15 minute read
THE SMELL OF SUCCESS Salt Soap Co
from V14I5 V2
by kn creative
soap. We’re competitive like that.”
The soaps at Salt Soap Co. have a distinctive look. Colette explains the design process. “We decide how we design our soaps by how the fragrance smells out of the bottle. For instance, a light floral fragrance I would imagine having light pink or soft yellow, or both. A coffee or espresso fragrance we’d obviously make different shades of brown and incorporate some tan or a cream color and because coffee grounds are used as a mild exfoliant in bath and beauty products, they’re added to our soap for both an exfoliant as well as design. Our fragrances are critical to our design, and sometimes the fragrance itself can completely dictate whether it’s a detailed one.”
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Soaps are not the only products available at their store or through their website (www.SaltSoapCo. com). Along with goat’s milk soaps, they sell bath salts, bath bombs, face scrub, foaming sugar scrub, shower steamers, bubble bars, solid shampoo & conditioner bars, lip balm, hand sanitizer, wax melts, linen spray, body balm, and moisturizing body oils. They also have an entire men’s line of products such as beard oil, beard soap, shave soap, and an entire table of men’s fragranced soaps.
Since the beginning, Colette has maintained consistency in her products as well as her approach to business.
“We have been blessed to have the best customers literally from the very beginning. Even throughout COVID, our customers appreciate being able to get quality bath products and down-home service right around the corner. I can’t express just how much my customers have lifted me and supported us, both as a small business, and throughout some pretty big life changes. During the start of COVID, we were able to keep our doors open because we were “essential”. Our customers did not disappoint. We were able to provide free delivery within city limits as well as curb-side services for those apprehensive or at risk to come inside.”
Without a doubt, Salt Soap Co. is experiencing the sweet smell of success. Brent Davis
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What Consumes Your Mind?
By P.J. Noland, Lead Pastor at Collective Church
“…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5.
Have you ever paid attention to how much media you consume every day? How much news do you watch or read? How much time do you spend scrolling social media platforms? How many shows have you binge-watched lately?
I’m sure you’ve noticed how consumed people are with news sources and other media outlets. I get it; at times it’s extremely difficult not to be captivated by all the news around the world. In 2020, while people were at home social distancing or in quarantine, many suddenly had time to be immersed in more media. To stay informed about COVID-19, the election, and the racial tensions in our nation, I began to watch and read the news more than I ever had before.
But, as the days of 2020 turned into weeks and the weeks into months, I realized I was feeling anxious, depressed, and discouraged. As I engaged with others in my church and friends in the community, I realized that they had similar feelings—feelings of fear and thoughts of doubt.
While connecting with people and reflecting on my own life, it became clear that many of God’s people, myself included, were forgetting what His Word tells us: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8.
As we near the end of 2021 and begin making plans for 2022, what if you made the decision now to filter what you allow your eyes to see and your mind to think about? What if you made a choice to think on the spiritual things of God and less on things of the world?
I believe this begins by making the decision to meet with the Lord, daily, in His Word. After all, the Lord tells us, “All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16–17.
I can confidently express that you can trust His word always to be right, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent. His Word will never fail to point you to the one, Jesus Christ, who is worthy of praise. God’s word will enable you to filter what you set your heart and mind upon. He will equip you for productive living and train you in righteousness.
So, as the time ticks onward, please allow me to remind you of this timeless truth: “Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever he does prospers.” Psalms 1:1–3..
In Perfect Harmony
By Gina Simpson, Gina’s Catering/Grab & Go
While many see food as a gateway to the sense of taste, when done correctly it can open the pathway to an experience rich with all five: taste, touch, smell, sight and sound.
I remember as a child waking up to the smell of a homemade breakfast my mother was making before school, the sweet scent of cinnamon rolls and the sound of crackling bacon making itself known as I walked into the kitchen. Seeing my mom drizzle the sweet, homemade icing on the fresh cinnamon rolls, like the professionals do in fancy cooking shows, while sneaking a crispy piece of bacon from the plate behind her and trying to stealthily wipe the grease onto her apron.
As she begins to wrap up her cooking, I set the table with our favorite dish set and bring the platters of food for our Southern breakfast mini-buffet. Our family gathers and my father says our daily prayer at the head of the table, and the second it is concluded with the family “Amen,” my siblings and I immediately dig in. I quickly grab the prettiest looking cinnamon roll that I’d had my eye on since we sat
down, battering away at the hands of my siblings reaching for the same one. The saltiness of the bacon mixed with its satisfying crunch makes me appreciate these family meals and times spent in the kitchen, which would later lead to my career. Looking back on these memories of family banter and homecooked meals, Pumpkin Bread INGREDIENTS • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off • 1/2 tsp salt • 1 tsp baking soda • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp ground cloves • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp ground nutmeg • 1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened • 2 cups sugar • 2 large eggs • 1 15-oz can 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby’s)
SERVINGS 2 LOAVES PREP TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 30 MIN DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour (alternatively, use a baking spray with flour in it, such as Pam with Flour or Baker’s Joy). 2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside. 3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and curdled at this point -- that’s okay. 4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. 5. Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 6. Fresh out of the oven,the loaves have a deliciously crisp crust. If they last beyond a day, you can toast individual slices to get the same fresh-baked effect.
COOK TIME 65 MINUTES
I enjoy being able to recreate those moments with a family of my own, as well as helping other families create their own memories and traditions through my catering business.
Now I spend my time in the kitchen with my own daughter, recreating and passing on the memories I had as a child, hoping she can do the same. We create our own experiences making passed-down recipes we tweak to make our own, continuing the family banter over who gets the best cinnamon roll and spending quality time with family at the breakfast table.
Along with spending time with my own family, being able to donate breakfast food to schools for class events, catering weddings and family events helps tie together good memories with a good background—the things you shouldn’t need to worry about if your main focus is reconnecting with friends and family, or getting married— to help other people reminisce the next time they take a bite of crunchy bacon or smell a sweet cinnamon roll.
Helping people share these experiences with their families while I do so with my own is one of many factors that pushed me to create my catering business. Building this company has allowed me to bring people together in the ways I want my family to be brought together: with food, fun, and quality family time.
Food is a way to bring together all five senses to a place of harmony. Without smell, there is no taste. Watching your mom make breakfast for the family makes you appreciate it so much more. The smell and sound of cracking bacon with the oven preheat “beep” being what gets you out of bed in the morning. The feel of holding hands with your family while blessing the food before you end up sticky-fingered and covered in cinnamon, icing and bacon grease. It’s almost like the senses are another happy family; when they’re all together, good memories are to be made, while eating good food at the table with those you love.
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By: Justin S. Elrod, Certified Elder Law Attorney, The Elrod Firm
Michael Jackson’s music video for the song “Thriller” was one of the most influential in history. Jackson himself transformed into not one, but two terrifying beings—a werecat and a zombie—and a number of other frightening creatures made appearances as well. Vincent Price, a horror film legend at the time, provided a chilling voiceover. The combination of the plot, the sounds, the costumes, and the graphics prompted Jackson to insist on including a disclaimer at the beginning of the video that said, “Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult.” The video was a groundbreaking artistic success.
Despite costing an unprecedented (at the time) $900,000 to produce, the video was a huge financial success as well. It pushed the album that shared its name to become the highest selling in history, with estimates in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. The album was nominated for 12 Grammys and won eight, another record. Even the documentary about its production, “The Making of Thriller,” sold a million copies. People regularly recreate the iconic dance scenes to this day, and most would recognize the song after only two notes.
But as groundbreaking and lucrative as it was, if you look up the description of the song, “Thriller,” on Wikipedia, here’s what you’ll learn:
“Thriller” is a post-disco/funk song. Set in the key of E major, the song has a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. The lyrics and sound effects on “Thriller” pertain to frightful elements and themes.
Not particularly thrilling. Sometimes the substance of a thing is hard to describe in basic terms. Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to comprehend its value.
This concept extends into my field of estate planning more than you might expect. I’ve grown intentionally repetitive with my use of the phrase, “you need a plan.” I even made that the title to my book. But the truth is, simply declaring, “I have a plan,” without going deeper is about as helpful as You need a plan, but not just any plan. Failing to plan is scary, but so is relying on a plan destined to fail.
describing “Thriller” as a song set in E major. It doesn’t tell you much.
The top estate-planning goal for most families is to stay out of probate court, but a plan that relies solely on a last will and testament won’t do that. A will is actually a set of instructions to the judge who will handle your probate, not a tool to help you stay out of probate. You must go further to meet the goal of probate avoidance. And you should—the probate process is not something I’d wish on any family.
Another goal for many families is asset protection from the rising costs of long-term care, but almost no typical estate plan will do that. It takes specialized planning to shelter
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assets from nursing home and other long-term care costs. But many think what they’ve done—created a revocable trust, for instance—will do the trick. There’s nothing scarier than facing imminent major longterm care costs thinking you’re protected and learning at the last minute that you’re not. No estate plan is very valuable to a family if there’s no estate left to pass on because of debilitating healthcare costs late in life.
There are a lot of songs set in the key of E major, even some with a tempo of 120 beats per minute, but that doesn’t make them “Thriller.” There are a lot of people who can honestly say they have an “estate plan.” But that doesn’t mean they have a good plan, a thorough plan, a plan that will come through for their family when life hits. Unfortunately, many plans are not actually designed to meet the goals their creators had in mind when they finally sat down to put something in writing.
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