Since our body is mainly made up of water,
doesn’t it make sense that we need to make sure we have enough in our body?
Not being properly hydrated may be doing more damage than you realize!
(And it may even be contributing to your weight.)
So grab a glass of water and head over to check this out.
http://readynutrition.com/resources/infographic-the-effects-of-dehydration_13012014/
*Infographic is from the above link.
So, it’s Valentine’s Day…again. I have long since moved past struggling with this holiday as a single person. I don’t need a boyfriend or husband to be happy and feel loved during this day. I’ll happily dive into some chocolates and curl up for a great movie tonight once my daughter is tucked in bed. I don’t mind.
Honestly, that’s not always been the case. There have been years where I’ve really struggled with being single today. I can honestly say that despite my desire for marriage and a husband to go through this life with, I’m good with being single while I am. It’s giving me more time to discover my passions in life and live for God and I’m able to devote more of me to my daughter. Life is good! I am loved! I don’t need a holiday to tell me whether someone else loves me or not. I know I’m loved!
Long before we first loved anything, knew how to love, or even knew what the word ‘love’ meant, we were loved. Before we loved ourselves, that first toy, our parents, we were loved so much, a life was sacrificed for us. That love has taught us so much and it is often forgotten or excluded for convenience. He First Loved Us!
Now, I’ll say again, I’m single. I’ve never been married, but I have been in long-term relationships and I’ve seen many marriages (and the good and bad that go along with them). Sometimes people forget how to love. Or maybe they’ve been with that person so long that they don’t always remember to show their love anymore. I see too many marriages where there isn’t that love there anymore.
Now I know, passion and intensity fades over time. But that’s when you truly develop a long-lasting love. Love isn’t passion. It’s so much more than that. It’s a desire to do for that person, care for that person, give to that person, spend time with that person.
God gives us instructions for how we should live our lives. He gives us these so that we can have the best life possible. So, how do you love God’s way? Simple.
Here are 10 ways from the Bible.
♦ Listen without interrupting.
♦ Speak without accusing.
♦ Give without sparing.
♦ Pray without ceasing.
♦ Answer without arguing.
♦ Share without pretending.
♦ Enjoy without compliant.
♦ Trust without wavering.
♦ Forgive without punishing.
♦ Promise without forgetting.
*Note: I found this list somewhere online a while back, but cannot find the source.
If you know where it is located, please let me know.
Many of you know that we are in the process of starting a homestead:
Hope Nurtured, The Lee Family Homestead
This is quite the process for us. By us, I’m talking about me, my 8-yr-old daughter, our 2 cats, and 6 fish.
Yep, that’s it…for now… 🙂
Obviously, with “us” including a majority of animals and a minor, it falls to me to coordinate, save, and really make this happen. Now don’t get me wrong, my precious daughter is doing everything she can to help out as well. She’s writing story that she wants to sell and is trying to master her crocheting technique to make things to sell. How sweet is that?!?
That still leaves plenty on me, but I have spent a lot of time with my daughter to talk about what we could do with our homestead and we have big dreams and big plans! HUGE!
They are so BIG and overwhelming when I think about them and how far we have yet to go! But when I change my thinking and look at them from God’s perspective, I realize they are no challenge at all. All we need is to keep moving in the right direction and be willing to love on everyone. After all,
And love is never-ending. It can flow unendingly out of us as quickly as we can pour it.
I intend on dumping that slimy goodness on everyone I can reach!
Foster Home. One of the biggest things that we can do is helping children. I love children. I have dreams of having more and since there are plenty out there who are in need of good and loving homes, I’m going to open our home up to foster children. I have such a desire to show each and every one that they are special, that they were specially made for a purpose that only they can fulfill.
Community Gardens. I’d love to see our homestead as a great resource for the community. I’d like to have free garden plots available to anyone who wants them along with a community garden that’s open to anyone. The underlying goal here is to ensure people have a place to garden if they want to and fresh produce if they need/want it.
Community Events. We want to plan community events throughout the year for families of all types. I’d love to see large gatherings for meals, bonfires, weddings, hay rides, and so much more all for free. My desire is for these events to be available for anyone, regardless of their income.
Animal Fun and Learning. Animals are amazing creatures. Each one has a personality and by learning to care for them, a person may discover a hidden passion or a desire for responsibility. I’ve seen the difference that caring for an animal can make on an individual. Anyone that is interested in learning about animals would be welcomed.
There’s always room for changes and additions, but one thing is not going to change – We want this homestead to be a home and a place for everyone.
We all have those bad habits that we know we should kick to the curb. But for one reason or another, we continue on with them. Maybe it’s smoking or drinking too much. Maybe it’s something like slouching, watching too much TV, or working too much. Whatever it is, it could be doing you damage. Find out more here:
Here’s more great information on how to help your waistline and heart:
Boy has it been a long winter.I guess I always feel that way at some level each January/February. After Christmas, I’m ready for it to warm up, to see the plants and trees budding, and I’m so ready to get in the dirt!
Yet, this winter seems more challenging than others. Every time I turn around we are plunging well below zero and with added wind chills, we are nearing -50. And when we aren’t dangerously cold, we are getting several more inches of snow.
On the other hand, I am blessed enough to be in the situation where I work at home and we homeschool, so we don’t have to go out in the cold and snow unless we have errands to run, and I try to keep those for the milder days.
One thing we previously did during winters was to head to a nearby conservatory on a near-weekly basis to be surrounded by plants and warmth. Since we have moved, it is not a reasonable possibility. I really miss that time, sitting, enjoying the greenery, warmth, and scent of the plants. I could simply sit there for an entire afternoon. I always feel refreshed and reinvigorated. Maybe it’s time for a drive. Maybe it’s time to make the trip for an afternoon. I’m sure it’d be a healthy one and well worth the time.
It seems to be a very common issue and it seems to be growing. As parents, we are often wondering if everything is ok. Poop is actually a great way to get a peek into how healthy your child’s digestive system is. Everything from food allergies to infections can be hinted at based on poop.
Take a look at the article here:
By choosing a loving environment without added peer pressure and comparisons, I can see my daughter thriving and willing to try a little more. While we are still working on regaining that joyful spirit that she lost last year, we are getting there. I’m seeing more smiles, hearing giggles and can see her eyes light up more often. (There is nothing like seeing that sparkle of joy in your child’s eyes.) As with anything, it’s taking time, but we’re making progress. Little bit by little bit. Read more about our struggles here.
Source: TopMastersInEducation.com
Hope Nurtured 