Much Needed Time away from the World

Monday evening, just got back from my favorite store ;)
It's been a "quiet" day over here. Just me and the kids. Busy, busy, busy. So, I've decided that every thing in my life has to be 1.)In balance 2.) In Moderation and 3.) Self-Control operated

Not too long ago I wrote a post titled, "Mommyhood done in excellence" (http://aperfectfitministries.blogspot.com/2013/01/doing-everything-in-name-of.html)
and I basically spilled my guts out about slacking off at home. Well, I'm not exactly slacking off now, but let's just say once again I can do better. I can always do better.

Our generation is one of "Share everything."
Share everything & anything you feel, share where you're going, what you're about etc etc!

Now don't get me wrong, I love sharing. But, a part of me is feeling like should I be sharing as much? Should certain things be held closer to my heart? Whether those things are my time with the Lord, my time with my children or whatever. Because "everybody" seems to be doing it, we as people just want to know more. What are they wearing, what are they eating, cooking? It can be addicting as well as distracting.

Maybe not you, but I'm spending my time researching different recipes, different health information, sermons, exercises blah blah blah. :) My point here is maybe I don't have to indulge in the Internet World. Maybe I don't have to be "on" it everyday. Do you ever feel like it's just too much? Some days I do. Sometimes I get on to send one message, and thirty minutes later I'm somewhere else lol.

Funny coming from someone with a Facebook account, Instagram, Twitter and blog-I know. Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed with our Era. When I first signed up on Facebook, maybe 7 years ago I would update my status once a week.  There wasn't as much talk going on lol. And we didn't have twitter where u can update your feelings every ten minutes. 

I just feel like I should only be on the Internet a couple days out the week or something. Every other day?That maybe some days should just be committed to my Family. People are always saying "I don't have enough time for this and for that," but really we have more time then we say we do. I just really would hate for my kids to get older and have to ask me to get off my phone. Or for my husband and I to be in the same rooms all the time, both on the phone. Not a pretty picture when we're trying to spend quality time together.

I don't know? The internet has many, great resources, connections and a wealth of information BUT I get overwhelmed. I can't even imagine what the next 5 years is going to look like with social media.

Wisdom is having self-control in all areas of our life. Our tongue, foods, exercise, sleep, activities:Everything.

So, this all brings me to this point. I think I should definitely come up with a good balanced schedule of Internet time. Everything Internet. What do you all think? Do you have something like this or have noticed a difference in not engaging in social media world? Well, yesterday I spent the day in my own home; not looking at other's lol. In my own kitchen, with my own kids- no "likes", no comments.

Have a great day everyone,
And remember the Bible says we Love in action and in deed. Our time is precious, are you making the most of yours?

Love me

Love God.

Testimony Tuesday ;) **Guest Blog

I love a good testimony! Faith builders of what God is doing in people all over. It's tricky living on this Earth sometimes. We get complacent and comfortable in our own little space. We get numb to the news station broadcasting more killings. It literally takes the love of God to keep us on our toes, igniting us to Care. So, I love hearing powerful stories :) here's my sister's, Kapriesha Tucker. Sweetest person ever, thank God for deliverance and restoration.......

Greetings,

I would like to begin by thanking The Lord for His testimony of Jesus Christ. Without the blood shed by His Son none of us would be counted worthy. I am an EX-Lesbian. It sounds crazy every time I say it, considering it goes against the grain of society. However, I know in my heart that living any lifestyle that is against the commandments of God is a sin. I wasn’t always this persuaded by the Word of God. I remember growing up I had been exposed to sexual acts and pornography which left me confused about my sexuality. I became the aggressor in elementary school, having engaged in touching private parts of the same gender as well as boys. I was a developing into a pervert, but to my surprise, the Lord had something in store for me.


Around the age of 8 I had moved from my home of residency of 2 years, a day before it was shot up. Living in an unstable environment, we often found ourselves on the go. This time we went to a small town in Cincinnati, Ohio. That is where I first encountered the Lord and received the gift of tongues. I was so stoked, I knew Jesus was real and I experienced many nights of warfare because of it. Images of naked women would often race in my mind.

I never told anyone because of the shame, but I would sing worship songs to block out the images. A few years passed and I was blooming into a fine young lady. As my 6th grade graduation crept around the corner, a bet circulated around the projects of where I lived. I was unaware for years that they betted who would be the first one to “pop my cherry”? My aunt found out and threatend to kill them.


This was the same time I couldn’t take anymore of the foolish things my mother was doing. We lived in a trap house, where she sold and did coke. I had three younger siblings that I watched after on the days she was under the influence, and was getting tired of it. I was extremely stressed out, and my church family knew. Countless times I begged my mother to come to church, but she never did.

On the day of my graduation, I made up in my mind that I was going to leave her. I called up my grandparents in Columbus and asked to live with them. I didn’t have a stitch of clothes for my graduation ceremony, my hair wasn’t done and I gave up on trying communicating with my mother. Until I heard a knock at my door, and to my surprise it was a sister from the church.

She and my aunt dolled me up and I made it just in time for my graduation. Not to my surprise, my mother showed up along with my little sister who snuck in to see me. That was truly a blessing from the Lord and I’m forever grateful. As I packed up to leave, I often regretted and cried many nights because I knew what was in store for my siblings I had left. I felt guilty and carried it where ever I went. I was a broken child. I tried to get involved with the new church, but it wasn’t the same.

I turned and started to do what I wanted, went back to watching porn and started an obsession with masturbation. It got so bad, that if I missed a day, I got upset. I however kept quiet on the infatuation with girls. I went through my years of middle school without touching a girl, but in my mind, however, I could not stop.

During my high school years, I became popular because of my curvy body shape. I was a late bloomer, but when I did, you couldn’t tell me anything. I didn’t play any sports because of my falling grades, but I made it my choice to hang out with the jocks after school. By the time I reached junior year, the fear of being like my mother scared me straight; I enrolled into summer school, got a job and swept through my last two years of high school. Also, I came out with my secret of liking girls.

 I had begun to sexually interact with the same sex and I didn’t care who knew. My parents soon found out and I was kicked out the house, it wasn’t the first time.
My life consisted of getting kicked out and brought back in. It was a cycle. This was just a new reason. I met a young lady at a gay club and she and I began a relationship. The two years we were together, I gave this woman all of me.

I enrolled at a university and began to pursue my degree in Social Work. She and I moved in together and things began to quickly fall apart. I never put my hand on a woman before I met her. Never to the point of blood, but we came close. Things took a turn for the worse when her grandmother passed. She became really distant and begins to sleep around with other women' I still stayed with her. We continued to fight until it got to the point where I was kicked out.


I went back to my grandparents, and met a young lady in college who brought me back to my first love. I could remember the day she took me to her church. I was reluctant to go, but the day I went, they were listening to a sermon off of matt 7:21-23. To hear that even preachers were going to hell because God didn’t know them, I knew for certain I was going with gas covered underwear. I rededicated my life to God, repented from my sexual immoral lifestyle and things really took a turn for the good. I started to really get in my word and seek God.

There were many, many times I’ve fell, but I never stayed down too long. God has been upholding me and I know He will never let me go. I lost many friends along my way, I've cried many nights because I felt so alone, but I always found peace in God. It’s been four years and I’m still walking in freedom from sexual sin.

I’ve learned that you need the Holy Ghost to fill you, to sanctify you. I could have never done this on my own. I give God all the glory. I want to add that once you give your life to Christ, you are a new creature. Even though the flesh is warring against you, you can overcome it. We must crucify our flesh everyday!! I do pray this helps someone or someone you know who struggles with this sin. God is a deliverer and He takes delight in each of us.


God bless, Kapreisha D. Tucker

Love me,

Love God.

Food Party Anyone???! Columbus, Oh

Finally.
After all the discussions about cooking different foods and having people over to sample; I finally sat down and did it. I'm having a Food Party! Or seminar. Or Q & A? Whichever you like ;)

So My good friend Jessica over at http://girlwiththedots.wordpress.com/ , is going to help me cook up some good, healthy food for all of you who are local. And possibly some other great gals who also love health.

Cauliflower crust piza

So my vision is different meals cooking at the same time, questions being asked and notes being taken. Fun, laughs, new information and bellies full :) My prayer is that everyone that comes out will leave motivated to try new dishes and be a little bit more interested in being healthy. Baby steps. One day at a time, one choice at a time. If we know better we then can choose to do better. We're all on the same journey :)

Quinoa

So, these pictures are some of the dishes that we plan on cooking for you all :) All we ask is that you bring a small fee of $5, since we'll be buying and cooking all the samples. Come with an opened mind, too ;) always need that. We'll be showing veggie, vegan, paleo, and no added sugar meals. A nice little variety so you can decide what type of balanced lifestyle you want to live out in your home! 

Thai Green Curry Chicken

Almond/Coconut Flour Pancakes

So,
Saturday May 18th at 3:30 we will be cooking it up at mi casa! If you are free that day and want to come out, leave a comment below, with your email address and I will happily send you my address :) So excited! And of course if you have been reading on anything good, have any recipes or want to share some good tips-Bring it!! See you all soon; Adios!

No sugar added "dessert"

As my kids would say, "Cheers Make!"

Love me, 

Love God

Testimony Tuesday-Guest Blog*****My Scars

I came across this blog through Instagram and I loved it. She's a local member of Pinky Promise (http://www.pinkypromisemovement.com/) here in Columbus. They have a page on Facebook if you want to search it :) But, I love transparency because it removes fear, guilt, isolation, shame and adds hope.  Often people think they're the only ones who are "dirty" and sinful. But, the reality is is that we were all born into sin. The bible says we all have fallen short....Jesus is the heart changer :) And savior. So enjoy this story of God's saving grace. Introducing Brittany Chaunte from http://forchristilive.wordpress.com

*My Scars

So I haven’t written a post in a long time. This has been on my heart. I am exposing myself to you in hopes that God reaches you where you are. My Pastor said “How will people know you were healed if you don’t uncover your scars?” That hit home because God had just told me to write out my testimony. I am no longer ashamed because God will get glory. So here it goes!  Its long but read all the way through!

Oh how far I’ve come in such a short period of time. God has completely changed my life. I can honestly say that most of the time I don’t recognize myself. 2 Corinthians 5:17 surely is my testimony.

So to start from the beginning: My mother had me at age 16. Her mother had her at 15. Her mother had her first child at a young age. Needless to say, I came from a line of women who had sex young. Then there was my dad. My biological dad died when I was 5 years old. When he died, I was the oldest of his 5 kids, none of which have the same mom. By the laws of sin, I was predestined to act how I did. I’ll explain later.

Growing up was hard for me. My mom married when I was seven. We struggled financially my whole life. I remember times where my mom had to make up meals by using whatever we had in our house. There was even a time what we lived in a hotel room. My mom and stepdad shared a bed and my brother and I shared the other. We ate microwaveable meals and we made the most of it, but it was very hard. When we couldn’t afford to stay there anymore, I was sent to live with my grandmother and I was separated from my family. I think now, reflecting back, I always kind of felt displaced and was looking for security someway, somehow.

I think that was the year it started. I was in fourth grade and trying to find my place. I began to seek attention from the opposite sex. I didn’t see it that way, but that’s what I did. I went from “boyfriend” to “boyfriend” and kept that pattern going. That period of adolescence was my first real introduction to sexual attention. I remember an older boy pointed out how he was attracted to my butt. That planted a seed that my body would be used to attract attention.

Fourth grade, fifth grade, and sixth grade were all about me finding the right boy to make me feel special. Mind you I was raised in church. We went so much that I had a grasp on the Word from a very young age. But I didn’t know what it meant to have a relationship with God. I would walk around telling people I go to church all the while doing what I could to be like them and to fit in. I remember in sixth grade sitting at the lunch table, cussing and carrying on, when one boy said, “I thought you went to church. Why do you cuss so much?” Talk about shots fired! I think it hurt but not enough to wake me up.

After sixth grade year, my parents decided to home school me. If I didn’t already feel like an outcast, that always made me feel even weirder. I kept trying to fit in. During the years that followed, I dabbled in things I shouldn’t have like making out, physically messing with boys, etc. I would do enough to make me feel good but never all the way. Something in me still required that I had some decency. I was really trying to remain a virgin until I was married. I knew I needed more in my life. By circumstances, I ended up going to a different church than I grew up in. Between the ages of 15 and 16, I truly experienced relationship with God. I had gotten to a point where I began to discover God for myself and wanted to know Him more. But the problem was I didn’t know myself or who God called me to be. Although I had experienced the power of God, I wasn’t tuned in enough to tune out the world. I began to fall away. I felt so weird being so close to God. I didn’t fit in. (If you notice that was a theme in my life.) I was homeschooled and a church girl. Outcast times two! I couldn’t handle it.

Age 17 was pivotal for me I stated earlier how I was almost predestined to be a sexual being and it was that year that I fell. I started down a long, dark path. I had sex for the first time in August. I cried that first time because something in me realized I had let God down, but I wasn’t able to grasp it. I had awakened something in me. I knew it was there but it was bigger than me. By December, I had slept with six people. I kept going recklessly down a destructive path. In the middle of May the following year, I met this guy. We slept together six days after meeting. I graduated from high school June 3^rd and found out I was pregnant June 27^th. Long story short, things began to spiral out of control. I lived with my child’s father but we didn’t know each other enough to make it last. My daughter was a year and a half and I was a single mom at age 20.

I would occasionally go to church but I didn’t feel worthy enough to keep going. I had messed up my life. I was still trying to find value and worth. I continued to turn to me. I developed a pattern. When my heart got broken, I would try to repair it with sex. I slept with so many different people just to feel intimacy and feel close to someone. It never worked and I would hop on to the next bed. One guy I slept with the same day we met because he was there in my time of need and loneliness. I had gotten to a point where I craved sex.  I felt as if I need it and there was no way to function without having sex on a regular basis. I had been hurt by so many that eventually I became numb to real feelings and sex was just sex. I had become very mannish. I looked up and analyzed my life at one point and realized that seven years had gone by and I had slept with 15 men. I told myself to stop but the power of sin is strong if you don’t yield to the Holy Spirit. This realization was just last year. After I found out my ex had cheated on me, I began to bed hop all over again. I didn’t realize the root of the problem and kept on in my ways. Between August and December, I jumped from 15 men to 20 men.

I was tired of it. I had been doing this for 7 years and still felt the same. It wasn’t fulfilling. It didn’t make me fit it. It made me feel good in the moment but when I was alone, I was still alone. I started going back to church and God finally got through. He made Himself more real to me than ever but the real difference was that I wanted Him. I wanted my life to change. I was tired of searching for fulfillment and never finding it. I was tired of making a fool of myself. People talked about me behind my back. I didn’t want to live like that. I was a good girl and on the surface I thought my image was clean. Boy was I wrong. When I actually made the decision to change, God met me. In the midst of my mess, He showed me grace and mercy.

Between December and February, I began to change, but I didn’t have my flesh under control. In February I hit Blackjack.  Playing with my flesh I found myself in a compromising situation and I failed and slept with number 21. I felt so convicted that I didn’t even enjoy it. I was so hurt that I had gone down that path. That was my turning point. I was all in. God showed me how He longs for us to be free but we just have to be willing to allow Him to remove our chains. I can say that six months ago I let God have ALL of me and I am changed. I know who I am and I find my worth in knowing Him and not in men. I do not need to fit in because He called me out. I am willing to wait for the one who God has created me to be with.  God has done such a work in me all because I let Him. He has truly brought me out of the bottomless pit. He picked me up, dusted me off and held me in His arms. He loves me and He shows me constantly. Realizing how God has changed my life, how could I not serve Him? How could I not give Him my all? I thank and praise Him because He found me and made me worthy. Not because of anything I’ve done but because He called me. I was very promiscuous but God had better in mind than what was in my bloodline. I’ve been washed in the Blood of Jesus and cleansed.  This is why I go so hard for Him. I’ve seen the other side. I’ve been there and I see how damaging it is to go back. People may judge my past but I know that God has so much more. I am not ashamed because it is an opportunity to give God glory.

God can do the same for you. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be living right. You have to be willing. It is the willingness that allowed me to get here. I was willing to let God do in me what He wants. I am nowhere near perfect but I am striving toward what He wants for me. I look at my life and realize that it is only God who could have changed me. If you want to know God for yourself, I want to share Him with you. He is stronger than anything you face and bigger than anything you’ve done. His love and mercy can cover anything. You have seen where I came from. I thought I was never going to be worthy but God did it. He will do it for you. If you want or need advice or support email me at brittany.c.harris@gmail.com. Love you and I hope this brings you closer to a real relationship with God.   For Christ I Live, For Christ I Die!

Love me,

Love God.

My Favorite Grocery Store

If you're reading this and you already know me, then there's probably no surprise when I say, "I Love Trader Joe's!"

I've been shopping here since the end of 2009.  Presently, these people see me every single week lol :) Cheers! I've also moved farther away from TJ's but that doesn't stop me. I will happily drive that 22 minutes each week to get here. There are many reasons why I shop here for Most of my food.  I've even taken the pleasure of checking their website out www.traderjoes.com for recipes, history, and locations. So you should,too.

I don't think I can order these reasons for importance, because they are all important but one of the main reasons is their customer service. Every single week I am asked if I need any help finding anything, and if they are out of something they go find out when they will be getting some more. If the lines are long, other employees jump on the register to help out! So nice. I've asked workers if they tried certain items and more than likely they have and give me good reports :) Which is credible in my book because most of these people I know by name. Not to mention the times they've opened foods just so I can try it before buying. Yea. Let's talk about customer service!

If ever you want to try something (non-frozen of course) you can always ask a worker to let you try it out. And if you bought something, tried it and hated it-you can ALWAYS return it. No hassel. No receipt. Easy peezy. That says a lot about the quality of their store, their company; and even the people that shop there.  They stand behind their product.

Many of the foods I've bought from there have been from their sampling stand. Every single week they are sampling something new. What an excellent way to try their different stuff :) So I have to say it's definitely an experience to shop here. You can even ask the workers for a categorized list of gluten free, organic or vegan foods. That will definitely help if you have a certain diet to follow.

Those reasons alone should make you want to try it out if you haven't already. I've shopped at every other grocery store here in Columbus and I have to say it's kind of unappealing to be around employees who obviously hate their job. Workers have been rude, lazy and just plain ol' mean.  Sometimes you can't avoid that, you need to shop at those places for specific products but I'm telling you-pleasant shopping is the best. A great company equals great employees equals great customers.

So on top of everything I've already said about this happy store :) there's more. They are overall the cheapest store for healthier foods around here. I've done Whole Foods, Raisin Rack, HSU, Earthfare, Costco, Target, Kroger, Giant Eagle, and Wal-Mart. Some of those places offer healthy choices, but you'll have to catch a good sale. Not counting the Health stores I've mentioned above, but the other ones don't have a bigger selection than Trader Joe's.

Some of my produce I can find cheaper at Kroger. And other little things like shrimp but mostly I'm shopping  there for the quality of the food and the diversity of it. They are always coming out with new foods. In 2007 Trader Joe's made a commitment to eliminate added trans fats from all private label products (along with artificial colors, flavors, preservatives & GMO ingredients. So I feel a lot better buying a quick frozen meal here than I do at other stores.   Many of the items I buy, have clear cut, healthy ingredients- most of which I can pronounce :)

Okay there's one last thing...whoever is the chef or CEO of Trader Joe's is-they like some kick to their foods. There are many foods that have a spicy additive to them lol and I love it! For instance, their Taco seasoning. I love it. Flavor, good ingredients and spice!


Just to be clear, not everything in their store is healthy for you. They sell sugary junk lol. It may be an upgrade from others' sugary junk but it's still junk. So don't go and buy things labeled organic sugar & yummy cupcakes! Go and look around, take your time and ask questions. I do. If they don't know, they'll ask someone else who does :) 


Sorry if it seems like half the store, but                                                

Some of our favorites:

4 Cheese Pizza
Raw Honey
Maui Maui burgers
Fish Nuggets
Frozen Tacos
Almond Butter
Peanut Butter
Organic Strawberry Jelly
Olive oil popcorn
Sweet potato tortilla chips
Spinach & cheese frozen pasta
Redskin frozen potatoes
3 Layer Hummus
Frozen Orange Chicken
Veggie Egg-rolls
Mango Sherbet
Turkey Bacon
Kerry's gold butter
Simple Nut mix
Soy strawberry Yogurt
Chicken Tamilitos
Kettlecorn
Maple syrup
Lentil soup
Greek Honey Yogurt
Thai Green Curry (sauce)
Okay, I better stop here before it gets boring ;)
If you haven't stopped in (yes I sound like I work there and yes I would like to one day) you should. Locally, we have one at Easton and one in Dublin...I love taking first timers too, so hit me up if you want to try it out!  I love sharing and learning new things people have tried. Happy Shopping!!

p.s. Don't forget your grocery list!
http://aperfectfitministries.blogspot.com/2013/04/lost-without-grocery-list.html

Love me,

Love God.

Lost without a grocery list!

My Beloved grocery list! Thanks to my good friend who purchased this snazzy and "official" Grocery List Notepad. I love it. How many of you take a list to the grocery store???? Surprisingly I never see anyone with a list these days! I can't function the same without one lol. Maybe everyone in the store is going off memory? Or maybe it's in their phones? I don't know, all I know is it's madness without a list.      I always end up at check out over my budget, with lousy last minute meals for the week.

So I've spoken with a couple of my friends who never use a list and so I thought maybe this would help out.   Sometimes it's the simplest things that we overlook ;)  Grocery lists are very efficient, time saving and budget friendly.  I say budget friendly because when I don't have a list I'm walking down aisles, looking at everything, throwing wayyy to much in the cart.  Then most likely, I have to come back to the store for forgotten items :(

So, days before my scheduled grocery day I'm looking through my recipe book or pinterest, or asking hubby what he wants to eat that week. Then I'm writing down needed ingredients so I don't forget anything. I hate when I go to the store and buy everything else but what I really need! Ugh. Pet peeve.

I try to make 2 "big" meals and then other quicker meals, perhaps frozen? We always have a couple of lazy days or stay out too late, no time for dinner prep days. Or just something my husband can make if need be.  And then lots of snacks! I try to change up our snacks, apples one week/oranges the next. Or chicken this week and beans the next. Foods in moderation. The reason why I have to go once a week is because I've committed to fresher, healthier foods. Which you may have noticed seem to go a lot faster than boxed meals. Fruits and veggies don't usually last past a week so once a week trips are a must for me :)

Because I usually shop at the same stores: Trader Joe's & Kroger, I can sometimes pre-price my list to make sure I'm within budget :) But for those things that I'm not sure, I always price while I'm shopping so that I know how much it is before I check out. That way I can decide what items need to go back or what is really needed vs. wanted. Just a side note: Carrying cash is always a better decision. You can't go over your budget because you have just enough cash, so you're forced to put items back if you need :)

Summary:
1. Come up with a good food budget for the month
2. Plan your meals for the week before you shop
3. Have your list, prices, cash, or coupons with you each trip
4. Stick to your budget (if you have $ left over, then get extra/unplanned items)
5. Repeat for next week ;)

Happy Shopping!

Love me,

Love God.

What If Today is your Last Day?

What if Today were your last day?
What if God personally sent you a memo saying today will be your last day on this earth?  What would you do? What would you say?

I know you've probably seen quotes and sayings saying "Live as though it's your last day." Or "Tomorrow is not promised." Cliche. Cliche. But with most cliche sayings-They are true. The truth is is that today could be your last day. No one knows. Last night I believe God was speaking to me about this. I laid in bed thinking how I should really start valuing Each day as if it were my last.

The most valuable thing in my life is my Faith in Christ. It is my very make up; DNA. All of my Hope is in Christ so what if my mentality shifted into everything that truly matters needs to be fit into this last day. I definitely think I would let a lot more things slide. Shake much more petty stuff off my shoulder. When people say,"At the end of the day -----" that means at the end of this day, (that could very well be my last) not much matters. The bible tells us not to be easily offended. Forgive. Forgive. And Forgive some more.

I just want the Holy spirit to give me the love and wisdom to prioritize better. I want to treat people as though it's my last encounter with them and give them my best. Share with them the good news which is God Loves and He saves. He's real and most definitely coming back. What does it matter if at my funeral all they could say was that I dressed well and was really pretty? It wouldn't matter. Neither would it matter if we had the biggest house on the block and the nicest car in the driveway.

I'll tell you what would matter. What does matter:

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" when you now have it with you."  Proverbs 3:27

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13  Also 10:9

But the thing is, people can't call on someone they don't know. That's where you and I come in. That's the role that Does matter in this lifetime. That's the role that helps to change lives and bring hope. Above everything else, that's what our children need from us. They need a HELP bigger than us. I know realistically you can't always treat everyone in your life super duper as if it was your last day. However, you could ask yourself everyday,"does this really matter?" And how can I turn this bad situation into a good one?

We can grow more each day into the likeness of Christ. We can feed our children with good food physically and spiritually. We can honor our spouses and let the small things pass on by. We can go out of our way for people and pass along our Faith. We can begin to value our numbered days on this earth. (Psalm 139:16).  We can spend less time watching other people's lives (reality TV) and more time LIVING ours.

Everyday we have the choice to give our time away. Everyday we can give the gift of good memories to our children, spouse, friends and family. Everyday we can choose to learn more about Jesus and how He walked on this Earth. I'm not saying we can't ever waste time, by relaxing but in all things let's be purposeful. Because as I've said before, the world is falling away from God. There's so much evil and we can't say how long we all will be here. God bless those victims in Iraq and in Boston. Let's remember those around us who always need prayer. Truly we could spend 24 hrs. praying for people and would still need more time to get to everybody. Keep that in your heart.

So what if Today was your last day? What would you want to do with your 24 hours?



PRAY.


God bless you,
Love me,
Love God

"Tinga" Also known as Spicy Chicken Tostadas

So, if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram I'm sure you're more than familiar with my "Bean Tostadas"     :) Usually when I make them I'll eat them for a whole week! I love my beans. But, there is good news for those who aren't too excited about the pinto beans-There are Chicken tostadas!

This is a QUICK, EASY, YUMMY Meal. And it can give you Mexican cred when making this for a crowd lol. I know I feel authentic haha when I make it because my step dad who makes it, is from good ol' Mexico.  He makes some yummy Mexican food :)

What you'll need:

1 lb. Thawed Chicken breast

1-7 oz. can of Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce  

                                                  1 med. Red onion (today I used yellow)

Adobo for seasoning

Tostada shells

5-7 Roma tomotoes

Boil your chicken for 25-30 minutes. You may add sea salt for seasoning if you prefer. When done, let cool and then shred into tiny pieces. While shredding the chicken, saute' your onions in oil on medium heat. I cooked my chicken last night to save me some time today :) And it was super easy shredding because it was cooled and easy to pull apart.

Once your onions are nice & soft, add your chicken. You can add Adobo for seasoning. Keep your heat on low while chicken and onions are on. Meanwhile, add your tomatoes and about 1/2 cup of water to blender. You don't want to add all the tomatoes just yet because you may need to adjust later.                              

 Be careful when adding in your chipotle peppers because they are hot!

2 peppers, 5 tomatoes, and half the sauce

Shredded chicken/onions on low

I would add 2 peppers in and a little bit of the sauce to your tomatoes to begin with. You can always add more later. After you blend this up, take your first taste test. You may need to add salt, more spice from the peppers or tomatoes if it's too hot. Today I left out 2 of the peppers, but it ended up not being hot enough :( I couldn't go back and add them bc I already emptied out the blender & put the sauce in with the chicken. Oh well! Hubby will appreciate it ;)  

So make sure you add everything in the blender nice & slow, and taste test as you go. Make sure you're totally happy with the sauce before adding in with the chicken.

After adding your sauce in with the chicken, you're pretty much done! Add more seasoning if you need and let simmer for 15 minutes. Voila!  Add whatever toppings you want...cheese, sour cream, lettuce or avacado.  You can use this with a hard shell, soft shell or like me just with beans ;)  Enjoy!!!

****Here is my recipe for Bean Tostadas

 http://aperfectfitministries.blogspot.com/2012/09/yummy-stuff.html

****Bean or Chicken Tostadas fit well with yummy Guacamole, Here's my recipe:

http://aperfectfitministries.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-bestest-guacamole-ever.html

Love me,

Love God.

Guest Blog! ***December's Diet Evolution

“Here I go again”, is the first thought that came to mind when I decided to try to tackle this habit of overeating, eating unhealthy and attempt to gain control over my weight. I’ve been fighting with this mind set since I was 18 years old and I just turned 32 this past December. Over the years I have been able to lose 20-30 lbs but eventually gain it back overtime because it was a temporary change not a heart change. 

I’ve realized just within the past few years that I have an emotional connection with fattening foods. Food with high caloric and fat content makes me feel happy when I’m sad and entertains me when I'm bored.  It excites me when I want to celebrate or enjoy the company of family and friends. Afterwards, that same food makes me feel greedy and out of control because I overate.

It also makes me feel unattractive, lethargic, and leaves me empty wanting more. I’m talking about cakes, cookies, fast food cheeseburgers, French fries, pizza, Chinese take-out, so on and so forth. I’m not a picky eater AT ALL so I enjoy a lot of items on the fast food menu and probably have tried all of them and some more.

Oh! Did I mention that I’m in love with pop or soda or whatever you want to call it?!  My favorite is Coca-Cola and Sprite and if pop isn’t available then I would love a nice tall glass of juice.  Flavored drink or flavored tea with tons of sugar will work, too. I ask myself ALLLLLL the time,  "How could something taste so good but be so bad for you?"

 Then I think about sin and how sin is good for a moment but turns into something dark and ugly after a while. I can look across the room and notice a very attractive guy with great hair, clothes and has a nice body and I think to myself, "wow…he is gorgeous." Then I walk up to him and start a conversation and he is rude, mean and disrespectful.  I quickly change my initial opinion about him. His attitude has made him unattractive to me.

 I should think of unhealthy food in the same light. I know the attributes of unhealthy food and I understand the negative effects it has on my body and mind. It may look great in appearance but it’s attributes should make it unattractive to me. Soooo… if I know I’m not supposed to be attracted to something that makes me feel horrible on the inside and out then what am I going to do about it?!?

Around  3 weeks ago my wonderful sister-in-law comes to visit me and she brings this book with her titled, "Dr. Guntry’s Diet Evolution." Over the past year or more I’ve jumped on and quickly off the bandwagon of a few of her diets. I tried the vegan thing, the all fruits and veggie thing, and the juicing thing and now she has this book telling me to abort carbs and sugar.  I’m thinking…"yeah, yeah, yeah, no carbs and sugar. Like that’s going to work with me."

 I love carbs and I’m obsessed with sugar but I’ll give it a try.” I’m always willing to try something new when it comes to losing weight because I understand that unhealthy food is a problem of mine and I want to be cured.  I picked up the book and skimmed through it and she gave me a few pointers and she was off on her way.

I told her that I would go grocery shopping and start Monday. She even gave me the business card of her holistic Dr. and told me to give him a call. The first week of eating no carbs like breads, pasta, cakes and cookies, fruits juices, pop and snacks went well. I did cheat on Easter but I didn’t go overboard and was back on it the next day.

The second week started out fine because I had an appointment with her doctor, Dr. Kanodia and he told me to continue on the diet but to buy the book and increase my water to 64 oz a day. I started drinking my water that  very same day and was running to the bathroom like an elderly person with a weak bladder. Water really runs through you faster than pop or juice.

Whew….My body freaked out on Friday and I caved and ate Steak and Shake, yea I had it all… the burger, fries and a milk shake. I then realized that I wasn’t getting enough iron and needed to take my vitamins and buy some beef. I got back on track the next day and I’m still walking it out. I’m still waiting for my book to get here but I’ve been following the basics of the diet which is lean meats and veggies, some fresh cheese and no bottled dressing or any mix with sugar.

 I haven’t incorporated fruits in yet because I need to know which fruits won’t drive me into a sugar frenzy. I have bought some atkins bars and they seem too good to be true. I need to do more research on them because the peanut butter cups are great and they have 0 sugar, yes 0 sugar. This is day 16 and I’ve lost 5 lbs so far and I do have more energy and I sleep a lot better.

Changing my diet is like breaking away from a dysfunctional relationship. It’s a love/hate relationship. I’ve realized that happiness, joy and peace doesn’t come from food and when it does then I am abusing food. Those things come from God and as I embark on this journey I am asking God to renew my mind so that I love the things that are good for me.  So stay tuned because the best is yet to come!


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p.s. My sister, Dee Dee has decided to include you all in her weightloss journey and will be keeping us updated once a month! If you have any tips, words, or suggestions please leave her a comment!! Thanks guys :)

Love me,

Love God.

I Believe.

Happy Monday!

Well, a friend of mine text me an article written by a blogger (ChristianNews?) saying mega pastor Joel Osteen has left his Christian faith! And that he has come to the conclusion that the bible is flawed and made up; there is no proof of God.

As I read through it the first time, I didn't notice all the misspelled words or bogus websites they linked of Joel's. I was however, very very heavy after reading it. :(  How sad is it when a person loses all faith. I won't lie my faith was shook. I sometimes already feel like more & more people are turning away from their faith. And some days it seems like the world is becoming more evil and heartless.

Many days I feel alone in my convictions and concerns about the things going on around me. Do other people notice the vulgarities on TV, in schools, and on social media? Right and wrong are blending with each other. The line is getting thinner and thinner. Are other parents nervous about sending their children to school with all the foolishness going on? I am, sometimes.

After I read this hoaxed article, I thought Dear Lord, please help me! I already sometimes feel inadequate as a Christian. Unworthy and not so courageous. And I just think there will be a time where less and less people will believe. And I will have to hold on to my FAITH, my Jesus and stand strong on my Rock. It wont' be easy. It's not always easy now. New cults and ideologies are popping up left & right. New gods being birthed.  I had to remind myself that I don't believe in Christ because He's popular or because Christianity is the majority (I don't even know if it is).

There are people all over the world who confess Jesus and surely are not in the majority. It is illegal in some places to do so. But they still do it. Because He is the Truth. The Way. And He is life. I believe in Him because I know Him. I know it was His work in my life. Regardless of what the majority is, He still stands the same. He doesn't change. And our Faith shouldn't change.

But, right before I found out the article was a hoax, I made up in my mind that I Believe. Till the end, I will ALWAYS believe. I can't give you a formula for some of the things I got through. I can't fully explain the peace that overcame me in the midst of my pains and sorrow. I can't even describe the ways that my heart has transformed over the years. All I can do is look up and point to the Heavens, where my Jesus is. An where my Help came from. Revelation 12:11

Nobody can take my testimony away from me. Nobody can convince me God doesn't exist. I don't care about what you heard or what you think you know. I KNOW what I KNOW. I know who gave me this life, because believe me most of what I have, wasn't even chosen by me lol. There's much I can't take credit for! And so with that being said, I pray that you, too will hold onto your Faith till the very end! God bless :)

No One can take away your testimony...

p.s. Tomorrow will be our first "Testimony Tuesdays," where friends, family, strangers will share their testimony with you all. All  types of transformation. If you have a story you'd like to share, please send me a message :) "we shall overcome him by the words of our testimony"

Love me,

Love GOD.

Time to Exhale :)

Here I am, alone Saturday evening :) Keep reading because that's not necessarily a bad thing....

I just got done having dinner with a good friend at the delicious Arepazo (http://www.elarepazolatingrill.com) in Gahanna. It was my first time and I was very well pleased :) Latin restaurant with yummy Tapas-you have to try it....anyhoo it's always a good time when I can get together with friends and be "single." My husband and I take turns being single. Which just means we give each other time to be alone or go out with friends lol with no added responsibilities. Just a little freedom from our usual duties.


I was going to go meet up with my husband and kids over his family house when I left the restaurant but my friend was like, "I'm surprised you don't want to be alone!" Lol, it's funny how I automatically was going to go reunite with my family so that I wouldn't be alone when I got home. Then I started thinking "she's right! These alone times don't come too often, I should definitely take advantage!"

I'm not the type of person who needs a whole lot of alone time, if you can't tell already-I like being around people and talking and talking and talking lol! But, the thought of silence and me painting my nails flashed before me :) so I decided to come home and be alone! So here I am, listening to old high school music, blogging and later painting my nails. And hopefully a chic flick playing in the background. Something as simple as that can be a luxury. Moms you know how it is lol. I need a good amount of time for my nails and if my kids are awake there is NO way they're going to dry in time before I need to get my hands into something.

So moms, don't ever feel guilty for taking needed time away from your family. Our job is seriously on over drive, like every day! I'm not complaining either, it's just the nature of things. We are always busy with being Mommy. So make sure you're taking your breaks, it doesn't matter how long or how far away you are :) either. Relax and hit Reset. Truly a healthy, happy mommy/wifey is a happy friend, co-worker, sister, daughter. And truly the rest of the family will be happy :) Everyone needs Mommy!

So enjoy your Saturday-I know I will. And if you haven't already, get your alone time in ;)

p.s. Not long after writing this, proof reading and editing my family came home lol. Soooo forget the chic flick ha. But hey a 2 hour break is fine by me ;)

Love me,

Love God. 

Temptations in Marriage-Guard your heart!

So I have to warn you:If you have yet to see Tyler Perry's new movie "Temptation-Confessions of a Marriage Counselor," you might not want to read this. I'm not giving away too much, but just wanted to warn you anyway.

So hubby & I had the lovely opportunity to have date night this week and we set out to see this movie. I didn't know what to expect because all I saw were "racy" previews about temptation & affairs and wasn't sure how they would portray marriage .Some of Tyler Perry's movies recently have been a little "suspect" to me. I'll just leave it at that lol. So anyhoo to my surprise, the movie was pretty powerful. 

I won't get into details but it amazes me, yet doesn't surprise me that the affair happened so fast. The bible speaks a lot about our tongue, guarding our heart, and reaping what we sow. All of these factors had a role to play in this movie. Especially the tongue and heart. I kept leaning over to my husband, whispering commentary and ad-libbing lol. Mostly because some of the situations were relatable especially being a woman. 

The thing about marriage is, you HAVE to protect it. Guard it. There are always opportunities for destruction (John 10:10). In the movie, the married couple were fine & dandy. Nothing they were dealing with was beyond fixing. Sometimes in life we hear voices. We get thoughts. Whether you believe it not, many of them are not yours. They are from your adversary, the Father of lies (John 8:44).

Sometimes we can be content with our marriage, children, situation and along comes someone who makes one comment. One comment that gets us thinking. I used to do it in our marriage. Someone would either tell me what I should do, what they do, what I shouldn't etc. and it sparked something. I was no longer happy with whatever it was and I had to "fix" it. Looking back, there wasn't anything to fix. Someone said something that planted a thought in my head, which produced an action.

That's what happened here. The woman was painted a picture, a perfect picture; and after enough convincing she was no longer happy. The sad part was it didn't take long for it to happen. Words. That's all they were were words. Words that became thoughts that became actions. The bible tells us to think on things  that are TRUE (Phillipians 4:8)


Believe me, I don't always have a clean mind. I don't always have happy thoughts and birds chirping. I get bad thoughts, tempting thoughts. But you know what? I don't have to settle for them. I can do this:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

That's my vow to guard my heart and thoughts to the Lord, AND to my husband. Everything is His (both). In this movie, a seed was planted and it grew and grew and then fully blossomed into something very ugly. Remember, just one action can change your whole life..forever. 


Sin is never worth it. And it always ends up into something totally different from what we thought initially. Mostly worse. We've heard stories in the headlines about affairs gone wrong, ending in murder. Ending in Divorce. Devastation for all families involved. It is very selfish because you are putting SELF ahead of everyone else. 

I got many things from this movie, so I'll definitely do a part 2 posting! It was powerful, relatable and def a reminder to my husband & I. These situations aren't beyond anyone. Not "good" people, not Christians, not older people; no one. One thought. One word. One choice. That's all it takes.

It's funny because after it was over, my husband was extra charming lol. I guess he was on his toes, covering all the bases ha!  So go check it out with your spouse. If you're single, it's good too-extra preparation for married life! :)

Love me,

Love God. 

No Fruits?

Hey all,
I just wanted to share a little about what I'm doing over here in Food Land. Some of you have asked about this No fruit caption I posted earlier on Facebook (Instagram pic). So, I've been seeing a doctor at OSU, Dr. Kanodia (I'll post about him later ;) and he has me reading, Dr Gundry's Diet Evolution. It's been an excellent read so far. Dr. Gundry is a heart surgeon who used to be obese and terribly out of shape. He wrote this book, which is so cool because I'm learning so much about our genes and its messages that are being sent to our brain etc etc.

I love learning new information, especially about health so it's been good so far. Anyhoo, he wrote this yes for weight loss but also as a resetting to your genes and then body. So when it's all said & done you can walk away lighter and disease free.

Anyhow, there are 3 phases and the first one is the Tear Down phrase which includes a very strict "tear down" of foods. I've had to kiss my beloved beans goodbye (Hi Nat) and fruit. Sweet potatoes and all other grains. But if you remember, I've been without grains since January (I don't miss the bread people!). Most things processed and most things sugar have got to go. Oh including my faves: tomatoes & avocados.

I've lost 5 lbs. since March 21st when I last saw my doctor and started the book. We are trying to get to the root issue of my Hypothyroidism so this is supposed to help in the research. I wanted to write about this today because I've learned a lot in these 2 weeks or so. I was 139 lbs at my last doctor visit. Which is a lot for me. I couldn't exactly see the weight on me, I felt fine but that number was bothering the heck out of me!

What was I eating to make me gain and gain and gain? Now that I've lost 5 lbs. in this short amount of time, it lets me know that I was indulging in fruits, nut butters (peanut & almond) bananas, and my beloved almond/coconut pancakes lol. I kept asking my doctor, "Why do I keep gaining weight? I eat healthy!" So, after this first Tear Down phase, I realize that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Fruit has lots of goodies in it that do your body good, however there still is a lot of sugar in it. I used to think it didn't matter but it's not good for people trying to lose weight, especially belly fat. And eating too much of
anything sweet, even fruit, can cause higher blood sugar levels than we want. So I would say be careful. This Friday I can have certain fruits again, but I def will be more cautious of overindulging. I think it's better to eat your fruits in the earlier part of the day so you can easily burn it off. And it's better if you exercise on a regular basis.

So I'm not against fruit! I'm just not that person who is saying, "eat as much as you want!" In everything, moderation is key. Lesson taken!

If you want more information about Dr. Gundry's book, let me know or any other questions about the phases I'm doing :)

Love me,

Love God.