dirty dozen and clean 15

Trying to save while buying organic?

With summer here my taste buds are in bloom just as much as the flowers and fruit are! When I walk into Wegmans, with all the lowered prices on produce and wide variety of veggie and fruity goodness its hard to remember what I know about all these delectable pieces of food.

In fact, for a while there, prices on strawberries were so low that I caved and bought a bunch, hoping that a nice cold soak would rid of the 13 different pesticides found on one strawberry. yikes! I seriously had one strawberry as big as a small apple - thats just ridiculous). So anyways, I was really excited to see Wegmans recently add some local strawberries to their selection, making things a little more reasonable. Though not completely organic, sprayed much less and usually only on the leaves until the plants flower.

With that said I decided to do a little refresher "course" for myself so that I would feel a little more prepared going into the grocery. Although I highly recommend finding local farms as this time of year they'll be booming with fresh produce that ultimately is sprayed less, with less harmful pesticides and worked with more hands on. I love the Rochester Public Market but you've got to ask lots of questions to find out what they're really selling and sometimes that's difficult when the market is as busy as it is this time of year. South wedge Farmer's Market are ALL local farmers, and most organically raised and grown. And though they may be a little higher priced, its still cheaper than your commercialized organic section in the grocer.

Here's this year's Dirty Dozen (listed in order) - so if you can't afford to go completely organic, this would be the ones you don't want to compromise on. And then I'll list the "Clean 15" - those who tested the least harmful for pesticides and chemicals. You can also find a thorough list at EWG's 2011 Shopping Guide.

DIRTY DOZEN

1. Apples

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Imported nectarines

7. Imported grapes

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Domestic blueberried

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collard greens

CLEAN 15

1. Onions

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Cantaloupe

10. Kiwi

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms

raw milk debate

We recently did a switch.

Yep.....to raw, unpasteurized organic milk.....from pasture cows that are grass-fed.

And though I know people who are on both sides of the fence, all for good thought-out reasons, after doing a lot of more own investigating and discoveries, we've decided that the switch was not only reasonable, but obvious to us that the evidence to support raw milk was far more substantial than the reasons for pasteurized milk.

The big problem with pasteurized milk is that its nearly impossible to kill "bad" bacteria without killing the good. Pasteurization (heating the milk to 180 degrees) and ultra-pasteurization (heating milk up to 270 degrees) literally strips almost all nutrition from our milk. Now you have fortified, fat less milk on our shelves that are literally making us sick and we have no idea why. In fact, I've read several testimonies of people who thought they were allergic to milk until they switched to raw.

But I understand the reasoning for the BIG debate. Unfortunately raw milk is not an option for corporate factory farmers, the cows are milked way too often and far sicker than we think. Most times they have infections on the breasts, oozing puss, with many different infections and other sorts of pathogens, so with that case....raw milk is very deathly! so i would neverconsume industrial raw milk...not an option! But this is where a lot of the scare comes from. Its of highest importance that the farm you receive raw milk from be local and visited before purchase (or at least visited by someone you trust). In many states we cannot purchase the milk without knowing a friend, or legally buying a cow share or buying for "pet" use. Thankfully in NY State, we do have the availability to purchase raw milk from a farm who is licensed to do so :-) If the farm is working as a proper ecosystem of sorts (many people's definition of this is different) than it is my opinion that raw milk is a much safer alternative to pasteurized milk....and the health benefits are incredibly super! I would almost say...miraculous that God gave us such an amazing probiotic. And because raw milk has beneficial, lactic-acid friendly bacteria that help ward off pathogens, its amazing how safe it really is. Milk is one of the biggest recommendations for calcium, biggest recommendations for toddlers and pregnant women, and even WIC (state aid) goes to the BIG guys for what they produce. They don't want to lose that so better tell everyone too stay away from the unpasteurized...its unsafe.

i know its hard to search the internet to find the truth. It seems there is advocates on both sides of the fence and they both are pretty extreme from one another. Raw milk safety standards often exceed those of pasteurized milk. And when you "sterilize" anything you have a greater chance of things growing in it once oxidized.

Kate, in her blog Modern Alternative Mama, puts it this way: "Unfortunately, when milk is sterile, anything can then grow in it if it becomes contaminated. In raw milk, the good bacteria can often keep the bad bacteria in check, should it become contaminated. Each year, there are 76 million cases of food-borne illness, and about 5000 deaths. In the last 10 years, despite raw milk consumption increasing, there have been only a thousand or so reported cases of illness and two deaths (however, there is no official data which proves these records at all, so numbers may be lower). It is clear that even if these numbers ARE correct, that raw milk is hardly a threat. No food is 100% safe, but raw milk is a tiny, tiny portion of the problem. The problem can be avoided entirely by approaching dairies that are obviously clean and have high safety standards (most of the time).

Beyond the issue of raw milk actually being safe, it is highly beneficial. Many people who are lactose-intolerant or even dairy-allergic can safely consume raw milk with no ill effects. Others have claimed it has helped or cured allergies, asthma, eczema, and more. Raw milk is a living food, consumed in its natural form. Vitamins and minerals are also more well-absorbed from raw milk. Pasteurized milk is a denatured food, from which vitamins are not well absorbed."

I have still personally been consuming pasteurized milk but am gracefully moving to raw, and plan to make butter and use its cream for all sorts. (Recipes to follow on this blog as I learn how to do it). Its health benefits are too good not too take advantage. At this point, if I know the farm and it's doing things right by allowing their cows to free range, eating and grazing grass, without antibiotics or growth hormones and they are treated humanly and the farmers are honest themselves (meaning they're not going to sell milk from a sick cow) than I plan to consume while pregnant, and the girls will be joining me after they turn a year old. Some will call me crazy and stupid, while there will be others who couldn't possible imagine any other way. my hope is that you too would explore this and join the raw milk discussion. For more good insight on raw milk click here.

Also I am very aware of the opposing sides and the many reasons for pasteurized milk. I know raw milk is not for everyone and there is still risk involved. Real raw milk facts posts several reasons, all very well thought-out with testimonials, why they believe raw milk is not safe. I don't just want to post things that are supporting what I think or believe and at the same time I think it is beneficial to observe what the opposition is saying - it is valid.

so, what do you think?

are you a raw milk drinker already?

what are your thoughts?

tired of "church"

I recently went to a workshop for church leaders that was entitled "how to have exceptional sunday services". I enjoyed the workshop, but I really can't help but shutter a little inside when i hear such a title. There are many reasons the idea of us focusing our energy on exceptional services doesn't sit well with me, but the largest issue I have with it is something I have only experienced more recently.

Brandon and I have currently been pioneering "church relationship" ministries since '07 when we realized a huge need in the area of networking churches in order to see regional change in our communities. And as easy as that sounds, the task has been an extremely hard one, and at times, absolutely exhausting. None-the-less, the Lord has us forerunning ministries that require the Body of Christ to work together in order to thrive......and we know its the love of God that compells us to keep at it even when there is no budge.

It's unfortunate that in the more we worked with church leadership (not all, but a lot) how ingrown our vision and aspirations have become. And though many churches prayerfully and financially support others on the mission field, its few that actually do the same for their fellow localized Body. For instance, we often see churches thriving in light of being "missions" minded, supporting people over-seas and aiding them in furlough, etc., but when it comes to working with other churches or leaders in their own region there's just not enough time, energy or emphasize on what that would even look like for most. And though we recognize we are the ekklesia, "the called out ones", we rarely have the availablity to go beyond what our "own" family of God is doing to aid in what God might be doing regionally. This has been very true for the prayer movement in the city of Rochester. If you don't know any of the history of the prayer movement in this city, you should know that for YEARS men and women of God have been trying to get sustainable 24 hour prayer and worship happening, with many houses of prayer falling and dying. It's been an unending task that has been on the heart of God, but its people continually burning out. It's because in order to have true regional reformation it will not come through one man, one church, or one stream.....it will come through the entirety of the Body of Christ working together, being in covenant-relationship with one another. This is the heart of God.

So how does this correlate with my point in the beginning? Here's my case, in which I hope the heart behind what I'm sharing is heard openly.....if we are the ekklesia, which isn't a building, a business or even a sunday service, but an "assembly" of believers loving God and loving each other radically....how would we change our approach on how we "do" church? Really. Would we even have seminars titled "how to have exceptional sunday services" or would we rename them something like "how to host the presence of God on a sunday morning"? I don't know. But something needs to shift in our minds. Something needs to shift in the way we think about church.

I am fortunate to go to a healthy-cultured church, so this is no means attacking churches. I am FOR the Church! God is just so ever-redining my places of worship and enlightening my own idea of what it really means to be the Church. Tell, what do you think? What are your thoughts?

Obviously what I'm writing is a generalization and every church has its own culture, values and traditions and the article is based upon experience and not what every church does. But its written with an open heart to challenge our thinking. Please receive with a willingness to grow together in the things God desires to show us all. Even as leaders, we should remain teachable.

my wishlist

Typically if you've had more than one child and all the same gender, it only seems logical that there would be no need for a baby shower. It's true. I really don't need a baby shower and there really isn't a desire to have one either. But what happens to all those things you really desire for the new baby? Does that mean she gets everything used, worn and well lived-in hand me downs? I'm also reconsidering the whole logic behind baby showers lately anyways and exploring creative ways of blessing each and every baby (and mom) coming into this world with or without a baby shower. Anyways, I've decided to create myself a "wish list" just because there are just so many new things I want for this next coming arrival :-)

And I just may have to get some of them!

Wanna see my wishlist?

a (stand-on) triple stroller

Beco Baby carrier

Nursing Cover

(luvaboos.com)

Nap Nanny Chill recliner

(napnanny.com)

Stainless Steel Baby Bottles

Wide-neck glass bottles

Organic Back-pack diaper bag

Moses Carry Basket

Children's book for homebirth

Summer infant super seat

Teething Bling

Abigail...

Abigail is my flower child all the way

I have never seen anyone more enthralled with creation! Really. She can't get enough of being outside.

and I really am so amazed how much time she takes to appreciate it all. It helps me appreciate it as well.

Thanks Abigail! Mommy loves you!

burgers and steak fries

So every pregnancy I've been anemic so I've been eating a lot more red meat and spinach this time around! But since we only eat locally raised grass-fed beef it can sometimes get hard on the budget. So with grilling season here ;-) I've been reserving our ground beef for some hearty cheeseburgers! I just added salt, pepper, garlic powder and little worcheshire sauce to my beef...roll into patties and threw on the grill. easy enough right?!

oh....and the drink is just pineapple juice and sparkling water with some lime. alcohol free and VERY tasty for summer time for all your preggos out there!

here's the lovely meal! And it was delicious! We paid about $3.89/lb and with 1.17 lbs. we got 5 burgers out of it. That's less than a $1 a burger, so its more reasonable for us than buying cuts like steaks, chucks or ribs. (Although I love those too!)

We get our beef from Seven Bridges Farms. They're located in Lima, but they also come to the Rochester Public Market every Saturday (they also do chicken and pork).

Something special I did for the burgers was pan fry some breaded onions. My husband loves onion rings on his burger so i just fresh cut some onions myself, breaded them and pan fried them. I personally thought they tasted way better than onion rings.

And lastly steak fries to top off a great burger! I just cut 6 medium sized organic potatoes into strips, drizzle them with olive oil or coconut oil and sea salt them. Put them in the oven at 425 for about 40 min (I like my crispy so may be less time if like them softer) - occasionally turning them a few times in the oven every 10 min.

What an easy and fun summer dinner!

high fructose corn syrup and sugar debate

So i feel like the heat on the whole CORN debate continuing to escalate and so I decided to do a small thoughtful process on what I really think about high fructose corn syrup. here's what inspired it all -

Sweet Surprise's ridiculous commercial:

Thankfully I've had plenty of research and learning under my "real" foods journey to know that high fructose corn syrup and sugar ARE NOT the same thing, but for a vast majority of people who don't have the exposure to the history of what has been happening with our food, it would be real easy to believe the propaganda of this commercial.

Apart from high fructose corn syrup being yet another processed food we consume made from corn, it is guarantee that it will be genetically engineered corn as well. And anytime we mess with God's design there's problems for me. I highly recommend Michael Pollan's book Omnivore's Dilemma. In his book he breaks down the GEO corn process, starting with a soak in sulfuric acid to break down the corn similar to the way it breaks down in our digestive system. This is how we are able to have the many parts of corn in so many different processed foods (whey, gluten, sugars, syrups, starch, big words we don't understand like xanthan gum, maltodextrin and zein and the list is much larger). Don't let us be fooled, our body processes GM products differently than whole foods. And, yes, even, raw sugar is a whole food because its a real food, from a real unaltered source.

Sugar comes from this:

:not this

For those who believe that your body processes HFCS the same as raw unaltered sugar, please consider this: "sucrose raises blood glucose and then crashes it, below fasting baseline, within 25 minutes of ingestions -- A FACT. This is why HFCS is being linked to diabetes rising in North America. HFCS or crystalline fructose or hydrolyzed fructose from inulin, convert to triglycerides and adipose tissue, within 60 minutes of ingestion, not blood glucose -- A FACT." - Dr. Mercola. That's those transfats everyone wants and talks about staying away from people! Real sugar does not break down this fast and you don't have the same "crash and burn" effects after eating unrefined raw sugar either. And I'm sure all of us mommies can testify to that when we see the reactions in our children's behavior to a piece of cake vs. an apple.

here's a rendition of the real truth behind high fructose corn syrup of the same commercial some students put together. And it's quite hilarious!

And just for my own entertainment here is one more video review on the commercial....a little more professional:)

So, what are your thoughts about the HFCS debate?

Mother's Day!

This post is a special post, not just because I'm a mother, but to the many women out there who have sacrificed themselves to love the precious gifts given to them.

I want to say thank you mothers! Today I am meditating on the life of Susanna Wesley. Did you know she had 19 children? Well, 10 children who were actually born and 9 miscarriages. This extraordinary women has propelled my own mothership in a several of sorts. Her husband also abandoned her where she literally learned how to pray and war to keep her family together! It is my conviction her demonstrated life of intercession and loyal motherhood that lead to the great Charles and John Wesley stories we all so often hear about to this day.

As mothers we have an incredible amount of influence and power that has been granted us through our children. And if we have the priveledge of being home with our children, its even more powerful the transforming love a mother's love, presence, support, prayers can catapult a child into their God-given destiny and purpose. Motherhood is practical and calls for us to be committed to even tedious, mundane tasks everyday....but it also very supernatural! Apart from the incredible life that comes from our wombs, we have been given a special anointing and mandate from God, even entrusted by God, to raise and lead His very own. What a honor!

So to all my mothers out there, to all the women who has taken a child under their wing, to all the virtuous, loyal, committed women who have entrusted their lives to the King.....I honor you today! You are priceless diamonds in the Kingdom!

marriage

I'm sure most of you will agree that marriage is a wonderful, beautiful, intimate, challenging, sometimes overwhelming and hard thing! How can they be ALL these things and more? I believe because of the sacredness of marriage and all God intends it to be - was meant to ultimately be a for-shadow of something even more supernatural, divine and holy.....Himself!

Think about it for a moment. Now we'll have to put ourselves in a perfect world, ultimately His world, to fully understand what marriage is suppose to represent....meaning let's forget for a moment the flaws of our physical marriages on earth and think about what God says about marriage. We're asked to be married to one person, to be faithful and loyal (Matthew 5:27). Even that our bedroom would be sacred and pure (Hebrews 13:4). We're asked to be joined to this person as One embodiment, where the two flesh become one (Matthew 19:4-6). We're asked to forsake all other family so that we can be joined to this person (Mark 10:6). We're asked to procreate as the fruit of this oneness (Genesis 1:28). We're told two is better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) and that the fruit of our womb is our inheritance (Psalm 127:3). Yes, we are even told that love is the greatest thing we will ever know, give and become (1 Corinthians 13:13).

If what we are asked to do in the natural is ONLY a foreshadow of what God desires in the spiritual, what would a marriage with the Lord really look like?

Many times throughout scripture we are referenced as His Bride, and even later as His wife. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." (Revelation 19:7) I don't believe this is a futuristic thing, but meant to be a "present" Truth.

And what does it mean to make yourself ready? Think about everything you did to ready yourself before your own wife or husband to be. I think its safe to say that most of us didn't marry our spouses on a blind date, but we entered into a relationship with one another that lead to that partnership. We grew toward love and ultimately a point of decision to make this the person we would spend the rest of our life with. And even in covenant, we remain steadfast in our efforts to getting to know one another in that intimate oneness. BUT THIS IS ALSO WHAT GOD DESIRES OF US!

It is my conviction that marriage with the Lord doesn't necessarily happen the day of salvation, meaning the day we gave our hearts to the Lord. I would dare to say I have met several "believers" who have yet to come into the understanding of what it really means to be married to Jesus. He desires that we would also forsake all other lovers, to be joined together as one embodiment (as Jesus prayed in John 17), to lay down your life for Him (Matthew 16:25) and, yes, to even reproduce with Him (Galatians 4:19)! You think I'm crazy, but it is inevitable, when the two become one, there is procreation. And Jesus wants to reproduce Himself, but I stand fully convinced this only comes through pure, unadulterated, ardent love for God....because in love we can not help but birth His life through us.

He sees us as HIS inheritance and He is just waiting for us to choose Him.

embryonic stem cell research

What do you really think?

What do you know about it?

What are your thoughts about it?

Good?

Bad?

How do your own values or morals play a role?

Even if you don't know a whole lot about it, what are some are your first thoughts?

Curious....

allergies: natural remedies

I started a post at the beginning of this month talking about allergies. It wasn't something I struggled with as a child, so I'm relatively new to the whole "allergy" thing that happens to me every Spring. But in my adult years, it seems every year has been getting worse for me. To check out the last post on a few natural remedies and other great blogs that talk about facing allergies the natural way see here.

Anyways, today's post is in response to what my allergies have been doing these past few weeks and what I am learning. I would like to say there are two things happening that are both important factors to why I have been getting sick so often. (lately my allergies always develop into some sort of infection which ultimately makes me very sick). The first is the natural aspect of things....I don't always eat what I should and I don't get enough fluids like I should and I'm usually on very little sleep. The more and more I study pasteurization (especially milk products) the more I see how it can compromise the immune system, making me even more vulnerable to sickness. (please don't comment on pasteurization since this is not what this blog post is about). Also the lack of sleep is huge to not only maintaining health, but in order for our immune system to recover and build antibodies its pivotal we get the rest our body requires.

But I can't blame it all on natural things occurring. I personally know its a spiritual battle as well. Without a doubt every allergy break out, at its worst, always happens after we are facilitating the 24 hours of prayer and worship weekends. Last month's was awful.....it developed into a sinus infection and felt it moving to my lungs 2 weeks in. not scary for me, just more annoying than anything. And this month, literally a few hours from going into the weekend i again felt the tension behind my eyes, puffiness behind my face as my chest began to feel heavy again. Oh no! Gotta be kidding Lord! Needless to say, I believe in the power of prayer and certainly knew that this was a spiritual battle I must fight. So I prayed, I rebuked, I was steadfast walking in the truth of being whole and healthy. I had some friends praying for me as well. And though I've seen nothing happen physically in my body, the brighter side of things is I've been learning a WHOLE LOT about what I can be doing naturally to help my body recover faster. In the meantime I do think there are some things God is wanting to teach me in all this.

Anyways, back to the main thing I wanted to share. The past 24 hours have been very unpleasant. I was on two hours of sleep due to a full weekend with full blown allergies at its worst. My poor children....i was just asking for grace all day so i wouldn't act stupid. But as a result I've done a really good job these last 24 hours taking care of myself. I wanted to share some things I've done because this morning I literally woke up a different person! It's the best results I have had in a 24 hour period thus far! Whether it was prayer or the remedies - I'd like to think its both!

here's what I did:

1. I stayed away from sugar (including fruit juices) and grains during this time, and pretty much "tried" to stay away from pasteurized milk (I'm getting raw milk soon, wish I had it now - oh well).

2. I ate a raw sweet red pepper - these delicious veggies have Vit A and 3x the amount of Vit. C as a cup of orange juice...and since I think orange juice can be counter-productive for your immune system I wasn't drinking it.

3. I took Vit. D3 supplement - I knew I had been deficient, but didn't have any castor oil on me. I did spend some time out in the sun with the girls, but found my allergies getting worst so i resorted to a quick fix with the supplement this time. I usually don't do vit D supplements.

4. I wanted probiotics, so I've been drinking Kefir. I actually have been drinking this alot lately because of being pregnant. I tested positive for the Strep B with the first two pregnancies and because I don't take the antibiotics during labor, Kefir is found to naturally reduce the risks of the culture growing irregular. (More on that later, as I plan to blog more on kefir in the future).

4. I had some organic chicken stock stored up in the freezer that I had made a couple weeks ago. I turned into a spicy garlic chicken oregano soup with cayenne pepper to help clear my sinuses. Woo! Was it hot.....but I enjoyed it and it was still yum! (I should totally post the recipe it was that good!)

5. I took a nettle leaf supplement. You can also do nettle leaf as a tea. Most people are allergic to its pollen in the spring, but not its leaf and actually getting chlorophyll from this can help my body produce a antihistamine naturally.

6. Drinking tea. I've been reading a lot of the benefits of fermented teas, but this time around I just went with a respiratory mix of licorice root, eucalyptus leaf, fennel fruit, peppermint leaf, calendula flower, ginger and pleurisy root. I use to hate the taste of the tea, but its really grown on me and I've found it to be very good now. Thank you Wegmans! I also add locally harvested RAW honey to it.

7. And sleep - well unfortunately my youngest kept me up last night until 3:30am and awoke this morning at 6:30am, so I am still working on this one. Sleep and rest have been the BEST things for me in the past, so I wasn't too happy about it, to say the least, when I awoke this morning. But God has certainly given me A LOT of grace. Can all the mothers out there say AMEN?!

i have to admit though, I still had my cup of coffee this morning because of a headache that came about from not drinking it yesterday. I find that coffee does interfere with recovery, despite the argument of how many antioxidants are in it....i don't drink it black and so it's really no good for me.

Today my chest feels clear, I'm not blowing my nose nearly as much, my head is lighter and my face isn't puffy. Looking at me you wouldn't know at all what i had faced the last 24 hours.....Praise God!

All that to say....WOWZERS! Today I feel really good. I was so excited to share the news with you I just had to let you in on the secrets of what I've learned about natural remedies. And I found this time to be more pleasant than the apple cider vinegar shots (which works, just taste awful). ;-)

So, what do you do when you face the discomfort of allergies or being sick?

my babies

I got a "new" old camera.

Actually, my dad gave it to me cuz he got better one for his birthday.

I'm happy about that!

and I've had fun enjoying it with the girls....

And so here are some very recent photos....

just taken this morning.

I'm just amazed at how big the girls are getting!

never bored...

every day is something different.

what a joy these two gifts are to me!

modesty?

If you didn't get to see my last blog on this topic, check it out!. This is in response to that blog. This is something I have been wondering about and wanted to hear what others think.

This is from the website of PureLife Ministries: (I highly encourage checking out this website, along with Setting Captives Free if you or someone you know is struggling with a sex addiction, infidelity, pornography or sexual fantasies PLEASE, check out these websites....there is freedom.)

The following is a heart-felt letter written by a godly single young man to his sisters in Christ. In it he shares his struggle with immodestly dressed women in church. Eye-opening for sure.

"Dear Sisters in Christ,

I’m 34 years old and single. Up until I was 26, I shamelessly indulged in lust while I outwardly paraded myself around as an upstanding Christian man. But today, because of the blood of Jesus and deep repentance, I am able to say that I am no longer that man. And the work of God’s grace has not only taught me to deny the ungodliness of lustful thoughts, but to go one step further and truly seek to honor you as sisters in my thoughts.

I wish I could write to you and tell you I am able to walk into church without any fear of encountering the temptation to lust anymore; but I can’t. In fact, to be honest, in the past eight years I’ve even decided not to go to church on more than one occasion because I knew I was too weak to face some of the women there.

As I type I can still remember a few times when I actually had to turn around and get on my knees during some of the worship services because I didn’t want to be more captivated with some of the girls on the worship team than with God. There have also been plenty of other times when I had to purposely look at the floor as I walked through the foyer in order to avoid the same thing. Did I not desire to put the ugliness of my past behind me, I would not go to such lengths. But honoring you and my God now means more to me than my own self-indulgence.

Therefore, I hope that what I am about to share will help those of you who dress without any consideration for these things.

You are beautiful; yes. That much I can see without you doing anything to convince me. But please do not entice me to notice you. Is it not enough that God endowed you with the beauty you possess? And that He has made you a gift to your present or future husband? Please help me to rejoice with him rather than tempt me to steal from him.

I understand that the fashion world is becoming more and more revealing, and that it’s increasingly difficult to find attractive clothing that’s modest. But have you considered my weakness as you look at yourself in the dressing room mirror? If you only knew how often the immodest outfits you wear accost me, perhaps you would see yourself differently.

“But you’re responsible for your thoughts, not me,” you might think. Yes, you are right. I must stand before God and own every one of them someday. And were you a woman of the world I would have no grounds on which to make my appeal. But you name the Name of Christ, as I do. And you call me your brother.

My desire is to honor you; yet there are times that you dress as if you wish I wouldn’t. I implore you; please consider these things. I have spoken openly and honestly. But I have endeavored to do so in love, not in criticism.

In Loving Sincerity,

Your Brother in Christ"

And if your a parent, check out this article! Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps!

How did we get here?

Ever wonder why you should be giving your baby real food?

Lentil burgers

These are how mine turned out and they are quite delicious!!!

1 c. dry lentils

1/2 c. brown rice

3 c. water

1 c. whole wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 med onion

2 stalks celery

half green pepper (or one small one)

1/2 tsp. of oregano

1/2 tsp. of salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or can finely chop fresh garlic as well)

tsp. curry powder (optional)

3 T. oil

Both lentils and rice in water, low heat, cover for 45 min.

Remove from heat, let stand 10 min.

Mash (do not remove extra water) and then stir in bread crumbs.

You don't have to do this, but I like to saute my onion, celery and peppers with the seasonings (especially with curry) before I add them to the mixture.

But you don't have to this, you can just add to mixtures without pre-cooking as well.

Shape and smash with hands into patties.

press patties into wheat germ.

When ready to eat just heat them over a skillet with oil for 10 minutes.

Serve on a bun or do it Mediterranean style in a whole wheat pita with some lettuce, tomato and feta cheese.

Love this recipe?

Want more ideas on lentils and why they're great for you?

Check out another recipe!

modesty vs. fashion

What do you really think?

I plan to share a letter written by a brother in Christ once I hear everyone's thoughts on this particular topic. But it is certainly something that has interested me, and even more so now that I am married and a parent.

What are your thoughts?

Can we still be fashionable and modest?

Where is the line drawn between the two?

What is your definition of modesty?

How does your faith/your values influence what you think?

How has your opinion changed over time?

What about for children?

Is modesty just as important?

At what age?

I thought this was a great topic for my "What do you really think?" blogs right as the weather warms up and more and more individuals are going to wear less. So, in all sincerity....what are your thoughts?

ever hurt by the prophetic?

We had come friends up for the weekend, which was really refreshing. What was interesting was some of the conversations I had this weekend about the prophetic, with different individuals. I think its in no question that I believe God speaks to us, and I believe its for everyday. In fact, the I believe the rhema word is all too often neglected in alot of people's relationship with God. But as I shared different experiences I have had with prophetic people and heard different stories from others, I heard a common thread of things that lead people hurting, mislead and confused, more than built-up, encouraged or full of direction.

This is by no means a blog to lash out or tear down prophetic people (I would be discrediting myself if it were). Know in my heart I believe without the voice of God in the hearing of our ears, we have little to no direction in our personal lives. And I am also a firm believer we need each other in the Body of Christ to grow in the things of God. But far too often I am finding many who are left isolated, hurt and confused, with even a deep darkness clouding their own view of God because a prophetic person gave a word that was either off or without love.

I could share countless bad experiences I have encountered over time but that wouldn't be fair either because my "good" experiences have far out-weighed the bad. And accuracy within the prophetic has even far out-weighed the erred. But I wanted to share some things that have helped me over time, especially in a ministry that is very driven on the prophetic, and have aided me in giving and receiving what God is saying.

1. LOVE. if I could sum up all the things I have learned it would be in this one word. Paul makes it quite direct that is we have no love, or if love is not what is driving us (but even have every gift of the Spirit), then we have absolutely nothing. This is what will weigh and judge every Word given! Are we more about "being right" or are we compelled by love to share the truth? This is also of utmost importance when we are a receiving a Word - especially one that may be hard to swallow.

I've come to realize that though prophecy is a powerful gift, which requires high sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, prophetic people are also very sensitive people in nature. I will be the first to say that it took a long time for me to learn to not be moveable in the case of an offense. in fact, even though prophetic people can cause offense, they often struggle with being offended. Which leads me to another suggestion:

2. Humility. i encourage people to have an opinion. In fact, let that opinion be loud, clear and heard! far too often I see silence as the one of the largest injustices to all the injustice in the world. Righteousness and justice are executed through our actions and our voices. But if being heard out-ways the desire to see people free, we have really committed an injustice against ourselves. So I now say, have an opinion, loud and clear, but always makes sure its coupled with love and humility. The ability to put someone above yourself is what Christ did for us. If we don't learn how to do this than we aren't representing Christ at all.

3. Learn to hear God for yourself. This can be tricky as all of us are in completely different places when it comes to hearing the voice of God. And a lot of times its even learning the language and way God speaks to you uniquely. But this will certainly be your best friend when someone is giving you a word that may be a little off. There were times when someone gave me a word that I knew was off, but because I was listening as well to God i was able to feel the freedom to not respond to the word.

There are a lot of good, well meaning individuals, who can still be very wrong in what they are saying. yet, there are very abrasive and obtrusive people who will be dead right in what they are saying. the truth is, we will come across many different circumstances were we need the prophetic, however it is being filtered through the person giving it.

4. Be unoffendable. Jesus was never shocked by the responses he got when he shared. And he certainly was never offended. yes, at times he was offensive, because the truth doesn't always feel good. But it would be of great value that we learn as believers to not be so easily offended. It would help all of us in a mature way. i realize this is very hard for our American culture because from childhood we are taught we have rights, we must be treated fair and we have the freedom to do what we want. But this earthly and american kingdom and the Kingdom of God are at war with one another. And we must fight the urge to always "protect our rights". Jesus was treated very unfair, even unruthlessly judged and put to death. We will have a lot more joy in our situations if we learn to appreciate suffering and even offense.

5. Don't spectate. This is different than judging the word with the Scriptures. This is the hardest one for those whom have been hurt by the prophetic. Instead of working through the hurt, feelings of rejection or mis-interpretation of God, they become people who totally turn away from the prophetic. They spectate and dissect the prophetic word, trying every capability to tear it down before its had a chance to minister to them at all. The problem with this is you will put God in a box. Whether the word isn't from God or came straight from heaven, you have already made up your mind that it is flawed. And furthermore, the voice of God in your own life can even begin to become muffled, unclear and even confusing. It is best we work through our feelings of hurt, discontentment with the prophetic and confusion so we can lean toward an even greater capacity to hear God for ourselves.

There is so much I could write on this particular topic and depending upon what others share I may write more. But I wanted to share some of what has been happening in my heart lately. I've ran into many people recently who have been severely hurt by the prophetic and I know God has been using it to teach me a lot, including some of my own hurt. My purpose in sharing this is not to discredit the prophetic, but to show how we can better communicate and receive what God is saying to each of us.

Many blessings and love to you all!

my nose told me so

I know spring is official when my body tells me so! It's those darn allergies that so many of us deal with every year the sun decides to come out from hiding and the crisp bitter cold air seems to break into a cool breeze. And though I love the peaking of the sun after a long hard winter, my head and nose tell me otherwise. I am ever learning about my new-found responses to the air, mostly because I never had any allergies as a child....it came more when I was an adult. There are several things that I found over the past couple years that helped relieve me in a holistic way without the means of allergy medicine or anti-histamines. Before I share what has helped me (and my children) I thought I would link you up with a couple blogs from people that I thought had some awesome advice as well. Sometimes allergies are not from pollen at all, but just from being cooped up in the house all winter.

But what can you do in your house that won't cause more dust, more allergens and more harmful chemicals in the air?

I'm no expert, by any means, but I've been reading a blog titled Healthy Interior Design. I've grown to really respect this blog because its something not a whole lot of us think about. Sure, the green market is growing....and food is usually the focus. But there are so many other ways we can help our bodies (and our families) stay healthy and work the way they should be working, if we keep other areas of our life greener.

Also inspired by the Healthy Interior Design blog on "taking care of clean air" was Brooklyn Allergy Mom, Heidi Bayer with her blog post Allergy Free Spring. Both are great blogs since they focus in different areas of how to aid in the comfort of indoor and outdoor allergies.

Here are a couple things that have helped me and the girls:

1. We have wood floors. This has helped greatly for the main downstairs floor. Since the main entrance is where we track a lot of our dirt, I think its essential for us to have floors that are easy to clean and doesn't hold on to microbes of dirt and dust. We still have carpet upstairs, which occasionally does still mess with our noses, but we just can't make the switch right now up there. For now this works.

2. As much as I would love to install an air filtration system in our heating vents and ducts, the investment would be too high for a house that we know we are not going to permanently stay in. So we settled on something a little different but less expensive. We use an essential oil diffuser by Young Living. There are lots of different oils we diffuse, for many different reasons, so its best to diffuse according to the purpose you want to accomplish. For instance, if I want clean air I diffuse purification, which is a mixed oil that helps to purify and cleanse the air from environmental impurities including cigarette smoke and other disagreeable odors. (Not a smoker by the way). Other times if I just need something to help me breath a little easier I will diffuse eucalyptus. It all depends on what you want to do. But I love my diffuser and it has really helped shorten the duration of discomfort when allergies are at its worst. We get our oils from Young Living, which does a pretty thorough job of educating its people of what each one does (if interested).

3. We stopped using detergents, soaps and cleaning supplies that have sulfates, dyes, unnatural fragrances or harsh chemicals. This includes cleaning supplies, laundry detergent (which does get into the air!) and shampoos, soaps and lotions for the body. We haven't gone completely green and wild, but these are a couple areas that making the switch was painless and easy...and has really helped alleviate certain allergens. The steam mop has also been wonderful since it requires nothing but water to run. Unfortunately there is still lots in our house that contributes to pollutants in the air, but we work slow and one day at a time. This is what I recommend to everyone! You don't have to make the switch over-night! Take your time to switch things out gracefully and stress-free. And I am sure, that way, it feels no different, and is pain free for both your pocket book and your bodies :-)

It's quite amazing what our bodies put up with. Some of us never have one allergy symptom at all, but that doesn't mean you're not breathing toxic air. I encourage you that despite what your body tells you, that it would be beneficial for us all to aim toward a greener and cleaner way of living <3

I would love to hear what some of you do to aid in comfort and healing during the indoor/outdoor allergies! Finding what works for your body is quite the scavenger hunt sometimes. Any creative, yet clean and green, ideas would be great!

Also, for all you mommies out there who are going green you would LOVE this blog

(I sure do):

cancer sucks

Meet Conner James

This young man, 11, has been battling brain cancer. I am only one out of the thousands who are praying for Conner. And longer than any of us his family, Nathan and Kristy, have been contending for their son's life. But they are growing increasingly tired. And though the grace of God has been abundant in their lives, I am telling you their story so you may join with one voice, praying fervently for this young man's life.

Conner's story is interesting. This is not Conner's first time of encountering cancer. Conner was first diagnosed in 2007. After surgery and 6 weeks of radiation he was fine. It came back in March of 2009 and him and his family have been fighting since.

Conner is in the hospital today receiving the beginning, yet another round, of chemotherapy. Will you trust God with us? If you would like to join us in prayer, please visit us on FB. Conner's life depends on a miracle. "For nothing is impossible with God!" (Luke 1:37)

Would you like to help in other ways? There are two things currently happening for the "Conner" family.

If you love coffee as much as I do, then you'll love this little fundraiser. And if you care about nutrient-rich whole foods, you even love this more! The coolest thing about this instant coffee is it is infused with ganoderma lucidum. I've tasted the coffee myself and really enjoyed it....but I warn you - with all those antioxidants you may be feeling more energized than normal. No worries! It's side-effects are great if you have children:-) Here's what FOX News said about ganoderma infused coffee. For every box sold, $10 will be going to Conner's family and toward Conner's desire to go to Hawaii.

Visit Conner's Cafe Blog for more information!

Also there is going to be a christian worship concert in benefit for Conner for only $5 per ticket. You can order your tickets online HERE. Colin Ministry & Church Radiant will be holding the Concert April 30, 6:30pm. Halos of Love Worship Band will be playing.

Location: Church Radiant 744 Elmgrove Rd.

There will be live music and refreshments.

Tickets are a $5 donation. T-shirts will be a $10 donation.

I think Jesus hates cancer just as much as we do. To him, "cancer" is just a name. But HIS name is above ALL other names. And I am believing life for Conner - JOHN 10:10!!!!