special guest that find a place in our time with your little one's . Little hearts. knowing the purpose in the by little before you see it coming traditions of our holiday seasons we ,darling begin demanding and make room for reflections holding you hostage to give them endearment and celebrations that what they want or else ,the make unique family ties that bind us tantrum peacefulness and most together . So how in this busy world effective pout! The tendency to be do we bring out and pass on the press into a place that does not treasures. ..as we as we bring out the truly define us as a family is not goodness in our familes through the uncommon. heart of hospitality? The key to key plan successfully your festive celebrate is moments. knowing the holidays and Have your family prepare gift baskets for loved ones.Open your home to what you want guests. host a gift making party. to enhance Children get excited about giving ! and its a great way to stay out of the during the hussel and bussel of the season, As a parent in these moments we holidays reestablish our foundation or what I call Kingdom Principles of Living we Instead of the season becoming a take on as our responsibility to pass frenzy of activities that pulls you down to our children these Kingdom along in its current take the living attribute. Our plans create the business of the season ...your moments. . You may have An upset going shopping planning a lovely 51
but if you have planned well gifts for your family. Ephesians 1:16 \" children's attitude ...positive, happy I cease not to give thanks for you or gloomy cannot change the making mention of you in my outcome of what you designed to prayers\" bring to your table of love. Truth is Make greeting cards! Ephesians 5:9 \" shared and mixed with faith then the fruit of the Spirit is in all food comes from the reality of God's goodness, righteousness and truth\" Word working in it. here are some Biblical standards forgiving. Feeding the poor preparing Setting the a dinner for an older couple baskets of handmade gift goodie bag with a note of gratitude. Coming back to the moods. table and sharing the gift of hospitality. Take time out of your If your child is not used to giving here busy schedule to allow yourself time are some practical things you can do to plan for your family. Come back to to help them understand. Gather the table you prepare your moments with other moms and friends who on purpose And like a fine table may want to join you in making your adored you can have a crafted family gift. Bring the word to the table celebration . ...scriptures that tell us how we live together and how we give to one By Sharon justice another and the Lord . Make little cards with scriptures on them here's a list for starters. Luke 11:7 \"give us this day our daily bread\" prepare a bread basket.2 Corinthians 9:7 \"As a man purposes in his heart let him give not grudgingly or necessity for God loves a cheerful giver \". Prepare 52
8 By Kimberly Ignas holistic cold and flu prevention tips and some food ideas to “sneak” some health into their lunch box. The truth is, boosting the immune system starts at home with a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast. I’ve Healthy Kids. My son eating put together the top 8 holistic health something healthy I prepared.Kids tips for raising healthy kids with get sick. So how can we as parents strong immune systems. keep our precious table, floor and finger-licking children healthy? The short answer: keep their immune systems strong. Below are some 53
Green smoothies are a great way to Cod Liver Oil is fantastic during the start the day and get a lot of winter months to help ward off the concentrated nutrients and fiber into cold and flu. It has a good balance of the system to keep their immune DHA and EPA, which helps balance system strong. Smoothies are great out the amount of Omega 6 we get in because you can hide fresh greens our diet. It also helps lower like kale or collard greens in them. If infections, helps with dry winter skin the taste is too bitter, add a pitted and has Vitamin D and A that help date, pear or apple. support your immune system. Add a tablespoon of healthy fat like flaxseeds, chia seeds, avocado, or extra virgin coconut oil, which are Extra Vitamin D is needed in the great for their brain and also help winter months because if you live in them absorb the carotenoids in the the northern hemisphere it’s very greens. difficult to absorb Vitamin D from October till April. Vitamin D is responsible for intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate just to A good quality probiotic will help name a few benefits. greatly with chronic infections, colds, increased immunity and flu prevention. Make sure they wash their hands Eating fermented foods like raw with soap and water for at least 15 sauerkraut or kombucha can help as seconds. Look for a gentle, fragrance- well. Our immunity starts in the free, paraben-free, environmentally- intestinal track and having the good friendly soap for your child’s delicate bacteria out number the bad bacteria hands. can fight off unwanted bugs a lot easier. 54
Get outside on warmer days and get bread and pasta. They can lower the fresh air and sunshine. It is way more immune response, which can lead to toxic inside then outside and the chronic infections. exercise helps with immunity. Eat a balanced diet with Try to reduce white sugar! Sugar is in whole foods, a lot of things like soft drinks, ice Lots of fresh fruits and cream and most processed sweets. vegetables Try to eliminate or Sugar will suppress the immune reduce gluten system, upset the mineral Reduce toxic chemicals relationships in the body and can in your home and cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty Drink lots of filtered concentrating, and crankiness in water children. This goes for processed carbohydrates as well, like white 55
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Love always protects, Always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails… 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 57
like that? Far too often I see a harsh response to the idea that love never ove. We all long for it. God had fails. Sadly, for hearts still searching for love, those words have come to a plan for each of us to experience mean nothing. love. It is a desire woven deep into our beings since the beginning of However, the unconditional love time. As a child, I dreamt of falling in we’re all looking for is within reach. love, finding my soul mate, and living It begins with our Creator; by falling happily ever. I’m certain I was not madly in love with him first. His love alone. What I find astounding though, is what must flow through us into is nearly half of the marriages today another person if we have any hope don’t last a lifetime. It’s evident not of achieving a love that never fails. everyone is finding the kind love that He is the one whose timing is perfect took center stage in so many and who knows the details of our childhood fantasies. tomorrows. Divorce has become acceptable in the current generation. Cohabitation is Man and a woman were intrinsically only natural these days and made for one another. These days, premarital sex is basically expected in we are bombarded by a culture that most relationships. As a culture, we devalues love and commitment. To have come to believe that it’s our many, love is an illusion; unattainable responsibility to choose the right in this lifetime. mate. It seems logical. Who else We’ve all heard the scripture would choose our mate? So we begin referenced above. It’s read at nearly dating, each time taking it further, every wedding we’ve attended. How hoping to lead to marriage. can we experience this love that There are undoubtedly bumps along never fails? How do we fall in love the way, heartbreak and 58
disappointment; each carrying its Falling in love is exhilarating! There is own scar. Yet, we continue. We’re extensive time, effort and heart missing something. Is it possible that poured into a budding relationship. this suffering is in vain? This can’t be Can you think of another feeling akin God’s design. Maybe our way of to the sparks in a new romance? But, doing things is not in line with the all excitement aside, I wonder if God greater plan that God has for us. has another idea entirely. Dating can easily take priority over what should The book of Genesis shows that be our most important relationship. Adam was the first man God created. When it was no longer good for man There was a time when only God, to be alone, God created woman and Adam, the garden and animals brought her to Adam. “Then the Lord existed. Do you ever wonder what God made a woman from the rib he took place between the two of them had taken out of man, and he during this time? I suspect it was brought her to man.” Genesis 2:22 relationship. Adam learned about his It’s interesting to note that Adam had Creator, his Friend and his nothing to do with this. He didn’t ask Companion. He saw that God for Eve. He only knew God, and God provided for him and he experienced knew when it was time for him to God’s love. have a companion. God knew Adam Could it be that the world has it perfectly and He knew exactly what backwards and our greatest passion he needed. The same is true for us. and effort should be cultivating a love Nothing can measure up to the relationship with our Creator? That is individual idea that God has for every exactly what Jesus told us to do in person. We don’t even have to get in Matthew 22:37, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the driver’s seat. We need only to the Lord your God with all your heart trust our Creator. and with all your soul and with all your mind’.” He goes on to address the next most important thing: 59
“…..Love your neighbor as yourself.” From food to internet speed, we have Matthew 22:39 it when we want it. But there is value in long suffering. Character is built in Don’t we all want to be loved for who endurance. Time well spent, will be we are? The reality is that God time nurturing a deep love already loves us that way. When we relationship with our God. Love is can grasp that truth and allow it to patient and God can be trusted. engulf us, it is then we experience a Trust requires faith. Can we have true love that never fails. And it is confidence in the One who made us? only from a foundation of God’s love for us, that we can ever deeply and Only God knows who he made us to unselfishly love another person. be. He tells how intimately he knows us in Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed We’ve heard the romantic cliché “You you in the womb I knew you, before complete me”. But it will never be you were born I set you apart.” He another person that completes us. knows our stories. He knows our Without a relationship rooted in experiences. It is His great pleasure Christ as our first love, our human to create a mate uniquely fitted for love is hollow and has little hope of us all. When it is no longer good to enduring a lifetime with another be alone, we can be assured that He human. will bring a companion. We can all have a love that never fails. After all, that is God’s way. It’s a dreaded idea to wait on love. By Chelsea Hollis Our environment is fast paced. Patience has become old fashioned. 60
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Healthy living this winter season EGGPLANT PIZZAS approx 20 individual pizzas for approx 46 calories per pizza for first 4 ingredients. More calories for toppings. Eggplant, peeled & cut into approx 3/8\" slices olive oil, tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese Toppings: pepperoni, olives, onions, fresh basil, ground beef, sausage, artichoke hearts, corn, broccoli, etc. Layer ingredients as you desire onto eggplant slices. 62 Preheat oven 400 degrees and bake 20-25 min. By Cindy Stewart
Kale Caesar Salad First, make a vinaigrette in the bottom of a salad bowl. I used the juice of a lemon, a little red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a pinch each of salt and pepper: Remove the stems and chop the kale leaves into bite size pieces. Add to the dressing and toss to coat. Let the leaves marinate for at least 20 minutes, tossing once or twice: While the kale is marinating, make the croutons and grate some good Parmesan cheese. You can also chop some avocado or tomato to add if you’d like. When the kale’s done marinating, toss everything together and serve. INSTRUCTIONS Ingredients Combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, 1 bunch of kale, Juice of 1 lemon dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a big salad bowl, Remove the stems and chop the kale leaves 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar into bite size pieces. Add to the dressing and toss 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard to coat. Let the leaves marinate for at least 20 minutes, tossing once or twice. Pinch of salt and pepper, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese When the kale’s done marinating, toss Croutons 63 everything together and serve. You can also chop By Michelle Roberts some avocado or tomato to add if you’d like.
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DECLARATION FOR 2014 Let us Declare and believe that it shall be exactly as we Declare (Job 22:28): 1. Lord I thank you for keeping me through the year 2013. 2. Every seed that I have sown in 2013, may it manifest in 2014. 3. My Heavenly Father, make me a Testifier before this year end in Jesus’ name, Amen! 4. I destroy everything that plans to kill my testimony. 5. Any power which has been sent to abort my unborn miracle be destroyed in Jesus' name, Amen! 6. O Lord, cause all my enemies to run in 7 ways before my presence. 7. Father God, increase my prophetic insight to see my enemies before they see me. 8. Grant to me the grace not to destroy my seeds of miracle in Jesus' name, Amen! Lord God, I am 65 yours. 9. Lord Jesus hide me in your blood to enjoy your covering from every vile of the Satanic forces.
10. Every satanic influence sent against my life will be of no effect in Jesus’ name, Amen! 11. Every hindrance to my breakthrough in 2014 be destroyed in Jesus' name, Amen! 12. Every enemy haunting my way to progress will lose its track and sight in Jesus’ name, Amen! 13. The Blood of Jesus speaks better than the blood of Abel (man), therefore I am covered and protected and my destiny is secured. 14. The New Year 2014 will not see my end but it will end with tremendous blessing upon me from my God Who loves me. 66
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