September 27, 2012 - Rolling Through the Stop Signs

Good morning fam, As I type I am sitting beside my luggage hoping it's not more than 50 pounds - we have weighed it twice and it is close. :) How's a girl supposed to be gone for so many days and take less than 50 pounds? UGH! Anyway, I asked the Lord what he would like to say to EACH of us this morning. I heard him say, "rolling through the stop sign." WOW. Okay, Lord, what about that? Many times (and I would imagine many of us do this), we approach a stop sign and perhaps slow down but never fully stop. MAYBE if a police officer is adjacent??? However, if the coast is clear and we are in a hurry.........off we go. Or, even if we "stop", it's more like a pause. In our health journey I would imagine we do the same - come to the "stop sign" and roll through it. Stop signs are designed with an emphatic purpose. Often, we don't care about their purpose; we care about our agenda. Yes? I want us to consider several reasons to "stop" today - REALLY stop - along our journey to health: 1. Have you stopped long enough to have a physical lately? These stop signs are critical. Have your blood checked every 6 months - it tells the truth! 2. Have you stopped long enough to have your eyes examined lately? The blood vessels in your eyes give clear indication of certain maladies that are directly related to our health journey. 3. Have you taken a day simply for yourself lately - no agenda - no plans - no accomplished goals. Our minds need pockets of intense rest. Put your project down and allow your body to BREATHE. 4. Have you stopped long enough to send a card to someone special, a meal to someone in need, or given your family your undivided attention? 5. Have you stopped long enough to prepare the meals you need for YOUR health or are you simply grabbing the burger from the dollar menu with your kids and rolling through life? 6. Have you stopped long enough to lift your head towards heaven and thank God for his love, faithfulness, and plan of salvation? I could journey awhile here, but maybe you get my point? Our health journey is MORE than apples and 12 cups of water. Rolling through the stop signs will eventually bring consequences that could be unpleasant. STOP today....STOP. Let's not "roll through" this day and miss the majesty of God and all the wonderful things in place to keep us safe during our journey toward our 100th birthday. Wink! I will not be blogging again until October, 8th. Going to be in Portland and Virginia. PLEASE make plans to join me on October 7th for LIfe Group at my house. Our focus - healthy foods for our Thanksgiving Feast. :) Much love and continued prayers - PK No rolling through the stop signs - especially for a season. :)

September 26, 2012 - Back to the Basics!

I think one of the things I hate the most is being afraid. How about you? I went to the County Fair this past Saturday with some family and precious friends and I remembered a time when I used to ride all the HIGH rides and loved the excitement of being scared to death cresting the first HUGE hill. Those days are definitely over! Whether out of maturity or the "fear" of a chiropractic bill - OVER! I used to watch horror movies - DONE! But sometimes.......sometimes.....you know that creeping, nagging, unstable place that occasionally we deal with? UGH! That's where I understand and embrace Psalm 23 and Psalm 91. How about you? Sometimes on my health walk, there are days where I will gain a few pounds and immediately there is a "fear" of returning to my past state of obesity. I have to GRAB that emotion and remind myself - I have not cheated, I have not opened any doors, so let's slow down and see what the truth is. I don't react out of emotion, but respond to my body. I start going through the list.......did I get my water in? Have I rested properly and allowed my cells to deliver nutrients and water to my organs? Have I been too generous with my portions???? Somewhere in those questions lies the truth. SO...I answer and adjust. I correct the problem and usually within a few days the scales reflect the correction. It's critical in our journey to be able to operate not from fear or legalism - but in TRUTH we walk. We were created in the image of God and given dominion over the earth and our bodies. We cannot blame our bodies when we willingly overstep the truth. We can't blame shift and say....."menopause." All that blame shifting started in the Garden of Eden and is still running rampant! Also, the FEAR of failure will often cause us to do something drastic - change eating plans, try to live on water for a week, work out 17 hours a day.......UGH... FEAR! No, no.....go back to the basics. Mankind was created using BASIC things like dust and bones - go back to the basics! I am very aware now of every commercial offering the next QUICK fix. There is NONE. I tired EVERY ONE. Back to the basics, ladies and gentlemen. SOOOO.......evaluate your meals for today. Are they reflective of the proper tools your body needs to produce life - minus your candy bar. wink! We got this! I know we can do it! PK

September 25, 2012 - From my morning devotions

Good morning fam, Sometimes things are TOOO good not to repost. It's totally the opposite concept of re-gifting. :) BUT.........it kind of is a re-gift. This so blessed me and was a gift. I want to give you a gift this morning and share how this touched me. Following yesterday's blog, I find that sometimes we can really be soooooo hard on ourselves. But the person we are closest to and have the deepest relationship with is us. :) Hope this blesses you - PK You Have a Relationship with Yourself - Joyce Meyer Did it ever occur to you that you have a relationship with yourself? You may have never given it much thought, but you spend more time with yourself than anyone else, and it's vital that you get along well with you because you are the one person you never get away from. We should love ourselves, not in a selfish, self-centered way that produces a lifestyle of self-indulgence, but in a balanced, godly way that affirms God's creation as essentially good and right. We may be flawed by unfortunate experiences we've gone through, but that doesn't mean we're worthless and good-for-nothing. We must have the kind of love for ourselves that says, "I know God loves me, so I can love what God chooses to love. I don't love everything I do, but I accept myself because God accepts me." We must develop the kind of mature love that says, "I believe God is changing me daily, but during this process, I will not reject what God accepts. I'll accept myself as I am right now, knowing that I will not always remain this way."

September 24, 2012 - My Personal Best

Good morning and I am so sorry this is late. I am preparing a group of messages for the weekend and I am studying to make certain I am communicating what God intends. Thanks for your prayers. I am speaking five times in 3 days, so I would covet your prayers. :) I have been studying Cain and Abel for one of my illustrations and looking at their story. I imagine that growing up they played X-box together and four square. Maybe? I'm sure, as they were the first 2 children, they spent a lot of time together. They each had had their own giftings and interests, as many of our children do. Not a problem. However, Cain's decision to NOT bring his best to God prompted a jealousy pocket in him and eventually led him to kill his brother and perhaps best friend. He looked at his brother, who HAD done what pleased God, made a comparison and opened the door to sin. Comparison is a curse! When questioned by God about Abel.......his response, "Am I my brother's keeper?" REALLY? Not only have we embraced sin, we now want to deny, cover up and be sarcastic. For us, we must fight the urge to look at someone else who is having a stronger run with their health journey and compare. We each have a choice as to what we eat and do each day. We need to do OUR personal best EACH DAY and celebrate another's personal best. YES! If they seem to have an easier journey - don't compare - celebrate! Comparing led to a violent death and circumstances Cain was not prepared to handle. For us, judging and comparing, causes such inner turmoil. Sometimes people "jump on the band wagon" not because they want to be healthy.......they don't want the friends in their inner circle to look better. STOP! Being healthy is not about how we look, it's about living life to the fullest and giving OUR personal best to our body, so it can give IT'S PERSONAL BEST to us. :) The fastest way to break the comparison trap is to ask God to heal the inner hurts that are in our hearts. These hurts can cause us to see life from a WRONG perspective. Make good choices today and tonight - celebrate a good day. Tomorrow, hit the repeat button. Keep your eyes on the finish line which is a healthy body. That's the prize for which we reach. Thursday morning will be my last last blog until October 8th. I will be home on the 5th, but will need some family time. :) I WILL BE HOSTING OUR HEALTHY LIFE GROUP ON OCTOBER 7th. That is from 6:00-7:30. I will need it after being in a hotel for days. :) Please come and bring a friend! Love you, PK

September 21, 2012 - Giving Hope

Did you ever have to do stuff as a kid that you detested? Mom tried to make me eat beets, asparagus, floss my teeth. Sometimes I felt like she was the "nag squad." Today, I see things differently. It's amazing how time focuses our "sight" on the realities of life. AMAZING! I wish I had learned to eat healthy as a child and it was my North Star. Now, most days eating healthy is easy, somedays it's harder. How about you? When I am tired or frustrated, eating cucumbers just doesn't bring me comfort. It's in those times I have to remember that being tested and tried purifies my resolve and strengthens something within me. I have to remember that while healthy eating was not part of my journey until 2 years ago, it is MY LIFE NOW! Someone came to me on Wednesday and said they have a women in ministry whose husband is battling cancer. One of the first things the doctor told her to do for her husband was, "delete ALL SUGAR" from your husband's diet. I know I sound like a broken record, but I feel God is training each of us to offer hope when we hear statements like that. Being told to delete sugar, when sugar is your BEST friend, can send many into a tale spin. But God has allowed us an 18 month "jump on things" so that we can be a life-line to offer hope. We have shared recipes like: cheesecake, red velvet cake, fudge, german chocolate cake, 5 flavor pond cake, chocolate pound cake and a pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese icing - all of which have been made with xylitol and almond flour - AND, they taste good. So when you hear stories like this - speak hope. People can live in a world VOID of sugar and starch. We are proof of that. As hard as times have been in this past 18 months, If I can help someone else with an encouraging word or a sugar free pound cake and a smile - that lights up my day! Rocks me! I love giving hope - you give it away too. God has blessed us by putting us ahead of this medical outbreak about sugar and cancer. We GOT THIS. :) I would ask your prayers as I prepare to travel to Virginia next Thursday to one of our sister churches to speak to their interns, a ladies conference, and preach on Sunday morning. SOOO honored and excited. I am speaking 5 times in 3 days. If you would commit to pray that God would reveal, strengthen, and deliver in every message and that the listeners see Jesus in every story, exhortation, message. My life's message is hope. Thanks for your prayers. Healthy Life Group in TWO WEEKS - October 7th. Come and bring a friend! Much love, PK

September 20, 2012 - The Power of Protein

This is a great read. I am constantly trying to find articles to help remind me how to keep my body fueled and running at top levels. I keep long hours, as you do, and sometimes need a little something when I get home at 9:00. I prefer to grab a few nuts or a teaspoon of natural peanut butter. The protein can actually help with sleep. One of our fam makes a smoothie every morning and adds a protein powder to it. It carries 16 g of protein. Great start! If you find cool articles, I'd love for you to share. Please send my way. I don't always DO what I read, but I love to challenge myself with, "could this enhance my health journey? Is there any part of this that could help me long term?" Have an amazing day! You deserve it, PK Raising Your Metabolism With Protein Everyone knows that a high metabolism helps to burn off and keep off unwanted pounds, as well as building strong muscles. Consuming protein has been shown to be a great step towards raising your metabolism. However, this does not mean starting a bacon and fried chicken diet, but rather adding more low-fat, nutrient rich, lean meats and legumes to your diet. WHAT PROTEINS DO Proteins control nearly all of the molecular processes of the body. Enzymes that are found in proteins are the catalysts of metabolism. Proteins are important in promoting repair, growth and maintenance of cells throughout the body, and they provide the amino acids human bodies cannot make naturally. All but a small percentage of the protein you take in is digested. Excess protein that is not used in cell repair or converted into amino acids is converted into sugars or fatty acids and can be burned as fuel. HIGH PROTEIN = HIGH METABOLISM For protein to be converted into amino acids or for it to repair and build cells requires a complex conversion,this conversion uses calories, up to 30% of the calories the protein contains, in fact. Example: one cup of white boneless chicken breast, without the skin, contains about 230 calories 175 of those from protein. Your body will use about 30% of the calories from protein to break it down just for use. That equates to about 50 calories burned just by taking in this high-protein food. The same is true for legumes and grains that are high in protein. Besides burning calories as the proteins are converted, they raise your metabolism by rebuilding muscle fibers faster. Muscles require more energy, or calories, to maintain themselves, even when you are not using them. The more calories your body burns, the higher your metabolism. FISH PULLS DOUBLE DUTY High protein often conjures images of red meat and bacon. Legumes, nuts, milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, chicken, beans and fish are all great sources of protein. Fish, especially, packs a double punch in raising metabolic rates. Besides the high protein content, most fish contains omega-3 fat, which has been shown to help humans burn more calories. The more calories you burn, the higher your metabolism gets. TIMING IS IMPORTANT Eating protein in the morning is essential because it creates energy that outlasts carbohydrates. A boost of protein in the morning will help prevent your body from burning muscle fiber for energy. Breaking down muscle for energy actually slows the metabolism, so it is crucial that you prevent this from happening. Don't skip lunch or dinner, either, and make sure there's protein in both. Fish twice a week is recommended and it is a quick, easy dish for either your midday or evening meal. A steady supply of protein throughout the day is very important to increase your metabolism. If you are a late night snacker, try reaching for a high-protein nibble at night, like cheese or sliced, cooked turkey breast. You might find you sleep better and feel more satisfied with fewer night-time calories.

September 19, 2012 - Oil Changes

What a great response to yesterday's blog - so many singers. Fabulous! I just know we had an amazing day releasing those happy endorphins, which in turn keep the cortisol down. Keep singing and let me know if you loose like a million pounds. We can start a revolution. :) Simple things that make such a profound difference. Simple things that keep us living at our best for as long as God intends. I don't know about you, but I have often said to the Lord, "I want to live to age 100 IF I AM HEALTHY." I sat beside a woman at the retina specialist last week who was 96 and whose best friend was 104. It SOOO blessed me! I certainly never set out to live that long when I was younger. I certainly never ate properly as an investment into this plan. But better late than never. Yes? My husband is a stickler for keeping the oil changed, tires rotated and balanced, all fluids clean and filled in my car. He's really OCD about it. BUT......I see the correlation to my own health these days. His routine maintenance on my 15 year old car means she drives WELL! Now she's beginning to show some wear and tear and body dings, but she drives nicely. WHY? It's certainly not because I am an amazing driver or I have a magic formula. It's because my husband keeps the oil changed and never allows it to go beyond the 5k miles suggested. He is adamant about the oil thing. He keeps saying, "that ONE simple thing will ensure the life of this car." At first I just shook my head, but today as my car keeps running so well year after year - I see the truth. For us - the simple truth is........what we place in our mouth has everything to do with our long-term health. There are other factors - rest, stress, etc. but the day to day process of nutrition (food and drink) is what gives us the best chance at great health until we're 100. However, this process must be maintained; it can't be hit and miss. Terry has been faithfully doing the "oil thing" for 26 years and reminding me EVERY TIME (wink) "If you allow this to go beyond a certain point, all the internal parts to the engine will be effected and eventually the engine is gone." I've been told this so much I can recite that statement in my sleep; yes I can. But, he stays right on top of it to ensure the life of my car. It will go a couple of months without his attention, but then he starts watching the mileage and starts preparing to have the car serviced. WHY? So this vehicle serves our family to the best of it's ability for as long as it can. (do you see this as it relates to your health? I do!) And Terry's diligence has paid of. What's important here is that my husband never waits TOO long to be on top of this. He can't. Beyond a certain point, the engine is gone. For us, "HOPING we'll do better tomorrow" or "in January we'll start again" may eventually put us into a place where the engine (our internal organs) have been effected and then it's a lot more costly than an oil change. While I may get frustrated that Terry is SO STINKIN particular about this - my car bears the beauty of it. Thanks, honey! Let's stay on top of our health maintenance and don't put off for months or years those essential things that give us long life. Wanna be my 104 year old friend? I'd like that. :) Healthy LIfe Group on Sunday, October 6th from 6-7:30 at my house. Thanksgiving focus. Come and bring a friend. Much love, PK

September 18. 2012 - Sing It!

Good morning all, I am a wee bit tired as I have been singing off and on through the night, "You Are God Alone." It's a powerful song and I find when my spirit needs to be strengthened, I head into seasons of worshipping in my spirit while I sleep. Every time I rolled over from deep within me the words were resounding......."you are God alone!" It is a song of power and declaration and it speaks forth that God WAS before the world began and HE IS unstoppable, unshakeable, etc... POWERFUL song! But anyway, if I type in a crazy fashion, remember I was singing all night. :) Why bring up singing???? I do want us to remember the power behind singing. Often times in history, during very difficult circumstances, men and women could be heard lifting their voices in song. How many of you know that singing that powerful, or happy, or fun song just puts a "groove" in your move, a smile on your face, a joy in your heart. It does! So many times when living in a healthy world it seems we live a life of denial. Continual denial can bring sadness and a feeling of isolation and dejection. BUT singing, even for a moment, takes our mind off what seems to be a daunting task and releases a vibe of joy. For me.......it so does! Just as hugging has been reported to lower blood pressure, I feel signing probably does the same. And, could I go one step further? Smile while you sing, or lift up your face toward Heaven, or move your body - release those endorphins. So today, whatever sits in front of you - take a few minutes and sing. I cannot prove this, but perhaps singing throughout the day could help at the scale the following morning??? I don't know that - BUT WE DO KNOW that stress releases coritsol and it stores fat around our belly and back side. That effects the scales. YES? So, maybe singing, which lowers stress and reduces cortisol can help in the other direction? I don't know - but I know singing is a GREAT thing. Sing a lot, sing out loud, and sing for JOY! Life is short - sing it! PK

September 17, 2012 - Cheating Vs. Choosing

Good morning, For those who don't check your emails over the weekend, I didn't blog on Friday as I was on point with work and never looked up until about 11:30. However, I did blog on Saturday - so if you want to check your past communications, it's there. :) I had a great weekend - cooked with Kailey (my grand daughter who has adopted healthy eating as her journey to combat diabetes - she has lost a great deal of weight as she has been eating healthy for 6 weeks now and feels like a million dollars), studied a lot to prepare for my trip to Virginia to speak at a women's conference and preach on a Sunday morning at the end of this month, AND finally have a BBQ sauce that I am really pleased with. The sauce may be a wee bit thick - but that could be due in part to being refrigerated? I will check it as I use it on some hot meat and see if I need additional fluids to dilute the recipe. I have been looking at this for a long time. SOOO excited! NOW.........how about you want something so badly and your body gets stuck? I have heard from several of you who are feeling stuck with your health goals. First, determine if your goals need to be revamped. Have your blood checked to determine how you're doing. OR - have an intense eye examine as I did last week and have the doctor tell you, "you look like a million dollars." It's amazing to me that doctors can examine your eyes and determine the health of your body. TOOOOO cool. Have you been checked lately? Then, sometimes you have to shock your body into compliance, especially if you've been back down the sugar trail. White sugar can be addictive for some and breaking free is NOT easy. In fact, with every slip it appears to get harder to "slay the giant." (moral to that - stay on track. smiles and wink) You CAN live without sugar - I am closing in on 2 years and I am still alive. I know some of you feel you will die without that Hershey's kiss, but you won't. :) Perhaps you need a cleansing fast for 7 days to bring your flesh back to a place of submission. I am considering this as part of my preparation for the ministry trip the end of this month. I think the HS has been speaking to me about this for some time; but fasting is not EASY for me. That's probably why it's a DISCIPLINE. Yikes! And third, make a fresh commitment to delete the word CHEAT from your vocabulary. Someone informed me recently that "even Dr. Oz said last week on his show that everyone needs a cheat day once a week to keep things moving - to help you stay on the plan." Well, I am sorry - that phrase gets me. If I wanted something to eat, I would not "cheat" to do so. I would simply weigh the costs and eat it if I felt like it was crucial. Yes??? Let's take the negative and make it positive. Let's not cheat for success - let's choose! So for those really struggling to get started again, dig down deep. You can do it. Never give up and hit the DELETE BUTTON ON THE WORD CHEAT. Amen! Then, choose what your body needs from ALL THE OPTIONS and make this a great day. We are more than conquerors! God's Word declares that over each of us EVERY day! Choose life - you deserve it! PK

September 15, 2012 - Give 'Em What They Need

Sorry I didn't get to write yesterday. I started working on various projects as soon as I got up and when I looked up it was 11:30 and I felt I missed the window. :) I grilled fish last night for my fam (basa and mahi mahi - YUM) and tried to make hushpuppies with almond flour. I forgot how quickly almond flour burns. UGH! It is much more sensitive to heat than other flours. SO, while the "meat" tasted GREAT (Kailey, my youngest grand baby, called the inside part) the outside within a few seconds was very dark. The second round, I turned the heat to 6 and they did better. Not giving up - definitely doable. Someone mentioned this week how much more hungry this time of the year makes them. I'm absolutely convinced that it's not the time of the year, but our minds taking us to memories of cooler tempts and sweaters. I was always sooo happy when it got cooler so I could "hide" my body. Hiding meant I could eat more and after all, "the holidays are here and I'll worry about my weight in January." Has anyone other than me ever felt like that? The problem with that type of thinking is that our internal organs and cells cannot rationalize. They have the TASK of trying to metabolize, detox, filter, distribute, store, etc.........those EXTRA calories they don't need and can't process. No one ever asked "THEIR" opinion. Have you ever been given SOOOO much to do and you know it's WAY more than you can handle? Your response.........sometimes just quit! I am convinced that is what happens within our bodies. They simply quit functioning due to extreme OVERLOAD - even for several months out of the year - and disease is MORE than willing to become the task master. YIKES! I can tell you - this is TRUTH! SOOOOOOO, since our organs and cells cannot think for themselves and are LIMITED in what they absolutely can do......let's not push them to the brink of quitting. Let's offer our bodies what they NEED and not necessarily what we WANT. :) Have a great Saturday! PK

September 13, 2012 - Are Your Doors and Windows Open?

Good morning to all, I would like to ask that you pray for my husband who has a chronic case of the flu following his injection with the flu AND pneumonia shot. UGH! He has been sick since Monday evening and is still running a fever. At 4 this morning, it did break as he and the bed were soaking wet, but this fever has broken several times only to go right back up. Thanks for standing for his healing with me. Just to get on your calendar, our Healthy Eating Life Group meets again on Sunday, October 7th with a focus of planning toward Thanksgiving. We meet from 6:00 (not 6:30) - 7:30 or 8:00. We talk and share so much the time gets away, so let's plan to meet at 6. :) I love this group. I usually turn right around and make some of the recipes I gathered and they are yummy. I did order a couple more bags of almond flour for the holidays. Remember, it takes a minute for things to arrive when ordering close to holidays. This morning I want to share from the book of Proverbs. This is from the Message Translation: Proverbs 25:28 - A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out. Sometimes self-control is easy, and other times not. Sometimes we can have perfect days and others "not so perfect." I do also realize that we must always go back to the basics of healthy eating and remind ourselves that even if we CAN have a particular food, it cannot be without limits. For example, when I first baked a chocolate pound cake (no starch, no sugar) and it tasted so amazing, I ate 4 pieces at one time. I paid the penalty for that on the scales. UGH! No self-control. That's not so bad - but if we can't see that as a breach, then tomorrow it's 4 pieces again and the next day whatever. NO - we have to stop, realize we can have the cake again (when the scales come into submission) :) and decide ahead of time that ONE piece is good enough. Too much of a GOOD THING can still be too much. But, we must also make the commitment to fight for water and lots of color on our plates, rest and a peaceful hour in the swing. BASICS work! So today if you're wrestling with the "formula" for regaining self-control and replacing the doors and windows in your house.......go back to the basics! Ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength and courage to close the doors and windows of your house and secure your emotions which are often "flipped out" by a simple breach. But you know what - Satan always wants something simple to seem catastrophic. Let's secure the house, our hearts, and our health. God wants us to live in a secure place in him and often our lack of self-control in the area of eating causes a lack of self-control in our responses, reactions etc.....and our households pay the piper. Drink your water - it's at the top of the list for our health. :) And close those windows! PK

September 12, 2012 - The ABC's of a Great Day

Sometimes don't you miss the simplicity of being a child - not BEING a child - but how simple things were. Your responsibilities.....don't bite, share your toys, be good for mom, don't create a mess, be potty trained early. LIFE WAS EASY. Then with each passing year, life changes. It's supposed to, but sometimes I feel we make things a lot harder than they should be. The older I get, the more I value peace. There are times to make a stand, fight a battle, wage war. I can do it with the best of them! But then there are times where it's okay for me to say, "this battle is not worth the energy." That's wisdom. The older I get, the more simple I see things. I can't allow myself to get stirred up about everything. I need my sleep. :) Today I want us to slow down enough to see, with God's perspective, those areas in our lives where we are spinning out of control. In the arena of our health, there are the boundaries. YES! They are radically different than most of us were used to. YES! But instead of always being stirred and frustrated with life, the cost of being healthy, not getting all the water in, the scale "lying" once again (wink), let's focus on the simple ABC's of enjoying our lives and make the rest of those "strife stirrers" live within the boundaries. We control our day - make those issues LINE UP! ABC's of Having a Great Day by Kathy Hill Always try to find the good in every situation. Sometimes in a really BAD place, this is hard to do. But if nothing else, smile and remind yourself God never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can endure. He also sets boundaries and HE must feel we are strong enough to live on the edge of that boundary. Be slow to speak and react! Consider your words carefully for once they are in the air waves, they never dissolve! Care for others more than you care for yourself. This initiates the sowing and reaping principle. We don't care for others in order to get anything.....but in doing so our harvest is being established. Treating others as we want to be treated and becoming the servant of all takes a willingness to not always be first, right, or in charge. It's okay to let someone else get the glory on this side. God claps His hands at the things we do in secret where no one, except HIM, knows the truth. :) Those are basic, simple statements..........but oh how much easier life would be if we could pause long enough to utilize them. Praying for your health today, PK

September 11, 2012 - Today We Remember

Good morning fam, Today marks a special day in the journey of our nation. Eleven years ago a devastating and historical event occurred. I would imagine that many of us can remember exactly where we were and the shock and horror we felt. I remember feeling hopeless and scared. I remember being numb as the realization of so much death shook me. And yet I remember the heroic acts, the touching final moments so many shared, and I remember how our country unified........for a "moment." On the Wednesday and Sunday following the event our church was packed. I imagine so was yours. However, as the event's memory faded, so did those who, out of fear, ran to the hope and comfort of the church. In their minds, THEY escaped death and catastrophe. I remember the sadness I felt that so many came and left really not knowing that God wanted to be a part of their lives in the good and the bad. So today, I want and stop and remind each of us to remember that even in our lowest day, our day of total failure (in our minds), our day(s) of never moving ahead and feeling that our health is a nagging chain that always tugs at our attention.....let us STOP and remember. Let us remember that the one who created us, knows the number of hairs on our heads and the names of EVERY star knows that we are constantly having to fight for our health. He knows. He also knows the enemy of our soul never rests and never quits. His number one goal is to cause enough pain in our lives to create DISTRUST and cause us to lose hope that God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do. Let us stop today - still our minds, our hearts, our souls and say YES - God KNOWS, God CARES, and with God's HELP I will finish my life in health and wholeness. Speak that out today and slaughter the voice of the one who brings you torment! God never changes in the good and in the bad. Our souls wrestle for an answer - many times God simply says, "TRUST ME. I AM the answer." Today we remember................... PK

September 10, 2012 - The Rubberband

Good morning all, I pray your weekend went well. :) I pray you made healthy choices and Monday finds you with no regrets. I remember how I hated Mondays because it followed a three day eating binge. Monday was always an "almost fast day," which most assuredly made me feel horrible after tons of sugar and by Friday I was packing in it because the "weekend had arrived!" What a horrible and unhealthy cycle.......which consumed most of my life. It was bad enough to buy larger clothes year after year, but the worst part was the way I felt about myself. I felt lead today to share my Sunday devotional from Joyce Meyer. It's always great to have a different perspective, especially from a person like her. I hope you enjoy this and it encourages you. It did me. Love your Monday, love your week, love yourself enough to say NO to obesity. Embrace health! PK Don't Let Yourself Snap - Joyce Meyer Let's say you're working around the house and break a rubber band while trying to stretch it around something. You can't find another rubber band, so you try to fix the broken one by tying the ends together. Sometimes in our daily lives, we stretch ourselves beyond our capacity, and we snap like the rubber band. We think we've fixed the problem by simply tying the ends back together. But soon we fall into the same behavior that caused us to break down in the first place. Over time with repeated exposure to stress, our lives begin to resemble that worn-out rubber band. It can completely deplete us. Ignoring God's laws and His ordained limits for our lives will ultimately cause burnout. You simply can't continue to overwork your mind, emotions and body without eventually paying the price. But that's not how God wants you to live. Adjust your perspective to match God's. Seek His peace and His pace for your life. Respect your body. Treat good health as a priceless gift. Don't waste the energy God has given you on stress. Save it for living and enjoying life!

September 7th, 2012 - A Bad Tank of Gas

Hey gang - sorry this is late, I had some work issues I needed to handle early morning so I am stopping for second to send our family blog. As you know I am constantly reading and checking current trends for our health journey. Someone contacted me yesterday about a book they just read entitled Wheat Belly.....lose the weight, lose the weight. I did some research and found some really cool stuff. HOWEVER, as you also know, there's always the counter. While a lot of what I believe is found in this link I am providing today (for your research enjoyment), I did find an article that refuted some of the research in the book. However, the writer of the article did say that a lot of the principles in the book are legit, as he lives in a gluten free world, but he wanted everyone to know that some of the research statistics are out of balance and might be misleading. With that being said.....I did find this blog to have some interesting reading. I did love the recipe at the top. The blog writer does support the use of wheat flour and xylitol, which I do as well, and several of the responders to the blog have some insight into gluten free products that can actually cause weight gain. The web address is wheatbellyblog.com ****interesting reading, but remember to examine everything and always listen to the Holy Spirit and your doctor. Some of the weight loss seems to be rapid, but some of the recipes are RIGHT in line with what I would cook. All in all, we are better to remain with our whole foods approach (although sprouted Ezekiel bread seems to get good reviews - you'll read that as well if you keep scrolling) and keep offering our bodies foods God created in their purest forms. I know cooking can be a chore, but so can disease. AMEN! God has provided a group of foods for our refueling; man has provided a group of processed foods for "refueling" as well. Ever get a bad tank of gas????? Your car doesn't respond the same does it??? Neither does your body. Right? If you do some research on the book, please share your thoughts? I always want to be sharpened! Enjoy your weekend and stay ahead of the planning. Remember......if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. PK

September 6, 2012 - Encouragement from God's Word

Good morning all, A wee bit under the weather today.......lots on my plate right now. So this morning, I needed some lift from God's WORD. (excerpt from Psalm 118) In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. 6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? 7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. God answers our prayers and is faithful to us. It is God who sets me free. And the part I want to bring for your "smiling pleasure" this morning is......The Lord is for me, so I will have NO FEAR. Let's move our gaze off the circumstances and onto the one who knows the answer to ALL circumstances, God! Have a great day and stick with it........don't be afraid you can't be successful.......God is for you. Hug 10 people today and it will lower your blood pressure. Try it - it works! Love you, PK

September 5, 2012 - Every 24 Hours is a NEW Day!

Good morning and happy half-way-point, I am excited to see the rain again! I feel this could allow us a really good chance at a colorful explosion with the fall colors of leaves soon. FINALLY! The drought of the past several years has really affected the fall color scheme. This is actually my favorite time of year and I feel so excited for the first "wear a sweater moment" or "sit by a fire with your friends moment." Love these memories. How about you? Wanna come to my house and sit by the fire soon? :) Sometimes we feel that one day rolls into the next, one season into the next and that time gets LOST. But this is simply not true. Every 24 hours marks a NEW day. The date changes; we either lose or gain one minute of sunlight (depending on the season); a new name christens the day......it's really different. However, sometimes we are TOO busy, or TOO stressed, to pause and acknowledge the fresh start! Sometimes due to our oppression, we have no ability to see the newness of the day. SOMETIMES we try to carry yesterday's struggles and failures into the next segment of time. But today is NEW. What can you do today to let go of yesterday and embrace a NEW day? Do you need to find a NEW recipe, buy a new shirt, find a NEW place to celebrate, create a NEW memory, taste a NEW food that will bring life to your body, embrace a NEW motto, do a NEW exercise video, make a NEW friend, have your family eat dinner in a NEW place?????? Man, just typing NEW so many times brought a smile to my face. It REALLY did! Let's thank God that he created each day with a NEW start and let's do just that - start NEW! I feel some of you really need to stand up, shake off the heaviness and drop all the yucky stuff from yesterday. Reach up, smile, and grab this NEW day. It's yours my friends. It's mine. Thank you God for knowing I needed a NEW start today. PK

September 4, 2012 - Enter Into God's Rest

GOOOOOD Morning, it's blog time. Hope you're up and meditating on the goodness of our Creator and His faithfulness to you and your family. I hope Labor Day did you great and I pray you have asked God for HIS wisdom and help for THIS day. Let's not borrow trouble and WORRY about tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll tackle tomorrow's issues..........today, let's walk in wisdom and honor God and love people as he loves them! Anyway - we had a GREAT time Sunday night. We had normal food and "not so normal." :) LInda came to the door with a bowl of dried leaves. I smiled, being gracious, and she said, "dried leaves; try one." Then I REALLY smiled. (I could have back tracked into my heathen days, but I'm free! wink) So, I cautiously grabbed a dried leaf and slowly brought it to my mouth. YUMMMMM! She had dried kale with evoo, salt and lemon juice. YUMMMM! Really crispy, very healthy, and popped with flavor. My Kailey LOVED them and asked for more yesterday. That's a great way to get kale turned into chips and into our bodies. So, when you come to LIfe Group you never know what experience awaits you. :) I was reading in the 4th chapter of the book of Hebrews this morning about God's rest - a time when all labor and toil will cease. For those of us who are believers, that has multiple layers for us: salvation and eternal life. For those who haven't accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, that begins with your acceptance of his love (believe) for you and your obedience to allow him to take over your heart. Read John 3:16. Then, a final rest awaits you as well. However, there's that middle part. Yes? Here's what I think........worrying and toiling and striving to "be thin" is a major distraction. Our goal is being healthy........period! There is a place that each of MUST come to where we no longer can reach back and be tormented by our failures. In some ways, our past can help keep us moving forward. However, I believe, there has to come a place of REST in knowing that we CAN NO LONGER RETURN TO OR PAST. Our gaze is forward and up - our thoughts are on successful days and NOT days of failures. We are always going to bump against circumstances that want to drag us back, but standing in freedom really comes to a place of REST. When we get frustrated and anxious and angry with ourselves, rest goes out the window. Galatians 5:1 teaches that Jesus came for our freedom but we must stand firm then - REST - in that freedom. YES......bad choices CAN place a yoke on us again; chemical imbalances and health issues CAN place a yoke on us again; family and work issues CAN place a yoke on us again..........but do they have to? Can we come to a place of REST with our health plan where when the storms come (and they will) we simply don't go to a past failure and smile at it? We don't "freak out" in the storm and eat 12 cookies - we don't anything wrong - we have finally arrived at a place of REST and eating is not the storm calmer.........Jesus is! When the storm came and everyone was in a panic, Jesus slept. Why? He holds the answer to every storm. So, instead of grabbing a cookie, stop and lift up your voice, eyes, spirit and ask the one who knows the answer to help you. Then REST and put the cookie back. The answer is on the way. Love, love you! PK