THM, Bible Studies and Wreaths

Hello everybody! It's been ages since I last blogged anything! I've been feeling totally disconnected and it's been hard to find my "blogging groove again" ... It doesn't mean I haven't had anything to blog about... You might not see me around as much but I am still on Trim Healthy Mama... It's still kind of a "my own THM plan" ... just because of some of my own thyroid needs but usually I adhere to the rules most of the time...  I do get some crossovers in... and I've had some low (very low moments, just this very last week) but I've also had great highs too! I just recently introduced weight lifting into my exercise routine and it's been great! I can actually see/feel changes starting to happen... and while those changes are NOTHING to some for me they've been huge given my thyroid issues. I do Trim Healthy Mama the 'easiest/cheapest' possible way my meals are easy and with "everyday" ingredients...  here are some pics of some of the things I've been eating to give you an idea:

As you can see I've been eating meals made with common ingredients:

• Spicy Roasted almonds ( THM -S-)
• Fried eggs with pan roasted veggies and avocado (S)
• Lightly breaded Chicken with buttered zoodles -used coconut flour for the breading- (S)
• Chicken Salad over romaine hearts, avocado, jalapeño peppers and strawberries on the side (S)
• Low fat cottage cheese with strawberries (FP)
• Chicken breast with veggies (FP) (or add a side of brown rice and make it an "E").

See? It doesn't have to be too fancy or complicated to be yummy and perfectly on plan.

... I have no budget for special ingredients,  But if you do go ahead and enjoy them! Trim Healthy mama has some special ingredients and others that are more common in their store... all of them at great prices here: Trim Healthy Mama Store

Now... what else has been going on with my life?

Well... This Summer I volunteered to translate a book from English to Spanish for our Bible Study... I highly recommend this study for you! You can suggest it in your church if they do studies like this, but if you don't have a Bible Study group you can still do it on your own... I highly recommend it:

  Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break by Kelly Minter

This Study is really amazing... I don't want to give much away but trust me... God can use it to change your life.

 

 

Another thing I've been busy with... interestingly have been crafts! I have been feeling crafty lately and I've been checking out the "wreath making" world, these are two wreaths I've made:

 

 

Burlap Wreath with Fall Foliage

Straw Wreath covered with Yarn, decorated with felt flowers, pine cones and ribbon



And last but not least... We've had a great response to hubby's First Book...

 

  Suffering Well: Job’'s Stubborn Faith  

 

 

I mentioned it before that it was finally published and we are so blessed to have great friends who have been praying with and for us! Our church family has been just as excited as we are and our Pastor and his wife hosted a beautiful celebration to dedicate the book, have a beautiful prayer time and some book signing of course.

 

Our Pastor's wife besides being a great support for her husband and all of us in church, she is also a great blogger, amazing hostess and a very creative homemaker... You have to check out her blog and you can see how she decorated for our Book Dedication Celebration here in her beautiful blog: Quite Simply - Gay Jeffries Blog.

Of course there's a lot more I could share but not without making this the longest blog post... So I will end it here.

I hope I can bring you some new recipes soon!

 



© Paloma K.

God is working... Will you join Him?

I think it was about a year ago (or two maybe? Not sure) when I had the opportunity to do the Experiencing God Bible Study with the Ladies Group at my church... It was really, really good... God used it to speak to many of us in such a powerful way that a few even took radical decisions and made drastic changes that would impact their lives and their families.... One recurrent point made throughout this study is that God is at work... always... and we can join Him in what He's already doing... And I just want to share with you about something wonderful that is going on right now in our group....

I am part of this amazing Ladies Bible Study group... We have a different study every Spring and every Fall... The ladies that I serve with are amazing... They truly are a gift in my life! I felt so connected to all of them even from the first time I met them... I knew I was meant to be there! But just recently I started to feel like we should have a "Spanish group" be part of our Study... Now... this is not an "original idea" or something that I can take credit for... This has been done in the past... but for one reason or another it never came to completely take form... Of course ... It is hard! It's not a "Spanish speaking church" ... so that made me doubt it was even a "good idea"... I wondered if it was just "my wanting to do this Spanish thing" just of my own desire... BUT... I checked in my heart and I realized I actually kind of "didn't want to do it" ... I was happy with my group of people I already knew ... I didn't want to get out of my comfort zone! You might think a "Spanish group" would be my comfort zone... but these would be people I didn't know... and I wanted to be with the friends I already knew. Regardless of the doubts I still I brought it up to the Women's Ministry leader (our church is amazing and they support you SO MUCH)... but I even had a condition... I would support the Spanish group if somebody else would do it with me... (I even had a name who I wanted that person to be!) Thankfully that other person (and dear friend) accepted the challenge and even when we both didn't know what this would look like, and we didn't know what to even expect or how many women would sign up we both agreed and said "yes"...

There were a couple of months of "registration" and when the FIRST DAY of Bible Study came, my friend and I were a little nervous (I could actually say I was EMBARRASSED to even have "suggested" to do something like this) because only ONE other lady signed up!

Was this really necessary? Did I just make the "need" of a Spanish group up? Maybe it was just a "wishful thought"? I felt bad for any logistics involved with planning for an extra group and buying BOOKS IN SPANISH for this study... 12 books were bought! 1 lady signed up??? I knew my Spanish speaking neighbor would come too (she said so...) So at least we might have two! My friend and I looked at each other that day and said: "I wonder who else will come" and there we were... Ready to serve the 1 or 2 ladies that would show up...

That day... as we sat in our classroom... We used 12 books... Yes... 12 Books! And as of today we officially have 14 ladies in our group!

That very first day, when we introduced ourselves with one another and shared a little bit about why we were there and what we expected from the Study... the theme was the same... each of the ladies said "I was hoping for something like this" "I was praying for a Spanish group" "I was needing this" "I was looking for this" ... God was at work! Way before I even thought "I had the idea of a Spanish group"... it was His idea all the time! And He had already been working in the hearts of those that would join! All my friend and I did was jump in the wagon that was already moving! (We both did a little happy dance at the end of that day). 


I am tempted to share with you a picture of these beautiful ladies but I already did the "impulsive thing" of sharing it on my personal facebook.... I don't want to go further and share a picture with them on my blog without their consent and don't want to put them on the spot... But these ladies are so beautiful, genuine, witty, open, wise and smart! So thirsty for God and so faithful! I never expected we would have a big, great,  awesome group like this... BUT GOD!

He is working and He'll continue to add the ones He wants to add!

You want to know what Study we are doing? We are doing the Children of the Day: 1 & 2 Thessalonians by Beth Moore. And it's really hitting home in so many areas of our lives! I highly recommend it!

Are you "sensing" God wants you to do something? Is it out of your comfort zone and that makes you doubt? Just pray... believe... trust and obey! ... He's working at it before you even start! Before you even think you want to start! Will you join Him???

Experiencing God Bible Study




Children of the Day Bible Study



Paloma

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