Netflix & Wellness

I say it again, "Netflix has changed our lives," for the better might I add.

Luis has become quite fond of the documentary options, on demand, that Netflix on our Wii offers. It started out with conspiracy theories on 9-11, documentaries on Islam and the Federal Reserve but now is targeted at food and the body; this is where I entered the picture.
I will first tell you about Luis and my diet habits over the past 3 (+ a little) years.

Year 1: Luis is a poor bartender, Sarah is a poor college student working at Panera. Diet = ramon noodles, spaghetti, beer, Panera, spaghetti, mac & cheese, coffee, McDonalds.
Year 2: Luis and Sarah move in together. Sarah is a waitress until hired on at current place of employment, Luis an interpreter until Urban Active comes along.
Diet = Spaghetti, lots of deli sandwiches, some beer, chicken casseroles, red meats, Mac & cheese, eggs and hash-browns, tofu stir-fry, McDonalds, Subway, sushi.
Year 3: Luis and Sarah are married. Sarah is working at current place of employment, Luis starts nursing school.
Diet = Spaghetti, tofu stir-fry, fresh fish, red meats, cheerios, eggplant, mac & cheese, McDonalds, some beer & wine, coffee, fresh fruit, eggs.
Start of Year 4: Sarah is working at current place of employment, Luis is in nursing school.
Diet = fairly healthy to 90% organic; lots of veggies, fruits, rice, salad, No meat, little fish (sushi!), water, coffee, some beer & wine.

The following movies/documentaries have contributed to a huge change in lifestyle and budget arrangements for not only ourselves but a few close friends and family members (my Mom is one of them):
1. Food Matters
2. Food Inc.
3. The Gerson Miracle

I Recommend #1, Food Matters to everyone! #2 and #3 I also recommend to everyone! And I am not blowing smoke, as I am not one to fall easily for bull shit especially when it means a major change in budget and spending habits (I'll save this for another blog, but just know it is very hard for me to adjust). Also, it only takes a couple hours to watch these movies and then you can make your own decisions.

Anyway, my main reason for writing about this is just because it is a big deal in my life and I wanted to write about it; but also because I definitely think it is worth looking into and it is something that is becoming a passion in my life - health and wellness and cooking and enjoying.

A few facts that are rather alarming...

"Fact: It is illegal to treat cancer in the U.S. with anything but surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Fact: Chemotherapy hurts your immune system by lowering the number of white blood cells produced in your body. White blood cells are important in preventing and fighting infections.
Fact: Radiation is cumulative. All forms interfere with cellular activity and suppress immune system function.
Fact: No surgery is risk free.
Virtually nothing is done in medical school to teach students that nutrition may often be the most important element of diagnosis and treatment."

Food For Thought...

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Thanksgiving

Well, I have been a serious slacker when it comes to blogging. Although, I haven't stopped thinking about blogging...if that counts for anything :).
Anyway, I am up early on this rainy, cold Thanksgiving morning and my family is curled up enjoying the extra sleep this holiday. All I can think of is how thankful I am to have them.
God has been alive and working hard in my life. Luis and I have been together a little over a year. Shortly after we were wed is when I began really searching for God and asking him to work in me and to change my life. That change has brought with it an abundance of emotions.. it has been hard, lonely, fun, exciting, rewarding, scary and amazing at the same time.
It has been Awesome.

This morning I am taking the time to digest and be thankful for what God has given me.
I am thankful for Luis who puts up with me and loves me unconditionally. He is the biggest blessing I could have ever asked for or imagined. Because of him, I was able to make a change in my life and begin a relationship with God. Luis never fails to amaze me...or entertain me! He keeps life light and always real.
I appreciate that he doesn't sugar-coat things, no matter who he's talking to. I appreciate his charm and pure sincerity and that he knows when I need it most. I appreciate his love for God and that we can grow together and be a motivator for each other to do so. I wouldn't change a thing about him and am so so so lucky he chose me.

I am thankful for my family both the family which I was born in to and the family that I have become of part of since marrying Luis. I am thankful for each and every member as they bring a unique view and feel to our group and make life better by being there. I am especially thankful today for my Mom. She is half way through chemotherapy and going strong. I am infinitely thankful for her health.
I am thankful for my friends. Life has taken me down many paths and introduced me to many people. I am thankful that they are or have been at a time, a part of my life. These people are my support and I truly cherish the friendships I have and those I will have someday.

I am thankful for food. I love food and especially, on this day when so many people were up long before I to prepare a meal, I am thankful that families can come together and celebrate with delicious food.
Food has been exciting lately as I have been exploring new recipes and new styles; Luis gets to be my guinea pig!! It has been a great and healthy experience.
I am also thankful for coffee :) and wine :) both great excuses to go out and relax with a friend.

I am thankful for beauty and the ability to appreciate that which God gives us. I am conscious to be aware of my surroundings and to take in that which God has given life. A friend told me to receive all things beautiful as gifts from God, put there, for me. And to thank Him.



I am thankful for my job, my home, my car, and all the things we take for granted.
Finally I am thankful for what life has in store. I am excited to see where God will lead us. I am listening and pray for the courage to always pursue.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mom

I've been wanting to write this for a couple weeks now...

July 7th, Mom went in for a regular colonoscopy. She had been diagnosed with diverticulitis and although they expected to find nothing, wanted to do the test to be sure. I was going on my work week like every other. I was thinking of her and feeling bad because she had to go through that uncomfortable procedure but was more looking forward to that coming weekend when she was coming down to be with us for my baptism. Wednesday night Mom called me - her voice was immediately shaky - I asked how the test went and she said "Well, not so good." I think I new right away what that meant.
She told me that they had found a mass; both of us were in tears. All the memories came flooding back from when I found out the bad news that my Dad had cancer.
Mom said that she would meet with the doctor on Monday when he would know the results; either way surgery was coming. Towards the end of our conversation, we agreed to hope for the best and look forward to seeing each other on Friday. Our "goodbye" was filled with tears and the moment I hung up I was overcome with sadness and emotion and I know she was as well.
That weekend Mom came down for my baptism. It was great to see her and it made my baptism all the more special. We didn't talk about it; although it was on all of our minds.
Monday was forever long. I couldn't hardly sit still and got minimal work done. Her appointment was right around 3:00 in the afternoon. I left work about an hour early because I couldn't take it any longer. I waited by the phone and waited and waited. Finally I sent a text to my brother to see if he had talked to her. It was about 7pm and he called me. He said it was cancer. I kept composure - he said she was out to eat with some friends and would probably call me shortly. She did and she sounded stronger than ever. Her voice helped me to keep it together. She said it was cancer and that surgery was going to be in 3 weeks on July 30th. The surgery would be to remove the mass as well as some lymph nodes for biopsy.
Those 3 weeks were the longest 3 weeks!
I drove to Findlay the 29th and surgery was the next morning. That night Mom shared an awesome story with me about her day. She worked half a day and before leaving, the Priest pulled everyone together to pray. First of all, the 29th was Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary and so a special day and, no doubt, she was thinking of him. During the prayer service the Priest read and pray, opened it up to all others to pray and then there was a song. The song was "Yahweh, I Know You Are Near." This was a song they had played at their wedding. Mom said she couldn't help but burst in to tears. There's no doubt in my mind, Dad was sending his love. I was so excited to hear this story.
Friday morning came quick. We had to be there at 9am. We went back with her to be prepped for surgery. She showed no signs of being nervous at all. I, on the other hand, couldn't sit still. And, it was time to go. We prayed over her and said our "goodbyes." I was just thinking "deep breaths. everything will be fine. keep it together. you're good. it's all good. etc. etc. etc." When we walked back out in to the waiting room and her good friend was there to give me a hug and ask how I was - I knew I was scared.
Surgery took about 2 1/2 hours. Mom had the biggest crowd waiting for her. It was so good to feel so much love from everyone.
When the surgery was over we went back to the consultation rooms to talk to the doctor. He said he felt great about the surgery. Everything looked good and he was extremely pleased.
The rest of the day was pretty quiet. We sat in her room with her. She woke up here and there but was out most of the day. Over the next few days, I was amazed at how many people came to see her. She had her own florist in her room!! It's awesome to know how many lives she touches and how many people love her.
We had to leave on Sunday. This was hard. I knew Matthew was going to be with her all week, but I just wanted to be sure she was taken care of and was nervous to leave.
It was hard being in Cincinnati all week. I spoke to her every day though and could tell each day she was getting stronger.
We were all anxious to hear the results of the lymph nodes. Monday, no results; Tuesday, no results; Wednesday, finally results. The news was - out of 31 lymph nodes taken, one was cancerous. Mom, again surprised me by how calm and collected she was. She was at peace. We say it's like the best of the worst news.
The next step is six months of chemotherapy. I pray that she stays just as strong and her spirit never trembles. I pray for a quick six months and that this chemo zaps any bit of cancer left in her body.

In Preparation

It has been a recent struggle, hearing the truth - hearing only the truth. Instead it has been chaos when I try to listen; a thousand voices from every opposite direction and anxiety. Well, now that I think twice, not only when I want to listen but instead when I'm doing anything in which my mind has the opportunity to wander.
I think it is a result of stress, unknowing what the future holds and other items bouncing around in my mind. But really, everyone I know has things that cause anxiety in their life and yet they can manage to focus it seems.
Despite this struggle, God still has a way of breaking through and showing himself to me. But, I feel tomorrow is going to be like a fresh, gasping breakthrough. I want my baptism to wash away and release this extra baggage that I carry around; this baggage which is in no way beneficial.

"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2: 6-7.

I want this unnecessary baggage to be washed away so I can "grow down into him." What a perfect picture. This is exactly what I feel is hard for me to do and I want so badly to be able to.
And so tomorrow, I am prepared to let go. To take a giant step forward in my faith and grow deep.

Baptism

I've been wrestling with the idea of Baptism for probably 3 months now. It started when we were sitting in church (where I have been attending for more/less 2 years now) on an ordinary Sunday and the preacher was making a few general announcements at the end of service. He said "members are welcome to....." I looked at Luis to see if he was interested in what the Preacher was saying and he said to me "you can't, you're not a member." I was completely thrown off by his statement and had we not been in the front row at church, I would have responded to him much differently. Instead I thought to myself, "I've been going here for two years, I was baptized when I was a baby, I tithe here, I get mail addressed to me from this church, etc. etc." Quite frankly I was offended.
On the way home Luis challenged me to look into being Baptized. And so I began thinking. A few nights later I went to dinner with a good friend. She is someone I look up to and I really admire the strength of her faith. I knew she would have good advice for me.
The conversation went something like this.
"So, I just found out I have to be Baptized to be a member at [my church]." I told her the entire story and of my defensive response. She listened and when I was finished ranting simply said, "I'm getting Baptized on May 15th" ... I'm sure being slightly speechless, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Ok, well now this interesting," I thought. We continued to discuss why it's important and she too challenged me to consider the possibility.
Now, a few months later, I have spoken with my Preacher and am planning to be Baptized in July. As I look back, I am amazed yet again at how the Lord sets things up. When my friend told me she was getting Baptized, I now know God planned for us to have that conversation and used her to speak to me.
I am preparing now for what this Baptism will do in my life.
"One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.
As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy" Mark 1: 9-11.

Middle Ground

Is it the calm before the storm of the calm after the storm?
Is it up to me? No.
Have I already made the biggest leap or are there still leaps and bounds to be made ahead?
I'm on the middle ground.

I can't figure out what's next - am I suppose to be able to?
I feel like the life I have been living is breaking off. It look like its own separate island. I could be sad or mad or fearful but why waste time?

Now I get to move ahead to see what God has in store for me. I have no idea where I will end up but I have the direction of the Lord to lead me. "The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." And then He adds, "Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control" Psalm 32: 8-9. I love that our God is so direct! I do not want to be like a senseless mule, I can tell you that is FOR SURE! :)

So now, the path forward...It's the most nerve racking, educational, exciting experience and the anticipation is undenyable. I must remember that I'm not lost and I'm not alone.
Although it is quiet at times in this place, it is what I do with the silence that makes the difference.
I can speak of it but sometimes cause confusion and anxiety.
All I want to do is take your hand and bring you along. Why is there such uncertainty?

"I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him" Psalm 34: 4-7.

All Is Relevant

Happy Friday.
Dictionary.com "rel·e·vant [rel-uh-vuhnt]–adjective.Bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark."
Today I attended my *NEW* small group for the first time.
Months back, Luis and I attended a small group, made up of wonderful couples, however for some reason, I just did not fit. I felt "too new" to the Bible to ask questions and/or really participate in discussion. This wasn't because of how others made me feel, only myself lacking the confidence.
We haven't attended that small group in a while, and quite frankly, I hadn't really had the desire to be in a small group until recently.
A new friend invited me to join her small group - there is 4 girls (including me) ages 20-24. It is AMAZING how today, already, I have been positively impacted and may have even impacted others.
It felt good. No pressure. Easy.
We each discussed what we have been learning from God recently. It was crazy how relevant each of our stories were to each other. I shared James 4: 13-17. We all have trouble with NOT planning. But it was very encouraging to discuss this and to remind each other that it's not up to us; what we will do and where we will end up - God won't let us down. He will guide us. We just need to remember to listen to him.
Another one of the girls talked about being a good wife. She talked about the little things and how they all make a difference. She's right. (I was feeling a little guilty because last night I wasn't very sympathetic or patient with Luis. He wasn't feeling well and I basically just disregarded it...) Always a good reminder "Patience is Love" and Luis would do the same for me.
I am so excited for our time together in small group.
God has opened so many doors for me. I am so excited to take the next step. I pray that I look to God and listen to him. I pray that I allow him to work through me and that my desire to know more only grows.

Dieting...What's the obsession?

I'm in a funny mood. Luis has been eating applesauce, ice cream and mashed potatoes all week while I have eaten ice cream, mac & cheese, Ramon noodles and Lean cuisine meals - basically carbs, sodium and more carbs. Now, I feel the need to write about dieting.

I don't do the whole dieting thing. However, I am conscious of what I put in my mouth and I like to eat "healthy" and try to stay fit. However, from the many diets I've been made aware of by friends, facebook, the book store and Oprah, I know there are MILLIONS to choose from. This is a fact. And this, in itself, should be enough to scare all of us from one specific "diet."

A quick google search and, to no surprise, I came up with about 20,200,000 pages of dieting options. There are dieting options for anything and everything. I thought I would share a few I came across today:
weight (ex: Atkins), heart health , weight & heart (ex: South Beach), vegetarian diets, teens, 2 days, 5 days, 7 days, 14 days, counting carbs, counting calories, liquid only, high protein, holiday diet, dieting on the go, etc. etc. etc. I could go on for days. No wonder women go insane!!!

I need to talk about the Atkins diet. This is the most bizarre thing I have ever heard of. I'm blown away. For breakfast: eggs and bacon; For lunch: broiled cheeseburger and salad; For dinner: fried pork chops, broccoli with butter and a salad. And for a snack, salami with cream cheese.
WHAT?!?! You must be kidding me!! Somehow, (although, I don't get it) you may lose some weight but by age 35 you're having heart complications. (I'm sorry, this diet makes me really angry.)

What about counting points (calories or carbs)?? Now, maybe this one works if you are EXTREMELY organized and good at documenting everything you do; or you are going to buy all the meals from a commercial and never go out to eat. I don't know how people can think about anything besides food if this is their diet of choice though. Wouldn't you be counting all day?? "I had three M&M's, that's 5 points, plus a banana, 6 points, for lunch tuna, 15 points, for a snack, celery, that's MINUS 2 points, had a flavored water, 4.75 points....crap, I forgot my scale, not sure how much oatmeal this is...I'm guessing 4 ounces which equals 7.5 points..."
Now, that might be an exaggeration, but that's how I imagine my brain if I were counting calories.

Ok, I'm done venting about diets I've never tried.

The one diet I am most familiar with is the South Beach diet and this one seems reasonable. Luis was told to do this by his doctor because his cholesterol was a little high. We bought the book and I did a little bit of research on this one. The worst part is NO CARBS for the first week. But, it makes sense because it breaks our addiction to carbs (this may mean chocolate, bread or sugary fruits). Your meals consist mainly of baked fish & chicken, skin dairy products and vegetables. Now living by this diet for your entire life - I say, impossible - but if you're worried about your heart, it makes sense. The South Beach diet, for us, taught us to eat "right." It was just a nice change to introduce us to other options.

For now, my major dilemma is Milk. I believe milk is not the healthiest thing for us to drink. It has too much fat, puss and whatever else they can squeeze from a cow and make it look white and normal (I apologize if that was too graphic). And then there is soy milk - it, on the other hand is delicious and I could drink it like water; BUT it has too much estrogen so WATCH OUT and be sure to stretch if you drink too much of it! And then, what about organic milk? I think it's the "best" but then, go ahead and do a google search on organic milk; of course SOMEONE has SOMETHING negative to say about it, and besides, it's just too darn expensive for a couple of newlyweds! So how do you choose?

OK, I'm done with this blog. I apologize for how random it was :)

OH! If you are wondering, my expert opinion : a normal, healthy diet. Bright colors are always good and if you understand what the ingredients are, you should be pretty safe.

Only a Tonsillectomy

Luis and I have known about his Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy for over a month now, but come Sunday night, I was overwhelmed with this feeling of "Holy shit, Luis is having surgery tomorrow. Yes, he is only getting his tonsils and adenoids out and doctors do this every day, right? But, he's going to be put out and he's 27 not 5!"

We were cuddled up in bed and he was being extra sweet (he's always sweet but he really had his charm on) and feelings of fear, worry and anxiety began to rise up inside all at once. I was calm, not to let Luis know the thoughts going through my mind, a mile a minute. I started to pray and tell God how much I needed Luis; I didn't know what I would do without him and I asked that He would let this surgery be quick and easy for everyone involved.

Monday morning arrives and we are to be at the doctor's office at 6AM for check-in. Luis and I roll out of our bed, get in the car and head out...both still in our pajamas. There were quite a few families there just as early and I couldn't help but wonder what each person was doing there.

After registration, Luis was taken to change and then his Mom and I were invited to sit with him until the doctor was ready. Luis was strapped up with an IV, hair net, hospital socks and the gown. We waited with him behind the curtain - I was rather squirmy being back there. I hate hospitals more than anything.

It was time for him to go, he pursed his lips and said "I Love You" with a big smile. He said the same to his Mom and then they took him away. We walked out to the waiting room. I begged God to take care of him.

In the waiting room I watched the people, some excited, some nervous, some angry, some old, some young. I knew Luis' surgery would only be about 20 minutes - nurses came to call patients and families every 30 seconds it seemed and so 20 minutes took forever.

Finally we can go see him. And all the fear is gone, he's fine - everything can go back to normal. As I re-think this today, I'm reminded to caution myself of the word/feeling "normality." I don't want to take things for granted. I don't want to be satisfied and completely relaxed in today. The time to be thankful is now.

James 4 : 13-17

Warning about Self-Confidence

"Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? You life is like the morning fog - it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

Well, this is a change in plans for me, as ironic as that may sound.

As I am working to find a productive and effective method to read my Bible, Wednesday, I began a search by topic; looking through the concordances. I was searching "jealousy." I read in James 3 and continued to read in James as if God said, "Go on, continue, there's something better here for you." As I read on, I came to the passage above, I couldn't help but think, "Holy cow, Lord, you're good!" I couldn't wait to tell Luis about this revelation - our "plans" for the future are a common topic of conversation and for the past year and half have been about what we want for the future.

Planning is difficult (for me at least) to release hold of, especially when there are so many aspects attached to "the plan for life" - money, babies, location, friends, vacation, and this list, as you know, can be never-ending. I can't say my life is organized and that I live by a scheduled plan of events, however, I never seem to stop worrying about our future and this is an exhausting habit I have to break free from.

And so, since I read James 4 : 13-17 for the first time, I can't stop going back to it. "Your life is like a morning fog - it's here a little, then it's gone." That verse brings a huge smile to my face. It's so refreshing and relieving as I am reminded that God will do the planning for us. It is up to him where I will be, what I will do, and who I will touch - and I need to release.