Stellar Day Magazine, February Issue, 2018

Stellar Day

HUMBLE HEARTS

EASY MACAROONS

ISSUE 30 | FEBRUARY 2018

HUMILITY'S DESIRE

VALENTINES DAY DINNER IDEAS

Stellar Day Magazine

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Humility & Honor Gentle Steps Six Great Valentines Day Dinner Ideas

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Easy Macaroons Before Ourselves Humility's Desire Mixed Messages Editors Note

Humility & Honor

We have had things shift for us. Exciting events are happening, growth that I've never experienced both personally and professionally, and opportunities that are coming our way that are GIGANTIC.

They feel gigantic to us at least.

BY JESSICA WILLIAMS So all day long, I honestly find myself praising God I have gone back and forth about what to say on this topic. And true to form, this theme is perfectly fitting for where I am at. Not that I am struggling with being humble, necessarily. But I DO think about keeping my head on straight all day long right now.

for these movements and praying to make sure that my heart stays centered. That with success, there is still balance in our lives and that we remain gratefully in awe of what the Lord is doing. I constantly try to live in such a way that even if all of

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it were to end today, that my heart remain the same.

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift

Humbled at the growth, humbled enough to stay put

you up in honor." James 4:10

if God asks us to.

It's not an accident that last months theme was Humility to me isn't necessarily lowering yourself. I

honor and that this month it's humility. If you struggle

feel that it's the ability to know that you aren't better

to find the balance, I would encourage you to pray

than anyone else. That opportunities for growth and

on it. Pray over your life and ask the Lord to show

learning and moving forward don't make you greater

you how to be humble before him. He is the reason

than you were before. Being humble is the ability to

for all the goodness in your life and He is the one

stay soberingly grateful no matter what comes your

that deserves all the praise.Â

way.

It would be easy to breeze into new seasons so And it's not easy.

excited about what is happening, forgetting that it was actually the Lord that brought you here. It was

We are scratching the surface for things changing

Him who answered all your prayers and that these

for us and already I am exploring the ways that my

are the gifts and blessings He is bestowing upon

heart can remain humble and focused on the

you. But what's better? Slowing down your heart,

goodness of the Lord, rather that on my own

taking in the moments but also remembering that all

strengths and accomplishments. The Bible says:

of the goodness is from the Lord.

GENTLE STEPS

I have a friend who has written

Humility has so much to say about

beautifully about growing softer as

which path I take.

By Rachel Schroeder

we age. I was so inspired after I read her words and they have

There’s a gentleness to true

stayed in my mind for some time

humility. You can’t bombard

now. I love this idea, that maybe

someone with your humility. You

time and pain and change can bring

can’t show someone how to be

you to a place of greater softness,

humble. You can’t force it.

of more grace for yourself and for

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those around you. I hope that I

Real humility takes gentle steps

become softer and wiser, instead

forward, without shame and

of harder and smarter.

without pretense. It’s reflective of

peace within. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to define. Maybe that’s why people write books on humility and preach sermons about it and try so hard to explain it.. yet seem always to come up short.

When my spirit is at peace, humility is a kind of by product. I don’t need the opinion or approval of someone else because within me is stillness.

This is what I mean about humility being gentle. It’s a gradual growing process; you don’t arrive at “humble.” There is no threshold for humility, just as there is no arrival point for compassion. These ways of moving in the world, the ways we treat each other and ourselves have something much more to do with our inner life. What is the message I’m believing inwardly that informs my level of self consciousness in any given moment? Why is it so hard for me to find compassion in my heart for that person who thinks so differently from me? Where can I grow and change, and where can I become softer?

These questions require some soul searching and at times it’s frustrating to discover how far I still have to go. Even that observation tells me that my expectation is still off – that I’m trying at some level to achieve some kind of level.. of humility, of compassion, of softness. It’s turning the thing on its head to really just seek grace for others and grace for myself. But I do believe it is the only way to that gentle, stillhearted, and humble life. That’s the life I want to live.

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STELLAR DAY MAGAZINE | 08

SIX GREAT IDEAS

am! y Te a D r ella e St h t From

01 Fondue

02 Red Dinner

03 Melting Pot

"Start a tradition of making fondue at home! It's super romantic actually. We put the kids to bed and then do a couple of different courses with just us. It's way less expensive than going out plus we don't need a sitter."

"We've done our tradition of having a red dinner, where all the foods are red. For example, it could be as simple as spaghetti with red sauce or a steak dinner with red potatoes and roasted beets and a red velvet cake."

"The Melting Pot is always my go to for Valentines Day. It's expensive but it has a romantic feel in the restaurant and it takes a long time with all of your courses sot it's a full experience. Plus, it's fondue!

So done deal!"

04 Take Out

05 Two Cooks

06 Picnic

"Our tradition is Chinese takeout. It's how my hubby proposed so of course I'm partial. Plus, we get to stay home in all of our comfy clothes!"

"One time we stayed in and cooked dinner together, something we rarely do. We got some amazing filet mignon, green beans, and made potatoes. Not too extravagant but it was fun to cook together."

"Our tradition is having a picnic on the floor of the living room with a charcuterie board and wine. And a non traditional valentines day movie too, of course!"

FOR VALENTINES DAY DINNER

Easy Macaroons There's just something about macaroons isn't there? They provide the right amount of fancy, and the right amount of casual ALL at the same time. They are simple, but take a bit of work therefore communicating a labor of love. They are scrumptious and also not overbearing.

And they are SO pretty!

Anytime I am gifted with macaroons, that's a good day for Jess.

This is a simple recipe I found long ago, but have never tried! I may need to

"Everyone loves a macaroon!" change that this month, step out of my comfort zone and dish up some of these lovelies.

They are great to give to your partner, but also wonderful to make and pass out to your girlfriends this month. Everyone loves a macaroon!

STELLAR DAY MAGAZINE |Â 09

recipe

INGREDIENTS Shells: 3/4 cup almond flour 1 cup confectioners sugar 2 room temperature large egg whites 1 pinch cream of tartar 1/2 cup extra fine sugar Optional: gel food coloring Buttercream Filling: 1 cup unsalted butter 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar Optional: different extracts for flavoring

DIRECTIONS Shells: 1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Draw 1-inch circles on the back of each sheet, spacing the circles at least 1/2-inch apart.

3. Sift almond flour and confectioners’ sugar together 2-3 times. Set aside.

Whisk egg whites with a hand mixer until foamy.

4. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Reduce speed and gradually add extra fine sugar. Increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form.

5. Sift flour mixture over whites with a fine sieve. Discard any lumps or coarse bits that remain.

6. Fold mixture together with a rubber spatula -using short strokes at first -until just combined . The batter will be very stiff.

7. Add the Gel Food Coloring if you would like to tint your Macaroons. Place a small amount of the gel food coloring on the end of a rubber spatula.

8. Use bigger folds once batter loosens. When batter is ready, it should fall from the spatula in a thick ribbon.

9. Transfer mixture to a piping bag. In a pinch, you can also use a gallon-size Ziploc bag: just snip a teeny bit from one of the bottom corners. Twist and clip the top of the bag to avoid overflow.

10. On your prepared baking sheets, pipe out 1-inch rounds in the circles you drew.

11. Let piped macarons stand uncovered for 15 minutes to form a crust.

12. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) 13. Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for about 18-20 minutes, longer if your

macaroons are larger. The macarons are ready when they come off the sheet easily.

Buttercream Filling: 1. Cream butter and confectioners sugar together in a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. If mixture is stiff, use 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk or cream to loosen.

2. If using it, add your extract in small drops. Beat until flavor is thoroughly incorporated.

3. Transfer icing to a piping bag and pipe on half the macaron shells. Sandwich with remaining shells.

4. Enjoy immediately or store in an air tight container!

IT IS THE SWEET, SIMPLE THINGS OF LIFE WHICH ARE THE REAL ONES AFTER ALL. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

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Before Ourselves BY

CHRISTINE

CRAM

If I am being honest, I struggle with being humble.

think we should ever put ourselves down, even

There are times I come across as being humble, but

though I struggle with that from time to time. The

I’m really not. The realization of my lack of

whole point of that quote is to think of ourselves

humility has been a hard thing to swallow. How do

less. Not putting ourselves down, just not thinking

you practice humility when you live in a world that

of ourselves as much as we do. That’s hard. Not

is so consumed with instant gratification? Whether

gonna lie. There are times where I want to be

you believe in Jesus and try to follow His plan for

selfish and just go there. Dwell on the things I

your life or not, I just believe that this is an area we

want. What will make me happy and satisfied? Fill

as humans are going to struggle in.

in the blank, you know? Wow. We have it so twisted. I want to challenge you to think about that

There is this amazing quote that I want to focus

quote just like I am and will continue to be and not

this article on. C.S. Lewis is a legend in my opinion.

always be thinking of yourself. Putting others first.

If you haven’t ever read any of his books, you’re

Putting your husbands’ needs before yours. Putting

missing out. I have heard this quote throughout my

your kids’ needs before yours. Putting your friends’

life, but for some reason recently it has struck a

needs before yours. Let’s do this. Let’s make 2018

chord within me.

the year our lives shift for the better. Refocusing and rethinking what life is about us. That we are

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, its

the center of everything. Life really isn’t about us.

thinking of yourself less.”

Let’s keep it real. It never has and it never will. We have a greater purpose and that is to represent the

I just love that quote so much. We are pretty

Lord. He was the ultimate example of what it

incredible people. If you think about it. I mean

looked like to humble yourself. So, let’s strive to be

we really are. We have been created by a God that

more like Him. This world needs that.

loves us more than we could ever imagine. He formed us. Um…hello…that’s amazing. So, I do not

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HUMILITY'S DESIRE

BY SARAH HUMPHREY

Clicking tocks Heartbeats beat What does your desire say it needs?

Waiting reconciliation in its wings The sea is full of creative things But rest, so sweet, it draws us near To understand humility’s ear Listen to its softened sound It’s tone relaxed No wrench is found A song it brings with suffering’s load Not beaten down but honor bestowed Reach in, let go In the ease of His lap He slumbers nor sleeps His free gift acknowledged at last No pride can stand inside His room Except for the “Yes” in being willing to bloom Into faith, and hope, and love With ease Because His kindness brings us great reprieve

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STELLAR DAY MAGAZINE | 19

mixed messages

BY MARIA DERMINIO

Compassion, forgiveness, generosity, integrity, and loyalty are a few of the qualities listed in the “52 Virtue Project” a program to promote building good character. Some on the list are easy for me to work on and attain: consideration, friendliness, honesty, orderliness. Others are hard and I have struggled with them for years: cooperation, flexibility, patience, selfdiscipline. And, if I am really honest with myself, one of the hardest is humility.

The "52 Virtue Project’s" definition of humility is “considering others as important as yourself. You are thoughtful of their needs and willing to be of service. You don’t expect others or yourself to be perfect. When you do great things, humility reminds you to be thankful instead of boastful.” As a mother of six grown children, I had many years of putting my children’s needs above mine. Externally that was easy to do, but sometimes I didn’t feel it in my heart. I needed to remind myself to pray for humility. Then the Lord provided opportunities to develop that quality in my life.

An easier definition of humility is found in Webster’s dictionary: a freedom from pride or arrogance. The roots are from a Latin work “humilis” meaning low.

In our culture, it is hard to have an attitude of humility.

Instead of freedom from pride and arrogance, pride and arrogance are encouraged, flaunted, and praised. Everywhere we see and hear: “You are great, Take care of you first, Be true to yourself, Do what makes you happy, Be proud, Fight for what you want, You, You, You.” These messages are broadcast from the newsroom, whispered in literature, viewed on the screen, taught from the classroom, and entice us in advertisements.

However, this is the opposite of what we read in the Bible. In the New Testament Paul tells a group of people in Philippi to “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

Perhaps that church, filled with ordinary people, was struggling with competition and pride? In response to conflicts in relationships, Paul’s solution was a radical

approach - put others before yourself. This concept of humility was foreign to the Roman mind of the 1st century and, possibly, it is a foreign concept to us also.

We see the same message again in James 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom." How would our world look if in every environment - the work place, the classroom, the neighborhood, the athletic field, and social clubs, etc. we lived a life of good deeds done with humility?

How can we find a balance living in today’s world and maintain an attitude of humility? The verse in James end with “humility comes from wisdom.” I must first have wisdom in my heart. The beginning of wisdom is being aware of the potential problem, finding a solution, and moving forward. For me, moving forward means spending more time reading the Bible to gain God’s perspective and His wisdom.

As I reflect on my need to work on humility, I recall a recent sports interview.

An elite athlete answered the news reporter by deflecting the praise and fame associated with professional sports.

Instead, he thanked all those who helped him achieve his successes and showed a humble attitude without pride or arrogance. This athlete embraced two important qualities on the "52 Virtue Project" list of good character - humility and gratitude.

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Humbly

We Thank You.

Jessica Williams, Editor in Chief Jennifer Stamps, Associate Editor Nicole Thompson, Publicity Sarah Humphrey, Creative Consultant

Writers For This Issue Christine Cram Jessica Williams Maria Derminio Rachel Schroeder Sarah Humphrey Leadership Team for Stellar Day Christine Cram Danielle Nesper Esther Gallagher Jennifer Stamps Jessica Williams Kate Williams Nicole Thompson Rachel Schroeder Rennai Hoefer Robyn Sastre Sarah Costa Sarah Humphrey Sarah Trapp

Special Thanks AFC Chiropractic Dani Homemaker Honeybook Nine Retreat Nu Skin Sarah Costa, Beachbody Coach Stamps & Co.

EDITORIAL OFFICES Located in sunny Scottsdale, AZ Stellar Day Magazine is published by Issuu and created in Canva. www.stellardaymagazine.com

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Dani Homemaker Young Living Consultant

EDITOR'S NOTE Humility.

It's a weird thing to encourage people in, no? It's so counter-culture in a social media driven world. A world that tells us to turn our camera on in reverse, perfect the selfie, and to exalt the things you do daily. The things that generations have done daily before us but that no one has ever seen because without technology, you couldn't.

I'm not harping on social media. And unlike many people, I actually really love Facebook! I think it's brilliant. It's opened doors for us to achieve things that our ancestors could only really dream about in many regards. It's helped me build three thriving businesses, this one included, sharing around the world multiple times every single day.

Still, the Bible quietly says, Humility.

I believe that it is important to remain humble, even as we share about ourselves. It's remembering that life is a gift and that we aren't the authors of it. It's remembering that the chances we have, the opportunities that come our way and the simple mundane beautiful moments are what should keep us grounded. Always looking for opportunities to life others up, rather than reach for what we need. Remembering that God will honor our lives and that HE will lift us up if we are putting others first.

There is a quiet gentleness to being humble, even if you have a strong personality. It might be hard to balance at times, but I am so grateful that our God saw it fit to use this issue to remind us how important it is.

More of Him, less of us. For then He can truly use us.

Jessica Williams Editor-in-chief