vinegar
Wait a few minutes, then flush the drain with 1 quart of very hot water.
For garbage disposals, use 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar.
Automatic Dishwasher Powder - Use 2 Tablespoons baking soda and 2 Tablespoons borax per load.
Drip Coffee Maker Cleaner - Mix 1 cup warm water and 1/4 cup baking soda. Let it drip through the coffee maker. Then drip a pot of plain water to rinse. It will keep your coffee maker clean and fresh.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
Microwave Cleaning - Make a cleaning solution of 4 Tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart of warm water. Use it to clean the inside surfaces of the oven, or place a few spoonfuls of baking soda in water in a microwave safe cup. Boil the water 3-5 minutes. The walls of the microwave will be damp. Simply take a sponge or paper towel and wipe down the insides of the oven.
Unclog Gas Stoves - To unclog burners on a gas stove, simply add 1/4 box of baking soda to 2 quarts of water and boil for a few minutes.
Easy Toilet Cleaner - Sprinkle 1/2 box of baking soda into the toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight before flushing. The tank and the bowl will be both clean and deodorized.
Economical Air Freshener - Simply mix equal parts of baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put it in a soap dish or in small sachet bags wherever you would like to freshen the air.
Economical Carpet Deodorizer - Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, and 15 drops of essential oil fragrance for scent. Sprinkle on the rugs before bedtime and let it sit overnight. If you like, you can work it into the carpet the next morning with a stiff bristle brush or broom, then vacuum.
Laundry Booster - Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the washing machine along with your usual amount of liquid laundry soap. It will make whites whiter and colors brighter. ( NOTE: It doesn't
work with powdered laundry detergents! ).
Clean Brushes and Combs - Fill sink with hot water and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Watch the dirt and oil dissolve away!
Underarm Deodorant - Sprinkle under your arms, even after shaving. It won't irritate your skin. If you prefer a smoother textured deodorant, mix it with a little talcum powder.
Clean Glasses - Hold your eyeglasses over a sink and sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on them. With wet fingers, gently rub the lenses. Rinse clean and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Breath Freshener - Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into a cup of water and rinse. It will eliminate even morning mouth, garlic and onion odors! Make your own mouthwash by combining 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup of water. Add a few drops of flavoring if desired.
Tooth Whitener - Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Using a cotton swab, apply it to your teeth, brush clean with water and rinse. Coffee and tea stains will disappear! (NOTE: This is an occasional treatment only. Lemon juice contains a lot of acid and shouldn't be overused, or used alone. Combined with baking soda, the acid is buffered and won't destroy the tooth's enamel).
Denture and Retainer Cleaner - Combine 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent and 1 cup of water. Soak the dentures or plastic retainer for 30 minutes and rinse well. If you prefer, you can use 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a glass.
An Inexpensive Sports Drink - For each quart of boiled water add 1 level tablespoon of salt, 1 rounded teaspoon of baking soda, 4 rounded teaspoons of sugar, and 1 package of sugar free Kool-Aid. Stir until clear and refrigerate.
Clear Up a Stuffy Nose - Add a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer. It will unblock nasal passages and keep the vaporizer clean as well!
Baby Fever Reducer - Bathe the infant in a tub of lukewarm water with 1/2 cup of baking soda. Use less if you are using a plastic infant tub. This is also an effective remedy for diaper rash.
For Dogs and Cats - Sprinkle baking soda on your pet's brush or comb to deodorize their skin and fur. Adding 2 tablespoons of baking soda to your dog's bath water and rinse water will make their coat clean and shiny. Using baking soda on pet stains will eliminate the odor and prevent the pet from returning to the same spot in the future for another accident. Sprinkling the litter box with baking soda keeps it fresh and deodorized.
Paint Brushes - To restore brushes stiffened and hardened by paint, simply boil them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water mixed with 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda.
Nontoxic pesticide - Put baking soda under sinks near pipe openings and along basement windows to repel ants, silver fish and roaches. Roaches will dehydrate and die after eating baking soda.
In the Garden - Occasionally, lightly sprinkle baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from nibbling at your buds. Sprinkle baking soda on slugs to get rid of them without having to resort to costly and toxic pesticides. To sweeten your tomatoes by reducing their acidity, sprinkle baking soda lightly on the soil around your tomato plants. The soda from an old box used to absorb odors in the refrigerator is fine for this purpose.
For even more great uses for baking soda, including kid's science projects, cleaning ideas, odor control, and more, go to Arm & Hammer online.
About the Author:
Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer and homeschooling mother. She specializes in writing entertaining educational material for students grades K-12.
FRUGAL FUN: HOMEMADE GAMES
By Barbara Lea Campbell in Mississippi
We love to play games at our house and over the years we have played many store bought and many homemade ones. I thought I would share a bit about the homemade games.
One game the kids loved was Katherine's Phrase Game. You take a stack of index cards and write one thing on each card. It could be an expression (sad, mad, happy) ... a language (French, Spanish, German) ... a place (in a tunnel, underwater, outer space) or even a person or animal (Tarzan, dog, cat). Make as many as you want.
By Lois Breneman, © 2008, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
Using a bar of soap, a custard cup of water and an empty spool of thread, you can have great fun with your young children and grandchildren, blowing bubbles even at the kitchen table! We blew bubbles this way when I was a kid. My five year old grandson, Justin, and I enjoyed doing this and lots of crafts together last week.
Dip one end of the spool in water, rub the wet end on the bar of soap and blow the other end of the spool slowly to form huge bubbles, one at a time! If a bubble doesn't form right away, wet the spool, rub on soap again, and try again. Show your children how they can hold their finger over the hole at the blowing end to save their bubble for a while. This is also fun to do in the bathtub or outdoors.
Using this method of blowing bubbles, after a huge bubble was blown, I held a finger over the blowing end of the spool. Then I dipped the lower half of the straw into a bottle of bubble solution and stuck the straw directly inside the big bubble. The bubble solution on the straw allows the straw to be inserted without bursting the bubble! I blew a smaller bubble through the straw inside the larger one! Almost immediately the smaller bubble dropped to the outside of the larger bubble. Multiple bubbles can be blown inside the large bubble and they will all slide to the outside!
This bubble bonanza can be turned into an object lesson to teach your children and grandchildren a spiritual lesson. We are all in need of a Savior because of our sin. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins and He rose again. When we accept Jesus into our heart and invite Him into our heart, He will shine out through our life. Others will see Jesus in the way that we live for Him, if we allow Him to.
Children will remember the message of an object lesson. An abject lesson is a wonderful tool to help communicate important spiritual lessons any time of the day - not just during family devotional times. Use those teachable moments!
Many everyday experiences or science experiments can be transposed into meaningful object lessons. I'd love for you to share any with me that you come up with yourself!
It's another reminder that teens are listening http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000006910.cfm
Paget's Disease, a Rare Form of Breast Cancer ~ This is the kind of information you hope you'll never have to use, but will be glad you have it if you need it. For more information go to http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/paget.asp ~ Sent by Miranda Ching in Hawaii
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A CHANGE OF HEART?
This idea was taken from the book, "Parenting is Heart Work," by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN. Used by permission http://effectiveparenting.org/ For free e-mail parenting tips sign up: http://www.biblicalparenting.org
A wonderful parenting resource!
At the National Center for Biblical Parenting we talk a lot about helping children change their hearts. You may be thinking, "My children don't know how to change their hearts. What does that mean anyway, and what can we expect in any given discipline situation?"
When a child has done the wrong thing, it's often helpful to require some alone time with instructions like, "You need to take a break. Come back and we'll talk about this after you change your heart." Children may not understand how it happens but with practice they can learn to change their hearts. A change of heart in children involves four steps:
1. Stop fighting, calm down, and be willing to talk about the problem
2. Acknowledge having done something wrong
3. Be willing to change
4. Commit to doing right
These are all steps that a child can do. Ideally we would also like to see two other steps take place:
5. Feel sorrow for doing wrong
6. Have a desire to do what's right
Now, that may sound like a lot, but children grow into this process slowly and we can help them through the parts. We're talking about repentance broken down into steps. If your son has been disrespectful in the way he spoke to you, first he needs to stop and settle down and be willing to work on the problem. Then secondly, he needs to acknowledge that he was wrong. Thirdly, he needs to be willing to respond differently next time. And lastly, he needs to commit to trying to do better.
Sometimes children may only settle down (Step #1) in the "break." Then they are ready to process the other steps with the parent. Other times, children may be able to work through all four steps and then just report back to the parent. The only prerequisite for coming back from a break is that a child be willing to work on changing the heart.
Your child may be ready to change without knowing what the right thing is to do next time. Remember, we're looking for heart level changes. Once your child has had a change of heart, then you can help your child learn what was wrong and what he or she can do differently next time.
Remember, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) Teaching children to change their hearts is a valuable lesson that they will benefit from for the rest of their lives.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
This little girl, Zoei, singing The Lord's Prayer, must be less than two years old! Precious!
Thanks to Becky Noell in Georgia for sending this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk
JOYOUS BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS - 2 BOYS & 2 GIRLS!
(Ladies, please do jot down your children's cute quotes on scrap paper to save! Years from now, you'll be so glad you did! Below are three quotes from our youngest, James, who will soon be 29! I can hardly believe it!)
ALL IS WELL
Author unknown - Sent by Annamarie Kresge in Virginia
The power of God protects us.
The presence of God watches over us.
Wherever we are, God is, and all is well.
Please remember to pray for each dear Heart to Heart lady as you receive your newsletter.
Many ladies are going through very tough times and need our prayers!
Pray each day for the protection of our troops, as well as for their families left at home!
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by listing your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person and sending it to Lois at [email protected]. New subscribers will receive a Welcome, a "Start-Up Kit," and several recent newsletters.
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