{I looooove Five Guys}

Growing up I ate the typical 80’s kid meals. Kraft macaroni and cheese. Peanut butter and jelly. Gummies. Grilled cheese. Cereal, lots of cereal, the sugar laden kind. Hot Pockets. My personal favorite – Micro Magic french fries. Squeeze Its. Mc Donald’s.

As most health journeys go – I got sick. And I got sick of being sick and looked into how to heal myself. It began with the book The Maker’s Diet in 2005. I remember we read it while coming back from vacation. It was yet another vacation where I had fallen ill because of what I had eaten. As I read I finally realized that what I was eating was not meant to benefit me. Yes, I was ‘allowed’ to eat anything that the Lord created, but these man made creations were tearing me apart. So I stopped destroying my insides and made a drastic change. It took time, a lot of time. Just so I’m completely transparent, I still eat ‘junk food’ in moderation. We just had pizza delivered a couple nights ago. But first and foremost I need to take care of this temple where His spirit resides. When I eat foods that I know are bad for me, just because I enjoy them, I’m not ready to do good work for the Lord. My thoughts are focused on myself and what I enjoy. But when I sacrifice my addiction to sweets and live a healthy life for the Lord, then I’m ready to do His will. I’m not as sluggish. I’m not in pain. I’m not seeking advice from doctors when I know the One who can heal me has already provided me with foods to take care of this body.

{part of our garden}

I want to lay this out there. I don’t judge you for how you eat. All I know is how my body reacts to when I eat man made foods. When I fast and when I remove questionable foods from my diet or even when I add beneficial foods to my diet I have seen healing. Healing that I almost didn’t even believe even though it was me! Even though I saw it with my own eyes I was still in awe of how awesome God is and how He provides for us.

When you change to eating healthy you may be taken aback because of your grocery bill. We were. And there were times we had no choice but to go back to eating poorly because of finances. And we’d always end up saying “you’re either going to pay the grocer or the doctor”. I was sick of going to the doctor. And especially after seeing loved ones sent to the hospital time after time after time because of poor eating habits.

The farmer’s market became a second home and we now are good friends with our health food grocers. Once you get past the learning curve of shopping at health food stores it’s really not so bad. We actually save money when we shop at Trader Joe’s as opposed to our local ‘normal’ grocery store.

If you’d like to learn more about eating the way God designed then I encourage you to look into the book “The Maker’s Diet“. Look at the health advice on EarthClinic.com. Watch documentaries. Because of all the sicknesses surrounding us we’re finally realizing that the foods that we’re creating are literally killing us. The pesticides used to kill the insects are slowing making their way into our bloodstreams. Take care of what you eat and what you put into your bodies so that you will always be ready to do a good work for the Lord.

Blessings!

This past Sunday was day 22 of the 21 day Daniel Fast. And I wanted to share with you my thoughts and experiences throughout the past three weeks.

It.

Was.

Amazing.

Not amazing in that I was on this God high the entire time. Ok, let me back up, let’s talk about the food. So you’re allowed to eat fruits, vegetables and unenriched grains {brown rice, wheat flour, etc}, you’re not allowed to have sweeteners and you can only drink water {unless you’re drinking one of your meals}. The food for me was easy. There were times I struggled especially toward the end. When you go out and everybody is having frozen yogurt and you’re just watching. But honestly, God gave me such strength considering that food is a downfall for me. I love eating. I also eat very healthy and yet my body still had to go through a detox. I had at least one canker sore every single day. Getting frustrated enough I finally found out that that was a way of my body detoxing.

And just as my body was detoxing from the bad food I have eaten in the past my spiritual life was detoxing, painfully, from the bad thoughts and actions of my past. I felt like David. I could not understand why I had gained so many enemies so quickly. I felt attacked nearly every day. And then it clicked. God was detoxing me from the addiction I had of peoples approval and love. When I should only be seeking love from God and trusting only God I, instead, was seeking worldly love. I sought after unconditional love from conditional people.

That is how the fast was amazing. I was drawn closer to God and am on the road to overcoming a problem in my life that I didn’t even recognize.

I encourage you to try a Daniel Fast. The 21 days go by so quickly! Almost too quickly. I’m looking forward to doing this again in the spring.

Oh, before I forget, without divulging too much, I wanted to say that one of my health problems had absolutely no issues during the fast. Very. Awesome. Just a reminder that He is the healer and we have to be careful of what we put into our bodies.

Blessings!

Don’t forget to comment on this post to enter the TOMS giveaway!

Wouldn’t it be amazing if church was held outdoors? Or if every church was actually a large observatory? I always want to break past the walls and through the ceiling during worship. His love is too great to be contained in such a small place. I want to see it overflow! So thankful that worship isn’t only for a moment on a Sunday.

Blessings!

There is something beautiful that is learned throughout parenthood. As the years pass by you learn James 1:2-4 intimately.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

{James 1:2-4 ESV} {emphasis mine}

Those first few years when you’re struggling just to change diapers can tear you down. You’re balancing being an adequate spouse and a decent parent. And let’s not forget all the new mommy friends you feel you must appease at playgroups. You’re learning that it’s not all about you. That now you have a small life to take care of. Becoming a servant of God to a helpless little child is very humbling. And can be frustrating. But we need to remember, remember, remember James.

Count it all joy…

There was a time in our marriage when we had a couple small children and lots of friends with young ones also. Yet we stood out like a sore thumb. Every. Single. Friend we had had either lost a child or had a child with a lifelong disease. And I was so incredibly blessed by just knowing them. What they may not know is they were able to minister to me by the way they were living. They were able to count it all joy. They knew how quickly life can be taken away or how quickly news from a doctor can turn your life upside down. And because of the crosses they had to carry I was encouraged to “count it all joy”.

I am not here to discourage you. To make you feel like you have to do it all. No. Christ is the only One who can do all things and through Him we can, also. We are to trust that it is all for Him and not for our glory. If your child is acting up in a store then that is an opportunity for you to minister to your child. Not to roll your eyes and get upset. How you interact with your little one that day may encourage another passerby. Though you may think that person is staring at you for being a ‘bad mom’ or a ‘pushover’. Please don’t worry about what they think. Worry about what God thinks. Worry about how your words and actions will effect your child. Fill their ears with grace, not with anger.

I’m not perfect at this. I get angry. Yet I know that God has chiseled away a heart that was extremely more callous than it is now. Each moment we have to choose to not take for granted. Choose to be fully there. Fully present. Immerse yourself in what God wants you to do and not what the world wants you to do or what you want to do. Pray for a changed heart to be more like His.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
{James 1:5 ESV}

When an older woman tells me to ‘enjoy every moment’ I am encouraged and reminded. That sweet older woman has regrets. I have no doubt she dreams of being a young mother again. Wishing there were moments she could re-do. At the end we all will have regrets. But minimize those regrets now by not standing by and allowing these precious moments to pass by right under your nose. “Count it all joy…” Write it down. Write so that when you’re older you can pass on your wisdom to your children and to other young mothers. So that you can laugh at the memories you made. So that you can go back and read how awesome young motherhood was. The laughter and the hardships. Because when you look back you’re going to miss those times you were walking through a store with three children hanging off the cart, one trailing behind and one eating all the puffs from the new container you just picked from the shelf. You’ll glance over and see a young mother aggravated with her children and you’ll want to encourage her because you love her and don’t want her to carry regret. You’ll tell her to “Count it all joy…”

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 ESV}

Blessings!