10.03.07
Posted in Health, Religion, Self Improvement at 12:33 am by <ADMINNICENAME>
I don’t love fasting or fast Sundays, but I believe in them. Have you ever heard of fast Sunday? Let me explain.
In my religion the first Sunday of the month is set aside to fast for 24 hours with a purpose in mind such as fasting and praying for someone who is sick or unemployed, or asking God to bless us with rain. In conjunction with the fast we are asked to make a donation for the amount we would have spent on the two skipped meals. My church uses these donations to help the poor and needy with food and clothes.
Several years ago, the leaders of my church asked us to ten times the amount of our fast offerings, and that if we would have the faith to give more abundantly, we would be blessed. Although our family was struggling to make ends meet, my husband and I decided that we should exercise our faith by paying a more generous fast offering. Our financial situation did not seem to improve; however, we were able to pay all our monthly bills even though we were donating ten times more to fast offerings.
We have continued the tradition of paying a generous fast offering because it makes us feel good, and brings us peace. Today, we don’t miss the money we pay to fast offerings because it has become a monthly habit that we do without giving it a second thought.
As I study the scriptures, I have realized that generally most miracles come about through mighty fasting and prayer. As I grow older, I find myself fasting and praying two or three times a month to increase my faith mostly in behalf of my children who are making critical lifetime decisions.
When I fast, I not only feel spiritually strenghtened, I feel better physically. I believe for optimum health that the body needs a rest from digesting at least once a month.
When I complete my fast, I appreciate the abundance of many wonderful foods and treats like:
A Cut Above with Beef salami, gourmet cheese spread, mustard, toasted sesame crackers and buttery brittle cookies
Cowboy Hat Gift Box with Spicy tortilla chips, salsa, red chili pretzels, jalapeno cheese tabs, plus selected sweets
Golden Trio of Treats from Maple Ridge Farms
Pecan Turtle and Cashews in a Green Box from Maple Ridge Farms
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08.21.07
Posted in Education, Family, Promotional Products, Self Improvement at 12:37 am by <ADMINNICENAME>
Playing the piano is a needed talent that brings one satisfaction and opportunties. For this reason, I am coaxing my son to take piano lessons by allowing him to play video games comparable to the amount of time he practices the piano. I actually do not approve of time spent (or rather time wasted) playing video games, but I am okay using them as an incentive to get my son to practice the piano.
My family is religious, and my husband and I have noted that there is always a shortage of accompanists at various church meetings and activities. Although my son doesn’t enjoy practicing the piano, I believe he will later appreciate the opportunties it will afford him.
My oldest daughter didn’t like practicing the piano when she was young either, but now she loves to play the piano and receives great joy serving others with her piano skills.
For those interested in piano promotional products, here are some cool ideas:
Piano Stress Toy
Piano Shaped Pen
Piano Paper Clip
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07.14.07
Posted in Education, Family, Self Improvement at 12:33 am by <ADMINNICENAME>
In the documentary, “The Revolution”, broadcast on the History Channel, it was stated that it is the opinion of many that George Washington’s most outstanding leadership attribute was his ability to listen and learn from others. George Washington had opinions, but he often changed them after hearing the ideas and opinions of others.
Near the beginning of the war, George Washington’s army lost the battle of New York. This loss tormented Washington, and he was compassionate about regaining control of the city because he felt the city was taken by England because of his inexperience and poor judgment. When the French army finally arrived in America, Washington felt with the additional strength to the patriot army, they were now strong enough to recapture New York. The French commander, Comte de Rochambeau, felt they should attack at Yorktown rather than New York. Although George Washington was passionate about recapturing New York, he listened and thought about Rochambeau’s logic, and then agreed that it would be better to attack Yorktown. Even though the battle of Yorktown was not the end of the war, it was the battle that won the war.
A religious leader, Boyd K. Packer recently stated, “To be a good teacher, you must be a willing learner.” (lds.org: Worldwide Training Meeting) I think if George Washington were alive today, his words would be a little different, but the meaning would be the same, ”To be a good leader, you must willingly listen and learn from others”.
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07.09.07
Posted in Health, Self Improvement at 9:31 pm by <ADMINNICENAME>
If you haven’t noticed by my blog entries, I have taken a renewed interest in becoming fit. A couple of weeks ago, I caught the end of Oprah Winfrey who was speaking to Bob Greene about his new book the, “The Best Life Diet”
Bob Greene said when trying to lose weight you need to temporarily eliminate the following:
- High Fat Dairy Products
- Regular Pasta (use whole grain pasta which can be purchased at most grocery stores)
- White Bread (again purchase whole grain bread)
- Fried Foods
- Trans Fat Foods like Margarine and Vegetable Shortenings
- Soft Drinks
These foods can occasionally be added back into your diet in moderate portions.
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06.29.07
Posted in Self Improvement at 10:14 pm by <ADMINNICENAME>
I really liked and agree with today’s blog enty by Seth Godin’s, “Most and Least” .
You’ve seen this in countless organizations. A few people get in the habit of least, then a whole department does, and the next thing you know, it’s an entire airline. Least is contagious…………….
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06.28.07
Posted in Health, Promotional Products, Self Improvement at 11:10 pm by <ADMINNICENAME>
How many steps per day are enough to keep you trim and prevent obesity? A pedometer study of an Old Order Amish community showed that their average man logged 18,000 steps per day and their average woman logged 14,000 steps per day, and they had one of the lowest rates of overweight and obesity of any community in North America.
While typical North Americans find logging 10,000 steps a day to be a challenge, requiring dedicated walking time to accomplish, the Old Order Amish achieved it with ease with their typical daily activities. In fact, the only day their average dipped as low as 10,000 steps was on Sunday, their “day of rest.” The farming community was studied in March at a moderate-activity time rather than high-activity time of year such as during harvest.
96 Amish studied wore pedometers for a week and recorded their daily steps and other physical activity. Use of the pedometers and scales did not violate Amish traditions because they were borrowed. The participants were men and women, ages 18-75, in an Old Order Amish community in Ontario, Canada. The study was published in the January, 2004 “Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,” and conducted by David R. Bassett, Jr. and associates of the University of Tennessee.
None of the men were obese, and only 2 of the women were obese, an overall rate of 4% obesity as measured as a BMI of 30 or more. This compares to 14.9% obesity rate in Canada and 30.9% in the USA.
Of note is that the obesity rates for this community do not compare to that of more sedentary Amish communities where they work in tourist shops and furniture factories. In those communities the obesity rate is similar to their non-Amish neighbors. It might be predicted that it is the high-activity farming lifestyle that keeps this Amish community lean.
The moral of this story: modern lifestyles have greatly reduced our everyday physical activity levels, yet we haven’t reduced our food intake to match.
If you would like to read the full article, see Walking.About.com
SOURCE: Bassett DR, Schneider PL, Huntington GE. “Physical activity in an Old Order Amish community.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2004 Aug;36(8):1447. Author reply 1448.
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01.11.07
Posted in Self Improvement at 3:30 am by <ADMINNICENAME>
I had the privilege of helping oversee a neighbor’s funeral luncheon. Three other ladies and I called around the neighborhood looking for volunteers to make casseroles, salads, cakes, and rolls. Not one person told us no. Even though people were busy, everyone accepted the invitation to make time to bring a dish of their choice for their neighbor’s funeral luncheon. The family thought there would be about 225 people at the luncheon. However, only 60 people ended up coming. The number discrepancy was over estimated by the family, but I also think Christmas time is a busier time, and so most likely, some people from out of town were not able to make it to the funeral.
Volunteering to help at this funeral made me feel the Christmas spirit of giving. Although it is difficult to fit funerals, births, and weddings in at Christmas time, they truly do bring the true spirit of loving and caring for others.
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12.13.06
Posted in Self Improvement at 2:33 am by <ADMINNICENAME>
I work full-time as a part owner and manager of a thriving promotional product business plus I have six children. I probably don’t need to express how busy I am, but I am going to anyway! I AM CRAZY BUSY!!!!
Although I continue to be busy, I am now finding time to read. How am I finding the time? I found audio books from Audible.com and a MP3 player; my preferred MP3 player brand is Creative various models of Zen . I listen to the audio books while I do the dishes, and other household chores, or when I exercise. I love learning so I enjoy hearing and thinking about new ideas while I listen to audio books.
Besides enjoying hearing new stories and ideas, I realize that continually educating myself about the latest technology and breakthroughs will give me an edge over my equal counterparts and competitors in the business sector. So I strive to choose at least one audio book per month that is about the latest technology and market trends.
One more perk from listening to audio books is that my ability to converse with others has improved since I always have new thoughts in my recent memory bank to share and express with others.
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