Green Goodness!!

How many of you have resolved to become more healthy this year?? How many of you have determined to lose weight, especially those stubborn last 10lbs? Well, what if I told you that I have the perfect breakfast smoothie for you?!?

Many of you might read this and think to yourself "there is no way that this can taste good", but please don't knock it until you've tried it! My hubby and I have become quite fond of this green concoction and actually find ourselves craving it each morning! We feel pretty good about ourselves too because it's as if we're having a salad for breakfast! ;-)


What you'll need - a blender!

-Orange juice
-Handful of salad greens ( I buy the huge tub of organic greens from Sam's for $2.98!)
-1-2 Bananas (I like to freeze mine for added thickness)
-Frozen fruit of your choice
-Honey to taste

I eyeball everything, so keep that in mind as you might like to tweak it according to your taste.

I pour approx 1 cup of orange juice into my blender, then pile the organic greens into it (1-2 generous handfuls) next (the more, the healthier obviously, but if you wanna start out slow, I understand). Make sure they have combined well, then add your bananas one at a time and allow them to combine. Once smooth, Add 1/2-1cup of frozen fruit. After all has incorporated, I add honey to taste. I simply squeeze it into the mixture for about 5 seconds while it's blending. :-)

Once done, you will have a delightfully GREEN smoothie that is not only delicious, but quite nutritious! The recipe above makes enough for both my husband and I.

Go ahead, be brave - try it! I guarantee it'll be MUCH better than you think, and you probably will find yourself truly enjoying it.

Here's to a healthy 2012!

~Lauren

Destructive Pride

This devotion is such a powerful reminder of the dangers of pride in one's life. May we strive to live like Christ, in a spirit of humility and repent of the sin of pride in our lives.

DESTRUCTIVE PRIDE
by Pastor Thomas Smith, St Clair, MO

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility."
Proverbs 18:12.

None of us want to see our lives destroyed. We do not want to experience spiritual and moral ruin, or see our dreams and worthy goals disappear. We do not want to see reproach come upon the Name of the Lord and His work due to our spiritual collapse. Is it possible there could be some indication of self-destruction before it occurs? Are there warning signs that might make moral bankruptcy avoidable? According to the Scripture, there is something that often precedes the fall of mighty men: "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty."

One of the most destructive forces in a person's life is pride. Many great leaders have been destroyed through personal pride. People of tremendous spiritual influence have seen their ministries ruined because of pride. It was pride that led to Lucifer's revolt and expulsion from Heaven. Pride is not a problem for a pitied few of God's creation, but rather it is present in every heart. Children begin to exhibit pride in their earliest years. It is a part of the sinful nature we inherited from Adam and remains a dreaded foe throughout our lives.

One reason pride is so dangerous is because it is very deceptive. We can easily be blinded to its presence in our hearts and minds. Because it is such a powerful force, when it has a stronghold in our lives, its very presence resists attempts to rid the heart of its influence. Pride rebels against the acknowledgment and removal of itself. We must be aware of the destructive nature of self-reliance and self-exaltation, and treat pride as an enemy.

Is there any antidote for such a harmful condition? The Bible declares that "before honour is humility." Just as pride can bring destruction, humility can bring blessing and honor. The cure for the poison of pride is having a humble attitude and spirit. As pride wants to exalt self and refuse correction and instruction, humility recognizes how undeserving and incapable we are. While pride is a natural part of man's fallen nature, humility must be chosen and developed in our hearts.

We are told in the Word of God to humble ourselves. We are responsible to keep ourselves humble and to repent of the wicked sin of pride. This is the way of God's blessing: He actively resists the proud, but pours out His grace on the humble.

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

I don't know about you, but I LOVE using my crock pot. Problem is, I don't use it nearly often enough!! One of my goals this Fall and Winter is to use it once a week. I love the convenience of simply tossing ingredients into ONE pot and coming home to the aroma of an already cooked meal. It's like having someone cook dinner for you and only dirty one pot (which is very endearing when you do NOT have a dishwasher).

Anyway, I came across this recipe from the blog "Get Crocked" and am dying to try it!! Partly because I have a gazillion apples to use from my beautiful little apple tree. Also because it tis' the season for APPLES! Do you have a favorite apple recipe?? Leave it in the comments below and perhaps we'll feature your recipe in the coming days!! :-)

Enjoy!
~Lauren


Crock Pot Apple Crisp

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 c. butter, cut into pieces
• 1 c. chopped walnuts
• 
  
  
• 1/3 c. white sugar, or to taste
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 6 c. apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 
  

1. Mix flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl.

2. Combine butter with the flour mixture using fingers or a fork until coarse crumbs form. Stir in walnuts and set aside.

3. Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

4. Place the apples in a crock pot, stir in the cornstarch mixture; toss with lemon juice. Sprinkle the walnut crumb topping on top.

5. Cover. Cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours, until apples are tender. Partially uncover the crock pot to allow the topping to harden, about 1 hour.

6. Serve with vanilla ice cream or drenched in cream or milk for breakfast.

Where We've Been....

Hello Everyone,

So sorry we've been MIA! We really haven't forgotten about you, in fact we've been saddened by our lack of blogging. However, part of our goal in becoming more like the Proverbs 31 woman is WHY we have not been blogging. As most of you know, Page and I have recently given birth to precious babies as well as keeping up with our homes, families and photography businesses. To say our Summer has been busy would be a HUGE understatement. :-) With Fall/Winter approaching, we're hoping to get back into the swing of things, especially since our photography businesses will be slowing down somewhat.

We have SO much we want to blog about, so stay tuned for upcoming recipes, devotions, quick tips, crafts, things we've learned, and so much more!

Thanks for your patience and continued support!!

~Lauren & Page

Where Is Your Treasure?

Enjoy this wonderful devotion by Pastor Thomas Smith from St Clair, MO. As you begin another week, start by asking yourself where your treasure is. "As we obey the Lord and invest in heavenly things, we will find our hearts will be there also."


WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?
Devotion for August 01, 2011

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Luke 12:34.

Jesus teaches us to train our hearts and minds to think more in terms of eternal things than earthly things. We are either laying up treasures on this earth, or we are laying up treasures in Heaven. This is not the natural way for men to live, but it is a part of the transformation that is taking place in the sincere child of God. It only makes sense that we be thus minded. This life is brief, and the older we get, the more real this becomes. However, we are going to live eternally in the place that God is preparing for us. Treasures that we lay up on this earth will remain here after we are gone and will one day perish. Treasures that we lay up in Heaven will last forever.

This important question, "Where is your treasure?" should help guide us in our decisions and priorities. Just prior to this verse, Jesus told a parable about a man that was rich, whose farm was prospering abundantly. He had no room to store the harvest of his land, so his only solution was to build bigger barns. Jesus said this man's reasoning was foolish, because he was going to die and leave it all behind. He then instructed His disciples to live more for the world to come than for this present world. This does not mean that we are not to earn money or provide for our families, or even leave an inheritance to our descendants. These things are not wrong; they are indeed our responsibilities. However, this world is not our priority. Jesus told these followers that if all we do is live for material things, we are no different from the world.

How is it then, that we lay up treasure in Heaven? Jesus instructed the listeners that by giving rather than hoarding, they would be laying up treasures in Heaven. The more we invest our resources in eternal things, the more treasure we will have in Heaven. What things are eternal? The first things we think of are the eternal souls of men, women, boys and girls. As we give to the work of God, as we pray for souls to be saved, as we teach and train others to serve the Lord, and support the work of missions and our local church, we are investing in eternity. And the more of our treasure we have in Heaven, the more our hearts will be there. The reason our hearts are so fixed on this world and on temporal things is because that is where our treasures are. As we obey the Lord and invest in heavenly things, we will find our hearts will be there also.