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With All Things Bright and Beautiful & Stories to Keep You Looking Up
SIMPLY GOOD SEASONS GREETINGS… from the Editors
The short, inspirational Christmas story (opposite) reveals the true spirit and meaning of Christmas. May this inspirational story remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas and giving during the holidays and throughout the year.
ALICIA ECONOMOS Author, Speaker, Coach WOW! Wholehearted Living LLC Alicia Economos is the founder and director of “WOW! Wholehearted Living.” Drawing from twenty-plus years of working with clients, Alicia is also a sought after speaker. Audiences benefit from her insights, heartfelt enthusiasm as well as Alicia’s surprisingly simple approach to living wholeheartedly. Alicia’s books and coaching series include thought-provoking and empowering tools that can help women gain freedom and peace in their own lives.
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This true story by Nancy W. Gavin was originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman’s Day magazine. It was the first place winner out of thousands of entries in the magazine’s “My Most Moving Holiday Tradition” contest in which readers were asked to share their favorite holiday tradition and the story behind it. The story inspired a family from Atlanta, Georgia to start The White Envelope Project and Giving101, a caring nonprofit organization dedicated to educating youth about the importance of giving and developing the next generation of givers, civic leaders and philanthropists. For your personal reprint and a video to share with others, visit WhiteEnvelopeProject.org. On the pages that follow, we hope you will be inspired by the many opportunities to serve and support the many nonprofits who give back to your community as well as bring aid internationally to those in need. Most of all, for victims of recent earthquakes and natural disasters, that they would receive safe water and the Living Water of Jesus Christ—the real reason for the season! From all of us at Simply Good Magazine, we wish you the special gifts of this Christmas season—Peace, Joy and lasting Happiness. Yours for the Journey, Alicia Economos & Becky Johnston
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BECKY JOHNSTON Chief Creative Officer Simply good Media LLC With more than 40 years of publishing experience, rebecca Wayne Johnston (Becky) creates books, magazines, and branded editorial products from concept to completion. With a degree in journalism from Drake University, she draws upon many years of hands-on editorial development— from senior magazine editor for Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest publications to Landauer publishing and as a founding partner of BeInspired network.
THE ULTIMATE GIFT…
for the Man Who Hated Christmas By nancy W. gavin
It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but only the commercial aspects of it—overspending and the last minute shopping for gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass it all and reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was on the wrestling team. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, were in sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears—a luxury the ragtag team obviously couldn’t afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids—all kids. He so enjoyed coaching little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought wrestling headgear and shoes, and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed a small, white envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I’d done, and that this was his gift from me.
Mike's smile that year was the brightest thing about Christmas. And that same bright smile lit up succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition—one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas. The white envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children—ignoring their new toys—would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the small, white envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree. The next morning, I found it was joined by three more. Unbeknownst to the others, each of our three children had for the first time placed a white envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down that special envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.
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INSPIRATION
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. —Isaiah 9:6
May the Christmas season
fill your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter.
‌for everyday living
The ornament of a house is the people who frequent it. —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
Simply Good Magazine invites you to join us on a journey of discovery as we connect local people and their inspirational stories to share within our community. PUBLISHER Becky Johnston, CCO Becky@SimplygoodMagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Marsh, Art Director Craig Light, Community Outreach Megan rochelle photography Dan Welk, Click! photography Shutterstock.com ADVISORY COUNCIL Michael Carver, CCIM vice president—nAI Optimum vernon Delpesce, president, vedco, Inc. Angela (Williams) Jackson, Owner The great frame Up Donald f. Lamberti, founder Casey’s Corporation Jeramy Landauer, president Landauer publishing greg McCall, Owner—Clean Des Moines Mike Schreurs, CEO—Strategic America Heidi vermeer-Quist, psy.D. Bev Wood—Simply good Connections Holy Bible, new International version®
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Inspiration for Everyday Living
IN THIS ISSUE…
JAN ROZGA’S LOVING WHISPER FROM GOD… What greater gift Is There Than That?
Shared By Karen Langstraat
THE GIFTS OF FRANKINCENSE… A royal Oil More valuable Than gold
By Kathryn Kinley, LMT, nCTM, CrDp
THE GIFT OF A FEW EXTRA HOURS… for the Busy Holiday Season
By Kelly Timmerman
JEWELRY OF THE SOUL…A Woman’s Legacy
By Barb rosberg
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UNLEASH THE POSSIBILITIES
BECAUSE OF BETHLEHEM… Love is Born, Hope is Here
Max Lucado loves Christmas. Let the sleigh bells ring. Let the carolers sing. The more Santas the merrier. The more trees the better. He loves it because somewhere someone will ask the Christmas questions: What’s the big deal about the baby in the manger? Who was he? What does his birth have to do with me?
And the answers he’s found give us all hope. God knows what it’s like to be a human. When we talk to him about deadlines or long lines or tough times, he understands. He’s been there. He’s been here. Because of Bethlehem, we have a friend in heaven. And Christmas begins what Easter celebrates. The child in the cradle became the King on the cross. Because of Bethlehem, we have a Savior in heaven. These are the heart shaping promises of Christmas. Long after the guests have left and the carolers have gone home and the lights have come down, these promises endure. Let’s turn on the lamp, curl up in a comfortable spot, and look into the odd, wonderful story of Bethlehem. Max has found a lifetime of hope. We will too.
Based on Max Lucado's book, Because of Bethlehem, this interactive adult coloring book provides hours of creative time to color and meditate on God's heart-shaping promises of Christmas. Forget your "to-do" list and immerse yourself in the Christmas story! 96 illustrated, perforated pages; accompanied with quotes from Max Lucado.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: In under two decades of writing, Max Lucado has accomplished more than most writers hope for in a lifetime. Most of his books have appeared on one or more best seller lists. Aside from hardcover books, Lucado's writings have also been published as children's books, videos, CD-rOMs, DvDs, music CDs, gift and plush products. Hallmark/Dayspring Cards line of gift cards features excerpts from Lucado's writings—and have sold more than one million cards. He lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy, in San Antonio, Texas, where he serves the people of Oak Hills Church.
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THE GOLD WRAPPING PAPER ON A SIMPLE SHOEBOX…
A “forever” gift filled With Love
Once there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he admonished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.
As money was tight, her father became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to buy what was in the shoebox. Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, “This is for you, Daddy!” As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had scolded her. But when he opened the shoebox, her father found it was empty and again his frustration flared. “Don't you know, young lady,” he said harshly, “when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package!” The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: “Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full.” The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him. An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold. Cherish it all the days of your life!
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SHARING STORIES AND CAROLS THIS CHRISTMAS…
Some of Heaven Here on Earth!
By Heidi vermeer-Quist, psy.D. Author, Gardening Your Life Series
Sharing our stories bonds us. Several years ago, my cousin asked me to sing for his wedding with a few of his musician friends. At first I felt uncomfortable with this and was worried. Who are these people? Will we blend well together? (Interestingly enough, my cousin knew we’d hit it off.)
After just one hour of meeting, rehearsing wedding music, and sharing a few stories of how we were connected through the bride and groom, we became fast friends. I felt strangely secure with each one of these new friends after just one hour! We talked about how we were experiencing some of heaven here on earth as we celebrated the love at this wedding and as we praised God, the author of love, together through music. During Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus; the story of Emmanuel, God with us. In my own family, I have treasured memories of gathering around a piano with family and friends to sing Christmas carols, going out to a nursing home to sing carols from one room to another, and playing our favorite Christmas music as we decorated the house or made Christmas cookies. For many of us, joining the church choir offers an opportunity to get to know others through spending time together in weekly practice sessions. This holiday season may just be the right time for you and your family to get involved in a choral group with music as majestic as the Messiah or inviting friends and family to join in spontaneous neighborhood caroling. As you trudge through the snow from house to house, join together in singing everything from Frosty the Snowman to Silent Night. Then, invite everyone into your warm home for cocoa and Christmas cookies. Gathering around the fireplace or the kitchen table is a great way to start the conversation as you share your stories and fondest memories of Christmas past and hopes for Christmas present. We need to share our stories in order to fully participate in the life God has given to us and music is a language that speaks to all of us. Enjoy sharing your stories and carols of love. Remember and celebrate Jesus, our dearest Bridegroom, who connects us all together and who is the Hope of world!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR… Heidi vermeer-Quist, psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist as well as a wife, mother, musician and family business consultant. (vqconsult.com) In 2002, Heidi helped to establish the Des Moines Clinic for pine rest Christian Mental Health Services that has grown into a fully-staffed outpatient mental health clinic. Heidi is the author of Gardening Your Life, a three-phase growth group rooted in solid Christian teaching.
Book Two
Book Three
Book One
GrieVinG
Your Life GardeninG growth series a personal
GrounDinG
GardeninG YOur Life
GrowinG
GardeninG Y
our
a personal growth
Life
series
a personal growth series
t, Psy.D. Heidi Vermeer-Quis Psychologist Licensed Clinical
Heidi Vermeer-Quis t, Psy.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Heidi Vermeer-Quist, Psy.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Books One and Two of this personal growth series are available from the author at: gardeningyourlife@gmail.com
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THE GIFTS OF FRANKINCENSE… A royal Oil More valuable Than gold
By Kathryn Kinley, LMT, nCTM, CrDp Compassionate Spirit Therapies yldist.com/vibrantoils
Many of us have heard the story of the Magi bringing frankincense to the baby Jesus and His mother, Mary. The “burning” question is, “WHY?”
Kathryn Kinley earned degrees from Iowa State University and Buena vista University. After 17 years in credit management for fortune 500 companies, and following 5 mission trips to a special needs orphanage near Montego Bay, Jamaica, Kathryn determined her calling was to be more “hands on” in ministering to those who hurt. In 2006 she achieved national Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage, followed shortly thereafter by certification in the use of therapeutic grade essential oils. Kathryn has a thriving private practice in West Des Moines, Iowa. She enjoys offering her loyal clients the experience of “Transcending to vibrant Health.”
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In ancient times, royal women used Boswellia oil (“frankincense”) during childbirth, promoting a clean passage and an effective way to support relaxed muscles and delicate tissue. A newborn prince was massaged daily with frankincense, nurturing his delicate skin and supporting a strong immune system to help ensure the young prince would grow up healthy and strong to inherit the kingdom. Practically speaking, frankincense would have provided a financial “trust fund” for Jesus and His eventually widowed mother. It was much more valuable than gold! Many cultures throughout history have used frankincense to enhance meditation (Exodus 30:34-36, Leviticus 2:1-2). Diffusing its rich aroma creates an environment of spiritual connection, promotes a sense of grounding and purpose, and supports uplifted spirits. Frankincense’s rich history is woven tightly with humanity’s, and it remains an important part of many people’s lives today. Young Living is the only company in the world to obtain permission to distill Boswellia Sacra in Oman and bring it to the Western world. Please visit my Facebook page, facebook.com/CompassionateSpiritTherapies, as I share more information about this incredible gift to our beautiful baby Jesus, and to us!
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is not for diagnostic or prescriptive use or to be construed as instruction on how to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any condition, illness or disease. If you have a health challenge, see the health care professional of your choice. Editor’s Note: Boswellia sacra trees in Oman have been harvested for the past 5,000 years. Today, they are harvested in the same way and on the same schedule as their ancestors. The limestone cliffs of the Dhofar Mountains provide the perfect environment for growing Boswellia sacra. The resin is “tapped” from the Boswellia tree by hand today. Workers hand-sift frankincense resin today in the same way they did thousands of years ago. The resin may be burned as it is, or distilled to make rich frankincense essential oil.
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THE GIFT OF RESISTENCE… facing Life’s Challenges By Alicia Economos founder and Director of Wholehearted Living Ministries
I think it’s safe to say that most people don’t think of resistance as a good thing. If given a choice, we’d much prefer smooth, easy-going lives; we’d like to navigate the road of life without any detours or breakdowns along the way. However, without challenges, we won’t experience what we want or need.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alicia Economos is the founder and director of Wholehearted Living and the Wholehearted Coaching Certification program. Alicia is the author of three books and the Wholehearted Bible study. She is a sought-after speaker who is regularly featured in Simply Good magazine, sharing simple but effective tips for living wholeheartedly. Drawing from her twenty-plus years of coaching experience, Alicia shares the simple steps to gain healthy relationships with god, yourself and others. With a fast-paced, interactive and often humorous approach, she shares empowering tools that can help you experience peace, confidence and joy in your own life.
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I once read about an experiment where they planted a variety of trees and plants in a man-made sheltered environment. Over time, due to a lack of wind or any other challenges, the trees grew tall but often toppled over. The problem, was they hadn’t weathered any resistance of the wind and rain, and consequently, their roots weren’t deep enough to give them strength. The same can be said of us. It’s as we face life’s challenges, that we recognize our complete and utter need for God. When we realize that what we’re facing is bigger than ourselves, and that the only way forward is to cling to God, we more desperately reach for His hand. God’s Word says it this way: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4) Maybe this year, as we encounter resistance, we can thank God for it. We can remind ourselves of the blessing contained within, and begin to consider it a gift.
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JAN ROZGA’S LOVING WHISPER FROM GOD… What greater gift Is There Than That?
Shared By Karen Langstraat Director at Stonecroft Ministries, Inc. stonecroft.org
Stonecroft is an international organization that has been helping women connect with each other, their community and God for over 77 years. We come from many different kinds of churches, but we can all agree on basic truths from the Bible. They’re the essentials that unite us. More than 15,000 Stonecroft-equipped volunteers regularly invite the women of their communities to join each other in prayer, and the advancement of this mission. One of those volunteers, Jan Rozga of Indianola, Iowa shares this story from the depths of her heart with women throughout the Midwest.
“Christmas 2010 was fast approaching. The normal hectic, exciting pace of Christmas preparation had been replaced by an abnormal paralysis born of debilitating grief and unanswered questions. A week after graduating from high school in the spring of 2010, our son David smoked a legal, synthetic drug with friends referred to as K2. Within 60 minutes, he took his life. The world stopped for our family that day. How will we survive this? How can I suddenly stop being a mother to David? And Christmas? I dreaded it! I felt guilt, knowing I should be focusing on the birth of Jesus, which is why we celebrate Christmas to begin with, but tell that to my heart. Can I just hibernate and wake up on the first day of January? Then, a loving whisper from God filled my soul, “You can mourn the loss of your son and STILL celebrate the birth of mine.” It was okay for me to experience both. I could embrace memories of our son in the midst of a difficult situation. It is because of Jesus—His life, His death on the cross and His resurrection—that I have the assurance of where David is right now. What greater gift is there than that? The promise of John 3:16 overflowed my heart,”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” David is on the receiving end of this eternal promise, and I know I will re-visit this truth as our family faces Christmas each year. My heart will continue to ache, but I know I’ll see David again.”
Karen Langstraat has served on the Board of Stonecroft Ministries and currently serves as the Iowa Stonecroft regional Administrator. Stonecroft is a 501(c)3 non-denominational nonprofit organization and a member of the Evangelical Council for financial Accountability (ECfA). Karen also serves on the Board of greater Europe Mission. With a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wheaton College, Karen recently retired as manager/teacher of her independent music studio. She is president Elect for the Indianola guild of the Des Moines Metro Opera as well as Membership Chair of the Indianola Concert Association. for more information about Stonecroft, call (515) 961-6914 or email klang5@msn.
Editor’s Note: Be blessed with more of Jan’s journey at: janrozga.wordpress.com
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THE GIFT OF A FEW EXTRA HOURS… for the Busy Holiday Season
By Kelly Timmerman Kelly Timmerman nutrition kellytimmerman.com
What would you do with the gift of an extra few hours each week during the busy holiday season? Take a well-deserved nap? Relax with a massage or pedicure? Read a book? Here’s how busy women can gain some well-deserved time for themselves.
Kelly Timmerman is an Author, Speaker, nutritionist and Cancer Conqueror who has coached everyone from soccer moms to Olympic athletes and executives. Kelly passionately empowers busy people to get their body back by making healthy eating SIMpLE and DOABLE for life. Kelly’s coaching has been featured on Cnn Headline news.
It’s likely you’ve heard it before, but the advice to make more than you need so you have some leftovers is great advice. My passion is helping busy women lose weight by making healthy eating simple and doable. I have discovered ways to cut down on my meal prep time and share several of those below: Think BIG! Make two or more batches of a recipe and immediately separate into individual or family-sized portions. Then freeze them. In this photo I made 18 freezer meals in an hour: While an easy chili recipe was cooking onto stove, I combined cooked salmon, frozen veggies, cooked quinoa and spices and packaged these in individual containers for the freezer. After dividing the chili into individual containers, we now have 18 grab-n-go healthy meals. Think EASY! I partnered with HyVee to create “Kelly’s SimpleFIX” meals that specifically fit my Win the Food Fight Program. Join us for a “SimpleFIX Freezer Meal” Workshop: Attend a fun 1-hour workshop and bring home 10 meals for your freezer! Cost: just the price of the groceries. Or, consider “Kelly’s SimpleFIX To Go”: Pick up 10 pre-assembled meals and bring them home to your freezer! It will be a lifesaver during the holidays! Think 3’s! Always eat in 3’s; pair a complete protein, with a healthy fat and a nutritious carbohydrate. That balances your blood sugar, burns fat, boosts your metabolism, reduces cravings and also increases your energy.
Editor’s Note: find information on Kelly’s weight-loss program, nutrition classes, as well as her Simplefix Hyvee partnership (dates and menus) at www.kellytimmerman.com under the Schedule—Events section. follow Kelly’s tips by liking her facebook page “Kelly kellytimmerman.com
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Timmerman nutrition.”
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FROM OUR TABLE TO YOURS…
Kelly’s Time-Saving Spaghetti & Meat Sauce By Kelly Timmerman Kelly Timmerman nutrition kellytimmerman.com
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground turkey or lean ground beef 1 large onion, chopped 2–15 oz. cans tomato sauce 1 garlic clove, minced 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. dried basil 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
Directions:
1. Cook ground meat and onion. Drain.
2. Add in rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer for about an hour.
2 tsp. sugar (or a little stevia) 1/2-1 tsp. salt 1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper
3. To complete the meal, serve this over a small portion of gluten-free pasta, or sautéed zucchini noodles. Enjoy!
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ON SANTA’S TEAM…
My grandma Taught Me Everything About Christmas By Carol Laycock My grandma taught me everything about Christmas. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” jeered my sister. “Everybody knows that!” My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus!” she snorted. “Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.” “Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second cinnamon bun. “Where” turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobbie Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother 18
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always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough; but all we kids knew that Bobbie Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobbie Decker a coat. I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. I didn't see a price tag, but ten dollars ought to buy anything. I put the coat and my ten-dollar bill on the counter and pushed them toward the lady behind it. She looked at the coat, the money, and me. “Is this a Christmas present for someone?” she asked kindly. “Yes,” I replied shyly. “It’s...for Bobbie. He’s in my class, and he doesn’t have a coat.” The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and write, “To Bobbie, From Santa Claus” on it ... Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa’s helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Suddenly, Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.” I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell twice and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie. He looked down, looked around, picked up his present, took it inside and closed the door. Forty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: Ridiculous! Santa was alive and well...AND WE WERE ON HIS TEAM! SI Mp LY g OO D | HO L I DAY 2 0 1 6 | S I Mp LY g OO D M Ag AZ I n E. C OM |
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MAKING AND KEEPING NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS… Developing a Change Strategy
By Jean Holthaus, LISW, MSW pine rest Christian Mental Health Services pella Clinic Therapist and Manager
As the ball in Times Square counts down the seconds to the New Year, many of us will resolve to do things differently…lose weight, drink less alcohol, quit drinking caffeine, exercise more, spend less money, spend more time with family, or start a savings account. We will set lofty goals around living differently in the coming year.
Yet, even as we make resolutions, a nagging awareness we may not be successful will lurk in the dark recesses of our mind. So, what happens? Why do we start out with good intentions only to find ourselves resorting back to old, unhealthy patterns of behavior?
Jean Holthaus, LISW is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and clinic manager at the pine rest pella Clinic. She earned a BA in Elementary Education from the University of northern Iowa and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Iowa in 1995.
pella Clinic 2611 Washington Street pella, Iowa 50219 (641) 628-9599
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Strengthen Your Willpower Muscle Despite the popular belief that failure to change comes from a lack of willpower, most people do not lack willpower…or the ability to use it. Studies show effectively exercising willpower depends upon variables within the environment. One variable affecting willpower is the amount of difficult or unpleasant activity currently present in your life beyond the change you want to make. When individuals are asked to do difficult math problems for a period of time and then resist eating chocolate chip cookies, they resisted for significantly less time than those participants who did not do the math problems first. Willpower is like a muscle that gets tired if it is over used. Making successful change requires having enough pleasurable activity in your life to allow your willpower “muscle” recovery time from the stress of the change you are attempting to make. • One way to do this is to add positives into your life. For example, take the money normally spent on cigarettes each week and use it to buy something enjoyable. • Another way to do this is by making sure you break the change down into small increments that do not place as much stress on your willpower muscle. For example, instead of eliminating dessert from your life to lose weight, cut each dessert you normally eat in half and eat only half of a dessert. Spend time with people succeeding at your goal Surrounding yourself with other people successfully making the same change you are making is also a key to achieving lasting success. By putting yourself in an environment where you routinely witness others like yourself successfully accomplishing the very thing you want to change, you strengthen your core belief you can accomplish the goal. Strengthening this belief, while simultaneously surrounding yourself with others going after the same goal, further increases your ability to succeed. If you train with four other out-of-shape friends to run a 5k race, you will be encouraged as you watch your friends running further and faster. These four friends
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will also be waiting for you to train at 5:00 each morning making it much more difficult to justify remaining in bed on those days when you are tired. Having a positive support network is key to making and maintaining lasting changes in life. More pain or more pleasure—uncover what motivates you more A third key to making successful change is identifying the function negative behaviors serve in your life. People have reasons for doing the things they do. Trying to change a behavior prior to understanding why you currently engage in the behavior is a set-up for failure. Most of what you do is motivated by either working to avoid pain or working to increase pleasure. You probably won’t be able to change until the pain of present circumstances is greater than the pain involved in making a change. If you can understand how the pain/pleasure principle is currently playing out in your life, you can develop a change strategy. You might increase the pain involved in continuing the behavior you want to change, or you might increase the amount of pleasure experienced by engaging in the new behavior. For example, if you currently spend every night at the office instead of spending time with your children, you probably won’t successfully change this pattern without exploring why you stay late at the office. Once you identify that you feel very successful at work and somewhat incompetent at keeping your six-month-old happy and comforting him when he cries, you can make a plan to feel more competent when you go home (both decreasing the pain and increasing the pleasure you experience by going home). This, in turn, increases your ability to keep that New Year’s resolution to spend more time with your children. Taking time to make New Year’s resolutions can be a constructive and positive activity. Devising strategies to have good support, effectively manage your willpower, and identify why you currently engage in the behavior you want to change sets you up to successfully keep your New Year’s resolutions in the coming year. SI Mp LY g OO D | HO L I DAY 2 0 1 6 | S I Mp LY g OO D M Ag AZ I n E. C OM |
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JEWELRY OF THE SOUL… A Woman’s Legacy
By Barb rosberg AWomansLegacy.org
Women are nurturers by nature. We find beauty in deeper things and have an incredible ability to influence and encourage others: as mothers, grandmothers, aunts, daughters, sisters and friends. A woman’s love and beauty is also reflected in the jewelry she wears. Like the perfect spice, it always complements what’s already there. But, what if jewelry could be more than just an expression of who you are? What if it could convey the story of your heart? In other words, the jewel becomes the shining symbol of a more lasting treasure—your legacy.
As relationship coaches, award-winning authors and marriage conference speakers, Barb and Dr. gary rosberg are the cofounders of America’s family Coaches. As an international ministry, over the past few years, beautiful storytelling necklaces have been distributed to South African women to help them teach godly relationship principles to the next generation through the ministry of A Woman’s Legacy. And the mission is now expanding beyond South Africa with A Woman’s Legacy Ambassadors presenting storytelling necklaces to women worldwide.
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In 2012, while my husband Gary and I were on a mission trip to South Africa, a local woman caring for AIDS orphans took notice of the necklace I was wearing. I immediately presented her the necklace as a gift, and A Woman's Legacy Jewelry of the Soul was birthed. To date we have gifted over 700 storytelling necklaces to women who instruct children. Proceeds from the I Hold Your Heart Collection will further the gifting of storytelling necklaces to South African Zulu Caregivers of orphaned children.
I HOLD YOUR HEART COLLECTION: A Woman’s Legacy I Hold Your Heart charm bracelets provide women with a beautifully symbolic way to encourage other women and children with stories
of the heart—each one representing Godly relationship principles women can use to offer hope and healing. These relational stories are based on the nurturing concept of the assertion, I hold your heart. When you hold someone’s heart you are committed to that person—gentle and reliable in your words, and emotionally available, resulting in deeper trust and a more meaningful relationship.
Editor’s Note: for your donation of $75, you will receive the I Hold Your Heart Collection trilogy of bracelets. proceeds will benefit A Woman's Legacy outreach to women in South Africa and beyond in conjunction with America's family Coaches ministry programs. please visit AWomansLegacy.org to give your tax-deductible gift online or call (888) 608-2622.
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