Christmas where is your joy....

So I threw a Christmas party tonight. I was so excited, I got a new dress and spent a whole bunch of money on the supplies for a gingerbread house making contest (That turned into one massive gingerbread house) and I was cleaning and getting ready for the past 2 days. Hardly any sleep was slept last night. I was so excited. And then the party runs aground. A whole bunch of people called last minute saying they were going to be really late or only be able to stay for 30 or 40 minutes or they just couldn't come at all. Nearing the start of the party when I was getting these calls, texts and e-mails, I realized how heavily I depend on the integrity of others. Hoping and praying that they will keep their word and be there for me. Is that selfish? Is that wrong? I seriously don't know. I feel like a major loser because I know people didn't enjoy it- which made me realize how heavily I depend on peoples' approval. Not at my physical appearance, but my emotional and social capabilities. Or rather in-capabilities. I pride myself in throwing enjoyable, well thought out parties where people feel relaxed and entertained. I thought I could throw one all by myself without a hitch. But I ended up with far too many to count. Which brings me to this song by Relient K;

 I hope it snows this week,
A snow flake on your cheek
Would make this Christmas so Beautiful
But that would just bring the pain
Cause things can’t stay the same
These Holidays won’t be wonderful

I was trying to figure out why all of these petty things were such a big deal to me. And I feel like I want the holidays to be filled with as much Joy as they can be. A time where life can stop and people can see beauty in things. But the beauty is in the life. The small broken stepping stones that are cracking beneath you, make you that much more thankful for the solidity of a wholesome stepping stone. Does that even make sense? I'm not pleased with how tonight went or with how dumb and petty I'm being. But I'm glad for the learning opportunity. I'm glad for the experience. I guess that's what God meant when He said to give thanks in everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Not necessarily thankful for the circumstance itself but for the opportunity the circumstance brings. Everything has a hidden door.

 "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem a turned it into an opportunity."  

~Joseph Sugarman  

So here I am...trying to be thankful. Looking for the opportunity.

(P.S. I'm really sorry if this sounds incredibly selfish. I just need my thoughts out of my head. :/)

Pumpkin Crazy

With all of the holidays coming upon us, everybody and their mother is making pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread...etc. Well here's yet another Pumpkin Bread recipe.This has been in my family for years and is absolutely DELICIOUS! Please try it. You will not be disappointed. You do, however, have to make the altitude adjustments if you're over 6,000 feet as follows-

For each tsp., reduce baking powder 1/2-1/4 tsp
For each cup, reduce sugar up to 2 tbsp
For each cup, increase liquid 2-4 tbsp

*Delicious Pumpkin Bread*

Ingredients;

·         3 ½ Cups Flour

·         3 Cups Sugar

·         2 Tsp. Baking Soda

·         1 ½ Tsp. Salt

·         1 Tsp. Cinnamon

·         1 Tsp. Ginger

·         1 Tsp. Cloves

·         1 Tsp. Nutmeg

·         1 Cup Cooking Oil

·         4 Eggs

·         2/3 Cup Water

·         2 Cups Pumpkin

Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9x5 loaf pans. Bake at 350^o for 50-60 minutes.  Scrape around sides of panwith spatula as soon as the bread comes out of the oven- this will help life the bread from the pan. Then put bread on a cooling rack.

If you want to get really crazy, you can also add this wonderful Icing that I use on everything

*Yummy Icing*

Ingredients;

·         1/3 Cup butter

·         1 ½ Tsp. Vanilla

·         2 Cups Powdered Sugar

·         2 Tbsp. Water

Brown butter carefully in saucepan; add vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar, and add 2 Tbsp. Water, adding more as needed. Don’t get the icing to thing or it will make your dessert soggy.

Death By Stress

Rest. Relax. Rejuvenate. Stupid words to you? Story time!


 Last October I was checked into the ER due to a severe migraine, loss of vision, numbness in both arms, inability to comprehend or formulate words and nausea. My sister and mom were afraid that I was having some sort of heart attack- Let me just say that it was a really bad day. The doctors gave me two anti-nausea drugs, oxygen and liquids and 4 hours later I was released, little did I know that this was the beginning of a massive problem that put me out of school for a semester, multiple doctors and problems that are still following me. My parents found huge knots in my back, neck and shoulders that could definitely cause nerve compression so I went to a massage therapist to help loosen my back up, and it helped! But because it was releasing so many toxins at once, it made me really sick and I had to stop. The migraine was so intense that we think it damaged something in my brain that disabled a lot of my reading and comprehension ability so school was a nightmare, I was nauseous almost all the time, fatigued, dizzy, and was having a hard time forming thoughts. I went to my homeopathic doctor and a nutritionist and they helped with a lot of things- lactose intholerance, wheat intolerance, a really high level of metal toxicity (I'm still trying to figure out where that came from) and several other things. This went on for a year. The intensity of the symptoms lessened over time but I still can't read for longer than about 10 minutes, can't speed read anymore, get easily fatigued, feel nauseous most of the time, and have to consistently rest so I don't over do it and end up with this stuff again. It has ruled my life for the past year- I try and push through it but it regularly puts me out. People get frustrated with me when I don't jump into activities that involve a lot of action and stuff - saying I'm a "party-pooper" but what they don't realize is that I have to protect myself. I know my body's limits....Fast forward to yesterday, when I experienced almost the exact same thing that I had experienced 1 year ago. Thank God it wasn't the same intensity as before but it really scared me, I was thinking, "Seriously! This is not happening again!". This time I didn't have as bad of a headache till later but my whole left side went numb- leg, arm and even face. I was so scared. I was afraid that my body was gonna really be a mess afterwards.






Let me tell you something; All of this stuff happened because of STRESS. I wouldn't let my HEAD relax. The knots in my back got there because of the amount of stress I was putting myself through. I know my body's limits but had know idea what my emotions' and brains' limits were. In America there is a huge problem with people not letting themselves Relax. It is not a selfish thing to relax. God had a day of rest. Not 10 minutes- a whole day. And He created nights for us to rest ALSO. You have to take advantage of the times of rest. Get yourself into a regular sleep schedule! 


 Short Sleep duration is linked with;

• Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• Obesity
• Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information.

A healthy amount of sleep is between 9 and 10 hours. I can pretty much guarantee that you aren't getting that much. On top of sleeping, you should also be taking time throughout the day to relax. Just take ten minutes every couple of hours and do deep breathing exercises, give yourself a body lotion rub down (Maybe a lavender scented lotion since that is a natural relaxant). Resting is not a selfish thing! It's selfish not to relax. I understand if you have children and there is just no time- but I say this out of the love in my heart. MAKE TIME. They need you to be the best you can be. They need you to be healthy and live a long life. Stress can cause- Depression, Diabetes, High blood pressure, Weight gain, Low immune System (or susceptibility to disease), Heart Disease and even Cancer. You are no good to ANYBODY if you aren't functioning properly, not thinking clearly, and not being as healthy as you can be. Allow yourself rejuvenation! Your body can only take so much, I'm pretty sure that even Wonder Woman went to the spa every once in a while. Your kids will understand. They will probably thank you for it!




Take the time to relax. It's a gift. Unwrap it.

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. "

 ~Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris

We live longer than our forefathers; but we suffer more from a thousand artificial anxieties and cares.  They fatigued only the muscles, we exhaust the finer strength of the nerves.  ~Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it.  ~Author Unknown

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.  ~Will Rogers, Autobiography, 1949

Mountains and Hills. Shapes and Molds.

Before you start reading this post, be warned! I am a mess today. I'm writing to get things off my mind- hoping that something profound and possibly uplifting will slide onto this page. 






I have found myself completely re-thinking who I am and why I am who I am. From experiences to personality, everything influences the person you are and who you will be. I remember being in a hospital room on my 8th birthday and learning that my baby brother was diagnosed with A.L.L. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) which meant 3 years of heavy chemotherapy and 7 additional years of the doctors watching him to make sure it didn't come back. The steroids that they had to put him on, the threat of hospitalization hanging over our heads in the "Sick-Season", and the near-daily visits to C.H.O.A. (Child Hematology Oncology Associates) made my childhood and pre-teen years very scary and dull. I learned to read books instead of go out for sports, and school myself because we had to be pulled out of school due to my little brother's lack of immune system. I thought this situation ruled my life. I look back on my life and remember doctors and nurses as my family and friends. I always thought the your situation makes you who you are- IT DOESN'T. Your situation merely teaches you how to properly climb the hill we call life with as much grace and positivity as possible. It shows you how important and wonderful life is. It gives you perspective. It was so hard to watch my little brother suffer like he did, but God brought my family out of it stronger than ever. Of course we asked the "Why" questions, but God has shown us over and over again that He didn't cause the situation, He made good from the bad. Kicking Satan's sorry butt all the way through it. Each time we climb over something it gets us a little father up that mountain so we can see the beautiful valleys below- and each time we become more and more enamored by God when we look down and see that He brought us through each bit, one step at a time. And that those "bits" have shaped us and molded us into the beautiful , crazy wonders that we are today.

Morihei Ueshiba - “Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from holy books and wise people. Everything - even mountains, rivers, plants and trees - should be your teacher.”


Aldous Huxley - “My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.”

People Watching away

I'm sitting here at church at 9:00 on a Wednesday morning and there is SO MUCH going on on my head! Firstly, you should know I'm a people watcher. I love trying to guess what things may have gone on in a persons' life just by looking at them. Right now I'm looking at a young mom with two young, adorable, blond boys. One looks like he's around 11 and the other is probably only 4. The youngest one has the cutest little voice and facial expressions. They are doing some kind of school- it sounds like a type of history. I couldn't help but think what a wonderful and exciting time this must be for the mom- to get to challenge and teach your children may be a task, but oh, how wonderful a task! God has put moms and dads in charge of actually raising a soul- a Child of God. How peculiar that our Jesus trusts us to take care of His children. I cannot wait until God blesses me with such a responsibility.





If you have or have had children, remember to be thankful for this blessing, God trusts YOU. He Designated you for this child specifically. You are CHOSEN.

The Lying Game

So I promised everyone that I would write everyday. I haven't been very true to that promise, mostly for lack of something to say. Do I actually have something worth while to express? Will anybody read my posts anyway? Doubts. Lies. All to easy to believe.

I find myself believing lies in every area of my life. My body. My mind. People's intentions. Even my personality. These lies are eroding to me. They chip away at my entire being until I finally find myself in a sort of bog. And the scary part? i don't even realize that I'm believing them.

Today, go and ask God to show you the lies you are believing. Ask him to reveal them to you. Mostly hiding in plain sight- the Devil works subtly. Know the enemy. Create a battle plan. Have you seen the fashion industry lately? Satan has worked so subtly over the years that now we have half naked women in malls where anybody could see them. He works through commercials and icons to tell us how ugly we are. He tells us that we have to lose more weight, get bigger eyes, fuller lips, higher hair. NO! That is not how God created us. We are made in His image! How glorious that he formed us with His fingers to absolute perfection. We get into trouble when we mess it up with chemicals or depriving our bodies of nutrients because we're trying to lose weight....in order to look like some else!

My sister and I after a day at the lake- no make-up! 

YOU are beautiful! Whoever you are. God is impressed with you. He is proud of His work. You are jewel. If you feel sad or empty today, know that I am sending you loves and hugs! I love you.

Love, Bethany

Nutiva Hemp Shakes

This stuff is the bees KNEES! This fantastic, all organic, shake is packed with insoluble fiber from hemp and soluble fiber from inulin for good digestion. One serv ing provides 11 grams of raw organic fiber. (Fiber helps you to digest food properly and keeps you thin) Hempseed is one of God's most amazing superfoods! Hemp contains all 8 essential amino acids and the bonus fatty-acids! This stuff tastes wonderful and is fabulous for breakfast lunch or dinner! I have fallen in love with this greatness- go out and get yourself some! Go to http://nutivahempshake.com/berry.htm for more info. This is great!


~bethany

Surrender

              Hello world! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted- alot has been going on.
Yesterday at 2:00 AM we dropped my twin sister, Alyssa, and my Dad off at the airport! They are going to Costa Rica to teach First Aid and CPR to the natives there as well as providing Bibles for each home. It has been an interesting experience thus far so we'll see how the rest goes! When one of my family members goes on a missions trip- the whole family is involved, so the last several weeks have been entirely focused on this trip. We're pretty much pooped over here! But they are safely in Costa Rica right now and will be back at the beginning of June :)
             This trip has been such an opportunity to put everything in God's hands. I think that so often we surrender all of the easy things and situations but quietly hold back the important things in our lives. It's not always a war of wills, sometimes we just don't realize that we are still holding back. It is so important to constantly be asking God what we need to surrender to Him- because He is the only one who can show us :)
I hope you all remember, today, to surrender to God- everything situation and every person. Blessings to all of you!

~Bethany

Post-Prom

So everyone knows that prom has come and gone but still; I'd like to show you some gnar-gnar nail designs done by yours truly :)
                               

Abby's nails #1

Abby's Nails #2  (Before we took off the polish around the nails- sorry :/)

Simple and elegant lace nails 

Still very classy but with a little more pizazz! 

There is SO much you can do with some nail polish and a steady hand! Maybe next time I'll be able to post some designs before prom :p

Sunburns and Sweet Alternatives

So, I was talking to a friend this morning and she was saying how she got this gnarly sunburn but didn't have any Aloe Vera to cool her burning skin- people there is so much more that you can use besides Aloe to soothe you're burnt skin (ew, burnt skin- that's a lot grosser sounding than I thought it would be)!  Look to your fridge for sour cream- it not only helps to relieve the burn but it will brighten your skin as well ;) Or if you just happen to have a banana you're not using- mash it up and rub it on your sunburned area! Also if you have anything with eucalyptus in it, that will help too. Remember, there are always things in your fridge to help with anything you need!

Here's a quicky blogget

     So here's a little bit about myself- I'm not a writer. I love talking, but for some reason when I try to put my thoughts down on paper it comes out like gobblygoop :p  And yet I want so badly to share with you all of the weird and helpful things I have learned and loved over the last few years- be it mayonnaise in your hair for conditioner, honey on your lips for chap-stick, fun hair styles and make-up tutorials or just some encouragement to help you through your day. From my heart to yours be blessed! 

   You know how some days you feel like you've accomplished soooooo much?? I've had one of those days! I am now the official owner of Oo Oo Feathers! I'm selling beautiful, hand-made feather earrings that are funky and fun :) You can like Oo Oo Feathers on Facebook if you feel the urge :D

Here's a preview of my earrings and my super beautiful twin- 

Feather Earrings and Sweet dreams,

                  Bethany <3