Discipline in a Long Distance Race.

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!  

 In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline,
    but don’t be crushed by it either.
It’s the child he loves that he disciplines;
    the child he embraces, he also corrects.

 God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

 So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!

 Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

Hebrews 12:1-17

Time Bank

I'm not sure who the original author is of this next story. One of the guys in my Bible study shared it last night and I was really blown away by it. I wish I could give credit to the true author, so if you know who wrote it, please feel free to comment:

Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day.
Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do?
Draw out every cent, of course?
Each of us has such a bank.
It's name is TIME.

 Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose.
It carries over no balance.
It allows no over draft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no drawing against "tomorrow."
You must live in the present on today's deposits.
Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!
The clock is running!!
Make the most of today.

To realize the value of one year, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who just missed a train.
To realize the value of one second, ask someone who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics.

Essential Kale Chips

I LOVE kale chips. Not only do they have that satisfying crunch without any guilt, but they're so easy to make! I've been totally having a blast trying out my new essential oils in creative ways. So I decided to experiment with my favorite snack-y recipe. Enjoy!!

Krispy Kale Chips
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
2 drops of DoTerra oregano oil
Seasons to taste (I like paprika and chili pepper on mine, plus organic pink salt).
Lots of Kale (1 cup or so)

Preheat oven to 385 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix ingredients in a shallow bowl. You can add more or less of any ingredient, it is really all to taste. You can also add the salt after they've cooked. Totally your call. Once the ingredients have been mixed, coat the kale in the mixture until well coated. Spread out on the parchment paper on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy. Cool and enjoy!!

To order your own oregano oil, check out this link: Essential Oils

The Basics of Essential Oils

Oil. We hear about it on the news. Prices of oil per barrel. As those prices go up, the price of our gas goes up. Supply and demand. The amount of crude oil in the world. That's not the kind of oil I'm talking about. Although it is an essential oil in the other sense of the word.

Vegetable oil comes from soy beans. Olive oil comes from olives. Coconut oil comes from coconuts. baby oil comes from babies? No, it's actually mineral oil. Have you ever thought about why you can buy gallons of vegetable oil for cheaps while good quality extra virgin olive oil can be exorbitantly expensive? Supply and demand. It is really easy to plant and grow soy beans. And corn, while we're at it. And lots of it. It's easy and cheap to get oil from these plants, too. Hence it's price. As a plant becomes harder to grow, the price of it's oil increases. That's called the basics of economics. But the is the basics of essential oils. 

Some other oils you've probably heard of include peanut oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sesame seed oil, grape seed oil, and tea tree oil. When we talk about their consumption, they are in the same classification as the common fats of butter, margarine, and lard. These are just a few of the healthy and unhealthy oils and fats that we commonly use. They add flavor to our foods, keep our ingredients from sticking to the pan, and, depending on the type of oil, add nutrition to our diets. 

The latest craze in oils comes in the realm of essential oils. What exactly are essential oils? Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. If you have ever stopped to smell the roses, walked through an apple orchard, or smelled fresh cut cilantro, you have experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils. In addition to giving plants their distinctive smells, essential oils provide plants with protection against predators and disease and play a role in plant pollination. 

Not only do these oils intrinsically benefit their plants, they have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. Even the Bible has over 600 references to essential oils. Remember Jesus' birthday gifts from the wise men? Frankincense and myrrh are essential oils. Some other plants that make wonderful essential oils are lavender, oregano, peppermint, lemon, orange, and even black pepper.

For more historical uses of essential oils, check out this article: History of Essential Oils

So why are these oils so essential? Essential oils are used for their very wide assortment of emotional and physical health properties. A single oil can be used at one time for a specific purpose, like helping you sleep, to give a boost of energy, or even to naturally freshen your breath. Or they can be used in complex blends to help rid toxins from the body, balance and regulate blood sugar and metabolism, or even to heal cancer. Essential oils are usually administered by one of three methods: diffused aromatically, applied topically, or taken internally as dietary supplements. 

For more uses, check out this link: Essential Oil Uses 

Interested in learning more about essential oils? Feel free to contact me. I would love to chat. Want to try them? Click this link and begin an adventure into the world of essential oils:
DoTerra Essential Oils 

Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Essential Oil Banana Muffins

Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Essential Oil Banana Muffins

1 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup Bob'd Red Mill Gluten-free All-Purpose Baking Flour
2 Tbsp Truvia
1 tsp agave nectar
1 and 1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses* (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp organic pink salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup coconut, almond, or soy milk (coconut milk in this recipe is very yummy!!)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 drops DoTerra lemon oil
1-2 drops DoTerra orange oil
3/4 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup almond pulp from a recipe of home made almond milk

Grease 12-16 muffin cups, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, truvia, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside. In another mixing bowl combine egg, milk, and oils. Add in the mashed banana and the nut pulp. Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just moistened. It should be lumpy. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or till golden. Cool in the muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups, serve warm. Makes 12-16 muffins.



*The third boiling of the sugar syrup yields blackstrap molasses, known for its robust flavour. The majority of sucrose from the original juice has been crystallised and removed. The food energy content of blackstrap molasses is still mostly from the small remaining sugar content. However, unlike refined sugars, it contains trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of several minerals. Blackstrap molasses is a source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron; one tablespoon provides up to 20% of the daily value of each of those nutrients.

DoTerra Essential Oil Smoothies

I have recently endeavored into the essential oil world. I have to say, I was skeptical at the beginning, but after using them for 3 weeks, I'm a believer! I have more energy, my headaches are gone, and I've lost 5 pounds just by drinking water with oils in it!! So, here are my favorite drink recipes so far. To order the oils for yourself and give it a try, check out the link to my DoTerra website!! More recipes to come!!!

Link: DoTerra Essential Oils
 

Refreshing Mango-Lemon Smoothie

1 cup of spinach
1 cup of sugar-free vanilla coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen chunk mangoes
1&1/2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 drops DoTerra lemon oil

Throw all ingredients in a Magic Bullet or blender and blender until smooth!!
If it's too thick, add extra milk as you blend.

Harvest Blueberry-Lemon Smoothie

1 cup of spinach

1/2 cup of sugar-free vanilla coconut or soy milk
1/2 cup blueberry greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3 drops DoTerra lemon oil

Throw all ingredients in a Magic Bullet or blender and blender until smooth!!

If it's too thick, add extra milk as you blend.

Immune-boosting Ginger Zinger

1 bag Ginger tea of your favorite tea brand
1 Tbsp agave nectar
2-3 drops DoTerra OnGuard oil

Boil water. Pour over tea bag and steep for 5 minutes. Add agave and oil. Sip and enjoy!! 


I have also been experimenting with using the oils while I cook. I've found 2-3 drops of lemon +  2-3 drops of oregano oil added to my jasmine rice while it cooks in my rice cooker makes the BEST aromatic rice. And it gives it a nice flavor, too!!

Gloriously Gluten Free Sugar Free Pumpkin Muffins

MMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... That's how I will introduce my latest kitchen creation. Delicious. Smeared with a little butter and these bad boys melt in your mouth!!

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons molasses

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée

1 tsp real vanilla extract

1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten free all-purpose baking flour

3/4 cups white rice flour

1/2 cup granulated truvia

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and a 6-cup muffin pan, or line the pan with papers, and grease the papers.

2) Whisk together the eggs, molasses, vanilla and pumpkin purée. Set aside.

3) Whisk together the gluten-free flour and white rice flour, truvia, baking powder, salt, and the spices.

4) Add the oil, mixing with an electric mixer until evenly crumbly. The mixture will look like coarse sand.

5) Add the egg mixture a bit at a time, beating well with an electric mixer after each addition. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy.

6) Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling cups 3/4 full.

7) Bake the muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, until the middle springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Best served warm.