Category Archives: MUSINGS

Mornings of Vacation

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This morning was glorious and right now, mid-afternoon, I’m still in its glow. I rose when God told me, got dressed and worked out like He said, and talked to Him on my bike and in the sunshine on my front porch. This is my time with Him, my mornings of vacation, a phrase He gave me when I lamented my life no longer being my own.

When I was a young mother, still trying to find my way, the Lord spoke this concept to me so motherhood wouldn’t overwhelm me. As a career woman making a good wage I was used to being able to vacation whenever I was in the mood. With a husband but no children I still was able to freely get away. My baby changed that and I resented that. But one morning on a family trip for a friend’s wedding, I slipped away to a garden on a local college campus, and among the pond teeming with fish, the potpourri of plants, flowers and grass and the warm breeze that felt like it would forever last, I felt free; I was at peace. I felt like I was on vacation. This morning, away from the baby and daily grind, I was alone with God, Him supplying me rest, helping me be my very best, for that day. Then He told me this vacation wasn’t just for this day, but for all my days. These would be my mornings of vacation.

Busy women, particularly those recovering from strong black womanhood, have to have mornings of vacation. Your time doesn’t have to be in the day and maybe your retreat won’t be in some home corner space, but you must create your mornings of vacation whatever the time of day. Decompress, by yourself, everyday so you can stay in the place where God needs you to be. We have to be good for Kingdom work on our jobs, in our homes, and when we’re alone needing to hear from God what He wants to work out in us.

Schedule what would be your day, everyday, to have your mornings of vacation. We all need a getaway, even if for just a few moments in our own home.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#711-720
The quiet morning
The crisp air
Direction for friendship
Another view of God’s longsuffering with us
Getting a blog post while gardening
Juicing
Completing Joshua’s science prroject
Flynn cooking chicken
Completing an interview for a magazine
Going Beyond receiving Your First Year of Motherhood

Friday Feature: Acidic v. Alkaline Body

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We have a host of health problems in the United States and the root of many of our issues may be that our pH balance is off. Our pH, which stands for potential of hydrogen, determines if our body is more acidic or alkaline. For optimum health, our bodies need to be more alkaline. When our bodies are more acidic, we may have common problems, like indigestion, chest pains, and belching. The more extreme issues that can come from having acidic bodies, also known as acidosis, are immune deficiencies, cardiovascular damage (such as blood vessel constriction and reduced oxygen), weak bones, kidney stones, and chronic fatigue. I have even heard that a more acidic body is the ripe environment for cancerous cells to grow. Whatever our health problems, making sure our bodies are more alkaline should be a top priority.

Our pH level is based on a scale from 1-14, with the higher numbers representing a more alkaline body. The recommended pH is between 7.35 and 7.45, with 7.4 being considered ideal. To find out your pH level you can buy pH strips from a pharmacy and test your saliva or urine. Regardless of what your pH level is, you should work to create a more alkaline body by eliminating certain foods from your diet and incorporating other foods.

As you may have guessed, acid-yielding foods include animal products, like meat, eggs and dairy. Other culprits include white flour and sugar, artificial sweeteners, beverages with caffeine, and soft drinks. To help alkalize our bodies, we have to consume alkaline-yielding foods like kale, baby spinach, avocados, cucumbers, apples, collard greens, lemons and limes. Green drinks are also great for alkalizing our bodies.

In general, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less meat and processed food products. Doing so increases the chance of our bodies being pH balanced and decreases the chance of our bodies being diseased.

Show Forth God’s Glory

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What Do You Think? Wednesday

What are you doing to show forth God’s glory?

If you’re a counselor, then counsel.
If you’re a singer, then sing.
If you’re a writer, then write.
If you’re a dancer, then dance.
If you’re a preacher, then preach.
If you’re a stylist, then style.
If you’re a runner, then run.

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

This should always be our prayer. This should always be our practice.

This is my constant desire, but busyness and fatigue try to make me forget, turning my mind to the time when I get to stop or just take a little break. I stop and I think about why I was created then commit all that I have created to God. I know I’m not the only one whose fatigue and busyness make you forget who you were created to serve. Maybe you have other issues that prevents you from bowing to Jesus. So tell me, what challenges do you have doing “whatever you do. . .for the glory of God”? Please, tell me what you think.

Obedience is Key

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God has a calling on each of our lives. He placed us on earth to fulfill that calling, wants us to flourish in that calling, so He equips us not just to fulfill but to flourish in whatever arena He places us. Sometimes we doubt, I know I do, if we have what it takes to parent appropriately, to minister accurately, to speak the truth compassionately. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness—for how to live and to do so in a manner pleasing to Him. Our key is to obey Him. Obedience opens every door that God has ordained for us to walk in. Obedience to God, and not our strong black women ways, will take us to and keep us in the place God has for us. We just have to believe that obedience is all we need. Read more about this in my latest EEW Magazine column, which begins below:


God so amazes me. When Dianna invited me last year to be the EEW parenting columnist I knew this was something God had for me. I had been a long-time reader of EEW and desired to contribute to its voice, but I never felt like there was a place for me. Every column had a columnist, and I was never inspired to contribute in the magazine’s other areas. When I understood that Dianna wasn’t just inviting me to write a column but to be the columnist I was excited and a little afraid. How will I connect with the readers? Will I be able to come up with enough topics? Will they read my column when my oldest son is only 8, hardly the age to make me a parenting “expert”?

These doubts kept me where I should be, at Jesus’ feet, asking, begging Him to cause me to succeed. He is the inexhaustible God of wisdom and from Him I have received an abundance of topics and biblical and practical direction to share with you. He has given me so much that in January I had enough column topics to cover publishing dates through September, and God has since extended my storehouse through December. This week I had planned to talk about how we can help our children respond to the culture war against Christians who believe in the biblical definition of marriage being between one man and one woman. I thought this was particularly fitting in light of the recent backlash from Chick-fil-A owner Dan Cathy’s expression of his belief in traditional marriage. But a word God gave me last week is what I have to share with you this time. Read the rest here.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#701-710
A successful video shoot
Vince Yarbrough for filming and producing the video
Justus hugging me at the knees
Justus and Nate waking up on their own early
Getting children and me ready for church without many complications
Jesus dying for my sins and being raised up so I would have life
Joshua for initiating reading the Bible stories (in the children’s Bible) about Jesus’ death and resurrection
Going to bed early
Waking up with Jesus on my mind
Gardening in the morning without interruption

Friday Feature: Avocado Health

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Last month after more than a year I stopped being a vegetarian who was mostly a raw vegan. I eat meat again! When I first ventured back into the omnivore world I could only eat small amounts, my body only used to food that digests easily. A month later I can sometimes eat two chicken legs at one meal and not feel initially overstuffed, but as the food makes its way through my digestive tract I begin to feel heaviness in my gut. When this happens I know for the next few meals I need to eat little to no meat. To help me feel full and get the protein and fat I need, I often choose to eat an avocado.

Avocado is considered a super food because of its more than 20 nutrients, which include Vitamins C and E, carotenoids, selenium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocadoes, full of good fat, increase your “good” cholesterol (HDL) levels. They have anti-inflammatory properties, all the 18 amino acids needed for the body to form a complete protein and can be used in a number of ways. I eat avocadoes alone, on salads and sandwiches, in smoothies, spread on toast, on nachos and in what has become one of my favorite quick snacks or even a meal: 5 Minute Guacamole.

5 Minute Guacamole

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado (Gently squeeze the skin to see if there are soft, but not really soft, spots. Really soft spots mean the avocado is overripe and may not taste good.)
  • 2-3 tablespoons of salsa (Choose one without any chemicals and other additives and that has standard guacamole ingredients of onions, cilantro, hot peppers, like jalapeños, and lime or lemon juice.)

Directions
Cut the avocado around the long way and remove the seed. Scrape out the entire avocado, including what’s stuck to the skin, and place in a bowl. Mash with a fork, leaving some chunky pieces. Add 2-3 tablespoons of salsa and mix together. Serve with nacho chips and enjoy.

I like to add raw olives to my guacamole and dip my mixture up with nacho chips. Like plain avocado, you can use this guacamole on a sandwich, spread on toast or as a topping to a loaded nacho. We can enjoy food and still get the health benefits we need while doing so. Here’s to your fast fixing and good eating!