Quote from Forum Archives on June 29, 2013, 4:44 pm

Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>

  HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER

 ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
 

 Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman    

http://heartfilledhome.blogspot.com  

A categorized storehouse of information for you from past newsletters,

plus a second blog just for recipes! 

 http://heartfilledhomerecipes.blogspot.com/  

   ~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~

July 2013  Boredom Busters, Marriage, Sibling Rivalry, Corn Trick, Chicken Muffins

~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~ 

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: 

 New Subscribers: Please e-mail your name, city, state, and name of your referral person to jhbreneman@juno.com. 
Example of New Subscriber Info:  Sunny Marlow - Gatlinburg, TN - Referral: Joy Blake in PA
Change of E-mail Address: Name: Deb York - Old: deby@yahoo.com - New: deby@gmail.com
To Unsubscribe: Please reply to this newsletter. (Yahoo subscribers are not on Master List)
Please do not use heart2heart@welovegod.org to subscribe, unsubscribe or correspond.
It is used to send newsletters except to Yahoo subscribers.  Thanks so much!

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

BOREDOM BUSTERS
40 WAYS TO BE PRESENT IN YOUR CHILD'S DAY
AN AMAZING SHUFFLE OF LETTERS!

DROP A PEBBLE IN THE WATER
MARRIAGE TIPS

HELP WITH SIBLING RIVALRY

MAGIC CORN TRICK
HOW TO PEEL POTATOES FAST!

CHICKEN PARMESAN MUFFINS
RECIPES FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY

GOOD STATISTIC FOR PARENTS

PRECIOUS GEMS
HIS GRACE

 

 

BOREDOM BUSTERS
If your children or grandchildren are already bored this summer, the following newsletter from the Heart to Heart archives will provide plenty of ideas of good things for your kids to do - a resource to help you be intentional in having a fun and productive summer. 

You will find activities on the list not only for children, teens, and families, but also for singles, couples before children, empty-nesters, and retirees.  There's something for everybody!  Learn some new skills, have fun, and share with others this summer!
175 Things to Do with Your Family, Photos, Proverbs Book
 

40 WAYS TO BE PRESENT IN YOUR CHILD'S DAY
by Tricia Goyer - Tricia Goyer Ink - www.triciagoyer.com - Used by permission

The true gifts of life lie in the moment. That is why we call it the present. ~ Author Unknown

In the midst of a busy day it’s easy for mamas to think of our children as “tasks” rather than as “hearts” we need to connect with. I sometimes struggle with putting my kids before my to-do list. After all, I can mark things off my to-do list as “done.” With kids, they are never done.

 

It hurts my heart to realize what my kids see and experience on some days: a busy, distracted mom who orders their lives instead of really seeing them.

 

“If young children live in the present and adults spend most of their time in the past or in the future, we have abandoned our children to some degree,” says Becky Bailey, PH.D., author of I Love Your Rituals.

How often are your children present but abandoned in your day?

Do you expect them to be able to entertain themselves so you can get your work done? Do you use the television or video games to keep your kids occupied more than you should so you can focus on your work? I’ve been guilty of both.

 

Yet, I also know children can only entertain themselves for so long. Children will do what it takes to get our attention. Won’t they?

 

“We get caught up in our obligations and tasks and lose sight of our children until they ‘get in trouble’ (displease us) or ‘do something special’ (please us),” says Bailey. “On these occasions, children received our undivided attention—negative or positive. Neither type of attention is helpful or healthy. . . . To break this cycle, adults must take charge and establish strong relationships with children. They must make time to ‘be’ with their children. This time must be commanded and orchestrated by adults, not demanded by children.”

We must give our children attention—real, focused, positive attention. I’ve found when I spend even ten or fifteen minutes with my children at regular intervals during the day, they are happy to entertain themselves or play positively with their siblings at other times. When our child’s love tank/attention tank is full, then he or she has fuel to feed other positive relationships.

 

Each moment in our day we have the choice to be present. Our children will not only benefit from it, but we will reap the rewards.

 

40 Ways to Be Present in Your Child’s Day

1. Sing “This Little Piggie Went to Market” as you put on your child’s socks.
2. Make eye contact when your child asks you a question.
3. Use different voices when reading a bedtime story.
4. Play horsey ride.
5. Take a deep breath and say a prayer thanking God for “right now.”
6. Get on the floor and invite your child to join you.
7. Create a gratitude journal with your kids and add to it through the day.
8. Put down your smart phone. Set it aside and pick it up and check it once and hour.
9. Write things you appreciate about your kids on post-it notes and repeat these things often.
10. Add a sprinkling of love to your child’s lunch. Ask, “What is one thing I can do to show my child I love him/her during this meal?”
11. Ignore the dishes, the laundry, the vacuuming for the first hour of the day and start the day off with your child.
12. Teach your child a finger play you knew as a child.
13. Find ways to say “Yes” rather than “No.”
14. Start again if a moment’s not going right. Call out, “Do over!”
15. Reflect on what your child is doing at that moment. “You are standing on one leg. You are jumping up and down.” Don’t feel you have to praise for no reason … kids just enjoy the focused attention.
16. Teach your child a simple chore.
17. Slow down. Take twice as long as you plan on doing something, and do it with your child.
18. Tell your child about an experience you had when you were his/her age.
19. Soak in your child’s stories. Ask for more details.
20. Ask your child what he/she would like to do for ten minutes. Set a timer and have fun.
21. Go into the yard and see what type of creatures you can find.
22. Play Simon Says.
23. Tell your child than you are so thankful he/she is part of your family.
24. In your mind trade places. How does your child see you in that moment? How do you want your child to see you?
25. Call a friend or family member with your child, just to say, “Hi.”
26. Exercise together!
27. Bring out your photo album and share a special memory.
28. Offer a hug.
29. Host a family meeting and highlight things your family can look forward to and things your family is doing right.
30. Catch your child doing something right.
31. Ask your child to help you with whatever your working on.
32. Go on a lunch date.
33. See how high you can count as a team.
34. Visit the library.
35. Tell your child about the first week after they were born.
36. Tell your child the meaning of her name.
37. Memorize a Bible verse together.
38. Turn off the Television
39. Forgive yourself. Don’t let your mind wander to the past and all the ways you’ve messed up as a parent. Give that to God.
40. If you find yourself thinking/worrying about the future file that away for later when your kids are in bed. Better yet, give that to God, too!

Now . . . what can you add to this list? I’d love to know!

Blessings,

Tricia, TriciaGoyer.com

AN AMAZING SHUFFLE OF LETTERS!
Source unknown

WORD                                          REARRANGE LETTERS

 

DORMITORY                                DIRTY ROOM
ASTRONOMER                            MOON STARER

DESPERATION                            A ROPE ENDS IT
THE EYES                                     THEY SEE
THE MORSE CODE                    HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES                        CASH LOST IN ME
ANIMOSITY                                  IS NO AMITY
ELECTION RESULTS                  LIES LET'S RECOUNT
SNOOZE ALARMS                       ALAS NO MORE Z'S
A DECIMAL POINT                      I'M A DOT IN PLACE
THE EARTHQUAKES                  THAT QUEER SHAKE
ELEVEN PLUS TWO                   TWELVE PLUS ONE

 

DROP A PEBBLE IN THE WATER
by James W. Foley (1847-1939) ~ Thanks to Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania for sending this poem!

Drop a pebble in the water, just a splash, and it is gone;
But there are half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water; in a minute you will forget,
But there are little waves a-flowing and there are ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go.
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started the flow.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there are half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave,
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;
But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy circling yet.
And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard,
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

MARRIAGE TIPS

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - 2013

Show love and consideration to your spouse in the everyday things of life.
Look for little ways to serve and show him your kindness and appreciation. 

Speak softly with kindness in your tone of voice.  It makes a difference.
Praise him for working to support the family, for being a great father, etc.
Pray for your husband.
Pray with your husband.

This link has many constructive ways to pray for your husband and children:

http://www.heartfilledhome.blogspot.com/search/label/Prayer

HELP WITH SIBLING RIVALRY
by Lois Breneman ~ Heart to Heart ~ 2013

I like the advice I once heard Dr. James Dobson give concerning sibling rivalry.  He said something to this effect:  When your children are quarreling, have them sit down and look them straight in the eye as you tell them how in their life they will surely encounter some people in the world who will disagree with them and may not even like them.  Then let them know that the people inside the walls of your home are on the same team and we have each other's best interest at heart and will support each other, no matter what.  Assure them that when no one else will stick up for them, their parents, sisters and brothers will, and I might add that their grandparents will!

Another piece of advice I heard somewhere was this:  When your children are fighting, put a stop to it and have each one say one nice thing about the other person, such as a good character quality, a talent, or positive remark concerning the other person.

When your children misbehave, tell them you love them too much to allow them to misbehave like that.

It's too bad I never heard these remedies when my children were young.  I do remember having them wash a window after fighting one another, with one on the inside of the kitchen door window and the other on the outside.  It wasn't always a surefire way of disciplining.  Sometimes they would stick out their tongues and make faces, but every now and then it did make them laugh!

Whatever quarreling and fighting our children went through with each other as kids, it's worth it now to see them all getting along with each other wonderfully, and loving each other's children as well.  We just enjoyed a week together at the beach earlier this month, and it was such a joy to be together and enjoy our family of thirteen in 2013, with being blessed with our newest grandchild only three months earlier!  We try as much as possible to get all of the family together at least once or twice every year, even if we are all spread out.  Now that John is retired, we are hoping to spend more time with each family for a week at a time.  They tell us about various projects they have for us to lend them a hand.  We really enjoy helping them and spending time with each one, and are thankful that they ask us to come.

MAGIC CORN TRICK

Source: /holmfamilycookbook.com/

When it comes to cooking, I will take shortcuts to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as I can as long as it does not impact the flavor of the dish I am making.  When I discovered this magic corn cooking trick I was elated because there is minimal cleanup.  I don't have to spend a lot of time trying to get the silk off of the corn, and the overall prep and cook time is shorter.  An additional bonus of the magic corn trick is that I don't boil all of the nutrients out of the corn.

Are you ready for this?  Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat or an ear of corn out of the husk.

1. Remove a few of the outer husks that might be dirty.
2. Cut the bottoms off of the corn.  Be sure to cut above the part of the cob where the husk is attached.  It would be above the part of the cob where it starts to round down.
3. Place a moist paper towel on the bottom of the microwave or on top of the carousel and place the corn on the paper towel.
4. Use this guide for your cook time.  Remember the cook time can vary for each microwave.
   1 ear - 2 minutes
   2 ears - 3-4 minutes
   3 ears - 5-6 minutes
   4 ears - 7-8 minutes
   6 ears - 8-9 minutes
5. After cooking, let the corn sit about 2 minutes.  It will continue to cook and will be cooler and easier to handle.  If you let it sit too long, the silk will stick to the ear and will be harder to clean.
6. Pick the cooked corn up by the top (you might want to use an oven mitt if it is too hot to handle) and squeeze and lightly shake out the ear of the corn.  It should just slide out leaving the silk and all of the husks intact.
7. Just like magic, your corn is cleaned and cooked!

HOW TO PEEL POTATOES FAST!
How to peel potatoes fast - YouTube
This works great and is perfect for preparing potato salad and mashed potatoes!

 

CHICKEN PARMESAN MUFFINS

Yields: 1 dozen

1 ½ lbs. raw ground chicken breast (Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be ground in food processor or pulsated in the blender.)
1 large egg
1 egg white
6 Tbsp. dried breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
3/4  tsp. sea salt
1/3 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup pasta sauce
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (save for topping at end of baking period)
Optional: dried parsley, oregano or basil for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin with coconut oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, egg whites, breadcrumbs, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Mix all together.
3. Form the meat mixture and place evenly in the 12 cups of your prepared muffin tin. Spread the pasta sauce evenly over the top of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Top each muffin with a tablespoon of shredded cheese and bake in oven for another 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese.  Garnish with fresh herbs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECIPES FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY
allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/4th-of-july/

 

GOOD STATISTIC FOR PARENTS
Thanks to Leslie Lobdell in Arkansas for sharing this quote!

"Parents have between 3000-4000 hours a year to disciple their child. Church staff members have less than 100 hours."  Our children are our #1 mission field!

PRECIOUS GEMS
As always, ladies, thanks so much for these cute kids' quotes!  I love them!

Me: "You are going to Gram-B's house today.  I have to go to the doctor and get a shot and I am not taking you with me."
Brooklyn: "You get a shot?"
Me: "Yep."
Brooklyn: "You not cry. Otay?  You be weally brave.  You have to. Dats what you have to do. Yike me." ~ Lauren in Virginia

 

Dinner conversation went like this:

Gracie: Mom, Sophie (one of our neighbor's kids who is 5 or 6) told me she had a boyfriend, and his name is Andrew.
Me: Oh really.
Grace: Yes, but don't worry I told her she was too little for that and that she should wait until she was married to have a boyfriend.
WOW...where do I begin with that one! hahah! ~ Maria in Virginia

Tonight when we were getting ready to have prayer time Eva (6) wanted "to read about the two brothers, Cable?  Cable? No, what were their names?" she said. ~ Elizabeth in Virginia

Savannah (5): "Mom, there are no stickers on my folder this week.  You know why?  We are practicing for next year.  Because in first grade you have to be good even without getting a sticker.  Can you believe that?" ~ Lauren in Virginia

After explaining to Austin (5) why there aren't baby chick's in eggs from the store, he says, "Well, we can sit on them to keep them warm.  Maybe that would help."  Love conversations with the little man. ~ Emily in Virginia|

Malakai (5): "I'm NOT a little kid.  I'm smaaaalll to the ground!" ~ Danielle in Alabama

The kids bought Rob cologne for Father's Day.  Tonight Eva (6) was asking what it is exaqctly.  I told her it was man perfume.  She said, "So it doesn't smell like flowers and yoummy, like your perfume.  But it probably smells like sawdust or grease."  Haha, I love my kid!! ~ Elizabeth in Virginia

Me: "Amiya, why are you looking at me instead of obeying?"
Amiya (5): "Because you are so beautiful, Momma, and you are a great mom.  God job, Mommy."
Smooth talker!  Nice try, kid! ~ Danielle in Alabama
 

 

HIS GRACE

by Annie Johnson Flint

His grace is great enough to meet the great things -
The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul,
The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless,
The sudden storms beyond our life's control.
His grace is great enough to meet the small things -
The little pin-prick troubles that annoy,
The insect worries, buzzing and persistent,
The squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy.

May God's grace be sufficient to meet your every need!

 

 

Ladies, I would love to hear from you anytime!
Simply reply to any newsletter and share your thoughts with me.

Let me know what you like best and least about the newsletter.
I'm always looking for cute quotes from kids (old or new would be great)!

I pray each of you found something in this edition to bless, encourage and teach you!
Please remember to pray for each dear Heart to Heart lady and her family,
because so many ladies are going through very tough times and need our prayers!
Some have lost loved ones, others have lost jobs, homes, or their good health.
Pray each day for the protection of our troops, and for their families left at home,
as well as adjustment and employment after they return home.
God bless you and your family and keep you in His loving care!
Your "Heart to Heart" friend
Lois

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.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: heart2heart-unsubscribe@welovegod.org