JOY COMES IN THE MORNING!

Psalm 127

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.

¹ Unless the Lord builds a house,
    the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
    guarding it with sentries will do no good.
² It is useless for you to work so hard
    from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
    for God gives rest to his loved ones.

³ Children are a gift from the Lord;
    they are a reward from him.
⁴ Children born to a young man
    are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
⁵ How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
    He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Once in awhile in a flurry of excitement, I just want to SHARE something...really wonderful, really funny, really bad, really...anything...with someone...ANYONE!

But then I think:  Would *anyone* even care about this anyway?  Would *anyone* even have time to listen?  (The list is short.) Would *anyone* NOT think I'm a dork? (The list has just grown shorter...)

The hard, honest truth is:  Probably Not. 😏

When God shares a special insight with us, He gives us a pearl.  When we run with our pearls to just *anyone,* it often ends in disappointment.  We must be selective about who we share our heart's treasures with.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:6:

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

Am I saying our family and friends are pigs?  No.  BUT...when we share things that are close to our heart, and then discover that people just don't "get it" or don't have time, don't respond, or even end up discouraging us, we must ask ourselves:  Was it worth it to share?  

So what do we do with all these pearls (and sorrows, and fears, and, and, and...)?

The answer to all of those questions above is the same:  Give them to God. God always cares...always has time...never thinks I'm a dork.  He already told me what He thinks of me:
I am His good work in progress...
I am His masterpiece....
I am filled with His Strength...
I am Fearfully and Wonderfully made...
That is TRUTH. Because He said so! :)

Philippians 1:3-6
"I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
and

Ephesians 2:8-10
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."


2 Corinthians 12:9-11
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Sometimes we as Mamas (and humans, for that matter) forget how God sees us, and we base our worth/success/moods on "how good" we are being...or how funny or interesting we are.  I think at the base of our hearts we are wondering:  Am I special?  Am I making a difference?

The Enemy of our souls would love for us to be defeated in every way every day. I'm so thankful that God took special care to remind us that we are precious because we are HIS, not because of what we do or how far we have come so far. His Strength is Perfect in our weaknesses...I want to glorify Him in my weaknesses (which are countless...ever so many) so that His Power may rest on me!

~Grace and Peace from one of God's masterpieces to another
❤

Confessions of a Trim Healthy Prodigal...

Once upon a time...
In a galaxy far, far away...
In the land of winken, blinken, and nod...

There I was..."awesomeing" on my THM journey.  I was exercising, and drinking water, and cooking, and baking, and washing blenders, and pots, and pans, and counters, and sinks, and dishes, and...and...and...

And then my enemy accused me...he told me I was obsessed...and vain...and shallow...and legalistic...
he told me to take a break...to back off...not forever...just for a little while...just for a holiday...just a bit...

complacency crept in and stole my passion...
apathy arrived and robbed my joy...
For the next while, I was surviving.  Not living...just surviving...

and I got sick...and tired...
then my mom got cancer, and the world stopped spinning...
we took on added responsibilities, and my time kept dwindling...
I had to have surgery, and my strength kept fading...
I got sicker, and my health was disappearing...

Doctor appointments...
Ultrasounds...
Blood work...
Diagnoses...

mom almost dies...
she gets diagnosed with a second type of cancer...
sister is extremely sick and hospitalized...
I am going, driving, sitting, helping, not sleeping...
I develop more health problems...

I don't have time to be sicker and tireder (is that a word?).  My parents need me...my husband needs me...my girls need me...my sisters need me!

Where are you Jesus?  I need You!  Can you hear me?  What have I done wrong?  Where is my healing?  Where is my help?  Where is my strength? Where is my deliverance?  I AM WORN.

What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!
What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.


Then it came...a doctor's appointment with a slap in the face...scary words with scary possibilities...

WAIT!  I don't have time to be THIS sick.  Not slap-in-the-face-sick!
Not THAT tired.  Not hit-by-a-train-tired!

WAIT! I do think I can make a little time to keep "awesomeing"...a tad of time to keep exercising, a smidgen of time to keep drinking water, a dab of cooking, a smattering of baking, a bit of washing blenders, pots, pans, counters, sinks, and dishes, and...and...and...

Inch by inch, step by step, yard by yard, mile by mile...I came back...HOME.  Is Trim Healthy Mama "Home?"  No, but it's a room in my Home.  My Father was waiting for me...He left the Light on for me...He had a bed of REST with fresh linens waiting, and a hot HEALTHY meal ready.  He ran to me and CARRIED me through the door.  Because HE IS...He is Love...and Healing...and Strength...and Deliverance...and...and...and...

LIFE happens all around us, and we cannot control it.
We can only control the voices we choose to listen to.
I took a slight wrong turn once upon a time, and listened to the whispers of my enemy.
My life was wracked with pain and suffering...
Then...HOME.  Life, Truth, Help.

Don't do it...don't listen to anyone or anything else except HIM...

HE IS...
Liberty
Infinite
Freedom
Eternal.

HE IS LIFE!

Put on your Armor and Fight, young lady! (Ephesians 6:10-18)

~Grace and Peace to you, Fair Iron Maidens of Virtue

COFFEE BREAK

Today is the first Monday we've had off in months!  No homeschool co-op (even though we enjoy it); no doctor's appointments (I had surgery in September); no company coming over (of course we love it when they come!); and no hubby home (again with the love, though).  In fact, I am so excited for this week, I can hardly stand it!  So much to be THANKFUL for!!  AND so much to do!!  Yet I was reminded that Being Still...Taking a Coffee Break...is not a waste of time.  It is an investment in my day.  Every time I skip this stillness of my soul in the morning, the rest of the day is often chaotic and unproductive.  Mornings are hard.  I get it.  I also know that life is short, and skipping coffee with Jesus can open the door to mistakes, regrets, and discouragement.  Nobody needs that!

This year, Thanksgiving Day will be simple and sweet.  It'll just be the six of us and Mom and Dad.  We are making the main dinner this year for the first time....Mom has been fighting breast cancer for almost a year, and chemotherapy is an unkind companion along the journey.  Thankfully, Mom has been spared many of the most dreaded side-effects, but the nagging fatigue is ever-present.  This verse continually passes through my mind, as I think of and pray for her.  We cannot heal ourselves...that job is God's alone!  But we can be still in His presence. Life is a precious gift.  And it can sometimes be short.  I am so thankful for God's fighting on behalf of my mom right now, and I don't want to take it for granted!

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After relishing a few extra moments with my pillow this morning, my first stop was caffeine.  If you know me at all, you know how much I love my coffee...even if on crazy days it takes a never-ending cycle of reheating in order to get it done! ☺

Coffee creamer...this is an area of my life that I have had a death-grip on.  I have tried all sorts of bullet-proof coffees, Trimaccinos, half & half or cream/extract/stevia combos.  So far, none of them have been *bad* but none have really floated my boat, either.

Trim Healthy Mama has two new books out!  The original book was awesome, weighing in at over 600 pages.  I love it and still have it!  However, these new books are so very user-friendly.  The plan itself is in the first book (below - left), while the cookbook (below - right) has over 300 recipes, complete with color photos!  It's wicked awesome! ♥

So today, I was finally ready to try something new (again) for my coffee.  I love peppermint mochas this time of year (I am NOT a pumpkin fan in beverages!  GAG!)  Using the new THM Sweet Blend
I made a batch of peppermint Skinny Chocolate (S) disks.  It comes together in a cinch, and I can find most of the ingredients I need from any grocery store.  Thankfully, we have a Trader Joe's nearby!  I ♥ TJ's!

 If you don't like to use coconut-flavored coconut oil, you can purchase refined (unflavored) CO at most any grocery store!

(See the Peppermint Mocha creamer in the background?  That will hopefully fade more into the distance if this can make up for the flavor!) ☺
I plopped one of these into my coffee, along with a swirl of cream and YAY!  Although I'll probably still enjoy my other coffee creamers from time to time, this was perfect today! ☺

MOCHA-MINT SKINNY CHOCOLATE (S)
Print this recipe


INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c. coconut oil (melted)
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2-3 tsp. ground THM Sweet Blend
teensy pinch sea salt
Peppermint extract

DIRECTIONS:
Melt coconut oil until liquid.  Add cocoa powder, ground THM Sweet Blend, and salt, stirring well.  Add 2-3 drops of peppermint extract (or about 1/2 tsp), stir and taste.  Adjust to desired sweetness/flavor profile.  Pour into molds, onto lined plate, or into ice cube trays.  Freeze until solid.

~Blessings and Peace in Stillness (& a great cuppa coffee) from our home to yours!

JESUS' LITTLE LAMB

Every time I hit a point of desperately wishing I had someone to talk to about something I need advice on, help with, wisdom about, peace over, etc...I am so humbled and overwhelmed with the fact that THAT'S WHO JESUS IS!!!

Duh! That's the whole point of prayer! Even if I didn't ever have another human to interact with in this life, I always have Him! I think I'm finally getting a better glimpse of the Bigger Picture! What a Friend I have in Jesus...what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

I'm so thankful for His patience in leading this silly sheep...and His loving-kindness in carrying His little lost lambs!

YOU ARE MY STRENGTH WHEN I AM WEAK...EVERY MORNING...even during mourning

Overwhelmed. Burdened. Wiped out. Weary.

Have you been there? A lot? I have...and it's not pretty!

Last Friday I had every intention of cleaning/de-cluttering the house and being finished by Monday (today). Lofty goal, I know, but I've been gnashing my teeth at the chaos that has continued to multiply in the face of lovely, precious gifts of clothes, shoes, etc. being donated to our very grateful family...and yet, needing to wash, sort, store, utilize, donate, etc. bundles of many things. Sometimes I feel like the guy keeping all the plates spinning on those poles, only to have one wobble and fall and systematically every other plate comes crashing down. Disaster. Discouragement. Disheartenment. (is that even a word?) Dread.

I have cried out to the Lord so many times for the strength, wisdom, guidance, help, etc. for the health and energy to complete all my chores. He is faithful, as always, but I never--ever---ever get done. Ever. Sometimes in my distress I cry out to the Lord, but am unable to put into words all that I feel, think, need...the words get choked in my throat and I have nothing, but I know His Word promises that the Holy Spirit interprets for me to my Father in Heaven!

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words." ~Romans 8:26

SOOOOOOOOOO...although I've prayed many times and always received His help and strength enough, last night I gave up. I looked around at my weekend-worn house. Busyness had over-taken my to-do list. We had the lovely pleasure of relaxing with family this weekend. I had been so content to trade chores for precious time with my true treasures--family. Yet now--late Sunday night--I looked around at the "aftermath" and became discouraged and overwhelmed again. (Why, you might ask, do I think I have the time to write in the blog if I have so much to do? Because this has ETERNAL VALUE).

As I lay in bed last night, I began my prayers in the usual way, then began to add these burdens--when I just stopped. I couldn't go on. How could He possibly care? Still? Again? Never-ending problems, never-changing situation, ever-the-same prayer requests.... "I'm sorry, Lord, I know I sound like a broken record. I never learn. I never do better. I'll never get it right. So, never mind...just skip it." And that was that. I spent the rest of the time in bed reading a book until the wee hours of the morning and then drifted off to sleep.

THIS MORNING--
 ..............the one where His mercies are new every MORNING...

Lamentations 3:22-26~

"22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."

25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

26 it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the LORD."

..............the one where this is the DAY that the Lord has made, let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it...(Psalm 118:24)

..............the one where the Psalmist writes in Psalm 5:1-3:

"1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,

consider my sighing.

2 Listen to my cry for help,

my King and my God,

for to you I pray.

3 In the MORNING, O LORD, you hear my voice;

in the MORNING I lay my requests before you

and wait in expectation."

On THIS MORNING of THIS DAY, God sent me a song. Seriously. You may think that I'm being flippant or irreverent, but MY GOD loves me and SENT me a song!

"GREATER" by MercyMe

Bring your tired
Bring your shame
Bring your guilt
Bring your pain
Don’t you know that’s not you’re name
You will always be much more to me

Every day I wrestle with the voices
That keep telling me I’m not right
But that’s alright

‘Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed
When others say I’ll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world
In the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world

Bring your doubts
Bring your fears
Bring your hurt
Bring your tears
There’ll be no condemnation here
You are holy, righteous and redeemed

Every time I fall
There’ll be those who will call me
A mistake
Well that’s ok

There’ll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn’t matter
‘Cause the cross already won the war
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how He sees me
And it makes me love Him more and more
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

PIE and SIN

PROVERBS PROJECT:
1 Chapter of Proverbs a day for 31 days...

Proverbs 5:21-23
21
For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all your paths.
22
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.
23
For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.
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You might be wondering what this Proverb has to do with berry pie. PIE! Such a scrumptious treat, isn't it? In our effort to eat more healthfully, certain beloved treats like PIE have gotten far less attention...sigh...

This particular berry pie was baked as an entry for the local county fair. Clearly, it never made it out of our kitchen! Pinching pastry was taking place right and left around here, as everyone was savoring the "forbidden goodness." We couldn't stop ourselves, and soon the whole pie was gone!
I think that's how we are sometimes with sin...

We try to convince ourselves that "a little pinch of this" and "a little pinch of that" isn't really indulging in a whole slice of the SIN. It seems like a scrumptious treat sometimes...but before long, we see the effects. Just as in overdoing a treat we might get sluggish in our energy, sipping on sin makes our souls slog.

What can we do?

There are plenty of other alternatives for eating berries that can be not only healthier, but nourishing and enriching to our bodies! Like this *amazingly delicious* strawberry salad I enjoyed recently!

 So it is with life. So many things have the appearance of godliness, but lead us astray and ensnare us!


2 Timothy 3:1-7 says~
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth."

May we not be "gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." MAY IT NEVER BE SO OF US!

We must be faithful students of God's Word! God has provided us with Armor (Ephesians 6), but God's Word is the one and only weapon we have to fight back in our spiritual battles. Reading 1 chapter of Proverbs a day is a great start, if you don't already have a plan in place for your own Bible study time. One thing I have been doing is a fairly simple plan, but it's do-able and it works for me:
1 Chapter from the Old Testament
1 Chapter from Psalms
1 Chapter from Proverbs
1 Chapter from the New Testament

Lord, please help us to love you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. Please help us to be a faithful student of your Word, and not to be gullible, loaded down with sins, or swayed by all kinds of evil desires. Help me to learn and come to a knowledge of Your Truth!

~Blessings and Peace to you!

P.S. Disclaimer: I am in NO WAY condemning the eating of PIE or comparing pie to SIN in a literal way...it was just handy for this particular metaphor! I will still always love and eat pie!

JULY 7 ~ Crayons and Persuasion

Proverbs 7:21-23~
21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer stepping into a noose
23 till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.

Of course, I'm not a harlot or prostitute, but these verses remind me how very persuasive and manipulative my speech can be towards my husband if I'm not careful and walking with Jesus. I am horrified to think of times that I might have "seduced him" to my way of thinking or desires with my "smooth talk." I don't want to ever be the cause of wrongly "steering" our family because I am failing to let my husband lead us according to what he believes to be wise. But just to clarify: I do not mean to be silent! God has given us all experiences and wisdom that we need to bring to the table. I would never want to hide insight, either, under the guise of being submissive, yet neglecting sharing wisdom and discernment. I need to speak the truth in love, filled with God's wisdom to the best of my ability, and then follow my husband's lead...In all things except sin, of course! 

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Here's a fun "pinteresty" project you can get your kiddos involved in when it's too hot to play outside:  Crayon muffins!

Step 1:  Have your kiddos sort through your big box of crayons and pull out all the broken ones
Step 2.  Have them peel off all the papers & throw those away!

This top picture shows them in non-stick mini muffin tins, after they've already melted.  THEY STUCK!  

Step 3:  Place foil liners in muffin tins, and fill them with broken crayons.  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and bake 15-20 minutes, or until the wax is melted.  Allow the tin to cool; then pop out the crayons, and they're ready for use!

Hope your kiddos enjoy them, while YOU enjoy getting rid of some more clutter in the house! 


Peace, Love & Joy from our home to yours~

JULY 6 ~ Laziness and Waffles (S)

Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.

I remember our dad quoting these verses when we were growing up...especially on Saturday mornings when we might have stayed up late and were sleeping in longer. It's so weird how much more wonderful bed feels to me in the mornings when I'm supposed to get up, than when I first went to bed the night before...

Now that I'm a wife and mother, especially, I am so thankful for the way my parents trained us.  Fun has its place, but it comes after work.  I cannot imagine trying to run a household and family with these priorities reversed.  God is very clear about what He desires we women do with our lives.  

SO WHAT?  WHAT does He want me to do, so that I'm not a lazy sluggard? 

Here are a few more verses that put "women's feet" to the verses from Proverbs:

Titus 2:3-5
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Proverbs 31:17
"She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks."

BUT HOW?  I'm so tired sometimes...I'm exhausted, in fact!  How can a woman keep up with the laundry, housecleaning, a happy marriage, church/ministries, activities, Bible reading and study, finances, grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking healthy foods, child training, homeschooling, birthday remembering, hospitality, exercise, family time, organizing, de-cluttering, hygiene, and sleep?   

HOW, I ASK THEE?  Truthfully, I don't.  But I know some things about HOW God's Word tells me it can be done:

Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Philippians 4:13
^"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Matthew 11:28-30
  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 40:11
"He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young."

Galatians 6:9
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives strength to the weary 
 and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary, 
   they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 48:11-14
"The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,     
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

There are many books written on the subject of women, mothers, wives, and other similar topics, but there is ONLY ONE BOOK that has all the answers.  God's Word IS the standard...He created us, therefore, He is the ONLY ONE WHO has the solutions to our problems.  Human wisdom is simply a re-telling of God's Inspired Word.  

SO, to break it down in mathematical equations:

Laziness=bad
Too much sleep=bad
Tired and exhausted=expected
Solution=our walk with Christ

Our Job=throw off junk+run with endurance+fix eyes on Jesus+do it in His strength+don't lose heart+come to Jesus & learn from Him+hope in the Lord+seek His guidance, satisfaction, and strengthening+ keep the Sabbath a delight [a.k.a. Read the Bible, Pray, Worship & honor the Lord]

God's promises=He will give us rest for our souls+gently lead us+we will reap a harvest at the proper time+He will give us strength and increase our power+we will soar on eagle's wings, run and not be weary, walk and not faint+He will guide, satisfy, and strengthen us+we will be like a well-watered garden+repair broken walls & lives+we will find our joy in the Lord and ride in triumph, feasting on the inheritance [a.k.a Philippians 4:19 ~"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."]

WHY?  WHY on earth would God give us all we need for free when we're such weak and struggling and fickle creatures?  The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, sums it up beautifully!

Ephesians 3:14-21
¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Amen, indeed!

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Okay, since we're talking about laziness today, I think I can confess that laziness is one of the reasons for my recent weight stall, then beginning to gain.  Sad, I know.  Especially because I have the science and tools at my fingertips.  Thank goodness each day is a new day!  I resolved to eat healthfully for all of July, and since that was kind of a flop for the past few days, I decided to try my best for the rest of the month.  One of the things we did was to make these delicious, lovely "Healthified Protein Waffles"  from Keto Adapted by Maria Mind Body Health.  This is a Trim Healthy Mama S meal, which is served here with grass-fed butter and sugar free syrup.

Print this recipe 

INGREDIENTS you'll need:

The batter:

 In the waffle iron--don't fill it too full, even though it's thick:

 Set the timer for 4 minutes:

 And there you have delicious Belgian waffles!  We ate them for lunch while watching "Leave it to Beaver," and it was awesome!

TIP: Make sure your waffle iron is hot hot hot before adding any batter or it will stick.

“HEALTHIFIED” PROTEIN WAFFLES from http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/new-protein-waffle/

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup JAY ROBB vanilla egg white or 1 cup THM whey protein powder
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 TBS aluminum free baking powder
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 eggs
4 TBS butter or coconut oil, melted
Preheat waffle iron to high. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bake according to your waffle iron directions (I spray my waffle iron with THIS Coconut oil spray). Enjoy! Serve with on-plan maple syrup or Nature’s Hollow Xylitol syrup.  Makes 10 waffles.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per waffle)
Traditional Waffle = 223 calories, 8.5g fat, 5g protein, 27 carbs, 0.7g fiber (26.3 effective)
“Healthified” Waffle = 144 calories, 8g fat, 12.2g protein, 4g carbs, 2.1g fiber (1.9 effective)


~Blessings and Peace from our Home to Yours!