Girls Night Out

Last night was a blast! I went out with 11 other ladies from our church Sunday school class... all of us are moms to little kids and were in need of a little break from our sweet darlings. We converged on the "Plaza" in downtown Kansas City, set to eat it up at The Cheesecake Factory. Plans changed, and we ended up eating at P.F. Chang's, but the night was just what many of us needed.

I was trying to recall the last time I went out with a large group of women, purely for the sake of enjoying some girl time. It's been too long to remember. I do go out with girl friends, usually one at a time, sometimes two. It tends to be during the morning/afternoon or over lunch and is often classified as a play date since we have kids in tow. Would I consider that a Mommy time or a Girlie time? Probably a little bit of both...

Last night, however, was strictly for me to be away from the kids and to be with a group of Christian women who desire some of the same things that I do... friendship, community, a sense of "normalcy," understanding, and just a good laugh. I was labeled an "intellect" last night as I tend to be more serious and quiet than many that were with us last night, but I think even the giddy girls saw some humor in me. We come from many different backgrounds, parent differently, have different views on a wide variety of topics, but one thing was shared by all! We all have a desire to live out Christ in our lives... through our marriages, our kids, etc.

It was a refreshing time even though I was out much later than my "bedtime," and I hope that there will be many more evenings in the future when our husbands will gladly take the kids for the evening so that their wives can recharge their batteries. I know that many moms have girls' nights out with their friends which I think is great. I don't tend to do it too often nor will I start requesting such a thing on a weekly basis. But I do see the need for us moms to encourage one another in the overwhelmingly, yet precious, responsibility of raising our children. It's community in a culture where individuality is praised and seen as superior. I, for one, am glad that Christ teaches us to live at peace with our brothers/sisters and to bear with one another in all things. What a joy!

Blessings!

Detox in the Summer

After one week of successfully following a detox plan, I've decided to blog about it just so you know what's going on in my little corner of the world. Ben and I have had a few health issues (nothing serious) in the past few months, and we thought it was time to look into them without the normal medical approach. My Dad was reading a book about how to radically change one's diet in order to have a healthier lifestyle. In reading that book, I came upon a detox that specifically addressed many of the symptoms that Ben and I were experiencing. After a lot of research and much praying, Ben and I are now following a Candida Cleanse detox program.

For those of you new to Candida, I'll briefly explain it. Candida is a good yeast that is present in our bodies. But if you've ever taken even one antibiotic in your life, you've probably driven the candida into overdrive and now it's no longer a healthy yeast but a problematic fungus. Sounds great, eh? Candida albicans can affect every facet of your health: mood, fatigue, weight, skin conditions, mental clarity, intestinal issues... and that's only the surface. For me, personally, I was struggling with fatigue (yes, I have 3 kids but still I felt like a zombie), not sleeping well, extreme headaches, mood swings, inability to lose weight, walking around as though I were in a fog, acne resurgence, and hormonal imbalances. Ben has suffered from eczema for the majority of his life, and he was also becoming addicted to lots of sugar in the form of iced mochas! Anyway, we decided to follow this plan and hopefully work on eradicating the Candida completely and then build it back into our bodies in a natural process. We also hope to lose a few pounds, too! But the main goal is to feel healthier and more lively.

We're doing The McCombs Plan (you can google that if you're interested) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks, we can eat all fruits (except oranges), all veggies, all meats (except pork), brown rice, eggs, spices, herbs, and certain oils. 3-4 liters of water must be consumed per day, while taking sweat baths every day for 30 minutes, and taking supplements that kill the candida and boost our immune system. We're off dairy, bread (ah!), pasta, sugar, processed foods, etc. At week 9, we may add back in vinegar, nuts, popcorn, and the like.

The first week proved to be a tad difficult, but we did it and saw some good weight results. I'm down 5 pounds and Ben, 4 pounds! But beyond that, I can tell that I'm craving less sugary stuff and am actually enjoying the natural taste of the fruits and veggies. It's definitely a disciplined approach to a healthier life, but after 17 weeks, we will be able to eat what our bodies can handle and really be in tune with how foods work in our systems. It's exciting to see what's going to happen. We can do anything for 4 months, right? I'll keep you posted!

Blessings!

Reaching and surfacing

Yikes! How does this blogging thing get away from me? You know it's bad when you have to log into your Facebook account to click the link to your blogger address because you can't remember what it is! Ha! Sometimes I just have to keep laughing...

Well, it's been a good 1/2 week of VBS. With almost 600 kids in attendance at Saddle Ridge Ranch, we've been very busy with all of the activities. I'm helping serve kids' snacks which is rather fun and relatively stress-free.

Ben and I are currently reading a great parenting book about looking at parenting from an Old Testament versus New Testament paradigm. There's so much to process and pray about, but I did want to share some thoughts about one of the quotes that really spoke to me as I was reading. This quote is taken from "Loving Our Kids on Purpose" by Danny Silk.

"Therefore, discipline is all about me reaching into your life and pulling the best of me to the surface in you." Let that sink in for a moment... in essence, the author is suggesting that we discipline our kids based on our strengths. Discipline in about bringing out the best in the one being taught from the vantage of the discipler. Heavy stuff for a Wednesday.

When I thought about this quote, I thought about my "style." I am definitely a leader with strong opinions about most things... as many of you know! I make decisions that go contrary to popular culture much of the time, and I have set high standards for myself in terms of how I live my life. Sometimes those strong tendencies can get me into trouble - going my way instead of where God is leading, asserting my "rights," etc. But I also know that that strength causes me to stand firm when I know that something isn't right even if others are doing it and even if I feel all alone. In that respect I'm rather dependent on God to provide my guidance and support for decisions that I make.

And when I think about how this impacts my parenting, I tend to sympathize for my children... I'm hard on them at times and expect a lot from them. That is a fault of mine. It's hard for me to remember that they are 5, 3 and 1. I get myself all in a tizzy when they aren't acting and making decisions as I think they should. Then, I remember... they're children. A simple thought but one that I need to hear more frequently than I care to listen.

I have a great responsibility to speak positively into the lives of my kids... no, it's not that high self-esteem lingo that is unnecessary in my opinion. But it is about reaching into their lives and drawing out the best of me.... the parts of me that are surrendered to God's will, the parts of me that best exemplify Christ's character to the world, the parts of me that stand for Truth in a crooked and depraved generation. These are the parts that I want to surface in them. Ideally, I'd like all parts of me to reflect those characteristics, but I'm being made holy... and only in heaven with I be perfected.

So, kids, bear with your mama. As I reach down in each of them, I want to pull out the beauty that God has placed in each one and the crowning glory of Christ, hopefully reflected in my life. What a responsibility! What a joy! All glory goes to Him!

Blessings!

9 years ago...

Today marks 9 years since Ben and I said, "I do" before our God, family and friends. Like most brides, I remember the day with great clarity. It was cool for June which I happened to like as I was dressed in a rather "heavy" dress! My bridesmaids, perhaps, didn't like the temperature with their "flowing" dresses! It had rained and rained and rained for days leading up to the wedding so the grass was very green and lush. The morning of our wedding day was overcast, but by the time of the ceremony, the sun seemed to be peeking out from behind clouds.

We had a beautiful ceremony and reception and headed into downtown Chicago for a night in the city before boarding a plane the following morning to our honeymoon spot, Washington, D.C. I loved walking into our hotel and up the grand escalator in my dress and Ben in his tux... heads turned and it was fun to feel "all grown up and out on the town."

However much I enjoyed our wedding day and all of the excitement, I much prefer the daily ins and outs of life right now with Ben. Sure, I'm not wearing a big dress and don't have my hair pinned back with about 50 bobby pins. I certainly don't have that overly excited grin on my face while the photographer takes picture after picture after picture. Some days I'm lucky if I can even crack a smile! But the wedding marked a new life together with a love that only God could have put in my heart.

I'm thoroughly convinced with each passing day, month, and year, that God brought Ben and me together to do something more with our lives as a whole than He could have done with my life as a single woman. We have the great responsibility of shepherding and discipling our 3 kids as well as presenting to the world a family that is different and passionate for Kingdom purposes.

I hope, someday, to get all dressed up again and perhaps have another night on the town, but for now, I thank God for placing me in this home with this man to make this family. It truly is a blessing to be married and to share life with my love, Ben.

Blessings!