He makes all things beautiful.

As many of you know, I'm engaged. And if you didn't know that, well SURPRISE! 

Since I am a fellow addict of Facebook, I can't ignore how many weddings and engagements have happened over the past few months. At least fifty friends and friends of friends have gotten married  over this past summer. That is not an exaggeration. If anything, it's an understatement. And I have at least ten friends who are getting married within the next few months. Naturally, whenever I participate in, attend, or see pictures from a friend's wedding, all I can think about is my own. And it's not so much that I start thinking about what colors, flowers, and dress I'm going to have. Or who my bridesmaids are going to be and who I'm going to invite. The thought going through my head in those moments is always "WHEN?" 

See, I have this big problem with patience. It's something I always pray for but then I get impatient waiting for patience and well, let's just say God's slowly but surely working in my heart. I mean, I'm sure the work would move along a lot faster if I allowed it to, but that's another problem I have - I'm stubborn. I hate to admit that about myself, but it's true. I'm not very good at the whole submission thing. Poor Jude. Not only do I lack patience concerning the subject of marriage, but I also lack contentment. I look around at all my friends getting married and jealously begins to grow. "Why is it that they've been engaged for a week and they get to get married in two months? Why can't that be me?" I dwell on these questions and before you know it, resentment and frustration have begun to grow in my heart. And then I begin to think about all the ways that I could possibly speed up this waiting process and get my own way. And you wouldn't believe some of the things I come up with.

While on my way to work today, I was praying that the Lord would really help me to depend on Him and not to seek my own way. I began thinking about how, considering our financial circumstance, I really have no idea when the wedding is going to be. I don't even have a date in mind. It's hard to try and look into the future and not even have a clue what's coming next. And this is causing a complete, and humbling, dependence on God. And as I was praying and thinking about all of this, Ecclesiastes 3:11 popped into my head. "He has made all things beautiful in its time". If you pick a flower before it has bloomed, it will never reach it's full potential. You will never see it in all of its beauty. In order for that to happen, you need to allow it to continue to be nourished and grow and it will blossom and be made beautiful in its time. 

I realized it's the same with my relationship. God is still growing and preparing us as we wait upon Him. If I try to rush into things and do it my own way, I may miss out on so many blessings. My relationship may never reach its full potential. But I know that if I learn to be content with where I am right now, and I patiently wait upon God, He will make it into a beautiful marriage in His perfect timing. 

And let's be honest, I've really got to learn submission before I can get married.

I really hope this speaks to some of you, wherever you are in life. Whether you're in the same, exact situation as I am or whatever it is that you're waiting for....

He has made all things beautiful in its time.

And don't worry if you're as stubborn and impatient as I am. God is faithful to complete the work He has begun in us. 

When All That's Within Me Feels Dry

Notable news: I just saw 22 squirrels in the park. 

I had a breakthrough the other day. It was while watching a sermon on "Christ-centered relationships" by Francis Chan.
I've really been going through a desert lately in my walk with God. I feel like I've been walking through the valley for so long and no hills are in sight. Stress, anxiety, depression, anger - all of these have been consuming me.
I've been battling anxiety for the past four years. Four years ago is when I had my first major panic attack: I blacked out. During my first semester at bible college, I had my second: I was taken to the ER.
Sure, we can chalk it up to all sorts of medical reasons, but I know it's because I am stubborn and I don't like to surrender everything to the Lord. I get scared in the storms of life and I hear God calling out to me, "oh you of little faith". And I'm not okay with this way of living. I've been trying so hard to change this, to have more faith, to surrender everything at the feet of Jesus. And every day I've felt more and more depressed. But see that's the thing - I was trying. I haven't been reaching out and receiving the unlimited power that is available to us through Christ. I haven't trusted in Him; I've trusted in myself. And look where that's gotten me.
I've been especially stressed this past month with all my health problems and then my fiance leaving for an internship in Utah. My anxiety reached a whole new level. I'm like a baby - I get separation anxiety. And the thing is, I could have gone with him. Nothing was stopping me except for a still, small voice telling me, "Megan, you need to learn to be dependent on Me". And that's the very thing I've been fighting not to do for the past four weeks. I've been dependent on my fiance and friends and anything else besides God, because that's too scary for me.

That was until two days ago.

I started listening to this sermon, because, well, I'm getting married soon. Francis Chan and his wife were talking about how we can't find life in our significant other. And how marriage isn't about our expectations and needs being met. It's about God and God always has to come first. And somehow, the way they explained it hit home for me. I began crying as I thought about how I was finding my source of life in things besides Christ and how those things were actually choking the life out of me.  God slapped me across the face with my own selfishness tough love and all my pride came crashing down. And all of the sudden I was released from my bonds. It was like I was able, for the first time in a long time, to take a big, deep breath of fresh air. Suddenly my fear, depression, anxiety, anger, and stress vanished. In the middle of my desert, God had provided a stream of living water. And I wouldn't say that I'm still in that desert or that I'm on a hill. I'm just where I am. But see it doesn't matter where I am, because God is as much God in the valley as He is on the hill. He is ALWAYS God and I am ALWAYS able to do ALL things through Him who gives me strength.
And I do expect more dry seasons. Without them, I'd never learn to cry out to God. And that's what's changed - instead of crying, I've learned to cry out. Even last night, discouragement knocked at the door and I had to begin praying immediately against it. My friend posted something today that said, "prayer is the best armor against all trials". And I know that God will always be faithful to answer those prayers.

Psalm 84:11b - " No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Praise God for His faithfulness! He is faithful even when we are not!

My chains are gone, I've been set free!

Nutritious Can Be Delicious

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31




As I stated before, my diet only consists of spinach, celery, plain yogurt, organic eggs, chicken, and beef, salsa, guacamole, onions, almond butter, walnuts, and almonds.

Boring, right?

Wrong. I'll admit, it's no three course meal but it doesn't have to be completely bland.

I eat a lot of yogurt. I buy mine from Trader Joe's because I think they have the best kind for the best price. I buy the Trader Joe's Greek Style Plain yogurt. Get the 2%. It has 24 grams of protein in just 1 cup and only 5 grams of sugar. Also, they're the only brand that I've found that actually says "cultured after pasteurization" meaning that you're getting all the probiotics (And their cows aren't treated with rBST - a growth hormone). I love the consistency of Greek yogurt. It's a lot thicker and creamier and it really is a lot healthier. However, plain yogurt tastes a lot like sour cream. In fact, it tastes just like sour cream, which isn't exactly something you want to eat by itself. Since I can't have any sugar, not even honey, I use stevia. Stevia is the only sugar substitute that is 0 carbs, 0 calories, and does not raise your blood sugar at all. Here are the health benefits of stevia:

- It lowers your blood sugar

- It lowers  your blood pressure

- It has antibacterial properties. (You can even use it topically to treat eczema or acne)


- It helps form calcium

The only negative thing about stevia is that it can tend to have a bitter after taste, however if you mix it in your yogurt, you will not experience this.

Also, stevia is 100x sweeter than sugar so the tiniest bit goes a long way. Add according to taste. I get my stevia from Trader Joe's. It has a little scooper in it and I add about 3 - 4 scoops (which are smaller than a 1/4 tsp) to a cup of plain yogurt.

And then....

I add cinnamon.

Cinnamon is my new best friend.

It has a ton of health benefits as well:

- it lowers bad cholesterol

- it lowers blood sugar levels

- it has anti-fungal properties

- it aids in headache and migraine relief

- it helps reduce the growth of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells

- it has an anti-clotting effect on blood

and the list goes on. Just don't start gulping it down because large doses can cause a toxic effect on the body.

I sprinkle it on my yogurt every single time. Add according to taste.



Also my fiance (He's GREAT) was just telling me about an Indian drink called Lassi. So I looked up the recipe:

1 cup of yogurt
½ a cup of water
½ a cup of ice cubes
3 to 5 teaspoons of sugar (if sugar-free, add a few scoops of stevia)

A pinch of salt (optional)

And then you just blend it all up. 


I bet cinnamon would taste great in it too. I'm going to try it. 

Veggie Tales:

Celery - spread some almond butter on it. Almond butter is so much better for you than peanut butter. The taste may take some getting used to, but it's great. Stay away from peanuts; they're bad for you. I also buy this at Trader Joe's because they don't add sugar to their almond butter and it's the best price. I recommend the "Creamy, Unsalted" and if you want to be daring, try the Raw kind. You'll definitely get more of the nutrients. 

Spinach - I eat it raw. Otherwise, you're killing off the good stuff. It's not the best tasting but I like to throw some chicken in it, or pico de gallo, or a few spoonfuls of guacamole or all three of those things! 

I'm going to start adding broccoli into my diet. maybe

(NOTE: if you can't handle your vegetables raw, steam them. It's the next best thing)

Carnivorous: 

I love my meat. I once tried being vegan for two weeks. I hated it. So I asked myself, "what is a meat eating vegan?" A MEGAN! which is my name. *cue laughter*

I only eat organic meat to avoid the antibiotics and hormones that contribute to so many health problems, as well as weight gain. However, eating organic is expensive so if you can't do it, don't worry. (However, Trader Joe's has great prices on organic drumsticks. Only $1.99 a lb)

When I eat chicken, I usually just bbq it and then spread a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice on it. Delish.

When it comes to beef, I'm all about the ground beef. Form it into patties and bbq it. Try dicing up onion and adding it into the meat before forming into patties. Or jalapenos. Try mixing in some spices like cumin or chili powder. Spices are great for your health. Be creative. 

I really enjoy mixing italian seasoning and garlic salt into my ground beef and cooking that in a pan. 

Or try making your own kind of burrito bowl with black beans, ground beef, salsa, and guacamole. You can even use the plain greek yogurt as sour cream. It tastes exactly the same. (I don't eat beans 'cause I'm not allowed to on this diet)

The possibilities are endless.






And everyone has their own way of eating eggs. I really like cutting up some onion, tossing it in the pan and letting it saute a while before I crack open a few eggs and add them to it. And I ONLY use coconut oil when cooking. It's the only oil that won't change when heated up. It doesn't have any taste to it and when you mix it with salt, it tastes very similar to butter. 

Nutty:

Nuts are a great source of protein.

The best kinds for you are walnuts and almonds.

Almonds have so many health benefits and walnuts are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids. 

Other nuts, such as peanuts and cashews, have high levels of mold.
Avoid peanuts altogether. Cashews, however, are a good natural stress reliever. 

Be careful how many nuts you eat every day, because they are hard on your system.

My family soaks nuts and then we dehydrate them. You get all the health benefits but they aren't so hard on your system this way, plus it eliminates any mold in the nuts. 

I hope this helps somewhat. 

Cheers!

Healthiness is next to Godliness

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" - 1 Corinthians 6:19


God has given us these bodies and I believe that taking care of our bodies, glorifies God. 


Recently I've developed some health problems. Since I've been at bible college for the past two semesters, there are a number of reasons this could be happening.

Reason #1 - The large quantity of pop-tarts consumed daily during my first semester. Not to mention the fried foods, yogurt covered raisins and wheat thins (NOTE: these do NOT make you thin).

Reason #2 - The gallons of ice cream devoured during my second semester. As well as all the pizza, In 'n Out, and Mexican food. (What can I say? School food was inedible at times)

Reason #3 - Late nights and early mornings. This is inevitable when at college. Aside from homework, I sacrificed sleep to spend time with my fiance (because being in all the same classes doesn't count as hanging out). And when breakfast ends at 7:45am, you have to be up at 6. Not because it takes that long to get ready okay sometimes but because you're sharing a room with FIVE girls.

Reason #4 - Stress. Again, unavoidable when at college. Especially if you procrastinate like me. I guess I just take on the outlook of good things come to those who wait. And I did pass with all A's so I think there is some validity to that.


Anyhow, whatever the reason is, I now have some health issues. Because I don't feel like spending my paycheck on a visit to a doctor who will most likely prescribe some antibiotic or other drug that is only going to destroy my insides, I've decided to tackle the problem with a complete diet change.

Now I'm used to healthy eating. I grew up with a health nut for a mother so I've experienced it all from pie crusts formed out of nuts to lasagna noodles made out of zucchini. However, I'm not quite the nut my mom is. She's like an almond, which is the king of all nuts. I'm more like a cashew or something. Not quite as good for you but still with some health benefits. Actually cashews are a great natural stress reliever believe it or not. But believe it, 'cause it's true.


So I've developed my own style of eating. If you're looking for some amazing recipes with lots of vegetables, look elsewhere because I hate vegetables and I eat only what is necessary. My diet change revolves around simplicity. Especially since I work full time.

Before I explain any further, I'd like to say that on this diet I have definitely been noticing improvements in my health. I've also lost a lot of weight (NOTE: I did NOT go on this diet to lose weight. I do not have problems with my weight or suffer from insecurities about it. However one of the side effects of bad eating is weight gain and bloating. Thankfully one of the side effects of a healthy diet is weight loss). I try to stay away from scales but when I left for school and while at school I believe I was around 135 lbs. Since being home from school, I've dropped down to 117 lbs. (NOTE: this is also with very little exercise. I walk a lot and sometimes bike to work and work involves picking up a 14 month old as well as taking her for walks. But I visit the gym about once a year and I don't enjoy going for 30 minute runs)
My skin has also cleared up so much that for the first time since 8th grade, I've been comfortable enough to go out with no make up on.


So let's start out with what I cut out of my diet. I cut out all refined carbs, ALL sugar, even fruits (that's required for my specific health problems so if you're already healthy, fruit is fine and good for you. Just try to eat *low sugar fruits), and all dairy (except for plain yogurt).

Basically all I eat right now is the following:

(okay so I just typed out a whole bunch of stuff and then accidentally deleted it. so frustrating So here goes Round 2)

Spinach, celery, almond butter, walnuts, almonds, organic eggs, chicken, and beef, plain yogurt, salsa, guacamole, and onions.

This may sound like a rather boring meal plan, but I, the woman with an unforgivable sweet tooth and an infatuation with refined carbs, actually rather enjoy it. Sure there's times when I crave a burger or a burrito from Chipotle and yeah, there's times when I want to punch my friends for eating my favorite cookie in front of me or I want to grab the ice cream sandwich out of the hands of the little boy standing next to me. It happens. But my self control actually it's just that if I cheat, I won't get better always wins out in the end. And unless those morsels of sugary goodness are right in front of my eyes, I don't crave them at all. AT ALL. And I've only been on this diet for the past two or three weeks. I haven't been counting.

And don't feel like you have to stick to just what I eat. Throw in more vegetables (I only eat spinach and celery 'cause like I said earlier, I detest them. And apparently I can't have carrots on this diet. Too much sugar). Throw in some fruits.

*And by low sugar fruits, I'm referring to berries. Berries are GREAT for you. Antioxidants to the MAX.

But please, please don't drink fruit juices. Those are just loaded with sugar, even though it may be natural, it's a lot of sugar and you're not getting the fiber and other good things from the actual fruit.

Eat whatever your heart desires. This is just my meal plan and this is how I get results.

In my next blog post, I'll talk more about how I make these foods fun to eat. And I'll post some great recipes.


Cheers!

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I just spent the last half hour completely lost on this cursed site. As I struggled to set my profile up, I found that I couldn't even find my way back to my initial profile page. It brought back bad memories of being lost in the grocery store as a child and standing crying next to the strange man who was paging my mother over the intercom.
Needless to say, blogspot doesn't offer any sort of paging device and so I was on my own. Now that I've somewhat figured everything out (I am writing this after all), I sit here completely dumbfounded as to what to write about. A few of my friends have taken up blogging and I guess you could say that their hilarious and witty posts have inspired me to start a blog of my own. However, I lack more than half the wit that they possess. But as is stated in the 10th commandment, "thou shalt not covet" and therefore I'll make do with what I have. I guess you could say another reason I started a blog is because I already have facebook, twitter, and pinterest. Facebook is my collection of friends, twitter, my collection of...tweets, and pinterest is my collection of pictures. So now a blog - my collection of thoughts and whatever other sort of things I see fit to post. Happy readings.