Salad Dressing? Apple Bread?

Okay, everyone! I need your help. It's time for some "blog reader participation"! I'm wanting to find a yummy salad dressing recipe, and I haven't stumbled on a good one yet. The few that I've tried just don't taste right; the ingredients don't seem to blend together very well. So, do you have any great recipes to share with me? I really want to go "all natural" instead of buying the processed stuff from the store. Is there any way to make a homemade ranch dressing? Or honey mustard? Or am I limited to a balsamic vinaigrette? If you've got an answer, please post it!

Also, we just spent a fabulous day at an apple orchard and now I'm really wanting to make some apple bread. Does anyone have a yummy apple bread recipe?

Thanks all!

~Bekah

Hormones and tennis...

What? It's been almost a month since I last wrote on here? Unbelievable. How do I even begin to catch up? Guess I'll do my best.


First of all, thanks for your prayers for Penny. I've had several other conversations with her since that day at the gym and the more I hear of her story, the more I've been praying for her and Becky! My mom did meet with them at the library to discuss their options for schooling, and right now they haven't decided to change anything. But I'm praying for their salvation most importantly. Homeschooling isn't the answer. Jesus is the answer! One of the main things that the Lord has taught me through this experience is that I need to continually be focusing on Christ in everything. My plan was to go to the gym and have an intense workout. His plan was for me to minister His love to a stranger. And that's happened several times now! I need to be prepared for those moments when my plan gets shoved out of the way so that I can walk in what He wants me to be doing. I mean, in the light of eternity - does it really matter if I got a good workout that day? Not really. Even if it comes back to bite me on the scale, so be it. What's more important is that I'm walking in the Spirit in every area of my life. Yes, especially in regard to my plans. "My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts." So true! I don't want to miss an opportunity that the Lord drops into my lap just because I'm so focused on myself and what I want to do. (Or don't want to do, in the case of exercising. lol)


And then, on to my weight. I was super excited when I saw that I'd lost 2 pounds a few weeks ago! And then rather disappointed when I repeated the same thing the next week only to find that I gained them back. This past week, I had a little success when I lost one of the pounds that I'd gained. Yikes! It's such a roller-coaster. Sometimes makes me just want to scream! Anybody know a personal trainer who doesn't charge for training? :-) lol

Actually, I'm beginning to read a book about having balanced hormones right now. (No, I'm not going through menopause!!) The whole premise of the book is that if your hormones are balanced, it will be much easier to drop excess weight and maintain a healthy weight. The thing that caught my attention about this book was that lots of people wrote reviews and said that they seemed to have the "stuck scale syndrome" - where it didn't seem to matter how little they ate or how much they exercised, the scale didn't budge very much. (Sound familiar?) And after following the advice of this book, the were able to drop the weight. So, I'm intrigued. Haven't read very far yet, but it seems that it will have some good information. Honestly, I just love reading books and gaining knowledge about how God designed out bodies to work. Even if it is a secular author writing, the information I read makes me praise God for His creativity!

Soooo, that's about it right now. Except that I've had a strong desire to learn how to play tennis recently. It just looks fun! But I think it's past the prime season for tennis playing. Maybe next year...:-)

Have you noticed how beautiful the weather is this afternoon? Go take a walk! You'll love it. Happy Fall!

Love,
Bekah

A Different Day In the Gym...

I was on the treadmill, walking at about 3 mph to warm up before I got started on my run. There were two other ladies in the gym with me this morning, and they were chatting away about the weather while riding the stationary bikes. I was trying to focus on the task ahead (namely, running) and doing my best to ignore the TV on the wall in front of me that was blasting "Live with Regis and Kelly". (I don't even know why they turned the TV on, because they never once looked up to watch it!)

After they had spent a few minutes talking, one of the ladies (Penny) turned to me and asked, "So, how are you doing today, dear?". I replied that I was doing well, then asked about her. She said she was doing okay, and I kind of assumed the conversation would end there. I was about to hit the button to speed up the treadmill when Penny asked me, "Hey, do you have a job?". Ugh, I hate that question. Mostly because when I tell people "no" and then also answer their next question ("So are you in college?") with a "no", they usually give me a funny look and write me off as some unproductive member of society. :-)

So, this morning I explained to Penny that I didn't have a traditional job, but that I was going to be teaching a class for home schooled girls. She was very intrigued by that and then asked me a loaded question. Penny said, "Home schooling? Yes, I've heard of that. How exactly does that work?". Okay, I can forget about running for awhile, I thought to myself. I attempted to give her a brief answer about home schooling and how it works, but I quickly figured out that Penny was so interested because she's been having a lot of trouble with her 15 year old daughter (Becky) and she needs help. She explained to me that Becky is very smart, but that she doesn't like all of the rules and "unflexibility" of school. She's not a morning person and is often late for school. She is very artistic but doesn't feel like she's getting to use those talents and has become bored with school. Basically, Penny is very frustrated with Becky. She wants her to get a good education and to actually get a diploma (she is concerned that Becky will drop out of school when she turns 16 because of how bored and frustrated she is with school).

As I listened to Penny talk, I could tell that there were a lot of issues that ran much deeper than school. After talking with her and explaining all of the different options that homeschooling offers, Penny remarked that she has been looking for some hope and that she thinks she's found it now. I gave her our home phone number and encouraged her to call and talk to my mom for more information.

After that 20 minute conversation, I continued with my running and made a mental note to make sure and tell Mom that she should be expecting a call in the next few days. That was at 8:30 this morning. When I returned home at 10:30, I said to my Mom, "Hey, you might be getting a phone call from a lady named Penny..." and at that point my Mom interrupted and said, "Yeah, she already called!". That was a lot faster than I had anticipated! I didn't even have time to give my mom any warning. Anyway, my mom will be meeting with Penny on Thursday to discuss the options that they have, and I'm also praying that she'll be able to share with Penny about the Giver of Eternal Hope, our Lord Jesus Christ! Penny mentioned to my Mom on the phone that she was raised in a VERY disfunctional, legalistic "Christian" home and she didn't want that for her daughter. She's also a single mom, which makes things challenging for her.

So, would you join me in praying for Penny and Becky? Now that we've talked, I feel like we have more of a relationship and I want to begin asking her about her spiritual beliefs, but I want the Lord's wisdom in what to say to someone who has been offended and turned off to "Christianity" because of her experiences. I'm also praying for wisdom for my mom as she meets with her on Thursday.

This morning didn't turn out like I was expecting it to. It definitely wasn't a typical day at the gym! But the Lord is teaching me that He wants me to be available to follow His leading wherever I am and whatever I'm doing. Even if people do ask me if I have a job...:-)

Blessings!
Bekah