May 30, 2013 - But First....

Good morning Thursday and hello weekend - right? I have a busy schedule coming up and blogs my be scarce after today until June 10th. Please be patient but continue to check. My mom is having a complete shoulder replacement in the morning and I will be in the hospital with her for a few days, then heading to our Youth Camp on Monday to help and preaching there on Wednesday morning. I will drive home Wednesday evening, clean my clothes and fly out Thursday morning to New Hampshire until Sunday night to speak at a women's conference. Praise God I love to be with people and talk about the freedom truths found in the Word. I would ask for your prayers all around. As I read my devotional this morning I was drawn to the first paragraph from Oswald Chambers: "Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.” The scripture he references comes from Luke 9:61 (NIV) "Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” I have read that a million times, but this morning it really grabbed me. How many times do we confess we should get healthy, but there are things we feel we need to return to or complete before we embrace health? I work with so many who comment "I will start working on my health once my family reunion is over." Or I hear people say, "I have a business trip coming up and then I can start." What? There will always be trips, gatherings and obstacles - just like following Jesus. The disciples said we want to follow you, but can we do that on our own time table and in our own way. See that? What is more important that following Jesus? For us, is a holiday food gathering or a business trip more important than being healthy? Do we decided to place a reminder on our phone that being healthy starts following the next holiday weekend in which we have plans to eat and drink beyond the boundaries? Help me. Kathy, I really want and need to be healthy, but first........

May 29, 2013 - Restaurant Ally

I have been thinking a lot about planting and what is displayed after planting. Some plants immediately take to their new homes and their leaves and colors quickly display their connection. However, within a few days, others quickly begin to fade, drop leaves and wither. Their environment is not conducive to bringing forth life. I wonder how many times we actually offset healthy habits by going out to eat too often, reasoning that "its been a bad day and I'll work out twice as long," or perhaps attending too many social gatherings. While each of these are not destruction in singular situations, consistent eating out can often be the beginning of an unhealthy journey. Please be mindful that dishes at your favorite places usually contain increased amounts of sugar and salt. Then, when we begin to swell or thicken around the middle and our "leaves" convey that something is not right, usually a transplant situation has to occur and that halts the process for a season and places us back at square zero. To me, that is an unproductive repeat behavior and if I'm repeating behavior - I want it to count. How about you? My encouragement would be to limit the number of times you eat out, or attend social gatherings without packing. Once a week, for a season, could be plenty. Remember, no one is going to select and prepare your best health foods as you will. (well unless they love you dearly and are health conscious too) This is the season where we normally start grabbing yogurts, ice cream, and quick meals coupled with some fun outside lounging and long conversations. Be mindful of your calories. Chick-fil-a has started listing the calories on their menu. I was shocked when I got a tea the other day that the chicken club sandwich was almost 800 calories. Check it out. Too many of those "bad boys" and your season of displaying well could be short. I am including a passage from Psalm 1 this morning as an encouragement that we should be PLANTED by places that allow us to produce life. Restaurant Ally five days a week is not good soil. Perhaps consider a transplant (new mindset on eating out) and see if the display of your healthy self is better. I am checking that in my own life recently and thought I would share. Love you BIG, PK Psalm 1 1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. 2 But his delight anddesire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.(A) 3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

May 28, 2013 - My Health Enemies

Hello to you all and I apologize for unplugging for a few days without notice. I am fine, just had a friend here and then a holiday. Crazy busy for the next couple of weeks as I am certain you are. As I meditated on Memorial Day, I was more aware that Jesus is our great defender and as we paused to honor our veterans, I paused and honored the sacrificial life Jesus gave to set us free, place us in a free land, and post a guard (the Holy Spirit) to assist in maintaining our freedom. When this level of freedom is attained in our natural settings, there are often years of battles, negotiations, broken relationships, destruction, and devastation. Many are affected and known life recalculated. I am reminded of the Carmen video that depicts Jesus as the Champion. Yes, there was conflict, struggle, death, and devastation - but only for one man, Jesus. He alone offers us victory and none of us can proclaim we had any part in winning the war. Jesus overcame the destruction of death and offered to each of us a path to a new and better life. (John 3:17) I have never lived during war times, but I have read many accounts. The books and articles do not convey an easy journey. And for Jesus, the journey was more that difficult. But by His own nature and position He was the only possible choice to attain our freedom. He came freely, died freely, and gave each us an opportunity to be eternally free. For that I grateful beyond any words that can be typed. We celebrated freedom yesterday - food, family, swimming, fun gatherings and fireworks. It is easy to enjoy life when one is free and lives in a free nation, isn't it? I don't imagine those living in war zones celebrate freedom as we do. Sometimes we need to stop long enough to sink into a place or realization. Freedom is costly and often not pretty. Some of us know that too well. As we choose to daily walk in freedom as it relates to our health, we often have to murder our attitudes and desires. We cannot entertain peace when we know our health is at stake. Making friends with the enemy can be extremely detrimental. At this phase of my life, making friends with my health enemies means I surrender my land to disease and pain. Not me - not now. As you start this new week, be grateful for your freedom and recognize your health enemies quickly. They are bad dudes with ill intent. Don't shake their hands.

May 23, 2013 - Open The Blinds

So excited to have a dear friend and her husband on the way to our house for the holiday. They are so fun and I am certain laughter, lots of laughter, is in store. I have definitely planned well for our meals varying color and texture and have given myself the pep-talk about "stretchy pants boundaries." These meals are fun refueling times not fun shame and guilt endeavors. I PLAN to eat well and I PLAN to stay within the boundaries. That being the case, I PLAN to have an amazing time and on Monday when they leave cry because I won't see them for months and not because I feel like a failure. boo-yah! How many of you know that several people can be involved in the same same occurrence and see things so differently. This "seeing" is certainly not limited to health, but across family lines, friendship lines and work lines. I was always amazed when we would sit in a grade-level meeting at school and have 10 people with 10 different opinions as to what they saw. I am also absolutely amazed at how many people never really see their health as critical. On the flip side of the coin, I hear from so many of you and my heart is tender as what flows from your mouth concerning your life is often so negative. Two responses worlds apart. While never caring about health could have long-reaching negative consequences, always confessing your failure, weakness, and inability to remain faithful in the area of health could have some immediate consequences to the success of your journey. Matthew 6: 22-23 "Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!" (NLT) This is a great picture for us that keeping the blinds open in our heart, so that light can enter those dark places where we often hide our inner turmoil, causes our body to fill with light. If you are hiding and eating, allow the blinds to be opened and see the situation for what it is. Often there's hurt or shame attached and food is the comfort. Let's deal with your pain and grab an apple if you're hungry. If your appetite increase due to exercise, stop making negative confessions like "I knew I would eventually get past the victory phase." No! There is no phase to our journey anymore, this is our life. If you are hungry, eat two apples and one teaspoon on natural peanut butter. Winning that battle of "seeing" the journey correctly will often keep you on course. But never, never, stumble and close the blinds. That despair creates a dark cellar. And how many of you know cellars take a little more effort to vacate? Open your blinds today and walk in the truth. You can't select healthy foods or refill your water bottles with the blinds open. Tonight, after a successful day, close the blinds and rest. In the morning, hit the repeat button. Eyes wide open today, PK

May 22, 2013 - The Punching Bag

I have always been amazed at those folks who workout with that punching bag thing. I would probably have a broken nose within seconds as dodging the bag takes an enormous amount of energy and rhythm. Notice I said dodging. I don't know about you, but that thing seems to fly and certainly doesn't seem to be kind. I don't like round objects flying at my face. I have observed, however, that people who practice with these creatures seem to master a flow and rhythm that allows them to strike the bag with authority. But let's talk about the journey. Punching bags punch back. Brilliant statement, right? I was thinking about how fiercely they strike back and there is no one to defend you, but you. The bag always responds; and the greater you strike the bag, the greater it strikes back. Unfair, especially when learning how to use the devise as a means of working out. I don't imagine tapping the bag works very well, so perhaps I'll stick to water aerobics. But there are some who LOVE the encounter. As I was thinking about the punching bag yesterday, I thought about our lives. When we first commit to a healthy life-style change, we begin punching the bag only to discover it punches back. When I first started, I would pray for an easy meal, easy day, easy anything. The journey was difficult at times and I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. I never knew how to "work the bag." So there were those trials and attempts at hitting my rhythm on the bag, but slowly and methodically, because I never quit trying, I learning how to strike the bag and keep striking the bag. I finally began to look like one of those boxer dudes at which we all marvel. Here is the moral of the story: in the book of John, chapter 17, Jesus is praying to our Heavenly Father as He knows His time on the earth is short and the disciples are about to "enter the ring with the bag" for themselves. Jesus never asked God to remove them from the punching-bag experience, but to allow them to experience the closeness that He and the Father enjoyed which allowed Jesus to strike the bag effectively every time and gain our freedom. We are never going to escape the punch of life, but with Jesus as our coach and trainer, the voice of the Holy Spirit as our encourager, and God the Father nodding as He knows the outcome, we can learn to punch the bag of life with such God confidence that the rhythm and flow of the experience is effortless. Don't be afraid to punch the bag!

May 21, 2013 - Unbutton My Lips

I love the way The Message reads and I love the freshness of this language: "Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise." Psalm 51:7-15 (MSG) Have you experienced this type of praise? I don't know about you, but being healthy unbuttoned my lips and caused my heart to sing anthems to God. I spent many years singing the dirge, today my heart rejoices in health. I don't know where you are on this journey with me, but God has given us a clean bill of health. That, dear friends, is worth a shout of praise. Everyday God's best plan brings life to us and we should fight with every fiber of this body to embrace His gift of life. I wonder if there are things in your life today you could honestly say are not praise worthy nor do they cause you to celebrate good health? Maybe they need a scrubbing? No one upon this earth has given each of us what God has. Let my life, your life, our healthy lives be unbuttoned and display for all to see that we are FREE. God has given us a fresh start. How shall we use it? Stop and re-read this verse and smile - you know you want to. PK

May 20, 2013 - Catchin' Critters

Our first big party of the summer is coming in just one week. Have you thought about what you'll serve on Memorial Day and how to create a fun, food day with plenty of healthy options? I have close friends coming for a couple of days, so the food planning is well into the drafting stage. They are healthy eaters and that makes the planning easier, but I want to experiment with some new things. I will keep you posted as it gets closer. I am confident that I will do something on the grill and something with strawberries that are abundantly in season. Beyond that I am not certain. As many of you know, we have been trying for months to catch Mr. Armadillo so we can escort him to a new home in far, far-a-way land. I am sad to report our efforts have not accomplished the goal. However, we are also home to 9 million squirrels and chipmunks who join Mr. Armadillo daily in digging holes in our beautiful, new Cyprus mulch. Unfair! While we have been unsuccessful in luring Mr. Armadillo into the cage which will be used as his chariot to far, far-a-way land, several squirrels and chipmunks have decided they need a ride. Daily some new critter is being transported to another home with a fresh set of trees and ground begging to be overturned. I am amazed that the memo has not circulated to avoid the silver box with the peanut butter. But I can say that none of those receiving the ride to a new home have been harmed. We pray as we release them for amnesia to come upon their minds that they may never find our yard again. But Mr. Armadillo is quite the smart guy. I have been studying this for days now and gathering my thoughts concerning our health. Often we realize and can identify that certain "critters" are digging their way into our health plan - long days, stress, poor planning for our meals, tension in our relationships, boredom, etc. These guys will slowly erode the stability of our main components: healthy eating, rest, hydration, and peace. I know we have been a long time without going back to our foundational verse, but from Galatians 5:1 we remember Christ gave us freedom and we maintain by standing firm. As Terry and I are being diligent to remove these little guys who are causing us stress, I can see the yard beginning to respond. It doesn't take long, but it does take focused effort. I understand that life places critters in our yard, but God gives us the good sense to recognize their presence and never be content for them to destroy us. Let's examine our health journey today and identify the critters that need a new home. Your peace and health are crucial. What things in your life need to change to allow you to return again to your rest? Allow them the pleasure or moving to another home and gracing your body with the victory that God designed for you. Don't be afraid to confront the critters.

May 16, 2013 - Chili Cheese Fries

I am sitting outside this morning, not drinking my coffee (as I am preparing for my annual physical and am having to fast), and trying to console myself. I told my husband, that morning coffee is my joy. I have one of those coffee makers that grinds the beans fresh daily and fills my house with one of the aromas from Heaven. I simply love that morning routine. But as I am being denied the pleasure of coffee before blood work, I am preparing a bodacious cup to tuck in my purse for the end of the stick. What's really bad is that someone is actually going to stick me without my morning coffee. That's serious. I leave for Nashville in the morning to do a photo shoot for the launch of Freedom Connection Ministries and my devotional cookbook. As I was placing outfits in groups and sending photo options in preparation, I actually stopped to consider the reality of the experience. My husband asked if I was nervous...absolutely. New chapters in our lives can be both exciting and nerve wracking. I'm just a simple girl, but I am always available to God. And sometimes God doesn't do things as simply as I would. You know that's true. :) It's like french fries. I have loved french fries my entire life (except I haven't eaten them in over two years), but what happened to the simplicity of FRIES? It's not just fries any longer, it's seasoned fries with chili, cheese, and jalapeños. It's fries with BBQ sauce and Vidallia onions. It's salt and pepper fries, cajan fries, and new for me, Italian fries. I get that change is good and often necessary, but sometimes just the plain fries were all I needed. (well, salt and ketchup if I'm being honest) The last time I was with someone who ordered chili cheese fries, I flipped out. The poor little fries were soggy and unable to maintain their shape while the people at my table were making sounds I thought were illegal at dinner. All of this reminded me that sometimes we can take simple things and make them so complicated. Being healthy is not complicated. Simple changes, simple foods, plain water, lots of color, and a determination to live. Sometimes we must return to the simple truth that being unhealthy may look and feel good for a season, but all seasons end. The only challenge to that statement is in my relationship with God, my family, and my desire to be healthy. I am fighting for all of those for the remainder of my life. Those seasons will never end. Consider the things in your life that you are unwilling to have end and really fight for them. Are the chili cheese fries worth the fight? PK

May 15, 2013 - Touching Thorns

I was awakened this morning to the singing of the sweet birds. They are precious to me. This morning I want to continue with the picture from yesterday concerning my rose bush that's so fragrant. Last evening my husband picked one that had opened to probably a 5 inch width and its color was dark burgundy and black. His comment, "this looks like velvet." It absolutely does. When he presented it to me I bent down and inhaled as long as my lungs could hold on. Fragrant does not describe the scent. I closed my eyes and held that aroma as long as possible and smiled as I thanked God for allowing such beauty to be grown in my yard. The sweetness of this scene soon ended as I prepared for bed and wandered into the kitchen where Terry had placed the magnificent rose in clear vase. (I might also say that the leaves are equally as deep in color and extremely healthy thanks to the rain and cooler temps) As I gazed at the rose, my eyes eventually fell to the water and I peered into the container and connected visually with these enormous thorns. While the color of the rose and leaves made a bold statement, so did these creatures. I stood for a few seconds and wondered, "why on earth would something so beautiful have something so dreadful attached to it." Stay with me, I'm going somewhere. I know there must be a scientific answer to my thoughts, but I was too tired to search for it, so I went to bed and pondered. Have you ever done that? And I felt the Lord began to show me a spiritual picture from this natural one. I have a friend who is diabetic. A couple of years ago, she joined my health journey and took this disease into a place of submission. However, she slowly has allowed the doors of starch and sugar to be re-opened and has found that the monster has returned with a vengeance. Again, she is making a stand for her health and her life and within a few days of hitting the delete button, her blood sugar level dropped over 200 points and she is down 4+ pounds. Here's what I see. No one loves to eat more than I do. Sometimes those meals and fancy cupcakes look beautiful, smell delicious, but right underneath are these monstrous thorns (diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol) that serve as reminders that "beauty has its guard rails." Please hear me - I am not speaking of physical beauty (whatever that means to you) - I am referring to the beauty of being healthy. I imagine God placed those monster thorns as a protector of the queen rose. Maybe, I don't know? But I know this, these obesity-related diseases are thorns in my life set as reminders that eating healthy MUST BE PROTECTED. Maybe this helps you - it was a bold statement to me as I tried to gather the rose and was pricked. Some roses have little thorns and little protection and I will pick them easily. But THIS rose with its magnificence, had the thorns that say, "think again." I want my life to be full, colorful, aromatic, and brilliant, so I place great attention around my health so one of the thorns of disease doesn't intrude, prick me, and draw my attention from the beauty of being healthy. Praying for each of us this day, PK

May 14, 2013 - Death to Life

These cooler days are causing my throat to feel sore but my beautiful roses are saying, "thank you, mom." I have the most beautiful, dark burgundy rose bush in which a singular rose releases enough fragrance to fill a room. Some of my roses are beautifully colored, but have little to no fragrance. Where are the roses of my childhood? I know I don't remember everything, but I seem to remember the roses at least having a fragrance. Am I having memory problems? I guess that depends upon who you ask. LOL I was reading this passage this morning and wanted to share it with you. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NLT) reads, "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." If we simply read passages out of context, we could become fearful or frustrated with life. These verses describe how many of us feel, but as we spoke of in yesterday's blog, we all need the power of hope. So let's read a little further, (vs. 14-18) " We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." Don't you feel better already? I do. Here are my thoughts: If you read the entire chapter of 2 Corinthians 4 you will find this passage refers to allowing the light we have in our hearts because of our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, to proclaim in spite of our troubles, the Glory of God and the good news of the gospel. If you read the chapter in the New Living Translation, you will find Paul comment that we don't need to use trickery to communicate the good news. People will see the evidence of a changed life. This evidence of change comes as we experience the death in our bodies of those attitudes and sin-issues that reflect our old ways and not our new life in Christ. Praise God for His great work in each of us! Let's use this as a picture to bring encouragement to our daily health journey. As we live our lives as healthy adults, we certainly have endured death to some of our favorite foods and habits, haven't we? But the more we allow the evidence of a changed life to shine before others, the more hope we give them that people can change. If I can change, so can you and so can others. Our "death" experiences in our health journey actually become light to others. It really is good news and often undeniable good news. I believe in the good news of the Gospel and I believe that each of our lives can be a light in so many areas. Shine well today friends, PK

May 13, 2013 - Mr. Rickey

Good Monday morning to you, I went to see the movie 42 on Saturday about a baseball player and I really dreaded going. My husband wanted to go, but I had other plans. The movie I wanted to see didn't start until later and I knew he really desired to see 42. So, I smiled and went. I was so blessed! I cried several times during scenes in the movie and was touched to visually connect with the power of hope. I am a firm believer that none of us really understands the deep energy that hope gives us. I was thinking last night about how the Bible teaches that hope which is delayed can actually make a heart sick. Has your heart ever been sick because it appears that you consistently fail and no hope exists for you? Mine has. But then there was Mr. Rickey. Jackie Robinson was an amazing player with a bad temper. Mr. Rickey knew that the situation he was placing the young Jackie in would confront his anger at a deep level. But against all odds, Mr. Rickey believed this was a great fit for his organization. He was willing to take a chance and endure the backlash from the critics because he saw something in the young man. He stood with the young rookie when no one on the team would and Mr. Rickey never wavered. Not once! There is a scene in the movie where in utter desperation the bottled anger inside Jackie bursts and erupts like a capped volcano. My heart was gripped as I have been in that place - trapped with no hope. Down the hallway walked Mr Ricky and in his tender but firm voice, brought hope and turned this breaking point into a break forth point. That's the power of hope and encouragement! I left the movie asking God to allow me to be someone's Mr. Rickey. So, perhaps you need a voice today that says, "never quit, being healthy is a life-long commitment and you have all the variables within you to succeed." You can do it, just never stop trying and always remember you're never alone. Every moment of destruction that arose in the movie was met with Mr. Rickey's words of wisdom. Let God's words of wisdom remind you again that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. Come on team, let's play ball to win. I plan to. :) PK

May 10, 2013 - The Trampoline Park

I hate to admit that I am rejoicing that it's Friday, it almost seems that sometimes we press for the end of the week and forget to find those God-moments scattered throughout the beginning of the week. Although today is busy as well, I am drinking my coffee, thinking of you, and have a full day of proofreading planned, a change in pace helps my brain to switch sides. Today I play in the right side of my brain and allow the left side to chill. A couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I took the girls to the newest, hottest playground around a trampoline park. I am a bit leery of trampolines at any level, as my daughter broke her ankle on one as a teen. But my grand daughters really wanted to go. What an experience! As I opened the entry door and looked up, my eyes focused on a huge room filled with various trampoline experiences and wall-to-wall people. At first I was a bit overwhelmed. But the energy and excitement of the jumpers sucked us into the adventure. After the completion of the necessary paperwork, the craziness arrived. The girls were timid at first, as people were jumping from one trampoline to the other with no seemingly determined pattern or reverence for other jumpers. I wasn't even jumping and my heart started pounding as little people were jumping around big people and from mat to mat like a swarm of bees. My girls jumped onto their first mat and slowly found their rhythm. Within minutes, however, they joined the jumping frenzy and were bopping from mat to mat along with the crowd. Quickly, something grabbed my attention. One of the jumpers left the floor, jumped on the wall, flipped back to the floor and back to the wall...Spiderman? I stood for seconds looking in amazement at all the variations of jumping offered. It was craziness at its finest. Although there were a multitude of trampoline experiences in this arena and the jumpers varied in all shapes and sizes, there was a common denominator running throughout. Contagious fun and spontaneous energy rolled from mat to mat and jumper to jumper. The jumpers were having a great time while sweating like tiny water faucets. Their cheeks were bloody red and they still ran from mat to mat with joy in their journey. I stopped and thought about our journey. Many times our daily routine bounces all over the place, tosses us against the walls, and causes our faces to be red and dripping with sweat, but can we still find a way to laugh? I know the kids were being intentional about this fun encounter, but while they were having a blast, their bodies were working, sweating, and giving off smells that indicated work was taking place all the while smiles and laughter were seen from corner to corner. No matter how much difficulty life bounces our way, let's bounce back, bounce on the wall, bounce in the easy squares and keep moving. Even the kids that hit the mats hard were back to their feet and jumping wildly in seconds, smiling as they began again. My life is a trampoline park experience and my health is only one of the mats. I pray God help me, and you, be fabulous jumpers and come to trust that His strength will help us bounce against life and smile as we bounce again. Enjoy your weekend and find some time to laugh and bounce. (wink) PK

May 9, 2013 - Got Your Glasses On?

My eyes are tired currently as I am working long hours at church as well as proofreading my devotional cookbook as we begin this journey to publication. My eyes are screaming, "stop," and I am having to move them forward in spite of their declaration. I am grateful that in the mornings they always seem better for a few hours. I will be brief this morning as I need to be in staff prayer early this morning (have a guest coming) but God always places something on my heart to share. How many of you know without a real vision of our continued health and an established "picture" in our mind's eyes, we may eventually determine we are simply going through the steps of motion to look and feel better for a season with no real plan to be healthy for the remainder of our lives? I know that when many people train, they see the the finish line, see the trophy, see themselves holding the trophy and see themselves in the moment. The real winners never seem to let the vision of winning diminish. It is their life and future. I watch some of these shows on television where people are competing in dance and song. I actually love this, but I love the shows best as they draw near to completion and the tension of winning is high. All of the participants are focused and always comment how they are determined to win. They want the prize that says to all of those viewing, "this person paid the greatest price." I wonder sometimes on our health journey, if we are okay to be on the program but have no vision of winning. I have been on sports teams before where not everyone felt the same way I did about winning. I never understood their position. Maybe they thought I was a lunatic. On this journey to health, I want to win and not simply "go through the motions for a season." Winning means I have a vision of being successful as far as my eyes can look into my future and no other option exists. If I have no vision of completing my life's journey as a healthy woman of God, there's a great chance I will eventually cast off the restraints of living healthy. I cannot afford to allow myself that option. Let's consider Proverbs 29:18 as we begin our morning and consider our the future of our health. "When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful." (NLT) Have a great Thursday, PK

May 8, 2013 - Helping One Another!

Matthew 8:16-17, "That evening many people with demons in them were brought to Jesus. And with only a word he forced out the evil spirits and healed everyone who was sick. So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said “He healed our diseases and made us well.” This is a promise and brings truth to our lives today. I want to share one of my devotionals today - it encouraged me: Jesus took upon Himself every sickness and every disease that mankind has ever experienced so that we could be healed. I cannot imagine the unfathomable price that Jesus paid for today's promise to become a reality for us in our generation. In the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus was sweating great drops of blood, He cried out to His Abba (Father) for the strength to drink from the cup that would pave the way to our redemption. It was at this crucial time in history that Jesus took upon Himself ALL our sin and exchanged ALL our brokeness for ALL of His life. I believe that only the Holy Spirit can bring revelation to us so that we can grasp in part the incredible sacrifice that Jesus paid so that we could become heirs of His glorious inheritance. May God give all of us the grace today to comprehend the fact that Jesus took upon Himself all of our sickness so that we could be healed. May faith rise in our hearts today so that each one of us could appropriate the finished work of the cross in every area of our body and our soul that still needs to be healed. Thank you Jesus for saying 'yes' to your Father and drinking the terrible cup of the brokeness of humanity so that we might be made whole...spirit, soul & body. Amen! Also, I wanted to share some happy news from one of our family (Brenda) concerning bread options for those of us who don't do white or wheat flours: I bought a loaf of the almond bread made by Julian Bakery. I must say very tasty! I had a sandwich on Friday (1st day of phase 2) It has only 1 net carb and 60 calories a slice! Less than the melba toast. I was experimenting to see if eating a sandwich with the almond bread would affect the weight loss. NOT AT ALL! I lost 4.6 lbs the first day! I'm very excited that I will be able to eat a sandwich for lunch. I will continue to eat this bread from here on out. It is a little pricy but if you truly want to "eat healthy" it's not costly at all. At Good Nutrition on Johnson Ferry rd it's 9.99 a loaf. On the web sitewww.julianbakery.com it's only 7.99 a loaf. If you order 6 or more loaves it's only 5.95 shipping and it can be frozen for up to 4 months. I purchased 3 loaves of almond and 3 loaves of coconut and a loaf of cinnamon bread. Maybe this could help someone "in the family" that CANNOT go without bread. Okay everyone, we are mid-week, and counting. Watermelons are soon to be abundant, pool is opening soon, the flowers are in full bloom and the tanks of both grills are fleshly filled. Bring on the summer!

May 7, 2013 - A Sincere Prayer

I love reading the prayers of those in the Bible, as they are familiar to me and give me a since that my heart can also need consolation. I can identify with many of the verses that are lifting their hearts to the Lord. They suffered through difficult life situations as we do. No one escapes, do they? Out of our desperate prison cells of unhealthy ways, we cry out to God and eventually come to realize that He always answers. Sometimes God says, "yes," sometimes, "no," and sometimes, "not now." But God is not slow of hearing nor distracted by the multitude of His creation. I believe He absolutely hears and is touched by every prayer, but His plan must be executed at the right time. There are things we learn in those waiting periods. I am convinced that I will never understand God's reasoning in the manner in which He responds to my prayers. That's ok. It never changes my love nor undying devotion to Him. I know He heard and He knows best. As you read the following scripture, let it bring hope and encouragement to you today. As I read it, there was such peace that rested in my heart. Praying this blesses you today, PK Psalm 86: (CEV) 1 Please listen,Lord, and answer my prayer! I am poor and helpless. 2 Protect me and save me because you are my God. I am your faithful servant, and I trust you. 3 Be kind to me! I pray to you all day. 4 Make my heart glad! I serve you, and my prayer is sincere. 5 You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you. 6 Please listen,Lord! Answer my prayer for help. 7 When I am in trouble, I pray, knowing you will listen. 8 No other gods are like you; only you work miracles. 9 You created each nation, and they will all bow down to worship and honor you. 10 You perform great wonders because you alone are God. 11 Teach me to follow you, and I will obey your truth. Always keep me faithful. 12 With all my heart I thank you. I praise you,Lord God. 13 Your love for me is so great that you protected me from death and the grave.

May 6, 2013 - Hiding Water for Later

Again - running late. Sorry, having to fit into this Monday work schedule. Taking a coffee break and returning to the grind stone. I was thinking about all this rain we've had for the past couple of days and how deeply the water travels into the soil and stores in pockets to be used at a later time. The deeper the water, the longer the cycle of preservation given to the plant during times of drought. There were times on Saturday when the rain never stopped for hours and there was seemingly no end. I wondered if I had moved backward into Noah's days. Just sayin. But I know that the abundance of the rain in it's gentle state and not in sheets to wash away my seedlings has made everything in my yard smile. And why not, deep rain is not a simple "water the yard for today" event. Is it? Again, the deeper the penetration of the water into the soil, the further from the surface of the sun the water hides. That's fairly simple to see. Deep, intense watering brings a profound hope that during periods of extreme drought those hidden pockets of moisture will allow the plants to survive against all odds. Water is so necessary to all life that these plants will endure saturation and almost drowning as they understand that the blistering heat will return and every drop of water is critical. Although they are not human and have no ability to reason, it's as if they have a master plan. And that plan centers around holding on to every drop of moisture available. I wonder what we can glean from this scenario? I know that some of us drink water, sometimes, while others really have to work at forcing it down as I do. As a child I never chose to drink water, only sweet tea and Tab. I was never taught how critically important water was to my health. But as I have embraced being healthy, I have come to value the importance of water. Do I enjoy the taste? No. Do I enjoy the benefits? Yes. But watching the solid days of rain gave me another insight into our water journey. Sometimes after consuming my daily assigned water, I will always rejoice and grab a glass of tea. I never rejoice at starting my daily water journey though. After Saturday I have determined why. I don't value the importance of water to my survival. If we are honest, after a few days of falling short with the consumption of this life-giving substance we often see the response from our cells deep within our bodies: swollen feet, harder stools, bloating around our bellies, headaches, heart palpitations. I could continue the list. These are outward signs that inwardly our cells are thirsty. Placing our body into a drought situation, as in my yard, will most definitely produce negative responses. My suggestion is that we saturate our bodies as often as we can so that on the days when we really need a glass of tea, we have the water reserves within our cells to complete their daily functions without complaining. And let's be honest, when our cells are thirsty they complain. So let's begin this new week saturating those cells and making them smile as are the plants in my yard. I just got my first 10 ounces down. 12 cups, here I come. PK

May 3, 2013 - Lessons from a Season

Another week has come and gone and we have entered another month. As a child it seemed that one month was 67 days and as an adult one month seems to be 6-7 days. Preach. I cannot determine how to slow the hands of time, nor can I account for where days seem to come and go, but I am being more deliberate to stop and consume the experience these days. As I ponder the really cool temps and breeze this morning, perhaps it's blackberry winter? Or, perhaps it's just God being God. I have learned over the past tens years that my routine and the structure of life is good and yet can quickly change. I am determined to "not be set in my ways" and demand that the pattern of yesterday be the pattern of today. I am determined to embrace change and fight for truth. How many of you know that change is not only good but necessary. The Lord reminded me again this morning from Song of Solomon, "the winter season is over: flowers come upon the earth; the season of singing has come." Let's look at the progression as we embrace daily changes with our health: 1. The winter season is over - that season in our lives where we made excuses for our undisciplined health; we tried every fad with no intention of truly making life-style changes; we confessed failure, comforted ourselves, and hid in shame. OMGoodness that's a winter season! The Word says, "IT'S OVER." 2. Flowers have come upon the earth - meaning new life, color, fresh oxygen into the atmosphere, shades of green over drab colors of death, etc, etc, etc. The Word says HAVE COME - that isn't asking a question, is it? 3. The season of singing has come - It's interesting to me that the Word links winter, flowers and singing. Death to life usually promotes singing, especially in the context of new life and not simply existing in the "old" way of life. (winter season) The birds begin to sing again, the wind causes the leaves to sing their songs, the frogs break out into Jubilee, and when we come from our winter season and begin to experience the evidence of deliberate change, we too break forth in song. You know you do. Perhaps your thoughts are, "yes, but the singing is for a season." I see that. However, what if our health journey lasts until we leave this earth? Isn't that a season? Seasons represent periods of time, I understand. What if you and I determined we were allowing unhealthy ways to be over, new life to spring forth in our healthy choices (never returning to our death season), and singing from a place of total health for the remainder of our lives. Song of Solomon says of the winter season, "it's over." I take that as forever over in my health journey. How about you? I'll choose flowers and singing over winter seasons all day long. Talk on Monday, PK PS - please send word about Sunday evening. I am gathering supplies today and tomorrow. Much love!

May 2, 2013 - Lessons From The Postage Stamp

GMA, It seems bad weather may threaten our gathering this Sunday. I will keep you posted. Do let me know by tomorrow if you're planning to attend so I can call you Sunday evening if we need to postpone. Yesterday we had lessons from the watermelon seeds. Today, lessons from the postage stamp. One of the things I admire most about certain people is their ability to cope with and endure extremely difficult situations. People who are closers and unwilling to quit mid-stream when fatigue and an easier path appears. I'm not speaking of the scratch your nail or stub your toe experience. I am seeing those who have struggled against cancer, lost limbs and learned to walk again, lost hundreds of pounds and continued to walk in the freedom of a healthy body. Those experiences take great determination and endurance. Those individuals know what it is to have a passionate desire to live again, not simply exist, and stay with the plan until the manifestation of their determination emerges. I see these individuals as patiently being stuck to their commitment and vision of life beyond their circumstances. Their patent endurance gives me hope. How about you? I have been thinking a lot about purpose and completing my God-given assignments. Sometimes our health journey seems to wind itself in challenging places. I have heard from several of you who are eating healthy and yet struggling with cholesterol or gaining around your belly when you absolutely know you have stayed within the boundaries. Sometimes our bodies have their own agenda and stress can cause responses we cannot account for. Ever been there? I have. During those times it's easy to trump the "this plan doesn't work" card or the "nothing ever works for me" card. That's the easy path. But can I encourage you today to trump the "I will stick to my health plan no matter what" card. Let's look at the life of a postage stamp. I found some stamps in my wallet that were 2 years old last month and yet sticking to the book as if they were first placed on the paper. I wondered exactly how long those little guys would keep to the task of sticking? Listen, they really have no options if they are going to complete their assignment. Do they? They remain attached through various temps, being tossed from bag to bag, or being transported across the oceans. Years may pass and we find the postage still attached. God's Word in Hebrews 10:36 speaks of patient endurance. Patience is not one of my best virtues; but my determination to be healthy regardless is developing that patience muscle within. I cannot buckle under today's weigh-in or yesterday's issues. Being healthy is not an option therefore I am stuck to my health plan until I go to Heaven. Today, I am seeing myself as a postage stamp fulfilling my assignment against all odds. Our verse in Hebrews declares there is something waiting for those who endure patiently. The little stamp never quits. God give me that type of stickability. Continue doing what's right - it will pay off. I promise. Have an amazing Thursday, PK

May 1, 2013 - Lessons for the Watermelon Seeds 2013

As many of you know, I am a freak about watermelons. I spent an enormous amount of time and energy last year trying to grow some in an effort to help with food cost. We had about 8 melons that got to be small in size, but never grew beyond that. It was if they decided one morning to stop growing and taunt me. It was a huge disappointment. So in my dismay, I simply left them in the garden until late winter and finally plucked and trashed them. We tilled the garden area, as we had no really good results, and planted roses. However, upon inspection of the soil after we planted the roses last weekend and to my surprise, 8 of the 8 watermelon plants have re-emerged. And what's funny is that the largest leaf contains a singular seed attached to it. How is that? My reaction was not a beautiful sight. "So, you think you're just gonna pop up and gain all that attention from last year. Not." I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. No watermelon seed had escaped the melons that we discarded and yet there was a seed being held high in the air from the tip of the leaves. And, right in my newly, re-puporsed rose garden. It was almost as if the watermelons were saying, "we did it. We found our purpose and against the cold and your lack of attention, we did it." I had to laugh. Life is critical across the board from people to watermelons I guess. I thought, "I dug the bushes from their vine-entrapped cell so they could live, I'll let you live too. But this year, I won't make a fuss over you. You're gonna need to show me some determination to produce." Those were MY last thoughts. I came home yesterday only to discover that my husband had found a new spot, re-tilled the soil, removed stones and debris from 6 inches down that he feels will keep them from living well, moved all eight little seedlings and placed sticks where each had an identifiable marker. Really? And yet, I so see God in this. When others are ready to toss us aside, the winters of our lives have not allowed us to produce nor bear life, and the circumstances of our future seem dim, The Master Gardener, who breathed life into us all, never tosses us aside. In our desperation to live, we hold our leaves into the air again as hands lifted in worship and prayer, and the One who first placed us (even though we haven't yet produced or "fulfilled our purpose") finds a better location, with better soil, more attention and a greater chance at life. God never gives up on us. I smiled when I thought about how many times that was me with my seed in the air and hands lifted high hoping for another chance at life. And there was my Eternal Father not simply leaving me to fight through the old circumstances, but moving me to the newly created spot where my life was better than ever. Can you smile today as you see yourself in the story? I can. Have a great day, PK