Review: Primal, What if #Christianity was just that simple

What if our faith could be simplified?

What if our faith was as true as the early Christians?

Pastor Mark Batterson looks at just that.  

What caught my attention when I started reading this book was how opening and almost bruttally honest the author is. If we really think about it as a society we have adapted Christianity to fit whatever need we have. We have made our faith fit into our lives rather than our lives fitting the true picture of Christianity.  Don't get me wrong I'm not a perfect Christian, nor do I pretend to be.

Pastor Mark Batterson is real in his writing and the fact that he is in the thick of it with non-traditional churches in Washington D.C. proves to me that he has a real passion for the gospel.

It takes more than just reading the Bible to feel this passionate about something. I love how he writes so candidly about his experience in a 14th century church and then climbing the stairs to the catacombs and experiences the true simplicity that was the 2nd century church.  Through out the book he talks about getting real and peeling back on the pretenses that plague Christianity in the 21st century.  It really makes a person take a deep look at their own practices of faith.


***I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion of the book. No other monetary compensation was received.****

Wordless Wednesday 10/26

the fall rose

Healthy Living Doesn't have to be a Fight with Food, 5 hints

We all struggle with Healthy living especially as the holidays begin. Halloween and all the candy, Thanksgiving and all the wonderful savory dishes, and then December and the variety of holiday celebrations and baked goodies.  The good news is it doesn't have to be a fight.  Here are 5 hints to winning the holiday Food fight.

1. Moderation, moderation, moderation.  Yes I said it 3 times. moderation is the key. Don't deny yourself the fun treats but don't go crazy. Have a little. I have read so many articles over the years talking about giving something up completely and then soon after going crazy on the something.

2. Keep lots of healthy alternatives around. Veggies pre-cut and placed in a small bowl of cold water are a wonderful way to snack. Celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, even sweet potatoes and turnips make a easy crunchy healthy snack.. Use a little lemon juice in the water to give you an extra bit of flavor.

3. Reduce the salt! so many health issues are aggravated by sodium.. Try using a low / no sodium seasoning on veggies, salads, sandwiches, even eggs.

4. Lots of water! replace half your sodas, coffee, and other beverages with water.  We attended a wedding this weekend and the carafes of water all had lemons, limes, cucumbers, or raspberries in them. It added a hint of flavor without the extra sugar or salt. With the berries it even added a hint of color.

5. Find light , lean protein if you need an evening snack. Things like cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, even yogurt if it isn't too full of sugar. The protein will last longer in you system and can satisfy a craving for something in the evening.

These are things I try and do during the holidays to win the fight with food.  I am not a health care professional, just a person who struggles with the food and holiday food fight.

 


This post was sponsored by   Aetna Healthy Food Fight andSheSpeaks all opinions within the post are my own including any recipes I share.

End of the Season campfire fun **beer** #Cbias

So what to do when you find the beer fridge empty but have an evening of clear weather ahead?
Head to the mini mart of course!
This time since we were going to be in town we decided after the wedding we were going to , we would head over to 7-11.
We use to shop at 7-11 when we lived in the Hillsboro area, but since moving to Yamhill County, it wasn't as convenient (the closest  store is 14 miles away).  I love the Slurpee machines and decided this would be a fun treat for the boys as well as a chance to pick up a couple of things for an evening campfire with friends.

We attended a beautiful wedding honoring 2 very special young people. The boys had fun hanging out at the reception with all their friends and being a little more social than normal. Usually this group of little guys are all together in their homeschool co-op so they know each other but don't hang out as much outside of co-op.




The boys enjoyed cupcakes and a little dancing, but tend to get a little antsy so we didn't stay as long as we would have liked.

Off we went to pick up some beer and chips at the 7-11 

We were surprised to find a pretty good variety of Beer as well as a fairly large selection of chips.




The boys picked out a bag of chips and then we let them get a Slurpee for on the way home.

Keeping in mind the amount of sugar the just consumed (cupcake and Slurpee) I knew it was going to be an interesting evening.

Once we got home I had them change into play clothes and Cameron went down to get his friends for the gathering.

We had campfire with snack foods to start (mini chimis and little chicken sausages in a italian breading but like a corn dog.)

The weather was perfect, not too cool and not raining.
The kids rode bikes through the yard to use up some of their crazy energy while I got the rest of the evening goodies out.


Finally time for campfire!

(I still haven't mastered campfire photos with the new camera... hoping I have a couple more chances before the weather gets too yucky)

Marshmallows and hotdogs for 4 kids and 3 adults.

The kids enjoyed a couple of bottles of Clear American while the adults enjoyed the beer. We had settled on Coors Light since the prices at 7-11 were more expensive then we usually spend.

Overall the evening was a nice treat of friends, campfire and laughs.  I really hope we get more oppotunities this fall. Something about fall campfires are so much fun! Besides they are a lot cozier than summer campfires. I love having a campfire and snuggling with the boys...

I will leave you with one last photo!

 A Cat and her boy!

If you would like to see the whole adventure check out this Google+ photostory.



This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opions are my own.