Hope > Fear

Fear can snowball and fear can be contagious, but God has promised us that He has plans for us, and His hope is greater than any fear. Focusing on the hope in God is what conquers our fears. The rainbow is one example in nature that symbolizes this promise of God’s faithfulness.

I remember one summer when two uncles suddenly died, and other close family members, including my mom, had major health episodes. It was a very difficult time but looking back on it, I know that it softened my heart. I was fiercely independent, and a hard time like that forced me to need others more and have real Christian community. Also, during that hard season, I met my then-to-be future husband. Thankfully summers don’t come around like that often but I feel like God has provided a lot of healing.

Right now fear and anxiety rage in the face of the coronavirus. People are afraid for their health, retirement savings, work, etc. The memes about toilet paper and other humorous topics help to keep things light, but there still is underlying uncertainty raging that only God can calm.

Hope > Fear – let us pray that God is glorified through the coronavirus situation:

Hope you and your loved ones are doing well,

Kristen

Mommy (and summertime) blues

I have a friend who just had her first child. Take it from her, and from me – it’s an adjustment, especially when you’re in your thirties! You’ve had your career, then marriage and career, and now baby, marriage and (sometimes) career – a lot to juggle.

My cousin shared this image with my moms group and me – it’s been super helpful. I think it’s helpful for people who aren’t moms too. With the summertime especially comes a change in routine, and it’s helpful to have a simple checklist to keep oneself sane. 🙂

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People combat the blues in different ways – staying busy is probably the chief way. It’s not that being busy is bad but it doesn’t always truly solve the problem.

Fill yourself up today and enjoy your summer!

Avocados are Amazing!

This blog post is an ode to the avocado! If you haven’t gotten addicted yet to avocados – go for it! It has the nutrients your body needs and is very heart-healthy. One avocado contains nearly 20 vitamins and minerals including: 14g of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), 0 mg cholesterol, 12g carbs, 3 g protein, 24% DV Vitamin C and 708 mg potassium – that’s almost 2x potassium than in a banana! It is high in fiber – improving digestion. Avocados are also known for decreasing the risk of depression and protection against cancer.

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Having a MUFA at each meal is said to help with weight loss and heart-health, just to name a few benefits. Eating fat slows down the breakdown of carbs, which helps to keep sugar levels in the blood stable. Fat is essential for skin health too.

Almost everyday I have an avocado in my morning smoothie, an avocado in my salad for lunch, and guacamole for a snack with pita chips and carrots. You can say I’m obsessed and I’m proud of it. It’s really hard to get enough potassium, and many gurus try to sell their powdered drinks so you’ll reach your potassium for the day, but I think eating real foods is the way to go – ahem…the avocado is the way to go!

Avocados can be expensive, so I usually buy the bag rather than individual ones – it’s always cheaper. If you shy away from how to cut them open, watch a YouTube video or two or just buy an avocado cutter.

Anxiety (Defeated)

Do you live with anxiety? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you avoid things because it appears to be less stressful than addressing them?

A couple weeks ago I came home after going out shopping for my birthday with my mom. The gate to our fence was open and my 4-year-old daughter’s green bike was sitting near it in the driveway. I was concerned a bit as I thought she was playing with the gate open, but as I walked around the yard I couldn’t find her. I asked my husband and my dad who were supposed to be watching her, and they thought that the other one was watching her. I started to panic and we all started running around the house and yard trying to find her. Not to stereotype middle children, but this little one likes to blend in and apparently LOVES to hide. This wasn’t the first time that she hid in a corner of our sunroom (that’s where I found her). I was relieved and prayed aloud thanking God that she was safe, and the smile on her face showed me that she had found some sort to of thrill out of this hide & seek game that she created. Needless to say we play a lot of hide & seek games now to get this out of her system! It was scary.

I was quite upset for a couple weeks – I had a hard time sleeping getting over the situation. When something traumatic happens psychologists say that it’s important to not stay on ‘high alert’ – it’s important to recover as our body needs to relax and rest. It’s important to talk about what happened, face the fear, look for joy in other things, etc. My husband and I went away for the weekend recently, and I started to wonder if something would happen to the kids while we were away (mostly concerned that it would be of their own doing!). I had a hard time sleeping that night we were away, but I prayed with my husband and started feeling a sense of gratitude – that my in-laws could spend time with their grandkids. Immediately after this I got a peace and went to sleep. It’s amazing what gratitude can do!

In my Bible Study we are going through The Broken Way, by Ann Voskamp and the book talks about how the average human has 25,500 days in their life. Do we want to waste our life living in anxiety? The Bible says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6. If it’s a command, then isn’t it possible with God’s help? Ann Voskamp lost her sister at a young age in a tragic circumstance. She struggled with anxiety much of her life growing up. In her book she propels that anxiety can be defeated by being broken before the Lord. I’ve seen this in my own life. By doing this He will provide opportunities for gratitude and healing, and by helping others in service and obedience to Him, we will find true joy.

-Kristen

Chronic (Back) Pain – 5 Steps for Relief

A month ago I threw out my back and then proceeded to pull my piriformis muscle. I was pretty out of commission for at least a week. I thought about blogging about this a couple weeks ago, but didn’t want to have a blog downer, and also didn’t want to focus too much on it. I’m a month out from the incident that caused this pain, and I’m still struggling with pain and stiffness, especially in the morning. If anyone reads this who struggles with chronic pain, I definitely can sympathize. Please feel free to message me or put something in the comments and I will pray for you!

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A couple things have helped me, which aren’t rocket science, but in case they help someone out there – especially those who have thrown out their back:

1). RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) – it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel at the beginning of an injury, but following this acronym definitely helps! It may take a couple weeks with some injuries, but be patient – the back is pretty sensitive, as are the core muscles, if they are injured.

2). Stretches – every morning now I do core exercises and stretches – both out of necessity and discipline. I do six stretches every morning – they help with general stiffness in my legs as well as managing my sciatica by stretching the piriformis muscle.

3). Core exercises (i.e. Yoga) – I wish someone had told me during each of my three pregnancies how important core exercises are (i.e. planks). The Cobra Yoga pose has been my friend with lower back pain, and also has been recommended by my chiropractor. The core affects SO MUCH in our bodies, and each pregnancy it can easily become weaker.

4). Regular chiropractic visits. I should have started going while pregnant (prevention is important!) but now am finding so much relief, learning so much about my body holistically and my kids love going too!

5). Avoid heavy lifting if at all possible!

Hope this helps someone! I think prevention is the way to go, but if you ever get into a chronic pain rut, I hope that you find relief! It takes effort sometimes but it many times relief is possible with patience and discipline.