BACK IN THE SADDLE

Since being laid off from my job at the end of January, I have been going day to day without any set plan for the day. I have worked on couponing to save money, learned how to can and have done 3 different canned meals stocking our cupboard, researched and started working on my application process to being a commissioned minister, continued my studies for my Master’s in clinical pastoral counseling, read a few good books mostly non-fiction like Celebration of Discipline by Richard J Foster and all the other daily grind stuff for family and home. My days have been a bit random but I am working on balancing out each of these to do’s. One of those things I have wanted to get back into my daily routine is to do some blog writing. I recently finished a study with my bible study group on the book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell. The study itself lacked connection to the Word of God nevertheless there was lots of good advice on being intentional about growth. One such thing was to share what you learn. This blog has been that for me since I started it and I let it go for a while because I got into a writing slump. So, it will be my privilege and part of my own growth agenda to bring to you my thoughts each day, even if it is only to show gratitude to the Lord for giving me one more day on Earth.

I have updated the blog site and have a new page with the answers to questions on my application to be a minister. Please read. I would love to hear any feedback you may have before I submit the application.

May this day be a blessing to you and you a blessing to others.

WHO'S IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT?

My final day of the Daniel Fast was yesterday. As I had my first cup of coffee in three weeks and read my bible, it was impressed upon me the analogy of the Holy Spirit being in the driver’s seat and we who are now believers sit in the passenger seat. Those who are still controlled by the sinful nature and do not have faith in Jesus are still driving their cars and they will only lead themselves to destruction by driving over a cliff or head on into another car. We who have chosen to believe in Jesus now sit in the passenger seat but our sinful nature that is connected the our bodies is still at war and will do what it can to persuade us to take our focus off looking out the front window which is where the Holy Spirit is leading us to, to looking out the side window at things on the side of the road. We see signs that are from the evil one that may say food and gas next exit and we are tempted to tell the Holy Spirit take this exit and may even go as far as grabbing the steering wheel to pull us off onto the exit. We are trying to control and guide ourselves.  We are trying to satisfy our needs and wants and we are not remembering that God will take care of all our needs, will bless us and is leading us to Himself. During this Daniel Fast, I realized I had put the Holy Spirit in total control of my eating. Those road signs that advertised homemade pie or frozen yogurt bar up ahead were not in control. I fully gave control and faith to the Holy Spirit and my needs were met. I discovered the sweet treat that God created in dates, I realized that meat is a yummy gift from God but it is not to be worshipped and discovered that caffeine is a blessing from God but again not to be worshipped. So as we step into our cars figuratively each day, we need to stop and say out loud to the Holy Spirit, take the wheel and lead me in this day that I may produce good fruits and glorify God in all I do and say. You may have to stop and tell the Holy Spirit this throughout your day to remind yourself that you are putting your faith in Him to guide you and keeping your focus out the front window and on the road ahead. It reminds me of that first year with my husband and having him drive. I was critical about how he drove and his ability to get us where we needed to go. I was constantly saying something or gritting my teeth and speaking those controlling thoughts in my mind but the trust in him was built up enough that I was able to let go of the controlling thoughts and be at peace knowing he was getting us safely to where we needed to go. Our trust in the Holy Spirit can be built up too through time spent in the Word of God, in prayer and worship. We must feed our spirits with spiritual food in order for us to be able to put a “stopping hand” to the evil one and looking ahead to the glory we will have in meeting Jesus in our final home that he is preparing for us. Imagine it! Him being a carpenter, he is designing the home I will live in specifically for me. A home with high ceilings, lots of light and views out the windows of mountains, beaches, sunrises, freshly fallen snow. A home with a kitchen that never needs cleaning and is always fully stocked with everything you need to cook up a feast for the family coming for dinner with Jesus at the head of the table. Imagine it. Believe it. Let the thought of your final home and hope guide your days here.

Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Quinoa cereal recipe

Cup cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons Date Honey (made by covering pitted dates with water in a saucepan and simmering pitted dates for 45 min. Blend and store)

1 tablespoon Nikki's Chocolate Hazelnut Coconut Butter (found on Amazon)

Combine all ingredients. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup almond milk and enjoy.

 

EATING WITH FAITH

I am starting my third week of the Daniel Fast. In a nutshell, the Daniel Fast is based on Daniel in the book of Isaiah who refuses to eat the spread of food the king provides but faithfully, stays committed to eating what God wants him to eat. It doesn’t specifically say what these foods are or what he was avoiding but interpretations of it say it is the sweets and meats. Ouch.  The guidelines I am using are from the book The Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola.

In my two weeks thus far, I have found that meat although yummy is set apart from other foods and put on a pedestal. Meat eaters worship their meat. The main component of every meal is the meat but I have found that I am sustained without meat and my feelings towards it are becoming more realistic. It is a food God provides but it should not be worshipped.

The sweet part has been easier only because of my Paleo eating which I think really helped prepare me for this fasting. I have discovered dates and making date honey from one of the many recipes in the book. My favorite breakfast smoothie is with dark chocolate hazelnut coconut butter, banana, whey protein, date honey, almond milk and ice. Yum.

Many people will stray from their diet New Year’s resolutions because of all the temptations, lack of total commitment and lack of faith. Our bodies are at war with our souls. Our bodies want the meat, the sweets, the caffeine, the bottle of wine but our soul which is part of our mind is wanting to do well and not eat the chocolate bar or gorge on a prime rib dinner. It is a constant battle that we cannot win on our own. Like the United States of America in the war with Britain for her independence, they needed help. God brought them the help they needed through the French.  We too need the help of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin and the evil that wants to control us through our bodies and our minds. Faith is the key to overcoming and conquering the worshipping of our food we eat and so much more.

If you have started a new way of eating and want it to succeed, your faith is the key factor in this success.

Romans 7:22-23 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Date Honey recipe:

6-8 Medjook dates, pitted

1 cup water

Slice and take out pits, put dates into saucepan and combine with water. The water should cover the top of them so add more if necessary. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Pour the whole thing into a blender and blend. Store in fridge for up to a week.

Costco has a good deal on them!

   

New Beginnings

In my quest to honor God with my body, I have been exercising every morning and it leaves me with not enough time to sit, read my bible and write a blog entry. NO. No excuses. The reality is I have been in a slump without the motivation to delve into writing. I like to have the time to really contemplate what I am reading and not just toss out whatever I can each morning. So, in an attempt to get my motivation back I am working on some topics that I want to explore more and grow from. As I go through the exploring and growing, I will share with you what I have been enlightened to, what I have learned and how I am applying it to my life. This may or may not come to you daily but as the Lord guides.
I will also be starting the new year by doing a reading through the bible in a year plan. I will post the plan here when I find one and will encourage you to follow along with the reading plan and make comments to my entries about the readings.
Lord, we thank you for the thousands of chances for new beginnings you give us when we wake to each new day. Please forgive me for letting worldly life things control my everyday actions. Help me to do everything I do for your glory whether it be in what I eat, what I say, what I do, how I act and react and every aspect of my day. I give my life to you in words but help me to live that out in my life with actions. You are the one and only God in which all things are possible. Amen and Amen.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 345

My daughter and I went to see the new Disney movie, Frozen last weekend. It had a great message about fear and how love conquers fear. I am not going to do a spoiler on this so no worries if you haven’t gone to see it yet.

Have you ever wondered how another person can be so fearless while you are shaking in your boots? It is a part of who God made us to be. Some of us will have lots of fears and some of us will be fearless. Some of us will have problems with anger and some of us have no problem letting our anger out. Some of us will feel worthless for no reason and others will think they walk on water. God made us each in a unique way but in this uniqueness is a place for God to come in and take those troublesome parts of us and make them into something beautiful. His love will conquer our fears. His love will conquer our anger issues. His love will make you feel worthy. His love can do all this and more for the inner parts of you that only He can see.

He has helped me overcome my low-self esteem, my feelings of being unloved, my fears of what others think of me, my fears of being assertive with my feelings. He continues to work on the inner parts of me, refining me and weeding out those trouble areas in the inner garden of my soul. Don’t wait for some unknown to come and help you with “your stuff”. Don’t think you can do it all by yourself. Allow God to work within you by being in his Word. Through His Word I have learned so much but I have also taken it and applied it to my life. Let His Word become a part of who you are.

Psalm 97:11 Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 344

In all my gung-ho-ness about Paleo, I ended up reserving a grain-fed, no antibiotics or hormones kind of turkey from Natural Groceries. Did I bother to ask about the price? Nope. I went for the best of the best. So, I go on Tuesday before Thanksgiving to pick up the turkey. It is a nice 18lber…and then they ring up the price. Ouch! $120. I said, “WOW, this better be the best damn turkey ever” and the checker says it is. My second thought was what is my hubbie going to think of this? Well, the cost didn’t come up until we were actually at the table with my brother’s family diving into the food. It turned out to be the best turkey I ever had but was the $120 price really worth it? The answer came through the voice of my daughter. My husband stopped everyone talking and said our daughter had something to say. You remember the commercial about Life cereal. Mikey liked it. She liked it. Now, this is a big thing because my daughter is by far the pickiest eater ever and is especially not fond of meat. She liked it and actually had some more. That made the cost of the turkey all worth it! The cost of Christ dying on the cross is worth it to God. Every time a new person chooses to believe in Jesus, God is smiling and his heart is saying he or she is worth it. That kind of love is unfathomable. Our salvation was paid for because of he loves us that much. Will I buy another $120 turkey? Probably not. I think it is best to let it be a treasured memory of the Thanksgiving of 2014 when my daughter declared she liked the turkey. Thankfully, Jesus took on the sins of us all so his death and resurrection are a done deal. The price has been paid. You just have to accept it.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 343

As you know, I have been eating Paleo which in a nutshell basically means no sugar, no processed foods, no dairy, no grain and no alcohol. I did the Whole 30 Challenge and did all these No’s for a full 30 days. I decided to keep eating Paleo but of course allowing the some exceptions within reason. I am pretty sure I blew my exceptions for the next month or so in this one last weekend. In any case, I am committed to making this way of eating a permanent lifestyle choice. I was eagerly anticipating my follow-up cholesterol appointment with my doctor last Monday. I had to go on a small dose of Lipitor in the Spring because my cholesterol had gone up into bad territory. One of the main reasons for going Paleo was losing weight but I also wanted to get my cholesterol down again through my diet. I actually went down a whopping 90 points! I told my doctor I was doing Paleo and committed to it so she said I was young enough to go off the Lipitor and do another cholesterol check in three months to see how much my diet is contributing to this drop. I have my results taped to my bathroom mirror. It is my goal to keep those numbers down so I don’t have to go on medication again. I am confident that with the power of God within me I can conquer this cholesterol for good.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice breakfast

Process cauliflower in your food processor so it becomes small like rice.

Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in skillet. Add cauliflower rice.

At this point you can add chopped onions and garlic or if you don't have a lot of time just season with garlic powder and salt and pepper.

Add a 1/4 cup water to skillet and let simmer.

Add pre-cooked chopped bacon, turkey bacon or Canadian bacon.

Plate the cauliflower rice.

Cook egg in same skillet to your liking and top over rice.

Enjoy!