Monday, November 02, 2009

Did you know that the origin of Halloween is in Ireland and Scotland?
It was originally celebrated in the ancient festival known as Samhain, which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".

The word "Halloween" is short for "All Hallows' Evening"...

Monday, September 07, 2009

My friend Charlene pinged me. She had a miserable headache over the weekend. It wasn't just any miserable headache -- it was a miserable headache caused by citrus.

After retracing her day, Charlene realized that the three delicious tangerines were the culprit. She thought she was just enjoying a very tasty, healthy snack, but she was also triggering pain.

Some experts say that citrus and other foods may trigger headaches because the people consuming them may have an enzyme deficiency. The enzyme they are lacking is necessary for neutralizing amines in foods. Some foods have large quantities of amines, and without the enzyme, headaches (and even migraines) can be stimulated.

Still, gobbling up an orange (or three) might seem harmless. If you are one of the 28 million Americans who suffer from migraines, taking note of how foods affect your body could be critical in preventing future headaches. One new theory is that craving certain foods could also signal a coming migraine. These kinds of migraines are also made more unpredictable because eating the food may not trigger pain every single time, and because food could team up with other triggers (like bright lights or stress) to induce a migraine.

Some other foods and beverages thought to trigger headaches include:

• Aged cheese and those cheeses containing tyramine, a natural substance that builds up as food ages. Tyramine in high levels has been shown to cause hypertension, which is a particular concern for people who take MAO inhibitor medication to treat migraines. Blue cheese, brie, cheddar, Stilton, feta, gorgonzola, mozzarella, muenster, Parmesan, Swiss, and processed cheeses often contain high levels of tyramine.

• Other salted, cured, processed, and canned foods that are high in tyramine. Take note of how your body reacts when you eat pickles, olives, and canned soups. Beans can also contain headache-triggering tyramine, especially fava, pinto, garbanzo, and lima beans.

• Alcohol, which could prompt headaches as it is metabolized in the body. Pay particular attention when you drink red wine, beer, whiskey, and champagne, which have been identified as triggers.

There is a long list of foods that headache and migraine sufferers say cause their pain. Some of them might surprise you, including:

• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Potato chips
• Pizza
• Fresh fruits like kiwi, plums, and raspberries
• Bread and crackers

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Do you fall into the trap of wasting time? Time is a valuable commodity! When you waste your precious time, you’re actually preventing yourself from achieving the things you desire.

Below is a list of the top ten time wasters. If you find yourself spending too much time on these activities, try changing some of your habits so your time can be more productive and rewarding.

1. Wasting Your Worry. Many people will worry until doomsday about every little thing in their lives. This is simply unproductive and bad for your health, mind, and spirit.

• If you have something worrisome coming up, craft a plan of positive action on paper, then let it go. After all, worrying doesn’t accomplish anything positive.

2. Television. We’re a couch potato society! We schedule our lives around our favorite television shows and we spend less time doing more important activities like attending social events that could strengthen our relationships.

• Record your favorite TV shows and watch them during your leisure time, or limit your TV intake to just a couple hours a week.

3. Video and Computer Games. This is becoming such a time waster that gamers are actually developing what is called “gamers thumb,” a repetitive stress injury.

• Set time limits for yourself and your kids and help your kids understand why this is important.

4. Internet time. Are you constantly browsing the Internet, Facebook or Twitter? Are your kids hearing you say, “In a minute,” much too often when they ask you to spend time with them?

• Keep your time on the Internet short and get involved in life. Instead of chatting with your online friends, spend more time with your real-life friends and family!

5. Telephone Chatter. Sure, we like to call old friends and chat, but do you chat on the phone all day long? If you do, you may find that you get hardly anything done all day.

• Keep phone calls to a minimum or set a timer to go off after 15 minutes. This way you won’t feel deprived of a good conversation, but it won’t take over your whole day.

6. Traffic and Commuting. Some of us spend an enormous amount of time traveling to and from work. You can turn your commuting time into productive time!

• Try carpooling or taking the bus, subway or train to work. You can use this time to read, plan your day, complete paperwork, or even relax your mind before a productive day.

• If you drive, you can listen to inspiring and informative CDs or tapes to sharpen your mind each morning.

7. Hobbies. Yes, there are people who are so obsessed with a hobby that they don’t make time to do anything else. They rush home from work to their hobby, even skipping dinner.

• If this is you, schedule your hobby time so you’re not skipping meals, missing time with your family, or cutting into other productive time.

8. Daydreaming. It’s fun and healthy to dream about career ambitions or future aspirations, but when those dreams prevent you from taking action in your life, then you’re wasting time. Avoid getting bogged down with too much dreaming.

• Make a list of your goals or dreams, then take action to make those dreams come true.

9. Meetings. Although necessary, meetings can be one of the biggest time wasters of our workday. If everyone is wiped out from sitting in long meetings all day, productive time will be low.

• If you’re in charge of meetings, set timeframes for them and stick to your stated time.
• Limit the length of your meetings: keep needless chatter and agendas out of the meeting.

10. Planning. If you don’t take the time to plan your day, the important things you need to accomplish may not get done.

• Write down your daily goals and tasks.
• Schedule your day in the order of your top priorities.

There are many ways we waste our time in our everyday lives, but with a little effort, you can avoid time-wasting activities and turn that time into an advantage.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Procrastination is a dream destroyer.

It's like a big bomb exploding violently on our
personal goals. The things we deeply cherish.

Boom. (loud)

After the explosion, all that's left is...regrets.

Regrets make us tremble inside. It's an internal
earthquake that leaves us feeling empty.

For a long time, procrastination held me deep inside
its mongoose grip.

I couldn't shake it.

I couldn't slay it.

I'd walk 2 steps forward, then retreat 3 steps back.

For a long period of time, procrastination and its
sister 'scatteredness' wiped out 25% from
my bank account.

That's how much I figure these destroyers cost me.

Maybe more.

Now, think about how much money they've cost you?

What could you have done with that extra money, what could
you have given your family?

What if you don't change? (frightening)

How will you FEEL being in this same place 2 years from now?

Feel it NOW.

Will you accept it?

Are you ready to change?

Are you sure?

I'm going to quote the great author Napoleon Hill on
overcoming procrastination.

Ready?

'The principle of concentration is the medium by which
procrastination is overcome. The same principle is the
foundation upon which both self-confidence and
self-esteem are predicated,'

You can stay where you are right now or you can take
Napoleon Hill's advice and learn how to concentrate.

I hugged his advice and discovering how to concentrate
propelled me to financial fre.edom. My progress happened
as fast as Carl Lewis runs the 100 yard dash.

Would you like to join me?

Procrastination is the thief of profit. Run from it. NOW.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Self doubt.

Self doubt.

A thief.

One of the greatest thieves of our hopes, our attitudes,
and our desires.

For many years the claws of self doubt held me in its
grips. Tightly.

My belief in myself was low and it affected many parts of
my life.

No good. Not at all.

We know lack of self confidence, lack of belief in oneself
halts all major achievement in one’s life. It can stop our
progress in a split second.

We must put an end to this. Am I right or really right?

Great.

Onward.

If we look back, hundreds of years, and even more in
success literature, we see a common and central principle
being taught.

It’s as clear as a clean window.

It’s the answer to self doubt. It’s the answer to expanding
ourselves. Greatly.

Belief. Faith. Expectation.

Belief. Faith. Expectation.

You and I can’t rise higher than our beliefs. Understand
this?

Good.

Let me share with you an excerpt from a recent article I
read about Tiger Woods because it shows the power of this
point.

“Way back in 1997, after he won the Masters by 12 strokes,
I asked Tiger if it was possible to win golf’s Grand Slam.
At the time, Hogan’s triple in 1953 — when he played in
only three of the four majors — was the best any man had
done, a feat matched by Woods in 2000. Most any player
would deflect the question. Not Tiger.

“It’s possible to win four tournaments in a season,” Woods
told me. “You just have to win the right four.” And then he
let loose that devastating smile. Here is what Woods knows.
This is what drives him. This is what Pops Earl made sure
Tiger understood: What you achieve is limited by what you
believe you can achieve. Woods believes in the
unbelievable.”

Enough is enough. It’s time to really take your life to the
next level.

Are you in?

Seriously, is now your time to stretch yourself and really
expand yourself?

Are you in?

You’re reading this right now. You’re more powerful then
you know. You are.

Your best days are ahead of you and can’t wait to see you
too.

Start believing and excepting more good things to enter
your life. Watch your self doubt start to diminish and your
self respect and belief start to rise.

P.S.
Smile 1% more each day and watch your self
doubt decrease by over 20%. Try it.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

by Cynthia Ruchti

Amy was six weeks pregnant when her husband’s army unit deployed to Iraq for eighteen months. I felt my friend’s pain deep in my bones, aching with a brand of grief reserved only for times like that. Caring for her two young children and their home would be stress enough for her without the added demands and challenges of a new baby on the way. Concern for her husband’s safety would mask every remotely joyful moment. The wonder of labor and delivery lay shrouded in loneliness. And the child would be many months old before meeting his or her daddy for the first time.

Change a few details and backtrack more than fifty years and that was my story.

My father served with the Marines during the Korean Conflict. Four days after I was born, his unit shipped out, leaving my mom and me to fend for ourselves for the next thirteen months. When relating my personal history, I have to start with that. It shaped my beginnings. I lived my first thirteen months seven thousand miles away from the dad who loved me and wasn’t allowed to hold me until I was already walking and capable of squirming out of his arms.

He’d read magazines during Mom’s labor. Fathers weren’t welcome in the delivery room in those days. He saw his first glimpses of me through the nursery window. Then he obediently reported for duty aboard the ship that would take him far from us and into the arms of daily danger.

In an era before the invention of camcorders, camera phones, and e-mail, my mother and father had only air mail letters to connect their hearts. Letters and scalloped-edged black and white photos.

As the firstborn child, my photo album bulged, all the more so since still pictures offered my dad his only tangible evidence that I was alive, growing, and as happy as a child can be without her father.

Mom would have sent him a lock of my hair from my first haircut if I’d had any to spare. When I learned to blow kisses, she’d “collect” some in an envelope to send to him. An amateur artist, Daddy sketched cartoonish scenes from his Marine unit—jeeps and tents and enlisted men and helicopters. Even before I understood a word she said, my mom read those letters to me over and over again. They were my lullabies. She showed me his picture and talked about what a wonderful daddy I had.

Mom wanted me to know who he was and what he was like before he came home. From the stories they’ve told, both of my parents were nervous about that first meeting. They worried I’d be frightened of the stranger who was my father. He’d survived the war, but my fearing or resisting him would have killed him, they said.

To compound the concern, I was just at that age when a toddler begins to fear strangers. Somebody would smile at me in church and I’d start screaming.

But my mom had prepared me well. The pictures. The letters. Her gentle words about how much that smiling man in the pictures loved me. I’m told that when he finally came home and walked through the front door, I looked up at my mom, pointed to the tall Marine and asked, “Daddy?” Mom nodded, her throat imploding on itself. Her nod was all the assurance I needed. The next minute I was in his arms, dodging his tears of gratitude that I’d accepted him.

I give my mother a lot of credit for the success of that first meeting. She had prepared me well, leaving nothing to chance. My toddler mind entertained no doubt that he cared about me. I knew that truth before he even got home from the war because of what my mother taught me about him.

If the Lord walked into the room in a few minutes, would the people around me recognize Him not by His beard or hair or flowing robes, but because of how I have described Him?

Would people meeting Him for the first time find the situation comfortable and reassuring because of how well I prepared them?

Am I constantly showing others snapshots of the Lord through the way I live and love, the things I say about Him, the things He said that I pass on to them?

Do I talk about Him frequently, with loving words, expressing how very much He loves even those who have not yet met Him?

Would His sudden presence seem intimidating and frightening, or more like a warm homecoming?

In light of how you and I act day to day, would others respond to His entrance into their lives this way:

“Oh, sure! I recognize Him. I've heard my neighbor talk about Him. I've seen my coworker act like that. I've heard those same affirming words coming out of my brother-in-law's mouth. I've seen examples of what He's like. His amazing love and generosity and compassion and caring don't surprise me at all. They are just what I expected from what my friend shared about Him. I heard that His touch brings healing. I heard that He can help make sense out of the questions that trouble me. I didn't need more of an introduction than the one my friend already gave me. I’d recognize Jesus a mile away.”

Pictures and reflections and stories and evidence still lack the wonder of that first face-to-face encounter. As I Corinthians 13:12 (KJV) reminds us, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”


*Article reprint from Victory in Grace





Cynthia Ruchti writes stories of “hope that glows in the dark.” The drama/devotional radio broadcast Cynthia writes and produces—The Heartbeat of the Home—airs on 16 radio stations and two cable/digital television stations. Cynthia is editor of the ministry’s Backyard Friends magazine. She also serves as current president of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her debut novel—They Almost Always Come Home—releases in spring 2010 with Abingdon Press.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

by Sharon Lovejoy Autry

The final bell rang. The kids screamed for joy. Mom sits in the carpool line wondering, "What in the world are we going to do all summer?!"

Maybe as summer has begun, you've found yourself resentful and angry because your children constantly "interrupt" your schedule. If that's how you're feeling, you're normal.

But, wait. We wanted these kids, right? Are they really interruptions or blessings in disguise? How can we move from simply surviving the summer to making it a summer to remember?

Here are a few ideas to get you out of the summer survival rut:

1. Realize they won't be this way forever. What is it about your kids that you won't have in two years? If you are a parent of:

• Preschoolers: Look at their hands and notice how tiny they are. Enjoy that.
• Elementary children: When you're away from home, call them. Their voices sound small on the phone. That always reminds me to enjoy their innocence rather than expecting them to act like little grown-ups.
• Tweens: Laugh at and enjoy their giggles (usually girls) and the fascination they have with being gross (usually boys)! Hopefully that won't last forever!
• Teens: Even if they are driving you crazy, make your home the safe place. I still remember the fun place our parents created at home. It was our refuge. Let kids feel safe in your home by cutting down on the criticism and looking for ways to build them up. Mom and Dad's secret was a ping-pong table. We spent hours there.

2. Say "no" with a smile. It makes you and your child feel better. They know you have some regret at having to say no. You are on their team.

3. Play music. Anger and music don't usually dance. Movie soundtracks, praise songs, music from my teen years or even classical stations. I rarely find myself upset with my kids when we have music playing in the background.

4. Go outside. Sometimes taking a walk or bike ride with the kids can do wonders to change everyone's perspective.

5. Things aren't always as they seem. Remember that the way you are seeing things at this moment is probably not how it will look in a couple of hours. Frustrations can build and dissolve quickly when you have kids.

6. Offer them 30 minutes of your time. After they have helped pick up around the house let them pick what the two of you will do together and watch their eyes light up! For older kids, offer them the day off after helping for an hour.

7. Ask your kids what they think is fun. You might be surprised to find that their idea of fun often doesn't cost any money. My sister was amazed to find that her 7-year-old son's idea of "fun" was playing tag in the front yard with dad, mom and his little sister.

8. Slow down. Successful parenting doesn't mean you have your children involved in every possible extra-curricular activity. Successful parenting means you are there for them. If you've been running all year, it takes "practice" to enjoy staying home. Don't give up. Turn off the computer, TV, cell phone, etc. and read or play games (no matter what the age of your children).

9. Pray. When you are at your wit's end, ask God to help you remember what to do with your kids. On our own, it's hard to enjoy the moments because "life happens." But God has a way of giving us perspective that will slow us down and help us see our families the way He sees them: with love and compassion.

The next time you blow your top or realize you're just surviving your kids instead of enjoying their clumsy feet, silliness, or their constant desire to talk on the phone, stop and think, "one day I'll miss this!" The funny thing is, tomorrow we'll be longing for today. If we choose to think like that long enough, the kids won't be the only ones sad to hear the school bell ring this fall.

Sharon (Lovejoy) Autry, a mom of 3, co-authored Mom and Loving It, Finding Contentment in REAL Life with her sister, Laurie (Lovejoy) Hilliard, mom of 4. http://www.momandlovingit.org/

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Do you know what hairstyle best suits your face? Check out the pics below to find out.














Round face: the best
Simple lines with as little volume at the sides as possible, like this simple mid-length bob, are the best choice for round faces. Ginnifer Goodwin gets it right.













Round face: the worst
This center part emphasizes a full forehead, and the volume at the sides widens the cheeks. Clarkson would look much slimmer with volume at the crown and sleek sides.


Square face: the best
The most famous square face in the world knows to keep the hair soft and flowing, with volume only at the crown. While hair should be sleek, it shouldn't hug the face and flatten its contours.


Square face: the worst
Heavy bangs typically exaggerate a square face shape. Pulling the rest of the hair back makes Jessica Alba's face look even more square, flat and ungraceful.


Oval face: the best
When you're blessed with a symmetrical oval face, you should show it off. Halle Berry's simple feminine updo lets her face do the talking.


Oval face: the worst
Compared with her simple updo, this tousled, face-hugging style with a lot going on manages to make even one of the world's most beautiful oval faces look ordinary.


Heart face: the best
A heart-shaped face like Christina Ricci's can look like a work of art with the right hairstyle like this simple bob. Keep the bangs narrow (width-wise) in order to minimize a broad forehead. Length should be chin-length or longer with no volume on the sides.


Heart face: the worst
Heart-shaped faces should avoid styles that emphasize a bare forehead and open up at the sides, emphasizing the width of the face. All you see here is Ricci's forehead. We think Christina should stick with the bangs.


Diamond face: the best
A diamond face is an oval with angles. Almost any style works for this shape, but soft draping bangs and gentle sweeping lines are great for countering the shape's sharp angles. This bob is one of Rihanna's best looks.


Diamond face: the worst
Diamond shapes should stick with graceful, flowing styles that avoid volume at the top and sides. This look is all top volume, which gives Rihanna a bit of a "Conehead" look.


Oblong face: the best
The oblong shape is possibly the most challenging face shape to style. Kelly Rowland gets it right with long side-swept bangs and volume at the sides, which together work to create the illusion of facial fullness while minimizing face length.



Oblong face: the worst
While bangs can work for oblong shapes, they should be soft and preferably angled to help create the illusion of roundness. Stick-straight bangs with stick-straight sides just flatten and further elongate Liv Tyler's face in this photo.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Did you skip your workouts this weekend?

Didn't make the healthiest meal choices?

Don't sweat it, it happens.

But the one thing you don't want to do is start off by doing
extra workouts or over-training to make up for it.

Listen, no matter what you do, you can never out train a bad
diet.

All the exercise in the world will never get you to your optimal
weight (and health) if you're not eating a healthy diet. Studies
prove that exercising without a complementary healthy diet leads
to poor results.

Here are three secrets to getting back on track and reaching
your goals:

1) Put your unhealthy habits behind you and make the choice to
eat a natural, fresh whole food diet.

2) Get out of the way and let your body do it's job - staying
healthy, healing and keeping you at your optimal weight.

and

3) Keep active. Doing shorter, but more intense body workouts
help you burn more calories and give you a great workout in less
time.

Monday, February 02, 2009

February brings thoughts of chocolate and valentines and some of us worry about groundhogs and shadows. Whatever the case, winter can't last forever, and there is always an excuse to read a good book! We've got 11 new releases to choose from this month. Check them out.

1. Evidence of Murder by Jill Elizabeth Nelson from Steeple Hill. When a business owner discovers on her property evidence of a decade-old multiple murder, she and the surviving son of the massacre become targets of a desperate and powerful killer.

2. Framed!, Book 2 of the Without A Trace continuity series by Robin Caroll from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. A modern day Romeo and Juliet story.

3. Gingham Mountain Lassoed in Texas Series by Mary Connealy from Barbour Publishing. A school marm fears cruel intentions when a rancher, with a special heart for unwanted children, adopts too many of them.

4. Illusions by Wanda B. Campbell from Urban Christian. Illusions depicts the struggles of a young pastor and wife.

5. Insight by Deborah Raney from Steeple Hill. Two people brought together by tragedy discover an amazing connection that threatens to tear them apart.

6. Love Finds You In Last Chance, CA by Miralee Ferrell from Summerside Press. A woman trying to make it alone in the old west, a man she isn't sure she can trust, and someone who threatens them both.

7. On a Killer's Trail by Susan Page Davis from Love Inspired Suspense. Can a reformed bad-boy detective and an ambitious reporter overcome their past to solve a string of crimes?

8. The Desires of Her Heart by Lyn Cote from Avon Inspire. The Desires of Her Heart is based on authentic Texas history and portrays the expansion of Angloamericanos into Spanish territory.

9. The Gold Standard by Lisa Lickel from Barbour Publishing - Heartsong Presents: Mysteries. Judy's last relative, Aunt Louise, was poisoned - but how?

10. The Renewal, Book 2 of the Project Restoration Series by Terri Kraus from David C. Cook. For single-mom Leslie Ruskin and master carpenter Jack Kenyon, both starting over in a new town, could working together on restoring the Midlands Building be a blueprint for disaster, or will their lives be transformed by the promise of a new Occupant?

11. Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie from B&H Publishing. Revolutionary period of escaping captivity and finding true salvation.