switching it up

With the weather turning cold I've actually been chilly this past week! That is unusual for me. Sky depends on me for warmth! As a result I've been desiring hot things to eat and I've had oatmeal each morning this week. Taste buds are changing; I've had mine w/berries, a TBS of raw almond butter & a TBS of ground flax seed. Before it would have been butter, salt & pepper w/a little half and half; or just mixed w/cheese. I've been eating my oatmeal that way since I was a kid. Very rarely with anything sweet.

Well, I needed a change today. Pancakes sounded really good. Like my oatmeal, I've eaten them differently. As a child it was Bisquick mix pancakes with Mrs.Buttersworth's pancake syrup and a big glass of milk; then I would be asleep within the hour. As an older teen I started putting just a sprinkle of sugar on top after buttering them. Didn't make me quite as sleepy. As an adult I've taken to putting peanut butter or applesauce or both on them and then I don't fall asleep at all. Now I know what made me fall asleep in the first place AND I know how to put some real nutrition into the pancakes! I decided to give my old pancake recipe a makeover. Although this updated version is not vegan, it is gluten free, has protein, fiber and won't cause a blood sugar spike (unless you put syrup on them).

I had mine (pictured above) w/ a cup of mixed organic berries, yum! I also had 3 w/ a little bit of almond butter, very nice! This breakfast hit the spot (won't put me to sleep) and with an orange to go will it, will hold me till lunch! Best part? Great nutrition that won't go straight to fat.

This is my new Silver Dollar Garbanzo Pancakes recipe - TASTY!
Simple recipe makes 18-24, 2" diameter pancakes, serves 2 adults or 3 children:
1 cup garbanzo flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp stevia powder-optional (this is not Truvia or Splenda, this is the herb stevia)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
(I think next time I'll add 2 TBS ground flax seed, too, just to get the DHA in there)
Mix the dry ingredients in a 1 quart mixing bowl then add:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg
Mix well and let rest 5 minutes while your griddle is heating to hot (my guess is 300*)
Spoon batter onto very clean, HOT griddle (no spray or oil) and cook first side until you can easily slide your spatula underneath (4-5 minutes for the first ones on the griddle, 3-4 min. for the rest of them)
Turn over and cook another minute, remove to warm plate while you cook the next set

Garbanzo flour only browns very lightly.

All the essential ingredients can be found at most any grocery store.

Don't they look nice?

a taste for chocolate

So, my hubby, Sky, still needs plenty of calories. He has a very physical job plus he works hard physically at home (maintaining the house, outbuildings & acreage, getting wood cut for the winter while working in a plant with five floors and only two freight elevators, he burns serious calories). I baked brownies to pack in his lunch. The fragrance got me going on chocolate. I've been taught to tell myself, "It smells better than it tastes." I've discovered this is true...MOST of the time...but then there are times when you just need to get over the hump.

I used a boxed brownie mix with regular white flour, regular sugar, regular cocoa, 2/3 cup of oil & 2 eggs...all things that would set me back. My pain level has finally been going down over the past 10 days (more on that a bit later), I don't want to do anything to mess that up so, what to do? I don't want to say no to chocolate. The LORD helped me:

1 frozen banana (I froze a very ripe peeled banana in 1 inch chunks wrapped tightly in plastic wrap)
2 chopped dates (have to chop them up BEFORE you put them in the processor)
2 TBS organic cocoa (picked mine up at Nature's Best in Sheboygan at a decent price, they have it at Festival Foods also)
I might add a couple drops of vanilla extract or vanilla powder the next time I do this but, maybe not.

Put all these in my small processor and let it go till it was smooth...and had a chilly sweet very chocolaty treat with the consistency of a Culver's custard treat that hit the spot and was too rich to finish! Um mm good! No fat, plenty of micro nutrients, a bit of fiber, devoid of artificial anything that supplies pain encouraging toxins to my joints AND very VERY tasty!

Thank You Jesus!

Pain: I was told that as my body starts to clear out enough of the toxins that have built up in the fat, my pain level will start to decrease. (I'm expecting about four years until this process will be mostly complete.) Well, I've been eating 'clean' since mid-May and about 10 days ago the pain in my joints (shoulders, elbows, wrists especially) has finally begun to diminish. My knees still hurt when I'm on them but when I'm not on them the pain has dramatically decreased. I cannot tell you what a relief it is. I've actually been able to sleep much better at night because of it.

Thank You Jesus! You created our bodies; the psalmist says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" and I continue to be amazed by You and Your wonderful works!

Redo...

It's been a very, very...VERY long time since I last posted to this blog. I'm going to start again. A 'redo' so to speak.

I haven't a whole lot of time to put into this but, I think I have something to share.

I'm on a journey to better health. Lower weight, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, lower pain level, no more CPAP, no more asthma, no more eczema and able to walk in the woods again are my objectives. I began in mid-May and already I'm experiencing seven of the nine objectives.

My end goals are to walk in the woods pain free at my ideal weight and maintain that status for as long as the LORD thinks I should be this side of heaven.

If blogging through this process allows me to gain some accountability and provide encouragement to someone else, my purpose here will have been accomplished.

So, stay tuned...and feed my fish...I'm sure they're hungry after all this time.

Peace!

(By the way, as of this morning I'm down 58 pounds. Yay!)

Just sharing...I think it's relevant to what's going on...

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by MARSHA BURNS:

Watch for and take advantage of opportunities to defeat a haughty spirit. These opportunities will come suddenly in various situations and circumstances, but you can quite easily gain the victory by clothing yourself with humility. For indeed, I give grace to the humble, says the Lord. I will empower you to defuse explosive situations by manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. The haughty spirit is a weapon and even a stronghold formed against you, but the weapons I have given you are more subtle and powerful.

2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds

Fear, Anger, Humility and Acceptance

So, I have to return to the question from my previous post, "So is it wrong for Him to expect time and character?"

I jumped to far ahead in the thought process with my previous response.

God does not do anything wrong. Therefore, His expectation could not be wrong.

Invoking God's anger has many other things to consider.

Implying a whole lot of things which remind me that His thoughts and ways are higher than mine AND that He is ultimately unfathomable. So, I will keep the further processing of these thoughts to myself for the time being.

What I can do is listen to His Word. His Word also tells me that He becomes angry slowly when I continue to doubt Him. His Word tells me that I must have faith and trust in Him as a little child does with everything in the formative years. His Word tells me that His perfect love casts out fear.

Something that continues to resonate with me at the moment is the Saul to Paul story, in particular Acts 26:14(b) ... It is hard for you to kick against the goads. You remember, Saul thought he was zealous for the Lord when he was in fact zealous for the traditions of men. He was motivated by fear and anger to stomp out the Jesus following heretics. He held the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen, giving approval of the crowd's actions, and likely feeling completely justified. Saul spent a lot of energy on this quest. When Jesus had enough, Saul experienced the fear of God ... and was transformed into the apostle, Paul. Jesus also revealed that He had been making it hard for Saul to go the wrong way. He had placed goads behind him so that Saul would only go forward.

Goads are part of a harness used to capture, control and utilize the strength of an ox or horse or other animal for the purposes of the owner. The Word says we (the righteous and the wicked) were created for His purposes.

When Ananias was given the task to go to Saul and pray for him so that Jesus would restore his eyesight, Ananias was a bit nervous and reminded the Lord that Saul was a 'bad guy' ... and he was from Ananias' perspective ... Jesus told him to go anyway and made it clear, "This man is My chosen instrument to proclaim My name..." Saul was a harnessed instrument, being driven by God for His purposes. And He further reveals that as the transformed Paul, he would continue to suffer.

Ananias was also harnessed. He went where God sent him and accomplished God's will for him in that circumstance ... and I'm sure Ananias had a choice whether or not to suffer anxiety over this task (or not) while he was being obedient. A choice, a challenge, a struggle in the flesh with the natural human perspective as opposed to the spiritual perspective. Which makes me think of Jonah...

All this gives me a different perspective on suffering. We are all harnessed for His purposes. Sometimes we suffer because we are fighting God's will (Jonah, Saul). Sometimes we suffer God's will for us (Jesus, Paul).

Somehow all this has to do with fear, anger, humility, acceptance and obedience. I've got a lot more thinking to do now.

Jesus, I confess I'm feeling fearful because my eyes are on natural things instead of spiritual things. I confess I've let this fear bubble up into anger that I've expressed inappropriately. I want to trust You like a little child does. Cause me to do that. Cause me to keep my eyes on You. Cause me to submit to the harness of Your purposes for me. I don't want to kick against the goads. Your Word tells me that You will never leave me or forsake me, that You are yoked together with me in this harness and Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. Teach me to walk in step with You and Your purposes. I turn away from my kicking against the goads, I turn away from fleshy things, I turn away from my own way and I accept Your harness, Your purposes for me. Thank You for loving me perfectly and casting out my fears.

Presents or Presence?

There is someone in my life who thinks that big presents are good. They are. Especially if they are desired by the one on the receiving end, but...

What if the one on the receiving end desires something intangible even more than the tangible?

What if the one on the receiving end desires particular character qualities?

What if the one on the receiving end desires time?

Perhaps the one on the receiving end will ultimately be disappointed?

I suppose they would be if they received a tangible gift instead of what they truly desired.

I value qualities like commitment, honesty, integrity, transparency in a relationship. I willingly interact with people who exhibit these traits even if I disagree with them on serious issues.

Perceived lack of these qualities severely inhibits my willingness to interact with a person on any but the most superficial level.

I wonder...in several different places in the Bible God expresses His desire for time and character from His children rather than a tangible sacrifice or offering. Do you suppose He is disappointed?

Disappointment comes from unmet expectations.

He knows everything, being omniscient, so, His expectation can't be off.

No, I don't think He's disappointed when He doesn't get what He desires most, I think maybe He's sad.

Is it wrong for Him to expect time and character? He is, after all, the One who created us.

Then maybe He feels angry when His expectation isn't met?

I'm glad He reveals in His Word that He is 'slow to anger and abounding in love.'

I'm comforted to know He says 'My grace is sufficient for you'...

Lord God, I come boldly before Your throne of grace, to receive the mercy and find the grace I need for this day, and this circumstance, and this troubled relationship. Where would I be without You?

Feelings...

Been hearing a lot about feelings lately...how they're not the thing to make decisions by...they're not in control of your life, etc., etc. It's all true but, it doesn't make experiencing them any easier.

I've been feeling a lot of feelings lately.

It's hard not to take some things personal even when someone says, "Don't take it personal."

It's hard to feel sad and be encouraging at the same time.

It's hard not to let your old baggage influence your interpretation of your current circumstances.

It's hard when you're disappointed with someone you've trusted.

It's hard when someone you love is misunderstood.

It's hard when you're misunderstood.

It's hard when you have to sit still and wait and trust God for what is best in the long run.

It's hard sometimes.

It just is.

There's an old song...I know Whom I have believ-ed and am persuaded that He is a-ble to keep that which I've com-mitted unto Him against that Day.

Hangin' on...