I’ve dreamed of the day when I would have the opportunity to share this news. Jared and I are so very humbled by the way God has provided for us and we couldn’t be more elated to share our exciting news: I am almost 13 weeks pregnant! We have been bursting at the seams to divulge the news but knew it was best to keep it under wraps until I made it through the first trimester.

If you remember, several months ago, I mentioned I was studying the Bible Study, Believing God by Beth Moore. As I asked God what He wanted me to believe Him for, I felt very strongly that He wanted me to trust Him for a quick and uncomplicated pregnancy. It took about everything in me to trust God for this desire, particularly because we weren’t even sure I was able to get pregnant. When the first couple of months passed with no sign of pregnancy, I admit I questioned if I had misread God. But I also was well aware after walking through cancer that sometimes God asks us to trust even when He chooses to answer in a different way. I had experienced not long ago praying for a certain outcome only for God to answer totally opposite of what I had hoped, and so I wanted to stay grounded that just because I believed and asked in faith, He may choose not to answer the way I desired. And still, I am learning He wants me to come to Him and ask with sincere faith, trusting that He has my good in mind.

I must pause in my story for a moment. As I write this, I am keenly aware that as several sweet friends of mine read these words, pangs of disappointment may surface over the issue of childbearing. I remember all too well my own conflicted emotions when hearing the good news of another’s pregnancy. I pray my words don’t inflict further pain but instead give great hope of the amazing ways God works. I won’t forget how difficult the waiting process was for me and I write this blog post with extreme empathy for those who are still waiting.

Ok, I didn’t feel I could go any further until I acknowledged the deep pain that can surround this issue, much of what I have personally experienced. God continually reminded me through the last two+ years of waiting to conceive that He desired me to draw my strength from Him and to fall into His arms as I processed the difficult questions of life and faith. Without fail, He met me each time through my tears, even though there were moments I had to literally choose to believe He was working behind the scenes because I didn’t see His hand.

Which is exactly how I felt at the beginning of February. It feels silly to acknowledge that I was struggling to trust God with my pregnancy hopes only being a couple of months into the process. However, as I journaled and prayed, I realized that I felt panicked that I was already “behind” in starting our family as so many of my friends and family members had already welcomed one, two, and three children before we were even able to get pregnant. The realization occurred to me that once we were given the permission by my oncologist to begin our family, I (subconsciously) felt this hurry-up!-we’re-late! feeling and so with each passing day, I became worried that we were increasingly behind schedule.

It was so kind of the Lord to open my eyes to see the lies I was believing. As I acknowledged them, He reminded me that in His timetable and His plan, we were right on schedule. He knew that I would walk through cancer during the years my friends were having babies and He knew the deep desires of my heart. And He also knew the perfect time for Jared and me to conceive.

Hearing such truth from the Lord was exactly what I needed to calm my heart to wait and trust. That’s not to say I didn’t battle other lies about myself and God. One of them that surfaced and surprised even me when I wrote it on paper was though I intellectually believed God for a quick pregnancy, my heart didn’t believe He would do that for me. Wow, what misconceptions had snuck their way into my heart and clouded my view of seeing who God was and His love for me. How freeing it was for me to acknowledge those misbeliefs about God’s character and soak in truth from His Word of who He was and what He could do. On one particular day when I was crying out to God about my hopes and doubts, I read Habakkuk 3:17-19:

“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to go on the heights.”

As I read this passage, it was as if God was saying, Trust Me even though you see no sign of how I will provide for you and you have no idea how long it will take. With a surrendered heart, I resolved to trust and wait.

There isn’t enough time to share with you the ways God tenderly took care of me that following month. He opened my eyes to see how He was very much with me (not to mention how He had amazingly provided Jared’s new job during this time as well). As the month came to a close and an obvious feminine sign was absent, I hate to admit that I just thought the delay must be due to the stress of moving. Deep in my heart, I did hope that maybe I was pregnant, but I pushed the thought out of my mind because there were several variables that caused me to assume my body wasn’t ready to carry a baby yet. Jared kept urging me to take a pregnancy test and finally several days later, I succumbed. With trepidation I might add.

Much to my surprise, a pink “+” stared back at me when I took the test. Could it be I was actually pregnant?! I was so shocked that I was hardly able to formulate emotions and smiled as I realized I was responding like my dear friend and  ”jumping up and down on the inside.” My heart still was so tentative to believe I actually could be pregnant and I also knew many friends who had suffered miscarriages. I didn’t know what else to do in that moment but open my journal and talk to God about my thoughts. I asked Him to show me through Scripture what He wanted me to know and He directed me to Psalm 37, specifically vs. 3 in the Amplified Version:

“Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident in the Lord) [and then I added: not in my health, pregnancy signs or anything else] and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.”

God’s message to me couldn’t have been clearer and has sustained me for the first three months as I’ve trusted God for my health as well as the baby’s. This first trimester has been such a sweet time with the Lord, much because we have chosen to not spread the news with many and so have instead had many opportunities to talk with God about the details. I have connected with the wording in Luke 2:19 when it says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” because I’ve been doing a lot of pondering recently. I’ve been reflecting over the last two and a half years of my life and catching glimpses of God’s faithful hand even in the most difficult days. I feel so incredibly humbled that God would choose to grow Jared’s and my faith by answering our prayers in such a meaningful way.

I couldn’t wait to share this exciting announcement with you because you have been such a support to me throughout this cancer journey. We are so elated to begin a new chapter in this journey and are holding tightly onto God’s hand as He leads us down this road. We would appreciate your prayers for protection for my body as well as the growth of Baby Warner. Oh, how I like writing that!

***

“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”

(Isaiah 25:1)

My sweet niece and nephew showing off their shirts that broke the news to their parents!

All Smiles!

See my shirt?

When I was down in Orlando speaking at the conference last weekend, I was able to see the girls from the Bible study I led when they were in high school (five years ago). It was fun to be able to tell them in person that I was pregnant after they have prayed long and hard for me.

My dear friend loaned me the book, Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, several years ago. But I never read it. Then as I was going through my books before the movers came last month, I had the thought that maybe I would appreciate its message in this new chapter of transition. I finally opened the book today and settled in to hear what God may want to tell me about my new transition/move. Below is an excerpt that I thought was interesting and has left me pondering. If you are in the middle of transition, whether brought on by you or imposed on you, whether happy or sad, I think you would appreciate not only this excerpt but the entire book.

Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, pages xii, 8,13-16
By William Bridges

“Our society confuses [change/transition] constantly, leading us to imagine that transition is just another word for change. But it isn’t. Change is your move to a new city or your shift to a new job. It is the birth of your new baby or the death of a loved one…In other words, change is situational. Transition, on the other hand, is psychological. It is not those events, but rather the inner reorientation and self-redefinition that you have to go through in order to incorporate any of those changes into your life. Without a transition, a change is just a rearrangement of the furniture. Unless transition happens, the change won’t work, because it doesn’t ‘take.’…

[All transitions are composed of] (1) an ending, followed by (2) a period of confusion and distress, leading to, (3) a new beginning…There are ways of facilitating transitions, and they begin with recognizing that letting go is at best an ambiguous experience. They involve seeing transition in a new light, of understanding the various phases of the transition. They involve developing new skills for negotiating the perilous passage across the ‘nowhere’ that separates the old life situation from the new. But before that can be done, you need to understand your own characteristic way of coping with endings.

One way to do this is to think back over the endings in your own life. Go back to your early childhood and recall the first experiences involving endings that you can remember. Some may have been large and terrible–deaths in the family, for instance; others may have been insignificant to everyone except you–your parents’ departure on a trip, the death of a pet, or a friend’s moving away. Continue forward on this tour of your life history and note all of the endings you can recall along the way. Some were physical; others involved relationships inside and outside the family. Some involved places, social groups, hobbies, interests, or sports; others involved responsibilities, training, or jobs. Some endings may be hard to describe. They have few outward signs, but they may leave long-lasting scars; the ending of innocence or trust, for example, or the ending of irresponsibility. How many such endings can you retrieve from your memory?…

What you bring with you to a transitional situation is the style you have developed for dealing with endings. The product of early experience and late influence, this style is your own way of dealing with external circumstances and the inner distress they stir up. Your style is likely to reflect your childhood family situation, for transitions tend to send family members off to do different tasks: One person feels all the grief and anxiety for the entire group, another comforts the mourner, another takes over the routine responsibilities, and yet another goes into a sort of parody of ‘being in control of the situation.’…

Looking back over your ending experiences, what can you say about your own style of bringing situations to a close? It is abrupt and designed to deny the impact of the change, or is it so slow and gradual that it is hard to see that anything important is happening? Do you tend to be active or passive in these terminal situations?…

Although it is advantageous to understand your own style of endings, some part of you will resist that understanding as though your life depended on it. If this process of recollection activates that part of you, you’ll find it hard to remember past endings or to see that you have a characteristic way of responding to them. Let that be. Just note your difficulty and try a different approach to the same question. Think about how you tend to act at the end of an evening at a friends’s house or a night on the town. Do you try to drag things out by starting new conversations and activities as others seems to be ready to leave, or do you say suddenly that it was a nice evening and dash out? Or what about some recent larger ending: leaving a job or moving from a neighborhood. Did you say goodbye to everyone, or did you leave a day ahead of schedule just so that you could avoid the goodbyes?

Everyone finds endings difficult, so your own style is not a sign that you have some ‘problem’ that others don’t have. The person who leaves early and the one who stays late are both avoiding endings and the discomfort of facing a break in the continuity of things. Whether you are a dasher or a lingerer is largely a result of how you learned to avoid the ‘party’s-over’ experience as a child. You might, on the other hand, have learned back then that although some endings are unavoidable they do not usually bring unendurable distress, and that dealing with them at the time avoids difficulty later; you are likely to try to take the experience one step at a time, saying goodbyes and moving on to whatever comes next…”

***

“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)

Today is one of those days of reflection when I look back over the past several years and feel so, so grateful for all God has done in my life and all He has brought me through. Two years ago today I finished my last chemo treatment. Wow. There truly aren’t enough words for me to express my gratitude to be two years past that challenging season.

This weekend I have the exciting opportunity to speak at a women’s conference in Orlando. As I’ve been preparing for my talk, God has been working on my heart in the process. I love how that happens! One of the Scripture passages I was researching was in Genesis 3 when the serpent convinces Eve to take a bite of the apple. I was reminded all over again as I read this story how the she took a bite because she became convinced that God was holding out on her. That maybe God didn’t know what He was talking about and maybe, just maybe, He needed Eve to help Him.

How often am I in this situation in life? When I begin to doubt God’s good heart toward me and begin thinking maybe I should help God. And the way I try to help Him is by grasping for a bit of a control. Because in my mind, I inaccurately decide I need to take control for what God clearly hasn’t.

I am reflecting on all of these thoughts today because they bring me back to two+ years ago. I had to continually and intentionally work through my disappointment about my cancer diagnosis so as to not accuse God of holding out on me or not coming through for me. When life turns totally upside down, our (my) human nature is to decide God must have fallen asleep on the job, that if He cared He would do something. It’s so tempting to buy into the lie that God must not have our good in mind.

There were definitely days when I struggled believing that God had my good in mind, but it’s amazing what perspective will bring. Now two years out from that very challenging time, I see much more clearly that God was working for my good and for His glory. (And this brings me encouragement on the days when I battle all over again with wondering if God sees me in my current situations.) I believe that sometimes we must just hold onto that truth by faith until the fog lifts and we can see a clearer picture. And I’m learning that God doesn’t need any help at being God, and in His sovereignty, He knows exactly what He’s doing. Even when at times life feels totally out of control, God is fully in control and working out the situation in a way that brings us greater good and Him greater glory. How amazing is that.

I certainly don’t want to sound trite. I’ve seen and experienced enough to realize that life isn’t easily wrapped up in a tidy bow. Sometimes we may feel the fog never lifts and God seems quite distant. I can empathize in a small way because the truth is I don’t know what’s in store for my future. And to be quite honest, that make me shake in my boots some days. But through the last two and a half years, God has deepened Jared’s and my trust in Him–not just a Pollyanna trust, but an experiential God-will-give-us-what-we-need-even-if-we-don’t-understand trust. And so today I rest in the knowledge that He has been so faithful to us in the past, and so no matter what comes our way in the future, He will be faithful through those challenges too.

Today I celebrate all that He has done in Jared’s and my life over the past two years since finishing chemo. He has been so very good to us and we rejoice!

***

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13,14

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

It seems that every time I hear the song “All This Time” by Britt Nicole, I feel God speak to my heart through the lyrics. This song hit the airwaves about the time that I moved back to Cincinnati and has taken my jumbled thoughts and put them into words. I especially love the chorus and the declaration that “It’s been You and I, You’ve been walking with me all this time.” With so much transition in our lives right now, I have felt a special connection with this song as I have again been reminded that the only constant in my life is my relationship with God, “who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). I have been reflecting a lot recently on how God has been oh, so faithful in my life “all this time” and so when this song comes on the radio, I turn it up and sing it like a prayer.

Thank You, Lord, for how closely You’ve walked me “all this time.”

All This Time
by Britt Nicole

I remember the moment
I remember the pain
I was only a girl
But I grew up that day
Tears were falling
I know You saw me

Hiding there in my bedroom
So alone
I was doing my best
Trying to be strong
No one to turn to
That’s when I met You

All this time
From the first tear cry
To today’s sunrise
And every single moment between
You were there
You were always there
It was You and I
You’ve been walking with me all this time

Ever since that day
it’s been clear to me
That no matter what comes
You will never leave
I know You’re for me
And You’re restoring

Every heartache and failure
Every broken dream
You’re the God who sees
The God who rescued me
This is my story
This is my story

I hear these people asking me
How do I know what I believe?
Well I’m not the same me
And I saw the proof I need
I felt Love I felt Your grace
You stole my heart that day

You’ve been walkin with me all this time

All this time
From the first tear cry
To today’s sunrise
And every single moment between
You were there
You were always there
It was You and I
You’ve been walking with me all this time

As you know from my previous posts, I have really enjoyed my newfound interest: gardening. Not only do I save money, but I can feel confident that my produce has not been grown using pesticides. So rewarding!

This year my gardening experience is going to be a bit different. We can’t move into our new house until the beginning of June, which will be past the prime time to plant. Thankfully, I am living with my parents and my dad is interested and knowledgable about gardening so I am hoping we can start a few plants in pots and transfer to my new garden once we move in.

Since gardening has been on my mind, I was interested in this article, “Nine Spices With Super-Healing Powers” that popped up on the internet when I logged on this morning. Since it was written so well, it did not seem like a good use of my time to rewrite this information. Especially since I have already written a similar article. But I wanted to pass it along for two reasons. One, it is very useful information because cooking with spices is an easy way to add antioxidants to food. And two, since gardening season is around the corner, it would be smart to plant some herbs in our gardens to take advantage of the health benefits!

Nine Spices With Super-Healing Powers
by Megan Kempston

Have you checked your spice rack lately? Spices and herbs can do a lot more than add pizzazz to your cooking — they can also promote heart health, fight cancer, reduce inflammation and more. Here are nine super spices and herbs that are good for you and taste good, too.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a nutritional powerhouse, with antioxidant properties that keep cells safe from oxidative stress and dangerous free radicals. Antioxidants help fight such diseases as cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and Parkinson’s.

What’s more, cinnamon is a powerful weapon against cardiovascular problems. Cinnamon helps the hormone insulin work better, which reduces blood sugar levels. That’s great news for the one in ten North Americans with type 2 diabetes and the millions more with prediabetes. Keeping blood sugar low can help treat diabetes or even stop it before it starts.

Cinnamon may also help prevent Alzheimer’s. A study in 2011 found that an extract from cinnamon bark inhibited the formation of amyloid plaques in mice with Alzheimer’s. It even helped restore cognitive levels and correct movement problems in the animals.

How much: Cinnamon’s health benefits make it worth adding to your daily diet — and cinnamon’s sweet, warming flavor makes it easy. Aim for a quarter to half a teaspoon most days of the week.

Serving suggestions: Sprinkle a little on fresh fruit, a steaming bowl of oatmeal, or a scoop of peanut butter, or add to fish, chicken, or lamb dishes — especially with cumin and chili powder — for a Middle Eastern slant on your normal fare. No time to cook? Sprinkle some cinnamon on your morning coffee or tea for a nice antioxidant boost.

Tip: You know that stuff in your cinnamon jar? It’s probably cassia, not cinnamon. True cinnamon, often labeled “Ceylon cinnamon,” has higher levels of antioxidants, so seek it out if you can.

Sage

If you associate “sage” with wisdom, you’re not far off — the spice has been shown to help with memory and mood. A study in 2005 gave essential sage oil to healthy young volunteers and found that participants tended to remember things better and feel both more alert and calmer after taking sage.

Sage might also help those with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Like prescribed Alzheimer’s drugs, sage inhibits an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which in turn may improve cognitive function.

In an open-label study, six weeks of treatment with sage resulted in improved attention and decreased neuropsychiatric symptoms in participants with Alzheimer’s. A separate study in 2006 found that rosmarinic acid, an active ingredient in sage, protected mouse cells from the amyloid peptides that are thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s.

Sage is also great for digestion, and it has estrogen-like effects, which might help curb hot flashes and other symptoms in women going through menopause.

How much: Beth Reardon, director of nutrition for Duke Integrative Medicine, part of the Duke University Health System, recommends using a quarter to half a teaspoon of sage a few times a week.

Serving suggestions: Sage’s earthy flavor epitomizes comfort food, like casseroles and stuffing. Try it sprinkled onto roasted sweet potatoes, snipped into butternut squash soup, or rubbed on a simple roast chicken. You can also make a simple sage tea — add boiling water to a teaspoon of chopped fresh sage and let steep for 5 to 10 minutes before straining and drinking.

Tip: Want to keep sage fresher longer? Snip off the ends of the long stems and put them in a glass of cool water, just as you would with flowers. Then cover the herbs — glass and all — with a clean, dry plastic bag and put them in the fridge. This method should keep herbs fresh for at least a week, and it works with parsley, cilantro, and other long-stemmed herbs as well.

Turmeric

“Turmeric’s health benefits are through the roof,” says Reardon. “If I could only have one spice for the rest of my life, it’d be turmeric.”

Turmeric has been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for millennia, and Western science is starting to catch on. Its active ingredient, curcumin, is a strong antioxidant that’s been shown in test tube and animal studies to fend off cancer growth, amyloid plaque development, and more.

Turmeric might also boost heart health — a 2012 study showed that adding turmeric and other high-antioxidant spices to high-fat meals could help regulate triglyceride and insulin levels and protect the cardiovascular system.

Turmeric is also a powerful COX-2 inhibitor — like a nonsteroidal anti-inflammitory but without the nasty side effects. A human study in 2009 found a daily dose of curcumin just as effective as ibuprofen for osteoarthritis in the knee.

Turmeric may also help regulate the immune system — a series of studies in 2010 and 2011 showed that curcumin might have positive effects on people with autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis.

Like all herbs and spices, however, too much turmeric might not be a good thing — it can inhibit blood clotting in large doses and may exacerbate gallbladder issues, so check with your doctor before using more than a typical culinary amount.

How much: Aim for a teaspoon of turmeric at least three times a week.

Serving suggestions: Turmeric is best known for the bright yellow color — and flavor — it adds to Indian dishes. Add a big pinch to a pot of lentil soup, or use with curry powder, raisins, and Greek yogurt to dress a curried chicken salad. Like sage, turmeric works well as tea. You can buy teas commercially from companies like the Republic of Tea or Yogi, or make your own by chopping up an inch of fresh turmeric root and infusing in hot water for 15 minutes.

Tip: The antioxidants in turmeric are a little fragile, so make an effort to find fresh turmeric root. It looks a little like fresh ginger but with a brighter orange interior.

Thyme

It’s hard to imagine continental cuisine without the aromatic addition of thyme. But its antimicrobial properties are what get researchers excited.

If you’ve used Listerine or a similar mouthwash — or even some green household cleaners — chances are it contained thymol, a volatile oil component of thyme. A 2004 study showed that thyme oil was able to decontaminate lettuce with Shigella, a particularly nasty type of food poisoning, and other studies suggest it’s also effective against staph and E. coli.

Thyme is also a good digestion aid, helping to reduce gas and other discomfort, says Duke’s Beth Reardon, and it’s good for the scalp and hair.

How much: Use a teaspoon of fresh thyme or quarter to half a teaspoon of dried thyme about three times a week.

Serving suggestions: Thyme is sort of the savory version of cinnamon — you can pretty much put it on anything. It’s great with chicken, fish, and root vegetables. It also goes well with lemon, including in summery cocktails.

Tip: Fresh thyme should keep about a week in your refrigerator’s vegetable drawer, especially if wrapped in a damp paper towel inside an open plastic bag.

Ginger

Ginger has been used in both ancient and modern medicine for its stomach-settling properties. In a series of human and animal studies, ginger has been shown to help quiet nausea, speed food through the digestive tract, and protect against gastric ulcers.

Small studies have also shown that ginger can help with pain, including menstrual cramps, muscle pain, and migraines. Ginger is also a powerful COX inhibitor, Reardon says, so it’s a great choice for anyone with osteoarthritis or other chronic inflammatory conditions.

It’s best to check with your doctor before ingesting large quantities of ginger, though, since it can cause heartburn and gas, worsening of gallstone issues — and it may interact with some medications, including warfarin.

How much: If your doctor approves it, it’s best to use ginger daily.

Serving suggestions: Ginger’s strong, bright taste is an essential component of most Asian and Indian cooking. Try a pinch of ginger in milky black tea, along with cinnamon and cardamom, for a heady chai-like beverage, or dice it and add to a zesty Thai soup. It’s also great in baked goods, from gingerbread to gingersnaps. Try adding chunks of candied ginger to pear or apple muffins for an extra zing.

Tip: Like turmeric, it’s best if you can use fresh ginger instead of powdered. If the big-name supermarket near you doesn’t stock fresh ginger, try an Asian market.

Rosemary

Rosemary has been associated with memory since ancient Greece, when students would wear it in their hair when studying for big exams. Modern science agrees: Carnosic acid, a component of rosemary, is thought to protect the brain from free-radical damage and therefore to lower the risks of stroke and Alzheimer’s.

Rosemary is also full of antioxidants; a recent study from the American Association of Cancer Research linked carnosol, another component of rosemary, with inhibiting cancer growth.

Like any herb, feel free to use rosemary in moderation. But check with your doctor before rushing out to buy rosemary supplements. In large quantities, it’s been linked to seizures and inefficient iron absorption. And avoid serving a rosemary-heavy dish to a pregnant woman, since it’s traditionally been used to induce abortion.

How much: “A little bit of rosemary goes a long way,” says Reardon. Aim for a teaspoon of rosemary a few times a week.

Serving suggestions: Rosemary is another spice that easily bridges the sweet-savory gap. Sprinkle some on roasting chicken or vegetables, or add some to summer fruit crisps and crumbles.

Tip: “When herbs and spices are used together, they actually have even more benefits,” says Reardon. Try using rosemary in combination with thyme and sage for increased health benefits and added flavor.

Saffron

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Grown mostly in the Middle East, saffron threads are actually the stigmas of a particular kind of crocus, each of which needs to be carefully gathered by hand.

Still, its high price might be worth it for some of its health benefits. According to a 2007 animal study, saffron had antidepressant properties similar to Prozac. And a small human study in 2006 showed antidepressant effects higher than a placebo.

Another study showed that saffron increased blood flow to the brain, which might help increase cognitive performance, and a 2009 study in Italy showed that saffron had beneficial effects on the genes regulating vision cells, potentially slowing or reversing degenerative eye diseases.

How much: Saffron is pricy, but you don’t need much to make a big impact. “As little as a tenth of a teaspoon has been shown to have benefits,” says nutritionist Beth Reardon.

Serving suggestions: Crumble a few threads into water or stock for paella, risotto, or other rice dishes — including a subtly spiced Indian dessert called kheer.

Tip: The flavor and health benefits of most spices decline over time, and saffron is a particularly delicate spice. Make sure to keep your saffron bottle in a cool, dark place, and buy only the amount you think you can use in three to six months.

Basil

Basil, while often associated with Italian food, actually comes from India, where it’s traditionally used to treat asthma, stress, and diabetes.

Like thyme, basil has strong antimicrobial and antiviral properties, even against nasty bugs like Listeria and E. coli. Basil is a natural COX inhibitor, which means it’s especially great for anyone with arthritis or other inflammatory health problems. Basil is also a great source of beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A, as well as magnesium, iron, and calcium.

How much: Aim for a tablespoon of fresh basil or quarter to half a teaspoon of dried basil three times a week.

Serving suggestion: Basil epitomizes summer foods, such as cold tomato or pasta salads. But don’t stop there. Add it to pizza, pasta, or anything with tomatoes any time of year.

Tip: Having trouble finding good basil when it’s not summer? Check your freezer section. Several companies freeze fresh basil in single-serving pop-out containers — and since its frozen while fresh, it retains most of its nutrients. You can also freeze herbs yourself when they’re in season — just lay them flat on a baking sheet and then transfer them to a plastic bag or Tupperware container when they’re frozen.

Chili Peppers

People have been cooking with chili peppers for a long time — almost 10,000 years, according to archaeologists. Since then, they’ve been used for everything from spicing up food to deterring would-be attackers. Japanese karate athletes eat chili to strengthen their willpower, and African farmers use it to keep elephants away from their crops.

Luckily, you don’t need elephant-size quantities to get the health benefits of these potent peppers. Studies have shown that capsaicin, the active ingredient in peppers, works as a great topical pain reliever for headaches, arthritis, and other chronic pain problems. Capsaicin inhibits the release of P-protein, which in turn interrupts the transmission of constant pain signals to the brain.

If you don’t feel like smearing it on yourself, oral capsaicin has been linked to the release of endorphins and the regulation of blood sugar. And scientists have demonstrated anticancer properties in test tube studies.

How much: Don’t like spicy foods? Don’t worry — as little as an eighth of a teaspoon can have positive health benefits.

Serving suggestions: There’s a whole world of chili peppers out there, from the mild poblano to the fiery habanero. It’s worth experimenting to find your favorite. Chipotle and ancho chili powders have been popular in recent years for their smoky zing, and they work particularly well in salsas, soups, chicken dishes — and even in caramel or chocolate desserts.

Tip: If you overdo the chili pepper, don’t reach for a glass of water — pour a glass of milk instead. Capsaicin isn’t water-soluble, but the caseins in milk block chili pepper heat effectively.

I look forward to hearing what creative ways you have found to add such super-healing spices to your food!

Well, I admit I have not been as committed to writing out my gratitude list each week like I had planned. When we found out we were moving, our free moments became scarce as we planned and tied up lose ends in Chicago. We have now been in Cincinnati for two weeks and the frenzy of looking for houses, filling out paperwork, and Jared starting a new job is behind us. Thankfully. I haven’t written before now because it’s taken this long for me to process all of the new changes and transitions in our lives. We are so, so grateful and just trying to soak in all of the blessings. So instead of writing I have been trying to set aside the appropriate amount of time to reflect on what God’s been doing and how He’s provided for us.

I thought launching back into the March Joy Dare based off of the One Thousand Gifts book would help me pause to think through the blessings God has been so gracious to give us recently. It is an amazing feeling to see some of the fruit that we prayed for during our waiting season become tangible before our eyes. Thank you for praying with us!

(List coincides with the days of March.)

29: 3 Gifts of His Promises: providing just what we need when we need it, peace and rest, His presence to walk us through each new season

28: 3 Gifts Entwined: growing up in Mason and now returning with my husband = 3 gifts!

27: 3 Gifts Redeemed: a season of waiting, friendships restored, my cancer experience

26: 3 Gifts Almost Gone: our Chicago experience, 3 years of marriage (turning to four), living by ourselves (as we’re now living with my parents for two months)

25: 3 Gifts Sung, Written, Painted: “Not For A Moment” by Meredith Andrews, Friday Notes from my husband, chalk pictures on the driveway by my niece

24: 3 Gifts Spoken: from my in-laws, my parents, and my high school best friend

23: 3 Gifts Found in Women Today: vulnerability, tenderness, confidence

It wasn’t a coincidence that this is the excerpt I read in Jesus Calling today as well to confirm this habit of gratefulness:

“Rejoice and be thankful! As you walk with Me through this day, practice trusting and thanking Me all along the way. Trust is the channel through which My Peace flows into you. Thankfulness lifts you up above your circumstances.

I do My greatest works through people with grateful, trusting hearts. Rather than planning and evaluating, practice trusting and thanking Me continually. This is a paradigm shift that will revolutionize your life.” (March 22, pg 85)

Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Psalm 95:1-2: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”

Psalm 9:10: “Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.”

If you’ve read my blog for some time, you have probably picked up on a theme that Jared and I are learning in our lives: waiting on and trusting in God. I have mentioned our desire to expand our family and what God has been teaching us through that process. (Thanks for the encouragement and prayers; please continue!) What I haven’t mentioned specifically is our prayers for our future, namely a  new job for Jared and possibly a new location. We have been praying for several years for God to make it clear as to where He wanted us to raise our family and where Jared could most effectively use his gifts. We continually received the same answer from God: wait and trust. As we prayed about it, we felt God wanted us to stay planted here in Chicago until He opened a door otherwise. We have learned from the past that though we could pry open a door to walk through, we only wanted to pursue opportunities that were clearly provided by God and not ourselves.

All of that to say, God has opened a new door for Jared professionally in Cincinnati…and quite quickly! We feel confident that this is the opportunity we’ve been waiting and praying for because the details are falling into place like only God could orchestrate.

Because this move has happened so quickly, I thought I would share the story here so you can join us in noticing how God has so graciously provided this next step for us.

When we originally starting talking about where we saw ourselves in 5-10 years, the two answers that quickly came to our minds were nearer to family and further South. (If you’ve lived through a Chicago winter, you’d understand!) Jared casually met with a headhunter in Nashville when we visited my twin brother’s family this summer to explore the options and to get a feel about what the market was outside of Chicago. Although he had an interview with a company in Nashville that next month, no doors sprung open. So we kept waiting. He then heard of a position in Louisville and had two promising interviews. We began wondering if Louisville was where we were going to land and began weighing the options. However, that door shut as well. With that opportunity closed, we decided we needed to “retrench” in Chicago. Meaning, we needed to stop wondering if another job was going to come available and fully invest in our community in Chicago for as long as God had us here.

As a side note, I have to say that I truly grew in deep respect for Jared as I watched him work through these closed doors. Though he was disappointed, I admired how he sought God and felt led to give 100% to his job until God moved him elsewhere. His commitment to trust God when the pieces weren’t falling into place or making sense inspired me.

After the holidays, Jared’s headhunter from Nashville told him about a job opportunity in Cincinnati and asked if he would be interested. What she didn’t know was that I attended high school in Cincinnati and my parents still lived there. Because God had taken us on quite a process of surrendering, trusting, and waiting, Jared said he’d be interested but held the opportunity loosely. The job description sounded like a perfect match, but we were committed to allowing God to open the door. After two months of interviews and waiting, they offered the job to Jared two weeks ago. We were stunned, elated, and a little overwhelmed when we heard that the company wanted Jared to start three weeks later.

For me personally, this is a bittersweet move. Of course, I am thrilled to be moving closer to family (my parents live in Cincinnati, Jared’s parents live 2.5 hours away, and our siblings live closer as well) and I am excited for Jared to work a job where he can use and further develop his gifts. However, I am sad to leave the community that we have built for the past four years. Though it was a difficult transition for me to move to Chicago, God has been so gracious to provide me with a supportive group of friends who have walked us through a very challenging time in our lives. Additionally, I have so loved meeting weekly with my Thursday morning Bible study and learning and growing with such amazing ladies. Jared and I began our married life here and have “grown up” in marriage with dear friends, all of whom we will miss.

As I’ve processed this transition, God has repeatedly given me the same message: “I am bringing you into a new season.” We are excited to walk through these opened doors and see what God has for us next. There are still many details to determine (renters for our home here, a home to live in Cincinnati, new doctors…), but we are confident that God will guide us through each decision just as He has so graciously opened the door regarding Jared’s new job.

As the the signs of a new season emerge like flowers bursting from the ground, we are excited to begin our new season in Cincinnati. I look forward to writing about the new lessons God teaches us through this shift in seasons. We so appreciate all of your support and encouragement.

“Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to Your name be the glory,
because of Your love and faithfulness.”
Psalm 115:1

I read this chapter in Invitations from God a couple of weeks ago and I have been mulling over the truth ever since. I think we all can relate–whether we’re waiting on pregnancy, a job, marriage, healing…the list goes on and on!

Invitations from God by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, pgs 135,137, 143, 145, 147, 148:

“Waiting is one of God’s immensely sweeping invitations. To wait expectantly and with open hands requires a relinquishment of control that gets at the roots of our motivations, fears, and idolatries. It is where we learn that God isn’t a genie and that happiness is not a matter of God meeting our expectations. While we wait, we can sense the naked vulnerability of trust…

Waiting unearths what is in our hearts. It exposes what happens when our expectations go unmet…Waiting for God is rooted in the expectancy that He is actually coming through on His word–even when we can’t see it. Expectant waiting requires an openness to something good happening beyond our expectations. Expectations are what get us into trouble while we wait. We expect God to do thing in a certain way. We have expectations about timing: our timing. Expectations bind our happiness to one particular end…

When the heart is filled with expectations, waiting is calculated and close-minded. However, when the heart is expectant, waiting can be spontaneous and anticipatory of the future God desires for me even if it is different from the one I want. Often it is in the waiting that the heart’s motivations become clear. As the time lengthens and what we want isn’t forthcoming, we see how attached we are to our own expectations and time table…

The space between desire and demand is a risky waiting place. It is the place where we go to wait with God and let go of control. The place t desire and demand can hold longings, disappointments, loss, unmet expectations, joys and deep gratitude. It is the place where we learn to attach ourselves fully to God’s will rather than our own so that we can wait with open hands with hope and trust…

As I long for [the] things [I wait for], I need to step into the space between demand and desire and wait with God. In that graced and sometimes painful place, expectations can give way to expectancy and an open-ended waiting on God’s goodness. God’s goodness anchors my waiting. It is not a matter of if God’s goodness will come through; it’s only a matter of when…

If you are waiting, it doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong. It doesn’t mean that God hasn’t heard you. It’s not a waste of time. God is at work making you into a person with the character and integrity that you need in order to participate in His dream for this world. You are in a moment in which you are developing a discerning, expectant heart.  You are in a place where you can contemplate evidence of the unseen hand of God and grow in trust. Between desire and demand, the Holy Spirit gates at us and gives us grace–grace to wait and to see when God answers our prayers, not if.”

May we wait well with expectant hearts.

On Wednesday!

Do you ever realize you’re in a funk but can’t quite put your finger on the reason? That’s been me this week. The past few days I’ve been asking the Holy Spirit to bring to the surface the root of what has been weighing on my mind. As I’ve been sorting out my thoughts, I’ve been paying close attention to listening for God’s voice to speak to my heart.

Yesterday, a memory of a special moment I shared with the Lord at the beach a month ago came to mind. It was as if God was reminding me that what He revealed to me a month ago still remains real today. I smiled as the memory took me back…

The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky, a sign that sunset was approaching. I decided to take a walk on the beach, soak in the beautiful scenery, and clear my mind. Though I was thrilled to be on vacation and out of my normal routine, my heart was still fighting some discouragement. I knew from experience the best medicine for my troubled heart was some quiet moments with God beside the ocean.

As I walked along the beach, the water lapped at my feet and the shells collided against each other as they landed on the shore. I poured out my heart to God about my hopes, dreams, and fears about our future, namely my desire to have a baby. I breathed in the salty air and exhaled some of my worries; the beach has a way of accomplishing that for me.

I turned around to look back at the sun and noticed it was about to hide below the water’s edge. Not wanting to miss the majesty of the moment, I plopped down on the sand. The orange and pink glow of the sun reflected on the water and I soaked in the stillness around me. Just then I noticed at least twenty tiny seagulls playing in the water five yards from where I sat. They flitted in and out of the water, pecking at each other and making soft chirping noises. I stared at the birds that appeared to be having the time of their lives without a care in the world. It seemed like such a stark contrast to how I had felt minutes ago with the weight of my concerns heavy on my shoulders.

I breathed in deeply and asked God to speak to my heart. Hardly a moment passed before the Lord brought one of my favorite verses to mind:

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

Tears formed in my eyes as I realized God had just spoken directly to my heart. Then I felt Him say to me, “I am in the details.” I nodded my head as if to say, “I hear you, Lord.” I needed that reassurance that He heard me too and that He was fully involved in my life.

I sat in the sand as I watched the golden sun descend into the water leaving a beautiful reflection on the sea. The birds still fluttered about, leaving me a tangible reminder of how personally God cares for me. Every single detail.

This week I found myself fighting some anxiety about our future as well and decided to look up the verse again. I soaked in the words of the passage as if it was the first time I had heard them. After processing some fears and worries, this is the kind of truth I need to read:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:25-34).

So if you are fighting off a funk right now, feeling the weight of the world burdening your shoulders, or just needing to hear some solid truth from Scripture, be encouraged that God is in the details of your situation. And if He takes care of the birds of the air, He most certainly will take care of you. And me.

“Cast ALL your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

FEBRUARY JOY DARE

10: 3 times you heard laughter today: a friend’s daughter being tickled, a friend laughing at my husband’s jokes, my husband able to enjoy himself after a long week of work

11: 3 gifts found in working: a clean bedroom, a stack of clean clothes in the laundry basket, a sparkling kitchen counter

12: 3 hard eucharisteos [I had to look up the meaning of this word and it means "to be grateful."]: this time in my life to enjoy rest even when I would love to have children, the difficult road of cancer, the waiting

13: 3 gifts found behind a door today: warmth, laughter, hugs

14: 3 ways you feel the love of God: not always giving me what I want, meeting me in my disappointment, giving me a gentle husband to do life with

15: a gift in losing something, in finding something, in making something: reorganized closets, rest, confidence

16: 3 gifts in shadows: the warm-ish sun beaming through the window = that equals three for me today!