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  HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN

Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman

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8/18/09 Puppet Show, Back to School, Tips and Tidbits, Shampoo, Edible Flowers, God, My Protector
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Please let me know if you stop receiving the newsletter, but did not unsubscribe. 
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IN THIS ISSUE:  
WONDERFUL CHILDREN'S TV PUPPET SHOW EVERY SATURDAY - DON'T MISS IT! 
BACK-TO-SCHOOL STUFF
LEARNING FROM NATURAL CONSEQUENCES
MOMENTS FOR MOM
TIPS AND TIDBITS
A HELPFUL WAY OF SENDING OUT NEWSLETTERS OF MANY KINDS
EDUCATION ABOUT SHAMPOOS
NOT JUST EYE CANDY: EDIBLE FLOWERS ... BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY
GOD, MY PROTECTOR
ADORABLE KIDS
BABY CONGRATULATIONS!

 

WONDERFUL CHILDREN'S TV PUPPET SHOW EVERY SATURDAY - DON'T MISS IT! 

Our very own "Heart to Heart" Mary Rice Hopkins hosts this great Bible lesson on TBN each Saturday!  Mark your calendar for 10:00 A.M. (Pacific Time) - 11:00 A.M. (Mountain Time) - 12:00 A.M. (Central Time) - 1:00 P.M. (Eastern Time)

 

Mary says:
Ever feel like you need a GPS to get where you are going? As I tell the puppets in our shows, what I really need is a GOD positioning system!  Proverbs 3:5-6, a very familiar passage, means more to me today than ever before:  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." 

 

As we have been busy lately working on our Saturday morning TV show on TBN, creating new puppets, planning the logistics of a full schedule, and still traveling around the country at the same time, it seems that the opportunity to think (or lean) on my own understanding tries to force its way into what God wants for me.  Sometimes, "all we like sheep have gone astray" can simply be about steering off course and not so much about intentional sin.

 

But, the Shepherd calls my name and reminds me that I am to do things His way; go His way.  So, if you are feeling a little lost today, just take this bit of advice from someone who knows how you feel:  Acknowledge Him right now, and He will put you back on the right path.

 

 

BACK-TO-SCHOOL STUFF

By Julie A. Druck of York, Pennsylvania, Editor of E-mail Newsletter, A Heart for Home with Homeschooling Ideas

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to:  [email protected]

To send a personal e-mail: [email protected]    Julie's blog: www.lifeinskunkhollow.blogspot.com
(Note from Lois: Grandmothers, make learning fun and do these with your grandchildren!)

 

* School Menu – On the first day of school, serve alphabet soup for lunch along with apple cupcakes.  To make the cupcakes:  cut an apple in 1/2 horizontally and core.  Spread peanut butter on the flat side and add toppings of mini chocolate chips, raisins, etc. Place in cupcake liners, and they'll look like cupcakes!

* Apple Activity – Speaking of apples, you can use one to make a model of how much soil is in the world.  Imagine a whole apple is the world.  Cut the apple into four quarters.  Three quarters of the apple is water so eat three of them.  The last quarter is the land that we can live on.  Not all the places where we live can support farming.  Cut the piece in half.  About one half is land that is too mountainous, too hot or too cold for farming.  Eat one half.  Not all of this soil is good for farming.  Cut the piece in half.  About half is too rocky, too steep, too poor or too wet for farming.  Eat one half.  The piece that is left is the part of the world that is good for farming.  Only the top layer of soil can be used to grow crops.  Peel the skin from the remaining piece of apple.  This peel represents all the topsoil that can be used for farming.  This is not much soil for growing all the food that all the people in the world need to eat – but more than enough!  (from PA AgMag)

* Static Energy Experiment - Blow up a balloon.  Turn on a faucet so that the water runs in a small, steady stream.  Rub the balloon on your head a few times, and then move it near the water.  The stream of water will bend without being touched!

* Free Field Trips – For those of you living in or close to Lancaster County you'll find free field trip opportunities at the Lancaster libraries.  The libraries have family passes to the National Watch & Clock Museum, the North Museum and the Landis Valley Museum that you can check out just like any other resource.  Borrow them, present them at the museum and you're family gets in free!  (By the way, the best time to borrow the passes is during the school year – they aren't checked out as frequently due to the majority of children being in school.)  Check the libraries for more information.  And for those of you not in the area, see if your local library offers any similar opportunities.  If not, suggest Lancaster’s generous idea!

* Foam Printing – My nephew taught us this fun technique that he learned in art class at school.  Cut a piece of craft foam into a rectangle about 3” wide and 10” long.  Using a pencil, press deeply into the foam and draw a picture or designs.  Keep in mind that when you print, the image will come out backwards compared to the way you drew it.  Paint the foam with a layer of acrylic paint – not too thick.  Press a sheet of paper onto the painted foam and peel off.  Your paper will reveal your drawing in white against the paint.  This takes a little time and experimentation.  Ben was especially interested in this and came up with a neat design of a deer standing alongside a fence and a tree.

LEARNING FROM NATURAL CONSEQUENCES
This idea was taken from the book, Home Improvement, The Parenting Book You Can Read to Your Kids, by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.  You can sign up at www.biblicalparenting.org and continue receiving these tips.  

Sometimes the best way to help a child is by doing nothing and staying out of the way, allowing a natural consequence to provide the teaching. You’ve probably learned a number of things through natural consequences. Maybe more than you’d like to admit.
- save your sales receipt so you’ll have it if you need to return what you bought
- buy gas when your tank is on “E” even if you’re late for work
- don’t forget to water your plants
- don’t wash your husband’s red sweatshirt with his white underwear

Natural consequences allow life to provide its own lesson without outside intervention. When a parent intentionally stays out of a problem and makes little or no comment, the child has an opportunity to learn from life.

In the Bible, Peter was allowed to experience a natural consequence of lack of faith when he stepped out of the boat in Matthew 14. After he began to sink, however, Jesus was there to help him. Jesus also allowed Peter to make the mistake of denying him three times. No lectures or rebukes were needed; just a look from the master’s eyes and Peter was overcome with remorse. Many times in the gospels, Jesus allowed life to be the teacher and he took on the role of counselor or coach.

Natural consequences often happen if we, as parents, learn to keep quiet. The four-year-old who goes out to play on a hot day wearing a turtleneck learns by experience. The six-year-old who chooses to skip snack because she wants to continue her game may feel the pain later. The ten-year-old who spends all his money on one thing may wish he had not done so. Each of these experiences can be a learning opportunity if the parent responds wisely.

The question then is how are we going to respond? These may be tempting opportunities for parents to condemn, lecture, or put down a child. When you identify these situations in life, they are excellent opportunities to come alongside, express empathy, and help a child learn problem-solving skills.

Sometimes the best way to help a child is by doing nothing and staying out of the way, allowing a natural consequence to provide the teaching. You’ve probably learned a number of things through natural consequences. Maybe more than you’d like to admit.
- save your sales receipt so you’ll have it if you need to return what you bought
- buy gas when your tank is on “E” even if you’re late for work
- don’t forget to water your plants
- don’t wash your husband’s red sweatshirt with his white underwear

Natural consequences allow life to provide its own lesson without outside intervention. When a parent intentionally stays out of a problem and makes little or no comment, the child has an opportunity to learn from life.

In the Bible, Peter was allowed to experience a natural consequence of lack of faith when he stepped out of the boat in Matthew 14. After he began to sink, however, Jesus was there to help him. Jesus also allowed Peter to make the mistake of denying him three times. No lectures or rebukes were needed; just a look from the master’s eyes and Peter was overcome with remorse. Many times in the gospels, Jesus allowed life to be the teacher and he took on the role of counselor or coach.

Natural consequences often happen if we, as parents, learn to keep quiet. The four-year-old who goes out to play on a hot day wearing a turtleneck learns by experience. The six-year-old who chooses to skip snack because she wants to continue her game may feel the pain later. The ten-year-old who spends all his money on one thing may wish he had not done so. Each of these experiences can be a learning opportunity if the parent responds wisely.

The question then is how are we going to respond? These may be tempting opportunities for parents to condemn, lecture, or put down a child. When you identify these situations in life, they are excellent opportunities to come alongside, express empathy, and help a child learn problem-solving skills.

MOMENTS FOR MOM
By Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2009 - Used by permission

I have an eleven-year-old son which, for some reason, immediately conjures up the phrase no man’s land.  There’s just something about an eleven-year-old boy that seems so in-between.  He wants to be a man, he wants to play football, he wants me to teach him how to drive in parking lots.  And yet, he’s scared to start middle school (okay, I don’t care what age you are, any one would be scared to start middle school), he still tenderly holds my hand when we’re alone, and he doesn’t know what to do with his feelings. 

The other day we were driving around and I asked him about school starting…how do you feel about it, bud?  Not good, he said.  What about it is not good, I asked.  I don’t know, he replied.  

Okay then.  Glad we had this heart to heart, I’m thinking. 

This all-too-familiar exchange with him…me asking questions, him answering in less than a handful of monosyllabic words…made me think back to something a guy friend said to me years ago.  I was asking him what he felt about something and he said, without batting an eye and in all honesty, “If I ever figure out what I feel about something, I’ll tell you.” 

I have never forgotten that one line.  Probably because I couldn’t relate in the least.  I’m the kind of girl who knows what I’m feeling.  I’m the kind of girl who can name what I’m feeling, even if it’s seventeen feelings all at once.  And I can tell you to what degree and in order of priority.  I’m the kind of girl who journals about her feelings and, for the most part, knows how to express them.  Whether anyone else in my immediate world wants me to or not.  I get feelings.  I love feelings. 

As a mom, I believe it’s my responsibility to send my kids out into the world knowing what they feel about something and how to express it in a healthy way.  To realize that my son, if left to his own devices, would grow up like my guy friend and have no idea what he is ever feeling, let alone how to express it, was just unacceptable to me. 

So when we got home, I sat down at my computer and wrote up a list of six common feelings, along with their definitions, a list of synonyms, how to know when that’s what you’re feeling, and how to express that feeling in a healthy way.  And that list was our bedtime story that night.  It went so well, that he even asked me to “go over that one again” because I apparently struck a chord with one of them.  That list is taped next to his bed.  That list, I hope, is just the beginning of many good conversations as I prepare my son for the world.   

And, future daughter-in-law, you’re very welcome. 

Here, by the way, is my list…feel free to use it, add to it, whatever… 

Happy

Definition: in high spirits; satisfied

Synonyms: blessed, can't complain, cheerful, content, delighted, ecstatic, glad, grateful, joyful, laughing, peaceful, playful, thrilled

When you might feel this: When you get your way, when God answers a prayer, when you get a gift, when you do well on a test, when you get to do something fun…

How can you know this is what you’re feeling? You smile, laugh, feel good inside, want to keep feeling that way

What can you do to express this feeling in a healthy way? Laugh, thank Jesus, thank the person who helped you feel this way, you can look up a verse about being happy (Psalm 68:3)

Angry

Definition: being mad, often extremely mad

Synonyms: annoyed, displeased, enraged, furious, irritated, offended, resentful

When you might feel this: when someone irritates you, takes a toy away, turns the channel when you don’t want them to, interrupts you, makes you do something you don’t want to do or at a time you don’t want to do it

How can you know this is what you’re feeling? You might get hot, you might want to kick or punch something, you want to yell

What can you do to express this feeling in a healthy way? Quietly tell the person that you’re angry and why, tell Jesus about it and ask him to help you handle your anger well, talk to your Mom or Dad about it, journal about it, punch your pillow, count to ten, breathe deeply for a few moments, take a quick walk up and down the driveway, go play basketball, you can look up a verse about what God wants us to do about our anger (Ephesians 4:26)

How you shouldn’t express this feeling: Yell at the person, yell at someone else, slam doors, be disrespectful, hurt someone or yourself, keep it to yourself

Sad

Definition: unhappy, depressed

Synonyms: blue, dejected, despondent, down, down in the dumps, downcast, gloomy, heartbroken, heavyhearted, hurting, melancholy, troubled, weeping

When you might feel this: when someone says something that hurts your feelings, when you’re left out at school, when you don’t do well on a test or in a game, when you miss someone, when someone breaks a promise

How can you know this is what you’re feeling? You may cry, may feel tired, may not want to talk to anyone, you may want to be left alone

What can you do to express this feeling in a healthy way? You can talk to Jesus and ask him to help you feel better, you can talk to your Mom or Dad, you can journal about it, you can spend some time alone in your room or doing something by yourself, you can lie down for a little while, you can cry, you can make a list of five things you’re thankful for, you can look up a verse about being sad (Psalm 42:11)

Scared

Definition: frightened

Synonyms: afraid, anxious, fearful, panicky, startled, terrified

When you might feel this: during a thunderstorm, doing something that is a phobia

How can you know this is what you’re feeling? You might feel butterflies in your stomach, you might feel hot, your hands might get sweaty, you might have trouble sleeping or concentrating

What can you do to express this feeling in a healthy way? You can tell someone that you’re scared, tell Jesus and ask him to make you more brave, journal about it, hold someone’s hand, you can look up a verse about Jesus being with you when you’re scared (Joshua 10:25)

Lonely

Definition: feeling friendless

Synonyms: abandoned, alone, apart, by oneself, companionless, deserted, isolated, lonesome,  rejected, unbefriended, uncherished

When you might feel this: when you’re on the bus and not sitting next to anyone, when you don’t know anyone in your class or at lunch, when you don’t know anyone in a new sports team or club, when one or both of your parents are out of town, or when you’re out of town

How can you know this is what you’re feeling? You feel like you’re missing someone

What can you do to express this feeling in a healthy way? You can call, email or write the person you’re missing, you can tell Jesus about it and ask him to remind you that He’s with you, you can journal about it, you can look up a verse about Jesus being your friend (I John 4:11)

Worried/Confused

Definition: anxious, troubled, don’t know what to think about something, don’t understand something

Synonyms: afraid, apprehensive, concerned, distracted, distraught, distressed, disturbed, fearful, nervous, uneasy, upset,

When you might feel this: when you hear your parents’ fight, when you’re left home alone

How can you know this is what you’re feeling? You might feel butterflies in your stomach, you might imagine things to turn out badly (for instance, you might think that if your parents’ fight, it might mean they’ll get a divorce)

What can you do to express this feeling in a healthy way? You can talk to Jesus about this, you can talk to your Mom or Dad about this, you can journal about this, you can list off five things you’re thankful for, you can look up a verse about worrying (Matthew 6:34)

Elisabeth lives her with husband and children in Illinois.  She is the author of the devotionals, In Search of Calm: Renewal for a Mother’s Heart (Xulon), Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom’s Weary Soul (Kregel), and is excited to announce the fall release of He Is Just That Into You: Stories of a Faithful God who Pursues, Engages, and Has No Fear of Commitment (WinePress).  After ten years of leading Women’s Ministry and four years on staff at Christ Community Church – Blackberry Creek Campus over Adult Ministry and Community & International Impact, she is now devoting her time to speaking and writing.  Her passion is to encourage women and the Church, and applying her gifts to eradicating local and global AIDS.  You can learn more about Elisabeth at www.elisabethcorcoran.com or at elisabethcorcoran.blogspot.com/, and you can follow her on Twitter at ekcorcoran. 

 

TIPS AND TIDBITS
Beating the Back-to-School Budget Blues ~ http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02jul29f.cfm

 

Getting Up Early for School ~ Begin early to structure bedtimes for your children and yourself, so that first week or two of school won't be such a shock to bodies that had a more relaxed summer.

 

Hate to Iron? ~ Even if you don't hate ironing, there's the factor of time of which we all seem to come up short.  First, purchase liquid fabric softener on sale.  Pour about 1 inch into a 16 oz. spray bottle. When you take clothing from the dryer, hang on hanger and spray lightly with this liquid.  Give the garment a shake or swat at it your hand while on the hanger and the wrinkles will fall out.  Most shirts may not need any ironing at all this way!  Do I hear cheering out there? 🙂

 

Sewing Skills of a Child ~ http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5857/lauren.html

 

Flower Cathedral Window Quilt ~ This is an amazingly easy and beautiful quilt that can be made from plain white or beige muslin and lots of floral scraps you might already have, or from the many choices of cottons available in fabric stores.  Years ago I made a cathedral window square pocket with a Velcro enclosure in which to store a few essential sewing supplies, but this quilt, using the exact method is breathtakingly beautiful!  One of the ladies in our Sewing Bee brought one she had made, and I can out of my mind how gorgeous it was!  This is a project that can be done partly at the ironing board, sewing machine and by hand sewing at home or while traveling.  Start small with a pillow.  You may want to continue and go larger, making a wall hanging, table runner, small blanket or a quilt!   It's a "sew as you go" quilt.  There is no actual quilting the layers together at the end, because it's done as you go.  Check out the step-by-step directions.  You can do it, just as some children (above) have done!   http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5857/cathedralwindows.html 

Traveling with a Baby or Toddler ~ Our 17 month old grandson, Daniel, was recently going to be flying on an airplane with his parents for the first time.  Knowing how he likes to be down and walking around, his smart mama, Rachael, put together a bunch of videos of him and his family for him to watch on the airplane if he got to the point of wanting to get down.  After he was busy saying, "Hi" to everyone, the pull-down tray kept him busy for a good while.  After snacking, the DVD player with the videos came in handy and Daniel did great on the three hour trip above the clouds! 

 

Infant Reflux can be very frustrating for the baby and his parents!  This is what my daughter-in-law, Rachael Breneman, who is really "up on nutrition," did when their baby had infant reflux during his first few months of life.  She ordered Nature's Way Primadophilus - Children's in a powder form from www.i-herb.com.  It's for children from ages 0 to 5.  Rachael said they are a good company to order from and I've used them several times as well.  The brands are more trusted than in drug stores, the prices are better than at health food stores, and the order comes very quickly.

        She also said her doctor emphasized going off of all dairy, because that is a huge factor in reflux.  She did and that helped a lot, she said.  Breast milk is perfect for the baby, although it is best for the mother to be careful of foods that normally cause gas, which would be passed on to the baby.
        Rachael said, " I think Daniel's reflux was mainly from the dairy allergy.  I'm sure the Primadophilus helped a lot but the reflux didn't go away until I eliminated dairy from my diet.  As I studied the reflux issues Online, many babies were helped by their moms eliminating dairy.  What I'm not sure of is if Daniel would have outgrown it on his own because we went ahead and had allergy treatments from a natural doctor.  Anyway, he got better so that was definitely an answer to prayer for us!"

 

Too Many Tomatoes ~ If you have more than you can eat right now, save them for the winter with this quick and easy freezer method.  Cut out the green core on top, then turn the tomato upside down and cut a shallow "X" on the bottom.  Store the tomatoes in freezer bags.  Later when your recipe calls for tomatoes, remove what you need from the freezer and defrost them in the microwave. The shallow cut in the bottom of each tomato will make an easy job out of peeling off the skin.

 

Too Many Flies or Wasps ~ Miranda Chang in Hawaii sent this tip, which I will shorten for you. While eating in an enclosed patio restaurant, a couple of Ziplock bags were seen pinned to a post and a wall. The bags were half filled with water, each contained 4 pennies, and they were zipped shut. When asked why these bags were hanging around, the answer was, "To keep the flies away!"  This may sound silly, but research says that each of the millions of molecules of water presents its own prism effect and since flies have a lot of eyes, to them it's like a zillion disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a dizzying manner.  When you figure that flies are basically prey for many other insects, animals, birds, and our fly swatters, they simply won't take the risk of being around that much perceived action.  It's certainly worth a try!  Take a bag along on picnics and fasten to a pole or yardstick for more peaceful picnics!

 

Recipe for Cleaning Laminate Floors ~ A floor installer recommended this ratio: Equal parts of rubbing alcohol, white vinegar and water.  Then give the mixture a few small squirts of dishwashing liquid.  I used a cup of rubbing alcohol, white vinegar and water and added a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid.

Baking Cakes ~ Line cake pans with wax paper for easy cake removal from the pans without breaking.  Simply place the bottom of the cake pan on top of wax paper and score the paper with the tip of a pair of scissors.  I do this on a wooden cutting board, so the counter top doesn't get scratched.  Cut a little inside the line and place the paper into the bottom of the cake pan.  Pour in the batter.  After the cake is partially cooled, run a sharp knife all around the edge of the cake pan to loosen, and invert.  The kids will enjoy scraping remaining gooey cake from the wax paper with a rubber spatula.

 

"Italian Sausage" ~  Avoid sodium nitrates found in sausage by adding one whole packet of dry Italian salad dressing mix to one pound of lean ground chuck beef. 

 

Kroger Gas ~ The gas station attendant at Kroger suggested filling up both family cars on one month's Kroger gas points by filling up the second car before hanging up @@@@@@@@- for a savings of about $10. 

 

Heating Leftover Pizza ~ Grease a pan and heat leftover pizza on the stove top at medium-low for a delicious crisp crust.  No more soggy microwave pizza crusts.

 

10 Ways to Buy Organic Foods on the Cheap ~ http://www.stretcher.com/stories/07/07jul30f.cfm

 

Check Your Receipts ~ Clerks often make mistakes so check them over.  Last week I paid for a jar of coconut oil, but it was nowhere to be found when I got home. 

 

Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage ~ Source: www.desiringgod.org

Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage :: Desiring God

 

Our Changing World ~  This is very interesting in light of the world we are reaching for Christ and the way it is changing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY   Thanks to Mary Rice Hopkins in CA for sending this link.

 

Crafts from Trash ~ http://www.crafty-moms.com/plastic-trash.shtml  Ask your elementary school teachers what they would like you to save for school crafts. 

 

Solar Lights for Power Outages and Hurricanes ~ Outdoor solar lights are safer than candles for children to navigate their way in the dark.  Take them outside each day to recharge and bring them inside for night time light.  They're not bright enough for reading, but this saves on flashlight batteries.

 

Washing Baseball Caps ~ Place baseball caps on coffee cans in the dishwasher, add dishwasher detergent and run them through the wash and rinse cycle for clean caps!@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

 

A HELPFUL WAY OF SENDING OUT NEWSLETTERS OF MANY KINDS

 

Many of you will find this to be a helpful method (at no cost to you) for sending out family newsletters, as well as information concerning missions, ministry, homeschooling, church and Bible study groups, nutritional or sewing groups, etc. -- It's a service I have found to be extremely helpful since 2003 in sending out the Heart to Heart newsletters to so many women. 

 

Recently a subscriber asked how "Heart to Heart" is sent out.  She explained how messages her organization sends, when composed look nice and neat, but when they are sent out, they become disorganized with lots of spaces between sections and some missing sections.  She asked me to explain what I do to get Heart to Heart to look concise and neat.  

 

If you go to http://www.welovegod.org/, on the left hand side of the screen, you will see "Start e-mail group."  Click on that and follow the prompts.  In the application to start a new group on this website, be sure to check "html" so the format and various fonts you choose will remain the same when sent to others.  I hope you find this e-mail service useful.  Glen Stewart has given of his time since 1991 in sending newsletters for many of us, and will answer your personal questions and give help as needed.

 

EDUCATION ABOUT SHAMPOOS

From Everyday Cheapskate Newsletter by Mary Hunt - [email protected] - Used by permission

Dear Mary,
How do you buy shampoo?  So much of it is junk and hair salons charge quite a bit. How do you find good quality products for reasonable prices? Cindy V., e-mail

Dear Cindy,
All shampoos are 80 to 90 percent water. The rest is detergent with a few drops of fragrance, additives and preservatives. There are two kinds of detergent: anionic (harsh) and cationic (gentle). The secret to shampoo intelligence is to know your detergents. Pay little, if any, attention to the packaging except for the list of ingredients. Water (or some fancy name for H2O) will always be the first ingredient, followed by the detergent. Examples that you might find:

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - very harsh
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate - harsh
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - still harsh
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - mild, great choice
TEA Lauryl Sulfate - gentle, good choice
TEA Laureth Sulfate - gentle, also a good choice

When purchasing shampoo, consider two things: 1) price and 2) type of detergent. The "rinse and repeat" instruction you read on every shampoo bottle goes back to a marketing campaign one manufacturer created to increase sales. You can make your shampoo last twice as long if you skip the "repeat."

 

NOT JUST EYE CANDY: EDIBLE FLOWERS ... BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY
By Carole Jackson, Editor of Daily Health News, a free e-mail service of BottomLineSecrets.com and Boardroom Inc.
Sources: Michele Eccleston, herbalist, garden designer and wetland biologist living in Portland, Oregon. Her business, helps people create sustainable, natural spaces to grow edibles, herbs and native plants. www.thepurplegarden.com  
James Duke, PhD, is a world-renowned ethnobotanist and former USDA researcher. www.greenpharmacy.com

At the farmer’s market this weekend, I sampled a crisp, peppery purple and yellow ,flower. It was a Johnny-Jump-Up, with a faint taste of wintergreen. I also tried a daylily bud, which reminded me of fresh green beans. The grower showed me how appealing the flowers looked with his newly picked lettuces. Indeed, they were pretty enough to eat... and made a brilliant salad that evening.

Sensational Salad Days
Hungering for more -- flowers and information -- I called herbalist Michele Eccleston of Portland, Oregon, and James Duke, PhD, ethnobotanist and former USDA researcher, to learn more about which flowers are edible and what health benefits they bring to the plate.

According to Dr. Duke, all flowers contain protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and sugars. His Web site, www.greenpharmacy.com, makes it easy to find the precise chemicals in your favorite flowers. Most contain several antioxidants, including Vitamin C, but some also have particular health benefits:

• Violets, kin of the vivid Johnny-Jump-Up, add a grassy flavor to garnishes and desserts. These are a good source of rutin, believed to reduce capillary fragility.
  
• Borage, which hints at cucumber, is good in salads. It should be used sparingly, but can be helpful when you have a cold or cough.

  Lavender petals taste sweet and contain chemicals thought to benefit the central nervous system.

• Roses have a sweet, astringent flavor. Rose petals are rich in antioxidant-like polyphenols that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Different colors have different bioactive pigments -- and white has the least. Eccleston cautioned against eating the ones you buy in stores as they are grown with chemicals and dipped in fungicide.
  
• Nasturtiums, lemon gem marigold and calendula (petals only) are all delicious in salads, each bringing its distinct earthy flavor and color to the table, so to speak. The orange calendula (marigold) petals contain lycopene and other cancer-fighting nutrients, while the yellow ones are rich in lutein, which is good for the eyes.
  
• Daylilies contain Vitamin B and chemicals associated with reduced risk of heart disorders.
  
• Squash blossoms contain Vitamin A precursor carotenoids.

Mix these with fresh lettuces, dress lightly and admire your chef d’oeuvre before consuming it.

Sip Your Flowers
You can also steep edible flowers in hot water to make tea. While most people know of chamomile tea...

• Rose petals make tea with a distinctively floral flavor.

• Predictably, lemon verbena tastes lemony. You can use the leaves too.

• Scented geraniums have a sweet citrus flavor.

• Bee balm tastes of both mint and oregano.

• Hibiscus has a fruity, cranberry flavor and turns tea a deep red.

Do Your Research
Most edible flowers bloom between March and September. Violets (such as Johnny-Jump-Ups) appear early and other flowers follow in May, with many remaining in bloom until the first frost. Edible flowers can be annuals or perennials. They can be dried or frozen, but most lose their color, flavor and nutrient value over time.

Eccleston notes that every year, people are poisoned by plants because they don’t know what they are eating. It is important to research any wild plant so you know whether a particular flower is edible, and if so, which parts. For example, blue elderberry is edible, but red-berried elder is not... and all pistils and stamens usually need to be removed. Take classes, check out plant books and visit nurseries specializing in edible plants.

It’s best to eat only flowers you’ve grown so you know they have not been exposed to pesticides, lead-based paint (found around older buildings) or animal waste. Do not fertilize edible flowers with animal manure.

Let's Eat
A salad tossed with an assortment of edible flowers looks like a Monet painting -- it’s a naturally beautiful way to showcase them. Here are some others as well...

Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Skip the pasta. Stuff squash blossoms with cheese and herbs, dip in egg and flour and lightly sauté in a bit of olive oil. Eccleston cautions that you should only pick and prepare the male blossoms (the ones with stamen, which you should remove first). Leave the female blossoms on the plant so they can mature and become squash.

Herbal Sun Tea
Fill a one-gallon glass jar with filtered water and add a handful of one type or a combination of lavender flowers, rose petals, rose geranium (flowers and leaves), lemon verbena (flowers and leaves) and mint. Leave it to sit in the full sun to steep for four to six hours. The water turns a tea color as the herbs infuse into the water. Then, strain out the plants, place the tea in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Nasturtium salad dressing, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service
¾ cup canola oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar (or an edible flower vinegar)
three to four minced garlic cloves

Whisk together and blend well.

Add ½ cup nasturtium petals and ¼ cup snipped chives and florets. Gently blend and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over salad garnished with nasturtium flowers.

Finale
For a delightful summer dessert, Eccleston suggests mixing crushed lavender petals with coconut sorbet or ice cream. Eat on a hot summer evening... while sitting in the garden, naturally.

GOD, MY PROTECTOR

It is so important that we parents pray for each one of our children (and that includes their spouses and their children) every day.  This is a testimony of God's protection on Chris Klinect, the son of a "Heart to Heart" friend, Debbie Klinect in Florida.  Chris is in the Air Force, working at the fire station.

 

August 7, 2009 at 10:37 A.M.

By Chris Klinect

Last night I was working at the fire station and responded to a call for a vehicle accident on the highway. I was driving the fire engine and when we arrived on scene the medics were already helping the patient and there really wasn't much for us to do. We finished up and were returning to the fire station when we all heard a load blast like a bomb going off and the fire truck started to shake really bad. I was able to maintain control of the truck and slow it to a stop. We got out to see what had happened and saw that the right rear tire had blown out. I completely tore up the wheel well and damaged some of the compartments on that side of the truck. As we were all talking about what had happened some comments were made about how they were thankful that I was driving the truck because I'm a good guy and there was definitely someone watching out for me. I'm so very grateful that God is sovereign and that everything happens in His timing. The tire blow out happened about a mile after I had turned off the highway and onto the rode leading up to the bases gate. If that had happened while we were on the highway things probably would have turned out very differently. I hope this "accident" will open up conversations about God's protection and sovereignty at work.

Romans 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge —
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

 

 

ADORABLE KIDS
Thanks to these "Heart to Heart" subscribers for their great kids' quotes!
These first three adorable kids' quotes are from Sarah Fenzel Escalera in Virginia:

A few nights ago we were playing outside and my husband, Stephen, decided to go in a little before me, so I asked him if he could to let me know the time.  After he called down the time, Jeremiah, 4, looks at me and says, “Mommy, it would be really cool if you had a timer on your arm then you wouldn’t have to ask Papi to tell you the time.”   Uhmmmm, that would be a watch….nothing new under the sun!

Natalie, 2, saw a port-a-potty at the end of a road that was under construction and said, "Mommy, loot!  There's a bafroom in de road!" 

My husband, Stephen, was waiting in the van with the kids while I ran into the library.  Natalie, 2, saw a small plane flying outside her window and said, “Papi, loot a baby airplane!”

 

Liz Smith in Washington was informed by her daughter that she (Madelyn, 2) has a plug (otherwise known as a pacifier) factory in South America.

 

My niece, Diane Fenlason in Montana, told me how she and her husband called the baby in her tummy "Baby Roo" all during her pregnancy.  She also mentioned how her belly button was turned inside-out by the end of the pregnancy.  Their kids would come up to her belly and talk to "Baby Roo" all the time.  One day Diane was showing Kyle, 7, how the baby was moving.  She said she didn't know if that was her elbow or her knee.  Kyle said. "Oh!  I don't know either, but I think that's her nose," pointing to Diane's inside-out belly button, protruding through her shirt!

 

 

BABY CONGRATULATIONS!

Samara Brianne Fenlason was born on July 31, 2009 to Brian and Diane Fenlason.  "Samara" means "protected by God", a name given to her after He saved her life just in time through a C-section, after a very high heartbeat.  The three siblings, Victoria, Timothy and Kyle, are so excited that "Baby Roo" is finally here.  The family makes their home in Montana. 

 

  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 [email protected].  New subscribers will receive a "Start-Up Kit." 

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