Are you in trouble with somebody you care about? Get Out Of The Doghouse Day is like a ‘get out of jail free card’ from the game Monopoly – use it to apologize, mend hurts and get back to normal.
We found 5 keys to getting out of the doghouse from www.allprodad.com
Listen, listen, listen.
Let the restitution fit the crime.
Don’t sweat the small stuff (being right is very small stuff).
We also shared 10 reasons that your marriage isn’t thriving. These insights are perfect for Get Out Of The Doghouse Day. As we take a look at our marriage relationship, we can identify what areas are sending us to the doghouse.
The bible gives us a clear picture of how to love. Please take a moment to read these powerful verses.
1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Do you ever struggle to pray? Do you feel like you need to pray, but you aren’t sure that you have time, or you really don’t know how to start?
We all know that prayer is powerful. The bible gives us many examples of prayers, so why do we struggle?
How can we cultivate a passion to pray inside us and within the ministries we lead?
Lee Nienhuis knows without a doubt that God led her into the Moms in Prayer ministry, where she serves as an area coordinator. Through a series of divine encounters, she experienced the way God pours out His mighty power when moms join together in prayer. God is on the move in Moms in Prayer, and she is filled with joy to join the work!
Click HERE to see 3 ways to cultivate a passion for prayer.
Lee shares her suggestions with us:
1) Express the desire
2) Create prayer grooves
3) Let “I don’t know” prompt prayer
Today (7/15/16) is National Pet Fire Safety Day! Do you have a plan for your pets in case of a fire? Click HERE to see some tips from the American Kennel Club. They share how to prevent your pets from starting fires, plus how to keep your pets safe in case a fire breaks out.
One thing you can do is to Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling. Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Make sure to update the number of pets listed.
In partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council, pet owners can obtain a free Pet Fire Safety Window Cling on National Pet Fire Safety Day, July 15th at local volunteer firehouses nationwide. Click HERE for more information about window clings.
This morning Marcy and Eddie discussed a study on napping improving cognitive function, giving us another reason to catch some Zs in the afternoon. You can check out that study HERE.
We also discussed some free things you can get on the internet. Check out the list from allyou.com.
We also looked into a study that suggests that one’s ideal vacation destination determines their personality. We then took a quiz to see if Marcy’s ideal vacation was what the she thinks it is. You can check out the study HERE and the quiz HERE.
Do you have a hot glue gun? Do you have resealable plastic bags? You have just what you need to make your life easier!
Today, Marcy and Dan shared some brilliant ways to make use of these 2 things that you probably have in your house.
Click HERE for 10 genius ways to use a hot glue gun!
Click HERE for 12 brilliant ways to use a resealable plastic bag.
We also shared an amazing news story about a grocery store on wheels. Click HERE to see how some Washington University grads are reaching out to the St. Louis community in the fight against hunger.
Do you like to clean? If you say yes, you are probably lying. 🙂
We are always looking for shortcuts in keeping our house clean. Good news! The Morning Thing team found 28 helpful cleaning tips for all the lazy cleaners. Click HERE to see what shortcut you can try today!
The Today Show recently shared some cleaning tips. Click HEREfor more ideas on saving time with your housecleaning.
Looking for better smelling towels? Click HEREfor a simple solution to get towels that are more absorbent and smell good.
Today, The Morning Thing also shared news about “Lettuce Clubs”. Click HERE to read more about this new phenomenon where teens challenge each other to eat a head of lettuce. YEAH for the challenge to eat your veggies!
Stay tuned for the WNZR Lettuce Eating challenge….coming soon!
Today on the Morning Thing we celebrated Christmas!
We told you all about Christmas In July, Interchurch Social Services’ annual collection of food and funds to benefit Knox County. You can find out everything you need to know about tomorrow’s collection, including needed items and collection points over here.
Our Morning Thing Fave 5 this week was our favorite Bible verses about giving.
Proverbs 3:27 – “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.”
Luke 6:30 – “Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”
Matthew 25:35-40 – “35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Hebrews 13:16 – “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Proverbs 22:9 – “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
Today was all about America’s Independence on the Morning Thing!
We shared a list of the 76 most American things ever, including cheeseburgers, doughnuts, and buffet lines (don’t worry, they weren’t all food related). You can check out the complete list over HERE.
Click here to see the full schedule of events for Mount Vernon’s 4th of July Festivities, which caps off with fireworks at 10 pm.
Every day—whether it’s sunny or cloudy, summer or winter—millions of Americans make the conscious decision to not wear sunglasses or other ultraviolet (UV)-protective eyewear. While seemingly harmless, this habit carries serious vision risks, many of which are not known or understood by those who fail to wear protective eyewear.
UV radiation is often recognized as the culprit for sunburns and skin cancer but most people are oblivious to the damaging impact the wavelengths inflict on our vision. The problem originates with the sun’s unfiltered ultraviolet (UV) rays. Just as these rays can burn skin cells, they can also harm unprotected eyes. A full day outside without protection can cause immediate, temporary issues such as swollen or red eyes and hypersensitivity to light. Years of cumulative exposure can cause cancer of the eye or eyelid, accelerate conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
National Sunglasses Day is held annually on June 27. It is not only an observance but a reminder that our shades are a health necessity and it is important to wear sunglasses or other UV-protective eyewear every day to protect long-term eye health.
Today is Word Productivity Day. Would you like to become more productive?
The Morning Thing shared 21 tips on how to become the most productive person you know.
Here are 21 tips to get you to your best productivity fromRobin Sharma.
#1. Check email in the afternoon so you protect the peak energy hours of your mornings for your best work.
#2. Stop waiting for perfect conditions to launch a great project. Immediate action fuels a positive feedback loop that drives even more action.
#3. Remember that big, brave goals release energy. So set them clearly and then revisit them every morning for 5 minutes.
#4. Mess creates stress (I learned this from tennis icon Andre Agassi who said he wouldn’t let anyone touch his tennis bag because if it got disorganized, he’d get distracted). So clean out the clutter in your office to get more done.
#5. Sell your TV. You’re just watching other people get successful versus doing the things that will get you to your dreams.
#6. Say goodbye to the energy vampires in your life (the negative souls who steal your enthusiasm).
#7. Run routines. When I studied the creative lives of massively productive people like Stephen King, John Grisham and Thomas Edison, I discovered they follow strict daily routines. (i.e., when they would get up, when they would start work, when they would exercise and when they would relax). Peak productivity’s not about luck. It’s about devotion.
#8. Get up at 5 am. Win the battle of the bed. Put mind over mattress. This habit alone will strengthen your willpower so it serves you more dutifully in the key areas of your life.
#9. Don’t do so many meetings. (I’ve trained the employees of our FORTUNE 500 clients on exactly how to do this – including having the few meetings they now do standing up – and it’s created breakthrough results for them).
#10. Don’t say yes to every request. Most of us have a deep need to be liked. That translates into us saying yes to everything – which is the end of your elite productivity.
#11. Outsource everything you can’t be BIW (Best in the World) at. Focus only on activities within what I call “Your Picasso Zone”.
#12. Stop multi-tasking. New research confirms that all the distractions invading our lives are rewiring the way our brains work (and drop our IQ by 5 points!). Be one of the rare-air few who develops the mental and physical discipline to have a mono-maniacal focus on one thing for many hours. (It’s all about practice).
#13. Get fit like Madonna. Getting to your absolute best physical condition will create explosive energy, renew your focus and multiply your creativity.
#14. Workout 2X a day. This is just one of the little-known productivity tactics that I’ll walk you through in my new online training program YOUR PRODUCTIVITY UNLEASHED, but here’s the key: exercise is one of the greatest productivity tools in the world. So do 20 minutes first thing in the morning and then another workout around 6 or 7 pm to set you up for wow in the evening.
#15. Drink more water. When you’re dehydrated, you’ll have far less energy. And get less done.
#16. Work in 90 minute blocks with 10 minute intervals to recover and refuel (another game-changing move I personally use to do my best work).
#17. Write a Stop Doing List. Every productive person obsessively sets To Do Lists. But those who play at world-class also record what they commit to stop doing. Steve Jobs said that what made Apple Apple was not so much what they chose to build but all the projects they chose to ignore.
#18. Use your commute time. If you’re commuting 30 minutes each way every day – get this: at the end of a year, you’ve spent 6 weeks of 8 hour days in your car. I encourage you to use that time to listen to fantastic books on audio + excellent podcasts and valuable learning programs. Remember, the fastest way to double your income is to triple your rate of learning.
#19. Be a contrarian. Why buy your groceries at the time the store is busiest? Why go to movies on the most popular nights? Why hit the gym when the gym’s completely full? Do things at off-peak hours and you’ll save so many of them.
#20. Get things right the first time. Most people are wildly distracted these days. And so they make mistakes. To unleash your productivity, become one of the special performers who have the mindset of doing what it takes to get it flawless first. This saves you days of having to fix problems.
#21. Get lost. Don’t be so available to everyone. I often spend hours at a time in the cafeteria of a university close to our headquarters. I turn off my devices and think, create, plan and write. Zero interruptions. Pure focus. Massive results.
Today is also the FIRST Day of Summer! We decided to keep the celebration of Dad going today with 8 great ideas for summer fun for Dads and kids.
My dad used the season of summer for fun bonding with me. In my elementary years, he would take me on sales call road trips with him. I loved every second of it. When I was 10, he took the entire month of July off and hauled my family from North Carolina to California and back in a conversion van. He took me to minor league baseball games, local fairs, beaches, and so many things I have no room to list. But what I loved the most was how he always called me, “Little Buddy.” He could have just pushed me on a swing and it would have all had the same effect because I could feel his genuine affection.
Our children seek that type of feeling from us and this season begs us to provide it. Here are some fun summer ideas to help you get on that path of building those bonds that will last forever.
1. Build Something
Kids of all ages absolutely love to build things with their dad. I grew up in the 70s when building things with dad meant an education in colorful vocabulary, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. You can build a simple fort in the living room, an elaborate fort in the trees, or maybe even a lemonade stand. The point is to make it a priority to show your children how to create from imagination.
2. Hiking in a National Park
All across our country America is busting with beautiful nature set aside to remain in a pure state. This is not only for the preservation of wildlife and the environment, but for us to be able to experience a world different from the cities and suburbs. Take advantage of this gift and get your children out in the clean air and on a hike to lifelong memories.
3. Weird Regional Attractions
I’ve always had an affinity for the things that fit in this category. One thing on my bucket list I have yet to see is the giant Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe, in Minnesota. Younger kids eat this stuff up, and I’ve shown my kids all kinds of strange sights on the road. Giant plastic dinosaurs, Airstream trailers sticking out of the dirt, caverns, even a Florida “waterfall” that drops about 6 inches. It took 2o minutes to hike to a 6-inch waterfall. It was worth it.
4. Backyard Camping
Every child should experience camping at least once. The whole deal: the tent, the sleeping bags, the campfire, the beans, the S’mores, the stories, the laughter. They make tents nowadays that anyone can put up; we no longer have the excuse of what a giant pain in the rear they can be.
5. Get in the Water
It need not be explained that summer and water are two peas in a pod. Find an ocean, a lake, a swimming hole, a river perfect for tubing or just the local neighborhood pool, and get in the water. You are a “can’t miss” hero in the water, even if you just stand there and smile. However, if you do fun things as well, you’ll be a downright superhero.
6. Bowling
Bowling is arguably the most family-friendly sport. It’s complicated enough to provide stimulating competition for the older children, but it’s easily transferable to move to a toddler barely shoving a ball between the bumpers and grinning ear to ear.
7. Scavenger Hunt
When my kids were small, one of my favorite things to do was put them in the wagon behind my John Deere, and take them on a scavenger hunt. I’d be careful to make sure they noticed particular types of oak trees or certain unique neighborhood landmarks. When they accumulated enough clues to guess where the treasure was, off we’d go down the street by their direction. Waiting for them was a goody bag of fun rewards. Perhaps they will do the same with their own one day.
8. Volunteer as a Family
We were created to serve others and, when we do, our souls are enriched and deepened in ways that are never lost within us. There are endless volunteer opportunities in every community via churches, civic organizations, and government bodies. But sometimes the best way to serve is to simply ask a neighbor or friend that is struggling how you can be of help. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Click 
We shared a list of the 76 most American things ever, including cheeseburgers, doughnuts, and buffet lines (don’t worry, they weren’t all food related). You can check out the complete list over 
