A sneak peek of why we transitioned into a Messianic congregation

I know many are interested in why we talk about so much Jewish stuff and now attend a Jewish congregation. So I'm going to try to explain.  :)

So it started about 3 and a half years ago. Now that we look back we can see how the Lord was starting to birth into us a passion for the Jewish roots of our faith. I will tell you about some of the situation's that happened. The first thing that happened 3 1/2 years ago. I was attending a Bible study and there was a lady in my class that would always have this intensely deep understanding of the Word of God. It would always leave me thinking "I want to know what the lady does". You could tell she had a Jewish background by what she said. I don't know her background for sure, because in that class we couldn't tell our denomination etc, because they didn't want any negativity because someone had a different background. 2nd thing that happened was out of no where my husband starting teaching himself  Hebrew and had a passion to learn the original language of the Bible. 3rd thing that happened is we were trying to get a membership to the YMCA and ended up at the JCC (Jewish Community Center). It really happened randomly. There's at least 3 other stories, but I'll share just one more. We had ask around to find a class we could take to learn Hebrew and the Jewish roots of our faith. My grandmother told us she knew of a Messianic church up in Rochester. So we looked it up and then soon forgot all about it. So then God made a louder statement. He sent my brother to that church and he came home that weekend and brought the church pamphlet home to us. It was the congregation we had look up online.

So we saw there was a Jewish class on Tues night taught by the Rabbi. We decided to check it out. Almost immediately we knew we were where God wanted us to be.  The Rabbi invited us to check out their service on Saturday. We thought we just want to come to this class, but we could check it out, because it wouldn't interfere with our church service at Elim on Sunday. Anyway we went to the service and knew right away we would have to attend there. So we decided to attend there and our current church, but it began to be too much. I know that I just didn't want to give up Elim. It was hard since we LOVED our church and had so much of who we were come from what that church poured into us. But we knew God was leading us in a new direction. So we told the pastor we had to go and now attend Shema Yisrael and our working on becoming members there.

It's amazing how God worked this out. I would never had chosen this path on my own, but am so happy we are here. God is teaching us his word in such amazing power. I feel like we are in Bible college going to Shema. The people are amazing! We felt like we were joined into a family right away. I so much enjoy seeing how the old testament God is the same in the new testament. I enjoy learning a deeper understanding of the Bible by understanding the Jewishness of the Bible.  I enjoy seeing how God fulfilled the Law on the times and season's most Holidays (festivals) are celebrated in the old testament and Jewish people still celebrate. I've enjoyed learning the VERY customs of God's people in the Bible. What a joy! I've enjoyed partaking in the Jewish festivals not in a religious ritual but in the richness of why God told them to do them in the first place!

I hope to continue to tell of what God is doing in our lives through our messianic congregation on here. Thanks for listening. Shalom to you all!

Being content

It's been a little while since I wrote on here, so I figured it's about time. :D

Today I felt God reminding me of a time in my life where he wanted me to be content. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I decided I should write a blog about it.

Back when we were newly weds....  I was working a job that I had no desire to be at. I had been there a while and I was ready for something different. I remember thinking I need to write up my resume and start apply for different jobs. After I put my resume together I heard the Lord tell me not to put in any job applications. Not only that, but then he said I want you to be content where you are! Ugg. Not what I wanted to hear. I don't know that I needed to be happy about the job, but I did know I needed to be content.

Content means- satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.2.British . agreeing; assenting.

What God was telling me was to stay put, be satisfied and don't go looking for more. At the time I didn't know that in obeying he would bring the job I needed right to me. :) So I listened and I didn't look elsewhere and I tried to stay content where I was. About 3 months later a guy came up to me and offered me a job. He said he appreciated how hard I worked and how I was always so friendly. I was laughing inside, but I didn't feel that was how I acted. He offered me a job I didn't have many qualifications for, but it was mine if I wanted it. :D

See sometimes God wants us to be faithful with little, just so he can bless us with much! If I had not listened I might have gotten another job, but it wouldn't have been the job God wanted to bless me with. By submitting to God not only was I blessed with a job (that I loved) but it gave God all the glory! By God doing it I didn't even have to lift a finger, but God spoke to a man (that wasn't even a Christian) to come and offer me a job. In this I received even more faith, trust, love and blessing. 

We can make decisions on our own and we can chose to do things our way. But choosing God and choosing his way ALWAYS turns out better. Because of it I have another testimony to share. I have more faith. Obeying isn't always easy and we don't always have the answers to why, but he's faithful. I know he has a better way then anything I could imagine. 

Trust, Obey, be faithful, be content in what Christ has given you and in turn that's loving Christ. :D

Cookie cutter!

If you came here looking for a good cookie cutter recipe you were wrong, but shouldn't be disappointed. :D

So I was going to post on my facebook wall what a great hubby I have for getting up with the kids and cooking a fabulous breakfast for all.... Then I thought but that's not the true heart of the matter. So I decided to write a blog.

The true heart of the matter is that my husband truly loves me the way that Christ loved the church. Christ didn't love people how he wanted to be loved, or the way someone told him how they loved their spouse, but he loved each individual in their unique way and circumstances. If they were blind he healed them, if they needed food he fed them, and because we needed a sacrifice to cleanse us of our sins he died.

See if I said that my husband needs me to clean, cook and take care of our children and stopped there then I would miss the unique way in how he desires to be loved. The Bible says to respect your husband and that's what I need to do. But if I only respected him and never looked at anything else I wouldn't be a very good wife and if my husband only loved me and didn't respect me then he would be missing the picture. Each one of us have different talents, personalities, gifts, desires and family backgrounds. If we look at people and say there's only one way to be a good wife, mother, Christian and friend we wouldn't be doing our best. 

If on a day that my husband comes home and just needs a nap I come running with all the "man jobs" he needs to do then I wouldn't be acting in love. And if my husband came home and I was a exhausted, sleep deprived and in need of a brake he demanded I needed to do my list of "wifely duties" then that would not be acting in love.

We're a team and each team member needs different things done on different days. Sometimes my hubby cooks, sometimes I take out the trash, sometimes I'm the one to say the prayers at night, at some point I worked a job outside of the home and my husband enjoys to sew. We are different and bring different talents to the table. I know women who love to work on cars. I know men who love to cook. 

All this to say. Don't let someone or some book tell you how to love your spouse, kids, family and friends. Don't get me wrong books and advice are great. I have favorite books. But if we don't ask God to reveal to us how to love him, our kids and our family we might just miss the mark. I love the fact that Christ gives me strength when I'm weak, wisdom when I need it, love when I'm feeling un-loved, direction when I'm directionless, and the ability to love others in a way I am incapable on my own. Be Christ to your husband. Seek to love in the way he needs to be loved on that day, that hour or that week. Allow your husband to love you and too take over your "duties" when you need it. Be each others help meet. Love each other without limitations. Be Christ where ever you are!

Lunch @ the Blowers

Thought today's lunch should be shared. We made cold chicken noodle pasta.

Ingredients:

One bag of noodles (I used brown rice noodles-they are gluten free & delish)
2 cans of organic chicken (this or already cooked & shredded chicken)
Peas (I used frozen)
Olives
onions
Dried organic black beans (or canned)
Dried organic garbanzo beans (or canned)
carrots (cut in tiny pieces)
Mayonnaise
Seasonings (use your favorite ones)


Cook noodles as directed, soak beans over night then cook, drain everything and mix together with mayonnaise and seasonings. Then enjoy!  :D

Who are you living for?

So these thoughts have been swirling around in my head lately. Sometimes I myself can get caught up in thinking, acting, dressing and eating to please man rather than God. Now don't get me wrong we should consider our brother and sisters in Christ in what we do, but they cannot be the only one or the one. Sometimes I find myself running around in circles thinking will the offend this person or that person and honestly this can drive one crazy.... First of all we cant make decisions based on what if's, because that list could go on and on.

I think if I simply ask my father God if something is okay and allow him to speak to me about what's okay I will be a lot better off. Because people are all different with all their own opinions and I can't base what I do on other peoples opinions. I must ask God and allow him to show me how to look, live, eat and be.

Who's approval are we looking for anyway? It must be God's! Don't get me wrong I love to hear people's opinions and God uses his people to speak and teach us also. I must know God's opinion first therefore when someone speaks out of jealousy, fear, anger or bitterness I can rely on God to combat those lies.

God shows us how to live each and every aspect of life. He teaches us how to live through his word, through his voice and through the example of himself when he lived here on earth. When in doubt search his word, pray and seek his voice. I desire to hear his voice as clear as I hear my husband speak to me. When we stand before the Lord, the opinions of all the billions of people in the world will count for nothing. Only God's opinion will matter in that day.

Jesus I ask that everyone who reads this would get to know your voice better and may it be as clear to them as there own earthly father's voice. Amen

Here is a little bit of of John Maxwell's words and scriptures to meditate on. Isaiah was one of the most powerful models in the Bible. The book that bears his name describes his consistent lifestyle, his uncompromising convictions and his clear vision that drove him to continue speaking out despite the unfaithfulness of his people. Isaiah led with integrity. Integrity means "oneness" the quality of purity and consistency. Isaiah's convictions teach us about avoiding ungodly compromise. He and his contemporary Micah, both raised the bar for the people by holding to GOD'S standards with unswerving determination.

Matt 6:1 Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them Otherwise you have no reward from your father in heaven.

Colossians 3:22-23  Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 

Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life

John 4:34 "my food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                             

Granola recipe

Several people have asked for this recipe. I've made a lot of modifications, but still want to try to get rid of the need to put any oil in it, but for right now I do put the oil in.

Pre heat oven *350

5 cups organic rolled oats
2 cups of your favorite nuts (I use walnuts & almonds)
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup coconut
1 cup flax seed   (you don't have to add this, but adds nutrients)
1 TBSP cinnamon

Mix all ingredients above and then place on greased cookie sheets.

1 cup raisins
1 cup cranberries

Add the above after it's cooked.

3/4 cup oil (I use olive or coconut oil)
1 cup raw local honey

Heat oil, honey & vanilla in pan until blended. (5 mins) Then drizzle all over granola and bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the oats and nuts are toasted. Immediately after it comes out of the oven, stir in the raisins and dried cranberries.


You can find almost all the above ingredients in the bulk foods isle in your grocery store. Stays good for about 2 weeks, but it wont be around that long I'm sure! :) This is a great alternative to boxed cereals which are not really healthy.

What about you?

Since I only have about one comment on my blogs and I know there's more of you that read my blogs than that I decided to turn it around to you... So I want to hear from you! I would love for you to post a few topics that you are passionate about. Please let me hear from you! :D

Do I think...

Do I think because I breastfeed, cloth diaper, eat mostly raw & organic and such that I am better person than you? Absolutly not!!!

Do I think that breast is BEST for ALL babies?. Yes. Do I understand that every women has her own set of circumstances? Yes. Do I think that a none breast fed baby is less loved by their mother if she chooses not too? Nope

Do I think cloth diapering is the best for our family? Yes. Do I think that it's best for all families? NO. Do I believe a mom loves the earth & baby less if she uses disposable diapers? NO. (I also use on occasion)

Do I think that eating a mostly raw & organic diet is best for people? Yes. Do I know that not everyone can? Yes.

Do I eat meat? Yes! Do I try to avoid non-organic meat and feel that all should? Yes. Do I think everyone can? No. Do I think your less of a person because you eat a McDonalds burger? NO. (I do on occasion too)  :/

Do I think it's best for everyone to eat less meat and processed foods? Yes. Do I think your a bad or unintelligent person if you don't. Nope.

What I do think.... I believe as a wife, mother and christian I have a responsibility to share what God and my life have taught me. I believe that growing, changing and learning should be apart of my life and yours. I desire to learn and teach others what I have learned. I think that if I'm passionate about certain things that I have a responsibility to share them. Does my passion come off Know it all, rude, pushy, better than you? Maybe. Is that my heart? Nope. I desire to serve God and do what I think he would want me to do for myself & family. In all that I do I strive for excellence.

Thanks for hearing my heart!

similarities

So here are some of my kids similarities. Again. M=Mercedes and I= Isaiah

M and I both seem to have very stubborn personalities. :) Which probably came from their dad. LOL ;)

M- never seemed to like standard baby toys. I- is the same way. Give him a piece of paper or string and it will keep him entertained for hours. (and yes I watch him the entire time he plays with these items)  B)

Mercedes always loved baths when she was little and now loves to swim. I- He loves to splash in the water like crazy!

M- never liked being rocked to sleep. I- now does not like this either only wants to be laid down! :D

M- She would live outdoors if she could. I- He is the same way. Loves to be outside and is happy when he is.

Both love rides in the stroller.

Both will sleep late if it's dark & rainy outside

Both hated sucking or chewing on anything cold/freezing when infants M- loves stuff that is cold/freezing now.

Both love music. M- will brake out dancing as soon as she hears music.

Both do not like playing alone. They always want someone to play with them.

Both have dimples when they smile!! )**(

Both were born with darker hair and now both have blonde hair

Both would rather stay naked all day. I- although he is much worse. Screams like he is being murdered while being changed and or dressed...

Both have pug noses. M- her's is more pug though.

Both love camping.

Both seem to love animals

Both hate loud noises. M- still does not like them and gets startled easily.

Both enjoy fire works with their ear muffs on

Both LOVE watermelon

Finally both of them LOVE their mommy and daddy. :D

Differences

So I decided to write a blog about the differences between my kids. There's a ton, so I may miss a few. :) Some of the difference will probably be due to girl/boy, first born/second born, preemie/full term and the fact that they are two different people. M=Mercedes and I=Isaiah

M- Born at 27 weeks  I- Born at 41 weeks and 2 days.

M- Born by emergency C-section   I- Born by a natural V-bac delivery

M- fed B-milk through tube til she was able to nurse at 5 weeks and just over 2LBS   I- Was able to nurse with no complications at birth :D

M- quit nursing at 8 months due to the fact I was not producing milk anymore... Was a very sad day for me, but because I wasn't able to nurse her for so long I never developed a full milk supply. I even tried medicine 3 times to help me produce milk. It was one of the toughest 8 months...  I- has been a happily exclusively breastfed kid and I hope to nurse until the age 2.  :D

M- Slept through the night as soon as we stop waking her to feed her- We had to, because she was a preemie .   I- He also is a really good sleeper and has only got up about once a night since one month old. BUT has definitely been more of a baby we had to train to sleep! :)

M- wanted to eat any food we gave her! :D  I- Has been the fussiest baby to get to eat all varieties of food. But for the last 3 days he has stopped fighting and has been eating everything I give him. Hooray!!  :D

M- would sleep anywhere at anytime we put her down.   I- Needs more routine and consistency

M- Not affectionate, likes to sleep alone.  I- hates NOT to be snuggled 24-7 LOL

M- didn't mind diaper changes  I- hates them :(

M-thumb sucker  I- paci sucker

M- Loved car rides   I- Not a fan

M- didn't get teeth til over a year  I- got teeth at 6 months

M- would take bottles no problem  I- took the last 2 months of fighting to take a bottle- But he is finally taking one and I am SO happy. Still B-milk though.

M- daddy's little girl  I- Mommy's little boy.  :D

M- very out going. Loves to be with new people.   I- not so much. Likes mommy and daddy.

M- takes a lot of pain to make her cry.   I- cries if hit with a foam ball. LOL

M- loved to be read to.   I- just wants to take book and bang it around or eat it


Next blog I will write about all there similarities. I know you're thinking what could they have that's similar, but there's plenty. HA!

Blessing from above! :D

I had to blog, because it was to good not too. :D So we've been using the 19+ year old washer & dryer that came with the house. It was free, so I can't complain. I also didn't want to complain, because we don't currently have the funds to replace it.

For some reason I felt the urge (from the Holy spirit) to look at washer and dryers again. In my head I was thinking "why would I want to do that again we can't afford one and even a used one would be to much". I didn't want to look and be disappointed that I couldn't buy one. I decided to look at new ones then I moved onto used ones on Craigslist. Same thing I did a few months back...

Our current washer & dryer have also been not working at times, but we always seem to get them working again. Well 3 days ago I found a washer & dryer for sale right where we live! He said only a year old and $400 for both. They are moving it said. I thought to myself "NO WAY"! I am always a skeptic. :) I thought even though we don't really have all the money I should check into it anyway.

So I called him. They were posted a month ago, so I figured they might not even have them anymore. He tells me he still has them for sale!!! I decided we should go look at them. In my skeptic head I was thinking "I will go and see if they're really that new and if this family is moving then I'll by them". HA.

So I just looked at them. They're beautiful! It also has a hand wash cycle which I kept telling Aaron I only want to buy one that has that cycle and that's extra large capacity. Well it's all that and more. The lady even has this beautiful white cabinet that she said I can have for free. She used it to put laundry soap in it.

All this to say that God is awesome!! He cares for me in ways I can't even imagine. I'm crying now at the thought of how much he heard my cries for a new washing machine and answered them all. Just for me he did this. He is so faithful and continues to remind me. Don't ever loose faith and always ask him. He loves us!  :D

Baby food

I've wanted to post about baby food making for a while now. So here it is..

Here's a picture of the food, food blender and ice tray to get you stared.

Why bother with making baby food you say?? What's wrong with baby food in a jar?? Take a look at that baby food in a jar and look at the expiration date. It's been designed to last 2rs after the purchase date. That doesn't sound fresh to me. Does it sound fresh to you? Also if you taste a jar of baby food and compare to homemade baby food there is no comparison in taste.

The ingredients of most commercial baby foods have been heated to a very high temperature and then cooled, in order to sterilize them. This gives them a long shelf life but destroys a lot of the flavor and some of the nutrients also. There's nothing better to do for your baby (after breastfeeding of coarse) then to make homemade baby food. It's also a whole lot cheaper to buy.

Is making baby food hard you ask? The answer is NO! Baby food making is more work then going to the store and buying food for sure, but it's not hard to make. Honestly I enjoy making my baby's food. It's easy and I can make enough to store in fridge and freezer. I guarantee once you start making baby food it will become second nature. It does require time and work though.

This is how I typically make my food. Peel, cut and steam a veggie (say carrots) let cool. I then put it in my Cooks blender (JcPenney off brand-looks just like the Bullet) blend it and I'm done. I normally make enough for him to eat one meal right away, store a couple days worth in fridge and freeze 3 meals worth in freezer.

Best way to seal in nutrients is to steam. You can also heat food on the stove in water or microwave. I wouldn't recommend the microwave, because it cooks a lot of the nutrients out. When re-heating from fridge or freezer I have a little tiny sauce pot for heating or I heat in microwave when only available.

Storing the food in freezer is easiest with baby food ice cube trays that have a lid to cover food. You can also use plain old ice trays and cover with plastic wrap. I also like using the 6 or 8oz glass Mason jars for storing on the go food to grab. It's much better to heat glass in microwave when out then to use plastic.

So give baby food making a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and how much fun it can be.  :D

MINE!!

SO... The other day after hearing my daughter yell mine a few times it got me thinking. I REALLY hate the word mine. It really bothers me when I hear kids say it after grabbing one of their toys back. It's really a selfish attitude and it's not Godly either.

So I decided to start a new trend in my house. Goes something like this "Mercedes grabs a toy from her brother and says MINE, I say Cedes it's not yours it belongs to Jesus and he's letting you borrow it, so how about you let your brother borrow it for a little while. Almost every time I say this she gives it back to him with no problem. Really isn't that the truth for all of us. God put us here and he gives us great "toys" but they're actually his and he is letting us borrow them. These toys can be anything from a house, cars, friends or family. They're not really ours, but he graciously gives them to us for a time and we can enjoy them, take care of them and love them, but they're still not ours.

Seems like being a mom always points me to Jesus or my selfish nature. HA! Anyway it got me thinking that even though Cedes is only 2 1/2 and she might not understand that by being generous she is walking in Godliness, but that doesn't have stop me from instilling a generous spirit.  She can learn anyway. Even though she is only doing it, because she loves me and has to obey me one day she will realize why she is really doing it. Someday she is going to know that God calls her to obedience and she will do it out of a love for him. Right now as her mom I can teach her not only by my words but my deeds to follow Godliness. What a privilege I have and what a responsibility I have too.

Hope this encourages you.  :D

Lunch @ the Blowers

So here it is:
spinach tortilla
organic romaine lettuce
organic chick peas
organic roasted red pepper humus
cheddar cheese (again out of our raw organic cheese)  :(
onion
cucumber


Yummy!

The Law

Wanted to share a chapter of a book I'm reading. I'm loving the book! I'm so thankful for this book and hope you will enjoy the chapter. It's not all of the chapter, but some. To much to type!  :D

"Under the law" and "works of the law"
Much of Christian theology about the Torah is based on a mis-understanding of two Greek expressions which Sha'ul invented. First is upo nomon; it appears 10 times in Romans, 1Corinthians and Galatians, and it is usually rendered "under the law." The other is erga nomou, found with minor variations 10 times in Romans and Galatians, translated "works of the law."
Whatever Sha'ul is trying to communicate be these expressions, one thing is clear: Sha'ul regards them negatively: being "under the law" is bad and "works of the law" are bad. Christian theology usually takes the first to mean "within the framework of observing the Torah" and the second, "acts of obedience to the Torah." This understanding is wrong. Sha'ul does not consider it bad to live within the framework of Torah, nor is it bad to obey it; on the contrary, he writes that the Torah is "holy, just and good" (Romans 7:12)

C.E.B Cranfield has shed some light on there two phrases; his first essay on the subject appeared in 1964, and he summarized it in his masterly commentary on Romans. There he writes,
"... The Greek language of Paul's day possessed no word-group corresponding to our 'legalism,' 'legalist' and 'legalistic'. This means that he lacked a convenient terminology for expressing a vital distinction, and so was surely seriously hampered in the work of clarifying the Christian position with regard to the law. In view of this, we should always, we think, be ready to reckon with the possibility that Pauline statements, which at first sight seem to disparage the law, were really directed not against the law itself but against that misunderstanding and misuse of it for which we now have a convenient terminology. In this very difficult terrain Paul was pioneering.

At Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:17-20 Yeshua (Jesus) says he did not come to abolish the Torah, and that anyone who disobeys its least commands and teaches others to do so will be counted least in the kingdom of Heaven.

When castigating the religious establishment for majoring in minors he does not denigrate any part of the Torah: "woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers (scribes) and P'rushim (pharisees)! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weighter matters of the Torah-justice, mercy and trust. These are the things you should have attended to-without neglecting the others!"  Without taking away from Yeshua's emphasis on justice, mercy and trust, we note that he adds the phrase, "without neglecting the others," in order to affirm that the less weighty commandments are still in force.


These quotes are from the book Messianic Judaism. I wanted to share what's on my heart! Happy reading.  :D

Meal planning

After 6 years of marriage I finally decided to make a meal plan for the week. HA! I know you must think I'm crazy. 8D


1st reason is that growing up we always made what we were in the mood for and there was never a meal plan. 


The other reason which is more of my stumbling block is my perfectionism... See the thought of writing a meal plan and not following it was something I dreaded. Not only would I not be sticking to my plan perfectly but I would also translate that to failure. Neither of which I like. :) 


Anyway I decided I needed to put all that aside and give meal planning a try. So last week I wrote out a meal plan and then bought all the groceries for the week. What a heavenly thing to do! LOL. Really it was great not to have to call my hubby to pick up one item at the store on his way home. 


I also decided to revamp my meal ideas. I wrote out summer meals ideas and winter meal ideas. I plan too in the next couple of days put all my recipes together in one spot and on the same paper! :D


So here is a look at my meal plan this week. 
Saturday: Penne, alfredo with sauted onion and broccoli
Sunday: Steak, fries & corn
Monday: Vegetarian Burritoes
Tuesday: Baked spaghetti with sauted green beans
Wednesday: Spanish rice and Tamales
Thursday: Ho Boes
Friday Minestrone soup
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Burgers (not sure with what yet) LOL




I've decided meal planning is amazing and I plan to continue it!! It made my life easier. Try it out if you haven't yet. Happy meal planning everyone!

Technology

So... This is something that I have been thinking about for sometime now. Finally after not being able to sleep with all these thoughts swirling around in my head decided to talk about it.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy technology as much as the next person. I love to be around people and being a stay at home mom makes it hard sometimes to get out. I know if you don't have kids you're probably thinking WHAT you should have all the time in the world, but it's not true. Okay back on topic here.  :D 

A few events in particular got me thinking about this addition to technology this generation has. Yes, I said ADDICTION! It's true and I'm afraid if we don't nip it in the butt our God & family could suffer for it.

The 1st event that happened:   I was walking into the mall with the double stroller. As I was trying to hold the door open and push the stroller in at the same time a guy around late 40's early 50's walked right on in and by passed me. I did a double take, because I thought it was rude he didn't offer to help me. As I looked he was busy texting on his phone.... I thought to myself how many people do I walk on by and not even see they're in need, because we are to worried about checking our email... Or even worse we put our lives and other people's lives in jeopardy to text while driving. This one really pisses me off and if I see you texting and driving I WILL call the police on you. It's down right wrong! Why are we so impatient that we can't pull over or just wait to read the message someone just sent us....

The other event that got me thinking was... We were on a family camping trip with other families too. I know that while we were there we turned off our phones and some did too. But there were quite a few checking FB status and who knows what else. I got to thinking here I am taking time to brake away from life and we can't even do it completely. It made me sad actually.

I have been thinking about this a lot. I was thinking how many of us are so busy reading and commenting on other peoples lives that we are missing out on OUR OWN FAMILY!!! Yikes. I'm not innocent myself. But what happens to our own kids when were spending more time looking at other families kids then taking time with our own? I don't want to spend more time & energy into the computer and technology then I invest into my relationship with God or my family. Shame on me if I do.

My brother is living with us. So I have a continual person watching my own parenting and he's vocal! :D Which I am super happy about that. I love to give advice, so I also like to here others. The fact that he is willing to speak up when he thinks something I'm doing is not right is great! Really it is! We are called to reproof each other in the body of Christ. Were also called to sharpen one another. 

I also think about the fact that God calls us to be silent before him. How can we here him if we're constantly, reading stuff on the computer, emailing, texting, running around, calling people & FB chatting? How can we be quite before the Lord if we're never quite? The answer is we can't. Lets be more dilegent about our time. Let's use our time wisely. Let's first ask God what he wants us to be doing with our time.

Some will probably hate this... Hey, If I was reading someone else writing this I probably would frown. But then again maybe that's just the kind of people who need to read this. I want to be accountable to people. I want to enjoy my maker, my family and my friends, but I must put my time and my energy into the first priorities. There listed in the correct order above. :)

Thanks for listening to my rant! Hope you will come back.  :)

Did you know?

Did you know that apple cider vinegar is an amazing all natural way to treat yourself from many illnesses??

Well I found this out last week. I came down with something and it turned into an awful Sinus infection! I've never had anything like it and it was awful. Head ache, runny nose and sinus pressure in my head, face and teeth. I am still breast feeding and I also never take antibiotics if I don't have too.

So I began my search for a cure. To my pleasant surprise I found that drinking apple cider vinegar can treat a sinus infection. After a week long of awful pressure I started drinking it. I started on Saturday and as of yesterday (Wed) I am sinus infection FREE!! I feel 100% better! :D

So not only can it treat a sinus infection here are some other benefits:

• acne
• allergies
• arthritis
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• diabetes
• flu
• gout
• heartburn
• high cholesterol
• sore throat

I can also tell you that my skin has been looking clearer and brighter. After this week I am a firm believer in this stuff. I will continue to take this on a regular basis. It also has been shown to boost your metabolism that results in weight loss!!

You should not take it straight. Best to mix with water or juice.

Mix 2 TSP of apple cider vinegar with 8oz water. You can also mix 2 TBSP with 8oz water. I prefer just 2TSP. Do this 3 times a day for a sinus infection. If you're taking just to boost your health and to keep allergies at bay probably only need to take it once a day.

Here is a website with more info and there's others out there too.

Link

Marriage

I was thinking today on how important it is to be building my marriage up. That also got me thinking about how I not only have my marriage to my earthly husband, but I am also in a covenant marriage to my God.

What a privilege to be married. With that privilege comes great responsibility too. I desire to have a great marriage with my husband, but I can never forget that my first marriage to God is my most important one. It's also so apparent to me that when my marriage to God is thriving, my marriage to my husband also thrives. Honestly if my first marriage is not going well my second will follow suite.

So my thoughts today were let me begin to shift my focus to asking myself how I can benefit my first marriage and then focus on my second.

What are some ways to improve my marriage...

1) Focused alone time is dire
2) Showing that person how much I love them
3) Choosing to focus on their love for me
4) Learning more about that person and what makes them tick
5) Having fun with that person. Enjoying them.

There it is folks. My thoughts today. What a great blessing it is to be married.

Lunch

So decided to share what he had for lunch yesterday. We had:
organic romaine lettuce
organic garbanzo beans
organic black beans
organic raisins
broccoli
typically organic raw cheddar cheese (but we ran out)

dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar & salt/spices (we were also out so used ranch) :)

Funny #4

This came to mind as I was flossing me teeth last night. Shortly after we got married Aaron noticed something that I did that drove him crazy. Just one thing though. ;)

I love to keep my teeth clean and look forward to my great report from my dentist every 6 months. :) The thing is I floss everyday as you should, but I have a habit of leaving the floss anywhere and everywhere. LOL. It seems that the dental floss never makes it to the trash can. :/ So Aaron would seem to find my dental floss on the floor...

Anyway I try hard to keep it in 2 spots now. One is on my night stand and the other is the trash can! :D So I'm getting better, but they still seem to fly off onto the floor sometimes.

So floss your teeth everyday and make sure to get that floss in the garbage. :)

Funny #3

So.... I really love sweets. I try to keep them out of my house, because I don't have much will power. But 2 weeks ago I threw a graduation party for my brother and Alice made the BEST cake for the party. Lets just say we had the left over cake in the house for a week...

I'm not a eater in secret I promise!! But I might have been for that week. LOL. I think every time I was in the fridge I grabbed a fork to down some cake. :/ So needless to say I will not be keeping good cake in my house again! :D I found out I gained some weight, so since I still have about 20 pounds to go I will be working my butt off. :) No more cake for this chick.

Funny #2

A common saying I have is just get rid of it and buy new... My brother always catches me and hates that I say this. He's the kind to keep something forever.... I LOVE to decorate and clean!! I will go to anyones house to help them clean & decorate. Because of this love of mine I enjoy things to be pretty to my eyes. So when I have something very old and dirty or just plain ugly I desire to buy one pretty and new.

The funny thing lately, or should I say NOT so funny is that I am using 2 VERY old electronics because my new pretty ones broke. UGG. I dropped my awesome purple phone 2 weeks ago and am using my old chocolate that is so old and difficult to use. I complain about it almost everyday. :( Then 2 days ago after my loving husband moved our computer to a convenient place to blog our monitor broke. I LOVE that monitor. Actually I use to love looking at it. LOL... Now I'm blogging on this hideous monitor that is hurting my eyes. So that's my rant for the day. I am so looking forward to upgrading these items and Fast. For now we wont, because I don't enjoy spending money that wasn't planned on. :(

I find these things funny, so hopefully you will too! :D

Funny

I decided today that each day this week I will post some of the funny comments, traits & goofy things that I do. Let me tell you there are some good ones... My brother likes to point them out. :p Okay, no promises, but I will try.

The one for today is: I never know what to put in the recycle bin, so pretty much I put everything in there... Hopefully the people who sort that stuff don't want to kill me. :D I do know it has to have a triangle, but the numbers don't mean anything to me...

Marriage

I got to talking about this un-spoken rule we have here at our house... I was talking to a friend and explaining how we never say no to each other. LOL. Okay let me explain. :) I was thinking about it and Aaron and I have this desire to truly care about the wants, needs and desires of each other. So because of that when we ask each other to do things it's an automatic yes. I don't even think about it. Some examples are getting one another a drink, food, taking the kids for a walk to give the other a brake, changing that poopy diaper, starting a load of laundry, giving each other time with friends, dressing in a way that pleases the other, and massages. It may sound funny, but it's true. I can always count on Aaron and he can always count on me. :)

It's taken some time to get to this place (6rs to be exact), but it's wonderful since we've arrived. I really can count on this un-spoken rule. The only problem is that sometimes that independent spirit of mine can get in the way. :/ I have always had a hard time asking for help. Luckily I have a husband that has taken the time to understand me and can read me like a book. Therefore when I'm in my independent mind set he can see it and just step in without me asking. This is truly a beautiful picture of Christ's love working through him and blessing me.

So my challenge is humble yourself, ask for help and in return never say no. Treat each other with the same servant hood you would desire.