Quotable Timeless Tuesdays: FAITH

Posted on March 1, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by George Eastman House via Flickr

Young children are filled with faith.

“When I look at the galaxies on a clear night, when I look at the incredible brilliance of creation, and think that this is what God is like, then instead of feeling intimidated and diminished by it, I am enlarged…I rejoice that I am part of it.” –Madeleine L’Engle

They believe all kinds of outrageous stories…the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny and so on.

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

They trust that their needs will be met by their parents…food, shelter and love.

“The heart that is generous and kind most resembles God.” –Robert Burns

They hold out their small hands for us to guide them along the path we choose for them.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” –Helen Keller

If only we, as adults, could retain that childlike trust and faith.

“Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark.” –Rabindranath Tagore

They say that with faith, all things are possible.

I truly believe that and I know that it is especially important for parents of young children to have faith…as they raise their children in this difficult and often dangerous world.

Faith in themselves.

Faith in their children.

Faith in a Creator, Higher Power, Universal Being…call it what you will…it will give you strength and peace of mind.

“I would rather err on the side of faith than on the side of doubt.” –Robert Schuller

Please stop by tomorrow for WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S BOOKCASE WORDY WEDNESDAY for a review of another picture book every young child should hear from the 100 titles recommended in SHOW ME HOW! This is a book that will help you with the difficult job of parenting…providing you with gentle tips and awesome activities. If you click on the link above, it will bring you to my website where you can purchase a copy for half-price so you can begin reading, crafting and cooking with your preschooler…building self-esteem, developing pre-literacy skills and creating a life-long parent child bond…just 15 minutes a day can shape your child’s future Sale ends on March 9…World Read-Aloud Day. WE ALL NEED A CHEERING COMMITTEE AND PARENTS ARE A CHILD’S MOST IMPORTANT FANS!

Make-A-Meal Mondays: Faith As Small As A Mustard Seed

Posted on February 28, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by limaoscarjuliet via Flickr

One of the greatest things about blogging is the opportunity it provides you with to read the blogs of others.

There are some fantastic writers out there!

Of course, there are only 24 hours in each day, so there is a limit to how many other blogs one can read and still have time to write one’s own. 🙂

I follow several bloggers…and there is one that I read faithfully every day. Today’s post from Elizabeth of Mirth and Motivation is about faith in small things.

I began thinking about that and thought about a loving couple who join together and create life. That new life is definitely a VERY small thing and what a great deal of faith parents have in their unborn child!

The tiny collection of cells that becomes a living, breathing baby and then the tiny baby, helpless and vulnerable, unable to do anything for itself except breathe and cry who becomes a toddler, unsteady on his feet.

The toddler who learns to talk and walk and write his or her name…I know it takes a lot of faith to be a parent…a lot of faith in small things…a lot of faith to see the process of raising a child from infancy to adolescence and beyond.

As parents we need to have faith in ourselves and in our ability to be good parents and also faith in our children and in their potential to grow up to be successful and happy people…as the Bible says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain – MOVE – and it will move from here to there.”

Since this is Make-A-Meal Mondays, I searched through SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING for a recipe that would be appropriate for this post…one that called for mustard in the ingredient list.

CHILD-FRIENDLY FISH CASSEROLE FROM THE SEVEN SEAS

You will need: 10 oz creamy potato leek soup, 1¼ cups milk, 1¼ cups uncooked rice, 1 can tuna drained, 1 box frozen peas, ¼ lb sliced American cheese, ½ tsp mustard, 2 quart casserole dish with cover (or use aluminum foil) and a sauce pan.

1. Mix the soup and milk in the pan and bring to a boil and then remove from heat.

2. Put ½ of the soup mixture into a casserole dish and add the rice, tuna, peas and mustard.

3. Pour in the remaining soup mixture and top with cheese slices.

4. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

5. Serves 4. Add a salad and fresh whole-wheat rolls for a lovely dinner.

Does your preschooler enjoy helping you in the kitchen?

Letting your children help in meal preparation does so much to build their self-esteem. It’s also a great way to encourage fussy eaters to try new things. If you purchase a copy of my new parenting book, now on sale at half-price on my website, you’ll find 100 child-friendly healthful recipes that you and your child can prepare together…most take just 15 minutes to prepare.

Just 15 minutes can build your child’s self-esteem…is there a better way to spend that time?

Please stop by tomorrow for Quotable Timeless Tuesdays for some wonderful quotations about FAITH.

Cinema Sundays: My Picks of Great Flicks: Academy Awards Special Edition

Posted on February 27, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Classic Photo from 1937 Academy Awards at the ...

Image by ExperienceLA via Flickr

Tonight many people will be glued in front of their televisions, watching the Academy Awards presentation.

All across the country (and probably in other parts of the world), there will be Oscar-night parties and other celebrations to honor the winners (and losers…how can they be “losers” if those nominated were among the top 5 of all actors, actresses, movies, etc. for the entire year?).

My husband and I don’t go to the movies very often.

We actually LOVE watching movies, but don’t like the cost and inconvenience of going OUT to the movies.

So we got most of our movies for free from our local library or for $1 from Red box vending machines.:)

This past week, for President’s Day, I’ve written several posts that examine HONESTY, and how it relates to parenting.

So, my movie pick for today is GET LOW with Robert Duvall, Bill Cobbs, Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray. Although not one of the Academy Award nominees in any category, it’s a film well worth your time.

The movie examines the life of a man who has a secret he has kept to himself for many years. He takes up the life of a hermit and finally connects with the world only because he wants to arrange a “funeral party”, inviting EVERYONE and ANYONE who has a story to tell about him…but his real reason is that he knows he is going to die soon and wants to reveal the truth…so that he can rest easy.

Look at the word DISEASE…it’s made up of two parts: DIS (meaning not) and EASE (meaning at rest or at peace or functioning smoothly).

When we are not at peace, we are much more prone to getting sick.

Children start out in life being innocent and honest and forthright. Some begin to practice deception and dishonesty because they learn that when you tell the truth, if the truth is something unpleasant, you will likely get into trouble.

One of the cornerstones of Positive Parental Participation is listening to our children without judgment. Please don’t think this means that children don’t have to be responsible for their actions. A second cornerstone of this parenting approach is to consistently expect children to accept the consequences for what they do.

The gentle parenting tips included on every other page of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING are one of the coolest parts of the book. Do you worry that your children will not grow up the way you want them to? Are you concerned that peer pressure may influence your children to misbehave or stray off the path you would have them follow?

Use the book with your child for just 15 minutes a day and you will be amazed at the positive results! Head over to my website and grab a copy for half-price…only $22.50!

What will you get for $22.50?

100 story summaries of picture books your child needs to hear.
100 simple eco-friendly craft projects you and your child will enjoy doing.
100 child-friendly healthful recipes you and your child will have fun preparing together.
100 gentle parenting tips that will inspire you and give you confidence in your own parenting abilities.
365-day money-back guarantee.

Children grown and don’t need a copy for yourself? Pick one up as a super Mother’s Day gift for a new mom, working mom of preschoolers, homeschooling mom or dad or as a great gift for someone you know who is a preschool teacher, daycare provider, babysitter or nanny. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to spend this special time with your young children…even if it is just 15 minutes a day.

Please stop by tomorrow for Make-A-Meal Mondays!