The Yellow Light

It's the first day of Advent. My spirit is telling me, Slow down. Proceed, but proceed with care.

I've already been feeling overwhelmed. (That's code for stressed) When to decorate? When to bake? Prepare gifts? Find sitters for the engagements we have on the calendar? And strings of holiday lights swirl into a blur around me...

This is NOT what Christmas was intended to be. A celebration- yes. And celebrations do come with preparations. But is my heart prepared? How am I going about the preparations?

My natural tendency, which I'm fighting hard not to do right now, is to pump my body full of good, strong coffee, make my lists and conquer them.

But there's this yellow light. This yearning, this urgency to lightly press the brake pedal and look from left to right. To look around. To be aware. Cautious even. If I just stay on cruise control (or let's be real- HYPER SPEED) I might miss it. Miss everything.

The past few Advent seasons I've spent some time in a book I've mentioned before. It's really stirred me to the soul. And this Advent I'm journeying along through Ann Voskamp's The Greatest Gift. I'll leave you with a snippet.

"Big and glossy and loud and fast-that's how this bent-up world turns. But God, when He comes- He shows up in this fetal ball... The mystery so large becomes the Baby so small, and the infinite God becomes infant. The Giver becomes Gift, this quiet offering. This heart beating in the chest cavity of a held child, a thrumming heart beating hope, beating change, beating love, beating the singular song you've been waiting for- that the whole dizzy planet's been spinning round waiting for. 
Waiting.
Advent.
It come from the Latin.
It means "coming"."

The Gift of Experience

I'm over the Christmas lists. Already. I have enough stuff and so do my kiddos. Don't get me wrong: we are so richly blessed and thankful for the things we have. With 4 separate sets of parents/grandparents, there is always an abundance at birthdays and Christmas. And for that I am grateful. Many times the monetary gifts we receive at Christmas will be our personal spending the rest of the year. With a tight budget of $10 a month of personal money these days, I am SURELY looking forward to some of the blessings that will be flowing our way this holiday season. Don't get me wrong.

It's just the stuff. Okay, I'm talking about toys. We've got a closet full of them downstairs and bedrooms stocked upstairs. Even a few bins in the attic that can be rotated in on a rainy day.

For the past several years, I've had this inkling to simplify. To purge. And not just to purge the excessive amount of kids' stuff in our home, but my closet, household products, etc.

But it's HARD. Especially when it comes to my closet. I like having lots of options. But I also like having a tidy, well organized closet with hangers that are neatly spaced apart from one another. If you think that's strange, I'd just like to say that I've come a long way from previously color coding and arranging from sleeveless to long sleeve. Baby steps.

So while these ideas of a simplified and more minimalistic lifestyle have been tugging at my heart, I needed to put it out there. There is something about telling others about the things living in your head that make them real. That invokes action. And maybe I'll even find some fellow sojourners along the way. I know you're out there...

Along with cutting the clutter from my heart and my home is the desire for my kids to cherish experiences and time spent with others or serving others over stuff. It's been a blast and a blessing to ask for a received gifts such as a pool pass, Imagination Station membership and Zoo membership in the past. These things are a good start. But I want to foster a love for seeking, exploring, doing and serving. I believe that these are true gifts, and deep, meaningful blessings can come from such things.

My dear friend and pseudo-mother, Laura Grace Weldon, often writes on this idea. She's onto something, has been for years. You can read about it here.

And so the question remains. Amidst my counter-cultural bend and good intentions, how do we keep gifts simple? Keep CHRISTMAS gifts simple? Please know that I am not anti gift-giving. I don't want to be a ba-humbug! Right now I'm just searching for a balance and to cut the excess. I'm looking for ideas and some friends who are along for the ride with me. Don't be shy now... :)

Quinoa- 3 Ways

I was first introduced to quinoa several years ago when we were at a neighbor's house for dinner. She used it as a side and I was intrigued by this unusual food pronounced "keen-wa". The more I found out about the health benefits (high in protein and fiber, wheat and gluten free to name a few) and its versatility, I was hooked! 

Recently I made this little dish shown below: Sweet and crunchy quinoa salad.

It. Is. So. Yummy.

I've made it lots before and kinda forgot about it. Going to have to get back to making it more often. I love having it around for lunch.

So with that said, I thought I'd share my top 3 fav quinoa recipes. They are all delightful and I hope they encourage even the most skeptical of quinoa to give 'er a whirl.

#1 Sweet and Crunch Quinoa Salad (Not sure of the original source of this recipe. My mom found it and passed it on)

1 cup quinoa (I used tri-colored organic quinoa from Trader Joe's in the pic above)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes about the same size
3 1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (SUPER YUM)
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely diced red onion

-Add the quinoa and water to medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let quinoa sit for at least one hour, preferably three, to cool.

-Preheat oven to 400 degress. Toss cubed sweet potato in about 1/2 Tbs of olive oil and spread them on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Bake for 25 mins or until you can just pierce them with a fork. Set aside.

-Place the pine nuts into a small pan over medium heat until lightly toasted, stirring often. Set aside.

-In a small bowl, place the remaining 3 Tbs olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Whisk well.

-When the quinoa is dry, use a whisk to break apart the seeds and place into a large bowl. All half the vinaigrette and mix with the whisk. Add more to taste. (I add it all) Add the sweet potatoes, toasted pine nuts, cranberries and red onion and mix gently. Serve at room temperature.

#2. Quinoa Chili (adapted from this recipe) Super flavorful, meatless option for chili.
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
1 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (19oz) can black beans rinsed and drained or 2 containers of slow cooker black beans
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup frozen corn
And toppings are always recommended: sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, cilantro, etc.

-Add the quinoa and water to small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat.

-Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Cook the onions and garlic until softened (about 5 mins). Add chili powder and cumin and cook for about 1 minute.

-Add tomatoes, black beans, green and red pepper, zucchini, and oregano. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

-Once the peppers are tender, add the quinoa and corn. Simmer another 5 minutes.

-Serve with desired toppings.

3. Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf  (also adapted from allrecipes.com) You won't have to worry about your meatloaf being dry with this recipe! And it's so tasty. I double it if we have guests or want leftovers. It goes quick.

1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1.25 lbs of ground turkey
2 Tbs dried minced onion (soak in 4 Tbs. water for about 5 mins and drain off any excess water before using)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs BBQ sauce (I usually just skip this and double the ketchup)
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp water

-Add the quinoa and water to small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
*I've found it's best to make the quinoa ahead of time so it has ample time to cool. Sometimes if it's too warm it can throw off the temp on the meat thermometer.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Stir the ground turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, ketchup, BBQ sauce, 2 Tbs Worcestershire, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl until combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a baking stone/bar pan or a foil lined baking sheet.
*My loaf is usually short in height and wide across as opposed to tall and thick like it would be if it were cooked in a bread loaf pan.

-Combine brown sugar, Worcestershire, and water in a small bowl. Rub paste over the top of the meatloaf.

-Bake in the preheated oven until a meat thermometer reads at least 160 degrees. Center should no longer be pink. This should take around 50 minutes, but judge by the temp on the meat thermometer, not the cooking time.

-Let meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bon appetite!

Smoothies for Sickies

Earlier this week Millie was running a fever. It was a lower fever (101-102) and I let it burn while spending the better part of the day holding, cuddling, reading books and watching a few favorite shows with the little hot box. The next day the fever was gone and no illness actually developed. The fever did what it needed to do and fought off whatever it was fighting. The body amazes me. 

I'm a big believer that food is medicine. I often reach for the kitchen cabinet before the medicine cabinet. When we've got colds or fevers, smoothies are our go-to. 

Here are a few of our favorite (and simple) smoothie combinations when we're fighting colds.

Kale and Pineapple Smoothie  (we call this one a Crocodile Smoothie for it's awesome green color)

*modified from this Orange Pear Kale Smoothie

-about 1 cup pineapple (fresh or canned in pineapple juice, not heavy syrup)

-3 or 4 small leaves of kale (stems removed and torn into pieces)

-half a cup to 1 cup frozen peaches or mango 

*fresh pears or oranges are also really great to throw into this one

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more liquid (water or pineapple juice, even OJ) as needed.

Strawberry, Orange, Pineapple
-about 1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed (organic is best)
-1 orange or a few clementines or tangerines, peeled
-about one cup of fresh or canned pineapple
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Add pineapple juice or orange juice if more liquid is needed.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Smoothie (especially great for when the appetite starts to come back)

*modified from this Apple Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

-1 red apple (washed, cored and cut into chunks. Leave peel on. I use organic Gala)

-1 banana

-1/2 cup cooked steel cut oats

-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. 

Smoothies are versatile and super kid-friendly. You can play around with the measurements, use what you have on-hand and switch up the ingredients to your personal preferences :)

*Things I like to keep around for smoothies:

-organic steel cut oats (I cook them and store them in a container in the fridge)

-frozen bananas (wait til they're good and ripe then peel, cut in half and store in a ziplock in the freezer)

-almond milk, unsweetened (great, non-dairy subsitute)

Photo credit

Interesting things I've learned about fevers:
-It's good to avoid dairy, protein, refined sugars and heavy food. It's especially helpful to avoid protein as your body needs energy for  a healthy immune response, and protein in a diet requires more energy for digestion than other foods.
-Drink water at room temperature as opposed to cold water. The body uses less energy to "heat up" tepid fluids as opposed to cold fluids.

Interesting things I've learned about colds
-It's good to avoid dairy products since they have a tendency to increase and thicken mucus.
-Onions are an awesome way to help relieve congestion in babies. I used to put a few slices of onion on a plate near the crib when my babes were stuffy. Not the greatest odor, but it works.

The information above can be found in Natural Baby and Childcare by Lauren Feder, MD and Smart Medicine fora Healthier Child by Janet Zand (N.D., L.Ac.), Robert Roundtree (M.D.), Rachel Walton (MSN, CRNP)

Both of these books do a wonderful job of describing and giving general information on the illness as well as providing conventional treatment, dietary guidelines, nutritional supplements, herbal treatments, homeopathic treatments, general recommendations and preventative methods. I appreciate the well-balanced, multi-faceted look at illness as opposed to a bunch of random and questionable advice that can come from a Google search.

As far as over-the-counter meds for kiddos, I really like Zarbee's All Natural Cough Syrup and Hyland's Homeopathic Cold 'n Cough. I've found these products at Kroger and Meijer. The kids love them and I think they help them rest better for naps and bedtime.

Would love to hear your cold season tips and tricks!


*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nurse, nor do I claim to be. These are just simple, natural ways that I have found helpful  to me and my family when battling the sickies :)

Combating Comparison

Several weeks ago a super sweet friend and partner in ministry asked if I'd team up with her to talk about comparison at a Brookside women's event.

Comparison.

Funny. It's been plaguing me for months.

For me, comparison is like asthma. It's always there, but sometimes there are flare-ups.

So, I thought I'd relate some of the things Kala and I shared to a room full of 40-some women. And be sure to check out her blog post on the matter. You'll be missing out on a lot of richness if you don't :)

Let's start with what comparison does to yourself.

Theodore Roosevelt had it right when he said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." As Kala mentioned it robs us of so much: peace, satisfaction, self-worth and celebration, to name a few.

I've also become aware of how comparison robs us of the way God created us and the very special work and purpose he has for us. It doesn't get much clearer than what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians.

A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair? The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 The Message (emphasis mine)

How about what comparison does to your friendships?

Friendships can be a minefield for comparison. I spoke to the Mamas in the crowd on this one.

From the moment I became pregnant, I entered a whole new realm of comparison.  When I was pregnant, I looked at other baby bumps around me. “Well that’s a cute little bump” or “She doesn’t even look pregnant from behind.” And after I had my babies it was, “She had her baby about the same time I did, but she’s lost all of her baby weight!” And now, I can look around at other moms and think, “Wow. She is super mom.” Or, “Wow. She has no control over her children.” And not only and I comparing myself to someone I was never meant to measure up against, I am passing judgment on them. I am looking at the outside. 

Comparison is so shallow.

It reminds me of a story in the Old Testament when the Lord leads Samuel to choose the next King from Jesse’s sons.  Samuel assumes that the tallest, buffest, most handsome son will be the next King, but he is wrong. And God reminds him: The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) That, my friends, is the trap I often fall into. Whether we're at the store, on the playground, reading a blog or scrolling through Facebook, we can compare ourselves ALL. DAY. LONG.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. The Lord is showing me that if I give it to Him, He will take it. Gladly. Here are two things that have been helpful to me when comparison starts to creep in.

1.    Confessing it.
Calling it what is it. Acknowledging that I'm going down that road and that I don't want to go there. I need to ask the Lord to take it away and change my heart.

2.    Giving thanks.

I think a lot of the comparison I struggle with comes from being ungrateful. It’s funny because in my head I continually think "Wow, I'm so thankful for fill-in-the-blank." Yet I continue to want. It’s not until I literally name the blessings in my life, give thanks for them, does that hunger begin to be filled. Sometimes I just look around the room: “Lord thank you for the toys that are scattered about. Thank you that this mess means there were children playing.” When I’m struggling with my body I can give thanks for it. “Lord thank you for the stretched skin that reminds me of the two healthy, full term babies that grew inside of me. Thank you I have the ability to exercise, even if I don’t always have the opportunity.”

You might be familiar with the book 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. In it she quotes:

“…but to give thanks is an action and rejoice is a verb and these are not mere pulsing emotions. While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving.”
       

Remember that comparison is the thief of joy. I believe thanksgiving can overcome the thief.


And finally, if you're the God-seeking type, what comparison does to your relationship with the Lord.

I mentioned comparison had been plaguing me for months. Here's a journal entry from May 30th, 2013.

I went for a run last night. It was nearly 9 o'clock and I was sleepy but I needed to move my body and release some tension. I spent the first part of my run praying and confessing- just seeking God. As I was confessing my struggles with comparison, jealously, etc over other people's lives I realized that it's more than comparing-it's idolatry. So often I can look at other and think they are perfect or lead a perfect life. Obviously, deep down I know there is no such thing as perfection in us humans, but sometimes I can believe that lie. Truth is, there is only one who is perfect and it is the Lord Jesus. How dare I.

That is when I realized not only was I comparing, I was idolizing people instead of God. There is no one that we need to hold ourselves up to except for Jesus. HE is the one we need to idolize.

I think comparison also shows my distrust of the Lord. It's like I don't trust that He's already given me what is best for me. And it's a downward spiral from there...

On the bright side, in the midst of this struggle I’ve felt the urgency of remaining rooted in God’s word. It's the only thing that keeps me sane. I don't necessarily have a revelation or an "a-ha!" moment each time I read the Bible. But I do trust the words in Isaiah 55:

10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
 without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Comparison is messy. Ugly. Shallow. A thief. 

I don't know of any cures or solutions. No doctor's order here... Gimme a shout if you have a miracle drug.

For now, I have this:

So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s 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.  Romans 12:5-6 The Message

Mama First

We all wear different hats. We have different roles we play throughout each day, each week. As the Glass City Marathon approaches, my role as a runner has seemed to be a hat that I am putting on more and more. It's taken a hunk of time, for sure. And I've been putting unnecessary pressure on myself to stick with the training plan and follow everything to a T.

I made plans Tuesday morning to meet a new friend and running buddy for a run at 5:30 am. The night before Millie woke several times as her nose was stuffy and snotty. Then finally, at 4:30 am when I tried to put her back in her crib once again she kept crying out to sleep in our bed. I knew my alarm was about to go off in a half an hour, which would wake her. And I HAD to get a run in, especially because I was meeting someone I didn't know very well to run together for the first time. I didn't want to punk-out right off the bat. But the answer was clear. So I texted my early morning running buddy in hopes she would see it before she headed out the door. Then I brought Millie to bed along with some serious resentment.

Faithful running buddy texts back: We're mommies first :o)

All of the sudden my resentment turned to praise. Lord, THANK YOU that I have the ability to comfort my child. (It took her a whole .2 seconds to fall asleep after her head rested on my chest) THANK YOU that I have a child to comfort. THANK YOU that I can lay here until I need to so my sleeping girl can rest.

Why do I need reminded of my motherhood? To be reminded that it's a gift and a privelage? How forgetful I am. Ungrateful even.

Later in the week I had plans to meet a dear friend for lunch. Our get togethers are few and far between so I was especially looking forward to it. She texted me the day before to cancel because her kids, who are now in high school, wanted to get lunch with her that very same day since they were on their spring break from school. I was able to reply, "You're a mother first. Totally get it. ENJOY them!"

And so the freedom of being a mother first was passed on.

I struggle with this every day. It's hard for me to choose playing trains and dolls over doing some very real to-do's. I'm often reminded of a poem I came across in a very timely manner when Asher was a baby. Here's an excerpt:

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Just Do It

The slogan writers for Nike are genius. Those 3 words encapsulate it all: Just. Do. It.

When I began running this fall for the Aruna 5K I realized that running wasn't as complicated as I thought it was. Of course you want to have decent form and know how to stretch properly to prevent injury, but overall there are few (if any) rules to follow. No strategy. No special equipment. No boundaries. Ya just do it.

Some sweet women I'm surrounded by have convinced me to run the Glass City Marathon on a relay team next month. We started training in January and two and a half months later, on the days I run I still have to tell myself:
 Just do it, Sara. Just get out of bed and Just do it.
And while I'm running:
 Just do it Sara. You tell you body what to do. JUST FRIGGIN DO IT. Finish strong and just do it.

It might not be complicated, but it IS mental.

About 6 weeks into my training I emailed the numerous ladies who are training for this race about the mental aspect of running and what to do about it??? Here are some of the responses I got:

-Set small goals. I will make it to the pine tree... the fifth driveway... the turnoff and focus on those rather than the length of the whole run.

- My best advice is to run with a friend. I ran by myself for years -- decades, really! -- and running with a friend these past 2 years has changed what i can do. She's an accountability partner without even knowing it b/c she is running beside me i can keep going!

- Pray for everyone you know. Seriously.....out loud if you need to. It crowds out all of those other annoying thoughts.

- Sometimes I run in intervals to try and break up the time on longer runs...... like I'll run a 5-10 minute warm-up,  then 2  minutes hard then 4 minutes easy and and then repeat 3-4 times. Doing intervals mentally breaks up the time for me!

- I focus on why am I running. I want to be healthy and I want my mind to be fresh (running helps with that). I try to pay attention to my body rather than the run... attempt to feel what I am doing that I could not have done a year ago.

- Take time before your run to really thank God for your ability to run, and then carry that attitude through your run. For example, instead of thinking about how many miles you have to go, focus on how many you GET to go. And say those thankful prayers out loud if you need to while you run until those thoughts crowd out the bad. 

This last point was particularly helpful. Not only can I praise God for the ability to run but for the fact that I can MOVE in general. I can grasp with my fingers. Wiggle my toes. Blink my eyes and see color and detail. Pucker my lips to give and receive kisses. Lift my children with my arms.

Gratitude changes everything. And its certainly changed my running.

What are your running tips and tricks?

Bright Sadness

I miss writing. This blog is an outlet. A release to my soul. Whether it's something profound (which it usually isn't) or the latest craft I've been working on, I like to share. I don't consider myself to be a particularly great writer. But I am an open book.

It's been a dark winter in my soul. I've always been a glass-half-full kinda gal. Optimistic to say the least. Mostly unlikely to be bent toward depression. But I've really struggled with sadness in my heart in recent days. Anger at times. Mostly just blah. It's unfamiliar territory, which is the hardest part of all.

But amidst the gloominess in my heart and in the outdoors, there is the hope and joy of spring. The days are becoming brighter, warmer. The dust and dinginess within me is yearning for the celebration of Easter- the great reminder of what God has done to restore my heart, my soul, my mind. All of me. A true occasion to celebrate.

And so I wait in this bright sadness. I embrace the reality of the less-than-beautiful outside and my less-than-beautiful inside. I open my heart to the one who created the outdoors and who knit me together inside my mother's womb. The one who will make things new again. Beautiful again. Soon.