Lifestyle update...

So remember this post:  'I'm baaaaccckkkk'?

Well let me remind you that when I returned to the blog world, I mentioned how I was turning a new leaf in the way I live life around food.  I promised a few things on the post:

1) I will be honest about this journey
2) I will update you on this journey
3) I will neither obsess over nor neglect the type/amount of food I intake - but will focus on respect and moderation

I'm sticking to my promise... so here is the latest:

1) I will be honest about this journey:

This has been a MUCH slower process than I anticipated.  I knew I wouldn't see changes overnight... but the waiting is the hardest part for my inpatient self.

I have been tempted to make this a 'weekly update' on the ol' blogg-a-roo but as of now... I'm not convinced that I would be able to keep my promise #3 if it were weekly.  So- hope you enjoy the ever-so-often updates instead :)

I need motivation and encouragement.  I do get some of this from my WW leader.  She lost over 140lbs a few years ago and she is very motivating- so I do enjoy my Monday night meetings.  I also like these b/c I have a couple of others that attend them with me... that always helps.  I will say that the weight jars that Jen and I made have been somewhat motivating as well:

2) I will update you on this journey:

Since my original post declaring this lifestyle change... I have lost a total of 6.2 lbs.  See what I mean... it has been an up and down last several weeks.  But I'm standing by the 'slow and steady wins the race' mantra.

I am tracking my food.... this week.  I am working out more - however it has NOT become an obsession... which is exactly the healthy balance I need.  Praying it stays that way.

3) I will neither obsess nor neglect the type/amount of food I intake - but will focus on respect and moderation:

Deep down I know that I don't want to 'quick fix diets'... where you take the magical pill and lose 30 lbs and 30 days.  While my prideful self wishes that were the case... I know that I would never be able to practice respect of balance and moderation with that type of lifestyle.  Also.. what happens when you run out or stop taking the pills because an ideal weight has been obtained?  Exactly!  So I'm having to remind myself of these things every time I wish I could get into my early college year jeans tomorrow. 

I know that the Lord is using this as a way to instill some consistency and patience in my life... and I'm so thankful for that.  

____

I'm continually relying on the goodness of God to be my motivation and to speak truth and respect to my heart.  He is constantly showing me what balance truly is and that, my friends.. is beautiful!

Titus 2: 'Older Women...'

So currently the youth group is split up between girls and guys for a 10 week study.  The guys are discussing guy things... I imagine... and the girls are discussing girl things- for sure!

A couple of weeks this passage was mentioned:

Titus 2
"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.  Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."

While I have heard this passage so many times, it has been replaying in my mind all week.  I continue to dwell on the section that says:

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."

Thinking through what this really means... what does this look like for me?  I love the investment I'm making in the youth ladies-- they are so good for my heart and I often times feel like I'm truly getting the better end of the deal.

I often wonder if I'm being as proactive as I should about the other side of the coin... So -- I'm being the 'older women' to some... but am I being intentional about who the 'older women' to me are?  I mean-- I have to bring Launch into the picture here.  I am blessed beyond words by this community, and by Kandy -- she has such a beautiful heart and I have learned so much from being in community with her and watching her deal with life.  The ladies at Launch are all very unique... no one has the exact same taste in clothes, or music, or hobbies... but that is exactly what I love about it.  Wow... so much to say about Launch... and I'm going to save it for another post.

Kind of random today... but thats what I've got for ya. #sorrynotsorry

What does this look like for you?

Fajita love...

I'm not the kind of girl that is an awesome cook... the kind that can make anything taste amazing...

But I've been asked several times over the years about my fajitas - which is, by the way, my favorite food group.  So I thought I'd share my 'recipe'... insert air quotes here b/c I don't typically use a recipe... but here goes nothin':

First you'll need:

-Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)  I like the pre-packaged 'stir fry' chicken strips from HyVee
-2 medium green peppers (HyVee only had tiny ones so I used 3)
-1 large red pepper
-2 Small/medium size vidalia onions
-Small tortillas (I like the soft taco size - less WW points!)
-Tones Fajita Seasoning
-1 package of Lipton Taco Rice
-1 can of refried beans
-Guacamole
-Mexican shredded cheese
-Tortilla chips

1. Put a little bit of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) in the bottom of the skillet and put all of the chicken in to start cooking.  I usually want it to cook kind of slow so I have time to get all of my veggies cut.. so I will turn the dial to maybe 250-300 degrees until I'm done with the veggies.  After a few minutes of cooking... add a healthy dose of lemon pepper AND fajita seasoning.  Then turn the chicken over and season the other side.

2. Cut all of the veggies and place to the side to wait for the chicken to be done and seasoned.  This is my favorite part to put on the 'Cookin' with Ray' show... just wait... it will take off one day.  My best friend and I have been putting on cooking shows since freshman year of high school... and it was ONLY when cooking fajitas.  There is something magical about this dish.. I'm telling ya.

3. This is when I put the refried beans in the little pot to heat up on medium (stirring every few minutes) and I start making the taco rice (following instructions on the back of the package)

4. Once the chicken is turning golden brown, this is when I start taking my rubber tongs and cut the chicken into smaller pieces.  I find it is MUCH easier to cut chicken once it is cooked rather than having to handle raw chicken.... and it is way less gross :)  The less touching of raw meat involved... the better in my world.

5. Now that you've cut up all of the chicken to the perfect fajita size... it is time to marry the veggies with the chicken.  This is a tough step... really!  Dump all of the veggies and stir the contents of the skillet until it is evenly mixed up and add a little more fajita seasoning.  Then, add a little bit of water and put the lid on the skillet and then..... wait for it.

Literally... just WAIT.  This is the hard part.  It is soooo tempting to just continually stir the fajita mixture- but don't do it.  Resist the temptation... walk away!

6. After 5 minutes or so... remove the lid and stir the fajita mixture.  I will then let it finish cooking with the lid off.  I usually wait until the onions are translucent... that usually means to me that the veggies are perfect!  Now... disclaimer:  everyone seems to like their veggies at different textures... if you like more of a crunch to them.. then it will be done a couple of minutes earlier than this... I like my onions caramelized to onion glory

7. I usually heat our tortillas up in the microwave.  I use my tortilla keeper (not sure exactly what that thing is called) and I put a dry paper towel at the bottom, put the tortillas I'm heating on top.. then I put a damp paper towel on top of them and put the lid on before heating for about 40 seconds or so.  I'm not sure if the damp towel actually does anything... its just how my family has ALWAYS done it-- so why end a tradition now, ya know?

8. This is the best part... there are so many combinations possible with these babies!  Scott loooooves his refried beans and guacamole as toppings... I simply like my cheese, rice and salsa toppings.  I love guacamole, but as a dip for my chips rather than a fajita topping. :)  

Have fun and be creative with your fajitas!  

How do you dress your fajitas?!  

So if you decide to try this- let me know how you like it!

'Cookin' with Ray' - over and out. :)

For the love of crafts...

Hey there, internet!  I know.. it has been a whole week since my last post.  I've had so many blog ideas the last week...but alas-- other priorities prevailed.  #sorrynotsorry

So today is about how I love crafts!  (Meredith just threw up in her mouth a little bit)

So lets start by telling you who I was a year ago... I wanted to purchase all of our furniture new so that we could keep it forever and do the wear and tear on the items ourselves, instead of buying items after the previous owner was done wearing and tearing it themselves. Who wants someone else's leftovers? #eww

Wow--- after my lesson in 'how to garage sale- for real' with Jen and her grandma... How my mindset has changed!  I see so much character and potential in the items I found while garage sale-in' it up.  I suddenly am so drawn by the story behind a piece, why they painted it that color, why they are getting rid of it... not gonna lie- the fact that used things are cheaper was a pretty big deciding factor as well.  I had no idea what I was about to experience...

I walked away with a $30 couch... yeah you read the right... $3-0!  The owners bought the couch 6 months earlier- brand. new. Now it had a beam broken, however I happen to have a good friend with a very hand dad :)  If you all haven't seen Jen's home adventures... you've got to check it out here.  Anyway, her dad is awesome with his hands... very talented! So after some time at the couch doctor... we were moving it on in!

So thankful for the hubs, jen, and jonathan for getting this thing in it's proper place!

So during our garage sale adventures we found a pair of night stands for $10 each.  Yes... $20 for 2 heavy, Broyhill nightstands that are in great shape.  The owner had painted them both black... of course not my color scheme... but I looked straight through that black paint and saw inspiration! haha

Needless to say... Jen is done with her home reno, and is now helping me in my step by step... item by item investment to our home.   :)

So we took the night stands and sanded them down and spray painted them white.  No worries, I didn't want to stop there- thank goodness, right?  I wanted to create a distressed look and the white was necessary for that effect. 

Raylene... what is Jen doing in the top left picture?  So glad you asked, internet... so very glad.  We went to Home Depot to get some paint samples a few days before our designated craft night.  I settled on my favorite gray and mustard yellow swatches.  Well we got a little chatty over dinner and were not going to have enough time to run by walmart AND Home Depot.. so we decided to find the same colors at walmart.  Well Jen-- as you can see... has a great way to color match.... enough said.  oh- and no... there is nothing in her hand :)  #Iheartmycrazyfriends

So.. here is before:

Here is after!  (the lighting is totally different.. but this is really gray and mustard yellow)

Yes, internet, that is a stuffed bear on my night stand.  Scott got that for me for my first valentines day EVER with a boyfriend... so special!

So I absolutely LOVE how this looks in my room.  Please ignore the brass headboard.  That will eventually be replaced by something that comes of this inspiration:

But we will probably wait until we upgrade to a king size bed-- which I hope to do at some point!  Scott is a human radiator... thats all I'm sayin'.

So where were we?  I've gotten carried away with my dream crafts!  So I was feeling extra spunky the day after we finished the night stands and decided that I needed to paint my coffee table the same colors!

Before:

The mustard yellow board is the shelf that rests near the bottom of the table legs... please try to imagine it... I didn't get a picture of it all put together.  But we did give this table the same distressed look as we gave the night stands.  

Everything turned out perfectly!

Our next project is turning an old family dinner table into my dream farm tableish kitchen table!  We are also on the hunt (garage sale hunt, that is) for some original kitchet chairs.. I want 6 different wood chairs (with no cushions) and Jen and I are going to paint and distress them.  We have the table.... which I can't wait to tell you the story behind.  We are starting our search for the chairs!  So if you dig in your garage or basement and find one you'd like to get rid of... let me know!

What projects have you been working on lately? 

Church...

Let's chat about church.





I am so thankful for my church, there really are no words to describe.  But alas, I will try to portray a little of what is in my heart. 

I'm so thankful for a church where...

-The Gospel is central to EVERYTHING.  I could stop there... but you know I won't :)

-The Pastor invests into others' lives.  This has been especially encouraging to me... seeing PBC invest in our young men (my hubs included) and how that has truly impacted their leadership and walk with Christ.  

-If I'm not there... it is noticed.  I'm not 1 of thousands herded in and out each week. 

-Every single generation is represented there.  From -6 months to 85+ years old and everything in between.  It is the most beautiful thing to worship next to them and learn from their stage of life.  Growth Groups are a great example of this... discussing the sermon from that morning with 10+ other believers- all in very different stages of life.  Truly brings joy to my soul.

-There is no dress code... we have the Eds of the church (my dad, who dresses very formal) to the Jeremys (jeans and a tshirt) of the church and guess what.... no one cares-- we are all saved by the same grace- regardless of the attire we show up in.-- that is beautiful. 

-Service is not only encouraged... it is natural here.  5 years ago I would never have believed you if you told me I'd be a youth leader, launch attender, active college ministry contributor, and most recently wedding coordinator at this point in my life.  I have never once felt pressured to serve in any one of these areas... it is a desire... a natural reaction to the worship happening every week.

-Transparency is encouraged and demonstrated.  How are we to build one another up if we aren't real with each other?  We are told to bear one another's burdens, how can that ever happen if we aren't transparent with one another? NOTE TO SELF: must be transparent to receive transparency from others

-God is glorified, and glorifying Him is the focus of every sermon, every Bible study lesson, every event, every decision, every leader, every outreach opportunity... E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

-The Truth is what draws people in... not a coffee shop, or a trend, or entertaining videos, or fog machines, or spot lights, or emotional music... no- the TRUTH. 

-Honesty is expected, regardless of how hard it hurts or how deep it stirs our heart.

-There is no 'typical' member.  You would not be able to describe the 'types' of people that go to our church.  There is no specific genre they fall into... each member is critically unique from another.  There is no pressure to act/dress/live a certain way that fits a particular style.  Each individual is so different, and yet loved and cared for by the other. 

-Hard, uncomfortable topics are discussed.  Sure, there are times I feel uncomfortable-- like last Sunday talking about Lust and Adultery.  But I am so incredibly thankful for a church that won't shy away from the tough stuff.  This breeds transparency and honesty.... it is beautiful how it all works together to create personal relationships.

-I am challenged by every sermon.  These sermons are not full of motivational speech, or emotional lures, or feel good take-aways... no these sermons are jam packed with TRUTH... and there is no sugar coating this truth, it can be hard to swallow sometimes because of my pride... and yet- so. beautiful. 

-I get a hug from Em Jones every single week.  Nothing like feeling as if I have another grandmother.. one that lives close and attends the same church.  How thankful I am for these hugs that bring a tear to my eye every time.

-Once students graduate... I get to take off the leader hat and put on the friend hat.  I have been so blessed by these friendships-I can't even begin to put into words what they mean to me and my heart, and how much God has used them to shape, encourage and challenge me.  What a humbling thing to experience...

-The youth sponsors from when I was in youth now have students that I get to attempt to serve as well as their parents served me.

-The walls we meet in are not the boundaries that define our 'church'.  We live life together, investing in one another with genuine love.  We do not merely show up on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays... get fed the Word and leave.  No... there is emphasis placed on establishing personal relationships with one another.  I am so blessed to have that here.. and that it is natural. 


I could go on forever... but I'll stop there for today.  I am sure this topic will come around again.

What are your favorite things about your church?  Any thoughts/questions about mine?

PS:  I really like it when you interact w/me here :)


#SWBCLove

Let's Catch Up.. finally continued!

A couple of weekends ago..

One of my old friends (and bridesmaids), who moved to Arizona, was in town for the week after Labor Day.  I had been looking forward to September 7th for a few months now.. knowing and anticipating this long overdue reunion.

Well what I didn't know is that I'd get to reunite with another old friend (and bridesmaid) of mine... who has not moved away.  However, somehow we have managed to let our short physical distance become larger and larger in our friendship.  Why do we do that?  I certainly hope that it won't stay that way.  I forgot how much I miss her.

 

So even though our heads are cut off, I thought this was adorable.... call it artsy?

 

What a beautiful fall night it was!!! 

So Jamie knows me pretty darn well.. and she knows how much I love her girls.  She even decided to test me out as a babysitter a couple of Saturdays ago.  I used to babysit ALLLLLL the time for people at church and my parent's friends when I was younger.  But it has been several years... so I was going from 0-3 in no time!

So what would any girl in my situation do?  Call for backup.  So I convinced Scott that it was a great idea for him to help me out so he can get used to holding a baby and knowing what it's like to feed and change them.  Well as we got closer and closer, I got less and less confident in my ability to use this as a teaching opportunity for the hubs.  So I let him off the hook when my good friend, Jen volunteered (yes.. it was her idea) to help me out.  She loves kids and is GREAT with them.  So I felt much more confident in my ability knowing she would be there to be the child whisper at any given moment.

Now, don't get me wrong.  These 3 adorable girls have never done anything that would lead me to believe that this would be a difficult or trying experience.  I was only concerned about MY confidence :)  So I required Jamie to leave me with detailed instructions to ensure a smooth time.

This was Jadyn's 'superstar' pose :) 

Right before she painted my nails... easily the best manicure I've EVER had.... take a look...

There was a LOOOOOT of energy used... a lot of laughter, and side walk chalk!

 One of my favorite moments is when Jadyn wanted to dance in the yard, but kept finding sticks that need to be moved from our dance floor.  At one point she was dragging a stick MUCH bigger than her-- in order to clear our dance floor.  There were a lot of twirling... I forgot how freeing it feels to twirl around without a care in the world :)  I enjoyed being taken back to that place.

Let me tell you- these twin girls, Jemma and Jaycie are absolutely adorable!  They were sleeping during our earlier adventures, so we brought them outside after a nap to enjoy the beautiful weather.  We took a walk to the church parking lot to play ball and the twins were so cute just watching Jadyn play. 

Not sure what resulted in stickers on our forehead, but Jadyn was very intentional about which sticker went where.  

I heart these girls!

K- your turn... catch me up on you!

I am...

-a wife
-a daughter
-sassy
-friendly
-quirky
-bossy
-motivated
-a good friend
-educated
-passive
-determined
-a leader
-card lover
-a good listener
-selfish
-honest
-a people pleaser
-a Christ follower
-a MU fan
-youth sponsor
-optimistic
-an extrovert
-unaware of my limits
-one who loves a challenge
-a HR professional
-music lover
-encouraged
-blessed
-anxious
-tired
-in love with Scott
-never bored
-loving FALL
-thankful for today
-Launch member
-in love with SWBC
-nervous
-unsure
-joyful
-loyal
-loving
-a volunteer
-considerate


There it is.. The good, bad, and ugly of me. #takeitorleaveit