Monday Motivation: June 1, 2015

As I set to the task of seeking the Lord as a means of waiting upon Him, I'm meditating on this hymn that we sang in church on Sunday morning.  The words are precious and striking.  In praying over my weaknesses and areas of sin I am prone to fail in, I find comfort and courage here.

Holy Spirit

by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend

 

Holy Spirit. living Breath of God,

Breathe new life into my willing soul.

Let the presence of the risen Lord

Come renew my heart and make me whole.

Cause Your word to come alive in me;

Give me faith for what I cannot see;

Give me passion for Your purity.

Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

 

Holy Spirit, come abide within;

May Your joy be seen in all I do--

Love enough to cover ev'ry sin

In each thought and deed and attitude,

Kindness to the greatest and the least,

Gentleness that sows the path of peace.

Turn my strivings into works of grace.

Breath of God show Christ in all I do.

 

Holy Spirit, from creation's birth,

Giving life to all that God has made,

Show Your power once again on earth;

Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.

Let the fragrance of our pray'rs arise.

Lead us on the road of sacrifice

That in unity the face of Christ

May be clear for all the world to see.  

May the Holy Spirit truly breathe new life into my willing soul. 

May He turn my strivings into works of grace, showing Christ in all I do. 

Give me faith for what I cannot see.

Monday Motivation: Humble Pie

Still struggling to stay on track and keep up with feeding my body well while managing life. The cycle goes on of eating what's easy and lacking, feeling sluggish and lazy, eating more of what's easy and lacking, feeling depressed over making poor choices and seeing the consequences every time I look in the mirror. 

My motivation this week come from the source my victory came from when the return of my health began. There are many sources of motivation that can encourage me for a day or so. But, until I rightly deal with my heart and the issues that cause me to make wrong choices regarding my time, food, and struggles, I will only be motivated for a short while. 

I will not be changed. 

Change comes through repentance.  Change is what I need.

"As for me, I said in my prosperity, 'I shall never be moved.' 

By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong;

you hid your face; I was dismayed." 

Psalm 30:6-7

 

 

These words are my heart right now.  I have become more and more aware over the last few weeks how prideful I am regarding my health and weight loss. I had found the golden key, the perfect plan, the secret formula for what works for my body. If I just followed it then all would work perfectly.  Again. I thought you had given me a special tool that I could use again and again to get what I wanted.

 

I trusted in a plan instead of the lover of my soul and changer of my life.

 

Sadly, even though I realized and rejoiced that it was Christ who had done this work in me while I was in the midst of "my prosperity", I somehow thought I would replicate his work easily on my own through the same outward choices, the plan, never considering the powerful work He had accomplished within me. 

 

The soul-work was the primary component and it isn't something I can replicate on my own.  The body work was a secondary work to the primary soul work that He was accomplishing in me.

 

I believed I would never be moved. I believed I would forever be strong in my choices now that I had a plan. It is obvious that my strength is weak and faulty.  It is only by Christ's favor that I have any prosperities in my life.  It is only by keeping my heart and mind on Him that my choices will honor Him. The results are His doing, the work of the Holy Spirit within me.  He makes my mountain stand strong as a work of His sanctification in my life. 

 

Soul work comes first. And soul work changes with each season.

 

Have you hidden your face, Lord? Because I am dismayed. 

 

Yet, seeing my pride and my sin, I now rightly see my failings.  I see the reality of my struggle to abuse and misuse my time and food to accomplish what only you can do in my life. 

 

Forgive me. 

 

Forgive me for trusting in myself and my plan. Those are outward idols that keep from you.

 

Let me give thanks that in every purposeful bite I will not only restore my health, energy, and strength, but that I will know it is YOU that has enabled me to make the choices behind the what, why, when, and how of those bites. 

 

Let me give thanks that every step I take will strengthen me for the work you have given, not for my vain longings.

 

Let me remember the joy that comes through obedience, discipline, and surrender.

 

It is by your favor I am made strong.  It is by your mercy I am rescued. 

 

It is by your grace I can begin anew.

 

"To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: '

What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!

O LORD, be my helper!'

 

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"

Psalm 30:8-12

Monday Motivation: The Best Sauce

I've been derailed for a good six months now.  That's how old baby is, at least.  Truthfully, it's been longer since pregnancy gave me good excuse to deviate from the weight-loss plan and get into habits of snacking and overeating. I could really use some STRONG motivation.

Yesterday, David and I committed to getting back onto Dr. Furhman's 6 week plan. I've mentioned it before on the blog.  Quick visual here shows what we are aiming for on a daily basis for optimal weight loss.  

My exceptions for nursing are an extra 1/2 cup or so of raw oats and an extra two or so ounces of nuts/seeds for good fats.

One of the things I forget when I'm snacking and allowing myself to eat foods with little nutritional value is how they trigger what Dr. F terms "toxic hunger".  The last couple of weeks I've been feeling very poorly.  My persistent headaches have returned, my jittery feelings at meal time, and just an overall sense of feeling shaky and unsteady between meals.  I knew what those feelings meant. They were the trigger that set me looking for the right path for health two years ago when I needed help.  It's time to get serious about my health again and stop giving in to emotional eating and the wrong cues for hunger. 

So, today, as I cruised through my day following the plan and feeling great because of it, I noticed how GOOD my food was tasting every time I sat to eat it. This was one of the TRUE hunger symptoms I was having contrasted with the toxic hunger I was battling last week.  What a difference!  Dr. F. talks about toxic hunger in this article. I learned of it when reading his book, End of Diabetes. 

All I needed to do was give it a week of experimenting with what I read to know my body was struggling with toxic hunger and was quickly able to remove those symptoms by filling my belly with the nutrient dense foods on the Nutritarian diet.  It took just about the same amount of time this time around for the same results.

So, that lead me to this WONDERFUL remembrance today of just how delicious food is when you are truly hungry!  As I mentioned this to someone, they gave me a quote they heard and I thought it was simply perfect, "Hunger is the best sauce." 

So true!!  And what better motivation than to have your food taste EVEN BETTER than usual?!

Then, I made an incredible (and easy!) sauce for dinner tonight, so I figured that ties right in with that fabulous quote. :D

Here's the link for the recipe.  I hadn't tried this version of vegan cheese sauce yet, but it was tucked away in my recipe binder. It's going to replace the old standby we used before.  I seriously LOVED this sauce.  Maybe it was just the hunger talking, but I was VERY happy there were leftovers for me to enjoy it again this week. :)

Sorry, no pics! Can you BELIEVE that??? 

Personal notes: 
I doubled the recipe (sorta, I didn't measure the potatoes and carrots and ended up with more than would fit in the blender, so after I processed the sauce, we just dipped the leftover potatoes and carrots IN the sauce for taste-testing. ) But everything else I doubled, except the salt.

I did not use the cayenne pepper or the McKay's seasoning in the recipe. I have no idea what that is.

I skipped the olive oil but replaced it with a small handful (maybe a 1/4 cup??) of raw pumpkin seeds in the sauce.

I had to add in quite a bit more water than the recipe called for to get my blender to blend. 

I don't have a Vita-Mix, so that could be the reason I needed more water.  It was still thick and creamy and delicious, though. :) 

We served our sauce over whole wheat pasta noodles (Monday is pasta night), steamed broccoli, green beans and green peas.  All made delicious with this sauce.

I had about a 1/2 cup of pasta tonight and skipped the chocolate Nice Cream that everyone else had for dessert in lieu of two chocolate date balls, which are my one true dessert love. :)

Applesauce Cornbread - The Recipe

This cornbread is a recipe I am asked to give out often.  It's a tweaked version of a recipe I found years ago and really couldn't give you the link if I tried. Sorry!

I made a quadruple batch of this today to use as a topping on a Mexican Casserole.

 

The Mexican Casserole recipe is one that I got from a dear friend and mentor. Linda has it posted on her ever-so-helpful blog.  You'll find all sorts of great stuff there so plan to spend a few minutes looking around while getting the recipe from her. :)  

What I like most about this recipe is how versatile it is.  The filling I made today was primarily made up of leftovers and bits and pieces that needed to get used up in the fridge.  Hence, the reason I was willing to turn Pasta Night (Mondays) into Mexican Night (that one doesn't really have a designated day...yet. ;) )

Mexican Casserole Filling: 
Onion, celery, green chilis (canned), mushrooms, black beans, pinto beans, brown rice, corn, chopped kale (stems removed), canned tomatoes (from the garden!), and homemade taco seasoning. 

Apple Sauce Corn Bread

1 1/4 - 1 1/2  cup unsweetened applesauce
1 flax "egg" or 1 egg
1/2 cup chickpea flour (or other flour of choice)
1 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix applesauce and "egg".  Beat well.  Add dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Bake in parchment paper lined pan 25-35 minutes. 350 degrees.

I use a round cake pan for our corn bread. We generally double this to have enough to feed our family of eleven. But I'm now leaning toward a quadruple batch so I have enough for leftovers.

Today I used part chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour and part spelt flour in my batter.  I was pretty liberal with the applesauce as well. Oh! I also decided to dump in the already opened half-ish bag of frozen corn to the batter.

Cornbread, for all those who love it like I do, is super yummy in so many ways. It's great as a side with soups and chili, topping casseroles and even as a base for that soup or chili if you're into eating your food upside down. :)  This recipe isn't super sweet like some I've tried, but our tastes have acclimated to preferring it that way.

Now, how does all this fit into Monday Motivation? you ask...well, if I squint my eyes and turn my head just right I might come up with something.

I did make two pans of this.  That should give me enough for serving leftovers later in the week (Wednesdays :) ).  I also got to chopping enough that lunch got made alongside of dinner, so that saved me a little time.  All that time saving leaves me room for a bit of activity and, dare I even attempt some kind of formal EXERCISE this week???

Having a hearty, healthy meal to serve is good motivation for a yummy salad bar (also got prepped in my kitchen work this morning) and a yummy dessert of...oh, say...Apple Nachos to go with the meal.
I call that kind of start to the week great motivation to keep it up and not undo all my efforts. Starting the week with healthy meals and some good kitchen work with my little helpers motivates me to keep up the good work for the remainder of the week. :) 

Monday Motivation - 3.3.14

I've got some new motivation that has me more focused than usual.  I'll share what that is soon.

In the meantime, I'll list some goals for this week and get moving on my day.

1.  Morning worship
2.  Morning Ttapp BWP
3.  Hoe-downs after each meal
4.  Stair climbing, increasing by one each day
5.  Eat using 6-week plan plus increasing/targeting folate foods and fats
6.  Afternoon rest - 30 minutes
7.  Evening pilates
8.  Bedtime worship
9.  Sleep by 9pm
10. Vitamins daily

Monday Motivation: Feb. 24, 2014

Starting a new week and a new six week school session after a Sabbath break.  I'm feeling great and excited for a fresh start ahead.

I haven't made much time for blogging.  It just hasn't found it's way to the top of my priority list these days.  I do love being here, but the days are full and I need to pick and choose what is most profitable.

I am thrilled to report that I'm well into the 150s now.  I'm down another pant size as well. I'm so thankful for the progress.

Now, for my motivation and goals this week:

"Good understanding produces favor, but the way of the treacherous is hard. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays folly."  Proverbs 13:15-16

These verses are meaningful to me right now. I have some habits to deal with in how I interact with my children and meditating on this truth is valuable.  I have some struggles I'm praying through right now to prevent bitterness and stress rooting in my heart with relationships with other believers.  I have a battle over my flesh that desires to be lazy and self-indulgent.  I have a wonderful, yet difficult season approaching.  I need my eyes on the Lord more than ever.

As I read these verses, I'm praying that I would find good understanding that would produce favor before the Lord, my disciples (children), and his people.  I'm praying the Lord would change me into a prudent woman that acts with knowledge instead of the folly that comes so naturally.

As I pray these truths into my life, I know I need some actions that will keep me in line with the work the Lord will do to cause them to come to fruition in the days ahead.

1.  Morning worship
2.  Bed by 9:30; wake by 6am
3.  Breakfast with the children; focus on prayer, scripture, and listening to them
4.  Diligence with my food choices and preparation
5.  At least 15 minutes of activity each day; pilates before bed each night
6.  Attending my Put On/Put Off notes for daily encouragement and discipline in overcoming my habits and desires regarding stress and comfort.

Monday Motivation: February 10, 2014

I've gotten behind on blogging.  I figured I'd go through those seasons. It's not always easy to keep all the plates in the air, but I'm working on it.

First, I'm most pleased with my growing habit of an earlier bedtime.  Most every night I've been getting to bed by or before 10pm.  That's a great accomplishment for me.  The fact that I'm so tired and can't keep myself awake later than that testifies to satisfying work I've been able to accomplish each day.  It's only by His grace, and I'm thankful to see yet another positive physical change in me that reflects the work He is doing in my life.

Second, I'm only .5 pound from the next decade!! Over the weekend, I saw a good sized loss.  That was so encouraging.  I feel like I've been in this decade for the longest time. I even started to wonder if I was just meant to live here forever. So be it, if that's what the Lord determines. Yet, I don't think it is.  It just makes perfect sense that I will continue to heal, by way of the excess shedding, when I return to His best plan.  It took me nearly 20 years to build this mess.  Waiting on the Lord's healing is not something I should begrudge. Their is growth and blessing in the wait.

 

 

So, to begin this week, I'll set a few goals. 

 

1. Morning worship

2. Morning weigh-in

3. Chore inspection and breakfast WITH the children

4. Afternoon workout

5. Evening worship

6. Bed by 10pm

7. Strict on the 6 Week plan

8. Follow up on Friday to check with goals list.

 

I'm wanting to get back into reading through Dr. Stoll's book, Alive! this week.  There is so much there for encouragement and blessing. I somehow need to better budget my time so that I can fit in more reading and learning.  I'm at a place right now where I have many issues arising that need my focus and attention and it's getting a little challenging to know which has priority. 

 

The best way to handle it is NOT to give up and be lazy, though. So, armed with my list of goals for the week, I'm off to greet a perfectly Mundane Monday and make it Maaahvalous! 

Monday Motivation: February 3, 2014

This week can only be better than last week.

It's official that our family is fighting some type if virus.  That must be what is making me so tired and worn out.  I think I was asleep before 9pm last night.

Feeling better, mentally, today, though.  Ready to tackle the day and the week.

Started out a little lower on the scale than Friday. That's encouraging. I'm eager to get back to building my habit of afternoon exercise workouts, too. I really saw how letting those go brought me down in my motivation last week.

I read this in my devotions this morning.  I'm going to use it for my motivation this week concerning my efforts to regain optimal health.

"We must eat and drink to the glory of God, and then we wait on him in eating and drinking.  We must receive nourishment for our bodies, that they may be fitted to serve our souls in the service of God, to his honour in this world.  We must taste covenant love in common mercies, and enjoy the Creator while we are using the creature.  We must depend upon the word of blessing from the mouth of God, to make our food nourishing to us; and if our provision be mean and scanty, we must make up the want of them by faith in the promise of God, and rejoice in him, as the 'God of our salvation, though the fit-tree doth not blossom, and there is no fruit on the vine.' "  -Matthew Henry, The Secret of Communion with God

This week's goals:

Morning worship, prayer challenge, blogging
Breakfast on time and WITH the children
Follow 6 week plan strictly
Afternoon workouts at LEAST 3 times this week
Evening stretch
Evening worship and prayer
Bed by 10pm

Praying, Lord, that, by your mercy, I would taste covenant love in common mercies and enjoy you, the Creator, while I am using the creature. Amen!

Monday Motivation: Emotional Eating

Emotional eating has been my biggest battle regarding my health.  When I couldn't control other aspects of my life, I controlled food.  Only, I wasn't really controlling it. It was controlling me.  Addiction is like that.

Some thoughts from Dr. Stoll from the chapter on Emotional Eating in his book, Alive! A Physician's Biblical & Scientific Guide to Nutrition:

"Our absolute dependence on food causes us to recognize that God is our ultimate provider and sustainer.  When we hunger, it is a reminder that we are weak, that He provides for us, and that we should hunger first for a relationship with Him."

In reference to the biblical account of man's fall into sin found in Genesis 3:4-5:

"And for the first time in history, God's provision of food became a vehicle of selfish gain and self-fulfillment. This is the first recorded incidence of emotional eating -- eating for personal gain beyond supplying nutrients for the body."

"Why did she take the fruit and eat it? Not because she was hungry or thought it would be good for her body. No, instead, her fleshly passions were kindled by the simple fruit hanging in a tree. The lust of the flesh - the fruit appeared to be delicious.  The lust of the eyes - the fruit was a delight to the eyes. And the pride of life - it would make them wise. These passions were driving Eve to reach up and take that fruit from the tree. The anticipated pleasure, power, and enjoyment of the fruit quickly eclipsed God's command."

John 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

"The enemy wants you to remain in fruitless cycles that consumer your life and make you powerless, weak, and sick.  Freedom is found in the hope and life of Christ, and we know that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippian 4:19). "

"We all eat emotionally, and God intended that we feel emotions during the eating process -- emotions that will inspire us to a closer relationship with others and Him. Pray today that God will restore this aspect of your life and bring you back into communion with Him with every bite you take."

I'm learning the amazing power in this!  Fasting, eating, understanding TRUE hunger versus toxic hunger, these tools are enabling me to commune with my Lord at a new level of gratitude and praise in my heart.  I am learning to WORSHIP my Creator and Father with every bite I take because I know it was created by His hand for my body, also created by His hand, all for His glory!  I would have never understood how the simple act of eating could bring such joy in comparison to the dread, compulsion, or self-pleasure it once held over me.

Goal Setting for This Week:
1.   Bed by 10pm
2.  Wake by 6am
3.   Personal morning and evening worship
4.   Blogging
5.   Keep up with meal prep
6.   Daily exercise: 20-40 minutes at least 4 times this week
7.   Bread once weekly (replace with small quantities of rice, potatoes, alternate flour)
8.   Computer time limited to morning blogging and any spare time before bed
9.   Simplify the menu - I need to get this set up today, I'm behind and it's only Monday!
10. Stay on budget with groceries

Monday Motivation: Plant-Based is so.....

weird....

hokey...

confusing...

same thing as vegan, right?

Nope.  None of those things. But, I'll admit it, when I first picked up Dr. Furhman's book, End of Diabetes, and read in the first chapter that he wants people to eat 2 pounds of vegetables EVERY DAY for the rest of their lives I made some sarcastic comment (I'm sure, I always do) and tossed it aside.  I didn't even LIKE vegetables. There was no way I was going to eat like that.  Even better, there was NO way my family would go for it.

Makes me giggle at myself when I think of that day. 

Nutritarian sounds so lofty.  We call it "hoity-toity" around here. I wish there was a word for it that didn't sound so elite or conjur up confusion.  I actually prefer to say we eat plant-based or plant-strong because my focus is to make plants, the original foods God created for my body to thrive on, the PRIMARY source of nourishment in our diet.  For me, that takes away some of the restrictive and negative connotations that accompany labels like vegan or vegetarian.  It's also stating my emphasis on choosing nutrient-dense foods versus simply avoiding animal products.  I mean, really, someone can be a vegan and binge on oreos and somehow feel they are doing their body good.  SAD story, folks. (pun intended).

So, given I'm choosing to eat plants as my primary micro and macronutrient food source and given I'm choosing plants and plant-products that are the highest in nutritional content (avoiding simple sugars like syrup, honey, molasses and oils that have lost their nutritional count) I guess Nutritarian, "one who chooses a nutrient-dense life" is a pretty good word even if it's unfamiliar and confusing.

So, let me help make it less confusing for you!  The more I do this, the more I understand how SIMPLE this really is. I mean, c'mon, when Adam and Eve walked the garden, they didn't pull out ANDI score chart and compare apples to oranges, did they?  Nope, they reached out and grabbed what was appealing to their sight and tasted to see that the Lord IS GOOD because every food surrounding them was made to be GOOD.  God said it.  I can do that too.

Take a look at the various charts I put here today. Maybe one will click for you and help you understand how this is simple, even if the transition is hard.  I agree, it IS easier to grab a bag of chips than peel and munch on carrot sticks. But the simplicity comes from seeing your body heal, strengthen, thrive, and reflect back the glory God intended for it to do.  You can do that...with a carrot!! Making simple choices for simple foods bring great glory to our Great God.

I'm including this link to an article by Dr. Scott Stoll, Fruit and Vegetable Diet. Give it a read. I'm so blessed by his writings and how he helps me see that my simple food choices are creating a stronger communion with my Lord.  Maybe you'll see something similar.  Maybe you'll be inspired to set a few goals for your week that will help you add in more of those life-giving food sources God lovingly created for us to enjoy.

While you're doing that, I'll set my own goals for this week.
1.   Bed by 10pm
2.  Wake by 6am
3.   Personal morning and evening worship
4.   Blogging
5.   Keep up with meal prep
6.   Daily exercise (experimenting with that a bit this week)
7.   Bread once weekly (replace with small quantities of rice, potatoes, alternate flour)
8.   Computer time limited to morning blogging and any spare time before bed
9.   Simplify the menu - NO new recipes
10. Stay on budget with groceries

Monday Motivation: How, then, should I live?

I'm gaining great motivation from the book, Alive! by Dr. Scott Stoll.  I'll be sharing some quotes and information he gives in his book. I would love to have a BOX full of copies of this book to hand out to everyone I know.  Hopefully, what I share here will be a motivator for you to get a hold of your own copy.

"Your physical health is temporal, but your spiritual health is eternal. You may gain superior health and a few extra years by eating well, but if you miss Christ, you will lose out on the blessing of eternity in heaven. The good news is that you can be saved through Jesus Christ. The New Testament book of Romans tells us that 'If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved' (10:9).

The most important decision you will make during your life is, how will you respond to Jesus Christ, the free and generous gift of God? The second most important question that naturally flows is, how then should you live each day?

Your answer to the second question should be the driving motivation of your life every day. Colossians 3:17 says that whatever you do or say, you should do it all as a representative of Jesus Christ. All encompasses every aspect of your life: every thought that you think, every minute of every day, and every word that you say.

Your body is the Lord's, and as a wise steward of the body given to you, you should manage it lovingly and utilize it completely for His glory.

Every morning when your feet hit the floor and your eyes see the rising sun crest the horizon, you should make a decision about how you will live and for whom you will live.  Will it be for Christ or for self? Ask yourself, how will I live today?

The bottom line is that we should live in a relationship with God that reflects His glory and enjoy glorifying Him in all things." (Alive!, pp. xv-xvii)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My feet have hit the floor.  And, I'm thankful to say they did it before the rest of the family. Indeed, how will I live today?

My health goals for this week:
1.   Bed by 10pm
2.  Wake by 6am
3.   Personal morning and evening worship
4.   Blogging
5.   Keep up with meal prep
6.   Daily exercise (experimenting with that a bit this week)
7.   Eliminate bread from my diet (working on dealing with some addiction issues there)
8.   Computer time limited to morning blogging and any spare time before bed
9.   Try three new recipes
10. Stay on budget with groceries

I didn't see the scale go down last week. I'm not terribly upset. I was battling some kind of virus, so my activity was low.  Still, I'm eager to work hard this week at building new habits and strengthening those that already prove useful to see some good progress by the week's end.  I'll be posting an official weigh-in and report on my goals on Friday. Care to join me?

I'm arming myself with scripture, the encouragement of godly counsel, the joy of those little faces that greet me throughout the day, and the privilege of knowing that when my eyes open to see a new morning, it is a gift and promise of the work the Lord has to do in my life and the work He has for me to do. 

Here's to a great week!  Please pray for me that I will be steadfast to meet my goals, allowing the Lord to do His work as a result.