Now That'll Make Me Smile...

I am the type of person who "makes due with what I got" or I make what I got do.....lol! I am c r e a t i v e and experimental even if it means something won't come out perfect. Sadly my desire for perfection keeps me both unsatisfied and self-conscious when having to "share" my work. The great thing about fearless efforts is stumbling upon something amazing. The not so great thing is when it turns out to be a total flop. To elaborate here I would like to focus on FOOD! 


I tend to create new things, especially with having food allergy limitations. I don't always have everything I need to create so I make what I have work. It is very common for me to look up a recipe on a certain food item and then find 5 other recipes, all tweaked differently, and fashion my own recipe. I am not "the best" Mommy Chef in town. People don't go around talking about my spectacular meals. I do tend to get excited though when I have found something to enjoy. I make food for my own tastes, which are unique. You may or may not like things the way I do, but I gotta eat so....I need excitement in my food when I am limited in what I can have. A Gluten Free(GF) - Soy Free(SF) - Chocolate Free - Partial Dairy Free(DF) diet with common fruit and veggie limitations (broccoli, carrots, oranges, apples...to name a few) can make life boring. When I find something I like, I am eating the heck out of it - everyday - all day!!! 


Now I am fully aware of the p l e t h o r a of Foods available to me that I haven't even tried before and I am working on bringing more food excitement into my life a little at a time. My toughest crowd of people to please is my kiddos, mainly my middle son Camron. If I can thrill his taste buds I can stamp SUCCESS on my work...even on my life! These moments propel me forward, give me purpose, make me just SMILE!!!! Yes!!!!


Today, after many months, I have finally made my Homemade GF Bread. Admittedly, I have been somewhat lazy, or lets say uninspired to bake for awhile. However, buying $5 GF Bread that lasts all of no days, can get pricey! My kids love to eat GF bread with me. My most Favorite GF brands are Rudi's, Udi's, and Kinnikinniks. Mostly you will find a loaf or more of Rudi's in our freezer. The kids have been begging me to make my bread, but I just didn't have the motivation to commit to the lovely process of bread making. It was really sad actually! How does one perfect a recipe if one does not bake? 


So today after my delicious smelling bread came piping out of the oven, the kids ran over beaming asking if I made my bread, begging for a slice! Then they walk away smiling saying, "Mom's bread is the best bread, better than any bread!" 


We have eliminated all "chemical" bread from our diet (bread on the shelves, bread with ingredients you can't understand that are a mile long list). After years of eating it, "chemical" bread ranks pretty high, especially the special gourmet kinds, with my kids taste desires. I have not ventured into making the Wheat Versions of these breads, or any versions of these breads yet (one day). The mere fact that my kiddos AND hubby Love my bread makes me so fulfilled inside. I can't say that I 100% feel confident in their love of my bread, I may still be suffering from rejection issues...lol! I do know that when my little tad bit of acceptance-pride pushes out of the way, I beam a myself with that good-sense-of-pride in my accomplishments. 


So after my long drawn out story about Pride, Smiles, and Bread....I am happy to say that I have a satisfied family and some bread to eat! :)
(Now if I have to share it with "other" people than I may still need to work through some issues...)

Are You Ready For 2012?

Well, seems I have let time come between us again...Lol! I hope everyone enjoyed their End of the Year Celebrations, Family Time, Christmas, New Year, etc. Are you ready for 2012? We are half way into this first month. Have you started working on those pesky Resolutions yet? You know, join a gym, lose weight, buff up, be a better person, cut out the negativity, clean your bad mouth out, be a better Mom/Dad/Sister/Brother/Husband/
Wife/Daughter/Son/Friend...whatever! The list of many millions of people around the world. The list you start and somehow by the end of the year, during the times of reflection, you gripe at yourself for not living up to something as simple as this list. Oh, but that's not you, right!?!?!


I will admitt, I have been that person many a time. I have joined gyms in January (I joined one this January), then stopped going. I always had justifiable reasons WHY? Once you disrupt the routine you amped yourself up to begin, it's so hard to jump back in the game. Then it's one excuse after the next. Excuses do Not produce results people! I KNOW!!!


For the past few years now, I have started the New Year with a  F a s t. It seems churches everywhere have caught on to the "F a s t i n g  F a d". Oh, but I don't want my time of Fasting to be a Hobby or Bi-Anual Habit, a Trendy Thing To Do, an All-About-Food-Focus, an Anything but God time...For me, Fasting is a way to Force my Flesh to Submit. Simple as that! I consider myself a Moderately Disciplined Person. Some areas of my life are very disciplined, while others..well....I am a Procrastinating Perfectionist. It is what keeps me sane, yet also seems to drive me insane. Some weird catch-22 I suppose. Maybe even a tad sad. Eh, it's how I usually operate. Fasting somewhat breaks that cycle for a time...or maybe it doesn't, but it is definitely a Boot Camp for my flesh and my spirit. You see, my Flesh is learning to relinquish control (something I disillusion myself that I have), it's being put through Ettiquiette Training, it's Stretching Out  a l l  E l a s t i c-Like...like a Giant Rubber Band Ball Bouncing Around the Walls of "Shut-Up, Sit-Down, and Listen!"...It's not a bad thing at all! It's great! My flesh forgets who it is, gets a little Hot-Headed, Pride pushes in, Self-Will begins to take control...No Good I tell ya! But the Boot Camp isn't JUST for "Reminding my Flesh" of some things. This Boot Camp is producing Strength, Power, Authority, Righhteousness, Stature, Awareness, Soberness, Agility, Passion, Purpose Released! My SPIRIT is finally allowed Freedom to operate how it was intended. My Flesh, always trying to steal the spot light from My Spirit...it's my Fiesty Flesh...a good smack, a little time-out, all goes a long way! 

F a s t i n g!

Sing it out now....

"FREEEEEEEDOM, FREEEEEEEEDOM, 

FREEEEEEEEEDOM, FREEEEEEEDOM! 

I'm gonna Clap a little louder, sing a little stronger, 

dance more freely, jump higher, spin around, shout it out loud! 

No More Shackles, No More Chains, No More Bondage, My Spirit is Free! 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, 

FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!"

BUT....then also, Fasting isn't so Fancy Free and Fun! It's at times very challenging! It does not feel good to see your flaws. Have you ever started a workout routine...energy is high, then comes pain and soreness, then energy kicks up again and you "feel" like your really making changes, but maybe you don't "see" them changing fully yet. I was listening on the radio this morning and they were discussing a News Releasing indicating a New Pill they want to release on the market that has all the answers...you know this pill...the one that gives you the perfect body WITHOUT the workout. Sadly, if that does ever actually come out, people WILL buy it. I mean who would want to actually DO the work that produces results, when a pill could DO it for you. (insert sarcastic eye rolling here!) It's the EASY BUTTON MENTALITY...always looking for shortcuts. At what price though and with what reward? Is your life worth it? What is more rewarding than sweating it out and achieving a goal! Gee, wonder if Jesus had a shortcut to our salvation....oh wait, He did! LUKE 4...you see Jesus was coming off a 40 day fast, He was hungry...wouldn't you be? I mean He sure wasn't eating Corn Tortillas, because technically they are a vegetable. Or drinking your morning cup of coffee because taking that away just doesn't work, caffeine withdrawals, needing the wake-up-in-a-cup to get through the day. Now I am not saying your fast doesn't count when you do this. The focus of the fast is not about food, what you can or can't eat. The focus is denying your flesh, replacing those fleshly desires for closeness with God, being more sober, more spiritually aware that you are weak and you need God. I am a huge modifier of fasting(yep I admitted it), so I am not being hypocritical, just stating the obvious in regards to how we desire the Easy way. My life isn't even all that awful, it's actually pretty great, yet I still find myself looking for something easy amidst so many other "not-so-easy" things. Anyways, off track as usual....Satan tempted Jesus with the EASY BUTTON more than once. What if He took it? Where would our Freedom and Salvation be then?


Let me put it like this.....

If God doesn't step in 

and intervene, 

we get stoned!

I was thinking of Mary, the mother of Jesus, when the people found out she was pregnant and UN-married and Joseph wasn't claiming that baby. The people wanted to stone her to death, that was the law! She must be punished! After all, it wasn't Joseph's baby, people don't just become pregnant without the "doing-it" part! BUT, God totally stepped in and intervened. The Angel visited Joseph, the story takes a dramatic turn back on track. For every "YES" to God's Will and to God's Way, something marvelous is birthed. You see, Mary said "YES" to God and the Salvation of the World was birthed. Jesus said YES to God, and The Salvation of Mankind was Fulfilled! What happens when we say YES to God...What amazing thing is God birthing through our YES? From Moses to Abraham to Issac to Jacob all the way to David and all the way to Mary. All these people said YES and something GREAT was able to be made manifest. If just ONE of them said NO, the picture would not be like this. So what thing(s) is God asking you to say "YES" to? Have you said Yes? It doesn't actually Stop with the Yes. Yes is the beginning. Don't let that scare you though. The rest is Easy, well not Easy Button Easy, but Easy in the sense that you just Let God Be God! You pray, you seek Him, you worship, you guard and protect the thing you birthed, you let Him be God. Mary said YES to God, Jesus was birthed, then she had to Let God be God. She was not in control of how Jesus would Save the World. As a Mom, I am sure she had moments of being Mom-like, but in the end God had to step in, intervene, and have HIS way so His will would be accomplished. "IT IS FINISHED!"
Yet, it's not over! Jesus is returning for His people...are we ready for Him? Have we done all God has asked us to do to Prepare the Way for the King? What things are we still needing to Say YES to? God works in steps to fulfill His purpose. It was steps from the beginning of creation, the flood era, the promise of Abraham, the heart of David and the restoration of the Tabernacle, the birth of Jesus, the obedience of the Disciples. Each person, each area, played a significant role to accomplish the bigger picture. I am sure that when each person said YES they didn't realize the magnitude of what was then able to be accomplished at large. God may have even given them glimpses, but to take in in full the vastness of His plans....


If you don't say YES, if you don't Let God Be God, if you skip out on Your Part of the Whole...what are you doing to the Larger picture? 


ARE YOU READY FOR 2012 now?

Quick, Slow, Slow...

When you operate according to the scripture that tells us to be  "Quick To Listen, Slow To Speak, and Slow To Wrath" you can accomplish so much more than you could otherwise. 


I am a slow processor. My mind views different angles and perceptions at the same time all while carrying with it a jumble of emotional responses. It is easy to allow the first or even second emotional response to grab the reins of my outward reactions. Oftentimes though, I find myself experiencing a new set of emotions that are, let's just say less than positive. I can't even tell you the innumerable amount of times I have set out to respond to something in writing and by the time the finished product goes out it looks so completely opposite of what I began with. I take into consideration the response and attention span of the person on the other end. Is what I'm saying going to be effective? What is the underlying message and point I am trying to make and how can I get straight to it and still explain why and how I got there? I get buried in details. I want the reader to understand and see my heart within my words. That's easier said than done given you can't SEE my facial expressions which is a huge indicator of my heart response. Writing can be so emotion-LESS and easily misconstrued. How many times has someone become offended at an email or text because the interpretation was left to their mind and not accompanied by the seeing of the persons face. Relying heavily on only one of your senses leaves too much room for misunderstandings, offenses, and incorrect interpretations. 


Side Note: Hmmm...I wonder if this is what the apostles experienced when writing letters to the various churches. How careful they were in stating their case and explaining the reasoning behind it while also addressing the possible inaccurate responses that could be had. Maybe it's the writer in me that has caught that minor detail...Lol! 


I must say though...I feel quite a sense of accomplishment when I have watched my original thoughts transform into my finished work. It's a journey for sure. I never just write and that's it...I write, read, re-write, and re-read how ever many times it takes to feel like something is worthy enough to be called completed. Hahaha...and then I have a husband who is not so much a reader as he is a "skimmer". Hahaha...he skims through and grasps the gist of it and responds from there. I also take these types of people into consideration when writing...I know I can be wordy and detailed and wordy and wordy...and well, not everyone is a reader. A chunk of people are readers, a chunk of people are skimmers, and another chunk is probably something else. If something will not capture someone's attention and call them to want to read more than it did not do it's job effectively as a written piece. 


Another Side Note: I must admit, I think that I lose many people part way in reading what I write. And I have also been guilty of not reading some things and even skimming once or twice. If I know my brain won't comprehend something at the moment I will not read it and come back to it later, most of the time, unless I forget. 


Ok...I feel as though I have gotten lost in whatever I was originally set out to say...I think I was just feeling a feeling and began to write and this is what came out. All good though...hope it made sense and maybe you could even relate....OH THE SCRIPTURE...hahah...


When you take the time to LISTEN FIRST and suppress the initial emotional responses evoked, you actually CHANGE your response, allow room for compassion, are able to see past someone's not-so-eloquent words, and hear their heart. Not every person is able to effectively articulate what they want to to say and it takes a looking past that to hear their heart. When we respond FIRST we let our emotions be the head of our mouths. When we STOP, DROP, and ROLL....I mean STOP, LISTEN, and HEAR...we can be pleasantly surprised at what can now take place...and usually something along the positive lines are what occur. It's proven, tested, and tried...a method that really works! Try it! See what happens, and then write a blog about it...hahaha! 


Ok, catch ya later folks!
Loves and Hugs (in written form), 
Christina

James 1:19 "Know this, my beloved brothers: 

let every person be quick to hear, 

slow to speak, slow to anger..."