Train Your Brain for Success by Roger Seip

This book has been very influential in a lot of the growth that has happened in my life in the last year.

It's not a book that you can read, set aside, and then expect results. It requires a lot of work but the payoff is huge.

The most powerful thing I received from this book is a set of core values. These are the things I most want to happen in my life but will not come about on their own. As I review them daily, I am amazed how clear and concise they are. That is a result of the exercises in the book that helped me develop them. As I go through my day and life I question whether what I am doing lines up with these core values. The decision is then easy: I either choose growth or regression.

My Core Values - click to enlarge

Here are some of the other things this book covers: improving your memory, increasing reading speed and comprehension, how to set and accomplish goals, how to overcome the barriers to good changes in your life, myths of time management and how to accomplish what is really important, how to take some time each week to analyze the week ahead so that all of the good things get done, how to manage your energy.

As I said, to do these things will require a lot of hard work. The other option is to live a mediocre and wasted life.

Get after it!

Train Your Brain for Success at Amazon

Cooking Light Global Kitchen Cookbook

I received this cookbook for Father's Day in 2014. It has become one of my favorites. It has easy to prepare recipes from around the world that represent many different cuisines.

Here are a few of my favorites: Spring Rolls, Bibimbap, Korean Tacos, Korean Bbq, Korean Chicken with Spinach, Chicken Tikka Masala, Spicy Red Lentil Stew, and, Mexican Bread Pudding.

Another thing I really like about it is that it explains the various cuisines and ingredients.

If you like to cook and enjoy trying different foods then this would be a cookbook for you.

Click on the link below to look inside the cookbook and see some of the recipes.

Cooking Light Global Kitchen Cookbook

Here is what I'm currently reading

Masterbuilt Smoker

I have had a Masterbuilt smoker for over five years. It makes smoking meat such an easy task. The digital controls keeps an even temperature and the wood chips are loaded through the side. Very simple to use. I also like that I can use it in the winter and it has no problem keeping the proper temperature. It has plenty of space with adjustable racks. All around it is an amazing creation.



Masterbuilt Electric Digital Smoker at Amazon

A Praying Life by Paul Miller

Here are a few quotes that show how great this book is. I love it because it makes prayer so simple, not complex like some books. I love to pray and this book has helped bring that about.

"When you stop trying to control your life and instead allow your anxieties and problems to bring you to God in prayer, you shift from worry to watching. You watch God weave his patterns in the story of your life. Instead of trying to be out front, designing your life, you realize you are inside God’s drama. As you wait, you begin to see him work, and your life begins to sparkle with wonder. You are learning to trust again."

"Trying to dissect how prayer works is like using a magnifying glass to try to figure out why a woman is beautiful."

"If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money and talent are all you need in life."

A Praying Life by Paul Miller on Amazon

Fagor LUX Multi Cooker

Before I brought this home, I asked permission from my wife because it would go on the kitchen counter. I didn't want it if it had to be on a high shelf or down in the basement. She agreed even though, as part pressure cooker, it terrified her: "What if it blows up?" Hey, this is a modern invention; It has to be safe.

So the rice cooker and crock pot went downstairs and the multi cooker took their place. It does it all: Pressure Cook (High and Low), Slow Cook, (High and Low), Yogurt Maker, White Rice, Brown Rice, Risotto, Simmer, Steam, Saute, and Brown. Are you excited yet?

Risotto! Have you ever made it? Very time consuming and labor intensive but now it's so easy. One of my favorite things - so delicious! The white or brown rice cooks much faster as well.

I bought the 6 quart model which is just the right size for us. There is also 4 and 8 quart model.

I must admit though, my wife will still drag out the old rice cooker and crock pot sometimes. I have hope that over time and with more experience she will find true love. I know I have.

So, check out this amazing appliance and you might find yourself on the Loveboat. I should also say that hipsters love these things so that makes me feel special.

For more info: Fagor LUX Multi Cooker at Amazon

Holy Hunger: A Journey from Food Addiction to Spiritual Fulfillment

What a deep story this book portrays. I have read it more than once and my copy has many highlights. It was from this wonderful book that I learned about Overeaters Anonymous.

Here is a section on abstinence that is enlightening:

"Just as my life had once revolved around food, so too did the early stages of recovery revolve around abstinence. Eating in moderation-­what OA calls abstinence-­had to become the central focus of each day, for it was the task that made any other task possible. Every morning I had to ask myself: What do I need to do today in order to maintain my abstinence? What must I do to keep food in its rightful place?

I remember being taken aback, in my early days in the program, by an insistent and solemn retrain that played through our meetings like a recurring motif: "Abstinence is the most important thing in my life without exception."

Jeepers," I sputtered to myself. "What about your spouse, your family, your friends? What about world peace? Or social justice? What about God?"

Only after some experience with the program did I come to see that for a compulsive overeater, maintaining abstinence is like focusing a camera: If the image in the center is clear, the whole picture comes into focus. Only if my food is clear am I free to love self, family, and friends. Only if I'm abstinent am I free to give myself to larger goals, or to God."
~From Holy Hunger by Margaret Bullitt-Jonas

Read more about it on Amazon: Holy Hunger

The Best of The Happiness Project Blog

I love this quote from one of the blog posts: "One surprising thing about happiness is that it has such a bad reputation."

As I have said before I love all things Gretchen Rubin. I came across this book last week which is the best of her blog from the last ten years. I have had so much enjoyment in reading it. The sections are short and very thought provoking. I binge read it in two days because it is so good. I'm thinking that I will go go back and only allow myself to read one post each day and then spend some time seriously considering how I can add some new, good stuff to my life.

If you would like to improve the happiness in your life then join me.

The Kindle book is $1.99. Not sure how long that will last.

THE BEST OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT BLOG: Ten Years of Happiness, Good Habits, and More 

Radha Aromatherapy Diffuser

I was given a set of 16 essential oils last Christmas. Coincidentally, I became aware of this device at the same time. It works sort of like a mini-humidifier. You add a few drops of the oil and fill with water. It then puts out an ultrasonic mist for around five hours. The room has a beautiful scent the whole time.

It also has different colored lights that give off a nice glow. It stands about 6" tall and shuts off automatically.

I love the way it makes our house smell.

BTW, The set of oils I received were by Radha and include lavender, tea tree, peppermint, lemongrass, orange, eucalyptus, rosemary, frankincense, lemon, bergamot, ylang ylang, patchouli, geranium, pink grapefruit, cinnamon, and clary sage.
Here is a link to them: 16 Essential Oils

 Radha Aromatherapy Diffuser

Perfumes: The Guide

On a Sunday in December of 2008 I read a newspaper article that mentioned perfume and patchouli. It featured Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez,  authors of the book Perfumes: The Guide. Fascinated, I borrowed a copy of the book from the library and soon bought my own copy. This was buried treasure. I had always loved things that smelled good and the good old hippie scents of patchouli and musk. But here was a new world of complex fragrances that my nose and brain wanted to experience. Things like woods, spices, animals, Morocco, the orient, incense, amber, the list went on. The book covers over 1500 perfumes. I was in a new world. Over the years I have collected some of the most amazing fragrances. Every day I revel in their beauty. I spray, smell, and my mind gives praise to God for the wonders he has made and the gift of scent.

Scent gets locked in our brain. What memories does it bring back for you. I remember the hand lotion of my first girlfriend. I remember the perfume of another girl; it was her mother's, Estee Lauder 'something', an amazing scent that will forever have no name. I remember when I had a janitorial business and went to empty a trash can and smelled something beautiful. I soon found out it came from a perfume sample. It was Oscar by Oscar de la Renta. It seemed like a huge purchase but I bought it for my wife. She wasn't smitten but I was. Then there is the after shave that my dad wore, Mennen Skin Bracer. I still have some that was his and he has been gone for over 12 years. One sniff of that and a flood of memories return.

My perfume shelf - click to enlarge.

Perfume is a very personal choice. We all like different things. There is also a very big difference between a bottle that costs $10 and one that costs $300. I have favorites from both categories and many from in between. This I will say about the more expensive perfumes: there is a reason. Another thing, you will not understand a perfume by smelling the cap or spraying it on. A quality perfume will smell one way when sprayed, will smell different an hour or two later and still different six hours later. That's part of the amazing science.

My favorite perfume maker is Andy Tauer who lives in Switzerland. I have fourteen of his perfumes. L'Air du Desert Marocain was the first perfume I ever bought and remains one of my favorites. Look him up and you will see a glimpse of the other world I speak of. Here is his site: Tauer Perfumes

If you would like to learn more about perfume, this book is a great place to start.
Perfumes: The Guide

ingenuiTEA

The ingenuiTEA is an amazing device for making tea. It has a fine mesh filter on the bottom so no leaves get through. When done steeping you set it on the cup and it drains. Easy cleanup after that.
I even open up tea bags and steep them that way. I think it lets the water get better contact with the tea.

Click here for more info:  ingenuiTEA Bottom-Dispensing Teapot

Not interested in this item? Do you shop on Amazon? Then just click through the ad below before you shop and a percentage of your purchases could be making its way back to Generosity Through Abundance.

Breast Reduction

Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Proverbs 5:19

As far as I can tell, a woman's breasts serve two purposes. One is to nurse and satisfy her baby and the other is to satisfy and delight her husband.

Anymore, it seems I can hardly go anywhere without seeing women's breasts on display. It's not because they are nursing children and many more men are getting an eyeful than her husband, if she has one. Hey, it's happening in our churches too.

I'm calling for a breast reduction. I would like to see fewer breast available for public viewing.

I'd like the same in our churches. Hey sister, could you cover up your private parts? Save them for their intended purpose. There are many guys who may end up stumbling because of your display. It sure doesn't help when we are trying to focus on God.

I remember some years ago when my wife and I were together in a Sunday school class. The woman right in front of us, with a too short shirt, had her thong underwear on display. Sad to say, that's not the only time I have seen underwear on display in church. I thought underwear should be under. Which brings up this young guy thing of pants hanging down so the underwear are on display. Why can't we keep underwear under and unmentionables unmentioned?

I don't expect the world to listen but I hope that my sisters in Christ would understand that modern fashion has led to immodest dress. Ponder these words: Also, women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense. 1Timothy 2:9

"There will always be temptations to sin," Jesus said one day to his disciples, "but woe to the one who does the tempting. Luke 17:1

Philip

Withings Pulse - Fitness Tracker

I have used a Withings Pulse for almost 3 years. It is a great fitness tracker that you can wear on your wrist, clip on or carry in a pocket. There is clear evidence for the health benefits

Increasing your activity throughout the day is huge. Studies have shown that some of the benefits of  walking more include improved cardiovascular health, personal growth, and many other variables that contribute towards healthy living. I want that.

 It is rare that I don't reach my goal of 10,000 steps a day and most weeks I reach a second goal of 100,000 steps. I push myself because even though I know that there are many health things that I can't control, this is something I can do and should do.

The Pulse doesn't just track steps. It shows distance walked, elevation climbed and calories burned. You can also use it to measure heart rate and oxygen level. At night it will monitor your sleep, showing sleep cycles and sleep quality. Good sleep is also very important to good health.

The companion app for iOS and Android turns raw numbers into easy-to-read graphs, helping to show how daily habits impact health.

Here is a video showing it in action:


Click here is more information on Amazon

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