my humbled & hopeful before picture

This is the second post in a series about the weight loss/transformation 

plan I'm doing through Revelation Wellness - Weigh Less to Feed More. 

I've been craving that before and after picture. Occasionally bloggers I love will post one on instagram and I'm just inspired and floored. A few weeks ago, when Stephanie "Honey Holden" posted a before + after picture from her wellness journey, I immediately messaged her and just told her how inspired I was by her. I'd see those pictures and just hope, pray, hope - that one day I could have a before & after picture. But there was one major problem. I wasn't willing to have a "before". 

I told Alisa, I'm not sure what led me to breaking down and emailing her and I don't even super remember doing it. I sort of knew in the back of my head that I'd be seeing her at Jesus at the Core later that month, but it was definitely an impulse decision. Now, a few weeks later - I have a a few of her incredible teachings under my belt. I have her daily accountability and the workbooks on my desk that I'm pouring over every chance I get. And sure enough, this past weekend, I got to meet her sweet self (and pick her up! - see pic below) at Jesus at the Core. The event in and of itself was so incredibly life giving. Alisa, along with Brooke Boon of Holy Yoga (and their amazing team of helpers) spoke so much truth over us as we moved our bodies and the Lord moved in our hearts. But you know what was the predominant feeling I had? I was crazy humbled. 

I've gained and lost over 50 pounds twice since I was 18. I've read more vegan cookbooks and articles on metabolism than I could count. I have studied nutrition and stood on the scale, but still - this is where I am. My heart, is kind of a mess as it relates to body image. My body, is out of shape and not where it once has been. I need wisdom. I need leading. I need the Lord. 

I'm two weeks in and I'll tell you this - the Lord is showing up. I am truly walking in new found freedom as it relates to some serious food addictions I had. I am starting to agree with the Lord that He will, He IS, doing a new thing and He is growing me. I'm seeing fruit as it pertains to my body and what it is able to do. But a few weeks ago? I knew what I needed to do - I needed to take a before picture. I needed to admit that I needed help. So, even though she never asked for it, I took one and sent it to Alisa. I told her - this is my before picture that I've never wanted to take. Instead of hiding and never growing, I want to be humbled and hopeful. 

And now I can even share it on the internet with joy. 

No funky camera angles or instagram filters. No flattering outfits or makeup to distract you. 

This was me a few weeks ago, and by God's grace I'll never be that girl again because as my body is growing and finding freedom, my heart is leaping ahead - never looking back. 

In hope. 

In humility. 

Because it is for freedom that we've been set free. 

If you're looking for freedom as it pertains to health + wellness, I can't suggest checking out Revelation Wellness enough. Alisa has at home programs, online programs, videos, and so much more. She is all about Jesus and she is out for freedom for women. 

what we deserve & sweet potatoes

Hey friends! We had the launch of our church this past weekend and I'm slowly catching up on all things internet. Today is a sweet treat though because my friend Heather from Heather's Dish has an amazing recipe! Enjoy and make sure you check out the Naptime Diaries New Year Sale before it's over! 

My husband and I have turned into "those people." You know, the ones that sit back and talk about "kids these days" don't appreciate things the way we did, they feel entitled and narcissistic in ways we would never have dreamed of. "Kids these days" don't have respect for authority or the world order or the church or elders or whatever. These dang kids! Oh, and by the way, we're only 30. Still kids ourselves. 

The other day I was stewing on this for really no apparent reason when suddenly my son woke up from his nap early. "Dang it! Don't I deserve some peace and quiet to eat in peace? Don't I deserve to be able to make a quick meal without an interruption? Don't I deserve to have some chocolate after every meal and snack? I mean I work hard. REALLY hard. Don't I deserve...?!"

Suddenly it hit me. No. I don't deserve any of it. I don't deserve the beautiful marriage, the incredible husband, the healthy and smart and adorable little boy. I don't deserve the house we live in, the cars we drive, the dogs we have. I don't deserve to have the entire world at my fingertips. I don't deserve to pick and choose every little morsel that goes in my mouth. I don't deserve the unconscionable and never-ending love and grace of a Savior who laid down his life for me. I deserve nothing. 

And yet. I love Habakkuk 3:18 that starts off with, "And yet God..." Those three words change everything. I deserve nothing, AND YET GOD still delivers. He still brings me up out of the unfathomably dark places. He still gives his love and grace, his Word, his Spirit, his son Jesus even when every entitled statement in the world has been choked out. He loves us, he loves me, still. 

This place of truly understanding grace is, unfortunately, not one that I comprehend to the point that it's like breathing - it's not an unconscious understanding. I still have to stop, think about the fact that regardless of all the "good things" I do, it's still all done out of a sinful heart. I have to come to that place where true reflection happens and grace hits my heart like a ton of bricks. Like the verse in 'Amazing Grace' says, "The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope endures, He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures." If I lost everything and everyone I have, God is still my portion. He is still my everything. And God is so so very good, truly truly all the time.

Kind of heavy for a post with a chip recipe at the bottom, right? But here's where it comes together for me: I don't deserve to be picky about what I eat. I don't deserve to have the income to be able to buy whatever I want at the store. I don't deserve to have a body that is healthy. AND YET GOD has given me these resources to glorify Him. So I stop being picky about what I eat, I stop spending tons of money at the store, and I eat foods that will nourish this body well. I stop and I thank God for his graciousness and ask for the strength to use this voice and this money and this body to honor Him. I don't deserve any of it, but I am so very grateful.

These chips, you guys, are seriously amazing. They're a quick and healthy snack that you can truly season however you want. They're something you can make with or without kiddos (just be super careful when you're slicing!), and they can quell the snack monster like no one's business. Enjoy!

HEALTHY MICROWAVE SWEET POTATO CHIPS

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (it helps if it's long and skinny)
• nonstick cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons of your seasoning of choice (I love the Creole seasoning in the picture above, but you can honestly use whatever you love! Just salt, pepper and garlic powder is great too!)

Directions:

1. VERY thinly slice the sweet potatoes. A mandolin (I got mine at Walmart for a cool $7) works best for this for uniformity purposes, but please PLEASE be careful if you use one. They are super sharp!
2. Arrange the sweet potato slices on a microwave-safe plate.
3. Spray lightly with nonstick spray, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of your seasonings.
4. Turn the rounds over and repeat with the cooking spray and seasoning.
5. Microwave for 10 minutes at 60% power.
6. Carefully turn the rounds over again, then microwave for another 5-7 minutes at 70% power. 
7. Open the microwave door and walk away for 10 minutes. You want both the chips and the plate to be cool enough to handle!
8. Enjoy!

treat yourself in the thick of it

I don't know about y'all, but I for one am completely in love with Jessi's theme for November, In the Thick of It. As a working mom, wife, leader, writer and overall sinful perfectionist I find myself in the thick of it daily, working hard for myself and then realizing, daily, that God's grace is what I need more than anything.

Lately I have resorted to dealing with stress and anxiety via snacking constantly, sleeping instead of exercising, and otherwise not taking care of myself well. I'm not proud to admit it, but I know I'm not alone in these tendencies. I know there are other mommas out there trying to make it all work and sometimes we just feel like we deserve to eat something for all of our hard work. 

First of all, this notion is certainly true at times, we do deserve to give ourselves a little reward for working hard and loving well. But the problem comes when I choose to "treat" myself to something that does NOT do my body good and leaves me anxious or tired or unhealthy at the end of it. That's no treat, and I know it. 

I'm working on redefining the treat for myself. A treat should be something that I don't always have, but I also believe that a treat should also help me to feel better after eating it. Not sick or bogged down, but energetic and ready to keep working and playing. Something that helps me rather than hurts. Something that ultimately brings me closer to God. 

This silky soup is so easy to throw together. It has a truly luxurious texture that I find only comes from making your own pumpkin puree (it's seriously so easy - the canned stuff has nothing on this recipe!). I suggest making a large batch and storing it in the fridge for a fresh batch of soup whenever you want. The crisp apple is a great texture, and the toasted pecans add some great healthy fat and protein as well. 

I hope you guys can enjoy this soup as a way of treating yourself well. Rewarding ourselves in the thick of it doesn't have to be complicated and it can be good for us. Y'all enjoy!

SILKY VEGAN PUMPKIN SOUP WITH FRESH APPLES AND TOASTED PECANS

• 2 cups pumpkin puree, preferably from freshly roasted pumpkins like from this recipe
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional; if you're going full vegan maple syrup is a great substitute)
• 2 sweet apples (I love Honeycrisps)
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Combine the pumpkin puree, stock, salt, pepper, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut oil and honey (if using) in a pot and whisk together. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the mixture reduces about 1/4 cup, about 10-15 minutes. Whisk it together again and allow to sit off the heat for a few minutes while you chop the apples. Serve hot with the fresh apples and chopped toasted pecans on top!

holy souphood

Ya'll; I love a good theme. 
That's part of why I love the MHG so much. A tidy little scripture theme littered through my heart and my home. (ps - have you gotten your October MHG yet? why not?!) 

Anyhow, in September, I've just been chewing on 1 Peter 2:9. 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

And I've been asking the Lord to shed some light on the areas of my life that I've ceased to see as holy. There are so many places where I've begun to live day in and day in under the belief that this life is mundane and tedious and I've just got to get it all done, just to get it done.

A big one for me is food/cooking/eating.
There's so many pieces to this.
I've talked about my weight loss issues here, but truly it's EVERYTHING about food/cooking/eating that is challenging to me. I want to be healthy, but not too healthy. I believe a vegan diet is a super healthy choice for me, but I don't want to be defined by it and I certainly don't want to put it on anyone else. I want to cook well for my family, but I don't want to be doing it just to be some sort of Martha-Stewart-with-better-recipes-than-pinterest cooking woman that prides herself on anything besides Jesus.

And then I remembered.
I am a part of the holy priesthood and have been made a people of His own possession, SO THAT I can proclaim the excellencies of Him who called me out of darkness and into marvelous light.
And our family has to eat.
So how can I combine those two things?

For me it meant, back to whole foods.
As little processed as possible. Delicious but nutritious.
Simple ingredients. Simple recipes.
Food as nourishment and celebration, not as indulgence and comfort.
Trying to worship the Lord in my cooking, in our eating, and even in our grocery buying.
But keeping it simple, so we can be extravagantly worshipful in other areas of our life.

And of course, I have two simple simple recipes for ya'll.
(fall pumpkin ginger carrot soup)
1. warm up some diced ginger & diced garlic in olive oil
2. combine two big cans of pure pumkpin with .5 can of light coconut milk and one - 2 cans of water.
3. roast some carrots (earlier) in olive oil and salt. puree roasted carrots with a a little bit of water.
4. combine carrot puree & pumpkin goodness.
5. add water or coconut milk if needed.
6. flavor with more ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, & curry as needed.
7. simmer as long as you can wait to eat it.


skip the cheese or sour cream and top this baby with cashew cream.
(cashew cream is raw cashews blended with a little bit of water and a dash of honey).
DELISH.

So that's all I have to say about that.
maybe it's not cooking for you, but what have you neglected to see as holy?
take it back.
it's all His.

have you gotten your October MHG yet?

have you used your 20% discount in my shop using coupon code GIVEAWAY yet?
shoot, girl - have you entered the giveaway?

one percent change is BACK.

Hi friends! I've sure missed sharing some one percent changes with ya'll. 
True story is - I've been making some like 13% negative changes rather than 1% changes towards the more healthy. Randomly, in the midst of early pregnancy, I was feeling super spurred on towards good health. I was so excited to walk through pregnancy mostly vegan, exercising, running, rather than my normal nine months of ice cream overindulgence and cellulite accumulation. But as soon as I found out we lost the baby, em.... I kind of lost focus. Then two weeks of miscarrying/procedures/pain medication truly set me back in the exercise department. I'd decided to do a little juice fast to cleanse out my system during the time  I couldn't exercise, but you know what you want to eat when you've just had a d&c and you're pretty sad: NOT JUICE. 


So, I'm taking baby steps back to healthiness myself and here is my 1% tip
(to hopefully help myself)
join a team. 
Here are some examples I'm pursuing this week: 

real life picture of me after the shred.  it's short, but fierce. no idea why i took this.

- Before I took my little health hiatus, I'd teamed up with a group of women on twitter who were all doing the 30 Day Shred and encouraging each other! I was a few days in and it help me accountable so much to see their tweets coming in throughout the day. Now I'm about two weeks behind, but today - NO MATTER WHAT - I'm jumping back in, doing the shred, and tweeting them about it! 
- I've told ya'll before I'm trying to learn more about/pursue more raw food eating. My friend Steph just happens to be a few steps ahead of me, already transforming her diet and feeling great while eating a majority of raw. So I'm going to ask her questions, borrow some books, and pick her brain. Teaming up in healthy eating makes it much less of a chore and much more of a fun adventure! 
- Lastly, I'm going to start training for my next half marathon, possibly first full marathon. Running and talking running with friends is always way better than running alone, though! I have a few friends running the Rock n Roll half in Savannah and I'm going to jump on board.  I have more than enough time to train for it, but I'd love to run this half in under two hours so I'm going to start training early and work on my time! And depending on how the half goes, I'll start thinking/praying about this bad boy. Hm...... 


And now, I can't wait to hear ya'lls 1% changes! 
or your ideas about how to team up with others for steps toward healthy living! 
Link it up friends!