Several of my friends live alone and are always asking for one person meals. A tiny little pot of one person chicken chili fits the bill! It has all the flavor of a large pot of soup without the dreaded leftovers. Plus, it doesn’t become an unrecognizable and forgotten frozen meal 6 months down the road.

This chili offers many benefits. It is low in calories. It has a decent amount of fiber and a generous amount of protein. Overall, one person chicken chili provides a pretty satisfying bowl of soup for a single person to enjoy!

God provides so many delicious items for us to enjoy, doesn’t he?

I get excited just thinking about all the wonderful things you and I enjoy on a daily basis. We’ll have energy to do what he calls us to do. We will also find comfort knowing he is with us when we do it.

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.

Psalm 40: 5

I have other easy one or two person soups on the blog. Please check them out while you are here!

One Person White Chicken Chili

Let me know how you make your chicken chili!

Thirty days of purposeful thought on sugar to retrain our minds spiritually and physically.

Welcome to the 2025 Sugar Fasting challenge and devotion. Here is what to expect in this 30-Day Challenge:

Each day will start with a word of the day—a scientific fact about sugar— a scripture verse—encouragement—prayer—and a call to action.

The goal is to avoid all sugar and sugar substitutes for 30 days. This involves reading labels carefully for added sugar, removing the items from our grocery list, and being ready with an answer for why we are doing this to family and friends. If you need a refresher or are starting late, please read the Getting Started on a Sugar Fast post for tips on how to prepare.

Day 1

It’s early. We’re excited, ready, and willing to do this sugar fasting challenge. As the day progresses and temptations come and go, we stay focused on one goal. . . no sugar today.

We’ve cleaned the pantry and removed the offending items. We’ve stocked up on fresh fruit to stave off cravings. Moreover, we are thinking about our role in the cycle of excess exposure to sugar for our family.

Therefore, sugar is not coming in this house this month! Unless. . . you’re not quite there yet.

Hang in there, you have options!

Our word for today is train. In the life, we know train means to learn a new skill so we can do a new task.

Stop and think about this for a minute. You and I didn’t become the professionals we are in one day. We took it day by day and built on each skill as we progressed.

The principle is the same for us when training our minds and tastebuds to stop being slaves to sugar. Since sugar is an addictive substance that hits our dopamine pleasure receptors in a fantastic way, we rarely stop to think about the damage it causes to our cells.

During this 30-Day journey we will think about damage verses pleasure each and every day. Step by step we will peel back the layers of deception woven by greedy food companies and our own pleasure-seeking natures. We will also stop and consider the cost of short-term gratification and think more about long-term rewards.

Science Fact about Sugar Today: Excess Sugar’s Role in Insulin Resistance

“Without changing caloric intake, researchers find replacing starch or glucose products with sucrose and fructose increases fasting insulin levels, reduces insulin sensitivity, and increases fasting glucose concentrations.

In other words, calorie for calorie sugar is more harmful to the cells than starch for insulin sensitivity.”

All good reasons to think about the physical attributes of excessive sugar, right? Changing our mindset begins with thinking outside our usual limited, sugar craving, box. Our bran may say, “Well that’s what I’ve done every morning for years.”

On the other hand, a growth mindset says, “What can I use in its place? How do I consider the long-term reward that can outweigh sugar for me today?”

Strategies that may help as we decrease or eliminate sugar altogether:

1. Reading labels for ingredients and thinking about how those ingredients contribute to disease.
2. Counting the number of teaspoons of added sugar in each product (4grams =1 tsp)
3. Tracking the number of grams (teaspoons) of Sugar consumed each day in food and drink.
4. Remembering we matter and our health matters, so we can line those facts up with our core values and strengths.
5. Consider pleasurable fruits that can replace sugar, experiment and expand tastebuds.
6. Embrace a new routine or a new environment, and there is no limit to the expanded menu and activities available.
7. Finally, persuading a friend to join you to share ideas can be highly motivating.

That covers the physical portion of this challenge, now for our mind, soul, and spirit!

Spiritual Sugar Fasting Support

A spiritual guide for us along the way is Scripture. Entrenched in the Bible are concepts of training our minds to live for enduring benefit rather than worldly pleasures.

When we didn’t know Christ, we readily relied on the world’s temporary pleasures. However, God’s Word teaches us living righteously, as faithful followers of Jesus Christ, is our greatest reward.

Practice comes through daily skill building, as we pay attention to our bodies, stress, emotions, and life. And just like a baby learns to use its tongue to discern sweet, salty, bitter, and sour, we will become more mature in sensing how and when we are more susceptible to sugar.

Hebrews 5:15 says this:

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

How do the mature distinguish good from evil? Constant practice. Choices for moral and physical wellbeing go hand in hand. We’ve taken the first step by placing sugar in its rightful place of omission for a period of time.

As with many righteous tasks in life, physically and spiritually, we will continue to struggle. Yet, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we learn to overcome.  Best of all, we learn to value putting off instant gratification for more profound and exciting rewards.

Prayer:  Father God, please give us a desire to avoid the world’s temporary pleasures. Teach us how to distinguish good from evil, helpful and harmful, temporary pleasure from eternal rewards. May we always live righteously as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Call to Action: Write down three professional skills you use every day. How can these skills be used in accomplishing your sugar goals this month?

Diving Deeper with Bible Study for the 30 Day Sugar Freedom 2025:

Thanks for hanging in there with me so far! If you are looking to dive deeper into study, grab a notebook, and look up the following verses in their context. Then answer the questions that follow:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, ³ who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

⁶ If you put these things before the brothers,^[a] you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; ⁸ for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and strive,^[b] because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

1 Timothy 4:1-10

What does the Spirit say about who is led astray and how in verses 1-2?

Paul emphasized everything “created by God is good”, how does that compare with things created by man in our grocery stores?

The matter of eating clean or unclean food made by God and prayed over for God’s holiness are clear in these passages.

What does it say?

Based on the words before and after it, what do you think it means?

 We see Jewish believers had a hard time letting go of their traditions. They failed to see how the old way of worshipping with strict eating laws were fulfilled by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Gentile believers were not tied to the same Jewish traditions, although food sacrificed to idols was a common practice for them culturally.  Therefore, putting these things before the brothers (vs 6) allows discussion and hashing out the intricacies of faith in Christ.

How are we to be trained according to verse 6?

When we put away irrelevant and silly myths (in their culture and ours today) what are we training ourselves for? ((vs 6)

How does physical training compare with spiritual training according to verse 8?

We see both are of value; however, godliness trains us to be ready for our eternal home. How does bodily training help you, personally?

Do you find it interesting that food is the subject of contention in this passage?

Although food is a basic need to give us strength and fuel, in what ways do we make it an idol?

Fill in the blank “The love of _______________is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) The verse excerpt does not say money is evil, is says ___   ________ __ ___________ is the root of all evil. How does the love of food fit into this theme of idolatry?

It brings us back to the reason we want to train ourselves to live godly lives in today’s culture of overabundant food, material items, and possessions. When we place our focus on these things as a means of satisfaction in our daily lives we take our eyes off Christ.

 If you put these things before the brothers,^[a] you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; ⁸ for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

What three ways do we begin to train ourselves for this battle of sugar addiction according to verses 6-8?

Father God, as we enter this time of devotion and study, please train our minds and hearts. We want clarity in decision making, focus on how to let go of idols in our lives, and increasing trust in you. Help us Lord, in our weakness and please help our bodies see and recognize our greater need for godliness as we walk steadily with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When you want to change up the easy no knead bread recipe yet keep it simple, add a banana and some cinnamon. Oh, and also add a cup of chopped walnuts.

It’s very filling and has a decent amount of protein to get us started on our day. There is no sugar and no oil either, so it’s just whole grain unbleached organic flour, yeast, salt, banana, cinnamon, walnuts, and water.

Benefits of No Knead Banana Bread

The benefit of adding banana to this bread is, of course, is the added fiber, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins. I’m also fond of the cinnamon with its cinnamaldehyde component to ward off infections, help balance blood sugar, and provides a boost for the metabolism of those carbs in the bread.

Cinnamon is also rich in polyphenols and increases antioxidants in the blood which helps lower inflammation. I’ll take that prize spice with my bread any day! The walnuts add crunchiness, healthy omega 3 fat, more polyphenols, and vitamin E. They are beneficial for lowering inflammation, cardiac risk, and cholesterol.

Overall, the banana version of the Easy No Knead Bread is pretty healthy!

Devotion

God’s beautiful gardens all over the world never fail to give us what we need! He is worthy of thanks and praise!

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

I hope you enjoy making your very own No Knead Banana Bread! Let me know how it turns out! Don’t forget to subscribe to the site for recipes, health tips, and encouragement!

I look forward to serving you!

Gluten free protein bars are a quick and easy way to add extra protein to a grab and go breakfast. Although the texture of theses bars may be an acquired adjustment, the taste is neutral. There are 5 grams of protein in each of these protein bars, 4 grams of fiber, and it’s rounding out a nice amount of potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

Protein Bar Benefits

Brown rice flour is the primary ingredient in these bars. Therefore, making these bars rich in B6, fiber, magnesium and potassium, as well as gluten free. Brown rice is followed by equal amounts of ground pumpkin, chia, and flaxseeds! All of which provide more vital minerals, vitamins, and fiber.

You and I a well on our way to lowering inflammation and improving gut health with these nutrient packed protein bars. If you are looking for a more fruit-based protein bar that is also gluten free check out these Blueberry Breakfast Bars and Raspberry Breakfast Bars.

You can totally bump up the protein in these bars by adding your favorite protein powder or collagen peptides! Have some fun with them and remember, what God puts in the garden is good!

Sources say 88% of the American population is metabolically unhealthy! Glycemic control is one element that plays a major role in helping us understand how metabolic health declines. We define metabolic disease as a waist circumference in men greater than 40 inches and greater than 35 inches in women. We may also see climbing blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars at each yearly physical.

Continuous glucose monitors are making an impact in some circles to curtail these climbing health risks. They are all the rage in hip young athletic enthusiasts who are trying to understand their glycemic response and cheating blood sugar spikes.

It’s understandable to have concern about blood sugars when one in three adults in America have prediabetes and it is a major risk factor for developing Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease.

Does the young athlete have cause for concern for a glycemic response, too? If they are headed towards insulin resistance, yes.

Glycemic response is a reflection of circulating blood sugar after eating. The response will vary based on the amount of glucose absorbed from the food, it’s entry into circulation, it’s exit from circulation due to tissue uptake, and the liver’s ability to regulate glucose. (1)

The use of continuous glucose monitors among people with and without diabetes has brought to light how long a person’s blood sugar stays in a particular range. The time in range (TIR) for higher verses tighter glycemic numbers are associated with increased microvascular complications.

 Although experts still argue about its validity, glycemic index and glycemic load have science to back up their use as a valid tool in managing metabolic syndrome. Simply because it helps those with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and prediabetes choose foods that have less impact on blood sugar. The measurement of how quickly carbohydrates break down into sugar for these individuals is important!

Glycemic Control Matters, But It’s Not An Indicator of Healthiness

The higher the number on a scale of 1 to 100, the more a food increases blood sugar.  However, glycemic index or load should never be considered in isolation, but in relation to the other aspects of a food’s energy contents, like fiber, micronutrients, and protein.

Just remember, whole food is and always will be your friend in health and preservative filled, packaged fake foods will not only spike blood sugar, but make your body work harder to detoxify its contents. Yep, fake food is your cell’s sworn enemy.

Therefore, a more sensible and accurate way to consider these other variables is to look at the glycemic load, which was developed by Harvard researchers.

Glycemic Response—Glycemic Index
Glycemic Response	Glucose in the bloodstream after eating in the individual. **A Spike of 30 to 40mg/dl per meal is ideal in most sources**	Rate depends on: Glucose absorbed from food, it’s entry into circulation, how quickly tissue uses it, and the liver’s ability to regulate glucose.
Glycemic Index (GI)	The rate at which blood sugar rises with food in relation to pure glucose. It does not consider the overall nutrient profile (antioxidants/vitamins/minerals)	Low GI < 55 Medium between 56 and 69 High GI is >70
Glycemic Load (GL)	The quality and quantity of food. Cooking, amount of ripeness, and processing affect the glycemic load, too. MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR YOURSELF AND DOWNLOAD THE FREE GLYCEMIC INDEX/LOAD APP	Low GL is 10 or less Medium is between 11 and 19 High is 20 or more

Keep in mind, the health of the individual and the ability of their muscles and liver to utilize the available glucose really does matter!

If someone has diabetes, gastroparesis, poor gut health, insulin resistance, fatty liver, inflammation, or is taking medication to lower their blood sugar; their glucose response is going to be different than a healthy individual with none of these issues.

Also, just because a food is low in glycemic load, does not mean it’s healthy! Remember hydrogenated trans fats? They are also low in all GI and GL numbers but a travesty to the health of our blood vessels. So, if you haven’t thrown out all your fake butter and pie crust yet, maybe start there.

Back to the main point: You and I need to understand even “healthy” individuals see a spike in blood sugar with simple carbohydrates (white flour, rice, sugar, juice, sodas, etc.).  Therefore, since we are all different and blood sugar response is a concern for us, it makes sense to know how we respond to the food we eat.

Steps to Measure Glycemic Response and Questions to Ask When Numbers are High

 However, we don’t need to invest in an expensive continuous glucose monitor to figure this out. We can buy a $30 glucometer at our local retail store and check how we respond to the food we eat.

How do we do that?

A fasting blood sugar is checked first thing in the morning without any food or drink on board, the desired result should be less than 100mg/dl. If it is consistently greater for more than a few days, we want to ask ourselves a few questions.

• “Did I eat late last night after dinner?”
• “Did the items I ate and drank for supper have too many carbohydrates and sugar and not enough fiber and protein?”
•  “Did I get enough movement in yesterday?” “Am I getting sick with a virus, or am I stressed?”

All of which can elevate blood sugar.

Another way to check blood sugar is to eat breakfast, check blood sugar 30 minutes later to see how the blood sugar spikes. Then again two hours after the meal to see how well our bodies utilized the sugar available. Established entities today say two hours after a meal blood sugar should be less than 180mg/dl. If it’s the old Endocrinology standard and the optimal level of 140 mg/dl, even better!

Now, I realize three finger sticks may be a bit much, but you do not have to do this every meal. You can record the day’s breakfast numbers, then the next day check before and after lunch, the following day, check before and two hours after dinner.

Recording each day’s rotation of meals, food consumed, spikes, and post meal blood sugars, will give you a nice journal by the end of the week to evaluate and make changes. It will also be a journal to share with your health care provider.

Intentionality is Key

Knowing blood sugar levels after meals helps us be more intentional about the choices we make.  “Why push our bodies to do the hard things they were not meant to do?” “Why tax and push our bodies to respond to repeated stressors like a high glycemic response, when it’s already working overtime to remove the everyday waste from our environment?

You know, the pollution, pesticides, herbicides, plastic particles, and ultra processed food without fiber.

Since we are becoming more aware of toxins, and endocrine (hormone) disruptors in our food with the Yuka app, it makes sense to check out an international table of glycemic index and glycemic load resource, too. It is available for you to review at Diabetes Care and will be found in this link:

International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008 | Diabetes Care | American Diabetes Association

You will see very clearly after surveying this list of foods how much we need more fiber in our diet and less simple carbs.

Fiber is Your Friend for Cheating Blood Sugar Spikes

An analysis of 135 million people across 185 studies suggests a15-30% decrease in all cause mortality in people who eat a higher fiber diet. This includes a decrease in deaths from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, colorectal cancer, and incidence of heart attacks and strokes. (2)

If you and I are looking for an easy and delicious way to decrease our risk factors maybe we can eat more fiber each day!

We can do that by simply adding nuts and seeds to our main dishes, or increasing our intake of fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal.

Why fresh?

It is thought that 80-85% of vital antioxidants, and nutrients are lost with cooking. We need the enzymes and phytonutrients available in our fresh produce to help us fight disease. The fiber present helps us remove waste products, keeps us feeling full longer, and feeds our gut microbes well!

In turn, the gut microbes give us short chain fatty acids that help us control blood sugar better and lower cholesterol.

Cheating blood sugar spikes just got a little easier and tastier, my friend! Check out the site for more information on tasty fiber and well rounded whole meal ideas.

References:

1. Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, Winter N, Mete E, Te Morenga L. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet. 2019 Feb 2;393(10170):434-445. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9. Epub 2019 Jan 10. Erratum in: Lancet. 2019 Feb 2;393(10170):406. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30119-9. PMID: 30638909.

Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses – PubMed (nih.gov)

Can you believe it? The holiday season is upon us already!

 Are you like me and my friends and already losing sleep over it? Well, not really losing sleep over the holiday season itself, but the added responsibilities that come with an already busy life. It’s kind of hard to stay focused on healthier eating and lifestyle patterns when we’re busy and stressed.

The purpose of my coaching style is to help you and me be flexible in these times of celebration and stress. So, what does it look like to keep our focus on the 4 pillars of health during our celebrations?

We’ve worked hard to establish new habits, and we feel better. It may be helpful to hang onto those long-term rewards when we’re tempted to give in to the instant rewards of the holidays.

Considering lifestyle (how we sleep, deal with stress, play, interact with others, and work) alongside our intake, frame of mind, and exercise will help us balance our time, enjoy the season more, and rest in its purpose, which is gratitude.

Although we are grateful and thankful for all of God’s blessings, picturing all the chaos ahead can be overwhelming. Maybe we can take a few moments to be quiet with him a little more often.  

Battling the interruption with the time change also throws a twist in our sleeping routine and we may lay awake thinking about. . . .

“What ifs” for hours!

How am I going to do. . . what if. . . .maybe I need to. . .

Whew! Please God, help with the imagined drama already! The pillar of health you and I need most at the busiest time of the year is our sleep and here we lay, thinking about things that haven’t even happened. I personally think we do this to prepare for battle.

A better idea to calm my heart and soothe my brain for imagined spiritual battles is to memorize scripture. Another way is a little trick I learned in Nursing school many years ago. It’s a sweet way you and I can train our brains as we begin this stressful time of year that sometimes steals our sleep.

First of all, I love how Jesus calls us to calmness:

” Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Mathew 11:28-29

Here is what you and see in these verses:

There is no burden he cannot carry better than you and me.

When we trust him to handle it, he gives us rest.

He is gentle and low in heart, meaning humble, and not prioritizing material things over people. He is not selfish or worried about what people think either.

Therefore, learning from him, we think like him and find rest for our souls!

HMMMM, sounds good to me! Now for the trick!

When you wake up in the middle of the night to do whatever. . . put yourself back to sleep by not letting any thought in your head but sleep.

Please do not grab your phone.

But this. . .No, sleep. What if. . . push it out with one word. . . sleep.

If you and I have to say it 1000 times, so be it. Do not let any thought enter your mind but one word. . . sleep. All the while you are taking deep breaths in and blowing out slowly as if you were sleeping.

I have been doing this little trick for many years, and it works for me, but please let me know how it goes for you!

Staying Active in Our Intentional Celebrations

Another great trick for sleeping better is exercise early in the morning, especially walking outside! Sounds crazy right?

But that is when the light enters our retina and resets our circadian rhythm. Dreading the chills and temperature changes in the weather don’t make this an appealing venture, does it? I get it, friend. Even though the crisp orange and yellow leaves drew me out of the house for morning walks over and over again in early fall, now, it’s rainy and cold.

The shortest, most spectacular blurb of the year is gone. Thel fleeting enjoyment of milder temperatures and scenery without humidity gave us a feeling of peace and rest.

Now most of the leaves are gone, and the desire to walk outside evaporates. However, it is a pillar of health you and I cannot avoid.

I mean, we have fresh baked pies and extra goodies this time of year everywhere. I don’t know about you, but usually for most people, more pie, means higher blood sugar and inflammation.

Therefore, the choice is clear for me personally and I hope it helps you, too: Eat more, move more. Plus, paying close attention to the stiffness in my joints the excess sugar causes remind me, no more sweets the rest of the week. We can count that as our cheat day.

Intentional celebrations can include a little walking after enjoying our treats. Grabbing a friend or a coworker and braving the cold gives you and me energy, focus, and strength for the rest of the day.

The alternative may be using a walking pad or treadmill while watching our favorite videos when we get home.

Either way, here are 10 reasons to include walking in our celebrations for physical and spiritual wellness this season.

• Walking increases our metabolism, especially in cold weather!
• Walking reduces stress
• It lowers blood sugar
• Walking strengthens bones and muscles.
• Walking is free and easy to do.
• Walking makes our lungs stronger.
• Fresh air is good for our mood.
• It’s a great time to pray and meditate on God’s Word.
• It’s wonderful for circulation, oxygenation of the tissues, and better lymphatic flow.
• Consistent walking strengthens our heart and helps lower blood pressure.

10 beautiful reasons to celebrate walking, my friend!

If we think physical walking has benefits, spiritual walking has at least 100 times more!

When we know God’s will, we hear his voice, and long to please him. Isaiah puts it quite simply. He assures us wherever we are walking, God is right there with us.

“Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.'”

Isaiah 30:20-22 ESV – And though the Lord give you the bread – Bible Gateway

So how do you find blessing in your daily walking patterns? What helps you stay focused and confident you can do this?

I look forward to hearing from you and serving you this season! You can find recipes, health tips, and encouragement here so don’t forget to subscribe to the site and take a look around.

Please share with a friend if you find these celebration reminders helpful. We’ll cover more in this series in the week to come!

You’re right, I don’t understand.

Several years ago, my sister was laid off from work and we decided to start a Bible study. As we walked around town putting up flyers for our new adventure, she said, “We should do it at the jail.”

In the silent recesses of my mind, I balked. Thoughts loudly and vehemently swirled around my inability to handle such an adventure.

My low confidence in leadership and lack of skill navigating the complexities of a jail ministry led me to blurt out immediately, “You don’t understand, I don’t feel called to do a jail ministry, I just want to study the bible with other women.”

I know. . . excuses, excuses! But, honestly, I didn’t’ feel ready, or spiritually mature enough. Or maybe I just didn’t have enough love for the women hurting there at that point of my rededication journey.

You see, like many in the church, I had lived my life with God on the backburner. I said my prayers throughout the day, went to church on Sundays with my family, and lived the best I could.

It wasn’t until after my girls graduated high school and I looked back at every single area of my life where God had carried me, loved me, forgave me, and guided me through my rebellion that I fell before him in tearful gratitude and thanksgiving.

The Strong Conviction to Understand

Rededicating my life to him soon after, my thirst for more of his word became insatiable. I longed to share this freeing feeling with other women struggling in their faith journey. Hence the Bible study adventure with my sister.

Needless to say, the venture was a flop. No one came to the library for Bible study. She went back to work, and I spent my days off studying by myself and inviting women to join me in my living room.

It started small with two or three of us, and eventually grew as we felt the urge to move it to the local library and offer it to women in our community.

Two years later, a sermon I was listening to and a passage in the Bible struck me with strong conviction. John the Baptist is sitting in prison and contemplating his predicament, which leads him to question Jesus.

The preacher on television shares his ideas of John’s thoughts: “If Jesus is who he says he is, he will get me out of here.” “If he loves me, he will save me.” He is feeling doubt because he knows Jesus’ power, yet he is not experiencing freedom from his circumstances.

 “When Jesus had finished giving orders to His disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns. When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Mathew 11: 1-3

The faithful John the Baptist is questioning Jesus. Perhaps he is lonely or scared. Maybe he is beginning to feel betrayed. I’m pretty sure my sinful thoughts would lead to, “After all I’ve done for you?”

I’m not sure. What would I say about Jesus if I were in John’s predicament?

Putting myself in John’s shoes for just a split second allowed the Holy Spirit to wash over me with conviction and purpose. Memories of my sister’s idea flooded my brain. I knew in that moment, “I have to go to the local jail and tell women how much Jesus loves them.”

Seriously, Lord, I didn’t feel you prompt what I think you prompted.  

I can’t do that. I don’t know how to do that. My ugly flesh balked again. Really? If that is true, I won’t have any difficulty. He will open every door and there will be no obstacles. And that is exactly what God did. Every query got a yes, and every request to learn more and be a presence in the local jail was answered.

At that point I was an experienced Bible study facilitator, but I had never taught a lesson. So, I prayed often during my study time for God to give me words, songs, and scriptures to help these women see no matter what they did, God still loves them.

Understand, It’s Going to Be Hard!

God is faithful! My two thirteen-week stints at the jail taught me to trust God and love others in a way I have never done before. I’m not going to sugar coat the situation, because personally it was rough, heart-wrenching, and discouraging.

One particular day stands out to me above all the rest. The minimum-security drug rehabilitation unit I visited held six women. As we sat around a table and I started my lesson on Rahab, I assured the ladies that every single person inside these four walls and outside these four walls sins; we just sin in different ways.

However, every single one of us will be forgiven of our sins when we lay it before God, and accept his son Jesus as Lord and Savior. He in turn transforms our hearts to will and want what he wants!

A girl, I’ll call Nadine (not her real name), a newly baptized Christian, looks at me with tears welling, and screams, “You don’t understand! I’ve committed murder! I had an abortion!” As I’m digesting this confession and my soul is feeling the depth of her pain, the women in the room begin to confess, too.

The woman on my left says, “I’ve had an abortion.” The girl next to her, I’ve had two abortions.” Around the table they confessed their multiple abortions until it came to the last woman who said, “I didn’t have an abortion but I tried every way I could to kill that baby. I even . . .”

I can’t put into words her confession. It still creates a horrific image of pain and heartache in the deep corners of my mind. For the first time, I am seeing the heavy, darker side of an issue that brings people to battle.  Yet, no one wants to talk about the long-term consequences for women who make this choice.

God is showing me hurting, desperate women; numb and suppressing the pain of their sin for so many years they turn to drugs for escape, instead of him.

Volunteering at the Pregnancy Resource Center did not prepare me for this!

My mind was fiercely battling with images of tortured babies and the pain of this one woman who could not forgive herself.

Praying desperately for the “show no emotion” facial expression, and for the right words to minister to this woman, I pulled her aside to pray with her and over her.

Specifically, I assured her, “You don’t understand, Jesus holds your little one now and did the second he departed this world. He is also holding onto you! You confessed, you repented, you turned from your sin and now you are a new creation. The old girl you once were is gone and, in her place, a new girl stands, forgiven and fully cleansed of murder. I pray now, God gives you the power to forgive yourself.”

Revelation 21:4 says this: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.

What we only get a glimpse of now in ministry, we will understand fully when Jesus returns.

Bible Study Teaches Me to Understand

 Bible study has taught me over the years God is faithful. When he leads me to a difficult place he leads me through it. I got in my car that day and let the tears flow. I hit my steering wheel with my fist and questioned why he let me experience such pain and heartache in the world.

Slowly, in the depths of my soul, I felt the Holy Spirit wash over me. His comforting embrace deflated all the pent-up anger and frustration. In its place was an appreciation and softening of my heart that was missing two years before. He sees and feels their pain the same way I do.

 You and I can study the Bible all we want, but until it moves us to become the hands and feet of Jesus, it is our secret treasure.  It’s freeing power to remove sin and change lives is held closely and tightly.

The sad truth is: As much as we love being together and talking about his amazing power in study, we will never persuade a dying and broken world of their need for him in the comfort of our little groups.

“You don’t understand” becomes a true statement from a lost world to a saved one.

Unless. . . we take the time to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, wipe away a few tears, and give them the hope of glory we hold so dear. It doesn’t have to be a jail either! It can be a nursing home, a workplace, a health club, or even a daycare. There is someone out there who needs us to listen, validate their situation, and offer them hope.

The great news is, when God leads us to it, he will equip us through it!

Check out the site for more encouragement to understand our walk!

I’m here for you!

Mysty

Simplifying Health Faithfully

I love to use every part of the potato when cooking! When they are fresh out of the ground, and cleaned, I peel them to make this super easy potato peel hash.

This way, we keep the majority of minerals and vitamins found in the peel of the potato for all of our body’s needs. Waste not, want not, right?

The surprise spice that gives this dish a different spin is the ranch seasoning and chicken apple sausage. Yum!

Potato Peel Hash Benefits

Combined with spices from the herb garden, alongside some onions and peppers, this tasty dish stacks up as a nutrient dense main course. According to a PubMed article, a serving of baked potato can provide 18% of our daily requirement of potassium, 6% of our copper, magnesium, phosphorous, and 2% of our calcium and zinc. (1)

For you and me the mineral composition of plants is important because we need them for every muscle contraction, all nerve impulses, maintaining water balance, and so much more!

Even more impressive, is when we look a little deeper, we find there are over 200 potato genotypes! Colleges studying the mineral content of various potatoes find red potatoes have the highest mineral content, and russet potatoes the lowest.

Of course, the various colors and types of potatoes will provide a variety of different minerals for us to enjoy at our leisure. In general, they are a better nutrient dense option over French fries, any day!

My hubby and I have enjoyed growing them at home since early 2000. If it’s not raining, we plant them the weekend after St. Patrick’s Day. Although each year holds its challenges, we’ve learned they like cold weather, lots of rain and rich deep soil. More importantly, it’s well worth the care and effort of growing these special plants so we know how our food is produced.

It makes it hard to waste any part of this fruit of the earth, too!

Sure, we could place the peels in the compost pile and reuse for fertilizer. But who wants to do that when we can make a delicious meal like this potato peel hash?

Devotion

God has been good to provide! He always is! When I think about how hard things were for ancient people it makes me respect gardening work so much more.

Can you just imagine the amount of water we use each day compared to them? It seems unreal, picturing them lugging water from a well or river source to their homes. I’m sure they took many trips to those places and providing for the animals and plants first would take most of their day.

It makes me appreciate the availability and convenience of our water source each time I turn on the faucet for a drink or to boil water for tea! God is always faithful and giving of his wonderful gifts. We see His divine nature in the things He made all the time!

Even though I cannot outgive God, I can be consistently thankful for each tender shoot of plant that appears each spring. Loving Him and giving Him praise for the ability to tend the plants, enjoy their growth, and anticipate digging into their earthy goodness at harvest is something we look forward to each year.

Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to him in song.

For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.

The depts of the earth are in His hand, and the mountain peaks are His.

The sea is His; He made it. His hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

(Psalm 95: 2-6)

The Psalmist goes on to say we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under his care. Today if you hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts! (8a) Whew! To know and appreciate His tender loving care is a special feeling, my friend. Rest in it as you enjoy this recipe!

Super Easy Potato Peel Hash Recipe!

I hope you enjoy this very simple potato peel hash! If you’re new to the site please subscribe to receive health tips and recipes in your inbox a couple of times a month. While you’re here check out other potato recipes like this Potato and Tomato Salad-– Fun fact! Cooled potatoes become a resistant starch, meaning it’s structure changes from a sugary fat storing molecule to a gut feeding microbiota nourishing fiber! How cool is the potato?

Have fun trying the recipes! If you need a health coach for workplace wellness, individual, or family, I’m here for you! Check out the services page here!

God Bless!

Mysty

Simplifying Health Faithfully

References:

Pandey J, Gautam S, Scheuring DC, Koym JW, Vales MI. Variation and genetic basis of mineral content in potato tubers and prospects for genomic selection. Front Plant Sci. 2023 Dec 22;14:1301297. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1301297. PMID: 38186596; PMCID: PMC10766833.

Turkey Meatball & Pineapple Rice is an easy and delicious meal that will be ready in about 30 minutes. My go to for any easy dish is a well-stocked kitchen with all my favorites on hand for easy preparation and delivery to the table. Isn’t that what we all do?

We’ve got our favorite grains, lean meats, beans, root vegetables, salad greens, extra virgin olive oil and spices ready to go!

It makes quick meals a snap and we are leading our families with zeal. Plus, we can pair this meal with a brightly colored side salad of fresh greens, peppers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs and we’ll meet a good chunk of our nutritional needs for the day.

Benefits of Turkey Meatballs & Pineapple Rice

There is a good amount of quality protein and fresh herbs in this dish. But even better, we get sweet pineapple with its bromelain to help us digest our food well. God knew exactly what we needed before the foundation of the world, and he took care and love providing it in the things he created for us!

The zeal of his leadership makes me smile every time I think about it. It makes me want to follow in his footsteps. Do you follow him and lead with zeal, too?

Devotion

Romans 12 describes the various gifts of grace given to the body of Christ. Among the many gifts, leading with zeal stands out to me for busy parents struggling to care for their families spiritually and physically. It is a massive job we do not take lightly, and we need all the grace we can get!

. . For as in one body, we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;  if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;  the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12: 4-8

Zeal comes from the Greek work zelos that sounds like boiling water bubbling over. That inner feeling of doing well for others. Setting an example for our children to be people of integrity, honor, and trustworthiness is well worth our hard-fought efforts. Knowing God placed this gift before us and in us, makes it truly doable. . .and enjoyable.

So, here you go! Lead your kids with a 30. . ish minute meal and 5-minute devotion on zeal!

Turkey Meatball & Pineapple Rice

I hope you enjoy this turkey meatball & pineapple rice dish as much as we did! There are so many fun ways to make 30 ish minute meals check out the site to find vegan ideas or other quick main course meals! Your talents will bubble over with all the ideas you come up with!

Have a great day and remember to serve your family and others with zeal!

What God puts in the garden is good!

Have you ever noticed most jars of mayonnaise in the store are full of soybean oil? Ick! A mayo free chickpea salad sounds much better!

I saw this recipe several years ago in a grocery Magazine and they used mayonnaise. I can’t find it anymore, but I remember it was just like my favorite chicken salad recipe with grapes, celery, and pecans.

However, using plain Greek Yogurt in place of the mayo gives it more protein, probiotics, and less inflammatory seed oils. Of course, if you prefer a vegan dish, you can use your favorite coconut or almond yogurt to make this protein rich salad quite nice, without excess oil, too.

Although I make a honey mustard dressing (1/2 cup plain yogurt/1 tsp mustard/1 tsp of honey) you can easily substitute your favorite flavors or leave the yogurt plain. Maybe try paprika, chili sauce, or turmeric with chickpeas. . . use whatever sounds good to you!

I serve this salad over a bed of greens, or in a lettuce wrap. However, it’s also good with a little extra fiber and protein in a Chia & Flax Tortilla!

Whatever you decide to do, I’m sure it will be good!

Benefits of Mayo Free Chickpea Salad

Because everything God puts in the garden is good!

According to the USDA Nutrient Database for reference, chickpeas hold 8.86 grams of protein, 7.69 grams of fiber, 49 mg of calcium, 48 mg of magnesium, and 291 mg of potassium per 100 grams. They have a low glycemic load, which helps keep blood sugars stable. (1)

No spikes and drops in blood sugar are what we want, right?

Several studies cite chickpeas as lowering LDL-C cholesterol and Total cholesterol, while also lowering blood pressure. (1) I’ll take that special loving care from the Creator any day!

The PubMed article I’m citing today, refers to chickpeas as pulses, the edible seed of plants in the legume family. I think it’s interesting the captive Daniel, in the Bible refused to eat the king’s rich food and requested “pulses”. After 10 days he and his comrades looked healthier than all the other men.

At the end of ten days, it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables (pulse, KJV).

Daniel 1 ESV,KJV – Daniel Taken to Babylon – In the third – Bible Gateway

Mayo Free Chickpea Salad Recipe

I hope you enjoy the connection of how well we are cared for and how our health is improved when we take advantage of the simple things provided for us in life!

It’s fun to explore new recipes and flavors as we seek better health, spiritually and physically!

This mayo free chickpea salad is just one of many ways to eat more vegetable-based meals throughout the week.

Have a great week!

References:

Wallace TC, Murray R, Zelman KM. The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Hummus. Nutrients. 2016 Nov 29;8(12):766. doi: 10.3390/nu8120766. PMID: 27916819; PMCID: PMC5188421.