United and Worth it
Broken. Isolated. Alone. Disconnected.
vs.
Together. Restored. Supported. Purposeful.
Which one do you want to be a part of? What sounds more inviting? I definitely think the latter, but why do we so easily play into the broken and dysfunctional tug of wars of this world. We put ourselves on these little islands trying to reach these levels of success by being self-sufficient . We do it to ourselves. We get stuck in survival of the fittest mode of our culture. We lose ourselves in comparing ourselves to others. We forget who we are because we are so caught up in what we are not or what we don’t have. We are missing it.
We were created in the image of God to be a part of his family. We were meant to be on this journey most importantly together with the Lord, but together with the body of believers. We were designed to be united in a purpose bigger than ourselves. We were shaped to be a part of the purpose of the Lord. We were formed to be United with Christ. Not separated. Not on our own. Together, in unity, in love, and whole in the Lord.
Our world screams at us to fit this mold. But that mold is broken. It is never going to fit. It isn’t what we were created for. So why are we trying so hard to put a piece of the puzzle into the wrong picture. We need to get our picture right. Are we living out the qualities and pursuing characteristics that are a part of unity of Christ, or are we just trying to get one step ahead of the rat race. The right race is not a sprint, it is a marathon, and the journey may look a whole …
Read MoreStuffed Peppers with a Twist
I have always wanted to find a good stuffed peppers recipe! And, I think I finally did! I took the Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from “The Recipe Critic” and made a few swaps and changes and created a healthy, tasty meal! Full of protein, very colorful, yummy spices, and a new product from Grain & Simple that can be found at Costco! “2 Minute Grains” is full of red spring wheat berries, quinoa, farrow and barley with tomato, onions, and peppers- It is a perfect side for a night of BBQ turkey burgers or, as I discovered with this recipe, the perfect add-in for stuffed peppers! You will love this recipe!
INGREDIENTS
6 large bell peppers
Ground Turkey, 1 pound
1 medium onion
2-4 garlic cloves
2 TBS tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 packs of Grain & Simple 2 Minute Grains (from Costco)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Colby Jack cheese, shredded…
Read MoreA “Commitment” Person
A commitment person is someone who says what they mean and means what they say…a promise keeper.
Two weeks ago, we had the privilege of attending a 60th birthday party for a dear friend (like a sister to me). I was so blessed by the focus of the party-celebrating the life of a truly amazing woman. The word used to describe her as we began a time of tribute was “BRILLIANT”. The dictionary definition of brilliant is having or showing great intelligence or talent , distinguished, illustrious, shining brightly, sparkling. She is the epitome of all those things but SO much more!!! She brightens up every room she enters. She shines her vibrant personality onto all who know her and when you are with her, you feel like the most important person in her world at that moment. She is a shining star and she shines from the inside out. She has a contagious love that demonstrates compassion, kindness and grace overflowing from her deep abiding faith in Jesus Christ. But what I love the most about her is she is a commitment person!
Have you ever experienced a friendship with someone who is truly committed to you? A person who wants to see you strive for your goals and helps you achieve them and then celebrates with you? Have you ever been that kind of friend for someone else? What characteristics do you cherish in a deep abiding friendship? As you think about the people who have come into your life, which friends have been the “stick with you through thick and thin” kind of friends?…
Read MoreGiveaway Winner-Essential Oils with Pam Larsen
Thanks for following our Passion Perspective week featuring Pam Larsen and her journey of Young Living Essential Oils.
Congratulations to…
JANA MCADAMS,
our winner of the giveaway. Enjoy your Thieves spray!!!!!!!
If you are intrigued by this Passion Perspective week filled with information on essential oils and would like to try some yourself, ordering a premium starter kit is the perfect way to start. With a wholesale membership you receive 24% discounts with each order. Just click this How to get started with a starter kit link and you will be able to make your first order. You can order anytime you like with no pressure to order each month or you can participate in the Essential Rewards Autoship program for added benefits.…
Read MoreExciting Ways to Use Essential Oils
Today we will share with you some of Pam’s favorite ways she uses her Young Living Essential Oils. Pam is very creative and loves to put together flyers and handouts for her friends who are using the products and for her team of coworkers who are also pursuing the Young Living business along side her.
The Gentle Baby blend was the first blend Rachel added to her set of essential oils after purchasing the Premium Starter Kit. She loves diffusing it for the baby.
We have all been so pleased with our Premium Starter Kits. Incorporating Essential Oils into our households has been so empowering for our families as we support the body’s natural defenses and promote overall health.…
Pam (Metz) Larsen and Young Living Essential Oils-PP Interview part 2
The best way to create a vision for developing a business, is to let your passion drive you. When you love a product and are thrilled with how it is changing your life for the positive, the opportunities to share your passion abound. We asked Pam a few more questions about how her business with Young Living Essential Oils has developed…..
How do you involve others in this journey and what have been your challenges-expected and unexpected?
“I’ve always been a more private person, so opening up to share is sometimes difficult for me. I have to sometimes remind myself that I share my stories because I think these oils are amazing and want everyone I know to experience them. I’ve also learned that not everyone is as open to taking a natural approach as I have become.”
What have been your blessings-expected and unexpected?
“Definitely the impact these oils have made on my family. I love being able to just grab my box of oils when we have something wrong. And the friendships I have built.”
How do you teach others about your product?
“I share my testimonies, and I have several resource books, Facebook groups and websites I share with others.”
Here is one of many of the awesome flyers that Pam puts together for her business builders and her customers. 
…
Passion Perspective Interview Pam (Metz) Larsen and Essential Oils
In 2014 Pam made the decision to jump on board with an essential oils company called Young Living Essential Oils. In Pam’s interview for this Passion Perspective week we asked her a series of questions….
What sets Young Living oils apart from other essential oils? I absolutely love this company! I definitely made the right decision. They have been in business longer than any other essential oil company and have just celebrated their 20th year! They are the only essential oil Company that owns their own farms and distills all their own oils. They have their Seed to Seal Process which means they stand by their quality from the beginning to the end. They are there from when the seeds are put in the ground, to the harvesting, distilling and then bottling. What other company has a CEO that goes out and works on the farms, and is physically helping with every aspect of their Seed to Seal guarantee? Pretty awesome!
…
Passion Perspective-Getting to Know Pam (Metz) Larsen
Rachel has been meeting the coolest people in her community that have fascinating interests and passions…..
One of her new friends, Pam (Metz) Larsen, she met through FIT4MOM, a stroller based workout group. A few months after their friendship began, Rachel and Pam were surprised by their realization that they had gone to high school together. Rachel started to get to know Pam better and she found out that she uses Essential Oils-one of our new passions. Our interest in essential oils has been growing and we have all been learning about essential oils. We are so excited to feature Pam on our Passion Perspective Week so that we could share her wealth of knowledge about Young Living Essential Oils with you.
Here is a short bio of Pam:
“I was born on the east coast and moved a few times with my family. We eventually made our way down to Southern California where I now call home. I met my husband in college, 12 years later and we have two beautiful boys. I worked in the veterinary field for about 7 years after college, and then became a licensed cosmetologist, however I feel like my life became complete when I became a mom. I found my purpose.” 
Here is a beautiful picture of Pam and her family.…
W.O.W. Enchilada Casserole RENEWED
As a busy mom trying to make healthier meals for my family I’ve decided to revisit some of our family favorites and spruce them up a bit, rather than trying to find completely new recipes. I received a new cookbook for Christmas called, “Deceptively Delicious,” by Jessica Seinfeld that is all about incorporating vegetable purees into your foods.
I love the idea of putting more veggies in my meals because 1) I love veggies, and 2) I’d rather do anything else in the world (even go to the dentist) than struggle to get my kids to eat their veggies every night.
So I combined some principles from Jessica’s Chicken Enchilada recipe to one of our family favorite recipes from Trader Joe’s: W.O.W. Enchilada Casserole.
So here’s my version of W.O.W. Enchilada Casserole (with lots of hidden veggies!)
Ingredients
-
TJ’s Olive Oil (for pan)
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1 bottle TJ’s Enchilada Sauce
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1 pound cooked ground beef or ground turkey
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6 TJ’s Green Onions, sliced, green tops preserved for garnish
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1 package TJ’s Corn Tortillas, cut into strips
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1 package TJ’s Mexican Shredded Cheese Blend
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1/2 cup sweet potato puree (made ahead of time!!)
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2 zucchinis grated and pressed to remove moisture
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1 can TJ’s Black Beans, rinsed
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2 TJ’s Avocados, sliced
Renew your Soul- You are Chosen
Do you feel inadequate? Do you feel unloved? Do you wonder where you belong?….
These are questions that many people struggle with, but few people admit. Our world screams at us that we are never enough, that we never have enough, and we will never be enough. So we get stuck. We get stuck in the in between of trying to be content with what we have and doing away with the noise that is telling us we need more. We hide our past hurts, struggles, and feelings and fill our time with stuff to cover it all up. Then there is a never ending cycle of feeling inadequate, insignificant, and out of place.
But there is one place where we always fit in. There is one place where we are unconditionally loved. And there is one place where our significance always trumps any definition of success. That place is in the arms of our Father and Lord.…
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