Happy New Year ~2014~

HAPPY New Year ~***2014***~
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way. Psalm 37:23
Trust God with your New Year! Success in on your way when you allow God to lead you. Here is to the best of your life~ 2014!!!

Why Were You Laughing?

Why were you laughing?

*Don’t we all enjoy children’s recitals and special programs? We smile, cry, laugh and even enjoy everything that didn’t go as planned. It is common to see people have a blast when children are performing and that is the truth!

*Well, I once had the honor to enjoy a special performance, one I will never forget and would love to share with you today.

*I was sitting in a front row at church one night waiting with great anticipation for a special performance from the Sunday School Children’s class. I had taught most of them in Sunday school and was very excited to hear them sing. The grand moment came and the children were singing their special song to the top of their lungs with  some choreography to go along with it too.

*They were supposed to do the same thing at the same time, but instead, they appeared to be  a great wave crashing into the audience in slow motion. While some were still in the middle of the song, others were ending it, and a few were singing it for the second time. After some time somehow they all made it to the end together. Alleluia, some of us thought as we clapped our hands and laughed. It was so cute and even though we did appreciate their effort and did love every second if it, we sure had a strange way of demonstrating it.

*Once the presentation was over the children walked back to their seats, but one little girl walked straight towards me. She asked, “Why were you laughing? We were singing for the Lord”. It sure wiped the smile off my face. I had to fight back the tears when I saw the puzzled look on that little angel’s face. I apologized. *I was reminded of God’s goodness. He doesn’t measure us against any other standard than His perfect love. He asks us for our best and when we give Him our best, He receives it as a sweet offering of love.

~* When your heart is pleasing to God and you do things with the right motivation, rest assure that you will never come short before Him. What God thinks about you is all that matters and He thinks you are the best! You are His most valuable possession.

To Your Heart~*

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

Col 3:23

Divine Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD!

Ingredients  

2 cups all-purpose flour  

 1/2 teaspoon baking soda  

1/2 teaspoon salt  

 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted  

1 cup packed brown sugar  

1/2 cup white sugar  

1 tablespoon vanilla extract  

1 egg   1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

YOU WILL ENJOY THESE COOKIES BECAUSE THEY ARE…

SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD!

Stay Focused

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Proverbs 4:25

~Stay focused!~

100 things to do this summer! Your mission, Parent, should you choose to accept it is – SUMMER with Children!

Summer break with kids is great for the first few hours and then… you want to ship them away to the moon because you can’t stop them from getting bored. They wake up in the morning with hopes for theme parks every weekend, shopping sprees every other day, tv/snacks 24/7  and  of course no responsibility or chores as the icing on the top of the cake.  Yeah it is SUMMER!!!

After all you know, it is summer and “we deserve it” they may think.  Here is a **Newsflash**dear parent!!! Don’t think summer is doomed just because you can’t keep up with unrealistic ideas and ridiculous entitlements that are spoon feed to our kids by our society! You can have fun, enjoy summer and make great memories too! No, this is not plan B or plan C as a consolation prize.  It is Pan A. !

**Plan A is to Take Summer Back! Enjoy the time you have with your family. Even though $ and high packed days can be fun, please remember not to underestimate fun the old fashion way…  Try laughing more, talking to each other without phones or electronic gadgets in front of you. Give undivided attention, do things that may not be your favorite thing and watch others glow as you cheer them on. Listen to that joke for the nth time and don’t steal their thunder. Do things together. Put your me agenda down.  Get creative and have a list of things you can go to check for ideas to do as a family when you need it. The list will come in handy!  It will be worth the time you put in it. Make time to invest in the lives of your loved ones by just…. being there~ being all there~ when you spend time together. 

When summer is gone ~ what you spent, where you went, what you did is not what will make the mark, but how you did it. Were you all there?  Did you give your best with the time and possibilities you had?  Did you purposely live or let the days go by wishing summer away as frustrations piled up?

It will be challenging to cut through the traps of consumerism, selfishness and work, but I will give it my best shot!!  I know I will not have this summer again so I want to make it count! Will it be worth it? Yes! I plan to keep record of what we do and make memories to cherish! 

Be inspired to enjoy summer and not just endure it!  We did our list as a family. We all came up with 100 things to do! I am sharing my list. Copy all you want/make your own and don’t hold on to the list  too tight, just use it as a tool to help you navigate through summer fun! We did not do the all, but it got us going when we were stuck! 🙂

Yes, summer is finally is here! Happy Planning Parents!!!!!

100 Things To Do This Summer –Family BUCKET LIST (green 🙂 means done- orange – in progress)

Croquet tournament 

Park Day/Picnic with friends 

Visit family or friend 

Go Canoeing 

Go fishing

Make something with clay 

Go for a walk 

Go to summer camp 

Beach 

Mexican Night with friends

Go to a gun show 

Family Friends Music night  

Practice/learn instruments

Learn to cook new dishes

Make giant ice cream sundaes

Go to the gun range

Pizza Game place

Go to Flea Market

Visit a new town

Activity with a friend (comic)

Bowling

Do a paying summer job

Spend time with family 

Fun Field Trip

Family Reunion

Swimming

Catch something alive

Go to movie theater

Kid’s drive the car in empty parking lot (we have early teens)

Try a new food

Fancy picnic

Game night

Water gun fight

Yard sale

Sand castle

Ride bikes

Long Sunday nap

Cook on the fire

Take care of garden

Road trip

Visit new area parks

Make ice cream

Make fam. fun music cd mix

Wash grandparents car

No tv one day

Dance in the rain 4 one minute 

Indoor Camping

Bake cookies

Volunteer work

Write a poem

Make salsa

Water balloon fight

Movie night

Make a car with recycle materials – race them

Send postcard

Make kite and fly it

Visit an orchid

Pick wild  flowers

Homemade tortillas

Walk to the library

Pick flower paint/draw it

Eat a snow cone

Pie from scratch

Read a book

Paint a scene

Make marinara sauce

Blow dandelions

Lazy day

Cook for a neighbor

Farmers market

Watch boxing match

Have/go to sleepover

Make paper airplanes

Play frisbees

Scooters

Cookout with friends

Watch fireworks on 4th of July

Do a chalk mural

Go to a pool

Eat cold watermelon

Picnic with fam.

Do a science   experiment

Write a letter

Puppets for a story

Check out books at library

Take family picture

Stay at a hotel  one night

Go to a music event

Learn 3 bird calls

Learn to id 3 new flowers

Go to a game

Make trail mix

Walk a new trail

Read a book together

Make bird feeder/house

Sing together

Watermelon seed contest

Play hopscotch

Make something out of wood

Play Jingo

 

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control

Moments 2 Give

God brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard.

Share them– Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23  

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Believe to See~

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

Coley’s Spice Pumpkin Cake **6 ingredients**

We wanted to add a dessert to our holiday menu, a dessert that the children could prepare. It needed to be simple.  We wanted a cake that was delicious, but easy to prepare and serve. This is our holiday spice cake. It was a hit and we prepare it not just on  holidays because it is that good!

What do you need?

1. Spice box cake mix

2. 1 egg

3. 1/4 c. oil

4. pumpkin can

5. cream cheese icing or glaze

6. cinnamon sugar mix

 

What to do?

1~ Mix all ingredients well- It will be very thick and it is ok!

2~ Coat pan with butter. You may also sprinkle cinnamon sugar mix over the pan.

3~ Bake in 13 x 9 x 2 pan at 350* for about 40-45 minutes

4~ Cream cheese icing to top your work of art! (cake should be cool)

ENJOY – It was a hit at our Thanksgiving dinner

Spring Vegetable Tian – Easy as 1 2 3 and A B C!

Prepare to enjoy a beautiful and wonderful dish. Put away the box mac and cheese or scalloped potatoes and prepare this delicious healthy masterpiece! Yes, you can do it! Easy as ABC!

1–Veggies potato, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato, red potato, and greek yogurt

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2– sautéed onions, 1/4c. water and 3/4 c. greek yogurt

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3– veggies arranged

Season with salt /pepper and drizzle some olive oil over it. Cover dish with foil and bake at 400* for 30 minutes, uncover sprinkle with grated cheese and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until vegetables cooked and cheese melted.

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4–  SpringVegetable Tian mmm mmm good!

Never Give up!

You are STRONG*

 

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears.

Let the weakling say,

“I am strong!”

Joel 3:10

Deal with it!

Deal with your situations the right way…

Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them. Henry Ford

Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything. Billy Graham

Clicking a few keys on your computer….

wont fix it.

Nope! Duck tape wont work either.

Problems, obstacles, disappointments, or whatever we like to call them, are a fact of life. We can’t hide from them and we can’t go in crazy mode trying to solve situations with a quick fix  that might in fact complicate things in the long run. We must make the decision to address the situation/solve it, learn from the experience, and move on. The sooner we start this process the better.

Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed. There’s an old joke that goes: How do you eat an elephant? Well, one bite at a time of course! Some things take time, but you can take the first step today and if you need help.

GET IT!

I think I really need some help… HELP!

Do you or someone you know find it difficult to ask for help?

WE ALL HAVE THEM...

Why do you think it’s hard to ask?

Pride and fear are at the core when it comes to reasons why people do not ask for help.

Have you ever helped somebody?
Think back to the times you may have helped out another person. How did it make you feel? What did you gain? Many times we get caught up in our own little world and lose sight of the big picture. It is a fact that we all need help at one point or another, but sometimes pride gets in the way of  healthy relationships with others. We choose not to ask for help because we do not want to seem weak, needy, a burden, or incompetent.
We fail to see that when we ask for help we give others an opportunity to feel good about themselves as well, and also create strong bonds of friendship.
Asking for help is not a negative reflection of our character or  intelligence. It does not indicate anything  bad about us. It simply means that we need help in a specific situation at a specific time.  It is a sign of strength and wisdom to seek out for help when you need it and not the other way around.

 ABCs in the Help department

*Always Ask->If you need help or you know you might need some help, please ask in advance. Be clear in what you need and make room for the person to say no without feeling guilty. When we ask with time not being to tight, stress and guilt out are taken out of the equation. 

*Be Realistic -> Know that there will be times when we may not receive help. Do not let that discourage you, and do not take it personally. The truth is that there will be times when you as well may not be able, or need to say no, when asked to help.

* Be Clear ->When you are helping others be assertive. Be clear what you are asked to help with and do not take over or overwhelm the one who asked for help with your own ways of doing things.

Everybody gains! Next time you need help have the confidence to ask for it knowing that it can truly benefit you both.  Keep in mind the giver is gaining a boost to their confidence knowing they are a good person and the good feelings that come from that and the recipient gets the help they need.

The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.

It is OK to ask for help!

Quiet Please!

Dear

Diary

*I picked the right day and time to go to the library. It was so nice and quiet…

I mean… Who goes to the library early on Saturdays?

 Well, I found out!

*My wonderful quiet working time was suddenly interrupted. It was an

invasion. These creatures came marching in from all corners. Yes, it was the

HNL crowd. Happy and loud that is, and they were ready for business It was

time for Potty Training Class. Ha! It was quite impressive to see so many

toddlers together in one place.

*As they all walked into a special room, the brave instructor closed the

doors behind them, and all was well for about 20 minutes. We were all safe I

thought Alleluia! – but just then the doors opened… (music please- ta ta ta ta taaaaaa ta)

*Out came the proud Potty Training Class Graduates wearing underwear hats! Yes, they felt so accomplished with their work of art and so were their moms who had underwear hats on too. Yes, it was a family event.

*Woo hoo!!

Long live the underwear and no more diapers stage!

P.S. *I must admit- my work crashed, but the children drew a smile on my face.

Dear diary,

for giving me a moment to see how sweet interruptions can be sometimes. I think we could all use some  HNL, that is Happy and Loud crowd interruptions every now and then.

Do not drown in the Ocean of Emotions

 Every controlling emotion you press through is a victory in your life. J.M.

 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Bring People Up!

Say cheeeeeeeezzz!

Cheers to all the good friends out there!

Pop Quiz

 I choose to have a ________ attitude.

A. positive

B. negative

hey, pssst pssst - hint hint (blue is cool!)  

Turn the Page

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Always Press Forward!

You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. *Your next minute could very well be a fresh start for you in any area of your life. Take it!

Receive 2012 with a Heart of Thanksgiving

I am alive~

Walk out of 2011 and into 2012 with a heart of gratitude. Give thanks for everything good and awesome in you. Give thanks for all that you got to live, experience and share. Give thanks and make room for more!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Best Wishes to You in 2012!

akcielo 🙂

The Golden Rule and Holiday Blues

After 3 days of being ill and all alone in a house unable to help myself, a person showed up to check on me. She bathed me, fed me and stayed by my side until I was well. With her help I did get better so much faster. Her actions were a ray of light, hope and life  that came into that room when she chose to come and check on me. This was 20 years ago and today I still thank God for her and her heart to serve.

 

Holidays can be very hard and lonely

for  people who are housebound.

Check on your neighbors.

Go love and help someone out today.

Best Fruit Diet for the New Year :)

 It will make you strong and healthy so *eat *eat *eat and *share *share *share!

Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit of the spirit diet is wonderful and won’t hurt your figure! 🙂 No law against this diet! Works for all!  

Take a Moment 2 Give~ good fruits to all in the New Year!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Other >>New Year << posts-

• Best advice for the New Year! A word for you!
• New Year’s Proverbs and More ~ What lies ahead? 2012

Holiday Traditions

Baking Time Countdown

Yesterday, I received  an unexpected bag of Christmas goodies. To receive bake goods and treats just brings the holiday cheers home is a special way. It is one of those special things of the season.  In the bag there were different kinds of cookies and rice treats. The goodies were great, but to know that someone took the time to prepare it, and put it together as a gift made it so much more special and better that a store-bought item. It was a homemade gift one that we enjoyed and was received with joy  too. It is all gone now. 🙂 I have to admit that the treats were so much fun to receive that we are paying it forward.  Tomorrow we are  baking cookies.  We will be baking oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. I will also try to add bananas cookies too, but no promise there. lol  I think cookies are perfect choice for  food gifts because you can try one and know if they are good before you send them out.

Do you have any Christmas traditions that you follow with your family?

 ~~~~*~~~~

We share baked goodies with the neighbors on Christmas Eve.

We are adding an extra delivery this year! 🙂

______________________________________________________

~~~~*~~~~

We tell the story of Jesus’ birth. Then we sing happy Birthday to Jesus

and blow out our Christmas candle  before we open gifts.

 __________________________________________________________

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We each have a Christmas stocking that we get to open on Christmas Eve. ___________________________________________________________

~~~~*~~~~

We open gifts Christmas gifts on Christmas morning.

___________________________________________________

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We eat all day long! 🙂

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Sweet treats to all!  Merry Christmas friends!

__________________________________________________________

What do you do? Any family traditions you are passing on? Are you starting one this year?

Don’t be afraid to say~ Merry Christmas to You!

give me an… M  give me an  E…

*M-*E-*R-*R-*Y ~

*C-*H-*R-*I-*S-*T-*M-*A-*S

What does it say?  I can’t ((hear )) you!

 Come on— you can do it–say it….

 Merry Christmas!

Yes! It felt good and it only took a moment of your time. Go and share that special greeting with a smile! Share  joy and love in the holidays and don’t be afraid to say Merry Christmas! 

Merry Christmas to You!

🙂 Akcielo

Proverbs 4 Today

Moments 2 Give

8 things Mama learned in ONE cooking class!

So I had a cooking class with da kids at home …

Lesson #1 Simple recipes are no longer simple when children are added to the equation.

Lesson #2 Count on using at least 3 times the time the recipe requires.

Lesson #3 When making biscuits 2 hands are better than 8!!!

Lesson #4 Cleanup is work and goes much faster if you do it yourself.

LESSON#5 Smiling is the international language of patience.

Lesson #6 Never attempt again unless you HAD coffee first!

Lesson #7 Eat what you cooked. Don’t try –just do it! lol Yes, I can do all things…

Lesson# 8 Thank God for your children!

 

Spring in Winter? Yes, New beginnings! 2012

 New beginnings are a Blessing!

When bright colors surface around us to lighten our souls and beautiful birds sing of God’s goodness, we know that spring has arrived. Spring is a season of growth, renewal and new beginnings. How wonderful is it to know that we, different from nature, do not have to wait for a specific time of the year to come for a new beginning. This is great news. Alleluia! Did you know that with God all things are possible? Yes, they are. In Him you have the ability to do and the power to accomplish anything you set your hand to do. ***Your next minute could very well be a fresh start for you in any area of your life. Take it!

For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

New Year Inspiration Poem – 2012

2012

“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!””

By – William Arthur Ward

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Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom Psalms 90:12

Other >>New Year << posts-

• Best advice for the New Year! A word for you!
• New Year’s Proverbs and More ~ What lies ahead? 2012