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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Delighted

I'm very happy because this book is on it's way to my mailbox, courtesy of two Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks! This is how it works--you use swagbucks as your main search engine(it works just as well as google, yahoo, or anything else), and you accumulate swagbucks just for searching! You then redeem your
swagbucks for prizes or for gift cards! We've gotten a number of amazon gift cards simply just by using the search engine! There is a special promotion right now that earned me two amazon gift cards--a $10 value! I simply signed up for the free trial of Netflix, as promoted though swagbucks, and presto! Gift cards! After a week I canceled the trial, but I still have the swagbucks. If you're considering signing up for swagbucks after you've read this raving review, would you consider using one of my links to sign up so that they know I referred you? I would be delighted. =) You can go here: www.swagbucks.com/refer/Dorcas

One Month, One Hundred Gifts--September

I've been blessed by Ann Voskamp's quiet thoughts of blessing and gratitude at her blog, aholyexperience.com, and have decided to start my own list of One Thousand Gifts, little gifts from God for which I am grateful. I began this list on August 30th and it worked out almost perfectly to 100 gifts in this month. I thought this would be a nice habit to keep going--One Month, One Hundred Gifts. It was a blessing to read back over these as I typed them in, remembering God's goodness. So here you have, to rejoice with me, One Hundred Gifts.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Phil.4:4
  1. Healing in my body—energy!
  2. Fresh smelling crisp laundry
  3. Possessions to give away
  4. Listening to my best friend plead with God for the soul of another friend
  5. Hearing the littlest boy pray for Cody and Nepal so grown-up like
  6. Puppy dog kisses
  7. Hearing them cheer me on when they knew I was trying hard
9. Refreshing sleep
10. The pink in the sky
11. Dancing in the rain
12. Running a quarter mile
14. Her excitement over losing 20 lbs
15. Hard times at work
16. Investigating the Word together
17. Discipline
18. Time to get everything done
19. Star gazing
20. The smell of fresh bread
21. Grace
22. Promises that I will find when I seek
23. “Tansha!!”
24. Marjorie’s cheerful smile
25. Hugs at the table
26. Child training ideas
27. Their patience with me
28. Lessons children teach
29. Breaking free from my addiction
30. Rodeo sounds
31. The freedom to live as God directs
32. The security of God planning and shaping my days
33. The safety of a friend whom I can tell my hardest struggles, and know that they will still love me, pray for me, and protect my heart.
34. Raindrops
35. Tea in polka dots
37. Butterfly kisses and Eskimo hugs
39. Squeals of delight in a ball game
40. Friends showing up unannounced
41. Swinging in the moonlight
42. Seeing my breath in the air
43. Ball games
44. Wanted ads
45. An extra day at home
46. Sore throat
47. My failures
48. Death
49. Promise of the Spirit
50. Runny nose
51. Talk with Mom
52. Surprise smiles
53. Pink sunshine and lemonade
54. Heroes
55. Singing on the bus
56. Getting dumped
57. A break from work and stress
58. Quiet campfire conversations
59. Peace like a river
61. Change
62. Possibilities
63. Brother-friends
64. Best friends
65. Mommy hugs
66. Grouchy people
67. Messy rooms
68. Sock feet and squeaky floors, bare feet and stars
69. Picture perfect moments
70. A new friend
71. Sanctuary
72. Towels on the line
73. Pictures of me and the littlest boy
74. Curls in their hair
75. Wood stacked for winter
76. Being together with a little boy
77. Late night frustrations
78. Cold toes
79. A new morning
80. A sister’s growth
81. Hard choices
82. Impossibilities
83. Froggies and raindrops
84. Stillness
85. Desperation for the Spirit
86. Promises of perfect peace
87. A soul that is alive
88. A good night’s sleep
89. Contentment
90. Each breath
91. Lessons
92. Fall colors and falling leaves
93. Loss of control
94. Weakness
95. Autumn smells
96. Crickets
97. Joy in His presence
98. Pain in my shoulders
99. Kittens and boots
100. Dissapointment

180

Please take a half hour of your time to watch this film on the similarities of the Holocaust and abortion by Ray Comfort and then visit the website and pass it on. Viewer discretion advised, there are some graphic holocaust images.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Reading wishlist...

I really do love to read when I get the chance. I have a whole bunch of books I'm really wanting to read in the future, but these are top on my list.
Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis The book description briefly recaps the life of this young women that has so inspired me. (For the story of how she has impacted my life, go here.)
"What would cause an eighteen-year-old old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because the rest of them think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person but didn’t know any of the language? A passion to make a difference. Katie Davis left over Christmas break her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved by the people and children of Uganda that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. She has given up a relatively comfortable life—at a young age—to care for the less fortunate of this world. She was so moved by the need she witnessed, she's centered her life around meeting that need. Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, is in the process of adopting 13 children in Uganda, and she completely trusts God for daily provision for her and her family. "
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp I've been so inspired and refreshed by Ann's quiet thoughts on her blog
From the Amazon description: In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. It's only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we've always wanted...a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others. We come to feel and know the impossible right down in our bones: we are wildly loved--by God. Let Ann's beautiful, heart-aching stories of the everyday give you a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of being present to God that makes you deeply happy, and a way of living that is finally fully alive. Come live the best dare of all!

 Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman I just found out about this book, but it looks really good.
Amazon description: Many of us believe that we are saved by grace--but for too many, that's the last time grace defines our life. Instead of clinging to grace, we strive for good and believe that the Christian life means hard work and a sweet disposition. As good girls, we focus on the things we can handle, our disciplined lives, and our unshakable good moods. When we fail to measure up to our own impossible standards, we hide behind our good girl masks, determined to keep our weakness a secret. In Grace for the Good Girl, Emily Freeman invites women to let go of the try-hard life and realize that in Christ we are free to receive from him rather than constantly try to achieve for him.

Currently reading...


Sunday, September 25, 2011

fence post fancies & other simple things

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."
-- Eleonora Duse

"The next time it begins to rain... lie down on your belly, nestle your chin into the grass, and get a frog's-eye view of how raindrops fall... The sight of hundreds of blades of grass bowing down and popping back up like piano keys strikes me as one of the merriest sights in the world."
-- Malcolm Margolin

Thursday, September 22, 2011

}smile{




Happiness
              is doing with a smile
what you have to do anyways.

}the wonder of photo editing{

I love this picture. It's fantastic. I want to frame it. But it didn't start out that way.
 This is what we started out with. Great smiles, precious moment, but seriously, what's with those arms?! 
Not to mention the other clutter that took away from the focus. So we cropped.

 Ah, much better! This is picture is great like it is. 
However, I'm a fan of cool effects, so we added a cool effect.
These are the Picnik 1960's and Cross Processing effects. Just a little of both, not to much. I like, like.
 But then I added my new favorite effect for pictures that look cool as "old". I like it, like it, like it. =]

 And then I put it in a film strip, just for fun. I like fun. And I like pictures. And film strip. Anyways. I also like photo editing. I like it, like it, like it! The end.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Candida Diet recipes

For those who may require a Candida diet, or for those who simply want to eat  healthy, here are some sugar, dairy, wheat, potato, and yeast free recipes.
White Chicken Chili
1 lb chicken, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion
1/2 garlic clove, chopped
1 T vegetable oil
1 quart white beans
1 pint chicken broth
1 t salt
1 t oregano
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 cup green chilies
Optional: 1 cup plain yogurt

In large saucepan, sauté chicken, onion, and garlic in oil til chicken is not pink.
Add beans, chilies, and seasonings, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil Reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in yogurt when ready to serve. 

Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12 large muffins and some tiny muffins
2 c  oat flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t xantham gum
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t pumpkin spice
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 pint pumpkin puree
1/4 c water
1/4 c apple juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c oil
Stevia and zylitol to taste

Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, then mix until combined. Put into muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove and place on wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, remove from muffin tins and allow to cool on a paper towel lined wire rack.

Biscuits
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c water
4 T butter
1 t xantham gum
Combine flour, baking powder and salt, then add water and cut in butter. Or, for drop biscuits, melt butter and add with water. Bake at 375 til done.

Brown Rice Pudding 
Ingredients:
1 cup short grain brown rice, cooked
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
1 tsp. – 2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sultana raisins
½ cup dates, chopped
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ cup walnuts, chopped
(Or other toppings. I just used some sliced almonds. I also used Pumpkin seasoning since I was out of cinnamon. Added a little extra and it was great!)
Stevia, Xylitol, or Agave til sweetened to your taste.

Directions:
•    Cook rice. (Cook to the consistency that you want your pudding to be.)
•    Mix the other ingredients together, pour into the rice, stir, and let simmer. Stir occasionally until it's the consistency you want. I actually added extra milk to make it creamier.
•    Serve with “Cream Sauce” on top.
CREAM SAUCE


Ingredients:
1¼ cup coconut milk¾ cup apple juice
Clearjel or cornstarch--I didn't measure how much I used, but it doesn't take much to thicken it.
2 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
Natural Sweetener, to taste

Directions:
•    Mix the first 2 ingredients together.•    Bring to a boil, then add thickener, stirring very quickly with a whisk or fork as you do so.
•    Add lemon juice and coconut oil.
Serve on top of Brown Rice Pudding.

 The following recipes contain honey, fruit, and peanut butter, which are not allowed in the first stage of the Candida diet. However, if you are eating healthy but are not on a Candida diet, these are great treats!

Granola Bars
1 1/2 c Peanut Butter
3/4 c honey
3/4 c coconut oil
Bring to a boil in a saucepan, then remove from heat and add:
3 c quick oats
1 c raisins
1 c unsweetened coconut
1 c sunflower seeds
Mix thoroughly, press into a 9x13 pan and refrigerate. 

Granola
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup steel cut oats
3/4 cup honey
1/4 oil
1/2 cup water
1 t vanilla
Raisins or cranberries after cooking
Dump everything except raisins together and mix. Bake at 375 for 15 min, then periodically stir and check until done.



reArranGeD

     Well here it is, the beginning of September and I have once again gone a month without blogging. Perhaps I'll just have to make monthly posts a regular occasion. =) This past month turned out much differently than I thought it would at the start. When God gets a hold of your life-watch out! Some things might get rearranged! Life is so much better afterwards, but it does take some getting used to!
     At the beginning of this month I had just got back from the girls' PASSION event in PA, which I would highly recommend to every young woman! ( passion613.org ) PASSION was life altering and my viewpoint was drastically altered. I was ready to go full force into this new life I had, but within one week I was dramatically slowed down by fatigue, debilitating sinus headaches, and just feeling icky. After a week or so, I finally admitted that I was sick, and began trying to find out what was wrong with me. After a lot of research, we realized I had a Candida Albicans yeast infection. Basic summary--Everyone has levels of yeast in their body, but when those levels get out of hand, it hurts your system in almost every way imaginable. Sinus problems, fatigue, frequent hoarse throat, limbs falling asleep quickly, and an unsettled stomach were just a few of the symptoms that I had that can be caused by Candida. In order to get rid of Candida, you have to deprive it of its food--sugar. Candida feeds on anything that turns into sugar in your body. So, a Candida diet requires(temporarily) no sugar(including honey, agave, etc.), no wheat, no dairy, limited fruits, no white potato, and no yeast or molds(cheeses and smoked meats). I never thought I had an issue with food til I began this diet. The first week was very difficult. I was hungry and I cried a lot. We weren't stocked for a diet like that, and I didn't know how or what to eat. Unfortunately, it's easy to hide a food addiction if you're skinny. I actually went through sugar withdrawals and felt nauseous, tired, and had headaches about one week into the diet. Before and during withdrawal I craved sugar horribly. God began showing me just how addicted I was to food, and how much I turned to it for satisfaction, instead of turning to Him. As I came out of withdrawal I began to start leaning on God to fill me. He gave me the sweetest verse to remember over and over--"My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You." (Psalm 63:5) After I went through withdrawals, and also began to find things I could eat, the going was much easier. I have just a few days left on the severe part of the diet and then I am back to more normal foods! I'll still be keeping refined sugar from my diet, as well as white flour and potatoes for a month more. I really feel awesome, as long as I get enough sleep and exercise as well. I am actually starting to enjoy my diet! It feels great knowing I'm not putting anything unhealthy in my body! I do really miss fruit and milk and wheat though(You simply cannot buy things without wheat in them. You just can't.), so I am ready to be done with this first stage.
     All that said, I've done a bit more cooking and the like this month in order to accommodate my diet. Our camera has been messed up too, so all this has pushed blogging to a back burner. God's also been showing me some things about my perfectionism and priorities, so I'm not going to promise to be here very often, but I will try when I can. I'm taking a break from Facebook til the end of the year, and it really has freed up a good bit of time. =)
     In other news, I was excited to run/walk my first 5K in a local fun run/walk on the 27th! It was great fun and inspired me to set big goals for next year! I'm hoping to run the whole time next year and cut my time in half. Since then I've found that I can run a quarter mile without feeling like I'm going to fall over, and that was a great feeling!! =D
      Our youth group is finally going camping together this weekend! We've been wanting to do something like this for a couple years, so we are all very excited! We are going to visit a service at a Mosque on the way(to pray for them and learn to see them as people that need the Lord, rather than a threat) and then we're going to camp and canoe all weekend! I am excited and ready for the break! I unexpectedly had the day off today, so I made some yummy sugar free granola bars and have been working on some routine and cleaning charts for the children. Things just seem to go smoother when chores are in writing! =) I need to get lunch on, so I'll be going. May you find the Savior in the mundane moments of your day today!
Smiling for Him, TyaBeth


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