Toxic Beliefs

What kind of toxic beliefs about yourself do you have?

Be careful, these toxic beliefs can be dangerous.

So many times as women we let Satan make up stories about ourselves & then fall into his trap of believing these lies. These are what you call "toxic beliefs". 

Here are a few examples of these toxic beliefs:

Lie 1- I am not good enough.

Truth- I am more than good enough for Him. I am incomparably valuable, eternally cherished, & fully accepted by Him.

Lie 2- Failing means I am a failure.

Truth- Performance dictates nothing about my worth.

Lie 3-If I perform well, I wont face failure or rejection.

Truth- I cannot be perfect because I cannot be God.

Lie 4- People can't really change. 

Truth- Because of Christ, I have been transformed and am, at this very moment, being transformed.

Lie 5-If I can stay in control (if I stay strong), then I'll be safe.

Truth-True strength & safety come through surrender.

These are some things I pulled out of the book called Every Thought Captive that really jumped out at me about toxic beliefs. We must become aware of these toxins, throw them out, & replace them with healthy true beliefs. 

You ARE beautiful. You ARE worthy. You ARE good enough. You DON'T have to please everyone. You CAN do it. You WILL be ok. He DOES love you. You ARE enough. 

He loves us- period.

Dwell in His love for you today & dispose the toxic beliefs you have been hanging onto for too long. 

God is sheer mercy and grace;
      not easily angered, he's rich in love.
   He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
      nor hold grudges forever.
   He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
      nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
   As high as heaven is over the earth,
      so strong is his love to those who fear him.
   And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
      he has separated us from our sins.
   As parents feel for their children,
      God feels for those who fear him.
   He knows us inside and out,
      keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
   Men and women don't live very long;
      like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
   But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
      leaving nothing to show they were here.
   God's love, though, is ever and always,
      eternally present to all who fear him,
   Making everything right for them and their children
      as they follow his Covenant ways
      and remember to do whatever he said.

Psalms 103:10-11 (the message)

Heavy Heart.

$5 footlong anyone?

This week while out in Tucson, AZ I began to have a heavy heart. I began to hurt for the people at each stoplight-lost, hungry, hopeless, embarrassed, & possibly an addict. Of course, there have been times in the past when I would hand over a few dollars here & there but did I really give until it hurt? Did we really make a sacrifice to help someone else or did I just give up getting a drink at the QT down the road? This week was different for me. God began to tug at Jeremy & I's heart. 

Everyday there was someone new I saw asking for food or help.... I would see them & ask God if I should really contribute to their "addictions" or if they really need it... Everytime the verse came back to me about whatever we do for the least of these we do for Him.  (Matthew 25:40) Then I would get this heavy feeling over me & my cheeks would get red & maybe even a little anxious while I reached into my wallet & handed over my few dollars saying "God Bless" ... then we went on about our day. Don't get me wrong that is being obedient but something more was on my heart, especially one particular instance.

We were headed to take Jeremy to the field for the day & at an unfamiliar stoplight for us we saw a woman asking for $$ to get some food. She had ratted hair, dirty clothes, eyes were sunk in, & she had scabs on her face like she had fallen... My heart sank & not only did I get that anxious feeling but I got tears... real tears. Then God told me to go get this woman a subway or something to eat & take it back to her... I hate telling you this but I didn't listen. I let satan distract me & convince me I am too naive about people & it might be "dangerous" for us to go back without Jeremy. Really? Dangerous? I have tears just thinking about how selfish I acted... 

After coming home today I cannot get these people off my mind... It was like every afternoon I had a reason to look for them & give them money. (just a few dollars like I said above) I want to help these people but as I began thinking about it today maybe $$ isn't the only answer. These people need Gods love. So here is my solution for our family.

When we go back out to Tucson in May Jeremy & I are going to take a morning or two & go load the truck with $5 footlong sub sandwiches, pray, & deliver them to whoever we come into contact with on the streets. I am so excited yet a little nervous too! I know that some of the places there are not the safest but I also know this is what God has told us to do. It might not seem like a lot to us but that person could be praying & asking God to show himself to them. I pray we can make a difference in just one persons life.

I want to ask you if you read this to please be praying for the people we come into contact with there in Tucson, AZ. Pray opportunity arrises with them to share Jesus & love them. Our heart is heavy & anxious to serve. 

What can we all do for the least of these?

 ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:40

Every 5th Day.

Every 5th day for the Hefner's is pretty much my favorite day. This is the day during the season where my husband is the starting pitcher which means we get to spend the day RELAXING.

Here is what it consists of:

-Sleeping in

-Breakfast at the table together

-Playing in the floor with Jace

-watching lots of ESPN & HGTV 

-Laundry

-Baths & quiet shower time for momma

-Naps as a family

-Lunch

-then off to the ball field!

We are pretty low key the day Jeremy starts... Not much is going on around our house expect enjoying our time at home. I don't have to get up & get everyone around, run errands, or make phone calls. Simply just soak up time on the couch. Unlike the other days of the week where we go shopping, out to eat, exploring town, etc. today is the day where we just chill. By far my favorite. 

Good luck to my wonderful husband tonight! :) 

The little boy I know :)

After our 24 hour day of airplanes, sickness, ER visit, & no sleep things seemed to go back to normal. Well, as normal as we get! lol

The next day Jace seemed to be feeling much better. After taking daddy to the field we decided to go to the park to play & take the night off from baseball to just rest at the hotel. It was much needed & felt great! 

The last 2 nights we have gone to the game (getting there about the 3rd inning) & I can't get over how much easier it was to enjoy the game! He played next to me, flirted with the ladies by blowing kisses at them, danced to the music, clap when the crowd would clap, & even fell asleep on my lap! This is the boy I know.

Don't get me wrong,... Mommy was still exhausted after the game from him constantly wanting up & down & around, however, that is the norm. I love watching him interact with others! If you are mom then you understand what I am talking about! It's hard to believe he will be 13 months in just a few days! 

We are now out of the hotel & into our apartment as a family. I hate it we have to leave Saturday but we will be back very soon! (hopefully with less drama!) Thank you so much for praying for us & checking on us! You all are very special to us!

Soak up some family time this week! :)

Wanted I needed to do more of yesterday.

Its a joke with a few of my clients about reminding them to "just breathe" because they tend to hold their breath while exercising too often. Looking back on my day yesterday I need to take my own advice ;) It was quite an eventful day. Jace has had an ear infection in both ears. Here is a summary:

Woke up at 5 am to get ready for our 8:30 flight.

Going through security at the airport with Jace is quite the job! It usually takes us a little longer than the average person because we have a stroller, shoes, 2 bags, stuffed animal dog, blanket, sippy cup w/juice, etc to get checked ;) 

First flight: We got a window seat (jace loves the window seat) & lucky or maybe not so lucky enough no one sat next to us because it was such a small flight. During take off Jace laughed & giggled. He thinks the sound of the airplane is funny :) lol. We played for a few minutes then took a nap. When Jace woke up from his nap it was downhill from there. We still had another hour left on the flight & my little boy was very restless. Nothing seemed to occupy him for the next 45 minutes. This ended in one sweaty, exhausted mommy with a migraine (from tension headaches) & one cranky little boy. When we landed I thought we would never make it off there.

We had a 2 hour layover in Las Vegas (maybe by note to self should be: no long layovers!!). With my migraine always comes getting sick to my stomach so here I am with Jace, bags, stroller, & rushing to the bathroom 3 TIMES before even getting to our next gate. Once I finally could gather myself & make it to our gate I stopped to get us a snack & drink... sure enough I smelt something awful... Jace had pooped, yes pooped, through his pants. At this point I called my mom in tears. I had a pantless, dirty little boy who's ears hurt & a head that feels like it might explode. Lets just say everyone around me was afraid they would be on the same flight as me & was praying they werent :) When we sat at our gate my pantless little boy was walking everywhere!! lol... needed that on video.

After talking to jeremy, mom, & steph I calmed down... I got Jace a few small suckers to suck on & help his ears the next flight. He was happy to have a sucker in his hand :) problem was he ate them or dropped them so fast we only had one left for the flight lol. Moms, at this point you do whatever it takes, right? 

*side note: Not one store in the airport had childrens motrin, Benadryl, or Tylenol...really?

Second Flight: We got the window seat again & ate our suckers for take off. Then we both got a much needed nap for the rest of the flight. I couldn't have been more excited to see my husband!!!!!!

To top off the traveling experience we had quite an eventful baseball game as well... Bare with me for this...

We arrive at the field at 6:00 & the weather is amazing. We went out to the grass area to watch Jeremy warm-up. At first Jace couldn't see his daddy but when Jeremy took off his hat & waved Jace yelled DADA! & pointed at his daddy. So cute! He then tried to get on the field with him lol... this walking thing will be an adventure!

When the game started we sat in our seats... Jace was content, ate his dinner on my lap, played, & even made a friend. Then all of a sudden he started screaming... his friend had bit him & thats what started it... He cried so hard I took him up with me to get myself some food. In the line he screamed like I had never heard him scream before. I decided now wasn't the time to eat. I did everything I could possibly do to get him to stop crying. It definitely wasn't a whining cry but a cry saying he was in pain. Let's just say the whole stadium knew us by now.

I took him out into the players parking lot & walked around over & over again singing to him trying to get him to calm down... sure enough he gave it up so I decided to go back in & let him sleep on my lap. By now it was the 5th inning & I have missed 3 innings of Jeremy's game. This didn't last long & up to the front office we went to sit in the Manager's office with lights off to see if this would calm him down. After about 10 minutes I went texted Jeremy we were going home & he would have to find a ride after the game.

We slept off & on until Jeremy got here & then the screaming began. We decided the emergency room is our best option because we sure didn't want to ignore something that could be going on we didn't know about. The doctor said his ears were looking better but that the fluid that was still there was what causes pain when flying & thats where the crying was from along with exhaustion. We made it home finally at 2 am (4am oklahoma time) & crashed. Oh ya, I finally ate dinner after the visit to the hospital because my sweet husband made an extra stop for me to help with my headache. 

After all of that at the end of the day I was so happy we were all together in the same hotel room. Nothing is better than having all of your family in one place, regardless of what kind of day you have. Next time I am going to stop & take more deep breathes & remember that God doesn't give me anything I can't handle. 

We are all doing great so far today!!!! Thank the Lord!

Stop & take a deep breathe today:) 

I have to say when I read the title of this article I could relate! I have eaten oatmeal every single day for breakfast forever it seems like! I have been changing it up lately but this helps with finding fiber in other foods! Enjoy the article!

ONE SMALL CHANGE

Tired of Oatmeal?

Joe Kita February 19, 2010

Thinkstock Photos

I’m fed up with oatmeal—literally. I’ve been eating a heaping bowl every morning for the past 3 weeks in an attempt to get a jump on the additional 14 grams of daily fiber that research says is needed to lose weight. Oatmeal, especially the organic steel-cut kind, is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, but no matter how hard I’ve tried to dress it up (almonds, raisins, blueberries, bananas, apples, a snazzy bowtie…) it remains oatmeal. While it’s satisfying for the body, it just doesn’t do much for my palate.

One of the tenets of weight loss is to never embark on a diet that you can’t sustain for the rest of your life. And for me, oatmeal every morning falls into this category. I mean, why do you think God created huevos rancheros?

So I’ve decided to shift gears in my month-long experiment and take the advice of Athletes’ Performance nutritionists who recommend working at least 3 additional grams of fiber into every meal. If I do this for breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks, I’ll be getting 15 additional grams of fiber per day, which is right on target. While it’s more work than just eating oatmeal, such a strategy allows the body to process the fiber more easily, keeps you feeling full throughout the day, and provides a steady stream of quality energy, according toDanielle LaFata, an Athletes’ Performance nutritionist.

So with this in mind I put together the following shopping list of 21 whole foods that contain approximately 3 grams of fiber. All I have to do to stick to my diet is add one of these to each meal and snack:

• 1 banana
• 1 kiwi
• 1 slice of whole wheat bread
• 1 ounce of almonds or pistachios
• 1/3 of an avocado (guacamole!)
• ½ cup of raspberries
• ½ cup of spinach (add the frozen kind to soups and sauces)
• 1/3 cup green peas (also handy frozen)
• 1 medium baked potato with the skin
• 1½ large raw carrots
• 1 orange
• 13 Kashi Island Vanilla Whole Wheat Biscuits (great to snack on right out of box or with milk)
• 1 Apple Pie Larabar ¼ cup black, pinto, kidney or even baked beans
• 1 apple
• 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
• 1 pear
• 3 cups of Romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 2 shots of espresso
• 1 ounce of dark chocolate (more than 70% cocoa)
• 1 serving chocolate-covered espresso beans

So as you can see, there’s a lot more than oatmeal available for the fiber fanatic. By making sure you have plenty of these foods on hand, you’ll be able to quickly add a little extra roughage to each meal and never get bored. Rather than providing additional calories, I’ve found they help me feel fuller so I actually eat less overall. For further proof that fiber is indeed edible, pick up a copy of the Fiber Up Slim Down Cookbook. It has lots of great tasting, easy-to-make recipes, including Chicken Apricot Kebabs, Home-Style Turkey Pot Pie, Spicy Beef Baked Penne, Hearty Minestrone, and Berry Peach Sundaes. Who needs oatmeal?

Ok, I had planned on making a seperate blog for my Lifechangeher program but I have changed my mind! :) I want to share with everyone what is going on in our program!


Weekend Recipe:

We made this for a scentsy party & it was FANTASTIC :) Enjoy!

6-Layer Mexican Dip

Amanda Carlson-Phillips October 15, 2009

Cook Time

20 minutes

Serves

8

Calories

224

Protein

18g

Total Fat

14g

Saturated Fat

5g

Carbohydrates

2g

Dietary Fiber

6g

Ingredients

• 12 oz 96% lean ground beef
• 16 oz fat-free refried beans
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 8 oz low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup guacamole
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup black olives
• 1/4 cup tomatoes
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1/4 cup romaine lettuce

Preparation

1. In a large skillet, brown 12 ounces of 96% lean ground beef. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Spread 16 ounces of fat-free refried beans on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.
3. Top with 1/4 cup of shredded romaine lettuce.
4. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheddar-Monterey jack cheese blend over the beans.
5. Next, place the drained beef over the cheese and spread flat.
6. Add an 8 ounce layer of low-fat sour cream followed by 1/2 cup of guacamole and 1/2 cup of salsa.
7. Top with 1/2 cup of black olives, 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of green onions.
8. Sprinkle any leftover cheese on top.
9. Serve immediately or place it in the fridge over night and serve cold.
10. Use tortilla chips for dipping.