Child Survival Program

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

Did you know that every day over 26,000 children under the age of five die from mainly preventable causes? This is a staggering figure. We are talking about causes that we take for granted. Things such as hygiene, dehydration, and malnutrition are things that we think nothing about. However in Third World countries these things are often fatal to children. Children get diarrhea and die from dehydration because they don't have access to fresh water or the parents do not understand what to do.

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One Word At A Time: Obedience

By MAD21

Every couple of days, my friend and fellow blogger Bridget Chumbley chooses a word and writes about it. Last week, a bunch of us on Twitter decided that we would all write on one topic this week and then do a blog carnival over at our friend Peter’s blog. So when we were all talking about what to write on, I opened my big mouth and suggested obedience. We’ve been having some issues with it in our home, and for some reason, the word just popped out of my head and through my fingers and I typed it without thinking first. It was, of course, the topic everyone chose. So, here goes nothing…

I asked my family: “What does it mean to be obedient?”

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Life Is Funny: It's Raining Where?

By MAD21

We've had a lot of rain this last month. My kids enjoy those days because it means we get to put a tent up in the living room and watch movies. It also means that there will be lots of puddles. They enjoy us driving through them as much as stomping in them.

Last weekend it had been raining pretty hard all night on Saturday, so the puddles were everywhere. This made walking into church on Sunday morning a challenge as the girls tried not to get their feet wet in their 'fancy church shoes.'

On our way back to the car after church was over, we were walking back to our car when I hear this:

Youngest daughter: "Daddy?"

Daddy: "Yeees?"

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Will Having More Money Make You Happy?

By MAD21

I stumbled on an old article at MintLife called, "Why Rich People Aren't Really Happier." In this article, a few experts talked about why those who are 'rich' are really no happier than those living paycheck-to-paycheck. In fact, they are almost more stressed because of the desire to spend. The experts state:

"The ability to imagine — to try to predict our future state of mind — is what sets us apart from less-evolved species. It’s also the very thing that stunts our shot at true happiness.

We assume that a sportier car, a bigger house, a better-paying job, or that dress will bring us joy because, well, they did in the past, right?

Not really, says Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard psychology professor and the author of Stumbling on Happiness....

What’s so wrong with relishing and embellishing the good? It’s costly. Faulty emotional recall makes us do dumb things with our money, like buying cool new stuff that never quite satisfies.

In so many areas, we know when enough is enough. When we’re healthy, we don’t strive for extreme health. After a good meal, we’re sated — we don’t order another filet mignon to augment our satisfaction.

Yet our “pause” button shorts out when it comes to money. The brief pick-me-up that accompanies a raise or windfall (think of it like a caffeine buzz) drives us to want more. We get a raise, spend it, adapt to our improved circumstances, and seek more money, working up a sweat on what University of Southern California economist Richard Easterlin calls the hedonic treadmill."

We all have to realize that happiness truly lives in being thankful for what we already have, with where we are. That doesn't mean we don't strive to be in a better place, but we need to watch our motives. Wanting the bigger house, the more expensive car, or the latest toys are all things that helped cause our economic state today. People living above their means. Looking for happiness in some thing, instead just being happy with what they already have.

So the next time you find yourself wanting to by the next newest thing, stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Can I afford it?" "Do I really need it?" "Why do I want to buy it?" and "Will it still be important to have it in a few months?"

Enforcing Bedtimes Improves Kids' Health

By MAD21

CNN reports on the latest findings for studies done on the sleep patterns of children. Their outcomes are rather obvious and expected to me, but it's still interesting to read about their studies and the conclusions they came to. The experts stated:

"Setting bedtimes can improve sleep quality and quantity for infants and toddlers, according to a growing body of research. Not getting enough sleep affects children's behavior, memory, attention, and emotional well-being, experts said."

The article also lists the appropriate amount of sleep people should be getting based on their age. It's good to know so we at least have a baseline for how much sleep our kids should be getting. As with everything in life, it takes discipline to keep to a bedtime routine, both for the kids, and for the parents. I know I usually plan to go to bed at a certain time, but always find myself with "just one more thing to do."