A Lesson in Thankfulness!

Long Time. No see.

Life over the past two weeks has been CRAZY! I have fallen in amongst the ranks of first-time home buyers, and let me confess, dear reader.  I did NOT mentally prepare myself for this task- whatsoever. . . like at all.

Blessings to all of you who have gone through this experience and come out sane on the other side!  You are now my idol.  I need to learn from you.  Hear your experiences.  Know that I am NOT crazy.

For those of you who do not know- the real estate market right now is terrible.  There is nothing on the market- literally.  Houses are being listed and selling within a matter of days.  Let me tell you- for a self-proclaimed commitment-phobe this market is worse than less than ideal.

And there-in lies the foundation of my emotional-craziness of the past 2 weeks.  Toss in an unmentioned suggestion from a colleague, baseball season, and only a little-over-a-month before AP testing and, well, CRAZINESS!!!!  I haven't even gotten the chance to finish my list of my 4 favorite GF snacks!

Blessing & Truth

Yet in the midst of all the craziness, the still, small voice of God resonated throughout my days.  

Blessings like, "Bring me your weakness, and receive my Peace." [Psalm 29:11] 

Truths like, "Do not wear yourself out with analyzing and planning." [Numbers 6:24-26]

"Let thankfulness and trust be your guides through this day." [Numbers 6: 24-26]

These were not verses that I sought out personally, but instead were truths that met me each morning in my daily devotional.  Words, sent by God, that I did not even have to search for.  They were waiting on me.

Let Thankfulness Begin!

My circumstances have not changed.  If anything, they have simply become more convoluted over the past few days.

Yet my spirit is RENEWED.

And so I choose to be thankful for the big things-

1.)  For a Group of Women that Have Been and Will Be Life Long Friends.  
Sarah, Sarah, Wendy, and Candace.  My journey would not be sane without you sharing yours.  Through your lives, I continue to see how God works out his promises to us no matter where we live- Natchez, Canada, Waco, or Picayune.

2.) For a Job & Colleagues that I enjoy.

3.) For a Family that is Supportive and Willing to Drive All Around the County to Help Me Search for a Home.

4.) For Church Families that Offer Peace & Encouragement.

I also choose to be thankful for the little things-

5.) Beautiful Baseball Nights that Allow Me to Enjoy the Community.

6.) My local gym and the loyal group fitness ladies that work out with me every morning at 5 AM.

7.)  The Therapy that Painting a House Offers [Hard Work Does a Soul Good].

8.) Students that succeed. Students that make me laugh.  Students that show up.

9.) Coffee :)

10.) My ItWorks! Greens!  They keep my mood stable and give me energy for the day.  On top of the full serving of fruits and veggies that I get from them.  Hallelujah!

I LOVE Eating! 4 Days of Healthy, Gluten-Free Snacks- Day 2

My Bread-and-Butter: Chips & Salsa

Great for late afternoon snacks, lunch during the workday, & a healthier alternative to burgers & fries.

Honestly- thank goodness I am not allergic to chocolate AND corn because this is my go-to pleasure.

I love all versions- 

at my favorite Mexican restaurant
[Shout out to all Mexican restaurants for totally spoiling me and meeting my need for instant gratification. Now, the first thing I look for on menus at other restaurants is chips & salsa because I expect to be fed as soon as I sit down at the table.]
 

Shout out to No Way Jose's in Gatlinburg for their gluten-free menu!!!

On the Border chips & On the Border salsa 
[Mind you not the wimpy sizes that you can find at your local grocery store- those are a waste of money because I can finish them off in one sitting. I am talking the Sams Club size- now that will last me a month.]

Homemade Salsa with Organic Blue Corn Chips
[Now this, my friends, is my favorite version.  I just feel healthier when I eat this salsa because it tastes so ridiculously fresh, and whenever I can, I spoil myself with the organic blue corn chips. It's worth it, my friend.  It's worth it.]

Okay- the cheese. . .not as healthy. . .but it can be left out!

So here's my favorite salsa recipe, dear reader, and I share it with great sentimental feelings welling up inside of me.  This recipe was shared to me by a dear mentor of mine while I spent the summer in Hawaii.  

Enjoy!

Homemade Salsa- Mild

Ingredients  

4-5 vine-ripened tomatoes 
**Make sure the tomatoes are ripe.  If not, a bitter aftertaste will appear in your salsa. **
1/2 - 1 tbs sea salt
A handful of fresh cilantro
1 small, white onion
2 large limes
1 tsp of garlic powder

Directions

After washing and prepping all your fresh ingredients, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend.  Let set in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill and allow time to develop flavor.

Day 3 of Gluten-Free Snacks:  Black Bean Dip 

I LOVE Food! 4 Days of Healthy, Gluten-Free Snacks

I love food.

Snacks. Desserts. Meals.  All of it.  One of my favorite reasons to travel is to experience the food of different places.

My favorite rule in my classroom- "You can eat in here because I WILL eat in front of you- just don't expect me to share my food."  

So when my options for food shrank significantly, I had to get creative . . . especially when it came to snacks . . . especially when it came to health.

For the next 4 days, I am sharing my favorite snacks. 

Popcorn. Salsa. Black Bean Dip. Fruit. Enjoy!

 

Day 1:  Old-Fashion Popcorn

This simple, cheap snack is addicting!

1/3 c. Whole, White Popcorn Kernels 
3 tbs. Olive Oil
Salt (to taste)

Check out the different popcorn seasoning flavors they have!  My favorite is white cheddar!

**This is a recipe for stove-top popcorn which requires a specific stove-top pot.   They can easily be found online and are totally worth it!**

Place oil in pot and turn oven eye on to high.
Pour in salt to taste and then add the kernels.  
When you hear the first kernel pop, begin turning the handle on the popcorn maker.  
Continue to turn the handle until you can count 2-3 seconds between each "pop."
Pour into a bowl & enjoy!

Pursing My Passion- Teaching

I am blessed.

I am fortunate to be at a job that I love- a job that I feel called to do.  When Christians think of being called to ministry, it is often in the context of a pastor or a missionary.  However, as a sophomore in college, I felt the distinct call of God to become a high school science teacher.  

I am blessed.

I am at a job that I love- a job that I feel called to do.  My passion for science and the understanding it provides about the world around us aside- each day I have the chance to be a genuine caring presence in the lives of students.  I have the opportunity to demonstrate God's love and grace- a love and grace that does not discriminate against gender, race, stereotype, or status- to 100+ students each day.  I am even in a place to teach students the importance of community service and seeing the world beyond themselves.  

I am blessed.

My job is never the same.  Adolescents are an interesting group of our population- they are funny, emotional, passionate, and most often real.  I have taught Chemistry for 6 years now, and I never teach the content the same way.  Each new group of students brings in a new set of personalities, work ethics, learning abilities, etc.  

I am blessed.

Can you guess which one was $2 & which was $6?

I love my job.  It does not pay much at all, but I don't regret my decision.  Passion > Money.   However, when I was diagnosed with a gluten-intolerance in October, money became a greater issue.  A loaf of bread went from $2-3 to $6-7 AND now has to be kept frozen.  Eating healthy and eating gluten-free just adds to the dilemma. TBH- it's expensive. Plain & simple. 

Add this to the fact that I am looking to become a first-time home buyer this spring, and money has become an issue.

Enter ItWorks!

About 3 weeks after being diagnosed as being gluten-intolerant, I met a now good friend of mine named Lizzy.  Her and her husband  (also a teacher) were first time home buyers with a little girl, and Lizzy had just joined this company, ItWorks!  Over the next 4 months, I became more and more intrigued with this company.  

I Witnessed. . .

Lizzy get a $20,000 BONUS in January, and another $30,000 BONUS this month.

The excitement does not end there. ItWorks! was started by a high school teacher and his stay-at-home wife who were looking for financial security (sounds like my story, doesn't it?).  They simply wanted $500 more a month to supplement his salary.  When they started ItWorks!, they chose network marketing to promote their product because they wanted to provide the same opportunity- financial freedom- to others.  

So Lizzy doesn't get these bonuses in lump-sum amounts that will be heavily taxed and easier to spend on frivolous things. 

With these bonuses, Lizzy has guaranteed her and her family an extra $2,000 a month for the next two years!

But I am not a good sales person. . .

I will be honest with you.  While financial freedom is exciting and tempting, I am NOT a good sales person.  I have tried network marketing 2 other times and failed.  

So why would I join ItWorks! .  . .

I have also witnessed the affects of the ItWorks! products in my life.  

Greens in the morning help me through the day.

In November, I became a loyal customer (only a 3 month commitment- which is why I joined in the first place.  I am a HUGE "commitment-phobe" and 3 months is not that bad.) and began taking Greens.

Within 2 months, I noticed that my energy level throughout the day had gone up, and my internal mood and stress-level had stabilized.
 
Greens offer your body a full serving of fruit and veggies as well as a pro-biotic.  For me, this was a win-win situation.  Green veggies are the hardest things to work into my diet each day, and my gluten allergy is an intestinal allergy. 

Left: Before Right: After one wrap.

In January, I used 3 Wraps to jump-start my post-holiday detox.  The wraps, along with a healthier diet, helped me lose within 1 week and keep off 2" around my waste!

Now, I have added Gluten-Free Core Nutrition vitamins to my diet.  

 

 

I am so excited!!!

God's timing is perfect.  

My goal with ItWorks! is to simply increase my monthly income by $300 so that I can buy the groceries that I need to be healthy.

Interested in learning more about ItWorks!? E-mail me.  Send me a Direct Message via Facebook or Twitter.  Click the ItWorks! Logo above to head to my web-site!

 

Next Blog Topic- Gluten-Free Snacks!

Snowed In & Ready for Spring!

I am a high school teacher, and I am a BASEBALL fan! 

Can you hear the frustration and sadness in my tone when I exclaim, "Jaguar Baseball was suppose to start 2 WEEKS AGO!!!!"?

I am ready for the smell of the grill, the sound of kids playing tag, the taste of sunflower seeds coated in ranch, the feel of spring air, and the sight of the baseball diamond.

Winter 2K15 has been an ordeal!  Our district voted on Wednesday to make up 2 of our 4 snow days on Saturdays in March and April, and now we have had 2 more snow days.  Adios and farewell Saturdays of Spring!

So I am snowed in again for the 3rd time this winter-

My soul is craving beautiful baseball evenings.

My body is itching to work out.

All I can think about are these images that I have seen on Facebook of a former student contorted into some MASTERFUL yoga poses.

I WAS and AM INSPIRED.

So Tuesday night, as I was missing baseball (notice the sweatshirt in the picture) and trying not to stress about missing 6.5 days of school in my AP Physics class, I went to a yoga class.

BEST DECISION EVER.

My relaxation increased, and the next day, my high-intensity cardio class was better because my muscles were stretched and ready.

So now, on my 3rd set of snow days, I am surfing the internet (after posting on online assignment for my AP students- Yes.  I am THAT teacher. Desperate times, people, desperate times.), and I stumble upon this-

 

I am taking the challenge- 30 days of Yoga with Adriene.

And 

I am adding my own challenge- 30 days of Cleansing My Body using ItWorks! Greens.

Winter 2K15 got you down???  Won't you join me??? 

Message Me for links to Adriene's Videos & Info on the Greens!!!

#SummerBodiesStartToday