How do we take the measure of a person and know how big she really is? Is it from the tips of the toes to the top of the head? Or is it the waistline or head size? I do not think any of these simple measurements takes the true measure of a person into consideration.
I say, measure me by the size of my heart. Take your tape measure and go around my heart, and include all the things my heart is touched by, and you will know how large I truly am.
The actions you take that spring from your heart have a far greater effect than those that come only from the mind or body. Open your heart and allow it to guide you in your actions.
One can become famous for physical accomplishments, but only the accomplishments of the heart truly fulfill. When one heart touches another we have hearts beating in unison with no fear of rejection. A heart filled with love is eternal and not measurable by our hand.
A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: “We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.” The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this in. At last she said, “I sure wish I’d gotten to know you sooner!”
My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, “Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?” I mentally polished my halo while I asked, “No, how are we alike?” “You’re both old,” he replied.
A grandmother was sitting on her porch watching her grandchildren as they played in her yard. Suddenly, a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties. “They use him to keep crowds back,” said the oldest grandson. “No,” said the other grandson, “he’s just for good luck.” The granddaughter brought the argument to a close. “They use the dog,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrant.”
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Noah’s Ark
Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah’s Ark.
ONE: Don’t miss the boat
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.
FOUR: Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
FIVE: Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
SIX: Build your future on high ground.
SEVEN: For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
EIGHT: Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
NINE: When you’re stressed, float awhile.
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow waiting.
As we begin a new year, many of us attempt to eat more healthily as a new resolution. Steamed foods retain more nutrients, better color, and intense flavor. Ziplock provides bags especially for steaming foods in the microwave. Try this cabbage recipe for a simple, tasty, and healthy vegetable dish. If you do not especially care for cabbage, try cooking your favorite vegetable in the steamer bags. You will love it!
Steamed Cabbage
Chop cabbage into small strips, and fill a medium-sized Ziplock steam bag.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning.
Add one or two tablespoons of butter.
Seal bag and place in microwave.
Cook on high for only three minutes.
Delicious, perfectly cooked cabbage!
Safety Tips for the Medicine Cabinet
What essentials should be in my medicine cabinet?
Medicine cabinets should be stocked with pain relievers, allergy and sinus relievers, cold and flu medications, antacids, anti-diarrheals, and first-aid items. A recent study indicates that the following were among the three most important items in Americans’ medicine cabinets: pain reliever/fever reducer (74%), bandages (65%), and cold and flu products (41%).
What should I consider when selecting over-the-counter medication?
OTC medications pose some risk. Important information to look for on OTC medication labels includes active ingredients and purpose, uses and indications, warnings and side effects, dosage information, significant product changes, and expiration date.
What should I do to ensure my medications are properly used?
Medications stored in their original packaging keep the expiration date and dosing instructions accessible. If taking multiple medications, be sure to check for possible interactions between ingredients. If you have questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist. Always use the dosing device that accompanies the product. Store medications as directed on the label.
Are there specific rules for disposing of medications?
There are no federal regulations for disposing of expired medications. States offer varied recommendations for disposing of pharmaceuticals. Until regulations are available, contact your pharmacist for assistance about the safe disposal of your medications.
Today, as I prayed for our nation, I felt distressed. I likened the turmoil we currently face politically, socially, economically, morally and spiritually to a rushing stream. I felt our great country drifting down turbulent waters, scrambling, without finding even a protruding branch to grab onto for safety.
And in that instant, when in prayer I gazed at the banks looking for something to hold onto, the Lord impressed me with this thought. “The stream is in my hand.”
Peace rushed in where concern swirled moments before, and I laughed out loud. First, because it’s amazing God cares enough to meet a simple human being in a time of prayer. Second, because it’s so true. His plan has been established since the beginning of time and He measured the oceans in the palm of His hand.
No two authorities agree on exactly which stages of grief widows must go through. Most agree that the number, type and severity of stages differ from widow to widow, depending on many individual factors. All agree that grief is a job that must be done before healing can occur.
Although it’s true that grief loosely follows a pattern, moving through progressive stages, erratic symptoms often appear without respect for those stages. In addition, there is no predictable timetable. One doesn’t get over grief in a specific amount of time, as one does the chicken pox or mumps. With time –and work– grief changes its nature and its intensity, becoming more tolerable and less frightening. Eventually one’s new life begins to play a more important role than grief itself.
Each widow’s grief is different, depending on her age, her financial resources, her personal independence, her spirituality, her family’s and friends’ support network, her emotional stability, her education and training, her cultural heritage. Another essential factor is the way her husband died and her presence or absence at the death. An 82-year-old woman who nursed her husband for three years surely will experience grief differently than a 30-year-old mother of three whose husband died of a sudden heart attack in bed beside her. Suicide, death by violence, auto accident, fire, terrorism or war all set a widow up for very different grief patterns than most of us can possibly know. None of us should judge another widow. Only she knows her own situation.
If you are like a large percentage of those who make New Year’s resolutions, “lose weight” will be somewhere on your list. Many of us, however, do not understand portion size. Health articles tell us to eat several servings of fruits and vegetables each day, but how much is a “serving”? The following will give you a general idea of what constitutes a serving:
FRUITS
1 small to medium piece of fresh fruit (apples, oranges, nectarines)
½ cup canned or fresh cut fruit (the size of a computer mouse)
4 ounces of fruit juice (a small Dixie cup)
¼ cup dried fruit (a handful the size of four dice)
VEGETABLES
½ cup cooked vegetables (the size of a computer mouse)
1 cup raw vegetables (the size of a standard light bulb)
4 ounces whole vegetable juice (a small Dixie cup)
Although many repairs require the specialized knowledge of a professional, there are some you can do yourself with a little education, a great home repair reference book, and a sense of adventure. The do-it-yourself approach can also save you a lot of time and money. Here are the solutions to three additional common problems:
Problem #3: Whenever you use the toaster oven, it trips a circuit breaker.
Solution: The first thing to do is determine whether anything else shuts off along with the toaster. If other appliances lose power as well, then a circuit was probably overloaded, and you should call an electrician (this will cost about $100 minimum for a house call and an hour of labor). If nothing else loses power, the problem is within the toaster itself, and it will need to be replaced. Note: To reset the circuit breaker after it’s been tripped, locate the switch in the circuit breaker panel that’s in the off or middle position. Flip it all the way off and then all the way to the on position.
Problem #4: The toilet won’t stop running.
Solution: A toilet that runs wastes hundreds of gallons of water a week, according to Gene and Katie Hamilton, authors of Home Improvement for Dummies. To fix this problem, purchase a toilet repair kit for about $15. Once you’ve purchased the kit, turn off the water supply to the toilet (the shutoff valve is located behind the toilet), and flush the toilet to empty the water out of the tank. Then install the kit according to the enclosed directions, and reconnect the water line once you’re finished.
Problem #5: The front door won’t lock unless you slam it shut.
Solution: If you’re knocking pictures off the wall because you have to slam your door to get it to lock, the first thing to look for is whether or not the strike plate (the small metal piece attached to the door frame) is positioned properly. The bolt on the door should easily interlock with the strike plate when the door is closed. If it doesn’t, the strike plate needs to be reset so that the bolt can rest centered between the top and bottom of the plate. If this doesn’t solve the problem, check the door’s weather stripping, which can sometimes keep a door from freely locking. It’s easy to install new weather stripping, and it can be purchased at any home improvement store. If your door still doesn’t close properly, call a carpenter to diagnose the problem. The door might be warped or tilted and need to be replaced. The labor will cost $35 to $38 per hour, not including the price of a new door, if needed.
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