To Women During Women’s History Month

Ladies, as you continue on your phenomenal history-making journey, don’t let the enemy hijack you, your children, your destiny, your shine or your future. Always speak life and the Word of God over your life, your family, and everything that concerns you! Although it seems as if things are going awry at times, always remember that something better and bigger is always on the way. He has the big picture and is doing something great in your life so that you can glorify Him. Stay vigilant. He is operating in the supernatural realm, working behind the scenes, subtly working in you and through you for His glory in the workplace, in your family, and through your platform to bring His Kingdom to earth. Let the devil know that you are not ignorant of his devices. You may bend, but refuse to break. When you fall down, get back up. The Bible tells us that the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes (Proverbs 24:16 NIV). Most of all, depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance. Galatians 5:16 tells us to “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Proverbs 16:9 lets us know that “the heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”. And we know that God will “instruct and teach us the way we should go. He will counsel us with His eye upon us” (Psalm 32:8).

Go for broke, by the world’s definition, and allow God’s definition to kick in. Failure is not an option. The world also has a saying, “nothing ventured, nothing gained!”. Psalm 138:8 tells us that God will perfect everything that concerns you”. Jeremiah 29:11 lets me know that God designed us for success. Just as He desired for Jeremiah, so does He have thoughts of peace and not evil toward us, with an expected end: victory! God is no respecter of persons! Don’t be disillusioned, believing that everything will be easy. It will not be. But those women who were successful and are remembered are those who were tenacious, resilient, forward-thinking, and unselfish. They realize that everyone won’t be front center, but that collaboration is necessary for any successful venture. Jesus collaborated with His disciples. The sugar cooperates with the flour and milk in making the perfect cake. As the Bible puts it, “No man liveth to himself; no man dieth to himself”. (Romans 14:7); 1 Corinthians 12:14-22, “For the body is not one member. But many…”. Know that we are all needed to have a positive impact in families, work places, communities and across the globe.

This month allows us to celebrate our diverse achievements, accomplishments, and our stories. Maya Angelou once said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”. We must not be afraid of our stories. They help us to understand ourselves better and help others to see that if we survived, so can they. They help us to make better decisions. They teach us and transfer generational knowledge and wisdom. They help us to connect with others. And, they help us to connect with the courageous women of generations before us and see ourselves reflected in their stories. What stories do you need to share today?

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Give the Gift of Literacy This Christmas

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Give children the gift of literacy this Christmas-a gift that keeps on giving. Believe it or not, at least one in three adults cannot read this sentence and Georgia has the nation’s third highest high school dropout rate. Only 29% of Georgia’s fourth graders read at or above proficiency levels.   According to the Ferst Foundation, several states plan how many jail cells they will build in the future by how many children are not reading on grade level by third grade.

Yet, in spite of these dismal facts, research also shows that education begins at home and that parents are the child’s first teacher. This is a role not to be taken lightly since the ability to be a competent reader by third grade is a key indicator of a child’s ability to experience academic success, graduate from high school, and to be successful in life. Readers are leaders and leaders are readers. We have the ability to develop our youth as future leaders within the home, school and community.  School readiness actually begins at birth through positive experiences, nurturing, and opportunities to learn at home. We, as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and caring others have the responsibility to produce literate youth.  With the introduction of technology into American families, devices such as laptops, smart phones and tablets that children and teens see as toys and gadgets can be used as fun and innovative ways to make education fun. Why not give these as gifts this Christmas and download educational games and books. How many of us are tired of the toys that kids retire only a few days after Christmas? That is, the ones that still have all the pieces or aren’t broken. And let’s not even talk about the toys that never get played with because the child prefers to play with the box or the Styrofoam packing. It’s amazing to watch this generation of youth and their seemingly innate ability to use technology. I watch as my twenty month old grandson swipes across my phone to look at pictures or as my nine year old grandson hooks up a monitor to my laptop with no instructions for the first time, installs the software and uses the laptop. Children figure out games on their phones and tablets by using problem-solving skills that they are unconsciously utilizing.

I read about an interesting study done by the One Laptop per Child Organization. Laptops were dropped off, boxes unopened, with preloaded programs in a remote area in Ethiopia with a researcher weekly monitoring the devices’ usage. The purpose was to see if illiterate children with no previous exposure to written words could learn to read by themselves without teachers. The organization’s goal is to try to impact the statistic that 100 million first grade aged children worldwide have no access to schooling. After several months, these Ethiopian children were observed singing the alphabet song. One of the researchers stated, “I thought the kids would play with the boxes but within four minutes, one child had found the on-off switch and powered the tablet up”. Within five days, the children were using 47 apps each. “If they can learn to read, they can read to learn”, said Negroponto, the organization’s founder. He states that these early results are promising.

As a grandparent and GED literacy instructor, I have experienced the value of technology in education. I have given tablets preloaded with educational games and books that I approve of to my grandchildren for Christmas in the past. Parental Controls and limits for usagecan be set on many according to the child’s age. Their prices have decreased substantially, making them more affordable as gifts.  We as adults have the responsibility of monitoring our children’s use of technology since there are many unsafe sites and apps. We are obligated to protect our children’s emotional and psychology health as they utilize these devices. During this season of giving, I am giving the gift of information and education to you. ELearning has been found to develop and reinforce reading skills, math skills, eye-hand coordination, planning and problem solving skills.  Join me in giving the gift of literacy and make the experience as safe and educational as possible. Consider these security and internet safety apps, among others, that you research: Google Play Funamo which blocks inappropriate sites and sets time limits for app usage. The Kindle Fire does this also. The Android Kids Place, Care4Teen, and StudyLock for Android are others.

Here are some tablets to consider. VTech InnoTab and Leap Pad include interactive eBooks and learning games. Nabi allows children to browse the web, read books, includes parental controls and a “Mommy Mode.” The Kindle Fire and Nook offer 1,000 children’s books as well as games. Many tablets have durable construction designed for accident prone younger children. Also tablets offer apps that allow stories to be read to the child as they follow along to teach and enhance reading skills.  The Nook even has a Read to Me app that lets parents record themselves reading so that children can hear their parents even when they are not around. There are many other smartphones, tablets and laptops on the market. Do some research and you should be rewarded with a child who enjoys learning. There are some apps that I have used and find helpful. Be sure to test sites before allowing your child to use them. Some free apps for the IPad and Apple products are: Endless Reader; ITunes U, which gives access to courses, lectures and books from leading universities; Bible for Kids; PBS Kids Video; Mathway, which teaches basic math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus and Statistics; Khan Academy and Brain pop Featured Movie. Low cost ones include Green Eggs and Ham, The Magic School Bus, ABC Mouse.com and Electric Company Wordball. The Google Store has a variety of educational games, as well. However, I have not used them as much since I have an IPad. Be sure to read the descriptions and reviews before downloading games and apps and remember to disable your child’s ability to download games or surf the web without your permission and or supervision. Make your child the star of stories they read by giving them personalized books with them as the main character.  If there are apps and websites that you are aware of that you find helpful, feel free to email me at liferenovator@gmail.com so that we can share with other parents. Give the gift of literacy this Christmas. Your children and their future will thank you.

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How to be Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

Be Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
Be healthy, wealthy, and wise because “the first wealth is health” as said by Ralph Wald Emerson. Your “Health is Your Wealth” is a cliché that may seem overused, but it is now my mantra because it is true. It is profound. It is prolific. It is prophetic. Taking care of our bodies is just as important as taking care of our finances. We hear people talk about “getting their grind on” to get ahead, but without health, getting ahead often won’t be important or enjoyable. So, let’s strive to be wealthy in our health. Don’t get me wrong. Having money is nice, provides access, and provides the means to advance God’s kingdom. But, let’s strive with intentionality and determination to be healthy enough to accomplish our purpose in life and truly enjoy the things that money, education, and even status provide access to.
Many trade time for money. But many also inadvertently or mindlessly trade their health for money. Poor health is often an accumulation of poor habits, poor decisions, and is the thief of our precious time through poor energy, illness, absence from work, hospital stays, and even early deaths.
We must take control of our lives; our mental, physical, and spiritual health; be a good steward of our time and bodies; and not be afraid of leaving our comfort zones when it comes to diet, exercise, and mindsets. Watch for my series of blogs addressing the detrimental mindsets, the achievable mastery of our health, and our power and ability to make necessary changes. Consider and answer the following as health will be compared to wealth and our money management in subsequent blogs:
• How much is in my health account? (Do the math).
• How can I fix my health credit score?
• How can I begin to add health savings into my health account?
• How can I avoid impulsive health spending?
• What is my beginning health balance?
• What is my current health spending account balance?
• What am I leaving behind as a health legacy and inheritance?
• How can I invest in my health with longevity and the future in mind?
• Where can I find health advisors?
• What unhealthy habits do I need to change?
• What are the effects of poor health management?
Look forward to the answers to these and other questions in my upcoming series YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH.
Feel free to submit questions and comments to allthingscanady@gmail.com. Listen to my radio broadcast every Wednesday at 2:00 PM- Life, Hope, and All Things Canady, on http://thelight.live.
(Or download The Light.live app). Remember to intentionally choose to be healthy, wealthy and wise. Be blessed.

Surviving Summer With Kids

https://www.noclosedroads.com/post/enjoying-summer-and-staying-on-track-reading-trackers-challenges

Teens & Sexuality: Addressing Sexuality with Teenagers

Helping teens build fruitful, confident, lives is becoming more challenging each day as they are continually bombarded with a world view designed to be contrary to the Word of God. The area of sexuality especially affects our ability teach generations as ordained by God and to leave lasting legacies of lives of faith and fruitfulness. We are to live fulfilling lives of God’s purpose and plan for us as individuals. This article lets us know that there is still good news and victory in spite of a seemingly lost battle.

Declare and Display

In our families and in our churches, we are far too often late to the conversation about sexuality with our teenagers and reactionary once we speak up. This should not be the case. The kitchen table and living room are perhaps the best places for this discussion. And the church is called to equip its people to follow Christ and make disciples within our culture. To overcome this we must talk about the issues—homosexuality, same-sex attraction, gender fluidity, pornography, and sexual immorality—and we must do so clearly and compassionately. Within our cultural climate we cannot retreat out of fear or remain silent out of ignorance in either the home or the church. Now is the time to engage. Now is the time for honest answers to hard questions. Now is the time to listen well and speak truth in love. Now is the time to address the issues of…

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The ABCS of What Parents and Society Want for Our Children

Here’s a succinct listing of what we all desire for our youth today:
A- Ability to respect authority, authority figures, and parents.
B-Be mindful of their associates and friends
C-Clear rules, expectations, and boundaries at home, at school, and in society
D-Develop peaceful resolution skills, the ability to see other’s point of view, to get along with others, and avoid hurtful language, behaviors, and actions
E-Engage in cultural activities and exposure to new ideas, foods, and places
F-Family life filled with unconditional love and a supportive environment
G-Generational exposure to their elders and their wisdom; respect for elders
H-Healthy choices in thinking, eating, money management, and care of their bodies
I-Integrity in all of their actions
J-Jokes that are not at the expense of someone’s feelings or self-esteem. The gift of laughter.
K-Knowledge. The application of knowledge is power. Be a life-long learner. Value education and stay in school.
L-Learn from their mistakes and keep moving forward
M-Manners. Manners. Manners-have some.
N-Neighborhoods that have caring neighbors who monitor and supervise their behavior
O-Opportunities to be of service to others
P-Positive relationships with adults and to have role models within their family and community, not just celebrities and sports figures
Q-Question their lives-“Why am I here? What’s my purpose? What will be the consequence of my actions?
R-Religious institutions that share in their spiritual, character, and moral development.
S-Safe environments at home, school, neighborhoods, and cities
T-Talk to adults, two way communication with them- listen as well as respectfully share opinions
U-Understand and appreciate cultural diversity in themselves and others
V-Values that develop character, integrity, and guide behavior. The ability to be responsible and to accept responsibility
W-Work skills that include soft and hard skills
X-Xamine choices and the ability to monitor their own behavior
Y-Youth programs, sports, and clubs that engage them in activities during key after school times and on weekends.
Z-Zeal and passion for goals that foster independence and self-sufficiency; the ability to persevere and never give up.

Chapter 45

A new chapter begins in our lives today; What will be your contribution? What will your life say? We live in a country that has stood the test of time And allowed us to say, “This is mineR…

Source: Chapter 45

Chapter 45

A new chapter begins in our lives today;
What will be your contribution?
What will your life say?
We live in a country that has stood the test of time
And allowed us to say,
“This is mine”,
With such a rich legacy and rich history
Do we really value and honor
What others have sacrificed for you, for me?
It’s about more than who’s in office in this government of the people, for the people, and by the people
For we, too, have a responsibility,
From the synagogue to the churches with and without steeples
To ensure that we exercise our rights and responsibility
to stay free.
It’s about what’s right,
No matter who’s doing it
All people matter,
Even those who some think don’t fit.
Focus, faith, fellowship and fortitude will be what unite us
And carry us forward,
Leaving in the dust those who
Refuse to get on board
As they continue to divide and sow discord;
Because each chapter that you write
Will determine the future of our
Young, old, neighbor, friend, foe
Our mindsets determine how far we go
So let’s get past the pomp and circumstance
Take responsibility and give our
Freedom a chance.
Exercise your rights peacefully.
Use your voice.
Use your vote.
Educate and empower yourself
And stay out of the boat
Of mediocrity.
God bless America
God bless you and me!

Un-pack your bags for the Journey

Life is a jouney. Unpack for it!

renacanadylaster

My friend, how often is it that we focus so much on getting to a destination that we fail to enjoy the journey? I know, I know. Life is hectic and fast paced. But, wouldn’t it be a shame to arrive and realize that there was scenery along the way that we missed. Often at the end of life or in the journey toward our goals and purpose, we miss so much. We focus on the bumps in the road, the detours and even the Nay Sayers who say that we shouldn’t even take the journey. But, when we travel Interstate and roads toward planned trips and  destinations, we continue to travel in spite of the inevitable and eternal construction, the detours and the bumps in the road. Airplanes have delays and turbulence. Bus trips are long and taxing. Train rides are filled with people that we may not care to be around. Travel…

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What I am Thankful For

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year! I love to smell the turkey baking in the oven, the sweet potato pies, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and all the fixings just waiting for us to devour. So, to say that I’m thankful for the meal is an understatement. But, in addition to the meal, I’m thankful for the time spent with family and friends, time off from work and many other things. I’ve tried to sum them up below. I’m sure if I keep thinking, I’ll be able to add to this list.

What I am Thankful For:

Authority over the enemy, Abundant life, the Anointing, The Alpha

Blessings, the Blood, Brokenness

Creation, Choices, Children, the Cross

Deliverance, Dreams, Discipline, Discipleship

Emotions, Endurance, Eternal life, Encouragement, Experience, Education

Faith, Fruitfulness, Favor, Forgiveness, Family, Friends

Glory, the Gospel, Goals, Grandchildren

Health, Healing, Holiness, the Holy Spirit, Humility

I Am, Inheritance, Increase, Illumination

Joy, Jesus, Justification

Knowledge, the King of Kings

Love, Life, Legacy, Laughter

Ministry, Mind renewal, Miracles, Mercy, Music

Newness of life, the Name above all names

Order, Opportunities, The Omega

Patience, Peace, Prosperity, Power, Preaching, Praise, Prayer, your Presence, your Promises, Provision, Promotion, Purpose, Passion, Parents, Provision, Poetry

Questions, Quality of life

Redemption, the Redeemer, Refuge, Repentance, Revelation, the Resurrection, Relatives, Rest, Relaxation

Salvation, Self-Control, Spiritual Gifts, my Savior, Scripture, Sanctification, Service, Stewardship, Sound mind, Seed-time and Harvest-time, Second chances, Strength, Signs, my Senses, my Soul, my Spirit, Sleep

Time, Temperance, my Testimony, Talent

Unconditional love

Victory, Vision, Virtue

Wisdom, Wonders, Your Will, Your Way, Wholeness, my Witness, the Word of God, Worship

Xcellent is your Name

Youth, Yokes destroyed

Zeal

Be blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!