Here’s an interesting explanation of contentment for you to ponder this month:
“Contentment is wanting what you have.”
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About Dr. Michelle Zarrillo
Be not wise in thine own eye: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” Proverbs 3:7-8 Joyfully serving …
Choices
Remember the children’s song: “Oh be careful little hands what you do; Oh be careful little eyes what you see; Oh be careful little mouth what you say for the Father up above is looking down in love. Oh be careful…”? A friend said the other day, “We never grow out of that.” How true that is. It’s not just for little children. We will never grow out of being careful. What a great reminder.
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English Toffee Bars
My sister in law gave me this recipe years ago. A very rich cookie, it is a special Christmas treat at our house. Made of four basic ingredients, which sound an odd combination, but don’t let that fool you, they are delicious. They are easy to make and not so easy to stop eating!
I’m sooo tired
How often do we hear this? How often do we say it? I remember being dead tired as a teen. Also, there is the extreme tiredness a new mommy feels from night after night of interrupted sleep. Sometimes, insomnia can make day drag in a foggy state. Then there are the times, we do it ourselves, knowing we are burning both ends of the candle, but pushing our bodies beyond the limits of matter. Fatigue has been linked to anger, irrational thoughts, poor decision making, hormone imbalance, (including leptin, which tells your body it is time to Stop eating), depression and anxiety. Not to mention its link with 56,000 car crashes every year with 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths.
The University of Hard Knocks
Ralph Parlette has thrilled audiences across America with his message from the University of Hard Knocks. He has lectured four thousand times on the basic fundamental principles of living which have made a people strong, and a nation great. He fortified his listeners for the struggles of life. This is the type of book that will help all people, young and old, as they face the stress and strain of life.
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Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
“I made the recipe one evening after work, and it took about an hour to turn out a batch of 4 dozen brownie bites, which were gone within 24 hours! Since then, I’ve made at least 5 other batches, each time they were big hits”. After sharing a batch with co-workers and guests, at the hotel where Amanda works, she had a guest ask for the recipe! “She couldn’t believe how easy they were when I explained how to make them!”
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You’re All Wet
Water. Most of our body and the earth is made up of it. Water is basic to life. In geometry proofs, it’s a given. The Lord uses our daily need of it to pattern our spiritual daily need. Although the spiritual applications are many, our physical intake of water is one of the best habits you can add to your lifestyle.
Help! I’m on board, but they’re not!
You’ve decided to become a better steward of what you have. You’ve got your coupons clipped, shopping list ready, pantry organized, and you are on a quest to save money on your grocery bill! One small problem. The rest of the household is not. For instance, your husband insists upon drinking soda as his only beverage and your kids will only eat one brand of cereal. Don’t they know that water is free and any old cereal will do!? Here are a couple of tips to bridge the gap between you and your frugal unawares.
Life is Tremendous
Charlie Tremendous Jones guarantees that the reading of this book will be one of the most profitable things you have ever done. Executives and families have sat through this same 3 hour lecture several times in a twelve month period. So why is this such a valuable book to read? And why have these people taken so much time to hear and hear again the principles written in this book? I would like to share some of these life changing principles with you.
Mayonnaise
Meet one of my favorite friends in the kitchen…. The stick blender! I’ve had my stick blender for several years and it is such a help in my kitchen. So easy to clean too! My poor stand blender has been relegated to the cabinet and is rarely pulled out to use anymore. From fruit smoothies, creamed soups, to pesto and an everyday item like mayonnaise.
Heavenly Sunlight
Remember sun worshipers? Not literal worshiping of the sun, but people who were just too tan. It was always a dream of mine, as a pale gal, to have that bronzed look. Next, skin cancer scares really kept all of us out of the sun and indoors. What is the truth about sun exposure? How much is too much? As a doctor, I get this question often and with all this heat, it has been on my mind.
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Resourcefulness
When I was 9 years old I had the privilege to visit my Dad’s homeland, the then communist Czechoslovakia. We stayed with my grandparents for three weeks. Their entire property was a garden complete with chickens and ducks, and baby kittens. As I thought about that time recently, I was struck with my grandparents’ and great-grandmother’s (who lived with them) resourcefulness. Nothing, and I mean nothing was wasted!
Growing a Spiritually-Strong Family
If your desire is to raise a spiritually strong family for the Lord, then you may be interested in reading the book, “Growing a Spiritually Strong Family” by Dennis and Barbra Rainey. There are ten sound biblical principles that are found in this little 4×6 book. Growing spiritually is a lifelong endeavor; but if you apply these sound biblical principles, you’ll discover the spiritual vitality that you are looking for.
Spinach & Strawberry Salad
Karen Beckman brought this really great variation of Spinach & Strawberry Salad to a ladies meeting a few years back. She shared the recipe with me then and I have loved making it since. It is really delicious and so eye appealing. The dressing is an especially palatable combination of ingredients. There are no set amounts for the lettuce, almonds, spinach,…you be the judge. So easy, so beautiful, so luscious!
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Dealing with Food Allergies
When worse came to worst, Karley was just three years old and we spent the night in the ER trying to figure out what was going on. After X-Rays and blood work, IVs, poking and prodding, we were sent home to search for ourselves looking for the root cause of her rapidly growing physical symptoms. They were so bad that she could not get off the couch, her belly swelled up like she was pregnant, she rolled up in a ball on the couch because of her pain.
Tick Tock, Tick Tock
There it is, I thought, I’ll just buy one of those, no, two of those. We have the money, who cares if I’m a little over budget, we need one right now! But, as I drove to the store I thought about my rationale a little bit and realized another two cents tip!
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Character Building
If you don’t have time to read a book then a booklet may be just right for you. This is a great, little sixty-two page booklet written by Booker T. Washington. Booker was a former black slave, who founded Tuskegee Institute at 25 years of age. He and his wife were very humble people who could have indulged in his fame and fortune, but instead chose to live a sacrificial life so that they could improve the lives of others.
Parmesan Twists
Here is a “twist” on serving bread or rolls with your meal. My daughter first made these many years ago. What a nice appetizer, accompaniment to soup, salad, or any meal. Wouldn’t they be lovely served with an Easter Ham dinner!
The Flip Side of Calcium’s Coin
Remember growing up being told to drink your milk for strong bones? Now a days, we all are concerned about taking our calcium to prevent osteoporosis. The government even raised the RDA for calcium from 500mg to 1,000mg per day. You would think that our bones would be rock solid and no longer an issue to contend with in America. What if I told you, as a rule, our calcium intake is sufficient?