Lead by Example...

"You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."-- 1 Corinthians 6:20

Did you know that one third of all children ages 2-19 are overweight or obese? Most of these children will become diabetic. (ABC News) This means our children can expect a shorter life span than that of their parents. It's time we reverse these statistics! It starts with us as parents. Educate your children; create healthy eating habits from the start; lead by example!

Here are some tips for creating a healthy eating environment for children from Dr. Mercola:

"Ultimately, teaching your child the importance of healthy foods and exercise is the key to maintaining health. With that in mind, here are some tips to foster a healthy view of food and self-esteem in your child.

• Lead by example and seek to maintain optimal body weight for yourself and your spouse
• Refrain from making jokes about your child’s weight, even if no harm is intended
• Explain the health risks of being overweight to your child, but avoid comparing your overweight child to other children, including thinner siblings
• Cook healthy meals for your family, and let your child be involved in making dinner, but avoid making your child eat different food than the rest of the family
• Encourage your child to make healthy food choices and praise them when they do instead of putting your child down about weight or eating habits
• Instead of using food as a reward or punishment, have healthy snacks available at all times, and explain to your child the benefits they’ll get from eating these fresh, whole foods

Creating health is actually quite simple when you get right down to it. It’s a matter of returning to the basics of whole, fresh, organically-grown foods packed with all the nutrients your body needs. Team that with exercise and proper sleep, and you have the recipe for growing an optimally healthy child."

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Dr. Mercola has made significant milestones in his mission to bring people practical solutions to their health problems. A New York Times Best Selling Author, Dr. Mercola was also voted the 2009 Ultimate Wellness Game Changer by the Huffington Post, and has been featured in TIME magazine, LATimes, CNN,Fox News, ABC News with Peter Jennings, Today Show, CBS’s Washington Unplugged with Sharyl Attkisson, and other major media resources. Mercola.com

Sugar-Free Kids...

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." - Psalm 127:3

As parents, I think we all agree that we are responsible for the well-being of our children. Why is it that so often we neglect their nutritional needs? We are constantly giving them sugary drinks, candy, cookies and more and most of us probably don't think twice about it.

Several studies have found that milk (lactose is a sugar) and other beverages are the two main sources of sugar in children, while candy was the third highest contributor. Another study also showed significant, positive behavioral changes in children who had been diagnosed at ADHD when sugar was removed from their diets.

Did you know...

• Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
• Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
• Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

Here is a great article I found that addresses how we can cut back on sugar in our childrens' diets:
nutrition

Would You Like Sugar With That?

by Aurea Thompson, MSH, RD, CSP, LD/N Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition Wolfson Children’s Hospital

Although artificial sweeteners are declared safe for consumption, many people choose not to use them for themselves or their kids because of taste or other personal reasons. Here are some tips on how to reduce sugar intake without using artificial sweeteners.

Rule #1: Learn to like foods that are less sweet.

Replace one-fourth to one-third of the sugar called for in recipes with non-fat dry milk. Here’s how:

Cakes: For each cup of flour, use no more than ½ cup of sugar in cakes.

Cookies: Alter cake-like cookies the same way as above. Altering other noncakelike cookie recipes may result in an unacceptable baked product.

Muffins and quick breads: For each cup of flour, use no more than one tablespoon of sugar.

Yeast breads: For each cup of flour, use no more than one teaspoon of sugar.

Rule #2: Use spices and herbs.

Try using cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg to enrich the flavor of foods in place of, or with a reduced amount of sugar.

Rule #3: Add fresh fruit.

Mix fresh fruit into unflavored oatmeal in place of brown sugar, or mix fruit into plain yogurt instead of buying the yogurt with all the cookie and candy toppings. In place of maple syrup, make your own toppings for pancakes and waffles by puréeing fresh fruit and adding a bit of water and vanilla extract.

Rule #4: Sweeten foods with juice.

Use fruit juice or frozen juice concentrate to sweeten foods.

Rule #5: Consider using honey or molasses.

Honey and molasses taste sweeter than table sugar. Using them instead of sugar may help you reduce the total sugar content of a recipe, but by weight, they contain as much sugar (carbohydrate) as table sugar.

Rule #6: Serve cooked fruits and vegetables.

Cooking fruits and vegetables can make them taste sweeter than eating them raw.

Rule #7: Make your own beverages.

Make your own reduced-sugar beverages by mixing together carbonated water and fresh fruit juice.

Rule #8: Make sure your kids get plenty of rest.

Chronic lack of sleep can cause people to crave more sugary foods. Make sure to get plenty of rest whenever you are trying to reduce the amount of sugary foods in your diet.

Rule #9: Make sure your kids don’t go four hours or more in between meals/snacks.

Younger children and toddlers should have regular snack times throughout the day, and older children should be allowed to have sensible snacks in between meals. Keeping your kids on a schedule helps prevent hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, from occurring. Toddlers and preschoolers may need to have something to eat every two hours to prevent the “hungry tantrums.” By providing a healthy snack schedule, you can help prevent your child from craving sugary foods.

Rule #10: Use fruit for dessert.

Try using the best fruits of the season as an after-dinner dessert! Cut up fresh strawberries, bananas, or melon for toppings on frozen yogurt or applesauce. Or mix blueberries, raspberries and strawberries together with a little “light” whipped cream for dessert. If fresh fruit is not available, try frozen fruit as a topping over fat-free vanilla yogurt, Greek-style yogurt, or yogurt of your choice. Mix frozen fruit with soy milk in the blender for a homemade smoothie...great for an after dinner treat in the summer!

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God gifted us with our children, let's take the best care of them we can!

The Face of Love...

...let us be your face

From Overwhelming Despair to Overwhelming Victory...

...this is my prayer.

My heart has been very heavy the last two weeks. It started when I recognized the pain of the average American teenager. I work with youth on a regular basis in my church and I see many who struggle with things much like I struggled with as a teenager. The things you don't always recognize is that even the "kid who has it all" struggles on a daily basis. They struggle to fit in with their peers, they struggle to maintain what they know is right and wrong, they struggle to meet their parents' expectations, and they struggle to do good in a world that just isn't. They want to do good, they want to excel, they want to give to others, and they want to be loved.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." - John 14:16-17

Then there is Haiti. 1.5 million homeless, 70,000 dead in a country with 380,000 orphans. It's just so hard to comprehend. Tears fill my eyes with every news story, with every image. Daily I find myself calling out to God and asking "why?"!

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." - James 1:27

Early Sunday morning, I witnessed the death of a great man, Ralph Morrison Smith, Jason's uncle. I didn't know him that well, but in his death, I found myself wishing I had taken the time to know him better. He was a good man, full of love, the overflowing kind. He lived a self-less life and was always willing to lend a helping hand or just a kind word. I honestly never heard him complain or say a cross word to or about anyone. His son said it best at the memorial yesterday when he said, he truly reflects Christ. I pray that someday someone will be able to say the same about me.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. - John 11:25-26

Following the services yesterday, a tornado ripped through Bradford County. 25 homes were destroyed. Driving through the area this morning, I was devastated to witness what looked like a war zone. Tears filled my eyes and I cried out, "God help them." Again, it's just so hard to comprehend.

I don't know "why", but I do know that God can "help them". Psalm 34:18 says, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Please join me in prayer for all who are struggling in this world today, that they will come to know the comfort of the Holy Spirit and they will have overwhelming victory in Him!