August 31, 2012 - Fighting On This End

I hope you don't mind that I sometimes include you in my conversations with other family members. :) Yesterday, I heard from a couple of people who are basically REALLY tired - tired of "dieting," tired of always having to cook, tired of fighting. After hearing some of these, I went to my office and I felt the Lord bring a word of hope to my spirit. Here's the truth - we either FIGHT on this end or we FIGHT on the other end. Let me explain. While fighting to find time to cook or denying our flesh that Cinnabon - we can grown tired and convince ourselves that the FIGHT is "just not worth it." Let me tell you this - I would rather fight for new recipes (plan to come to my house Sunday night), fight to get my water in, fight to stay on plan than FIGHT cancer, diabetes, or heart disease later in life. Somebody shout "AMEN." Getting our water in daily is a WHOLE LOT EASIER THAN LOOSING A FOOT! Sometimes we all need a reality check. Life is a series of battles, but occasionally we get to "pick and choose" where our battles lie. I choose to FIGHT at this end and not against disease. We need to really put that TRUTH in the front of our thoughts. God designed the vessel (our bodies) and he placed around us the tools needed to keep us healthy......as stewards we have a responsibility to the Maker to do the best we can to watch over the vessel. (AMEN -preaching again!) Let's give our bodies and cells a FIGHTING chance. "Well, you don't understand how busy I am.........." Listen, we are all busy, but I am NEVER TOO BUSY to fight for my life. (can you tell I am passionate about this?) If you are tired of the fight, I want to encourage you to speak truth into the atmosphere of your life today. I want you to make declarations INTO THE AIR so your spirit hears the truth and you are renewed in your passion to fight on this end. Repeat this verse: I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. Phil 4:13 Msg 13 Christ gives me the strength to face anything. Phil 4:13 CEV I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who[a]infuses inner strength into me; I am [b]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Phil 4:13 AMP Okay gang - come Sunday night! Bring a friend. I am making South of the Border Meatloaf (new recipe from last night), and Chocolate Pound Cake. YUM! PK

August 30, 2012 - Never Fuel The Fires of Failure

Good morning and happy Thursday! (Friday is just around the corner - yea!) And, college football starts this weekend, so my life is full. YES! During Bible study last night, we were talking about how the enemy of our soul targets certain sheep and they become EASY prey. We then discussed how certain types of people actually fuel the attack of the enemy - discontent, discouraged, downcast, depressed. I want to use that and talk about our journey for a moment. In my life, I have been a yo-yo with my weight management. During years when life was "perfect" it was easier to control my weight and make fairly decent choices. BUT WHEN THE DARK CLOUDS CAME.......fighting for my health went out the window. Eventually I lost the will and the desire to fight for anything. I accepted defeat and comforted myself with BAD excuses. I actually fueled the fires of failure. On the inside I was CRYING for help and hope, on the outside I was simply being the yo-yo. I spoke with someone yesterday who was reliving my journey.....yo-yo, yo-yo, yo-yo. I knew that God had plans for my life and some days I could grab that well - others not so. Somedays I could make great choices and some days not. WHY???? I honestly believe that being desperate to LIVE is the key. As I spoke with someone yesterday, they said, "well, i'll be okay if I could slow down on the sugar. I really try hard and do good sometimes, but then the sugar." I looked at this person and said, "then you are not desperate to live. Statements like that simply FUEL THE FIRES OF FAILURE." They responded, "Is that like being desperate to get saved? Like when you know you have no hope and turn to Jesus and you make every effort to live in the truth? I remember being desperate to be free and needing Jesus." YES! YES! YES! Being desperate to be free from sin and born again - DESPERATE enough to never look back - is what I'm talking about. I know all of us have days of struggle, but let's not fuel the fires of failure. If you're starving - EAT.......but eat something on plan. Don't reward bad behavior. Be aggressive with your fueling - refuel your cells, refuel you body with fluids, refuel your spirit with the Word daily. If we are refueling fires - let's refuel fires that give us light, hope, and health by making wise choices daily as opposed to refueling fires of failure by making excuses. Fire it up today and choose life! Much love - PK

August 29, 2012 - The Big Hit

Good morning to you all, I am home from the retreat with our interns and back into the swing of life. I have met with several people lately who are making great changes to their health plan and some who are starting the journey. Either way - I am so proud that people are choosing LIFE over prison. Even while with the interns, I cut peaches into slivers, with the skin remaining, and sprinkled them with Truvia for a snack FOR ME and within seconds, the whole bowl was gone. They were amazed that peaches tasted soooo good. :) I laughed - whole food, with the skin, no white sugar and they were fighting over the last one. Someone asked, "those are not real peaches, right?" YES! Real, whole peaches that bring life and health. It's amazing how these "healthy" foods are hidden behind processed milk shakes and desserts from boxes. But, wow did the flavor POP and WOW did that whole bowl get consumed. I just smiled - kids eating healthy and fighting over a REAL peach. Go figure. The other big hit was spaghetti squash. Most had never seen one and were amazed at how they flaked like angel hair pasta. But the BIG HIT was the coconut whipped cream with xylitol, which I used over fresh strawberries and blueberries for dessert Sunday night. I normally make brownies, but not this year. It was a BIG hit. They ate it like ice cream. NOW, I did buy some cookies and a few other things, but there were healthy options and they ate those too! The moral of the story - our families can be trained to enjoy whole foods and perhaps come to a place of choosing them. Our job - provide them with the "good stuff" and train them to enjoy the "real" over the processed. It requires more planned effort - but our families are worth it. Cooking for the interns proved to me that teens, sometimes the MOST picky, can PICK correctly if healthy food tastes good. wink-wink Have an awesome Wednesday! Are you planning and preparing for a football weekend and Labor Day parties??? I am! :) PS - Life Group meets at my house at 6:00 this Sunday. Bring a healthy dish and the recipe to share. :) We had a great time last month. ALLL are welcome and bring a friend (people who are not in our family are invited as well - any desiring to get new, healthy recipes). We eat, share, and pray for our health. Please let me know if you are coming so I know how to prepare. PK

August 24, 2012 - Healing In The Fluid

Happy Friday everyone, Just a quick thought today and word to bring encouragement. I woke up yesterday morning with fluid running from my left eye. As I opened my eye, I realized it was hurting - perhaps I scratched it accidentally in the night. :( As I sat yesterday trying to get the water to slow down, I remembered that when we have a blister arise, from whatever, it is important to never puncture the blister but allow the FLUID to remain around the wound until the blister releases on it's on. There's healing in the fluid. The fluid protects the new growth and shields in from the harshness it may encounter until new skin, or cells, have brought new life to that area. Isn't it cool that FLUIDS, especially water, are so vital to our health journey. If we are going to lose weight and keep it off, our water intake has to be at the top of the list of "must do's." Our organs - all of them - need water for health. Fat that metabolizes must be flushed from our system or within 24 hours, will reconstitute and store AGAIN as fat. Water helps keep us full and our heart beating in good rhythm. Fluid plays a part in keeping us from fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. There's healing in the fluid. But BEST OF ALL - on a spiritual level the Holy Spirit is often represented as water and his heart is always to bring healing to areas of our lives. Let's hydrate ourselves today BOTH in the natural and the spiritual realms. Healing..... here we come! Have a great weekend, PK

August 23, 2012 - Are You Smiling?

Is anyone else sensing an unusually cool August? I love the cooler temps, but so do my roses. As soon as the temperature begins to fall, they seem to smile. Although we water them, they simply don't do as well in the blistering heat. They don't do well in a semi-shade situation either, but respond well to the cooler temps. Picky, right? But isn't that the way most of us are? I do much better in certain situations than others. I wish I responded the same way EACH time to all situations. But that is not the way God created me. While He never promised we would go through life drama free, he does promise (in multiple places in His Word) to be ON CALL to help when we need him. The trials and periods of testing can be intense at times........really intense. Drama seems to always show up at my house when I am hungry. But while drama comes, it also leaves. We have to remember.....to everything there is a season (Proverbs). While some of us are fighting desperately with a low number of calories right now, some are resting and working the plan. Some are wrestling with the "last 10" while others are cruising toward their goal weight. We cannot compare and we cannot become discouraged. Being faithful to weigh, eat, rest and hydrate properly will ensure that some of these seasons conclude as they are supposed to. Making excuses to take a bite of this, or take a bite of that may prolong a season. While we have NO control over the seasons in nature, I am CONVINCED that we do have some control over the seasons in our lives - especially as that relates to our health. I was looking at some photo albums 2 nights ago and I almost cried - I had NO idea that I was THAT heavy! My daughter said, "mom, does that make you want to cry?" My husband said, "you look so unhappy." I was and I never seemed to find a way out, a change, a new season. My bad choices kept me in that season for most of my life. I never WANTED to accept the fact I had a large portion of control in changing the temperature of that season. I just "lived" there and was miserable! I am in a different "season" now and with everything in my heart - I plan to hang right here. My smile is different now; not simply because I weigh less, but because I am healthy. Are you smiling? PK

August 22, 2012 - Living Beyond The Fast Food Lane

Good morning friends, As I listened last night to a report on the "TERRIBLE plight" of our country due to the drought and the effect of the failed corn crop, I was shocked at some of the statistics. I had no clue that 75% of everything we purchase has corn or high fructose corn syrup in it. The reporter continued to elaborate on the importance of corn as a filler - even in some of our toothpaste. UGH! They then journeyed down the road of where we would see the immediate impact of this failed crop - the grocery store and gas pump. For a wee bit - I was concerned as I know food cost for healthy eaters can be higher than normal anyway. Then, I started "processing" what they were saying. They were saying, REALLY, that PROCESSED foods contain this corn filler and were going to increase in cost. Those "fast lane" choices are pumped with a corn product so the cost can remain low. AHHHHH......I began to see this beautiful picture. The reporters then stated that meat will increase, as most animals are fed with corn, but fruits and veggies may go down. Shelf foods will increase while "whole foods" may actually decrease in cost so that markets can remain in business. YES!!!!! That's good news for us - we try as often as possible to stay in the "whole foods lane" as opposed to the "fast lane" of processed foods. Right? This means we HAVE TO COOK, yes, but while everyone else is scrambling, we can be a beacon of hope. We have discussed many times that cooking whole foods takes planning - but we can take one day a week and cook a BUNCH (southern term) and reheat. I don't need canned squash or canned beans or twinkies.......I cook REAL foods and make my own desserts. You know what's funny - I made a sugar free chocolate pound cake with almond flour to take to a staff party yesterday and sitting RIGHT BESIDE the healthy cake and fruit (sweetened with xylitol) was a chocolate, store bought cake and ice cream. At the end of lunch, all my stuff was gone and the processed, FAST LANE stuff was still sitting there. We CAN ride through this "corn storm" with a smile because we already choose the fruits and veggies and bake our own stuff. Yes, meat may increase, so start watching for your cuts of meat NOW and get those to the freezer for the winter. Going to restaurants may increase as they use a lot of processed items, that's okay too. I can take my food to work (and not go out for lunch) and cook at home until the storm passes. And, maybe we could start doing some HEALTHY dinner parties instead of going out???? Whole foods, great taste, less cost, and great fellowship too. Maybe we could get together and do big cooking days, share the cost and burden so we have healthy things in the fridge and freezer??? Let's look ahead at all these BLEAK reports and smile because God has been preparing us for some time now to live beyond the fast food lane. All our whole foods have NO fillers and are not going to be consumed by the failed corn crop. YEA!!!! Smile today and hug someone - it lowers your blood pressure! PK

August 21, 2012 - Is God Your Diet Pill?

Good morning to all, I am back to the world of internet. AT&T had taken a hit in our area and we had nothing - phone, internet or cell. Isn't it amazing how dependent we are on those devices for communication? HOWEVER, I am blessed to have those tools at my finger tips in order to communicate. Mixed feelings, but I KNOW I'd rather live WITH them than without. :) I was reading last night from Oswald Chambers' devotional and a passage jumped out at me. Many of us know that God's word teaches that he answers prayer. We know that God hears us and God cares! The real issue is not IF GOD HEARS, the issue comes when he doesn't answer the way we feel he should. For many years I begged God to release me from the prison of obesity in which I found myself. I prayed and I begged while opening my mouth and ingesting 4000+ calories each day. Sometimes I became angry with God. I really thought He was "my diet pill." Can we be honest??? Oswald Chambers stated this, "the point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only to get answers, we will become irritated and angry." That was SO me! I felt like God didn't want to help ME and I even said, "well, God must want me to be fat." NO!!! That was irritation and anger speaking because I wanted to be skinny and eat as I wanted. I wanted God to be my magic DIET PILL. Guess what? I would have stayed right there for the remainder of my life if I had not turned that agitation and desperation into something positive. And, maybe God's answer was to allow my frustration to develop to a place where he knew I WOULD FINALLY FIGHT MY WAY OUT! God does answer prayer; God does hear every prayer; and God does CARE! But God never promises that our life will be void of discipline or restriction. He DOES promise to never leave us or forsake us! He does promise to guide us beside still waters - but he NEVER promised to be our diet pill. :) I hope you see what I'm trying to say. Pray without ceasing because you love God and want a relationship with him..........awesome...............no strings attached! Then, get up from prayer, plan a healthy day and stick to it. Amen? Loving you from my home this morning, PK PS - I KNOW you can do it.

August 17, 2012 - Honor God With Your Body

Good morning to you all, It's Friday and I'm happy, although I have a busy 3 days sitting in front of me. :) I wanted to tell you of the MOST refreshing water mix I've had in awhile. While on vacation, my daughter treated me to a spa day for taking care of my granddaughters for the summer (which was my joy!) But while at the spa, they supplied us with these treats as we waited. SOOO pampered! The water of the day was pink grapefruit and tarragon. They had one of those 3 gallon containers, like some of us have, and the bottom 1/3 was FULL of chunks of red grapefruit and the next 1/3 was full of fresh tarragon. To the top they added water and ice. While waiting for my massage, I drank 6 cups. I could not put it down. I asked my lady about the water; she said the spa director does a different flavor daily and uses a fruit, or two, and an herb. YUM!!!! She told me the trick is to keep it really iced cold. When I arrived at about 10:20, the grapefruit was much stronger. But within just a few more minutes, the tarragon started leaching through. I cannot tell you how refreshing that was. After the massage and into the gym and whirl pool - probably another 6 cups all in a four hour period. You gotta try it! My lady said she loves the peach and mint combo. YUM! I tried strawberries and mint - double YUM! I want to share a passage of scripture this morning as we round out our week. The context is found in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God?" That is a very familiar passage. It's the next part I want us to see today as we head into the weekend. "You are not your own; You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." That literally means that we hold in HIGH regard our God, by the things we do with our body. YIKES! That's a powerful and challenging thought. Do I really even consider that my fight for great health honors God??? I understand that the verse is actually speaking of sexual immorality, but I really believe that God is well pleased with our concerted effort to take amazing care of our bodies. Question: if you gave 2 of your children amazing, BRAND-NEW cars that were very costly and one child took fabulous care of it and one let it rot, never washed it, ran it into trees, etc............which one would bring you more honor? I have never thought about that until this morning and I am simply asking MYSELF that question. :) I applaud each of you for doing the BEST you can to walk in health each and every day. Keep to our food plan, hydrate, move your body, and thank God that your body belongs to him and that he gives us the ability to make the right choices and DO the right things this day. Talk Monday, PK

August 16, 2012 - Where Is MY Strength?

Good morning and I pray you are excited for this new day. Stop and ask God for HIS WISDOM for you today. He is always ready to speak and direct, but are we asking? John 15:5 paints a beautiful picture of our dependance on Jesus. He clearly teaches us that he is the vine and God is the gardener. I have done the "gardener" thing this summer with little luck, but great insight. The scripture teaches that we should REMAIN in the vine (Jesus) and the vine in us in order to produce much fruit. Sometimes we see that and think natural fruit. I want to point us to the spiritual implications. When we are securely planted in Jesus, that means we are tapped into who Jesus is IN US. Having Jesus' power in us yields GREAT results. I am convinced that sometimes looking at a life-long journey of "denial" (foods we lust over, portions beyond the boundaries, deletion of mostly processed foods, etc, whatever denail looks like for you) - yields a deep sigh in our hearts. From us can often flow, "I just can't do this. Why can't I enjoy the foods and pleasures that others do?" As we entertain these thoughts, we are feeding the negative side of denial without boosting the positive side. Then, over a period of time we become weak. John 15:5 reminds us that if we remain in Jesus and he in us, that we will produce much fruit. Not natural fruit - but in him there is PEACE, STRENGTH, HOPE. As we look forward to the years ahead of us, we can easily be trapped if we don't realize that our strength for success comes from sticking with the truth - JESUS. AND how about this - Jesus NEVER focused on the negative but took situations that appeared to be desperate and brought life to them. He was THE MASTER of prayer and speaking the word (Truth). He knew where his strength came - from his Father in Heaven. The bottom end of verse 15 says, "apart from me, you can do nothing." That is a powerful statement that we should have imPLANTed deep within. God has a plan for our lives, but so does Satan. God plans to do good by us and not harm us, while Satan plans to kill, steal, and destroy. God has plenty of strength to keep us to His plan and wants to give us direction for every issue in our life that wants to rob from us! Satan is constantly and strategically setting the next death trap. God has the answer to Satan's battle plan. AMEN! This morning let's ask God for his strength for TODAY and not worry about tomorrow - tomorrow has it's own issues. Let's make this day count. Ask for strength and help and remember the words of Jesus, "apart from me you can do nothing." That's a promise. PK

August 15, 2012 - Do I KNOW the Truth?

Good morning to all, Just a quick word this morning that's been twirling in my heart. Don't we wish CHOOSING health DAILY was easy??? Well, maybe it is for you.......but sometimes it's still a struggle for me. Don't we wish making the RIGHT decision took no REAL effort? But that's not the way life is. God designed us with a free will and life happens, doesn't it? Somedays, choosing correctly ALL DAY LONG is easy. But most days, if we're honest, take dedicated focus. Simply knowing the right things to do is not good enough. That's not where the battle is. We can know in our mind that sugar can lead to a variety of maladies, but do we KNOW it deep enough in our heart to refuse to eat it? "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." I talk to a lot of people who "know" they should make better choices; who "know" they should drink water; who "know" they should get moving. So why is there no life-long change? Because we can know something and not have the courage or discipline to bring this fleshly body under submission to the TRUTH. Great news today - God delights in helping the weak and exhausted. Stop and ask Him right now for help through day with your health choices! We cannot put off moving from simply "knowing" to being so grounded in understanding concerning our OWN health that we can help others be free. As a public school teacher, my goal was that my students KNEW, UNDERSTOOD, COMPREHENDED the material that I was teaching so well that they, then, could teach someone else. I went to the eye doctor Monday and his senior partner is 88, still working, driving over one hour to work, looks 68, is the picture of health, still exercises........... I said to my doctor, "how is this?" His response, "for the 30 years we've worked together he's always eaten well, watched his fat content, exercised, and kept his mind sharp." He told me, "I promise you everyone thinks he's in his late 60"s. He's sharp as a tack and so healthy." That's us! I want to KNOW that truth and experience it. How about you? Dr. Davis understood, comprehended, KNEW the TRUTH about his health many years ago and has chosen to embrace that path as his life-long journey regardless of the difficulty. Well.......that stand for heath is standing for him now. Amen.......sign me up. Choose life and eat to live, PK

August 14, 2012 - I Will Not Be Denied

WOW, what a busy day yesterday. You know how it is to come home from vacation - everything piled up. But I can say......I didn't come home with additional weight. I thought about how many years I "planned" to gain that extra 10 and then was miserable for weeks trying to shed a few of them. How much better is life when you plan to arrive at home "same or smaller," and you do. :) I want to remind each of us that shifting our perspective is huge. It's not, "I can't eat," or "I can't have." As healthy adults we CAN HAVE what we want to eat - it's our choice not to. My youngest granddaughter is having to embrace health differently due to high sugar levels and so we are trying to have her see that she is not being denied but making healthy choices. We went to Cracker Barrel one morning on vaca and she got very upset because she really wanted pancakes as opposed to a lower sugar choice. I told her we would get up the next morning and make almond flour pancakes as well as maple syrup. That promise "got us through" that meal. The next morning she was DELIGHTED to taste those almond flour pancakes and determine they were really yummy. Almond flour is more dense and therefore more filling - so she really only ate one. (wink) I reminded her - "we can choose healthy options - we just have to be willing to cook them." We spent many hours the remainder of the trip planning and cooking together. It's good to learn early that there are a lot of things we can have - but perhaps not at our favorite restaurants. But that's not denial.....it's just delay. Right? That's a perspective change. :) Side note: I made a maple syrup with water, butter, xylitol, vanilla and maple flavoring. While it was very runny that morning, the taste was amazing! Cool thing, by the next morning it had thickened a wee bit. Our motto: WE CAN DO THIS! So, whatever you are missing from your favorite group - let's make it. I made yummy cauliflower pizza while away as well as granola. I am working on a chicken recipe that's "semi-fried." I am using some herbs and almond flour and baking in the oven with no additional oil. I will be making this for our next Life Group meeting along with the pancakes and syrup. Maybe Deena will make some granola? :) We meet for food, fun, and prayer the first Sunday of each month. I realize that is Labor Day weekend, but you have Monday off - so bring a healthy-choice dish and the recipe. Let's help each other stay healthy. I have used most of the recipes from last month and they are fabulous! PS - bring a notebook to build your recipe files. Choose life today and eat to live! PK

August 13, 2012 - Psalm 103

Good morning fam, Yea - I am back home and on schedule again. For people like me, that's a good thing. :) Being gone for 2 full weeks was VERY refreshing, but I do much better in a routine. I guess I wasn't designed to be a "beach bum." wink Just a word for us today from Psalm 103. This came alive to me yesterday and really ministered to me - hope it helps you. This passage begins by declaring, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and ALL that is within me PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:" Then here's the revelation that came to me - "who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases, redeems my life from the pit, crowns me with love and compassion, satisfies my desires with good things so that my youth is renewed as the eagle." Now, I think most of us accept that God has forgiven ALL our sins - yes? But what about the next phrase......heals all my diseases? Do we pick and choose which part of the verse we can believe and others we can't? Our health issues are diseases that come upon our bodies. Let's thank the Lord for healing them! The next comma leads us to "redeems me from the pit." Isn't that Galatians 5:1 that we memorized a year ago? We accept his forgiveness.....can we accept his FREEDOM from obesity? I know you see where I am going with this. How about "satisfies my desires with good things"...........could we look at that as God causes our desire for sugar to be satisfied with a healthy alternative in order to prevent arthritis????? I think so! If we accept the first part of the verse, let's accept it all! This verse is a PROMISE. Because of God's character, we know he doesn't lie. So, let's grab the truth in this, do our part to stand in freedom (Gal 5:1), and have our youth RENEWED by walking in health. Let's allow our body to be healed and renewed according to this mighty promise! Love you guys - press into truth! It belongs to us. PK

August 10, 2012 - Do You Really?

This is my last day of vacation before heading home and into a busy season at work. I am excited to begin the journey though. I am also excited for cooler temps. It has rained everyday here, so no sun tan for me. I guess that's a god thing. :) I watched a pastor from Atlanta preach last night a very hard-hitting, "in your face" message. He continued to HAMMER his congregation with, "so, you want to be a world-class athlete? You wanna be a super star?" He went on to exclaim, "NO YOU DON'T. You're not willing to change what you eat, work out three hours a day, drink those muscle drinks they drink - no you ain't gonna be no world-class something." "OH, you wanna be more like Jesus, all that Jesus was????? NO YOU DON'T!" "You're not willing to get up in the middle of the night and pray three hours, live a life of extreme purity and die on a cross." "Being great sounds great - but it has it's price." Some are willing to do whatever - pay the price. Many simply "talk out loud" and "wish" they could become something else." That really hit home with me. I have SOOOO many people say, "I wish I could be more disciplined like you. I just can't do all that cooking you do; I can't live without sugar; I have to eat at work functions." My reply is simple, "if you are desperate to live, you can do a lot of things." My choice to make a radical change came in response to a cry for LIFE from deep within me! People can change, but can they change with no intent to go back to their former place? I tell people all the time - "anybody can be good for a little while." That's not REAL change. REAL change is the NEW path we choose and the old path is no longer an option. Yes? I want to commend many of you for choosing health when it cost you dearly and for continuing to choose health when your flesh is screaming for a piece of pizza. We all know how loud our flesh can scream. Right? But being radically healthy is a not a fad, it's a way of life. Pizza is for the crowd, but health has it's price and is only for those who are willing to make a REAL change. Much love! PK The sun is up.......gonna get at the pool before it starts raining.

August 9, 2012 - A Word from Joyce Meyer

Good morning fam - just wanted to forward you a devotional from Joyce Meyer that really touches on what we've spoken about for the past 18 months. It's great to know we are all working on our "temple." :) I bolded and highlighted in red a statement that I felt would encourage us all today. I am coming home Saturday and will be back in the pocket on Monday. Much love! PK Keep God's Temple in Good Shape Until I turned 64, I'd never exercised in a serious way. I had walked and done a few things to stay in decent shape, but I was not dedicated to exercise. I had reached into my excuse bag many times over the years and come up with all kinds of 'reasons' I could not exercise. But the Lord spoke to me and encouraged me to begin a serious workout program so I could be strong for the last third of my journey through life. I already had good eating habits, and when I obeyed the Lord and started going to the gym several times a week, I stepped into a new season of life. I looked better, I felt better, and most importantly, I was honoring God by taking good care of the body He gave me. I urge you to trust God and start finding ways to pursue health daily. The Word says that our bodies are temples of God. I don't know about you, but I want to make sure that God likes His temple! Today, make the choice to keep your temple in excellent shape for God.

August 8, 2012 - The Healing Power of Fruit

Hey to all - short blog this morning. Sun is out briefly and it's rained several days so going to get in the water. I just finished an hour of water aerobics and it was refreshing. People looked at me funny - oh well...... Had some time at the Serenity Spa yesterday (heavenly) and picked up an article on peaches, plums and nectarines. A group of scientists at Texas AM feel they've proven there is a strong connection between these fruits and metabolic syndrome, which manifests in high blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol. The research team suggests that adding one or all of these fruits daily can definitely help with the previously mentioned conditions and they also said there is SOME evidence that they can reverse the bad cholesterol levels in our bodies. Really caught my eye. I will be doing more research - they said it's the ratio of pectin to fiber to natural antioxidants. Again - recent study over 2 years, but it sparked me to study more. Also studying Dr. Oz's medical statements about fruits - especially blueberries - he says that help with inflammation and belly fat. What a combo. Gotta run - the pool is calling. :) Love you, PK

August 3, 2012 - We Need Each Other

I bring you greetings from sunny and HOT Destin. Some of the towns we traveled through yesterday were 105. :) I tried to take the girls for a walk this morning and after 15 minutes we were sweating and the girls wanted to come inside before Teree's doctor's visit. This afternoon, maybe the breeze will begin and it will be cooler. :) Congrats to Deena for creating a yummy granola that is sugar free. At our meeting Sunday, we spoke of needing something to go in our new sugar free Greek yogurt recipes and something else to eat for breakfast. Deena took on the challenge. And it turned out really good! I like mine a little sweeter, but Teree and I used the granola, 2% milk and fresh blueberries for breakfast. YUM!!!! At mom's on Monday, I took the Chobani yogurt, added a couple of teaspoons of xylitol and fresh, diced peaches. I put it back in the fridge so the flavors could blend for 30-40 min - OMGoodness - so yummy! Isn't it great to help each other? We need each other's creative minds to survive on this health journey. And could I say - I am grateful to be with people who are human - fail, try again, recreate and never give up. If you are thinking the future is LONG and there's no way you can live without starch or sugar - think again. You're in a group of people who are freedom fighters. :) How about you - got any cool recipes or tricks to share? Bounce us back. I was getting bored and now FIRED UP again. Choose to eat healthy today - your cells say, "Thank you!" PK

August 1, 2012 - A New Trick

Good morning fam - short blog this morning as I am heading out of mom's home to repack and then to Destin tomorrow. No blog tomorrow - will be driving all day. :) New trick: If you are trying to determine IF you want something to eat........really......and the question is.......am I REALLY hungry? Do I NEED to eat? Do this: Let's say you want an afternoon snack.......a doughnut......to determine IF you're hungry OR just bored......ask yourself, "would I eat an apple instead of the doughnut???" If yes, you would eat the apple, then probably you ARE hungry so find something healthy to eat. If NO, you wouldn't eat the apple, you're NOT hungry - skip eating and wait to refuel at the next meal. This works! Love to you all - PK