Beyond Words

 
They say the only two things you can rely on in life are death and taxes. Well, so are certain sales. Below is a quick listing of what goes on sale using a calendar based shopping system, which could help you take of advantage of possible deep discounts throughout 2014. Happy shopping!

January
Winter clothes and accessories, holiday decorations, appliances, furniture, linens, towels, swimwear, toys, TVs, exercise equipment

February
Jewelry, lingerie, air conditioners, electronics, computers, furniture, exercise equipment, mattresses, used cars.

March
Coats, boots, scarves, gloves, gardening tools, washers and dryers, cameras, small electronics, TVs, winter sports gear

April
Dresses and spring clothing, wedding gowns, cruises, vacations, wallpaper, paint, computers, lawn mowers

May
Summer clothes, sneakers, athletic gear, luggage, mattresses, outdoor furniture, televisions, camping and outdoor gear, carpeting, phones, small electronics

June
Electronics, summer sporting goods, mattresses, building materials, camcorders, carpeting, computers, furniture, swimwear

July
Furniture, bikes, mattresses, refrigerators, tires, air conditioners, electronics, outdoor furniture

August
Fall shoes and bags, school supplies, furniture, air conditioners, backpacks, dehumidifiers, outdoor furniture, snow blowers

September
Jackets and boots, cookware, dishes, fans, pool and patio supplies, tires, cars of that year, bikes, cameras, gas grills, lawn mowers, shrubs and trees

October
Winter clothing, fishing gear, new cars after the introduction of next year’s model, gas grills, lawn mowers, cameras, computers

November
Shoes, boys’ clothing, blankets, baby products, camcorders, GPS navigators, toys, TVs

December
Candles, bikes, camcorders, GPS navigators, home appliances, toys, TVs

A scripture to remember all through the new year:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. He will direct your path.” Prov. 3:5-6

May God make our year a happy one. Not by making our paths easy, but by making us sturdy to travel any path. Not by shielding us from all sorrows and pain, but by strengthening us to bear them as they come. Not by taking hardships from us, but by taking fear from our hearts. Not by making our lives always pleasant, but by showing us the many little blessings in our lives. Not by focusing on self-love, but by being there when those we love need us the most. Not by making us anxious, but by relying on God’s love, peace, hope, and joy for the year ahead.

Have you gone shopping for light bulbs in the last three or four days? If you have, you’ve discovered that finding old favorite incandescent bulbs is nearly impossible. That’s because January 1, 2014 began the phase out of standard 40 and 60-watt bulbs…you know the kind we’ve all used for centuries and that Thomas Edison invented?

Why the change? It’s all part of the federal government’s new lighting standards that were part of 2007’s Energy Independence and Security Act. Step one was enacted in 2012 when 100-watt bulbs were eliminated, followed by their 75-watt cousins. Basically it means familiar, general-service bulbs can no longer be made in or imported into the U.S. Incandescent bulbs are not banned, so to speak, but they are required to be more energy-efficient. Some incandescents are even exempt from the new legislation, including three-way bulbs and narrow candelabra-based bulbs. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like any of the “new” bulbs and I’ve stocked up on my favorite “vintage” bulbs.

Still, sometimes you can’t fight change. Our options now are either fluorescent, LED, or halogen bulbs. It all gets very confusing, so here’s the skinny on each:

Incandescent, CFL, LED bulbs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, last long, are energy efficient and relatively inexpensive, but they have features man people don’t like. First of all, they contain mercury, raising concerns about breakage and disposal; they are ugly (squiggly just doesn’t cut it!); they take forever to light up; they cast an unflattering and harsh light; and they don’t fit clip-on shades.

LED bulbs work through light-emitting diodes. They last for decades, use even less energy than CFLs, but can be fairly expensive. If you have high ceilings and dread light bulbs going out though, find one of these you can live with.

Halogen bulbs are most like incandescent faves but they don’t save as much energy or last as long as CFLs and LEDs. They are your best bet if you’re really fighting the change.

All this was enacted to reduce the amount of energy needed to power American homes and businesses. They’ve done that, but in the meantime consumers are confused and unhappy. Buying a light bulb today often requires more time, more attention, and more money.

It’s not surprising then that consumers have overwhelmingly rejected the new bulbs. Nationwide, incandescent and halogen bulbs still accounted for roughly 75 percent of sales in 2013. Buyers don’t like the confusing varieties and they certainly don’t like spending $30 for a light bulb, like some LEDs can cost, which is probably why they account for a measly 1 percent of bulbs in American homes.

So, what should you do and what bulb should you chose? Consider these tips:

Read the Lighting Facts label that is on every package of light bulbs. It looks a lot like Nutrition Facts labels on food items and will give you the information you can use to compare different bulbs. Also read all packaging to determine if the bulbs are dimmable, can be used outdoors, fit an enclosed fixture, and other specific uses you might be in need of. The days of just buying one style of light bulb and using it everywhere are long gone. Different bulbs today have different uses.

Be familiar with all the new lighting lingo like “lumens” and “Kelvins.”
Lumens basically means the bulb’s brightness. Here’s a comparison to incandescent bulbs:
450 lumens = 40 watts
800 lumens = 60 watts
1,100 lumens = 75-watts
1,600 lumens = 100 watts.

“Kelvin” is the scale used to measure the color temperature. You prefer the warm style of lighting incandescents offer, look for a color temperature of 2,700 Kelvin. The higher the Kelvin number, the cooler…and whiter…the light will be.

It’s also recommended that you look for the Energy Star logo when buying CFL or LED bulbs. This stamp indicates they meet certain quality standards and are backed by warranties.

I know it’s all for the good and that energy savings is vital in today’s ever expanding populous world, but I’m still hoping for a light at the end of this tunnel that’s much more like my favorite 60-watters.

January 10. That’s the date a recent British study estimated most of us will have ditched our New Year’s resolutions. Wow. I would have thought we’d give them at least a solid 30 days! Not so, even though a projected nearly half of all Americans will make New Year’s resolutions but that nearly half of them will fail at the long-term achievement of them.

What are the secrets to sticking to our new year/new me ideas? Motivational speaker and best-selling author Gabrielle Bernstein told Elle magazine that a key is to start by committing to just 40 days, rather than a whole year. In support of this tangible idea are researchers associated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the National Institute of Mental Health who reported that repeating a behavior for 40 days actually reprograms your brain by reversing neutral pathways. Start your resolution January 1 and do whatever it takes to stick to it and your chances of continuing on increase tremendously. As they say, day by day what you do is what you become. How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.

Everyone from Aristotle to Andy Warhol agrees. Aristotle once said “we are what we repeatedly do” and Warhol was quoted as giving the great advice of “Either once only or every day. If you do something once, it’s exciting and if you do it every day it’s exciting. But if you do it twice or just almost every day it’s not good anymore.”

It’s not easy though, as that looming date of January 10 indicates. American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn shared his rags-to-riches story and influenced the personal development industry with quotes such as “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” It’s that kind of thinking that makes a person successful or merely “goal-ful.”

One of my favorite authors and bloggers, Gretchen Rubin, has “7 Tips for Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolution” and I’d like to share them with you.

1. Be specific. Don’t just resolve to “find more joy in life.” Determine what gives you joy and do that. “Watch at least one feel-good movie a week” or “get a massage once-a-month” are more likely to be accomplished than simply “be happier.”
2. Write your resolutions down. And, keep them somewhere that you can see them…daily.
3. Review your resolutions constantly. If they’re not working for you, change them.
4. Hold yourself accountable. Don’t just say “lose weight” or “eat healthier.” Hire a trainer or commit to healthy eating with a friend. And, track your progress.
5. Try making pleasant resolutions instead of just ones you dread starting. You will find resolutions like “read more” and “coffee with friends” much more fun to keep then “organize every drawer and closet,” yet they’ll still give you a sense of accomplishment. Remember, if you plan to ask a lot of yourself, it helps to give a lot to yourself.
6. Keep your resolutions every day. (We’ve heard this before!)
7. Put your energy toward changes that are both realistic and helpful and make small resolutions, rather than long-term, often unattainable ones.

That last one is something I’m going to do, thanks to Rubin’s “The Happiness Project” book and her advice of having small, monthly resolutions. The book consists of 12 chapters chronicling the author’s lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. I’m starting January 1 on chapter 1. I’m also going to do a monthly reading of the 12 chapters of Heather King’s “Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Therese of Lisieux” book. My prayer group recently read the book, but I’d like to do the chapters, written by months, one at a time.

Another New Year’s resolution I make every year is to learn something new. In the past, I’ve taken ice skating lessons, an Italian class at UT (I was a Longhorn?!), learned to cross-stitch, started yoga, took golf lessons, and last year I learned how to shoot a gun…just to name a few. For 2014, I resolve to improve this blog by figuring out how to better incorporate groups of photos in it and to also learn how to allow you, my readers, to simply click on something I mention and go directly to a link. Any techies out there who can help me?!

So, how did New Year’s resolutions get started? Initially not timed to beginnings of actual new years, many historians say the custom was started by the Babylonians and grew stronger during the Roman Empire. Regardless of their origins, make your resolutions something you truly want to accomplish, but if you stumble, make it part of the dance.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Please share!

I know what you’re thinking, “Robin Williams for Sunday Scripture?!” But hold on. I promise it will make sense.

The holidays are winding down and despite the familiar image of families gathered around Christmas trees and dinner tables, the holidays can be a lonely time for many. But it’s not just the holidays, as Mr. Williams so eloquently said, one can still feel alone even when not literally alone.

Enter “I Thirst,” a meditation based on the spiritual teachings of Blessed Mother Teresa. I only recently came across these beautiful words, but they entered my life when I needed them most. It is a lengthy prayer and is written under the pretense that Jesus wrote it to us. In it He assures us that He thirsts for us, saying “even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be me, I am there.”

He goes on to tell us “I come with a love for you beyond your comprehension. I come longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind all your wounds. I come with my power that I might carry you and all your burdens and to touch your heart and transform your life. I know everything about you. Nothing in your life is unimportant to me. I have loved you always. I know your needs and worries. I know what is in your heart. I know your loneliness and all your hurts. I know especially your need for love and how you are thirsting to be loved and cherished. I cherish you more than you can imagine, to the point of dying on the cross for you. I thirst for you. I thirst to love you and be loved by you. That is how precious you are to me. Come to me and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will give you peace, even in all your trials. Trust in me. Ask me every day to enter and take charge of your life and I will. I will work miracles in your life. Why? Because I thirst for you. All that you have sought outside of me has only left you empty so do not cling to the things of this life. Above all, do not run from me when you fall. Give me the joy of being your Savior. It will be your belief in me and in my love that will change you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness; why not try opening your heart to me, right now, more than you ever have before?”

I condensed the prayer here, but that, in a nutshell is what “I Thirst” tells us. We are never alone and all of us have the very best friend just waiting to listen to and love us. All we need do is ask.

I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not evil and to give you a future of hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen. Jer 29:10-13

Are you still looking at all those candy canes you bought or received during recent weeks?  Well, don’t throw them away; they could be good for you!

Cinnamon has long been known for its medicinal purposes, but did you know peppermint is also one of nature’s little health treasures?  Crunch up those canes and toss sprinkles into your coffee or cocoa, whip up some peppermint bark, or just chomp on one and you may just reap some of the following great benefits:

Peppermint is great for taming tummy troubles, ranging from nausea to menstrual cramps.  Recent evidence shows it’s also a powerful response to irritable bowel syndrome.  In fact, an Italian study found that IBS symptoms were significantly reduced among 75 percent of patients who took peppermint oil capsules for one month.

Peppermint has also been known to curb cravings and who doesn’t want to do that after the holidays?!  In one study, just smelling peppermint oil every two hours made participants less hungry, resulting in them eating 2,800 fewer calories than those who didn’t smell the sweet scent.

Holidays tend to bring on headaches caused by tension, anxiety and alcohol, but did you know that rubbing peppermint oil on your forehead and temples is just as effective as acetaminophen?

Tis the season for stuffing noses, and yes, peppermint can help here too.  Peppermint is chalk-full of menthol, the compound found in over-the-counter cough and cold medicines.

The scent of peppermint can also improve concentration.  The yummy scent has been linked to greater alertness, motivation, and even performance.  One Maryland middle school has gone so far as to provide peppermint candies for students during state-wide testing periods.

Now, about those candy canes.  They too have an interesting story behind them.  Think about  it:  the shepherd’s crook was at the first worshipping of Christ as the shepherds paid homage to the newborn savior and a candy cane looks just like one of their crooks.  The colors of the candy cane, red and white, are also significant as they represent our Lord’s sacrifice and purity.  And finally, turn a candy cane upside down and what do you get?  The letter “J” for Jesus!

So enjoy one of the season’s most popular treats, feel their healing power, and don’t forget what they stand for.

The Real 12 Days of Christmas

We’ve all heard the song and we’ve all sang it a million times, but what does it really mean?  Here, is what those two turtle doves, four calling birds, nine ladies dancing, and the rest of the cast really symbolize: 

First Day:  A partridge in a pear tree (Jesus)

Second Day:  2 turtledoves (Mary and Joseph)

Third Day:  3 French Hens (The 3 wise men)

Fourth Day:  4 Calling Birds (the 4 gospels)

Fifth Day:  5 Golden Rings (the first 5 books of the Old Testament)

Sixth Day:  6 geese-a-laying (the 6 days of creation)

Seventh Day:  7 swans-a-swimming (the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit)

Eighth Day:  8 maids-a-milking (the 8 Beatitudes)

Ninth Day:  9 ladies dancing (the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit)

Tenth Day:  10 lords-a-leaping (the 10 Commandments)

Eleventh Day:  11 pipers piping (the 11 apostles)

Twelfth Day:  12 drummers drumming (Apostle’s Creed 12 beliefs)