Our daughter, Mercy, is in a Musical Theater class and they are doing a performance of The Little Mermaid this spring. I'm posting the songs here so she can practice ;-)
We built our house in 1998 and have repainted the kitchen walls and cabinets several times so a full remodel was way overdue!
The dark countertops and light teal island are the before pics. We HIGHLY recommend Residential Services of Tulsa! They were able to start right away, ran with our ideas and made great suggestions, finished in about 4 weeks, cleaned up after each day they worked, did great quality work, and were overall fabulous to work with!
Before
After - Our new island is about 2 feet longer and has lots of great storage space! So glad I can hide everything that was sitting on our countertops like my juicer, can opener, utensils, etc.
Before
After - I’m not sure what I’m doing with the space above the mantle yet. Probably another collage wall with updated canvases.
Before
After - so glad the see-through glass doors are gone! The pantry now have so much more storage space and the drawers pull out - such a nice feature!
Before
After - since we extended the island we had to get a smaller kitchen table but it works out great for the four of us. We usually eat in our dining room anyway. It will also be a great space for doing school and playing games! Also love having our trashcan in the island! We used to have a freestanding one so it's nice to hide it now!
Before
After - we opted to get a counter depth fridge since our other one stuck out so much. Also love that this one is hidden in the cabinetry.
Before
After
Before
After - love the taller cabinets and the ugly glass doors are gone!
After
Before
After - Since we extended the island, we had to take out the hearth on the fireplace. We decided to replace it with some flat pebbles and love how it turned out! RST also took out the chunky white traditional mantle and added a basic black box.
After
Before
After - The backsplash used to be a faux ceiling tile that we painted white but it has yellowed over the years. Also love the under the counter lighting!
After
After - we used to have metal shelving above the windows that I had purchased at hobby lobby many years ago when fleur de lis was popular. RST built new black boxes that are more streamlined.
We are also getting new windows soon! We ordered them back in May (not through RST) & are still waiting on them. Hopefully soon! Also adding white bamboo blinds!
At the beginning of 2021, I was diagnosed on the low positive side of rheumatoid arthritis and x-rays showed I had bone spurs on my ankles. All of my joints hurt - even just driving my car was painful because of the angle my wrists & ankles were in while in a driving position. I was literally in tears at the end of my gym classes because I was in so much pain. I’ve also had colitis issues for almost 15 years and my weight has been creeping up a few pounds each year for the past few years, too. All of this compounded when I turned 51 and I knew I had to do something.
My friend, Kati Gibson, recently went through an intense certification program to do health & wellness coaching. Kati’s journey with juicing began when she got really sick with thyroid issues several years ago. Since then, she has totally healed her thyroid and gut and is now helping others on their way to wellness. Kati created her own business, "Here I Am With Movement", a Certified Health & Nutrition Counseling program through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition specializing in auto-immune disease, inflammation, digestion, and liver cleansing. This is NOT affiliated with an MLM (multi-level marketing) program so I decided to try it out for 4 weeks. Those 4 weeks (April 2021) proved to be LIFE CHANGING for me. I was able to create new healthy habits over that time period that I’ve actually been able to sustain.
Here's Kati’s contact info for anyone interested...
Kati offers several different programs but her 4-week jump start program is SOOO worth the time & $$$ - plus it is really affordable considering all you get. And in my case, it probably is helping save me $ in the long run because I am healthier which means fewer doctor's visits and I am no longer on medicine!
One of the great things about working with Kati is that her program is totally customizable to work with YOUR body type, lifestyle, family schedule, health issues, health goals, etc. That being said, the following is what helped ME get into a more healthy state of being - but remember what worked for me might not work for you. I am sharing this to show there is HOPE! I am living proof! Here's what we did...
1. At the beginning of my 4 week program, Kati did a 1-hour intake that included health history info, before pics, goals, etc. The results were hard for me to hear but necessary to show me I had hard work to do. Kati told me my goals were totally doable & she would help me every step of the way!
2. Kati and I worked out together twice a week at her gym in Claremore. (She has a super dreamy gym/studio now at a spa in downtown Claremore.) This was really good for me because I typically work out about 4-5 times a week but Kati pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of. Now when I work out I hear Kati's voice in the back of my head pushing me harder and testing my limits!
3. Kati started me on intermittent fasting. (Benefits can be found here.) Before working with Kati, I woke up every morning starving & I never thought I could work out without eating a good breakfast first. She taught me that so much of our hunger is really mental & we’ll be “fine” going without food for a certain time period. I typically fast from about 7 at night to 11 the next morning & it’s totally doable!
4. This is the game changer for me... Kati started me on a 3-part regiment that I do before eating actual food... First, when I wake up, I drink a cup of hot water & organic lemon juice. Benefits of lemon juice can be found here.
Next, I juice straight celery. Benefits of celery can be found here and Kati has a great video on juicing here. (The video can only be seen if you are a member of her women's only private fb page. If you are a friend of mine & want to be added, let me know! Also be sure to check out the comments on that post for other helpful links & suggestions.) She also has an AmAzInG, new juicing e-book that can be purchased for $8 here. Juicing straight celery was really hard for me at first but I promise it gets easier! I started out juicing 10 ounces every morning (about 1 bundle of celery) but now I am up to 20 ounces. Kati says 32 oz. a day is optimal so that is my eventual goal. This juicer is similar to the one I started out with and is currently only about $38. It’s a good beginners juicer but didn’t really make that much juice. My kids also love to help make it!
This is the one I use now & I’ve been really happy with it. It’s easy to use & clean - and only about $70 with the coupon & makes a lot more juice.
Last, about 30 minutes to an hour after juice, I have a smoothie. I do a protein smoothie if I worked out with weights that morning. (This is the plant-based protein powder Kati recommends. I like it & use it!) If I don’t do weights, I do this detox smoothie recipe suggested by Kati. (I half the recipe because it makes so much.) Here are links to the “weird” ingredients that I get on Amazon - Dulse Flakes, Spirulina, & Barley Grass Powder. It seems like a lot of $ at first but you only use about ½ tsp of the Spirulina & Barley Grass Powder so it lasts forever!
After I do my 3 part regiment, I can have food but now I’m trying to be more mindful of what I put in my body!
5. I kept a food journal which was really eye opening. Before, I "thought" I was eating pretty healthy but recording the food I ate made me realize the toxic & processed foods that were going into my mouth and how often I was eating. I also did a zoom call with Kati on Fridays to go over the food I ate that week. She is not a fan of keeping track of calories & macros - just trying to eat little or no processed foods, with about 80% of our daily intake being “healthy” & the other 20% can be “so so”. Since I have inflammation & tummy issues, Kati said I should also try to cut out dairy & red meat. She also helped me with better swap-outs for food. For example, instead of the low carb/high fiber tortillas that I “thought” were healthy, she suggested these that you can get at Walmart. They only have 5 ingredients & are a better choice than the other brand I was using. Our family loves them! Instead of using regular pasta, I now use Lensi brand Chickpea or Lentil pasta. Instead of snacking on peanut butter, I try to make energy bites instead. And instead of Crystal Lite mix-ins for my workout drink, I now use ZipFizz.
6. Kati sent me 2 emails a week with food/nutrition info & workout suggestions. These were SO helpful & I still refer back to them today!
7. When the 4 weeks were over, I did a final strength test & an outtake comparing my 4 week results.
(The second date should actually say April 30th.)
I was so pleased to see I improved on my strength during that time period and I lost about 6 pounds. I was also starting to feel less pain in my joints and I attribute that to juicing celery.
Now about 9 months later, I have lost about 25 pounds which is a miracle for me because I have always had a hard time losing even 2-3 pounds! I’ve tried Keto & Whole30 in the past but it just wasn’t sustainable over time. Keto also messed up my cholesterol levels and made them really high. But the best benefit of all is that I now have almost ZERO joint pain & tummy issues are SO much better! It’s truly been life changing and an even age reversing experience for me. I have more energy & can do things today I couldn't do 1-2 years ago. I highly recommend Kati’s 4 week program but if you have any other questions, I’m glad to try to help!
Christmas in Uganda - by Alex Tracey (kindle version only; to purchase a hard copy shipped from the UK, go here; audio version on youtube can be found here)
I'm so super excited about the new Rise Up Bible Study my friend, Terina Dutton, wrote! I first met Terina while adopting our daughter, Mercy, in 2016. She and her husband ran the guest house that we stayed at while in Uganda. Terina's family has been so mission minded and are amazing at living life intentionally for God.
Here's what Terina says about her Bible Study...
5 years ago, while living in Uganda, I sat on the back of a boda (motorcycle) airing some grievances to God. He responded with a statement that ultimately launched this study & movement. I had asked God about a certain financial situation we were walking through when He stated to me,
“When you work for my kingdom you are not concerned with your portion. You can not carry forth a MOVEMENT you haven’t fully lived out!
Initially, I didn’t grasp the movement part, but I received understanding last summer while in the store. I was distressed by what I was witnessing in our nation: the rioting, violence, the cries for injustice, as well as different movements rising up that seemed to bring even more division, hatred, and violence. Knowing the fruit of The Holy Spirit (which is evidence of His hands in something) and that much of what was happening was the opposite, I knew these movements weren’t born of His Spirit. Not only did they lack His love and unity, they lacked biblical solutions.
I prayed, “God, what do we do?”
He responded so clearly and definitively…
“YOU ARE THE MOVEMENT!!!”
We are the movement! We carry His Spirit, solutions, wisdom, peace, and LOVE. No movement exists on earth that is going to transform lives, families, and communities if it’s not born of the Spirit of God and not rooted in love for ALL people, even those with whom we disagree.
The world is crying out for answers. It is time for us to provide them.
It is time for us to RISE UP and to make a difference...for such a time as this.
I believe many of you have had an unsettling stirring in your spirit you cannot shake though you try.
While the world may be in turmoil, instead of feeling paralyzed, God is extending an invitation for us to respond in a more impactful way.
THIS IS WHY I AM LAUNCHING THIS STUDY AT THIS TIME…
Though it’s been in process for about 13 years, God held it until now.
In my finite mind, it makes sense, we need a move of God more than ever!
Can’t catch the lives?
Every week will be recorded so you can do it at your own pace as well!
Once you sign up you will receive weekly PDF’s to go along with the video.
WHAT WILL BE COVERED IN THIS STUDY...
• Loving Your Neighbor AS Yourself…It Will Change Everything
• What Chains & Entanglements Hold You Back From Living a More Generous, Sacrificial, Laid Down Life
• God's Intention For How You Steward Your Time, Talents, and Resources…For Building His kingdom, Not Your Own
• How God Is Moving In The darkest Places On Earth, Using Those Who Will Say YES To Bring His Solutions
• The Difference Between Social & Biblical Justice…So You Can Discern Your Role & What Justice Movement Is His
• Your Role In This Season…For Such A Time As This
IT’S TIME TO...
~Confront the status quo of our hearts that has rendered us ineffective
~Strip off the things that are entangling us so we can run the race we were created for
~Die to self and live to serve others
~Break off the lies that have kept us in bondage and pursue His truth
~Take back what the enemy has stolen
~Die to the fear of man, and seek only the glory of our God
It’s time for freedom
MISSION STATEMENT/ CORE VALUES:
COURAGEOUS & BOLD: We do not bow to anything but God, His word, way, truth, & His purpose
COMMITTED: We do not give up give in, throw in the towel & quit when it’s hard, we resolve to stay the course, come what may
SACRIFICIAL: We, like Esther, will choose to lay down our comforts, pleasures, and security, and even risk our lives in response to the needs presented before us.
PASSIONATE: We do not give apathy, complacency, and indifference a place in our hearts or lives, but we fan into flame the gifts of God
STEWARDS: We do not waste our time, talents & resources, but choose to live with intention in how we spend these precious gifts.
