Summer Update Part Two

Happy Fall! Seeing fall arrive is always bittersweet. It’s my favorite season by far, but I also know
what’s coming next and fall in this area can be much too short. Before we get too deep into the new
season, I need to finish updating you all on my summer. My first look back on summer can be found
HERE in case you missed it.

My summer certainly didn’t turn out as I had planned. I had a long list of projects I wanted to accomplish
as well as some time to really get my health and well being back under control. For the first time in many
years we were able to obtain health insurance which is all well and good except I was sent for all kinds
of tests because I had never had them. Labs were done as well as a colonoscopy. Without going into
too much personal detail my labs weren’t completely clean so I was sent for more tests and specialists.
All this as well as catching up on my dental and eye appointments. Instead of working on what I had
planned I was running the highway to and from the hospital. The good news is after all that, nothing
serious was found but I have to return in six months for some re-checks just to make sure.

In other news our garden was a bust. Very little came up, we think the Father’s Day storm that flooded
our area washed away most of our seed. We did get a few green beans, carrots (enough to fill two
freezer bags full), some lettuce and about eight or so beets that we lost when something or someone
broke into the garden and took every single one, leaving the greens behind. We certainly are not going
into winter at all prepared.

Today I did finish the projects I had to get done before the bad weather set in. I feel accomplished with
that. In the coming weeks in between my teaching and practice schedule I will be focusing on my fall
house cleaning one small project at a time. We've had a lot of gray, rainy days already that just make
me want to curl up next to this guy and forget everything else.

I still have a lot to catch up on, be watching for part 3.

Two Years!

                         Time flies so very quickly,

It's been two years since I wrote my featured post  ( you can find it here ). I think if you take the time to read it and the attached articles you will understand more where I'm going with this Two years since I felt God leading me to live my life with intention, take charge of my procrastination and generally get my life in order.

                                                            I stumbled upon these ladies. I instantly        felt drawn to the whole idea of being "Queen of my own life". 

You will see them featured on my blog from time to time. I find them inspirational. As a woman of faith I have to balance that idea with Scripture and be careful to read and understand that thought through an eyeglass of faith. Isn't living the Christian life one of discipline at times?

One of you who read my blog recently reminded me that being gracious is not the same as being a doormat and I agree and appreciate the reminder. Sometimes as a queen I have to stand up for what is right, for what I believe and also as queen I have to keep my own "castle" in order.



                                                              Are we not children of
                                                                     The King? 
                                     Are we not a royal priesthood?

So began a year of living life to the fullest...more in touch with the Holy Spirit of God than I had ever been and then 2017 came and I fell apart. I did fine for a while, then a few things out of my control fell apart in my life. I had family struggles and issues at church and as the stress mounted, everything I had planned to get in order fell further apart.

                  But now I'm choosing not to dwell on the misfortunes and                                               mistakes of last year. 
                                     it is time once again to reign over my life, 
                          
2017 is over and I honestly don't know where it went but I'm glad it's done.




So I'm starting again...but where? I think the most important thing at this point is to get healthy again. I'm starting a new health journey which involves a new diet and hopefully a new exercise program. One step at a time...first the diet. I will be juicing my breakfast which will consist of:

                                                    apple, cucumber, celery, spinach, kale, lemon and ginger

Lunch will be a smoothie made with:
apple, blueberry, almond butter, flax, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, coconut milk and spinach

Before breakfast and lunch I will drink Slim and I will eat a regular but healthy supper as well as drinking half my body weight in ounces of water. Sundays are my free day...not to go nuts and eat whatever I want, but I will have regular healthy food all day.

I hope to do this for 6 weeks and at that time I will assess how it's going, how I'm feeling and whether to continue or make some changes.
                                                                                                               

 In addition to getting my health in check I will be working on getting my home organized and most importantly trusting God to show me how to live a majestic and gracious life in my church...balancing the ministry I'm called to do in what I see as a conspiracy against use of the organ. I simply do not understand why it has to be either/or...why can't they see the organ can be relevant in the contemporary church?

Today in church Pastor began a series in Daniel.
He talked about how Daniel and his friends were taken from their homes, given new names that didn't match their faith and Daniel allowed it all...he compromised up until the point he decided he wouldn't eat the kings food and defile himself.
                                                                                               Pastor then gave us the "wisdom test" ----- Even if I'm right , am I irritated, frustrated, angry? Am I trying to just win the battle or show them Jesus?

I still haven't figured out where he was going with that thought and I'm ashamed to say I got stuck there and didn't hear much else he said. He made me feel like if I'm irritated, frustrated or angry I should step back and compromise. I don't know that I agree with that completely.
                                                                                                   Of course if there is conflict of opinions there is going to be irritation, frustration and anger on both sides.

And what about "righteous anger"?
                                            Jesus clearing out the temple...He was angry but rightfully so! All things to think about and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have them. Tonight we'll talk about the sermon at small group so maybe I'll get some answers there.



So there you have it...hopefully next post I'll have some progress to share.

Eating Plan

$237.93!!

May 9, '11 8:26 PM for Julie's contacts

How many times have I said it??? I'm going to eat right, exercise, get healthy, lose weight...never mind, don't answer that. I know I have said it way to many times to count, yet at the same time, I'm saying it yet again and starting yet once again on my arduous journey.

I began with a trip to the grocery store armed with a list made from a menu of only healthy meals. Daughter #1 has gone completely gluten free/sugar free and although I am not going to the extremes she does, I have learned quite a bit from her quest to exist only on whole foods - nothing processed and organic when possible. For me this is process in itself. It requires research and education and a total revamping of ones kitchen, much less thinking and mindset. Years ago I did learn the trick of shopping mostly from the perimeter of the store for the healthiest products - I have to say I have greatly reduced the amount of pre-packaged foods I use, but now it's time to go a step further and eliminate as much as possible, canned goods as well. During the winter I rely a lot on frozen veggies and during this recent trip I bought fresh as much as possible and much to my dismay wound up spending the above amount! The picture above is what I brought home from that trip. I am usually able to hold my bill to around $100.00, so you can understand my shock. I read somewhere that healthy eating doesn't have to be more expensive...well I'd like to see how that works...if someone knows something I don't know, please don't keep it to yourself, because we can't afford this...yet at the same time we can't afford not to.

Some friends of mine have jumped head first into the whole "extreme couponing" craze. I decided to give it a try, but am finding that I am very limited in what I can purchase here with coupons since we live in a rural area and I am also finding them rather limiting and who puts out coupons for whole foods??

In my quest for health I am also in the process of eliminating chemicals from my home as much as possible. Again, I say process because I am simply too cheap to throw out my existing products so as I finish what I have I will replace with a homemade version which will also save some money in the long run. I have found several recipes for cleaners and personal care items I hope to try soon.

I'm not sure I want to fuss with the laundry soap recipe, but I still might give it a try.  This homemaker's blog has some good ideas. I'm also not sure about this facial cleanser, but I'm definitely going to make the homemade deodorant since I have read that the aluminum that is found in most brands is possibly linked to things like breast cancer, kidney trouble and memory loss...all of which I can do my best to avoid and if this helps...great!  Even if you're not interested in this sort of thing, the blog entry about the deodorant is an interesting and entertaining read. I plan to explore her blog more in the coming days.