Come on--Get Happy! Wheeeeee! By Nancy

I know, I know, life is hard. But many studies show that optimists live longer, healthier lives.

It's the Half Full-Half Empty Syndrome: How do you see the "glass" of your life?

My husband, Ron, is an optimist (think Tigger from Winnie the Pooh) and he is usually whistling and smiling. I am more of an "Eore" and tend to think the rain clouds are coming any moment. However, after 28 years of living with a happy man, his optimism has rubbed off on me and I have learned to put on my Happy Hat. It 's a conscious effort, and sometimes I fail, but when I choose to smile instead of frown, I DO feel better.

Here's an article from LiveScience.com that proves my point. Read it and SMILE!

Is The Proverbs 31 Woman A Myth?

Nancy & Tonya with a famous friend

Happy IS as Happy DOES By Nancy

Did you know that being rich will not make you happy? It may fix your finances, but it can't fix your heart. If someone's a Grumpy Gert or a Gloomy Guss while they were poor, they will probably keep their downer personality.

In fact, many of the Lottery winner have said the money RUINED their lives. (I'd like the chance to find out!) But I watched an ABC News story called "Curse of the Lottery Winners"
which said "The dream you have about winning may be better than the actuality of winning," he said. "There have been families that have just — just been torn apart by this process."

Why won't money make us happy?
The Bible gives us a clue in 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

I guess I'll just wait till I get to heaven to be rich. I have a mansion waiting for me. You can too!
Click here to find out how to become a child of the KING

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Filter your speech-BEFORE you speak By Nancy

I use to think that I should SAY everything I was thinking. I was wrong!

Here's a story I wrote about a lesson I learned from a woman who destroyed her husband by her unfiltered speech. Here's an excerpt:

After we ordered our dinner, she said, "Carl, I saw you flirting with that waitress!" (He wasn't.)

"Caarrrrlll," she whined, "can't you do anything right?" You're holding your fork like a little kid!" (He was.)

When he mispronounced an item on the desert menu, she said, "No wonder you flunked out of college, you can't read!" She laughed so hard that she snorted, but she was the only one laughing

You can read the whole story HERE

Do you need to Zip your Lip orTame Your Tongue? By Nancy

Sometime we women use our words in NAG-ative ways. We are trying to persuade someone to see our point of view, but instead our words bite them--leaving teeth marks!

A good Cheetah Chick uses her words to help and heal. Here's one Bible verse that's helped me a lot.

Matthew 15:18 tells us that out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouth speaks, This means that every time we open our mouth to speaks, we are baring our souls to the world. The people who hears us speak will be able to see into our heart and recognize what kind of a person we really are. That's scary!

Efficiency is about time, space and attitute -- By Nancy

Ask yourself. "What slows me down? What keeps me stuck? Then find creative way to overcome those weak spots. You don't have to do it all at once. You will be surprised what you can accomplish in FIFTEEN MINUTES. In fact Emily Barnes wrote a whole book about 15 minute organizer tips, Here's the Amazon Link

How many items in your home are broken, outdated, or worthless? Is your home is like mine? We had accumulated oodles of items we didn’t need. For instance, we had accumulated 12 years of Auto Club books. We should have thrown the outdated one away when we got the new one. But did we? No! However, during a 15-minute spurt of de-cluttering, I tackled one section of a bookshelf and bravely threw all the outdated books in the recycle trash bin. I felt so free!

A Time to Store and a Time to Throw Away -- By Nancy

Question from a guilt-ridden Mom: Do I have to keep EVERY art project my children bring home?

Nancy's Answer: NO! Don't!

I recommend that you save one or two thing from each school year, keeping them in a large airtight container that’s clearly labeled, “Prince Henry’s Masterpieces” or "Amy's Art Archives." Ask the kids for input on what to keep then you won’t feel as guilty when you toss the other items. When you do throw them, be sure to use a dark trash bag so you (or they) won’t be tempted to go dumpster diving.

Time saver Tip - Use it or Lose It! -- By Nancy

Use It Or Lose It- by Nancy

We owned 20 fingernail clippers but I could never find any of them. What good is having something if you can’t find it to use it? Now, I keep all things manicure-ish in one case and store it in one particular drawer. Each member of the family knows where to find the clippers now and it has saved us a lot of hunting time and frustration.

I expanded the idea of keeping the same things in the same place by storing all shoe-polishing supplies above the washing machine and all car washing equipment in a laundry basket inside the garage. When I finally got all my gift-wrap items in one place, I actually enjoyed wrapping presents instead of feeling frustrated by going on a safari for scissors and a trek for tape. The principle is: keep the same type things in the same place.

“Never eat more than you can lift.” —Miss Piggy (by Tonya)

Balancing our diet doesn’t mean a Twinkie in each hand. What should be on our plate? Physically, we should eat nourishing foods to keep us strong and healthy.Reading about a healthy diet.

Cleanliness is Important - By Tonya

“Keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world”.

— George Bernard Shaw

Every day that you spend time with the Lord, you will be showered with love and bathed in prayer. Is cleanliness next to Godliness? Yes, if you want the people in church to sit near you!

Take a bubble bath to wash your skin. Pray, repent and cleanse your sin.

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." Psalm 51:2

Fragrance - By Tonya

I Can’t Seem to Forget You, Your Windsong stays on my mind.

—perfume jingle from the ’70s

What legacy would we leave if our spiritual scent lingered after we left the room? Would we be like Pepe Le Pew, the little French cartoon skunk, who was unaware of his offensive odor? There is no cologne to cover up the odor of sin, but if we put Christ first in every area of our life, His sweet and gentle fragrance will flow through us and draw others to Him.

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15

Man looks on our outward appearance... By Tonya

God’s idea of beauty is very different than what we see on a magazine cover. What does the Bible say about beauty? 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that man looks on our outward appearance, but God sees our hearts. People do look at our outward appearance. We should be neat, clean, and modestly attractive. People do judge a book by its cover and they will base their initial impressions of us on our appearance. It is important to take care of the unique and wonderful bodies that God created for us, but not to focus all of our attention on it. God is not like man; He sees our hearts and is concerned with our spiritual virtues. He knows there is more to you than meets the eye.

The Quest for Human Beauty - By Tonya

Physical beauty is subjective because the standard changes every century, decade, year, and season. It even varies from country to country. In other countries what is accepted as beautiful - we consider crazy. The Giraffe Women in Thailand elongate their necks with stacks of metal rings. On an island off the coast of Indonesian Sumatra some women have their teeth sharpened into points.

A Creative God - By Tonya

Did you know that the pattern of stripes on each zebra is unique and that’s how they tell each other apart? A zebra-print. When they are in a herd, their stripes confuse attacking lions because they look like one big striped blob. That happens to Nancy and me when we wear plaid and stand together. Our God has quite an imagination. He put the stripes on zebras, spots on cheetahs, and colorful beaks on the toucans.

Think Outside The Box - By Tonya

Some of us less domestic types buy a cake mix and a can of frosting, follow the instructions on the box exactly, and try to remember not to frost the cake while it’s warm. My friend Lisa buys a cake mix and adds crazy stuff to it. After the cake cools she layers it and puts more surprises in the middle. She heats chocolate, pours it over the top, and then puts the cake into the refrigerator. Two hours later, voilà, a delicious culinary masterpiece. Lisa is fabulously creative, she thinks outside the cake box. Check out these cake recipes

Write It Down - By Tonya

Have paper and pen ready at all times to write down ideas and thoughts as they come to you. Have a notepad next to your bed, so when you wake up at night you can write your thoughts down and go back to sleep. Seeing what is only a thought or idea written on a tangible piece of paper will cement the concept in your mind.

It’s never too late, baby! By Tonya

Are you worried that you’re too old to begin something new? Grandma Moses was a farmer’s wife and mother. She started painting in her seventies and produced more than 1500 works of art. Her paintings are highly sought after and have been used on Hallmark cards. Her gravestone is inscribed with, “Her primitive paintings captured the spirit and preserved the scene of a vanishing countryside.” See her paintings at: Grandma Moses

"You do not have because you do not ask." - By Tonya

As children of God, we have the privilege of going boldly to His throne in prayer. The Bible tells us, “You have not because you do not ask.” God is not some cosmic genie who can be bossed around; yet He instructs us to ask for what we want, because He desires to provide for us and bless us. Don’t hint, don’t wish, just pray. Remember, God likes to hear “please” and “thank you,” too.

Safari through Scripture "You do not have because you do not ask." James 4:2

Paint The Number Ones - By Tonya

As a child, I loved paint-by-number art kits, because a novice like me could pick up a paint brush and create a masterpiece. First, I painted all the number 1s brown, and then I painted all the number 2s black, and so on… Eventually, it looked somewhat like a kitten. Don’t begrudge the days of small things. Maybe for today, just paint all the number ones. Tomorrow is a new day.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - By Tonya

Lions and tigers and spiders, Oh my! Safaris are not for sissies. If the dangerous animals and arachnoids aren’t enough to frighten you away, just imagine no wireless internet or hot showers. But…we don’t want to miss out on the adventures of life, because of fear or weakness. We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit so we have His control and influence in our lives and become powerful Christians. We want to boldly march forward singing, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13”
Check out the whole chapter of Philippians in the Blue Letter Bible

The Little Engine That Could - Optimism By Tonya

There is value in optimism. Do you remember reading The Little Engine That Could? I’ve got to admit that my reaction to a challenge is NOT an optimistic I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. My first thoughts are more Eeyore-esque, I think I’ll fail, I think I’ll look stupid, I think I should just hide-out in my bedroom where it’s safe. We tell ourselves, “I’m not brave enough for an adventure,” “I’ll be scared,” or “I’ll look dumb.” Maybe we will…and then we’ll pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and try again.

The Little Engine That Could Storybook History

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Little Engine that Could, also known as The Pony Engine, is a moralistic children's story that appeared in the United States of America. The book is used to teach children the value of optimism. Some critics would contend that the book is a metaphor for the American dream.

Read the rest at: Wikipedia