Teach Sunday School sent some Thanksgiving downloads of fun activities while the kids are off from school! Enjoy!

Hi,

Need a fun activity to keep the kids busy today?

We just posted 10 printable Thanksgiving craft projects on the website:

https://teachsundayschool.com/i/thanksgiving/

I’m particularly in love with all the Scriptures of Thanksgiving Pumpkins & the Turkey Tickets.

Grab the templates here.

Enjoy!
Mary-Kate

Dear Readers:

If you viewed my video tip today on my Facebook page, you heard about some of the healing properties of Vaseline.

It’s a real “blast from my past” but my mom used Vaseline (100% pure petroleum jelly) for almost any rash, itch, flake, burn, scrape, you could ever imagine.

New moms, you can use it on diaper rash or even those skin creases that become irritated.

Another real healing help that you may not know about is, Witch Hazel. It’s an astringent (liquid) that can be used to keep bruising down for those bumps and scrapes that happen almost daily with youngsters.

Bruises, bumps, scrapes, sunburn, rashes, acne and bug bites are just a few of the uses for this product. My mom uses this, to this day, and recommends it for all of us.

Vinegar is a healing agent as well. Use it on insect bites, as a repellent, weeds, ants. clean pet ears, mix with water and uses a steam bath, dress wounds.

And finally, Vicks Vaporub, another nostalgic product that I grew up with. Use it for those little congested chests, and a dot under the nose to help a stuffed up nose.

Some of you new moms, and maybe some older ones will get many uses out of these old time, but everyday products.

Let me know if you have used any of them of if you try time from my recommendation!

If you watched my FaceBook (Professional Mom FB Page) Video Tip today, here’s my reference material to back up my tip!

*From a little book I picked up at a truck stop, “What If God Wrote Your To-Do List?” by Jay Payleitner, I thoroughly enjoyed this tip, as well as the 52 others in this neat collection. I copied it verbatim as I could not improve it. Enjoy!

Is it controversial? Perhaps. When, who, how, and why seem to be legitimate concerns in some homes regarding the topic of making the bed.

I am not a bed-making expert, and I assume neither are you, Still, I believe we can come to reasonable conclusions on these four one-word questions.

The question of when is easy. Do it soon after waking up. Perhaps immediately, as soon as your feet hit the floor. Or within minutes after your shower. Once you pour your coffee or grab breakfast, your day has begun. At some point, you want any bedmaking duties behind you.

The question of who may be tricky, but it needn’t be. Because I speak at marriage conferences, I have learned that “who makes the bed” is quite a point of conflict and concern. Some guys actually think it is “woman’s work.” I’ve actually heard men shout that from the audience. (Yikes.) Wives sometimes put “making the bed” on the list of household chores to be divided equally and meticulously.  Keeping score on minor housekeeping duties is a formula for finger-pointing and rancor. There’s a better way.

Let me put that who question to rest forever. The answer is “whoever gets up last!” If an early rising spouse does choose to circle back and make the bed, that gesture should be considered a gift, and a sincere “thanks for making the bed” would be quite appropriate.

If it’s your own bed, the how is totally up to you. But for married couples, it can also be a point of conflict.  She might have a half dozen throw pillows that need to be arranged just so.  He doesn’t do that very well. On the other hand, he might have a preferred method of sheet and comforter tucking and smoothing that she doesn’t do exactly right. I recommend that whoever does the bed making gets to decide on the how.

Which brings us to the question of why?   Which is the real point of this chapter. And perhaps the real point of this book.

You may be asking, why even get our to bed in the morning?  How do you start your day in a way that leads to completing relevant tasks? What’s the strategy for hitting your pillow at night with a satisfaction that life is not just passing you by?

First, you need to get out of bed so you can fulfill the plan God has for your life. You may not know what it is, but you won’t find it laying down on the job. “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). In other words, at some point you have to stop dreaming and start doing.. Once your bed is made, you are less likely to jump back in.

Second, making your bed begins your day with an achievement. US Navy Admiral William H. McRaven, the commander of the US Special Operations Command who oversaw the raid to capture and kill Osama bin Laden, included this in his remarks to the graduates of his alma mater:

“Make your bed every morning…It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed  will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little thinks in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right.

And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made–that you made–and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”

• There is a little more to this chapter, to read it you must get the book. While you’re at it, Jay Payleitner wrote “What If God Wrote Your Bucket List?” Another good read! Thanks, PM
• Don’t forget to “make your bed!”

As a pediatric therapist for more than 30 years, I have come up with a list of what I believe kids need and don’t need. I wish I could have a do-over on a few of these.

What kids don’t need:

1. Cell phones when they’re in grade school. Over the years, I cannot tell you one good thing that can come from this.
2. Unlimited access to social media. There is very little that is healthy on social media for children, and it is getting worse.
3. So many toys that they can’t even think of something to want at birthday or holiday times. Too much of anything leaves children unable to be full. They become like buckets with holes in them.
4. Televisions in their rooms. Rooms are for sleeping. Good sleep hygiene is a dying art for too many children.
5. To be able to control the emotional climate of the home. Moody kids should not be allowed to hold the whole house hostage. If a child wants to be moody, he can go to his room and be moody by himself. Everyone else need not suffer.
6. Too much indoor time. Our kids have become hermits with social media and high-tech games. It is ruining their social skills. It’s also taking a toll on their physical well-being.
7. Too many activities outside of school. No wonder this generation is so anxiety-ridden. They are overloaded. If we want to teach them to take care of themselves as they age, we must teach them to do that by our example and by limiting their extracurricular activities. Scripture even recognizes the need to rest.
8. To be able to disrespect any authority. Even authority that you as a parent dislike or the child dislikes should still be respected. There will always be an authority in your child’s life even when your child is 50.
9. To always call the shots. Children who get to always choose where to eat, where to play, and what the family does end up being brats.
10. Constant approval and pats on the back. You will not always be around to do this. Children need to learn to be proud of themselves when they do something good whether anyone tells them or not.

What children do need:

Continue reading→

Evil has been in the world since Man’s fall in the Garden. Evil is not a new concept and as a matter of fact, evil has is as old as life. But as a child born in innocence, raised in a quiet home, raised to love Jesus, the evil I am witnessing right now is mortifying.

Satan has “come out,” guns blaring, taking every opportunity to exploit the minds of people who, what? Think a man can disguise his gender with a dress and lipstick? A woman who thinks wearing men’s clothes makes her man. What about the “alphabet soup” of identifying letters, many of which have no corresponding word.  It is confusing and an abomination. I am surprised that God has not rained down fire from Heaven as judgement, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah!

Not to pick one evil over another, two mommies, two daddies, really? Our children, who are confused enough just going through puberty, are up for a real challenge with this phenomenon. And it is even glossed over as “inclusive” and “sweet.” I think it’s an afront to the loving God who created us, man and woman, husband and wife, not man and man, wife and wife, husband and husband. It is pure evil.

Now that that’s out, I can’t forget the abortion murders that have been prevalent throughout my lifetime, and the recent “ideology” being promoted to encourage (or force) children to mutilate their bodies on the alter of Gender identity. Not only is it stupid, it is a crime, and like abortion, it forever alters the course of the child’s life, and not with good outcomes!

I picked this Evil to discuss but there are so many more out there today, without going into corruption in government and businesses, secret sins, pornography, adultery, I could go on.

I don’t have the answer, I am mortified and I’m sure God is waiting, waiting, waiting, to pronounce judgement as the Bible says.

But there is a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, God in the flesh, now seated on the right hand of His Father God. He is saying, please wait, Father. There are a few more of your creation that need to be saved from eternal suffering in Hell. Wait, I died on that cross for all of them, wait. They may still trust me. I’m asking you to wait just a little longer.

If you are still breathing, it is not too late!

* I’m posting this after much prayer. I love ALL people, and we are all sinners (saved by grace.) I don’t, however, condone sin as it is presented in the Bible. We must pray for people’s eternal souls and get the word out that “Jesus Saves!”

I don’t mean to be trite, but two funerals in two days, really? I have never been more aware of the frailty of life as I am right now. In reverse order, last Thursday our sweet friend, Tressa, breathed her last breath. When the cancer metastasized, she was doomed. No one more precious, a young mother, wife, lover of Jesus and just all-around good person.

A few weeks ago, our friend, “Brother Jim” was working on his computer one night after his wife went to bed and just died. He just peacefully died.

My son-in-law’s father, Bubba, died from complications of a stroke. Joe officiated at the funeral. He was beloved by his family and a friend for many years. Precious friend, Bede died after an exhausting fight with brain cancer.

Before that, just 1 month ago, a wonderful singer, Robbie, just 29, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, too late to rally and he died after a valiant fight. Jenny, who brought joy wherever she went, 50’s, lost her fight with cancer just before months before. And then there’s John, 30’s, young father and precious son of our friends who died instantly in a car wreck on Christmas Eve.

There are more, there are many more but these people so very close to me are enough to produce the evidence that life is short, and death is certain.

I could end this post here and there is nothing I have said is untrue. And the sadness I feel could be overwhelming. And the truth of death could defeat me. But I won’t end here.

These souls all loved and trusted Jesus. Tressa, Jim, Bubba, Bede, Robbie, Jenny and John are all living forever in Heaven right now. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. *” My hope is in the fact that I will see them all again. I will be there with them. It is certain.

If you haven’t realized that today may be your last day in this life, I recommend that you stop what you are doing, get on your knees and ask Jesus to forgive your sin and come into your life right now. Life is hard, but it’s impossible without Jesus. Death is sure, but peace is the product of trusting the salvation provided for this life and the next through Jesus Christ.

If you’re reading this, you are “Here Today”. These friends have gone before us to show us The Way, I implore you to let them do just that.

Acts 2:21, “And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (KJV)

*The Solid Rock (Hymn) Edward Mote ca. 1834

Note: I wrote this post a few years ago, it was not the right time to post, it was too fresh for these families. My greatest desire in posting this is that you will come to know Jesus as your Savior and Lord. And it is good to remember my friends. PM

Let’s sing unto the Lord!

Visit my Professional Mom Facebook page for this video tip!

Good morning!

If you like bread, and I do, these are the most “bread-like” morsels I have tasted (and they’re mostly cheese!)

With just the right zing from the “Everything Bagel” mix, these would be a hit for any meal, including but not limited to a Charcuterie board (just make them smaller.)

I found this in a Keto magazine in the Airport on a recent trip, source is S. Ryan, ketokarma.com.

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese

2 ounces cream cheese, cubed

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

3 eggs, divided (not separated, my mistake!)

2 tablespoons everything-bagel seasoning mix

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking sheet (foil will stick, I did that!)

Place cheese and cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 2 minutes, stir, and then heat for an additional minute, stir.

In a large bowl measure almond flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder and salt, stir to combine, add cheese mixture and 2 eggs, knead with your hands until dough comes together and is smooth.

Divide dough into 6 balls, flatten and poke a hole in the middle (my holes closed up!)

Whisk remaining egg and apply egg wash and bagel mix on each one.

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Yum!