Where God leads; Part 2

(this is the second post in a 2 part series)

Last December, on my last day of babysitting part time for a friends sweet girl, I was talking to my Mom. Telling her how much we would miss the extra income of my part time work, but I didn't want to start babysitting anyone else. Babysitting wasn't where my heart was. We also discussed frustrations with our health. And after she told me a few of her hurdles she was facing, I interjected 'Just try Plexus! You know it's gonna work!' And she quickly responded, 'Why aren't you selling Plexus again? You're always telling me to try it. You sign up & I'll buy it from you.'

Wow! It was like God was waving a big huge sign in front of me saying 'THIS WAY!! TURN THIS WAY!' I immediately hung up with my Mom & called my sister in law Angie. 

Starting that first month with Plexus was a bit nerve wrecking! I was walking out in faith that these products would help with my health, but also that they would help provide financially for my family. We only had one chunk of money to put to the first month and I knew that it had to start paying for itself if I was going to be continuing on the products.

Lots of questions & doubt circled my mind in the beginning. 'Would Plexus even work for me?' 'How could I become an independent ambassador of Plexus Worldwide and never have tried the products before?' 'What if the products don't work for me?' 'We can't afford these products with our current budget.' But over & over I heard God saying 'be patient. wait. trust.'

One thing I've learned over the past 6 months is that Plexus isn't a bandwagon to hop on or the next best thing to try out. It's a lifestyle change. It becomes a natural way to balance your body and get out of your unhealthy habits.

My first goal was to pay for my products every month. By month two, I no longer had to worry about the money, Plexus was paying for itself. And not just my products, but my husbands as well. And by month three, I was bringing home a paycheck above the price of our products and was excited to see where God would be taking this business he gave me.

Now, we make 3 x's the amount of our monthly products we buy each month! And when you're buying 7-10 bottles a month, that can really add up! The bottom line, I would happily pay more for these life changing products we have been blessed with. But the great thing, I don't have to pay more for them! Good health is affordable, what a blessing!

One day, while reading my bible a couple months ago, God clearly gave me a verse he wanted me to be the cornerstone of the business he was creating for me.

'Serve one another humbly in love.' Galations 5:13. And it has become my prayer as I continue to share Plexus with others.

What a gift God has given my family. I feel abundantly blessed to be receiving freedom in our health as well as freedom in our finances!

Where God leads; Part 1

It occurred to me the other day that two very big prayers I've had over the years have been answered. The first, that I would be able to walk into a healthier lifestyle & eating habits. And second, that my family would be in agreement with it. Spoiler alert, God has brought them both to fruition! But let's start at the beginning...

Do you ever get trapped in a cycle you can't get out of? That's how I felt with the food I was eating & the low energy I had each day. Following 'recommended' guidelines for food consumption and only make me more and more frustrated with the my lack of results and my health was getting worse.

I was in a cycle of drinking coffee to wake up, a hand full of chocolate something to get through my morning to lunch. Where I ate whatever starchy, carb loaded leftovers were in my refrigerator. Then I needed another sugar fix, something to take me right into my afternoon nap with the boys when my coffee high went crashing down. Next up, an after nap time treat, sugar loaded something & a cup of coffee to 'get me to bedtime'. And then let's not forget my bedtime sugar treat to tuck me in to bed & help me get an unrestful nights sleep. Waking up the next morning, tired & needing my caffeine fix.... the cycle continued.

What a roller coaster I was on! No wonder I was exhausted, cranky & all around not wanting to do much of anything in life. It wasn't the life I wanted to be living, but it was what I had, make the most of it and enjoy my sugar, caffeine rich treats since nothing else was enjoyable but food.

The cry of my heart was there. Somewhere in the depth of me, I was crying out for something different. Something life changing, something BETTER!

God heard my cry.

Last September, my sister in law Angie, started taking some products from a company called Plexus. She was having life changing results, and while she was losing weight, that wasn't the main goal. Her main objective was to get healthy, from the inside out, and she was!

I knew when she first started sharing about her Plexus journey that I wanted to join her, but it was hard to wrap my head around spending the money each month. I kept watching her story unfold & was telling others about Plexus, saying that they should also try Plexus, when I hadn't even tried it myself.

So about a week before Christmas 2015, we had some extra money and I took the leap and signed up to be an ambassador with Plexus. I was so excited that I was finally doing this! I KNEW that if I gave it enough time it would help change my life for the better!

My first month, I gained 5 pounds! Ugh! These were not the results I was looking for! But I kept hearing from others in Plexus, 'Be consistent. Keep taking the products, it will happen.' And after 6 weeks, I made a decision to cut all sugar & processed foods out of my diet.

It's not always about the scale; at 8 weeks I had only lost 1 pound.

I had tried this in the past & by day 3 could NOT do it anymore. My body was screaming for sugar, sugar, sugar! But this time was different. This time it wasn't an obstacle to overcome. It was just a matter of having different choices in front of me, better choices. Instead of putting the bag of candy in my cart at the store, I put the brussell sprouts and some almonds. And then, when I was hungry I wasn't ready to kill someone and therefore shoving sugar in my face. I would rationally walk to the kitchen & get a handful of nuts to last me until I could make a proper lunch. It was so calm, rational, healthy and easy. Did I just say easy? Wow! It was EASY!! It's never been that before!

 3/10/2015 was my 33rd birthday, what a good birthday it was!

Just like my journey toward bad health, my journey toward good health has had it's up's & down's. Days of anxiety popping back up while my body is detoxing again. Days of low energy as my body readjusts to a different balance. However, the difference is these days keep getting fewer & fewer and farther & farther apart. Healing your body takes time and patience. I wish I could just drink my pink drink and do whatever I want. But that's not true freedom, that's my selfish desires taking over. Lack of rules doesn't equal freedom, making good choices equals freedom.

God had answered my prayer, that I would be able to walk into a healthier lifestyle & eating habits. And true to God's journey's he takes us on, it's never how we think it will look and it's always filled with mountain peaks AND valleys.

One mountain that I was very happy to be at the top of, is when my husband came 100% on board with Plexus, both personally to take the products & with the business. He takes his products, has had amazing health benefits from them, is helping to grow the business and is my #1 support with how we are changing how our family eats.

God answered my prayer, that my family would be in agreement with it.

On a hike for our anniversary last year & then again this year. We've lost a combined total of 60 pounds since last year!

God leads you to places you don't think you'll go, but he ultimately brought me here because he was answering my prayers.

'Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear' Isaiah 65:24

Don't forget yourself in motherhood

When I was pregnant with my first son, is when the ‘what if’s’ started. What if I get hit by a car? What if my husband gets hit by car? What would I do if I were left alone taking care of a baby by myself? And I would shake it off, thinking that it was ridiculous to think those things and because it was so unpleasant to think that way.

After he came & was about 9 months old I had my first panic attack. He had been sick & it brought me to a state of worry that I had never been before.  After talking to my naturopathic Dr & seeing a counselor, I found a new balance without medication and was able to get through this stage, somewhat naively, thinking it wasn’t going to get worse.

After the birth of our second son, the height of all my anxiety and depression hit hard. He was a very difficult newborn and I didn’t want to be a Mom anymore. When he was just weeks old, I was nursing him, and he nursed A LOT! I didn’t want to do ANY of it anymore, didn’t want to be a Mom, didn’t want to take care of anyone. Didn’t want to even take care of myself. I just wanted to sleep all day. 

Thankfully, when he was about 5 months old and sleeping through the night, my anxiety and depression lessened and I started to enjoy my boys again.

But at that time we got a surprise! We found out we were expecting baby #3. Only one month after #2 turned 1 year old.

While my mood was good throughout my 3rd pregnancy, I was very worried about what would happen when he got here. All I could do was pray and beg God, asking Him to be gracious and not let me experience any postpartum anxiety or depression after the baby came. 

(I looked at my Mom and asked, 'can you take a picture of us? This is a moment I don't ever want to forget!'. My big boys loving on their new little brother & my heart was full in that beautiful moment with my 3 boys!)

God gave me a verse to get me through this pregnancy. Every time my mind would start to wander about all the ‘what ifs’ again, I would repeat 3 key verses & they became my prayers.

Phillipians 4:6-7

‘Do no be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.   

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your hears and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways submit to him & he will make your paths straight.

I am here today to say that GOD ANSWERS PRAYER! My life is a direct reflection of that. And when we welcomed baby boy #3 into our family, I did not experience any postpartum anxiety or depression! God is good!!

There are 3 things that God has taught me through all of this. 

First, God has used these struggles in my life to show me that I can’t do ANYTHING without HIM! I can’t even get myself out of bed in the morning without his grace, let alone take care of 3 very energetic boys.

Second, lets not forget ourselves in this stage of mother hood. It’s easy to put our needs and health last & everything about our kids first. But, at what cost? To waking up when our kids are 10 years older and realizing your health is greatly deteriorated? You matter! Are you having struggles? Do you need to make changes to get healthier? I am here today to encourage you to talk to someone; a friend, a Dr, a nutritionist, a counselor, a pastor, a chiropractor. Anyone! Just make sure you’re not ignoring your health and needs.

And Lastly, I know there is a spiritual attack on godly moms. moms who want to raise their children for God. Satan is attacking their health and when their health fades, everything else dissipates as priority. You can’t be an example when you can’t get out of bed. You can’t take your kids to church when your anxiety won’t allow you to drive there. 

I am here today to stand up & say ‘NO MORE’!!

We declare in Jesus name, that we will not accept this as our normal in life. We declare health & healing in our bodies, from the top of our heads to the souls of our feet. 

This is God’s will for us!

Gluten free waffle recipe

There are very few wheat flour recipes that I've been able to take and transform easily into a gluten free option, but lucky for us this is one of them! I just took Better Homes & Gardens traditional waffle recipe (page 88 in the classic red & white gingham book) and with a few tweaks over the years, turned it gluten free!

I'm so glad this recipe makes up easily as Sunday nights are now waffle night in our house, with bacon or sausage & smoothies. It's a favorite for our boys & it's an easy dinner option. Try them out this Sunday night!

1 3/4 all purpose gluten free blend ( I make my own gluten free blend. 1 cup sorghum flour, 1 cup tapioca flour or starch, 1 cup rice flour and 1/2 tbsp. xanthum gum. You can multiply this add needed for an all purpose stash to have on hand.)

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

2 eggs

2- 2 1/2 cups milk (any kind of milk will do)

1/2 cup olive oil


Mix ingredients in a bowl using a whisk (if you use something else, it might make the batter clumpy). Add more milk depending on how the initial consistency comes out. You don't want it too thick or the waffles will be too puffy. If you need to, you can add more than 2 1/2 cups of milk, you want the end texture smooth but not too runny.

Grease waffle iron & add 1/2 cup of batter. When fully cooked, remove & enjoy!

I like to add butter & fruit or peanut butter and maybe unsweetened cocoa powder for a richer flavor. Or feel free to douse them in maple syrup. Whatever you, enjoy!!

Rachel

Cinnamon gluten free graham crackers, yes please!

In my efforts to reduce how much processed food we eat, I made some cinnamon gluten free graham crackers yesterday. I had many people asking for the recipe after I posted the picture of the final product on FaceBook & Instagram, so here it is for everyone to enjoy! Click here for the original recipe. I am typing my own recipe up myself for two reasons, 1. so you don't have to do the conversions like I do and 2. because my oldest asked for cinnamon graham crackers & I'm adding that bit I did to my recipe.

These are a huge hit in our house! Boyd said 'These are the best ever!' And Ian & I put strawberries & whipped cream over the top for a dessert, it was great!

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 tbsp. corn starch
5 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

5 tbsp. cold butter
6 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. honey

For cinnamon topping (optional)
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat over to 350.
In a bowl (the original recipe calls for a food processor but I don't have one), mix dry ingredients.
Cut up butter into small 1/2 inch size pieces and add to dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to mix butter into dry ingredients until butter is pea size. (the original recipe calls for doing all the mixing in the food processor)
Add the milk & honey & mix until a dough consistency.
Dump the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, using a second piece of parchment paper on top of dough, roll out dough with a rolling pin until it reaches a cracker thick.
Remove the top piece of parchment paper & add the dough, still on the bottom piece of parchment paper, onto cookie sheet.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator, using a pastry cutter cut into cracker sizes desired. Use a fork to put 'dimples' into the dough.

To add cinnamon topping
Add cinnamon & sugar to melted butter, mix.
Brush butter mixture on top of the dough.

Bake for 9  minutes, rotate cookie sheet & bake for 9-11 minutes more, depending on how crunchy you want your crackers.
Let crackers completely cool on a rack before you break them up.



Please let me know how they turned out for you!

Enjoy,
Rachel

Grey turned 2 years old!

This precious boy turned 2 years old last week. And all I can think is 'where has the time gone?' He is a soft hearted, generous hugger who has hit the 2's hard (and we're talking HARD! Like tantrums by the minute & 'NO' to everything). But it's funny when you've gone through it already, because I look at our oldest and realize that 'this too shall pass' and I thank God that it will!

Grey Wesley, you are a delight! You are the cuddliest kid and you LOVE to share what you have with others, your generosity comes from the heart. I am so blessed to be your Mom & watch you grow. And today, this is my prayer for you,


'Whoever pursues righteousness & love finds life, prosperity & honor.'
Proverbs 21:21

Love,
Mom

8 Months

Today our youngest, Bennett, turns 8 months. I find myself asking if he shouldn't be older considering everything that has happened since he's been born. Here is a mildly brief pictorial summation.

Early May, our then youngest, got his cast removed a week before Bennett was born.

 Bennett was born on Tuesday May 14th, he was a delight & easy addition to the family from the start.

Now we have 3 boys, WOW! 

Ian accepted the job in Corning, NY & we started packing in June. Everyone sat on camping furniture for the rest of the time we were in Eugene, OR.

 And we flew across the country in July. It was 3 flights in one day that turned into 2 days and staying in one of the most shady airport hotels in Detroit with 3 very over tired children. Thank goodness it was only a 1 1/2 hour flight from Detroit to Elmira, NY the next morning!

Come August & we were seeing the sights in NY and getting together with old friends. 

Finally September and we had an accepted offer on our house & drove up to Maine for a family vacation. I was lucky to have my Mom join us for the week!

Oct. 16th Grey, our middle son, turned 18 months!

 In October we celebrated Halloween & continued with paperwork for our home loan.

November came and we celebrated Thanksgiving with Ian's family & Bennett turned 6 months old.

We also closed on our house Nov. 21st and work immediately began! 

Dec. 4th, Boyd, our oldest, turned 4 years old! Such a big boy with a big heart to help people. I love his determined personality that is taking shape!

Dec 14th, also the day Bennett turned 7 months old, we moved into our new home, ready to be closer to get more things done without the drive time & crazy nap schedules. 11 days later, we celebrated Christmas with Ian's parents and a quiet day at home.

We rang in the New Year with continuing the work on the house.

Which brings us to Jan. 14th, 2013. Bennett turns 8 months old, we've lived in our first home for 1 month & been New Yorkers for 7 months. 

I keep realizing God really does know what he's doing! There is a reason that we don't know what is to come, because if we did we'd say 'heck no!'. I know I would have! Praise God for his faithfulness in providing for us through every new road we've traveled down, both literally & metaphorically. 

'Therefore, I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.' 2 Samuel 22:50