Showing Mercy For One Another

A good friend of mine sent this story to me awhile back. Whether it is true or not isn’t important, it still makes you think about what you would do if you were on either side of this situation. The story strikes a nerve for me, because I was one of those kids who was mercilessly picked on as a kid. I never wet my pants (thank God!), but there are many things that can happen that can cause the same ridicule from other kids. I once spent two hours hiding in the coat closet in 4^th grade because of something embarrassing that happened on the playground. This was after the kids had teased me to tears before we even went back inside.

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Recipe Search Engine

By MAD21

SUPER NATURAL RECIPE SEARCH

"Search for natural, delicious, whole food recipes."

Yes, a search engine just for recipes. This one is a really great one. On my first try, I typed in 'bananas' and at the top of the list was an amazing recipe for banana chip cookies (from 101 Cookbooks). You can also type in your favorite chef to see if they have any favorite recipes from them.

While the engine includes recipes from many different sources, Heidi Swanson, the creator of the engine, states: "This search engine will not query each of the sites in its index in its entirety. Instead, I went through each site page by page, cherry-picking the recipes I could imagine cooking in my own kitchen - again, the ones highlighting whole grains, natural sweeteners, a wide range of flours, and plenty of fresh produce. I populated the search engine with those. A couple thousand to start. And while I don't cook with, say, eggplant or okra very often, there are many cooks who I admire that do - this search engine allows me to highlight those cooks and their recipes here."

Just like some of the recipe sites I've talked about before, this one also includes comments from people. So when you find a recipe that looks interesting to you, you can look and see what other people have said about it. Whether it's a good one or not, and maybe some variations you can try until you find one just right for you.

Teachers: Making A Difference In The Life Of A Child

By MAD21

We each have a calling in life. Most people who know me, know that mine is to work with kids. I am one of those people who could be in a room full of kids and be perfectly happy, but put me in one with a bunch of adults and I’m, well, not so happy.

When I was a young adult with no real responsibilities in life except to pay rent, I spent just about every waking moment outside of work doing something involving children’s ministries. Either getting ready for an event, or going to one. I ran a mid-week program for kids age two through 5^th grade during the school year, taught Sunday school during the summer, and was the recreation director for a week long summer camp for kids in 4^th to 6^th grades. Basically all of my vacation time from work was used to go ... play (because if you work with kids, even the ‘work’ is play—seriously!) :o)

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Part I - The Joy Of Budgeting (Seriously?)

By Renee, LSWA

Seriously. For too many people, the word budgeting leaves a bad taste in their mouth. Punishment comes to mind for many. It does not have to be that way. A budget is simply a financial management tool for the home. We plan our meals, our car tune-ups, our work week. Why wouldn't we plan our home money management? Bringing these areas under control relieves burden, worry, anxiety and stress. It maximizes our finances so we can be more effective in all areas of our life.

The goal is to live within our means. That is, we don't spend more than we make on a monthly basis. Ideally, this means that we don't use credit cards for daily living expenses and we practice self-control. It means we keep our needs, wants and desires in check.

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Who Should Be In Charge Of Your Child's Education?

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster & Parent

Let’s start this article with a short quiz:

1. Can you name the current U.S. Secretary of Education? How about the head of the Maryland State School System? The Superintendent of Harford County Public Schools?

Answer: Arne Duncan, Nancy Grasmick and Robert M. Tomback. (How many did you get right?)

2. Which of the people named in Question #1 are ultimately responsible for your child’s education?

Answer: You!

3. Which question, #1 or #2, is more important for you to get right if your child is to receive a quality education?

Answer: #2, Definitely.

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