Fear or Faith?

Living a life of faith....easier said than done, right?  God has asked us to "pick up our cross and follow Him," (Matthew 16:24) no matter what distractions come our way...despite the earthly struggles that we face each day....regardless of our own human perspective and understanding of things.  We are called to live a life not based on what makes sense to our human minds, but a life that stretches beyond to believe in the "mystery" of our amazing God.  

But among pursuing a life of faith in Jesus Christ, our human self often battles with fears, worries, insecurities, anxieties, and doubts.  These feelings that contaminate our soul begin with a battle of the mind. Therefore, we must consume our mind with God's truth to beat down those poisonous emotions.  Whether you struggle with emotions that hinder you from believing God for the impossible or you live too comfortably instead of living audacious faith for His glory....we all struggle with fears. 

I personally struggle with many of these "fears" on a daily basis. As God continues to grow me, I see how beautiful life can be by trusting it all to Him and how purposeful life can be by stretching my faith in Him.  If you are struggling with any of these "fears" in your life right now, there are 3 resources I highly recommend:  First of all, the Holy Bible which is God's Words to us; Second, Believing God, by Beth Moore; Third, Sun Stand Still, by Steven Furtick.  There are so many other great resources out there...these are just a few that have really inspired me, encouraged me, and challenged me. 

I got to see Beth Moore LIVE in Reading, Pa this past weekend. It was awesome! I leave you with 4 quotes that she spoke to us:

1. "God didn't call us to fine. He called us to faith." 

2. "Do you want to live in the supernatural provision of God or a humanly explainable life?" 

3. "Fear is the crippler of a walking, talking miracle."

4. "Do we have enough security to trust God with the mystery?"

If you would like some great Bible references on beating down fear, here is a link to Beth Moore's The Great Forsake and Take. http://blog.lproof.org/2012/09/as-promised-the-great-forsake-and-take.html

Clicks & Fresh Perspectives

My hubby was at a work meeting tonight so I decided to go to a local park and have fun with our new camera.  It was so peaceful and relaxing as I walked around taking some nice shots of the trees and flowers.  As I was clicking away, I realized that every picture I take can become an act of worship. With so many "unknowns" and "uncertainties" in our life right now, I feel like taking pictures is a way for me to express my heart to God.  There are other passions on my heart that have either been put on hold or are in the "unknown" category right now.  I would often get discouraged...because after all, the passions on our heart are the reason for our existence....to bring glory to God!  So I started considering other passions that I could live out for God. I've always loved taking pictures and I always wanted to get more into photography, but it was just extra money that we didn't have at the time.  Wonderful friends of ours gave us their old camera this summer and words can not express how much of a blessing it has been.  It has stirred up the creative passion within me to get more into photography. My heart hopes to learn more, become better with the art, and start my own photography business in the future.   Every landscape shot soaks in the beauty of His creation and reminds me how much of His love is all around me.  Every portrait and animal shot is a way to capture those precious moments in life that we often take for granted.  They remind me of all the blessings in life. I also love that my husband enjoys photography too! It is a great hobby for us to enjoy together. As I embark on this new photography journey, I pray that every click I make becomes an act of worship and brings glory to God!

No Sugar Lemonade

We don't eat or drink a lot of sugary foods, but I LOVE fresh squeezed lemonade in the summer!  I made some lemonade today by using my juicer and using apples to sweeten it.  It was so good! If you don't have a juicer, you could probably use a blender and then just strain out the pulp. You can adjust the amount of apples and lemons, depending on the size of your fruit and how sweet/sour you like it. 

No Sugar Lemonade

10 apples (I used gala apples)

5 lemons (rind cut off)

You Are For Me

My husband and I were talking the other night about life situations that we have gone through together. Many times we all go through times in life and say to ourselves, "Why would God ever allow for this to happen to me?", or "What purpose would this have for my life? It just doesn't seem to make any sense!", or "My life is completely ruined! All my hopes and dreams have been demolished!"

As we were talking, my husband pointed out to me how if I didn't go through "situation A" (that's what I'll call it for now)  then I wouldn't be who I am today. He is absolutely right! If situations A, B and C never happened....I may not have made some of the decisions that I have made in my life. Although they had a huge impact, it is not the situations in our life that form us....it is the choices we make as we push through those situations. 

Which is why I love the song, "You Are For Me" by Kari Jobe, so much....

"I know that you are for me.

I know that you are for me.

I know that you will never forsake me in my weakness.

I know that you have come now, even if to write upon my heart...

to remind me who you are."

If you are going through a difficult time and feel like nothing is changing or feel like no good will ever come from this situation....be encouraged! As Kari Jobe shares, sometimes God is writing on our hearts to remind us of who He is. Many times we need reminded that He is God, that we belong to Him, and that nothing on earth matters compared to our relationship with Him.  

Although the tough situations that my husband and I have gone through were not fun by any means...we have  both become better people because of them. Our faith in God is stronger, our marriage is stronger and our outlook on life is stronger with a fresh perspective on what is truly important. 

If life is crashing down all around you today, be still....and allow God to "write upon your heart." When we are reminded of who God is, there is a new joy that stands strong through the storms.  

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends & family! 

If you are a mom with children from giving birth, you are honored today for the physical pains, many sacrifices, and much love, nurturing and guidance that you have given to raise and teach your precious little ones that God has entrusted you with.

If you are a mom through marriage, you are honored today for the humble sacrifices you have made to allow those precious children into your life and the struggles you have had to face to become a part of their lives.  You express true love!

If you are a mom as a spiritual mentor, you are honored today because you have given so much of yourself and strengthened us all in the most important area of our lives....our relationship with God!  Thank you for your prayers!

If you are a mom through adoption, you are honored today for the true example of God's unconditional love that you expressed from the moment you decided to welcome that precious child into your life.  You have shown what God considers "pure and faultless" religion, from James 1:27.  Thank you for the love and sacrifices you have shown and continue to do to bring new life to that sweet little person.

If you are a birth mom that decided to give her child for adoption, you are honored today for the love and sacrifice you showed by deciding to give that child life.  You have blessed so many families that are unable to have children of their own and have given them a joyful blessing!  May you find peace and comfort in God's love today.

If you are struggling with infertility and longing for that special blessing in your life, or have struggled with one or more miscarriages, or have lost a child through death, you are honored today for the heartache you have had to endure.  I truly know how hard this day can be for you.  I pray God blesses you with His peace and comfort during this time.  I have struggled for many years, but truly can understand now what it means to have God's joy while still having an aching heart.  You are on my heart and in my prayers today.  Continue to let God's love shine through your beautiful heart!

If you are single, but still longing for a family, you are honored today for being patient with God's perfect timing in your life.  Know that you are not forgotten.  You already impact so many lives around you through nurture and love, and God has amazing plans ahead for you to bless you with the desires of your heart.

If you are a woman and did not desire to have children, you are honored the same today!  God has created us to be loving and nurturing beings, so whether you have children of your own or not, you are daily impacting lives with the love that you show to people.  Thank you for being you!

May this be a joyous day for all!  We celebrate all women, for the nurturers that God created us to be, and the women of God He has called us to be.  We celebrate all women.....because we are the heart of God!  Thank you for expressing His love in a tangible way! 

How Would Your Life Be Different?

In Ann Spangler's study, The Names of God, chapter 14 talks about Yahweh Tsuri, which is Hebrew for The Lord Is My Rock. The study emphasizes how the word "rock" represents God's "permanence, protection, and enduring faithfulness."  The last question in the study asks, "How would your life be different if you experienced more deeply the truth that God is your Rock?"

This question really impacted me.  I think it's a question we need to ask ourselves more often....not just with God as our Rock, but to ask ourselves each day, "How would my life be different if I experienced more deeply the truth that God is _______?" Fill in the blank...it could be another name of God, one of His promises, one of His commands, or just the truth that GOD IS. "How would my life be different if I experienced more deeply the truth that GOD IS?"  

I believe if we grasped a deeper understanding of His truth, we would be able to stand more firm with no worries....no fear....and a peace in knowing that He has this!  When we stand firm, we receive a fullness of joy and are able to enjoy life more, which strengthens us to live victoriously for God and His purpose for our lives.  If He is solid, then we can accept what He says over our lives.....even if our human understanding can't make sense of what's happening around us. We can believe...because He said it! 

With any growth, discipline is the key. If we want our bodies to get healthy, we have to discipline ourselves with eating right and exercising more often.  If we want to do better at a sport, hobby or other interest, we have to discipline ourselves with time, reading, studying, practicing, and training.  So is the same with our spiritual relationship with God and living His truth in our daily lives....we need to discipline our hearts and minds to see things more through His eyes. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:1-2)

Worship is more than just music...it is living a life of obedience.  By offering ourselves as living sacrifices, we strive to put aside our human desires & understanding, and instead offer our time & energy to grow in Him.  As we do this, I believe we will see the answer to the question.  Our lives will be different because we will live with more confidence...more strength...more peace...more joy...and more passion in all that we do.  

So take a moment to ask yourself today...."How would my life be different if I experienced more deeply the truth that God is my Rock?" 

Living Like David....a Heart After God

In our Bible study last night, we were talking about David and the strong faith and confidence that he had in God.  The Bible says he had a heart after God's own heart. He believed God had his back no matter what came against him. Even when fighting a battle against his enemy, Goliath, he chose not to wear the normal coat of armor and proclaimed to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." (I Samuel 17:45,47)    
 I Samuel 18:14 says, "In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him."

Many times in our own lives we are facing similar battles. We might not be fighting a giant backed by soldiers, but we are facing battles against sin, temptations, sickness, loss, finances, relationships, life struggles, and everyday decisions.  So you might be asking, "How can I have great success in life?  What does it mean to have a heart after God's own heart?  How do I live with faith and confidence?"  Like David, we all must make a choice....a choice to follow God.  Seeking God on a daily basis stirs our hearts to desire more of God, to live more like God, to become more like God....thus increasing our faith and confidence to face whatever comes our way. John Bevere says, "We will only hunger for what we feed on."  This applies both physically and spiritually.  If we are not surrounding ourselves with things of God and feeding on the things of God, how can we expect to live with his power in our lives?  By feeding on the things of God, we daily increase our power to live victoriously!  Our hearts become so tuned into God's truth and the promises that He has for us, that nothing can defeat us.  Will we still have hearts that are heavy & saddened?  Yes, because we are still human...but God's spirit strengthens us, and His truth over our lives becomes our solid foundation. Faith, confidence, strength, and joy overpower the doubts, fears and insecurities that we struggle with.  God has already won these battles for us!

I am a huge advocate for Whole Living and becoming healthy in all areas of our life.  I strongly believe they are all tied together. If we are not putting healthy foods into our bodies, then we are unable to live at our fullest potential, thus hindering our attention and desire to seek after God.

Here are 3 tips to becoming healthy and living with a heart after God:

1. Get healthy physically- eat whole plant foods (especially lots of veggies), reduce meat & dairy, ditch the sugars, say no to packaged/processed foods, exercise
2. Get healthy spiritually- read & study God's Bible (He's speaking to you!), talk to God everyday (nothing fancy...just tell Him what's on your heart), choose to see God in all things
3. Get healthy mentally/emotionally- getting healthy physically & spiritually will help this area, surround yourself with positive relationships, speak God's Word in your life, turn on some great worship music (Kari Jobe, Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, etc.)

I say a prayer today for all of you that are facing battles in life right now. Let's join together and allow our hearts to strive after God's heart. Let's grow our faith and defeat our battles......one day at a time. :)

Homemade Granola

This recipe is great for your morning cereal or just as a snack in the afternoon. This recipe is gluten free and so much healthier than the gluten free cereals in the store.

Homemade Granola


5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raw unsalted sliced almonds (or whole almonds)
1/4 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup local raw honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Melt coconut oil in a small sauce pan on the stove on low heat. Add the honey, vanilla and salt to the coconut oil. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and mix together.  Bake for 20-30 minutes in a large casserole dish, stirring every 10 minutes.  Let cool.

Top with fresh banana or fresh blueberries and some almond milk.
Enjoy! :)

Dairy Free Pesto

                                
I LOVE fresh basil!  I also love making fresh pesto.  I don't eat dairy, so I made this recipe with nutritional yeast, which gives it that salty, cheesy taste that you would normally get from the parmesan.  Nutritional yeast is a great super food loaded with fiber, protein, folate and B vitamins. This pesto is great mixed in with your favorite pasta and lots of veggies!

Dairy Free Pesto

2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pine nuts (or pecans if you do not have pine nuts)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp-1tsp sea salt

Banana "Ice Cream"

Made this for dessert tonight....very yummy! :)  This banana "ice cream" recipe has no added sugars, no gluten, no dairy and is extremely low in fat (bananas have less than 1 gram of fat). I added my Amazing Grass Green Superfood to it to boost the health benefits too. Makes 2 servings.

3 frozen bananas (sliced)
2 tsp. vanilla extract or hazelnut extract
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 scoop of Amazing Grass Green Superfood

Blend together in your food processor, occasionally scraping the sides down, until combined and creamy. Enjoy!



If you just want plain banana, you can just blend the 3 frozen bananas (sliced) with 2 tsp. vanilla extract.
Top with nuts, shredded coconut or shaved chocolate.

Earth Day

                        

Earth Day is April 22 and was started to create awareness and appreciation of the planet and environment we live in.  This event is not only for the one day....it is a celebration for every day.  We, as Christians, should be the biggest advocates of Earth Day.  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) We believe in God as the creator of the earth and of all things...we love God and want to serve Him in obedience...therefore, shouldn't we desire to worship God by being mindful of our choices and actions to be better stewards of His beautiful creation that He has graciously entrusted us to live in?  We are called to be good stewards of all that God has blessed us with...our bodies, our money, our time, our homes, our families, our jobs, and His creation that He gave us to live in (the earth, the environment, the animals and the people).  I encourage us all to be mindful this year and think of at least 1 way that we can make a change to show more respect to God and His land.  Being "green" not only cares for the earth and environment, but it also cares for our health and the health of our families.  You might be thinking, "Our earth is so polluted already.  There's nothing I can do to help or change things."  Be encouraged that one person and small changes can make a BIG difference.  If God has asked us to take care of all that He has entrusted us with, let's choose to act with respect to Him!


Here are some tips on living "green": 

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
2. Reusable Shopping Bags- give up paper and plastic bags and take your own reusable bag when you go shopping. Once you empty your groceries from them at home, put them by the door so you remember to keep them in the trunk of your car.
3. Stop Buying Bottled Water- use a reusable water bottle. I recommend Klean Kanteen www.kleankanteen.com. My husband & I carry ours around everywhere. I love them! They are clean and safe and come in different colors and sizes. They also have bottles for infants and sippy cups for toddlers. I do not recommend consuming too much from plastic, but if you get a plastic reusable bottle I recommend getting one with the number 1, 2, 4 or 5 on the bottom. Numbers 3, 6 and 7 can pose more health threats.
4. Take Shorter Showers & Conserve Water Use in the Kitchen
5. Use More Natural, Biodegradable Cleaning Products- make your own at home or support companies that are making a difference environmentally. (Seventh Generation, Method, Sun and Earth, Mrs. Meyer's)
6. Reusable Wrags- give up paper towels and replace with reusable wrags that you can throw in the wash.
7. Use More Natural Products for Body- this is healthier for the earth and your skin. Natural products don't have the pesticides and toxic chemicals in them and use "greener" packaging. (Desert Essence, Kiss My Face, JASON, Arbonne, Avalon Organics, Juice Beauty, 100% Pure, Yes to Carrots, and so many more!)
8. Reusable Containers- use reusable containers for lunches and to store food in the fridge.
9. Energy- unplug chargers when not in use, turn lights off when not in the room and use energy saving bulbs, turn down the thermostat
10. Food- plant a garden, support your local farmer's market, buy organic, reduce meat & dairy consumption (not only is it great for your health and environment, but it helps in eliminating the horrific abuse that animals go through BEFORE they actually get to the slaughter house. This is never how God intended us to treat His animals! I encourage you to read Farm Sanctuary, by Gene Baur. Environmentally, it takes 1,800-2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.)

I highly recommend Sara Snow's, Fresh Living book. It has great tips and resources for living "green".
There are so many more ways to living "green" and respecting the earth that God has entrusted us with...I would love to hear some of your tips! :)

Letting Go of Our Stones

As we celebrate Easter this season, let us not forget that it is not about the bunnies, eggs and chocolates. Let's remember the ultimate gift of love & sacrifice that our Savior, Jesus Christ, paid for us on the cross for our sins.  Not only do we reflect on His death for our freedom, but we REJOICE because our Redeemer LIVES!  I think many times we (including myself) celebrate the "season" of Easter as a holiday, but we forget to rejoice and celebrate that our lives are daily gifts of Easter. What struggle are you facing today?...what sickness are you dealing with?...what sorrow do you weep over today?...what doubts & fears are hindering you?  These things in our lives have become "stones" that we hold onto and fail to let go of. The same power of God that made the stone roll away at the tomb where Jesus lay (Mark 16) is the same power that can move the "stones" in our daily lives! Remember, Jesus not only died for our sins....He also died for our pain, sickness, sorrows, and struggles. Does this mean that all the hurt and pain of life circumstances goes away?  Not at all. We won't be completely whole until we are living in Heaven with Him, but as we truly grasp His love & power over our lives and grow into a deeper relationship with God, we come to learn new perspectives, see healings, realize the strength that we have to live with confidence and joy, and realize that our life is so much more than the here and now. "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." -Romans 8:37

Jesus has already gone before us and has won these battles that we are facing! Isn't that exciting & awesome!!!  All we need to do is trust in Him, let go of our "stones" and then His grace becomes the "wheatgrass" (fuel & energy) for our life. Isaiah 43:19 says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."  As we celebrate the beauty of this spring season, let's learn, listen and rejoice that God is doing new things in our lives every day! He is moving "stones" all around us! 

If you are struggling with "stones" in your life and don't understand how to let go of them or you're just going through a very difficult time right now, don't hesitate to contact me. I would love to chat with you, pray with you and walk this journey with you. :)