Kara

Time to Remove the Mask

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Last night after a particularly challenging bed-time with
the kids, I sat down at the top of the stairs outside of their bedrooms. I was
weary and tired of feeling like at the end of the day, I had blown it once
again. I pulled out my phone and posted a status to the Wellness WitnessFacebook page. This is what I wrote:

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CONFESSION: Just in
case any of you happen to think I have it all together, let me reassure you
that I don’t. I hit my snooze button at least 5 times today and I’ve worn my
hair in a ponytail every single day this week because I’m too lazy to fix it. I
lose my temper at bedtime almost every night trying to get my kids to bed and
my kitchen floor is so dirty that I could literally pick up the dust balls
that are gathering along the walls. My desk at work is covered in so many
different stacks of papers that I have no clue where anything is at. One of my
kids peed in her pants at band practice tonight and the other one was
completely out of clean pants to wear to school today so I pulled a pair out of
the laundry basket from earlier in the week. I can’t tell you the last time
that I cleaned my shower and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t
misplace at least five or six items and have to wander around the house looking
for them. I have driven down the road with my smart phone on top of the car at
least four times and have dropped it in the toilet twice. The list could go on
and on, but by now, you get it.
I’m
a mess.
And
that is okay.
God
took this big old mess and is able to use it for His glory and His purposes.
He
can do the same with you.
Let’s
give each other some grace.
No
one has everything as figured out and perfect as it will seem on social media.
No one.
Don’t
try to fit the mold of what someone else’s life looks like from the outside and
don’t hold yourself to unrealistic expectations.
Know
that you are loved, just the way you are…dirty kitchen floors and all!

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I
was shocked and amazed by the way that this brief post resonated with people.
Regardless of age, gender, occupation, location, or whether or not someone had
children, people seemed to agree with my feelings. Many said they had
experienced the same frustrations, or were relieved to know that they weren’t
alone in feeling overwhelmed. 

I
received private messages and texts of friends saying that they are so tired of
trying to act like they have everything together and that they are doing fine
when in reality…they aren’t. People that I’ve never met applauded my post for
being willing to acknowledge the messy in life that we often like to gloss over
in social media. And friends, I was humbled. 

What
a fine line it is between trying to write and post to encourage others and then
to try to not appear as if everything is perfectly wonderful in my world at all
times. 

If
I ever appear as if I have it all together, rest assured that I don’t.

And
neither do the people that you see on facebook, twitter, instagram or sitting
in the row behind you at church.

Three things must happen if we will ever begin to see
any type of change in this area:
1-We
must begin to take off our masks and say “this is real life and I’m okay with it”.
2- We must reach out to others when we need help or prayer and let them know we
are struggling.
3-We much begin extending grace and love and celebrating what we see in those
around us.

I
have a lot to say about each of these things, and have decided that it might be
fun to issue a challenge to each of my readers and to spend next week diving
into these three topics a bit more.

Beginning
on Monday, we will boldly step out and I’m going to ask you to do three things:
1- Take off the masks 2- speak up when you need help and 3- celebrate those
around you.  I’ll have a daily challenge
that I issue and a short task for you to complete. 

If
you are willing to jump into this next week with me, will you please let me
know? You can comment on this blog post, comment on the facebook post I’ll have
up on the Wellness Witness Page or even send me a private message or email. You could even post the above picture if you want to encourage your friends to jump in any participate with us. The more people, the more fun we will have!
 I
would love to see many of you joining me in this movement and am praying that
you will. 

Happy
Friday. Love y’all!

What I eat…

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I am hesitant to share this information, because I don’t want to give anyone the impression that this is THE right way for someone to eat.

I choose to eat the way that I do because I’ve spent the last 16 months figuring out which foods my body responds best to, and those foods that are best for me to avoid. I have found what works for ME, but that doesn’t mean it is the way that would work best for you.

Truth is, God created each of our bodies differently, and there is no “magic pill” or solution, or food choices, that will immediately make you “healthy”.

I eat in a way that nourishes my body and gives me the energy that I need to meet the call that I have been given. I eat in a way that helps fuel my activity level and my workouts. I eat in a way that is aligned with my personal beliefs that eating food in a form as close to its natural state as possible is best.

Do I always eat perfectly for my body? NO. Hear me again on that. NO.

And I don’t feel guilty about it.

During all the years when I used to “diet”, I would choose to indulge in delicious but terribly unhealthy goods, feel guilty, and then try to compensate for it by eating a drastically low number of calories, or by putting in extra time at the gym. This was a viscous cycle that took years to break.

I have finally gotten to a place where God has taught me differently.

Food is fuel.

The foods I choose to eat can either nourish my body and give me the energy I need to complete my daily tasks, or they can be used to meet an emotional/spiritual need that should only be filled by Him. They are a cheap substitute for His presence and will NEVER fully satisfy.

Once I began to understand that concept, I was freed.

I love the way that Alisa Keeton summarized it. She wrote:

“1.Base
every food choice you make on love. Not to be confused with gluttony,
self-indulgence, OR the lie that because you eat “clean” food you are
better than anyone else.

2.Pay attention to how you feel 30-60
minutes after you eat. Eat to fuel your ability to give and receive
love well. For some of you it will mean you eat meat and for others it
will mean you don’t. And the same goes for dairy and gluten or any other restrictive diet.

3. Don’t get too comfortable with your new plan (or rules) because
freedom is the goal and the plan could change according to your body’s
chemistry and life situations. Stay free but do not use your freedom to
destroy your freedom (Galatians 5)

4. Don’t judge someone else
for what they eat. The Food Police will go out of business once we get
Grace out of handcuffs and running free.” www.facebook.com/revelationwell

So with that being said, I’m sharing with you what foods I’ve found work well for ME to answer some of the questions that I have been getting. Use this as a starting point if you’d like, or feel free to go in a completely different direction.  There is no RIGHT or WRONG answer, only Grace.

Daily:

I usually wake up super early. At that point I have a big cup of coffee, a glass of water and an on-the-go protein bite. 

A couple hours later, I make breakfast.

Breakfast for me has to be quick and filling. It’s typically a protein shake made with a vegetable based protein powder and almond milk. You can find my favorite recipe here:

I eat every 3 hours, so I have a morning snack each day. This varies, but typically my go-to morning snack is almonds and an apple.

Lunch is usually a big salad, plus grilled chicken and other toppings.

 

I  keep the toppings separate typically when packing my lunch, and they usually include: olives, sunflower seeds, walnuts, dried cranberries and feta cheese. Seriously good!

I usually meal prep all of this on Sunday. You can learn more about that here.

I typically have an afternoon snack that offers some protein plus fruits and/or veggies. It may be carrots, celery, cucumbers plus some natural deli meat or if I’m in a rush it may be a protein bar with a low hormonal carb number. Another good option for me is a low sugar fruit such as a pear or berries plus some walnuts.

For Supper we have been learning and experimenting with new recipes. Many of my favorites you can find on this website under the Recipe Index tab. I try to make at least half of my plate vegetables, some good solid protein and a bit of healthy carbs.

I aim to eat as many whole foods as possible in my daily diet. For myself personally I have found by eliminating/reducing dairy, I feel better and have less seasonal allergies. I’ve also greatly reduced the amount of carbs that I eat in the form of processed grains, pastas, rice, etc. It has made a HUGE difference in my overall fitness level, my bodyfat percentage, and my mental clarity.

If I’m super hungry after supper I will have a small spoonful of natural peanut butter or an on-the-go protein bite. .

By eating this way I am no longer experiencing hunger, cravings or energy dips in the afternoon. I have figured out the way that my body best functions, and then I eat to meet those priortities.

I DO still have fun meals out, ice cream with my kids, or treats with friends. However, I stopped using every special occasion as a reason to indulge and have learned to eat in a way that meets my nutritional goals even if at a restaurant or a birthday party. I have learned balance and that choosing to indulge once a week or so will not derail my efforts and with the very next meal or snack that I eat, I get back on track with NO guilt.

This works well for me, but again, it may not for you. Find what works and then go with that.

If you do nothing else, start to begin looking at the nutrition labels on your foods. I used to look at these labels only for the fat and calories. Now I look first for the ingredients.

Are the ingredients items/names that I can pronounce? Are they items that my grandparents and great grandparents would have used when cooking and would they recognize it as “food”? Are there artificial colors, dyes, ingredients that I know are harmful to my health? (read this article for more info). The more ingredients a product has, the worse it is for your body. Our bodies don’t recognize many of the ingredients in our foods and so it has a harder time processing them.

Next I look at the hormonal carb impact . The lower that number, the better.

Using these two techniques helps me to make the best decision for my health goals personally.

I am always learning more about this and trying to gradually change not only my food choices, but also my family’s. It’s not always easy, but it is worth it.

As always, this healthy lifestyle can’t be about trying to achieve a flawless physique, to boast about our personal looks, or a quest in vanity. Our pursuit of health and wellness has to be an act of worship, obedience, in trying to mirror the goodness of God, and in stewarding well what we have been given.

Plus, when I’m feeding my body properly, I’m calmer, I’m kinder, I’m more patient and I have more energy.

You can do this, friends. You were not made to be stuck in a cycle of starving, then binging, then feeling guilty and starving again. I’m praying for you. Please let me know if I can help you or answer any questions you may have!

 

BIG NEWS!!!

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Something big has been happening around here lately.

You may remember about two weeks back when I wrote this post.

That was the first time that I had written/posted publicly about my dream of pursuing a certification called Revelation Wellness and really launching my wellness ministry.

Up until then, I had really only shared that dream with my family and a few close friends that I had been asking to pray. I didn’t even tell these friends at first what I wanted them to pray specifically for, only that I felt a calling into something that was God-sized and that I needed their prayers.

And then, weeks later,  I shared the dream with all of you.

I told you how my husband had supported my dream and then I asked you what YOU were being called to do. I told you that I was praying for you to have BOLDNESS and COURAGE in beginning to walk obediently towards whatever God-sized dreams you had.

And I’m sharing my story with you today to help prompt you a bit further.

Last Wednesday afternoon, I got a facebook message from the founder of Revelation Wellness, Alisa Keeton wanting me to email her. This in itself was enough to thrill my soul and to create quite a bit of excitement around my house, but at that point, we didn’t know what she wanted to talk to me about. She asked if I could be on a conference call on Monday, to which I of course said ‘yes’.

For the next 4 days I probably considered about 500 different possibilities of what she might want to talk to me about. I was so excited, and to be honest, also a bit scared. I drove Marcus C-R-A-Z-Y talking about it and went back and forth from one scenario to another trying to decipher what in the world would prompt me getting to talk with Alisa!

I was happy, and hopeful, and fearful, and thrilled, and anxious…the whole gamut.

I think maybe that’s the hard part of feeling called to do something that feels so far outside of your comfort zone…when it actually looks like it may come together, it’s a bit terrifying. I asked some of the same people to be praying and then I held my breath until my scheduled time to speak with Alisa today.

I learned that around three weeks ago, an amazing lady named Nicki (a Revelation Wellness instructor), living in Michigan, had been clearly told by God (GET READY FOR THIS) that she was supposed to give away the money she was going to earn teaching her kickboxing classes as a scholarship for someone to get their Revelation Wellness certification.

 She prayed over this decision, and felt like God told her with certainty that this was the direction she was supposed to walk in. She contacted Revelation Wellness and Alisa, and talked with them, and they told her to keep praying about it.

A week or two after that, somehow my post ended up on something she saw on Facebook. And because our God is amazing, and gracious and works all things together for our good, He placed me on her heart.

Nicki mentioned to her kickboxing class (a group of 10 men!) what she was going to do with the money they had given her, and to her surprise, two of them contributed EVEN MORE money towards this vision Nicki had been given. It added up to a total of $900.

For some reason God kept me on her heart and told her clearly that I was the one that she should give the scholarship money to. She contacted Alisa and Revelation Wellness again, and told them she wanted to give the money to me.

She poured out this beautiful story to me and told me that she wanted to give me $900 towards fulfilling my God-sized dream of enrolling in the Revelation Wellness certification program. The total cost of the semester’s tuition and retreat is around $1500, so this $900 would go a LONG way towards meeting this amount.

As you maybe remember, and as I’d written about, I have been saving money towards this certification myself. Back in November I had launched into a new venture to try to help me earn this money. About two weeks ago I decided this business venture just was not
possible with our busy schedules and had given up trying to pursue
earning any more money. My commissions up until that point, after taking out expenses, had been stuffed into an envelope upstairs in my room. The amount I’ve managed to save…$600.

The exact amount remaining to pay after the $900 scholarship.

Did you read that?

God worked out the FULL amount that I needed almost exactly at the same time as I STOPPED TRYING TO DO IT MYSELF.

Marcus and I have prayed from the very beginning that whatever God’s plans were for my wellness ministry would be fulfilled in His timing and for His purposes. We have prayed that if the Revelation Wellness certification was part of that plan, that He would do it and would make it glaringly obvious that it was the right choice. We prayed that He would throw the doors open wide if that was the right path and that He would make it happen. And we prayed that if it wasn’t the right path, that He would slam the doors shut.

I’m a bit of a ‘jumper’ meaning I jump into things very quickly, at times with little forethought or preparation.

We did not want this to be the case with this wellness ministry and so we have prayed specifically that it wouldn’t be anything that I MADE happen or forced my way into. We want it to be completely available for God to take and use as He sees fit.

And it’s scary.

And amazing.

I am trying to be obedient to the call that I feel God has given me.

I posted publicly about this God-sized dream hoping to inspire someone else to pursue their calling.

I didn’t realize that someone in Michigan would read it and be obedient to doing such an amazing thing for someone she had never met. But God did.

I don’t know what God has planned for the future of this wellness ministry or what life may look like in a couple years. But here’s what I know…

Our passions and our callings aren’t by happenstance, friends.

If you have a desire in your heart that seems out of reach, it’s not.

If you feel overwhelmed by what you think God is calling you towards, take the first step.

God not only cares about us, He KNOWS us and our hearts and He is true to his Word. He is working ALL things together for our good and for His glory. ALL THINGS.

It was not by happenstance that my husband felt led to have that jacket made for me for our anniversary. It was not a fluke that I decided to write about it, or that it was shared on social media. It was not a mistake that this amazing woman named Nicki happened to see the post, or that God pricked her heart to care about helping someone she may never meet. And it certainly wasn’t by accident that her clients chose to donate extra money bringing the total to the EXACT amount that I would need to put with what I had made for the tuition.

In ALL things He is working, friends.
In ALL things He is good.
And in ALL things He is faithful.

I am praying for you.

I know that someone that is reading this is feeling called even right now. You know that there is a desire God has placed in your heart and a ministry/calling that He is preparing you for.

You may be afraid.

You may be overwhelmed.

I get it. Hear me, friend, I GET IT.

But I want you to pray and then take the first step. Ask people around you to pray. Spend time in the Word and get the counsel of godly people around you.

And then trust. God is raising up an Army and you are a part of that.

Take the first step. And know that I’m cheering for you and here to pray you through!

Skillet Cabbage

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Super easy recipe that you can make quickly.

Ingredients needed:
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 TB Butter
1 tsp. salt
6 c. chopped cabbage
1 onion, chopped
1 TB garlic (I use the kind from the jar for convenience sake)

Directions:
In large skillet, saute butter and onion.

Add Carrots and cook 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes until tender.

Check the seasonings and adjust as necessary. We always add black pepper, and sometimes a bit of salt. A great addition for this dish might be to use a slice or two of bacon and saute it when you do the onions.

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

Transformation Tuesday

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If you don’t follow us on the Wellness Witness Facebook Page, you probably didn’t see this. I shared this picture:

Although the physical changes are obvious, what you can’t see in this picture are all the other things that changed that aren’t visible to the eyes:
My mental and emotional health
My spiritual health and closeness to God
My determination
My Confidence in who He made me to be
My joy!

Friends, change takes time. There will be days when you think you aren’t making any progress. But keep pressing on. Make good choices and eventually THEY PAY OFF.

I’m cheering for you today!

Sharing our Successes…meet KIM!

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Today’s Success story comes from a friend I met online- Kim. Her story is powerful and I know it will encourage you in your journey. I first ran across her page and I am daily amazed by the words that God gives her to share. I’m so excited she was willing to share her story with us at Wellness Witness.
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Hi!  My name is Kim and I am a stay at home mom
from the Dallas-Fort Worth Area in Texas. 
I have been married to my wonderful husband Ron for almost 15 years and
have two beautiful daughters.  
 When asked
to describe myself and my priorities, I usually refer to the “Five F’s”… my
FAITH, my FAMILY, FITNESS, healthy FOOD, and having FUN!  Everything I do usually revolves around these
priorities!  My journey is not your
typical story of a big transformation. 
In fact, health and fitness have been a big part of my life for most of
my adult years.  However, we all have
obstacles and struggles along our journey, mine came in the form of Lyme’s
Disease.
For several years, I had been
working out and eating clean, and saw great results; even the high cholesterol
that runs in my family had been lowered significantly into the “healthy
zone.”  I felt strong and healthy and was
in a really good place in my life. 
Everything changed after a family vacation when I came home with what
looked like a spider bite.  I ignored it
for several weeks, thinking nothing about it, until the horrible symptoms
began…Anxiety, joint pain, muscle weakness, heart palpitations, dizziness and
confusion wreaked havoc on my entire body. 
 I was diagnosed with Lyme’s Disease; something
that I had heard about, but never really knew how devastating it can be.  What I thought was a spider bite, was
actually from a deer tick that affects your central nervous system.  The treatment was four weeks of antibiotics,
and the symptoms got worse before they got better.  I spent many nights awake, covered in sweat
and in pain, crying out to God for help.
 Afterwards, I felt so weak, still having
lingering muscle and joint pain which got better over time.  It was heart wrenching to see the health that
I worked so hard to achieve, taken from me in a moment, and I could not see how
I would ever be able to restore it. 
However, during those weeks of illness, I was clinging to God’s Word and
His promises.  It was the ONLY thing that
brought me peace during those days.  Yes,
I was physically much weaker, but I had never felt so spiritually strong.  
With the help and encouragement
of family and friends, I decided to try working out again.  It was really a struggle in the beginning,
and for the first few weeks, my workouts lasted for about 5-10 minutes, and
then I would leave the gym in tears, completely discouraged and saddened.  
There were several times I wanted
to quit.  It was only because of the
promises in God’s Word, and the love and support of my family that I continued
to go back every day.  I clung to
Scripture and declared its truth throughout the workout, even though many times
my body was screaming to give up, but little by little, I regained my strength. 
 I will never forget the day I finally
completed a full hour workout…that day, I cried tears of joy and
thankfulness.  I still have trouble
making it through a workout without welling up with tears.  The ability to work out and have health is
such a precious gift, one that I will never again take for granted.  
Now, my hope and prayer is that I
can encourage and inspire others to fight through whatever difficulties and
obstacles they might be facing to become their healthiest!  I started a facebook page page, Fit Family Faith at first to
motivate myself and had only invited a few friends and family to it. 
 I am humbled beyond words to see how it has
grown and how God is using the Lyme’s Disease trial to be a testimony for
others who are facing trials of their own. 
There is an incredible scripture in Genesis 50:20 that echoes this,
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what
is now being done, the saving of many lives.”  I know that what I went through was intended
to harm me, but through God’s sustaining hand, I have come through it stronger
than I could ever have imagined and I love the person I have become, because I
have fought to become her!  
Another verse I mediated on often
was Romans 8:37, which says “in all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him who loved us.” 
Your obstacles are probably different than mine, but I believe the
solution is the same…include God in your journey.  I encourage you to write down your goals, and
be very specific.  Then, pray over them
daily.  Find a few scriptures that
encourage you and repeat them throughout the day, especially when you are
struggling with making healthy choices. 
Also, remember that it is a journey, and it takes time.  You will stumble from time to time, but give
yourself GRACE, and then keep moving forward! 
You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians
4:13)! 
Here are a couple of my “go-to”
scriptures for reference:


Genesis 50:20
Joshua 1:9
Psalm 91:14-16
Isaiah 41:10
Romans 8:37
Philippians 4:13
Thanks, Kim for your willingness to share with us! Y’all be sure to go stop by her Facebook page and click LIKE so that you don’t miss out on hearing more from her daily. You’ll be blessed, I promise!