Quotes to Live By

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
(John Quincy Adams)

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. (Aristotle)

Every artist was first an amateur. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. (Thomas Jefferson)

It takes ten years to build up a reputation, but only five minutes to ruin one. (Anonymous)

Monday, December 21, 2015

Emotional Safety

I'll admit it. I wanted to review this book because I'm a teacher. Not just any teacher, one who wants to create a stable emotional environment for my unstable students from unstable homes. (closes eyes)

From an educator's perspective, this book should be given to all my parents because they all need to hear the blunt truth about their parenting. Am I ranting? Maybe a little bit. But do they need to read this book? ABSOLUTELY!

Parenting isn't rocket science, it's just brain surgery. 
And Dr. Joshua Straub has good news for you: You can do it!

You don’t need to do all the “right” things as a parent. Both science and the Bible show us that the most important thing we can provide for our kids is a place of emotional safety. In other words, the posture from which we parent matters infinitely more than the techniques of parenting.

Emotional safety—more than any other factor—is scientifically linked to raising kids who live, love, and lead well. Learn how to use emotional safety as a foundation from which you parent—and make a cultural impact that could change the world!

In Safe House, Dr. Straub draws from his extensive research and personal experience to help you:

- Foster healthy identity and social development in children of any age
- Win the war without getting overwhelmed in the daily battles
- Discipline in a way that builds relationship
- Understand how the culture is affecting your child and what you can do about it
- Cultivate responsible, self-regulating behavior in your kids
- Establish an unshakeable sense of faith, morality, and values in your home
- Feel more confident and peaceful as a parent
- Find a greater perspective on parenting than what you might see on a daily basis

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Purpose Driven Life for Kids

Yesterday, during a winter holiday party, a parent brought in pizza from Costco. About ten students got a slice, leaving 6 students without a slice. Three of my boys got into a fistfight over a slice of pizza. It bothered me because pizza was not the only food choice at the party.

Another student brought in chicken/cheese quesadillas and I brought in fried rice. One of my nice, sensible girls gave her slice of pizza to one of the boys and ate something else for which I was eternally grateful for.

Another one of my boys already had a bite of his pizza, but was willing to cut out a bite so that another one of my boys in the fistfight can take his piece. That almost broke my heart because in his family, his parents struggle financially to put food on the table every night.

Only one of these students know God. As a teacher, I struggle internally about this because I want them all to know Jesus and that He is proud of them for producing righteous fruit in the classroom.

I know that God will use them greatly in the future and their lives are bright. When I received the book: Purpose Driven Life for Kids, I really wanted to give a copy of this to my girl. She was named after Daniel in the Bible and has really kept the teachings of the Bible.

We are living in a fallen world where desires are deserved. I asked my boys why they were fighting over the slice of pizza and one of them said they deserved it because it isn't a party without pizza. When I told him to go get something else to eat, he told me "this is stupid! I hate this class!".

He ended up with a consequence that he regretted for the rest of the day. I sent him to another class where he had to finish up a packet of work.

This is why Rick Warren probably wrote a devotional for kids. Capturing the hearts of the new generation means ensuring they know their purpose and grow up confident of their value in God and their relationship to Christ.

God created each of his children with a purpose in mind … the time for them is now to, thoughtfully and prayerfully, start their incredible journey to finding that reason.

The Purpose Driven Life Devotional for Kids includes 365 devotions that tie to the themes and ideas found in the bestselling The Purpose Driven Life written by pastor Rick Warren. Written at a third to fourth grade level, each devotion includes a Scripture, short message, and prayer or thought for the day to help kids discover who they are in God’s eyes.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Mom, Can you do my Hair?

I remember wishing I had a mom that could do the cool braids and hairstyles all through elementary school. When I was older, my friend's grandma gave me a shock: I didn't have enough hair to do the french braid. So after that, my hair was always tied up in a ponytail. I vowed that when I have a daughter of my own, they would get the cool braids and updos I didn't get as a child.

When I saw this book for reviewing, I knew I needed to get it. Even though this book is mostly geared towards children, there were some tips I picked up about my hair that was helpful.

Faithgirlz Best Hair Book Ever! is full of killer tricks and tips on having amazing hair every day—from the best cut for each individual girl’s lovely locks to simple-yet-stunning updos and gorgeous styles, and even some trade secrets that can help make even the most unruly hair behave.