That French Diet Advice, Again

Last night, at our early New Year’s Eve party, several of the husbands were discussing the “get in shape” events that are planned at/by their various employers in the opening months of 2010. To be helpful, I thought I would pass along the following from a daily tip message that I received recently:

Try these seven steps that are the norm in the typical French diet:

1. Eat smaller portions.
2. Eat only at mealtimes, and avoid snacking.
3. Eat a wide variety of food.
4. Don’t skip meals.
5. Enjoy your food, and focus on dishes made from quality ingredients that are fresh and locally grown.
6. Stick to your internal cues. When you no longer feel hungry, stop eating.
7. Eat meals with family and friends so eating becomes a pleasurable experience and not something to “fit into” a schedule or feel guilty about.

If you would like your own messages on how to get and stay healthy, click here.

NYR: Christmas/Holidays

RESOLUTION
To plan and prepare for the Christmas season throughout the whole of 2008 so that most, if not all, of the time-consuming tasks that I perform to get ready for the holidays are completed by the beginning of Advent. To plan and prepare for several other major holidays as well, namely Easter, Family Heritage Night, and Thanksgiving.

PLAN
- Record what went well during the 2007 Christmas season
- Participate in a Christmas reading/movie club to get gift ideas for others & to build a holiday book & movie library
- Use a holiday planning notebook or computer folder to organize planning efforts
- When possible, centralize holiday decorations, food service, and food preparation items in attic or basement
- Spend time each month reviewing holiday plans, scheduling holiday preparation work, and performing specific holiday preparation tasks. When possible, set this time aside on the following schedule:

Easter planning: 3rd day of the month
Family Heritage Night planning: 30th of the month
Thanksgiving planning: 4th Thursday of the month
Christmas planning: 25th of the month

RUDOLPH CLUB READING & MOVIE LIST
Rover Saves Christmas by Roddy Doyle
“All I Want for Christmas” starring Harley Jane Kozak

How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn
“The Santa Clause” starring Tim Allen

Flight of the Reindeer by Robert Sullivan
“Holiday Inn” starring Bing Crosby

The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere
“Meet John Doe” starring Gary Cooper

When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke
“Miracle on 34th Street” starring Dylan McDermott

The Bird’s Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin
“The Bishop’s Wife” starring Cary Grant

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
“The Holiday” starring Kate Winslet

1001 Christmas Facts and Fancies by Alfred Carl Hottes
“Trapped in Paradise” starring Nicholas Cage

A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton
“Home Alone” starring Macaulay Culkin

The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado
“Silver Bells” starring Anne Heche

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” starring Jim Carrey

NYR: Church/Christian

As it is customary to make New Year’s Resolutions in January --- and fail at keeping them by February --- I decided to get serious about this exercise for 2008. Since I mentally divide my life into roles for organizational purposes, I am making my resolutions per each role. This is my plan for Church/Christian during the next twelve months:

RESOLUTION
To study more about the Emergent/Emerging Church

PLAN
Read some, if not all, of the books on a reading list that features authors and opinions that are both pro-Emergent and anti-Emergent.

READING LIST
Contemplative Youth Ministry (Pro-Emergent)
by Mark Yaconelli

Becoming Conversant with the Emergent Church (Anti-Emergent)
by Don (D.A.) Carson

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches: Five Perspectives (Pro-Emergent)
by Mark Driscoll

A Time of Departing (Anti-Emergent)
by Ray Yungen

They Like Jesus, But Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations (Pro-Emergent)
By Dan Kimball

Faith Undone (Anti-Emergent)
by Roger Oakland

Velvet Elvis (Pro-Emergent)
by Rob Bell

For Many Shall Come in My Name (Anti-Emergent)
by Ray Yungen

The Sacred Way (Pro-Emergent)
by Tony Jones

The Truth War (Anti-Emergent)
By John MacArthur

A Generous Orthodoxy (Pro-Emergent)
by Brian McLaren

Another Jesus (Anti-Emergent)
by Roger Oakland

The Barbarian Way (Pro-Emergent)
by Erwin McManus

The Other Side of the River (Biography)
By Kevin Reeves

Stumbling Toward Faith (Biography)
By Renee N. Altson