Family Relationships: THERE WAS A TIME

I have had some recent disappointments from certain relatives.  They made me believe/hope that they would come through on their word. Nope!

There was a time I would have set myself on fire, to keep others warm.

There was a time I would have crossed oceans to reach people who wouldn’t cross a stream for me.

There was a time I would try, too hard, to be seen by those, who would simply never see me.

There was a time I felt unworthy of a person, who could actually never be worthy of me.

But not anymore.

You see my friend, there are many ways to spend your time on this earth 

but wasting it on those who are not appreciative of your attention, is a crying shame.

Use your time wisely.

Save your best efforts for those who care. 

For those who would return the favour or at least appreciate your attention. 

Those who truly value you.

And the rest? 

If they do not see you now, they never will.

And they are missing out.

Make this the time that you realize your time is precious and should only be bestowed on those who bring you comfort, positivity, support, love, or joy.

Or all of the above.

Remember, you are the main act, not a warm-up, 

and this, my friend, is no dress rehearsal.

This is it.

The curtain is well and truly up.

Shine on.

✨

Author 👇

Donna Ashworth

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Are Father's Necessary?

 A 5-minute video with the answer:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: 

but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6

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Foster Care: A Meaningful Simple Sign

 

I never thought a simple sign could mean so much.

In the parking lot at work, in addition to handicapped parking spots, we also have ones also reserved for expectant moms. I have passed by these spots day after day for years. I love what they represent and the heart to serve the moms here at Focus on the Family

As my husband and I started our journey of foster care and adoption, this sign started to take on a new meaning. I joked a couple of times that I would love to park there when we became licensed. But in all seriousness, I really wanted to. In a lot of cases, getting licensed to be a foster parent doesn’t come with “showers” or parties. But it is something to be celebrated! So, I reached out to our Human Resources and Facilities teams and asked, “When we get licensed, can I park in one of the spots?” The response was an overwhelming “Yes!”

Today I was able to park in the spot. My car pulled up to the curb, with a sign in front announcing that I am an expectant mom. I cried. Yes, I cried again. I have cried over a twin bed and am now crying over a sign. But I wouldn’t change these tears for anything. I am honored to be stepping into this role, and I pray for the children that will come in into our hearts and home.

This is foster care.

This is love.

Wait No More, Facebook

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Lovely Lily's Bridal Shower

the ribbons from her gifts

My future daughter-in-law's bridal 👰 shower! Her Mom's friend created a simple, beautiful, memorable event.  My stomach was full and my heart was bursting with joy for my son who will be marrying this lovely girl.  May the love of God keep us together!

souvenir candles (various tiny succulents)

dessert table, yum 😋

guests signed a Jenga block

table setting

my friend signed her Jenga block for the couple

delicious, simple, yummy!

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Dads & Their Influence in our Lives

pc: No Greater Joy Ministries

Happy Father's Day!!

My Dad was very far from perfect -- like me.  My husband (my children's Dad) is not perfect neither, but I do not know of any perfect men or women in this world.  

This is a nice, short article of memories of Dads from HOUZZ
 (by G Purdom)

Love Lasts: Dad’s Imprint on Our Homes

By Robin Breuer   Home Design Photos

Robin Breuer lost her father to cancer at only 13, but a reminder of him sits nestled next to her bookcase. “My most cherished memory is of sitting on his lap in this leather chair, while he relaxed after work with a martini, roasted peanuts and classical music,” Breuer wrote when we asked last week where Houzz users see their dads’ influence in their homes.

“Growing up, I always had a bit of hero worship for my dad. He seemed so intelligent, well-traveled and sophisticated, and this leather chair (from Norway, I believe) embodied all of those qualities,” she later told us via email. “I knew I had to have that chair in my home,” she said.

By Gwendolyn Purdom Home Design Photos

Eventually, Breuer was able to wedge the chair into the front seat of a friend’s car and transport it from New Jersey to her apartment in New York. “I was so worried when we moved it that a leg would break or the leather would tear, but it squeezed in the front seat perfectly,” she says.

“Now it sits prominently in my studio apartment, honoring his memory.”

“Dad chairs,” like Breuer’s, shown here, hold a special place in many homes (we’ve even explored the psychological root of their cultural prominence in the past), but they’re hardly the only visible vehicle for fond memories ahead of Father’s Day.

Much like the heartfelt recollections of mom that users shared last month, the responses our dad question evoked reflected a wide spectrum of personalities, passions and unexpected lessons. Here are a few more stories that stood out.

By Bonnie Martin Home Design Photos

Read the rest of HOUZZ's heart-warming Dad stories H E R E

Love Lasts: Dad’s Imprint on Our Homes

Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. (Eph 6:2-3)

Dads' Influence in Our Homes

No Greater Joy Ministries

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Bruschetta Bar

Breakfast Bruschetta Bar

Feed a houseful of hungry guests the easy way, without standing behind the griddle for hours. How? By letting them help themselves from a gorgeous selection that offers something for everyone. (Martha Stewart Living)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: MARCUS NILSSON

The strategy: you do the setup and they do the  serving. Let your guests help themselves, creating their own sweet or savory flavor combinations. Toast a few trays of hearty 

whole-grain bread and offer the slices with platters of meats, smoked fish, and cheeses; bowls of fruit; presliced or precooked vegetables; soft-cooked eggs; and, of course, plenty of options for schmearing, drizzling, and sprinkling. 

Here are some suggestions -- but really, the options are endless.

• Sauteed Spinach with Garlic + Soft-Cooked Egg (For perfect soft-cooked eggs: Boil water, add eggs, cook 5 minutes. Drain -- and you’re done.)

• Raspberry Jam + Aged Goat Cheese

• Coconut Oil + Banana + Coconut Flakes
 

• Sliced Ham + Dried Apricots

• Smashed Tomatoes + Bacon + Parsley

• Maple Syrup + Flaxseeds + Pecans

• Labneh + Grapes + Almonds

• Smoked Salmon + Scallions

• Grainy Mustard + Salami + Cucumber

Antipasto (plural antipasti) is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Typical ingredients of a traditional antipasto include cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar. - wikipedia

Bruschetta

Breakfast Bruschetta Bar

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Dog Story: Yummy in her Tummy

"Honey", our pretty designer Pup, only cost us $25 to purchase, yay! However, she has one glaring defect. In spite of a multitude of toys ...

... she prefers to chew on the following (incomplete list):

footwear

plastic containers

Library Books

 $17 library fee 

 $ 40 fee for this small amount of damage, eek!

furry bffs

still alive! kitty "tolerates" doggy's  affectionate nibbles

Honey also favors the taste of napkins and other paper products.
She loves dragging dirty laundry all over the house. Embarrassing! Feels like walking around with your zipper un-zipped or with ripped-up pants that expose your privates.  

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Summary: Tax Relief per President Trump

“If we want to renew our prosperity, restore our opportunity, and reestablish our economic dominance – which is what we should be doing – then we need tax reform that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-worker, pro-family, and, yes, pro-American.” - POTUS, September 2017

An America First Tax RELIEF PLAN: President Donald J. Trump, the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee are proposing vital tax relief to strengthen the middle class, grow the economy, and unleash America’s economic comeback.

• We are calling for a dramatic tax cut, which includes:
  • A larger zero tax bracket;
  • Lower tax rates for individuals, providing relief to Middle Class American families;
  • Lower small business tax rates, giving a boost to millions of American businesses and farms; and
  • Lower corporate tax rates, making American business more competitive.
• Tax cuts, like those in President Trump’s unified framework, boost economic growth.
  • Since Vice President Pence’s 2013 tax cuts, as Governor of Indiana, unemployment in Indiana has been cut in half and more than 200,000 jobs have been created.
  • President Reagan’s 1986 corporate income tax cut contributed 3.3 percent to economic growth over ten years, according to the Tax Foundation.

A TAX CUT For WORKING AMERICANS: We are laying out a tax-relief framework that will unburden America’s Middle Class.

• Double the standard deduction so that more income is taxed at zero percent.
  • The first $12,000 of income for an individual and $24,000 for a married couple will be tax-free.
• Consolidate the seven existing tax brackets for taxable income to only three brackets: 12 percent, 25 percent, and 35 percent.
• Increase and expand the Child Tax Credit to benefit more middle-income families and eliminate the marriage penalty.
• Create a new $500 tax credit for those caring for an adult dependent or elderly loved one.

Simplify the tax code: We will simplify tax filing so Americans can file their returns on a single sheet of paper.

• The vast majority of Americans will be able to file their taxes on a single sheet of paper.
  • American individuals and businesses spend more than 6 billion hours complying with the tax code, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate.
• The plan repeals the Alternative Minimum Tax, which requires many taxpayers to do their taxes twice.
• The plan ends the job killing “Death Tax.”

Lower The Crushing Business Tax Rates: We will cut tax rates for American business and make American business competitive again.

• The plan will reduce the corporate tax rate to 20 percent.
  • The United States corporate income tax rate is the highest in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and has been above the OECD average for almost 20 years.
  • The United States corporate income tax rate is more than 10 points higher than China’s, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
• The plan will also reduce the top tax rate paid by sole proprietors, S corporations, and partnerships to 25 percent.
• For the next five years, American businesses will be able to immediately write off the cost of their equipment and other capital investments.
• Economists agree that America’s corporate tax rate harms America’s workers by keeping their wages down.
  • More than 70 percent of the corporate tax burden falls on American workers, according the CBO.

Bring Wealth Back: We are proposing an “American Model” that will bring back trillions of dollars held overseas and restore America’s competitive edge.

• Profits that have accumulated offshore will be subject to a one-time low tax rate, thereby ending the tax incentive to keep those profits offshore.
• To avoid paying high U.S. corporate taxes on foreign profits, American companies have often reinvested their money abroad instead of repatriating it to U.S. shores.
  • Companies hold an estimated $2.8 trillion in earnings offshore, according to Audit Analytics.
• This plan will stop the “Offshoring Model,” which penalizes companies for incorporating in the United States.

Link
White House Press Release

Tearful Reunion in Canada by ISIS-Captured Yazidi Boy

His Dad and brother are still missing, but Emad Mishko Tammo is finally back with his Mom, thank God!

"Thank you, Canada, thank you Steve Maman," Emad Mishko Tamo said, referring to the president of the group The Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq, which orchestrated a campaign to expedite his reunion with his mother.

"I'm happy, I'm very thankful for anyone that had any part in me reuniting with my mom," Emad added through a translator.

"I am very happy and very thankful to God that he got here safely and soundly," his mother said, also speaking through a translator...

Read the rest of the emotional story here --->Tearful Reunion in Winnipeg, Canada

CYCI --> The Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq

Ethnic Kurdish Minority--> The Yazidis of Iraq

Breakfast/Brunch at the Westin Hotel

My niece got married this weekend.  Her reception was held at the Westin Hotel, Northwest. She married into a fine family: for example, her new sister-in-law (who will also be tying the knot soon), paid for the buffet  breakfast (or brunch for those who woke up late) on the morning after the wedding reception for some wedding guests. At $15 a pop, it was not cheap. We were given the entry tix by her mom-- my sis -- and thus became one of the select few.  Although it was not as convenient to us as those who stayed at the hotel who need only to go downstairs, we were more than willing to get up early and drive the 20 minutes it took on the expressway to partake of the free meal.

 Many who were present were related to us. Lots of laughter, hugs, and picture-taking. The workers were helpful and pleasant; the place was clean. Food items were delicious and replenished quickly.  Again, it was FREE for the seven members of my family. We were in hog-heaven for over 2 hours.

bread corner

fruit salad

scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage

juice, coffee, cereal, tea

healthy!

yogurt, blueberries/blackberries (yum)

plate 1

16.9.19.18