Personal Responsibility Vs God’s Will
” If the spirit of Picasso rested within you, a great desire to paint would continually motivate you toward the canvass. The knowledge of who was within you would be all the motivation you needed. The good news of grace is that Jesus Christ is in you.”
This is a powerful visionary article on the way the J.C’s Spirit of grace/truth transforms us. May it be so for me, my family, friends, clients, and world.
“. If the world only understood the truth about the love of Father, so many more would come to Him in faith. Sadly, their understanding is often a distorted caricature of who He really is. One reason it is so important to understand and accept your Father’s love is because we all eventually become like the whatever we imagine God to be. People trapped in legalism see God as a judgmental, cosmic eye-in-the-sky who is watching and waiting for them to mess up in the way they live. They imagine that how they behave is what matters most to Him. Consequently, that’s the kind of person they become in the way they relate to other people. They become harsh parents, demanding friends, dictator-type pastors, etc. “
I pray we understand and accept God’s unconditional love for us/our family/friends/clients/world as well.
CBC News – Consumer Life – Giving kids braces earlier not always better:
“However, for children with Class II malocclusion, commonly referred to as an overbite or buck teeth, there is no advantage to starting early, according to Dr. William Proffit, a professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill.”
Promises In Spite of Your Past
Overcoming A Bad Family Background – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
“Don’t be held captive by your past. It isn’t necessary to pretend your heritage is something other than what it really was, but you don’t have to be held back by it. When Jesus Christ gave you His life, His past became your past. You received a new heritage. The new you has been in Him since the foundation of the world. (See Ephesians 1:4) You aren’t who you used to be. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17) You aren’t the sum of your family’s past. You are who God made you to be – a divine work of art (see Ephesians 2:10), endowed with supernatural potential (see Philippians 4:13). In Christ, your future is as bright as the promises of God! Don’t allow yourself to be trapped by lies which suggest that you’ll never make it in life. You will make it because you have been delivered from your background. Your future hinges on the loving faithfulness of God and He can be trusted. The Psalmist wrote: ‘Your goodness is so great! You have stored up blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world!’ (Psalm 31:19) “
This is an inspiring article! I pray this article for us, our families, friends, schools, clients, and world.
It’s All Him – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
“Have you ever noticed our tendency to push ourselves into the starring role of the stories told in the Bible? For instance, consider the story of ‘the good Samaritan.’ Most sermons I’ve ever heard about that text makes the main application be that ‘we shouldn’t be like the lawyer or the priest who passed by the wounded man without helping him. We should be like the good Samaritan.’ In reality, that’s not the meaning of the story. It’s not a moral lesson that the Bible is trying to teach us here. Through that story, Jesus was teaching us about Himself. The main lesson isn’t that we are to help the pitiful, helpless man. It’s that we are the pitiful, helpless man. Jesus is the Good Samaritan who found us after legalism and devout religion didn’t lift a finger to help us.”
I pray the Spirit teaches us that it is all about Jesus as Saviour and not us.
CBC News – Consumer Life – Few booster seats keep child secure:
“Booster seats Seat belts are designed with a 165-pound man in mind. With kids, the lap belt tends to ride up on the abdomen, and the shoulder belt often cuts across the face or neck. Children can be injured by seat belts that do not fit them correctly as well as by belts that are not worn correctly. Booster seats were designed to correct this problem for most children between the ages of four and eight (or weighing up to 36 kilograms, or 80 pounds). They raise children to a height at which lap and shoulder belts can be worn correctly. The booster seat is held in place by the seatbelt. It is not tethered to the car like a child car seat. Children using seat belts instead of booster seats are 3.5 times more likely to suffer significant injury and four times more likely to suffer head injury.”
Canadian Home Education Resources – Good Stuff for Home School Families
Canadian Home Education Resources – Good Stuff for Home School Families:
“CHER CATALOGUE Alpha Omega Publications Anthologies & Treasuries Art Audio Bible Character Development Computers Contest Critical Thinking Early Education Economics Fun & Games Geography Gift Certificate Health History & Culture Home Economics Language Arts Languages Leadership Math Math Supplements Music Novels & Such Pencils Physical Education Recommended Resources Sale Bin Science Seasonal Unit Studies”
Home School Resources in Calgary – Stores
Home School Resources in Calgary – Stores:
“Canadian Home Education Resources Specializing in home schooling materials. 108 – 1289 Highfield Cr SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5M2 Phone: (403) 243-4443 Fax: (403) 243-9727 http://www.canadianhomeeducation.com”
Canadian Home Education Resources – Critical Thinking
Canadian Home Education Resources – Critical Thinking:
“Problem Solving, Reasoning, Logic, and Arguments Develops logical thinking for superior reading comprehension and test success. Description & Features Critical Thinking teaches your child to think logically, present well-developed arguments, and see through unsupported arguments. Book One helps students develop the fundamentals of logic, argumentation, and critical reading. Easy-to-understand explanations of concepts are followed by examples and real-life, often humorous, discussion problems. Students learn to identify valid and invalid claims and arguments, sufficient and insufficient evidence, fact and opinion, … List Price: $27.95 per EACH Stock: Yes Qty: Need More Info? Click here for added information such as Author, Ages, Sample Pages, Links, etc”
A Love Letter From Your Father – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
” I will do something new. Do you want to see it? I will make a way when there is no way. (43:18-19) I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will shatter the barriers that block your way and will give you treasures, wealth from secret places so that you will know that it is I, the Lord God “
This is so inspiring!!! I pray Jesus’ Spirit continues to teach us, our family, friends, clients, and world it!
The Way Bad/ “Sin” Disappears In Us
Kudzu Christians – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
” until we receive glorified bodies, we each possess the power of indwelling sin in our bodies. (See Romans 7:21-23) As we trust Christ at each moment, His life empowers us to walk in victory. However, when we fail to depend on Him, we yield ourselves to the power of sin.”
The is a very good article on God revealing healing. However it needs to be read in light of Jesus taking away sin and it’s power by us being open to it/Him by faith. May it be so that we depend of Jesus every moment to experience the victory.
The Way the Spirit of Love Promotes Trust in God
Just Play – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
“Joyfully embrace every day and live with the certainty that your Father’s heart is set on you and on the purpose of thrilling you with His love. Let Him love the bondage of adulthood from your heart until it is filled only with a childlike attitude that trusts Him and embraces the world with enthusiasm.”
This is a great article that highlights the faith we are to have like some aspects children possess. May it be so that we, our family, friends, clients, and the world allow THE SPIRIT to facilitate it rather than try to get the understanding ourselves.
At least nine out of 10 Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex, says a new report. And premarital sex isn’t new — the high rates include the sexual habits of women born in the 1940s, challenging the idea that sexual behaviors used to be more restrained.Sex has apparently become something of a young American habit. “It’s hard to stop the evolution of that urge,” said Judy Kuriansky, a sex therapist, media personality and adjunct professor of psychology at Columbia University Teachers College in New York.The report, published by the private Guttmacher Institute in New York, challenges the thinking behind government-funded programs that rely primarily on abstinence-only teachings. The study, released Tuesday, appears in the new issue of Public Health Reports.
So to summarize, everyone is having premarital sex. All the Christians are having premarital sex too — even those subjected to purity balls and purity rings. In fact, it matters not at all what race, sex or religion the persons hold, they are all having every sort of sex and the only reason they are not having babies all over the place is that, in spite of the US government and abstinence education, more and more of them have figured out contraception.
Oh ya, and 5% of Americans apparently lie on anonymous surveys about having sex… 
” zinc helps in the production of about 100 enzymes in your body, builds you a healthy immune system, maintains your senses of smell and taste and is needed for DNA synthesis. Foods Containing Zinc Zinc is very much associated with protein foods. Thus, you may assume that most foods high in zinc are protein-rich as well. The best sources of zinc include beef, lamb, pork, crabmeat, turkey, chicken, lobster, clams and salmon. If you are a vegetarian, you will most probably intake less zinc that those who have meat-based diets. Good zinc food sources aside from meats are dairy products such as milk and cheese, yeast, peanuts, beans, and wholegrain cereals, brown rice, whole wheat bread, potato and yogurt. Of all these vegetarian zinc foods, pumpkin seeds offer one of the most concentrated non-meat food sources of zinc. “
“What are the symptoms of hemochromatosis? Joint pain is the most common complaint of people with hemochromatosis. Other common symptoms include fatigue, lack of energy, abdominal pain, loss of sex drive, and heart problems. However, many people have no symptoms when they are diagnosed. If the disease is not detected and treated early, iron may accumulate in body tissues and eventually lead to serious problems such as arthritis liver disease, including an enlarged liver, cirrhosis, cancer, and liver failure damage to the pancreas, possibly causing diabetes heart abnormalities, such as irregular heart rhythms or congestive heart failure impotence early menopause abnormal pigmentation of the skin, making it look gray or bronze thyroid deficiency damage to the adrenal glands [Top] How is hemochromatosis diagnosed? A thorough medical history, physical examination, and routine blood tests help rule out other conditions that could be causing the symptoms. This information often provides helpful clues, such as a family history of arthritis or unexplained liver disease. Blood tests can determine whether the amount of iron stored in the body is too high. The transferrin saturation test reveals how much iron is bound to the protein that carries iron in the blood. Transferrin saturation values higher than 45 percent are considered too high. The total iron binding capacity test measures how well your blood can transport iron, and the serum ferritin test shows the level of iron in the liver. If either of these tests shows higher than normal levels of iron in the body, doctors can order a special blood test to detect the HFE mutation, which will confirm the diagnosis. If the mutation is not present, hereditary hemochromatosis is not the reason for the iron buildup and the doctor will look for other causes. A liver biopsy may be needed, in which case a tiny piece of liver tissue is removed and examined with a microscope. The biopsy will show how much iron has accumulated in the liver and whether the liver is damaged. Hemochromatosis is considered rare and doctors may not think to test for it. Thus, the disease is often not diagnosed or treated. “
“Food Sources of Iron: Almonds Apricots Avocados Beets (and greens) Black cherries Blackstrap molasses Brewer’s yeast Broccoli, raw Cereals Chicken Cocoa powder Cod Dates Dried fruit Dulse Eggs Enriched breads Fish Green leafy vegetables Haddock Kelp Kidney beans Lentils Lima beans Liver Meat Millet Offal Peaches Pears Peas, fresh, cooked Poultry Prunes (dried) Pumpkins Raisins Rice and wheat bran Sesame seeds Shellfish Soybeans Spinach, raw, chopped Sunflower seeds Turkey Watercress Wheat bran Whole grains Herb Sources of Iron: Alfalfa Burdock root Catnip Cayenne Chamomile Chickweed Chicory Dandelion Dong Quai Eyebright Fennel seed Fenugreek Horsetail Kelp Lemongrass Licorice Milk thistle seed Mullein Nettle Oat straw Oysters Paprika Parsley Peppermint Plantain Raspberry leaf Rose hips Sarsaparilla Shepherd’s purse Uva ursi Yellow dock ”
Restless Leg Syndrome Is Not An Opiate Deficiency | PromolifeNews.com:
“The medical community is a bit dumbfounded by RLS, partly because the people who suffer from it have difficulty explaining the sensations they are experiencing and partly because doctors consider the condition a minor annoyance with little reason to take it seriously. RLS, or Ekbom’s Syndrome, is considered a neurological condition which effects some segments of the population more than others. Women, the elderly and obese people appear to have a higher incidence of RLS than others. There seems to be a genetic factor as well. Right now the medical community is of the belief that RLS is caused by a dopamine imbalance in the brain. As many know, dopamine helps to control moods or create a sense of wellbeing. What many don’t know is that dopamine also plays a part in the body’s ability to move. Iron is essential in the production of dopamine so more naturalistic doctors are treating RLS with iron supplements to increase dopamine production. Other doctors are going straight for the drug cabinet. Three of the most common kinds of drugs used are Dopaminergic Agents, widely used to treat Parkinson’s Disease because they regulate muscle action; Benzodiazepines that help suppress muscle action; and Opiates because of their ability to relax the person.”
Iron Precaution with Restless Leg/Body Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome Support Group – DailyStrength:
“All people with RLS should have their ferritin levels tested; ferritin levels should be at least 50 mcg for those with RLS. Oral iron supplements, taken under a doctor’s care, can increase ferritin levels. For some people, increasing ferritin will eliminate or reduce RLS symptoms. At least 40% of people will not notice any improvement, however. IV iron is being tested at the US Mayo Clinic as a method of treating RLS. It is dangerous to take iron supplements without first having ferritin levels tested, as many people with RLS do not have low ferritin and excess iron in the body can cause hemochromatosis, a very dangerous condition. “
How to Stop Restless Leg Syndrome | eHow.com:
“How to Stop Restless Leg Syndrome Contributor By Alicia Bodine eHow Contributing Writer Article Rating: (0 Ratings) Legs If you can’t seem to stop moving your legs moving around, or your legs are experiencing pain or discomfort on a regular basis, you could have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). This syndrome has now become more widely recognized, which means that there are many new treatments for it. If you have Restless Leg Syndrome, you can put a stop to it. Email Print Article Add to Favorites Flag Article Difficulty: Moderate Instructions Things You’ll Need: Leg stretches Body pillow Calcium Magnesium Zinc Hot bath Heating pad Medications Step 1 Stretch your legs before you go to bed. You will need to spend at least 10 to 15 minutes stretching out your legs. This alone has been known to get rid of restless leg syndrome. This is because most people experience symptoms as night when their legs are cramping up, and stretching prevents this. Step 2 Place a body pillow between your legs when you go to bed at night. You will need to be either on your left side or your right side. Lying on your back can contribute to Restless Leg Syndrome, so by laying on your side with your legs apart, you can eliminate all symptoms of RLS. Step 3 Take a calcium, magnesium and zinc supplement before bed. These minerals will stop your muscles from cramping up when taken on a regular basis. Step 4 Stay away from caffeine products after dinner. Stop using alcohol and tobacco all together. These affect many things in your body, and will make you more susceptible to cramping. Step 5 Take a hot bath or use a heating pad on your legs before going to sleep. The heat will stimulate circulation and keep your legs from cramping up. Step 6 Get a prescription from your doctor. Your doctor may choose to put you on something like Clonazepam and Diazepam. These drugs have side affects, so you should try all of the other steps first.”
Sometimes a good massage therapist specializing in this condition is helpful.
Achieve a Deep, Uninterrupted Sleep: Nighttime Habits | Sleep | Reader’s Digest:
“Blessed sleep — the holy grail of health. Lack of sleep can send your blood sugar levels skyrocketing, contribute to weight gain, lead to depression, put you at risk for diabetes, and cause brain damage. Sleep deprivation can alter your levels of thyroid and stress hormones, potentially affecting everything from your memory to your immune system, heart, and metabolism. That’s just the warm-up. Sleep deprivation can alter your levels of thyroid and stress hormones, potentially affecting everything from your memory to your immune system, heart, and metabolism. Of course, lack of sleep can kill you instantly — as when you run your car off the road because you’ve dozed at the wheel (an estimated 71,000 people are injured in fall-asleep crashes each year). In fact, studies find that if you’ve been awake through the night, it’s as if you had a performance impairment equal to .10 percent blood alcohol content, more than enough to get you arrested for drunk driving in most states. “
Teen Birth Rates Higher in Highly Religious States
U.S. states whose residents have more conservative religious beliefs on average tend to have higher rates of teenagers giving birth, a new study suggests.The relationship could be due to the fact that communities with such religious beliefs a literal interpretation of the Bible, for instance may frown upon contraception, researchers say. If that same culture isn’t successfully discouraging teen sex, the pregnancy and birth rates rise.
This is a remarkably well done study. We have known for years that Fundamentalist Evangelical states tend to have really high rates of teen pregnancy — but this reality was always written off under the line that the other states are just aborting the children.
A line, we now learn, that is not even remotely true.
Apparently, even when you factor in those abortions, the fear, denial, shame, avoidance of the subject, abstinence based education, teen chastity balls/purity ring thing and the absence of credible teen education in contraception is doing nothing to stop teen sex — and a lot to help the whole, “Be fruitful and multiply,” thing.
Perhaps someone should have had a talk with Paul… His contention that the, “The law kills but the Spirit brings life,” seems to have finally been proven false.
The laws of Fundamentalist Evangelicalism DEFINITELY do bring forth life from teen girls…
Restless Leg Syndrom/Acting Out
“Periodic Limb Movements (PLMs) Periodic limb movement disorder affects people only during sleep. The condition is characterized by behavior ranging from shallow, continual movement of the ankle or toes, to wild and strenuous kicking and flailing of the legs and arms. Movement of the legs is more typical than movement of the arms in cases of PLMs. Movements typically occur for 0.5 to 10 seconds, in intervals separated by five to 90 seconds. These limb movements usually occur in deep stage two sleep, but often cause arousal. Thus, PLMs can cause poor sleep, which may lead to sleep maintenance insomnia and/or excessive daytime sleepiness. Frequently, the bed partner is aware of these movements as they are hit, kicked or punched during the night. Additionally, the bottom bed sheet may be thread-bare in one spot sooner than the rest. This may be caused by your heels rubbing in the same spot frequently at night. Bedding in disarray is also a well known feature of PLMs”
This is a great article stating that acting out nightmares/dreams can cause sleep deprivation. The cause of nightmares is unclear. I pray for great sleep for us and the world.
“Examples of parasomnias: Nightmare disorder: The individual will experience frightening dreams that are associated with elevated heart rate and breathing, sweating, and arousal. Complete alertness and subsequent recollection of the dreams differentiates nightmares from sleep terrors. Sleep terror disorder: Sleep terrors typically result in extreme panic, a loud scream during sleep, followed by activities such as hitting objects or moving in and out of the bedroom. Unlike with nightmares, there is rarely any associated dream content. This is a disorder of arousal that primarily occurs during stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep.”
Connecting with God/Love Through Life
What Do You See? – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
” God went on to tell His prophet that those figs represented the way that He was going to work in the circumstances of His people. Do you remember the time that God took Jeremiah to ‘the potter’s house’ and spoke to him through the potter’s wheel? (See Jeremiah 18) Then there was the time that the Lord asked Amos what he saw when he was looking at a plumb line. (See Amos 7:8) The Lord went on to show Amos His plans through what he saw. And then there was Zechariah. The Lord showed him a lamp stand and went on to explain how it showed that it is ‘not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts’ (Zechariah 4:2-6). What do you see as you move through your day? You probably have experienced your Father speaking to you through the Bible many times, but have you heard Him speak to you through the day to day activities of your life? “
This is a great article to encourage discerning God’s voice. I think we just need to be open, perhaps pray to hear Him in all aspects of life. May it be so for our families, friends, schools, clients, and the world.
The Barnabas Touch – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
“Sometimes Christians think that we all need to be like the Apostle Paul – strong, determined, trail-blazers in expanding the kingdom. The church does need folks like that, but don’t minimize the powerful effect of the Barnabas type Christians in the church. You might start churches, like Paul did, or you might touch somebody who turned aside like Barnabas did. Don’t fall into the error of thinking that you have to act outside your basic personality and temperament type. God can use you with the personality you have right now, without changing anything about that aspect of your makeup. Do you relate to Paul’s approach to life? Then go for it. But don’t be too harsh on those who are more comfortable with the Barnabas approach. The Pauls of the church may reach cities, but the Barnabases will impact lives too, one person at a time. ”
This is an an excellent article encouraging acceptance, believing in others and encouraging those who doubt to include them! I pray we are always open to give 2nd chances to one another/ourselves. May it be so for us our family, friends, clients, schools, and the world.
Our Relationship/Identity in Christ
Rearing Teenagers – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
“Teens are crying out to know, ‘Who am I? Do I have value? Am I lovable?’ Don’t undermine a person’s basic identity by striking a blow at who they are. Deal instead with the behavior. ‘You lied to me and that stands in contradiction to everything I know to be true about you!’ is a better response than calling your child a liar. 2. Allow your teen to see the authenticity of your own relationship to Christ.”
This is a great article defining a relationship with Christ. May it be so for us, our family, friends, clients, our kids schools, and the world. However it still has a focus on sin that Jesus dealt with on the cross so it needn’t be a focus. It does allude to looking at the need/feeling that caused it.
Ways To Say Good Job To Your Child, How To Say Good Job:
“75 Ways To Say ‘Good Job!’”
Excellent article!
Living Peaceably Together – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ
Living Peaceably Together – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
“When you find it difficult to get along with somebody, there are a few things you might do which could help you navigate through stressful moments. 1. Pray a quick prayer for the person. Ask Jesus to express love to them through you. When we react to the bad mood of others with a negative response, we have allowed them to control us. Why let somebody else cause you to get in a bad mood? You can choose to express love to them and not allow the circumstance to rob you of your own joy. 2. Remember that people who are hard to get along with almost always have conflict going on within themselves. A sales clerk in a store once acted like a jerk to me. My first impulse was to react the same way (I can act like a jerk with the best of them), but instead I paused, looked at the lady and sincerely asked, ‘Are you having a bad day?’ To my amazement, she began to pour out the details of her personal life that were causing trouble for her. I was so glad that I hadn’t acted on my first impulse. Her demeanor instantly softened when I asked that question. (The question I asked could be asked in an accusatory way and add to the problem.) It was one of those ‘God-moments’ when He allowed me to see the importance of responding in love and not reacting impulsively. 3. Recognize the fact that the problem may be within you and not the other person. There have been times when I’ve found myself irritated several times by other people before it finally dawned on me – ‘They aren’t doing anything wrong. I’m just in a bad mood today!’ Maybe the quality in another person that irritates you isn’t a bad quality. Maybe that person reminds you of somebody else that you’ve had trouble with in your past. Or maybe you’re just in a bad mood yourself. When you find yourself feeling irritable toward somebody else, ask the Holy Spirit this question, ‘Lord, is it me?’ You might be surprised to find out that the problem isn’t with the other person at all. Paul determined to look beyond human characteristics and see Jesus in every Christian. Mother Teresa was once asked about her work with the lepers – ‘Do you imagine that it is Jesus ministering to them when you serve them?’ ‘No,’ she answered. ‘When I look at them, I see the face of Jesus.’”
This is a good simple article on allowing Jesus/love/His peace respond through us. The are some parts where it is a little confused. I don’t think we are controlled by another, but it can feel like it at times. Either we are new creations because we are open to the fact that Jesus took the sin of the world away or we are not at this time. May it be so for our family, friends, clients, and the world.
When God Rolls By – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:
“Don’t allow the circumstances of your life to be what you use to determine how your Father feels about you. Circumstances can’t tell you that. If you want to know how He feels toward you, look beyond the temporal situations of life and see the cross. At the cross, you will find an expression of His divine love for you. He loves you so much that He paid the highest price to ensure that you were His for all eternity. Sometimes He shouts His love in large letters. At others times, he gently whispers His love in the recesses of our hearts. In whatever ways He chooses to speak into your life, you can be assured that you are loved. He does care . . . and nothing is ever going to change that. Listen for Him to speak to you this week and you will hear the words, ‘I love you.’ “
This is a fantastic article of encouragement when crisises happen in our lives which cause us to feel that God doesn’t love us. I pray we are all reminded by His grace at every moment that Jesus death/risenness on the cross is all we will every need to believe/experience it.
“Yep, that’s my daughter’s children! Jeremy really is a sweet boy. No, really. I’ll admit though that his train seriously jumped the track with that incident. It’s noteworthy that the first response that popped into his seven year old head was about the law and jail. The little legalist – takes after his dad’s side of the family. I’m kidding, of course, but the issue here is that it is the bent of the flesh to think in legalistic terms. Would it be wrong to do this or that? Would I be punished for doing it? We miss the point altogether. It’s not about right versus wrong or about punishment. The catalyst for our lives is to be love. When our lifestyle is grounded in our union with Triune Love, we live from that benchmark, not a set of rules that come with a corresponding set of rewards and punishment. We act lovingly because Love is our DNA. In Him we live (and love) and move and exist. So, when your own behavior jumps track at times, don’t look upward to an imaginary Judge of the Universe who stands ready to send you to jail. Look into the face of Pure Love and you’ll find yourself wanting to behave well on the basis of His attitude and actions toward you.”
THIS IS A VERY GOOD GRACE DISCIPLINE ARTICLE. However this conversation would be best had after the feelings of both kids are validated. I have found it is sometimes not necessary after the Spirit convinces the child that he is sad for the hurt caused to the sibling/friend.
…my master is smart and he SQUIRREL!!!
Disney on ADD/ADHD.
If you are not laughing, you never met a child with either diagnosis…
Yes, I know this is a copyright violation — and it’s well on its way to being the most pirated clip in human history…
“Top Superfoods Offering Super Health Protection Beans Blueberries Broccoli Oats Oranges Pumpkin Salmon Soy Spinach Tea (green or black) Tomatoes Turkey Walnuts Yogurt”
I have also heard that guacomole, flax seed, and dark chocolate are included.
Honouring/Changing By Just Resting in God’s Love
“The LORD’s delight is in those who honor him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:11 For many years, I taught people that the way to honor the Lord was to do what He said – to obey Him. Obedience – that was the most important thing in the Christian life, as I saw it. But the problem was that, no matter how hard I tried and how sincere I was, I couldn’t seem to be consistent in that area. This verse from Psalms shows that the Lord is honored when we put our hope in His unfailing love. It isn’t our obedience, our faith, or even our level of love for Him that honors Him most. It is by learning to rest in His unconditional, unfailing and unchanging love that He is most honored. As we learn to accept His acceptance, the calm that comes over us is amazing. No more do we have to struggle to stay on God’s good side. No longer do we condemn ourselves because we think we aren’t doing enough to keep Him in a good mood toward us. We come to learn that our Father’s love has nothing to do with how good we are, but has everything to do with how good He is. Then, lo and behold, the realization of His unfailing love begins to transform us. We find ourselves being motivated to live a godly lifestyle because we want to behave, not because we think it’s the right thing to do. We become increasingly free to relax and just be ourselves, knowing that He loves us no matter what. The love of God for us will mature us, motivate us and minister to us every day. Life increasingly becomes more and more about Him and not about us. “
This is a great little article on revealing God’s healing/Finished Work by resting in the Father’s unconditional love for us!
God’s Freedom Vs Minding Your Ps and Qs
“Living in God-given freedom will inevitably bring the scorn of the self-righteous down on you. Jesus stayed in trouble because the way He acted didn’t fit the expectations of the religious crowd who thought it was their duty to police everybody else to make sure they were minding their P’s & Q’s. When He enjoyed a good meal and a glass of wine with friends, they called Jesus ‘a glutton and a drunkard.’ (See Luke 7:34) “
This is a good brief article that talks about the confusion of seeing Jesus took away they sins of the world. Regrettably the world often falls into feelings of self-righteousness which makes it seems that Jesus did not take away all the bad. May it be so that we have his we have his true understanding/confidence/trust/freedom/rest.
Fruit and Veggie Slushies/Smoothies
Green Smoothie Recipes + In-depth Info on Green Smoothies:
“Here’s a variety of Green Smoothie recipes chiefly from Frederic Patenaude – see his Green For Life program – includes 7-day green detox cleanse and Green For Life book by Victoria Boutenko. Always blend the fruit first – 2-3 cups any greens of your choice, 2 cups papaya, 2 oranges, 3 dates 1 handful lettuce leaves, 1 handful mint, 4 bananas, 1/2 cup water Winter Smoothie – 1 cup organic frozen berries (any kind), 2 cups fresh spinach, 1/4 inch fresh ginger, water 1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, water 4-5 kale leaves, 4 apples, 1/2 lemon juiced, water 2 big handfuls mixed baby greens, 2 pears, 2 mangoes, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries Choc-mint – 2 cups spinach, 10-12 mint leaves, 3 bananas, 2 Tbs. carob powder, 1 cup water 1 handful of spinach, 2 stalks of celery, 2 bananas, 2 pears, 1 apple, 1 cup water 1 small handful of spinach, 2 cups arugula, 2-3 mangoes, 1 cup water 1/2 head romaine lettuce, 1 small pineapple, 1 large mango, 1-inch fresh ginger 1 handful wild greens (e.g. dandelion), 1 small handful mint leaves, 3 cups honeydew melon 3-4 stalks celery, 2 ripe persimmons, 1 banana 1 handful chard leaves, 5-6 kale leaves, 3 large bananas, 1 cup water 1 handful parsley, 3 cups of peeled papaya Do you see that anything goes? Buy bunches of greens, a variety of fresh fruits, a GoGreen Sprouter, and CHANGE YOUR LIFE. The First Step to Health is One Green Smoothie a Day. How much time and money we save on dental and medical bills – when we get the kitchen equipment we need to enjoy Mother Nature’s food.”
This is great for selective kid eaters. It is a wondeful way to combine breakfast and lunch when your really busy. You can’t even taste the veggies, except don’t use snap peas!
Jesus Tells of Our Righteousness In Him
” all our sins have been paid for (see Colossians 2:13-14); why would the Holy Spirit call our attention to them now? Hebrews 10:1-2 says that when we know we are cleansed, we lose consciousness of sins. Make no mistake about it. Your sins have been put away. What the Holy Spirit does when we now sin is to convict/convince us of who we really are. He shows us that we are able to live like the righteous child of God He has made us to be. He motivates us to live like that and, in the process, we will abandon the sin that caused us to stumble in the first place.”
This is an clear explanation of the reason we do not call attention to sin. We let Jesus tell us who we are really are now with Him inside us and the truth.
Tonsillitis: Signs and symptoms – MayoClinic.com
Signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of tonsillitis include:Red, swollen tonsils
White patches on the tonsils
Sore throat
Difficult or painful swallowing
Headache
Fever and chills
Enlarged, tender glands (lymph nodes) in the jaw and neck
Loss of voice (laryngitis)
Abdominal pain in children
In the Texas raid, 416 children were removed from the ranch and placed in state custody. They are in temporary shelters and face a series of court hearings beginning April 17.
Investigators said Thursday they have left the YFZ ranch. The investigation, which also involves the FBI, is continuing.
In Hildale and Colorado City, people are reluctant to speak with outsiders, much less go on the record. Their responses ranged from indignation to resigned vows to leave matters up to the Lord.
“It’s very unjustified. It’s — it’s religious persecution,” said a woman who would not give her name.
A man who identified himself only as Nephi said he will remain prayerful and dedicated to his church.
“I think I am going to be at peace about it. It’s in the Lord’s hands. And we will leave it at that,” he said.
Marlene Hammon, a plural wife, was a small child when the Short Creek raid took place. She remembers being very frightened by the threat of being separated from her five mothers and 38 siblings.
Fawneta Carroll was 7 when she was separated from her family in the 1953 raid. She returned to polygamy and believes one of her 24 sisters was in the Texas compound with her children.
“If there is abuse, that should be investigated and taken care of,” she said. “But I do not see how you can use that to justify taking 416 children out of their homes and away from their families.”
Priscilla Hammon was born just after the raid and also lives in a polygamous marriage. She says she has many children and grandchildren, and that the threat of being separated by outsiders is always there. advertisement
The children are scared, she says.
“How can I possibly promise my children nothing will happen to them, when I see something like this taking place?”
Another day, another hour of CNN blasting out yet more sordid details of child molestation in the name of God. Endless fascination with the religion (and the strange and obviously abusive practices of it) and the quest to get closer and finally onto the compound to see the faithful.
Isn’t it interesting how politically correct the whole thing is? Where exactly are real ministers who know enough philosophy to stand up and call this whole thing what it is? Not once have I ever heard anyone grow the balls large enough to actually question the religion itself.
It’s really simple actually:
“Did God create man in the image of Himself? If so, then doesn’t it make sense that any person who, in the name of God, espouses treating people in a way that harms that image has to be preaching a false gospel as no sane creator harms what He has made?”
If the above is true, how about we look at the wreaked lives of these people, toss this out as a nonviable religion and just start just calling it an act of criminal mind control??? (It’s deserving of about as much special recognition/protection under law as one drunk beating up another by hitting him with a Bible.)
Oh yes, perhaps then we can also apply this to Fundamentalist Evangelical Christianity… Ah, I get it — ok, never mind… It’s our God ordained right to treat people like that…
On second thought, WE MUST STAND FIRM FOR FLDS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. Our fundamental RIGHTS and FREEDOMS are at stake… [SIGH]
Feeling the Closeness of God Like Kids
Q&A: Legalism has caused me to lose my closeness with God.:
“When you read Paul’s letters, for example, make sure you notice how he always establishes the reality of who the believers really are. In Ephesians 5, Paul is addressing the believers as ”beloved children“ (v1), ”saints“ (v3), NOT ”sons of disobedience“ (v6&7), ”formerly darkness, but NOW you are light in the Lord“ (v8). His admonition was for the believers to live like the believers they were.”
This is an excellent article encouraging others not to feel legalism has forever stripped them of their feeling of the closeness of God. It reminds us to not put it on our children as it may lessen their natural love for the Lord.
calgary.ctv.ca – Calgary news from CTV:
“Even though they focus on children under six, the doctors also say there’s no evidence to show over the counter cold medicines work for any child under twelve.
Doctors suggest parents give their kids acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and aches.
For more information visit the New England Journal of Medicine’s web site.”
Plastics Risk for Babies/Small Children?
TheStar.com | Ontario | Chemical hurts children, demonstrators say :
“Smith was referring to a chemical that is used in hard plastic baby bottles, sippy cups and the lining of some food cans. Bisphenol A is known to leach into food. More than 130 peer-reviewed studies have associated bisphenol A with a variety of health problems, including breast cancer, obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a wide range of other developmental problems, according to Aaron Freeman, the policy director of Environmental Defence.”
Are Bullies Just Leaders To Be Shaped?
Calgary’s Child – The Bully in All of Us:
“”My, you are very influential. How about doing that again and finding a way to include everyone?“”It seems the other children follow your direction, will you make sure they each get a turn?“”I see that being first in line is very important to you. As the leader, will you show the rest of the line how to wait patiently and quietly for the teacher?“”You are a real expert at this game! Will you show the other children how to play too?“”
This is an excellent article that takes punishment out of the equation. If offers excellent ideas on turning the negative into a positive. Since Jesus took away sin wouldn’t this be the best way to bless the identity of Jesus in a child?
Calgary’s Child – The EIGHT SECRETS To Family Happiness:
“One of the most important keys to family happiness is maintaining a positive attitude and helping encourage positive attitudes among the children and your spouse. Negativity breeds negativity. Whether you begin exercising or spend a half hour each day meditating (which ever way you prefer to ‘meditate’), finding a way to reduce the amount of stress you bring into a household is essential. ”
This is an good article on focusing on the positive and relaxing to minimize conflicts. We can choose to see our child as demanding or determined. The positive reframe and seeing them in the Finished Work of Jesus, may encourage a positive identity in Christ.
Art, Music, and Dance for Kids
“Freely dance a celtic jig, a lively polka, or a steamy salsa while developing rhythm, coordination, and beat. Let your child refine what they already do naturally, and come and have fun”
No right or wrong. It is just letting a kid’s imagination develop so they are not black and white thinkers.
No need for panic, doctors say after Toronto child contracts drug-resistant ailment:
“Yaffe said the child had been otherwise healthy before coming down with the bug and had received all the recommended vaccinations, according to hospital officials. The child had not travelled outside of Ontario before becoming ill more than two weeks ago.”
This is an interesting article because this bacteria was a new strain that could not be vaccinated against. I pray all are protected.
calgary.ctv.ca – Calgary news from CTV:
“Even though most Albertans have been vaccinated when they’re young doctors are learning one dose may not be enough.
Most Canadians born after 1990 did receive two doses of the vaccine, one as an infant and another a few years later and they shouldn’t be affected by the outbreak.
In the second phase of the initiative, all Albertans aged 17 to 26 years who may be at risk of the disease will be targeted for a mumps vaccination.
/
Mumps is generally a mild viral illness that results in fever, swelling and tenderness of one or more salivary glands, located at the angle of the jaw.
But officials say some people can be infected but show no symptoms and thereby unknowingly infect others.
Complications of mumps can include inflammation of the testes or ovaries, meningitis and more serious infections of the brain.”
Even though I have given the fear/confusion that my girls could get meningitis, He seemed to say it will be allright whatever we decide for boosters. I have peace at this point rather than terror when we vaccinated before. I pray so for all He lives out His faith/protection for us to trust Him in our choices.
I just got this one today. It’s a classic example of the new marketing systems now being employed via the web…
We may as well just admit it. The preceding has been a paid advertisement for Britax Regent and is a chief marketing system for the following site…
And, it includes just a few inconsistencies…
The CDC reports that the average age for an 80lb child is between 10 and 12 yrs of age. Apparently, they plan to keep some children in a car seat until they are teens? How to transform your child into a permanent social outcast in his or her Jr. High in one easy lesson…
The stats on seat belt failure date from cars manufactured on cars before the 70’s and even lawyers will admit it. (Getting truth out of them should be cause for national celebration…)
The accident type is a roll over — yet the video demonstrates an accident type mostly caused by seat belt misuse (and unrelated to the video subject) as proof of the danger.
The other booster seat worked — the death was caused by a rare seat belt failure — so buy a new car seat???
Video claims it is recommended — by who? Definitely not the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the US government…
Finally, there have been aggressive attempts for years to mandate 5pt harness systems in all vehicles. The Federal governments of both the US and Canada have refused them. Reason? They are a pain in the butt, no one will wear them. Seat belts that are worn are worth a lot more then the small increase in safety offered by the 5pt systems no one will bother with wearing.
In years gone by, you had to have accurate ads or someone would sue. In an age of user generated content, who is there to sue?
Classic FUD — Fear, Uncertainty and Despair. It’s the marketing currency of our brave new world — and there is no watch-dog…
“The reality of our total acceptance is the basis for true discipline, for our Father is faithful in maturing us. He works in us FROM the image of his son TOWARD the image of his son. In other words, beginning and ending in the reality of Christ in us. He is teaching us who it is we really are, and He uses whatever means He desires to cause us to see this. ”
This is an excellent encouraging short article that says discipline is constant care. I pray parents/schools would understand for believing children God is in them.
CALGARY – Officials at a Calgary church have admitted they were aware of an allegation of wrongdoing against an adult volunteer at his previous church but allowed him to continue working in youth programs under increased supervision for two years.
Police have charged the volunteer with sexually abusing three girls under the age of 14 at Centre Street Church.
According to a statement made by Brian Spiers of Westview Baptist Church during Sunday morning services, church staff investigated the allegations against the volunteer but found no corroborating evidence. As a result, the man was permitted to continue working in church programs.
“Unproven allegations are very difficult for a church to deal with,” said Dayle Medgett, senior pastor of Westview church, after the service.
Although officials declined to comment on the nature of the allegation or how they learned about it, they said the man worked for three years as a missions co-ordinator and parent volunteer in the youth program – but was never alone with children.
Medgett said upon learning of the allegation the church placed the volunteer under “increased accountability conditions.”
This happens to be going on in Calgary — but it could be anywhere. If it’s happened once, it’s happened a thousand times:
Person is in, “Ministry,” in a church, so many are creeped out by his actions, church does some sort of due dilligence via. police checks, nothing is found, person continues ministry/abusing until there is a huge blast radius, everyone pleads innocent claiming there was no proof and the lawyers pick over the remains.
Of course, for years I’ve spoken in one church after another addressing so many different areas of brokenness — and so many of them have responded with the same assumption, “It’s so good someone is helping the sexually broken — but we don’t have that problem here.” (Many times I’ve actually had a couple of their members in one program or another at that very instant…)
Problem is, few of those broken ones stayed in their churches. It’s not that they abandoned their faiths — but it is a departure from church. Not just that church — the institutional church in general. They have become part of the emerging or emergent church and their church is now a home group somewhere. And, the pollsters are very clear on this one: They are NOT coming back.
With their departure, the institutional church lost their first and last line of defense — a broken-and-now-healed-one who can move in on a clear and present danger like the above mentioned individual and bust them — hard. The old saying that it, “Takes one to know one,” has never been more accurate.
It’s kinda like the gun argument in the USA. (When you finally outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.) When we finally get the last broken-and-seeking-to-be-healed person out of your church, you will only have the predators remaining.
“But wait,” you say, “We never ran the broken out of our church.” Yes, you did.
When the Gospel of grace and freedom was exchanged for a gospel of rules, when ethics became the standard and control became the means, when you embraced some 12 step model of performance in place of the healing Christ has to offer, when fear and shame was allowed to sneak back into the one place on Earth Christ created to be free from it, when you allowed your 50yr veteran little-old-lady-babes-of-legalism-in-Christ to stand in condemnation of one broken heart (thus letting it stand as a warning to others), when you allowed some paranoid lawyer on your church board to tie the entire group up in a knot over the liability issues surrounding having a program of healing in your church, when you had the stunning arrogance to forget that your job was to introduce people to Jesus and then teach them to listen to His voice alone, you ran the broken out.
To Center Street’s rather significant credit, they seem to have had at least enough wounded healers remaining to eventually make it hot enough for the abuser in question — so he left. That’s remarkable for a church these days. Perhaps it was soon enough to keep the wolves from gathering.
In most other cases, the only hope is that lawyer…
Let’s Have More Teen Pregnancy?
The idea of returning to an era of young marriage still seems daunting, for good reason. It is not just a matter of tying the knot between dreamy-eyed 18-year-olds and tossing them out into world. Our ancestors were able to marry young because they were surrounded by a network of support enabling that step.
Young people are not intrinsically incompetent, but they do still have lots of learning to do, just like newly-weds of any age. In generations past a young couple would be surrounded by family and friends who could guide and support them, not just in navigating the shoals of new marriage, but also in the practical skills of making a family work, keeping a budget, repairing a leaky roof, changing a leaky diaper.It is not good for man to be alone; it’s not good for a young couple to be isolated, either.
In this era of extended education, couples who marry young will likely do so before finishing college, and that will require some sacrifices. They can’t expect to “have it all.” Of the three factors—living on their own, having babies, and both partners going to school full-time—something is going to have to give. But young marriage can succeed, as it always has, with the support of family and friends.
A rather refreshing example of rational thought in the rather polarized abstinence vs. contraception debate. Perhaps it’s finally time to admit that they both have failed, that (Barring forcible physical segregation) sex is going to happen and that our options are either young marriage or abortion?
I was 25 when we married and neither I nor Ros had yet finished Graduate school. It wasn’t easy — in fact it was the hardest thing I have ever done. I discovered just how fun it was to experience panic attacks and stress induced skin rashes — and, I’d do it again. I had to grow up in one all-fired hurry — but it eventually had to happen. It could have been a lot easier if our society didn’t think I was 5-7 years too young and actually had some supports in place.
My kids will likely be out of the house and in college before I’m 50 and, with the current progress of modern medicine, I might actually still be around by the time their kids have children. Show me the down side of that…
Children’s Services | Sibling Rivalry:
“Sibling rivalry is less about the relationship between your children, than it is about their relationship with you, their parent. Each of them wants you to love them and them alone. They don’t want to share you.”
Children’s Services | Turn Your Words Into Gold:
“Don’t come back to the room until you can show some respect!Feel free to come back to the room as soon as you can be respectful!Stop arguing with me!I’ll be glad to discuss this with you as soon as the arguing stops.If you forget your lunch, you’ll just have to go hungry.”
These are good grace-based communications so kids will be more open to listen when you talk.
Really Parenting Focusing on Jesus’Finished Work
Q&A: How do you raise children by grace?:
“ It is how they will try to keep you from knowing what they have done as they sense shame and inadequacy from it no matter how much you try to convince them Jesus took care of it. They will think like this no matter how hard you try to teach them grace. Don’t get depressed by this … it is the backdrop by which they will realize true grace in time. ”
This is a good article stressing the importance of not pretending the flesh can ever be righteous.
calgary.ctv.ca – Calgary news from CTV:
“At the end of the observation time, doctors found no impact on the rate of allergies or asthma.
But this did find breastfeeding babies, until they turned one, did have some obvious benefits.
”This study really quite definitively shows that, in infancy, breastfeeding did have an impact on eczema and bowel infections,“ says Dr. Reg Sauve from the University of Calgary.”
Parenting in The Finished Work Love/Truth of Christ
Q&A: Do you have any insight on raising kids?:
“I don’t have anything written about raising children … not sure I want to get into that.I will say this much, though … most of the stuff that has been said about, ”training them in the way they should go“ is detrimental to the identity of your child. It’s not ”in the way YOU want them to go“, or ”in the way YOU think GOD wants them to go“, but ”in the way THEY should go“.”
This is good article discussing the importance of not turning grace into a nicety. I pray all children would see Jesus came to save sinners. When children see/hear of our hurt and unconditionallove/grace, they will turn to Jesus and not be discouraged. God live give them His faith/way to do His good will.
Parenting With a Real Finished Work of Christ Focus
Q&A: How to relate to my kids without sounding dogmatic?:
“ avoid the game. Tell your children about the real you. You know, the one that is alive in Christ because of what HE has done, but one who also struggles every day with the same kind of things they struggle with. Your children want to know if they are worthwhile, if they are important, if they are loved, and how they can be right. If you level with them about your own futile attempts to justify yourself through your day then they may be able to see that others, even religious others, are trying to do the same thing. They will really see truth when they realize that that is exactly what they are desperately searching for in the world around them. When it ceases to be a mystery then they won’t be enticed to go chasing after any system of man for their worth. Show them CHRIST vs. EVERYTHING ELSE!!
The is an excellent/concise article on parenting with a real risen Christ focus. One needs to keep in mind that we are saved through FAITH not belief.
Parenting with the Focus on Jesus
Q&A: How to discipline daughter in rebellion?:
“”Grades“ have become like gods to us. What is your real concern in knowing that her grades have slipped? The fact that her grades have fallen simply points to the fact that she has become distracted. Not unusual for a 15 year old girl – especially considering her situation with a mom and a dad who don’t live together anymore. I’m not rebuking you in any way, just adding it all together to give a fuller picture of her world. Once again, consider this: grades vs. relationship. The picture will always become clear when you can see what you’re dealing with.
I love that the author believes children can be believers of Jesus. It makes a good point that depending on your microculture something may be considered better or worse. It still is a narrow-minded perspective. I am not saying anything goes. As parents we need to realize that what we model, ourselves is most important. Loving her for who she is, not who you would like her to be. I pray so for all us parents.
Party Game Central- Party games and birthday games for kids and adults:
“Four or more people stand in a circle facing in and holding hands. Two people go around the outside and when ready, tap someone’s clasped hands, breaking the chain. The Dutchmen run around the circle racing against the two whose hand-clasp was broken (who run in the opposite direction). The slowest team gets to be the Dutchmen for the next round. Variations on this game are many including hopping or skipping, or perhaps in piggy-back.
”
Also Duck Duck Goose
FamilyFun: Ideas for Teacher Appreciation – and More Family Fun:
“WALK OF FAME
Create your own Walk of Fame for your teachers. Get a piece of donated red carpet or put red butcher paper down in the entry hall. Make gold stars with a teacher’s name on each, and have the school meet the teachers as they arrive one morning.”
Excellent ideas to encourage teachers!
Emotional Abuse and Alcoholism
Jennifer’s Recovery From Emotional Abuse:
“Jennifer describes her childhood as emotionally abusive and unpredictable. Her mother, now a committed Christian, struggled with uncontrolled rage and mental illness when her daughter was a child. Not only did the incidents of violent and frightening outbursts of rage leave her feeling insecure, unloved and inherently bad, Jennifer’s mom blamed her for her own unstable behavior. ”It’s your fault I act like this,“ she said. Suicide first entered her mind at age six. A sensitive child, Jennifer attempted to avoid her mother’s wrath through perfectionism. By junior high school, weary and disillusioned, she knew she could never earn her mother’s love and approval. If not her mother, she needed someone’s approval, so she sought it out by misbehaving at school, ditching it altogether or seeking affection from the opposite sex. Lonely, insecure and feeling unlovable, she grew to accept cruel and destructive behavior from friends, thinking she didn’t deserve any better.Then she met Rick, a quiet but popular football player, and she described it as ”love at first sight.“ But he had a difficult home life, too. Raised by an abusive, alcoholic father, Rick described seeing his father break a plate over his mother’s head because he didn’t like what she had cooked for dinner one night.”
This is an inspiring story of emotional abuse! However it does not talk about the Finished Work of Christ and His identity/character in believers. This eliminates the need for criticism. Jesus took all the issues away! We have had His constant approval and it will continue always.
Dealing With the Feeling of Temptation From the Evil One
“atthew 4:1-11 with your family. Consider these questions:How did Satan try to deceive Jesus like commercials try to trick you?How did Jesus deal with the temptation to have more ”stuff“?What can we learn from this story about temptation?Now read Hebrew 13:5; talk about what it means to want more things. Remind everyone that God has promised to take care of our needs. Ask each family member to complete the following sentence: ”One way I can be happy with what I have is to …“”
This is a good series of articles on dealing with the feelings of temptation. However one does not need to apply it. I believe one needs to pray in a position of victory that God will live out His way in handling the issue when we ask.
“Setting expectations too high. If we don’t accept that life with children will include disorder, we will stay frustrated because we feel out of control.Forgetting how to have fun. Do you believe that now that you are an adult you can’t be silly anymore? Even as adults, we can still have slumber parties with our girlfriends, Chinese fire drills and pillow fights.”
Guilt-Free Realities of Mothering
“I want you to consider this inexplicable reality; you haven’t done everything wrong. You’ve taken many actions that are not only harmless but actually wonderful and wise. In fact, you have innumerable memories squirreled away in the quagmire of your maternal mind that are full of light and life and that are indictors of a mothering life well considered.So here we go—say them aloud or write them on a piece of paper—answer this one question: what isn’t on your guilt list—i.e. what have you done right as a mom? Nothing is off limits mentioning. Nothing is too simple or too sappy. Start with the easy stuff…here’s a couple of mine:I don’t feel guilty for picking up my babies every time they criedI don’t feel guilty for baking chocolate-chip cookies nearly once a week for the past 17 yearsI don’t feel guilty admitting I hate to play board gamesSee? Easy. Nothing earth shaking. Just simple, real, guilt-free realities of my simple, real life.”
This is an encouraging article on seeing yourself as a new creation in mothering. This is from an “It is Finished perspective.” May it be so that we focus on “WHAT IS LOVELY.”
“motherhood is accompanied by the nagging, sometimes debilitating, emotion of guilt (with that tired trio of regret, doubt, and second guessing, thrown in for good measure.) Guilt seems bundled within our XX chromosome mothering genes. And some of that guilt is good. Really. It serves a purpose, and it can help us.”
A good synopsis of the feelings the evil one accuses mothers of harbouring.
globeandmail.com: Mumps outbreak spreads:
“the current strain of mumps originated in Britain, where there was a large outbreak in 2004. Immunization rates had drop significantly in Britain because many people believed the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine caused autism. The vaccine-autism link has since been disproved, he noted.
The disease reached Iowa last year, and Dr. Rau said it has now found its way into Canada.
”It’s global travel compounded with vaccine refusal,“ he said.”
Why Are Americans Afraid of Being Naked?
In the Netherlands people can be naked in their gardens, the beach and recently the gym. But in America, even chocolate sculptures cant be without clothes. What gives?
Another, perhaps sobering, reality: America has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the industrialized world, according to the American Association of Pediatrics, and a rate that exceeds the Dutch by nine-fold. A healthy attitude to nudity as well as sex, something the Dutch are regaled for, might have a positive impact as more exposure typically leads to greater information.
You know, some questions just beg to be asked. Of course, they still missed addressing the obvious rant fundamentalist Christianity has been on for years by asking: What makes anyone think nudity is in any way required for lust anyhow?
Is Remarriage a Step in the Right Direction?:
“Furthermore, loss always brings the fear of more loss. When persons start protecting themselves from more loss, walls are built. ”I’m afraid my kids and new husband will turn against each other. It would be just another failure,“ said one mom. Her teenage son echoed her fear, ”I’m afraid of getting close to anyone. With all I’ve had to live through I keep waiting for it to happen all over again.“”
This is a realistic article of blended families.
“Before the industrial revolution, fathers often worked side by side with their sons and instructed their children in spiritual values. When industrialization took over the American landscape, fathers left their farms and headed to the factories. Fourteen- to 16-hour workdays set the stage for the absentee father. Eventually, fathers came to be regarded as merely breadwinners who fulfilled their paternal duties by providing.”
This is a good point. Yes the father’s primary role is providing. However it is not to the exclusion of being there for the kids. Before kids worked with their dads alongside. Now one needs to make time for the recitals/final games/lifeskills etc. The tasks need to be done anyway. It is important to ask the child to tag along. Show them how you do it. May it be so.
“Children like to collect things. Some notable companies have capitalized on this by making a variety of products and then convincing kids that they have to obtain them all. Pokémon and Ty Beanie Babies are two corporations who have been especially good at this technique.Toy companies personify their stuffed animals and dolls, giving them names and birthdays. This strategy allows kids to connect with their toys as if they were real.”
This is so true. First it was pollys. Now it’s the pet shoppe. God said view it form the It’s Finsihed perspective. He said, GIVETHE TOYS AWAY WHEN THEY HAVE OUTGROWN THEM TO CHARITY. MATERIALISM?DISCONTENT IS NOT THE ISSUE. THEY ARE THEIR PAY FROM ME. IGIVE KIDS JOY NOT DEPRIVATION.
Easing the Home Schooling Load:
“Encourage personal devotions and study.Take time to try to fill learning ”gaps“ (what your child should know but does not) or move ahead.Try not to overwhelm or under-challenge your child.Teach study skills and test-taking skills.Continue grammar and writing.Begin learning about high school record keeping.Continue reading alone and together.Senior High (9th through 12th grades)”
“Lists many sites offering reviews of children’s literature.Dictionary and Thesaurus* — Merriam-Webster OnLine.Encyclopedias* — Includes links to Britannica Online (also, try the free concise version), plus a variety of specialized encyclopedias.AskA+ Locator* — A directory of places you can go to get expert answers to your questions.”
“Yet another incentive may involve a fashionable article of clothing that would not ordinarily be within your teen’s budget. Offering her a means of obtaining such luxuries is a happy alternative to the whining, crying, begging, complaining and pestering that might occur otherwise. Mom says, ”Sure you can have the ski sweater, but you’ll have to earn it.“ Once an acceptable motivator is agreed upon, the second step can be implemented.”
This is an excellent motivator to live out Jesus and His love to get the things kids even age 3 and a half would like to buy. Probably a parent would purchase the items anyways. It is a way to encourage budgeting skills, discernment, blessings of God, and patience. The only drawback is the excessive toys and mess. God seemed to say it is a way to give out of abundance to cousins/friends. I had the fear it would foster discontent and materialism but it was not of the Lord. Anyways those issues are “Finished in the risen Jesus.
Shovel Writings: Reality or Psycho-Babble?:
“We are afraid of fear itself. We are afraid because of so many verses taken out of context and used to beat us up with until our hearts are bloody and raw and in agony, and then we fear even more.
It is a very good thing to be secure in our New Identity and realize that MOST fears come from the INsecurity we have been wallowing in and perpetuating for sooo long … fears based on deception and lies that we have fed ourselves and each other.
The GOOD NEWS of CHRIST, which is also OUR GOOD NEWS because of HIM and our NEW IDENTITY in HIM, is the only thing that soothes the pain of so much insanity and insecurity that we endure.
”
This fear feeling is the key difficulty in loving others and God. It is not about the other person at all. Most deep conflicts are not about another. If we do not surrender fears, these feelings reinterpret what we hear. Others feel unloved by distrust. We in turn feel guilty/alone or vice versa. The only solution is consciously resting in Jesus and our new identity on Him based on the true Good News. The basis of our fears is Finished as well.
“Don’t blame yourself. The most common reasons women miscarry are missing pieces of genetic information in the fertilized egg or improper implantation of the baby into the uterine lining. Women don’t miscarry because they ate something they shouldn’t have, or didn’t take folic acid or get enough rest. Miscarriage is God’s way of making sure that when you do have a baby, it has the best chance for a healthy life. Though it may feel like it, it’s not a punishment.”
This is an encourging article sharing that women often feel to blame years after it has occurred. It has good suggestions to accept the lass through memorializing.
The failure of Progressive Education
The Psychopathic School by John Taylor Gatto
Schools were designed by Horace Mann and by Sears and Harper of the University of Chicago and by Thorndyke of Columbia Teachers College and by some other men to be instruments of the scientific management of a mass population. Schools are intended to produce, through the application of formulas, formulaic human beings whose behavior can be predicted and controlled.
To a very great extent schools succeed in doing this, but in a national order increasingly disintegrated, in a national order in which the only “successful” people are independent, self-reliant, confident, and individualistic (because community life which protects the dependent and the weak is dead and only networks remain), the products of schooling are, as I’ve said, irrelevant. Well-schooled people are irrelevant. They can sell film and razor blades, push paper and talk on telephones, or sit mindlessly before a flickering computer terminal, but as human beings they are useless. Useless to others and useless to themselves.
The daily misery around us is, I think, in large measure caused by the fact that, as Paul Goodman put it thirty years ago, we force children to grow up absurd. Any reform in schooling has to deal with its absurdities.
It is absurd and anti-life to be part of a system that compels you to sit in confinement with people of exactly the same age and social class. That system effectively cuts you off from the immense diversity of life and the synergy of variety; indeed it cuts you off from your own past and future, sealing you in a continuous present much the same way television does.
It is absurd and anti-life to move from cell to cell at the sound of a gong for every day of your natural youth in an institution that allows you no privacy and even follows you into the sanctuary of your home demanding that you do its “homework.”
Ok, some rants just need to be posted — even if written by others.
Think this is the rantings of a cynical lunatic? Think again. This is taken from John Taylor Gatto’s book, Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling. This speech was given by Gatto on January 31/1990 in accepting an award from the New York State Senate naming him New York City Teacher of the Year. Yes, he’s a teacher.
I just wish we could find another few hundred thousand teachers to stand up and scream the same message…
Excellent Suggestion for Child Anger Management
“Model anger management. ”Mommy is feeling very angry right now, so I’m going to take time to be alone and get some self-control.Show respect. Don’t participate by calling names or getting physical.Give them words to express their anger. “I know you are disappointed, or sad or frustrated.”Identify with their pain. “I remember when I didn’t get to go to a party…”Set positive limits. Instead of saying, “Don’t you throw that doll,” say, “After you put the doll on the table, we can go have snack.”Redirect energy bursts that often come with anger. Encourage positive outlets like running, jumping, blowing into a horn or painting.Avoid power struggles with your child. They’re always lose-lose situations. If your goal is to control, you will teach him to control others.“
This article is excellent for mother, particularly with girls because one has to model it. In my opinion, time outs, focusing on the positive show grace not that a child has won. If one tries to control them by always having your way, they may tend to overcompensate by attempting to control their siblings/friends/you.
Slumber Party Pillowcase Favour
How to Arrange a Kids Craft Party! – weHow.com :
“Decorate T-shirts or pillowcases: Give each child a white T-shirt, or request on the party invitations that kids bring a white T-shirt that can be decorated. Cover an area of floor with thick cardboard from the sides of large boxes. Insert a thinner, smaller piece of cardboard inside each T-shirt to keep paint from running through to the back. Tape the shirt and thin cardboard down to the heavier cardboard, keeping the front surface flat. Have kids decorate their T-shirts with non-toxic fabric paints. Allow the T-shirts to dry and let guests wear the shirts home at the end of the birthday party. ”
Age 10 prob max
Bulletproofing Our Schools … With Faith:
“”Any sane culture is going to say we must move heaven and earth to get to our children early in life, before they are permanently and irreparably damaged,“ Gulker says. ”By abandoning public schools, you create a culture, a society, where your children and grandchildren can be sure they will not be safe.“Gulker is founder and executive director of an unprecedented mentoring program, Kids Hope USA, that beguiles public educators and church leaders alike with its simplicity. Volunteers from neighborhood churches are paired with an at-risk student and spend an hour a week with him or her at school: reading, doodling, working math problems, shooting hoops or just listening. The aim is to become the child’s friend, a dependable source of encouragement and love.What has stunned not only teachers and administrators, but Gulker himself, is the payoff from such a meager investment. Teachers consistently report significant improvements in attendance, truancy and academic achievement.”
This is an encouraging article on preventing criminal activities through the unconditional grace of time, fun, presence, and education.
“The thing that has sustained me through all this is God has seemed so very close that prayer has seemed almost redundant. … Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes God lets the storm rage, and calms the child.”
Personally, “I couldn’t be happier. I think that’s the best revenge,” he said.
He said his 15,000-member diocese was healthy, but the news he seemed most eager to relay was that immediately after the luncheon he was leaving for the Sundance Film Festival, where a documentary film, featuring his story and those of four other gay families, has been nominated for a grand jury prize.
Titled “For the Bible Tells Me So,” it is about families split by their beliefs about homosexuality and Scripture. He said his own parents talked more openly to the filmmaker than they had to him after his own announcement at age 39 that he was gay and getting divorced.
Well, it’s happened again. This time it comes via the Sundance Film Festival. A new movie is released about the lives of a number of families who have had their children come out of the closet. The same tired, thirty-four year old arguments have yet again been trotted out by the left (E.g., Paul was only talking about homosexual prostitution) to try and make the Bible say God thinks homosexual sex is a wonderful idea and the same well worn rebuttal (Original design) issued by the right. The media is all over it with CNN devoting almost 20min to it.
Honestly, I wonder what’s next? “Gays can sneeze; details on channel four news at 11:00pm,” perhaps?
Frankly, it isn’t news and it hasn’t shifted anyone’s mind. It’s more of a tactic — a tactic to, yet again, pit two sides of evangelicals against each other. On the one side is the fundamentalist right ranting about how Gays are breaking the law of God. On the other is the liberal left trying to show how the law of God is actually not being broken. Strangely, neither side seems to see that they are both on the same side — and it’s the wrong one — and it’s making them both look like idiots.
Even more strangely, neither side has figured out that making them look like idiots was the whole point. As long as they are debating their respective standing as to the rules, they are essentially neutralized and the message of the Gospel is going nowhere.
A message that would clearly say:
But, of course, it’s just so much more fun to measure ourselves with the wrong measuring stick that the, “Healing of the nations,” can wait…
Should I tell My Children about Our Miscarriage
Telling Young Children About Miscarriage:
“If you do suffer a miscarriage, I’d encourage you to be honest with the girls. Tell them that God knew this baby was very sick, and so He decided to take him to be with Him in heaven. Grieve the loss together, but if you find yourself overwhelmed by intense feelings of sadness, share those feelings with your husband and your pastor, not with your girls. A two- and four-year-old aren’t mature enough to understand or process a parent’s intense grief.
“Emotional effects of miscarriage vary among women and often take longer to heal than their physical counterparts. It’s common to experience extreme sadness, anger, guilt and anxiety about future pregnancies. There is no ”typical“ timeframe for emotional recovery; every woman experiences the grieving process in her own way and travels the road to healing at her own pace. While it’s important to allow time and personal ”space“ for grieving, if the grief becomes too overwhelming — leading to a more serious episode of depression and despondency —”
This is a good article outlining the feelings of miscarriage. The guilt must be vented/given to God in order to receive His perspective that will fully reveal healing.
Effective Co-Parenting, Part Two:
“Schedule a monthly (perhaps more often) ”business“ meeting to discuss co-parenting matters. You can address schedules, academic reports, behavioral training and spiritual development. Do not discuss your personal life (or your ex’s); that part of your relationship is no longer appropriate. If the conversation turns away from the children, simply redirect the topic or politely end the meeting. If you cannot talk with your ex face to face due to conflict, use e-mail or speak to the answering machine. Do what you can to make your meetings productive for the children.”
This article offers good suggestions on not capitalizing on the hurt of others/your children to berate the other parent. It is important not to disappoint by being unreliable.
Effective Co-Parenting, Part Two:
“Schedule a monthly (perhaps more often) ”business“ meeting to discuss co-parenting matters. You can address schedules, academic reports, behavioral training and spiritual development. Do not discuss your personal life (or your ex’s); that part of your relationship is no longer appropriate. If the conversation turns away from the children, simply redirect the topic or politely end the meeting. If you cannot talk with your ex face to face due to conflict, use e-mail or speak to the answering machine. Do what you can to make your meetings productive for the children.”
This article offers good suggestion on effective co-parenting.
The Turmoil of Children from Separation
Effective Co-Parenting, Part One:
“Unfortunately, this put her in constant turmoil, as she was forced to choose which parent she would invite to certain events. If the other wanted to come but couldn’t, Julie heard that parent’s disappointment and felt guilty. ”Why can’t they just put aside their differences and tolerate a couple of hours in the same room?“ Good question.Because Terrance’s parents always ended up fighting on the phone, he became the middleman to their visitation arrangements. His mother stopped speaking to his father and asked Terrance, at age 9, to communicate her preferences for drop-off and pickup. Terrance had no choice but to oblige, since he enjoyed spending time with his father on weekends.In both these examples, children carried undue emotional anxiety and burden because their parents could not set aside their differences and act like adults.An effective co-parent arrangement for Julie’s parents would mean she could invite both parents to her recitals and not worry whether they were fighting or anxious. An effective arrangement for Terrance’s parents would include their finding a way to talk rationally about their schedules instead of triangulating Terrance.The bottom line is a system that allows children to be children and adults to be their parents.”
This is a good article regarding the confusing feelings of children from separation/divorce. It is best to only do email contact with a difficult ex in regards to children.
The Danger of Mixing the Old and New Covenant
Shovel Writings: The New Covenant:
“What’s the first covenant? It was a contract based upon the performance of those who were part of it. Guess what? It didn’t work! It never worked. That was the point. And guess what else? We are very familiar with the nature of the FIRST covenant and didn’t even know it! It was based upon the same principles we learned as children: do good and be rewarded, do bad and get punished! It convinced us that the only way around our hopeless situation is to LOOK like you were doing good and not doing bad. It works because everybody else needs the same excuse!
BOTTOM LINE: So, here’s how the new covenant replaced the first. After the people failed miserably in their attempts to be good, God brought about His promised miracle: people who would from the heart operate from love. He did this by putting an end to the lifeless, dead heart (life-source) and created a new one. ”
These are the central points that are often missed. In parenting making kids obey doesn’t work. It is important to discipline based on the law of love so kids do not just try to look good.
Encouraging Owning feelings in Conflicts
“Encourage your child to use words to express her feelings. These should be words used to describe what your child feels rather than words used to hurt others.”
This is an excellent point about sharing one’s experience of the feelings. However it also stresses one is not allowed to hurt others.
Character Qualities Learned At Home
Giving Your Child the Excellence Edge:
“Manage Time. How children learn to spend their time now influences how they spend their time in school and later as adults. Assess Yourself. What children believe is true about themselves is largely determined by what others think of them.”
My 6 Year Old child Is Having Difficulty Reading
“t is likely that your late-maturing youngster has not yet completed a vital neurological process involving an organic substance called myelin. At birth, the nervous system of the body is not insulated. ”
This is a good argument for homeschooling until age 7. Physically they are not ready.
Should I Teach My 4 Year Old To Read?
“If a youngster is particularly sharp and if he or she can learn to read without feeling undue adult pressure, it would be advantageous to teach this skill. But that’s a much bigger ”if“ than most people realize. There are some parents who find it difficult to work with their children without showing frustration over immaturity and disinterest.Furthermore, new skills should be taught at the age when they are most needed. Why invest unnecessary effort trying to teach a child to read when he has not yet learned to cross the street, tie his shoes, count to 10, or answer the telephone?”
“ome children are very slow to catch on to reading. Some children have a specific learning disability that makes reading harder. Some children have an attention deficit disorder and have trouble concentrating. Some are just immature and have trouble settling down to learn anything. If your child has a specific problem, it%u2019s important to get help for him. But it’s also important to communicate to him that he can learn to read; it just might take him a little longer. I’ve had students say things like, ‘I’ll never read well; I’m dyslexic.’ Except in a tiny percentage of cases, that doesn’t need to be true.’Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, writes:’Expect negative consequences if teaching your child to read becomes an obsession. Experts in psychology and education emphasize the importance of unforced learning during the formative childhood years. ‘Avoid compulsion and let early education be a matter of amusement. Young children learn by games; compulsory education cannot remain in the soul’ was the advice offered by Plato to parents.”Another big mistake is stopping reading to children too soon. The older the child, the less he is read to in the home and classroom. Parents and teachers might say, in the top fourth-grade reading group why should I read to him? The reason is that a chil’s listening level is often higher than his reading level. Children can hear and understand stories that are more complicated and more interesting than anything they could read on their own.’”
How to Teach Your Child To Read
Teaching Your Children to Read:
“With 3- and 4-year-olds, you can start them reading for themselves by teaching initial sounds of letters. Alphabet books, magnetic letters on the fridge and drawing letters on paper can be fun and instructional. %u201CThe trick in this is to never quiz your child. Teach letters casually,%u201D author Mary Leonhardt writes. Another idea is to write words on index cards and tape them to the things they name, such as a chair or piano.”
Reading to Encourage Critical Thinking
“Research shows that avid readers:Read better, write better and concentrate better.Are quicker to see subtleties.Have an easier time processing new information.Have a better chance for a successful, fulfilling adult life.Have many interests and do well in a wide variety of subjects.Develop an ability to understand how other people think and feel.Acquire the ability to sift information and to understand how unrelated facts can fit into a whole.Tend to be more flexible in their thinking and more open to new ideas.”
CTV.ca | Doctors say how we taste affects health
CTV.ca | Doctors say how we taste affects health:
“One in four people is what scientists call a supertaster, born with extra taste buds. ‘They live in a neon taste world,’ as Bartoshuk puts it. They find some vegetables horribly bitter, and hate the texture. They get more burn from chili peppers, and perceive more sweetness than other people. Nor do they care for fat. They tend to be skinny because they’re such picky eaters. Scientists came up with the name because these people give an extreme ‘Yuck!’ when given a certain bitter chemical widely used in taste research — a chemical that certain other people, dubbed nontasters, can’t even detect. Those nontasters make up another quarter of the population. They like veggies, but unfortunately prefer heart-clogging fat, too, along with sweets and alcohol.”
This is a fascinating article tasting. It is not just genetics. emotional connections play a role. Eating at the moment you sit done is the best time.
Drawing Animals
How to Draw Animals – eHow.com
How to Draw Animals – eHow.com :
“Graduate to having a point of view of POV. This means choosing a %u201Cdisappearing point%u201D or horizon that can help you define the 3-D shape of your animal in space, even if it still leans toward cartoonish in appearance. STEP 4: Progressing into more detail and realism, a knowledge of basic anatomy becomes, at first, useful and soon requisite. Buy a drawing book rather than an anatomy book for an overview of what you need to know.”
Helping Children Grieve
How to Help Your Child Cope With the Death of a Pet – eHow.com
How to Help Your Child Cope With the Death of a Pet – eHow.com :
“Memorialize your pet in a way that is unique to your family. Plant a tree in your pet’s favorite spot in the garden, write down thoughts about fun times spent with the pet, draw pictures, or hang a favorite photo of the pet in your home for all of the family to share. STEP 8: Show your own grief. Children will grow to understand their own feelings better if they see that their sadness is shared by other family members.”
These are good suggestions for art/journalling therapy.
BULLIES BEWARE: TIPS FOR TAMING A TYRANT:
” If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. (Luke 6:29).”
This is a good basic article on living out gentleness in a conflict. Fighting is reserved for the gravest of times.
Revealing God’s Love When Feeling Bullied
“remember is that God is on your side. When the apostle Paul was feeling puny, God told him, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). In other words, when things are totally out of our control, God’s awesome power completely takes over!”
This is an excellent article of encouragement and empathy. A Friend Loves At All Times, even if our friend isn’t making the most beneficial choices. Showing regret by saying I didn’t realize that I hurt you deeply. 1.) Although it is not easy, to say, Ignoring them first 2.) Praying for joy for the hurtful one. 3.) Reach out to others in empathy- encourage gifts, God gives the power to say stop and work it for good.
Questions to Ask Your Physician About Concerns
Be Your Own Health Care Quarterback:
“Take five minutes every morning or evening to think about your personal inventory, any decisions you’re struggling with or any steps you intend to take to improve your (or your child’s) health. Write down all your thoughts in a brainstorming session. Don’t hold anything back. Just write for five minutes. Then, after two weeks of journaling, reread what you have written down for each day. See if there’s a pattern that may suggest a different approach or solution to something that’s been bothering you.”
This offers some good questions and direction to prayerfully choose treatments.
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A professional record of confidential information including records, assessments, treatments, and rendered opinions obtained during counselling involvement.
