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Greetings!
The cool breeze, changing colors of leaves, and school supplies at your neighborhood Target, all lead to the same thing...... Fall and time for kids to head back to school! If you don't have kids, this is the best time to focus on getting things cleaned out and organized for the...yes, we must say it.....winter months.
Join Best Life this month as we give tips on your child's safety emotionally and physically, healthy snacks, and tips to host your own very BEST garage sale.
With the kids getting back to school, and lazy summer days coming to an end, it's time to focus your own heart and mind back on structure and making sure you Create TIME for God, as BLM helps with advice on how to Keep God First.
Welcome Fall.....we love your cool days, great colors, and pumpkins!
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Make Way For FALL!!
By: Exec. Dir, Kathy Weckwerth
"Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to Me, awake and ready for Me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day's work. When you find Me, you find life, real life."
Proverbs 8:34-35 The Message
Fall is my favorite time of year. It has been since I was a little girl. There's just something about the change in weather and the cool crisp days, along with lovely golden hues from the leaves that are ready to drop on the trees, caramel apples, chai tea, and wooly sweaters, that make my heart happy.
Once summer days have passed and we get ready for September, it's a great time to refocus and restore structure in our lives! The summer months are a time for rest and recuperation, while fall seems to be about new beginnings and starting fresh.
Before I head into the crisp days of fall with crackling fires in the fireplace at night, I like to take some time to look back at what has happened over the summer months. Remember when you were a child and you got to your classroom, only to have your teacher ask you to write a paper on your summer vacation? I remember my friends would have such a time thinking back to what they had done. My daddy used to tell us to live in the moments and embrace what we were doing, so we'd never have regrets. So, I like to take a moment, head out to the gazebo with my Chihuahua, Benny, and look out over the fields, thinking back to the summer days.
This summer was a big one for our family, and for Best Life. Youngest daughter, Jenessa was married, our dear friend, Grandma Mary was diagnosed with cancer and has chosen to not have treatment, and Dean and I purchased an old church to use for offices and headquarters for Best Life Ministries.
With the purchase of the church came a goodbye service with over 150 people crunched together in a church that holds 100 comfortably, tv crews with interviews from local newspapers and many sad farewells as they watched their old church meet together one more time....and for the last time in that location.
The days flew by and we are preparing for our upcoming conference in Bloomington, MN on September 15, 2012.
We are so thankful to God for warm summer days, for good rains and good crops, for a few days of fishing at the lake, for great friends, and for God's answer to our prayers.
Take a moment and look back at the summer months....be thankful and grateful....be encouraged and excited for what the upcoming fall months will bring!
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 Back to School: Preparing Your Child Emotionally
By Patrick Russell, Ed.S, Licensed School Psychologist
Quickly it has come. The time of year that is dreaded by most children (college students included) - heading back to school.
I remember my first day of school when I started Kindergarten so many years ago. It was a very traumatic experience. We lived in the country and so I had to ride the bus (another series of stories better related at another time). That was exciting since I had never been on a bus before and there were all these other kids heading off to their first day of Kindergarten as well.
When we finally got to the elementary school, I was told that I couldn't get off the bus, and a handful of us were told to remain seated. I was terrified! What would happen to me now? Where were we going? Was I ever going to see my parents again? As it happened, there were actually two elementary schools in town. A fact that my mother (who was in charge of all this school stuff) failed to relay to me.
When we finally arrived at the "other" elementary school there was my class waiting for me. And my mother was there as well, to welcome me to school. However, I was a wreck. I had been crying all the way to "my" school and was still sniffling pretty hard when we arrived because of the great unknown of where I was being taken. This is a good example of poorly preparing your child for their first day of school (I have forgiven my mother for this since, no, really I have).
Schools have changed a lot since I was in Kindergarten and a lot of opportunities are available to parents to help with acclimating children into, or back into, the school experience. I recommend that we as parents take full advantage of as many of these as we can. This would include open house events that take place usually the week prior to the start of school. This is a great opportunity for your child to meet their teacher, see their classroom, put their supplies away in their desks, see some of their classmates, and perhaps even participate in some activities aimed at putting students to ease regarding the start of a new school year.
If a student is starting off the academic year in a brand new school and feeling a little anxious about the transition, oftentimes taking them to their new school prior to the open house and allowing them to walk around and get a "feel" for their new setting can be helpful.
Calling ahead before this visit may even result in the student getting to meet their new principal or teacher (teachers will often be in their buildings before the start of school in order to get rooms ready).
If your child does experience anxiety about going to school (or even riding the bus) reassure them that they can do it, that it will be fine, and that at the end of the day they'll be back home with you. Some anxiety is natural and often occurs when any of us are faced with something new or strange. If the anxiety seems more significant and your child is not comforted by your reassurance, then contacting your school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist may be a good idea. The important thing is to talk with you child, listen to their concerns, and try to find the root of the issue.
Now that we have tried to prepare our kids emotionally for school, how do we prepare them spiritually? One thing I remember my mother doing for us as children (yes, the same mother who never told me there were two elementary schools) was to have devotions and prayer in the morning prior to heading out the door and getting on the bus.
Mom would read from her Bible and try to teach us a quick lesson related to what she had just read. Then she would pray for us. That was something special hearing mom pray, especially for me that I would have a good day and that the Lord would watch over me and keep me safe. It was as if no matter what happened that day all would be well because mom had asked God to watch over me. I've tried to do that with my kids over the years as well.
With my two older ones (now 24 and 21 years old) I would read books like William J. Bennett's, Book of Virtues and pray before bedtime at night. With my two younger ones (10 and 8 years old) we read, One Year Devotions for Kids, or books such as The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, and we each take turns praying every night before bed, and ask the boys what they're thankful for. Again, it's important to listen to what they have to say. Yes, we often get the answer, "Nothing" when asking about what happened during their day. But when something has happened they're able to tell us about, we can talk about it and pray about it.
This goes a long way in helping them to understand how to deal with things that may come up in a way that is both emotionally and spiritually healthy.
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 Back to School: Preparing Your Child for Safety
By Alice Wisner, Crime Analyst with the West Des Moines, IA Police Department
Back to school! Those words can fill a parent's heart with joy, but also a little fear and dread. Our children are leaving the safety of their homes and our watchful eyes. We can go from knowing almost everything they do every day, to having large gaps where we are unsure how they are interacting with the outside world, which can be a little overwhelming these days when we are constantly bombarded with bad news in the media.
Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to help your peace of mind and make your children safer.
- If your child will be walking to a bus stop or to school, plan a walking route and travel it with them. Point out safe places they can go to if a situation arises they are not comfortable with. Make sure they are walking with either a friend or sibling. When crossing intersections without benefit of a crossing guard be sure your child knows to make eye contact with the driver of any stopped car before crossing the street.
- Know your schools' emergency procedures as well as their day to day school safety and security procedures. Have a family plan in place that meshes with your school's plan in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency.
- If you are away from home when your child will arrive, it's a good practice to have them check in with you. If they are reluctant to do this because they are "too old," use that call as an opportunity to assign chores, get their opinion on what sounds good for dinner, or just discuss what the schedule for the remainder of the day is. My daughter would check in religiously while she was in Jr. High, which got out earlier than elementary school where her brother was. One day she didn't call me, and of course that was the day I was updating our listing of registered sex offenders. My imagination ran wild as I called neighbors to check on her. Turns out she had gotten off the bus and rather than go home had walked with a friend up to the elementary school to visit teachers and walk her brother home. Of course, she used that episode to argue that she needed a cell phone. I used that episode to argue that she could have called me from the elementary school.
- Many secondary schools will hold active shooter or intruder drills. Find out and talk to your child about what this entails, and that it is important to understand it is practice and the odds of this actually happening are minute but that they should understand what is happening, and not treat the drill as a joke.
- Monitor your child's internet and cell phone usage. As parents, this is probably the most challenging for us in monitoring how our children interact with the world. Sexual predators can disguise themselves online as any age. Show your children how to protect their privacy with social media and to not disclose personal information about themselves. Make sure that your child personally knows every friend they have on their facebook account. Monitor texts when possible, and check into parental options your cell phone company has. For a small monthly fee, most companies have the option of shutting a cell phone off between certain hours, overnight for example.
- Make sure that valuables such as wallets, IPods and cell phones can be locked up in school lockers. This however, is not always foolproof. At my children's high school there was a problem with these items being stolen from gym lockers, even though they had been locked. It was determined that the lockers were too small for backpacks to fit in them. And, at the beginning of the school year, most students would write their gym locker combinations in their planner, which would be located in their backpack. Sitting outside of the locked gym locker.
- Most importantly, listen to your instincts and listen to your children. If something seems off with them, or if they are telling you that something is not right in the neighborhood or with one of their friends, listen and check into it. Many tragedies could be averted if only someone had not only listened, but acted on their intuition.
In closing, while it sometimes seems that the world is a scary place and full of dangers none of us thought of when we were children, at the same time it is a wonderful world and we all want our children to live rich and full lives enjoying life. With a little proactive planning and education, that can happen with less angst on our part. And of course I also recommend lots of prayer to keep us all safe!!
"The most beautiful sight in the world is a little child going confidently down the road of life after you have shown him the way." - Confucius
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Scripture for Day-to-Day Life
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
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Clear Out the Clutter! |
Time For Your BEST Garage Sale
The next 8 weeks are a perfect time to clear out the clutter, once the kids head back to school. This fall, shed possessions, while earning cash by hosting a garage sale. Let Best Life help you with easy steps to deliver a great sale with great results.
- Find Items: Take one room at a time and peruse over things you haven't worn or used in the past year, and put into sturdy boxes from the grocery store.
- Sort Items: Once you have chosen what you no longer need, (like that brand new pair of shoes that Johnny outgrew before he ever wore them, or that lamp you weren't sure would match and you didn't feel like returning,) it's time to sort and organize. Separate into house wares, kids and adult clothing, furniture, knick knacks and children's toys.
- Clean Items: A great sale, where people shop and buy, means a little extra effort on your part. For any glass pieces, soak in warm sudsy detergent and clean off any dust and dirt. Polish silver, dust wood items with Pledge, clean any glass with Windex, and wash clothing items, folding neatly or hang on hangers.
- Mark Items: If you are uncertain how to mark items, it's always smarter to go less than to go more! Normal prices include the following: kids clothing $.50-1.00 (new items $2.00-6.00), adult clothing $1.00-4.00 (new items more, depending on name brands), sheets & towels $.1.00-4.00, dvds $4.00, furniture $10.00-50.00, antiques usually sell for about ¼ of the worth, new items you can usually cut in half or a bit less to make enticing. For example, if you have new dvds normally priced at $14.00, mark for $5.00.
- Clean Your Garage: No one likes to come to a sale if the garage is dirty, disorganized, or a disaster! Take some time to clear out debris, sweep, air out and make sure you have great lighting. Play quiet Frank Sinatra music for shoppers, and have any extra doors open for circulation. Tack sheets over sides of walls with stacked items not for sale.
- Display Items: It's important to have all of your items displayed nicely. Use table cloths to cover tables and set items together that are alike
- Great Signage: Advertise in the local paper, but the BEST way to attract buyers is lots of great signs from every different direction, pointing to your sale. Signs available for purchase at Walmart or Home Depot.
- Misc. Tips: You can purchase packs of AVERY pre-marked sale labels at Walmart, making it quick and easy! Have a pencil box or zip bank bag to hold your money. Before the sale, get ones, fives, tens, two twenties and a roll of quarters. (BLM tip: 100.00 worth of cash works best, and never mark anything less than .25)
- Bring Lots of Water: Make sure you stay hydrated.
- Take excess to Goodwill: Now that you've had your sale and have left over items, DON'T bring back that excess into your home. Pack it right into clean boxes and drive to Goodwill or another charity.
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Easy Back-to-School Recipes
From the Kitchen of
Josh Garland
YOUR BEST BREAKFAST: Egg Waffle-Wiches
-Waffles from your favorite homemade waffle recipe (2 per person)
-Deli meat of your choice
-Sliced cheese of your choice
-Fried eggs (1 per person)
-Sliced tomatoes
-Sliced onion
-Sliced avocado
-Lettuce
-Mustard
-Olive oil Mayo
Directions:
-Make waffles from you favorite homemade waffle recipe (Be sure to leave out cinnamon in recipes that call for cinnamon.)
-While the waffles cook, fry one egg per person in a non-stick frying pan. Lightly season the eggs with salt and pepper.
-Once the waffles are made, lightly spread olive oil Mayo and mustard on one side of each waffle (just like you would do on bread when making a "normal" sandwich.) Then, layer the meat, cheese, fried eggs and vegetables on half of the waffles. Top them off with another waffle.
*Using a homemade whole wheat waffles, and loading up your Waffle-Wiches with fresh veggies makes this recipe a clever way to eat healthy and enjoy fresh ingredients.
Note From Josh: *This is a fun and easy twist on breakfast for dinner that both kids and adults will enjoy. I like to use a whole wheat waffle recipe for these Waffle-Wiches, but just about any waffles will do the trick. Frozen toaster waffles would even work. For a variation to this recipe, consider placing the assembled Waffle-Wich back in the waffle iron to make a Waffle-Wich Panini (leave out lettuce while heating Waffle-Wich.)
YOUR BEST SNACK: Sticky Monkey Toast
-Whole wheat bread
-Peanut butter (natural peanut butter is preferred)
-Fresh banana
-Honey
-Cocoa powder
Directions:
-Toast 1 or 2 slices of whole wheat bread.
-Spread peanut butter over warm toast and top with sliced banana.
-Then, drizzle honey over top of the sliced bananas and lightly dust with cocoa powder.
*This is a fun, sticky, quick, healthy, energy packed snack or breakfast item. The whole wheat bread and peanut butter keep you feeling full, while the fresh bananas and honey offer quick energy and sweetness. For some variation to this recipe, try replacing the peanut butter with almond butter, or use fruit preserves in place of the honey. Fresh blueberries or strawberries would also make a fun, colorful addition to this quick hunger fighting finger food.
Note From Josh: This energy packed, healthy fast snack or breakfast item is one that I LOVE :) Definitely one of my favorite "go to," easy snacks.
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Get Back On Schedule: Time for God
After months of rest, vacations, gardening, yardwork, baseball and grilling, it's time to get ready for the fall months.
With the school schedules comes routine.
How are you doing in your routine with God? Are you setting aside time for devotions and prayer? Without it, we are missing out on having a stronger relationship with God, and consequently, we're being less than our BEST.
 Make sure that as you are making up the family calendar, that you set aside time for evening meals together (statistcs show that families that have supper together are stronger, happier and more productive!) and include discussions about the day, about any God-sightings, and about the blessings you've received throughout that day.
Make time for God. He's a strong and mighty tower, and there for you to lean on and learn from.
When we take time to read God's Word, we know more about God, and subsequently, know more about how much we need Him.
"His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light onto my path." Psalm 119:105 |
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Moving a Church
What an exciting time for Best Life Ministries!
What Happened? This summer...we purchased the Frank Lake Covenant Church, from rural Murdock, MN. and moved it the 22 miles to Executive Director, Kathy Weckwerth's (and her husband, Dean's) grove.
Who Showed Up? Best Life Staff, friends, family members, neighbors, and even strangers showed up for the move.
Our plan? To use this exquisite building from 1900 for offices, headquarters, Bible studies, and mini conferences.
Thanking God? We are thanking God for His glorious timing (the church sat empty for 32 years) and for His provision.
How Can You Help? If you'd like to help contribute to the move, please log onto www.bestlifeministries.com for more information!
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BEST LIFE Church move... SCHEDULED FOR KSTP CHANNEL 5 in the Twin Cities...Jason Davis... "On the Road."
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This month, take some time to really work on cleaning out the fluff and fun of summer and getting back on track, back on schedule and back to basics.
Proverbs 16:3 says, "Put God in charge of your work. Then what you have planned will take place."
When we work, with God's help, to attempt to improve things about ourselves and our lives, we can become our best.
When you commit to trying, God will bless your efforts.
Remember, it's never too late to make changes.
Start today. Start living your best life!
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