My Before Heart

This is the third post in a series about my journey with Revelation Wellness. 

The last time I blogged about the journey I'm on with Revelation Wellness, I talked about being humbled and hopeful enough to take a "before" picture. It was a little scary putting a picture of myself, unedited, in not the most flattering clothes or lighting on the internet for all to see - but it was also refreshing to be honest and real about where I'm at. It got me thinking - I really wish I could give an adequate "before picture" of my heart at the start of this process. Maybe for some of you it would be really familiar and maybe for some of you it would be shockingly disturbing, I'm not quite sure. 

I had a few people email, text, or comment after that post and say - "you know you're not seriously obese, right?" and I get it. I've always known that the really serious issue with my health and my heart as it pertains to weight has never been the number on the scale - but the state of my spiritual and emotional health. It was that reality, my heart reality, that made me reach out to Alisa to get help in the first place, not my weight or my frustration over not being a certain size. 

Without trying to sound too dramatic or being an intense Debbie Downer on a Thursday morning - can I just tell you guys, my heart before picture was really really bad? I'm 29 now, but this is an internal battle I've been fighting for LITERALLY as long as I can imagine. My earliest, earliest memory of relating to my body is of genuinely hating it. My major life occurrences and celebrations are dotted and lined with the memory of what size I was or how I felt about my body that day. My strongest memory from my wedding? Not having my eyes locked with my husband as I walked down the aisle, but genuinely questioning whether or not my back looked fat those sitting in the pews. My body, or my feelings about my body, have given me social anxiety and have led to insecurity that hurt my relationships. These thoughts and issues have affected my intimacy with my husband, my freedom to play with my kids, and they've dulled my passion to minister to other women. 

My hatred for my body was at an all time high a month or so ago, even though my body weight wasn't. Maybe you're thinking that's incredibly sad (you're right) or maybe that sounds incredibly familiar (I'm sorry). 

Well, here's the good news gals. That was my before picture. And it's one that is literally never coming back. Two days into my study with Revelation Wellness, I had more freedom than I'd ever had. A week in, I was starting to feel like a new woman. Yesterday, at the start of my fourth week - I found myself standing in front of the mirror, praising God for my stretch marks and the parts of my body that would've left me in tears a few weeks ago. I kept laughing through happy tears and wondering, "who is this girl? where is this coming from?". 

I'm not sure who this girl is, but I know who my faithful God is. He is the One who is not satisfied with the before picture. He is the One who says that if we seek Him, He will be found. He is the One who says that it is for freedom that He sent His Son to free us. He's really the One doing the work and I am so incredibly grateful. And I'll just keep telling the story. 

If you can relate to my before heart picture, I cannot suggest spending some time on the Revelation Wellness site enough. Be encouraged by Alisa, try an at-home program, watch a few free videos. Don't stay in the before. Hope for the after. 

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. 

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?

sundays call for desserts.

Lately, Sundays are messing me up. 
Sunday's should be sweet and quiet and relaxing, right? 
Then why do they feel dirty and full of dishes and stir-crazy? 
And sure, Nick has to leave for some ministry stuff right when it gets tough (4-7), but he's not even preaching yet?! What am I going to do when he's gone all day Sunday. 
I'll tell you what I'm going to do, ladies, 
I'm going to make this dessert every week. 


The kids like helping with the mixing. It's healthy. It's raw. It's delicious. 
If you're intimidated by vegan food or raw food, DON'T BE. 
At least don't be intimidated by this recipe, because it's easier than anything. 

1. Step one. Freeze a whole peach and thaw it, whole, for a few hours. Dice it up. This is a great way to make fresh peaches taste like canned, sweet peaches. 

Without all the yucky stuff. 

2. Make your "crust". A few carrots, tablespoon of flax seeds, handful of raisins, handful of almonds. Food-processor it, blend it, mix it all up together SOMEHOW.

3. Put the "crust" on top of yo' peaches. Your peaches will be all mushy and seem canned, but they're not sweetie! Don't worry! 

4. Make your "cream". A handful of cashews, water, and a gloop of honey in the processor or blender. Gloop is a technical measurement. Top "crust" with "cream". 

5. Clean your food processor for the millionth time this weekend. Blerg. 

So, listen. I'm not gonna call this anything but made up goodness. 

And it's no carrot cake or brownies. 

But it's yummy and delicious. 

And Monday isn't so scary after you eat it for sure. 

Love you friends. 

Also, you're welcome to come help me clean food processor if you want. 

1% change, live a little

A while ago, I picked up this sweet little book that is old and wonderful. 
It's called, "The Hidden Art of Homemaking", by Edith Schaeffer, and it's nothing that you'd expect. Get it amazon NOW, it's super cheap.


It was written in the 1971, and it's not just for stay at home moms, or moms, or married women. It's written for all women and it basically spells out the way the Lord is at work in all aspects of our life, and how as women, we're gifted to tap into some of those areas and really experience the fullness of His presence. 

a little crafting

Reading it for me took the idea of cooking, crafting, gardening, art, etc... from talents or gifts that I could either boast in or feel bad about, and turned them into these broad ideas of feminine creativity that the Lord could reveal Himself to me and to others in. Cooking became more about nourishing my family and less about getting it done. The idea of crafting had always been something in my mind that women used to hoard over one another, and now I saw it as a beautiful way to display the glory of God in my home. And gardening, well - I've never kept a plant alive and never planned to, and after reading the chapter on growing things in the ground, I longed to see dirt under my nails for the first time. 

the Connolly kids after a hard morning in the yard. 

So, my 1% change this week, is live a little. 
Grow something or make something. Some bread totally for scratch, some basil on your windowsill, a diy scarf or headband. Something. It will be good for your walk with Jesus to see Him grow something in you and by your hands, and it will be good for your health to simplify. 

I'm planting my own first little flower bed this week and beginning the transfer of my very-ignored-front-yard-that-could-double-for-a-landfill and hopefully by God's grace it will slowly start to look like a fun play-yard-for-kids-with-some-sweet-little-plants-growing. 


Here are my favorite quotes from the book, you should still buy it: 
(here she's talking about our homesickness from heaven and our longing to decorate)
"It is stupid to try and be 'hard', 'brave', or 'stoical' about that emotion called 'homesickness' or 'lostness'. A continuity which can help in the midst of tremendous upheavals in life is a continuity of things with which one is surrounded, even small things."

(thoughts on gardening) 
"A Christian individual or organization should not move into a property and turn it to shambles. The opposite should be true. It should grow and blossom into a place of beauty, demonstrating something of the wonder of the One who made plant life to produce seeds into the first place."


So, those are just my favorite two. 
I'm doing my best this week sister,
to live a little. 
Let the Lord grow some of His own glory through my hands, however unskilled they are. 
Amen and amen. 
What's yours? Link it up!

groceries groceries ooohlala UPDATED

*UPDATE: I added a section by Nick at the bottom since I got a few comments and emails about how I "got Nick to go meatless". I promise you, it was a gradual shift and I'm thankful for the grace and wisdom he's had - not really to let me remove meat from our diet, but to ultimately shift our entire diet. Nick is an amazing little chef and cooked for us mostly when we first married, so he's been extremely gracious to give me 

reign in this area of homemaking. *

One of the most frequent emails/formspring questions I get is about our grocery/eating/budget system. How do we eat healthily cheaply? Usually I prefer NOT to answer this question because I feel like our system/budget works for us and I'm think it's TOTALLY ok if it doesn't work for others. I'm sure some people might think we spend way too little and some people might think we spend way too much. It's just right for us! Some people might think we eat far too healthy, some might think we eat too much junk, but it's just right for us! However, I have a few tips & tricks that have been really helpful to us, so I'm up for sharing. 

i just think these carrots are pretty. carry on. 

A few broad points: 
- I don't coupon. I'm so glad if you do. I think everyone has to choose their "things", and couponing is not mine. I love getting a good deal on shampoo and I know I could probably find some better deals on soy milk and diapers. Maybe one day the Lord will give me the capacity for the cutting and the sorting, but it's not today:). Plus you just don't find a lot of coupons for sweet potatoes, black beans, and quinoa. And we eat a lot of stuff like that. 
- I LOVE ALDI. Aldi is like a discount europeanish market without any kind of flair. You bag your own groceries, you pay $.25 for a grocery cart. BUT almost all the processed foods are hfcs-free and there is an incredible amount of CHEAP produce. It's a lot like Trader Joe's without any fluff. It should be known, if we lived in a town that had an Aldi AND a Trader Joe's, I'd go to both - no hesitation. I think Winco is pretty similar to Aldi, please find one or the other near you or MOVE. I estimate that what used to cost us about $150 at Trader Joe's, would've cost us $200 at a normal grocery store, costs us $70-$80 at Aldi. Those are my rough calculations. 
- We don't buy meat. It just helps. When nothing in your cart is over $3, you can't really go wrong. Milk and Meat = definitely over $3. 
- So on a normal week, I go to Aldi for our processed food (cereal, soy/almond milks, canned goods, granola bars, frozen waffles {uh huh, don't hate}, veggie chips) and some of our basics (coffee, eggs, string cheese for kids, bread, almonds). This costs us about $50 and I get $20 in cash back at Aldi and go to town at the veggie stand. I go to a REALLY cheap produce stand here in South Carolina, and $20 buys me bananas, apples, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes, strawberries, canteloupe, and usually a few other random goodies. THEN I go to Earthfare for our bulk grains and healthy odds & ends,  - quinoa, buckwheat, dates, soy protein drinks & bars for me. I spent anywhere from $25-$30 here, rounding our weekly budget out to about $100. 
The week I detail below cost exactly $100 and some change. 

Here's an example menu of exactly what we ate for dinners

 (and a guesstimate for lunches) last week for $100: 

(sunday) breakfast for dinner. pancakes, frittata, homemade biscuits, toast. 
(monday) quinoa black bean burgers & carrot fries. 
(tuesday) vegan lasagna
(wednesday) bacon & grilled cheese swiches with salad (protein shake night for mom)
(thursday) out to eat! Earthfare kids eat free night!
(friday) homemade pizzas
(saturday) quinoa stuffed peppers

For breakfast the kids will eat any of the following: cereal,

 frozen waffles, yogurt & fruit, bagels, toast & pb, or oatmeal. Mostly, it's just cereal:) 

For breakfast I eat: a protein bar, an omelette, 

soy yogurt & granola, or buckwheat bake.

For lunch the kids eat: pbj, hummus & honey wraps, 

leftovers, veggie plates, or mac & cheese. It happens. 

For lunch I almost always eat: a big spinach salad with 

either a roasted sweet potato or carrot fries. Or a protein shake. 

Snacks we do: granola bars, fruit, veggies & hummus, 

energy balls, or homemade popcorn

Nick eats: cereal or eggs for breakfast. Granola bars & fruit to snack on. 

Leftovers or a salad for lunch. Cereal at night when my dinner is too light:)

Thoughts from Nick: 

For me, why meatless is ok:

1. It is a great way to honor Jess and fulfill the command for husbands in 1 Peter 3. Honoring her interests, passions, and very importantly her call as a wife and mother.

2. My personal goal of stewardship of self. I think our generation knows enough to not eat crap. I want to be able to work as hard as I can, as long as I can...until God calls me Home. Eating and exercise is a great way.

Tips for men/women:

1. Some might disagree, but men should eat what their wife cooks...or try. But it is a two way street, cook as well as you can, especially if it is tofu!

2. Grace and freedom, easing into: eating is not bound by law. Paul spent most of his ministry combating dietary restrictions. I eat at home how my wife cooks,...but if I am out, meat in moderation is ok. Ease into it for your husband's sake, don't go from steak to tofu. It really requires grace for the husband...and grace for the wife from the husband.

Last thing: this might sound stupid, but this is a heart issue. Why do you want to change the way you eat...or as husbands why do you not want to change the way you eat. Ultimately there is pride and selfishness somewhere so forgive and repent often...repeat if necessary, because it will be!

And now you know why I love him so much. 

I definitely don't think it is the perfect model for everyone, but for now - it fits our budget and our desires for healthy living. In the future, I'd love to do more with local farms - but right now, they're just too expensive and the produce stand serves us well! 

I hope you are all not bored to death, and I promise to blog about something FAR more interesting tomorrow. 

Um, well. Maybe not. I can always try. 

1% get raw, and a dangerously cute baby

You know what one of my healthiness-downfalls is? 

The afternoon slump. 

When I'm tired, I've been up since who-knows-how-long, I need to make dinner and live my second day (5pm-11pm is a whole nother beast), I don't crave carrots. I don't want freshly slice cucumbers or a quick stretch. I want a massive coffee, a snickers, and a magazine. 
But how would those things leave me feeling? Not so hot. 

Couple this problem with my brand spanking new food processor and library book mistaken checkout and you get today's one percent change! Last week I though I was getting a vegan recipe book, when I really grabbed a raw food recipe book and I was more than intrigued and kept reading. Enter mother's day gift of food processor and basically, my afternoons have taken a direct AND POSITIVE change. 

My 1% change for today, get a little raw. 

The research seems pretty misleading about whether or not a totally raw food diet is healthy for most people and let's be honest - that's no 1% change! That's like a 2,000% change. And probably one we shouldn't all be making. But what I've found is replacing some kind of yucky snacks with a some raw snacks boosts my energy, leaves me feeling MUCH better, and makes me feel like a pro in the kitchen (which is all a facade, it's just the food processor). 

Read here about some of the benefits of raw foods. 

I can tell you the benefits for me are just plain feeling better. The 4pm slump is nonexistent and I'm ready to live my second day full of husband hanging out with, exercise, blog writing, email answering, and laundry doing. 

And the kids, they're LOVING the raw. 

patience & focus. 

My tip for starting with raw snacks is just make some balls. 

Use any of these ingredients and food process (or blenderize) your own different combinations until you get a doughy-ish ball. Make many smaller balls and then either refrigerate them or freeze them until they form sweet little snacks. You can even coat them in coconut or flax seed or nuts to make them more beautiful! 

Some ingredient suggestions: almonds, walnuts, cashews, any favorite nut, coconut, flax, carob, carrots, ginger, dark chocolate, apricots, dates, raisins, etc! Go nuts! 

pensive & wary 

handsome

a fan of the energy balls! really, he ate like 3 and loved them!

Here is my favorite recipe so far. I like to eat one or two mid-morning INSTEAD of grazing my kid's lunches when I'm starving. Then I pop one or two in the afternoon while I'm cleaning & prepping dinner. And, if I'm feeling crazy, I'll munch another one after p90x time with the husband as I head to bed. Without further ado, 

my favorite energy ball

five or six carrots

few tablespoons of flax

tspoon of coconut

1/3 cup of almonds

1/3 cup of raisins 

3 dates

1/5 cup of cashews

It's like carrot cake, but not as delicious, and WAY better for you. 

How's that for honest:)?

And, to prove it, here is the most precious Benja I've ever seen. 

Right after I got done with my energy ball photography session, Benja climbed up to the table to partake. And you see the picky eating husband grabbing one too? Uh-huh. 

It's no carrot cake, but it will please the men in your life. 

I'm rambling and scrambling. Get me another energy ball, stat!

Link it up! I want to hear your 1% changes! 

1% change, it's salad, it's salad time.

(I won't link to the flight of the conchords, "business time" song since 

this is a family blog and it's a little inappropriate, but just know when I say 

"it's salad, it's salad time", I'm singing to that tune)

So, how are your 1% changes going?

If you're new around here, you can check out all the past 1% changes here. 

It's basically just my journey of making steps to become healthier each day. 

But you can apply it to any area of life, and I often do:). 

Today, I'm kind of reminding myself something about 1% changes. They only help if you actually keep making them. Making a big drastic change is hard and sometimes hard to keep, but the danger in making small changes is, sometimes you forget or your lose the passion to keep making them day after day. So this is my encouragement to you and to me - keep pushing forward, keep making your small costly changes, it's worth it. 

So. Salad. 

Instead of thinking about things I can't or shouldn't eat, I often just think about how deliciously and healthily I CAN eat, and it excites me. Salad is one of those things that has drastically changed in my mind and now, after a massive salad at lunch, I feel wonderful physically and really satisfied in my tastebuds. 

If you'd told me three years ago, even two years ago, that I'd be eating a salad once or twice a day  - I'd have told you that was silly. Salads were reserved for restaurant eating, for some weird reason in my mind. I think it was only because I didn't know how delicious a homemade salad could be. 

I've written before how I shift thru different salad ingredients for months at a time and for almost a year now I've been on a spinach, roma tomato, cucumber, (maybe some quinoa) & black bean kick. 

EVERY SINGLE DAY. I love it. But it's all in the dressing. That's what makes it diverse and awesome and truly, truly delicious. 

BUT, use most store bought dressings and if you've just turned a good-choice-healthy-lunch into a maybe not, so wise choice. If you google "unhealthy salad dressings", you'll see what I mean. Normal salad dressings are loaded with fat, too much sugar, and empty calories. Which, hey! is great once in a while - but if you're opting for a salad instead of McDonalds to make a wise choice, and basically pouring a big mac on top of your lettuce, that's a let down. Diet or "healthy" salad dressings almost always contain extremely fake ingredients, a high amount of high fructose corn syrup, and a variety of other grossness. And so, today's 1% change: just make your own. It's healthier, much cheaper, better for the environment (less packaging and waste), and most of the time - way more delicious. 

You can find all sorts of delicious dressings on the internet (I suggest starting on Mama Pea's dressing page). But you can also keep it REALLY simple. Little drizzle of olive oil, little drizzle of balsamic. Wonderful! Drizzle of honey, drizzle of mustard?! Sounds like honey mustard to me!? Here is my current fave, topping my spinach-quinoa-tomato-cucumber-black-bean-creation, daily. 

not the prettiest, but oh so delicious

simple hummus/honey/balsamic dressing: 

(this barely qualifies as a recipe, it's so easy)

2 tablespoons of your favorite hummus

.5 tablespoon of honey

drizzle of balsamic

whip it up and throw it on your salad! 

so easy a 3 year old can do it:) 

It's simple and takes only a second. You feel a little special about making your own dressing and even more special because you saved $3.99 NOT buying salad dressing. It's not saving the world or making the biggest difference ever, but it's a 1% change that we can do, costs us a little extra effort, and will hopefully - help us feel a little more healthy each day. 

.............................

If you haven't checked out the giveaway, 

you're missing out! 

You have until Thursday at 5pm EST. A lot of people are saying it's confusing - don't get overwhelmed! Just enter once by being a following of this blog and leaving a comment. Then for each vendor that you like on facebook, follow their blog, or favorite their shop on Etsy, leave another comment - that's another entry. With SO many great gifts to choose from, the odds aren't too bad that you'll win something!

And thank you guys for your encouragement on yesterday's Glory's post. 

Your prayers and encouragement mean more than you know. 

I like you guys. 

Alright, link up those 1% changes! 

beyond pumped, one percent changes.

Ya'll. I can't help it.
I'm just plain excited. 
I've been having a very low-grade happy panic attack for a few days just thinking about this. 
I've got a new semi-permanent segment on Naptime Diaries to debut, and I feel like, I HOPE, it is going to be a blessing to women like me.
I pray that it is an encouragement that only grows. 

It started with my guest post awhile back for A Foodie Stays Fit. One thing I wrote about was my desire to make a 1% change in my health daily. I wanted to erase the burden on myself to become completely natural, completely fit, and completely awesome (hm....) overnight. Instead, I set out to walk towards an end goal of being as physically healthy as possible - one 1% change at a time. Today, more water. Tomorrow, throw out the high-fructose-corn-syrup laden ketchup. The next day, read about WHY I just threw out the ketchup. The reason I wanted to do that was because I've found that I'm just like the rest of the world, in that - if I really want to make a change, making massive bold-life-altering pronouncements do me no good. Little, costly-yet-still-easy, baby steps lead to life change. 


Fast-forward to present day and I struggle to figure out how I want health,fitness, and food to fit in this blog. I'm not a recipe creator. I am seriously a new cook. I love cooking, but it's not my thing. I love exercise, I love what I've learned about exercise, but I'm not tiny instructor who can tell you the ins and outs of bicep reduction and thigh tightenation. I'm more of a mom, eeking it out doing 30 Day Shred while my kids pretend to nap. I don't know a ton about vitamins (yet) and I'm still learning about growing your own vegetables (we'll see). 


I'm just a novice. Just a mom, trying to make 1% changes. 
But maybe you are too? Maybe you've made 231 1% changes and you have more to offer! 
Maybe you've only made a .5% change, but you're ready to make a small(big) commitment. 


Join us. 
Every week. 
I'll tell you about one of my 1% changes and I'll hope, hope, hope that you'll tell us about yours. In my wildest dreams, you blog about it and post the link back in the comments. If you want to make me actually squeal with delight, you'll grab a button so that other ladies can come right back here and read all about other peoples 1% changes and we're all making 1% changes and feeling better and serving our families/communities/churches/friends better because we're not SO focused on how unhealthy we feel. 
God gets glory, we feel better. 
win-win. 








<center><a href="http://www.naptimediaries.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfcnU_t9cdpxd_q4cL9NwOtptmt9nN_WWvyXffRdzf6MqTm-uSpeM0ZohFyntPYvWv6jtRO8LDIe_KkoEhRN9N5KO2HiM515gR7dxvRLOCE40GDzJfqIinS6WAbdjmCfbM6mIr39S6qg/s1600/changes1.jpg"/></a></center>




And I'll tell you what else. 
My vision-casting hot husband is all over this. I'd say it was 61% his idea (apparently the percentages are very important to me) and I feel really encouraged that he buys into me feeding us meals without hormones and going running on date nights in an effort to be around as long as possible to serve the Lord together. I also feel really encouraged that he felt it necessary to snag up www.onepercentchanges.com. So not to leave you in suspense, but come back next WEDNESDAY - ready to hear about my change, share yours, and see what else we might have up our sleeves for this little project. 


love you friends. 
amen. (it just felt right)


sidebar: I'm praying for other women in all walks of life who are interested in this idea and might want to serve women through this site. If that's you - email me. Jessi Connolly at gmail.