Beth Green's Blog, page 6
October 29, 2015
Flat land
Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
So many people have described the Christian walk as a series of mountains and valleys. Sometimes you are on a spiritual “high” and thus on a mountaintop or on a spiritual “low” in a valley. I think that there are sometimes flat areas as well, like a long highway that seems to stretch on forever. On a mountaintop, it is much easier to worship and feel close to God; but in a valley it could be argued the same is also true because you are reduced to a raw and deeply penetrating hurt from which you need God’s help to survive. Maybe it is during these two times that God has shown you amazing Grace and Mercy. I know he has for me.
What about those long stretches of flat road? Have you ever found yourself traveling along with no immediate threats to your beliefs or no challenges to your life? My father-in-law is a retired preacher and he preached for over 40 years. One of his sayings was that “if the Devil isn’t after you, then maybe he’s already got you.” Well, I certainly don’t want to invite trouble but I have to tell you that when the Devil is after you, you will certainly know it.
Troubles come in many forms, whether directly from a spiritual attack or from the daily challenges of life. The stories in my own family have shown me so much about my need to seek God daily, no matter where I am on that road of life, whether it’s a mountain, a valley, or somewhere between. I’m positive that you could all tell stories in your own lives as well. Take a moment today analyze where you are right now. If you are in a valley, you most certainly know it. If you are on a mountaintop, you are probably aware of that as well. If you are not sure, I would bet you have found a nice flat area. Don’t let that road deceive you into drifting away from your Father in Heaven. You never know when you are going to hit a bump or curve that sends you right back into another valley. Building your relationship with him now will help you prepare for what lies ahead. He is always there…waiting for you.
So many people have described the Christian walk as a series of mountains and valleys. Sometimes you are on a spiritual “high” and thus on a mountaintop or on a spiritual “low” in a valley. I think that there are sometimes flat areas as well, like a long highway that seems to stretch on forever. On a mountaintop, it is much easier to worship and feel close to God; but in a valley it could be argued the same is also true because you are reduced to a raw and deeply penetrating hurt from which you need God’s help to survive. Maybe it is during these two times that God has shown you amazing Grace and Mercy. I know he has for me.
What about those long stretches of flat road? Have you ever found yourself traveling along with no immediate threats to your beliefs or no challenges to your life? My father-in-law is a retired preacher and he preached for over 40 years. One of his sayings was that “if the Devil isn’t after you, then maybe he’s already got you.” Well, I certainly don’t want to invite trouble but I have to tell you that when the Devil is after you, you will certainly know it.
Troubles come in many forms, whether directly from a spiritual attack or from the daily challenges of life. The stories in my own family have shown me so much about my need to seek God daily, no matter where I am on that road of life, whether it’s a mountain, a valley, or somewhere between. I’m positive that you could all tell stories in your own lives as well. Take a moment today analyze where you are right now. If you are in a valley, you most certainly know it. If you are on a mountaintop, you are probably aware of that as well. If you are not sure, I would bet you have found a nice flat area. Don’t let that road deceive you into drifting away from your Father in Heaven. You never know when you are going to hit a bump or curve that sends you right back into another valley. Building your relationship with him now will help you prepare for what lies ahead. He is always there…waiting for you.
October 11, 2015
Reaching out
James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…
How long has it been since you drew near to God?
He is still waiting...take a moment and reach out for His hand. It is still outstretched on the cross...
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…
How long has it been since you drew near to God?
He is still waiting...take a moment and reach out for His hand. It is still outstretched on the cross...
September 13, 2015
How to lose weight and eat more
Okay...here is the post that was requested by several of you about "clean eating". I didn't need to lose weight, except for a little around the middle. It's gone now and my husband is down 33 pounds. We eat all the time and I have never felt better. Here you go!
Some things I have learned eating “clean”
First, I am not paleo or vegan or anything in particular but I do follow a lot of recipes that are from these areas and adapt them if needed. For me, it is about getting the bad stuff out of my life. The obvious things are processed foods, fast foods, and fried foods. These are not too hard to avoid and you will find that doing so is just something you have to choose to do. Of course, you must check with your doctor before you make major changes to your diet or your kids’ diets; but if you were to talk to my doctor or my husband’s doctor, they would tell you that they cannot believe our blood chemistry and how it has changed. At 50, my husband has a total cholesterol of 125 now and his HDLs outnumber his LDLs. Mine is similar but I haven’t been doing this as long as him.
Here is what I have learned to avoid:
First, understand the science: Simple starches break down almost immediately into sugar, which spikes your glucose level and then your insulin levels—this sends your body into “fat storage mode”. You then feel hungry sooner because your body has now stored all that lovely starch in your fat cells. That is the simplest way to explain it all. The yucky chemicals in the food need to be avoided as well, so stick to terms like “organic”, “free-range”, and “grass fed”. If you read a label on something and you cannot pronounce the chemical, don’t eat it, unless you know exactly what it is and if it will help you in some way.
Sugar: This is the simplest form of food and will cause an immediate spike to your insulin production. Obviously this is good to avoid, but you really have to look for it sometimes. Stay away from the fake sugars especially. Those are not recognized by your body as food and sometimes spike your hunger. I eat natural sugars like Agave and honey but avoid the processed types.
Wheat: Some say whole grains are good but we stay away from it almost completely. I say almost, because sometimes we may be at an event and eat it without knowing. The GMO in wheat today is over the top. There are some “heart helping properties” of wheat but those are long gone in the newer varieties that pervade our food. The fiber you miss in grains will easily be replaced in whole organic veggies. I love starches and breads so I substitute a variety of “breads” and I have not missed them at all. I eat Paleo sandwich bread every day and it is amazing with almond butter and honey as well as a little fruit (my favorite is blueberries). This makes a great breakfast; but it could be a dessert.
Corn: The corn we are now fed is the GMO corn that was created to increase weight in livestock so guess what it does to us? You got it! Corn is full of starch too.
Potatoes: Oh my! I love these, but they are full of starch as well. Did any of you do that crazy test in Biology class where you test for starch in food and the potatoes were dark purple? Yes, there is some fiber there, but you can get fiber in the good foods. We eat sweet potatoes, which have much less starch and a ton of vitamins and nutrients your body can use, including fiber.
Dairy: OKAY, this was a hard one and we don’t completely eliminate it at our home. If we make something that needs cheese, we use a little sparingly and try to find organic cheeses. Same for cream cheese and sour cream. Milk, though, we stay away from and use either homemade almond milk (see the great trick for that below) or buy it—the store bought types have calcium and vitamin D added for you too. There are so many hormones in your milk today—you might be able to find a dairy farmer who doesn’t feed his cows the GMO laden corn etc but I suggest finding alternatives. Some people like cashew milk, etc. I only use this or coconut milk in recipes and haven't tried it to actually drink..
The next step is adding in the good stuff and learning to substitute and is more complicated but still not too bad. It is all about planning ahead and I mean don’t let yourself get caught in the last minute starving phase before you decide what to make. That being said, we can now do that because we have cleaned out our cupboards and have perfected some easy and good recipes.
Now, the most wonderful substitutions in the world are fairly easy. I will say that having a high speed blender (like Blendtec or VitaMix) is helpful but a good food processor might work. I am a VitaMix girl and love love love mine. I would jump in my car and race to the store for a new one if mine died.
Here are some interesting and good substitutions that have helped me be able to transform some of my own recipes as well as experiment with others.
1.) Zoodles: These are zucchini noodles made with a $10 spiral vegetable tool you can get at a store or on Amazon. The “noodles” can be made from zucchini, squash, carrots or anything you want. For me, the zucchini is the best! You have to know how, though. The secret is in the cooking. Making them is super fast and easy. I can use one medium zucchini and it makes plenty of zoodles for me and my husband. Once you make them, place them between two paper towels and squeeze out the water. Some people salt them and let the salt draw the water out but squeezing is great. Next, you saute them over low heat with a little olive oil or coconut oil for about 5 minutes and then serve. You can make them any length or cut them up slightly; but either way, use them for any of your favorite pasta recipes. We use them with grass fed beef spaghetti sauces or with roasted veggies etc.
2.) Pasta: I love pasta so I had to find the best ways to substitute for it. There are recipes for making pasta without wheat etc, but I like the following better. First, zoodles but you can also roast a spaghetti squash and gently pull out the center for noodles as well. Zucchini, eggplant, and even large mushrooms can substitute in your lasagna recipes. For mac and cheese, try some of the paleo mac and cheese recipes online. They use cauliflower for the “noodles”.
3.) Cauliflower: I cannot tell you enough great things about this vegetable. For rice, put a few pieces at a time in your food processor or blender and pulse to make small pieces. Just cook in the microwave and serve as a rice substitute. Now, that is just the beginning. It can be blended to become “mashed potatoes” or used to make cauliflower breads and pizza crusts. This is an amazing use of a great vegetable. I make the rice all the time and just throw in leftover veggies from the night before and sometimes meat for a great lunch.
4.) Almonds, almonds, almonds: Get used to buying them in bulk. You can make almond flour in your high speed blender or food processor —just place about a cup at a time in there and pulse to make it a coarse or fine flour, whichever you need. It can be substituted for all purpose flour in any recipe. If you want homemade almond butter, toast them on parchment paper for 10 minutes place in the blender or food processor and keep blending —eventually it will become almond butter. Mix in honey or coconut for interesting flavors.
5.) Coconut oil and flour. These are in so many recipes and are amazing. We use them so much and even make our own coconut flour sometimes. The oil is great on skin and hair too!
So, the above is the basic idea of re-thinking your cooking. Below is my favorite bread in the world. I eat a slice with honey and almond butter every morning, along with a handful of blueberries. It is a terrific breakfast. This bread is good for sandwiches; but I use it as a treat.
Almond Flour, Almond Butter, and Almond Milk
Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread out the almonds. Toast on 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let them cool and then process them until they turn to butter. The first stage, when you start turning up your VitaMix or processor, the almonds will turn to Almond Meal and then to a finer Almond Flour. I make this all the time to substitute in for all purpose flour. I don’t toast the almonds for this but you can. If you keep processing, though, the almonds will become almond butter. Sometimes I have to stop and scrap it down some. After you scoop it all out, leave about a tablespoon in the VitaMix or processor. Usually this is what is stuck to everything. Add one cup of water and process again. Now you have homemade almond milk and you have cleaned your processor at the same time. I sometimes add vanilla or agave to sweeten it; but it is wonderful just as it is.
Paleo Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
3/4 cup almond butter
5 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, blend the almond butter, eggs, coconut oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar together with a hand blender.
2 In a separate bowl, mix together the flaxseed meal, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
3 Pour the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until browned and completely set. Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.
Notes
Servings: 1 loaf
Difficulty: Medium
By Rebecca Bohl (PaleoGrubs.com)
Paleo Pancakes
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs (cage free)
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
Mix well and add more almond flour if too thin or almond milk if too thick. Cook on a griddle and enjoy. I use a little coconut oil to grease the griddle.
We eat these with maple syrup or make them thin to use a wraps. If I am making them for wraps, I omit the vanilla.
Hope this helps! We have learned so much and have a great stash of recipes now! I can post more later if you guys like it!
ONE LAST THING...
We have been doing this for several weeks now. We originally decided to incorporate "cheat meals" one time a week but no longer do this because we feel so bad afterward. We tried to "cheat" this past week and I became sick for several hours afterward with terrible heartburn and bloating. I talked with some other people who follow our type eating and they said that I was like a drug addict who cleans up in rehab and then tries to take a hit. Scary, isn't it? I
Some things I have learned eating “clean”
First, I am not paleo or vegan or anything in particular but I do follow a lot of recipes that are from these areas and adapt them if needed. For me, it is about getting the bad stuff out of my life. The obvious things are processed foods, fast foods, and fried foods. These are not too hard to avoid and you will find that doing so is just something you have to choose to do. Of course, you must check with your doctor before you make major changes to your diet or your kids’ diets; but if you were to talk to my doctor or my husband’s doctor, they would tell you that they cannot believe our blood chemistry and how it has changed. At 50, my husband has a total cholesterol of 125 now and his HDLs outnumber his LDLs. Mine is similar but I haven’t been doing this as long as him.
Here is what I have learned to avoid:
First, understand the science: Simple starches break down almost immediately into sugar, which spikes your glucose level and then your insulin levels—this sends your body into “fat storage mode”. You then feel hungry sooner because your body has now stored all that lovely starch in your fat cells. That is the simplest way to explain it all. The yucky chemicals in the food need to be avoided as well, so stick to terms like “organic”, “free-range”, and “grass fed”. If you read a label on something and you cannot pronounce the chemical, don’t eat it, unless you know exactly what it is and if it will help you in some way.
Sugar: This is the simplest form of food and will cause an immediate spike to your insulin production. Obviously this is good to avoid, but you really have to look for it sometimes. Stay away from the fake sugars especially. Those are not recognized by your body as food and sometimes spike your hunger. I eat natural sugars like Agave and honey but avoid the processed types.
Wheat: Some say whole grains are good but we stay away from it almost completely. I say almost, because sometimes we may be at an event and eat it without knowing. The GMO in wheat today is over the top. There are some “heart helping properties” of wheat but those are long gone in the newer varieties that pervade our food. The fiber you miss in grains will easily be replaced in whole organic veggies. I love starches and breads so I substitute a variety of “breads” and I have not missed them at all. I eat Paleo sandwich bread every day and it is amazing with almond butter and honey as well as a little fruit (my favorite is blueberries). This makes a great breakfast; but it could be a dessert.
Corn: The corn we are now fed is the GMO corn that was created to increase weight in livestock so guess what it does to us? You got it! Corn is full of starch too.
Potatoes: Oh my! I love these, but they are full of starch as well. Did any of you do that crazy test in Biology class where you test for starch in food and the potatoes were dark purple? Yes, there is some fiber there, but you can get fiber in the good foods. We eat sweet potatoes, which have much less starch and a ton of vitamins and nutrients your body can use, including fiber.
Dairy: OKAY, this was a hard one and we don’t completely eliminate it at our home. If we make something that needs cheese, we use a little sparingly and try to find organic cheeses. Same for cream cheese and sour cream. Milk, though, we stay away from and use either homemade almond milk (see the great trick for that below) or buy it—the store bought types have calcium and vitamin D added for you too. There are so many hormones in your milk today—you might be able to find a dairy farmer who doesn’t feed his cows the GMO laden corn etc but I suggest finding alternatives. Some people like cashew milk, etc. I only use this or coconut milk in recipes and haven't tried it to actually drink..
The next step is adding in the good stuff and learning to substitute and is more complicated but still not too bad. It is all about planning ahead and I mean don’t let yourself get caught in the last minute starving phase before you decide what to make. That being said, we can now do that because we have cleaned out our cupboards and have perfected some easy and good recipes.
Now, the most wonderful substitutions in the world are fairly easy. I will say that having a high speed blender (like Blendtec or VitaMix) is helpful but a good food processor might work. I am a VitaMix girl and love love love mine. I would jump in my car and race to the store for a new one if mine died.
Here are some interesting and good substitutions that have helped me be able to transform some of my own recipes as well as experiment with others.
1.) Zoodles: These are zucchini noodles made with a $10 spiral vegetable tool you can get at a store or on Amazon. The “noodles” can be made from zucchini, squash, carrots or anything you want. For me, the zucchini is the best! You have to know how, though. The secret is in the cooking. Making them is super fast and easy. I can use one medium zucchini and it makes plenty of zoodles for me and my husband. Once you make them, place them between two paper towels and squeeze out the water. Some people salt them and let the salt draw the water out but squeezing is great. Next, you saute them over low heat with a little olive oil or coconut oil for about 5 minutes and then serve. You can make them any length or cut them up slightly; but either way, use them for any of your favorite pasta recipes. We use them with grass fed beef spaghetti sauces or with roasted veggies etc.
2.) Pasta: I love pasta so I had to find the best ways to substitute for it. There are recipes for making pasta without wheat etc, but I like the following better. First, zoodles but you can also roast a spaghetti squash and gently pull out the center for noodles as well. Zucchini, eggplant, and even large mushrooms can substitute in your lasagna recipes. For mac and cheese, try some of the paleo mac and cheese recipes online. They use cauliflower for the “noodles”.
3.) Cauliflower: I cannot tell you enough great things about this vegetable. For rice, put a few pieces at a time in your food processor or blender and pulse to make small pieces. Just cook in the microwave and serve as a rice substitute. Now, that is just the beginning. It can be blended to become “mashed potatoes” or used to make cauliflower breads and pizza crusts. This is an amazing use of a great vegetable. I make the rice all the time and just throw in leftover veggies from the night before and sometimes meat for a great lunch.
4.) Almonds, almonds, almonds: Get used to buying them in bulk. You can make almond flour in your high speed blender or food processor —just place about a cup at a time in there and pulse to make it a coarse or fine flour, whichever you need. It can be substituted for all purpose flour in any recipe. If you want homemade almond butter, toast them on parchment paper for 10 minutes place in the blender or food processor and keep blending —eventually it will become almond butter. Mix in honey or coconut for interesting flavors.
5.) Coconut oil and flour. These are in so many recipes and are amazing. We use them so much and even make our own coconut flour sometimes. The oil is great on skin and hair too!
So, the above is the basic idea of re-thinking your cooking. Below is my favorite bread in the world. I eat a slice with honey and almond butter every morning, along with a handful of blueberries. It is a terrific breakfast. This bread is good for sandwiches; but I use it as a treat.
Almond Flour, Almond Butter, and Almond Milk
Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread out the almonds. Toast on 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let them cool and then process them until they turn to butter. The first stage, when you start turning up your VitaMix or processor, the almonds will turn to Almond Meal and then to a finer Almond Flour. I make this all the time to substitute in for all purpose flour. I don’t toast the almonds for this but you can. If you keep processing, though, the almonds will become almond butter. Sometimes I have to stop and scrap it down some. After you scoop it all out, leave about a tablespoon in the VitaMix or processor. Usually this is what is stuck to everything. Add one cup of water and process again. Now you have homemade almond milk and you have cleaned your processor at the same time. I sometimes add vanilla or agave to sweeten it; but it is wonderful just as it is.
Paleo Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
3/4 cup almond butter
5 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, blend the almond butter, eggs, coconut oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar together with a hand blender.
2 In a separate bowl, mix together the flaxseed meal, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
3 Pour the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until browned and completely set. Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.
Notes
Servings: 1 loaf
Difficulty: Medium
By Rebecca Bohl (PaleoGrubs.com)
Paleo Pancakes
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs (cage free)
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
Mix well and add more almond flour if too thin or almond milk if too thick. Cook on a griddle and enjoy. I use a little coconut oil to grease the griddle.
We eat these with maple syrup or make them thin to use a wraps. If I am making them for wraps, I omit the vanilla.
Hope this helps! We have learned so much and have a great stash of recipes now! I can post more later if you guys like it!
ONE LAST THING...
We have been doing this for several weeks now. We originally decided to incorporate "cheat meals" one time a week but no longer do this because we feel so bad afterward. We tried to "cheat" this past week and I became sick for several hours afterward with terrible heartburn and bloating. I talked with some other people who follow our type eating and they said that I was like a drug addict who cleans up in rehab and then tries to take a hit. Scary, isn't it? I
September 11, 2015
It's Football Time Again
Football Time: a wife's perspective
I have been married to a wonderful man for over 25 years. He coached football for many of those years and still helps with the younger teams. Being a coach's wife is a precarious situation. You are never able to really speak your mind and you walk on eggshells with friendships, knowing that your husband may have to confront the people around you at some time, whether it's another coach's wife or a parent. I have learned how to give birth to twins on a Friday morning and let my husband coach that same night. I have learned how to endure the harsh critics in the stands who don't understand how much my husband has poured into the team. I have learned to leave my pain in the stands and walk out to him on the field after a tough loss and support him when he feels like a failure. I have learned how to get up on Saturday mornings after those games and help him leave it behind him in order to face new team and a new challenge the upcoming week.
Here's 10 things I want you to learn:
1.) Playing time is based on performance, period. If your child is not playing as much as you think that he or she should, don't blame anyone. Believe me, that coach wants to win more than anyone else on the field and he or she will play the players that will bring that win. This is mostly speaking to the competitive levels of play. I understand the lower levels with equal time etc. By the way, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
2.) After a Loss: shake the coach's hand no matter how you feel. He or she is not able to handle any criticism or comments after a game. Send him a card encouraging him and don't talk about him in front of your kids. If you don't agree with how he handled something, set up a meeting.
3.) After a Win: shake the coach's hand and thank them for all that they did to help prepare this last week. Do you know that a coach makes pennies on the hour at the lower levels and they are doing it because they LOVE kids? At least they should be...there might be a few stinkers out there.
4.) During the game: Shut your mouth unless its positive. The last thing anyone wants to hear is how bad a call was. I promise you that the coach knows things went awry. Besides, the play might have been an excellent call and was executed poorly. Oh! By the way, do you want him to show up at your work and yell at you over your shoulder while you work?
5.) Love your kids and enjoy the game. Please understand that less than 1% of high school players go to the next level and very few to the pros. The average pro career is 4 years. Wow! Do you really want to push that on your child? A 4 year career? Relax and enjoy what you kid is doing. He will love you for that and believe me--he is embarrassed when you act like the child instead of him.
6.) Get involved in a positive way: Offer to bring the team a meal or hold chains for the chain gang. How about donating money for the underprivileged kids on the team? Find a way to connect and you will enjoy it a whole lot more. There are always needs.
7.) Give you kid a hug even if his jersey is clean and he never set foot on the field. Those kids are just as valuable as the starting quarterback. Everyone is needed and the experience is good for them all. Winning, losing, playing, or being benched are all valuable experiences in life. Let him become a man.
8.) Trust in your coach: unless he is doing something you know is crazy or dangerous. Most coaches are excited and invigorated to be back on the field and don't sleep at all during the season. They pour hours and hours into films and meetings and practices. Give them a break and let them coach.
9.) Don't talk about the coach in a harmful way to ANYONE! If you are not happy with it--leave. It's better that you go than to be the one rotten apple. Coaches are humans...they aren't perfect...but neither are you. Again...do you want him showing up at your job and critiquing you? If you do, I will let him know.
10.) Lastly...please just enjoy the game
I have been married to a wonderful man for over 25 years. He coached football for many of those years and still helps with the younger teams. Being a coach's wife is a precarious situation. You are never able to really speak your mind and you walk on eggshells with friendships, knowing that your husband may have to confront the people around you at some time, whether it's another coach's wife or a parent. I have learned how to give birth to twins on a Friday morning and let my husband coach that same night. I have learned how to endure the harsh critics in the stands who don't understand how much my husband has poured into the team. I have learned to leave my pain in the stands and walk out to him on the field after a tough loss and support him when he feels like a failure. I have learned how to get up on Saturday mornings after those games and help him leave it behind him in order to face new team and a new challenge the upcoming week.
Here's 10 things I want you to learn:
1.) Playing time is based on performance, period. If your child is not playing as much as you think that he or she should, don't blame anyone. Believe me, that coach wants to win more than anyone else on the field and he or she will play the players that will bring that win. This is mostly speaking to the competitive levels of play. I understand the lower levels with equal time etc. By the way, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
2.) After a Loss: shake the coach's hand no matter how you feel. He or she is not able to handle any criticism or comments after a game. Send him a card encouraging him and don't talk about him in front of your kids. If you don't agree with how he handled something, set up a meeting.
3.) After a Win: shake the coach's hand and thank them for all that they did to help prepare this last week. Do you know that a coach makes pennies on the hour at the lower levels and they are doing it because they LOVE kids? At least they should be...there might be a few stinkers out there.
4.) During the game: Shut your mouth unless its positive. The last thing anyone wants to hear is how bad a call was. I promise you that the coach knows things went awry. Besides, the play might have been an excellent call and was executed poorly. Oh! By the way, do you want him to show up at your work and yell at you over your shoulder while you work?
5.) Love your kids and enjoy the game. Please understand that less than 1% of high school players go to the next level and very few to the pros. The average pro career is 4 years. Wow! Do you really want to push that on your child? A 4 year career? Relax and enjoy what you kid is doing. He will love you for that and believe me--he is embarrassed when you act like the child instead of him.
6.) Get involved in a positive way: Offer to bring the team a meal or hold chains for the chain gang. How about donating money for the underprivileged kids on the team? Find a way to connect and you will enjoy it a whole lot more. There are always needs.
7.) Give you kid a hug even if his jersey is clean and he never set foot on the field. Those kids are just as valuable as the starting quarterback. Everyone is needed and the experience is good for them all. Winning, losing, playing, or being benched are all valuable experiences in life. Let him become a man.
8.) Trust in your coach: unless he is doing something you know is crazy or dangerous. Most coaches are excited and invigorated to be back on the field and don't sleep at all during the season. They pour hours and hours into films and meetings and practices. Give them a break and let them coach.
9.) Don't talk about the coach in a harmful way to ANYONE! If you are not happy with it--leave. It's better that you go than to be the one rotten apple. Coaches are humans...they aren't perfect...but neither are you. Again...do you want him showing up at your job and critiquing you? If you do, I will let him know.
10.) Lastly...please just enjoy the game
July 13, 2015
Giveaway!
The Giveaway is over and five winners were chosen. I upgraded the books to autographed copies and they will be mailed tomorrow. I decided to offer two autographed copies of my former novel, The Club as well.
Keep posted to my Facebook page The Green Author for more giveaways and prizes that will be announced soon!
Keep posted to my Facebook page The Green Author for more giveaways and prizes that will be announced soon!
July 9, 2015
Making Ends Meet and More
Making Ends Meet and More
My husband and I were married for several years and thought we were unable to have children. We had nearly given up on having a baby when we purchased a larger home instead; but we still prayed for a miracle to be able to have a family. When God answered our prayers and blessed us with a pregnancy, we became convicted that I should stay home to take care of our new daughter when she arrived. This seemed to be a crazy idea, since my husband was a teacher with a meager salary at the time and my salary was very good. We were so convicted, though, that we sold our home and found a much smaller and cheaper home that needed a lot of work. I remember my mother in law actually crying when she saw it because it was in such bad shape.
We bought the home and moved in and then began to tackle the endless painting and repairs that it needed. The yard was also in terrible shape and we spent countless hours on it as well. I remember the window panes inside the house were so dirty that they were dark gray and difficult to see through. Within a few weeks, we were able to scrub and sweat our way to the diamond that we always knew was underneath. We had a small amount of money in savings and my husband and I began to pray that it would last because we knew that even this house was going to challenge us. Our thought was that we would dip into savings only when necessary and try to make it last as long as we could. We hoped that we could make it until our daughter started school and I could then return to work.
About three months after moving in to our small home, my husband came home to tell me that something amazing had happened. He was offered a new job that would provide us free housing as well. The job was at a high school that he had attended. A job like this was not even on our radar as a possibility, since he was teaching at a college at the time. We were so excited that we immediately put the house on the market.
To understand the next part of this story, you have to know this about me. I devoured any home magazine and TV show that I had time to read or watch and I yearned to have a home with curb appeal and every detail perfectly coordinated and planned. I spent hours working on these tasks in our first home and decided that a big house would be a perfect dream to work toward. When I found out we were going to get “free housing”, I envisioned a pretty little home on the campus with a nice yard for our daughter. I quickly found out that the “free housing” was not a house at all. Our house was an apartment in a dorm at the end of one of the halls on the third floor.
When my husband told me the news, I am pretty sure that he thought I would be upset; but I was thrilled. Me, the house queen, who yearned for the dream home in magazines was actually happy to move into a dorm. I am not sure how but God changed me immediately. Not slowly or steadily but He instantly changed my heart to understand the gift He was giving us. My priorities were now my family and that has never changed since that time.
If this were the end of the story, it would be enough to pass along; but God wasn’t through yet. He had much more to show us. Not only did our house sell in two days, the lady that bought it had to rent it from us for a few months before completing the sale (more income for us) and the house sold for almost double what we had paid for it--even after the money we had spent to repair and fix it up.
We eventually lived in several other places around the school campus and I was always in awe of how wonderful they all were, when in reality they were nowhere near the dream home that I was sure would bring me incredible joy. God took a girl who had always put a lot of value in things and curb appeal to a woman who found joy and happiness in a place to live and raise her family. The transformation in my heart was amazing. The years we spent at this school allowed me the time to eventually have four daughters (another miracle story for another day) and stay home with them as well.
If the story ended here, again, it would be amazing; but God was still not through. For several years, my husband’s career took us to other places without free housing and God was able to not only keep me home but increase our savings again and again. When we wrote out our budget, it made absolutely no sense that we could even make ends meet much less save money as well. So many times I felt like the woman in 1 Kings 17:16 with the oil and flour that was never exhausted. Several times we would need something and before we could even worry about it, someone would provide it or the item would simply last longer than it should have.
We have never felt the love and devotion of our Father more than we did during those days. He sustained us and then as an added bonus, he gave us more. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! He is with you always (Mathew 28:20).
My husband and I were married for several years and thought we were unable to have children. We had nearly given up on having a baby when we purchased a larger home instead; but we still prayed for a miracle to be able to have a family. When God answered our prayers and blessed us with a pregnancy, we became convicted that I should stay home to take care of our new daughter when she arrived. This seemed to be a crazy idea, since my husband was a teacher with a meager salary at the time and my salary was very good. We were so convicted, though, that we sold our home and found a much smaller and cheaper home that needed a lot of work. I remember my mother in law actually crying when she saw it because it was in such bad shape.
We bought the home and moved in and then began to tackle the endless painting and repairs that it needed. The yard was also in terrible shape and we spent countless hours on it as well. I remember the window panes inside the house were so dirty that they were dark gray and difficult to see through. Within a few weeks, we were able to scrub and sweat our way to the diamond that we always knew was underneath. We had a small amount of money in savings and my husband and I began to pray that it would last because we knew that even this house was going to challenge us. Our thought was that we would dip into savings only when necessary and try to make it last as long as we could. We hoped that we could make it until our daughter started school and I could then return to work.
About three months after moving in to our small home, my husband came home to tell me that something amazing had happened. He was offered a new job that would provide us free housing as well. The job was at a high school that he had attended. A job like this was not even on our radar as a possibility, since he was teaching at a college at the time. We were so excited that we immediately put the house on the market.
To understand the next part of this story, you have to know this about me. I devoured any home magazine and TV show that I had time to read or watch and I yearned to have a home with curb appeal and every detail perfectly coordinated and planned. I spent hours working on these tasks in our first home and decided that a big house would be a perfect dream to work toward. When I found out we were going to get “free housing”, I envisioned a pretty little home on the campus with a nice yard for our daughter. I quickly found out that the “free housing” was not a house at all. Our house was an apartment in a dorm at the end of one of the halls on the third floor.
When my husband told me the news, I am pretty sure that he thought I would be upset; but I was thrilled. Me, the house queen, who yearned for the dream home in magazines was actually happy to move into a dorm. I am not sure how but God changed me immediately. Not slowly or steadily but He instantly changed my heart to understand the gift He was giving us. My priorities were now my family and that has never changed since that time.
If this were the end of the story, it would be enough to pass along; but God wasn’t through yet. He had much more to show us. Not only did our house sell in two days, the lady that bought it had to rent it from us for a few months before completing the sale (more income for us) and the house sold for almost double what we had paid for it--even after the money we had spent to repair and fix it up.
We eventually lived in several other places around the school campus and I was always in awe of how wonderful they all were, when in reality they were nowhere near the dream home that I was sure would bring me incredible joy. God took a girl who had always put a lot of value in things and curb appeal to a woman who found joy and happiness in a place to live and raise her family. The transformation in my heart was amazing. The years we spent at this school allowed me the time to eventually have four daughters (another miracle story for another day) and stay home with them as well.
If the story ended here, again, it would be amazing; but God was still not through. For several years, my husband’s career took us to other places without free housing and God was able to not only keep me home but increase our savings again and again. When we wrote out our budget, it made absolutely no sense that we could even make ends meet much less save money as well. So many times I felt like the woman in 1 Kings 17:16 with the oil and flour that was never exhausted. Several times we would need something and before we could even worry about it, someone would provide it or the item would simply last longer than it should have.
We have never felt the love and devotion of our Father more than we did during those days. He sustained us and then as an added bonus, he gave us more. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! He is with you always (Mathew 28:20).
July 8, 2015
When a Christian hurts you...
I know we have all been there...we trust someone and they let us down. It is painful enough anytime; but for some reason, it hurts more if it is a fellow Christian.
My family has gone through some very tough times over the last few months. Financially, emotionally, and physically we have been challenged and stretched until we have almost broken at times. With the comfort of leaning on God, we have made it. I have to tell you, though, the betrayal by fellow believers has worn me down.
Within the past few years, I can name several incidents where my family has endured harsh and cruel treatment from fellow Christians. Ironically, some of the people who have treated us well have been non-believers. The actual details of these incidents really don't matter; but I can tell you that I was cut to the core with some of it and I had to keep reminding myself what we all know: Christian does not equal perfect. In fact, I believe that when someone gives their life to Christ, it is an acknowledgment from that person that they are a sinner and need the Grace of God to be forgiven. That knowledge is comforting; but let's be real: I was hurting and I didn't want to hear that.
One day while I was lamenting on some of the problems we were facing, I just curled up on my bed and had a heart to heart talk with God. I really think that He wants us to do that--he is our Heavenly Father. Why wouldn't He want us to come to Him (even in frustration).
Somewhere in that prayer/conversation that I was having, a peace washed over me and let me know that I was going to make it. I would love to tell you that everything was perfect after that; but it wasn't. It takes a daily effort to "seek ye first the kingdom of God" but remember the rest of the verse that says: "and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33. So what are "all these things?". Back a couple of verses this refers to what we will eat, what we will drink, how will we be clothed.
I began to seek God and not worry about any of the little problems. I decided to let Him worry about the other people that had wronged me and let me concentrate on Him. I know I should have quoted the verse about praying for my enemy, etc; but I will be honest with you: that took a few more weeks of seeking God.
So, my point here? To let you know that if it has not happened to you yet, it probably will. Someone you are close to in the church will hurt you or disappoint you. I wish that I could say that Christians are now perfect (only someday in Heaven will that be true). For now, we are just sinners saved by Grace. Be patient and keep seeking God. He will never disappoint you.
My family has gone through some very tough times over the last few months. Financially, emotionally, and physically we have been challenged and stretched until we have almost broken at times. With the comfort of leaning on God, we have made it. I have to tell you, though, the betrayal by fellow believers has worn me down.
Within the past few years, I can name several incidents where my family has endured harsh and cruel treatment from fellow Christians. Ironically, some of the people who have treated us well have been non-believers. The actual details of these incidents really don't matter; but I can tell you that I was cut to the core with some of it and I had to keep reminding myself what we all know: Christian does not equal perfect. In fact, I believe that when someone gives their life to Christ, it is an acknowledgment from that person that they are a sinner and need the Grace of God to be forgiven. That knowledge is comforting; but let's be real: I was hurting and I didn't want to hear that.
One day while I was lamenting on some of the problems we were facing, I just curled up on my bed and had a heart to heart talk with God. I really think that He wants us to do that--he is our Heavenly Father. Why wouldn't He want us to come to Him (even in frustration).
Somewhere in that prayer/conversation that I was having, a peace washed over me and let me know that I was going to make it. I would love to tell you that everything was perfect after that; but it wasn't. It takes a daily effort to "seek ye first the kingdom of God" but remember the rest of the verse that says: "and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33. So what are "all these things?". Back a couple of verses this refers to what we will eat, what we will drink, how will we be clothed.
I began to seek God and not worry about any of the little problems. I decided to let Him worry about the other people that had wronged me and let me concentrate on Him. I know I should have quoted the verse about praying for my enemy, etc; but I will be honest with you: that took a few more weeks of seeking God.
So, my point here? To let you know that if it has not happened to you yet, it probably will. Someone you are close to in the church will hurt you or disappoint you. I wish that I could say that Christians are now perfect (only someday in Heaven will that be true). For now, we are just sinners saved by Grace. Be patient and keep seeking God. He will never disappoint you.
June 28, 2015
Why didn't God come as a woman?
I was sitting with a few friends the other day and I made a remark that stuck in my own head for several days.
Here is the setting: graduation of some of our children, discussions on aging parents, and so on. I jokingly stated:
Why do women have to battle the emotions of our children leaving home, aging parents, and menopause all at the same time?
Our poor husbands have to mop up tears for weeks.
Then I jokingly said:
"Why didn't God come as a woman? Maybe then he would have changed the timing on all of this."
We all laughed; but I was haunted by the idea that I might be on to something.
Why didn't he come as a woman? I know the obvious answer of the stigma of a woman in the old culture, etc.
But...we marvel at how he came as a baby...laid in a lowly manger...in a dirty barn...I mean why not make him a woman as well to really stack the odds against him in that culture? (Again, laughing here is encouraged)
There is no way to understand the ways of God; but I do know the ways of man in that century and there is no way anyone would have listened to her. That is a fairly well known fact of that culture at that time. There is more though.
I believe that God has represented himself as a male throughout time, calling himself "Father" (Numerous verses reference this; but try 1 Corinthians 8:6 as a start).
God has also made it clear that man is to be the spiritual leader of the home (1 Corinthians 11:3), therefore, God would have to come as a man.
OKAY! So the Biblical stuff points to a man, I get it. What I am saying is this: Of course Jesus (and God) can relate to all that we go through since God came in the form of man.
Can we all just breathe in and out and then laugh for a second when I say this:
I just think that a little PMS might have gone a long way to help us women to NOT have to pay for Eve's mistake forever.
This is where you smile and laugh...I just wanted to be a little funny. Please know that I do understand the big picture here.
For those of you who are confused...that was not my intent. Just laugh with me as I say it again:
Why didn't he just come here for a couple of months as a woman...preferably with aging parent and menopause (he didn't have children...but maybe when his nieces and nephews were moving away too).
It's okay.
Jesus is my life.
I love him.
He does understand me, even though I am a woman and even when I am a little hormonal.
Here is the setting: graduation of some of our children, discussions on aging parents, and so on. I jokingly stated:
Why do women have to battle the emotions of our children leaving home, aging parents, and menopause all at the same time?
Our poor husbands have to mop up tears for weeks.
Then I jokingly said:
"Why didn't God come as a woman? Maybe then he would have changed the timing on all of this."
We all laughed; but I was haunted by the idea that I might be on to something.
Why didn't he come as a woman? I know the obvious answer of the stigma of a woman in the old culture, etc.
But...we marvel at how he came as a baby...laid in a lowly manger...in a dirty barn...I mean why not make him a woman as well to really stack the odds against him in that culture? (Again, laughing here is encouraged)
There is no way to understand the ways of God; but I do know the ways of man in that century and there is no way anyone would have listened to her. That is a fairly well known fact of that culture at that time. There is more though.
I believe that God has represented himself as a male throughout time, calling himself "Father" (Numerous verses reference this; but try 1 Corinthians 8:6 as a start).
God has also made it clear that man is to be the spiritual leader of the home (1 Corinthians 11:3), therefore, God would have to come as a man.
OKAY! So the Biblical stuff points to a man, I get it. What I am saying is this: Of course Jesus (and God) can relate to all that we go through since God came in the form of man.
Can we all just breathe in and out and then laugh for a second when I say this:
I just think that a little PMS might have gone a long way to help us women to NOT have to pay for Eve's mistake forever.
This is where you smile and laugh...I just wanted to be a little funny. Please know that I do understand the big picture here.
For those of you who are confused...that was not my intent. Just laugh with me as I say it again:
Why didn't he just come here for a couple of months as a woman...preferably with aging parent and menopause (he didn't have children...but maybe when his nieces and nephews were moving away too).
It's okay.
Jesus is my life.
I love him.
He does understand me, even though I am a woman and even when I am a little hormonal.
June 27, 2015
Top ten ways to tell you are getting old
I work with kids and love every minute of it. One of the siblings of a child I work with asked me how old I was the other day. My response was to ask how old he thought I was--big mistake!! His mom and I watched him squirm, as he tried to figure it out. Finally, he blurted out, "I guess you are at least thirty!"
I was so happy because I am WAY past that number. But then he continued his answer:
"...one hundreds."
My heart sunk a little and then I just had to laugh. It made me think, though, about how old is old. When I was 10, I thought 30 was old. When I was 30, I thought 50 was old. Well, let's just say that "old" seems to get older as I age. Then I thought maybe we needed to quantify being old in some way, so I came up with this list:
Top ten ways to tell you are getting old:
10.) You commonly rush into a room to get something and then stand there for ten minutes trying to figure out what it was.
9.) You wake up sore from sleeping.
8.) You DVR documentaries to watch in your leisure time.
7.) You turn on the local rock station and don't know a single song.
6.) Your family begins to talk about you with you in the room.
5.) People you consider old try to help you.
4.) You walk past a mirror and see your mother in the reflection.
3.) You find an old friend on Facebook and marvel at how old he/she looks.
2.) You dress only for function and never consider whether it is in style.
1.) Eating dinner at 4:00 PM is considered a late night.
I was so happy because I am WAY past that number. But then he continued his answer:
"...one hundreds."
My heart sunk a little and then I just had to laugh. It made me think, though, about how old is old. When I was 10, I thought 30 was old. When I was 30, I thought 50 was old. Well, let's just say that "old" seems to get older as I age. Then I thought maybe we needed to quantify being old in some way, so I came up with this list:
Top ten ways to tell you are getting old:
10.) You commonly rush into a room to get something and then stand there for ten minutes trying to figure out what it was.
9.) You wake up sore from sleeping.
8.) You DVR documentaries to watch in your leisure time.
7.) You turn on the local rock station and don't know a single song.
6.) Your family begins to talk about you with you in the room.
5.) People you consider old try to help you.
4.) You walk past a mirror and see your mother in the reflection.
3.) You find an old friend on Facebook and marvel at how old he/she looks.
2.) You dress only for function and never consider whether it is in style.
1.) Eating dinner at 4:00 PM is considered a late night.
May 16, 2015
Finding time to read
I posted the following question on one of my favorite pages one day and had so much fun reading the responses.
Here it is!
Question-- How many of you have been so engrossed in a book that you have been here:
1.) Is that the kids coming in already? Oh well, they can get their own snack
2.) Oh, yeah, I do need to start dinner...just need to finish this chapter...
3.) Well, I do have that pizza coupon...I can just order that in a minute...but first--a few more pages
4.) That must be the pizza man...he knows his way in--he can figure it out. Now where was I...
5.) Yikes...bath time. Well, the kids did play in the sprinklers yesterday AND I don't want to ruin their skin by washing it too much...just another chapter.
6.) Okay...I know the house is pretty quiet. I guess they are all asleep. Seems okay to just keep reading.
7.) What is that bright light coming through the shades? It's morning already? What kind of time warp are we in here?
Here it is!
Question-- How many of you have been so engrossed in a book that you have been here:
1.) Is that the kids coming in already? Oh well, they can get their own snack
2.) Oh, yeah, I do need to start dinner...just need to finish this chapter...
3.) Well, I do have that pizza coupon...I can just order that in a minute...but first--a few more pages
4.) That must be the pizza man...he knows his way in--he can figure it out. Now where was I...
5.) Yikes...bath time. Well, the kids did play in the sprinklers yesterday AND I don't want to ruin their skin by washing it too much...just another chapter.
6.) Okay...I know the house is pretty quiet. I guess they are all asleep. Seems okay to just keep reading.
7.) What is that bright light coming through the shades? It's morning already? What kind of time warp are we in here?
