Health: Bras and Cancer

Here is a VERY interesting article from healthextremist.com. This is an eye-opener. I know that for modesty's sake it would be extremely hard to not wear one. However, when you are in the privacy of your home, you may want to consider not wearing a bra.  

How Bras Can Cause Breast Cancer

Bras are designed to alter breast shape, they apply constant pressure to the soft breast tissue and result in compressing and constricting lymphatic vessels. You can observe evidence of constriction from the red marks and indentations in the skin caused by the bra.
Research shows that wearing a bra regularly can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. Bras prevent lymph drainage and circulation. Both the lymphatic and circulatory systems provide vital nutrients and allow for the elimination of toxins. This lack of nutrients or the excess in toxins can lead to the development of cancer.
The lymphatic’s systems role is to flush out toxins and debris from the tissues. An impairment of the lymphatic system’s flow can lead to the toxification of the breast tissue.


Additionally, wearing a bra also increases the hormone prolactin. An increase in prolactin results in decreased breast tissue circulation. The lack of circulation prevents the body from removing fluids trapped in the lymph nodes and glands. According to Sydney Ross Singer, author of “Dressed to Kill” this creates a perfect breeding ground for cancer, infections, and other problems.
Data also indicates that the higher clothing pressures is exerted by a bra the more significant negative impact there is on the autonomic nervous system activity.

Did you know that the correlation between wearing a bra and breast cancer is four times greater than the correlation between lung cancer and smoking. SCARY

Research Shows Bras Cause Breast Cancer

According to a study published in the European Journal of Cancer, premenopausal women who do not wear bras are less than half as likely to get breast cancer that those who regularly wear a bra.
Researcher David Moth found that even wearing the lightest bras place pressure on the lymphatic system.
Additionally, it was discovered that regular bra wearing decreases the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a potent natural antioxidant and the hormone that is responsible for regulating sleep, boosting the immune system and, and can fight aging. Melatonin is essential for the body to fight cancer (Chronobiology International,2000).
Medical anthropologist Sidney Singer found that women in Fiji who wore bras had the same rate of breast cancer as American women. Those who did not wear bras had no breast cancer!

1. Women wearing a bra 24 hours a day had a 3 in 4 chance of developing breast cancer.

2. Women wearing their bras 12 hours a day, but not to bed, had a 1 in 7 chance of developing breast cancer.

3. Women wearing bras less than 12 hours a day had a 1 in 152 chance of developing breast cancer.

4. Those who rarely or never wore a bra virtually never developed breast cancer

Interestingly, when you look at the worldwide statistics on breast cancer, it appears that the incidence is only significantly higher in cultures where bras are worn.
According to Andreas Moritz a very small proportion of men do develop breast cancer and it is exactly the same amount as women who go braless!

Researches looking at indigenous populations of New Zealand and Australia found that those who were fully integrated into western society had the same chances of developing breast cancer. In contrast, the aboriginals of Australia who did not integrate into regular western society and do not regularly wear bras, and have practically no breast cancer.
Lastly, Japanese, Fijians, and many women from other cultures were found to have a significantly higher chance of developing breast cancer when they began wearing bras.

What is the Alternative to a Bra?

1.-The best option is to not wear a bra as often as possible. At least do not wear one to bed! Also, avoid push-up bras which are noted to be the worst due to the amount of constriction they cause.
2.-Wear a loose layer underneath instead of a bra, such as a camisole.
3.-Wear a VERY loose fitting bra made from silk or organic cotton.

Won’t My Breasts Sag? No, actually they will sag less!

A study from Japan examined the effect of wearing a bra vs. not wearing a bra on sagging. They found that wearing a bra increased breast sagging!
How could that be possible? It goes against everything you’ve ever been told about bras! Well it is true!
Researchers stated that wearing well-fitted bras for a long time, caused women’s breasts to “hang down more”. They also compared wearing a bra to be similarly detrimental as foot binding is for your feet.

So there you have it. Do some research on your own as well. If nothing else, take off your bra before you go to bed. 
Thanks, Mom, for this article. - rejoicinginthepresent

Health: Vick's VapoRub

My Dad sent me this article and I thought I would share it with you.

When Baby A was sick over the Christmas holiday, we tried Vicks and it seemed to help but we never put it on his feet. 

I am DEFINITELY going to try this the next time he is not feeling well. I hope this can help another mom out there. If you do try it, leave a comment and tell us how it went.

During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it.

Some of us have used Vicks VapoRub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks VapoRub generously on the soles of your feet, cover with socks, and the heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemicals in them.  This method of using Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet was found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bed time. In addition it seems to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.

My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes. So she went from; every few seconds uncontrollable coughing, she slept cough-free for hours every night she used it.

If you have grandchildren, pass this on. If you end up sick, try it yourself and you will be amazed at how it works.DON'T SHUN THIS ONE ... TRY IT THE NEXT TIME YOU GET A BAD COLD. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE ~ ONLY YOUR COUGH ...

Around the House - Cleaning Silver

Recently I went through all my china. We were having a little girls' tea party and so I was trying to get it ready. I came upon this tea set. I had inherited it from my grandma. She had received it from my grandfather on their 25th wedding anniversary. So it's a very special piece.   Due to the fact that it's REAL silver AND it had been sitting in a box for LONG TIME it was tarnished.
I had heard that you could polish your silver rings with tooth paste and I had tried it once, and it worked. SO I decided to give it a try on the tea set and VOILA. IT WORKED

What you need...
1. Old Toothbrush or brush
2. A Rag
3. Tooth Paste
4. Water and soap to wash and rinse the toothpaste off




What you do...
1. Apply a "glob" of toothpaste on the silver piece.
2. Use the brush to spread and scrub the vessel
3. Once you feel you have scrubbed the whole piece, rinse it with soap and water.
4. Repeat and do this as many times as you need to make your vessel sparkle!

- Rejoicing in the present

The Glass that Doesn't Lie

Ladies, what would we do without a mirror? We use it everyday, many times a day. We use it to check to make sure our hair is right, our makeup is perfect, our clothes are matching and not wrinkly. Sometimes we frown at it, because we just can't get it right. Other times we smile because we feel we are successful.


There is a another mirror that we should be checking everyday. That mirror is the Word of God. We should be checking to make sure that we match up to what God tells us we should be. This mirror does not lie. It shows us for who we are but it also helps us to fix that "strand that is out of place." It helps us to wipe away that mistake we made. It helps us to line up with Jesus.

 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. -2 Cor. 3:18 Have you looked in the mirror today?

Baby Teeth

My poor baby A is getting his "toofees" in. In fact he got his 3rd on Monday, 4th on Tuesday and 5th on Wednesday. He has been in a lot of pain. :-( I was on pinterest tonight, saw this chart, and thought I would share it with you all. Hope it helps a fellow baby-teething mom.  -Rejoicing in the Present

Cooking W/ Brandy - Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is many a man's favorite, including Joy's husband. This is always great served on Texas toast along side baked beans and potato salad.

What you need:
1. 3lbs of pork roast
2. 1/2 cup of ginger ale
3. 1/2 small onion
4. 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (We love Baby Ray's)

What you do:
1. Place the roast, onion, and ginger ale in crockpot.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours.
3. Drain and shred roast.
4. Mix shredded roast and BBQ sauce in crockpot and allow it to warm for approximately 15 minutes.

Enjoy - Brandy O.

Cooking W/ Brandy - Crockpot Savory Pork and Pasta

Here is a yummy recipe that thinks outside of the normal "roast" crockpot recipe.

What you need...
1. Boneless Pork Chops
2. 1 box of penne pasta
3. 1 can of cream of mushroom
4. 1 can of rotel
5. 8oz sour cream
6. 1 Can of sliced mushrooms
7. Salt and Pepper to taste

What you do...
1. Lightly spray crockpot
2. Layer: Pork Chops, Sliced Mushrooms, Rotel, then Cream of Mushroom and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
4. When pork chops are fully cooked, boil penne pasta according to package directions
5. Remove pork chops and keep warm
6. Add sour cream to remaining juices in crockpot and allow to cook for 10 minutes
7. Add penne pasta and stir.
8. Serve pork chops on top of pasta.

ENJOY- Brandy O.

It's a ....baby Stories

I love to get "IT'S A BABY" stories, so here are a few from my mom's group...

CMG: The way I told my hubby was so lame cuz I had such a faint double line, I didn't know what it meant.. It was really early in the morning, so I just crawled into bed and said...ummmm... I THINK I'm pregnant!??? Lol. The best was telling my parents. We bought little socks to give my dad and a grandma bib for my mom. We made them close their eyes, and dropped the items on their laps and I was holding the pregnancy test when they opened their eyes. They had no idea we were "trying"... So they were completely shocked!

AZM: I lay my husbands clothes out for him when he has school early, I bought him a shirt when we first started trying that said "be nice to me, my wife is pregnant"! He gets dressed in the dark so he doesn't wake me up!  He texted me in class at 7:30 and asked what was up--lol!  To tell my parents, I had gotten the kid's shirts that said guess what on the front and I'm going to be a big brother on the back! With my first two neither were expected and was a huge shock to plan anything lol

VHW: Mine was simple: we were at the grocery store and i told my husband we needed to get one last thing! and he guessed...a pregnancy test! i already knew for sure before that, just wanted proof, pretty much for him alone :)

KK: With our first, I gave my husband a card on his spiritual birthday that said "congratulations on your new baby" and had a pic of the test in it. And we told my parents with a "Happy Grandparent's Day" card (we told them a couple days before Grandparent's Day but they assumed it was a late anniversary card since they had just had an anniversary). With our second, I picked my husband up at the airport with our daughter wearing a bib I had made with ladybugs that said "Big Sister". I had to tell him to read it though... :) And we told family at our daughter's 1st birthday party. Her last "big gift" was a custom ladybug "Big Sister" onesie. With this one, my daughter and I made Chinese food for dinner and made felt fortune cookies that had things in them like "Your new lucky numbers are 6-20-13" and "Love makes your wife... FAT" and "The 'girls' will be back soon". Since Lydia helped me make it, I excused having the video camera recording the whole meal. So I made a Krillies' kids recap DVD for the parents that ended with the Chinese meal.

JHB: I was so excited with most of mine that I didn't really have any way to say it other than happy dance around the room! Lol...most of the time my husband knew before I did! And I usually knew almost right away :). The only difference was my third child (my first three were very close together and that one I came to him crying and somewhat mad at him! Lol. She has been a blessing though, she always has a smile in her face and a song on her lips!) and my last child....he is four years younger than the one before that and I just assumed we were done...I took four pregnancy tests (the last one a digital one that said "you are pregnant!") before I finally believed that I really was! Then I did the happy dance!

ME:-)...I teased my family and husband about being pregnant so many times that when I told them, most of them didn't believe. In fact, my husband's reaction was priceless. I bought him a book that was titled "So, you're a dad" and placed that as well as a pregnancy test on this table by his stuff. He walked past it a few times and when he saw it and saw the 2 lines he said "Is this really yours?" HAHA. YES! I should have replied that "No, I had some pregnant lady do it for me" But I didn't. I have it on video and I laugh every time.

PS...JUST A THOUGHT...

Telling your husband and family that you are expecting can be so exciting or can be a little hurtful...
TC: My sister was on a missions trip once and found out another one of my sisters were expecting and I know she was hurt by this.

I would definately encourage you to BE THE ONE to tell your family and close friends even if it's through a text or email message. I found out that a close person in my life was having a baby through a facebook post and was sad to hear it that way. Just a thought. :-)

Well I hope you enjoyed the stories - rejoicing in the present.

Creativity for Kids 101

Here is a concept when it comes to toys and boys...SAVE YOUR MONEY and let them use their imaginations. My son is soooo funny. As a baby he has been given a lot of toys, which we are blessed to have, but his favorites are the ones I've always had. He LOVES empty water bottles, paper, sunglasses, pots, pans, steering wheels :-) and much more. In fact when I give him a toy, he usually plays with it for a minute and then crawls away to investigate the house.

For Christmas this year, we gave Avery, a box full of paper and empty water bottles. He also got to play with packing peanuts and a little baby noisy hammer and a jingle ball. He was very happy with it all. We didn't spend a cent on him and he still loved it. He loves attention and interaction and that's what I give him daily. Here is a neat article that shares more on this topic, The Boy With No Toys. Think about it. - rejoicing in the present

Faith Jumping

One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."
The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known. -Donner Atwood.

2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith and not by sight" In Matthew 14 - Jesus bid Peter to come unto him. To walk on the water.
"And he (JESUS) said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus."
Peter had the faith to get out of the boat, but then started to fear and thus started to sink
"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
God saw Peter the whole time. He sees us the "whole time" too. In fact he says "Come" to Him. He even reaches out to us and gives us a way, through Jesus. We just have to have faith to take that step, to get out of the boat, to JUMP.

-rejoicing in the present

Heart Attack NEWS

Here is an interesting article THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE...

When you are alone and having a heart attack:

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed to be in order. Without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, Has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each Cough, and the cough must be deep And prolonged, as when producing sputum From deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated About every two seconds without let up Until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and Keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell as many other people as possible about this, it could save their lives!

From Health Cares, Rochester General Hospital via Chapter 240s newsletter 'AND THE BEAT GOES ON '
(reprint from The Mended Hearts, Inc. Publication, Heart Response)

Cooking W/ Brandy - 4 Ingredient Crockpot Recipe

Super easy, super yummy 4-ingredient crockpot recipe.

My dad's wife, Christi, gave me this recipe. It has become one of my favorites because it is simple and delicious. I usually serve the chicken on top of brown rice
What you need...
1. 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2. 1 pkg of Lipton onion and mushroom soup mix
3. 1 can of cream of mushroom
4. 1 can of cream of chicken
salt and pepper to taste

What to do...
1. Layer ingredients in the crockpot: Chicken, cream of mushroom, and cream of chicken, Lipton soup mix, salt and pepper
2. Cook on low for 6 hours

ENJOY-Brandy O.

Valentine Idea #11 xoxo Hugs and Kisses xoxo

Happy Valentines Day!!! XOXOXO to all my dear friends!!!

Who hasn't given "kisses" before in the form of little silver wrapped chocolates. I decided to make up little "kiss" bags with this xoxo template. I'm giving them to people that have been a blessing to Avery, FROM Avery.

What you need...
1. Kisses
2. "XOXO" Picture Template
3. Scissors and Glue

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "star" template on to a word document.
2. Add a text box with a little note
3. Print and tape to the baggy or leave next to the baggies :-)

-rejoicing in the present

Valentine Idea #10 I "chews" YOU!

This is a super simple but yet versatile valentine. Most people chew gum and so this valentine would be great for most people

What you need...
1. GUM
2. "I Chews You" Picture Template
3. Scissors and Tape

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "heart-hook" template on to a Word document.
2. Add a note, if you so choose, and print
3. Tape the note to the valentine and place in an area that your hubby will find.

-Rejoicing in the present




 

Valentine Idea #9 I have a crush on you

What you need:
1. Crush soda
2. "I have a crush on you" Picture Template
3. Scissors and Tape
4. OR Black Magic Marker

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "I have a crush on you" template on to a Word document and Print
2. Tape the saying over the "CRUSH" Logo
3. OR use a black magic marker to write on the soda

-Rejoicing in the present

Valentine Idea # 8 B Mine

Our Church secretary LOVES Butterfingers, so I decided to make her a valentine.

What you need:
1. Butterfingers
2. "Butterfinger" Picture Template
3. Scissors and Tape

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "Butterfinger" template on to a Word document.
2. Add a text box with the word "MINE" so that it covers all but the "B" and Print
3. Tape the logo over the one on the container of candy
-Rejoicing in the present





 

Will you Marry Me?

It's February! Time for some sweet love stories...or how about engagement stories. :-)  I love to hear them, so I asked a few friends to share.  If your boyfriend needs ideas, here is the place to get some. :)

CH: I'll make this one short! Tyler made a bear at Build-A-Bear, and in it, put a voice recording of him saying in Hungarian, "I love you! Will you marry me?" (My sister had to coach him for a while with the foreign language, haha.) We went walking and just happened to find this bear on a bench... Anyway, after I pressed its paw and heard the message, I turned to Tyler, he was on one knee and then proposed in English. And we lived happily ever after. <3

JB: My hubby bought me an engraved jewelry box for Christmas, and wrapped it up. The ring was inside. It was sweet. :)

AR: My hubby took me to Cades Cove (we went to the Smokies almost every single week and went hiking together - we loved hiking) and so it wasn't unusual for me. He wrote me love letters and poems almost every week too.  We were out by a beautiful little creek and he told me that he had written me a poem and wanted to read it to me (also not unusual). It was a beautiful poem but at the end, the last line was "Will you marry me" and by the time he had gotten there, he was on one knee and had the ring out. I was SO surprised!! Wonderfully romantic!

JT:  My hubby showed up to the WILDS (where we originally met) a day early and broadcasted over the sound system that he needed to meet his girlfriend in the ball field (where our teams competed over 3 years before). When I heard, I ran down the stairs (I was at the top ) and gave him a big hug. He gave me Gerbera daisies (my favorite flower) and read me a poem he wrote. In the last line he asked me to marry him. He got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. (All the time I thought he was just trying to tell me "I love you" for the 1st time) All in front of about 200 people.

LS: My now-husband and I did not date. We discussed "having a relationship" but knew that, with him moving 500 miles away for school, there was a good chance that one or both of us would find a mate elsewhere. He moved in August, and I flew up to see him in October. When he went/came home for Christmas break, he asked me to go see Christmas lights with him. We arrived downtown to see the city lights only to be disappointed that the lights were turned off. :(  but we walked around downtown and ended up by the fountain, ordinarily beautiful, but it was also turned off. Teeth chattering from the cold, we sat down on a cold bench. He got down on one knee and said very beautiful things to me before asking me to marry him. As we were walking back to the car, he pulled a walkie talkie out of his pocket, "Jeeves, will you pull the car around?" Then one of our friends drove up in a minivan-turned-limo, complete with sparkling apple cider. He drove us to our church; I was confused but played along. Inside there was a card and dozen roses in the foyer. I walked into a sanctuary completely covered in white Christmas lights. There was a table set for two on the stage, and another friend playing soft music on the piano.  "Jeeves" also served as our waitstaff, and my husband's entire family had cooked dinner for us (both his parents are former chefs). We ate, and we danced, and we talked. And to this day, I love my husband for not being afraid to show his creative, romantic side. :)

LJ:  Hubby and I had been dating for about 2 1/2 years. The summer of 2004 he was traveling with the Pioneer teams Crown had started that year so we had been apart for 3 months. The day after he came home we went on a much awaited date to my favorite restaurant. I was actually expecting it the next week so my guard was down. After our lovely dinner we went back to his house and took a nice walk. When we got back there was a dozen roses awaiting me in the back of the car. 11 red and 1 purple which my ring was ties to. He proposed right beside his car which is also the same spot he asked me to start dating. His parents were also videotaping and getting pictures.

KK:  In the past we had gone with some friends on a family vacation to Lake Manistee.(We girls all stayed in one room and the boys stayed in another room.) So Lake Manistee was already a special location for us, and so after we had been dating a few months, My aunt and uncle were in town and they and my parents were going to go to Manistee for a couple days. This was before and during my birthday. They "talked" and Andrew into coming too. When I mentioned at work that I needed to get the time off, my coworker said "Oh, yeah, your dad already called Wayne (my boss) and cleared it with him". I thought that was really weird because my dad had told me to go ask then about getting it off, and I really hadn't wanted to have to ask last minute, so I thought "I wish he just woulda told me he would ask so I didn't have to..." So I called my dad and asked what was up with that. My dad is a horrible liar, and instead of saying something like "I thought I was the one asking for you, sorry for the confusion". He just said he didn't know what she was talking about. So I knew what was going on from that point. We all went up and my parents and I stayed together in one room and Andrew in his own and of course my aunt and uncle had their own room. The next morning was my birthday. I wanted to make things as easy as possible for Andrew at that point so I told him that all I really wanted for my birthday DAY was to spend a little bit of time alone.  We drove and drove and drove until he finally discovered the spot he was looking for (the beach our friends had taken us to before.) And we walked out into the beach and down to where there was a lighthouse. We then sat on the base of the lighthouse and he said all sorts of sweet things (am I the only one who can't remember a word of what he actually said though,,, :)) and he kept getting to a good place to ask and then he'd keep talking. A few times he did that and I was beginning to wonder what was up and finally he brought out the ring! It was a priceless moment just for us. Since then, we have been able to come back to the same spot a couple hours later and have my aunt take pictures of us there. I wish I coulda been legitimately surprised, but in the end it's my story and I love it!

I hope you enjoyed this stories. :-) - rejoicing in the present.

Valentine Idea #7 Hooked on you!

My husband LOVES sour gummy worms so this was right up his alley. I already gave it to him and it was a success. :-)  He shared, too...Double Success!  :-)

What you need:
1. Gummy Worms
2. "Heart Hook" Picture Template
3. Scissors and Stringer

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "heart-hook" template on to a Word document.
2. Add a text box with the words "Hooked on you" or any other little note you want to add. Print.
3. String the paper and gummies and hang from some place visible for him to find.
-Rejoicing in the present

Valentine Idea #6 You're a great catch

This is great for a hubby that likes to fish. You can also use gold fish or, for a larger present, you could give fishing equipment.

What you need...
1. Swedish Fish
2. "Great Catch" Picture Template
3. Rope or Fishing Line
4. Scissors and Glue

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "great catch" template on to a word document.
2. Add a note.
3. Print.
4. Wrap the rope and insert the note.

-rejoicing in the present

Valentine Idea #5 I'm NUTS about you!

My hubby likes to snack on nuts so here is another cute valentine idea I did for him:

What you need...
1. Nuts
2. "Nuts" Picture Template
3. Scissors and Glue

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "nuts" template on to a word document.
2. Add a text box with the words "I'm nuts about you" or "You make me nutty" OR any other little note you want to add.
3. Print and tape to the nuts :-)
4. You can also glue it on scrapbooking paper and leave it as a note.



 

Valentine Idea #4 You make my heart burst!

Here is a super cute valentine for a Starburst fan. You can also make smaller valentines and glue Starbursts to them.

What you need...
1. Starbursts
2. "STAR" Picture Template
3. Scissors and Glue

What you do:
1. Copy and Paste the "star" template on to a word document.
2. Add a text box with the words "You make my heart burst" or any other little note you want to add.
3. Print and tape to the Starbursts :-)

Other one-liners: You are the star of my life. You are the star of my show. You are a star!

- rejoicing it the present

Sacrificial love

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:12-13

Total Sacrifice.  Bryan Chapell tells this story that happened in his hometown: Two brothers were playing on the sandbanks by the river. One ran after another up a large mound of sand. Unfortunately, the mound was not solid, and their weight caused them to sink in quickly. When the boys did not return home for dinner, the family and neighbors organized a search. They found the younger brother unconscious, with his head and shoulders sticking out above the sand. When they cleared the sand to his waist, he awakened. The searchers asked, "Where is your brother?" The child replied, "I’m standing on his shoulders".   With the sacrifice of his own life, the older brother lifted the younger to safety.  The tangible and sacrificial love of the older brother literally served as a foundation for the younger brother’s life. - sacrificial love

WHAT LOVE!  WHAT A SACRIFICE!  

We read "love stories that portray the man saying sweet nothings, buying roses all for the "end result." "If you love me," he says, "you will______" No, my friends, that is LUST, that is giving to get.   John 3:16 show us what sacrificial love is...

Sacrificial Love: HE GAVE!!!! ...we got. He died so we could live!  He didn't expect anything back. He just LOVED. One last story...from OUR COMFORT, OUR HOPE-- COMMUNION MEDITATION

Recently I came across a true story that happened during the Holocaust of the Second World War.

Solomon Rosenberg, his wife and their 2 sons were arrested, together with Rosenburg's mother and father for the crime of being Jews. They were placed in a Nazi concentration camp.

It was a labour camp, and the rules were simple.

"As long as you can do your work, you are permitted to live. When you become too weak to do your work, then you will be exterminated."

Rosenberg watched as his mother and father were marched off to their deaths. He knew that the next would be his youngest son, David - because David had always been a frail child.

Every evening, Rosenberg came back into the barracks after each day of hard labour and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another and thank God for another day of life.

One day Rosenberg came back and didn’t see those familiar faces.

He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner, huddled, weeping and praying. He said, "Josh, tell me it’s not true."

Joshua turned and said, "It is true, Dad. Today David was not strong enough to do his work. So they came for him."

"But where is your mother?" asked Mr. Rosenberg.
"Oh Dad," he said, "When they came for David, he was afraid and he cried. So Mum said, 'There is nothing to be afraid of, David,' and she took his hand and went with him."

That illustrates a mother’s love-- a love so strong that it chooses to give up life so her child can be comforted.  sacrificial love

Now look at your relationships.  Are they sacrificial or lustful?  Why are you friends with _______? Why do you do ______in relationships? "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." He loves sacrificially. Are you? - rejoicing in the present.