Our Christmas Gift to you—A brand new issue of Leading Hearts magazine to inspire you to embrace the new year with a new mindset. You've done a lot of growing…
By Penelope Carlevato @teatimepen in Leading Hearts Magazine
A FEW YEARS AGO I HOSTED A GOING-AWAY TEA FOR A CO-WORKER. WE HAD ENJOYED WORKING TOGETHER FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND ALWAYS PLANNED ON GETTING TOGETHER “ONE OF THESE DAYS.”
Well, that day never happened until it was time for her to move. As we sat around the table and enjoyed our tea and scones, we regretted not making time earlier for fellowship. We talked about the people God had put into our lives we wanted to connect with but didn’t take the time.
by Susan U. Neal in Leading Hearts Magazine
When you eat healthy during the holidays your energy level remains high so you can keep up with a multitude of tasks. The last thing you need is brain fog and lethargy due to a poor diet. This article navigates the tempting delicacies with helpful holiday eating tips and recipes.
The trick to eating the right type of foods is to consume them as close to their harvest as possible. When you eat foods closer to their original form, you will become full with smaller portions because the food contains fiber. Therefore, the feeling of fullness stays with you for a longer period too, so you don’t want to snack as much.
Make dishes using fresh, raw ingredients such as sautéed fresh green beans with garlic and slivered almonds versus the typical green bean casserole. The fresh green beans are nutritious and delicious. Fresh, raw foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and all the nutrients the human body needs—the way God intended for you to eat.
By Amber Weigand-Buckley @barefacedgirl in Leading Hearts Magazine
I NEVER GREW UP GIVING MUCH REVERENCE TO PLACES AND ICONS, BUT FOR SOME REASON I FOUND MY KNEES WEAK.
It was the third day of Chanukah and I was in Israel for the very first time standing in the city of Nazareth. We had made our way past the shopkeepers and traffic lined streets to the Church of the Annunciation, which sits in the side of the hill of the city. The church was supposedly built on the spot where Mary was visited by the angel announcing her as the highly favored woman to give birth to Jesus Christ.
“Emmanuel: God with us.” In that spot, I understood the power in that statement—the power in that name.
Under the church, you can see the excavated remains of the old city…
by Torry Martin @torry_martin in Leading Hearts Magazine
CHRISTMAS, A TIME WHEN MOST PEOPLE EAGERLY SHOP EARLY AND JOYOUSLY WRAP THEIR PRESENTS WITH CARE.
I, however, am not most people. I prefer to do my shopping on Christmas Eve. I know that sounds very last minute of me, but why shop early when I know there’s a convenient truck stop on the way to my parents’ house where I can purchase all my gifts at once and for under $20?
It’s the only place I know where I can buy bobble-heads in bulk. The helpful truck stop store clerk will even have them bagged, I mean, “wrapped” separately while I’m waiting for my car to refuel.
By Pam Farrel @PamFarrel in Leading Hearts Magazine
“DO EVERYTHING WITHOUT GRUMBLING OR ARGUING, SO THAT YOU MAY BECOME BLAMELESS AND PURE, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation .“ (Phil 2:14-15). In the small group Bible study for Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti we joke: “Argument (ar*gyou*- ment) n. A discussion that occurs when you’re right, but your mate just hasn’t realized it yet.”
Once I refereed an hour-long argument over if the Chevy my dad was driving was a 1959 or 1958!!! Couples can get into a cycle of disagreement where everything becomes a point of contention. We could have repeated this unhealthy, destructive, time-wasting way of life but instead, we made a simple choice: Let God’s Spirit select our words.
By Michelle S. Cox @just18summers in Leading Hearts Magazine
The glossy magazine images, the Pinterest ideas and Facebook posts from friends sharing their gorgeous Christmas decor inspire me.
My planning began. Why, before I was done, my house would look like North Pole Central! My family would have the perfect Christmas, and I would sail through those days with joy and delight.
I tried. Oh, how I tried. But I basically plodded my way through the Christmas season with unrealistic expectations in a fog of exhaustion.
by Penelope Carlevato @teatimepen in Leading Hearts Magazine
As the holiday season gets closer and the decorations begin to find their way around our homes, our thoughts go to having family and friend get-togethers and dinners. For some, it is exciting and fun, but for many, the idea of opening our homes, decorating, and making larger meals brings fear and dread.
Why the big differences? All of us have personality traits in combinations and are variable and adjustable and can be brought into balance when we are faced with making decisions on how we will use our gifts.
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