Keep on Keeping on.

Some days I wake up feeling like I can conquer the world. I can feel the Lord's presence as I walk with him through my day. My thoughts are a constant flow of prayers and conversations. I have energy and I get tons done. 

Other times, things don't fit quite as perfectly. Not that it's always a horrible day, just like I'm missing a puzzle piece. But on those days, you just have to keep doing what you know to do, not getting sucked into the idleness that leads to paralyzing complacency and depression. 

Thrifted, $6.50. Score!

And so I ran. I prayed. I listened to a great podcast by Christine Caine. I talked with my amazing mother. I connected with a few clients, celebrating and encouraging them in their success and victory of their health. I let my mind dwell on positive thoughts, like the fact that my best girl Lindsey got to come up and see me for Monday and Tuesday- So needed! So lovely! Such a time of fellowship and friendship.

And lucky for me, there was a new shirt in my closet to help me feel extra fabulous.

Frittata Gone Wild

Last week we had a couple friends coming for dinner. I was having a super tired day (we had gotten back from a 15 mile/2 day backpacking trip the day before. Not great forethought on my part :), and I was totally uncreative with food ideas. So, I thought, 'let's do something easy. with eggs." The Man of all Frittatas was born. Seriously, this is really hearty. AND really healthy. I made it up on the fly, so feel free to be flexible with your ingredients, but if you like specifics, I did my best to lay out what I used for you :)

Oktoberfest Casserole

For those on program: This recipe yields 5 servings of full lean and green, including healthy fat servings and 3 condiment servings per serving.

Ingredients

¼ C chopping onion

1 lb ground beef (as lean as you can find. 95%)

1 lb ground turkey (99%)

2 green peppers, chopped (aprox 2 cups)

2 medium zucchini, chopped (aprox 4 C)

1 cup white mushrooms, chopped

2 C chopped greens (kale, mustard greens, spinach, etc) (will cook down to aprox 1 C)

2 whole eggs

Blurry. But you get the general idea

4 egg whites

1 T olive oil

1 tsp Ginger

1½  tsp Oregano

1 tsp Black pepper

2 tsp Celery seed

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Cumin

½ tsp Garlic Powder

In a skillet, cook onion until tender, then add both ground beef and turkey. Cook until done. Add all the spices while meat is cooking. Set aside in lg bowl.

Sauté green pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and greens in olive oil until tender. Add to the bowl.

Take your eggs and egg whites, beat, then add to the bowl and fold into the other ingredients.

In a glass baking dish, spoon out the ingredients. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until eggs are cooked through. (You can hurry up the end with a little time under the broiler) Let sit for 5 min and serve.

Contentment Challenge

Pinterest is an interesting phenomenon.

It's a HUGE collaboration of crafts, inspiring pictures, workouts, fashion inspiration, education for children and beyond. What's the most pervasive, though, is wedding stuff. Wedding dresses, wedding flowers, reception decorations, ceremony decorations, budget ideas, thoughtful ideas, and it goes on and on and on.

Joseph and I have made it past the wonderful 1 year mark, putting wedding planning well behind us. Perhaps this is why it bothers me, but I think there's more. Many of these ideas, dresses, and venues are so unattainable. I'm not saying that your big day shouldn't be special and as you have always imagined. But don't set your heart up for failure, and after it's over, it's time to let go. Continual pinning of greater and greater ideas and beautiful things can easily turn to discontent or regret of your own special day.

What are you using this tool for? Is looking through the women's fashion causing you to feel discontent with the clothes you have in your own closet or giving you helpful ideas of how to mix what you do have and what pieces could be good add-on's next? Are you gathering wedding images for inspiration or are they growing frustration in your heart because there is a gap between your dream and reality? Are you looking through fitness pictures more than you are actually working out?


Check your heart. Guard it from the creeping discontent of this big shiny world. Start counting your blessings more often than coveting someone else's.




PS- Want to follow me?

Fresh Season

Who am I? Who will I become? How is the Lord going to use me in this season? 

Sometimes the answers are hard to wait for. I want to know what's to come. But there is something special about surprises. 

"For the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end - it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay" -Hab 2:3

I've always loved holidays, really any of them, for two reasons: 1. Quality time with family. (funny stories revisited, laughs, encouragement, fellowship) 2. Surprises. I am such a sucker for getting and giving them (But I did inherit my dad's quality of hardly being able to wait to give things. So, people often get things early from me because I can't wait :) Is there really anything better than getting a taste of that childlike anticipation again? 

And so, as Joseph and I start this new chapter of our lives, I can hardly wait for all the surprises the Lord has in store for us! 

"If you, then, though you are evil. know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" -Matt 7:11

Friday Praise Report:

-We have found a great apartment. Good price, great size, good location.

-My Mom, Thea, and Mandy came for a quick trip up this week, and I was so blessed by their company and encouragement.
-The sun is out today.
-I'm able to work from my favorite coffee shop, where I believe I've officially become a regular :)
-I was able to talk with my Grandpa today and he gave me some very encouraging words. I asked how he was doing. "I'm doing good. I'm always doing pretty good. The way I see it, every day is another day the Lord has made. I just wake up and role with the punches."