sounds enjoying huh???

teamwork

this was during our retreat...youth are encourage to cook their own food....isn't it wonderful...

12 WAYS to mend a BROKEN heart

1. Once you've broken up, make it a clean break. You've probably done as much talking it out and closure as you need to for now. You know when you have a cut and a scab forms over it? Well, what happens when you pick at the scab? It hurts more! Worse than that the healing has to start all over and can scar. Don't pick at it. Let it heal over. One day you can call and sort it all out. Today you need to think about making yourself feel better.

2. Spend lots of time with friends. Find someone whom you can pour your heart out to. They don't have to say anything, just listen. Hopefully you have good friends who will intuitively know that they should be keeping you busy. If they don't, ask them to. Say, "Hey, Betty, I'm hurting. Can you make sure I get out a little more this week?" Other things to say: "Don't let me call (fill in ex-s name here)." "Don't let me go to (fill in names of places that your ex goes here)." Help your friends help you.

3. This is a good time to rekindle relationships with old friends. It'll remind you of who you were before this relationship. You'll start to feel like your old self again. Perhaps the person whom your ex didn't appreciate. You're friends know and love you and appreciate you. They knew you before... They'll remind you that you had a life before this relationship and help you to believe that you can have one again.

4. When you find yourself thinking about your ex and all the great times you had try to remember the worst times. Remember how bad you felt when... Breaking up has a way of making you highlight all the good stuff. Fight this tendency, but know that it's normal.

5. Everything is going to remind you of your ex. Every song. Every movie. This will happen for a long time. It's like you never had a life before the two of you met, but you did. It'll come back to you. You'll want to share things with your ex, just like you used to. You see something that he or she would like...This is normal, but don't do it. If you have a burning desire to tell your ex something and you are afraid that you will forget it, write it down if you have to. You can always call tomorrow. Don't call today!

6. You want closure? I don't believe in it. It's not closure. It's opensure. Opening an unhealed wound. Don't do it. Is there a reason to call and ask why he/she broke up with you? Yes, if you want to feel more pain. There's time for this tomorrow (and when tomorrow comes, you won't care to know the answer).

7. How do you know when you are over it? It's not when you hate the person or you are no longer secretly holding on to hope. It's when you don't care anymore. You feel almost neutral.

8. When you find yourself focusing on your ex's feelings instead of your own, force yourself to focus on your own feelings. It's natural to think about what your ex might be doing or thinking. Try to think more about yourself and your own needs. Pamper yourself. People do different things - take baths, drink tea, watch favorite movies, play with a pet. Do whatever soothes you.

9. Do things that you have put off for a long time. Fun things. Frivolous things.

10. Don't over indulge in drugs or alcohol. You might do something you'll regret and end up feelings worse. While feeling down you may be tempted. This is not the time to indulge, you'll feel worse afterwards.

11. Put pictures of your ex away! Don't look through your albums. Don't throw them away right now either. You may be sorry later.

12. Don't make major life changes in other areas. You can do things that make you feel better, but don't have lasting consequences. Examples include, a new haircut, a new outfit...

If you need help, do not be afraid to get it.... The best thing to do is to live your life and free yourself, allow yourself to grieve and then allow yourself to let go.

TIPS IN HELPING A PROBLEMATIC CHILD

One of the greatest feelings about being a parent is in knowing that your teens can talk to you about their feelings and everything else that’s going on in their world. Establishing this great relationship with your teen requires good Communication. It is an ongoing process that takes a lot of patience and understanding on your part as a parent. Once you have established an open line of communication with your teen, it will be easier to deal with any other kinds of issues that could show up. Your teens are going through a period in their life where they feel a strong need for becoming an independent person and working on creating a separate identity. They usually express these needs by acting distant, defiant, disinterested, emotional, and rebellious. These are the times where you have to remember to be very understanding. Although they may appear to be indifferent and uninterested, they are actually very perceptive of your reactions, what you do, and what you say. And they certainly want to be able to talk with you about what’s going on in their life.With that in mind, here are some of the things that you should look out for when talking to your teen.
1. Stop nagging. It never works! You will never get your teen to listen to you by nagging. Doing this just closes the door to any attempt of communicating with them.
2. Do not always try to solve your child's problems. A lot of times, all they really want is for you to listen to them and let them know that you are there to help. Often, just by letting them talk to you about their problems is enough to give them comfort. And not offering any answer gives them a chance to figure out the solutions for themselves.
3. Do not criticize. You’re supposed to build up their self esteem, not tear it down. Letting your teens have control in areas like the clothes thy wear, the music they listen to, or their hairstyle gives them a feeling of acceptance and the assurance that they can talk to you with more complicated matters in their lives.
4. Do not give a lecture or a speech. You need to give your teen a chance to respond and talk to you.
5. Do not underestimate them by saying that what they are going through is just a phase. You have to be able to acknowledge that they have a problem and it is a big deal to them.

TEENS STRUGGLE.....

Teen problems are growing. If you think that being a teen today is the same as it was when you were in their shoes, you are probably mistaken. Now, listen to yourself say how strict and how hard life was when you where young. But, you need to realize that teens today face huge, life threatening decisions just about ever day. What they face has a lot to do with where they grow up. Yet do not be fooled into thinking that your child is safe.In the normal course of your teen's day, he or she may face any of these things; one or more of them.
1.Drugs. Think that drugs are simple like they used to be? They are not. Kids today are not just smoking the easy stuff. They are into crack or other strong and deadly drugs.
2. Sex. Not only are they exposed to it on the television, but they are encouraged by others. They may be engaging in sexual acts that you have never heard of. They may be doing it unprotected as well. At school, after school, on the car ride home - there are many opportunities you do not realize. Teens get pregnant and have babies.
3. Violence. Today's teen problems often revolve around violence. They see friends with guns at school or after school. They witness huge fights. They hear threats. They see anger and deal with it daily.
4. Depression. With all that they see and do, teens face depression today at an alarming rate as compared to just a decade ago. Depression is not something that just goes away, but can cause them harm and threaten their lives.
5. Driving. Teens drive drunk. Teens drive under the influence of drugs. Teens get in cars that others are driving under the influence. Teens may also be responsible drivers, but share the road with those that are not.Teen problems that are at a lower level can be just as deadly. They face lying, cheating, emotional trauma, learning disabilities and divorce. All of these things a child will face daily in some cases. In those cases, it is no wonder that they have low self esteems, high drop out rates and some of the students will break under the pressure. Teen problems should be addressed and noticed by their parents first.

CATS---WORLD TEACHER

Some people are "dog people," others are "cat people." I'm a cat person. Regardless of which pet you prefer, we can all agree that pets enrich our lives in many ways. They provide unconditional affection, they don't care what we look like, and sometimes even they teach us a life lesson.But I never expected my cat to teach me a marketing lesson! A niche marketing lesson, to be more precise.At this point, the dog lovers reading this are saying that this cat person is crazy. But I'm not. Here's how it happened.Like millions of other pet lovers, I bought plenty of pet toys. We all want to be able to interact with our pets, yet still have them not be bored when we're away.My cat went through the usual toy assortment: feathers, balls with bells in them, foam balls, catnip, string, and an assortment of stuffed rodents. Because we all want the best for our furry friends, I bought the biggest stuffed rat I could find. It received an occasional sniff but was mostly ignored. The medium-sized stuffed mice received more attention, but only if I moved the mouse or threw it for the cat. He wouldn't play with it on his own.Then my cat was given a pair of tiny stuffed mice. I thought they were too small and would be ignored just as the giant rat was.Boy was I wrong!Like a lion on a gazelle, my cat pounced on the tiny mouse and gave it a beating it would never forget. He played mouse hockey through the house, scoring goals under the refrigerator and under the stove. He played baseball, tossing the mouse high into the air and catching it again, or hitting a home run on the way down. He played jungle lion, proudly carrying his prey back to his waiting pride (me!).So what does all this warm fuzzy cat stuff have to do with online sales?It's a metaphor for niche marketing. The cat is the consumer. The cat toys are your products. The ultimate goal is to match the former with the latter.Your first product, the giant rat, was of vague interest to the consumer (the cat). The consumer sniffed at your ad or sales page, but did not like what he smelled, and moved on. No sales.Your second product, the medium-sized mice, were more interesting to the potential buyer. He would take action, but only after intensive prompting on your part. You would probably have to spend a lot on pay per click ads or gave away lots of bonuses to get his business. A few sales might be made, but it would be expensive to get those sales.But your third product, the mini-mouse, was pure magic! Your cat consumer took one look, something in his brain clicked, and a sale was made. It was as if your product was a key that unlocked the part of the customer's brain that triggered the buying impulse. Jackpot!That's what my cat taught me about niche marketing. You must find a product that somebody desperately wants (preferably a large group of somebodies). That product must be exactly what they were looking for, even if they didn't know they wanted it! It must be so tantalizing that your customer is more concerned about playing with his new toy than he or she is about paying for it.You see, I made a classic info-product mistake with my cat. I gave him what I thought he would like. I wasted money promoting large stuffed rodents and heaps of other toys to him. What I didn't do is ask him what he needed and give him that!Don't make the same mistake! Figure out what your customers want FIRST, and give them that. Then watch them pounce on it so fast that the payment process is almost an afterthought for them.I have since learned that the mini-mice are about the same size as real mice. No wonder the cat was sold on them immediately! He had never seen a real mouse, but there was a mini-mouse sized niche in his brain that was instantly gratified by the smallest mouse toy.

PRAISED GIFTS

Teachers add so much to our lives and guide out children with special attention. It always nice to give an appreciation for their thoughtfulness and caring. But what gift would be appropriate and not overwhelm the teacher? Here a just a few:1. Fill a basket with things they will need and use all year. Add pens, pencils, notepads, stickers, boxes of staples and paperclips.2. Wrap a coffee can with colorful paper and add three or four of your favorite home baked cookies. The plastic lid will keep them fresh for days.3. Teachers often burn the midnight candle as they read reports and grade papers. Fill a basket with bags of munchies like peanuts, chips, popcorn.4. Make a donation to the local zoo or library in your teacher’s name. Put the donation card in with a note expressing your appreciation.5. Teachers are always reading. Get a gift certificate or card at your local book store and enclose it in a note of your appreciation for their help.6. Get a apple made of cloth and filled with soft fibers. Have every member of the class sign the apple in ink.7. Teachers are always carrying books and papers. Find a satchel bag with an apple or red, white, and blue flag design. Or make a bag with all the school colors.8. At the local bookstore, find a bookmark that says what a great teacher he is. Or one that has apples running the length of the bookmark. You may be able to find one with dunce hats or take another plain bookmark and add dunce hat stickers to it.9. Buy a glass or ceramic mug and have your child paint an apple and his name on the side.10. Have your child create a pencil cup by decorating a juice can with brightly colored tissue paper.

food for lunch

what's for lunch...guys...