Truth Tuesday....

There is so much hurt and ugliness in the world. I hate that. Life is not fair. People should not go hungry. Kids should not suffer. People groups should not have to endure torment by others. A mother should not have to say good bye to their child and walk out the door knowing that all that will be left of that child's body is ashes. People should not feel so alone and hopeless that they take their own lives. Kids should feel safe going to school, but not all do. These things hurt my heart. My soul cries out.."NOOOOOO!!! It isn't fair!!!!!!!!"

I don't have an answer to why these things happen. What I hold onto is my hope in Jesus. I believe that the Bible is the infallible and complete Word of God. I have faith (hope in what I cannot see). I cannot see wind. But I can see how the wind blows the leaves all over the place and makes the tree sway back and forth. So I know that wind exists. It is the same way with God. I cannot see him. But I can see how he affects people and lives.

John 16:33, in the Amplified Bible, says:
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

Nahum 1:7 says: The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

and one of my very favorite verses...

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

The Bible does not tell us that we will not have any problems when we turn our hearts and lives over to Christ. It tells us that we will experience hardships and turmoil and temptation. BUT...God will be there with us to walk us through these things. He will hold our hand or carry us, if that is what we need. BUT...first we have to put our complete trust in Him. Focus on Him. We have to give our lives to Him, completely and unreservedly.

I do not know how people can go through this life without the hope of eternity with Christ. Without knowing that everything will be made right. That Jesus has overcome sin, death and the grave through his death and resurrection. I would be an alcoholic or a drug addict without that assurance. It is not always easy. But the reward is going to be worth the journey. I just know it!

p.s. One of my favorite websites is http://www.biblegateway.com/ You can look up passages by word searches or if you know the location. You can see the same verse in any translation It is very cool!!!!

Mmmmmmm.. Monday..........

This is THE BEST Tortilla Soup!!!!! I have ordered Tortilla Soup from several restaurants, just to test it out. I have not found any better!!!! I LOVE it!!!!!!! (Oh, and it is from Jennifer James-Rachi...whom you have previously read about. I love her to... If you would like to check out her blogspot, here it is: http://romeojen3girls.blogspot.com/. And her cupcake blog: http://gottalovethecupcakes.blogspot.com/

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breast halves
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. margarine
2-14 1/2 cans chicken broth
2-14 1/2 cans chopped stewed tomatoes
1 cup salsa (which ever you prefer)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp (or more) ground cumin

8-oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
sour cream
tortilla chips

1. boil, debone, and shred chicken ( I tend to shred in large pieces)
2. add minced garlic to margarine in hot slow cooker. Saute
3. Combine all ingredients except cheese, sour cream, and chips.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours
5. Put shredded cheese in bowl and cover with soup. Sprinkle with chips and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!!! I wish that I had the time and all of the ingredients to put it in the crockpot right now!!!!!!

Fitness Friday.......

While contemplating which way to go this Friday, I mulled over what “fitness” means. The first definition of “Fitness” on dictionary.com is :
health –noun
1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health.
2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment: to have one's health; to lose one's health.
3. a polite or complimentary wish for a person's health, happiness, etc., esp. as a toast: We drank a health to our guest of honor.
4. vigor; vitality: economic health.

Which perfectly matched what I was thinking. Fitness is not only about your body being “fit” and/or healthy.
There is mental health..spiritual health..physical health..finanical health..relational health..and on and on.

I don’t know about anyone else, but none of these things are easy for me. I know that the key to physical health is resistance. Resistance training involves weights or bands or something that is going to challenge your muscles to work harder than they are accustomed to working. This tears the muscles down so that they can be made stronger.
To be physically fit you need to be able to resist the temptation of food….whether it is quantity that is a struggle or the types of food to which you are attracted. You have to resist.
I struggle with this. You have to be able to keep yourself from doing things that you want (taking a fork to a whole Costco cake) and make yourself do things that you don’t want to do (drag yourself out of bed at the horrendous time of 4:25am to get a bike near a fan for the 5am spin class).
The reward is WONDERFUL. You feel better physically and mentally. You feel stronger, and more in control. You are controlling your body instead of allowing your un-healthy thoughts to control you and keep you where you are sick and tired of being.

Well, I find that this same concept challenges me in all of the other areas of health and fitness also.

I spend money that I don’t have because I really want something that I can’t afford. This is not healthy. I know it is not healthy. It takes the practice of resisting to change your mindset. “If I do not buy this item, do this thing, take this trip that I want so badly right now, it will help me to be able to pay off all of the other things, trips, experiences that I have already thrown away and forgotten about, that are still piled up on my credit card. It will enable me to get to a place that I am able to make a purchase and not regret it when that monthly statement comes.

I KNOW this in my head. I know that the benefit so outweighs the sacrifice. But, when it comes down to telling myself “NO”, I usually give in to the temptation and take the path of least resistance, which only keeps me from growing stronger.

Everything in life worth having, worth being, worth enjoying is a challenge. Things that come too easily do not have much value. How can you truly value something that took no effort?
If someone gave you the car of your dreams would you treat it the same as you would if you had worked for 15 years to save up the money to buy that same car? No! It would have so much more value to you….even though the actual value of the car is the exactly the same.

And then there are relationships. This is another area that the path of least resistance only leads to weakness. Weakening marriages, friendships, parent/child bonds. If we don’t make ourselves do the hard stuff, relationships can wither. Have that hard conversation, say “no” when you need to, deal with the issues as they arise so that you do not wake up one day and realize that the issues have so many caused so many symptoms you don’t even know where to start.

Keeping the house clean. Ugh! The path of least resistance….allowing clutter to build up, laundry piles to grow, dishes accumulate in the sink…leads to a major blow up in our house. But I always seem to go that path! Why can’t I just make myself and my kids, and encourage my husband to get things done at the time so that I don’t have to have a major cleaning session which includes a melt-down and a LOT of yelling and horrible feelings???? WHY???????????



Am I preaching to the choir? I am preaching to myself here! My goal is to be more thoughtful and deliberate regarding the things that I allow myself to do, things that I need to do, what I put in my mouth (and how much of it), needs vs. wants, etc. My focus is going to be, “what is going to help me achieve my fitness/health goals?”.

Is anybody in the same boat? Similar boat? Completely different boat?

I would love to hear your thoughts……….

Thoughtful Thursday... Thoughts about "My Friend" Jen.....

So, yesterday I was contemplating what I would blog about today. My thoughts wandered toward my friend, Jen. If you live near me or talk to me on any kind of regular basis, you either know her or know of her. She is WONDERFUL!!!! The topic "Thoughtful Thursday" fits her perfectly. She is one of the most thoughtful people that I know.....except when she moved to Arizona, which I refer to as "H.E.!!". But, even then she was being thoughtful, because she did it for her husband, mostly. I hope he doesn't read this..hmmm....no he won't.
So, here are some things that I have learned from "My Friend" Jen in the past 5 years.....
*Even though it is her first Sunday in a new church in a new state, she is willing to sign up to be a volunteer for VBS..
*You can use your phone as a reminder that you have set a limit and aren't supposed to eat past 7pm....
*I (yes ME) CAN go to the gym and work out at 10pm---but I don't enjoy it--...
*Blogging is fun...especially when you structure it with daily topics..even though I teased her about it when she mentioned it....
*Moovin' 92.5 is a great station to listen to when you are alone in the car...
*You should always have a stocked box of s'mores supplies....
*Salad everyday is WONDERFUL....
*I LOVE the sauna....
*Craisin are a staple...
*Not everyone loves to stay in their pjs all day...(I don't get it)...
*VBS t-shirts can be stylish!!....
*You can have a commuting partner, even if they are a stay-at-home mom....
*.....even if they move to H.e.!!.....


So, as you can see I have learned a lot of life lessons from Jennifer James-Rachi. I miss her terribly. She really is one of the most thoughtful people that I know. She is always willing to.....
...take someone a meal
...organize a work day for someone in need of help
...babysit your kids (especially if she knows that she will get that favor returned)
...organize the collection of virtually anything that will help a person, group of persons or family
...make the MOST DELICIOUS CUPCAKES for a special event, or just because
...chat on the phone when you need to talk
...drop anything she has going on if she is able to help in any way
.........


So, as you can she...she is great. WA is really going to miss her and AZ is lucky to have her!!!!
I heart you Jennifer!!!!!!!!!

WHAT???????????? (In a really good way!)

So, in August I had an appointment in Seattle with a Neurosurgeon to look at my aneurysm. This very SMALL aneurysm was detected last summer when I was diagnosed with a Right Internal Carotid Artery Dissection, through several MRI's and CT Scans. I went through the treatment for the carotid thing and was taken off the meds for that. I was then referred to the neurosurgeon that is an expert on aneurysms.
ANYWAY....
The day of my Seattle appointment, I left work early and went to the Everett Clinic to pick up the CDs with my imaging on them. Jeremy took time off work to meet me at Swedish Hospital. We had separate cars and both had to pay for parking. After getting all signed in, WEIGHED, and waiting for the doctor to make it to my exam room, the nurse discovers that the CDs are BLANK! No images of my brain nor my vasculars. Nothing.
Needless to say, I was ANNOYED!
I was told to definitely call the Everett Clinic and complain. I thought about it, but really? What could they do? It was a mistake. That happens.
Well....
2 weeks ago I got the bill for that office visit..(that reminds me...I need to fax them a copy of my insurance card)...$92.00 for nada! There is nothing that the neuro guy could have said to me without actually seeing the said aneurysm, eh!
So, I called the EC and spoke with a very nice older gentlemen who took my complaint. I simply asked that they pay for the office visit. Obviously I am going to get billed for the appt. The doctor did take time for me.
I honestly didn't expect to even hear back from them.
BUT......
yesterday, I got an envelope from The Everett Clinic, which is not unusual because I have been making monthly payments to them for a good year and a half now for at least one of us, and up to all 4 of us at once.
Upon further inspection, I realized that it was not a bill, but a check. Also, not unusual, I just figured I had over paid one of our accounts and they were refunding the over payment. Well......there was a letter with the check.
A REALLY NICE LETTER.
The director of the Advanced Imaging dept. completely and sincerely apologized for their error and reimbursed me the full amount of the office visit, as well as extra for other inconveniences. I got a check for $150 and the nicest most unexpected letter!
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT???????? That was awesome!!!!!!!

Truth Tuesday....

Normally, my goal is to write a scriptural truth. BUT....I am sharing my truth for today....

My truth today=
*I am fat (have gained TWENTY pounds since hurting my knee in June)
*I NEED to stop eating so much.
*I DID go to spin this morning.
*Jeremy's car is in the shop so he had to take mine to work.
*I can't get to work (not sad about this.
*I have a doctor's appointment at 2pm (might make it, might not).
*Our washing machine broken.
*I am going to try to fix the broken washing machine.
*Most of the clothes in the house are dirty (no car to go to the laundromat)
*The house is a wreck (good thing I can't go to work).......

Also, I happened to watch Dr. Oz last week and saw a show on a challenge he has put out there.. lose 10 pounds by the end of the year...So I am taking it....
http://members.doctoroz.com/challenge/the-just-10-challenge

It is a program to help ME and you, if you want. It is pretty basic. But weight loss is basic. Eat fewer calories than you burn. Simple right? Ha hahahahahah!
So I signed up for it. I copied and pasted the eating portion of the program below. He also says to take vitamin b6 and some kind of mango supplement. I will be checking that out too.

Anyhoooo......that is it for today!

Dr. Ro developed a diet plan that breaks down the foods you love into the serving sizes that will help you lose 10 pounds.
TASK #1
Know Your Serving Sizes

Each day, you get a total of 10 servings of the food you love, but the key is portion size. Here's your guide:
Proteins and Fats 4 Servings
1 serving of chicken = 1 breast (skinless)
1 serving of meat and fish = no larger than the palm of your hand
1 serving of beans = 1 cup
1 serving of cheese = the size of 2 dice
1 serving of olive oil = the size of a poker chip

Complex Carbohydrates 3 Servings
1 serving of spaghetti = the diameter of a quarter (measure dry)
1 serving of grains (like cous cous, rice and quinoa) = 1/2 cup uncooked; 1 cup cooked

Fruit 3 Servings
Whole fruits = the size of 1 scoop of ice cream
Berries = 1 cup

Vegetables Unlimited Servings
You should never be hungry during the Just 10 Challenge. Fill up on the fiber and nutrients found in your favorite vegetables.

Additionally, you can have dessert every other day. However, that dessert can be no bigger than the size of your hand.

Family Friday

I was going to start out with Fitness Friday, but since today is the day that it is, I decided that Family was more suiting.
Today, we will be attending the memorial service for our 16-year old nephew that passed away three weeks ago. I can't even wrap my mind around this. I don't know what to say about it really. 25 days ago, Ryan was a vibrant, healthy, athletic boy who was working on getting good grades so that he could get his driver's license. On a Wednesday morning he passed away at home in his bed, completely unexpectedly. Why???? How does a family move on after losing a child? I don't understand. I know that it happens everyday. People lose their loved ones and somehow find the strength to keep on living. They have to find a new kind of "normal" to walk out every day. The other kids need to have a mom and dad. They still need breakfast, lunch and dinner. They still have to get to school and sports and events. But, how does a mom make herself continue to do all of those things. I am guessing that you just have to do what has to be done even though your heart is not in it. I don't know. I am struggling with this. My heart is broken for Glenda and for Russ and for Kaitie and Sean. I don't know how you move on from here.
I know that the right and the true thing to say is that there is a reason for everything. God knows the big picture. We have to trust that there is a bigger purpose for this suffering. But that really doesn't make anything better. Not now anyway.
I didn't know Ryan very well. He is quite a bit older than my boys and we weren't around him very much. But, I have learned that he had a huge heart. He saw people for who they really were, not who they were percieved to be or who they portrayed themselves to be. He was a good friend to all around him. He was outgoing and funny. He welcomed new comers to his school. He had a gorgeous smile. That I did know. I also know that his sister and his mom adore him.
It hit me yesterday, while talking to Russ and Glenda that we should not wait until it is too late to share positive things that we see in each others' kids. So, when I notice a young person being kind or going above and beyond, I am going to share that with his or her parents. We all need to hear those things about our kids.
I want to know my kids. I want to know how they feel about things, what they think about things. What are they passionate about, what do they do only because it has to be done. That is my new goal.
I need to appreciate the kids that I have and the young men that they are growing to be. You really never know when you will hug them, or hear their voice for the last time. That is a painful thought. I want to make sure that I have no regrets (well, from here on out anyway, because I already have plenty!).
So, hug your kids, tell them how special they are to you. Make sure that you don't just think that they know that they are loved. Make sure that they actually feel loved!.

Thoughtful Thursday...

When my friend, Janet Brown Hicks (as I like to call her), heard that we were flying to Sacramento, she offered to take us to the airport...and pick us up...and leave our car at her house. Jan has been an coworker, of mine, since last fall. A couple of weeks ago her position was eliminated, so she finds herself with lots of time to spend with her new baby grandson and being a wonderful friend!!!
I told her how nice the offer was and that our flight was at 7:30 am, which would mean that we would have to be at her house at 5am. "No big deal" she says!!!
So, we took her up o her very THOUGHTFUL and kind and generous and wonderful offer. So, here I am at the airport and praying that she made it safely back to her house as she was driving my manual transmission 5 speed car.
T H A N K Y O U J A N E T B R O W N H I C K S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT???????? Wednesday

SERIOUSLY.....ARE YOU KIDDING ME???????????????
I would think that fire fighters everywhere would have a problem with this. Don't you become a fire fighter to help people? I am just saying!

Tennessee Firefighters Watch House Burn Down; Owners Didn’t Pay Subscription Fee
Oct 3 2010 Posted in U.S. News by Dan Evon with View Comments
In certain parts of Tennessee, there is a $75 subscription fee for firefighter services. Gene and Paulette Cranick of South Fulton, Tennessee, learned the hard way that that subscription fee is not a joke.
A group of firemen arrived to an emergency call, then watched the Cranick’s house burn down. The Firefighters were ordered not to put out the fire because of an unpaid subscription fee.
When the fire spread toward a neighbor’s house, the firefighters did step in. The neighbor, of course, paid the subscription fee.
Mr. Cranick, the owner of the house, said:
“I thought they’d come out and put it out, even if you hadn’t paid your $75, but I was wrong.”
The Telegraph reports that the Cranick’s live in a rural part of Tennessee, out of the firefighters typical designated area. The people who live in South Fulton, Tennessee, can pay a $75 fee to have their house protected by firefighters, but it is not a mandatory fee.
Timothy Cranick, the owner’s son, was arrested shortly after his parent’s house burned down for punching the fire chief.

Truth Tuesday....

I am going through the Beth Moore Bible Study, Believing God (albeit very slowly). One of the topics she covered is that God acts on what he remembers. In the Bible, it often says, "God remembered...." Well, I thought that God remembers everything all the time. Does he forget about people? NO!! When the Bible says this, it shows that God is going to act on that persons behalf, or against that person, if it is necessary. And, Beth makes the point that we act on what we remember also. Our pasts are always a part of us, but the parts of the past that are on our minds, the beliefs about our selves that have become a product of our pasts are the things that we act on. So we need to be deliberate about what we remember and what we think about, so that we act upon those thoughts and not just the random thoughts and memories that pop into our heads.
Beth says, "Beloved, both freedom and faith emerge from deliberate acts of the will to shift our focus from all that begs to differ to the great and glorious truth of the living God. Remember his goodness, we are far more inclined to believe him in our present and future. Be deliberate, Dear One. Remember, we're going to act on that which we remember most." p. 155.
God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Genesis 8:1

Gonna Try Something New

My friend, Jen (who is abandoning me to move back to Arizona this week) came up with this idea, or stole it from someone else, but I like it, so I am going to steal it. Each day of the week has a basic heading and you blog about something under that heading each day. So I am going to try. Sitting at Samuel's baseball practice last night, with no laptop or book, I got out a pen and paper (funny huh?) and came up with my list of topics. Here they are:
Mmmmmm Monday...a new recipe to try or just one that I love that I want to share.
Truth Tuesday....a biblical scripture or concept that has stuck out to me, recently.
WHAT? Wednesday...something that has made me say..."WHAAAAAAAT?".
Thoughtful Thursday...maybe a specific challenge in how to bless someone, or something that I found...thoughtful.
Fitness Friday (This might change to Family Friday.)...A fitness tip.
Sassy Saturday/Sunday....Just something fun for the weekend.
We will see what happens.
Oh, and I can blog randomly too. I also wrote a list of things to blog about on my family blog and this one.
So, are you ready?????