Jessica Simpson pregnant?

Jessica Simpson is reportedly pregnant seven months after giving birth. What? That's never happened before? I'm sure there are millions of women out there that can say the same thing. Not really a newsworthy issue. However the contract with Weight Watchers has come into question.

I worked for Weight Watchers for several years. They don't drop you because you get pregnant. They simply allow you to suspend your membership until after the birth of your baby. Why? Because it's not healthy to lose weight while pregnant. A weight loss diet may harm the unborn child.

Common sense says that's what Weight Watchers will do with Jessica too since it's a pretty standard policy in the corporation. It's just silly to make something out of nothing. They can promote what they have so far. Then Weight Watchers has a bonus. They can reach out to moms who have given birth to more than one child. I see it as a win-win since this isn't a rare occurrence in the real world.

So what was there to really make sound bad in all this hoo-haw? The nonsense announcers that used heavy tones and negative connotations to paint Jessica Simpson in a negative light. There was even harsh music behind the announcer to add to the disapproving tone in commercials for upcoming shows on entertainment media.

 Funny they didn't mention Jessica was living out of wedlock, giving birth to children without being married, or any actual moral issue. Nope. The big deal was timing. Evidently you've done a bad thing if you don't follow the media's preconceived notions on when you should get pregnant. Of course whether you use birth control or it fails or whatever your personal beliefs are don't count according to recent media blitzes on Jessica Simpson. It's purely up to the media how you should live.

So tell me, is there the "right" timing to get pregnant after having a child? The television announcers and celebrity media portrayed a pregnant woman negatively because she didn't wait long enough between children.What do you think of that slant?

Jessica Simpson doesn't have an easy road with children so close together, but that's nothing new in this world. Mothers of twins, adopted siblings, and multiple children in diapers all know that feeling. So, Jessica, welcome to motherhood. It's a very blessed position. I hope you have the opportunity to marry their dad and build a happy family.

How long between your children?
Did you plan it that way?
What do you believe about marriage and children?

Angie

You Can Influence TV!

Angie here: I felt this article was so good that I am posting it (with proper attribution as required). After you read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Friday, March 2, 2012

You Can Influence TV!

By Beverly Caruso
Special to ASSIST News Service SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS) -- You've probably considered-at least once or twice-selling or giving away your television set. You've become disgusted with the selection of shows, or frustrated with yourself for watching questionable content. You may be angry that your children are exposed to certain material. Maybe you've felt helpless about having any influence over what is aired.

American family watching TV together

You can have influence! Here are five steps to take toward influencing what is broadcast on television:
1. Be selective in what you and your family members watch. Television is a business. Advertisers pay for the shows because viewers watch the shows and buy their products. Producers make the shows because viewers watch the shows and keep the advertisers paying the bills.
Those advertisers make their decisions about which shows to spend their money on based on ratings. This is determined by professional agencies that use scientific methods to determine what percentage of viewers are watching specific shows. If you don't like or approve of a television show, change the channel or turn off the set.
2. Complain in an effective way. We usually think we need a national campaign to protest what we don't like. More often we simply complain to one another. You may be unhappy with a show and know others are unhappy also. To be effective, let the advertisers know about it. But do so politely and as a local group, using an appropriate business letterhead.
When 500 members of a church in Duluth, Minnesota, or Auckland, New Zealand, write to notify a sponsoring manufacturer that members of their churches have agreed not to purchase his product as long as he sponsors an offensive show, the manufacturer will pay attention. He knows that if the group is unhappy, there are probably other groups as well that won't buy his product.
This means we will need to pay attention to commercials aired during a show and write down the sponsors' names. Then we'll have to research to learn the address of the corporate office and the CEO. With Internet access, such a search can take only a few minutes. Some sites have special links for offering feedback. Make use of these, but don't overlook the effectiveness of a personal letter addressed to the top executive.

An Egyptian family watching TV  along with their camel (Photo: SAT-7)

Once you've located the information, keep it handy so you can refer to it each time you want to make contact. Then share that contact information with others who might take action.If you can't find the information on the Internet, call your local public library. A Reference Department librarian may look up the information you need. Or go to the library and ask for the appropriate reference books. You'll find addresses and chief officers listed.
Most important, we'll need to take the time to pray about how to write in such a way that our message will be received.
3. Unite your efforts locally. We tend to think that a national campaign will be most effective. Often it works just the reverse. When Americans protested against the movie, "The Last Temptation of Christ," they created massive media attention across the entire country. Many in the movie and television industry believe that the movie would have flopped and quietly disappeared without those well publicized protests. They may be correct. We don't want to crea te free advertising for a show; instead, we want to get the attention of the advertisers and producers.
4. Affirm those who broadcast things you want kept on the air. Protests are not enough. If you do like a show, let the sponsoring manufacturers and the television station know you like it, and why. Most letters and phone calls they receive from television viewers are negative. When a sponsor receives positive feedback he's naturally going to pay attention. The rule of thumb: producers and advertisers calculate that each letter represents several hundreds of viewers. The same is true of producers and network executives. Let them know which shows you like and why. Be specific.
5. Pray. Perhaps our most effective tool of influence is our least applied. Perhaps we are praying against those shows we disapprove. Are we praying for those that have positive qualities? There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Christians in the television industry trying to improve the selection and quality of programs that reach our homes. W e can pray for them. They may not be able to keep all offensive content off the air. Yet when an actress suggests to her director that alternate words would better communicate the story line, and therefore offensive words are not broadcast, she has been effective. When a script writer gets his wholesome story accepted by a popular show's producer, he will influence thousands of lives.
We will not reform the television industry easily. It won't be accomplished this year. You and I can adopt a producer, an actor, or a writer-not necessarily a Christian. And we can pray regularly for him or her.
Prayer groups, Sunday School classes, even youth groups, can adopt a certain show. We can learn about the show, about the people behind the camera as well as in front. We can pray for God's Spirit to draw them unto Himself; we can pray for Christians to be hired to live godly lives inside the industry; we can pray for God's conviction to constrain the decision makers; and we can pray for Christian viewers to do the responsible thi ng-whether it's to change the channel or to send a letter to the sponsor or network CEO.
We can make a difference!

---

Bev Caruso, and her husband Pete, have served the Lord together for over 50 years. They pastored two churches for a total of 35 years. From those churches they sent over 100 individuals into fulltime Christian service. They have preached or taught in 35 countries: in schools and colleges, barrios and offices, prisons and jungles. Whether encouraging weary pastors or missionaries or praying for the sick, speaking through an interpreter or teasing with their grandchildren, their love for God and His people shines through. Bev's many books include Tools for Improving Relationships; Developing Godly Character in Children, now in its sixth edition; Getting Your Writing Into Print and Getting It Read; and Loving Confrontation. They recently coauthored: Keeping It Fresh-A Love that Keeps on Growing based on the Marriage Enrichment Seminars they team-teach. The Carusos continue to teach and preach. They also are directors of a hospitality center for traveling missionaries and ministers in Southern California. They have three grown child ren, eight grandchildren, and currently nine great-grandchildren. They can be contacted at: Caruso@across2u.com. Or visit their website: www.PeteandBevCaruso.com

---

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
Send this story to a friend.

New Year Goal Support

Here are a couple of articles to help you with the goals you've set for the New Year.

They're short, sweet, to the point and one even has a simple recipe. It's all about creating a New Year Goal support system for yourself.

First step to success, WRITE down your goals!

10 Ways to Move Your Writing Career Forward

http://www.christianwritersguild.com/blog/ten-ways-to-move-your-writing-career-forward-in-2012/

12 Tips Tips to Avoid Losing Your New Year's Resolution

http://www.christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/berzerk_angie.html

10 Steps to Emotional Stability

http://www.inspireafire.com/ten-steps-to-emotional-stability/

20 Questions to Uncover Your Calling

http://www.inspireafire.com/20-questions-to-uncover-your-calling/

7 Ways to Lower Stress and Learn to Be Funny

http://www.inspireafire.com/seven-ways-to-lower-stress-and-learn-to-be-funny/

I hope these are helpful to you :-) If you find them helpful, supportive, or interesting, please tweet them out or link this post to your facebook page.

Thank you,

Angie

Simplify Christmas

Is the world racing too fast? 

Christmas (okay, the month of December) seems like a sprint from start to finish. There's never time to catch a breath and enjoy. Then after the holidays, we feel like collapsing.

I'm sharing a few things today to help you slow down and simplify Christmas. Then if you're signed up for my newsletter, I'm sending out a few more ideas and another recipe. But click on the link now for a high protein, high fiber, low fat Christmas breakfast recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes as well as a thoughtful article on Holiday Simplicity.

http://www.christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/berzerk_angie.html

Here's a few more ideas to Simplify Christmas:

1. Consider planning your Christmas season more around restful worship than parties to release the frenetic energy. An article to inspire you: http://www.inspireafire.com/hurry-less-worry-less-this-christmas/
2. Plan leisurely brunches rather than huge dinners.
3. Say no, no, and no to all the invitations.
4. Take time to tell the stories that connect your family to history and faith. An article on celebrating Advent: http://www.inspireafire.com/advent-ageous/
5. Make simple recipes and use crockpots, casseroles, and even frozen appetizers.
6. Focus on emotional stability rather than on shopping and events. Here's an article on emotional stability for you: http://www.inspireafire.com/ten-steps-to-emotional-stability/

What do you do when things go wrong?

Do you have days when the world seems to be spinning backwards? Yep, me too. The last few days my sons have had a spammer hacking into their email accounts. I dutifully let them know. Then I changed my password because it appeared the hacker was systematically going through every email he/she could crack in our family. What a hassle!

But in changing my email password to protect myself, I accidentally locked myself out of accessing it on my blackberry. Now you have to know I have a love/hate relationship with this blackberry anyway. Things that are simple on other devices take an FBI clearance on mine. So for the last 2 days, I've been trying to get the email back on the blackberry. (Luckily I still have access when on computer.)

But even contacting the company causes a time lag and headache. The issue happens when we're busiest, doesn't it? And if we're not, the incessant fixing we have to do every day in our lives seems to wear on us. The daily plan was to work out, eat, get a little writing done before heading to a lunch date with a friend who's moving away. Then this evening is a fun family festival, First Friday, in Hamilton, MT where I'm the featured author with Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life and Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance.

But the day started off much differently. Now on holding pattern on the work out and breakfast, hoping to solve the email dilemma, I'm feeling a little grumpy. I think I'd have been less grumpy if some silly prankster hadn't called my cell 3 times at 2 in the morning. I had to silence it to stop the annoyance.

Had a morning like that?

Here's my thoughts: I'm going forward anyway. The world isn't going to stop spinning. I'm not going to get more sleep. The email issue isn't going to fix itself. The 3 "but" comments above don't change set appointments and goals. Having a flexible attitude is crucial in a backwards spinning world. It lessens the stress and allows us to use creativity to solve our dilemmas. But (and the most positive one of the series of "but" comments) is I'm going to stop first and hand it all over to God. I'm asking Him for a spirit of positive influence and for joy to replace my grumpy mode. Then a little coffee for the tech session might just put me over into a smile.

What do you think? How do you handle a morning gone awry?

What do you do when . . .

Life gets so busy.
The to-do list is too long.
The phone keeps ringing and you can't get anything done.

Stop.

It sounds counterintuitive, but when the world starts to crash in on you, stop.

Everytime the list, work, busy life starts to hammer me I instinctively start to push back harder. It feels like if I just get one more thing done I'll be back on top of things. Then it all comes tumbling down and I feel even more overwhelmed.

The last few weeks I started to recognize when I took time out to rest, I'm more productive. How strange? So I tried it again. One more time it proved fruitful. Hmm. Starting to see a pattern here.

What about you? Are you willing to stop and rest for the sake of productivity?

Are you intentional?

How was your day?

Some days seem to be filled with productivity and others, well, they kind of get away from me. Yesterday was one of those. No matter how hard I tried, I felt like the day was slipping into the sea of lost causes.

Frustrated, I reworked my to-do list and tried again. But to no avail. At the end of the day I realized part of my problem was fatigue. I'd been going and going faster and faster until my day was no longer productive but frenetic.

Today I did much better. Then it started to feel overwhelming again. So you know what I did? I intentionally took the afternoon off. I took from about 2:30 p.m. until well after dinner and just relaxed. The shocker came. Yep, yep, yep. When I pulled out the work I needed to finish, I did the same amount in less time.

As I look back over the last few weeks, I can see the pattern. Every time I pushed too hard, my productivity went down. Now I'm refocused. Not on all that has to be done. That's on the list. I'm refocused on taking intentional time off to revitalize and refresh.

Will you take intentional time off? What would that look like? How can you plan for it?

Angie

Have Teens? Starting a Micro Business for Teens!

Wow, where was this book when I was a teen? Where was it when I was raising six kids?

Starting a Micro Business for Teens is the best thing to hit the market for parents since...well, you get the picture. I'm so sold on this book by Carol Topp! She's got a quick, easy to read and easy to understand style. It pops off the page with fun examples of what a normal American teen can do to earn extra money. But what it really does is set up a teen for success.

I found a workbook on Amazon too. She also has a Micro Business for Teens website. I'm so impressed at all the tools she's put in the hands of our smart, capable, and able young people. I'm also thrilled because I don't think it's a book a teen would toss aside as too complex or even boring. It's such a fast read. It drew me in and surprised me. I really did expect a dry litany. Instead I found vibrant ideas and excellent advice.

Do you have a teen who wants to show what they're capable of achieving? Do you have a school library you could share this book with to help kids? Let's do all we can to prepare the next generation of leaders by feeding their curiosity and ambition in a healthy way now.

Thank you, Carol Topp, for taking the time to care enough to write this book.

Stop by tomorrow (4/11/11) for some tips, Carol's bio, and comment to be in a contest for a grand prize give away.

Angela Breidenbach, Speaker/Author
Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance
Gems of Wisdom: For A Treasure-filled Life, Journey Press

http://www.AngelaBreidenbach.com website
http://www.GodUsesBrokenVessels.com blog
http://www.christianspeakersservices.com/angela-breidenbach-christian-speaker-author.html

Working Toward The Goal

lately so many projects and ideas compete with the must-do list. I started to feel overwhelmed. Then I sat down and made a list of what needed to be done and when. Short project to enable me to complete many larger projects.

To my surprise, I make lists all the time, listing the projects caused my production level to leap forward. Today I finished three main items I thought would take all week. Wow!

Making lists isn't new to me. But cleaning up odds and ends seems to make that list grow and grow. By writing only the names of the projects I grabbed hold of the bigger overview. Instead of overwhelmed, I was inspired and motivated. I knocked out those three projects in less time than I thought possible. Now I can move on to the next project with the confidence I built in the accomplishments of today.

What inspires and motivates you to become ultra productive?

Come visit the faith girls blog and see why I was so nervous to post!

Preparing for a New Year

Spring cleaning at the end of the year?

I'm doing that with both my house and my email accounts. One is being handed over to the next publicity officer for ACFW. I don't want either one of us to start the new year with a bunch of clutter.

At home I've finished my kitchen and the next room is my office. Scary! Seriously, I am working on cleaning it in order to have a clear head. With 2 big projects starting in January, I don't want all the old stuff stopping me.

Stuff. It just gets in the way of goals and dreams.

I work organically. My brain is on high speed almost every day of my life. So it's easy for me to pile things instead of file things. Every few months I need to file my piles. Then I have a sense of clarity and accomplishment. Nothing is pulling me in different directions. But the organic nature of my high speed brain will not let me stop and manage the stuff of each project while I'm in it. Somehow it stalls me. I've learned to honor that part of me too by cleaning up after each project instead. It also offers me closure on the project, both mental and physical. I think that's as important as feeling prepared and organized for the future, saying goodbye to the old allows space for the new.

I plan on getting the office cleaned up and then spending time (a few hours to a few days) determining my achieved goals from last year and setting the new ones for this year. I have a 5 step plan for annual goals, how to make New Year resolutions actually happen. So I'm going to sit down and follow my own advice.

 I'll post a photo of the cleaned desk just to be accountable :-) Hmm, I wonder when? By next week for sure...

Do you do anything to prepare for new goals?

Angie

Decisions, Decisions

Today I'm exploring how to publish the Creative Cooking Series to hard copy.  It's out as ebook and CD book copies already. Now the requests from actual bookstores are coming in for a standard book style too.

Two books with more planned.
 Each meets a special need. Cooking for Colitis helps people with IBD issues. Simple Elegance helps people make simple, elegant, inexpensive meals. Same recipes, two different markets.



The problem is the cost to self-publish. Two books in the series means two sets of costs. The other problem is that I've already received requests for orders. The CD and e-books were doing fine. In fact in the self-publishing world, I've done great. Most self-published authors don't break even. So far I've been able to do that. Now though, I'm being asked to take it one step further.

If it were a standard book, no worries. That's actually more affordable because of the black and white printing. But these books are heavy with photography. I don't want to lose those photos because it's what makes the book special. The cook can see what the recipe is supposed to look like and several recipes show the stages of the recipe. So to meet the cost issue, I can only do one book at a time. It makes me sad to have to choose. Which would you do?

Another possibility is in presales. By preselling the book, it's possible to help offset the costs. But again, we're looking at the costs times two. In the meantime, I'm trying to decide on a solid company that will meet my needs with this series. Not an easy task. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences in choosing a company. I'm considering Westbow, Create Space, and open to others that allow me to have my design inside versus the cookbook template style designs. Remember I need to print full color.

Have you ever thought of self-publishing?
If you did, what would you publish?

Angie

Battle Your Inner Pirates and win!

Today I sent the class introduction for Battle Your Inner Pirates and win! to the members of the American Christian Fiction Writers free online class.

ACFW offers free courses 10 of the 12 months to its members. We have about 1900 members now and many love to take advantage of this free benefit. If you are not a member, you can join by going to www.acfw.com and then after signing up, you can find the course links on the member home page to join the classes.

I'll be teaching a one week course starting tomorrow so you have time to join ACFW if you want to take it :-)

As a life coach, I help people battle their internal pirates--all those negative attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that hold you back from reaching your goals and dreams.

Our topics this week will be:
Monday - Friday instruction days. Tuesday/Thursday discussion. I teach this in 17 chapters or in life coaching at your personal pace. It's obvious we can't do it all, so we will do our best to do justice to what we can. We'll try for 3 of the topics and a quick wrap up on Saturday.

Consider this as a way to find what is blocking you, yes, but also consider it a study in characterization. If your main character were going through some of these mental/spiritual issues, how would they respond?

Be sure to make notes on a different sheet than your personal journal for your character's responses. By doing this, you allow your character to answer differently and grow or become more complicated.

As you work through those pirates that hold you back from your goals, you will be battling for a gem of wisdom. Our goal this week is to win 3 for your treasure chest!

We will deal with these battles on M-W-F:
1. Reframing-- Our Pirates: Rumination, Destructive Scripts, & Assumptions -- Awarded Gemstone: Garnet
2. Ownership vs. Empathy-- Our Pirates: Ownership-- Awarded Gemstone: Opal
3. Courage-- Our Pirates: Fear & Short term thinking -- Awarded Gemstone: Obsidian

Here's a glimpse our treasure hunt together. You may find some of these landmarks mapping the journey in our class this week. It's based on life coaching from, Insanity Rules: Gems of Wisdom, while we battle those internal pirates that hold us back from reaching our goals:

Pique Points: Thought-provoking questions to discuss.

Ponder Points: Tidbits to entice an open mind.

Personal Places: I may share a tender and true story, from the heart of a research volunteer, shared to help others.

Pirates: Those cutthroat negative attitudes, situations and feelings that get in the way of healthy living and healthy writing presented through fictional allegory. In this one week class, we won't be able to deal with all of them, so we will give our attention to the three listed.

Putting It All Together: Tying all the loose ends together in each lesson so it’s easy to understand and easy to then put into practice.

Polishing Point: Real life options to solve real life dilemmas and suggestions on how to put them into practice.

Gems: Gems of wisdom awarded as new concepts are learned along the treasure hunt route.

Definitions: A little more perspective on some words and ideas.

Tips: Tried and true, these are little gem chips that have worked for others. AND these may very well come from you or your classmates!

Ahoy there, Matey. Welcome aboard.

If you are more interested in personal life coaching rather than the spin towards writers, you can contact me here or go to the www.MyGemofWisdom.com site for more information.

Biga Pizza for a Biga Cause Mrs. Montana International Appearance

Lots of people have asked me about my appearances. Why I do so many and work so hard. For me, my heart is impassioned to raise up other people so that they have the opportunity to make their mark on the world too.

My husband and I agreed long ago that we want to support children's causes. That's where our hearts are and what can make us cry or laugh.

Tip: You can find your own passion by paying attention to what makes you cry and laugh. Take that a step farther and ask yourself what really makes your blood boil. Those things that grab your emotions long term are your passions and possibly a link to your life purpose. I say long term because anyone can be swayed for a few minutes. Really examine what strikes you over and over again.

So let's have fun with the fund raiser for the Neema Children's Home!

We had a $10 all you can eat pizza in downtown Missoula to raise money to build a well for the Neema Children's Center in Kenya. The kids roll 50 gallon drums a mile to the river, fill them, and roll them a mile home each day for drinking water. There are 167 children in the orphanage at last count.


Of the $40, 000 raised, we have $11,000 to go. The fund raiser was such a success we are going to do another pizza fund raiser in late September for the well. The event was super crowded and very fun.


I walked all over downtown into stores and visited with people to invite them to eat with me. And they came in droves!

One fellow paid double to help the children, one car load couldn't come but because I stopped to talk to their children, the grandma pressed $10 on me to give to the Kenyan kiddos!

Some young men biking across country met me by the County courthouse and called their friends to come to eat. We filled the restaurant with a line out the door! It was very, very exciting.

No-Cost Big Reward Father's Day Gift Ideas

By: Sharon Lovejoy Autry and Laurie Lovejoy Autry

There we sat at dinner - a time that, in my mind, is supposed to be calm and non-stressful. (I've heard food digests better.) But, after a draining workday, little things can seem huge. The kids were planning yet another summer business endeavor which crawled all over my husband. He began lecturing the negatives of such an endeavor...point 1, point 2...I felt like we were in a business meeting. I must have rolled my eyes. I glanced at my daughter who wasn't listening to her father. She was looking at me. Her response to point 1 and 2: rolling her eyes.

Children do what we do . . . Boy, that's a scary thought for me. How do you treat your husband? Do you respect him with your words, actions, attitudes, eyes? I struggle sometimes when I feel so justified in my disrespect. Can you relate? I think the best thing we as moms can do to help our children to respect their dad is to treat him with respect ourselves. Here are some Father's Day (and everyday) tips to help our children respect their fathers:

A compliment a day goes a long way! Brag on your husband in front of your children (and in front of him).
Show me the love! Let your children know how much you love their daddy. Show affection in front of your children. They may say, "Yuck!" but it provides much needed security for their lives.

Instead of being put-out -Pray! Include your children in praying for dad's job, leadership, etc. Give him grace . . . Show him grace even when he doesn't deserve it . . . remember, neither do we. Nehemiah 9:17b says "But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love."

Phone Manners. Next time you are in the middle of something and your husband calls you on the phone, be aware of your tone of voice, are you respectful? . . . little ears may be listening and learning.

"Daddy's Home!" Be as excited to see your husband when he comes home from work as your children are! Make yourself stop what you are doing to greet him.

Choose your battles -When you think your husband is being unfair (and it's a battle you need to fight) talk to your husband in private; listen first and speak last. Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."

Try these no-cost (big rewards) Father's Day gift ideas and see if it proves to be the gift that truly keeps on giving!


About the authors:
Laurie Lovejoy Hilliard and Sharon Lovejoy Autry are wives, moms, sisters and great friends. They are the founders of Mom and Loving It Ministries whose mission is to provide hope for families by encouraging and equipping moms. After these sisters and their families toured 40 states speaking and singing to thousands of moms, they settled in the North Texas area near their hometown of Whitesboro.

They've been featured on numerous TV and radio shows and have written Mom and Loving It: Finding Contentment in REAL Life, and Hold You, Mommy: Moments with God for Moms on the Go. Their musical CD, Hold You, Mommy has encouraged thousands. Laurie and her husband Charles, have four children, Sharon and her husband Pat, have three.

This twosome inspires audiences at their Mom and Loving It Conferences to move from simply enduring motherhood to enjoying it. Through their genuine hearts and relatable stories, moms are put at ease and challenged to be a "Mom and Loving It!"

To find out more about using their books as studies in your ladies group, having them for a conference or to sign up for a free monthly Mom-e-Moment visit them at http://www.momandlovingit.org

What Guides Your Personal and Business Choices?

For me, it is adding value to the lives of others in any way I can. Whether choosing a jewelry designer or writing the first book in the Gems of Wisdom series, I am driven to make my decisions based on the effect and reach that choice will have on the future and my life's legacy.


I have been working with Pamba Toto Jewelry to design a specific line for Gems of Wisdom. I asked lots of questions, but ultimately chose this company because of the effective change they are creating not only in Kenya, but around the world. Yes, I wanted unusual pieces. Yes, I wanted to provide quality and value. More important though, I felt the pull toward making a choice that would involve adding value to the lives of others.

These are children in the Mathare Valley Slum in Kenya. The volunteer is on a mission with an organization that leads a group into this area every summer.

Pamba Toto Jewelry came out of hearts of two women wanting to make a bigger imprint on the lives they could reach. The children in Kenya and Third World single moms trying to keep their kids. These moms may live in Greece, hill tribes of Thailand, Ghana, Kenya, or any other under developed nation with less than fair situations for women in the workplace. Many are starving and either watch their children die or have to give them up. Fair Trade companies now teaches ceramic bead making, sterling silver workmanship and how to run a small family business so these women receive honest pay for a day's work. And I get to be a part of that mission as well as draw lovely others into being a part of that by supporting the sales of Fair Trade and the Sanctuary of Hope orphanages in Nairobi.


Not only do they take the children into a home with a mother and father,but they are encouraged to make that their home. (I know one couple is a local Kenyan pastor and his wife who accepted the call as their mission field. They could have pastored a church, but they chose to raise up the next generation!)The second orphanage was only able to start because of the profits Pamba Toto earned. And that excites me!

These kiddos are often orphaned in the slums. Pamba Toto has already established two orphanages from the proceeds of their jewelry sales with more planned. Ten or so children per home complete with real parents and not overwhelmed staff as in state run orphanages. More to come? That's a mission I want to be part of with Gems of Wisdom.

By using a company that has an amazing impact on the lives of Kenyan orphans and single moms paid through Fair Trade bead making, I am able to provide a superior gemstone line of necklaces, earrings and bracelets to my customers.


I could have chosen anyone, any company based on price. Sure. But I choose the company that can provide the essence of life to people around the world. Now I have a small ripple effect too. My choices add value to other people's lives.

One other tidbit: All Pamba Toto jewelry is one of a kind and numbered for collectors. You can visit their site and see the samples that your pieces will closely resemble made with a myriad of real gems and creative artisan workmanship. It's spectacular.

I'm proud to announce Pamba Toto is my new supplier for the Gems of Wisdom premium line of jewelry. I'm working hard with my web guru to create links on my website www.AngelaBreidenbach.com (due for public release in April) as he works on an entirely new website for the Gems of Wisdom business. I am so excited! The new website's target date is July 1st.

What guides my personal and business choices? The long term goals that seem to be built into my DNA. I measure each decision against those parameters. If the choice would take me off on a tangent, I don't do it. I think about the legacy I want to leave behind.

Have you determined the legacy you want to leave behind?

Do you measure your choices against that yard stick?

Angie

What Purpose Were You Made For?

We have a college age daughter who is wondering right now how to find her passion and purpose in life. She asked me recently how I found mine.

After lots of conversation, it really came down to the journey.

I think too many times we feel we should know right now what we are supposed to do. But even though writing and speaking are in my DNA, I still had to explore life a while before I settled into my focus and purpose.

So here I am in my mid-forties discovering the adventure of my own purpose while my college age daughter is beginning the search for hers. I had to tell her not to worry about finding it immediately.

It's important to explore, work in a few different interests, work if you must in a job you don't like in order to get the funds to explore. But consider that job a springboard into a search for the calling. As long as you have something to pay the bills, you will have the opportunity to search.

I think it is very important to have a positive mental attitude even in a job that isn't the place you want to be long term. Why? You never know who you will meet or how that particular situation comes into play later. You always want the people you work with and for to be glad they knew you. Besides, a job is a blessing and gives you the ability to bless others by doing that chore well.

We all have to do things we don't like. Things that look and feel like plain old boring stuff. But when you polish a plain old boring rock, you can make it shimmer and shine. So polish up that attitude and do what you have to do so you have the chance to do what you want to do in the future. Make people glad you are there so that you hear about those special ideas and possibilities that are just perfect for your personality. (I actually did get a different job that way once. Someone watched the way I handled customers at a very uncomfortable position. When a better one came open at a different company, they told me about it right away. Voila! I had a better, happier place to work because I did the best I could where I was at.)

So what if you don't know your purpose?

You explore, keep your mind in a positive place, do the best you can do right now in the situation you are in, and leap when the chance comes. But if you are negative, that chance may pass on to someone else.

Polish your plain old rocks and make them shine so they catch attention :-D
Angie

Organizing-the beginning

It's a funny word-organizing. I just imagine a three year old trying to pronounce it. It's a funny word.

Organizing is a concept that people understand, but don't really understand unless they are gifted with the ability. Some of us have to push through the lack of gifting ;-) I have to go down to spartan to build it into what I want or all I have is a mish-mash. You can't get any more spartan that the way my office looked last year before our Japanese exchange student stayed with us for 7 months.

Many people have mentioned to me that they think I am well organized. (Pssst, don't talk to my hubby because he just might laugh.) The truth? I have had to learn things that help me cope because I am more the "big picture" person and not the detail oriented type.

So if you are detail oriented and very organized, I invite you to share your tips on how to keep paperwork, kitchens, families or where ever your gifting lies for organization with me. I'm always looking for another good idea right down to cleaning out my bookshelves and reorganizing them.

Right now I'm tackling paperwork, insurance and recreating my office space on top of my duties as a volunteer officer for American Christian Fiction Writers and my Assistant Minister position at church (and on top of our family owned business.) I know, I know. sigh. I can't do it all at once. So I will take it one at a time. This week is insurance from 2008 which will lead to paperwork and then to creating my office environment in a now vacant upstairs bedroom.

The tips I can share?

Make a list and mark it off. I do this to remember or I am easily distracted.
Live out of my day timer. I do this because if I don't, lol, I don't remember. (The daily list goes right in my month at a glance.)
Work on one thing at a time. I do this because I am too easily distracted and otherwise can't finish.
If it is complicated I write it out until I "get it."
Once I have an idea of the steps I need to take, I delegate ruthlessly in order to be more effective. Luckily, right now I have an awesome office assistant/dispatcher. But what happens when she takes vacation or maternity leave? Ack!

So please, your turn to share :-)
Angie

High Emotional Content

Christmas is just days away. This is a very difficult time for a lot of people. Several people in our community have passed away. Many families, friends and business people are grieving over the loss of these loved ones from accidents and sudden unexpected natural death.

Do you think they see the holidays the same as the harried mom rushing to buy presents? Do you think those harried moms feel the same as an executive worrying over the health of his business in this economy?

Grief is so difficult at this time when people expect to have super happy times. Our expectations get a little whacked out. That's really it, isn't it? Our expectations rule above logic.

Sometimes when this happens, our impatience and emotions get a little extreme as well. I'd like to offer a little tip in dealing with the high emotions of the holidays.

Think about the owl  and the monkey in a tree. Owl sits there watching with big round eyes. Monkey starts screeching at the invasion and jumps into the melee'. Suddenly the other monkeys do the same thing. They're all drawn into the commotion.

But Owl, he just sits and waits and watches all the monkeys act crazy. Nothing solved, lots of bruising and distrust. He waits it out. He is not the cause of the problem nor does he own the problem. Owl remains quiet and at ease.

During this time, when emotions get the best of someone in your path, instead of reacting like a monkey that jumps off the branch and into the fiasco, be like the owl and watch.

Watching does a couple of things for us. It makes us think about what we see happening and it keeps us quiet so we don't make assumptions. (Oh, yes, you know what that means...)

Watching the situation, without jumping into a highly emotionally packed issue, maintains peace. It's in that sense of peace, where confusion does not reign, that good things happen.

 

Be an owl. Maybe you can offer a suggestion and maybe all you need to do is gently listen. 

Angie

What happened to our social security system?

I've been listening to the news over the last few years bemoan the fact that our Social Security is in dire trouble as the Baby Boomers begin to leave the workforce.

We've been having trouble in many different areas as these Baby Boomers leave their jobs because the skilled labor force isn't being replaced either. 

As a business owner in the skilled trades, our company is feeling the pinch of a smaller and smaller pool to draw on as we attempt to fill positions. Other business owners feel the same way across the country in the skilled labor trades. I hear them talk about it at every conference or seminar I attend. I've even written about it in a past post last year!

I had a thought strike me recently. I don't mean it just popped into my head. I mean it almost knocked me down as I realized the magnitude of the concept.

This isn't a right or left wing comment either, so calm down there folks. 

This is simply a recognition of an observation. Anyone can see it. But every time I mention it, each person literally stops walking or talking and stares at me for a full second. 

So that old saying, stopped dead in their tracks, works here. Then I get the exact same comment from each person.

What is my observation?

We don't have a generation to follow us into the work force because we didn't birth the millions of people it would take to keep our workforce going. Whether you believe in abortion or don't believe in it, a non-issue for this purpose. It is a fact that millions of babies were legally aborted since Roe versus Wade entered our legal lives. It is a fact.

This is not a political or religious statement, so please don't go all "postal" on me. Whether you believe abortion should or shouldn't be a legal part of our society isn't the issue at all in this particular discussion. Keep reading and see why . . .

The issue is merely the observation that we have created our own shortage of workers to replace the outgoing workers. We have subsequently cut out from under our elderly, the workforce that would have paid into the Social Security fund.

I know there are other issues involved in why our social security system isn't working too. Again, not the point here.

But it really stunned me when I acknowledged the loss of all those creative and capable people that were never born. It stunned me, the sheer magnitude of an entire lost workforce. It shocked me to realize that our economy has and will suffer from what cannot be.

I just never thought of it that way before.

And that's the same comment I've heard from other people and it doesn't matter which side of the issue they belong to at all. It simply is a fact that there are not millions of people in various stages of experience and adulthood that might have been here to replace those that retire, that pay taxes and social security, and that support their families in old age or even that tithe to the local churches.

Again, this post is not about politics or the right of a woman or whether abortion is murder, this post is about acknowledging  an observation. An observation of choices. We make choices and we live with the consequences of those choices good, bad or unseen.

I find it fascinating that decisions we make can turn out decades later to still have powerful ramifications. (You can put divorce or any major decision here. Things haunt us as we age if we had to make tough choices. Sometimes choices are hard and the best of a tough choice still has ultimate results.)

This is just one real life example that caught me off guard. 

I'm the tail end of the Baby Boomers watching from a unique place as my generation retires and very few come in to replace a multitude. I'm an employer fighting to find workers. I'm the sandwiched woman trying to care for her aging relatives and finish raising kids still at home. I'm the middle aged adult listening to the concerns of those already in the social security system and the fears of those who may not get to use it after having their money taken paycheck after paycheck their entire professional life. I'm not unique in these things.

From the vantage point of age looking back, I think we might see things differently. We as Baby Boomers have contributed to the fact that we have less of a base beneath us now. In our quest for riches, we began limiting ourselves to 2.1 children as an average. We didn't foresee the result we would feel as an aging adult. We saw our own family at the time, our own immediate needs. We didn't foresee how the lack of numbers would affect us 30-40 years later when we would need all the members of society entering the workforce to help balance the needs of those leaving it.

Have you ever thought about it that way?

Angie 

Funny Disasters

I have mentioned loving to try new things. I am quite an adventurous soul, especially where food is concerned.

So for Thanksgiving this year, I tried a lot of new things. Some turned out really well and some, well, didn't.

Petit Fours are a must on our holiday table. I'd recently read the fun book, Bon Apetite, where the heroine is an expert at making the little cakes.

Quick definition on Angie-isms: Y-e-a-h is a long, drawn out yeah. Make sure you drop the notes in the sound to fall out and down your knees like a jazz slide. It makes the word have a much more satirical meaning. You can raise your eyebrows and give a little look of disbelief at the same time for extra emphasis.

So I looked up how. Y-e-a-h, it looked like someone of my advanced ability could achieve. I mean really, I've been baking at an advanced level for quite some time. I looked up fondant recipes and chose a pourable frosting. Heh-heh-heh. 

Y-e-a-h, not such a good idea. Of course, it would have been better if I'd have made more of a pound cake. But no. I wanted to try a new orange poppyseed cake idea at the same time. Mm, hmm. You got it. The cake was too light and too tall. When I horizontally cut it into 3 layers and frosted the inside layers with buttercream frosting and jellies, that almost worked. The portion I tried layering with buttercream and chopped chocolate chips, not so much. They kept falling out the sides.

Then I forgot to pour the orange syrup over the top. I remembered after frosting the buttercream layer. But of course, I had the solution. I flipped each portion of the cake upside down onto wax paper. Then I poured the orange simple syrup over the whole cake, cut the inch by inch sized cubes, tucked a toothpick into each square and froze the entire sheet cake.

I made the pourable fondant. Pulled out my tiny orange confections and began dipping the 1 inch squares into the warm frosting. Well, that was the idea. But most of them stuck to the wax paper as the buttercream bottom had become a tasty glue. Y-e-a-h. sigh. Oh, did I mention that the simple syrup made the bottom (new top) of my petit fours mushy enough to slide down the toothpick? Y-e-a-h. (Are you doing that jazz slide with your voice?)

Chocolate chips and poppy seeds fell into the frosting like leaves falling off the trees while frosting plopped in huge drops onto the tray. That wasn't working. Hmm. I tried the jellied versions. Hmm. I pulled out a kitchen knife and attempted to frost each little side and top. Frosting dripped everywhere running down my hands like I'd dipped into a bucket of paint.

I tried. It was a disaster and looked like something a toddler had made. One of my little creations appeared to be the Leaning Tower of Pizza, another looked like a miniature Mount Rushmore, one had fallen over and another committed hari kari as I watched. sigh.

My attempt to hand-make my family's favorite holiday tradition looked like a play dough, finger paint and mud pie experiment all in one.

So I did what anyone would do . . . I reasoned that if it tasted good, then all would be well. Y-e-a-h. They were so sweet my teeth ached and my tongue tried to back up in reverse at a break neck speed! 

Ufta! (Something like oh my goodness in Swedish.) My throat scratched and my head ached. The recipe did call for 6 cups of powdered sugar.

Oh if that were my only cooking disaster this holiday. sigh. But no . . . remember I'm adventurous.

I undercooked the turkey and had to microwave it in pieces. (You should have seen my hubby and sister-in-law's looks of pure horror! I think that she actually blanched.) The sad thing is I make a really decent Sage/Garlic Herbed Turkey--normally. 

One thing turned out better than all the rest. I tried a new sweet potato recipe. I poured orange juice over the sweet potatoes and then an apple pie style crumble topping of melted butter, brown sugar and flour. I baked them for 30 minutes and then topped them lightly with mini marshmallows. I browned the marshmallows just like tradition demands.

The one dish usually passed and passed and passed was suddenly a hit. One of our relatives in an intense fight for her life had lost weight from cancer to a dangerous level. (We cheer when she can eat.) She ate TWO helpings of the sweet potato concoction.

Isn't it interesting that the thing you usually place as most important can become the least and the least expected, the most mundane, can teach us so much?

We Snoopy danced in the kitchen over sweet potatoes and suddenly the disastrous petit fours and dismal microwaved turkey became so unimportant. Miniscule. We found deep joy in sweet potatoes of all things because they would prove to be the stuff of hope.

Guess what new recipe will have great memories attached from now on? :-)

Oh, and the petit fours? We'll get some for Christmas Tea. You know the kind, they come in a box in lovely assortments of colors and flavors. And we'll serve sweet potatoes with orange sauce and apple pie style crumbly topping.

Angie