my THM journey so far

When I read Proverbs 31 and Titus 2, passages that specifically list the accomplishments, activities, labors, ministry, and industriousness of godly women, it makes me think that maybe we as the Church have missed something very powerful...God wants His daughters to be equipped and ready to fulfill our ordained roles, doing His work. If we are too heavy (weight and spirits!), depressed, discouraged, sick, diseased, and energy-less, how can we fulfill all of this?!?! 

I love THM and all that it has brought back to my life! Thank You, Lord!

I bought the $35 book at an Above Rubies Ladies Retreat at Camp Baldwin in Elberta, Alabama, last February. Nancy Campbell prayed over me that week, that God would send my Boaz soon and enable me to birth children for God's glory, not just have spiritual children in my line of work/ministry. I spent last summer reading, working in my garden, and catching up in the office. Then Cori (older sister) asked me if I had heard about THM, that she had already started on the THM journey. I laughed and told her that I had the paper version, but hadn't started it yet.

I started reading the 600+ page THM book pretty soon afterwards. The rhema word that the Lord used to spur me towards this was that He wanted me to clean my body-Temple out, in the same fashion as He had commanded the priests to clean the Tabernacle and Temple out daily. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (NASB).  He told me that His Temple, my body, has been trashed, and that I had done it. I knew He meant business, so I spiritually saluted and dove in. 

I started on my Trim Healthy Mama journey officially on August 5, 2013. To date, I have lost 45 pounds, the first 35 pounds dropping off pretty fast as I cut out my coffee creamer, breads/muffins/rolls (all white flour products), white potatoes, corn, and tandem fueled home-cooked meals. My cravings started to disappear, especially my evening after-work cravings. Drinking coffee without my go-to creamer was the most difficult change, but after three months or so, I had made that transition smoothly with help from some good flavored K-cup flavors.

I have renewed vigor and valor, energy and strength. I feel good, good, good!!! Basically, THM is a low-glycemic index diet, not low carb or low fat. It is based on the idea that our bodies are NOT made to tandem fuel all the time (there is a place for "crossover" meals but just not constantly). So my meals are either fat-based (S meals) or carb-based (E meals). Delicious food and a new way of cooking and eating for us all the way, baby!

As a side benefit (and since I do most of the cooking and meal planning), Mom has lost about 40 pounds, and Tricia has lost over 25. No more fast-food lunches, no more shakes and donut treats, no more feeling yucky. Yes! to a variety of salads and wraps, dark chocolate and nuts, homemade smoothies and signature drinks. I am not hungry. 

In the beginning, I received a lot of recipe help from bloggers like Gwen's Nest and Stacy Makes Cents. Then Pinterest recipe boards started popping up, and other food bloggers took up the gauntlet. The FB support group for THM is tremendous (although HUGE now!), and Cori and I have hosted several local support meetings for the ladies in the Florida Panhandle area to meet and encourage one another. The next one is coming up in June. I am fueled by a desire to help point women towards what the Lord has helped me to do, get their house--their Temple--in order for the Lord, to empower them to do what He has called them to do, and fan into flame His gifts that have been latent within their hearts. To God be the glory, great thing He has done...and is doing!

My weight loss is not just a few pounds, nor is it baby-weight or other short-term weight. My weight is lifelong weight. I have been almost 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds for almost twenty years now. What has taken a long time to accumulate should take awhile to come off if it is to stay off. 

I've come a long way, and I am not done yet!

sunday before next

Today, I intentionally did no house chores. Yes, indeed. No cleaning or laundry or spending the day in the kitchen. Purposely.

Instead, I woke early and read for an hour. I am tackling the Wahl Protocol book (to find answers for Tricia's autoimmune issues) and Brennan Manning's book, again. :-) 

On a side note...I happened to see that the movie about Rich Mullins was at Walmart. I knew that it was being made, but I didnt realize that it was coming out so soon. It was exactly how I thought it would be. Manning played in several scenes; he made a big impact on Mullins' life and healing from life wounds. The music and story were splendid.

Back to this morning: I brewed some ginger and cinnamon tea and made toast for breakfast. I gave Meg a soothing doggie bath first off. She has been having an allergy attack of some sort, scratching and gnawing at herself. We've got a new soap bar that I tried on her. Then I gardened and planted and weeded off and on all day. I planted my tomato plants (three kinds), green bell pepper plants, daisies, begonias, impatiens, and henna coleus. Blew leaves off the back patio and set it up for grilling. Also cleaned up the front porch and planted the pots there.

Came in long enough to whip up a new-to-me recipe for shrimp and crab étouffée over oven-baked tilapia and steamed cauliflower. For my first try, it was delicious!!! I was so pleased...have been planning that meal for weeks now!

So plans for revamping the front street-scape are starting to take shape. Mom got the first cherry red Knock Out rose bush yesterday which I planted today. I think it will look good, once I get the whole line put in. We are going to alternate the roses with a red-leaf bush of Japanese origin (I forget the name).

My efforts to tackle my looooong list of various projects are taking shape. :-)

trouble in the kingdom

On Friday, I had stepped out of the school to momentarily speak to one of my dads (he is paraplegic). While I was out, two of our girls had a cat fight...one started it thoughtlessly, and the other came unglued. It was awful. I was immediately irritated and disturbed that they had even scrapped at all. I spoke to them about pursuing peace and  not getting easily provoked. I appealed to their claiming to be Christians, following Jesus' command to turn the other cheek, and having the Holy Spirit inside to guide them. Nothing. Nada. Nothing got through to them. It was so immature, so "I'm-gonna-tell-my-mama-when-I-get-home" adolescent behavior on both girls' part. They kept going at it until it was disturbing several different teachers' tutoring lessons, and I had to raise my voice to quiet them down. It was awful (have I said that before?!).

As the day wore on, I became angry at the two girls, especially when I found out that in response to my quoting of Jesus' instruction to turn the other cheek and not "getting people back," she had retorted some diatribe about how her mama had taught her to hit back if she was hit. I felt defeated, increasingly ticked off as the day went on. Then that night, I read this verse (Matt. 5:7) on Facebook, and the  Lord said to me, "Simmer down! This is not about you. It's about My work in these girls' lives. It's about Me."

So now I am armed. Since it is an official "school incident" and has to be written up, they will be copying Scriptures that apply to their offenses and writing apology letters. We're headed into the last two weeks of the school year, for crying out loud. My mercy levels are tapped out, so hold me, Jesus!

pain in the rear

This is the time of year that my sciatica starts being a "pain in the rear," literally.:-P

I spend most of my waking hours sitting, either sitting at home (studying or reading or watching tv) or sitting at work (tutoring or working on e-mails or transcripts in the office). My back ain't what it used to be, darn Hurricane Ivan cleanup. I need Dr. Garry Hendricks to move back in the more local locale!!!! Whaaaa! Ft. Walton Beach is just too far to drive for one of his acupressure-miracle-working-adjustments! So relieving.

Trim Healthy Mama life and losing 42 pounds has made a HUGE difference in my energy and activity levels. I can garden for hours, up and down, crawling around on the ground, back-bending over weeds and hauling, digging, pulling and trimming. I am feeling so much better! And yet this sciatica threatens.

I am starting to use Young Living Essential Oils...this month is my first as a Member. I am excited about it! They have an oil blend called Pan-Away for pain. I also LOVE the Frankincense and Stress Away oils. Mmm.

Garden prep is coming along slowly. Very slowly. Every weekend it either rains or I am busy with an uni exam or the nieces are visiting. Oh, well. Can't do everything. And I gotta spend time with these lovies, all the time that I can! <3

My adorable nieces!

egg roll in a bowl

Since I cannot find this exact recipe anywhere on the internet, and it's posted only on private THM groups or as an empty pic on Pinterest.

Here is the original THM FB post for it: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152036145069673&set=gm.555898607816628&type=1

I can't tell you how delicious this dish is! My fam asks for it regularly, and I know better than to not make extra for lunch the next day! Braised cabbage is delicious and full of sulfurous goodness. The convergent flavors of this dish are delightful to my foodie palate.  Enjoy!

Praise the Lord for Diana Rodbourn and her Eggroll in a Bowl recipe! Here is a tweaked version of it, as made in my kitchen. :-)

Egg Roll in a Bowl (S)

EGGROLL IN A BOWL 
By Diana Rodbourn
(S on THM) 
Same great taste you get in an eggroll, minus the deep fried wrapper! 
Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients: 
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 lb. ground turkey sausage, or ground pork
6 cups finely sliced cabbage- a combo of regular green & purple (about 1 medium head) 
1 cup shredded carrots 
1 medium onion, chopped 
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced 
2 green onion stalks, finely chopped 
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ginger powder
¼ cup Bragg’s Aminos or coconut aminos or (if you have to) soy sauce 
Salt and black pepper to taste 
Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes adds a nice kick! 

Instructions:

1. Brown the meat in large frying pan (a wok or iron skillet works well!) until fully cooked. 
2. Turn heat to medium-high and add chopped onion (not the green onions yet) and sesame oil.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger and coconut aminos and add to pan, and then immediately add the sliced cabbage and stir. 
4. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, so that it doesn’t burn and so all cabbage slightly wilts and reduces in size. 
5. Then add shredded carrots and cook for another few minutes.
6. Turn off heat, add chopped green onions, salt and black pepper to taste, stir one last time and serve warm. 
7. Enjoy!

keep on keepin' on

"For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." (2 Timothy 1:6-12, NASB).

So, Valentine's Day has come and gone. To be honest, it sucked. It really did.

It is not my choice to be alone in life. Alone in my kitchen. Alone in my garden. Alone in life. Yes, I have sisters and a mom and three precious nieces. But I have never been wanted or loved, truly loved, by a man outside of my own daddy. I often get a sense that almost everyone in my life is associated with me for what they get from me...homeschool help, a love of learning, bookishness, diet advise, an encouraging word or smile or text in due moments. I know that these doubts come from one source, the source of all evil. I have been content in life for many years now, but I have endured a thread of discontentment for just as long. I have always wanted to be loved and adored, appreciated and honored as wife by a good and godly man. And those feelings never have gone away.

I know that I do NOT have the gift of celibacy, of being unmarried. I want that. It's near the top of my "life to be lived" list. But God knows, I don't want it a day earlier than is His perfect will for me, lest I have the desires if my heart with leanness in my soul.

These verse spoke to me this afternoon. Mom shared them with me, in an attempt to cheer me up. They are meaningful in many areas. Verse 7 is one of my top five favorite verses in the Scriptures, one that I quote often to remind myself and others of our spiritual authority and destiny. Verse 8 is where the "fresh manna" begins, the part about suffering for the Gospel, having a holy calling according to God's own purpose and grace, appointed to be a preacher and teacher. He is able to keep what I entrust to Him. And what do I entrust to Him? That is the area if faith that I seem to be coming back to over and over.

I know that suffering come in all shapes and sizes. I have offered many a shoulder to a grieving friend or an overburdened mama or former student whose dreams are screwed up and dashed. My suffering just happens to be my singleness, my aloneness. And I will get through it. I have survived victoriously so far for 38 years and will continue to do so for as many more years as God seems fit.

My "zealous witness, devoted prayer life, relentless bible study, good works, holy living, and love for others" should put me on hell's most wanted hate list, according to Leonard Ravenhill. This must make me a target for the devil's onslaught of doubt and discouragement, and I renounce and rebuke him in Jesus' name. For now, I need to say, "Soul, hope in God, for I will yet praise Him!" 

it's the 1st!

How do I express the gratefulness that I feel adequately for 2013? Yahweh has done great things in my life, and I am glad! This has been quite a year to remember, and 2014 promises to be even better.

 Here are my New Year's Resolutions for 2014:
1) Continue the THM journey and lose more pounds, on my way to a healthy life and body

2) Start T-Tapp, adding it into my regular lifestyle routines

3) Complete another round of Wellspring Ministry's "I Found Freedom" (Bibical Foundations of Freedom) workshops/studies

4) Read Eric Metaxas' tome, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

5) Finish reading Randy Alcorn's book Heaven

6) Plant both spring/summer and fall/winter gardens

7) Get some much-needed repairs and painting done on/in the family house and property

8) Listen to one online sermon per week

9) Read the Bible through this year, at least once


~To know Him, and make Him known!