Adventures in Juicing...

Chris and I decided to do this crazy juice fast a few weeks ago.  I guess it is just that time of year but instead of spring cleaning our house, we our spring cleaning our bodies.  It is something we have talked about doing for quite some time now because we watched the movie "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead".  The documentary is actually very well done and I highly recommend it.  It is on Nextfix.  Anyway starting on April 1st we cut all dairy, meat, processed foods, and refined sugars out of our diet.  Then, starting April 6th, we started only drinking fruit and veggie juice (that we juice in our juicer) and water...
Today is day 5 of the juice fast.  I have learned some interesting things along the way.

1. It is harder than it seems.  I know, I'm kind of naive at times.  I honestly didn't think that restricting my diet and only drinking juice would be that hard.  I was wrong.  It is hard.  Especially when I look around and see other people enjoying yummy food.  Or worse yet, when I smell their yummy food.  Or worse than that, visit Pinterest at all. It has taken serious will power to stay honest in my fast.  That and Chris telling me to give it one more day... repeatedly.
2. NEVER EVER take the top off of the juicer until the blades have come to a complete stop.  If pictures say 1000 words, I don't have to write any more about this other than I'm glad this didn't happen on day 3.

   

   Chris asked if the kitchen walls were hungry...
3. I expected something different.  I guess I expected to be hungry mostly.  Truth is, I haven't been hungry at all until, as before mentioned, I see someone else with something that looks good.  What has been really hard is my psychological attachment to food.  Until today I was craving things that I don't even eat, like Burger King.  What is that about?
4. It takes a staggering amount of fruits and veggies to make juice.  We have used more than 30 lbs of carrots alone in the last 5 days!
5. Sometimes presentation isn't everything.  Even if it looks bad, it can still taste good.  Maybe I should find a way to adapt this into my perfectionist thinking.  I'm sure it is pretty easy.  This is what my breakfast, lunch, and dinner have been the last 5 days.

   

   Sigh...

6. A little bit of sleep can make things seem OK again.  Day 3 was a disaster!  I actually got ANGRY that I wasn't eating like a normal person and I couldn't figure out why I was doing this to myself!  Then I got ANGRY at Chris for telling me to stick it out one more day.  I was shocked at the emotions coming out of me. I was literally crying  about it.  So, I sucked it up and went to bed and by the next day, I was totally fine again.  Whew.
7. It gets easier.  All I can say here is thank goodness.  Last night my friend was eating some delicious looking Chinese food and I was actually OK.  With the food in front of me, with the smell, all of it.  I was so impressed.  Today I woke up feeling great and honestly, it has been a breeze.  
8. I can do hard things and it is worth it.  Since last Monday I have lost 11 lbs. and Chris has lost about 15!  I'm shocked by the results!

I guess we will see how much longer this craziness lasts.  Hopefully at the end of all of this my sugar addiction will be finally gone or at least seriously reduced.  Although, I'm not going to lie... a burger at Rich's sounds pretty amazing right now!

Love, 

Shanda

Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you…

Since I wrote the post “Prayers can be answered quickly”, I have been thinking a lot about this concept.  I have grown up knowing that He knows the every thought in my mind and every desire in my heart.  I grew up knowing that I was a daughter of my Heavenly Father.  I never questioned the divine linage.  I have defiantly learned over the years that I am completely loved and taken care of beyond my ability to recognize, and I have a unique relationship with Him because he knows me individually.  Yet somehow, even with my years of studying the scriptures, I have realized that I accepted a false belief that prayers were for expression of gratitude and asking for needs.  Since that experience, Matthew 7:11 has taken on a completely new meaning.

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heave give good things to them that ask him?”

I really started thinking about the example of my own dad.  I honestly couldn't have asked for a better father.  So much opportunity and blessing has come to Chris and I because of him.  And it has not all been things that I need.  He has provided hotels for us to have getaways, or airfare to take a much needed vacation.  He even took both of us to Wicked on Broadway just because he knows how much I love that music.  He loves to provide opportunities for all kinds of things in our life and if he does, than my Heavenly Father would too.  I will say this, my prayers have changed!

My dad and siblings♥ 

Exactly fitting in with my last post about this topic and my own thoughts and prayers lately I was reading the news feed on Facebook, like I sometimes do, and one of my beautiful Christian friends (that I am seriously blessed to know)  had posted an amazing story.  As soon as I saw it, I asked her if it would be possible for me to share it on my blog.  I was a perfect example to me of this.  Thank you Tiffany!

"So I know most of you friends on facebook know that I love Jesus and have been a witness to my profession of faith. 

Well I have yet another testimony of how faithful God is and that Jesus knows every need, every thought and every desire of each one of us.  This is just one of many reasons why I am so in love with Jesus. 

It is always an ADVENTURE. 

For a few weeks now Travis and I have been agreeing in prayer that our wedding would be a sign and a wonder to all.  We have also been praying specifically that this wedding is God's will it is his bill.  We have been tested to GET OUT OF THE BOAT and walk on water.  We have been tested over and over with having to die our will and the way we want certain things of our wedding to go and letting God's will have the victory.  As we have prayed we have sen God sow up mightily!  We have literally, tangibly seen God pay the bill for our wedding!  i am not talking about Travis and I working getting a pay check and paying for our wedding, I am talking money coming from unknown sources, favor with mangers and with the venue (things that in the natural make no sense).  There is no other explanation but Jesus. 

Friday night Travis and I prayed together, thanking Jesus for seeing His fingerprint through out our courtship and now as we are planning to become one in Him, we also asked that the Favor of the Lord would rest upon us as we go to the Bridal Expo and that we still needed the provision for our honey moon and wedding bands, and if He chose to He would give us wedding bands and a honeymoon through the Expo. 

Saturday while I was at the Bridal Expo I entered almost every contest there was!  In the course of my 3 hour adventure there and countless entries the Holy Spirit spoke to me while filling out 2 specific entries.  One first entry (wedding band entry) He told me to write specifically Ephesians 3:17-21 (so that Chris may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurable more than I can ask or imagine).  So I wrote that on the top of my entry.  Then one other one He told me to write Jesus picked me as the winner.  In faith I did what He told me to do!! 

I just got a phone call that I was selected as the winner of 2 different drawings from the Bridal Expo on Saturday.  I won $600 gift card for wedding bands and a 2 night 3 day stay at our choice of either Dominican Republic or Bahamas all inclusive resort!!! 

"Again, truly I tell you that if tow of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Matthew 18:19 

"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." Psalm 34:10 

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  Hebrews 11:6 

I encourage you to be bold with your prayers and BELIEVE HIM FOR IT!!!!!!!!"

Isn't she AMAZING?  I'm so grateful for amazing people like her in my life that can teach me, even when they don't know they are doing it.  I'm excited that I can continue to practice my new found understanding that very possibly is not new to anyone else.  There is something very humbling and yet incredibly empowering about asking for the deepest desires of your heart and knowing that if it is right, a way will be opened for you to receive.  If it is not, then something better is coming your way.

Love,
Shanda

Life Update

Last month Chris and I finished all of our pre-IVF testing.  All that we had left to do was get our final price from the University of Utah Hospital to be able to move forward.  Somewhere along the long line of doctor’s appointments and tests, we had heard about a program that offers financial aid to those needing to do IVF.  Apparently this program is only word of mouth due to limited funding and so we started investigating it. 

Chris and I were planning to start the IVF process this month and we were both very excited.  When we got our price back from the committee reviewing our test results, it was about $23,000.  Honestly, even though I believe that there isn’t much else that is as gratifying to spend money on, seeing it in a lump sum was a bit staggering.  Within the week we got a call back from the financial aid program.  What they offer (after an extensive approval process) is amazing and Chris and I were excited to start the approval process until they let us know that this process typically takes 4 to 6 months.

I’m sure that any sane person would think the wait really does not really seem like that long.   To me, it seemed like an eternity!  My heart was so much set on starting this month.  I had started to plan what to do with the house and our spare room.  And for the first time ever, I even let myself buy a darling pair of overalls for one of MY babies.  All of these thoughts started to hit me, making me feel like somehow choosing to wait for funding is choosing money over children.  That if I wanted it bad enough we’d just move forward… etc.

Gratefully, I didn’t have to make the decision alone.  Chris and I were able to go to the temple on Saturday, (the beautiful Brigham City temple).

(Image from  www.deseretbook.com)

It was such a peaceful and amazing experience.  I kept thinking that I couldn’t believe the little city I grew up in actually had a temple!  I felt so much peace as I contemplated this decision.  My husband and I both felt that Heavenly Father was just happy about our desire to have children and the timing was up to us.  So, after talking about it extensively, we have decided to wait and see if it is possible to get the funding.  We will see where we are in June and if we need to reevaluate, we will.

I may not feel it all the time, but most of the time I really am grateful for opportunities that come in life that allow me to practice the patience, trust, and love.

Love,
Shanda