An Epiphany

My husband and I have been married for over a 1 year and a half now. We are at the stage of our life where we are ready to take on children and parenting and are eager to start our little family.

As we are on this journey, things didn’t happen quite like I had planned(I can’t image why not :) ). I thought we would get pregnant the first month we tried and that everything would be just hunky dory. Well, surprise, it’s been multiple months, and still no baby.

I admit, I was crushed that first month when I realized we weren’t pregnant and that my “perfect plan” wasn’t coming to fruition.

My husband and I have been praying every night “Lord, bless us with a baby” or similar and have been crossing our fingers every month that I would get a positive test. While I do believe that God absolutely wants to grant us the desires of our heart and praying this way is what we are supposed to do bibically, I had an "ah-ha" moment today while praying this. 

While praying today, the Lord reminded me of a lesson I’ve had to learn before.

If you’ve read my about me section, you know that before I met my husband, the Lord had quietly urged me to stop dating and to focus on my relationship with Him and fixing some of my personal issues. The Lord showed me that I had some things I needed to work on personally and spiritually before I was ready to be a wife. I fought the Lord on this for awhile, but as soon as I gave up control, and let Him work in my life, He graciously brought Michael into my life and blessed me with the wonderful marriage we have today.

However, if I wouldn’t have let God mold and shape me during those months before I met Michael, I would not be prepared to be in a marriage relationship, or to be a good wife.

As I sat praying for a child today, I was reminded that maybe, I’m not done learning how to be a good wife; that God still has lessons he needs me to learn and areas to I need to grow in before I can take on the challenge of being a good wife AND a good mom.

Just as God urged me to give up my desire of a husband back then, maybe I need to give up my desire to be a mom right now, so that I can grow and learn in the areas where I’m not ready for motherhood.

I don’t know about you, but when I do have children, I want to be the best parent I can be. I want to be a godly influence in their life, an encourager, supporter, challenger and role model in their life. I truly believe that I cannot be any of those things if I don’t let God mold me into the person he needs me to be.

God doesn’t give you what you want, He gives you what you need. I want to be given what I need to be a good wife. I want to be the best wife I can possibly be for my husband. I want this so that I can bless my husband, and also, so that when I do have to take on the role as mom, I can embrace that full-heartedly without worrying that I am neglecting my role as my husband’s partner.

So today, my new prayer is that God would mold me into the person he wants me to be. That I would learn the lessons He needs me to learn so that I can be the best wife I can be, and when His timing is right, the best mom I can be.

Today, I am delaying my desire to be a mom, for the greater desire of being formed in the image of my Savoir and Creator.

“ I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” – Jeremiah 29:11

Couponing vs. Whole Food

During the past year, I started following a LOT of couponing blogs and dove head first into the world of couponing. I did this for two reasons:

1.) I love bargains / saving money!

2.) I was enticed by the promise of $ 5.00 grocery trips.

Now, let’s be clear: I think people who can leave a grocery store with bags of food for $ 5.00 are amazing, but shopping like that is not as easy or as common as it looks!  They spend A LOT of time planning their trips, splitting up their transactions, clipping coupons and organizing to be able to accomplish what they do.

I started couponing several months ago. I went in head first, and I caught on pretty quick! I quickly learned what stores to frequent, what websites posted the best deals, when to visit stores and how to score the biggest deals. As I have begun my journey into the couponing world I have had a bit of an internal struggle with the whole concept.

Let me share what I am struggling with: 

1.) Is the stuff that I am buying, even if I am getting is super cheap, stuff I want in my home, body or belly?
Most of the food that people are typically getting for free or close to, are either full of gluten, dairy, soy, ect, or they are completely processed and full of junk. These are foods I would never bring into my home if I couldn't get them from free.

2.) Do I want to buy something with a coupon rather than buy organic, whole food that I believe is better for my health?
Am I choosing to buy processed food, that is full of preservatives, chemicals, soy, corn and sugar, simply because I can get them cheaper, rather than investing in good, whole food that will nourish and bless my body?


3.) Feeling guilty if I don't buy something with a coupon.
Have I started feeling guilty about buying whole, natural food, when I could have gotten a processed/non-organic option at a lower price with a coupon? 

Does any of this sound familiar to you? While it is enticing to collect a big stack of coupons and bravely dare the treacherous world of couponing, to emerge a money saving machine, is it worth the sacrifice of feeding our bodies real, whole food?

After a few months of battling the questions above, I have come to the conclusion that it's all about balance. 

I have made peace with the fact that, for my family, eating whole (mostly organic) food and using organic products is a bigger priority than shaving a few dollars off of our budget.

I am able to find some great coupons for organic foods and products and I use those every chance I get! Check out this site for some great organic coupons.

I also keep an eye out for deals that I can stock up on such a toilet paper, paper towels, toothbrushes, and the like. These are items that I can typically get for next to nothing, and they don't create any compromise in our whole food goal, and we save a lot of money by using coupons to purchase these items.

For me, I needed to make sure that couponing didn’t affect my quality of life. While I love saving money by using coupons, I hated that I was compromising on buying whole, natural food and was buying junk that my body doesn’t need. Also, I was starting to stress out if I missed out on a certain deal because I got their too late or my coupon expired. While couponing within boundaries can be a wonderful thing, it’s good to make sure you are not putting added stress into your life by engaging in it.

Couponing and natural living can go hand in hand! I believe it takes a healthy balance between the two, couponing for only items you would buy without a coupon and sticking to your guns regarding your beliefs!

Whole Food Detox: Day 1

As I mentioned in my last post, Mike and I are starting a 21 day whole food detox program today. This is the second time we have done this detox and we are so excited!

We went to COSCTO this weekend to stock up on fruits and veggies for the detox, here is our cart half way through our shopping trip:

 

A huge part of the detox program we are on is whole food supplements. We have to take TWENTY-ONE large pills a day along with a special protein shake.

For Mike and I, we had a protein shake this morning for breakfast, veggie salads and an apple for lunch and for dinner we are having Vegetable Stir-fry with some brown rice (we can have ½ cup of brown rice a day)

As I mentioned, last time we did this detox, my husband lost over 20lbs. I will be sure to keep you updated on any progress we see. We are taking before and after pictures of my husband on this diet, but because his shirt is off in the picture, I didn’t feel it would be appropriate to post on this blog. I will post total weight loss when we are done though!

Out first few days, we are eating simple food, as my energy will probably be low. I will post our first recipe on Friday, which will be Veggie Kabobs, followed by a Roasted Apples recipe and Red Lentil Soup recipe and many others next week! 

Stay Tuned!

Whole Food Detox: Coming Soon

When Mike and I first got married, we made it one of our goals to detox at least once a year.

After a lot of research, we decided to use a company called Standard Process. Standard Process is a whole food supplement company that offers a purification process using their whole food supplements and strict and short food list that you can eat while on the detox. It is a 21 day process and is AMAZING!

We did the Standard Process Detox last July and saw some amazing results. Mike lost over 20lbs in 3 weeks (I only lost about 5lbs, go figure!) but we both felt amazing, and we saw huge improvements in Mike's RA while on the detox and after we were done.

We are going to start the program again starting next Monday. I will be sharing our journey and some recipes that fit in with the program as we go along.

Standard Process is only offered by Medical Professionals. If you are interested in learning more about their products, click here!


Why Detox?

Purification, also known as detoxification, can help you remove natural toxins from your body and help maintain a healthy weight. We are exposed to external toxins everyday, including pollutants, pesticides, and chemicals. Internally our bodies produce waste byproducts as a result of normal metabolic function. Although your body is designed to rid itself of these toxins naturally, it can become overburdened. Purification offers your body additional support to expel natural toxins and minimize your weight, which is important to maintaining your health and vitality.
Toxins can contribute to a wide range of conditions:

• Stuffy head
• Fatigue or difficulty sleeping
• Digestion and other gastrointestinal problems
• Food cravings and weight gain
• Reduced mental clarity
• Low libido

What are the benefits of purification? 

A purification program can have a significant, positive effect on the biochemistry of the body while allowing natural toxins and byproducts of daily metabolism to be eliminated. By participating in a purification program, you may notice the following:

• Improved weight management results
• Increased energy/vitality
• Better digestion
• Less bloating
• Clearer skin
• Shinier hair
• Better sleep
• Clearer thinking
• Disappearance or lessening of past conditions

So stay tuned for updates on our progress, fun recipes and more information!

I should note that detox programs are not recommended if you are pregnant, nursing or if your doctor has advised you otherwise.

My Typical Grocery List

The thought of shopping for whole, organic foods can be very overwhelming! It is a whole new world of grocery shopping to say the least.

I wanted to share my own grocery list to give you an idea of what we typically buy in a month and where I buy them. I thought this might help you if you are struggling with ideas, budget or where to shop for certain items!

I have found that by going to these 4 stores I can get everything I need for the best prices. I will break out my list by store, and what I buy at each store. These would be things that I typically buy every month. There are of course some added random items each month, but these are the staples that get me through.

Trader Joes: Typically around $70-$90 every two weeks. Trader Joes is my first stop for almost all my food buying needs. I have found that they consistently have the best prices on organic and natural food.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dijon Mustard

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Brown Rice Pasta – 2 Packs

1 Whole Fryer Chicken

1 Pack Frozen Chicken Breasts

1 Pack Frozen Chicken Slices

Organic Peppers (either fresh or frozen, depending on the time of year)

Spaghetti Sauce

Chicken Sausage

Nitrate Free Bacon

Raisins
Organic Red Wine
Salsa

Produce I cannot find at our local Co-Op: Zucchini, Carrots, sweet potatoes, ect. depending on the time of year

COSTCO: Typically $ 30-$ 50 every two weeks. Who doesn’t love COSCTO? COSTCO has a lot of great Organic Bulk Items that we buy which will last us 1-3 months! I stock up on these whenever I am out!

Organic Brown Rice (every 6 months or so)
Organic Quinoa (every 3 months or so)
Organic Canned Diced Tomatoes (every 2 months)
Organic Canned Tomato Sauce (every 2 months)
Organic Spinach (2 x a month)

Organic Mixed Greens (2x a month)
Onions
Organic Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Organic Eggs (2x a month)
Organic Corn Chips or Kettle Potato Chips

Local Co-Op: Typically $20-$30 every two weeks. I am loving the local Co-Op (Everett, for those who are close) for their bulk foods section, produce, and goat cheese selections!

Produce (whatever is needed for the month)
Bananas
Potatoes

Sucanata (about every 6 months I will buy two lbs)

Coconut Aminos
Beans – Black, White Pinto (as needed)

Cashews  – (2x month I buy 1 lb)
Other nuts – (whenever needed)
Goat Cheese (2x month)
Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, ect) (about every 2 months)

Fred Meyer: Typically $15-$30 Fred Meyer has a great natural food section and great bulk food section as well! I tend to buy odds and ends here every month, but a few staples as well

Olives
Organic Celery
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Bob’s Red Mill Flours (as needed)

I buy things like Coconut Oil, Stevia, Chai and Flax seeds, honey, ect online on a “as needed” basis. I usually shop for these things on either Amazon.com or iherb.com. This is usally around $ 40.00 a month

I have a $ 300.00 a month grocery budget. I find that I can easily stay in budget every month provided I am planning our meals ahead and shopping smart!

October Goals and September Recap

Last month I started a Monthly Goal page, inspired by Mary at Homemade Dutch Apple Pie!



I am so excited that October is here! Fall is by far my favorite season and I am so excited for the all festivities  that lay ahead! This month should be pretty laid back for the first half. We hopefully will get to enjoy spending time together and with friends. The end of October will be much busier, with a baby dedication out of state, my birthday, Halloween (we will be helping at a local churches Harvest Party) and a few church activities!

Here are my Goals for this month:

Food Goals: 

1. Eat in Season - As we transition into fall I really want to work on eating foods that are in season: apples, pears, potatoes, squash, pumpkin, root veggies. I want to make sure we get a good variety of these veggies in our diet this month!
   
2. Make an Apple Pie - I want to find a really good gluten free pie crust and apple pie recipe and make one. I have never made an apple pie, so I am going to tackle this in October!
   
3. Find a Good Gluten Free Bread Recipe - I have tried a few, and so far, no luck. I am going to keep on searching til I find one we go gaga over!

Personal Goals:

1. Desire Less - I really want to work on my heart towards "things". It's so easy to get caught up in the world's view of "needing" things, when really they are wants, not needs. Especially with my birthday and the holidays coming up, I want to work on my heart's attitude towards this and work on being grateful for what I have, rather than feeling like I need more.
   
2. Work Out More - We are going on a cruise next month, so I would really like to stay consistent in with my work out plan this month!
   
3. Read Three Books- Again, I would like to read at least three books this month. It is so good for my relationship with the Lord to read books that encourage my spirit and push my faith. It's also so important as I am learning more and more about homemaking to continue to read more and more!
   
4. Lead One Person to the Lord - I haven't lead someone to the Lord since I was probably 9. I really want to seek the Lord this month to show me how I can help further the Kingdom of God.
   

September Goals Recap:

Food Goals:

1. Eat a better variety of veggies – Okay, I failed here! We did eat Butternut squash, which is a new one for me to cook with, but that was the only new veggie. Want to try harder at this next month!

2. Snack less–still a work in progress! I think my snacking probably remained the same this month

3. Experiment more with baking–I did do great here! Here are the new recipes I tried this month:
1. Biscuts
2. Coffee Cake
3. Sandwich Rolls
4. Cinnamon Rolls

4. Healthy snacks for football season – So far we haven't really snacked through the games, as we've usually just eaten lunch! So this one is still TBD

Personal Goals:

1. Spend more time in The Word– I have been getting better about this! I would say I have been able to set aside a half hour at least 3 times a week on a regular basis to spend with just my bible and the Lord. I am still striving to make this a daily goal!

2. Exercise more–hit and miss. With the weather taking a turn for the worse, I haven't been running outside as much, but I am making it to the gym at lease twice a week. I am going to keep working on this one!

3. Read 3 books a month – I was successful here! I love reading, so this was easy, I just needed to take the time to do it! Here's what I read:
1. Jesus:  Why the world is still fascinated by him - Tim Lahaye.
2. Completely His by Shannon Ethridge
3. Real Food: What to eat and why by Nina Planck.

4. Serve More – I am still working on this one! We have recently found a new home church, so I am hoping to be able to plug in there and find ways that I can serve! 

Goals - What are Yours?

I strongly believe that 99.9% of very successful people are successful because they, at one point, sat down and decided what their goals were, and then went after them. I could point you towards numerous stories about this exact thing (check out http://www.goal-setting-for-success.com/motivational-stories.html)

Not everyone has goals of being uber successful, making millions of dollars or becoming president. I know mine are nothing close to that! I do, however, have a lot of things that I want to accomplish or get better at while I am here on this earth. I want to make the biggest impact I can while I’m here. I also know that my life gets busy, and I often get caught up in the day-to-day routine and my “goals” get pushed to the back burner.

I was prayerfully lead to the decision to create a goal list for myself. After deciding to switch to whole food eating and more natural living, I was completely overwhelmed by the things I wanted to accomplish and strive towards. After complaining about this to my husband and the Lord multiple times, I was lead to a blog post about goal setting.

I took that as a very personal, tender reminder that God does not do all the work for us. Yes, he will guide and help us, but he does require that we put in the time and work to fulfill his purpose for our life.

I started by making one big goal list. I just wrote down every thing that was on my heart and mind. Here is the end result:

I then printed this list and hung it right on my mirror. I decided to tackle 1 or 2 items a month. I can proudly say that I have checked off a large chunk of these items! There are some long term goals on here that will take longer to tackle, but that’s okay, because I am daily reminding myself to accomplish them!

I have also started making monthly goals. These are smaller goals that I want to focus on each month, like trying a new recipe or reading a certain amount of books. I am finding this a huge help in keeping me focused during the week and month.

So, I encourage you to take some time to sit down and think about what it is you want to accomplish in this life, what are the things that you’ve been wanting to do, but haven’t had the time to do. Make a list. Then tackle it, one thing at a time.

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 13-14”

I Can't Fix It

As I have mentioned before, my husband has been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. He got this diagnosis when he was only 22 years old. My first thought when I found out about his RA was “It’s not fair”. People with RA are supposed to be elderly, not active basketball players and young doctors.

My main focus since marriage has been trying everything I can to “fix” my husband’s RA, to try and take away some of the symptoms by eating healthy whole foods, cutting back on sugar, increasing our exercise, spending more time in the hot tub or bath tub and researching like crazy…. and we had seen improvement. Before our lifestyle change, Mike had been on the strongest RA medicine on the market, Methotrexate. Now, he is completely off the Methotrexate and doesn’t need to take his anti-inflammatory medicine every day.

We had been doing SO well. He was experiencing so many pain-free days, moving around easier, and he was actually able to RUN (if you know anyone who RA you know that isn’t a possibility, AT ALL).

Then, for the past week or two, we’ve had some MAJOR flair ups. It seems that all the progress we had been making was unraveled over night. And I was devastated. I had been working SO hard to keep my husband healthy, doing everything I knew to do to make him feel better, but it just wasn’t enough.

As I sat down to do my devotions last week, feeling defeated and a bit hopeless, I opened my bible right to the verse below. This passage has been one of my favorite passages for a long time. Every time I read it, it brings tears to my eyes. The version below is from The Message, a modern translation of the bible and is my favorite translation of this verse:

"Don't be afraid. I've redeemed you.
I've called your name. You are mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place it won't be a dead end --
Because I am God, your personal God
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you."

-Isaiah 43: 1-5 The Message

The Lord used this verse to gently remind me of two truths:

1.)    I can’t heal Mike. - I had been trying so hard to do everything in my own way to heal Mike that I forgot to look to God for direction. While God has blessed us with the knowledge to take steps towards healing, the ultimate healing will come from the Lord and the Lord only. I need to remember to lean on and trust in God everyday of this journey.

2.)     God has a bigger plan. How many of us look at our current situation and think “This stinks. Why do I have to deal with this? Why doesn’t God give us something better?” I know I am guilty of that on a regular basis. Isaiah 43 is such a great reminder that God really does have our best interest in mind; he just sees a bigger picture than we do. While I can’t begin to tell you why God placed this hurdle in our lives, I do know that it is part of a bigger and better plan that God is perfectly orchestrating in our lives.

One of my favorite illustrations of God’s provision is from the book, The Shack. They use a woven rug as an example. They explain how we, on earth are looking at the bottom of the rug, seeing only the gnarled knots and disarray of strings. The picture we see looks confusing, even ugly. It doesn’t seem to make sense. However, God is working on the rug form the top, and eventually, we will get to see that same view. We will get to see how every ugly knot and string on the underside is working to create a masterpiece on the top side.

God has a better view than we do. He sees the whole picture. We won’t get to see that view until we are in eternity with him. So until then, we need to learn to trust in him, trust that he has bigger plan and is creating a masterpiece with our lives, even when it feels like our life is a bunch of loose strings and knots. God really will make beauty out of the ashes that we are trudging through.

*If you don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord and would like more information on how you can know his all encompassing love, compassion and mercy I encourage you to talk with a Christian friend or leader. Or, please feel free to email me at ajeannettefay@ gmail (dot) com. I would love to pray with you or for you and share with you.

Best of Western Washington

My husband, Mike, is a Chiropractor. He has his own practice in Bellevue, and if I'm perfectly honest, he IS the best Chiropractor in the state.

He is more dedicated to his work and patients than any other doctor I've ever met or know. He has a genuine passion for what he does and that shows. He is consistently looking for ways to improve his patients experience and how quickly they heal. He is compassionate and caring and works around the clock (meaning he is always reading a book, reading a blog or working on his "dream" board, not meaning he neglects his wife :) ).

I am so proud of him for being nominated for our local "Best Of" competition. A local TV show hosts the Best of Western Washington every year and it's a big deal around here to be nominated/win. And MY husband was nominated for the Favorite Doctor category! 

So I just wanted to toot his horn and let the world know how incredibly proud I am of him!

If you want to vote for him, please follow this link:
http://best.king5.com/dr-michael-weir-dc/biz/549129

September Goals

Mike and I at a Seahawk's game last fall

With a new month approaching (and a new season, here in Seattle it is already raining, blustery and cold) I have decided that I want to start setting some monthly goals for myself. I have a longtime goal list on my mirror at home that I am slowly working on completing, but I figured a few monthly goals would help me get organized, focused and be a better wife, friend and servant of the Lord!

Food Goals:

1. Eat a better variety of veggies – I feel like we are in a veggie rut. I always buy the same ones, and rarely try anything new. I would like to incorporate 3 new veggies into our diet this month.

2. Snack less – I admit it… I’m a snacker! I love tortilla chips, chocolate chips, dried fruit, popcorn, ect! If it’s little, and you can nibble on it, I like it!! I am working to feed my family whole, nutrient-dense food, so I really shouldn’t be hungry. The snacking is just a habit that I am working on breaking.

3. Experiment more with baking – I have all the stuff I need to bake, I just need to find the time to do it. I would like to bake at least 3 new things this month.

4. Healthy snacks for football season – Mike and I are HUGE football fans, which usually means lots of snacking, parties, and vegging. I want to try and learn some new recipes for healthier, whole food snacking (wish me luck on this one!)

Personal Goals:

1. Spend more time in The Word – I have a dedicated time to read my bible everyday, but it is short – 10 minutes on a good day. I want to take at least a half out before bed every night to spend in The Word and prayer. This is also a long term goal for myself.

2. Exercise more – I run about 2 time a week right now. I would like to get my exercise routine to 4 days a week, running twice and going to the gym twice.

3. Read 3 books a month – I want to try and get in as much reading as possible during this season in our lives of no kids, no pets. I would like to try and push my monthly reading from about 2 books per month to 3 books

4. Serve More – Acts 20:35 - “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” bottom line – I need to do more as a Christ-follower. Find areas where I can step in and step up.

As we enter into the fall season I am also going to focus on cultivating a thankful heart! It’s so easy to fall into a pattern of ungratefulness, grumbling and jealousy if we don’t daily take time to inventory our lives and realize how much we truly have been blessed with. Sure, there are things that are hard, things we want and desires of my heart that haven’t been fulfilled yet, but I truly believe that God will bless us with his perfect provision in his always perfect timing. For now, I am going to choose to be THANKFUL for all the many, many blessing in my life!