:)

Once upon a time there was a lady (we'll go with a young lady) who used to go out with friends and have coffee. This lady (YOUNG) would even sometimes have days where there was NOTHING to do and she would sit, and get bored. If you find this lady (she's young... quite young...) please tell her that she's missed BUT... please remind her of this......

How blessed she is to have a job she loves. How blessed she is to have family who love her and help her. How blessed she is to have boys who pitch in and do everything they can to help and love her with a BIG love. How blessed she is to have a husband who works hard, loves hard, prays hard and sacrifices even harder because he loves her with all his heart. She needs to be reminded of these things ever so often because when she stops and thinks of all her friends who she misses well... she gets a little sad. I bet deep down she knows that God is at work and that He has some awesome things in store and she knows that now is NOT the time to give up. So, maybe just tell her to keep going... keep getting up and going to work, keep homeschooling, keep singing, keep cooking, keep being taxi driver because one day....... she'll miss it. I think she might need to be told that getting old is ok too.

And they lived happily ever after (every once upon a time deserves a good happily ever after)

Wrapped in Love

No, I'm not at the beach but this picture represents a bit of how I feel right now :) This morning, I got up a little groggy and COLD! I'm LOVING this fall weather! Thankful for coffee pot timers, I go put my white robe on and stumble to the kitchen and get my coffee. As I'm having my quiet time, it hits me that I've had this robe for 13 yrs now. In 2000 our family was preparing to go to the mission field, to live in Carlisle, England. I spoke at a ladies meeting and gave them our whole "schpeel". I don't remember mentioning it but I guess somewhere in my "schpeel" I mentioned something about getting a thick robe. We lived in Houston at the time and didn't have much need for thick robes but in England I knew it would be needed. The next Sunday a precious elderly lady came up to me and handed me $50. She said "go buy you the robe you want" she had the sweetest hug and told me to know that she was praying for me.

There has been a lot of healing that has happened since we didn't go to England. 9.11 changed all of that for us. We've lived in Florida and in Houston again and I've almost given this robe away. Now, I'm so thankful I didn't. I sit here not only wrapped in warmth but in a reminder that God will take care of me. He has a plan. He cares. His love is wrapped ALL around me!!!! My coffee is a extra good this morning!

Luke 12:27,28 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?"

climbing. back. on. the. wagon. each period is for the breathing it takes to get me up there

Since 2006 I've been on the eating healthy wagon. I've fallen off a few times but for the most part have stuck to it. I have felt a little icky lately and knew I needed to do the whole 6 week STRICT healthy eating plan BUT a fun lil shopping spree helped convince me to start like... NOW! Nothing more fun then taking 4 pairs of pants in to the fitting room and then putting all 4 back and your husband going "what is going on???" I'm all "let's just go home and no we are not stopping for ice cream!" ugh
So, the fact that I was down to one pair of jeans that fit me, I've been sick and crabby and now faced with buying a larger size of clothing, sent me in to a whirlwind. What if I gain all my weight back? What if I get as sick as I was before? What if I end up lifeless laying there crying because... well... you get the picture. Needless to say I am a bit stubborn and I am NOT ok with sitting here letting that happen so BAM! Back to strict eating it is. All thanks to a not so fun shopping trip ( I despise shopping anyway so it doesn't take much for it to be "not so fun" ha) I really do like eating healthy! It is fun for me to find different things to eat that are amazingly tasty and really GOOD for me. Here I am, 4 days in to my STRICT eating and I'm a wee bit cranky but better than I was 2 days ago. This morning I wanted something sweet terribly so I started searching. I've baked enough to know what I like and what turns out and I couldn't find anything that fit what I wanted so I used some measurements as a guide and made my own recipe up for... ready... drum roll please DUUDUDUDDUDUDUDUD (how do you spell a drum roll???? bet it's in your head though ;)

Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum (sweet friend gave me some... it's GOLD in my book)
3 eggs
1 tsp ACV (I thought the boys would die)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened original)
1/4 cup oil (whatever you prefer, I don't recommend coconut oil)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark choc chips

Preheat oven to 325
whisk dry ingredients
whisk wet ingredients
add wet to dry
add walnuts and choc chips
stir until all yummily mixed

Bake 12 to 15 min depending on your oven.

There you have it my friends! There's a ton of variations you could do with this and I plan on trying more. I really like the combo of the almond/brown rice flours. Almond flour is EXPENSIVE but a really good binding flour for gf baking. Brown rice flour is inexpensive but very light and not a good binder so using both is a great mixture. Adding the xanthan gum helps hold it all together.

May all your baking be full of guiltless joy :)

winks from heaven

It's been a mystery to me why I can't seem to put in to words our experience in the D.R. Trust me, I'm still working on it.... I had to share this sweet moment I was blessed to experience today.

We were at the dentist and a mom brought her special needs little girl in. She was probably 2 or 3. She began to get upset and I could see the mom was trying hard to soothe her. She pulls out her cell phone and plays the little girl's "favorite" song. She then played that song over and over. The song... Hunter Hayes "Wanted". When this song came out a while back, I remember looking at my boys in amazement. I've told them for quite a while that it's one thing to feel "needed" but altogether different to feel "wanted". For someone to want you means they don't really need you but they want you anyway. Much like Christ, He WANTS us!!!!! I sat there with tears in my eyes, watching the precious momma who WANTS this precious baby girl! I sat and prayed blessing over them and for God to wrap His arms around her as I listened to "I wanna make you feel wanted.... you're always, wanted" Thank you God, you WANT me!!!!!

Be still and KNOW! He IS God!!!

Feeling the oh so familiar tug to "write it all out" so here goes...

I'm at that "overwhelmed but feeling guilty for being overwhelmed" stage. It's a familiar stage, have been here before. It's been a high stress kind of month with lots of changes and decisions. My emotions are pulled in every direction. I'm so very blessed and feel like I can't adequately express just how grateful I am. This is life and there are problems. I do consider mine minor but they are enough to apparently shoot my bp to the sky. I don't usually put out my health stuff for all to see but I've had so many people ask and are concerned. For 10 yrs I've battled health issues and for the most part am doing SO much better. My bp is the one thing that doesn't seem to get the message that I'M BETTER! :) When it spikes, it makes it difficult to just function in every day life circumstances. I'm an emotional person any way so to control my emotions is a God task to say the least. Generally I fight things naturally, with food, vitamins/supplements etc. Hypertension is one that I have not been confident on fighting without med. I'm praying about that one... recently my med decided to stop working or my BP is pushing through the med, not sure which. I have an appt today to try to change meds. So I'm feeling guilty, laying here trying not to get emotional but then people keep blessing me and I feel so overwhelmed. Can you say ROLLER COASTER??? I know the BP will work itself out and it will be fine but for right now I'm finding it challenging to stay calm and non emotional (those who know me are LAUGHING right about now) God is teaching me, showing me more of Himself, I can't complain... I won't. I trust Him and His plan for my life!!! I'm grateful for prayers for wisdom and guidance!

Through all of this we are continuing to prepare for our missions trip to the D.R. Less than 3 weeks until we leave. It's a very exciting time (well, when my BP comes down I will get excited ha). God's provision is truly amazing! I'm extremely blessed to be a part of this team and to walk through this with Micah. God places people in our path at the exact time needed. It's truly amazing to be a part of!

Days seem to be going faster. Time somehow has hit warp speed. It's amazing how much my mom has told me over the years is actually true, who knew? My babies are not babies any more and I find myself holding on to every precious moment. Days with my mom are so precious to me, I realize time will only speed up as life goes on. Wow! how life has a way of getting exciting and crazy! Such a roller coaster of emotions and sometimes I'm all for the ride, holding my hands up high and screaming with delight. Sometimes, I cry... for fear of what the next deep valley will bring. Sickness, death, heartache, financial hardship, hard decisions, all of these are part of life. It does become challenging at times to seek the "good" and focus and God's many many blessings He has literally poured out on me! At times I feel guilty for being so loved and blessed and my eyes get fixed on that big deep valley that just HAS to be waiting for me. God is teaching me to trust Him. I'm trying to learn. What will be around the corner of this exciting yet oh so scary ride??? I'm really not sure, but I'm drawing close to the ONE who does and I know He's ok with me completely and totally enjoying the blessed life He has given me. I don't take it for granted and I long to share this joy and love with those who have never experienced it!
Hands up y'all!!! Let's make it the greatest ride ever!!!!!

New Adventures

We are very excited and humbled by having the opportunity to go on a mission trip this year. Micah and I will be going to the Dominican Republic at the end of March. This is something we have prayed about for a while and we are doing on faith knowing this is what God has for us. I have to admit, I've been faced with many questions like why? Micah made a good point "mom, I don't want to waste money and time just to come back the same. I don't want this to be in vain". I pray that we keep that focus. Our intent is to bring glory to God in whatever we do, here or there. It is an honor and blessing to be part of His global work. This is shaping up to be a very different experience for me all around and I'm going to need a ton of prayer. True to form, when you decide to take a step towards serving God full-out, head-on, no-hold-backs then you can count on some opposition. My prayer is that our eyes stay focused on Jesus!!!

We are going with a team from our church. There will be fundraisers along the way. Micah and I are also looking for side jobs to earn our money. Micah is a hard worker and is willing to do yard work (i realize it is winter...) or organizing garage, cleaning cars... etc. I'm not sure what I can do at this point LOL Baking/cooking is the only thing I could think of. I may get my "guiltlessjoy" back in to full swing. If any of my friends are in need of homemade healthy (or not healthy ha) baked goods please let me know.

Above all else, we need and covet your prayers!!!! Please pray for all 4 of us, an adventure like this always includes ALL of us! God is faithful!!!