Phyllis Sather's Blog

And Jesus looking upon them saith, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27

James from IvyPanda let me know of a recent post on dyslexia that he thought would be helpful to moms. I want to add it to my already published information on that topic hoping that someone will find helpful information for their situation.

I just recently heard this statement about dyslectics and got a good laugh out of it. It isn’t a new statement to many people because there are t-shirts, bags, bumper stickers, and even a song about it.

For some moms back to school means in addition to teaching our children we have one or more that will need special help.

[Tweet “For some moms back to school means in addition to teaching our children we have one or more that will need special help.”]

Learn to laugh at yourself

One of our daughters is dyslectic and I have quite a few of the tendencies too. We find it helpful not to take ourselves too seriously and have learned to joke about our transposed words, letters, and numbers. For a long time, she said she was lysdexic.  And we said, You certainly are!”

We still laugh at going to Route Mushmore (that’s one of mine), our cursing blinker, the Specific Ocean, and as the flow cries. While its good to laugh and not take ourselves too seriously, we need to be aware of the point when it is no longer funny and becomes hurtful. We are all at different places of learning to laugh at ourselves.

Learning to cope

While being dyslectic is a serious disorder, you can learn to be productive and be able to do what you need to do to live well.

[Tweet “While being dyslectic is a serious disorder, you can learn to be productive and be able to do what you need to do to live well.”]

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:14

My daughter and I are both published authors; our great editor Emily, manages to catch all of our mix-ups and be entertained by us as well. Some mix-ups can be quite hilarious – as our title reveals.

My daughter is also a freelance graphic designer and does beautiful work – all with dyslexia. She made the graphic for this article.

[Tweet “My daughter is also a freelance graphic designer and does beautiful work – all with dyslexia. “]

Dyslectics and numbers

Numbers are a different thing. Balancing a checkbook can be quite a challenge. Transposed numbers don’t balance very well. But given a quiet place, taking enough time, and carefully checking the numbers, I do manage to balance ours every month.

Realistically we knew she wouldn’t be training to do anything that required a lot of math, so we taught her consumer math so she would have the skills she would need to manage her personal affairs. And…someone with great math skills may not be able to do great graphics.

While you or your child’s symptoms may be different and more severe than ours, there is a lot of information from the Accessible Web Initiative now on their new website Dopa. While some things may take you more time and be more difficult for you than others, it is still very doable.

 Tina Richardson has an excellent article on Dyslexia.

I’m thankful she took the time to read my article and send me this information.

 Dyslexia is a serious learning disability

I also want to post a disclaimer here. I know that Dyslexia is a serious learning disability. We too had our days with tears and struggles over the difficulty of learning, or relearning something every day. This article is not meant to deny that, but to give you moms who are struggling with this a reason to hope.

Here are some free resources for preparing your home for someone with special needs.

Home Remodeling for Disability and Special Needs: What You Need to Know

Welcome all our new subscribers. I don’t take having you sign up lightly. I will try to provide thought-provoking articles that I hope will bless you, encourage you, draw you closer to the Lord,  and help you laugh from time to time.

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Update on Cyberbullying

I know I’ve written about cyberbullying before, but good articles continue to be written that may be helpful to you, so here is another resource.

I hope you are finding these articles helpful. The internet changes so quickly and I will continue to keep you up-to-date on what I find.

What is the Most Likely Way Your Child can be Bullied Online?A reader sent this one in. She wrote:Dear Mrs. Sather,

I would just like to say a quick word of thanks! As a youth services librarian, I’ve been able to get some great use out of your blog post, ‘Stop The Bullies–The Cyberbullying Guide’ and the resource links you’ve listed here as I’ve been running an educational cyberbullying and responsible digital citizenship lesson for a small group of students over the last few months during these times of remote learning. Thanks so much for sharing with us!

CYBERBLLYING THE FULL GUIDE FOR PARENTS

I hope you don’t mind, but one of our youngest, Amelia has also suggested we pay it forward with a helpful piece that she and her mother found together on online safety, which I thought included a great breakdown on protecting yourself online, preventing cyberbullying, cybercrime, etc. I’ve included it below if you’d like to review!

We noticed you don’t have this one listed, but Amelia was actually the one to bring up that this could be something you might like to include for other students and parents who might use the information, like our group and their families!

If you find you can include this one please let me know? We’re meeting tomorrow virtually, and I would absolutely love to surprise Anna if you’re able to do so – I’m hoping to keep her spirits up, and I think it would make her day to know she could ‘pay it forward with her research and maybe even show her mother her contribution if it ends up being included!

Thanks again for all your help here, Phyllis,
Kelly Ackford

Thank you for sharing this information with us.

Protect yourself from Cyber-Criminals

I’m adding a new article to this post.

How to Tell if Social Media Is Harming Your Mental Health

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Internet safety is a weighty topic and I’ve written about it several times, but I want all of you parents to have the latest information so you know how to keep your children safe online. It is getting more and more difficult, so updates are really important.

I was offered this article to share with you. It’s been updated. I will also share a link at the bottom.

As with any information please be discerning as to what will work for your family.

How To Keep Your Children Safe Online

Experts agree that children are at a greater risk for unwanted contact and exploitation by criminals than ever before.  Unfortunately, this is due to the advent of the commercial Internet and, more specifically, social media.

While the Internet is a source of great knowledge covering almost every subject imaginable, as well as a portal into the wider world, it can also be dangerous – especially for children and teens.  Though many sites, companies, and communities do what they can to police activity, upsetting speech, and images, disinformation, and cyberbullying are common across the World Wide Web.

Even today, television accounts for the majority of “screen time” in children under age 8.  The typical American child consumes an average of three hours of screen time per day.  11% of these children use a cellphone, tablet, or computer.  And, by age 8, 90% of all kids have used a computer in some capacity.

The Internet is undeniably a staple of everyday life for most people, including children and teens.  Unfortunately, this includes a lot of criminals and predators who have developed sophisticated methods of hacking into home networks, personal computers, online accounts, and more.

Securing your child’s safety online by following some simple steps is no different from fastening their seatbelt or reminding them to brush their teeth.

Be involved.
Children crave structure but they also vie for independence, which can lead to dangerous activity without understanding the possible consequences. Being involved in your child’s online activity can be an enjoyable, and enlightening, way to spend time with them and also the best way to ensure they stay safe.

Continue reading

SOCIAL MEDIA ROBS CHILDREN OF CHILDHOOD

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/05/social-media-robs-children-of-childhood

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Write the Vision does provide links to different products, retailers or organizations on our site. We may also place affiliate links on sidebars. We encourage you to follow these links and check them out. If you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we will make a commission from the sale, without any additional cost to you. We only recommend things that we have used personally and love.

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Greetings

I’m still here. I know I haven’t been posting recently, but hopefully, now I will get back on course. We’ve had several health issues in our family since I had cancer and it’s taken the wind out of my sales trying to keep up with everything. Thank you for all your prayers. That’s the only thing that kept me going.

Fewer Calories

With the holidays upon us, I’ve been working to cut back on calories without cutting out the flavor. We’ve tried several things including going back to our crustless pies as often as possible.

Find the recipe here: Healthified Mixed Berry Pie with Lemon Cream

That was all we needed to start us on our crustless pie – and quiche idea.  Give it a try! You could sprinkle some crushed graham crackers on the top of a banana cream pie so  you would still have that flavor without all the calories.

We tried this pie, but none of us liked the crust too much, so we decided to put the layers – minus the crust, into stemmed glasses. These were very attractive and easy to put together at the last minute since we had washed and cut up the strawberries earlier. We also had the glaze on them so we just layered the Greek yogurt, berries, and Cool Whip. Doing it this way cut the calorie count even lower than the 200 calories per slice the recipe says since we eliminated the crust.

We also thought it would make a lovely dessert made the way we do Death by Chocolate – pictured below, but with strawberries rather than the chocolate cake and pudding layers and served from a crystal bowl.

      Death By Chocolate recipe

 

 

Adding in some helpful things this is one I’ve been checking out Fitness Volt

Calories Per Meal Calculator: Find Calorie Breakdown Per Meal

T-Tapp

Theresa Tapp passed away from cancer but you tube still has some of her workouts available.

T-Tapp is a 15-minute workout you do in your home that tightens and tones your whole body faster than any other workout!

T-Tapp is easy to learn,fun …

This is the workout I’ve used for several years. When I do it faithfully it keeps my glucose in line

without medications.

Still finding joy in the journey,Phyllis Sather

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We Start Spring Cleaning

If you start Spring cleaning in February, you can think Spring is coming! If that doesn’t cheer you up, you can always think about

having your cleaning done so you can enjoy Spring when it actually gets here.

I’ve written a lot about cleaning because it’s something that I think is valuable to our family. It’s part of my “Job” as a wife and mother

to look after my home and to make it comfortable for my family, and useful for times of hospitality.

I’ve recently been introduced to a new site that I’ve found very interesting.

Bathroom organization

Don’t we all wish we had a bathroom like this? It doesn’t look like I will have one anytime soon,

but we can use ideas from it. There are lots of ideas on this site so if a bathroom freshen-up

is on your mind be sure to check this site out.

Empty Drawers and Empty Boxes, Oh My… Part 1

Empty Drawers and Empty Boxes, Oh My… Part 2

Declutter Update And More Great Ideas – Free Book

Have You Heard Of Swedish Death Cleaning?

I’ve added some of my previous posts. Hopefully, you will be able to use some of these Spring Cleaning ideas. I know I jogged a few

memories I will be able to use again as I read through them.

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You Need a Plan!START THE NEW YEARWITH A NEW PLAN

 

 

Purposeful Planning Materials

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Guest post by Beatriz Garcia from Clan Kitchen.

Christmas Cookie Recipe

Christmas Cookies are a sweet seasonal activity that the whole family can take part in. Since they are best made over a few days, it’s worth planning and starting them soon.

IngredientsCookieFlour (All-purpose)(3 cups)1 Egg2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (1 Cup)Milk, whole (2 tbsps)Extract of Vanilla (2 tsps)Sugar (1 Cup)Baking Powder (¾ tsp)Pinch of SaltIcingMilk, whole (3-4 tbsps)Powdered sugar (3 cups) Extract of Vanilla (½ tsp)Corn Syrup (light) (2 tsps) Food coloring

 

How to MakePreparation and Planning

Plan your time:

Leave an hour for the cookies to chill before bakingAllow 1-2 hours for the cookies to cool after baking (before icing)Ideally, leave 2 hours for the icing to set, but they can be eaten straight away

Soften the butter by leaving it out at room temperature for an hour or two.

Prepare the Cookie Dough

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl, and then set aside.

Beat the sugar and butter in another bowl with a mixer (stand or hand) until they are light yellow and creamy.

Then add the egg, vanilla, and whole milk to the creamy sugar/butter mix. Mix until well combined.

Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt to form the cookie dough.

Chilling the Dough

Place the cookie dough in an airtight container, covered with a layer of plastic wrap. 

Then refrigerate for an hour or more.

Cutting the Dough

Split the chilled dough into two.

Roll each portion of the cookie dough into rounds that are ¼-inch thick. 

Use cookie cutters to cut the shapes you want.

If you find the cookies hard to remove, chill the dough again. It’s easier and cleaner to remove shapes from chilled dough.

Bake the Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F, then bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 9-10 minutes.

Allow the cookies to cool once baked. They will cool faster on a wire rack, but this is not essential.

Creating the Icing

Mix together the powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract, then whisk until you have a very thick icing.

If the consistency is too loose, then you can add more powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time, until it has thickened. On the other hand, if it’s too thick, then add more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time.

Divide the icing into a number of small bowls, adding a different food coloring to each.

Icing the Cookies

Wait until your cookies have cooled, then you will be ready to decorate them!

A squeeze bottle is the easiest and most precise way of icing. However, a zip-top bag with a corner cut off to squeeze the icing through, also works in a pinch.

Once finished, leave the icing a few hours to set, then either eat the cookies or place in an air-tight container.

Now it’s your turn

This is a fun activity to do with children, especially the cookie cutting and icing parts. It can bring the whole family together, both in preparing the cookies and in eating them.

For more details and tips, check out the original recipe from Clan Kitchen.

 

Beatriz Garcia loves cooking for her family, but prefers cooking with them!

She also writes recipes and cookware reviews on Clan Kitchen.

 

 

I hope you will enjoy this recipe and check out Beatriz Garcia’s website.

 

 

 

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Starting Christmas Early

I’ve always felt a bit frustrated with how early Christmas starts for retailers.

We celebrate Advent and put our tree up the weekend before Christmas.Celebrating the 10 days of Christmas goes to Epiphany so we try to leave our tree up until then.Cutting our own tree allows us to keep it up longer.I use the children’s Christmas stockings to give them each a small gift each day of the 10 days of Christmas so that makes it fun long after the official gift opening.

 

Then I received this email from Heather Hart from Books, Faith, and coffee.

I love Thanksgiving. Partly because I love turkey, partly because I get to spend time with family, and partly because it’s the gateway to Christmas.

I have family coming in this week and am looking forward to Thanksgiving day, but in the back of my mind I know that Christmas is coming.

The last couple of years the holiday season has come and gone so quickly that I almost missed it. It was New Year’s Eve and I wasn’t even ready for Thanksgiving. This year I want it to be different.

I want to celebrate this season to the fullest.

And part of that came from not holding Christmas at bay until Thanksgiving was gone. It came from learning to look at Thanksgiving as the gateway to Christmas. Yes, it is its own holiday, but it’s the start of such a wonderful season.

Thanksgiving prepares our hearts (and our homes) for the holiday season. It shifts us from our self-focus that lasts most of the year, to an attitude of gratitude. To be thankful for all that we have.

Our town is already sprinkled with Christmas lights. The stores are filled with holiday cheer. And one of the things I am most thankful for is Christmas. I am so thankful that God sent His Son to be born in a manger.

I’d never thought of Thanksgiving as the gateway to Christmas before.

It was a wonderful thought as I considered all believers giving thanks as they enter into Advent and all the way up to Christmas.

My heart has been changed. In fact, we are putting our tree up today! And decorating! And I’ve already done some shopping.

You can see the heart change from the article I wrote recently – Can You Believe…Christmas Planning Before Thanksgiving?

Thank you, Heather, for opening my heart to a new way of looking at this.

May the Lord bless you this holiday season.

 

 

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We did everything we could think of, but our little baby Claire wouldn’t stop crying. We were caring for our 3-month-old granddaughter, at least we were trying. Nana, Papa, and Auntie Em had tried all their ideas, and none of them would calm her down.

Then Auntie Em held up her bottle and said, “Everything you need is right here.” For a moment, I felt stunned. Everything she needed was in that bottle. Claire just didn’t like the packaging. She didn’t want a cold hard bottle, even though it contained her mother’s warm milk. She wanted to nestle into her mom’s warm, soft breast and nurse like she had always done.

What struck me is how quickly I realized how often I do that to the Lord. He takes care of all my needs, and a lot of my wants, too. But sometimes he doesn’t bring it to me the way I wanted it. I think I can learn something easily, yet He knows I need some discipline before I will ever be the woman He wants me to be. I’m often found stuttering, wait, wait, not that!

Since I didn’t get this posted I’ll give you an update.

Claire has gotten used to being left with us and drinking a bottle. She even drank a bottle in front of her mother. She is a real joy to be with.

Me, now that’s a different story. I still grapple with the Lord about how I should do things that make me grow to be more like him.

I recently thought of a line from a song – All of Me by Lester Young, Billie Holiday

All of me
Why not take all of me
Can’t you see
I’m no good without you

I remembered nothing about this song except this line. I looked on the internet and found the rest so you could read all of it.

It’s funny, but when I thought of this line for the first time, I didn’t think of it as between a couple, but how I wanted to sing it to the Lord.

Now I use it all the time, singing it to the Lord to help me learn to surrender my will.

I hope this finds you all well and moving ahead toward your goals.

We continue to have medical issues, but the Lord has been faithful to provide for all our needs. Not always the way I want him to, but he is faithful.

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PS…The photo is not of Claire.

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Cyberbullying

Stop The Bullies – The Cyberbullying Guide

We wrote this article in July 2018 and shared the time one of our daughters was being bullied by someone online and how we handled it.

I recently came across a new guide on handling cyberbullying and wanted to share it with you.

We have had no more incidences in our home, but I hear from others that this is an ongoing problem. Because of what we learned, I wanted to share this additional information.

Share your experiences with cyberbullying in the comments below. What has worked for you? Your experiences may be helpful to another parent in a similar situation.

I hope you will find some helpful ideas in these articles.

Comments from some users:

As a coordinator at the Lyndhurst STEM Club for Girls, I wanted to let you know your Cyberbullying page has been a big help!

With our second summer session starting in a couple of weeks, they handed me the task to put together a guide for the new members to take home and play with. I wanted to make sure I included information on the general internet safety and digital citizenship. The resources on your page were a big help to our club, and I wanted to make sure we thanked you

One of our girls, Sarah, found these guides and I thought they were perfect to share.

Internet Smarts: Surfing and Shopping Safely Online
https://www.jomashop.com/blog/internet-smarts-surfing-and-shopping-safely-online/

The Ultimate Guide to Cybercrime, Privacy, and Staying Safe Online
https://couponfollow.com/research/cybercrime-safety-guide

They cover information on Social Media Safety, Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship and a lot more. I thought they would be significant additions for educators and parents.

Thank you for sending us this updated information. We will be glad to share it with our subscribers.

Guide to Cyberbullying Laws

Cyberbullying: The Full Guide For Parents, Children & Schools

 

 

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