TIME TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL!!!

Time to Get Ready….


As we all know, it’s almost time to go back to school for the kids, big and little! We hope you had a chance to take advantage of the tax free weekend that just passed, and we also want you to take into consideration some tips that we have for you in order to ease that transition period. It takes a lot to go from sleeping late into the morning, having lazy afternoons and late TV-watching nights all the way to having basically a non-stop day from beginning to end. Read below for some ways to make this period an easier one this year…but remember, summer’s not over yet!! You still have time to enjoy the last few no-hassle weeks, so make the best of it!

1. Create Calendar Central.
Each school year floats on a sea of schedules. School functions. Lunch menus. Scout meetings and music lessons. What do you do when you're drowning in paper?
Printable Calendar
Nothing calms school year chaos like Calendar Central: a centralized site for all family calendars and schedules. You'll need a family event calendar to track after-school activities, school programs and volunteer work. Add specialized calendars and schedules, and you have it: a one-stop shop for family time management.
Form is less important than function. A paper calendar with large squares lets you enter information easily. Pre-printed white board calendars are easy to revise when necessary. Color-coding entries by family member helps keep busy lives straight. Planner users dedicate a planner section to serve as Calendar Central, while tech-savvy cybergrrrlz store the info in a personal digital assistant like Palm Pilot. Choose a calendar format that works for your family.
2. Ease the family into a school year schedule.
The first day of school is no time for a drastic adjustment of household sleep schedules. Instead, ease children back into a school year routine gradually.
During the last two weeks of summer, re-introduce a school year bedtime. Begin waking late sleepers earlier and earlier, closer to the hour they'll need to rise when school begins.
Don't neglect mealtimes! Younger children, in particular, need to adapt to new meal routines before the school day demands it of them. Plan meals and snacks to accustom little ones to rituals of the school day before the school year begins.
3. Gather your papers
School entry may require documentation from immunization records to report cards from the previous school year.
A little preparation can prevent frantic last-minute searches. Call your child's school before registration day to find out what paperwork will be required--then find it! You won't be sorry come registration day.
4. Spiff up household systems
A new school year quickens the tempo of family life. Sports activities, music lessons, church programs and volunteer commitments tap parental time and put new mileage on the mini-van.
Get organized! Spiff up your household systems to meet autumn's faster pace"
Take a stab at speed cleaning and whip through household chores in record time.
Cut time in the kitchen: create a menu plan and never again wonder "What's for dinner?"
Try a session of freezer cooking and stock the freezer with prepared meals for stress-free dinners on sports nights.

Thought of the day by Bishop T.D. Jakes….
A hater is someone that is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall. They are very negative people. Nothing is ever good enough! When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters... That's why you have to be careful who you share your blessings and your dreams with because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed... It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else. He would have given you what He gave them. You don't know what people have gone through to get what they have... The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story... If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too. We've all got some haters among us.
Some people don't like it that you can: 1. Have a relationship with God 2. Light up a room when you walk in 3. Start your own business
You can handle your haters by: 1. Knowing who you are and who your true friends are (VERY IMPORTANT!!) 2. Having a purpose to your life 3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation.
Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you. Fulfill your dreams! You only have one life to live................when its your time to leave this earth, you want to be able to say,* I've lived my life and fulfilled my dreams, .........I'm ready to go HOME!
And on that note, don’t ever let anyone change your goals and dreams!