Sweet Little Angel

So I always gently offer opportunities for Dan to join the kids and me at church and church functions but never push too hard.  This past Sunday morning was no exception.  After I was dressed for church and the kids were getting on their finishing touches I perched on the edge of the bed and let Dan know our plans for the morning and when we would be back.  Lorelai sweetly came in and asked Dan if he would come with us so we could go to church as a family.  He got up, took a shower, and she beamed as she and Dan walked into the sanctuary together.  God worked a miracle through a little angel named Lorelai this past Sunday.

Prayers Answered Slowly

So ever since we have been married Dan's faith has been in a constant process of ebbs and flows.  Sometimes he attends church regularly and others he doesn't want anything to do with going.  When we first started dating we would have devotion time together, but that quickly dissolved.  There have been times when I tried to push/nudge him to have faith and trust God but very often he requires proof in order to believe.  Lately the kids and I have been going to church, both for Sunday services, as well as for other events sponsored by the church.  I always extend an invitation for him to join us but he has yet to accept.  Yesterday he had to move some money out of savings back to checking for some unforeseen expenses.  Normally that would have caused him to be a bit disgruntled at our financial difficulty.  This time he totally released the stress and even ended up finding unexpected cash in his wallet to pay for his dinner when he went to trivia last night.  He told me it was because he let go of the "penny pinching and was rewarded for having faith that the money would be there."  I am so excited at this turn around the corner in his walk with God and am praising God with all of my heart.

A Fresh Start

So today I got up early and did a killer workout at 5:30 am.  I decided no cheating on my eating...period.  So far so good, except that I seem to have some kind of stomach bug and can't keep any food down anyway.  Really glad I got my workout in before I started feeling sick.  Hoping it will  go away by tomorrow morning so I can keep up a good routine.

Pleasantly Surprised

Normally I hate every picture of me ever taken but I was pleasantly surprised by these that I took earlier this week.

Cooking with Quinoa

As someone who gets massive headaches from eating foods with gluten in them I definitely should have tried this little gem before now, but now that I have I am hooked.  Over the weekend I went to a conference and quinoa was the vegetable choice.  It was soooo good.  Then on Sunday I cooked up a bag of quinoa and black beans that has been looming in my pantry for months.  All I have to say is Y-U-M!!  This particular flavor has some hints of jalapeno so it was spicy, just like this girl likes it, and crazy tasty.

It comes with black beans but when I portioned out the servings mine only had a few lingering at the bottom.

When I heated up my leftovers I added some black beans of my own.  Delish!!!

Feeling Pretty Great

So I have very little to complain about.  Bible studying is going well, my kids are getting closer to the Lord everyday and are going to church with me this weekend while Dan plays golf, I am still exercising (although the "eating junk" demon still looms in the background), and am going to a Christian women's conference tomorrow.  My friend, Christie, is blogging about some really great books that seem inspiring so I am hoping they have them at the library so I can get my hands on them.  Lastly, I have two upcoming dental appointments to get my cracked crown fixed.  Am hoping my eventual lack of tooth pain will help my daily headaches.  Will keep a good thought!!

Miracles Never Cease

So as many of you know there is a certain someone in my life that I do not get along well with at all.  I argue with this person on almost every issue imaginable and we are at odds almost constantly in some form or fashion.  Back in January I took it upon myself to let this person know that it was ok if we didn't have a relationship as such, that way when we had to be around each other there wouldn't be so much tension.  Instead of there being that awkward tension of "ok, we're in the room together...this is miserable," now we can just both be on the same page of "neither of us like each other so let's just focus on something else and not even deal with each other."  I figured it was the perfect solution.  As luck would have it we have not had the occasion to be in the same room, or even the same venue, together until yesterday when the Jacob side of the family gathered together for my mother-in-law's birthday.  I prayed, and admittedly fretted a bit, about it all week.  I prayed for God's grace to shield me from any negativity that may rise up during the day and for God to just surround me with peace.  I brought my Bible study materials with me to keep me busy and went to church bright and early Sunday morning hoping to carry God with me throughout the day.  Just in case the Bible study wasn't enough I also brought my camera so I could capture some fun moments of the grandkids having fun together since they rarely get to see each other.

I was completely floored and amazed.  Said individual was uncharacteristically pleasant.  She was engaging in conversation with me unprompted and was surprisingly complimentary of my weight loss and exercise efforts.  She was not on her ever-present iPhone as is usually the case and she even sought me out to converse with me when I disappeared for a while to do my Bible study.  I am not sure if my antenna should be up or if this is the love and grace of God working in this relationship in my life that is in much need of repair, but I will just take each meeting as it comes and pray for the best.  God truly does work miracles.