First Green Weekend at Work

Working weekends and having NO control over what is being prepared for meals makes living on Maximized Advanced quite a challenge so in an effort to make it work, I am planning ahead. On Fridays I accompany the residents to the mall...which means, you guessed it... MALL FOOD.  Not a lot of options for a woman on a no-grain, no sugar, no junk food kick.  Fortunately my good ol standby, Sarku Japan, was willing to make my "yummy yummy" chicken terryaki WITHOUT the terryaki sauce, completely cutting the sugar.  I ended up with a lovely plate of steamed veggies and grilled chicken.  Crisis averted!

Then came dinner...Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Paninis.  Ok, so I can make the soup work but the carb loaded panninis, not so much.  Instead I made myself a lovely oragnic mixed greens salad with sliced yellow squash, tomatoes, a little bit of tuna, sliced almonds, a little bit of cheese, and topped it off with a great new organic dressing (less than 1g of sugar) that I found (at Walmart of all places!).

So needless to say, I made it work....today.  Kidding! I plan on making it work ALL weekend.  I already know they've planned to have delicious, I mean KRYPTONITE, pancakes for breakfast in the morning. My plan?  Eat BEFORE work.  I might just even make my own Coconut Flour pancakes (as per the Max Living recipe)!  Lunch should be simple as its very light and filled with options like fresh cut veggies, cheeses, tuna, nuts, etc.  Dinner...Unsure.  Will let you know!

I have had quite a few requests for various recipes I have used thus far into my journey and I am more than happy to share! Here's the first for you: Kale Chips!

Kale Chips:
1 Bunch of Kale
1 Tbsp of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Sea Salt (to taste)

-Pre-heat oven to 375*
-Thoroughly wash the kale and dry.  Separate kale leaves from stalk and rip into sizeable pieces.
-Place pieces of kale onto a cookie sheet.  Drizzle pieces with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt (you may sprinkle sea salt on after baking if you so desire).
-Place cookie sheet in oven and back for 10-15 minutes or until kale is lightly crisp.  If you overdo them, even if not to burnt, they will taste burnt....trust me!

Now don't go expecting these to be your guilt free scapegoat from potatoe chips... because, well, they dont taste at all like potato chips and take a few bites to get used to texture and taste but they actually are quite good!  The best place I have found, so far, to get kale in bunches is Whole Foods.  I was able to get a big bunch for $2.50 and didnt even use the whole bunch for the chips.  A few stalks yielded quite a few chips so just keep that in mind!

The finished product. This wasn't MINE per-se, but I liked the way the picture capture the essence of the kale. :P

Well kids, I must say adieu as I am due for another day of this adventure in a few small hours! I pray you are all having a wonderful week.  Try the Kale Chips and let me know your thoughts or suggestions for how they can be further dressed up!

        

      Peace and Greens! - Ash

Going Green... A New Way of Life!

The life of this blog is about to take a dramatic turn.  I have started out on a new journey to health and wholeness and have decided to *gasp* BLOG about it! Many have asked me various questions about what I'm doing and this is my place to answer those.  Many have asked for the recipes I have recently started using and this will be my place to post them. Be assured that I will also post many link to interesting "green living" websites, articles, and more.

 I am by now means an authority on this... I'm simply an everyday woman seeking to live my life to the best of God's glory, which means living as clean and simply as possible.  It's all about treating your body as His temple. He hasn't created us in His image for us to abuse that. Nor has he made our bodies the "temple of the Holy Spirit" for us to go around vandalizing it under the socio-acceptable motto of "live for today because we might not get tomorrow."  We have a a responsibility as human beings, as God's creation, to honor him by honoring our bodies...meaning, we NEED to take care of ourselves! 

This doesn't mean skipping out on fastfood here and there or trading your favorite Coke for a Diet (which is killing you slowly, by the way).  It doesn't mean hitting the gym 2-3 times per month...it doesn't mean doing just enough to "get by".  It means pursuing whole health and wellness, both physically and spiritually, with excellence. Excellence takes work....but nothing that was ever worth having came easily. 

This IS your life.  This IS your moment in time to make a difference.  Are you who you want to be?  If not, guess what?  YOU CAN CHANGE.  Starting right here, right now.  Make a life altering decision to depart from the overwhelming status quo of just existing and join those of us who want our lives to make a difference and who really want to enjoy all the best God has for us.  Join me as I wander out of the high-fructose corn syrup sarcoffagus I've inhabited most of my life and seek the high-quality natural solution lifestyle that will serve as my fighting force against the genetic terrorists I'm faced with (heart disease, diabetes, renal disease, arthritis, lung issues, high blood pressure, and more...bet your family could be found with alot of these as well!).

So here we go friends...into the wild GREEN yonder!  The time for change is now.

Back in Action

I realize that it has been a hot second since I last updated my own blog, so my expectations of anyone reading this are fairly gauged at "low" but am hoping to build this back up.  I have been a bit more focused on Java Journeys with Kacy and have been LOVING it.  If you havent had a chance to visit that blog, please head over and check it out. We visit coffee shops all over St. Louis and review them and can I say, we've had a blast! I think you'd enjoy it. www.javajourneystl.blogspot.com

Between March (my last post) and now not much has been missed.  Infact the only thing of note that happened during this time was Joy's (my mini dachshund) emergency spinal surgery after finding she had a herniated disk in her back.  Her 2 month post-surgery date is swiftly approaching and I'm excited to say that she is doing wonderfully and has regained function in her back legs (she had lost it completely pre-surgery).  She is getting stronger each day.  God has definitely shown Himself faithful in all areas of this situation.

I'm extremely excited and expectant for what God is doing in this season of my life.  I have taken on the planning of the Run for Mercy 5K and Family Run this year and have already been so amazed at what God is doing with me and my team during this process.  I just know that this event will be the biggest in RFM St. Louis history and will move this event into a new exciting place for the years to come. You will most likely hear much about this through the next few months, so bare with me and pray for me!

I have just recently started a Wednesday night Beth Moore study "David: Seeking a Heart Like His" and for any of you that have done one of her studies know that she is just an awesome vessel of knowledge and wisdom on Biblical matters.  She exegites like none other. Her zeal for Truth is inspiring.  I have been so blown away already by this study and am day by day feeling my passion for Truth further burn.  If I could offer any piece of advice to you right now, it would be to dig into Scripture through a study like this.  Allow yourself to step out of your Sunday School comfort zone and be challenged to plunge deeper into His-story.  If you've never done a study, don't be intimidated by the thought of it or think "that's too advanced for me".  If you're faithful to it, He will be faithful to reveal Himself to you in portions that are sized out just for you.

Here's more about this specific study:

I have so much to touch on regarding this study but I am going to end the post here, as I must be getting ready to head to the gym. Can't miss some great stretch in Body Flow (yoga/pilates/tai chi). No lie, this class is my new favorite.  If you live near a Gold's Gym here's what you need to do.  Run, don't walk, to it. Get signed up and head to this class.  They offer it at nearly all Gold's.  Yee are now without excuse. :)

Blessings!

Out for the Count

After spending the last week down and out, sicker than a dog, I can finally report that my wellness percentage is at about a 93%. I dont know WHAT this strain of whatever is but its NOT good.  I ended up with a diagnosis of an Upper Respiratory Infection, but believe me, it affected much more than just the upper portion of my body.  I had to endure aching, fevers, consistent dull nausia, and more.  Its definitely comparable to housing internal terrorists. YIKES.

I say all of this as an explanation of why I havent updated this in awhile... I just couldnt get my body to care! I'll be honest!  About all I could do was sleep and watch tv... not much brain matter required there right?  I couldnt even read because of all of the pressure behind my eyes due to the congestion, it hurt to even think. Now, before I risk sounding like a complete whiner, I'll stop.  I know, I know, you're thinking 'Ok, Ash, we get it... it was bad".

SO, onto better things.  I have officially finished Crazy Love.  I know, I was supposed to do this thing one chapter at a time but after the withdrawal of not reading for over a week, I started and couldnt stop! Being that as the case, this post will serve as a brief overview of my thoughts of the last 3 chapters.

Chapter 8: Profile of the Obessessed




- " The Holy Spirit stirs in us a joy and peace when we are fixated on Jesus, living by faith, and focused on the life to come."

How obsessed are you with Jesus?  Sounds odd right?  But seriously, does He inundate your thinking processes to the point that everything you do is in honor of Him and reflection of His heart?  In this chapter, Mr. Chan points out several ways in which Christians who are obsessed with Christ live immeasurably different lives than those who arent.  In our society the word obsessed is look down upon because it has the conotation of "crazy"...but think about it, aren't we supposed to be visibly different from our secular counterparts? Isnt loving an invisible being and living by His statutes viewed as a bit crazy in light of our "I gotta see it to believe it" culture? So by all accounts, we Christians are crazy anyway, so why not go all out?!
Here are some specific quotes that really threw me for a loop... I hope they do the same for you:

-  " People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure.  Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back."

-  " People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him."

-  "People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers.  Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they so, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world."

-  "Our goal as people who follow Christ should be no less than becoming people who are madly in love wth God."

So, what's wrong with being alittle obsessed?

Chapter 9: Who really lives that way?



This chapter gives brief looks into the lives of our fellow Christians who, over time, have lived out an obsessive pursuit of the Savior. People such as Rich Mullins and Marva Dawn have refused to indulge their own needs in order to serve and love the less fortunate.  They have lived life eternally minded. I love reading stories of such people not only for the inspiration but for the confirmation that God requires us to live this way but will ultimately reward us for living this way.  It isnt about the personal reward, but the rewards that when we sow into the lives of others, God will bring that seed to full fruit in His kingdom.

What a difference we could make for the Kingdom if we all really lived this way!


Chapter 10: The Crux of the Matter



Is this.... 1 John 4:19 - "We love because He first loved us."  It's time that we get out of our perfect little "Christian bubbles" and begin to love the unloveable, reach the unreachable, and determine that ALL are worth saving...not just the pretty or easily accessible. We have to be as crazy about Him as He is about us. We have to live in obedience to His will, not waiting for it to be revealed, but as its revealed.  He has given us the basic statutes for a life lived in light of eternity, so what are we waiting for?

-  "I urge to to consider and actually live as though each person you come into contact with is Christ."

-  "But true faith means holding nothing back.  It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises."

-  "We never grow closer to God when we just live life; it takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness."

So get out there and love like crazy!

What are you doing right now?

I cannot believe it is already Thursday!  Where has this week gone to?!  It pains me that my time off has already come and gone and I am just now getting to my dose of Crazy Love for this week. BUT, the time certainly wasnt wasted. 

I found a whole new book that I must recommend.  No lie, I digested this book in a day.  It's that amazing!  It's called Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo.  This true story of Todd's son, Colton, serves as an inspirational look at God's hand and the promise of Heaven.  Colton had a visit to Heaven during a life threatening surgery and this book recalls of the details from this 4 yr old's perspective, as told by His dad. I could NOT put it down.  If you have questions about Heaven or wonder if Heaven exists, READ THIS NOW.



Now, onto this week's thoughts on Crazy Love!

In chapter 7, Mr. Chan challenges our thoughts on living out love. Are we doing things that are "safe", to show God's love?  Or are we trusting that, in all situations, God is going to show up and therefore we are doing things out of faith in His hand...even if they aren't always the safest? The beginning of this chapter gives multiple scripture based examples of men and women who God used, who weren't perfect by any means, but had undying faith and therefore God used to exalt Him. His best cannot happen when we take root in our comfort zones.  We have to be willing to place full faith in Him and step out, even when that is scary.

   - "Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers."

Are we predictable?  Do our outreaches end at feeding the homeless, an occassional visit to a widow, a few flowers sent to a funeral, and taking meals to shut ins? Because if that's all the world sees us do, then yes, we ARE predictable.  Those activities, while beneficial to the recipients, are generally safe.  Think of the impact we could make if we decided to not be so "safe" in our outreach.  What if we got down in the dirt and showed love to the completely unlovely? Jesus did.  What if we actually pushed past stereotypes and loved people because HE first loved us? What if we got out of our safe little Christian bubbles and actually sought to reach the LOST..and not just the backslidden or easily accessible?  Oh the options!

Ministries all over the world are doing this very thing, so why arent we?  XXXChurch is reaching out to those in the Adult Entertainment industry by setting up Bible booths at porn shows, offering church services to Vegas visitors, providing a way out for prostitutes, strippers, and ex-porn stars and providing accountability to those suffering a porn addiction.  This ministry is showing God's love to those who the church deems "unsaveable and dirty".  Mercy Ministries is reaching out to lost and broken women who have been told by the church that, they too, are past saving. The church doesnt know how to deal with the ugly truths of eating disorders, self mutilation, addictions, sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancy, and more.  But by reaching out to these women, Mercy is showing God's mercy and providing hope and healing, transforming lives and restoring hope.  The founders of these ministries saw the need to get "uncomfortable" and step out of the box to live out love in faith.  How much more could be done to further the kingdom if we all lived out love in this way?

  - "Christians today like to play it safe.  We want to put ourselves in situations where we are safe "even if there is no God." But if we truly desire to please God , we cannot live that way.  We have to do things that cost us during our life on earth but will be more than worth it in eternity."

The chapter concludes by asking "What are you doing right now that requires faith?".... So think about it, what, right now, are you doing that is stretching you to the point of fully relying on God to accomplish. Anything?  If the answer is nothing, I challenge you (and me as well) to push ourselves out of the place of comfort and into the place of faith. Let's start not making sense to the world.  Let's live out our love in faith.

When You're Snowed In....

I'm writing this from the frozen tundra that is St. Louis.  While some areas got hit fairly hard, Fenton (in particular) dodged the bullet.  Don't get me wrong, we got quite a bit of ice and sleet but on the snow end we ended up with only about 4 inches, where other areas had 12+.  Kind of a bummer considering the snowpocalypse that the meteorologists were predicting.  I have been stuck at home for the past two days and for what?! 4 inches of snow?!  Bah.

 I finally couldnt take the cabin fever anymore and ventured out for a Zumba class this afternoon.  Made it there safely and am SO glad I went.  I just started Zumba last week but am already hooked! I'm hoping along with my other crazy workouts, this will help me get to my final goal.  Have any of you ever taken Zumba, and if so, what were your results?

One bonus of being stuck indoors was being able to catch up on some movie watching and getting some extra reading done.  Have any of you seen "Burried" w/ Ryan Reynolds? WOW. Some kind of crazy but I definitely recommend it....even despite the fact that I have an (so I've been told) irrational fear of being burried alive.

I also saw "The Social Network" for the first time and was highly impressed.  What a crazy story behind the conception of Facebook.  Not only did I learn new things about Facebook and Napster, but also about Victoria's Secret.  The screen play was great and the acting was actually legit. (And...P.s. Justin Timberlake is in it... and, well, I got to have a girly crushing moment lol)  I highly recommend this one!

So on top of movie watching, fire having, game playing, puzzle solving, and DVR'ing, I also got in not 1 but 2 chapters of Crazy Love. I know I normally go into long descript over each chapter but for chapter 6 I have chosen just to interact with a few quotes and ask for your feedback on your reaction to the book thus far.

Chapter 6 is entitled "When You're In Love" and basically compares our actions in human love with our actions in spiritual love toward God. How do you act when you're in love?  Do those same actions transcend to your relationship with God?  Do you think about Him, talk about Him, and want to be with Him all the time? You should. And if you don't? Don't force it... here's why:

   - " It does no good to muster up more love for God, to will yourself to love Him more.  When loving Him becomes an obligation , one of many things we have to do, we end up focusing more on ourselves."

At no point in time did God ever demand that we love Him or oblige us to do so.  We have free will for a reason.  He created us with it and certainly hopes we will use it to love Him but He does not force our hands.  When our love comes from a heart motive of obligation then guess what, it's no good to Him.  Who wants someone to love them because the object of their affection feels forced to do so?  Not me. "I only love you because I have to", "I'm only with you because I'm afraid to be alone", "I'm only spending time with you because (so and so) told me I had to".  Doesnt feel so great does it?  Do we somehow think that God is exempt to feeling hurt at our forced time with Him and feigned love for Him? If we're created in His image, including our ability to experience emotions, then yes, God feels the same hurts that we do and our inability to love Him with our full hearts hurts the heart of God.  Think about that.

The great thing is, we're not condemned in our inability to love correctly.  We're are flawed beings who are incapable of doing anything perfectly, including loving anyone.  But, Mr. Chan points this out " The fact is, I need God to help me love God."  He IS love, so who better to help us give love than the author of it.  There's no shame in asking God to make us better lovers of Him.  He wants us to love Him and I believe, that if we come to Him with humble and expectant hearts, that He will reveal to us the ways in which we can love Him better.  There's hope!

Chan points out that our pursuit of loving God is directly opposed to our pursuit of sin.  If we are intensely invested in our pursuit of loving God, our focus will be on that and not on giving into the sins of the flesh. Makes sense right?  It's all a matter of focus, perspective, and desire.  If your focus is the world, the world will drive you.  If you perceive that all you have to live for is you, yourself, and you, you will dwell in a self centered existence.  If you desire to attain the love of those who are earth bound, and give no thought to loving the Divine, you will inevitably live in a state of constent dissapointment.  But focus on Christ and His desires will drive you.  Perceive that we are only visitors here on earth, and you will live as each day is your last to spread the message of the gospel.  Desire to, with His help, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and your inate human desire to live in sin with be derailed. Got that?



To conclude:

 I think this really sums it all up.... I want to fall in love with YOU.

Blessings,

Ash

What's in your ziplock bag?

Have you ever taken a moment to consider what you're giving to God.  Your life, and everything in it, is a gift from God and what you do with that life is your gift back to Him.  Do you go to church every Sunday and just sort of go through the motions of singing when everyone else sings, bow in prayer when instructed, or partake of a matza cracker and Welches grap juice when the tray is passed?  What about throughout the week, do you still serve Him outside of the 4 walls of the church, and if so, what does that servitude look like? 

In chapter 5 of Crazy Love Mr. Chan challenges readers to consider what kind of love they are giving to the One who IS love. He begins by ruffling a few feathers by presenting His view that lukewarm Christians, Christians who half heartedly serve God but also half heartedly serve the world, are not Christians at all.  You might find this view to be fairly presumptuous, being that ultimately God will judge the lives of both believers and unbeliever and therefor it is not our job, however before you can jump on the train traveling down the "Offensive Line", He gives thorough scriptural evidence of the Lord's disgust for the lukewarm variety "Christian".  The Scriptures warn of trying to serve two masters, of having no God's before the One God, of our God being a jealous God, of God spitting out the lukewarm....need I go on?  Mr. Chan actually dissects the passage on "spitting out" and reveals that the greek word for spitting isnt merely a popcorn kernal pytalise but rather a "gaging, hurling, or wretching."  Are you ok with being "hurled" out of God's mouth?  Take time to read through the Gospels and you will most likely come to the same conclusion that he did: "My conclusion? Jesus' call to commitment is clear: He wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling himself a "Christian" without following Christ is absurd."  Following Christ = following all that God has commanded...not just a few things...all things.






We shouldnt desire to follow Christ or to follow His commands out of fear for our salvation.  God doesnt ask us to serve Him out of guilt or fear.  He wants us to LOVE Him and therefore follow His commands out of that love.
                   - "God doesnt just want us to have good theology; He wants us to know and love Him."


So here comes the doozie of a look at the everyday Christian's approach to giving to God:

    - "It's easy to fill ourselves up with other things and then give God whatever is left.  Hosea 13:6 says, 'When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied they became proud; then they forgot me.' God gets a scrap or two only because we feel guilty for giving Him nothing.  A mumbled 3 minute prayer at the end of the day, when we are already asleep.  Two crumpled-up dollar bills thrown as an after thought in the church's fund for the poor.  Fetch, God!"

Wow.  Were you struck and humbled by this as much as I was? How true this is.  I dont think that we do this intentionally, atleast not all of us, but I think we get so caught up in the busyness of our lives that we sit down at the end of the day and realize, "Oh ya, God, I forgot about you today....Here's a thought or prayer or donation for You. Thanks!" 

     - " Leftovers are not merely inadequate; from God's point of view (and lest we forget, He is the only one that matters) , they're evil. Let's stop calling it "a busy schedule" or "bills" or "forgetfulness". It's called evil. "

It takes a renewing of the mind from thinking consistently earthbound to thinking and living in light of eternity. The enemy is sneaky and throws whatever he can into our path to keep us forgetting to remember who we serve.  If he can get us to serve money, or career, or family, or success, then he's done his job of turning our eyes from Jesus and turning our eyes to him. Remember that we are only on earth on a day pass.  This is not our home and we were never meant to try and make it as such. We as Christians are in desperate need of a paradigm shift.

Point blank, NOTHING should be more important to us than our relationship with God.  He is not an added element to our lives... He should be the main element in our lives.  He should not be an after thought, but an only thought.

Let's make a plan to quit serving our Majestic Creator a ziplocked bag full of frostbitten faithfulness.  It's time to give Him our first fruits and not our brown bananas.