Neighbors Springing into Bloom...Together!

It's not too soon to begin planning for spring and summer! Here's an idea that my husband and I are hoping will take hold in our neighborhood and also hoping it will create anticipation, expectation and excitement for all of us.    Please feel free to take what you want from this flyer to create your own neighborhood flyer. The possibilities are endless and opportunites are awaiting! ___________________________________________________________ Let’s Spring into bloom together! Join us on Sunday, February 3, 2013 From 1:30pm -3:00pm at Rich & Lisa Small’s, 419 Lincoln Avenue What if all our neighbors and we got together to plan some healthy, fun and ageless activities this spring and summer with the kids? What better way is there for us to get to know one another better, right? We all know that during the summer it’s not easy to keep kids busy. So we were thinking…what if all of us adults examined our own resources and talents and coordinated with each other to give the children in our neighborhood a real treat this spring and summer? Here’s what we’re thinking: v Drum lessons: Rich is a drummer and can give drum lessons v Vocal Coaching: Lisa is a vocalist and can give vocal/singing instruction v We both love organic gardening. Learn to grow a garden. v Lisa loves to create recipes, cook and bake. Tea parties and cooking/baking lessons, here we come! v We’d love to share our Please Touch Museum membership. We can take up to four people for FREE (2 yrs and under FREE) v Lisa is planning an ice skating event at Ice Works in Aston, PA on Feb. 10th from 2pm-4pm. Tickets are ½ price, ONLY $5.00 plus $1.00 for skate rentals. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Contact Lisa for more details. **Join us on Feb. 3rd and you’ll have a chance to win 2 FREE tickets to Ice Works! ($10.00 value) WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE? Let’s talk about it on February 3rd! Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Lisa by January 31st lisasmall@rcn.com / (610) 764-1371

Genetically Modified Salmon has a Fighting Chance!

Although there continues to be a growing concern with Genetically Modified foods among many food advocate groups it seems the common public are not so up to date with what's been going on.  

It's apparent that the US gov't believes that because they were voted in "by" the people they can make decisions "for" the people.  Is this what you want?

Ask yourself:

• Should Genetically Modified salmon be a cause for concern? 
• Does it really make a difference how our food is grown? 
• If the FDA says it's ok then it's safe, right? 
• Of course there are valid studies to prove the safety of GM salmon and other GM foods, isn't there?
• Why all the fuss?

Find out in this article how GM salmon is being pushed for FDA approval and who's saying what about it. 

Here's to a healthy plate and may it always be full!

~Lisa

Some Food for Thought for the New Year!

Do you want this world to be a better place?  

Are we, the people?  Are we the majority?  Yes, "we" are... 

So then, if "we" are the people and "we" are the majority, then "we" can and will make a difference if we would all turn to the One True God and have our Daily Bread*.  Then through Him we will...

• pray for our family and friends
• properly care for, love and protect our babies, children and our elderly
• properly care for, love and protect the pets and animals that God gave us for our enjoyment
• smile at one another and be polite to one another 
• put others first and be considerate of others and treat others the way you want to be treated (isn't this the Golden Rule?)
• have pure, right and thoughtful motives towards ourselves and others (...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ ~2 Corinthians 10)
• forgive one another
• be honest with one another
• be compassionate 
• be motived by Love (God is love)
• live as children of the Light, being made new in the attitude of our minds (see below)
• have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (this is the fruit of the Spirit -against such things there is no law. ~Galatians 5:22-23)
• examine ourselves before the Lord and confess our sins to each other
• not allow the sun to go down on your anger (see below)
• be responsibe for feeding and caring for our own families, our health and our financial course and status (Jesus is the bread of life - see below)
• make every effort in faith to help one another when another is in need (I think we've found out that anyone can be in that situation at any given moment).
• have unity and the same love (Ephesians 5)
• lose our lives for Jesus' sake and we'll find abundant life in Christ!

Then this world would truly be a better place

and there would be so much excitement 

on earth as it is in Heaven!

Give us this day our Daily Bread!

 

*Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. ~Proverbs 30:8

 

*Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. ~John 6:35

 

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” ~John 7:38

 

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. ~James 5:16

 

 

Ephesians 4

Unity in the Body Of Christ

4As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.”^[b]

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) ¹¹ It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Living as Children of Light

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

²⁰ You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. ²¹ Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”^[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Happy New Year everyone!  Let's make it the best one yet for all!

Lisa

(the list above is not exhaustive or in any particular order)