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Daily prayer is key!
Revelation 3:15-16
Jeremiah 32:27
James 1:7-8
James 2:14
1Peter 2:9
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The Loveletter Staff
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Founder / Editor in Chief
Laconia Dunn
Senior Editor
Sammie Love
Webmaster
Katinya Lilly
Contributing Writer
Roz Harris
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INSPIRED
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SPEAKING
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IN
THIS ISSUE:
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From the Heart
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Holy and Healthy
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And God Said
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Editor's Notes
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Guestbook
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Perfecting your parenting (Part II)
How many children do you have? (include step children)
What are your childrearing practices?
Do you and your husband agree?
How do you handle if you don’t (agree on child-rearing)?
Questions:
- What are some of the things they should know at this age? Do they know them?
- Do they act their age? Why or why not?
- Are they in line w/ kids their age? Do they act as such?
- Do they know more than they should for where they are in life?
- How much responsibility do you give them, if any? Why/why not?
- Are they learning at the level that they should be? If not, do you recognize it?
- Are they overactive? Sensitive?
Solutions:
- Challenge them
- Demand that they spend quiet time alone (depending on age)
- Give them a task make sure they see it to completion. For older kids, give them assignments that have to be turned in to you
- Assign chores/duties (even to smaller kids)
- Use the reward system
- Feed them with books (even older kids)
We sometimes maintain the mindset that, "we don't want our child to have to go through what we went through". Why? The answer is mostly because we don't want to see them struggle, or experience hurt. The truth is, our children should, and will experience some struggles, hurt and hardship. It will teach them balance and give them strength and fortitude to be able to handle the issues of life.
A lot of times too, when this balance is off, we see rebellion in one form or another.
Some reasons for rebellion:
- No mutual respect for the child's feelings, thoughts, and/or desires
- Lack of balance = too much love (spoiling), or lack thereof (neglect)
- Lack of display of love/care
- Lack of listening or desire to
- Feelings of unfairness
- Feeling that they can do better on their own, or w/ outside help (ex: prodigal son)
- Peer pressure
In the next edition, we'll have some ways on how to handle your child if they are in the rebellion stage.
For now, identifying, being honest, and understanding these practical principles will help you, your child, and your entire family ride on the road to success.
While no home is without conflict, our homes can be better homes with we learn to deal with them effectively
Until the next time,
Laconia Dunn-Master Servant
Click here to learn more about the founder.
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The Fundamentals – Eating for Wellness
Are we perishing because of a lack of knowledge? Yes. I believe our poor health is directly related to gaps in our education regarding food and packages it comes in. This is a food label from a common canned soup. Food labels provide nutrition facts and a list of ingredients. It can help you to increase the healthy nutrients that you want your family to eat. And knowing how to read food labels can help you lose weight. Remember this: What's in it, goes in you...
Let's review food label fundamentals:
- Serving Size: Remember the packages serving size and your portion size are rarely the same amount. What do I mean? Many packages contain more than one serving and a typical serving is not necessarily the amount you can eat at one time.
A common way that people overeat is by consuming oversized portions and underestimating how many calories are in the foods they eat. How many servings does this can contain? What's the total calorie count?
- Fat: Unsaturaturated fat is the healthier variety. And on most nutrition facts the good fats are NOT listed. The "bad" fat is noted – saturated and trans. How much fat is in this can of food?
- Fiber: The food label pictured above shows just 1g of dietary fiber, while a food high in fiber, like a can of vegetable soup, might have 4 or 5g of fiber per serving. Also, foods that are usually high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grain cereals and breads.
- Sugar: In addition to choosing foods that don't have a lot of sugars in them, you can check the ingredient list to avoid foods with added sugars. If things like corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, or maple syrup, are listed in the first few ingredients, then the food does have added sugars and you might look for a alternative with less sugar.
- Protein: Lean varieties should be included in your diet, like fish (salmon, tilapia, canned tuna) and chicken breast, pork tenderloin, bean, lentils, soy and low-fat diary. This can of food is not a great source of protein. Consider that a piece of tilapia has 150 calories and 25 grams of protein, plus just 3 grams of fat!
Here's the bottom line: In general and based on basic scientific, medical and nutritional findings, most people should shoot for the following 5 goals for wellness and weight management:
Examples of lifestyle changes:
- 5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily
- 2+ servings of fish per week and other lean protein daily
- 25 grams of fiber per day
- Stay around 20-45 grams of fat per day (mostly unsaturated)
- Keep sugary, salty and processed foods to a minimum (cookies, sandwich meat, pre-packaged/prepared meals, and fast food)
For example, did you know that eating more fruits and vegetables can prevent heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancers?
We really want to hear from you. What is the one thing you are going to do in service of a healthier diet right now? Don't wait until the new year to make a resolution.
In His service,
Roz, the coach
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I have a hard time maintaining solid relationships. I guess you could say, I don't get along well with people. They never see things my way! I try to get my husband to see things my way, but that usually ends in an argument. My siblings and I don't really get along. I barely see them for birthdays, holidays or any family events. They don't call me, I don't call them. Lately, I've even changed jobs more than twice this year, because something always goes wrong. I've even had people admit that it didn't make a difference whether we spoke again or not. I mean, I do have friends, but when I enter new relationships or meet new people, something goes wrong. I have two daughters and have only been married once. Nobody threw me a wedding or baby shower. I've never had the luxury that other women seem to have when it comes to friendships and all that they can offer. I'm a God fearing woman, but I'm starting to wonder, is something wrong with me?
Signed,
Frequently Friendless!
Dear Frequently Friendless,
I hate to be so candid, but to answer your question, yes, perhaps something is going on with you. It would behoove any of us who have similar issues, not look within ourselves. Have you done an honest self evaluation? What do people that are close to you tell you? How many of them say the same thing? Oftentimes when you hear the same thing from more than two or three people, there's some validity. People don't just walk away from good company. As a matter of fact, people cling to those that are "good company." I have a feeling that you're not. The good thing is, you're not making excuses and trying to find fault in them without questioning whether there may be something going on with you. This is a step in the right direction.
The first thing you should do is stop trying to force people to see things your way. Even if your way seems to be the best way, it doesn't mean it's right, or time for your idea. Accept input from others whether you agree or not, and don't force your opinions on them. Doing this builds resentment. People tend to shy away from people like this. If what they've proposed doesn't make sense, you have the option to discard it, or put it on the archives of your memory and reflect on them at a later time. It doesn't always warrant argument.
Next, since you say you're a God fearing woman, why don't you put forth an honest effort to contact those that haven't contacted you? God says that he starts with His household first (I Peter 4:17). That's you! Even if they too belong to God's household, because you are now aware of what's going on, the responsibility begins with you. Remember, to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).
Finally, log the disagreements, loss of jobs or relationships that you've had over the last 3 to 6 months. Ask yourself why? Were they God ordained losses? Are you sure? Is there the slight chance that you could be using that as an excuse? Is there hope for reconciliation? Should reconciliation take place?
Once you answer these questions, a few things will be revealed either about you or the ones within whom you can or can not connect. If it's you, then I believe you know what God is telling you. If not, consider yourself blessed to have had the experience and move on.
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Been thinkin' bout...
As I finished another book in the "Left Behind" series, members of the tribulation force has just witnessed the decapitation of believers in the New Jerusalem. The mark of the beast is being administered and all who reject it are subjected to death by guillotine. There were people excited about receiving the mark and following the antichrist and there were those who were definitely against the mark (true believers) and then there were the undecided and requested more time. Unfortunately they were only given the time it took to process them through the line to make up their minds and decide where they would spend eternity.
This is the perfect example of what Revelation speaks of in Chapter 3 verses 15 and 16.
"I know thy works, that thou are neither cold not hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
This really grabbed hold to my attention and made me look deep into my own relationship with God. How many times has God allowed us to ignore Him and His plea for us to turn from our wicked ways and really praise and serve Him? Numerous, but what do we do? Just the opposite, we think that it is not real if we can't see it. We deny that we know Him in public and we refuse to praise and worship Him until we need something. I promise that time is running out and we will be just like those "Left Behind". We will be trying to figure out what happened to Jesus coming back for us. In the last days, to worship as free and openly as we do now will cease to exist, believers will be in hiding for their lives and worshipping God will almost be non-existent, only done in secret. Where will you end up on that day? Wouldn't it be better to choose God now? If you choose Him now and truly submit yourself to Him, mind, body, spirit, and soul, He'll choose you in that great gettin' up morning in the sky. Will you say today "For Christ I live and for Christ I'll die?" And if you had to die for Him today, would you be ready?
Was Just thinking...
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