Find Freedom, Fearlessly Focus & Flourish in Faith (Part 3)

(If you are just joining us today, get caught up on this mini series by reading Part 1 and Part 2).

I believe that complacence is one of the most dangerous tools of the enemy within the church today. The status quo is not a threat to Satan’s plan. That is where he wants us to stay, and let me tell you—it is very easy and comfortable! We can fall into the trap of “Maybe tomorrow” or “I will start Monday.” Well, guess what? Monday is coming!  [Read more…]

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Find Freedom, Fearlessly Focus & Flourish in Faith (Part 2)

(If you are just joining us, hop over and read Part 1 of this mini-series).

Spiritual growth is not something that will happen by “accident.” We have two small kiddos, a kindergarten girl and 18-month-old son and as cheesy as it sounds, they do grow up so fast. Sometimes I feel like they wake up in the morning and their clothes don’t fit anymore because they seem to have grown overnight!

Unfortunately, spiritual growth isn’t necessarily “natural” for us. We have to be so intentional and seek growth every single day, which can be a little bit intimidating. If we aren’t seeking to grow every day, soon we are once again stuck, just now maybe we somewhere with slightly different scenery. [Read more…]

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Find Freedom, Fearlessly Focus & Flourish in Faith (Part 1)

If you’ve been around here for awhile, you know I’m a military spouse. Before we moved to El Paso about three months ago, we were stationed at the 5th Ranger Training Battalion in North Georgia which is where the 2nd Phase of US Army Ranger School takes place, also known as Mountain Phase. I’ve been working on my health and fitness for a solid 11 years now, and during that time I have been on a quest to become a pseudo runner. Don’t worry, I won’t be winning trophies anytime soon, because my primary running goals are to finish the race, not break my face and not meet Jesus in the process.

Before we moved, I signed up to do the Ranger Run at Camp Merrill’s Open House. It was my first trail run, but I wasn’t TOO worried. [Read more…]

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Because of Jesus: Photo Series #1

A few months ago, while I was up late one night pondering life feeding my newborn (see also: counting the minutes until I could go back to sleep) I had a revelation about this 7 Days Time stuff.

I wanted to do a photo series. And wanted our follower’s to contribute.

It would be called “Because of Jesus…”

So I went to work and asked our Facebook friends and followers to complete the sentence. Man oh man, did you all deliver!

I added a couple of my own and we were able to come up with 100 unique “Because of Jesus” statements. [Read more…]

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Whole30: Week #2 Reflection

Well, friends– another week of Whole 30 in the bag. It wasn’t quite as awesome as week 1, but I stayed compliant… So that’s a victory in and of itself. Let’s dig in, shall we?

Weekly Ranking (1-10)
7

On My Menu

My menu wasn’t nearly as impressive this week– I don’t know if I had pickier tastes or what. (Or maybe I peaked early with all of my super delicious foods/side dishes in week 1?)

This week for breakfast was a spinach, leek and mushroom frittata casserole. I was very underwhelmed– it didn’t taste bad, but it just really didn’t taste. I choked it down for three days then gave up.

Lunch again wasn’t as substantial as I should have planned– and leftovers weren’t as bountiful either. (I apparently need to start cooking larger quantities of food!) Lunches consisted of broiled seasoned shrimp with pine nut and leftover sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts  with balsamic glaze. (I added random leftovers to it throughout the week too.)

Pork cutlets were ok and the poached ahi tuna was decent too (I think I overcooked it- but raw fish– when not sushi grade– freaks me out!) Best meal this week was spaghetti with zoodles (spiraled zucchini.) It’s the first time I had pre-made Whole30 compliant marinara sauce– and it was delish!

Victories

Emotional and roller-coaster-y week. So my victory: NOT eating a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich or #AllTheSugar when I was feeling stressed. Also, I had spurts of that unspeakable joy I was seeking– I think it will show up in full force soon now that my ahem, post-preggo hormones are FINALLY leveling out. (Sorry if that was TMI. The woman-struggle is real.

My workouts continue to improve. Joint pain is completely gone and I was able to do a pretty legit ruck march on Wednesday (with Tiny Human in tow.) Workouts are also slowly starting to become something that relieves stress and balances things out instead of being such a chore. Hooray!

Struggles

Again, emotional and intermittently grouchy. I really wasn’t super pumped about some of my food options this week and food prep on Sunday was exhausting. (Apparently I really DO need a day of REAL rest.)

Oh. And the coffee I was drinking was apparently headache inducing! (Sad life. Just one cup!) So I ditched that and headaches are chilling out. Might try again next week and see what happens– or switch to a higher quality brand of ‘Joe when we run out.

Tweaks for Next Week

I’m changing up my menu again for next week and re-fixing/adding some of my delicious staples back into the menu rotation (Madras Chicken salad and coleslaw.) I don’t really know why I think I have to cook all completely different things each week. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Going to also keep drinking more water and try to slow down when eating. (Again, #KidProbs.)

Overall, not too bad of a week– but I am hopeful that Tiger blood will be kicking in soon– so stay tuned!

Friends, if you are doing W30, how did your week go? Leave a comment below and let me know. (Wow. That’s a lot of rhyming.)

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Whole30: What to Expect (Part 2)

See, friends… I told you I wouldn’t leave you hanging! Read on for Part 2 of “What to Expect” when doing Whole30. (If you are just joining us, get caught up and read the Part 1 by clicking here.)

[Read more…]

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Whole30: What to Expect (Part 1)

One of the biggest challenges of starting something new, be it making a new friend, traveling to a new location or participating in a new sport, is the fear or anxiety associated with not knowing what to expect. (That, or with the latter example, the fear of objects flying at my face. I once split my lip open while playing ping-pong, but that’s a story for another day. #NeverSaidIWasGraceful)

So today, as I approach my start date of a new round of Whole60 (and for the first time have legit invited others to join me via Facebook group) I want to share a few points of “What to Expect” should you decide to join me on this journey.

(BTW: If you are just joining us, be sure to get the Whole30 Low-Down and Prep Tips.) [Read more…]

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10 Commandments of Pregnancy: For the General Public

So I’ve been blogging for a hot minute. See also: Over five years.

And in that time, we’ve experienced a lot of life changes, especially in the family realm of things… A miscarriage, the birth of our daughter Charis and now, the 3rd-trimester-point-of-in-process-cooking of another Tiny Human.

One of my favorite mini-series of all time here on the blog are the “10 Commandments of Pregnancy.” They are funny, because they are true.

So today, I want to re-share the first installment of the mini-series: 10 Commandments for the general public, aka friends, extended family and strangers.

Because if I am going to put on weight and wonder how/what my body is doing, I might as well try to laugh in the meantime. (And I invite you to do the same.)

Oh. And if you are a friend/family member or just a random stranger who interacts with a preggo at any point in your life– please heed these guidelines. Trust me. You will thank me later.

[Read more…]

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The Holy Hedge Clippers

It’s only February, but all things green and growing are on my brain.

Earlier this week, I was reflecting on the ingredients for growth required for our faith… Which, not surprisingly, were very similar to things required for growing plants.

Now, I am pondering what needs to be REMOVED to grow in Christ.

As I write this, I am feeling kind of overwhelmed. My brain and to do list are swimming around me… I have been doing pretty well in my new (refreshed) quest to walk with the Lord, step by step this week, on HIS agenda… But I think I have gotten out of step today.

It’s frustrating. [Read more…]

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Different, Important & Useful #WilcoWednesday

Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.”  So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do.  Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. And let’s respond to God’s call with  a hearty “Wilco, Lord!” Welcome my friend Tara as she makes her writing debut! (Be sure to give her some love and leave a comment below.) 

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Go down to the end of our street then take a left. Take the third right and keep going until you reach Linden.

I made this 1.12 mile walk every Wednesday night and Sunday morning starting when I was 10-years-old.  That 30 minute walk was the difference between my parents and I…  and it was the glue that held my faith together.

What made me want to go to church so bad I would take myself? That’s easy. Her name was Evelyn and she once lived across the street from my childhood home. [Read more…]

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