The Future of Business Applications: UPC VS. RFID

Amie O’Kane
Grantham University

                                                                           

                                                                                Abstract
All things must evolve or they remain constant as the world changes around them. From there the path could either lead to being left behind or dying out. UPC’s or Universal Product Codes are the foundation of the barcode used for data collection. They are now becoming a thing of the past as an old yet new technology surpasses its capabilities—Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags or Auto-IDs. RFID’s have actually been around for quite some time, just used for different purposes such as during WWII to track cargo, agriculture to track livestock, or in transportation like the EZ Pass technology. Now, RFID’s are utilized in many other industries to ensure proper identification of “coded” or “tagged” items for data collection, much like UPC’s, but they also increase production, improve inventory, and provide much more information to its end user (Moss & Lazar, 2013). This paper elaborates this comparison of UPC’s vs. RFID’s and reflects on the current growth of the RFID market, highlighting many examples used in businesses today.

                                                             Comparative Analysis
Universal Product Codes, introduced in 1973, use black and white barcodes placed on items coupled with scanners (hand-held or stationary) and databases. UPC’s are matching on identical items and scanned as they are retailed (Sousa & Oz, 2015). The benefits of using this very inexpensive (.01 cent per tag) data collection method are: ensuring correct pricing, generating sales reports, collection of manufacturing data, inspection, logistics, transportation, and inventory control (Moss & Lazar, 2013). The drawbacks of using barcodes is that they require line of sight and can only be read one at a time. While UPC tagging has worked for many industries for some time, they are limited to item level coding and the benefits aforementioned.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on the other hand have been jetting past this technology, according to the RFID Journal, showing since 2012 nearly 98% of companies are pursuing transitioning to RFIDs over UPCs (Roberti, 2012). The main difference is that RFIDs can be used almost anywhere, not just for SCM, logistics, or retail, and can gather much more information at a much faster rate. Imagine going to the grocery store and instead of scanning each individual UPC coded item, a reader can scan all of the items at once tagged with RFID technology, saving time for both the business and consumer. This not only saves the business time and unnecessary labor, it also speeds up the buying process for the consumer.
The RFID contains chips or tags embedded with an antenna and integrated circuit, uses readers that emit electrostatic energy signals to the chips that return to the reader, and requires RFID specific software to allow for the transfer of data to a database (Moss & Lazar, 2013). Readers must be in proximity to pick up the signals, the more expensive the RFID reader, the longer the signal. There are a two types of RFID’s including passive tags or Read/Write which can be rewritten over and over (most common), and WORM tags or Write-Once-Read-Many which are not alterable once written. RFID tags not only track items at the item level, but also at the unit level and line of sight to read the tags is not required. Chips can also be molded into casings making them invisible to the consumers (Moss & Lazar, 2013).
The benefits of using RFID’s are vast to include: anti-counterfeiting; automating business processes; improvement of asset utilization; enhancing product traceability; improving quality control; increasing SCM, efficiency, and collaboration; improved inventory management; reducing 86’ed products; reducing theft and product loss; increased synchronization of data across supply chains and internally; improvement of accuracy of transactions; enhanced security measurement; and capturing of more information in real time (Roberti, 2012). The drawbacks of RFID technology all include time to implement at first and cost. RFID tags cost between 5 cents and $10,000 each depending on the speed and range. There are also software costs and setup costs which can range between $50,000-$200,000, plus education and training of use (Moss & Lazar, 2013). However, as technology and application prices become cheaper, RFID value increases (Qianli & Zhang, 2015).

Industry Specific Examples
Since there are countless ways to use this technology, and we are discovering more and more each day, I will list the different types of industries using RFID’s currently and give some examples in the following table (RFID Journal, 2011):
(Note: these are only a portion of the fields, not all can be listed with this study)

INDUSTRY	COMPANY EXAMPLES	USE
Supply Chain Management	DOD, Custom Cupboards	Track shipments & assets, instruct robots accelerating production and cutting costs
Arts & Entertainment	Malibu Rum, SmartKitchen, Heiniken	Keeps track of liquor pouring to decrease loss or theft, Automated recipe reader, refrigerator and stove for proper food handling and storage, also can be used for advertising to beacon consumers
Education	Brittan Elementary	ID tags of students, tracks attendance, bussing, and GPS locator for potential kidnapping
Laundry	Genius Laundry	Reads instructions for washing each garment and washes accordingly, automated detergent based on size
Travel	Bucharest Smart Public Transportation	Beacons and Bluetooth for riders with disabilities/impairments
Agriculture	New Zealand Livestock	Ensuring food safety
Medical	Dutch Research Firm	Developing life-enhancing/saving sensor technology
Aerospace/Aviation	Airbus and Boeing	Tracking & assembling parts
Apparel/Footwear	American Apparel, Macy’s, JC Penney, Walmart…	Item-level deployment and reduced labor/inventory stocking
Energy/Utilities	DOE	Environmental tags to collect temperature, humidity and other data
Mass Transit	Bombardier’s Transportation, Delta	Improve rail worker safety, reduce baggage loss to .01%
Mobile Marketing	Dairy Queen	Customer loyalty and discount program
Stock Market	New York Stock Exchange	Tracking handheld trading to keep traders out of unauthorized areas
Casinos	Bellagio Casino & Resort	Chips in the chips to deter theft
Car Dealers	Fields BMW Winter Park	Tracking tires to deter theft
Libraries	San Bernardino’s Library	To track books
Pharmaceuticals	Gador Laboratories	Reduce counterfeiting of drugs
Construction	Magnor Plant	Speed up inspections and increase safety
Coffee Farms	Almacafe	Bean tracking and bagging
Magazines	Focus	Understand readership and collect customer data
Pest Control	Dow AgroSciences	To help find termites faster

Conclusion
No one knows exactly when RFID’s will completely replace UPC’s, but predictions are swarmed around the year 2030 (RFID Journal, 2011). RFID technologies are part of a universal infrastructure which is the backbone of mobile commerce. The goal for any industry is to add value to increase output and revenues, while decreasing inputs and costs. This technology does just that. RFID’s enable the mobility of many crucial factors that free up much human labor, especially in the fields of data collection (Qianli & Zhang 2016). Some fear that technologies such as these are the reasons behind people losing jobs. It is my observation that all things must change, we can’t keep doing the same jobs expecting to grow. Computers give us that freedom to choose other occupations or perform other tasks that enable this growth. Therefore, I welcome this new technology and have plans to incorporate RFID’s in all my business and even home-life processes to give me the freedom to evolve.

References
Moss, H. K., & Lazar, L. D. (2013). radio frequency identification technology: a new method of controlling inventory. Supervision, 74(1), 8-11.
Qianli, D., & Zhang, M. Y. (2016). Usage of RFID Technology in Supply Chain: Benefits and Challenges. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, 11(5), 3720-3727.
RFID for What? 101 Innovative Ways to Use RFID. (cover story). (2011). RFID Journal, 11-14.
Roberti, M. (2012). Interest Shifts to Internal RFID Applications. RFID Journal, 9(5), 8-9.
Sousa, K. & Oz, E. (2015). Management information systems (7th ed.). Connecticut: Cengage Learning.

Superpowers Aren’t Necessary In Grad School

Abstract

            Graduate school is demanding and so is adulthood, period.  Time doesn’t always seem to be on our side. Yet, time management has been identified as a major indicator of higher performance, lower stress, and lower anxiety for graduate students (Forbus et al, 2011).  This report accentuates time management from my own perspective, along with additional tools and techniques from the experts.  Dare to walk in my rainbow colored, multi-dimensional shoes.  Teaching by example is the easiest and most efficient way to relay this type of information as there really is no exact science, but merely techniques and tools that work for some but not all.  This is due to the fact that it involves behaviors, which could develop either in a good way or bad way, depending on our individual choices and personalities as well as individual circumstances.  Some have many roles to fill, or obstacles to overcome along the way…but, take it from me–if there is a will, there is a way.  And you don’t have to have superpowers to succeed or be a traditional student with an IQ of 180, you just need to manage your time effectively.

Hello, My Name is Not Superwoman

Nearly 16 years ago I was unfortunately disabled by chemical toxicity while serving my country in the USAF, causing my CNS to almost entirely shut down.  Being Irish and full-spirited, I stood up and began fighting it.  Although it has been an extensive and entirely painful process of healing, I am happy to say I am about 80% healed.  However, if I stress too much or take on too much, I begin to revert to more painful states that take work to get out of, sort of like a car that overheats if pushed too hard.  Time management for me isn’t an option I can afford to ignore and it includes stress management and pain management as well.  My college career began before I got sick while I was stationed on an AF base, and came quickly to a halt for nearly two years.  I then decided to do online college during my therapy and juggle being a single mother at the same time.  My family thought I was crazy, literally, but I was going crazy just focusing on the pain.  I needed a distraction.  It has been quite a slow process because I couldn’t juggle it that well at first, until I focused more on managing my time.

It wasn’t a race for me, it was more like a slow climb to victory with me having to come to terms with not being “superwoman” anymore.  I always thought I had to be the best mother, or ahead of my class, or the greatest friend, or finish first…but in reality I just had to do what I could do with what I was given.  I suppose my first piece of advice in time management is to be completely honest with yourself, yet be easy on yourself as you do.  Unless you are an avid procrastinator, then pull up your big boy or big girl pants and do the best that you can do within reason.  My mother always told me that if you are going to do anything, you may as well do it right, otherwise your just wasting precious time.  There is a balance, you just need to find yours.

Expert Advise

Let’s see what others have to say about time management—a few literature reviews proliferated into the following techniques:

• The key to successful time management is planning (Parry, 2005).
  • Plan each day in advance.
  • Prioritize while planning.
  • Block or chunk your activities adding small breaks in between.
• Audit your time—you can’t manage it unless you know exactly what you are doing with each moment (Novotney, 2015).
• Figure out what works best for you—morning person vs. evening, multi-tasker vs. one task at a time…and design your schedule around your strong suits (Novotney, 2015).
• Manage your stress and time concurrently—stress, apprehension, anxiety, obstacles, challenges, commitments, uncertainty all are factors to consider when determining your weekly schedule. Figure out what activities are more stressful for you and allow yourself more time to cope with those tasks to take some pressure off (Forbus et al, 2011).
• Just get started, as your motivational state doesn’t have to match the task you’re working on (Novotney, 2015). Even if you don’t feel like it, just get started and soon enough you’ll be chugging away like the little engine that could.
• Stick to your plan, once you deter (unless you must) it’s not always easy to find your way back in time (Novotney, 2015). In the military we call this concept self-discipline.  I think of it this way: the amount of self-discipline you have is parallel to your maturity level, and maturity is a conscious choice and skill that takes practice honing.  We aren’t just born mature; we grow to maturity.

Just an Example

How does a mother of a teenage daughter and preschool son, disabled veteran, independent business consultant, mentor, and graduate student manage her time?  Here’s an example of an Excel worksheet tool I have grown quite fond of at this juncture in my life:

Notice how I plan my weeks ahead and even schedule making a new schedule each Thursday.  I also schedule many breaks, even if they are short as I don’t want to burn out or revert to more painful conditions.  Priorities are key for meà1. Health (what good am I to anyone if I’m not ok) 2. Family’s health, happiness, schooling, and activities 3. School 4. Work 5. Friendships.  I know I am lucky that I get to put my priorities in that order but it wasn’t so easy to get them there, that’s what took so many years to figure out and many sleepless nights until I got it right.

Conclusion

We are the authors of our own stories in my book.  And sometimes I think fiction is a lot more powerful (and fun) than facts.  So use your imagination, how would your story go?  Then persistently practice making it that way. There are several tools out there that can assist you (see below for examples) with your own time management plan.  Utilizing these types of tools really does help, and so does asking for help when it gets too hard.  No one is superman or superwoman, we just are all humans.  Keep your head up and your eyes on the prize and you’ll make it through your graduate school career in one piece.  If I can do it, so can you.

 

Helpful Time Management Tools: 

Microsoft Excel- a College Student Schedule Template

Microsoft Outlook- a task manager, calendar, and list builder

Microsoft One Note- you can make lists, place sticky notes on computer screen, and store/organize research and class lecture notes in one place

ATracker- has a stop watch to track activities, automatically builds reports on time spent, and has a calendar and task list as well.

Way of Life- good habit building app, to help get rid of bad habits and replace them with good habits, like studying.

Priority Matrix- prioritization system that helps improve focus, productivity, accountability, and transparency.

References

Forbus, P., Newbold, J. J., & Mehta, S. S. (2011). A STUDY OF NON-TRADITIONAL AND

TRADITIONAL STUDENTS IN TERMS OF THEIR TIME MANAGEMENT BEHAVIORS, STRESS FACTORS, AND COPING STRATEGIES. Academy Of Educational Leadership Journal, 15109-125.

Novotney, A. (2015). Where Do the Hours Go? American Psychological Association, 26.

Retrieved from:  http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/03/hours.aspx

Parry, C. (2005). Right Techniques Make Good Time Management. Inside Tucson Business,

15(24), 23.

 

Advice For Good Relationships

{  Go to bed at the same time when possible- aids in communication and sex life

{  Be a team with remedial life tasks to get them done and out of the way faster

{  Dates are important– disclaimer:  doesn’t have to cost money (walks, picnics, dancing under stars) and keep kid/home talk to a minimum (less than 20%)

{  Take couple-type classes together

{  Reunite each day by greeting one another lovingly (sets tone for evening), and save stressful/heavy convo for later on in the evening if possible

{  Couples that pray, meditate, go to church, or practice spirituality together have a lower chance of divorce

{  Don’t let communication become taxing- keep deep convo to a few sentences or short time frames then keep it light and sweet, fun makes life more bearable, especially when you can have fun together

{  Learn to know and like each other’s friends and schedule couple outings regularly

{  Always believe in the best of your partner, like how you did when you first met them.  What qualities do you remember attracted you to them and what ones attract you now?  Belief can move mountains in relationships

{  Regularly praise and never discourage your partner in all ways, honor them especially in front of others

{  Play as much as possible, light teasing, games, being silly together builds your friendship and tightens your bond just as intimacy does as well

{  Choose your battles, we are all human so if we do get angry try not to hurt others to show they are hurting you but talk (at the right time) things through. [QSS-Quick to listen, Slow to speak, and Slow to anger (James 1:19)]

{  Ward off bad arguments and resentment with love, communication, and sex to make up and NEVER go to bed angry

{  Encourage one another to keep each other’s spirits high- spiritual well-being (yours and your partners) is key for sustainability

{  And always have their back 😉

What Do You Want?

As I’m sitting here waiting out and fighting through yet another storm, I wonder what it is I can do different this time.  What can I do so I don’t end up back here?  Maybe these times are just learning lessons and here to shape who God wants us to truly be.  Accepting that makes it a whole lot easier to endure, but no one likes this torment.

So here’s what I do:  I ask God to show me what it is He wants me to learn.  I ask Him for strength.  Then I ask Him to guide me to where I need to go from here.  Then finally I make a list, of what it is I truly want out of life.  I picture myself living this life and actually feel like I already am–I believe I will receive it (hope).  Then I say everything I am grateful for and then wait patiently, keeping my eyes open to what it is I am looking for.  If it is God’s will for me to have it, He puts it right in my path and opens the doors for me to receive.

Matthew 21:22- “And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”

Luke 11:10- “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Mark 11:24- “For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

These are just a few verses from the gospels that give us the instruction on how to receive what it is that we truly want.  We can’t just make a list and expect it to come.  We have to ask, believe that we will receive it, and actively seek what is that we are trying to find.  

Years ago I read an enlightening book called “the Secret.”  And as much as I was not impressed with how it was seeking to make a fortune on elaborating what God has already told us in the Bible, it was said in a way that helped me to truly see what it is I must do to get out my rut.  So I am still a fan.  The movie was great too because it helped illustrate the key points.  My belief is that God is number one, the creator of science, so science is a tool that can be useful also.  Here’s what the Secret taught me:

The Law of Attraction is always working and everything that comes into your life you attract into your life.  This is because of the Law of Vibration which states that everything in the universe is in constant motion.  Therefore, we can move into a positive or negative vibration pattern.  Feelings are just conscious awareness of being in this vibration pattern.  By utilizing our imagination and creating pictures in our mind we are sending out thought waves– which penetrate all space and time.

…We are the architects of our own life!

The first time I made a list of what I really wanted it mostly consisted of monetary items.  Things that would make me happy for the time being, but would that be enough?  NO.  This led me to reevaluate what it is I truly believe.  After all, our beliefs create out thoughts.  Once I dug deep, I wrote another list based off of my beliefs and this is what I came up with:

What I Want Most in Life

Connection- Be close to God and grow everyday toward Him

Purpose- To know God’s purpose for me and fulfill it

True Love- (spiritual, emotional, and physical)

Family- For Kayla (my daughter) to have a great life and always be safe, healthy, and happy

Success- To make a difference, achieve something great, and help others achieve success too

Stability- in positive thinking (choosing to be happy even when its hard)

Balance- in every aspect of my life

Wisdom and Knowledge- as much as possible

Beauty- inside and out- to glow again

Healing- physical and emotional and to truly love who I am (confidence)

Peace- to feel the calmness and have the ability to open my eyes and see the beauty in life each day

Meaningful Friendships- built off trust and understanding

Forgiveness- To forgive all those who hurt me in my life and let go of it, even me

Gratitude- To always be grateful and try my best to not hurt anyone

Compassion- To be more giving and compassionate and not let the world get to me

Health- To feel no pain or less pain and have energy

Fun- To have fun, laugh, and love as much as I can

Money- enough to not have to worry so I can focus on the above more

I thought to myself, if I had all of these things it wouldn’t matter where I lived or if I had all the material items I wanted, because I would be truly happy.  

Then I doubted myself.  I doubted that I deserved all these things because of unhealthy thought patterns from my childhood.  I found this quote (below) which helped me see that I must allow myself to have what it is I truly want.  I must love myself again and forgive so I can believe that I deserve it.  God forgives me, He always does…so why shouldn’t I?

“No matter how qualifying and deserving you are, you will never reach a better life until you can imagine it for yourself, and until you allow yourself to have it.”

With that being said…What is it that you truly want?

Rising Above Human Nature

Why is it that human nature is so weak?  When things are great, everyone loves you…when you have money, success, and a smile on your face all the time.  And when things have gotten hard, the people we thought should be there, even people we have helped many times over aren’t there for us?  Ever notice how easy it is for someone who is suffering to offer what little they have but those who have plenty hold on to it for dear life?  And how easy it is for people to believe in lies?

Sometimes I look around and wonder if I am too like this.  If I avoid people who constantly have strife and struggle in their lives because it’s easier.  Almost like the weights we carry are too heavy the way it is, so we couldn’t possibly take on any more.  Or that I don’t want to take responsibility for my actions or lack thereof because that would require change.  I suppose I am.  I remember when I first got sick almost 11 years ago.  I saw how at first everyone was concerned.  I felt their compassion.  But when I struggle now in the same way I did then, I am judged—looked down upon as pathetic.  My own mother is this way.  Her tough love approach is really just human nature.  If we can’t fix someone the first time around then why should we just keep trying?  If we don’t understand their struggle then obviously we should think they are creating it themselves.  Well I think that’s pathetic.  Giving up on people is so common these days, and easy to do for most.  Why is that?  Because they are hardened because someone gave up on them?  The golden rule…we do the same to others that people do to us.  Or is it that ignorance is bliss?  If we don’t see the bad then we don’t have to be responsible for dealing with it.  So we just give up.  It seems to be a vicious cycle of the death of love.  But there are people who choose to rise above human nature and still fight for love, still have hope.  There are still people who realize that human nature is just that, faulty and refuse to conform to living like zombies with cold hearts.  Remember, peace is not the same as solitude, and being alone is not easier.

There is only one path to love and that is truth…and the truth is hard to swallow and takes courage of conviction to see it.  No matter who hurts you or shuns you, we shouldn’t fight fire with fire—that only feeds what’s wrong in this world.  Put out the fire with kindness, forgiveness, and love.  We should be an example of the truth, the light, and of love.  The path to love and truth is very narrow, and it is easy to fall and go astray.  People will persecute you for standing in faith, they will try to prove you wrong so they can keep their pride and not have to change.  But we have to ask God for the strength to keep fighting and not grow weary.  We have to try and stick together and keep the unity between us, rise above and fight for the good, because giving up is what evil is all about.  Tearing people apart and crushing love is the main goal of evil.  So we can’t let it win.  We have to try.  Even if that means loving from a distance but keeping a door open so we don’t get hurt.  That is called setting healthy boundaries, not giving up.  Accept people for their faults and forgive, and keep forgiving for as long as it takes.  We forgive because He has forgiven us.  We don’t always deserve it either but He still does, because that’s what love is about. 

Raising Emotionally Intelligent Children

Gallery

*This is a study done based off of Dr. John Gottman’s ingenious work and also a book titled Stifling the Child Within.

As a parent I’m terrified of not raising my child right. I worry constantly about her needs, if I’m teaching her the right things in the right ways, and if she will grow up and be a good moral adult. My feelings towards this is to understand as much as possible so I do make the right decisions. This is called metaemotion–how people feel about feelings. And the study of how we communicate these feelings is called metacommunication.

So here’s what I’ve learned:

Negative emotions vs. positive emotions:

-masking emotions only suppresses negative emotion and its very toxic physiologically and mentally for us or our children.

1. Don’t dismiss your children’s emotions- notice them and help them

2. Never punish them for feeling a negative emotion

3. Don’t be impatient, let them be introspective

Emotionally dismissive parent (above) vs. Emotionally coaching parent (below)

1. View emotional moments as an opportunity for intimacy with your child
2. Be patient and communicate with understanding and empathy
3. Help them to put words to their emotions to help them feel empowered over their emotions
4. Family values and setting limits are important to help stop negative actions that come from negative emotions. Don’t punish, disapprove. Your distancing your emotions from them will help them internalize their emotions and want you to approve of them again. Never insult.
5. Teach and praise as much as possible. Don’t hang back and wait for them to do something wrong then punish, hang back and wait for them to do something right and praise.
6. Constructive criticism is just the same as criticism in itself. It’s never good and children always remember their parents criticisms when they try anything in life.
7. Emotionally intelligent children that learn how to self sooth and focus their attention, which helps them to be better learners and able to deal with upsetting emotions in life.
8. The goal is to help your children grow and be happy, think for themselves, not to have obedient children to help your life as a parent become easier.
9. Allow your children to disagree with you. It shows that they think for themselves.
10. Emotions are building blocks for a strong-valued, compassionate, moral child, don’t dismiss them, embrace them. You want them to have a heightened sense of dignity, not haughty or boastfulness, but dignity.
11. Labels are disabling. (positive and negative)—never label
12. You create kindness in a child by treating them with kindness, empathy by treating them with compassion and understanding how they feel, and respect by treating them respectfully
13. 99% of conflict in a family stems from the parents, not the children.
14. Value the connection between you and your child. You want them to come to you always and be open with you. Give them the freedom to make good and bad choices so that they are more prepared for life as an adult.

A family that has awareness of emotions becomes literate and understanding and this helps to develop internal control.

Helping our Children Grow:

In order to not stifle my child’s growth, my focus is on the following needs (I use the pronoun her because I have a daughter, just change the her to him if you have a son) :

• Spirituality– am I teaching her about God and how to stay on the narrow path and why, how to stay pure and connected to God?
• Survival– am I giving her enough water and food, the right kinds of foods, shelter, and warmth?
• Safety– am I raising her in an environment that is safe for her, and bringing her around the right people who won’t hurt her? Any parent would understand that this is a hard job in itself with the lack of moral boundaries these days and selfish people.
• Touching/Contact– am I showing her love enough and giving her enough physical contact for her to feel comfort and safe to be herself? Note: you can never give too much love and affection. Hug away!
• Attention– am I spending enough quality time with her and focusing on her without letting distractions in?
• Mirroring/Echoing– am I showing her I am giving her attention by relaying what she is saying?
• Guidance– am I leading her with the right advice in anything she chooses to do? This doesn’t mean you have to hold their hand through everything, just being there to give your support is enough and allowing them to act on their own is very beneficial.
• Listening– am I actively listening to her every word, or am I thinking about what I have to make for dinner that evening? Hearing is passive, listening requires effort.
• Being real– am I teaching her to be herself by being a good example? Am I following the world or others? Is she comfortable enough and have enough self esteem to make her own decisions and not follow others?
• Participating– am I showing interest in her interests? Even if it is a video game or playing at the park. Just go down the slide and swing on the swings, you’re never to old to have fun with your children!
• Acceptance– am I accepting exactly who my child is, am I fully aware of who she is, do I take her seriously, do I admire the person she is, am I tolerant of her feelings, do I validate her feelings, do I respect her, and do I show her belonging and love?
• Opportunity to grieve losses/grow– do I allow her to grieve things she loses, even if I don’t feel they are that important to me? Do I allow her to grow? Grieving is a process: you have to feel the feelings of sadness and anger, accept them, forgive, let them go, and then bond with yourself again. Am I allowing her to complete this process when she feels a loss?
• Support– am I showing her that through no matter what in life, I will be there for her?
• Loyalty and trust- am I trusting and loyal to her and is she toward me?
• Accomplishment– am I allowing her and giving her the tools she needs to complete tasks she’s interested in, allowing, motivating, and helping her to master them, honing her creativity, and am I contributing enough of my time and energy to help her complete tasks?
• Altering her state of consciousness– have I done things wrong to alter her state of consciousness where she believes in a wrong light? Have I talked to her and allowed her to decide what to believe to be true once she understands how things should be?
• Enjoyment or fun– am I allowing her to be a child throughout all of the daily tasks, chores, homework, and necessary responsabilities in life? Does she have enough fun?
• Freedom– does she feel controlled or free to be herself? Are you giving her enough opportunity and trust to make some decisions on her own once you’ve showed her the correct way?
• Nurturing– am I taking care of my daughter and doing things to make her feel good, such as grooming, massages, back rubs, snuggling, and even baking her her favorite cookies? (just examples)
• Unconditional love– do I love her for her or am I only loving her when she is being good? Do I get angry easily at her for making mistakes?

Loving unconditionally is loving someone for who they are and not what they do!

The children are our future, they are our world, the closest beings to God here on Earth, and we should do what we can with what we have to take care of their every need. Remember if you KNOW better, you should DO better.

TAKING CARE OF GOD’S TEMPLE

1 Corinthians 6:20b, says we are to honor God with our body. Yet how often do we neglect our sacred vessels? Think about it…if your car starts to make funny noises, we take it to the shop and it get it fixed right away. Yet we wait until we have acne, we’re 20lbs overweight, and feel like we’re sixty before we take care of our bodies. Just as our cars need preventative maintenance, so do our bodies. Eating healthy, along with keeping our bodies clean of sin and impurity spiritually, and using our bodies as tools to do His work and to worship Him, are just a few ways we can honor God with our bodies.

So I did a little research…

These 30 miracle foods are high in complex carbs are nutritious, delicious, and high in fiber…and they also reduce the risk of cancer. These foods coupled with the right exercise regime work wonders at burning unwanted fat, keeping away infection, and balancing your body with the right vitamins and nutrients.

Fruits—

Apples Bananas (good brain food too) Citrus Fruit Cranberries

Grapes Melon Pears Pineapple Jams—sugar-free

Vegetables—

Broccoflower Broccoli Cabbage Celery Corn and popcorn

Leeks Lettuce

Mushrooms Peas Peppers

Potatoes Root Vegetables

Spinach Tomatoes

Zucchini Beans—any

Grains—

Bread—whole grain Low-fat waffles and pancakes

Grains- any Pasta—whole grain

Complex carbs lose most of their calories when being digested so you can eat as many as you like and not gain weight.

You can still eat protein, just eat in them in moderation. The best proteins to eat if you are trying to lose weight are eggs, low-fat cheese, fish, or chicken. Lay off or eat very very little butter or red meats. Calories from these fatty foods cling to the calories moving through your body and cling to your waistline. Not eating is even worse than eating these fatty foods. As your hunger continues, your body decreases its basal metabolic rate in order to conserve energy and also becomes efficient at storing whatever fat you do eat so it gets good at retaining fat longer.

At least 65% of your daily food should be made up of complex carbs. They carbs are invaluable sources of Iron, Phosphorous, Thiamine, Niacin, Vit A, Vit B6, Vit C, Copper, Magnesium, Iodine, Folacin, and Protein.

Simple carbohydrates are low in nutritional value and should also be used in moderation. They include your snacks or sugars. Complex carbs are combination of sugars, starches, and fiber that are nutritional in value. They give you the same amount of energy as proteins but contain half the calories of fat! Complex carbs break down easier into glucose, our blood sugar that is our main source of energy. They raise your metabolic rate. We still need protein but only 200-400 grams of animal protein is needed daily. This can come from roasted chicken, broiled fish, or even a few tablespoons of cottage cheese. Never eat more than 5 ounces of animal protein in one day.

Another great fat burning tip is to eat 30-40 grams of fiber everyday. Your best sources sources of fiber are your fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Also, consume no more than 20-30 percent of calories from fat per day or you will gain weight. The foods on the list above all contain less than one gram of fat per serving. Stay away from saturated fats and trans fats as much as possible as they increase your risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease. They include: Red meats, butter, peanut butter, most milks, hard cheeses, most oils, pizza, fried foods, processed meats, pudding, whipped cream, most chips and crackers, chocolate, hot dogs, and gravy.

Cool trick: Eat slower…it takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach your full 😀

STOP FEEDING THE FLESH WHAT IT WANTS! Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and grace you with love, peace, forgiveness, kindness, SELF-CONTROL, patience, goodness, and gentleness. These fruits of the Spirit are enough to fulfill us Spiritually and eating the healthy foods above are enough to feed us Physically. Feeding the flesh what it wants constantly only creates a greater hunger and you will never be satisfied. Ever notice that the foods that taste the best are the worst for you? That is because our flesh wants unhealthy, and it will NEVER be satisfied…

With the foods listed above, you now have the tools you need to stay healthy so you can better serve God and live a long, joy-filled life.

If we KNOW better…then we should DO better!

The Beginning of a Journey

  Hello my friends!  I’m so excited and can’t wait to share my thoughts with you!  Writing has always been a passion of mine and although I may not be Shakespeare or even James Patterson, I have learned a great deal in my travels and experiences that someone out there can relate to and maybe even find comfort.  If I can be a blessing to anyone, and help shed a little light, than I have succeeded…even if it is just one person.

Back home I was called the coffee cup girl, as I pursued a dream to own my own brand of coffee with a coffee cup shaped building (ya know the whole nine yards).  I was very close to succeeding when I decided to broadcast my love for God on my marketing materials. My logo was “God, love, and coffee…what more do you need in life?”  Then I was attacked in every direction.  Investors trying to take full control, family stealing capital and sabotaging the building completion, landlords increasing the rent illegally then locking me out illegally, and even mafia blackmailing me and holding my coffee roaster hostage.  You see…now I get it and I completely see the truth. To be honest I have to laugh.  I didn’t know how to fight it then, but that very long and expensive plane crash of my dream, eventually led me rise above, learn from my mistakes, and set out to an even better calling.  I’m not quite sure what that calling is exactly but I don’t think we always need to know the hows or whys…that’s what makes having faith so wonderful.

In the meantime, I’m documenting this journey towards living in the light.  And to do this I’m making love the center of my everything, because God is love.  Even scientists, psychologists, and those seeking understanding of the afterlife have found that through countless interviews of  N.D.E.’s (near death experiences), it is almost always said that there is a magnificent light and all they felt was love.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to feel that overwhelming love here and now, every second of every day?

I may have had everything planned out for myself perfectly and for my future, but I accept now more than ever that God has an even bigger and better plan for me.  All I have to do is open my heart, and listen for his guidance.  This girl is letting Jesus take the wheel : ) And right now God is telling me to have courage and proclaim my love to the world, regardless of any persecution or judgment.  If evil doesn’t like it it could kiss you know what, because I’m not the giving up type.  I am Irish after all but even more importantly I’m a daddy’s girl.  It’s time I make Him proud.

 

Oh, and by the way I loovvvveeeee to cook, so I’ll be posting some recipes from time to time.  Enjoy!

 

Amie’s Recipe for Love:

1 cup of kindness

4 cups of patience

1 bowl of honesty

1 large container of selflessness

and a sprinkle of humor and laughter every few hours

Mix them all together and cook on high heat…keeping the flame lit (passion) indefinitely

 

 

And always remember that you also were made for  –> Something Beautiful  (click to listen)

 

Love, Love, Love…Amie