But Then God...

I got some sad news this morning. Nothing personal, just something hard a friend and her family are going through. But it's been a month or two of these kinds of things, personal and relational. Loss. Pain. Anger. 2017 is off to a rough start.But I started reading through the Bible this morning... I know I'm late to the party! Most people start in January to read through the Bible in a year. But hey, at least I'm starting!

I read through the first three chapters of Genesis, ending with the curse. And it weighed so heavy on my heart... that sin separated us from God, that life without Him is hopeless and hard and painful. And as I thought about the weight of it all, I was reminded in my spirit:

"But then God..." 

Satan's lies may seem true, and when we believe them and act on them, sin comes in and separates. 

But then God...

We may lose hope, lose heart, lose people.

But then God...

Words are spoken, relationships broken, pain, heartache, hell ensues.

But then God...

And I turned to Matthew to read the first chapter of the New Testament, and I read these words, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ." And relief washed over me. He came. 

The Curse was broken.

I was reminded that through all of life's difficulties, trials, and heartache, He reigns. He came. He broke the curse. And He is reigning on high. There is no one, no thing, that is greater or more powerful. He is it. And He chose me. He chose you. He brought us into His family with all of our filth and sin, with all our unworthiness. He's not going anywhere. You can't scare Him away. He's with you. Whatever you may be going through, however you may be hurting, remember: 

BUT THEN GOD... 

He's got you, His precious child, in His hands. He will never leave nor forsake you. He is fighting for you. He is watching over you. He is with you.

Will you surrender to Him to let Him have His way in your life? Will you allow Him to reign, to call the shots, to be G-O-D? Whatever difficult thing you are going through He has something on the other side that will blow. your. mind. He can't help but bring LIFE and JOY and PEACE because that's who He is.

But then God...

Detox...AGAIN! (and Ground Beef Stir Fry)

Beef Stir Fry (Emergency Protein)

Well, I'm officially in the middle of yet another detox. *sigh* This one was prescribed to me by my new Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Filipini (http://www.abundantlifehandw.com/). I'm on day 11. I can honestly say that having done Whole 30 twice now (we did our second round this January) has prepared me for this like nothing else could have. This detox is a little more strict in the beginning, but overall not too bad.

My boys have both asked me now "Mommy, what's wrong with you?" Good question boys! They want to know why I'm going to the doctor all the time and why I can't eat stuff they can eat. A month ago I would've just said, "I don't know, but Jesus is healing me."

This month, I think I have an answer. 

My new doctor believes that my lack of stomach acid -- which, apparently, has been a chronic problem of mine, and now magnified over the last two years of taking PPI's (proton pump inhibitors, specifically Nexium) -- has hindered my body from absorbing the nutrients and vitamins in my food. (This article is one in a series by Dr. Chris Kresser with lots of good info.) This has wreaked havoc, causing muscle pain throughout my body, thyroid symptoms, anemia, hypoglycemia, adrenal fatigue, and even messing with my ever-beloved hair. The craziest part is that he says that when your body can't get minerals from your food, it starts to leach them from your bones and teeth. Hello sensitive teeth and narrowing spine! It all makes sense. And I am so grateful to have someone walking me through a healing protocol.

I'm beginning to feel better, and even though hope has never gone away it's increasing. Don't get me wrong, it is difficult to celebrate without the tradition of sugar. We had my big boy's 6th birthday party last Saturday, and I almost had a panic attack while cutting the cake. I literally had to walk away. I just kept thinking I'm never going to eat this again! which may or may not be true, but either way, SO HARD!

At this point I'm ten days sugar free, and I'm still alive! Imagine that. I've got about a hundred supplements I'm taking to repair my gut and help my body out with the vitamins it is unable to absorb. Woo hoo!

So, here's a little recipe that has gotten me through two Whole 30's and the beginning of this new detox I'm on. I'm such a foodie it's hard not to think about what I'll be allowed to eat and how I'll make it taste good.

One of my favorite websites for paleo eats is nomnompaleo.com. It's a fun site and she has great recipes! This Emergency Protein is my inspiration for this delicious and super easy ground beef stir fry.

Ground Beef Stir Fry

1-1/2 lbs Ground Beef (Grass fed is best!)
1 large Carrot
1/4 head Cabbage
1 small head Broccoli
1-1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef (you could also use ground turkey, yum!) and break it up in the pan. Add salt, pepper, and garlic and onion powders to taste. While the meat is browning, slice the carrots, cabbage, and broccoli really thinly. I like to use a mandolin for this because it's so fast, plus the veggies cook up really quickly.  When the meat is browned, add the veggies. Toss everything to coat the veggies in the fat. Cover and let it cook for about 3 minutes or so. Check it and toss again. Cook to your liking of veggie tenderness. I tend to let them go for a good 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. You'll likely need a little more S&P for the veggies.

I served this over left over sauteed Brussels sprouts. YUM!

Setting Goals

Do you ever feel like you set goals only to miss them? Ugh. That's pretty much the story of my life! I loved the Whole 30 and the Living Well Spending Zero challenges because there was lots of accountability. But really I think where I was mentally had a huge impact on my success. I was all in and totally motivated. I also gave myself a lot of grace and didn't beat myself up when I slipped or messed up. I was able to keep my goals in view and stay focused to reach them.

Normally, I'm really good at planning, thinking up large (and what I think are reasonable) goals, and setting out the path I need to accomplish them, only to get started but then decide I don't want to do it. And I'm so good with the excuses. So good. Didn't get enough sleep last night. Need more time to prepare. I'll start next Monday. I'm in pain. Going on vacation. Too much to do. Got a party to go to. And on and on.

So here I am...at the end of two large challenges, which I nailed! And trying to decide where to go from here.

I will admit that since the end of my Whole30 my eating has not been stellar. (If you follow me on Instagram you will know exactly how that went down!) And I may have gone on a little shopping spree this week. Just a little one. But what next? I determined to not beat myself up as I "re-entered" reality. I wanted to take it slow and stay out of the stores...

I want to stay healthy. I want to be money-wise, a good steward.

Can I just say that these last two weeks have been quite wonderful. I've not just sat on the couch stuffing my face and shopping online! The Hubby and I were able to sneak away on a little vacation to celebrate our nine year anniversary. We spent 4 days ALONE! We ate, we exercised, we rested, we relaxed. It was amazing, and so needed. We were home for only a few days, when we hosted the snack bar at our church's Harvest Carnival: Nachos. Hot Dogs. Chips. Hot chocolate. The same night my brother and his wife, who live in Australia, and my sister and husband and their baby, who live in Alaska, all flew in! My mom made a huge dinner of Mexican food: enchiladas with all the fixin's. So. Flippin'. Good.

I've spent all week with my family, eating and shopping, and celebrating our close family friends who got married. It's been so fun and a great few days of just hanging out. So, these are not things that happen all the time, not "normal" everyday life things we do all week. But two to three weeks of "vacation mentality" could easily set me up to fall back into old eating and shopping habits. How do I avoid that. How do I beat the sugar addiction, and the love of stuff?

I could not go. Not go out to eat. Not go shopping. Not spend quality time with my fam because that's what they like to do. I could go and not indulge. Take my own lunches, which requires forethought and preparation. Leave my credit cards at home and window shop. (My heart just stopped a little. Maybe I need to post a fashion show of my wonderful finds. Then you'll know it was worth it! LOL) Or... I could engage in moderation (does moderation ever work?!) and hope that the addictive tendencies don't creep back in. That is, of course, the path of least resistance, the one (for now) which I have chosen.

Only time will tell if it was the right choice. Hubby and I have decided that as soon as life gets back to normal (as in when my family heads home and we're all so sad!) we will return to eating Whole 30 style until Thanksgiving, except for the day of our pre-Thanksgiving with our friends, and the day we decorate the sanctuary and have a party with our church music peeps... So many celebrations. The goal for now is to stay the course when eating at home, with only a few changes, and try not to overspend on Christmas.  

"Don't buy yourself a gift for every one you buy for someone else!" is what I'll be telling myself!

Living Well Spending Zero Week 3 Recap

Christmas basket for our PRC silent auction

We are a full three weeks into our spending freeze and I can tell you I feel great! I thought I would have withdrawals, like I did from sugar and grains when we started Whole 30. But it turns out I'm not as addicted to shopping as I thought! Apparently, if I'm not out and about, in stores, and out at lunch time, it's actually not that hard not to spend. Go figure! The LWSZ challenges -- deep cleaning the house, organizing, getting creative, and pampering myself -- have kept me busy and happy. I will say, I have gone over my food budget a little bit, but hey I'm a work in progress! And I have had some shopping therapy. Not what you're thinking though... I'm not cheating! I've just had the privilege to shop with someone else's money. Woo hoo!!

Our local Pregnancy Resource Center has a banquet and silent auction every year.  I have the exciting job of putting together baskets from our church's Bible study groups, which requires... SHOPPING! I actually got it all done in one afternoon with the help of my mom. It was super fun! I'm able to do 7 baskets this year with the funds we raised, which is awesome! I love our Pregnancy Resource Center. They help so many women in our little city, it's kind of amazing!

I must say, I usually pick up a few things for myself along the way, but this year I kept my focus and didn't buy myself a single thing! Can you feel how proud I am!?!

Sorry, I just couldn't help it!

I think the biggest thing I'm seeing is how little I need to buy to enjoy what I've got. When I take care of what I have it reminds me to be grateful for having it. That even goes for my kiddos! When I sit and play with them or read to them, I remember what a blessing they are. God's really been speaking to me about contentment and thanksgiving throughout this month. "pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (I Thessalonians 5:17-18) "But godliness with contentment is great gain." (I Timothy 6:6)

I feel like I vacillate between wanting everything I see and wanting to be frugal and not buy anything. It's the same with food: I want to be healthy but I also want to eat whatever I want. It's like I'm split... I guess that makes sense, "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." (Galatians 5:17)

My whole life I've believed, or maybe I was taught, that I am my flesh and I have to try to live by the Spirit. My spirit is not who I really am, but who I want to be. Living by the Spirit is hard because I am flesh. But if I look at this verse a little more closely it says "so that you are not to do whatever you want." That's the NIV, but the NLT says it this way, "so you are not free to carry out your good intentions." So, maybe, I'm my spirit man, the one who desires to live by the Holy Spirit. Maybe I'm the good guy, and the flesh is the influence of the world and the lies of the enemy, trying to entice me to be who I don't want to be. And maybe, just maybe, if I dig really deep, and decide to be me... Maybe the real me, my spirit man, is frugal, content, happy with who God made me, not in need of any kind of food/shopping/social-therapy. 

Maybe I'm just in need of some Jesus-therapy, the kind of therapy that actually works, so that I can be who I was made to be -- who I really am.

You guys, I've saved over $1800 in the last three weeks compared to last month...and the month before. EIGHTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS! (Insert woman cutting credit card emoji here.) Now to be fair, some of that money the previous months was budgeted money that we had planned on spending, and some was donations for the church renovation. But the majority of the money I've saved comes from a category I call "miscellaneous". Purchases that, when I see them on the credit card bill, I cannot remember what they were. Places like Target, Walmart, Ross, Marshalls, Michael's, Dollar Tree, etc. And then there's the way-too-much-to-admit we spend on eating out. And I feel like I cook A LOT. So, yeah, learning a big lesson here. Want to know what it is?

I'm not that person. It's not who God made me to be. I have this desire to be content with what I have and to steward my resources well because that is who God made me. 

It may take some time and effort, but I will retrain my brain and my credit-card-swiping hand to think, evaluate, and process before I make a purchase. I'll plan better. I'll pray about this more. I think that may be the most helpful!

I read a blog about creating a capsule wardrobe, and she said she gives herself a week to think about a clothing purchase before she decides if it belongs in her closet. A week. If I did that I think I'd forget about most of the clothes I've purchased!

So, baby steps. I'm starting with a plan for next month, a new Living Well Spending Less program called Your Best Year Ever (you can sign up here), and a goal to de-clutter my life. I won a book from the LWSZ Instagram challenge about a clutter free life and I am all set to dive right in.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next few months!

And, a quick update on our Whole 30: we are FINISHED! We ended our Whole 30 on Tuesday. Wednesday we added refried beans to our meals, and can I tell you they were heavenly! Believe it or not, that's what I've missed most. LOL. I officially lost 10 pounds and two inches off my waist!! My energy is up (now that we're sleeping through the night again!!! WOO HOO!!), and I'm feeling great! We're planning on keeping the general Whole 30 rules in place in our home going forward. I still have another 10 pounds to lose according to my health assessment to get my risks all the way down for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. So that's the goal. We'll see how it goes!

Almost There!

Whole30 Compliant Grilled Hot Wings

Today is Day 29 (!!!) of our Whole 30! Can't believe it's almost over. It really has flown by. I must admit I did have a little bit of honey or maple syrup in my tea here and there, but other than that I haven't cheated! (I know hardcore Whole 30-ers will consider that cheating, but a girl can only do so much!) I can't believe it myself. My formerly "skinny" jeans -- the ones I wear when I'm skinny -- are now saggy in the bum and have almost turned into my fat pants! Thrilling!

Overall I've felt pretty good for the majority of the program. If it hadn't been for my little man getting up multiple times a night almost every night for three out of the four weeks I think my energy would have continued to be through the roof. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see a drastic improvement in my sleep because of this too. Oh well, though! I don't think I could have survived the multiple night wakings without being on Whole 30 and having extra energy.

On Saturday, we had a great visit with some friends who we don't get to see very often and we were able to share our Grilled Hot Wings with them. Our friend Joel shared this recipe with us after we had them at his house. We loved them, so like a good friend, he passed it on! They're so good, messy, and delicious! Visiting with non-Whole 30-ers is a little bit difficult, but our friends were so accommodating. We brought the wings, and the sides were roasted broccoli, sweet potato fries, and dessert was strawberries and grapes. Easy and delish!

So, without further ado, Grilled Hot Wings, Whole 30 friendly and absolutely yummy!

The easiest and yummiest Grilled Hot Wings

Grilled Hot Wings

Ingredients

Chicken Wings
Frank's RedHot Original (Hot Sauce)
Ghee, or butter if you're not on Whole 30
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder

Directions

Season the chicken with a little bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cover the wings with sauce, not a lot, just enough to coat. Marinate the chicken wings (if you have time). Preheat the grill on high. When it's nice and hot, reduce heat to low and cook those babies up! Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of ghee with about a cup or so of the hot sauce. When the wings are cooked through -- they take about 25 minutes -- remove them from the grill and toss them with the buttery saucy goodness!

Now eat them up!! We served them with roasted broccoli and sweet potato fries. YUM! What do you like to eat your wings with? And don't say blue cheese!