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The Santa Fe Good News Magazine (409) 370-0030 P. O. Box 515 Santa Fe, TX 77510 Email us at: lynn@santafegoodnews.com www.santafegoodnews.com
We want to make a difference in this world we live in... The magazine, the newsletter and our website are dedicated to spreading the gospel in an uncommon way. We want to make God easily accessible to everyone. Because... The struggle is real, we all feel it. Every day the battle continues, but we must never lose sight of the prize; eternal life. We need to band together and help each other to carry on. The Good News exists to encourage you to continue to keep on fighting the GOOD fight of faith. And today as always, we aim to help you win!
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Do you have a few dollars a month you can spare to help some kids? 2 Santa Fe Goodtell you where your heart is." "Where you spend your dollar will always News
One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call Mom and Dad. ~Jim DeMint
Grace
NEED Some GOOD Gift Ideas?
Happy MOTHER’S DAY! Buy her a “Mothers Ring”... 1. It’s beautiful. 2. It’s a beautiful reminder of what was probably the hardest job she has ever held. 3. It’s jewelry, which lasts forever. 4. You can engrave it to make it even more special. 5. It’s a very thoughtful and personal gift and it sparkles! (You might also ask if she would pray for you whenever she looks at it.)
Take her somewhere... 1. Take her out to breakfast, lunch or dinner and if she doesn’t like crowds, go the day before. 2. Plan a road trip together. It’s amazing the things you can find the time to talk about when you don’t have anything else to do but sightsee and drive. 3. If you’ve got the money and the time - take her on a cruise ship or a cross country train trip or fly her off to somewhere she has always wanted to go. 4. Take her to church, to a movie or to a local show. (The time you share will be memories both of you will always remember.)
Do something for her... 1. Ask... Everyone needs something they wish they could get done. 2. Offer to pay for it if you aren’t capable of doing it. 3. It can be as simple as planting flowers or as grand as getting her whole house painted for her. Love is action. (And every time she looks at it - whatever it is - she will think fondly of you and what a GOOD person you grew up to be!) God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers. ~Rudyard Kipling
NEED dinner ideas? CLICK the link above... IDEAS galore! "Hi, my name is Christy Jordan and I like to feed people." If any of you shop at Sam’s Club on a regular basis and think this cake looks familiar, it should because I dearly love that strawberry cake – so this is my homemade version.
That Strawberry Cake
A few years back, when I first took notice of these beautiful fresh strawberry cakes at Sam’s, I bought one and fell in love. The cake is a simple one, nothing fancy, but the magic happens in the icing and topping. This cake embodies all that is right and good in the world. Okay, maybe that is stretching things a bit far, but you get my point.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
• Jiffy Cake Mix (or other of your choice) prepared according to package directions* • 2 cups heavy whipping cream • ½ cup confectioner’s sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla • Fresh Strawberries • 13.5 ounce container Strawberry Glaze
1. Allow baked cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a platter or large plate. You can also decorate it in the pan and serve from the pan if you like.
*I use the size cake mix that makes an 8x8 cake. If you prefer to use a full size cake mix to make a 9x13, simply double the whipped cream, confectioner’s sugar, and make sure you have enough strawberries. The same size glaze container will still be enough.
2. Once cake has cooled completely, place cream in large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form, about two minutes or so. 3. Add in vanilla and confectioner’s sugar and beat again until stiff peaks form. Ice cake. Add a decorative border or spooned up border (by icing the top really thick and using a spoon to form a recess in the center) around the sides to hold glaze in for the next step. 4. Wash and cut the tops off of strawberries. Blot them dry with a paper towel. Arrange on top of cake. 5. Spoon glaze over strawberries and use a butter knife to spread to coat each one. 6. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Favorite Seasonal Strawberry Recipes My FAVORITE dishes are those made with in season fruits and veggies. With that in mind, we are coming into the best time of year here in the South! Strawberries are coming in where I live so I thought I’d share some fresh strawberry recipes with you. Click the photo above and see if you can find yourself a new favorite here.
Instead of waiting upon the Lord, some people want the Lord to wait upon them. Author Unknown
GOOD STUFF
We are here to encourage you. We are here to assure you that God has everything under control and if you believe in Him, everything’s going to be all right in the end.
Create a Group Start your own support group for single new VISION: for every girl with an unplanned pregnancy to have a church moms at your home church! to go to for spiritual, emotional and The new Embrace Life curriculum physical support. and program equips single new moms on how to flourish in their relationship with God and MISSION: to inspire and equip the not only survive in life but THRIVE! These church to love on single and pregnant brave moms will learn spiritual and practical young women and their families. ways to help navigate their way through life while using the Holy Spirit as their compass. WHAT WE DO: The primary goal of Embrace Grace is to empower churches across the nation to be a safe and non-judging place for the girls to run to when they find out they are pregnant, instead of the last place they are welcomed Embrace Grace and Life were created to help because of shame and guilt. encourage, educate and empower young, single moms just like you, and to speak into WHY WE EXIST: your life to make sure that you know that your Emotionally and spiritually healthy dreams are not over. mommies parent emotionally and spiritually healthy babies. God still has an amazing destiny and purpose created just for you, all you have to do is grab a hold of it and believe. He wants to be in relationship with you because He put gifts and talents inside of you that only YOU have. By joining an Embrace Grace or Embrace Life group you will learn how to dream big while also receiving help with the practical and spiritual aspects of life. There is a place for you!
Find a Group HERE
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‘Age-Proof’ Offers Priceless Advice GREAT READ by Regina Brett Health and wealth. Who doesn’t want more of both? I just finished Dr. Michael Roizen’s new book, “AgeProof: Living Longer without Running Out of Money or Breaking a Hip.” I don’t plan to run out of money or break a hip, but after reading the book he wrote with Jean Chatzky, I’m convinced it’s time to upgrade my life. Dr. Mike is one intense man. He writes about wellness for the Cleveland Jewish News and has transformed many lives as wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. He takes the most complicated health issues and makes them entertaining, enlightening and intriguing.
go. She lasted ’til 95, but only because we kept taking her out to dinner where they served her favorite rolls, which she pocketed in her purse to take back to her senior living center in Fort Lauderdale.
“AgeProof” offers tips on keeping both your body and your bank account at healthy levels. Jean Chatzky, And he walks the talk. He rarely the “Today” show’s financial expert, misses walking 10,000 steps a day and addresses fiscal fitness. eats squeaky clean, aiming for 100 percent perfection. He gives himself just Did you know that $75,000 a year is the four days off – his birthday, anniversary, dividing line between the happy and the Thanksgiving and one other day. Me? unhappy? Also, before you spend a dime of your paycheck, put 15 percent of it in I confess to reading his book retirement savings to pay yourself first. with a bowl of Mitchell’s chocolate ice cream next to me. He asks a good question: Decide what you want retirement “What do you want aging to feel like?” to look like to you, not others. Do you see yourself in a hammock or cleaning up on I want endless games of tag the pickle ball court? Do you see yourself and baseball and hide and seek with the working on a kibbutz or working on your grandkids. I want to give piggyback rides golf stroke? Some people say, “I’m too well into my 80s. I want long walks on old to learn something new.” the beach with my husband into our 90s. And I want to grow old eating Mitchell’s You can learn at any age, just ask chocolate ice cream. my friend Kay Peterson, who co-wrote a new book called “How You Learn is How I turned 60 last year and decided You Live.” I discovered there are actually I want more adventure in my life, not nine learning styles, and you can actually just reading, gardening and piano, so I expand yours at any age. just finished a kayaking class with the Cleveland Metroparks. I didn’t realize I was brushing my teeth wrong. According to Dr. Mike, Who doesn’t want to live longer? you’re supposed to brush for 20 seconds OK, so my husband’s grandmother Jeanette while balancing on one foot, then floss, didn’t. Once she hit 90, she was ready to then brush your teeth for two minutes Continued on page 12.
May you truly live all the days of your life... Though another may have more money, beauty, or brains than you; when it comes to the rarer spiritual values such as charity, self-sacrifice, honor, nobility of heart; you have an equal chance with everyone to be the most beloved and honored of all people. Author Unknown
LOOK at what May
Brings Us... PRODUCE in SEASON HERE LOCALLY
•Bell Pepper •Corn •Cucumbers •Cushaw •Eggplant •Okra •Peas •Peppers (hot/sweet) •Strawberries (picked) •Strawberries (u-pick) •Squash List provided for us by Froberg's Farm
Be sure to admire the flowers every day!
MAY
Ideas
Get OUTSIDE!
Mother's Day is Sunday May 14th... If yours is still here make it your mission to make her glad she is your MOM!
Go to the beach, a lake, or a pond. In the south the water is already warm! Hit all the tag sales, event sales & garage sales. Have a picnic in the park, at the zoo or in your own backyard. Make choices today that will improve your tomorrows.
Don't wait... start TODAY! Let the GOOD TIMES roll!
1. Do something you’ve never done before. NEW is always exciting. 2. Make a bucket list and start checking it off. You have to make your own dreams happen. 3. Be friendly. Make a NEW friend and widen your loop. No one knows when their last day, (last chance) will be, don’t waste your opportunities.
TIME has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters in life.
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GOOD STUFF
1
Refuse TO SETTLE
Excerpted from Enjoying Everyday Life Magazine by Joyce Meyer
DOWNLOAD your copy HERE it’s FREE... to read the Let’s do a little exercise together. REST OF THE STORY. It’s going to require some imagination on your part. We’ll call it “The What If Story…” What if you grew up in the middle of the United States…somewhere like Wichita, Kansas, and your dream was to live by the ocean—to breathe in the salty air, let sand sink between your toes, feast on fresh seafood and incredible scenic views. So you decided: I’m going for it! I’m going to follow my dream! You make the necessary arrangements. Your friends all come over and help you pack. You’re on your way to the ocean. But as you drive away, you begin to dread moving such a long distance from home. And as you pass by the Mississippi River, you think: It’s not the ocean, but it’s nice. I’ll just settle here. Here’s the life-lesson I want you to understand: Mediocrity is the midway point between two destinations. And anytime you set out for the ocean but settle for a river, you’re missing out. The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord.... —PSALM 37:23 Whatever your need is TODAY... This woman has already written a book about it or preached a sermon on it and she can help you over the hurdles in life so much faster than you can get there on your own. Our elders have travelled all the roads before us.
CALL (409) 945-9782 or CLICK HERE to ORDER! Email Laurine Murtagh, Distributor just CLICK HERE
MORE GOOD STUFF Me & God know everything I’ve ever done, said or thought and it wasn’t all pretty. How do you love that? All that stuff that is not very pretty in anybody?
You choose to. You make a commitment to love yourself because God himself said to. The only thing I’ve ever committed to for myself was to quit smoking and I’m not sure love for myself even entered into the picture. I did do it as a gift to myself for my birthday though, so maybe it was love. Nevertheless, no one ever talks about their personal commitments, except in marriage vows. I am committed to loving and serving God for the rest of my life, but to put myself up there with Him seems too lofty a position for me. I’m committed to my husband till death do us part, but again to put me up there with this life long promise seems a little much. Maybe we take the “not thinking too highly of ourselves” out of context. Can you be humble and loving at the same time? Of course you can. I think loving myself warts and all is similar to putting the oxygen mask on yourself first if you expect to be able to help others. We are told to love ourselves and yet we refuse to and somehow think it’s Godly. You cannot be empty of love and expect to be able to spread it wherever you go. That’s just dumb. If your well is empty - how can you possibly give away any water? But how can we love ourselves without it appearing selfish? It’s not selfish - it’s healthy. You are important. No more important than anyone else - but you are important, because God said so. Do you really think the creator of the world would have gone to all the trouble He did for unimportant people? He thought so highly of us that He gave his son’s life to save us. How important are your children to you? Would you die for them? Shouldn’t they love themselves then if you love them so much? Make a commitment to yourself and God today. Decide to dedicate the rest of your life to loving the person God made that is you. Love yourself, not out of arrogance, but out of obedience. Love yourself because God said to.
What is the most important commandment? ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:31
Continued from page 7. after flossing. He also said, your waist actually do it. What’s the best exercise? size should be less than half your height. The one you actually do. “Most people Why? Abdominal fat is dangerous fat. spend too much time on their butts rather than kicking butt,” Dr. Mike writes. Is The best foods for you have the there a hidden camera in our house? fewest ingredients. Aim for food that will LUV-U (Lean protein, Unsaturated fats, Find both experts and buddies. Vegetables & fruits and Unprocessed Who do you want on your team? I’ll take grains). And SSSSkip Saturated fats, a cheerleader over a drill sergeant any day. Simple sugars, Simple syrups and Stripped Dr. Mike suggests having a “deviant” on carbs. The key is to identify and break the team, a rebel to push the boundaries a your bad habits to create a “life rhythm” bit. I don’t know about you, but I’m going which sounds so much kinder than calling to pick someone who will still let me eat it discipline. my ice cream. Make smart and easy switches. Instead of being a couch potato, ride a stationary bike and pedal away during “Scandal.” Instead of kibitzing (chatting) over coffee, do it during a hike.
The bottom line? Spend less time on your bottom. “We’re not after perfection. We’re after better,” the book says.
MOVE. Do what you love so you Better? Yeah, we can all do that.
Order her books HERE.
n a C u o Y W O N n e t Lis ! e d i W d Worl
GOOD FINDS
GREAT Rugs at the
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Braided Hooked Woven Cloth Chenille & Chair Pads too!
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The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines This is a surprisingly GOOD read. I say that because it’s actually a great story about regular every day people just trying to make it. It’s well written, it’s seems very honest and it’s written from both of their perspectives. I’m not a fan of the show, or I wasn’t, so I didn’t have very high expectations for it. It’s really a pretty GOOD read though. Here’s an excerpt... “Chip, where’s Drake?” she said, and I was like, “Oh, shoot!” She took off without a word and ran like lightning all the way back to the house as I turned the truck
around. She got there faster on foot than I did in my truck. I sure hope no one from Child Protective Services reads this book. They can’t come after me retroactively, can they? Chip promised it would never happen again. So the third time I attempted to take a run, I went running down Third Street and made it all the way home. I walked in, and Chip and Drake were gone. I thought, Oh, good.
Finally he remembered to take the baby. But then I noticed his car was still parked out front. I looked around and couldn’t find them anywhere. Moments later, Chip pulled up on his four-wheeler with Drake bungee-strapped to the handlebars in his car seat. “Chip!” I screamed. “What in the heck are you doing?” “Oh, he was crying, and I’d always heard my mom say she would drive me around the neighborhood when I was a baby and it made me feel better,” Chip said. “He loved it. He fell right to sleep.” “He didn’t love it, Chip. He probably fell asleep because the wind in his face made it impossible to breathe.” I didn’t go for another run for the whole first year of Drake’s life and I took him to the shop with me every single day. Be the 1st person to email us here & you can WIN our copy!
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GOOD LAGNIAPPE TIP THIS MONTH Simplify your life... Change your wallet. Get one with a wrist strap so you can leave the purse behind anytime you want or need to. The one pictured is called a Smart phone wristlet. It keeps your money, credit cards, I.D. and it has an empty spot for your phone. One wallet to serve all of your needs... can make your life just a little less complicated.
GOOD STUFF TO KNOW
Homemade biscuits are COMING next month!
Our very first VIDEO will feature the BEST biscuit ever made. It’s the BESTbecause; it’s quick, it’s easy, you don’t have to roll them out & they don’t crumble!
Have you shared some GOOD NEWS with someone you care about today?
CLICK HERE to buy tickets and get the latest details!
Mesquite Rodeo April 29 & 30, 2017 Mesquite, Texas The Original Fort Worth Gun Show May 6 & 7, 2017 Fort Worth, Texas Lewisville Gun Show May 20 & 21, 2017 Lewisville, Texas Premier Gun Shows at Big Town May 27 & 28, 2017 Mesquite, Texas
“I suppose the best kind of spring morning is the best weather God has to offer.” ― Dodie Smith
SHOP LOCAL whenever you can... because my parents say I eat a lot!
Saved by GRACE, but trying to live an abundant life by works...
I have no problem receiving salvation by faith in God’s grace. The problem has always been remaining stable and living the abundant life by faith even during the storms of life. I want to work for it then. I want to make it happen by my good behavior and I can’t. For more than 50 years I’ve tried to be good... I’ve tried to be obedient and faithful and God knows I’ve repented enough for hundreds of people. I have been trying to work my way to heaven. That’s not scriptural, that’s just ignorant and I’m afraid an awful lot of Christians are in the same boat. Author Unknown
whenever you can!
GALVESTON COUNTY HOME FRUIT GROWERS TOUR Pre-registration is not necessary and there is NO Fee, it is Free!
Saturday, Mary 20th 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Three fruit orchards are on the tour this year. Vegetable gardens at each site will also be open. The tour sites contain a wide variety of fruit trees, ranging from a peach orchard in Dickinson, the Galveston County Master Gardener Demonstration Orchard in La Marque, and a sizeable home orchard in Santa Fe. Each site will be open from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon. You may visit sites in any desired order. (For Galveston County residents needing Orchard locations: help on horticultural issues - Call the help line @ 281-534-3413 ext.1 and press 1.) Galveston County Master option 1 to ask a Master Gardener.) Gardener (homeowner) at 5202 Highland Road, Santa Fe, TX 77517 2.) Galveston County Master Gardener Demonstration Orchard and Garden, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque, TX 77568 3.) Wilson and Renee Hillman’s Fruits ‘n Such Orchard at 6309 Ave. U, Dickinson, TX 77539; located off Bowerman Road and FM 517; ph. 832-443-6733.
SANDWICH LUNCH St. John’s Lutheran Church Annual BBQ Beef Sandwich, Chips, Cookie - $7.00 Take-out Available
Join us for:
Spring Fling
Musical Entertainment – Silent Auction – Door Prizes Raffle – Country Store – Flea Market - Craft Vendors Homemade Baked Goods & Cake Wheel Wheel of Chance - Children’s Games – Train Face Painting – Plant Booth - Food & Drink Concession Stand St. John’s Lutheran Church 13136 Hwy. 6 - Santa Fe, Texas
Saturday, May 13th 9:00AM until 3:00PM (Rain Date: Saturday, May 20th)
FREE ADMISSION
For more information on events & renting vendor booths call 409-925-8476 or 409-925-3093
GOOD LOCAL STUFF
Some of the Perks of Getting Older... 1. You have figured out more about how life works and it makes maneuvering through it much better. 2. You care less about what others think, therefore you tend to make more choices that are right for you. 3. Grandchildren. 4. You are not required to have email. 5. You can spend all day at the library anytime you want to. 6. Grown children. 7. You know how to visit with people, not just run in and out. 8. You don’t need anyone to explain the NEW math to you... because there is no point. 9. You can go to sleep pretty much whenever and wherever you’d like to. 10. One day soon, you will no longer have to pay taxes to anyone for anything. 11. Name brands cease to matter, so you can buy the shoes you like!
This magazine is about love, family values & all the GOOD we can find in the world because we need things that inspire us to hope.
OUR VISION Peace for every woman, every child, every man, every day. Our Services •24 Hour crisis hotline •Court accompaniment •Assistance with filing protective orders •Information and referral •Education and awareness •Violence against women support groups •Legal advocacy
•Counseling •Police/Hospital 24 Hour accompaniment •Professional training’s and workshops •Clothing assistance •Post shelter follow-up program •Housing assistance •Case management Bay Area Turning Point is...
Where and When Can I Help? 18207 Egret Bay Blvd. Houston, TX 77058 RESALE Shopping Hours:
Sunday & Monday: Closed Tuesday– Saturday 10:00Am- 6:00Pm
BATP is a non-profit; community based social service agency providing a variety of services, including shelter, to families in need and public education/crime prevention activities in the Greater Bay Area. We service those impacted by family violence and sexual assault (including stranger and non-stranger sexual assault). VOLUNTEER Resale is always in search of dedicated volunteers!
DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED: Tuesday – Friday 10:00M To 5:00Pm Saturday 10:00 Am To 2:00 Pm The Resale Shop benefits the clients of Bay Area Turning Point in two ways: 1. It provides our clients who have left home and are starting new lives with shopping vouchers that allow them to purchase clothing and other items needed without a charge. 2. It generates funds from the sales of goods to the general public to support direct services for clients like shelter, counseling, and advocacy. For every $45 donation received, Bay Area Turning Point is able to provide a safe haven for an adult and 2 children for 1 night.
Sort, stock, price or sell and have fun while making a difference! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit the volunteer page or contact our Volunteer Services Coordinator. *Donations to the resale shop are tax deductible according to the IRS regulations for charitable contributions. Your generous donations keep the shop stocked.
GOOD LOCAL STUFF
Arts & Crafts Vendors are needed... St. John’s Lutheran Church will sponsor its 17th Annual Spring Fling on Saturday, May 13th at 13136 Hwy. 6 in Santa Fe. For vendor information, contact Barbara Wright at (409) 925-1461 (Home), (281) 455-1133 (Cell) or by email at dbwright02@ aol.com We will have St. John’s Lutheran Church Flea Market Sale on Saturday Only! May 13, 2017 at 13136 Hwy. 6 in Santa Fe, TX from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Mark your calendars for these BARGAIN PRICES! Old and new items, collectibles, household items, crafts, toys, furniture, and lots more! Benefiting St. John’s Lutheran Church, Youth Camp Fund, Salvation Army & the Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod Disaster Relief Team.
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There are many ways to get involved with Habitat for Humanity near you... Habitat has volunteer, homeownership and ReStore donation and shopping opportunities in your local area. *Please contact your nearest Habitat to learn more.
A good deal for you, your community and the environment.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers. They sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and more to the public at a fraction of the retail price. ReStores are independently owned and operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. Proceeds are used to help build strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter in local communities and around the world.
Bay Area HFH ReStore 1101 W Nasa Pkwy Webster, TX 77598 restore@bahfh.org (281) 332-1118 Pasadena HFH ReStore 1520 S Shaver St Pasadena, TX 77502 www.pasadenahabitat.org (713) 472-0997 Houston HFH ReStore 6161 S Loop E Houston, TX 77087 www.houstonhabitat.org/restore (713) 643-1100 Fort Bend HFH ReStore 13570 Murphy Rd Stafford, TX 77477 www.fortbendhabitat.org (281) 403-0700 Southern Brazoria Co ReStore 12 Cir Way Lake Jackson, TX 77566 habitatsbc.org (979) 285-0090 Northwest Harris Co ReStore 13350 Jones Rd Houston, TX 77070 Habitatnwhc.org (281) 890-5585 Montgomery County TX HFH ReStore 9407 SH 242 Conroe, TX 77385 www.hfhmctx.org/restore (936) 441-5888 Bryan/College Station HFH ReStore 2211 Maloney Ave Bryan, TX 77801 (979) 775-8122