How Fear Controlled My Life

Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your god. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” NLT

I have a confession. I absolutely hate trying new restaurants, and it’s not because I’m a picky eater. In fact, it has nothing to do with the food. The reason I have such a distaste for new eating establishments is the awkward moment when you go through the door and you’re uncertain. Do you seat yourself, wait to be seated, go to a counter, throw your hands up to catch a roll....what do you do? Know what I mean? And all the while, all the locals are seated, watching me with their curious eyes, knowing instantly that I’ve never been here. “She doesn’t know what to do,” I can just hear them thinking out loud. It’s all rather silly, but it’s honestly something that goes through my mind every time I walk through an unknown door.

Most of my life I’ve spent in fear. Fear of heights, fear of water, fear of people, but most of all, fear of rejection. As a child, school wasn’t even safe, as I had an eye disorder that made me “different” than the other children. As a teenager, I didn’t participate in activities that the other teens enjoyed, and I was automatically cast out. As an adult, the fact that I’ve followed the call to discipleship makes me different too. All of this is why, without a doubt, I still would rather blend into the wall than make small talk with people I don’t know. It’s not that I don’t enjoy getting to know other people, no, it’s that I always felt like they wouldn’t want to get to know me. I wasn’t good enough, not smart enough, not interesting enough, not spiritual enough, and not pretty enough. I wasn’t enough.

Fear controlled me. It controlled my relationships, my hobbies, my opportunities, my career, and my relationship with Jesus. Because my fear so crippled the things I was able to do, my family suffered as well. Fear of embarrassing myself with my lack of athletic ability kept me from getting healthy for years. Fear that people would make fun of me or make snide remarks controlled my emotional health. Fear even later kept me from following the path that God had called me in sharing my story of weight loss, that I withheld the goodness that God brought about in my life from others who desperately needed to know that He is able! 

As I was reading through Isaiah one day, this well-known verse caught my attention. Countless times in the Bible, God says, “Do not fear.” But in this case, because of the exile, the people of Israel felt that God had thrown them away. They felt alone and unloved, but God had a purpose and a calling for them. Again, He expresses His love for them, “I am your God.” The promise of God’s abiding presence is continually weaved throughout Scripture, and...your life. In this Scripture, He uses the language of the covenant to remind them that He is victorious. Remember, He was the God who rescued them from Egypt, led them through the Red Sea on dry land, and fed them in the wilderness. Through all of the battles fought, God was there. He had planned their lives and their nation’s history in such a way as to show His faithfulness through it all. The road had not been easy; no one would claim it to be, because He was with them, they need not fear.

As I’ve looked back through the years of my life, I can see His hand designed plan upon every step.He has ordered my life in such ways that I never could’ve imagined for myself. He’s given me purpose, a calling, joy, and strength for the journey. Most of all, He saved me. Why should I fear? 

On days when the enemy comes around, telling me that I am not enough, I remember that God Himself has hand-designed my life. He has chosen me, equipped me, and given me gifts that I cannot help but share with others. The problem that I was facing all those years is that I thought my fear should be cured from within. But in fact, the cure to my fear comes from Him. If I’m confident in my skills, abilities, and interesting topics of discussion, I’m only confident in myself. But if I stand confident in what He has done in me, I boast about Him, giving Him glory. If rejection does occur, I can stand confident in the fact that He is pleased with me. And His victorious hand sustains me. 

What frightens you? If your worst fear were to come true, what’s the worst that could happen? Is God still on the throne? Hasn’t He been faithful through it all? 

Ask Him today to instill in you a confidence that comes from Him. He is faithful, and He is victorious!

Encouragement for Today

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord, ‘I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.’” NLT

Psalm 34:4-6 “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.” NLT

FitFaith

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Breathing

John 20:21-22 “He spoke to them again, and said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ then he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven.” NLT

Acts 2:2 “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” NLT

Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” NLT

I’ve always had a tendency to hold my breath. Whether I’m waiting on something exciting to happen or I’m moving heavy furniture, for some unknown reason, It’s a natural instinct for me to hold my breath. But anyone who exercises regularly knows the importance of breathing deeply.

When I first started cycling, I realized quickly that if I simply focused on my breathing that I would be rejuvenated and energized. When I start to feel fatigued while running and lifting weights, if I remember to even out my breathing, I can keep going. It’s always amazing to me how much more physical activity I can perform if I’m simply focused on breathing. I can do things better, longer, and perform at a deeper level when my oxygen level is just right.

When God formed Adam, the Scripture says he took the dust of the ground and formed man with His very own hand. And then, God breathed into Adam the breath of life. I’ve always had sort of a CPR position pictured in my head, but nevertheless, it is only then that Adam comes to life. It is only when God’s air, His very breath runs through Adam that he begins to live. 

In pretty much every single instance in Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, every time the word breath or Spirit is used, we can trace them back to the same Greek and Hebrew original words. It’s as if the word “breath” and “Spirit” are interchangeable. Think about the instances of the Holy Spirit coming in John 20 and Acts 2. In John 20, we read that He breathed on them the Holy Spirit, and then in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came like a mighty rushing wind. 

Our very lives come from God. We know this in the physical sense, and also in the spiritual sense, but have you stopped to consider that the very air we breathe is spiritual in nature? What this means for us is that our physical breath is but a symbol of our real lives in Christ. Every time we breathe in, and breathe out, we should be reminded of the Holy Spirit’s work in and through us. He’s here.

I never really started living until I met Jesus. It’s a well known fact that the human body can only go around 40 days without food, 3-4 days without water, but only 3-4 minutes without breathing. Why do you think God designed us that way? It is but a reminder that we cannot go through life without God working through us.

The other fact I want to point out is that only when the disciples received the Holy Spirit did their ministries really take off. Jesus tells them in John 20 that they are being sent out to preach the Gospel, and then in Acts 2, the same is true. When they begin to minister by the Holy Spirit, they can do more for the Kingdom of God than they ever thought possible. Thousands were saved, and we are here too because of their obedience and commitment to serve Him.

When we are filled with and led by the Spirit, we are empowered to serve Him in a supernatural way. He can work through us to accomplish His mission, works that are greater than we could ever dream of.

In our physical sense, when just simply breathe, we can go further and be stronger than we ever thought possible. God is up to something; we must simply breathe.

What’s God trying to do in and through your life? In what ways can you allow Him to work through you? Take a deep breath and listen to what He has to say to you today.

Encouragement for Today

Acts 2:41 “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day--about 3000 in all.” NLT

Job 34:14-15 “If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.” NLT

Permanent Weight Loss

2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” NLT

“How’d you do it,” people typically ask when they find out I’ve lost weight. This question has always been sort of perplexing to me, though. “How else would I do it,” I think to myself. I know what they mean, though. Everywhere you look, fad diets scream to be heard and adopted. Gluten-free, vegan, paleo, low-carb, low-fat, calorie counting, sugar detox, mediterranean, Adkins, South Beach, raw food, Volumetrics, Weight Watchers, juicing, and when all else fails...surgery. Most of them have actual merit, some are even dangerous, and all of them promise to help you reach your weight goal, easily and quickly. None of them are a sure thing. 

When we accept Christ, there is a total transformation that takes place. Don’t get me wrong, there are slip-ups and times when God reveals His work in a particular area of our life. God is always working to bring about a complete change, but when we come to know Him initially, initial change does occur. That’s why in John 3:3, Jesus bluntly tells Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” The only way to inherit eternal life is to be completely renewed through the power of God. If no change occurs in your heart and life when you accept Jesus as your Savior, something is wrong. When Jesus comes into our heart, He makes changes, cleanses us from past sin, and empowers us to walk a new life with and in Him. Eternal life isn’t for the future when we die; it’s for the here and now. The old way of living is gone, and He gives us newness of life. We can’t continue living the old way we once lived and expect God’s favor to rest upon us. He’s holy and accepts nothing less than change and a heart bent towards serving Him.

Just like our spiritual lives, our physical lives must change if we were going to be remade. I am of the opinion that there are severe drawbacks to having surgery to treat obesity. Very rarely are there circumstances that warrant surgery. Only when there’s a medical reason for the obesity am I in favor of it. In order to make a transformation in our physical bodies, something must change in us mentally and spiritually as well. Very rarely is our physical challenge merely a physical one. Most often, it’s a mental and spiritual battle that makes itself evident in our physically overweight bodies. Fad diets and trendy ways of losing weight rarely work long-term. I’ve seen countless instances where people lose weight, but then quickly regain it once they reach their goals. There must be a total lifestyle change if we’re ever going to be victorious in our physical lives. The old life is gone, a new life has begun! We can’t expect that once we reach our goals, we can go back to the old standard of living. The patterns and behaviors that we once lived will drive us right back to where we were before. But the new set of standards by which we live will reward us with healthy bodies and newness of life. 

In my own life, I found that living a healthy lifestyle is the only way that I can be successful. Actively working out, eating a balanced diet, and staying in the Word has been the way I have and continue to maintain. The joys of living a healthy life, both physically and spiritually, far outweigh the time that it took to get this life that I wanted for so long.

Jesus is just waiting to help you transform into a new creature. Allow Him to work, and He will bring your transformation to completion!

What diet plans have you tried? What pros and cons can you attribute to them? What steps could you take today to make your new lifestyle permanent?

Encouragement for Today

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” NLT

Satisfaction

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” NLT

The goal weight had been in my head for months. I had it posted too in several places throughout my house, just to keep me focused, reminding me constantly that everything I did either contributed or hindered my weight loss. I envisioned what it would be like to finally see that number on the scale, what I would wear to my celebration party, and what I would look like on that day. Then the day came when I finally hit that goal weight. But I wasn’t happy. What I envisioned and what I saw in the mirror just didn’t match. Oh the number on the scale was correct, and my clothing size was unbelievable, even smaller than what I thought it would be. But all I saw was sagging skin, and the person looking back at me in that mirror didn’t look very happy. Would I ever be content, I thought? I was confused and frustrated, certain something had gone wrong. 

But nothing had gone wrong. Like clockwork, and with perfect math, I hit my goal weight the exact day that I thought I would, but I didn’t look the way that I thought I would either. For over a year, I had breathed, dreamed, and lived workout and fitness. I thought about ways to help my weight loss journey progress constantly, and most all of my conversations certainly revolved around the subject. As I look back on it all, I feel sorry for my friends and family whom, I’m sure, got tired of hearing me talk about it every single day. I was so laser-focused that I would often put my relationship with God to the side, only doing the bare minimum some days of reading Scripture and prayer. As so often stated before, I asked God for help, and He answered! But my mind wasn’t always focused where it should’ve been. 

Isaiah writes vividly here in this Scripture, called the Little Apocalypse, of the new creation that will exist in the last days. The descriptions are so attractive, as he details the perfect unity and harmony in which God’s people will live, and the ways that God will reveal Himself to the world. But what catches my eye is the verse on peace. Peace is often misunderstood as merely the absence of conflict, and certainly, that’s part of peace. But peace is so much more, in fact, peace is really the aspect of well-being. God has promised that those who keep their eyes on Him (instead of themselves and their own problems) will find that perfect peace.

In life, we all face hardships and problems, as we live in a fallen world. It’s just part of life. We can’t always avoid conflict, disappointments, and setbacks, but we can set our eyes on Him. And His Word has promised that when our eyes are fixed on Him, we can have perfect peace and contentment.

As I reached my goal weight, I didn’t have peace or contentment that day. I was focused on me; my self-orchestrated visions hadn’t come to fruition. Instead of celebrating and thanking God for what He had given me, I chose to walk around in a state of disappointment and frustration. How I wish I’d fixed my eyes on Jesus instead in order to have that perfect peace and contentment, and in order to see that I was still a work in progress.

Just because an outcome may look differently than what we’d hoped doesn’t mean we should reject it. We must remember that we are always going to have areas of our lives where God is at work. We’re not finished yet!

He desires to do more in our lives than to allow us to go about life, living simply in our own circumstances. He longs to give us perfect peace and contentment if only we will accept it! Keep you eyes on Him. 

Where do you need to be more content? In what areas of your life have you seen God trying to give you peace yet you’re focused on something else? 

Encouragement for Today

Ecclesiastes 1:5-6 “The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.” NLT

Isaiah 64:8 “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.” NLT

Timing is Everything

2 Corinthians 6:2 “For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.” NLT

Every year on New Year’s Day, millions of people make New Year’s Resolutions. Without a doubt and without much debate, the #1 resolution made...I’m sure you can guess it...is to lose weight. I’m also positive that if you’re reading this, either you or someone close to you has also made that same resolution. We all know that as God’s creation, our health is important to Him, yet sometimes it’s a difficult aspect of our lives to consistently maintain.

“Tomorrow, I’ll start,” I’ve heard people say. “After the first of the year, I’m going to lose weight,” others have said. And still others I’ve heard say, “On Monday, I’m starting my diet.” When I’ve talked with others who are on a weight-loss journey already, they feel horrible when they stray off of their plan. They may have caved to temptation and then feel as though all hope is lost, at least for the rest of the day. I’ve thought all of those same things too. When I “fall off the wagon,” I feel like I can then just keep failing for the rest of the day because, well, the day is spoiled! “I’ll start again tomorrow,” I’ve thought. It’s those thoughts though that led me to obesity and prevented me from living a healthy lifestyle for 32 years. Putting off until tomorrow what I should’ve been doing today kept me from ever fully realizing the healthy lifestyle that God had designed for me. Tomorrow came late. I’m thankful that the “tomorrow” or “Monday morning” I so often mentioned finally did come, but it came so much later than it should have!

In this second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul discusses the ministry of reconciliation that we have in pointing others to Jesus. He has given us a task, but for some reason, we often ignore this wonderful calling of God. For some reason, we often neglect telling others what God has done in our hearts. But Paul states very plainly, “Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation.” There’s no need to delay accepting Him as Lord of your life or telling others about Him. Delaying in witnessing the cleansing work of God is cheating others out of eternal life. What precious time we waste when we procrastinate in telling others about Him. We are not promised tomorrow. One woman who shaped my Christian mind as a child used to pray, “Lord help us to remember that today is the day of salvation; tomorrow may never come.” Hearing that prayer set in my heart an urgency to see others saved.

Like our spiritual lives, our physical lives are nothing with which to play around. There’s no need to delay. First of all, we need to remember that wasting precious time that we should be spending living healthy lives is simply cheating ourselves of what God wants to do. He desires to give us so much more energy and good health so that we may serve Him longer. Secondly, even when we are sincerely trying to live in a healthful way, there will be times of failure and temptation. But when those things do occur, we need not feel like the entire day is wasted. We can get back up and keep going. Why make a bad situation worse by piling on more guilt and more things to simply drag us down? We must remember that imperfect progress is better than zero progress. Even though the path we’ve mapped out may look different than the one we’re walking, doesn’t mean that we’ve eternally failed. 

Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may never come.

What will you do today? How will you handle possible failures and setbacks? The entire day is not wasted. There’s no time like today!

Encouragement for Today

Ephesians 5:15-17 “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” NLT

Proverbs 27:1 “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.” NLT

Beauty

Song of Solomon 4:7 “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.” NLT

My parents always told me I was beautiful. My daddy especially made it a point to build my sister and me up in every way so that as we grew older, we had confidence. But as I grew, kids were mean. As mentioned before, I have a birth defect that affects my eye alignment. It’s unnoticeable to some, but to others, it’s glaring. At every chance, kids would point it out, and sometimes, even adults. As I journeyed on in life and grew obese, I felt ugly and unsightly. Despite my best attempts at hairstyles, makeup application, and nice clothing, I still felt ugly. My husband tried his best too to make me feel loved and commented regularly that I was beautiful. Still, I didn’t feel it. I struggled too with the thought that there are so many bible verses that speak of a woman’s outward beauty as something that wasn’t necessary. I knew that soul beauty was more important, but I still struggled with the desire to like what I saw in the mirror. All I needed was to lose weight, I thought. 

Song of Solomon is a book about the love Christ has for His bride. Much debate has been discussed through the years as to whether this is really about King Solomon or Christ Himself. I happen to believe that it’s both. While the story is true for Solomon, it’s applicable to how much Christ loves us, his beautiful bride, and in turn, how much we should desire relationship and intimacy with Him. If you’ve never read through Song of Solomon, buckle your seatbelt for some interesting reading. It’s much unlike any other book in the Bible. In it, the man consistently tells the woman how much he loves her and how much he adores her. She is beautiful to him, and despite her insecurities, he insists that he loves her and finds those flaws beautiful still.

Whether we want to admit it or not, the desire for outward beauty for women is there. But like the Apostles Paul and Peter and the author of several proverbs, I agree that our truest desire should be that we are beautiful for our Bridegroom, Christ Jesus Himself. No other person’s opinion matters. We as women struggle with this desire to be beautiful, but yet Christ Himself sees who we really are. Without our makeup, on bad hair days, and even when we feel gross and ugly to the outside world, He still sees what’s on the inside. With that said, though, we can be beautiful on the outside, yet have hideous souls on the inside.

It was only when I began my healthy lifestyle change that I began to feel beautiful. Some reading this may say that it’s because I was losing weight. Sure, my self-confidence was boosted a little as I grew stronger, but the truest transformation was when I gave total surrender to every aspect of my life totally over to Him, my Bridegroom. 

There are those within the Christian realm that believe that women shouldn’t care at all about their appearance. However, I believe that the Bible contains several instances where husbands take note of their wives’ beauty as well as other instances where a woman’s beauty is mentioned. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in our appearances if it’s done with the right motive. Whom are we striving to please? Remember also, though, that with age, beauty fades. It’s a natural course in the circle of life. 

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? What do you feel that others think about you? Who’s opinion matters most?

Let me tell you today that no matter who you are, YOU are beautiful. No matter how you may feel or what others may have told you, YOU were created in the image of God with a plan and purpose for life. Living in the way that God has designed you is nothing less than perfect.

Take some time today to soak in the verses listed in the “Encouragement” section. They are transformational and breathe beauty into our souls.

Encouragement for Today

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” NLT

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” NLT

Ecclesiastes 3:11a “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.”  NLT

Psalm 139:14 “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it.” NLT

Further Reading: Genesis 12:11; Song of Solomon 1:5; Esther 2:7; Song of Solomon 4:1; Genesis 29:17; 

Physically Obese and Spiritually Malnourished

Matthew 4:4 “But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ‘“ NLT

June 25, 2012 found me at the end of my rope. We had given everything we had to our ministry, but despite our best efforts, it just didn’t pay off in the tangible way we had hoped. The stress of the last few years had taken its toll on our family, our marriage, our finances, and our bodies. That day, it came to an end. I was physically obese and spiritually malnourished. We were drained, tired, burnt out, and I was obese.

For the first time in my entire life, I found myself outside of ministry, and it was an odd feeling. I had always had an identity in serving God, busy doing His work, whether as a pastor’s kid, a Bible college student, or a pastor. Now, I was none of those. What was my identity, I asked myself every day. I didn’t even have a job to contribute financially to my family, and my self-esteem was at an all-time low. All I was, was a fat woman, I thought. I believed it too. That’s all I was, and no one could take me seriously like this. What’s more, my spiritual life had been drained emotionally too. I was always giving out, serving, but never taking in enough spiritual nourishment to restore what I had given. I was so dry spiritually, and everything I read or heard, I just soaked up like a sponge. I was certain that my sponge would never be saturated again.

In our Scripture today, we find Jesus of all people, at low point. He has fasted for 40 days, is drained physically, and Satan is trying his best tactics to tempt Jesus and bring Him down. Jesus has an answer, though. Here Jesus refuses to use his God-given power to get something that He trusted God to give Him. It was God’s place to provide the strength Jesus needed. Originally, this verse is found in Deuteronomy chapter 8, when the children of Israel are complaining and struggling with unbelief in God to provide food and nourishment. Unlike Israel, Jesus here looks to God the Father, unswerving in His faith. Because the very thing that Jesus needed was a word from God. 

Sometimes we think we just need energy and strength, sometimes it’s a pat on the back in encouragement of our work for God. Other times, we pray for God to give us a sign that our labor for Him is “paying off,” but we must remember that our work for Him isn’t always visible in the here and now. We need only trust in the God who has always provided richly to His people and who gives us balance. There is no need to worry whether the manna will fall, but simply trust in the Word He has already spoken to us.

Sometimes we think we just need to lose weight, and things will be better. We fool ourselves to thinking that our problem is a physical one when often times, it’s a spiritual one. I’m totally of the opinion that our physical life affects our spiritual life in a big way, yet which is more important? I’ve heard it said that it would be a shame to be physically fit for this world yet unfit to meet the King of Kings. 

There will be seasons in life, seasons of both plenty and want. But in those times, we have to rely on the Word of God to sustain us. He has already provided!

Are you out of balance in the fitness of your physical and spiritual life? He can bring balance and order! Read through Deuteronomy 8 and Matthew 4:1-11 and contrast the Israelites’ response to Jesus’ response to times of testing.

Encouragement for Today

1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” NLT

Philippians 3:19 “They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.” NLT

Crockpot "Rotisserie" Chicken

This recipe for a Crockpot "Rotisserie" Chicken is so easy, quick, and delicious! Why pay the grocery store deli to do what you could do in half the time and half the money!
Here's what you'll need:

1 Onion
1 Whole Chicken
Seasoning of your choice (I use Weber's Kickin' Chicken)

Slice one onion and layer it on the bottom of your slow cooker. Rinse chicken and place it on top of the onion. Sprinkle the seasoning of your choice generously over the chicken. Cook in slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.


That's it! That's all there is to do to cook this moist, healthy chicken.

Note: Because this is being cooked in a slow cooker, you will not get a crispy skin. If you want your skin to be crispy, you could pop the chicken in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes to brown your skin.

Homemade Banana Ice Cream

I've been playing around for a few months with smoothies, shakes, and personal sized treats for myself. But the other day, my picky-eater daughter couldn't help but notice that my smoothie happened to smell awfully good to her. After sneaking a taste, she exclaimed, "This would make great ice-cream!" So I got to thinking, and here's what I came up with!

4 Ripe Bananas
7 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (I use Almond Breeze)
4 Cups Non-Fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt (I use Dannon Light & Fit)
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 Scoop of Vanilla Protein (We use ON Gold Standard Whey Protein from GNC)



Blend together 2 bananas, 2 cups of almond milk, and 2 cups of greek yogurt. Pour into bowl and set aside. Blend the other 2 bananas, 2 cups of almond milk, 2 cups of greek yogurt, and the vanilla. Pour it into the bowl with the other mixture. Whisk in the protein powder until all is mixed. Pour into prepared ice cream freezer and fill with remaining milk. Freeze using your ice-cream freezer's instructions.


Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1 cup
Total Servings: 16

Calories: 80
Fat: 1.2
Carbohydrates: 10.6
Fiber: 1.25
Protein: 6.75


Note: For best quality, ensure that your bananas are ripe. Using even slightly green bananas will alter the taste dramatically.

Options: Mix in strawberries, blueberries, or dark chocolate to mix things up a bit.