Trying Too hard

I mentioned previously that I am the Queen of New Projects; writing a blog being one of them.  I am also the Princess of Procrastination, and a sprinter- running fast and hard but only for short distances. This being said, my blog has been left... unattended for some time now. But, I'm finally realizing that my blogging procrastination is primarily due to...Trying too hard. 

I recently sat down and gleaned over some of the recent posts of a fellow blogger whom I follow- a fellow childcare provider, as well- and truly admired the wit and simplicity of her entries. Often, she simply shares a quick thought from her daycare day, or a funny quote or conversation from one of her daycare children. That's when I realized I'm trying too hard. I do not have to research anything, cite my sources, use the right language- I certainly don't have to make blogging a half-day to-do task.  Simple.... right? 

Abandonment

One of the most fearful concepts in life is the utter termination of a cherished relationship. Wheather we call it abandoning, forsaking, giving up on us, or divorce, the portrait is of a sharp line drawn in a relationship- a line that quickly becomes a great gulf between the two persons, putting them out of reach of one another. And one of the greatest consequences of being abandoned is that it threatens our feeling of self-worth. "I was worthless, so I was abandoned. I had something wrong with me, so no one wanted me." How comforting to know that God will never abandon anyone who loves Him.

I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. (Hew. 13:5)

The Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

(Deut. 31:6)

God will never desert those who trust in Him and love Him.  If you feel abandoned, don't give up on God.

The Lord will not abandon His people. (1 Sam. 12:22)

People we depend on sometimes desert us, abandon us, turn away from us. There may be only a few people we can truly count on- at times there may not be any. But the one we can always count on is God; He will never abandon us.

Even if my father and mother abandon me, The Lord will hold me close. (Psalm 27:10)

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me. (Psalm 66:20)

Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for You. (Psalm 9:10)

We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. (2 Cor. 4:9) 

Some key points to consider when teaching children that they can always rely on God are:

Teach and show them honesty.

Teach them that God commands honesty from us. Showing them this will help them associate God with truth.

Use F.R.O.G.

Another great way to teach your children about God’s consistency in our lives is to teach them F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God). Teaching them this acronym is a fun way to remind them that in their time of need, they can always rely on the Lord. I also like to tell my children to always take a leap of faith; we call this Leap F.R.O.G. 

Demonstrate.

The final and most important point you must remember when teaching your children to fully rely on God is to do so yourself.  I cannot teach great faith if I do not show great faith in all circumstances. Let your children see you lean on the Lord and they will imitate this behavior. 

Always pray. 

Remind your children that even when they feel alone, God is with them. Explain that He never will leave them. Teaching your children to pray whenever they are frustrated, angry, and nervous or even when they are happy, is a great way to show them they have a direct line to Jesus and that He is always listening.

As your children learn their favorite characters, childhood heroes and fairy tales are make believe, show them they will never be let down by God. Teach them that God is the true hero and He will always be the one to save the day.

Resources:

Visit: POPUPC.org

Teaching Children to Rely on God

Scripture quotations taken from the TouchPoint Bible

The Strength to Carry On

There is a truth about Christian living which, if people knew, would make all of life easier for them. The truth is this: Whatever trial or task comes our way in life, we will receive the strength we need to face it. 

There are several promises that give this assurance:

One reads, “your strength will equal your days.” (Deut 33:25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.) This seems to mean that the help which God gives, varies according to the tasks and trials of the particular day. God fits His blessing to our days.

When we are weak, He increases strength. (Isa 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.)

When we are sorrowful, He gives comfort. (2 Cor 1:3-6 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  ⁴Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. ⁵For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.  ⁶And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferingswhich we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.)

When we are in danger, He grants protection. (Ps 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.)

When we are weary, He gives rest. (Mtt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.)

Another of Christ’s promises reads, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.)

Every word of this assurance shines with brilliant light:

“My grace is sufficient for you.” 

It is Christ’s grace that is sufficient. We know that He has all Divine fullness, and so we are sure that no human need can ever exhaust His power to give help!

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

It is Christ’s grace that is sufficient. If it were anything else but grace, it might not give us such comfort. Grace is undeserved favor, goodness shown to the unworthy. We deserve nothing because we are sinners, but it is Christ’s grace which is sufficient, and so we can claim it.

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

His grace “IS” sufficient. Christ is always speaking personally to the one who is in any need, and saying, “My grace IS sufficient for you.” "Is" indicates "current", "present", "immediate", and "now."

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

The word “sufficient” is one whose meaning expands and amplifies with the measure of the need. No need is so small that it can’t be included; and none is so great that it can go beyond the capacity of the blessing that is promised. "Sufficient" indicates "adequate", "enough", "comprehensive", and "all-inclusive."

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

The grace of God is sufficient for each of His redeemed children. “For you” the promise is made. Life lies before us, with its burdens, its duties, its responsibilities, its struggles, its perplexities. It does not come to us all at once. God breaks our years into months and weeks and days, and never gives us more than we can bear or do for the day.

If we take up the present duty or burden we shall always have strength to do it. If we do not have strength of our own, we don’t need to falter. Even if the task is impossible to our ability, He will sustain us by giving us all the help we need.

The Great Yogurt Debate

Full of protein, calcium and healthy bacteria that's good for your digestion and immune system, yogurt has recently enjoyed a burst of popularity. It's a great snack! 

     So what is "The Great Yogurt Debate"? It may only be a battle in my own mind that no one else gives any care or thought to. However, as a childcare provider, every time I peel back one of those foil lids, I'm wondering if the contents of the little plastic tub actually contain nutritional value for its toddler recipient. There are so many brands and so many varieties- most of which go against everything I've been taught about nutrition. Well, to put my own knowledge to the test, I decided to do my own research into this question, "Which yogurt is best?"

     Honestly, I assumed it was probably an old question that had already been asked and answered, right? I just needed to find and review the already provided research. 

And I was right. There is vast universe of yogurt critics out there; from women's health to diabetic health, to kids health, and so on. Obviously, my focus is on children- their dietary needs differ from adults- and since I'm a back-to-the-basics kind of person, I like to judge foods by looking at the basics. What are the basics? 

     Going down the yogurt aisle can be very confusing for parents. How can you tell the difference between the natural sugar in milk and the added sugars? How much calcium should yogurt have? Is organic essential? What about probiotic benefits?

The Basic Criteria:

There are five important factors in choosing yogurt: sugar content, added ingredients, calcium, live and active cultures and taste (of course).

Sugar: If you check out the label, you might be surprised to find that some yogurt varieties contain more sugar than two donuts! And, many yogurts that claim to be "low sugar" are packed instead with artificial sweeteners. Though plain yogurts usually have less sugar than flavored ones, we know that many people prefer flavored yogurt. Because milk already contains natural sugar in the form of lactose, it can be difficult to tell how much added sugar is in the product. The best thing to do is to compare the sugars in the plain version (if it’s available) to the flavored one. So if the flavored product has 26g of sugar and the plain has 13g the product would contain 13g of added sugar.

Tip: Flavors like vanilla tend to have less sugar than fruity flavors and fat-free yogurt usually has more sugar than low fat or whole.

Added ingredients: Watch out for artificial colors, preservatives and filler ingredients that make for less yogurt in the cup. Look for yogurts without artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Just plain old sugar will do.

 

 

Live & Active Cultures: You want to make sure that the yogurt you choose contains “live & active cultures,” which are also called probiotics. Any refrigerated product legally called "yogurt" must be produced by culturing dairy ingredients with a bacterial culture. These good bacteria can take up residence in your digestive tract, supporting good digestion and immune function by keeping bad bacteria in check. The large intestine needs healthy, “good” bacteria to thrive and help fight disease. The bacteria are also responsible for making yogurt safe to eat for people with lactose intolerance. Refrigerated yogurts that bear a Live & Active Culture (LAC) seal contain at least 100 million bacterial cultures per gram at the time of manufacture. If you see the Live & Active Culture seal from the Yogurt Association, you know the product contains adequate amounts. 

Calcium: The smaller the serving size, the less calcium the yogurt will contain. 

Fat and organic: Kids under two need full fat dairy products for optimal growth and brain development so choose whole yogurt for them. 

 

Back-To-The-Basics: What are the best yogurts for kids?

1. Plain yogurt and flavors like vanilla tend to have less sugar than fruity flavors and fat-free yogurt usually has more sugar than low fat or whole. 

2. Watch out for artificial colors, preservatives and filler ingredients that make for less yogurt in the cup. Look for yogurts without artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Just plain old sugar will do.

3. You want to make sure that the yogurt you choose contains “live & active cultures”.  The large intestine needs healthy, “good” bacteria to thrive and help fight disease. The bacteria are also responsible for making yogurt safe to eat for people with lactose intolerance.  

4. Calcium: The smaller the serving size, the less calcium the yogurt will contain. 

5. Kids under two need full fat dairy products for optimal growth and brain development so choose whole yogurt for them. 

Resources:

8 of the Best Yogurts For Kids

http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2010/08/8-of-the-best-yogurts-for-kids/

Yogurt Cheat Sheet | The Dr. Oz Show

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/greek-yogurt-cheat-sheet

What's Really in Those Squeezable Yogurt Tubes For Kids?

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3417322/

Yogurt Ratings and Reviews | GoodGuide 

http://www.goodguide.com/categories/282989-yogurt#%23products

5 Kid-Friendly Healthy Yogurt Options 

http://www.realsimple.com/m/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/healthy-yogurt-00100000063733/