SOUP!

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SOUP!
SOUP,Soup,SOUP!
Wonderful, glorious soup,
when I’m down and out,
when I feel duped;
I go to my kitchen,
take out my biggest of pots,
and I start making soup.
Soup is glorious!
Soup goes right to your heart-
it’s so easy to make,
it all starts from scratch.
My chicken soup ROCKS!
I’ll tell you how I make a batch:
Start out with chicken thighs,
it’ll take about 7, 8 or 9.
Then add some onions and chives,
peel you some potatoes-
8,9 or 10 is fine.
celery, onion and garlic,
they’ll season your soup,
people will love you ’cause you’re such a darlin’.
Throw all the ingredients in the pot
and fill it with water up to the top.
Remember: If you don’t season,
your soup will be bland,
your taste buds won’t forgive you-
you’ll lose all reason…
and of course it’ll taste like sand.
Let the soup simmer a while;
meanwhile, cut up about 8 carrots,
they’ll add color and style.
Wash and chop greens…
Eeewww…Greens??? Really?
Yes, all soups need greens,
be daring, try some; don’t be so silly!
Add these now to the pot.
Greens keep your insides clean,
they help you so you won’t rot.
Don’t forget to add corn and peas-
all your fans will be greatly pleased.
Lastly, when all’s said and done,
don’t leave out LOVE-
go light on the salt;
don’t spare the love.
So grab a bowl and dig in.
Soup, soup is DONE!
Eva Santiago Copyright 2011

MONEY: It Doesn’t Make The World Spin on its Axis

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The other day my youngest child came to me and said, ” Mom, I NEED money!” Her best friend’s birthday is right around the corner and she wants to do something extra special for her. Even though I’ve taught my kids form when they were very young, that you don’t always need $$ money$$ to be a blessing to others, they still feel the pull from society; the voice that yells at all of us incessantly,day in and day out: Money = True success.
 
I can think back to a lesson I learned several years ago when money was tight and I felt as if I had no resources. Christmas was coming up and I wanted to do for others. I was sad until one day I heard God say, ” Use what you have.” So I started looking around my home and I got busy; I hand made cards and I included my kids in the fun; these we sent out to friends and family. We made banana bread and took it to friends and neighbors. We even invited people over to our house for dinner and I began to see how the lack of money had been blinding me.

So I took my youngest daughter and I told her about one of my favorite birthday memories I’ve had as an adult. Way before I had any kids, I was working in Atlanta while putting myself through college. Lucy, my co-worker asked me a few weeks before my birthday to name a few things that I like. I named several things including home made pound cake. When my birthday rolled around, that morning when I arrived at the museum where we both worked I found a package on my desk. It had a little note attached to it. Lucy was right behind me and I turned around and gave her a big hug; then she told me to open it and once I did, I could smell the most delicious scent coming from the aluminum foil. Lucy had made a pound cake all for me! Let me tell you I felt so loved that day; I had received similar gifts like that in the past, but this one topped them all because someone thought enough of me to MAKE me my favorite cake. Hence I’ve never forgotten Lucy!

I could see my daughter’s gears turning and then she asked me at the end of my story,” What can I make for Tara?” We explored different possibilities and then she remembered Tara LOVES pie. So off we went to find her a recipe for pumpkin pie.
 
 We must teach our kids that money can be seductive; the lack of it can lure you into a state of quiet, helpless desperation. When you DO have it, you think you’re invincible and the world is yours. I have prayed this many times in the past: “God please give me enough bread to satisfy my needs and those of my house; don’t leave me without, that I have to resort to stealing and don’t give me too much that I end up turning my back on you.” We must tell our kids that even though money IS important, it DOESN’T make the world go around!
 
I still tell my kids that when God blesses you, take care of your needs first and if you have extra well then, that abundance is not for you; it’s to be a blessing to others. When you teach your kids about how to handle money early in their childhood you’ll be amazed.My husband and I give our kids a small monetary allowance every 2 weeks when he gets paid. If they aren’t keeping up with their house chores and someone is sloughing off in their work,they forfeit their allowance to the person that picked up the slack. I taught them this one rule I learned from the book RICH DAD, POOR DAD : Spend a little, give a little and save a little. In this way they will never be broke; the ones that live by this rule always have what they want, the ones who don’t go without.
 

1 Timothy 6:7-10
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

 
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
 
Eva Santiago Copyright 2011
 
 
 

Let Kids BE Kids

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LET KIDS BE KIDS!

On Sunday Johnnie has tennis lesson.
Come Monday it’s piano.
Tuesday the tutor comes
to teach him Latin and Esperanto.
Wednesday is his cooking lesson,
Thursday he takes fencing.
By Friday Johnnie is worn out
but off he goes to batting practice.
On Saturday he wished he could snooze
but oh no- he better win and not lose!
The game is all about his parents
no one ever bothered asking Johnnie,
what HE dreams of doing-
no one ever let Johnnie daydream.
 
So Johnnie grows up frustrated, annoyed and irritated;
now he goes off to a job he hates.
And John has a son-Junior.
And John does the same to him.
Only this time Junior has a back bone.
Junior says, “No way!”
“Dad, I love you!”
” Dad, thanks but no thanks.
I have dreams I must do.
I’m gonna be who I wanna be.
I was born to be ME;
and not a little replica of you!”
 
Eva Santiago COPYRIGHT 2011
 

Your Child’s Food Matters

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Have you ever heard it be said that you are what you eat? It’s true. Do you realize that there are so many ways to help out your children learn better and that one of them is so important but it’s dismissed? Nutritional deficiencies have been linked to various health problem; but that’s not where the lines should be drawn. I believe more attention needs to be paid to the fact that there are substances being sold in super markets and restaurants that try to pass for food when in fact they are just chemicals and additives made in a lab to enhance and “improve” the taste of foods.Some of these are: MSG, Nitrites that go in cold cuts to give them a longer shelf life at the super markets, food dyes (with red being one of the worst culprits).This is just a short list in the hopes that it’ll whet your appetite so you can start doing your own research on this vast subject. These food additives have been proven to wreak havoc in our bodies; so if an adult body can’t tolerate such things, what makes people think that a child’s body will fare any better?
I am posting a list of these awesome foods that should be a part of your kid(s) diet. Let’s get our children healthy so that they can learn better!
 
This chart is awesome! Everyone can use it. Please pass it on to others.    
 Apples Protects your heart Prevents constipation Blocks diarrhea Improves lung capacity Cushions joints
Apricots Combats cancer Controls blood pressure Saves your eyesight Shields against Alzheimer’s Slows aging process
Artichokes Aids digestion Lowers cholesterol Protects your heart Stabilizes blood sugar Guards against liver disease
Avocados Battles diabetes Lowers cholesterol Helps stops strokes Controls blood pressure smooths skin
Bananas Protects your heart Quiets a cough Strengthens bones Controls blood pressure Blocks diarrhea
Beans Prevents constipation Helps hemorrhoids Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets Controls blood pressure Combats cancer Strengthens bones Protects your heart Aids weight loss
Blueberries Combats cancer Protects your heart Stabilizes blood sugar Boosts memory Prevents constipation
Broccoli Strengthens bones Saves eyesight Combats cancer Protects your heart Controls blood pressure
Cabbage Combats cancer Prevents constipation Promotes weight loss Protects your heart Helps hemorrhoids
Cantaloupe Saves eyesight Controls blood pressure Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Supports immune system
Carrots Saves eyesight Protects your heart Prevents constipation Combats cancer Promotes weight loss
Cauliflower Protects against Prostate Cancer Combats Breast Cancer Strengthens bones Banishes bruises Guards against heart disease
Cherries Protects your heart Combats Cancer Ends insomnia Slows aging process Shields against Alzheimer’s
Chestnuts Promotes weight loss Protects your heart Lowers cholesterol Combats Cancer Controls blood pressure
Chili peppers Aids digestion Soothes sore throat Clears sinuses Combats Cancer Boosts immune system
Figs Promotes weight loss Helps stops strokes Lowers cholesterol Combats Cancer Controls blood pressure
Fish Protects your heart Boosts memory Protects your heart Combats Cancer Supports immune system
Flax Aids digestion Battles diabetes Protects your heart Improves mental health Boosts immune system
Garlic Lowers cholesterol Controls blood pressure Combats cancer Kills bacteria Fights fungus
Grapefruit Protects against heart attacks Promotes Weight loss Helps stops strokes Combats Prostate Cancer Lowers cholesterol
Grapes Saves eyesight Conquers kidney stones Combats cancer Enhances blood flow Protects your heart
Green tea Combats cancer Protects your heart Helps stops strokes Promotes Weight loss Kills bacteria
Honey Heals wounds Aids digestion Guards against ulcers Increases energy Fights allergies
Lemons Combats cancer Protects your heart Controls blood pressure smooths skin Stops scurvy
Limes Combats cancer Protects your heart Controls blood pressure smooths skin Stops scurvy
Mangoes Combats cancer Boosts memory Regulates thyroid Aids digestion Shields against Alzheimer’s
Mushrooms Controls blood pressure Lowers cholesterol Kills bacteria Combats cancer Strengthens bones
Oats Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Battles diabetes Prevents constipation smooths skin
Olive oil Protects your heart Promotes Weight loss Combats cancer Battles diabetes smooths skin
Onions Reduce risk of heart attack Combats cancer Kills bacteria Lowers cholesterol Fights fungus
Oranges Supports immune systems Combats cancer Protects your heart Straightens respiration
Peaches Prevents constipation Combats cancer Helps stops strokes Aids digestion Helps hemorrhoids
Peanuts Protects against heart disease Promotes Weight loss Combats Prostate Cancer Lowers cholesterol Aggravates 
Diverticulitis
Pineapple Strengthens bones Relieves colds Aids digestion Dissolves warts Blocks diarrhea
Prunes Slows aging process Prevents constipation Boosts memory Lowers cholesterol Protects against heart disease
Rice Protects your heart Battles diabetes Conquers kidney stones Combats cancer Helps stops strokes
Strawberries Combats cancer Protects your heart Boosts memory Calms stress
Sweet potatoes Saves your eyesight Lifts mood Combats cancer Strengthens bones
Tomatoes Protects prostate Combats cancer Lowers cholesterol Protects your heart
Walnuts Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Boosts memory Lifts mood Protects against heart disease
Water Promotes Weight loss Combats cancer Conquers kidney stones smooths skin
Watermelon Protects prostate Promotes Weight loss Lowers cholesterol Helps stops strokes Controls blood pressure
Wheat germ Combats Colon Cancer Prevents constipation Lowers cholesterol Helps stops strokes Improves digestion
Wheat bran Combats Colon Cancer Prevents constipation Lowers cholesterol Helps stops strokes Improves digestion
Yogurt Guards against ulcers Strengthens bones Lowers cholesterol Supports immune systems Aids digestion
 
 

SISTERHOOD

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You are like a rainbow that comes out after a summer thunderstorm.
Your colors are iridescent,each representing a facet of your uniqueness.
The red is your heart filled with love and compassion.
You touch everyone in your world as you let the love in your heart overflow.
The green stands for the loyal sister and friend that you are to me.
Green symbolizes life;and yours is an exuberant one.

When we were little,you were my constant companion.Even though we were separated,our lives have always run parallel to each other. Like two branches of the same river,both flowing toward the same destination;the ocean of a our God’s abundant and amazing love.

God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise to never again destroy.
You are that promise to me,you are that rainbow!
With you in my corner, I rest assured knowing all is well.
 
Eva Santiago Copyright 2011
 

Music Brings Back Memories

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When I was six years old I was living in Colombia.My parents had passed away and I was living in the home of a family that was assisting me in acquiring the proper papers so that I could come to the Unites States legally. The lady of the house had grown up children who attended college. They enjoyed listening to American rock and roll music on a short wave radio that transmitted from a station in the U.S. The first American song I ever heard was Simon and Garfunkle‘s,”The Sounds of Silence“. I didn’t know any English so the words didn’t mean much to me. The haunting melody of the song grabbed my attention because it served to comfort me,reminding me that I wasn’t suffering alone.Just the other day,I heard that song again,and it took me back to that time when I first heard it. I could even picture exactly what I was doing that day. The family was re-upholstering some chairs in a luxurious red brocade tapestry . I even remember running my small fingers along the ornate design of the fabric to the sound of the music as I tried to sing along.

listening to this sort of personal anthem, and it brings me great satisfaction to see the personal growth I’ve done in the twenty years of the song’s release. Mr. Springsteen,thank you so much for that inspiring song that has become ingrained in the grooves of my soul!

Music is immensely integrated in our lives. My husband and I encourage our four children to listen to many types of music genres. They all play an assortment of musical instruments. In order to play great music you have to first be exposed to great music. I see much of today’s young people becoming narrow minded especially when it comes to music. I have a young friend who only wants to listen to rap music,that’s where its at for him. My children on the other hand find his point of view rather dull and uninspired. I thank God that my uncle exposed me to a vast array of classical music, because I am doing the same with my children.

God,thank you for giving us the gift of beautiful music.We can worship God in so many ways,but when we run out of words,music is there to bridge that gap between our limited earthly realm and that of God’s Kingdom.
Eva Santiago Copyright 2011

Childhood Abuse Can Affect You Into Adulthood…If You Let it

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I came out of abuse and I can tell you that God used those horrific experiences to teach me some valuable lessons. Yes, I say God because He is the only One that can set the captive free,if you allow Him to do a deep work in your life. The first lesson that I learned from my past abusers is that I didn’t want to do to another human being the vile,profane deeds that were done to me.

At age five I fell prey to the hands of a child molester who lived in the same house I was living in. I could have remained the victim of his mishandling me for all of my life. It wasn’t until I received God’s forgiveness for my own sins, that I began to pray asking God to help me forgive this depraved man. Honestly,every fiber of my being was crying out for revenge. Even though I was here and he was still in Colombia and I was in my early twenty’s, my soul could find no rest. A friend of mine helped me out one day when she told me that if I didn’t forgive him,then God wouldn’t forgive me my sins.
I was furious with God. “Lord!” I would cry out,”Didn’t you see what he did to me? How he robbed me of my innocence? Don’t you care that he violated me and stole what wasn’t his to begin with?” Then one day, God gave me this amazing answer to my years of pain and torment: ” I was there taking all the abuse for you. You were never alone. What he and all the others did to you,they also did to Me.” I was stunned and without words. I let those healing words penetrate my ice cold heart. The more I let the truth of God in my life,it began to melt the hard sheet of ice that had covered my inmost being.
 
If I had hung on to my anger and hurt there is no doubt in my mind that I would have become like my abusers. Refusing to forgive is a trap. Not forgiving those who offend us,puts us in the same prison cell that they are in. Not only that,you are shackled to that person in your spirit. Once you choose to forgive,off come the shackles and you become free of them. I was worried for a long time that if I forgave them,that I was supposed to be involved with that person again. That’s when I learned that you forgive primarily for you. I have forgiven my abusers and I can now pray for them.
I married a man who was also abused as a child and I see how his unforgiveness of his abusers tends to rear its ugly head . At times it wants to wreak havoc in our married life. Recently I told my spouse that his abusers were still a power in his life because he was letting them still control him every time he dwelled on the pain. He had never had anyone tell him that. I love this man too much to see him remain a prisoner trapped in a cage he was put in so long ago. God put us together so we could help each other out. The only way you can help someone out of abuse,is if you’ve walked in the same shoes. Also,the other person has to be willing to not live like a victim but instead allow God to love you past the trauma.With God all things are possible. If you are reading this article, I pray for you that God will give you the strength to face your abuse. Forgive your abuser(s),forgive God and forgive yourself. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed and He desires that you be free,healed and restored!
 

When Your Sister Turns Her Back on You

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I am the youngest of eight children. My oldest sister is six years older than I. Our mother became ill after having me. So naturally my eldest sister stepped in and took care of me as best as she could when I was but an infant. My mother passed away on what happened to be my sister’s birthday, my father’s passing came not too long after.

Looking back on my childhood, I see my sister in and out of my life at different intervals.I remember being separated from her for I don’t know how long. The day she came back,I was elated . I hung on to her when I finally saw her and I asked her.”Will you stay for a hundred days?” Back then at that age, that increment of time seemed like an eternity in my young mind.I looked up to her like a form of God at that moment . My sister… my hero.

Then there was the day that she had to leave me to come live in the United States. I was devastated. To this day I remember that we ate watermelon sprinkled with salt for breakfast. Then she was gone. I wasn’t taken to the airport to see her off. All I knew was she was gone for good.We wouldn’t be bathing our dolls anymore or letting them sit in the sun to dry off while we washed their clothes.

A few years later,my turn came to come live in the United States. I was being torn away from my other sister and brother. My last night with them,we all huddled closely in the same bed Each of us trying to comfort one another. I recall going to sleep while my other sister rocked me …I couldn’t stop crying and neither could she.

Boy was I ever surprised when I stepped off the plane on May 7, 1976 at Miami International Airport to be greeted by my eldest,”long lost sister”. It was the salve that my aching soul needed to feel welcome into a new country, family and life!
My first Christmas in the United States came and went with much fanfare. A lot of relatives came to visit. The music was rocking the house. Latin sounds permeated the atmosphere. Plenty of food and spirits to celebrate the season. In all the festivities,no one noticed that the two orphaned sisters were quietly tucked away in grandma’s bedroom. The older held the younger as they both rocked back and forth. Crying, trying to find comfort in each other’s arms.

Then there was the last Christmas that I saw my sister as a child. She came with my aunt and grandma just for the week-end. The hours flew by so quickly. When it was all said and done,she was on the Greyhound bus on a cold,damp, dreary morning. I went straight to my bed and I hugged my pillow so hard,wishing it was her instead. To this day, I still feel that ache;it reminds me of that nagging tooth ache that tells you to go see a dentist pronto or else you’ll be in for far worse.

So now where are we? More distant than ever. Life has dealt both of us blows. She is a success in her world. What she thinks of me? I have no idea! I used to resent her for still trying to mother me when I needed a sister. But time has whittled down those feelings too and left in place understanding. If she was with me right now what would I tell her? Thank you! I’m glad that you are my sister. I regret having hurt you but I was being merely human. To err is human to love is divine…I accept you with all your shortcomings and strengths will you do the same for me? I love you Mireya!
 
Eva Santiago Copyright 2011
 

Music: A Friend for Life Part2

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Now onto The Classic; the music that your parents and maybe even  their parents may have listened to. Some of those songs could represent your classmates that you knew way back during your formative years. Kids with whom you grew up and perhaps you stayed in touch or maybe you moved on and lost track of them. Once you reconnect with childhood friends you still see semblances of the kid you used to know in the adult they’ve become.
 
A classic song is a master piece-in some cases a model of perfection, a genuine gem. Friends that are like classic songs are like jewels given you to adorn your heart, be it through  their touching your soul with kind deeds or loving words of wisdom and encouragement to help you along in your journey. These types of songs and people though seemingly rare, always shine a bright light in your heart to help you discover the treasure you have inside. Because they are genuine, they never need to prove anything to anyone regarding their grandeur. You just know when you are in the presence of a true classic.
 
Another aspect of a classic is that they don’t have to hang around you everyday; classic friends are constant whether they are right there in your own home or a million miles away…perhaps as far away as heaven. A classic song is something you don’t normally listen to everyday either. Classic songs take you back to simpler times of your life when things ran at a slower pace; and the time piece on your mother’s mantle seemed to never move at all. A time when sunsets lasted more than a few minutes- dawn brightened your horizon much more further than what your eyes could perceive.
 
These are the songs  that stay with you all your life because at times, they were the only friend you had.
 

 Eva Santiago Copyright  2011

 

Stand on This!

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From time to time in my years of home schooling I have run into certain insecurities about my calling. Are my kids learning enough? Can I teach them everything that they need to know before they leave the nest? Have I done my job as their teacher well? Will they be able to succeed in life? I mean the questions kept coming over the years until one day I read this scripture in Isaiah 54:13, ” Your children will be taught of the Lord and they shall know great peace.” I made that scripture the  focus of my homeschooling philosophy.
 
Since then I have talked to parents from both camps; homeschoolers and public schoolers and I have heard parents raise the same questions I have had. The answer is simple really; of course we can’t teach our kids EVERYTHING they need to know by the time they are 18. Seriously, does anyone ever graduate from high school having all the knowledge they will need for the rest of their life? Also, as far as what kind of job did I do as my kid’s main teacher? That too becomes more clear as they grow up; I rest in knowing that I gave them my best and I tried my best. As far as knowing whether they will succeed in life; that will depend entirely on them; yet again I rest knowing that I equipped them with tools for their lives and it’s up to them to take what was given to them and use that for their benefit.
 
May I suggest something to you? Give yourself some credit from time to time. If you are doing your best by your children, God honors that! Enjoy your summer day 🙂
 
” I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” -Chinese Proverb