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Helen's Mulberry Lane Farm Journal
October 24th, 2017.
Google Hangouts
I am so excited to share this idea with you. Some of you may already use it, but for those who don't, this is for you.
I have been using Google Hangouts for well over a year now with some of the women in our family. It has been such a blast and a great blessing to me as the matriarch in the family! Everyone in our group loves it! I highly recommend Google Hangouts, especially for family members who live far apart and want to stay in touch on a more regular basis. We call our group "Aardsma Ladies' Care, Share and Prayer" and hardly a day goes by when we don't chat with each other. It is usually every day; we like to talk in our family! (Comes from my side of the family....) Our group has brought us ladies so close together despite the miles that keep us physically apart.
Here is how it works. It is very easy to set up. If you don't have a google account, go into google and create one. Then go into Google Hangouts and set up a group of people who want to "hangout" together. Everyone in the group will need to have a google account. You can invite whomever you want to join your group, but only those people in your group can see the posts so it is completely private. Title your group whatever you want; "Ladies Ping Ping" if you wish. Then start the sharing!
Everyone gets to see everyone's posts, so it is great for sharing news that everyone will want to hear and "discuss" as the case may be. You can also share pictures and videos which is wonderful; baby's first steps, pretty garden flowers, birthday parties, etc. Our group has talked about everything from religion to politics; but mostly we talk about cooking, homemaking, child rearing, and all that kind of good stuff.
In our group we have a recipe share day, a book share day, and a product share day (so far!). For example, recently I bought an amazing pair of capris on amazon. They fit so well and were so comfortable, I told the ladies about it. We have some great cooks in our family (alas, not me.....) and they share the best recipes ever! Tried and true ones, with all their added tips for success.
Two of the ladies in the group are working on losing weight. We encourage each other, have a weekly weigh in and share our victories and successes. We become kinda like accountability partners. And everyone cheers on the "losers".
Whenever there is a need or crisis, we share the need and pray for each other right away. We encourage each other and ask how things are going. Recently we had a tornado come close to our farm. Right away I shared with the group and they were all praying for our safety and for no damage to the farm. I even posted photos "as it happened" so all the ladies could see I wasn't kidding! It is such a comfort to have this caring, sharing and praying surrounding us all at a moment's notice.
We keep the sharing between us confidential so the ladies feel they can share their hearts openly.
We extend charity of motive (a gracious and kind spirit, assuming the best of each other) when people post things we don't necessarily agree with, or when sometimes we say things a little too strongly or even say something we later regret saying. We work hard to practice I Corinthians 13 towards each other. Do remember, once you post something and hit "return", you can't take it back, (kind of like real life) so do consider your words and the impact they have on others.
I must warn you......there is one danger to Google Hangouts. It is highly addictive! Since that is the case, I have my phone set to "no notifications" and only check for updates whenever I am ready to take a break from my home business work. I also do all of my posting from my computer and not my phone because I don't like to use the small keyboard on the phone and it is hard on my arthritic thumbs. Besides, I have too much to say. Also, since my spare time is very limited, I can type on my computer keyboard way faster!
Just like a tea party, every single day!
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So put on the kettle ladies!
P.S. Another great app is Whatsapp which works just like Google Hangouts. Our group has recently switched over to Whatsapp and we like it better than Google Hangouts.
An Exciting New Discovery!
Some of you have expressed interest in my husband's work. Quite a few exciting things have been happening in that regard.
You can read more about Gerald's latest discovery, Dr. Aardsma's Vitamin MePA Dietary Supplement, by clicking the link and then clicking the tabs at the top of his website page.
Blessings,
Helen
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