Mick's Emotions

It's been a while, since I've written about mindset.  The following topic has been a concern of mine for quite some time... since the start of this blog, in fact.  Something on the radio this week reignited the spark for it, and in light of recent events, it's fitting.

We all know our kidderz watch us closely.  It doesn't matter what we say, as much as much as what we do.  Sometimes we don't see how much those wee ones copy us.  It might take a comment from an unrelated observer, before we step back and observe that tyke ourselves.  Then we truly discover the consequences of our behaviors, as we watch our little shadow play out movements, speak words, and even react exactly as we know we would... if we can admit it.

Unfortunately, I'm not perfect... and I'm seeing it mirrored in my kidderz.  Ugh.

We have the ability to form in our children what reactions they have in stressful - even terrifying - situations: For instance, terrorist acts.

What I heard on the radio this week was a quote from a doctor, in regard to how best to talk to our children about this type of event:  Teach them that they should be vigilant and alert, but not timid.

That is a great way to put it.

The initial event that got this topic going a couple of years ago was Hurricane Irene.

All around us, people were hyped up.  The media got everyone going.

I'm not saying we should not prepare.  Definitely, we need to be informed and have a plan of action.  However, I could see it getting so bad that children were terrified.

I love the line from A Bug's Life, when Mr. Soil says: "Do not panic, do not panic!  We are trained professionals. Now, stay calm."  

That is kind of the gist of the message from the doctor on the radio.  No, we parents are not trained professionals (though we wish we were trained as professional parents sometimes), but we are in charge of our family's well-being, and we are our children's teachers.


Moments like these are great learning opportunities.

During the hurricane:

Were hubby and I uncertain of the right decision of whether to stay or evacuate?  Yes.

Was I a bit scared?  Yes.

Did we take precautions?  Most definitely.

Was a backup plan in place?  Uh-huh!!!  You'd better believe it!

However, instead of falling into the defeatist attitude of "we're doomed," and running around in a panic, not thinking clearly, we chose to follow through with my birthday wish for that week:  Have some family photo booth fun!

We had to change it up a bit, since it wasn't a good idea to be outside in the crazy weather, which meant going to the mall's photo booth wouldn't be an option.  So, we gathered all our hurricane emergency supplies, huddled together in our tiny downstairs bathroom, as our "fallout shelter," and enjoyed a photo booth experience.

Yes, the picture you see here is the actual result of our silliness.  The kids loved it... and so did the parents.  We did not forget what was happening all around us, and we did keep up-to-date on the storm, etc., but we also passed the time much more pleasantly than we could have.

Granted, there were some very serious conditions, in which people were terribly affected.  Those are times of crisis, when plan becomes action.  Wisdom is necessary.

Until it gets to that point, though, we can remain lighthearted.

In whatever situation, we can have hope and joy.

Can we teach that to our kidderz?  Yes, we can!

Do you choose to go into panic mode, get your kidderz all riled up, and teach them that the way to handle a crisis is through confusion, chaos, and drama?

OR...

Do you choose to remain calm, formulate a plan, and teach your kidderz to be vigilant and alert, rather than timid?

"Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold."

2 Corinthians 3:12 (NIV)

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Mick’s up with the Pledges

My daughter surprised us last night.  We were talking about the fact that we do not use vulgar words, and were reminding the kidderz why.  (No, we did not have any  scene with bad language.  Whew!  Thankfully, that’s something we’ve never had to be concerned with in our household: kidderz shocking us by blurting out swear words.)  The discussion was simply based on using our words to lift others up, even when bad words are all around us.

In the middle of the discussion, Lakelyn started rattling off something we had not heard before.  We asked her where she learned it.  It turns out, her school has a Pledge of Learning they recite after the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag.  I hope it serves as a constant reminder to all kidderz there, and maybe even beyond. 

It goes something like this:

I shall use my hands for peace, not pain.
I shall use my heart for love, not hate.
I shall use my voice for song, not slur.
I shall strive each day to grow and learn.

Wow.  Maybe we should all recite that pledge every day, like the kidderz at the school do.  Thank you, Sweetie, for teaching your mom and dad something so important!

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,

and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 17:27

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A Mick’s up with Aha!

Have you ever read something that you have come away from saying, “Aha!  So THAT’s why!”?  That just happened to me today.  I’m so glad a friend shared on his Facebook a link to the article How to Starve Cancer Out of Your Body - Avoid These Top 4 Cancer-Feeding Foods.

As I read through the article, I had several “Aha!” moments.  Now I can better explain why we do what we do to be a healthier family, as well as why I believe what I believe about doing or not doing certain things for the sake of avoiding cancer and other serious diseases.

As I mentioned in It's a Mick's up With Cancer Information, I don’t like the idea of women getting mammograms.  Focusing on breast cancer, the article I read today gives some good reasoning behind that, as well as some alternatives.  Dr. Horner states, “Everything has its pros and cons… [M]ammography produces radiation, which has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.  It's like, ‘Why are you doing the test to look at a disease when it's actually causing the disease, too?’”

When I read, “Vitamin D cuts your (cancer) risks in half.  Turmeric and anti-inflammatories cut your risk in half,” I thought to myself, “Aha!  I’m so glad my family and I are keeping up with taking our Vitamin D3 and our EFA (Omega)!  I can hope that this means our kidderz won’t have to watch us suffer from cancer, nor experience suffering themselves,” especially when reading, “Healthy fats of particular importance for cancer prevention are omega-3 and omega-9.  According to Dr. Horner, omega-3 in particular serve to effectively slow down tumor growth in estrogen-sensitive cancers such as breast-, prostate- and colon cancers.”  Aha!  Yes, again, aha!  Our major avoidance of bad fats is rationalized!  Woohoo!  We really ARE reading these labels for a good reason.

The next “aha!” was regarding grass-fed meat.  Why am I so picky about my family eating the right kind of meats?  Some days I get doubting this myself, and I start asking that question.  Articles, such as this, put it in perspective again.  We get inflammation issues and cancer risks with the wrong meat.  Meats from confined animal feeding operations (CAFO's) “are given antibiotics, growth hormones and other veterinary drugs that get stored in their tissues.  Additionally, cooking the meat over high heat creates heterocyclic amines, which further add to its carcinogenic effect.” 

Then, if I get thinking about what hormones in foods are doing to children in regard to way-too-early development, I wonder, “So, what is the bad result of this, other than being abnormal and frustrating?”  Articles like this help to answer this and other questions:  Bodies end up getting more “estradiol, which is the strongest, most abundant form of estrogen, and the one that's most associated with breast cancer.”  Plus: “cells become really sensitive to environmental toxins, radiation, and so forth.  They're considered immature.  They haven't differentiated– as a more scientific term for it– so there's a longer period of time that they're exposed to these toxins where they have a greater sensitivity.”  Whether or not it makes sense or can be easily understood, all I know for sure is that I want to give my kidderz the best chance of living with healthy cells and bodies to fight off any risk of cancer.  It’s not fair to do otherwise. Is it? If you have the knowledge, but choose to ignore it and continue to put your loved ones in danger, is that really love?

With that in mind, let’s talk sugar.  Since the start of our “no sugar” kick, I get extremely excited to see or hear someone else with the same opinion about sugar and other inflammatories.  Dr. Horner refers to them as “cancer-promoters” and explains that this includes ALL forms of sugar, including fructose and grains.  “To me, sugar has no redeeming value at all, because they found that the more we consume it, the more we're fuelling every single chronic disease,” Dr. Horner says. 

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?  Cut out the sugars!!

Dr. Horner continues, “In fact, there was a study done about a year ago… and the conclusion was that sugar is a universal mechanism for chronic disease.  It kicks up inflammation.  It kicks up oxygen free radicals.  Those are the two main processes we see that underlie any single chronic disorder, including cancers.  It fuels the growth of breast cancers, because glucose is cancer's favorite food.  The more you consume, the faster it grows.” Enough said?!

So, what is good to eat? 

Do you have a sister, dad, husband, kidderz (or even yourself) who do not like to eat “rabbit food?”  Are you needing some “ammo” to convince them of the importance of eating greens?  Well, here’s an “aha!” for you.  Dr. Horner describes plants by saying, “some of them behave exactly like chemotherapy.  Every plant has some anti-cancer properties to them. There are some that are standouts.  Cruciferous vegetables are something that I really recommend.  They're a family of vegetables that include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, and Brussels sprouts… All of them have several different chemicals in common.  They've got indole-3-carbinol, Calcium D-glucarate, and sulforaphane.  They have big anti-cancer properties to them, and they inhibit the growth of breast, prostate, colon cancer and a variety of other ones.  Of all the families of vegetables to consume, [cruciferous vegetables] are the ones to be aware of, so you can make sure you're including that in your diet frequently.”

I use flax seed at times, but never seem to remember why.  Dr. Horner helps by saying, “The lignans in flax seed inhibit the growth of cancer in about a dozen different ways, including the exact same mechanism as the anti-cancer drug Tamoxifen and Arimidex, which shut down an enzyme in fat cells called aromatase that converts androgens into estrogens.” Aha!  We’ll be adding more flax seed to our recipes, for sure!

My husband tries to get proper sleep, but when he slips up, I try to explain to him how important it is.  Dr. Horner does a much better job at it:  “If we, for instance, go to bed by 10, we have higher levels of our sleep hormone melatonin; there's a spike that occurs between midnight and 1am, which you don't want to miss because the consequences are absolutely spectacular.  Melatonin is not only our sleep hormone, but it also is a very powerful antioxidant.  It decreases the amount of estrogen our body produces.  It also boosts your immune system… And it interacts with the other hormones.  So, if you go to bed after 10… it significantly increases your risk of breast cancer.”  Aha!  (Well, I like to think it doesn’t stop at breast cancer.)  Any cancer in general is a good enough reason, not to mention all the other benefits… but definitely assisting the immune system is something we all need.

Moving on to things other than food, we’ll look at stress.  We cannot stop traumatic events from happening in life, but it is interesting and insightful to read that when you experience stress like that, “your risk of breast cancer is 12 times higher in the ensuing five years.”  That’s more like an “ugh!” than an “aha!”

The final “aha!” is exercise.  It has some good defense, too! “One of the primary ways exercise lowers your risk for cancer is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells.  Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood.  Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold right up to devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer.”

So, just like it’s nice to know why you’re right in telling your kidderz to wear a helmet when they ride their bikes, it’s nice to know why you’re right in creating healthier habits.  Go with your gut!  You know healthier is better. 

I’ll leave you with an even better “aha!” than all the above “ahas!” combined:

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you.

Jeremiah 32:17

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Mick’s up in a Mutiny

Mick’s up Life’s twitter profile states, “Living life as a healthy family can sometimes seem mixed up.”  I say that out of experience.  For example, this week seems a little mixed up.  I think the kidderz are on the verge of declaring mutiny.  It’s a conspiracy!  Help!!!

Arrrgh, Matey!
We've had all we can take of them there vittles!

OK.  OK.  It’s not that bad.  It’s just that I am a person who likes routine and patterns.  (A college roommate even told me I’m predictable.  At the time, I found it offensive.  Now, I just accept it, even if it is a quirk.)

My advice, when changing to a healthier lifestyle, is to keep it simple.  That was some of the best advice I received at the beginning.  The problem with it is that the source of the advice doesn’t have children, and is comfortable with monotony, like me.

The kidderz are showing me the need for more than routine.

Simple is good, but remember to mix it up!

I’m telling myself this, too.  My kidderz are at the point where they need a little more variety.  So, this week I’ve had fun revisiting some yummy recipes I almost forgot about.

What are those yummy recipes?

Well, so far this week, we had Gluten-free Fluffy pancakes and Apple-Berry Crisp with Cinnamon-Raisin Ezekiel Toast & Cream Cheese & Cinnamon for breakfast two different days, Gooey Brownies for snack in the afternoon, and our own Banana Cream Pie recipe for an after-church dessert tonight.  (See below for the recipe, which still needs improvement.  Feel free to mix it up however you like.)

I love using amazing resources, like Healing Cuisine by Elise and GOOD FOOD.  I know there are others out there, so please feel free to share them with me!  If you’re looking to reward your new lifestyle with a new cookbook, check out Elise’s Season's Eatings, Lin’s GOOD FOOD cookbook, or a new one I just learned about:  Dr. Axe’s The Real Food Diet Cookbook.

Happy hunting!

Now, for me, it’s time to be off to wash all those dishes I’ve been dirtying!!

Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

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Banana Cream Pie Filling

3 bananas

Stevia to taste

1 tsp vanilla (no sugar, no alcohol)

1/2 can coconut milk

Mash bananas by hand, or blend in a food processor or blender.  Mix in remaining ingredients.

(We're considering adding something to slow the browning of the bananas, as well as vanilla protein powder for more flavoring and thickening.  We still have plenty more playing to do with this recipe to spice it up!)

We use the Maximized Living Almond Pie Crust recipe for a shell to place the pie filling in.  Then we top it all off with our homemade whipped topping, made in a cream whipper (iSi Gourmet Whip) with the ingredients: organic heavy whipping cream, xylitol, and vanilla.

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Mick’s in Safety with Christmas

Christmas is a time of joy.  We don’t want to think of the bad things that can happen.  However, we do want to take precautions, so that we keep our families safe.

Some things to watch out for are for the safety of our pets and kids.

Christmas decorations are awesome, however, some plants are toxic. 

Take some excellent advice from a pediatrician.  Dr. Brian Gannon lists out several dangers, for parents to be aware during the holidays.

That’s not all.  It’s easy to find safety tips online.  Some examples of other links available for extra research are:  Tips for Parents: Christmas Safety and The Top Five Christmas Dangers For Children and Pets.

Don’t forget.  Toxins are not only physical and chemical.  They can also be emotional.  Beware of the “green-eyed monster!”

Let this be a time of celebration, but keep safe and focused on the true meaning of the holiday.

Merry Christmas!!

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Luke 2:11 (NIV)

 

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Mick's up Ideas for Christmas

Are you last-minute shopping?  If so, you're not the only one. 

If you're looking for something extra special, you can make this a most memorable Christmas for someone in need.

Looking back on this year, there are some families that need our help. 

For example, Mick's up on Relief Efforts tells about flooding that hit New York State, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas.  There are still families without proper heat, finished walls, or even housing.  Let's not forget about them this Christmas.  Read some more at Spreading holiday cheer in Owego.

As we fill our house with more toys and "stuff," we will try to give away things we no longer use, so kidderz who lost toys and other belongings can have some "new" ones.

For more information on how to give, look up Rebuild Owego, read some of the recent posts in Neighbor Helping Neighbors - Greene County, learn from an article such as After the Flood: Prattsville, or contact OwegoAskForHelp@gmail.com

Enjoy this week leading up to Christmas, and think outside the box for a mix of ideas.

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

   “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

   “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Matthew 25:44-46 (NIV)

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Mick’s up Winter

What do you do for exercise in the winter?  If you live in a warm climate, you might find it easier to be active outdoors than those who live in the tundra.  Then again, those in the freezing cold are most likely there because they like it, and they find activities that allow them to enjoy their environment.


If you have kidderz or grandkidderz, you can go outside and have fun digging snow caves and tunnels or building snow forts, and have a snowball fight… or how about some sledding!  That climb back up to the top is exercise for sure!  Oh… cross-country skiing… is one of my favorites.

How about a wog around the neighborhood?  Yes, I said, “wog.”  That is what my husband called my walk/jog exercise regimen that got me from a walk to a run.  It’s really fun!  I found a coaching schedule at Nike Running.  All you do is walk for a bit, then jog for a bit, and repeat it several times.  You could even do it in an interval training style.  Start out at a walk, then burst into a run for 20 seconds, and go back to a walk.  Repeat it as necessary.  That is so much fun, I want to go do it now!

Whatever you choose, remember this season’s To Do List, and exercise a day or two more each week of this Christmastide.  You want to stay healthy, right?

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

Job 37:5-6 (NIV)

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Mick’s up Merry

Get the most out of your holiday.  Have fun, but also take care of yourself.  That way, you don’t have to take a vacation to recover from your vacation!

 
I read some great advice in an article, “The Holidays: The Most Important Time to Keep Yourself Well.”  Even though I’m all about avoiding sugar and other inflammatories as much as possible, I also say we need to plan for splurges.  The article puts it well:  “Have a blast and eat like it's your last meal for 3-4 meals (not days) over the Holidays (starting with the Christmas parties, right up until New Years).  Yet, remember it’s about God and others – both of whom want you to live a long and joyous life.  Continue to exercise, manage your peace, and make the other meals nutritious.”
 
So, with that said, let’s move on to the Central Nervous System and how you will take care of that during the holidays.  The Central Nervous System controls all function and healing in the body, which includes the immune system.  One great way to keep healthy this holiday season is by boosting your immune system.  If you have not been seeing a chiropractor, now would be a great time to start.  This one change in your lifestyle will be a wonderful boost to your immune system.

Here’s a great to-do list from the above-mentioned Holiday article:
- If you typically exercise four days per week, exercise five days per week! 
- If you get adjusted twice per month, visit your chiropractor three or four times during the month of December!
- If you typically “pig out” once a week, hold off and do it every two! -If you usually function on 6-8 hours of nightly sleep, give yourself 8-10 hours instead.

 

 

“ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:14 (NKJV)

 

 

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Mick’s up with Peanuts



It's a Wonderful Movie - Blog

“The more we count the blessings we have, the less we crave the luxuries we haven’t.” - William Arthur Ward

Yes, how true.  If we will just stop and be grateful for the things we’ve been blessed with, we might actually stop being so greedy.

Can you tell I am a bit frustrated with a conversation that happened in our house today?  Just when you think you’re raising your kidderz right, something like this hits you.  I can see we have a few more lessons to learn.

Why is it we allow ourselves to get so caught up in receiving gifts at Christmas time, that we push the purest and most valuable gift aside.  Does it get old after a while? I don’t think the true Christmas story can ever get old.  It’s been more than 2000 years, and like the bumper sticker I saw today says, Jesus is “still saving lives!”

Jesus Christ is the real reason we celebrate this beautiful holiday.  Sure, the gift-giving (and getting) is great… but what we are celebrating is even greater!

We all know what really happened that day long ago.  A wee little baby came into this world for you!  He’s your very own Savior!  No matter what you did over these years of your life, He loves you dearly.

I have an old tract from American Tract Society called “What Christmas Is All About.”  Highlighting Linus and his speech that answers that question of Charlie Brown’s, the tract states, “The Bible says that without Jesus, we are separated from God forever.  We can never be as perfect as He is.  Our sins, those bad things we do and say and think, go against what God wants for us… and like all bad things, our sins need to be punished.  So God sent Jesus to save us from that punishment.”

If you have never thanked God for that baby Jesus, who grew up to be your Knight in Shining Armor to rescue you from eternal torture, and if you have never allowed Jesus to be that Knight in Shining Armor for you, then what better way to celebrate this Christmas than to talk to Him right now.  Admit to God that you need to be rescued.  Believe that Jesus is that rescuer.  Claim the gift He has offered to you.

Yay!  Wooohooooo!  We’re celebrating with you! 

Forget about the list for Santa or wishlistr.   The freedom you’ll feel now is better than any gift anyone can give you for Christmas. 

“Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,

no one who does what is right and never sins.”

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NIV)

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”

1 Timothy 1:15 (NIV)

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Mick’s up with Emotional Toxins

We have learned that stress can come from all different areas, and it can affect our health.

We kind of touched on this with Mick’s up with Accountability, but let’s take a look at how the people we hang out with can be toxic.  Not only can they influence us in our eating patterns and our fitness, but they can also influence our attitude.

I’m sure you’ve heard about it.  A very popular topic that has been around is Toxic Friendships.

Like I’ve said before, I do believe that God wants us to be a blessing to everyone we encounter.  So, I’m not saying you should be selfish and think only of yourself and your own well-being.  However, it is important for you to stay as healthy as you can, so you can keep on efficiently doing work for God as long as possible.  You do not want to have to take time away from what God wants you to do, all because you didn’t take care of yourself to begin with, and then you have to concentrate on yourself more, so you can heal from being sick.

---

“Those who fail to take the time to be healthy

will ultimately have to take the time to be sick.”

(Dr. James Chappell)

---

You know all the warnings we give our kidderz about being careful in choosing the types of people they hang around.  Why should it be different for us?  We can be bombarded by emotional toxins (negativity, discouragement, pessimism, worry, fear, put-downs and verbal abuse, etc.), just as easily as chemical toxins. 


At the same time, true friendship can be a great antidote to what ails us.  What a blessing!

Be a friend to those who need a friend, but make sure your relationships remain healthy, so that you can remain healthy.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

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Mick's up Buddies

Do you have an exercise buddy?  When I coached at our local Curves®, a lot of the members enjoyed working out with a buddy.  It really helped them to keep up their visits at the gym... so much so, that if their workout buddy didn't make it to the gym, neither did they.  Even worse, if one buddy quit, both quit.  So, except for these last statements... the ones about not working out and quitting..., having a workout buddy really is a great thing.

We covered the importance of accountability earlier this week, so why not relate it to exercise?

"The average female will shed more than 10 pounds when she has girlfriends who are willing to eat healthily and train with her.  But a fifth of those who choose to go it alone don't drop a single pound." (Daily Mail Reporter)

That's enough of a reason!  Isn't it?

I must admit.  I do exercise on my own, more than with a buddy.  However, when dealing with factors like injuries or yucky weather, it's easier to talk myself out of my workout than if I have someone relying on me to back them up.

It's been a fun year, watching my family blossom into mini-athletes.  It really helps that my husband has more energy from our lifestyle change, and now initiates outside play with the kidderz, as well as MaxT3 workouts with me.  What a surprise to have a new workout buddy in my own house!

Even though it is more fun with a buddy, I did witness, as a coach, more talking than exertion at the gym.  (That doesn't happen at our house.  I don't allow any slacking.  Just ask my hubby.)  So, beware.  Make sure you are truly keeping each other accountable, if you're serious about making it worth your while and reaching your weight loss and fitness goals.

Do you need that extra boost from a buddy?  There are tips on seeking out the right person.

I don't know about you, but I certainly get more competitive when I'm working out with someone else.  That makes me work harder, which of course makes it a much better workout.

So, get a great workout, bring someone along, and have fun!

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

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Mick’s up for the Weekend

Weekends are a great time to combine family time with exercise.

A walk in the park or a bike ride -- how can you combine family time with exercise this weekend? – Curves

With the holidays coming up, you might be blessed with some extra free time.  If so, why not get a boost of endorphins to improve your mood during your time off?  If your family has some time to spend with you, then why not take the advice above and combine family time with exercise.


Just like the below video advertisement says, “Maybe strong is just what you have left, when you've used up all your weak.” (saucony)  I like to think of it another way, too:  Maybe your strong (motivation to exercise) is just what you have left when you've used up all your week (and it’s the weekend… or vacation!).

I have a challenge for you.  Instead of looking at vacation as a time to crash and be lazy and do nothing, or just stay inside and catch up on things you don’t have time to do during regular work weeks, how about you plan a few minutes each day, whether it’s morning, mid-day, or evening, and move a little more and a little differently than usual.  Get some exercise.  You'll find yourself laughing with your kidderz and hubby/wife, while you're being silly with your exercises or hiking or biking o whatever activity you choose.  Remember, it only takes a few minutes!

Have a great strong… oh…. ummmm… I mean weekend!

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:11 (NIV)

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Mick’s up on Personalities

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation,

because your character is what you really are,

while your reputation is merely what others think you are. - Penelope's Pen

You’ve probably heard of, and maybe even have taken, some different types of personality tests.  Isn’t it fun?  We had fun discovering each other’s personality strengths at work today, and like our boss says, it’s great to learn other people’s personality traits, in order to better understand and relate… and in business, it creates better customer service.

We touched on Peter Urs Bender's Guide to Strengths and Weaknesses of Personality Types.  Here, you can decide if you’re a Driver, Expressor, Analytical, Amiable, or a combination… and if you are Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic.

Check out Dave Ramsey’s spotlight of the DISC Profile for understanding your team at work or at home.  Are you Dominant, Influencing, Stable, Compliant, or a little of a couple of them?

Great for businesses to find the strengths of their teams is a consultation by Al Gonzalez of Give Leadership.  You either strengthen your team as a Warrior, Visionary, Critical Thinker, Nurturer, or a bit of one and more of another.

If you’re looking for a new job, a Career Assessment Test might be helpful in understanding what you are indeed looking for as a good fit.  You could be Investigative/Thinker, Conventional/Organizer, Enterprising/Persuader, Realistic/Doer, Attentive/Server, Artistic/Creator, Social/Helper, and the list goes on.  Is your work style Assertive, Persuasive, or Systematic?  Would you do your best work in Administration, Art, Clerical, Food Service, Health Service, Industrial Art, Outdoors, Personal Service, Sales, Science, Teaching and Social Service, or Writing?


My favorite, though, is StrengthsFinder, where you can determine if your strengths lie in areas such as Consistency, Responsibility, Belief, Deliverative, Relator, among many others… and then what to do with those strengths.  There is also a version for kids. 

If you are looking to develop leaders from the kids of today, look into KidLead, either for your children or to volunteer, or maybe both.

Understanding your kids, your spouse, and your coworkers can help you excel in life… not to mention everyone around you will be feeling loved and special, because you are treating them like the precious and unique individuals God created them to be.  In return, they will be loving and appreciating you for who you are.

Study up… and go get ‘em!  Happy Exploring!

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

~

Mick’s up with the Time Change

OK.  I have to say it.  I am jealous of those people who do not have to deal with the time change.  I need consistency.  It’s my personality trait.  My body likes routine.


The good side of this season’s time change is that we “fall back,” meaning I can get back into the habit of early-to-rise.

Even though we parents have pity parties, because kidderz wake up earlier in the morning, I feel even more badly for kidderz, because they are getting really tired by bedtime, since it is actually past bedtime. 

I’m an advocate for the importance of children getting the correct amount of sleep each night, for their physical and mental health and development.  What do the experts say about children's sleep needs?

The National Sleep Foundation provides the following recommendations on children's sleep:
•Toddlers (1-3 years): 12-14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period (including naps)
•Preschoolers (3-5 years): 11-13 hours per night
•School-age (5-12 years): 10-11 hours of sleep per night

The Central Nervous System, which controls every function in the body, is the only system that does not slow down during sleep.  This means it can use this time to heal.  Proper sleep position is imperative.  Consult your chiropractor for more information.

Other interesting science behind sleep can be found in the article Healing Sleep:
“The science of sleep is still uncovering the mysteries of what ideally occupies one third of our lives. Sleep research has mapped out the phases of sleep, from the light, dreaming phase (rapid eye movement, or REM) to the deeper phases in which critical replenishing takes place. We are beginning to understand some of those processes and speculating on others:

• REM sleep may be tied to healing brain functions like memory and mental acuity, and may help in the formation of new nerve cells in the brain.
  
• The body produces human growth hormone during the deepest sleep phase. HGH is responsible for helping us absorb nutrients and amino acids, healing tissues and stimulating bone marrow to produce immune system cells.  (Also, as mentioned in Mick's in the Age Factor , HGH works as an anti-aging hormone.)
  
• During sleep, we produce melatonin, which helps us sleep better, inhibits the growth of tumors, stimulates the immune system and guards against viral infections, increases the antibodies in saliva and confers antioxidant benefits (which reduces the effects of oxidative stress throughout the body).”

With that said, I am on my way to a great night’s sleep.  Night-night.  Sleep tight.  Don’t let the bed bugs bite!

“Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat —  for he grants sleep to those he loves.  Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”

Psalm 127 (NIV)

~

Mick’s up Kids and Birthdays

Yay!  Celebrating kidderz is fun! 

We have had fun, wishing my son a happy birthday.

What’s the best birthday present we can give our kidderz?  I think the gift of healthy living is a wonderful thing:  teaching them what to avoid and what to include, in order to see many more healthy birthdays to come.

Are we perfect?  No.  Do we splurge with food once in a while?  Of course.

As my husband and I felt the regret this morning from eating sugar and breads last night, he made a great statement (and I told him I have to share it):  “Ice cream cake will kill ya!”

I’m heading to sleep right now, to recover from the effects of our splurges (messed up sinuses, fatigue, low back pain, etc… all because we enjoyed a few helpings of toxins, like carbs/sugars, which cause inflammation).  Was it worth it?  In all honesty… I think so… shhhhh… don’t tell anyone!

“But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours…”

Luke 15:32 (NIV)

Remember:  You are loved.  You are special to God, your Creator.

Imagine:  All heaven celebrates, when you choose to be reborn!

Don’t miss out on a glorious eternity!

~

Mick's Sprints and Jumping Jacks

Being that I like early mornings, it’s great to find scientific reasoning behind it.  So, here it is!

Did you know you can actually get more benefit from your exercise, if you workout early in the morning before eating breakfast?  Weight loss?  Wellness?  Energy?  Early Mornings?  No need to say more!  I’m there!

In Mick’s in Groceries, I listed out a typical day of grocery shopping.  Today, it’s a typical day of exercise.

Before eating breakfast, usually after my daughter gets on the school bus, I go for a run and/or sprints.  No bragging here… I don’t run far.  In fact, I’m back home within 15 minutes, with plenty of time to spend with my son before he gets on his school bus.  When I do sprints, it’s a 20-second sprint followed by a 20-second rest, and then a repeat of that set 2 more times (for a total of 3 sprints).  After a 2-minute recovery, I either do another set of 3 sprints, or I concentrate on other muscle groups by doing other exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, dips, shin slaps, bicycles, squats, lunges, squat-thrusts, jumping jacks, etc.).  After the second grouping of 3 sets of 20-second exercises, another 2-minute recovery is then followed by a final grouping of 3 sets of 20 seconds.

This is an awesome way to get a quick workout and to get the body burning fat for hours!

Similar information is also found in Mick’s up Exercising, where we learn about interval training: 
“When you exercise for no more than 20 minutes at one time and your regime consists of any form of exercise such as stationery bike, cycling or running up a small hill, even doing 50 start jumps for up to a minute followed by rest/recovery for up to 2 minutes, you are doing what Dr. Sears calls supra-aerobics, beyond aerobics. That is training your body to recover quickly and build lean muscle tissue in preparation for its next intense training session. This is really a modified version of interval training.” (Teya Skae of Natural News)

Whatever it’s called, I love it.  It’s quick.  It’s easy.  It works! 

(It gets a body revved for the work of the day, and it allows time for the more important things in life, like spreading the Good News of the Gospel and sharing God’s love with those around you!  Go for it!)

“ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
1 Corinthians 9:23-25 (NIV)

~

Mick’s up with No Fear

“This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise.  We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road.  All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.”

Martin Luther 

 

Do you participate in Halloween?  When we first became parents, we did not think it wise to get our kidderz mixed up with a celebration that alluded to evil.  I must admit, however, that we have allowed them to be included in it over the years.  We certainly have taught them the history behind it, and the reasons why we choose to “keep it clean” and not gory, etc., and we chose not to give in to fear.  In addition, we decided it is best to be a light in the darkness, and so we use this opportunity to hand out information about our church and our faith.  When else do people come to your door, asking you to give them whatever you feel like sharing with them?  This is awesome!

 

Why fear evil in the world, when we can stand up for the Truth?  Why hide away in a darkened house in fear, hoping for no visitors on Halloween, and be mistaken for a grumpy old outcast… when you can express the joy you truly feel, and share the love of Christ with neighbors you might not otherwise meet!?  We at our house think it’s fun!

 

Yes, there is a spiritual battle going on, and we do not always see the warfare.  It’s good to be aware, but it’s even better to know and trust a God who can protect you in the midst of it.  Do not fear!  A wonderful reminder in scripture was shared at our church on Sunday, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV) 

 

Some historic elements to this time of year can be honored, like Vision Forum summarizes with remembering Reformation Day.  “It was 494 years ago that Martin Luther nailed his world-changing 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church.  These theses included rebukes to ungodly fear and superstition.  502 years ago, sometime near October 31, a baby named John Calvin was conceived who would dedicate his life to eradicating an ungodly fear of superstitious beliefs and proclaiming the gospel of grace.  His emphasis on reformation, revival, and the sufficiency of Scripture had such far-reaching implications for nations like the United States that he has been described by Christian and secular scholars alike as the true founding father of America.  The Reformers did something that was very scary to the world of their day.  They stood against all forms of dark superstitions which grip the minds and souls of men.  It was their emphasis on the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of Holy Scripture that was used by God to liberate untold numbers of men and women.  But to remember the Reformers instead of Halloween is very scary to the world.”

 
 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)