Category: Books

Food and Fitness Friday: Healthy Cooking, Busy Life

I love to cook. I always have.

I used to bake all the time, but that usually means sweets and things I try not to eat, so I don’t do that too much anymore.

I used to cook all the time, too, but as the kids have gotten older and our lives have gotten more crazy, it has been so much easier to eat out or to default to the old standbys (spaghetti, pizza, quesadillas, sandwiches, etc.).

Since moving to a whole food, plant-based diet I have discovered three things: 1) I still love to cook, 2) I have to be able to cook in order to eat well , and 3) I still don’t have time. And number three doesn’t play well with numbers one and two.

So what’s a busy mom to do?

I have found some pockets of time where I have an evening I can cook a meal. And since my whole family has not net joined me in this eating plan, when I do make something, I have leftovers.

And some leftovers freeze really well.

Like Roasted Veggie & Black Bean Burritos. I made up a whole recipe, ate one burrito, rolled up the rest of the burritos individually in foil, and put them in the freezer. They have reheated wonderfully in my toaster oven.

Another one is a Veggie Burger that I found. It is delicious, great to warm up in the oven or on the grill. Once again, I made the whole recipe, grilled them all (or rather, had Mike grill them), then froze them individually. (Side note: I substituted 1 Tablespoon of flax-seed and 3 Tablespoons of water for the egg the recipe calls for.)

Other times I have made something for a meal, I have shared it with another of my friends for lunch the next day, and she has done the same with me.

I have also learned to have something like quinoa or rice cooked up in the fridge that can be thrown together with fresh veggies and a can of beans and eaten over a salad, in a wrap, cold or warmed up.

And of course, it is always a good idea to have crisper drawers and kitchens full of fresh fruits and veggies to grab on the go, along with some natural peanut butter, almond butter or hummus.

So while time isn’t always on my side when it comes to cooking, there are lots of ways to still have the healthy food I want to eat at my fingertips.

And, when I do have time to cook, there are tons of new recipes for me to try. Which, for someone like me, is always a fun adventure.

Are there other ways that you have found to help yourself eat well when your schedule is crazy?

Food and Fitness Friday: In Therapy

I have a magnet on my refrigerator that says:

In my life, this is so true. I run for health. I run for enjoyment. I run because I need to exercise. But I also run to leave my troubles behind. I run with friends to talk and process what is happening in our lives. I run, not in isolation, but in community, because that is what I am made for.

So what happens when you don’t run for a week during a pretty stressful time?

Let’s just say this: it ain’t pretty.

A crazy week last week, followed by a running attempt that ended abruptly with a back that completely tightened up on me and stayed that way for a few days has sidelined my running for almost another week. And I’m struggling. When I don’t run, I find excuses to eat badly. When I don’t run, my overall mood is darker. When I don’t run, I hurt – both physically and mentally/emotionally. In other words, no running makes for a grumpy Chrisy.

So in the midst of that, I have to find other means of “therapy.” Sometimes that is sitting with a book. Sometimes that is watching the Olympics. Sometimes it’s listening to music (although too much Kenny Chesney has me ready to run away to a tropical beach somewhere these days.) Sometimes that is getting my nails done. Sometimes that is letting my kids brush, straighten or otherwise play with my hair. Sometimes that is writing in my journal. Sometimes that is reading my Bible. Sometimes it is setting time aside for prayer. Sometimes it’s just going to bed early. But all of the time it is work to find what it is that I need to do in order to have some “therapy” time. And that requires me to choose those things. Which is hard. It is easier to just be grumpy. It is easier to hide from life. But I can’t choose easy.

I hope to be up and running again by the weekend, even though my therapy partners are off doing a race. But in the meantime, I’ll continue looking for therapy times in other ways.

What things are therapeutic for you and how do you deal with it when those things aren’t an option?

Tending Your Garden

I have been reading Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst over the last couple of weeks. It is a great book and I am really enjoying it. Early on, I was particularly impacted by this chapter (see pictures below) as it talks about the necessity of tending a garden if you want to have a beautiful one. I thought I would share Lysa’s thoughts with you today. Whether it is gardening, parenting, weight loss, exercise, relationships or something else, they all require work. They all require tending. They all require something of us if we are to be successful. Choose to be successful. Choose to tend your garden, whatever that may be for you.

 

Love Makes People Do…

If you grew up going to church, you have probably listened to “The Music Machine” a time or two. In my case, probably two thousand or more. I still own it on vinyl. And I bought it on CD for my kids a few years back. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is the story of two kids who wake up in “Agapeland” and meet the conductor who shows them this fabulous machine, “put something in it and a song comes out.” After trying a few things like whistles, strings, and a smile, they put in the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This morning, I have the song “Love” from that album going around in my head. I can’t find a video for you, but the lyrics to that song are:

Love, love, love makes people happy
Love, love, love makes people free
Love makes people do the things they know they ought to do
Love is doing things for you and me

Love love, love, love makes people friendly
Love love, love, love makes people kind
Love makes people do the things they know they ought to do
Love is helping those who fall behind

We need more love
It’s easy to see
We need God’s love
That’s the way it should be

Love, love, love makes people thankful
Love, love, love makes people share
Love makes people do the things they know they ought to do
Love is showing others that you care

We need more love
It’s easy to see
We need God’s love
That’s the way it should be

Love, love, love makes people happy
Love, love, love makes people free
Love makes people do the things they know they ought to do
Love is doing things for you and me
Love makes people do the things they know they ought to do
Love is doing things for you and me

I think the reason I am singing this song today is because I have been reading I John this week and I am pretty sure every other sentence is about love and Christ’s love and what that should look like in our lives. This love is not self-seeking, but self-sacrificing. This love is the indicator of our relationship with Christ.

In addition to reading I John this week, my friend and I finished John Ortberg’s book, The Me I Want to Be and in the last chapter he tells the story of Evelyn Brand, a woman who embodied the love of Christ in all she did for her whole life. Here is her story as told in the book:

…When she was a young woman she felt called by God to go to India. As a single woman in 1909, a calling like that required a truckload of faith and an equal amount of determination. She married a young man named Jessie and together they began a ministry to people in rural India, bringing education and medical supplies, and building roads to reduce the isolation of the poor.

Early in their ministry they went seven years without a single convert, but then a priest of a local tribal religion developed a fever and grew deathly ill. Nobody else would go near him, but Evelyn and Jessie nursed him as he was dying. He said, This God, Jesus, must be the true God because only Jessie and Evelyn will care for me in my dying.

The priest gave his children to them to care for after he died — and that became a spiritual turning point in that part of the world. People began to examine the life and teachings of Jesus, and in increasing numbers began to follow him. Evelyn and Jessie had thirteen years of productive service, then Jessie died. By this time, Evelyn was fifty years old, and everyone expected her to return to her home in England. But she would not do it…

She was known and loved for miles around as “Granny Brand,” and she stayed another twenty years under the mission board she had served so faithfully. Her son, Paul, came over when she was seventy years old, and this is what he said about his mom: “This is how to grow old. Allow everything else to fall away until those around you see only love.”

…She had spent her life in India, including twenty years of widowhood, and at age seventy she received word from her home mission office in England that they were not going to give her another five-year term. They felt that she was simply getting too old.

But she was also stubborn.

A party was held to celebrate her time in India, and everyone there cheered her on. “Have a good trip back home,” they all said.

“I’ll tell you a little secret,” she announced. “I’m not going back home. I’m staying in India.”

Evelyn had a little shack built with some resources that she had smuggled in. Then she bought a pony to get around the mountains, and this septuagenarian would ride from village to village on horseback to tell people about Jesus. She did that for five years on her own. One day, at seventy-five years old, she fell off and broke her hip. Her son, Paul Brand, the eminent doctor, said to her, “Mom, you had a great run. God’s used you. It’s time to turn it over now. You go on back home.”

“I am not going back home,” she said…She spent another eighteen years traveling from one village to another on horseback. Falls, concussions, sicknesses, and aging could not stop her. Finally, when she hit ninety-three years old, she could not ride horseback any more. so the men in these villages–because they loved Granny Brand so much–put her on a stretcher and carried her from one village to another. She lived two more years and gave those years as a gift, carried on a stretcher, to help the poorest of the poor. She died, but she never retired. She just graduated.

This is an amazing story to me. Not just because Granny Brand loved God and loved people so much that she spent her life – in sickness and in health – telling people about Him, but the fact that her love for the people and for God had been multiplied and that translated into people loving God, her, and others so much that they were willing to carry her around on a stretcher for two years so she could continue to love people enough to tell them about Jesus.

“Love makes people do, the things they know they ought to do…”

We need God’s love to invade our souls that much. We need to show God’s love in extravagant ways. People need to see nothing but God’s love shining through us.

I want to be like Granny Brand. I want to have that kind of love for Jesus.

How about you?

Connections

The most recent chapter I read in The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg is called “Make Life-Giving Relationships a Top Priority.”  He talks about how God uses others as he is forming us and how spending time with others who love us is an integral part in bringing us to a place where we flourish. In essence, our connection to people who love us is life-giving, and when we are disconnected we are more susceptible to things like depression, anxiety, loneliness, substance abuse, addiction, and even trouble with our appetites and sleep habits.

One of the quotes that Ortberg shares is this:

Robert Putnam made a staggering comment: “As a rough rule of thumb, if you belong to no groups but you decide to join one, you cut your risk of dying over the next year in half.” It is difficult to imagine anyone not interested in cutting their risk of dying in half. That is why the new motto for small groups at the church where I serve is, “Join a group or die.”

The thing about being connected to a community of people is there are people who are paying attention to you and that brings joy and love into your life that encourages you along the way. This helps when you are struggling with the various stuff of life. This helps when you just need a smiling face to remind you that you are loved.

As I read this chapter, I was reminded of the amazing friends that the Lord has brought into my life in the last couple of years. For a long time I felt like I didn’t have that “safety net” of people who I could call at any moment if I needed something. But as I started praying and looking, I have found some amazing connections. Some were there all along and I just needed to foster them a bit more. Some were brand new – people I hadn’t ever met before or hadn’t connected with in a deeper way before. But all of them have been and continue to be special gifts from the Lord to me.

Now, that doesn’t mean that I always feel like I have a safety net. Sometimes I can (and do) distance myself or pull away which changes nothing about my friends and how they care for me, but it changes my perception. And then one or more of them steps in and yanks me back into the circle and reminds me that I need them.

In his book, Ortberg gives this “Connectedness Inventory.” While there was a time that I am quite sure I would have answered many of these questions “no,” my predominant answer now is “yes.” How about you?

If you can’t answer “yes” to most of these questions, it may be time for you to look into ways you can become more connected with people. That may be a small group at your church. It may be contacting a friend that you have always wanted to be closer to and asking them to meet for lunch a couple of times a month so you can build the relationship. It may mean joining some kind of community group. I encourage you to find those connections that bring life to you. You will be better off for it.

Some Days are Better Than Others

I have been talking and thinking about my mind quite a bit lately, and you’ve been reading some of my thoughts about how we have the ability to choose what we focus on. Today, I need to be reminded of some of those ideas about how I am able to rise above and change my outlook, so I re-read one of my favorite posts by Kristin Armstrong from her book, Mile Markers. (She blogs here: http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/) And since I am not really flowing with words today, I thought I would just share hers with you.

Anti-Venom

I started yesterday off on the wrong foot.

My alarm didn’t go off, somehow I switched the am and pm on my phone so we got up 12 minutes late and our mornings are timed to precision, the kids were arguing non-stop, Luke wouldn’t eat his granola because Isabelle coughed somewhere in the vicinity and it was deemed contaminated, Isabelle ripped out her ponytails twice because she said I made them uneven, my coffee got cold while I was packing lunches and when I reheated it in the microwave it burnt my tongue rendering the remainder of my day tasteless, Isabelle decided now was a good time to change the rabbit cage, Grace was taking a stand against oral hygiene despite her dragon breath, and Charlie (our Cavalier King Charles puppy) lifted his leg and peed on the corner of the kitchen island.

We made it to school with seconds to spare and I hate rushing my mornings and parting in a scramble, especially the mornings before the kids have a Daddy weekend.  I called the vet and made an appointment for the leg-lifter to get snipped.  I took big dog Mercy for a run, hoping that some hills and her steady company would restore my equilibrium, but I walked back into my house under the same cloud.  I tried to write but my desk was too littered with bills and mail to welcome creative thought, so I wasted the rest of my morning idea-less, excavating stacks of paper.

And then, out of nowhere, it hit me.  The only way I was going to snap out of my sour was with a serious intervention.  With sudden clarity, I knew that if I did not flood my poisonous mood with the anti-venom, my day and I were going down.  For those of you who watch less Animal Planet than I do or who did not win the science fair in high school (I really did), let me explain that anti-venom is created when a tiny bit of venom is introduced into a subject, creating an immune response that generates antibodies that fight the venom.  These antibodies can be harvested and used on behalf of others.  In my particular moody case, the anti-venom would consist of the antibodies of kindness,specifically the unspoken kind.  What I mean is, the thoughts or gestures we think about but don’t make time to say or do.  I got quiet with my grumpy self and thought about the previous few days, combing my existence for the things that struck me but were quickly dismissed.  I wrote them down.  I started to feel a wee bit better.  Then I took action.

1.  I called the groomer who had taken care of our old dog Boone the day before.  Boone is impossible to groom.  He’s over 12, and many moons ago he once fell off our deck in France so he’s a bit off, somewhat contorted and stiff, almost palsied.  I told her that when I drove Boone over the previous day, I was close to tears noticing his old age and overall bad state.  But after her tenderness and magic, he looked so much better, even had a newfound bit of spunk that I attributed to his fresh-do.  I told her that I understood how difficult and time-consuming it must be to work with him, but that I really appreciated her effort and I thought he looked beautiful.  She was quiet for a minute before she told me I made her week.

2. I have a dear friend Dawn who can’t stand being cold.  A mother of a cold front is blowing outside my office window as I type, and we all knew it was coming.  So yesterday I finished the scarf I had been knitting for her since before Christmas and dropped it on her doorstep with a note telling her to stay warm and I love her.

3. My coach and friend, Cassie, hates to be sick (we all hate it but she HATES it with narrowed eyes and spite) and has a nasty sinus infection.  I thought about this on Wednesday, the way that she summons her energy for her clients and friends, even when she ends up with none left to spare for herself.  I left her a message to tell her how much that meant to me.  She left word later on my voice mail that I had saved her day.

4. I wrote a note to the librarian who hosted Luke’s scout den earlier this week for our monthly meeting.  She gave us a tour of her library, making books and reference materials totally interesting to a group of ten year old boys.  She finished with a scavenger hunt, which was a giant hit as you can imagine.  She has a tremendous gift in her way with children, the kind of gift that makes you stop what you’re doing and pay attention.  She has probably heard this countless times, but I wanted her to hear it from me, in pen, on my stationary.  I mailed that.

And before I realized it had taken place, my day, my mood, my sense of humor, perspective, and appreciation had all been restored.  I am not sharing this in an,”Aw, Look How Sweet I Am” kind of way.  I’m sharing this in a, “Holy Crap Was I Sour” kind of way.  I wonder how often we make a swift mental note of something or someone meaningful and it slides into oblivion because we are in such a blasted hurry all the time.

I want to encourage you, no I flat out dare you, to try this infusion of light the next time your mood goes dark.  It was the fastest road I have ever taken to getting back on track, so from one runner to another, I share the route with you.

So, what kind of anti-venom do you need to infuse into your life today?

Rewiring

Lately I have been bombarded with the idea of changing the way I think.

Three different books, as well as some Scripture, have been pounding this idea to me over and over.

The marathon training book I have been reading each week (The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer) is constantly talking about how the psychological game is just as important, if not more so, than the physiological one. It has given me ideas about how to approach tough runs, long runs, distractions, and so much more by changing my perspective and the way that I think about it. And it works. On Wednesday this week I had a terrible run. I felt sluggish, slow, and didn’t feel like I could finish, but I made the decision that my body was able to do it and I wasn’t quitting until it was done. And guess what? I finished.

The book I am reading with my friend, Tina, (The Me I Want to Be) has also been talking about our mind and how we need to change how we think if we want to change ourselves. My favorite line is this, “You cannot get rid of the skunk odor without getting rid of the skunk.” He goes on to talk about how we need to monitor our thoughts so that we can reset them to a better frequency, or in another example he uses, setting the thermostat to create a target climate. “It is a constant process, but the goal is for the system to create a life-giving climate.” We don’t choose to stop thinking negative thoughts, but rather we choose to “set our minds on those thoughts that equip us for life.” Our thought life has enormous power over us, and we can choose how that power is used.

Then, in the book I am reading just for fun (Mile Markers) I ran across this quote last night:

So, now you can see why rewiring the mind is on my mind these days. I guess I need to keep working on that.

What ways do you need to rewire your mind?

Still Learning

Today is March 1 – the beginning of my birthday month. I will be 38 in 24 days. That means in two years I will be 40. Yikes! How did that happen? Where did the time go? I mean, I knew that I entered grown-up land a number of years ago, but as a kid, 40 seemed sooooooo old. And here I am, sooooooo close to it.

You know what else I didn’t realize? That at the age of 37 11/12, I would be learning as much, if not more, about life and about myself as I was as a child, teenager and 20-something.

  • Who knew that I would learn in my 30’s that I could push my body to new limits and run 7 half-marathons?
  • Who knew that I would be able to push past even that to train for a full marathon – and feel good about it?
  • Who knew that in my late 30’s I would add a new piece to my identity – runner?
  • Who knew that I could change my whole view of food and exercise and subsequently lose 50 pounds and go down 3-4 clothing sizes in less than a year?
  • Who knew that God would call me to vocational ministry in my 30’s?
  • Who knew that He would grow a desire in me to read more and more non-fiction books (since I have always been a fiction kind of gal) that would teach me so much about Him, and life, and myself?
  • Who knew that He would also grow a desire in me to meet with various people – one on one and in groups – to spur one another on to more learning (and more questions which prompt more learning) on a regular basis?

I could go on an on about the ways that I am learning from God, from books, from friends. I could go on and on about what I am learning about who God is, about who I am in Christ, about running, about ministry, about friendship, about weight loss, about health, about God’s love and provision and grace. (And I haven’t even touched what I learn about marriage and parenting on a regular basis!)

We often think we finish school and we stop learning. But that is really our choice. We can stop learning. Or we can continue to learn. We can open up our eyes to everyday things that teach us. We can read. We can ask questions. We can search things out.

I don’t know about you, but I really like knowing that I don’t know it all – even about myself – and there is more to learn. Bring it on!

What are you learning these days?

We Need One Another

I am reading a book (surprise, surprise!) called Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong, and I love it. I keep finding little gems in it that translate into many areas of my life, not just running. Last night it was this one:

We Need Each Other

I love it and it is so true! We do need each other. We don’t live in isolation and we shouldn’t. Each of us brings something different to the table and because of that we can help one another to do things that we couldn’t do on our own. This is true for our faith, raising children, running, the stuff of everyday life and so much more. Each of us brings different perspectives to life. We bring different personalities, different thought processes, different strengths, different weaknesses. We need each other to help talk and think through issues of life and faith. We need each other to open doors to us that we might not open ourselves. We need community.

This is why I run with friends. This is why I meet every Sunday with a small group. This is why I meet with a close friend to study a book weekly. This is why I meet twice a month with another friend for lunch. This is why I meet with a Virtual Community Group monthly.

We need each other. We can’t do it on our own. So, today, spend some time being thankful for the community around you and maybe even specifically thank those who you count on most. And if you don’t have community, I encourage you to find it. Ask your church about joining a small group. Reach out to someone you have been wanting to get to know and ask them to lunch. Find a family that you can plan a monthly play date with.

What does your community look like?

Growth Opportunity

Over Christmas my mom gave me a book filled with short daily readings that her aunt had given her last year. She really enjoyed reading it and thought I would too. It is called Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young. Since I do my devotional/Bible reading at night before bed, I thought this would be perfect for something quick in the morning. Each day consists of a short paragraph or two, written as if Jesus were talking directly to you. It is based on scripture that she provides the references for at the bottom, so you could look them up if you choose.

It has been amazing to me how some (many) of the days have been exactly what I needed for that day. But none so much as Sunday.

I have been struggling. I am training for this marathon that is coming up in April and am feeling like between some asthma/breathing issues, scheduling, and weather it has just been very difficult to get my training runs in the last couple of weeks. And that is frustrating. And it makes me scared that I won’t be ready for the race. So Sunday morning when I got up, anticipating another long run in the afternoon and wondering if I was going to be able to do it, here is what I read:

Strive to trust Me in more and more areas of your life. Anything that tends to make you anxious is a growth opportunity. Instead of running away from these challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings I have hidden in the difficulties. If you believe that I am sovereign over every aspect of your life, it is possible to trust me in all situations. Don’t waste energy regretting the way things are or thinking about what might have been. Start at the present moment–accepting things exactly as they are–and search for My way in the midst of those circumstances.

Trust is like a staff you lean on, as you journey uphill with Me. If you are trusting in Me consistently, the staff will bear as much of your weight as needed. Lean on, trust, and be confident in Me with all your heart and mind. (Psalm 52:8; Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP)

Talk about exactly what I needed. Every single sentence I read (and have read over and over again) went straight to my heart.

  • Issues with training making me anxious = growth opportunity.
  • Embrace the challenge = gain blessings.
  • Belief God is sovereign = trust Him in ALL situations – even running.
  • Don’t worry about the past, look at right now and God’s way.
  • Lean on Him and let Him bear the weight. (This is a great one to think about when I am spent during a run.)

And while nothing has changed–my breathing has good and bad days, the weather is just crappy this time of year in southern Illinois, we lead a busy life–my attitude has. I am choosing to not be fearful about it. I am embracing the challenges and knowing that it won’t be easy (if it was – everyone would do it!), I am believing that God is with me on each and every run and I can call out to Him for His help and strength when I feel weak. It doesn’t matter if I had a bad run last week or missed one due to weather, I have today to try again.

And what a difference it is making to hold on to these promises when I am tired, struggling to breathe, freezing, etc. I guess that means I am taking this opportunity to grow!

As you read this today, is there an area of your life that you can apply it to? What is it and what kind of difference do you think it will make?