Homeschooling & Art Projects

This art project was created by my son, Rafael.

I don't know when he found the time to create this.  Rafael worked on this last Sunday.  We were waiting for family friends to come over.  I just know that my three younger children were huddled in the girl's room.  They were creating something.

I had just a few seconds to realize that they had finally dug into the art supplies.  They found the old CDs, wood pieces, and beans.  I had had those supplies in another container.  They just didn't seem to be interested in making anything for a long while.  I guess organizing the supplies in a different manner encouraged them to explore. 

Our guests had left.  I then had time to ask Rafael about his new creation.  He called him Larry.  I asked him why.  He said that Larry looked human. 

"What inspired you to make Larry?" I asked.

"Iris took out the art supplies." Rafael replied.

I asked, "How did you put him together?"

He then went on to explain that he used an old CD for the face.  Rafael placed a wooden triangle that he colored red with a color pencil as the nose.   He used beans for a smile and the two eyes.  The interesting part is that he took apart a few mini-clothespins to use for his project.  

He attached the metal parts for eyelashes.  The wooden parts were for the eyebrows and hair.  His father drilled holes close to ends of the hair.  Rafael reasoned that thumbtacks were better to attach Larry to the wall.  He did not want to use glue to affix Larry onto the wall.

Rafael is a smart boy!

I asked Rafael where he found the arms.  Well, they came as party goods from our guests.  The arms are gooey.  They can be flexed in different directions.  You could say that it is an interactive piece of art.

I asked Rafael one final question:

"Do you plan on making any more of these creations?"

He replied, "Maybe. Maybe I'll make Larry's family."

You gotta love kids who take initiative to create such lovely things. 

How about you, my friends?  Do you have some crafty kids in your home?  What do they love to make?  I highly recommend throwing some scraps of this or that together in some container.  Encourage your children to explore the container to see what they can create out of a few objects.  You'll be surprised.

This is an entry for Thorough Thursdays.  I hope you enjoyed it.

My Contemplation of Verse 20 of the Tao Te Ching

Dr. Dyer's book is Change your Thoughts--Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao.

Today, I want to focus on verse 20 of the Tao Te Ching, specifically this portion:

Most people have too much; 

I alone seem to be missing something.

Mine is indeed the mind of an ignoramus

in its unadulterated simplicity.

I am but a guest in this world.

While others rush about to get things done,

I accept what is offered.

I alone seem foolish,

earning little, spending less.

Living in this world is tough when you consider what you are up against.  We have to meet deadlines.  We have obligations to others and ourselves.  We have goals to meet.  We are under the microscope to those around us, watching our every move.

It is no wonder that I have asked myself several questions:

What are my priorities in this life?

What do I need to do to get through those priorities?

What material things do I need to reach my goals?

Who do I need in my life to help me reach my goals?

What information am I lacking?

After asking myself those questions, I have to learn to accept those things that I cannot change.  I cannot change how tired this body gets.  When I start a project, like blogging, I throw my whole self into it.  Sometimes, I get obsessed.  Sometimes, I suffer for my craft.

Now, am I the only one who does this?  No.  We are all guilty, if we love something, of throwing our all into the said project.  This verse of the Tao Te Ching is asking us to stop striving for material possessions, prestige, and money.  Afterall, what did we come with into this world?  Nothing.

We will someday pass on from this life.  Our spirit will go back to God, the Source of our spirit.  We are not taking anything with us.  It will all stay behind.  That's why in the Bible, we are encouraged to store up treasures in heaven, instead of down here on earth.

Many people are used to reaching for the latest new trends.  We have this mindset that we need to get those new things.  Really, we do not.  I'm not saying that I don't have technology in my house.  How do you think I'm reaching you, my beloved readers?

I love the technology for what it can do for me.  It can also become a burden.  Just think about how Facebook, Twitter, and the many social mediums we have available to us.  We can communicate with people around the world.  I have visitors to my blog from Hungary and India, and I think that is awesome.

I am happy to be a blessing to anyone who passes through this blog.  I would that you leave with new-found wisdom or a new way to think about life.  Again, I will state--I do not want to change your religion.  That is not my intention.  I am intent on getting you to be at peace with your current situation.

If we let go of the control for a bit, we can let God work in our lives.  From the Source of everything can flow abundance.  If we are not of this world, then let us turn to God, our Father.  He is our provider.  Let's turn our tough situations over to Him.

I have health conditions that seemed worse a few weeks ago.  It is by laying it at God's feet, that I am sensing a transformation.  I really do trust that He is working in my life.  He is healing me.  He is directing me to people and information to bring my healing about.

I had to get out of the way.  I'm asking you to get out of the way, too.  Let God handle your problems.  If He puts people in your life, listen to them.  Let them be a blessing to you.  

Let go of the control.

I know that God is working in my life.  I can sense that through this writing, He is wanting to reach someone.  If God can use this post to get through to somebody reading this, I have done my job.  I pray that I don't get in the way of his message to you, my friends.  

What about you, my readers?  Are you striving too much?  Are you burning out?  Slow down and ask yourself what is important in your life.  You might need to take a break.  You might need to re-evaluate your priorities.

May God bless you all with His peace and wisdom.

This has been an entry for Wisdom Wednesdays.  I pray you were blessed by it.

I am currently drawing inspiration from Change Your Thoughts--Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.

For past entries, turn to Wisdom Wednesdays.

 

Installing Manga Studio Software Into a Netbook

Daughter wanted the Manga Studio software installed on her Net Book.

I love all kinds of technology, even though I cannot fully grasp it.  I know that this Japanese comics software, Manga Studio, was what my darling daughter, Iris, wanted.  I struck a deal with her.  I would buy it, but she would pick up a few more chores.  The deal was so simple.

A few weeks later and the pots and pans were habitually dirty.  It could have been my fault.  Most parents will start with asking a child to show how much he/she wants that latest toy.  Not me!  I had to do something about it.

The problem started when we thought we knew how to install the software that she so coveted.  Her Netbook has no CD drive in which to put the physical shiny circle.  We knew this going into the venture.  I could have bought the software online, but the website greatly encourages you to buy some insurance in case the download goes wrong.  I had spoken with my oldest son, Gabriel, who assured me that he could download it onto my last desktop computer and then transfer the software to Iris' Netbook.

Sounded easy, especially since I wouldn't have to do it myself!

Here's the problem: 

The software was installed into my old computer that runs on the Windows Vista operating system.  It did run successfully on that computer but when Gabriel tried to install it onto Iris' Netbook, it wouldn't work.  Her Netbook runs on the Windows XP operating system.  

Incompatible operating systems equals not being able to see through a dirty window.

Gabriel knew the solution.  He had to install the software onto Rafael's computer, which runs on Windows XP like Iris' Netbook.  He was sure it would work.  Iris did not press Gabriel on the matter, though.  I think she had become disappointed that it had not worked the first time around.

In order for my pots and pans to get washed, I had to act.  

I asked Gabriel to do the work required for Iris to be able to use the Manga Studio software.  My hubby prepared the hot water, and Iris busied herself with the chore.

There were several steps Gabriel took to bring about the desired outcome:

1. He downloaded Manga Studio onto Rafael's computer.  The software went into a folder which was moved into a USB drive stick.

2. He also had to export the registry files and place them in the USB.  He explained to me that those files are like a register at a hotel which tells who is situated in which room. 

3. He also had to find and download an .exe (executable) file. This would allow Iris to use the software without having to use the shiny circle called a CD.  He inserted this file into the USB, as well.

4. He installed all 3 components into the Netbook.

5. He created a shortcut for the software onto the desktop of Iris' Netbook.

Gabriel set up the software before Iris had finished washing the pots and pans.

I knew Gabriel could do some interesting computer stuff.  Interviewing him to see what this all entailed blew my mind.  I was curious to know why he had learned how to use software without requiring the physical CD.  He related how he wanted to play some games without the actual CD because the CDs were getting scratched with overuse.  Another reason was that two persons cannot use the same physical CD at the same time when playing a two-person game; hence the need for the .exe file for those particular games.  

He wanted to be able to play computer games with his younger brother, Rafael.

I asked him how he's gone about finding those .exe files.  He said he's tapped into Yahoo! Answers and Answers.com to find the files for his games.

I must say that I am proud of my son.  He has taken initiative to find answers to his questions.  He has researched when he did not know the answers.  My younger son says, "He knows more than you, Mom, about computers."  Yes, that is true, but I am glad that someone in the family can handle the technology in our household.

How about you, my friends?  Are you computer savvy?  If so, do you help your family and friends when they need computer help?  I hope you or someone you know can help when computer problems arise in your home.

God bless you all with His peace and wisdom.

This has been an entry for Technology Tuesdays.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Exercise Goals for Week Starting 03/28/11

My exercise bike will help me meet my goals.

My exercise bike is in my room, waiting for me to use it.  It sits there patiently.  It calls to me, but I ignore it.  Still, it waits for the moment until I use it.

I believe that staying away from soda is helping me; if you remember from a previous post, I gave it up for Lent.  I've lost weight before when I stopped drinking soda.  I have also been trying to eat healthier snacks, like nuts.  I have also tried to eat more fruits and vegetables.  I think it paid off because I lost more weight.

I have lost 3 lbs. since I started my get-fit quest.  I don't want to gain it back.  I have decided to capitalize on this good news.  I want to lose more weight.  I want to tone up.

I want to rev up my weight loss.  I have the following three exercise goals for this week:

1. Use the exercise bike for 15 minutes at least 3 times this week.

2. Dance to my music any 2 days (not timing myself).

3. Use the Wii Fit 2 times this week for 15 minutes each.

I am wanting to keep up the momentum of weight loss because for a long time I had been at a plateau of 140 lbs.  I would either go up or down.  (During the day anyone can gain a few pounds after eating.)  I would weigh myself in the morning and after eating, my weight would go up.  That is highly understandable.

It is also understandable if I go up a few pounds due to gaining muscle.  I can bear that.  My body, though, cannot stand the extra weight it has right now.  My small stature begs me to lose more weight.  Since I have hit 137 lbs., which was my weight before my youngest child (who will be 6 years-old next month), I do feel better.

I just want to go further to a weight that my bones and heart can withstand.  Since I am very short, I can stand to lose another 20 lbs.  I want to aim for 10 more.  I will aim for 5lbs. to lose.  I have the goal to come down to 132 lbs.

How about you, my readers?  Do you have some fitness goals?  Do you need to lose some weight?  I recommend doing small changes.  I also recommend a small goal of a few pounds a week.

Now, if you'll excuse me; I think I'm gonna get on the Wii Fit balance board.  It's always been a favorite of mine.


Oh, my beloveds, may God bless you all with His peace and wisdom.

This has been a part of my Medical Mondays series.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Training Up a Child

Training is part of a child's upbringing.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

--Proverbs 22:6

I thought I would start this entry in a funny way.  Perhaps seeing this picture of a train will remind you of this entry.  This old Hot Wheels train has been in our family for many years.  You can see how old it is by looking at its wheels.  Yes, it has been played with so many times.

Just like that Hot Wheels toy has been played with many times, this Bible verse has been used many times as well.  I like to use a concordance, specifically The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.  I use it to define words that I might not understand.  I use it to help me get a better grasp of something special in the Bible.  It is a perfect companion for Bible studies.

Let's break down the verse I am focusing on:

train-to discipline; to hone in on the learning; to dedicate

child-youth

way-journey; course of life

old-grown up

depart-reject; leave undone

Now that we have a few definitions, we can understand more fully what the Bible verse says.  Basically, the parent, guardian, caretaker, teacher, or any other such person dedicates his/her life to raise the youth.  This person must discipline and/or hone the learning for the child.  This individual is charged with showing the child the journey or the course of life that he/she should follow.  When that youth grows up, because of all the learning he has done, in the hands of the teacher, he will leave nothing undone.  

He/She will not reject their learning because it is ground down into their psyche.  Now, I'm gonna give you the definition of psyche:

psyche  psy·che (sī'kē)
n.
 The mind functioning as the center of thought, emotion, and behavior and consciously or unconsciously mediating the body's responses to the social and physical environment.

psyche. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/psyche

I added psyche to the mix because it explains why the child will not veer from what he has learned.  It is like the child has information seared into his brain, like a rancher who brands his cattle for identification.  This is like when a person burns songs onto a CD.  

I'm just trying to help you, my reader, understand why it is so important to take the time to assess what the youth around you are learning.  

Our children are constantly learning from us, whether we understand it or not.  I think it is important to purposely teach our children what they need to learn.  After all, our children are a reflection of us.  We must teach our children quickly before they leave our homes.  It is important to note that what we teach them will determine how they interact with the world around them.

Oh, there is so much to teach.  

Will we fit it all in?  

With God's help anything is possible.

How about you, my readers?  Do you every wonder what your children are learning?  Are you taking time to discuss with them their path in life?  I hope you do have conversations with them.  Our youth need direction.

My beloveds, may God bless you all with His peace and wisdom.

This has been an entry for Spiritual Sundays.  I hope you enjoyed it.

To compile this mini- bible study, I visited: http://www.biblestudytools.com/

Healthy Soup

Healthy soup with many ingredients.

This is a soup I had made when the weather was still cool.  Whenever I make a soup, I add whatever ingredients I have on hand.  I start by first browning the beef or boiling the chicken.  In this case, I made a chicken soup.  I also love adding all kinds of ingredients.

Healthy soup includes wet vegetable ingredients.

I made the white rice separately.  I opened the cans of tomato paste, corn, diced tomatoes, and mixed vegetables.  I also added some frozen bell peppers.  I had bought and cut the various colored bell peppers and had frozen them in their individual plastic baggies.  Doing the cutting and storing into the freezer always cuts down on cooking.

Healthy soup includes these dry spices.

Spices add wonderful taste to soups.  In the soup, I added lemon pepper, cumin seeds (which I placed in the used bottle of minced onions), salt, celery salt, garlic salt, and dried cilantro.  Dried cilantro is good for detoxification.  Cumin is a good source of iron and aids in digestion.  Garlic helps the immune system.

Healthy soups can be accompanied by other foods.

Finally, I served myself.  I put some of the white rice within my bowl of soup.  I warmed up some corn tortillas.  I added some lemon juice, which has vitamin C.  The soup was delicious, and I definitely did not feel guilty eating it.

How about you, my readers?  Do you like soups?  Do you like to make soups?  If so, what do you like to put in your soups?  I hope you add lots of healthy ingredients.

This entry has been part of Saturday Spreads series.  I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Stylish Blogger Award Nomination

Stylish Blogger Award

A special thanks to:

Thy Word

for nominating me for the Stylish Blogger Award! What an honor!

In order to completely accept this award it is asked that one:

1. Thank and link back to the person that has given you this award.

2. Share seven things about yourself.

3. Award 10-15 blogs you feel deserve this award as well.

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award.

And now about me:

 

1. I am 40 years young.

2. I am a stay at home mom.

3. I have 4 children.

4. I have been homeschooling for about 11 years.

5. I love to crochet.

 

6. I love to garden.

 

7. I love my husband of 16 years.

Here are the blogs that I award:

1. Apron Senorita

2. Crystal's Corner

 

3. Create With Joy

 

4. Flip Flop Reviews

 

5. Hip Homeschool Moms

 

6. Judy's Handmade Creations

 

7. Measuring Flower

 

8. Mommy Only Has Two Hands

 

9. Momwithahook Crochet

 

10. One Creative Housewife

Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning--getting rid of the clutter.

Last year, I did not do any major decluttering in my home.  This year, I reaped the consequences.  I knew that we had a lot to deal with, but I never imagined how much it would be.  The job took several days of our spring break.  To be honest, I was amazed at how much my children were willing to get rid of.

I asked each child to seriously consider whether they still wanted certain toys and clothes.  

My oldest daughter, Iris, who is now a teenager, decided she didn't want her Care Bear collection so we bagged the stuffed animals.  She also didn't want the Barbie dolls anymore.  She boxed the dolls and their accessories, which filled up three boxes.  She also went through her closet, as I told her that she could only keep ten blouses.  My youngest, Kaelyn, decided she still wanted her Pet Shop collection but gave away a large chunk of her Barney collection.

My two girls share the room.  I had been thinking that the room was too cramped.  I noticed there was more room in the closet so I dragged the small dresser in there.  Now, my oldest could have a table in the room, just like the little one, who already had hers in there.  Iris can use it for her schoolwork and Netbook.

Then, I asked my boys to do the same.  A lot of shirts came out of their closets.  I asked them to keep a few dressy items.  Rafael finally let go of some of those small T-shirts.  I usually hand down the bigger clothes to him so those we put in a Rubbermaid tub. 

It was time to put the cold season's clothes away.

Since we were on the last days of winter, I started folding sweaters, long sleeve shirts and blouses, and sweatpants.  I placed those in plastic boxes.  I bunched up all the scarves, gloves, and hats into a container I made, too.  I did not have to declutter so much from my ow closet because I have had to do it continually when I buy new clothes.  You see, I have a tiny closet that can only house so much clothing. 

One of the biggest changes was splitting up the boys.  My husband mentioned it casually at dinnertime, and Gabriel was finally for it.  He needed the change because my younger son likes to read at night.  The light and noise were bothersome.  Hence, the shuffling of furniture began.

We did the minimal.  We moved Gabriel's bed, clothes, and chest of drawers out of one room and placed them in another.  We moved a computer and shelf (with books) out of the "classroom."  I asked my oldest if he was okay with all those books still in his new room, and he was fine with them.  I think he is very happy about having quiet and darkness at night.

I can't even describe the reorganization of books.  I had to move the subjects by hard bound and soft bound.  Yes, I'm that organized!  Hey, I worked at several libraries. We placed one larger bookcase in Rafael's room and added more books in it. 

Well, that's a little taste of what went on in our home this past Spring Break.  I hope it gives you all some ideas for your spring cleaning.

How about you, my readers?  Have your done your spring cleaning, yet?  There's still time.  I hope you don't put it off.  You might end up with a bigger pile when you finally get around to it.

My beloveds, may God bless you all with His peace.

This has been an entry for Family Fun Fridays.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Homeschool Reading Using Manga

My homeschooled daughter loves to read Manga.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go." - Dr. Seuss

One of the most important skills for a child to learn is reading. Reading requires the ability to look at words and make sense of them. Reading is necessary to learning new things in life. Reading is empowering. Reading can indeed take you to new places.

That is why I encourage reading of any kind, provided that it is age-appropriate. Take, for example, the Naruto series that my daughter is reading. The book above shows a Manga (comic) book. My daughter recently acquired a few more of these books to add to her library. I'm not a fan of that genre of reading, but my daughter has embraced it.

I'm just glad she is reading!

For one, it does have reading material and not just pictures. Second, it has vivid pictures. Third, it has complex story lines. Fourth, my daughter has created fan-fiction as a result of exposure to it. Finally, she has also been led to create her own pictures.

The more she has read, the more she now knows. The more that she has learned, the more places, in the creative spectrum she has gone. Not just that, reading lends itself to escapism. That is when you read about different places, customs, and peoples, and you are transported out of your own world and into another one. It is lovely that reading can cause you to visit elsewhere, even though you are sitting in your own bedroom.

To sum up, reading leads you to new worlds you never knew. You visit the new, unfamiliar. Who knows what it can lead to? A wonderful, daring career full of possibilities? How about a means to support yourself financially, while loving your job?

What about you, my readers? Do you love to read? Where does it take you? What about the children in your life? Do they love to read? If you and/or your children don't enjoy reading, I would suggest picking up some Manga. It can be very entertaining for all ages.

My beloveds, may God bless you all with His peace.

This entry has been part of Thorough Thursdays. I hope you enjoyed it.

My Contemplation of Verse 19 of the Tao Te Ching

I contemplate the Tao Te Ching, verse by verse, with Dr. Dyer's help.

It is more important

to see the simplicity,

to realize one's true nature,

to cast off selfishness

and temper desire.

I think it is important for us to find our voice.  Our style of speaking and writing is different from that of others.  We must be true to ourselves.  We've got to do things from the heart.  We must tap into the Source (Tao-God) of our creativity.

Our true natures call out to us.  We can't quiet them down.  They are aching to come out and feel the air.  We must give in to our deepest wants and desires. 

I'm not talking about sinning.  I'm talking about what drives your passion for living.  I'm talking about what drives you to wake up in the morning.  I'm talking about something that would be work but wouldn't feel like it was work.  Can you imagine what that would be?

What is limiting you?  Is it religion?  Is it financial obligations?  Is it the legalities of your situation? 

I'm not asking you to turn on your religious beliefs.  I'm not even asking you to break the law.  I'm just asking you to cast aside the limitations of doubt and fear.    In order to be true to yourself, you have to keep to your integrity--your deep beliefs of fairness and love.  Living the life you want does not mean going against your beliefs.

That's why I'm writing this all out.  I'm living out my dream.  To write has been a burning passion in my life.  It has been a blessing when I had no one to talk to.  It's been a life saver for me.


How about your, my readers?  What is your passion?  Are you living your passion?  I challenge you to think about it seriously. 

May God bless you with His peace, my beloveds.

To read past entries about the Tao Te Ching (verses 1-15), please visit:
http://www.thoughts.com/Rebagv
The entry for verse 16 can be found here:

http://bit.ly/dRB4wH

The entry for verse 17 can be found here: 

http://bit.ly/i1R4Xa

The entry for verse 18 can be found here:

http://bit.ly/ee2qv1

I am currently drawing inspiration for Wisdom Wednesdays from Change Your Thoughts--Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Dr. Wayne W.

Homeschooling Using a Netbook to Write

Daughter uses netbook to write for homeschooling.

Writing is an essential skill that must be taught to all children.  Homeschooled children are no exception.  It is challenging to find a way to motivate children to want to write.  Enter a rewards system!  When you present a technological toy in the mix, you can get wonderful results.

Take my daughter, Iris, for example.  She and her siblings saw the Astroboy movie that came out in 2009.    This caused my oldest son, Gabriel, to research in Wikipedia about Astroboy.  (You can see how the interest was born.)  This, in turn, led to him finding out that there was a whole cartoon series based on the Astroboy character.

My son found the cartoon episodes and pretty soon all four kids were seeing the episodes at all times of the day and night.  They have even found other comics from the creator of Astroboy.

This is all to say that my daughter, shown in the picture, has immersed herself in all things Manga and Anime.

Just to clarify things: Anime is the animation of the cartoon images; Manga is the still creations or artwork.  I know; the terms were confusing to me, too.  I had to look it up just now.  You see, Osamu Tezuka, a Japanese artist, created some comics (stills) or Manga, which eventually became Anime (the animated series).  I hope that clears it all up.

Anyway, so here is a snippet of one story that Iris created (and yes, I am sharing with her permission):

 I run across the soft field of grass, the morning dew tickling my bare feet.  The rising sun casts a warm, yellow glow across the green grass.  I look over my shoulder to see if my tormentor is still onto me.

I am surprised to see that no one is behind me.  I slow to a trot, my eyes darting from left to right...

I don't even think I could write that well.  

Iris is super at writing.  I've told her that, too.  She's a doubter, just like me.  I'm proud, though, of all the strides she's taken to become such a good writer.  Just think--this was the child who was afraid to write her name for fear that it wouldn't turn out perfectly.

That's why she got the Netbook she wanted.  I wanted for her to have a means to quickly put down her ideas.  I knew she had it in her to create brilliant stuff on paper.  Having the Netbook where she can create and store her story ideas is ideal for her.

Buying the Netbook has paid off.  Ever since we got it for her two years ago, Iris has been on it nonstop, visiting forums, watching more Anime, and writing bits of her stories.  She still has many ideas for stories just waiting to be said, in her own voice.

How about you, my readers?  Do you have a budding writer in your life?  Or are they interested in another type of art?  Whatever the craft is, please encourage them.  Provide them the tools they need to do their craft.  You never know if they might become famous and make lots of money (for you).

God bless you all with His peace.

This has been an entry for Technology Tuesdays.  I hope you liked it.

Exercising With Technology & Music

Dancing to music and uploading onto technology.

I can barely type these words because I'm listening to a song called "Rhythm is a Dancer." It's so catchy that I'm dancing while I'm sitting here. How many people are willing to admit they wiggle in their seats when a good song comes along. In fact, I'm gonna get up and dance right now!  (You won't even know I'm gone.)

There, I'm back!

I have a few songs like that one in my mp3 player. Sometimes you just gotta love technology! Some people will gladly thumb their noses at technology. Me: I love using it to my advantage. 

Take, for example, this lady on Youtube. This Dancing Queen loves to dance, and she isn't ashamed to show it.  This is how she uses dancing as a form of exercise. I challenge you to visit her channel and subscribe if you need a little push to exercise. Dancing is a great way to lose weight; believe me, I did it.

There are a few things you can do to optimize your fitness quest. First, suck in your stomach because that's what Dr. Oz, my fitness guru, advocates; wear a belt if it helps.  (I did.)  Second, stand or sit as straight as you can.  Third, twist your body, side to side, to the beat of the music.  Fourth, find music that makes you want to hop up and move!

Exercise has several benefits, of course. You can stay fit. You can lose weight.  Those of us who are flabby, can get toned.  Research also shows that it can help fight off depression.

How about you, my readers?  Do you exercise?  Do you dance?  I hope you will consider dance as an extra way to optimize your health quest.

May God bless you all with His peace and wisdom.

This has been part of my Medical Mondays series.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Embracing Proverbs

To embrace proverbs is to gain wisdom.

5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--  

6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

--Proverbs 1:5-7 New International Version 

If you are wise (learned), you will embrace more information.  Knowledge is power.  If you practice good judgment (discernment), then you should seek advice to keep perfecting that skill.  I am always on the search for information.  For example, I want to blog more effectively so I keep seeking information.  

What are proverbs?  I discussed this last week.  Proverbs are wise sayings.  Parables are short stories akin to fables.  Parables teach us lessons, like the story of the prodigal son being about humans going their own way and then coming back to God, the Father.

Sayings are proverbs, adages or idioms that have some wisdom behind them, like Chinese proverbs.  For example, "Wherever you go, there you are."  Funny, huh?  Yes, some of them are funny.  Riddles are puzzling questions like, "What starts to walk with four legs, walks with 2 legs later, and finally walks with 3.  The answer: Man.  He starts walking by crawling as a baby, then walks with 2 legs and then as he grows older, uses a cane to help him walk. 

To fear (or respect, have in high regard) the Lord (of all Lords) is to begin to gain understanding (knowledge).  To me, this means that I must respect and love God to a high degree.  He, in turn, will give me more information that I need to function in this world.  This is like the Bible verse that I love the most: 

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

--Psalm 37:4 (New International Version)
 

I enjoy (delight in) God's love, like a little girl who basks in the presence of her earthly daddy.  He, in turn, gives me what I most desire--wisdom to help me live through this life. 

The alternative is for me to be a fool (stubborn person).  Fools hate being taught new things (wisdom).  Many times fools think they know everything they need to know; however, I know that I don't know everything.  I understand that I am inside the box called life.  Only God can see from the outside of my life.   That's why I turn to him when I am stumped for answers to my deep questions. 

Discipline (correction, instruction) is tough to take from others at times.  I am guilty of not listening to orders from God.  Who isn't?  It is best to turn back to God when we come to our senses.  He is more than willing to accept us and remind us of where we went wrong and to tell us what we can do to rectify the situation.

How does this tie in to homeschooling my children?  My hope is that my children will seek information whenever they are stumped for answers.  I hope they will turn to God when they are at the end of themselves.  He is  there, waiting to give the answer; after all, He is all-knowing.  

How about you, my faithful readers?  What do you think about what your children  should learn? Do you think they should keep learning beyond the classroom?  Or do you think they are done learning once they graduate from high school? What about you, the adults?  Are you satisfied with the information you have in your minds?  I challenge you to keep learning new things about yourself and the world around.  I especially encourage you to learn more about God. 

God bless you all with His peace, my beloveds.

This entry has been created for the Spiritual Sunday series. I hope you have enjoyed it.

To compile this mini- bible study, I visited: http://www.biblestudytools.com/

Eating Colorful, Healthy Foods

Colorful foods help you want to eat healthy.

It's been said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  I say that the way to feed my loving husband is through providing visually appealing foods.  Adding rich tomato sauce--a red color--into rice is good for a man's prostate.  It appears delightful even though I add real garlic (helpful for the immune system) and other good spices.  My husband gobbles up the food with his eyes before he even puts a spoonful of it into his mouth.

Today, I want to discuss the importance of a balanced meal.  What is a balanced meal?  Well, you need to have your carbohydrates (or starches), protein, and veggies.  Here, I have chicken soft tacos with beans and rice.  I'm not going into detail about how to throw it together.  

I just want you to look at the colors.  Isn't it beautiful?  If you are a visual person, then you are enjoying looking at that plate full of colors.  I learned a while back that to get someone to eat your food, you should use different colors to have a good food presentation.  Here, you can see the yellow, orange, brown, green, and red calling to you to eat it.  

I bet you're drooling!

You can also see that the plate is colorful.  I thought it added a nice touch to the dinner that was on it.  Notice that the plate is not big, either.  I did that on purpose.  We need to eat smaller portions, and a small plate helps you do that.  

Did you know that you should only eat the amount of meat or cooked grain that fits in the meaty part of your hand? Yes, your palm.  That means that your meat slice should be lean, not thick, and be the size of your hand, minus your fingers.  If your dinner time calls for only one or two meat portions, check it against your palm.  That will give you a good indication of how much protein or starches you should eat in one meal.  

Of course, if you are eating small meals throughout the day, as some doctors and fitness books recommend, then you would probably only eat one portion of protein.  Just make sure to  match up a protein with a good carbohydrate, especially if you are diabetic.  In this case, I matched each meat to a corn tortilla, which is better than the white flour tortillas.

Beans have both carbohydrates and proteins so it can really stand alone, but I'm a Mexican American and used to eating a meat entree with some kind of pasta (like rice, shells, elbows, or vermicelli) and beans on the side. 

Adding the roughage of spinach helps the food push through your body, and the tomatoes are good for you, too.  Tomatoes are good for your eyes.  My eye-sight began to improve when we grew tomatoes in our garden and ate them.  The avocados provide the fat that is good for your body.  I even sprinkled a little lemon (which has vitamin C) juice on the avocado.

I've come a long way from my earlier days of cooking.  That was about 15 years ago.  I am not perfect, but I have striven to provide delicious, wonderful-looking meals.  I have tried to balance them out with a good drink and a fruit on the side.  I don't always get to make my meals totally healthy, but I am hopeful to get  there some day.  For now, adding good veggies, like spinach and tomatoes, is a step in the right direction.

How about you, my readers?  Do you prepare your foods for all of the senses?  Do you try to make it taste and smell delicious?  I encourage you to include the different colors of the palette.  It just might make it more fun to eat a healthy meal.

God bless you with His peace, my beloveds.

This has been an entry for Saturday Spreads.  I went link-crazy, but I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.