Yesterday I woke up so tired that I felt like I was dragging. I came home feeling the same way but with a stress-ball growing in my tummy from having a long list of things to do but no energy with which to do them. While I was at Wal-Mart getting a couple of things I needed to bake the wedding cake I received a telephone call from my boss. I figured I must have forgotten something at the office, but that wasn’t why she was calling. She knew that I had a lot to do and offered for me to have the next couple of days off, so I wouldn’t be stressed and would be able to better enjoy the upcoming festivities. My budget doesn’t allow me to take two days off right after getting back to work. She told me to give it some thought, and she’d be happy to let me have Thursday off, pay me for it, and I could just work a Friday in a couple of weeks to make up for it. I came home with a lighter feeling and some peace that I’d be able to get some sleep, do some of what needed to be done, then have Thursday to get everything on my list checked off. Sometimes blessings come to us in the form of a generous gesture. I’ll take this blessing with gratitude and a happy smile.
Verse of the Day
September 26, 2018
We know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
God hates injustice, unfairness, brutality and abuse. In a world where the greedy, the murdering, the thieving, the raping, the mugging… get away with their shameless and despicable behavior, God is the ultimate assurance that justice will be done and the wicked will not triumph. While those who love and serve Jesus’ expect his return with anticipation and joy, those who are evil and vile will find out what a dreadful thing it is to fall into God’s hands.
Food for Thought
Today’s verse made me think of all of the horrible things being said about Judge Kavanaugh. May God protect him and his family as they go through the rest of this week, and may the vote confirm his appointment to the Supreme Court. This nation needs him and more like him.
Johnny Appleseed Day – Today we honor one of America’s great legends. Johnny Appleseed was a real person. John Chapman was among the American settlers who whose imagination was captivated by the westward moment across the continent. As he traveled west, he planted apple trees along the way, and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was planted, the legend grew. Here are some interesting little tidbits I found about him:
* John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) was born on September 26, 1774. * He was a nurseryman who started out planting trees in western New York and Pennsylvania. * During the life of John Chapman, the “West” was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. * John Chapman was a deeply religious person He was known to preach during his travels. * According to legend, Johnny Appleseed led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money and often donated any money he received. * It is believed that he died on March 11, 1845, from what was referred to as the “winter plague”. The actual date of his death has been disputed. (There is also A Johnny Appleseed Day on this date. * Johnny wore a pot upside down on his head – but it wasn’t intended to be a hat, it was just the most practical way to carry the pot. * The apples that grew from his trees were almost all used to make hard cider. After the Women’s Christian Temperance Union successfully campaigned against the evils of alcohol, apples became a popular food in America. * Johnny didn’t wear shoes, even in the winter. He was presumed to be crazy by many of the people he met in his travels because of this. This one is celebrated twice a year, I am assuming at the beginning of apple season and at the time of harvest.
Celebrate today with a menu rich in apples (or for the low carb folks, apple flavored) – include them for snacks and throughout your meals. Can’t go wrong with that!
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day – Today is the 18th annual observance of this celebration that draws attention to the very important subject of women’s health and well-being. The focus is that women need to put their health first and get strong, whether it’s through weight training, cardio fitness or nutrition education. Here are some really good tips for helping to put things into a healthy mindset and getting going in the right direction:
* Do continuous low impact exercises all day. Regular physical activity has many benefits, including improving your mood and reducing the risk of depression.
* Make a grocery list. If you go to the store without planning what it is you are going to get, you’re more likely to get things you wouldn’t normally get – like too many snacks and less produce and meal ingredients. A list keeps things focused and on track. And speaking of the grocery store . . .this is something I’ve found for myself . . . don’t go shopping when you are hungry. That’s a terrible time for me to be shopping for food because EVERYTHING looks good and the determination to make wise choices tends to fly right out the window when my stomach is gurgling. Have a healthy snack before you go to the grocery store and you’ll save yourself not only unnecessary calories, you’ll end up saving money too. Junk food is expensive!
* Listen to your body. We all have food cravings, and we shouldn’t give in to them, but we should listen to what our bodies want. If we are craving sugary treats, it could be that you are needing something that you can’t identify. Try having Greek yogurt mixed with fruit – you get your dairy and the sweetness.
* Distract yourself when you are having a craving. When you start really wanting something unhealthy, distract yourself. Call a friend, brush your teeth, go run an errand. Cravings usually last about 5 minutes, so find something that is quick to take your mind off of it.
As women we find ourselves last on our own list of priorities. We really are worth the better choices. Let’s start making them for ourselves.
School Backpack Awareness Day – When I first saw this one, I admit that I chuckled. Why would we need a day to be aware of school backpacks? Of course, I should have learned by now that I shouldn’t laugh until I look into things further, and this one is a good example of why that would be. Each day 1000s of children across our country carry heavy loads in their school backpacks, doing damage to their muscles and spines. This day is to raise awareness to parents and educators of the effects that carrying overloaded backpacks can have on the kids. here are some pretty compelling facts that should have everyone rethinking how the kids carry their packs, and how much they carry in them each day.
* More than 2,000 backpack-related injuries were treated at hospital emergency rooms, doctor’s offices, and clinics in 2007.
* It is recommended that a loaded backpack should never weigh more than 10 percent of the student’s total body weight (for a student weighing 100 pounds, this means the backpack should weigh no more than 10 pounds).
* About 55 percent of students carry a backpack heavier than the recommended guidelines.
* In one study with American students ages 11 to 15 years, 64 percent reported back pain related to heavy backpacks. Twenty one percent reported the pain lasting more than six months.
The way backpacks are worn affects your health. The height of the backpack should extend from approximately two inches below the shoulder blades to waist level or slightly above the waist. It is recommended that individuals always wear the backpack on both shoulders so that the weight is evenly distributed. How many kids do we see each day that are carrying their pack from one shoulder, or WAY down their back to around their backside level? Makes my back hurt just thinking about it! Dr. Jill Gatlin, DC, of Gatlin Chiropractic and Wellness shares, “Times are changing, and we are seeing children with back and neck pain earlier and earlier. Many of them have to carry their books around with them all day at school. The trend is also for children to sling their backpacks over one shoulder. This causes disproportionate weight and can cause backaches, headaches, and even arm and hand numbness. Parents should be more aware of how heavy their child’s backpack is. Encourage your child to only carry what is necessary in their backpacks. Parents should also ask their child or children to report any pain or any other problems resulting from carrying a backpack.” Sadly, due to security issues, and overpopulation of many public schools, there either aren’t enough lockers to go around, or they aren’t allowing kids to go back and forth to their lockers between classes, so the kids are having to carry the loads around all day long. Sad isn’t it? There must be an alternative solution.
This Day in History –
1914 – The Federal Trade Commission was established.
1789 – The U.S. Postal Service was founded.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Pancake Day – Fun fact: William Shakespeare was a flapjack fan. He mentions pancakes in two of his plays: All’s Well That Ends Well and As You Like It. I love pancakes and recently discovered how delicious sourdough pancakes are! YUMMY!
Have you noticed all of the pumpkin spice memes and pumpkin spice products in the stores lately? It’s everywhere and I think that is wonderful. This is one of my favorite times of the year and pumpkin deliciousness just makes it all better. I even bought my first two sugar pie pumpkins at the store the other day because it’s about time for me to make a batch of pumpkin sauce to put in my morning coffee! A yummy pumpkin spice mocha to sip on the way to work would be wonderful – but right now, there’s not time. Maybe after the wedding! I have to run. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you if you like pumpkin spice goodies, and if so, what is your favorite! I LOVE your comments so please let me know what you think! God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow!
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Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com