faith Archives -

A Lesson On Endurance

March 3, 2016

I’m not very good at telling people how much they mean to me. Mostly because when I try, I’ll get two words out before the tears start flowing and i’m squeaking out the rest in my best Alvin the Chipmunk voice. For that reason, Pastor Kip and Cheryl Potter have no idea just how much they do.

Pastor Kip was my youth pastor. He is also the best Pastor I’ve had. (Don’t tell my Dad I said that.) Growing up in the church as a preacher’s kid, you would think that I’d be an angel. Always on my best behavior, and paying attention to every word. That wasn’t exactly the case. I have a short attention span, and even if it looked like I was listening, my mind had a tendency to wander. My butt was in the pew, but my mind was on how I was going to convince my dad to let me hang out at my friend’s house after church. It was easy to lose me. A word or reference that I didn’t understand could throw me way off track. Once the train left the station, it went around the world before it made it back to the sermon.

…

Strong, Fearless, Beautiful

January 26, 2016

“She is clothed with strength and dignity. She can laugh at the days to come.” – Proverbs 31:25…

Prayer Packages: Product Review

August 28, 2015

I recently received a sweet gift from my new friends over at Prayer Packages. Coincidentally, it happened to arrive just on time as I was recovering from a Crohn’s flare up and a week-long hospital stay. Good old fashioned snail mail is not something I receive too often, and this beautiful package was quick to put a smile on my face.

…

Thank You

August 27, 2015

Two weeks ago I shared my testimony here on the blog. I was completely overwhelmed by the response I received, and by how many people my message has reached. Several of you have written to me of similar experiences, thanking me for sharing some hope for a better future. It touches my heart to know that the Lord is working through me to reach out to others and make a positive impact on their lives. Just knowing that I have helped one person makes everything I do worth while. I am so blessed and excited to witness this growth in my ministry….

Sickness, Healing, and Something Bigger.

August 10, 2015

Overwhelmed, confused, and scared, I sat in the hospital bed with tears streaming down my face and a lump in my throat. Trying to make sense of the medical gibberish coming from the doctor’s lips, the only words that continued to play through my mind were “chronic disease“….

Welcome Lacie Mae

October 30, 2014

Photo by Casey Green Photography

On the morning of July 17th, 2014, I was making my final preparations for the birth of my second baby girl. My bags were packed, my house was sparkling, and my phone calls were made. Though nothing could prepare me for the extravagant change that was about to take place in my little world….

Stop Comparing Yourself To Pinterest

October 28, 2014

If you are like me, or any other woman I know, you have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. At some point you have stayed up way too late pinning recipes, outfits, and home décor. You are incredibly inspired by the countless number of beautiful photos and how-to’s. However….you are also incredibly intimidated. Pinterest is your frienemy.

When you are constantly fed images of beautiful, flawless women, clean and organized homes, and elaborate dinners, all perfectly styled and appealing… you often forget to remember that THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE. Every one of these photos are planned, styled, and edited to perfection. Nobody wakes up with not a hair out of place and flawless glowing skin. Nobody pulls a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven in the middle of a sparkling clean kitchen. Nobody is pinterest-perfect. And I will be the first to tell you, I am far from it.

What you see…

…what you don’t see

Obviously, I am not going to broadcast my sink full of dishes, or my room so full of toys you cant see the carpet (except for today). I am willing to bet that not many people do. Naturally, we don’t show off what we are not proud of. But you know what? You should be proud.

what you see…

…what you don’t see

Those dirty dishes are there because you took the time and effort to prepare a home-cooked meal for your family, when you could have ordered pizza. Those toys on the floor are there because your kids are playing, learning, and growing, when they could be sitting in front of the tv with a bag of potato chips. Your hair is up in a bun, your nails are chipped, and your feet are bare because you are working with your hands, getting down and dirty, playing, cleaning, and taking care of those you love.

But this issue with comparison….this seems to go deeper than I thought. We aren’t just comparing ourselves to the women on magazines and television and internet. We are comparing ourselves to every woman we meet. Every woman we pass in the grocery store. Every woman. Everywhere.

Whether you are thinking “I wish I could do my hair like that.” and “how does she keep her house so clean?!”, or “I am so glad I don’t look like that” and “oh I could do that way better.” this constant comparison has got to stop.

Galatians 6:4 (NIV)- “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else…”

Romans 12:5 (MSG) – “Lets just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.”

The only one we should ever be comparing ourselves to is Christ. After all, he is the ultimate judge, and the only one that matters. If we could focus on pleasing the Lord rather than pleasing ourselves or the people around us (or the people across the internet) we are much more likely to find peace and satisfaction. Of course, Jesus is the only one without sin, and these thoughts are just naturally destined to cross our minds, but I encourage you to pay them no attention. Just remember who’s opinion matters. Put God first, and family next.

You are doing a great job. Don’t let media discourage you. Be the one who inspires others to live life to the fullest. Don’t take things for granted. Our time here is short. Spend it showing the ones you love how much you care about them. Find balance, take time to play, and embrace imperfection. And remember, you are enough.

My prayer:
Lord,
Please forgive me for the times that I have valued others opinions above my own, or even worse, above yours. May I strive to please you daily, rather than pleasing the world. Let my life be an example of your love. And let every woman who is struggling with self-acceptance feel your love and guiding hand in their lives. Thank you for your Word, and the opportunity to share it.

Heather Holland of MrsPaleoMommy is Blooming!

October 26, 2014

I had a wonderful opportunity to attend a creative workshop earlier this week, entitled “The Bloom Workshop“. Hosted by Ashley Slater Photography and Michaela Noelle Designs, the workshop offered education and inspiration to improve styling and design, photography, and blogging skills. These ladies have gone above and beyond to put together such a fun and informative day!

Feeling incredibly encouraged and inspired, I couldn’t think of a better time to announce the launch of my new website! As for now, the majority of you have most likely found your way here from my blog, Mrs Paleo Mommy. You may be wonder “why the change?”. The answer is simple. To allow for growth. The word “paleo” can be very limiting. Not everyone follows a “paleo” diet, however, there are multiple food allergies effecting families across the world. I don’t want to leave anyone out. My dream is to create and share recipes that anyone and everyone can enjoy!

My passion for helping others can not be limited to sharing recipes. Each of us have our own unique experiences, which I believe should be shared with others who may be in the same situation, looking for a solution to a problem that you have already found. Blogging is my way of giving to others. Recipes, craft ideas, DIY projects, parenting and lifestyle tips, anything that life decides to throw my way. If I have been there, I want to help you get through It. Men, don’t worry! I am not going to make you suffer through countless estrogen-filled ramblings on “How to make a cute baby carrier” or “keeping your husband happy”. The new and improved design will allow for easy navigation, making it simple for you to bypass what you don’t care to read and head straight for what you came here for. Alternatively, if you come for it all, every post will be collected under the “blog”.

Thank you so much for following! I hope you find something you like, and I encourage you to interact and let me know when you have, or if you can think of ways that I may improve your reading experience! I look forward to getting to know my readers on a more personal level. Please bear with me, as the site is still under construction. The upcoming design is going to be beautiful and I cant wait for you to see it!

Here is a glimpse of the beautiful day I spent at Bloom The Workshop!

Thoughts from The Thoughtful Cavedad and French Toast Frittata!

August 12, 2014

Hi, I’m Paul, from Thoughtful Cave Dad. Well, one of the Pauls anyways. There are actually two of us nutcases over there having some fun with this family-oriented Paleo blogging thing.

When Heather asked me a month or so ago to write a guest post she said, “We obviously have enough time, so there is no rush.” Little does she know me, since I’m writing this within about 5 days of her due date!

I have to admit, though, I’ve struggled a bit trying to figure out what to write for the past month since she first asked me. See, Heather and I don’t know each other well. In fact, like most of us on these interwebs, we’ve never met and have only interacted a bit via Facebook. But despite that, I am truly honored she asked me to write guest post for her during this most special time of her life.

To get some inspiration I did the thing we do on the internet. I checked out her blog a little more closely than I had in the past, looked at both her personal Facebook page and her blog-related page. And the thing that struck me most were her pictures. Not the Paleo Food Porn we Paleo bloggers are famous for, but those of her and her husband Joshua, and their two little, incredibly beautiful girls, Lyla and Lacie (who’s yet to arrive as I write this, but there are pictures of Heather and Lacie together as one, and they are truly beautiful!).

Looking through all these pictures of this young family is incredibly moving. They are very obviously very much in love with each other, and I can see how much Lyla adores both Mommy and Daddy. Maybe it’s a little sappy to say this, but yes, they remind me of my wife and daughters when they were young. The love seen on their faces and in their eyes is what we feel in our hearts. We are very different families on the surface. Heather and hers living down south in Georgia, a place I’ve only passed through many years ago long before marriage or children, and me and mine living up here in the fast-paced life of the Northeast, 40 or so miles from Boston.

But yet, at the same time, we have so much in common. A mother whose daughters are her whole life; a father who will, and does, do anything possible or necessary to love and support the ladies who bring him so much joy; and little girls, innocent, beautiful gifts from God. Especially those little girls. They’re magical creatures. They have the power to turn the worst days into Sunshine and Rainbows, their smiles can melt the harshest anger, and their hugs make nothing else matter at all. I know this from my own experience, and I can see it in Heather’s family photos. They have something very special. A gift only God can bestow.

Both of our families are in the middle of a major transition as well. Heather and Joshua with the impending arrival of their second daughter, Lacie. Our family is in the process of uprooting our lives and moving to a new home and a new town. We’re leaving the home my wife and I build 18 years ago; the only home our girls have ever known, the house we brought them home to when they were born. Heather’s family will experience the joys and struggles of new family dynamics, Lyla will be a big sister (one of the most important jobs she’ll ever have), Heather will have 2 little ones to keep track of during the day, and Joshua another reason to get up in the morning and to come home to at night. We will have to deal with a new house we don’t know and that we didn’t build, neighbors a whole lot closer than we’re used to, and our girls, for the first time, will be in different schools and have to make all new friends.

These are HUGE, scary changes for both of our families and they come with lots of stress and the anxiety of the unknown. But, as the saying goes, “Worry is a misuse of imagination!”. These changes open up just as much opportunity and adventure as anything else. We are all beginning a new chapter in our lives, and are faced with the blank pages waiting for us to write down the plot and fill in the characters.

As I write this, I think of how fortunate we both are to have brought the Paleo lifestyle to our families and how we are both trying to help others find this way through our blogs and other efforts. How we both found our way here from the SAD way of life we knew previously. In both cases it was a major change and upheaval to our lives. For some the prospect of making dietary changes is just as scary as having a baby or moving to a new town; possibly even more so. But I look back on my own journey and realize how far I’ve come and how grateful I am that I made this change for me and my family. I look at all the good things which have resulted; the clearer skin, the better sleep, the lowered anxiety, and the remarkable health we’ve all enjoyed, and I thank God for leading me and my family in this direction.

To be sure, there were plenty of challenges. No one wants to give up pizza or pancakes, and to be frank, many of the Paleo re-creations are poor imitations of that sugar and chemical-laden garbage we used to enjoy (and sometimes still do on rare occasions). The kids especially have had times where our families food choices made them stand out as different at school, and concessions are often made on my part to accommodate them. No dad wants to give his girls a food-oriented complex, after all!

So yes, transitioning to Paleo can be tough, and it requires a lot of work. But it’s really like any other transition or change in life which requires us to move from the known comfortable routine of our lives into the uncomfortable, often unpredictable, chaos of the unknown. It requires trust, and Faith, and yes, a whole lot of work! And many times it really doesn’t seem worth it. We must trust, though, blindly sometimes, that the future holds as much adventure and excitement as any other possibility. And that with each big change comes growth in ourselves, for the better. As Nietzsche said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger!”. So I choose to enter this major transition in my family’s near future with the same excitement that I know Heather and her family are facing with the approaching arrival of Lacie. The future is unwritten, a blank page for us to write the story on. And so it is with those of you committed to making a change in your own lives to improve your health and heal your family. Choose health and happiness. Fill in those blank pages, create those new characters, and trust in God that he led you here because He has even greater things in store for your future!

I polled my kids and asked what breakfast recipe I should share with Mrs. Paleo Mommy and her readers. There was quite a bit of discussion, and a whole lot of disagreement. In the end, however, we all agreed on a couple things:

There are 5 billion recipes for Paleo Pancakes which anyone can Google.
We should share something for which I already have pictures of.

We had lots of ideas, but in the end, we agreed that it should be something our family loves and wants to share, and something you perhaps haven’t had before and probably can’t find a lot of different versions of out on the interwebs.

So I present to you…

French Toast Frittata

Now, I can’t exactly claim responsibility for this one, since it’s not mine, but I’ve raved about it to so many and my family loves it so much I feel like it’s become my own. But the true genius behind this recipe is my friend, former gym-mate, kettlebell trainer extraordinaire, and the brains behind the web site (and Facebook page) Emotional Eating Solutions. Jamie first shared this recipe with me and my friends years ago on my first 30 Day Paleo Challenge, and my family has been enjoying it ever since. Please thank her by liking her FB page and checking out her website!

And without further ado, here’s how you make it.

1. 1 Sweet Potato

2. Peel

(Note: The end is sliced off for use with a spiral slicer. If you don’t have one, skip this step)

3. Shred the sweet potato

4. Sautée shredded sweet potato on med-low heat in grass-fed butter or coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

(Note: those little round pieces are the “core” of the potato from the spiral slicer.)

5. While the sweet potato is cooking, prepare the egg batter.

6. Use 8-12 fresh, pastured eggs (store bought are fine if that’s what you have).

7. Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (I like a LOT of each!)

8. Beat extremely well (I use my immersion blender).

9. When sweet potato is properly sautéed, add the egg mixture to the pan.

10. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or so.

(while this is cooking, turn on your broiler and start heating up the oven.)

11. Finally, place the pan in the over under the broiler and cook for 5 minutes.

(Time will vary depending on how many eggs you used. Keep an eye on it and test it with a toothpick if unsure.)

12. Slice and serve. And, for a real treat, drizzle some organic maple syrup over it!

Voilá! French Toast Frittata! I hope your family enjoys this as much as ours does!