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The Heart to Heart Newsletter, created by Lois Breneman in 1999, has been sent around the world for sixteen years to ladies is in fifty states and sixty-two countries. Our purpose at Heart to Heart is to encourage women and create biblical values in their day to day living.
Should you prefer simple text email or to unsubscribe please send me an email with your request. Categorized topics from archived newsletters can be found on Lois Breneman's blog.
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If you would like to submit an article for publication, please email the current editor, Michelle Gill, at standandsee@outlook.com a Word document with 400 to 700 words. The subject and content should match the purpose and values of this newsletter.
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I AM YOURS, YOU ARE MINE
by Michelle Gill
Our relationship with Jesus seems to have stages and seasons like all relationships. There are rhythms in all of nature, so I assume the seasons are intentional in our growth as well. When my dad was sick and dying, my twelfth through sixteenth years, God's presence was evident and was about fact. Even in an insecure environment as a child, I knew Jesus was with me. I knew the truth. But when my first husband got the simple flu at the healthy age of twenty-seven and died, Jesus burned in me, like my heart was made of wood and he used a burner, that I am His and He is mine.
When I would wake in the night and realize again that I was now alone, I could hear Him. The Word says in Zephaniah that He sings over us and for that season He allowed me to hear Him. (I posted on my blog an experience when someone praying over me could also hear it.) I did not audibly hear Him but I would wake and a song would be rolling through my mind. I cannot carry a tune and sometimes I would not even be familiar with the song but I would hear the words and the music. I would wake in the morning unable to think of being alive yet another day and He would fill me with Himself, so I could literally get off of the floor and amazingly at times in joy and always in peace. My daughter was only four so she would talk to me daily of daddy. I would look up and ask Him to help me, and He gave me words and kept me together. He would send people at just the right time. He placed me in a church six months prior to the Christmas flu tragedy that knew how to take care of me. For two months they fed me and my family, sent me encouraging messages, helped me move, fix my house, and provided for me. He kept whispering to me over and over again that "I am yours and you are Mine!"
Now I am remarried and Casi is eight years old. I was reading The Circle Maker the other day and was touched by the quote of the author regarding his father-in-law. He wrote, "He had a familiarity with God that was disarming." I just sat there and cried. Oh to know Him like that.
Then a short while later I went to let the dog out and opened my front door and there sat a box. In the box was homemade applesauce, a dozen fresh eggs, frozen ground beef, butter, home canned green beans and pickles, organic ketchup, a roll of paper towels, a gift card to the grocery store, and a little art sign that read "SHE KNEW THAT THE LORD WAS WILD ABOUT HER." I can't tell you in words what that meant to me. I have no idea who it was from. Maybe someone left it at the wrong house, I don't know but I know God meant it for me. The thoughtfulness of the homemade items to care for me and the statement on the art piece allowed me to hear it from His mouth. It made me feel again that He sees me, really sees me and knows me.
So if someone who reads this newsletter gave me that box, Thank you! You have no idea how nurturing it was for me. He says to each one of you "I AM YOURS AND YOU ARE MINE." Let Him care for you and show you His sweetness. He is able to heal all. His tenderness knows no limits.
Follow Michelle on her blog at www.michellegill.us
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"How do I do it?"
used with permission by Gina Martin
I get questions like this often.
"So, can you tell me how you do it? 🙂 how you manage to be a mother/raise children, grow more than a quick, average garden, read more books than many mothers manage to get around to, make all sorts of delicious recipes, and who knows how many other pursuits you have...home decorating? Sewing, canning, cleaning..."- Karissa
In the past I wrote about How to Do It All - the answer to my frustrations to not getting everything done that I wish.
I really don't do everything, even if it looks like it. Blogging can give a distorted picture of life. Like every other mom, I have to put food on the table. I just snap a picture of it (my children say that I take far too many pictures of food). And occasionally I pull out one of those photos and type up the recipe to share with all of you blog friends. But I hate to think that I might contribute to your discouragement because of blogging.
Every mom is busy. I don't think I do anything more than most moms, I just write about it, and somehow that makes it appear like more. Like everyone else, including you, I wake up in the morning and do one thing, and then one more, and on through the day. I don't get nearly everything done that I wish. My to-do list is never all checked off. But with one thing at a time, something gets done. At the end of the day I read a few pages and somehow those few pages turn into books by the end of the year.
One thing at a time. Or as Elisabeth Elliot used to say "Do the next thing."
Of course there are many other facets. We all have seasons of life. We all have times when even the bare necessities of life are hard to accomplish, when even putting a meal on the table looks like an impossibility.
Also our background and training make a huge impact on our present lives.
I grew up in a large farming family. As the oldest daughter I had the experience of cooking vast amounts of food, doing huge piles of laundry, and canning bushels of tomatoes. I learned many shortcuts and today I can fly through a pile of ironing, zip through sewing a dress, and cook a meal while holding a baby.
Maybe you had to start from scratch at learning homemaking skills. Give yourself a break and don't fall into the comparison trap. And waiting behind that is the Perfectionist Trap.
I heard an older mom say that she was a good plodder. She was a talented woman with a many children who accomplished a huge amount. But she didn't have any secrets, she only said that she as a good plodder. Every morning she woke up, put one foot in front of another, and moved through her day. With years of faithfully, day after day, showing up, doing one thing at a time, the results are amazing.
Plodding might not sound exciting. But I have seen its effectiveness.
Follow Gina on her blog at www.homejoys.blogspot.com.
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Two Parents Living in Separate Homes Raising One Child
Used with permission by Amanda Jasek
To be apart from your child for any length of time is challenging but when days go by it makes the challenge even harder. If you are like me or know someone living this out, today my hope is that I can send some encouragement your way through my story and what I have learned in this six year process.
At only eight months old her daddy and I separated. As in most divorces it was painful, messy and scary. Dealing with our emotions while deciding what to do with the house, the items in the house, but most of all, our precious baby would be quite a journey. How could we agree to go days without seeing her? And so, the divorce/custody process began. After many lawyer visits, co-parenting counseling and court visits the decision was made: Mommy’s house Thursday evening to Friday morning and Daddy’s house from Friday evening to Thursday morning every other week.
Insecurity was huge for me. Questions of her loving dad and his family more to forgetting me while she was away were hard. The best of all was, “I’m not really a mom because I don’t have my child full time.” It wrecked me. Friends and family were scared too and so I prayed. I remember it so clearly, while I was praying over all these emotions I felt this inner strength come over me and it became so clear - “I am her momma no matter where she is.” I realized that no matter how many people we encounter in life, there is no replacing Mommy and Daddy. Realizing my role is where my confidence as a momma began to blossom. Yes the insecurities still pop up, but God has been and is so faithful to carry me through into a new vision and strength to carry on.
A few things I practice are:
1. Words. NEVER speak ill of Daddy. He is her heart and I want to nurture that relationship as best I can.
2. Share. If it is my week with her but something important is going on that Dad wants her to be a part of, I am totally OK with it.
3. Stay engaged. Even though I am not in the home, I keep the relationship open with her dad so in the event she is sick and needs Mommy I can be there.
4. Encourage. There are only two people that are going to love this kid alike…. Mom and Dad! Encourage each other of that.
5. Pray. When a child is away from the other parent it is special to cover the other parent in prayers.
6. Honesty. A child is not to be split between parents. Sometimes their heart hurts not being with the other parent and that is OK. Allow honesty to flow.
7. Confidence. Be confident in who you are as the parent which provides security.
8. Structure. What happens at your house does not sway based on what happens at the other home.
9. Talk. If there is something that concerns me I chat with her dad about it.
10. Trust. Trust that the other parent does have the best interest of the child at heart.
11. Together. When a new person is brought into her dad’s life as I am re-married, the “mission statement”, if you will, is “you marry him you marry me.” We are two parents, two homes…. one mission.
Each family has its own challenges this I know but I encourage you to be the best that you can be! Pray most, forgive often and embrace each day moment by moment. And for those times when people ask me where my girl is, I simply reassure them she is with her daddy because she needs both of us. Most people will react to it the way you respond to it. Be confident and remember no competition is to be had. We each have special roles in her life.
Follow Amanda on her blog at http://2himigo.wordpress.com.
As the journey of blending a family & co-parenting continue, there are many growth opportunities Amanda is discovering along the way. With her determination to know God on an intimate level, and her dedication to study the Bible, she has learned many truths – some discovered through tears and some in moments of joy. It is her passion to share those truths with other women so they too can experience freedom and obtain courage to continue in the journey of life. Amanda Jasek has been married to her "love from above" for 3 years. She and her husband, Aaron, reside in VA with their 3 daughters named Alyssa, Stephanie and Madalynn.
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Even if you try to eat healthy and even if you are maintaining a healthy weight, you most likely are doing something that is extremely detrimental to your health. You probably do it for hours upon hours each day and don’t give it a second thought.
What’s the dangerous habit? Sitting! Individuals spend record amounts of time sitting now and it may be killing us. Even if you fit in regular exercise time each week, if you are spending the rest of your time plopped down in a chair then you are at risk.
According to the Institute for Medicine and Public Health, it's likely that you spend a stunning 56 hours per week sitting on your bum. That’s an average of eight whopping hours per day idle in your seat.
A study from Australian researchers published two years ago found that spending more than four hours a day in front of a computer or television was associated with a doubling of serious heart problems, even among people who exercised regularly.
Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, concurs. She says “for people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking.”
Wow, that is staggering. And most likely comes as quite a shock to most. After all, we’ve been presented with guidelines that urge us to participate in three hours of brisk exercise a week in order to stay fit. If we do that, then we pat ourselves on the back and feel we have met our goals.
But based on this surprising data related to sitting, we can’t just meet our weekly exercise goals and then sit back. We must evaluate our entire daily physical activity efforts.
"Independent of weight and independent of physical activity and all of these other things that can lead to long-term health problems, the more we sit, the more likely that bad things happen in the body," says Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C.
Garry Sigman, MD, director of the pediatric obesity program of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., agrees. "We evolved from a place where we needed to walk around a lot and not sit still to survive, and now in modern society, there is more opportunity where we sit and that is not healthy for more than one reason," he says.
So, we must find a way to return to our ancestral beginnings while living in our modern world. For thousands of generations our environment demanded nearly constant physical movement in order to survive. We may not have that same survival need today but if we want to live a long, healthy life then we should return to that survival mode.
Here are some ways to slash our sitting times significantly and to move well beyond just our scheduled weekly exercise time.
• Watching t.v. This is a pretty obvious change. Stop watching so much t.v. We almost always sit when viewing the television. So, if you just can’t break ties with your much-loved weekly show, then at least modify your viewing time by watching while on a treadmill, or while standing.
• If you have a desk job, see if your company would be willing to give you a working treadmill work station.
• At your job, suggest walking meetings. Instead of the years-old tradition of meeting in a conference room and plopping down for hours on end, suggest taking your group meeting outdoors for a walk. You’ll be amazed how your brain can think outside-of-the-box too when your body is moving. It’s a win-win for both body and mind.
• Don’t just plop down in a fold up chair at your kids’ weekend sport activities. Stand or even pace throughout the game.
• Don’t send a co-worker an email or call them, walk to their desk and stand to discuss pertinent business.
• Instead of sitting on your couch while chatting on the phone with a friend, pace throughout your house.
• Don’t spend hours seated while playing video games. Enjoy an active version like Wii or Kinect.
• Set your phone timer to remind you to get up every 10 minutes, even if just for one minute. That can have significantly positive effects. Once you master this habit, consider changing it to a one minute break every five minutes that pass.
• If you have a disability that inhibits you from standing, please talk to a physician/physical therapist for movement ideas specific to your individual needs.
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Susan Belisle has provided some helpful Scriptures on Wellness in Body in her blog: http://susanbelisle.com/pdfs/Scriptures-on-Wellness-in-Body.pdf
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Juice for Energy
by Michelle Gill
This is my recipe for my afternoon pick me up. I can definitely tell the difference in my energy level when I juice and when I don't. I use an auger type juicer because I juice greens. 6-8 ounces a day is enough for me.
This recipe makes two servings. I keep one in a mason jar in the fridge for the next day. It not only has energizing properties but also anti-inflammatory properties.
6 leaves of kale
1 cucumber
2 carrots
1 beet
hand full of cilantro
1 inch of ginger root
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![lemongrass.PNG]() Lemongrass Essential Oil - Cymbogpogon Flexuousus
"This is how my story with lemongrass began and how it has become my favorite essential oil. I had achilles tendonitis for years which led to scar tissue cists on my achilles and caused me quite a bit of pain from time to time as it became inflamed. I must have read something that gave me the idea to rub it on my achilles. I found relief! A friend had tried all sorts of things for her achilles, as I had, and she too has found relief with simply rubbing with a drop or two of lemongrass essential oil. I then began to offer it to family members as they had joint injuries and pain and they too found significant relief. My mother then began to take one drop a day orally and finally became pain-free from her osteoarthritis in her hips. I believe all these successes are from the anti-inflammatory effect that lemongrass has on the body."
- Michelle Gill
Taken from my article on Susan Belisle Ministries website. I am her guest blogger this week on essential oils! Check out the whole article and the doTERRA Lemongrass essential oil GIVEAWAY at www.susanbelisle.com
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The Accent Bow Pillow
used with permission by Lindee Katdare
The “Accent Bow Pillow” is one of the easiest to make and instantly changes a simple pattern. You can use a variety of designs and colors. I think even an opposing color or pattern for the bow would be pretty. I might try that next time…
Here is how to make your own.
Supplies:
1-1 yard of fabric
2-Scissors, needle, thread
3-sewing machine
4-polyester fiber fill or 16×16 pillow
Steps:
1-Cut your fabric into two 16×16 squares.
2-Cut additional strip approximately 9×18. (you can cut it wider than 9″ to make a wider bow if you choose.)
3-Fold the strip over (ugly fabric side up) long edge to long edge.
4-Sew edges together on your machine.
5-Turn inside out and iron so the seam is in the middle.
6- Tie a knot in the middle of the fabric.
7-Place knotted fabric on top side of pillow and pin in place.
8-Place fabric face to face (with bow in place) and sew the squares together. Leave an opening to stuff with the poly fill or if you are using a pillow, leave one end open to slide pillow in.
9-Sew opening closed.
Congratulations! You have made a your own “Accent Bow Pillow.”
Lindee Katdare - American wife to this Indian life. I am a right-brained, American woman married to a left-brained Indian man. I love art, design, up-cycling and multiple DIY projects at the same time. He loves simplicity and saving a dime. Follow us on this cultural collision at www.thelindeetree.com.
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Easy fix for draft under your door!
Instructions:
Measure width of door.
Cut a piece of fabric that length plus 1" for 1/2 "seam allowance on each end and about 5" wide (depending on how big of a gap you have under your door).
Fold with wrong sides together lengthwise and serge leaving one end open.
Fill with dried pinto beans and sew end closed.
- Provided by Mary Westmoreland
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Compiled by Lois Breneman
Thanks, ladies, for your permission to include your children's quotes in Heart to Heart!
Amiya (7): "Mommy, did you know Jesus knows everyone's name in Spanish too!?"
I asked Malakai (7) if he liked his snack. His answer: "Okay, Mom, let me tell you something so you can know next time. If I eat all of it, that means I liked it and I ate all of it, so, you know..." ~ Danielle in Alabama
Malakai (7): "Do bosses have a job other than following people around all day?" ~ Danielle in Alabama
You know your 4 year old is growing up too fast when you tell her to go get the stool and she comes back in high heel shoes instead... It works though. ~ Jennifer in Virginia
Me: "Hey, Charlotte, tell me some words that start with the letter A."
Charlotte (4): "B"
Me: "No, like Apple, Annabelle, Aquaman, or Apricot."
Charlotte: "Oh! I know what an Apricot is!"
Me: "What is it?"
Charlotte: "It's when you choke on the food in your mouth...hey, did you know that the moon and the sun are friends, but the clouds don't like the sun?" ~ Promise in Virginia
Overheard at my house from the bedroom of a two year old not interested in taking a nap- "Knock, knock. Anybody home?" ~ Mary Beth in Virginia
Five Year Old: "Mommy, when I grow up, I'm going to be a big sister, just like my Sissy!"
Ummm....it doesn't really work like that... ~ Amy in Virginia
Malakai (7): "Someone called me a weirdo at school."
Me: "Oh really, why?"
Malakai: "Cause I was doing something weird (giggles)." ~ Danielle in Alabama
Apparently the time has come to not ask this question anymore.....
Me: Austin, did you miss me at school today?
Austin (7): Nope. (Without a moment's hesitation, might I add?)
Me: Well...that's not very nice.
Austin: Sorry but I didn't!
And there you have it. ~ Emily in Virginia
I asked Savannah (7) to help me by feeding her one year old sister. She said, "Mom, she ate this whole bowl and wants something else and I haven't even gotten to sit down yet!" Welcome to my world. ~ Lauren in Virginia
Homeschool funny of the day: When reading about Quakers in history in regards to war, I asked Andrew (12), "What are Quakers known for?" His answer...."Oatmeal." ~ Stefanie in Delaware
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