Month: January 2011

Living In Denial

I was talking to a friend yesterday at church about Faith Fighting Diabetes. I wanted him to know about last week’s outreach to the Hispanic members of our congregation and how many of them will be screened this upcoming Saturday. I thought he would be interested because he’s a diabetic himself.

Then he dropped a bombshell. I’m in total denial. I don’t do anything I’m supposed to do. What surprising statements from someone who is a public figure, well-educated, and loves life.

I knew my friend was in the advanced stages of diabetes, which I would have thought would be enough to force him to stay on top of this chronic and complicated disease. Not so.

Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews Vegetarian

Lentil Chili

I knew I was going to be hungry when I returned from today’s first session of my ten week Fitness Challenge at the Y. Although it was a bit disorganized, all 36 of us got our marching orders for the weeks to come. It’s going to be fun 🙂

I wanted something different, and I came upon a recipe for Lentil Chili. Wow, two of my favorites, together for the first time 🙂

Making chili using lentils, along with pearled barley, bulgur wheat and ginger certainly makes for an unusual chili, but I liked it. Give it a try and see what you think.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

Here Be Dragons

Don’t worry, you’re not experiencing a case of deja vu. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember this post from early summer.

For some reason, it kept coming up in my mind over the last several days, and, since there are so many new people following Making All Things New, I thought I would re-post it.

It has a great message that’s worth repeating. It also fits perfectly with a lot of the stuff I’ve been talking about lately, especially as we begin this New Year.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

Don’t Keep Waiting

People would do nothing if they waited until they could do it so well that no one could find fault. John Henry Newman

Does this quote strike a chord with you? Maybe it’s a fear of failure, or the perceived risk involved in trying something new. Either way, I think Newman was on to something.

Over the last few years, I think many of us have developed an aversion to risk. It could be that you feel trapped in a job, which you keep because you are afraid of not finding another if you were to quit.

Maybe you’ve had a health issue that you’ve avoided for too long and now it’s serious.

I know several people who are nervous to apply for a re-finance of their home loan because they are fearful that they will be turned down.

No doubt, these are tough times. But we can’t let that stop us from living, and risk is a part of life. If we wait for just the right job, the perfect loan, the best doctor, we may wait too long and miss an opportunity that God has given us.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

Gentler Times

When was the last time you read a poem?

I have a book of the poems of Robert Frost on a bookshelf near my bed, but most of the time it collects dust, and the poems inside go unread. Maybe you have a similar tome resting unopened, sitting somewhere in your house. Sad.

diabetes Inspiration type II diabetes

Faith Fighting Diabetes

Tomorrow, we’re having our second meeting of the Faith Fighting Diabetes Action Team. And I’m really excited, because I have some great news to share about an Information Session we had with a group of about 100 Hispanic people at my church this past Sunday.

If you’re new to this site, let me fill you in briefly about Faith Fighting Diabetes. This past summer, I met with some folks at my local hospital about forming a group that would target faith communities and provide them with information about diabetes.

I wanted to equip local faith leaders so that they could help their congregations either avoid this disease, or better care for themselves if they have been diagnosed. Statistics show that people trust their faith leaders more than they do their doctors.

Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews Uncategorized Vegan Vegetarian

Black Bean Soup

This post is the first of what will be a weekly series entitled Soup on Saturday. Every Saturday, I’m going to post a soup/stew/chili recipe for you to try out.

Since it’s snowing here today, I was looking for something hearty. If you use this recipe, please post a comment and let us know how it turned out. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup

1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight in cold water

1 1/2 tb olive oil

2 red onions, diced

1 red pepper, diced fine

1 green pepper, diced fine

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

2 tsp oregano

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

2 tb tomato paste

3/4 cup corn kernels (I used Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn)

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse soaked beans under cold water, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauce pan on medium. Add onion and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until soft.

Add peppers, celery and garlic and cook for another four minutes.

Stir in black beans, bay leaves, stock, tomato paste and oregano, along with two cups water. Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, then add corn and cook for another 15 minutes or until beans are tender.

Remove bay leaves from soup, stir to taste, and serve.

Recipe serves six. Prep time 30 minutes. Cooking time 1 hour.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

What Are You Dreaming About?

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 01/07/2011
No Comments on What Are You Dreaming About?

If you watched any TV this week, you probably heard something about Ted Williams, a homeless man living in Columbus, Ohio. A reporter saw the small sign he was holding as he tried to make a buck along a busy road. Williams had written that he had been an ex-radio announcer who had fallen on hard times.

When the reporter spoke to him on camera, Williams responded in a voice that was straight out of a professional studio. A video clip of the conversation went up on the internet, and within days, a star was born.

Body Inspiration

Getting Fit

I had never seen The Biggest Loser until we had a Tuesday snow day last year. I was hooked after just one episode. Week after week I watched as the weight came off these folks. Talking about radical transformations.

Even though I was well on my way to achieving my own weight loss goals by the time I saw the show, I was really encouraged by the contestant’s stories. Sadly, their experience of slowly losing the obesity battle is shared by many Americans today.

Blogging Inspiration Spirit

Simple Daily Happiness

Editor’s Note: This is a guest contribution from Scott Dinsmore of Reading For Your Success.

Some days I wake up with rocket fuel in my veins, ready to take the day by storm. Happiness comes totally natural. But on others it can feel like I have lead weights strapped to my shoes.

Have you ever been there?

We all have.

Happiness is a practice. It’s on us to learn it.

While some days are easier to find a smile than others, happiness is a daily choice. It’s a mindset we can nurture and train. That doesn’t mean it’s there every second, but when you notice it’s missing often the tiniest shift can put you right back on top of the world.