Making "THE RIGHT" choice....

I don't know how, but often in my life I get stuck in a rut with what I will call tunnel vision. I focus on one way of thinking, one way of believing how God sees me and run my life from there. Recently I have been thinking about making some life changes possibly moving, maybe going back to school etc...and the past two weeks I have been stressing over making "THE RIGHT" choice (as if my world would end if I happened to make "THE WRONG" choice). I was feeling bogged down by the stress of choosing correctly.

Thankfully after a brilliant conversation w a friend (who also happens to be my pastor) I realized that it may not be about making "THE RIGHT" or "THE WRONG" choice that matters in this process, but the fact that I am going through the process.

I want to please God with my life, and with the choices I make of how I live my life. What I was missing is the understanding that God IS pleased with my life, and with the choices I make. He is pleased that I want to include Him. Some how understanding that has helped relieve the stress that was weighing me down in making "THE RIGHT" choice for my life.

Now, with fresh eyes and a light heart I feel like I can journey on. I still don't know what I am going to do with my life for the next little while. But that's o.k. It's nice to know that where ever I decide to go, God is there, cheering for me and encouraging me to be the best reflection of Him, wherever I am.

And thus, I simply want to walk next to you and whisper a reminder that it is in this process of life that God is with us. He is not waiting behind door 1 or 2 waiting for you to make "THE RIGHT" choice. He trusts you and will journey with you where ever you go.



Grace and Peace

Annette

These are a few of my favorite things...

I have just finished the book "Hungry" by supermodel Crystal Renn. It left me with goosebumps and a sense of knowing, "Me, just as I am...I'm O.K". For any one who has ever struggled with body image issues, eating disorders or plain old vanity itself, pick this book up. It is refreshing, releasing, restorative and funny. It's the story of a girl and her journey in modeling, her struggles with food and her realizations about her body. I was simply blessed by it...especially the last chapter, Real is the New Black which spurred me on to write this.



In one of her (meaningful) rants about photo shopping she says "Perfect is the new normal. And that's a problem." Yes!, Yes! YES! Lately, I find myself unable to keep up. As I brows through fitness magazines I find myself putting them down feeling as if I have just been in a fight and lost. Walking through malls I compare myself to a mannequin and since when do I need to be in competition with an inanimate object? I would love to always have the right perspective on my life and the reality of it all but often it gets lost in glitz, glam and striving.

Thank you Crystal today you brought me make to earth, back to reality, back to what is important and what is true. She emphasizes we focus on things that have nothing to do with looks, like being a good friend, or the different talents we offer the world. And that fact that we all need to...

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle"

As a good reminder that we are simply in this thing called life together I appreciate those words greatly. I suppose this would be the appropriate segwey into my next favorite thing on this beautiful but slightly chilly Sunday...my church.

I have been attending The Meeting House for the last two years or so. I am not always able to sit in the service because I get to hang out with the grade 1-2's, so I often listen to it after on a podcast. Right now Bruxy the Teaching Pastor is talking about Evangelism. That's something that I...well...kind of don't do. Yet, I so desire for people to know the peace that comes with having a full time relationship with Jesus. Anyways, I am looking forward to the challenge to live out my faith and just thought I would share in case you are in that place too. It's a great listen and you can check it out at

www.themeetinghouse.ca (Sorry don't know how to hyperlink it...the thingy isn't working)

Go to teachings.

Blessings and love.

What is it?

For a long time I have put off doing what I know I love and crazy enough NEED to do...dance. It fuels and feeds me. It pours out of me and yet pours into me. I connect and it focuses me. It some how takes my eyes off me?! How can that be? But if I think about how I was created, who I was created by it makes perfect sense.

For a long time (especially this past year) I felt guilty about this desire, longing and need to dance. I didn't fully believe that God had put the desire there and that it was just me being...selfish? (Wow sometimes when you write your thoughts out they look kind of dumb). After 4 weeks of attending a contemporary dance class I feel full, overflowing, and energized, yet grounded. Yes.



I write this to issue a challenge....GO. Do it. What burns in your heart, mind and soul? You know what it is. Here, read the above statements and instead of "dance", replace it with what is burning in your heart right now.

Please don't let fear of...whatever....stop you. A good friend of mine quoted a speaker who said "so your scared?....well do it scared!!!"

Attending the dance class with other dancers who have technique coming out of...everywhere and being the one who needs help and patience is not easy. I fail constantly in the class. But I am failing at attempting something that gives so much back. So go fail, fall, stumble and get your hands dirty, take your pride and hang it up for a while (you don't really need it anyway).

Let's Dance!
Grace and peace,
Annette

Some Christmas perspective

'Tis the season to be( )...you can fill in the rest. I know for me it's the season when all I want to do is mow down on holiday goodies and push my workouts to the side. It would be nice if those behaviors lead to love joy and peace inside but I have to be honest...there has been some self loathing going on. Just recently I was reminded of some things I wrote on perspective. Heck this whole Christmas thing is not about us anyway...


This is a shout out to all the women out there who are feeling less than beautiful. This is a an invitation to all ladies who do not see themselves as they should.

We have so much pressure and stress on us, how do we get by? Everything around us screams, "You are not pretty, thin, fit, healthy, or beautiful enough...be like us...we are real".

I have news for those around us who scream such things... "You are not real, we are."

Woman rise up, woman wake up, shake yourselves off and be. Be you. Simple? Yet it's really not.

Who is that voice telling you "no, don't eat that, don't touch that, don't wear that, don't be that"....I hate that voice. And yet i listen. It makes me feel confused. When i listen to that voice I forget who I am. I forget what I look like, i lose my perspective. Ahh, perspective, a very important word for us women. We need it like we need water. I argue most of us don't have it. Why? Because most of us want to be somebody else but who we are. "Prove it" you say? O.k most of us want to be 10lbs lighter, our skin colour is too dark or too light, our hair is too curly or too straight. We are too fat, we need to stay skinny.....thin...whatever...whatever they look like in the magazines...we need to look like that...they are real.

But are they?

Why are we hurting ourselves over these things?

There is a devil and he is trying to take your joy by 1st taking your perspective. He knows if he can get your perspective and if he can only distort how you see yourself then he has you.

He does that because a women is a powerful weapon in that hand of God. If only we knew how powerful. When we focus on food, our bodies, and image we loose sight of what God has created us to do. We become side tracked with calories and things that don't really matter (and yet they can consume us and our lives).

You are not alone. You need to know that.

The CN tower looks HUGE if you stand at the bottom and look up. However, if you hop on a plane and look straight down, how big does that tower look now? It is nothing but a dot. It is all about perspective.

The reality is that you are seated in heavenly places with Jesus Christ. You are not alone, nor do you have to go through this alone.

The function of the body of Christ is to function as the body of Christ.
If you need to talk, I am here.
-Annette

Black Beans to the Rescue! Recipie included

Beans beans the magical fruit!

A couple of days ago, I was needing something to "dip". I get into "dipping" moods. So I threw some things into my blender and came out with this delicious black bean recipe. Make sure your dipping WHOLE GRAIN whatevers (crackers, pita, bread etc). Whole grain is key for helping your system to effectively metabolize what's going in (as in SPEEDS IT UP yeahee as supposed to turning it into fat bla!). Dipping veggies is the best idea and what a great way to get your veggies in!


In short black beans are
-high in fiber
-high in protein
-high in iron (ladies we really need this!)
-low on the glycemic index (slow absorption into blood stream)
-loaded with antioxidants
-cheap ($.89/can)



I simply tossed the following into my mini blender...

1/2can of RINSED black beans: Rinsing the beans gets rid of 40% of the sodium listed

3 cloves of garlic: It was potent...you may want to take it down a bit, the garlic was talking to me all day :)

1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive oil: Healthy fat people! Get it in. Your body needs it.
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Dash of lemon peel and squeeze of real lemon: grate a touch of a washed lemon into the mix (the peel contains limonene which helps stimulate our antioxidant detoxification enzyme system which helps stop cancer before it can begin)

1/4 cup soft Tofu OR tablespoon plain yogurt: Depending on whether you are trying to avoid dairy or not. I did it with tofu, it made it really nice and creamy!

Salt and pepper to taste.

The following is a link PLEASE READ!!! as to why beans are so dang good for you. Believe me after you read it you'll want to make them a staple. And people they're CHEAP! :) Which I appreciate.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2#healthbenefits

Remedie for cold days and dark mornings::Salsa

Getting into my car at 5:30am when it's dark and cold is just...not fun. I can feel the winter months creeping up on me. Longing for the warmpth that summer offeres I pop in a Salsa CD. Magically I am teleported to a warm destination, my hips start to to move and suddenly the heat from the music invades my whole body. Folks Annette has left the building (do not fret I still have two hands on the wheel and eyes fixed on the road:)

Arriving at my destination I am thankful for the 20min fiesta! I feel awake, pumped and happy to be alive (all at 6:00am in the morning, with out caffeine I might add).

This morning I salute the countries and cultures that have brought us Northerners the gift of warmth and love that Salsa offers . I encourage those of you who are mourning the change of seasons to take a dose of this live giving stuff. Go take a class, hit up a club or simply enjoy on your Ipod. This time of year (well anytime of year actually) it's guaranteed to put a warm smile on your face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv1ZsSrE03o

Muchos besos,
Annette

The Fight

This morning for the first day in a while I awoke and felt depressed. Don't get me wrong I have fought this battle many times before, but for some reason I thought I was out of the woods. I didn't want to get out of bed, I didn't want to read and do my daily devotions, I didn't want to eat healthy or exercise. Can anyone feel me on this one? It seemed like there was something at war with me, something that didn't want me to do anything that might make my situation better.

O.K so million dollar question....What did I do?

Eventually I got up, did some reading had a some what healthy breakfast
-Yogert, honey, oats
-Bran, rice milk, w too much brown sugar
-tea

Then I did it...what I really REALLY didn't want to do.

I ran. Some hills, some sprints, walked when I needed to and talked to and cheered on others who were also out and about on this blistery day.

Ask me if I feel better now?
Yes, yes I do. Not perfect, there is still "stuff" going on. But the positive thing is that I am not a lump on my bed feeling sorry for myself.

Why am I sharing all this with you?

In hopes that when you wakeup and are hit with one of these days, that you will take action, happen to life and get out there. It's a fight and sometimes you have to grit your teeth bear down and JUST DO IT. FIGHT.

Here's to a great day.
Peace and love.