Quote from Forum Archives on July 1, 2008, 5:15 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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7/1/08 Summer Fun, Rockets, Tidbits, Identity, Grief, Marriage, Pops, America, Faith  

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IN THIS ISSUE:

SUMMER FUN FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN FILM CANISTER ROCKETS - FUN! PRACTICAL TIDBITS WHAT KINDS OF DECISIONS DO YOU ENTRUST TO YOUR KIDS? HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT THE LOSS OF OUR FIRST CHILD THE GIFT OF GRIEF COME TO ME MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT - SEVEN ELEMENTS OF LOVING SUPPORT DAILY TIME WITH GOD CHILDREN'S QUOTES INCORPORATED IN PHOTO BOOK ENTITLED "MEMORIES" FOUR FAMILY FUNNIES COCONUT CRAISIN NUT GEMS ALL NATURAL PATRIOTIC SKYROCKET POPS COOL SNACKS FOR A HOT SUMMER AMERICA THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS PRO-FAMILY ISSUES THAT WILL DEFINITELY AFFECT YOUR FAMILY AMERICA, BLESS GOD!

 

SUMMER FUN FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN

4th of July Dominoes (print & play) - Cute set of dominoes with a patriotic theme.

US Patriotic Activities and Crafts - Crafts to make and a Fourth of July activity book (school-age) to print and do.

Handprint Canada Day Flag - Use handprints to create a Canadian Flag.

Beach In A Bag - A super fun beach.

Summer Mobile - Print and color the templates to create a summer mobile.

Homemade Bubbles and Bubble Blower - Use dish soap and straws to create your own homemade bubbles and bubble blower.

Sand Art - A simple craft that is a fun summer craft.

Sand-Filled Bottles - Have fun making cool sand filled bottles.

Paper Airplane: Squirrel Glider (school-age) - Print and fold to create a squirrel glider.

3D Paper Crafts for Kids(school-age) - Build airplanes, a barn, a train and more.

Origami Fun -  I just found a great past time for my oldest (now 8 years old) to keep her busy.  I've found some resources on origami and now I have paper strewn all over the house. *chuckle*  A book from the library and a great web site with animation to show how to make these things (http://www.origami.org.uk/) have been great help!  She's made paper water bombs and we all had a big water fight last week and now is making a ton of cranes, flapping bird and other things to hang from her ceiling in her room.  It keeps her busy and I'm continuing the teaching of picking up after herself when she's done with a project.  You can use practically any kind of paper, glossy paper from old magazines, scrap paper, lined paper, newspaper ... no need to go and get all that expensive "origami paper" from the craft store. ~ Keli Martin in Ohio

 

 

FILM CANISTER ROCKETS - FUN!

By Lois Breneman, © 2007, Heart to Heart Newsletter, jhbreneman@juno.com 

You will need:

        Film canister - Fuji is best (or do a test run on film canisters you already have)
        Some water in a small measuring cup for pouring into the canisters
        1 Alka Seltzer tablet for each launching

        The center tube from a roll of toilet paper (optional)
        White paper plate (optional)
        

              Simply paint the film canister and let her soar into the sky, if you don't want to bother with the paper plate and toilet paper tube!  But if you want to go all out, make this rocket launcher first. Decorate an empty toilet paper tube with construction paper, paint, glitter, etc.  Tape or hot glue the toilet paper tube to the paper plate in an upright position.  Take everything outside.  Put only 1/4 inch of water into the film canister.  A Fiji film canister works best.  It has to do with the fit of the lid.  A tight fitting lid will not pop off, but test what you already have on hand before doing a search for a Fuji brand.  You may want to paint the canister in stripes of bright red or blue with white, after you know it will work.  

        Put the launcher on the ground in a clear area.  Drop one Alka Seltzer tablet into the canister.  Quickly put the lid on the canister, drop the canister in the launcher upside down, and stand back!   The canister will pop off and fly through the air!  Such fun!  

        We were able to set off two launchings, then reuse the two remaining used tablets by combining them for a third launching.  It took a little longer for it to get going, but patience is the key.  Do not retrieve it after a minute or two if you think it won't pop!  I did that once, saying, "Well, I think this one is a dud," and got a powerful pop in my finger, just as I reached for it!  A pop in the eye would have been a different story, so take precautions in doing this experiment.

        My four year old grandson and I shot off a rocket six times recently, each one shooting way up into the air about 30 feet with a big bang!  It was so exciting for him - and for me!  Lots of fun!  We both laughed so hard, that his brand new baby sister on the other side of the house turned to see what was going on!  Last weekend I also set off rockets for several neighbor kids as well as friends and relatives with grandchildren.  What a blast!

        This would be a great activity for an outdoor birthday party.  Another favorite at our children's parties was the water balloon toss.  Many times we take small round balloons along on our family beach vacations to fill with water and have lots of fun with them.  Once we chased each other around on the balconies with water balloons and squirt guns, even as adults.  I'm sure we'll continue to do the rocket launches as well, making lots of fun family memories.

 

PRACTICAL TIDBITS

Mini Blender ~ My first blender, an Osterizer, came with 6-8 one-cup glass containers.  They screwed onto the bottom of the blender to form a mini blender and were great for making very small amounts of baby food, salad dressings, sauces or for chopping nuts quickly.  This week while organizing some spaces, I came across an 8 ounce heavy duty Mason canning jar, which I was happy to see perfectly fit my current Osterizer blender!  So if you have an Osterizer, a few heavy duty Mason jars will act as mini blenders for you!  If you have another brand of blender, you still may want to see if a heavy duty canning jar will screw onto your model.

 

Birthday Cake Ideas ~ Baker's Coconut used to have some fantastic cut-up birthday cake booklets when our children were growing up.  Almost every birthday included some type of cut-up cake and provided lots of fun for everyone.  Here is a website that has quite a few cake ideas - with some cut-up cakes - flower box, Lego, dragon, butterfly, dog, football, baseball, soccer ball, basketball.  http://party.kaboose.com/birthday-cakes/index.html

And another one! http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/cakescupcakes/  

 

Sparkling Diamond ~ Make shining your diamond ring a part of shampooing hair, washing dishes and doing laundry.  Keep an old soft bristled toothbrush nearby and simply put a drop of shampoo, dishwashing liquid or laundry detergent on a toothbrush to clean your rings while in the process of doing another task.  Slip your diamond to the palm side of your hand and brush clean for a quick job.  No chance of losing your diamond down the drain this way either!

 

Double or Triple Batch of Cookies ~ Make a double or triple batch of a favorite cookie recipe.  Bake some right away, but with the remaining dough form long rolls of cookie dough to freeze and bake later.  Even drop cookies can be sliceb and baked from a roll that you freeze.  Wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze several rolls in a gallon Ziplock freezer bag.

 

Fresher Bread and Croutons ~ At today's rising food prices, prevent bread from molding by storing it in the refrigerator, so none goes to waste.  Store unused crusts in the freezer to later cube and turn into croutons using butter, olive oil and spices.  Bake in oven or fry on stove top.

 

Keeping Cats Out of Sandboxes ~ Plastic sandboxes are available with lids, such as in the shape of a turtle, with his shell being the lid.  Other than that the best remedy for preventing cats from using your children's sandbox as a litter box, as well as keeping other dirt out, is to put a cover of your own over the sandbox when not in use.  You could possibly use a thin piece of wood or heavy piece of vinyl or oil cloth from the sewing store or department.  Hold down the edges of the vinyl or oil cloth with bricks or heavier toys.  Many bricks weigh as much as eight pounds each, so be sure they don't fall on your children's toes.  Instruct your children as to who should handle the bricks. 

 

Learning a New Language ~ Go here: http://www.google.com/language_tools and you can translate words or websites into another language. ~ Thanks to Tami Qualls in OK for this!

 

Robotic Surgery ~ To hear about wonderful new breakthroughs in the medical field regarding open heart surgery and prostate surgery with less complications and less recovery time than conventional surgery, and still covered by insurance, go to  www.focusonthefamily.com and listen to the daily broadcast for 6/27/08. 

 

Mentoring Tip ~ Other than my own mother, Phyllis Brokaw has been my mentor for many years.  I learned so many things from her as she taught more than fifty of us young mothers in a Bible study in her home for 13 or 14 years.  I was there for the entire duration, and found her practical insights for the family, taught from the Bible, to be so valuable.  I remember her telling us moms not to do things for our children that they could do for themselves, such as dressing them, picking up after them, making their beds, and so forth.  That teaches them responsibility.

WHAT KINDS OF DECISIONS DO YOU ENTRUST TO YOUR KIDS?
by Sari Steelsmith - Reprinted with permission from Parenting Press News for Parents, copyright © 2004. For a free subscription, see www.ParentingPress.com/signup.html .

Tip--Give children decisions to make that are appropriate to their age and level of development.

Those of us interested in raising children to become competent, independent adults soon see the value of giving them practice with decision-making. A child who is used to having the opportunity to make decisions and experience the outcomes gradually learns to make good, thoughtful decisions. "When children make choices, they acquire control, and because they have chosen it, they are usually eager to follow through," comments parent educator Jan Faull in her book Unplugging Power Struggles: Resolving Emotional Battles with Your Kids.

The challenge is in deciding which decisions are appropriate for children—even young ones—to make. Obviously children ought not decide for themselves whether to wear a seat belt, to watch movies rated R, or to operate the gas barbeque without adult supervision, but there are a host of non-critical decisions they can make that do not endanger their safety or violate family values. Faull recommends frequently asking yourself, "Is this a decision my child can make for himself?" and then turning over control in these non-crucial areas. "Making choices offers your child opportunity to gain competence," writes Faull. "Your child can't acquire confidence when you hold all the controls."

Tools--Faull offers a list of areas parents can safely give children decision-making power in:

Preschoolers. Offer three to five-year-olds reasonable choices regarding:

• The clothes they wear
• Family-approved TV shows to watch
• Bedtime stories
• Who to have over for a playdate
• What to play and where.

School-aged children. Children in the middle years can choose:

• Their extracurricular activities, such as sports, music, scouts
• When and where they'll do their homework
• How to spend their allowance or gift money
• What kind of hairstyle to wear
• How to arrange their bedrooms.

Faull notes that young children ought to be able to direct their own play (including creative art or dramatic play) without interference from parents. School-aged children need to be able to pick and control their own hobbies without much input from parents; hobbies offer control and competency for this aged child.

You’ll find more practical tips you can use right now in Unplugging Power Struggles: Resolving Emotional Battles with Your Kids by Jan Faull, M.Ed.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT
ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE 
Author unknown - Thanks to Linda Crosby in Virginia for sending this.

Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice!  A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards.  Instead, put "Photo ID Required."

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, Do Not put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers.  The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks.  You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine.  Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc.  You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel.  Keep photocopies in a safe place.  I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad.  We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, or credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more.

But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., was stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

 

But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

7.  Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number.  I had never heard of doing that until advised by the bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name.  The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

 

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

 

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:

1.) Equinox: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TR W): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

 

 

THE LOSS OF OUR FIRST CHILD
In Loving Memory of Kendall Scott Wenger
By Galen and Jalisa Wenger - Written for Heart to Heart - Poems below also sent by Jalisa.

This past March (2008), it was six years since we buried our first child, a precious son, who we named Kendall Scott. Born around 24 weeks on March 21, 2002, he weighed 1 lb. 5.8 oz. and measured 11 1/4 inches. He lived six days in the NICU before he passed away on March 27. Kendall looked perfectly normal as far as we and the doctors could tell.  (The doctors couldn't pin an exact reason why he came so early.)  We enjoyed watching him move his little arms and legs and even though he was tiny, he had his own personality!  I treasure the time I had getting to "know" him.  His eyes never opened but if we put one of our fingers into his little hand, we could feel those tiny fingers slowly tighten around it in a gentle squeeze!  At first we thought and hoped that maybe he would live but then his skin started breaking down and oozing and there was discoloration on his stomach.  They thought maybe part of his intestines had died because they had given him a little milk earlier but it just lay in his stomach.

The doctors didn't know what to do next.  They felt he would probably not live, but they thought they could try to send him to Hershey Medical Center for surgery.  We were at Reading, but we felt the trip would be too much for him and if he would go to Hershey, the doctors could choose not to try doing surgery and we didn’t want to put Kendall through that. After discussing matters and praying about it, we decided to take him off all but pain meds, and just hold him as he slipped away instead of letting him slowly die on machines.  That was a very stressful day, but I feel we did the right thing. In a private room, we held our tiny Kendall for the first and last time, wrapped in a blanket with a little blue cap on his tiny head.  My parents had brought us in and stayed with us. My husband’s parents came and held their grandson too.  It was hard but we felt the prayers of family and friends bearing us up during that time.

A memorial service was held at the grave and we were so blessed by all the family and friends who came to share our grief, as well as all the kindness shown in the following weeks and months.

Looking back, I wouldn’t have chosen to go through that situation, but I wouldn’t trade the experience and all I've learned and the ways I've grown for anything in the world. One of the things that helped me cope was designing cards on the computer and mailing encouragement to others. I would type meaningful poems into my collection in the computer and print them out on decorated paper or decorate pages in the computer and add poems from my collection. It helped to keep my mind off of myself and bring healing to my heart.

We’ve since been blessed with two healthy children, Sheri Renae, 4 years old, and Matthew Kent, 2 years. They are sunshine in our lives and we look forward to the time when we can all be together. It’s natural for Sheri to mention "Heaven" and "Kendall."  The other day she told me again, "Kendall’s up in Heaven...playing with the children... Jesus is holding Kendall!" Those are things I’d told her that Kendall may be doing and she remembers.  Just the way she looks upward with anticipation on her face is so precious!  She also told me when she was younger, "Mama me me up."  I told her that when it’s time for us to go up, Jesus will tell us. "Desis tell us," was her satisfied reply.  I also remember one time she looked so sad and I asked her if she wishes Kendall would be down here. I told her when we go up to Heaven, she and Matthew can play with Kendall and she lit up with a smile.  More recently, she asked, "Is Kendall in Heaven?  Tell me about him."  It seems I can hardly tell enough to suit her.  Even Matthew who is only two says, "Ken'll"!

Usually each year sometime around the anniversary of Kendall’s short life, we as a family release a balloon at his grave.  I tell the children that Kendall doesn’t get the balloon but it symbolizes our thoughts toward him as the balloon floats away in the sky. This year Sheri made the remark that when we go to Heaven, we could take the balloon along! I told her that Heaven is so pretty that Kendall doesn’t even need a balloon!  We look forward to the time when we’ll all be together again with Jesus!

If anyone would like to share their story with us, we’d enjoy hearing from you! Our email is jalen@emypeople.net - Galen and Jalisa Wenger

THE GIFT OF GRIEF
Author unknown

        Death takes away. That’s all there is to it. But grief gives back. By experiencing grief, we are not simply eroded by pain. Rather, we become larger human beings, more compassionate, more aware, more able to help others, more able to help ourselves.
        Grief is powerful. It plunges us into the depths of sorrow and forces us to face the finiteness of life, the mightiness of death, and the meaning of our existence here on this earth. It does more than enable us to change: it demands us to change. The way we change is up to us. It is possible to be forever bowed by grief. It is possible to be so afraid of one aspect of it that we become frozen in place, stuck in sorrow, riveted in resentment or remorse, unable to move on.
        But it is also possible to be enlarged, to find new direction, and to allow the memory of the beloved person we have lost to live on within us, not as a monument to misery but as a source of strength, love, and inspiration.
        By acting on our grief, we can eventually find within ourselves a place of peace and purposefulness. It is my belief that all grievers, no matter how intense their pain, no matter how rough the terrain across which they must travel, can eventually find that place within their hearts.

COME TO ME

Author unknown

 

When you are hurting, come to Me and I will bind your wounds.

When you need to be assured, come to Me and I will give you My embrace.

When you can no longer go on, come to Me and I will carry you.

When you need comfort, come to Me and I will wipe your tears.

When you are uncertain of My love, come to Me and I will speak My heart to you.

Always remember that in your need you are coming to the One who came for you.

Today may you be confident of God's presence,

Certain of His promises and assured of His love.

MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT - SEVEN ELEMENTS OF LOVING SUPPORT Author Unknown - When entered into deliberately, these tips will help you avoid strife:  *1. Unconditional commitment. You both make the decision to avoid squabbling, and to build each other up at all times.   *2. Scheduled time together. Don't allow your lives to be so busy and serious that you can't relax together and enjoy each other.  Plan for regular outings, or even times alone without the TV or phone.      *3. Availability for your spouse.  Don't permit outside responsibilities to crowd out your good times, and quiet private times together.    *4. Tender treatment.  Always exert the utmost tenderness toward each other, as you did while you were dating.  Stand together always.      *5. Eye contact.  Remember how you looked deeply into each other's eyes while you were courting?  Do that often now.  Loving eye contact helps to erase hurt and irritations.  Let your eyes overflow with love and admiration.      *6. Listening with understanding.  Really listen. Try to get into the mind of the other and understand. Sometimes you just need to listen, not offer a better solution or criticism.      *7. Touching. On your honeymoon you probably couldn't stand to be with each other without touching. This is something you need to practice and continue in the marriage - the warmth of each other's flesh, holding each other, hugging often, cuddling without sex. Focus on the importance of the closeness of your love. An embrace often gives new hope and strength to the other.  DAILY TIME WITH GOD If you’re looking for a devotional that helps you to find wisdom from the Bible each day, make Our Daily Bread part of your daily routine.

Read Our Daily Bread online Put Our Daily Bread on your PDA Listen to the radio version of Our Daily Bread online Read Our Daily Bread on your mobile device Get Our Daily Bread at home A few other very good devotionals are My Utmost for His Highest, Streams in the Dessert, Experiencing God Day by Day.

 

CHILDREN'S QUOTES INCORPORATED IN PHOTO BOOK ENTITLED "MEMORIES"

        I too love reading back on the jotted down cute quotes of my children. I usually put a page in their photo book entitled "Memories" with all the cute things they've said and done in the year.  Here's a recent one:

        I gave Brian, age 3, one of the first strawberries of the season, stem and all (after weeding the garden). He looked it over and  handed it back to me, saying, "Momma, can you take them weeds off?"

        Thank you so much for your newsletter, the Mommy meltdown article, the Proverbs study, etc!!  It renews my vision for motherhood each time! ~ Dawn Sensenig in Pennsylvania

 

FOUR FAMILY FUNNIES

By Keli Martin in Ohio

 

Here are some funny kids quotes/stories I've had recently.  I've started keeping a document of the funny things my children say and do, so I can go back for a few chuckles, especially when I'm have a particularly tough day with my children.  Anyway, here they are - enjoy!

We had just gotten done eating brunch on a Saturday morning when my husband, Jeff, sent the boys (3 and 6 years old) upstairs to get dressed.  They started jumping on the beds and playing, getting pretty rowdy when Jeff headed upstairs to remind them of what they were to be doing.  Coming back down after a few minutes he rounds the corner into the dining room and my 7 year old daughter pipes up … "Did ya beat 'em?"

It is mid spring and the sun is coming up earlier causing the kids to wake up much sooner than they should be up.  So, when they all trotted down the steps at 6:30 my husband told them it was much too early to be awake and they needed to head back to bed.  Ethan, being the expressive little man he is, throws his hands up above his head and exclaims, "But Daddy! The sun's up in the skyeeee!"

I had sent the kids upstairs to get dressed and my 3 year old took his good ole time coming down 15 minutes later butt naked!  I told him to go get himself dressed and he says, "But I like being like this!"

My littlest, Ethan, 3, out of the blue made up this game where if you poke someone's nose.  It is what has now been called a "Bink" in our house.  There are variations of the bink game.  Bink the Kyle, bink the Kyra, bink the Mommy, Bink Bink (touching noses together), Kissy Bink, etc.  One time a friend of ours told Ethan to bink the Daddy and he says, "We don't have enough Daddys!"  Our friend asked, "Well, how many Daddys do we need?"  Ethan,  "Four!" (Meaning one Daddy for each family member to bink!)

 

 

COCONUT CRAISIN NUT GEMS

This is a revision of a recipe, because of being out of raisins when I wanted to make these today, and also wanting to add coconut.  The original recipe from my daughter-in-law, Rachael Walton Breneman, is included in the Christmas Cookie edition each year.  Sucanat is evaporated cane sugar, tasting much like brown sugar, and found in health food stores.  It is natural and healthier than refined sugar, and can be substituted for sugar in recipes.  Unsweetened coconut can also be found in health food stores and tastes much better than sweetened.

 

1 cup butter, softened                                        1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup sucanat and 1/4 cup honey                     1/2 tsp. sea salt, optional

2 eggs                                                                  1 cup unsweetened coconut

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract                                    3 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour                1 cup craisins

1 tsp. baking soda                                              1 cup walnuts, chopped fine

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat together butter and sweeteners.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.  Stir in coconut, oats, and craisins and mix well.  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown, but watch to not overbake.  You may choose to bake a double or triple batch to freeze some in cookie rolls to slice and bake for fresh hot cookies right out of the oven later.

 

 

ALL NATURAL PATRIOTIC SKYROCKET POPS
(Contains no sugar or food coloring)  This recipe should make more than 24 popsicles if using 3 oz. cups.

 

24 (3-4 oz.) plastic bathroom cups (or popsicle molds)
24 craft sticks (or popsicle sticks that you have saved)

Blue Layer:

        1-2 cups fresh blueberries (or 4 cups blueberries if plentiful and no juice)
        100% grape juice - enough for both juice and blueberries to total 4 cups
White Layer:
        2 cups plain yogurt, sweetened with honey or stevia, found in health food stores

        1 tsp. pure vanilla
Red Layer:
        4 cups strawberries sweetened with honey or stevia

        Mix grape juice and blueberries in blender. Pour into plastic cups, lined up on a tray, filling them 1/3 full. Place into the freezer.  As they start to freeze, insert a craft stick in the center of each cup and freeze until solid.

        Mix the yogurt and honey.  Place a layer on top of the frozen blue layer. Freeze one hour.

        For the red layer, mix the strawberry mixture and honey.  Add a red layer to each cup and freeze until frozen.

        When ready to eat, run outer side of cups under cold water to release the patriotic pops.

 

 

COOL SNACKS FOR A HOT SUMMER

By Deborah Shelton - http://www.fiveminuteparent.com - Used by permission
Note from Lois: For the last recipe, you may be able to find a healthy version of Sprite at a health food store.

 

Beat the heat with these cool summer treats!

 

Mouse Popsicles - It's not what you're thinking! The name refers to the size of the popsicle—not the contents. Wash a bowl of seedless grapes, and then set the grapes in the freezer for about an hour. Poke colored toothpicks into the grapes to serve.

 

Juice Pops - Summer isn't complete without homemade juice popsicles. Simply fill a popsicle mold or an ice tray with your favorite fruit juice. Cover the ice tray with clear plastic wrap and poke a toothpick through the plastic into each square. Place the tray into the freezer until the popsicles are frozen solid.

 

Frozen Monkey Treats - Here is a healthy snack that your kids will go bananas for! Peel a banana and cut it in half. Insert popsicle sticks into the cut ends. Dip the bananas into yogurt or melted chocolate, and then roll the bananas in chopped nuts, crushed cereal, or coconut shavings. Place the bananas on a small waxed paper-lined baking sheet and set the sheet into the freezer for an hour or so. Fun to make and even more fun to eat!

 

Fruit Fizzy - Don't plan your summer party without this refreshing drink. Pour one can of Sprite (it doesn't have caffeine) into a blender, along with small ice cubes. Add several large strawberries, a handful of blueberries, or other favorite fruit to the mix. Blend the mixture until it has the texture of a slush. Pour into a glass and garnish with a cherry on top.

 

Deborah Shelton is a mother, freelance writer, and author of the brand new book, "The Five Minute Parent: Fun & Fast Activities for You and Your Little Ones." Visit Deborah's website for more family-friendly ideas: http://www.fiveminuteparent.com   Read reviews of The Five Minute Parent at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1886298130/thefiveminute-20 

 

America  http://sagebrushpatriot.com/america.htm

Click on the word, "America," turn on your speakers, and sit back and enjoy!  Many of you ladies from the United States will see your own state shown as you listen to this beautiful rendition!  May God in His mercy continue to bless America!

 

THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

        "Almighty God…I yield thee humble and hearty thanks that thou has preserved me from the danger of the night past, and brought me to the light of the day, and the comforts thereof, a day which is consecrated to Thine own service and for Thine own honor.
        Let my heart, therefore, Gracious God, be so affected with the glory and majesty of it, that I may not do mine own works, but wait on thee, and discharge those weighty duties thou requirest of me." -- From the Prayer Journal of George Washington

"Our faith teaches that there is no safer reliance than upon the God of our fathers, who has so singularly favored the American people in every national trial, and who will not forsake us so long as we obey His commandments and walk humbly in His footsteps." -- William McKinley

 

"We do not need more intellectual power, we need more moral power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character. We do not need more government, we need more culture. We do not need more law, we need more religion. We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen. If the foundation be firm, the foundation will stand." -- Calvin Coolidge

"The Bible is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture." -- Woodrow Wilson

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship." -- Patrick Henry

"Whereas, it is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon…" -- Abraham Lincoln

"Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." -- Ronald Reagan

 

PRO-FAMILY ISSUES THAT WILL DEFINITELY AFFECT YOUR FAMILY

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AMERICA, BLESS GOD!
©2004 Linda J. Stevenson - Used by permission
 
We have asked God to bless our land from His rich storehouse above;
Some will think it be our right saying, "America He loves."
We've sung "God Bless America" while believing He is here;
But now it is time we bow our heads and seek His face in prayer.

America must bless our God for His hand of love He's shown
Protecting us through per'lous night as His flag of mercy's flown.
His grace He has extended us like a banner hanging o'er;
We must express our gratitude and then praise Him evermore.

America must bless our God for His sure protecting hand,
For walls of safety He has built all around this blessed land.
For as we humbly bless our God and we turn to Him in prayer,
He's assured us by His Living Word His presence will be there.

Our words and deeds let's dedicate to uplift His holy name,
That America not lose her light, her glory turn to shame.
For God said, "If my people will humbly seek my face and pray,
I'll hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land today.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked way, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14).  

 

Note from Lois: Realizing that ladies from fifty-seven countries, other than the United States, are represented in "Heart to Heart," this poem, of course, would apply to every nation on earth.  So let us all take this scripture verse and poem to heart!

 

  Please remember to pray for each dear Heart to Heart lady and her family 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!

(¨`·.·´¨)                     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                                                                        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 listing your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person and sending it to Lois at jhbreneman@juno.com.  New subscribers will receive a Welcome, a "Start-Up Kit," and several recent newsletters.

 

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.