Have you ever heard of...

...Peer-parenting?

Wonders will never cease. I was just casuallly looking through a  newspaper and noticed the term "peer-parenting." It was defined as: "Talking like a peer but acting like a parent."

I can't imagine why any parent would want to talk to their child as if they are the child's peer. Is it to use adult "peer-pressure" on their child(ren) or to dilute the impact of actual peer-pressure on their children? I know God invites us to come & reason with Him (Isa 1:18a)
...but we know that does not make us God. He is not peer-parenting so where would anyone have come up with such an absurd idea from? I was really saddened when I saw this quote: "The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children."* While I agree with the fact of the quote, I  disagree that is is impressive - it is a rather depressing reality...possibly proliferated with the current "peer-parenting" concept.

The minute we make the mistake of mixing parenting with trying to be our child's friend, we're going down the wrong path. Now there is benefit in being friendly with your children - & that's not the same as being your child's friend. In 1994, President Bill Clinton declared the 4th Sunday of July (last Sunday) as "Parents' Day" as a way of "recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children." It goes without saying that parents i.e. female mother and male father both play a fundamental role in raising balanced children - neither a child, his/her siblings nor their peers have the experience to raise them right.

Being a parent is a privilege and responsibility we must never take lightly...so, please don't.

Source:
*Edward, Duke of Windsor, Look, 5 March 1957

F.R.U.I.T.

We've talked about "Eating fruit" over the past couple of weeks & there's still a lot to be said. As we wrap it up for now, I'd like you to remember that the best kinds of fruit are FRUIT:

Fresh - fresh nutrients are better than stale ones...
Ripe - unripe fruit is hard to digest; some are curative*
Uncooked - the first thing you lose when you cook fruit is the best part of it - the nutrients. Why lose benefits?
Identifiable - looking or even smelling like fruit doesn't make it fruit...I know someone who said her child loves fruits and started giving her child fruit gummies/candy. I couldn't understand why anyone will substitute the real thing for a "dummy" - in this case it was a gummy.
Taint-free - avoid fruits that are rotting or rotten

I pray you have a Fruity, but more importantly, a Fruit-ful & Fruit-filled life...God bless

To read some more about fruits, check out:
*http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/unripened_fruit
http://www.fruitsinfo.com/uses_of_fruits.htm
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/top_25_healthy_fruits_blueberries_apples_cherries_bananas_and_21_more_healthy_picks.php

Déjà vu with a difference

Something interesting happened to me today...

I made a reservation for a particular type of room only to be told that I needed to be "down-graded" due to the fact that my preferred type of room was no longer available when I went to check-in. My initial reaction was almost anger - then I caught myself...afterall, it was just for one night so what was the point of getting upset?

When walking to the office, it just hit me...this was déjà vu with a difference- I'll explain...

Noah's Ark

A few months ago, I was working on something when "Noah's ark" dropped in my heart.

There are so many lessons we can learn from that real-life story - what an experience it must have been for Noah & his family! Imagine it! Some of us may have seen the over 10-year old email titled: 

"Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark!" before. I'll use a some of the points there and share 2 of mine.

Eating fruit (3)

Time for the last set of "bites"...for now

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher.. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. (Now, this is news to me too). Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. I remember being advised against eating the guava seed- not sure why but I still enjoy guavas - red, white and all the seeds inside. Guava juice is yummy too.

Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes. (Papaya, as you can see from the picture is the same thing as Pawpaw) I also found out that: Pawpaw/Papaya's "antioxidant content is higher when fully ripened and soft. It may be helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease due to the fact that they are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A, through its concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoid phytonutrients."*

There are so many other fruits...and I believe that God expects us to take Him literally too when He commanded us to "be fruitful"** (i.e. full of fruit). So I encourage you to try out different ones available where you live (or visit). You can also research and share the benefits of those fruits with the rest of us...and "multiply"** the knowledge.

God bless.

References
*http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/11/the-wonderful-health-benefits-of-paw-paw/
**Gen 1:28

Tick-tock

Tick Tock, Tick Tock,

Glancing up at the clock,
The sound it makes resounds within,

So many mixed messages lie therein.

Tock Tick, Tock Tick,

Does time move on slow or quick?

Looking back, time is passing all too fast,

And yet it crawls by when we’d like it to pass.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

That sound gives quite a shock,

When there are so many things we need to do,

Yet the day's gone by, it's almost through.

Your mother doesn't work here...

Last week I saw an unusually direct notice in an office coffee/tea station/kitchenette.
It said:

Your mother doesn't work here

Clean up after yourself

Do your own dishes

My first reaction was amusement. I was amused that with how polite people try to be, this was one time when it was important to set clear rules. Within seconds, my amusement turned into annoyance. In fact, I felt personally insulted as a mother because it meant that the expectation (of whoever wrote/thought up that sign) was that mothers "naturally" clean up after their family and others...Let me tell you why the sign felt like a direct insult.

Eating fruit (2)

Some more...
When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body.. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look! (I recommend this)

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke. (One thing I like about apples is that they come in 3 colours and also different shades- so you can choose the colour you prefer...)

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit.. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals. (That must explain why they are so expensive...though extremely yummy)

Ok, that's enough for now...

Let's all chew on this - and actually chew some of these...till the next set of "bites"...

Eating fruit...

I got this email a while ago & I don't know who the author is but I checked on some of the information there and took out the parts that were not true/proven - in case this looks different from the "original" version if you ever received it. It's long and informative so I'll break it up into "chewable" sizes....(comments in green, italics & pictures, mine)

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat. What is the correct way of eating fruits?

It means not eating fruits after your meals! Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach. (I didn't know that - did you?) If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. (Now that was made me keep reading...hope you will too).

Wonder of Water...

Happy New Month! As we get into the warmer months, besides drinking lots of water during the day, I recommend we take heed to this short & sharp email I received (comments in green and picture, mine):

Water before Bedtime (Author unknown)

About 90% of heart attacks occur early in the morning and it can be minimised if one takes a glass or two of water NOT grog or beer before retiring in the evening. (Note: Christians, should not even be talking about grog, beer, or any other alcoholic drink for that matter - that's how the email came)

I knew water is important but I never knew about the special times to drink it. Did you??

Drinking water at the correct time maximises its effectiveness on the human body:
-1 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
-1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion.
-1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
-1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

In addition to drinking physical water, let's remember the spiritual water - that washes us through and through (Eph 5:26)