Running in Florida

Painful? Yes.
Humid? Constantly.
Enjoyable? Debatable.

I've had a really hard time adjusting to the heat/humidity combo. Probably because I go out for a run & my shins start hurting & I'm gulping for air like a fish out of water & since I'm a big baby, I back off. Don't get me wrong. I've had several runs with decent mileage (4-5 miles) but on average, I think I deserve a cookie if I survive a 1-2 miler.

Which is probably why I have been so excited about my new running shoes! I recently took the plunge & bought a pair of Merrell Pace Glove barefoot/minimalist kind of shoe with my REI dividends. The thing with barefoot running is you are supposed to cut back mileage & ease into them. Gladly! I've gone for 4 one half mile runs in these bad boys so far. And I really have no complaints. In the 5ish minutes it takes to run 1/2 a mile (which is not long enough to be overcome by the humidity), I have actually used the time to savor the running experience. No music. No Garmin. Just me & my shoes outside. And I can surely say that I am happier & feel more accomplished running my 1/2 a mile than I have felt after toughing it out through longer runs since moving to FL. I would have a little bit of dread in the pit of my tummy everytime I put on my tennis shoes to go for a run. I knew it was going to hurt. My legs would feel like lead & my shins would be out of control. But with my new shoes, I don't have those feelings. I am excited to go run! My legs feel lighter, my shins are rejoicing & my ankles & feet are getting stronger each time I run. I have definitely had some tremendous calf soreness, but from what I understand that is to be expected when you start running barefoot.

Nothing a little yoga & Biofreeze can't handle. :)

Hogue Happenings

How in the world has it been almost a month since my last post?! Let me try to hit the high points for you!

1. Miller Family Vacation: My parents, brother & sister in law & sister & brother in law all came down to FL for a week. We had a rental house down on beautiful Cape San Blas (about 3 hours from where Chad & I live). The beaches are pet friendly, which was awesome because there are not many around here where we can let the dogs play. They had a blast splashing in the ocean & chasing birds. Then Basil ate a jellyfish. So Chad had to gag her and then she threw it up. And now she's fine. (That's the short version of the story). Dad fished all week, but only caught 1 fish...on the very last day. This was also the day we rented a pontoon boat and subsequently ran a-ground in the middle of St Joseph Bay. We literally had to get out & push! We saw lots of wildlife during the week: a bald eagle, dolphins, sand dollars, sponges, crabs, sea snails, sand flies (well, didn't see those but felt them biting!!), and even a shark! The weather wasn't the best, but it was really good to spend time with family. It made me realize how much I miss them! In true Miller form, not many pictures were taken - but here are a couple my awesome brother in law took:



2. Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University: We didn't get to start at the very beginning, but jumped in about half way through the course at our church. I wouldn't say that Chad & I have been awful with our finances over the last year & a half, but we haven't been that great with them either! Going through this course together is really the best thing that could have happened! We are so much more organized/on the same page now. And I still get giddy to be able to say that we have paid off our debt & are going to switch off our credit cards at the beginning of next month!! We have been blessed beyond what we deserve (lets be honest...we don't deserve anything good!) by our parents - thanks to their wisdom & planning for our futures, so much of what our finances look like today is completely owed to them - thank you Hogues & Millers!!

3. Moving: yup, we are still planning on doing that this June. Shreveport here we come. Still not over the moon about the idea, but we are working on that! We are learning that each assignment is only as good as you make it. We are definitely looking forward to being somewhere longer than 6 months & feeling a little more settled. Florida is really starting to grow on us, so we will definitely miss Eglin too!

4. The Morrows are coming: YAY!!! I seriously can't be more exited! Even though we were only in CA for about 6 months, I will always think of it as home. It is where Chad & I started our lives together. And we were blessed by the best church family I could have ever hoped for. Marina & Greg are very sweet friends. Marina has become an accountability partner since we moved away & I can always count on her to speak the truth in love & to speak the Word to me when I need it. I am SO excited for our Florida adventures!!

5. EOD School: Chad is at the end of the Nukes course & starts Weapons of Mass Destruction soon (which will be the last section). I can't believe we are so close to graduation - May 6th!! When we started school last summer, this day seemed SO far way - but now it's almost here! I am so proud of my hard-working husband! Some of Chad's family is coming down to celebrate with us at graduation and we are really looking forward to spend time with them!

Well, those are the big things happening with us right now. We are making the most of the end of our time in FL & trying not to be overcome by the humidity!!

Food

If you know me at all, you know I love food.

I love to smell food. Think about food. Cook food. Taste food. Day dream about food. Analyze food. Touch food. Grow food. Take pictures of food. Read about food. Chop food. Share food. Try new food. Talk about food. Does the word "food" look funny to you, too, now? Food Food Food.

I like to think that I have broadened Chad's food horizons & refined his palate a bit. Poor guy was eating oatmeal for most dinners before we got married. And I also found a can of spaghetti in his pantry...I guess that's not saying much then. Almost anything is a step up from oatmeal & canned spaghetti.

All this to say: I am so excited for warmer weather! The abundance of fresh produce is good for my heart (figuratively & literally!).

This past summer/fall we had our first attempt at a garden. Some successes & some failures (mostly failures) but learned a lot & am looking forward to gardening again with my new knowledge. Right now the garden is a little...unkempt. There are broccoli & carrots & lettuce & cilantro that somehow survived the winter. Plus two strawberry plants are also going crazy.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be time for another garden this summer. We just got orders that we will be moving to Barksdale AFB mid June. So I'm thinking that by the time we get a house, it may be too late for much of a summer garden! I am very interested to see what the culture is like there. If there are any other foodies, farmer's markets or homesteaders in the area.

Anywho, random post, but it seemed like time to update! Must drive hubby to PT on base so he can bring his car home later (we parked it there last night on the way to church).

Learning to Fight Back

1 Peter 5:8 says that the devil "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Satan knows just what to do so he can gobble me up. Lie. Nothing fancy or elaborate. And the same exact lie works pretty much every time.

Well, I'm finally getting wise to his ways.

And I am learning to defend myself against the "angel of light". Because he is not full of truth - he is full of darkness. And I am promised victory by the Lion of Judah!

Satan may try a new version of the lie or a whole new tactic, but I know that when I am armed with the Sword of the Spirit, I can "extinguish the flaming darts of the evil one" (Eph 6:16). The Gospel of Truth is more powerful than the words of the serpent.

Without over-sharing, one verse that I am clinging to as truth against the particular lie Satan is using this time: "but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:11

Truth wins, Jesus wins!!

Strawberry Basil Smoothie

No no no - not this Basil:
Although there are times she is so cute I want to eat her. There are also times when I think I love olive oil so much I want to rub it all over my face. Which is neither here nor there.

This is what I'm talking about! Sweet Basil. Ocimum basilicum, if you want to get scientific.

This versatile herb most commonly used in pesto is incorporated here for it's ability to perk up a smoothie with fresh summery flavor. (Don't freak out when you read the ingredient list...I promise it tastes really good!)


Strawberry Basil Smoothie
Makes 32oz total, 2 - 16oz servings
(or 1 serving for a smoothie crazed husband, not naming any names)
Per 16oz serving
Calories: 200
Fat: 2g
Carbs:47g
Protein: 6.5g
Fiber: 8g
Sodium: 22mg

Ingredients:
1c fresh kale, packed, tough stems removed
1 large banana, peeled
2 c strawberries, hulled if fresh
2oz soft (silken) tofu
1/4c lowfat strawberry kefir
1/4c fresh sweet basil, packed
2 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS honey, local is best if you have it
1 splash of OJ

Method:
1. Add liquids to blender first
2. Add berries, kale, tofu, basil & honey
3. Blend

Enjoy!

I didn't use any ice - mainly because my blender can't handle it. :( (note the green kale flakes) But add it in, if yours can (and if you aren't making these the night before for breakfast the next day...that would be a watery mess)!
Although...maybe if I start making ice chunky smoothies, Chad won't like them & will let me buy the fancy blender.

Hobbies

Chad and I had an enlightening conversation last night. I learned that I don't have a hobby.

Chad enjoys pretty much any project that requires him to use his hands & engineering-analytically-inclined mind. I like to cook, read, bake bread, sweep the floors, swiffer the floors, clean up after the dogs, bathe the dogs, work in the yard, work out, organize things (especially alphabetically), do yoga, read food blogs, read food magazines, think about food, eat food & vacuum. I really enjoy using the vacuum!

Chad says those aren't hobbies, they are chores.

Here are some other activities I have tried in the past that I think fall into the hobby category: knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, random crafts............ I think it's been 5 minutes since I typed the word "crafts" & haven't been able to think of any other "hobby" activities that I have tried. So regarding the above activities, I find that I am not a creative person (I like math & science) and so I get annoyed quickly when I am not able to craft something original. It's too hard to think of something off the top of my head. I really need patterns & instructions, though often I start off without - and usually end up starting over multiple times. And then quit because I'm annoyed. I also find that if an activity involves me sitting mostly still - I get very antsy & must find another hobby to get to - like vacuuming. I think this is an inherited trait from my mom - she rarely sits down to watch TV/movie and when she does she has the newspaper, book or soduku to work on at the same time.

So with that said. I need help. I need a hobby. What should I do?

Anchovies

What's the deal with anchovies anyways?

Did anyone know that they can go from this:All crunchy, spiney, fishy, oily, boney....

To this mushy, salty, pastey, smooth mess... I'm still scratching my head & trying to figure out what just happened.


Then to this: creamy, salty, tangy goodness?!
Hello caesar salad dressing! And Hello Mr. Anchovy, this may be the beginning of a new relationship...

Essentials

I wouldn't try to cook dinner without my cutting board, 6" chef's knife, non-stick skillet & silicone spatula.

I wouldn't rock climb without rope, a harness, climbing shoes, carabiners, rock protection or quick draws & a helmet.

I wouldn't want to run without my favorite shorts (that have the built in panties!), my Asics, heart rate monitor & tunes to listen to.

So why do I think I can make it through day-to-day business without spending time with the Lord? Ugh. Sometimes I get busy & don't realize that I've missed time until the end of the day. Sometimes I blatantly choose not to do it. Either way. I find myself ill-equipped to handle situations, conversations & marriage with grace & a Godly attitude. Unable to spread the Kingdom. Or fight the lies that consistently flood my thoughts. Or rule in my dominion. This list could go on & on.

Basically, I am nothing; Jesus is everything. And I think no matter what my "reason" is for missing time with Jesus - it can all boil down to me thinking more highly of myself & not highly enough of the Lord. Because if I can truly learn to humble myself, I think it will be my greatest pleasure to feast on the Word & to be in his presence before anything else.

Psalm 105:3-4
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord & his strength; seek his presence continually!

Spicy Stuffed Peppers

Whenever I make these, I always wonder why I don't make them more often. They are so tasty, a great way to hide veggies & very versatile - just throw in whatever you have on hand!

I forgot to take pictures while I was working, so you only get this one of the finished plate:
Makes 4 stuffed peppers
Per serving (1 pepper serving size)
Calories: 285
Fat: 13g
Carbs: 23g
Protein: 27g
Fiber: 2g
Sodium: 210mg

Ingredients:
2 TBS butter (or EVOO)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 chili in adobo (or more if you like spicy!), minced
1/2 cup sweet potato, shredded
1/2 cup OJ (sounds weird, but hang with me)
1 TBS worcestershire
1 TBS brown sugar
2 chicken breasts
1 c shredded cheese
4 peppers (I used poblano, but you could use bell, anaheim, cubanelle...anything big enough to stuff!)

Garnish with 2 TBS light sour cream (adds 40 calories, 2.5g fat, 2g protein and 25mg sodium) and 1/4 cup guacamole or avocado (adds 100 calories, 10g fat & 6g carbs)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F now if you are using poblanos. You will want to pre-cook them to get out some of the heat. I cut off the tops, de-seed & de-membrane them & stand them up in a casserole dish to bake for 15-20 minutes before stuffing later.

1. Brown the butter in a skillet over medium/high heat. Once brown, switch to medium heat and add the garlic, onion, chilies and sweet potato. Saute veggies for 3-5 minutes.

2. Once the veggies are tender add the orange juice, worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Stir until everything is combined. Then add chicken breasts and cook, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Transferthe chicken breasts out of the pan and crank up the heat to reduce the sauce/veggies, 3-5 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile shred or chop the chicken into bite size. Once the sauce has reduced, return chicken to pan and stir around to coat.

5. Transfer chicken mixture to a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 30-45 minutes until cool (if you are in a rush you can probably skip this step, but I think it makes it easier to stir in the cheese without it getting all melty & clumpy. You could also make this ahead & stop here.)

6. If you didn't pre-cook your peppers earlier, pre-heat oven to 350F now.

7. When the chicken is cool, stir in shredded cheese.

8. Stuff the peppers with chicken & cheese mixture.

9. Cover with foil & bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, remove the foil, sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the peppers and once they are ooey, gooey melty – they are ready to eat!

I spooned some slow cooked black beans into a shallow bowl and garnished with sour cream & guacamole.

I've made these a couple of times, but never done a nutrient analysis until today. Now that I see how much fat is in the recipe, I will definitely try using less & switching to a healthier fat next time - 1 TBS EVOO will probably do the trick! Hope you enjoy!!

Hippy or Healthy?

Today, I did something kind of out of character for me. I went to a health food store. I know that sounds weird to say since I'm a dietitian & pretty into the healthy stuff. In school & working at a hospital we focused on the science - hard facts. Herbal supplements & the like were really only mentioned in that some can be harmful & they aren't regulated by the FDA (so basically what's on the label is not necessarily what's in the product). So with that foundation I learned modern, western ways to treat patients. (Granted, as I learned more at work I came to understand that there are some vitamins/minerals that have huge rolls in wound healing & the like. But dosing those vitamins/minerals at a therapeutic level also came with lots of scientific studies for back up.)

I think a shift has been a long time coming though. I don't like taking pills. When my ulcerative colitis was diagnosed & active a couple of years ago & I was taking 12+ pills everyday for that, I kept thinking - there has got to be another way to deal with this. Diet modification can be helpful, but I was having a really hard time identifying my triggers because sometimes foods didn't bother me but the next time I ate them they did. And stress reduction can also help. But I wasn't about to give up my new job at Parkland, no matter how stressed out I was. So I kept taking the pills.

Then one morning late last year I woke up & couldn't move my neck. I'd been having upper back/neck pain for months & attributed it to sleeping wrong. The doctor on base took xrays & gave me a pain killer & muscle relaxer. I was in tears in the exam room & he said there was nothing wrong. I think he gave me the drugs out of pity for how pathetic I was. I took them for a couple of days - I was desperate for relief! Meanwhile, Chad was researching a chiropractor for me to try out. He went to the chiro as a kid & had good results. I had always been really skeptical about chiropractors or any other types of alternative medicine for that matter. But like I said, I was desperate. (And after a couple of months, my neck feels so much better!)

Next it was the NetiPot. Chad has had allergy/congestion something for a while & the doctors keep giving him nasal spray & allergy medicine that doesn't really seem to help. He feels the same way about having to take medicine every day. My mom has used a Neti for a while & encouraged us to give it a whirl. She even let me watch her do it - something that my dad is not allowed to see. Then I found out my brother-in-law uses one too. And my sister-in-law's (Chad's sisters) are bold enough to snort warm saline water straight out of their hands. I tried & gagged. So we got a Neti around Christmas. After a couple of near-drowning-experiences I noticed that my nasal junk was slightly less offensive. Chad uses the Neti on occasion - I'm trying to work us both up to two flushes a day (BID is what we would tell patients in the hospital if we wanted them to do something that often).

So here we are today. The health store day. Chad was looking pretty puny yesterday (he slept most of the day) but had to start back to school today. The weather here is cold & rainy & seeing how he spends most of most days outside, I thought I needed to try something to help get us/keep us both well. At the chiropractor's office one day, I saw an add for astralagus & andrographis - both herbs said to be useful in fighting congestion/cold symptoms. I did a little poking around & didn't find anything concrete about benefits but also didn't find anything about it being harmful. So I was ready to give it a try. I found andrographis at the store - $15.00 for 30 pills (I think these were also at least to be taken twice a day - BID for those of you paying attention :). That much wouldn't even last us a month. And I wasn't ready to dole out $15 on an herb I wasn't sure was going to work. So I struck up a conversation with one of the worker ladies & she went into much detail about her own sinus care routine. I didn't need to know all that! Anyways, I ended up walking out of there with some colloidal silver - something I had only vaguely heard of, not researched & not thought to try out. I hate making impulsive purchases. I also snagged some essential oils (eucalyptus, peppermint & tea tree) to try to whip up something soothing/helpful for our weary sinuses.

Got home from spin this afternoon -- excited to try out my new remedies. I positioned myself on bed with my head hanging back over the edge - just like the TMI lady told me to do & dropped a couple drops of the silver in each nostril. Nothing happened at first. Then my forehead started burning! I felt like I had slurped the entirety of an Olympic sized pool through my nose. My eyes started watering & I sat up in hopes of the silver running out my nose to make the burning stop. To be fair, the TMI lady did warn me - but I didn't think it could be that bad! However, the pain was worth it because there was definitely an ease to breathing I haven't felt in a while.

Once I could see again I hopped online & started looking for info about colloidal silver. Lots of mixed reports. Apparently it was really popular around the turn of the century & used as a "cure all". I repeatedly saw info about it's antibacterial/antimicrobial properties. That's good right - get in there & burn up whatever gunk is lurking in my sinuses. But then I started seeing the side effects - like argyria (when your skin, hair, nails & gums can turn a blue-grey color!! Which is irreversible, by the way). There were also some comments about kidney damage & seizures. All these were said to happen with excessive use over months & years. So I don't think that the 4 drops today are going to turn my skin blue, but I am going to be stingy in using it in the future. I like my skin the color it is now!

The essential oils were a hit though! I mixed up what I thought smelled good & sinus-opening in a small bowl & took them into the shower with me. Once the hot water hit them - they became very aromatic - sticking my nose close to the bowl for a few nice deep breaths was 1) sinus clearing and 2) relaxing. Will definitely be exploring other applications for these oils, like compresses or massage. I can't wait to mix up some shower oils for Chad to try tonight!

This has turned into a hideously long post - thanks for sticking out - if you made it this far! I think am definitely more open to other alternative type treatments now. What do you think? Do you stick with a doctor or experiment with other remedies? If so, any suggestions for me? What have you tried & liked/found relief? What have been some things you tried but wish you didn't? Lay it on me!

Observations on Grocery Shopping at the Commissary

So we shop on base for groceries at the Commissary. The groceries are cheaper, there's not tax & the selection of produce/products is just as good there as anywhere else I've found. Except for The Fresh Market in Destin, which I'm not allowed to go to without supervision from Chad. And it's across the bridge which has a toll - so it really doesn't make sense to drive down just for groceries...that's what I say to convince myself.

Now there are all kinds of people that shop at the commissary. Yesterday, while in line to check out, a youngish lady pulls up behind me with her toddler in the seat & the rest of the cart filled to the max. She spots her husband coming down the isle & yells "Honey we need SPAM!" I didn't know anyone ate SPAM outside of the Hawaiian Islands.

My favorite are the vets & their wives. I don't know if it's because I'm a dietitian & absolutely love food & grocery shopping or if it's because I'm just being nosy, but I LOVE peeking into people's grocery carts (and maybe passing judgment in some cases...I won't lie!) and seeing what they are stocking up on.

This week's find: a sweet old man & his cute old wife had a roll of toilet paper, soda...I don't really remember the other stuff because I was so taken with what they were stockpiling. They had 6 (SIX!!) boxes of Oscar Mayer Ready to Serve Bacon. Now I have nothing against bacon at all - we Hogue's love our bacon! But there is something not right about taking already cooked bacon out of the box, ready to eat after briefly heating it in the microwave. Which gets me to thinking...how is this really any different than cooking your bacon in the microwave (which I don't condone but have been known to do when in a pinch)? Maybe because I have the luxury of time (being a stay-at-home-wife does have its perks!) so I like to do things the long way...like soaking black beans in a pot instead of opening a can. And how long does it really take to cook bacon in a pan?! Anyways - maybe I'm crazy & maybe Mr Mayer is on to something with that bacon in a box.

Another find from a week or two ago (and possibly my favorite yet). Wait, let me preface this statement with a quick explanation. Every so often, the commissary piles stuff into huge grocery carts & marks the price way down. WAAAY down. Usually batteries, ground beef, mouthwash...cereal... (another story for another time). Anyways, a couple of weeks ago I was strolling by the frozen food/bread isle & saw a woman going crazy. Filling her arms with jars of Marshmallow Creme. She had at least 5. I have never had a need for 1 jar of mallow fluff. What is she going to do with 5?! I was so tempted to ask, but she was in the zone & I didn't want to get between this lady & her jars of sugar.

I think most grocery stores have their crazy shoppers. But for some reason, there is a higher than average number of these people at the commissary. It's like they come out of hiding for one week to stock up for a winter hibernation.

Or maybe I've just got a limited palate?

Dayle's Black Bean Soup

Mmmm...I am getting hungry thinking about it. It's 10 now - that's not too early for lunch is it?! I made this for dinner last night - it's easy & tasty & you can put just about anything you have on hand in it. And what good is it having a friend for an RD if she doesn't include a nutrition analysis in her recipes? So I've done the basics for you. Enjoy!!

Makes: ~12 cups. Serves 8
Per serving (1.5 c serving size)
Calories: 138
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 38g
Protein: 14g
Fiber: 23g
Sodium: 455mg

Ingredients:
1 TBS garlic, minced. I used 3 good sized cloves.
1/2 medium bell pepper, diced. Any color is fine.
1 jalapeno, diced finely. I only seeded 1/2 the pepper & left some seeds/membranes for a little kick! (This soup would also be good with chilis in adobo - I would only use 1...2 if you can take the heat!)
1 medium onion, diced. I used purple because we can't get enough purple onion at the Hogue's!
1 TBS EVOO
16 oz black beans. PLEASE use dried beans vs canned. I do the "quick soak" vs overnight. The back of the bag should tell you what to do - if it doesn't, I can help you out.
5c veg stock. Or chicken stock, whatever you have. You could definitely use low sodium, I just didn't have any.
2 tsp chili powder & cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander, onion & garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Garnish with roughly chopped cilantro, finely minced onion, avocado, sour cream & lime wedges. Nutrition note: 2 TBS (~1 oz) avocado will add 50 calories, 4.5g fat (healthy fat!) and 2g carbohydrates & 1 TBS light sour cream adds 20 calories, 1.25 g fat, 1g carb, 1g protein, 12mg sodium.

Method:
1. Heat EVOO in a large stock pot (at least 4qts) over medium-high heat

2. Add the veg - onion & garlic first, peppers after a couple of minutes. Allow to brown for about 5 minutes. (Note: Dinner always tastes better when prepared using a hand made wooden spoon from your talented grandfather! So use one of those if you have one on hand!)

3. Stir in all your spices until the veggies are coated.

4. Add your pre-soaked & rinsed black beans.

5. Add veg stock until beans are covered - about 5 cups.

6. Bring to a boil uncovered, cover & let simmer for at least an hour or until the beans are soft & your house smells wonderful!

7. Remove pot from heat. Scoop out & reserve some of the liquid (but don't scoop out the beans, about 1-2 cups) if you want a little thicker texture. You can always add it back in later if you need to thin it out some. Use immersion blender in the pot or transfer in batches to a blender.

8. Ladle 1 1/2 cups into your bowl, garnish & enjoy! If you really want to make your family happy - serve with home made tortillas! I recommend the Pioneer Woman's recipe.

WARNING: beware of stepping backwards without looking while in the kitchen. The deliciousness of what you are preparing will bring all able bodied people & animals to hover behind you - sniffing in the goodness. You may just step on some little toes if you aren't careful!

It's the Little Things

Like 30 minutes to myself (well, as much as I can feel alone w a husband & 2 large dogs in the house at the same time) to do some much needed yoga. My hip flexors are super tight from spin this week.

Being in T-Bone's spin class this afternoon. You can tell he & his wife (who teaches w him) genuinely love spinning. He uses lots of funky-motown-esk songs. And then MC Hammer came on too - which gave me a boost. I love songs that you wanna get up and dance to during spin. They make me smile & push a little harder. T-Bone also uses a black light & strobe lights. And he sings along w the songs & yells lots of encouraging things. And he has dreads. He's a pretty cool guy as far as I can tell!

A sweet husband taking my car to get the oil changed so I don't have to.

A sweet husband who thinks every meal I make is the best meal he's ever had.

A sweet husband who is into computer stuff & fixing stuff around the house. Quite a combo - I pretty much hit the jackpot.

Two big fur babies that are friendly, loving & smart who enjoy interaction with other dogs at the dog park. I'm always weirded out by people who bring grouchy dogs that try to start things with the other dogs that just want to play.

Music.

The way I feel after a hard workout. The way my body looks probably hasn't changed much but I feel strong - and I love that!

A sovereign God. Friends who are grounded in His gospel. Friends who speak the gospel into me.

I've been struggling with my thoughts lately. Thoughts seem like a little thing. They can start small but end up WAY out of control. The kinds of thoughts I'm talking about are ones that 1) end up with me in a bad attitude which always put a strain into our marriage 2) are lies 3) revolve around the past which we have been saved & removed from. Which is why I so desperately need the gospel more & more in my life. I want to eat it up & breathe it out.

It's been a difficult concept for me to put into actual practice: speaking the gospel to myself, my husband & those around me. So in this situation, what does this look like? Acknowledging my sin: letting thoughts take control in my head & heart - not ruling & subduing them into line with the Word. 1 Corinthians 10:3 says, "For though we walk in the flesh we are not waging war according to the flesh." This is the same section that says "take every thought captive to Christ" in vs 5. Rejoicing in Christ's work on the cross. Rejoicing in Him choosing me to move from darkness into His light. Thanking Him for grace. Clinging to verses that remind me that I now have power over this sin & freedom from this sin. Romans 6 says we are no longer "enslaved to sin" if you have been united with Christ. I now have power by the Holy Spirit over my thoughts. Seems like it should be a snap, huh?

Since I have been struggling in this area lately, I know I should pick a verse to have ready to call to mind when I start to feel these thoughts creeping in. I'm picking Romans 6:6 "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." Ask me how this is going - email, text, phone call...whatever. I need accountability in this little thing! (How cool to think that memorizing "little" verses can make such a change in day-to-day!)

Time to go rule & subdue the laundry & kitchen/dinner :) (If you are a lady & haven't read Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski -- you need to do that now! or ASAP. The Lord has used this book in a huge way in my heart. He just may use it to work on you too!)

Blog Resurrected.

Is it blasphemous to refer to a blog being resurrected?
I'm not convinced that's even the right word for what I've done. I didn't bring my old blog (Adventures in a New Frontier) back to life. I started fresh. Uploading photos to my Wordpress blog caused many headaches, tears & frequent gnashing of teeth. I'm hopping blogger will be a more enjoyable experience. Enough of that though.

I've had the urge for a while to start chronicling life again - especially as things will be changing soon. Chad has been flying through EOD school (with just one little setback so far) and we are hoping to be moving to our next (unknown as of now) station in 3-4 months! They say change is the only thing that's ever constant right?

Speaking of change (pathetic segway, I know!) I wanted to share briefly now & more to come later - about the changes the Lord has been working in my heart. To say that our first year of marriage was easy (or even mostly enjoyable) would be a huge overstatement. This last year has been filled with frustration, anger, pride & many poorly handled situations in our marriage. Not to say that is all behind us or that we won't encounter any in the future. But the Lord has been so faithful! He constantly has been reminding us that we are both imperfect sinners (Romans 3:23) and will both let each other down. But we have been so blessed by grace (...but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more...Rom 5:20)! And we have reveled & basked in that grace over the last couple of months. And while we grow to understand more & more the Gospel of grace in our lives, we see more clearly the sin that entangles us. It is an ugly battle - the killing of pride, resentment, distrust & laziness. Colossians 3 is all about putting off the fleshly self & taking up Christ instead. I am so thankful for a husband who leads the charge against these offenses in our marriage! We are so far from perfect, but we are enjoying this time of growth together - learning what it means to glorify God in all aspects of our marriage!