New Food Love!

Can I just say that I absolutely hate being a picky eater?

I'm not one who ever really eats veggies, unless they are on a salad...and, by salad, I mean lettuce, a few carrots (maybe), radishes, spinach (maybe), and dressing. So, those are wimpy salads anyway.

Fruits, on the other hand, I love. I could eat fruits all day long. As a matter of fact, I do eat fruit all day. Apples, pineapple, berries - yum!

Last night, though, I tried something for the first time.

AVOCADO!!!

I have friends who eat them all the time. I'm so scared to try new foods, that it's hard for me to just buy something and try it. However, I wanted to love these. This past weekend, we went to SAMs Club in Fayetteville. While we were there, we picked some up. They were pretty cheap, so I decided to get them and see what I could do.

By the way, yes, this "trying them for the first time" thing means that I've never had guacamole. I know, it's shocking. You'd be surprised about all the things I've either recently tried or never have had.

On Pinterest yesterday, I found a recipe for a Shrimp and Brown Rice bowl that also included diced avocado.

Here's the link for the recipe: Yummy-Healthy-Easy - Shrimp + Avocado Bowl

I bit the bullet, had Nick buy the ingredients I was out of - sesame oil, white wine vinegar, lite soy sauce, truvia - and decided to make the recipe!

It. Was. DELICIOUS.

While the shrimp was cooking, I had the avocado diced and drizzled in lemon juice. I was conversing with Nick and just grabbed a piece and ate it. It was so creamy and delicious. The lemon juice gave it a bit of a bite, but not much. (Also, I love lemon juice...vinegar...anything acidic) Nick had to be convinced to try some. He didn't think he liked avocado...but he said this wasn't bad!

This is what the recipe looked like once I had it in my bowl:

I liked it so much, I brought leftovers to school for lunch! 

Best part - it made five servings, which came to 292 calories each! That is not bad at all. I have 1.5 servings pictured above - I was HUNGRY! Still, only 438 calories for my whole dinner. I'll take it!

Now, of course, then I came to realize that avocado - not a vegetable. It's a FRUIT!

This didn't really help me learn to love vegetables, but it did add another healthy element to my diet! I'm going to try to cook them into some burgers tonight! I'll let you know how that goes.

Two things before I end the post.

1) Here's a little nutritional knowledge for you (in the form of an infographic, because those are fun!)

http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/Infographic3.png

2) Scriptural Inspiration for the day! I've been reading Made to Crave with a small group of girls that are involved with Beachbody and this verse has really stood out to me:

"Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial." (1 Cor 10:23)

--Andi <3 

Oh, The Joys of Motherhood

Today has been one of those especially trying days that comes with being a mom.

I got a paycheck today....which was then immediately spent on bills, food, etc. Christian was in day care for this process. I came home and got started on some things that absolutely needed to be done. It was a low-stress kind of day.

Then, the storm hit. Christian was home.

My house is now demolished. If you know me, you know I can't stand mess. He refused to eat dinner. He stomped at me. He spit at me....TWICE. He got a spanking and several time outs. During his bath, he splashed me and completely soaked my pants. It wasn't anything bad, but it was a lot of little annoyances that add up to a big frustration.

When Christian went to bed (and got up twice to "go stinky" - which he didn't need to do), I decided I needed some encouragement. I looked on Facebook and that sucked. I looked on Twitter. That was worse. I turned on 7th Heaven because I wanted to watch a mother really work hard taking care of her large family. That just made me feel worse because Annie Camden is almost perfect and rarely loses her temper with her children.

It finally clicked. If I need encouragement, where should I look first? The Bible. Duh!?

A quick Google search and this is what I found:

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."  (Proverbs 31:10-30)

This is under the heading: "Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character." You know what though? It is about so much more than a wife. It is about a mother. It is about a housewife. It is about a working woman. It is about women, period. I want to pick parts of this out and reflect on how they sparked something within me.

Proverbs 31:15: "She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants."

This is the story of my life. Leave out the female servants. I'm not getting into that. I am up at the weirdest hours doing crazy things for my son. Whether it's cooking, changing sheets because of an accident (which are rare these days, thankfully), or consoling after a bad dream. My sleep has been seriously altered over the past three years and I'm not sure it'll ever be the same. That's ok though; I'm working to raise a wonderful little boy who deserves the attention.

Proverbs 31:21: "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."

I know that I'm doing everything that I possibly can to take care of my son. I make and sell things. I work. I sell what I don't need. I help others to earn extra cash. I make sure his needs are provided before I even think of what I want or need. I have no worries about him and what he has.

Proverbs 31:24: "She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes."

I laughed when I read this part of this. I just started making a blanket for someone to purchase. I also have some other crocheted items I'm selling. It's just interesting that this was in this passage. Ha!

Proverbs 31:25-26: "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."

This is a testament to all women who work to take care of a house and a family. We are strong. We are dignified. We have to endure so much as women without the pressure of children. Add in a child or two and the strength that we need to have increases exponentially. We raise our children and take care of the household while keeping our respect intact. That is impressive. Women are impressive. That is inspiring. The part that really made me giggle: "she can laugh at the days to come." God recognizes that we are going to have days that suck beyond the telling of it. We are strong enough to just laugh it off. These days are GOING TO HAPPEN. It's all about how we look at them when they are over. Hopefully, the last part is true about me in more than one way. I hope I am a good teacher to my son as well as my students. I pray that God inspires the teachings that I impart on my students and helps me to raise my child in the way that He intends for Christian to be raised.

Proverbs 31:28: "Her children arise and call her blessed..."

I sure hope Christian calls me blessed. Tonight, at the end of it all. After I had fussed and spanked, lectured and given time outs, he told me that I was beautiful and perfect. He said, "Tomorrow, Mommy, I want to be perfect like you." Now, I don't know if I really want my child to think I'm perfect...but it sure was nice to hear.

Proverbs 31:30: "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Why, oh why, did I not just look at my Bible before I got so freaked out about how the last part of my day turned out? This is all I need to know. I need to fear the Lord. I need to turn to Him, especially when I'm annoyed. He loves me and will help me when I'm stuck or frustrated. I can be charming and wonderful, but that doesn't matter in the long run. What matters is that I love God and that I teach my son to do the same.


Man, I am ready for Church on Sunday. I'm needing some more time with Jesus. Days like this remind me of how happy I am when I leave Church. I love sitting there and being taught a lesson, reflecting on it later, and really letting it sink into my soul. I wish my pastor knew how wise his words are and how God has inspired him to teach things that really matter to me, specifically (and to others too). Come on, Sunday. (God, help me make it to Sunday!!!)

The God of Second Chances

Today's sermon in Church was amazing.

We have been going through the book of Jonah all summer. We finally got to Chapter 3 today. Focusing on Jonah 3:1-4, my preacher taught us all how God is patient, merciful, and generous.

I loved hearing all of the ways that people in the Bible have screwed up. I know, I know, that sounds crazy, but it makes them all seem more real to me. Yes, I know they are real people and they had real experiences...but to hear that they screwed up in one way or another really makes me feel better.

Examples:
--Jonah ignored God and went to Tarshis instead of going to Nineveh to preach.
--Abraham lied to everyone and said that Sarah was his sister instead of being honest and saying she is his wife.
--Elijah ran away from God and ended up having to deal with Jezebel.
--David saw Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, bathing and ended up committing adultery with her (even though he knew it was a sin). She ended up getting pregnant.

And on and on and on.

The Bible is very honest in showing the good times and the bad times that the people were faced with. It just makes me feel better to know that these men really screwed up big time and were still forgiven. As long as we are repentant, we will be forgiven as well. We just have to trust and surrender to the Lord and we will be saved, period.


Another good point that was made today is that God uses preaching as His main form of communication - using preachers like mine, Ronnie McLean, as his instruments to guide and teach his children. During this segment of the sermon, Pastor McLean said that any time you feel like the sermon was tailored to you and what you need at that point, don't thank the preacher. Thank God. He uses ministers to speak to his children and address their needs.

This spoke to me specifically. This is why I'm in Church again now. I went back to Church last February (2013). It was the first time I had been in about a year. Before that, I was going on and off. I was in a bad place in my personal relationship and I was searching for something to fill a void that had formed in my heart. When I was sitting there, Pastor McLean spoke about making decisions that reflect what God wants for you. He said that we have to make hard choices, choices that may hurt, but choices that make us happy - choices that make God happy. I'm sure those aren't the exact words (as a matter of fact, I have almost that whole sermon written down in my journal that I take to Church)...but they resonated in my soul. I ended my broken relationship about two weeks later and my life has been up and down since.

In this period, the biggest constant and the biggest joy I've had is Church. Freedom Baptist has been a place where I feel at home. The people who attend there are friendly and welcoming. It just feels like a family. This is the place where I belong. That's why today, 7/27/14, I finally joined the Church as a member. It feels wonderful to finally call Freedom my Church home. Now, I want to get plugged in and really become a good member of the Church! I can't wait for CWS to start and I get my 3-4 year olds (if they're still going to let me lead the group!!!!!) :)


If you can't tell, I was really inspired after Church this morning. This is the kind of post I want to write. This is what I feel called to do. Of course, not everything can be a reflection of a sermon I hear...but man, it feels so good to get it all down on paper (or online, haha). Hopefully, I'll keep up my momentum and continue to post regularly.

--Andi

When I Grow Up...

I've thought a lot about this. I'm sure most people have. What do I want to be when I grow up? Does this only apply to careers? Does this also include the kind of person I want to be? I think it does.

Here's who I want to be when I grow up:

1) I want to be someone who has a close relationship with God. Not only do I want to pray and read my Bible like a "good Christian," I want to feel His presence in my life. I want to consistently trust Him and surrender my life into His hands. I want to show my son that this kind of relationship with Him exists and that it is something to work towards.

2) I want to be a good mother. I want to be the kind of mother that gives my child(ren) everything they could ever need and want and more. I want to do this in a way that they are not spoiled or self-centered. I want to guide them to become the person that God meant for them to become.

3) I want to be content in my career. This is something that I am very close to being now. I love my middle school. I love my coworkers. My county is a pretty neat place to work, especially if you work where I do. I think that, with a little more experience, I will be 100% content with my job.

4) I want to be a lifelong learner. I think that I will be someone who is in school or in some kind of course for the rest of my life, and that's ok with me. I have the desire to gain new knowledge. I can't just sit and do nothing to expand what I already know.

5) I want to be someone who is always trying to improve herself. I don't ever want to feel like what I have is ok. I know that sounds strange. I know that what God has given me is enough, but I always want to strive for better. I just feel like that will help me to reach my full potential.

6) I want to be healthy. I want to be in shape. I want to be a healthy weight. I want to be able to run around with my kids and not get so winded. I want to be able to take part in every aspect of life. I want to be free to be the person I want to be without worry of sickness

Any other suggestions?

Aurora, CO.

In case you are completely cut off from all media outlets, let me fill you in on the latest tragedy this world has to offer us. Aurora, CO was the site of a violent attack this morning. At approximately 12:30 AM, a packed movie theater was enjoying the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises - the latest in a long string of Batman movies. Among these movie-goers were a 3 month-old infant and a 6 year old child. At one point, these innocent people saw a silhouette of a man pointing a gun at the crowd. From the posts that I've read, the victims did not instantly realize that this man was NOT part of the movie. It was only when he started shooting at the audience did they realize that he was a REAL person shooting REAL bullets at them. This sad, sad event ended with 12 dead and at least 50 injured. Among the injured are both children that I mentioned earlier. The 3 month old infant was shot. 

I cannot even begin to imagine what was going through the mind of this 24 year-old man as he pulled a gun on a crowded movie theater. I can't imagine the reactions of the audience. I am deeply disturbed by the events that took place this morning and am at a loss for words. All I can think about through all of this is my child. When Christian grows up, how do I explain to him that there are some people in this world who are evil, evil men? How do I tell my child that, while he might be surrounded with Godly men and women, the devil has his own minions operating all around us? I'm scared for him and I'm scared for me. When a man can waltz into a movie theater with a handgun, knife, and a rifle and just start shooting, you begin to wonder about the state of the world that we live in. I fear for those who are not saved by the grace of the Lord. 

I've been looking at scripture on and off all day to try and find peace in this dark time. I know that this event did not affect me directly but it has affected something inside of me. I wanted to share some of these verses with you and I wanted to have a place to write them down so that I can look back on them in times of darkness and despair.

"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Psalm 107:20)

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases..." (Psalm 103:2)

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken." (Psalm 34:19)

"'For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,' says the Lord." (Jeremiah 30:17)

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

"When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick." (Matthew 8:16)

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray." (James 5:13)

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16)

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24)

"The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous." (Proverbs 15:29)

These are just some of the verses that I have read today and they all are helping me to cope. The more I read them, the more at peace I feel. Maybe they will help some of you who are struggling today whether it is due to the Aurora shooting or because of something else in your life.

--Andi