trading spaces!

hey friends! good news... all you lovelies who put a bug in my ear to start blogging again, surprise! i've moved! http://faithfromfibro.wordpress.com/

love you all :)
-r

HIIIIIIIII EVERYBODY!!!

hey y'all! oh my goodness, it's been a long time.

first off, how the heck are ya?!? you could have moved across the country and i would have missed it since i've been gone! what's everyone up to? school? work?

goodness gracious, a lot of things have changed in my life as well, and i thought i'd swing by to update you guys. i've gotten some INCREDIBLY sweet comments and emails from my blog friends saying hi and checking on me, and can i just say how much that means to me? you guys rock my world.

so, where do i begin?

- i finished last semester with straight A's! i think that might have been the first time ever in the history of education. it was doubly a huge blessing because it was my first semester back and i was scared out of my mind!

- i started taking classes again this semester, but with everything going on health-wise, right now just wasn't the right time, so i withdrew. again. yesss.... i wasn't very happy about this, and i still am not. it breaks my heart to not be able to move forward, but you know, God is good. He's shown me a million reasons why withdrawing was the right choice. it still kinda stings, though, but i know this isn't the end of the road for me :)

- i have a job interview this morning! i am TERRIFIED to come back to work, since it's been over a year since i had to quit my job before. i am just applying for a front desk position at my local gym, nothing big, but for me? it's HUGE. i am so looking forward to being able to love on people first thing in the mornings. i might be the first face they see everyday, and what better opportunity to show love than that? AND bring in a paycheck?!? i'm psyched (as is my dwindling savings account!).

- i had to put running on hold right now. just not working out so well with the body, but i have still been able to be active! i'm realizing it doesn't matter whether or not what i do is considered a "workout," that just being active is the key to a healthy body. whether that's a walk or a 100 mile run, who cares? take care of yourself, and let the details rest.

- i decided to grow my hair back out! who knows how long it will end up, but i decided i really miss the soft femininity of longer hair. when i'm really fibro-y, it would be nice to have something soft and beautiful to kinda "distract" from the bleariness of my eyes, ya know? we shall see.

- as far as pain/fibro goes, honestly, it's been awful. it's been a struggle every day, and it's taken a lot bigger toll emotionally than i expected. i'm not sure why it shocks me to still be struggling to grasp this a year later, but it is and it does, daily. but God is so good - there isn't a day that goes by where i don't realize how much this has shaped my life, for the better. God continues to bless me through it and by it, and that blows me away. don't get me wrong, it still brings me to tears almost every day, but when you see the purpose in something, it makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it?

- i've been cooking dinner most nights here! it's been an awesome journey in the kitchen. i'm getting more and more comfortable, and learning tons of new skills/techniques, thank goodness! i have been doing a lot of soups, but also some more "structured" foods for our meals. i did get my celiac test again, and i am sticking to gluten-free from here on out. can i just say, I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER! seriously. if you struggle with bloating, i HIGHLY recommend seriously committing to a trial run of going gluten-free. it might be pointless, but if it could possibly help at all, don't you deserve that?

- as far as eating by a label, i will just say i am not currently able to eat vegan. my weight was suffering to the point of being dangerous, and i am still working with what is the best food for treating my body right. am i an omnivore/pescatarian/whatever? honestly, i don't really care, nor do i feel the need to "define" myself. i will keep you posted on how it goes!

now your turn! what's going on!?!?

i miss y'all! and product review.

hey friends!!! i hope you all are having a wonderful wednesday morning. i slept until almost 7am, and am home alone enjoying the quiet right now :) what have you been up to? and i can't thank you enough for leaving those wonderful comments on my last post. you seriously made me feel incredibly loved, and it's incredible to know i matter to so many amazing people i've never even "met!"

a quick update? the fibro is pretty poopy, but God never stops doing amazing things to prove to me that life ISN'T about how i feel. it's about so much more than that! i'm realizing that this illness is the biggest gift He could have given me, because it made me WAKE the heck up and start praising Him for the incredible things He's doing in my life, and in the the lives of those around me. i've had the incredible opportunity to get to know some amazing girls in my life, and i am realizing now just how blessed I am.

school is going ok, and i can't believe i'm about to finish my first semester back in school! what a gift. life is going well at home, and i have been able to spend a fair amount of time with my mom which is wonderful. i'm helping her cook thanksgiving dinner this year, so keep me in your prayers!!! i've just been enjoying each new day, even though there have been many that were hard and i wanted to give up. if i can encourage you guys at all - never give up! EVER! you have no idea what the very next day will bring... and life is usually best understood when you can step back and look at it with new eyes. they say hindsight is 20-20, right?

just a quick shoutout of thanks to CSN for a wonderful product to review. i was blown away to be able to order 3 2-quart containers from Frieling. i really needed something to freeze soups in for my mom, and CSN graciously came through! i love these containers (yeah, i do. got a problem with that?), and they work perfectly in the fridge or freezer. and ps - if you need soup recipies, email me! i serioulsy have a quite the collection building here.

 

in other news, i've joined the dark side. no seriously, i'm a brunette now! i've been toying with the idea to dye my hair for a loooong time, but wanted to wait until the weather cooled down some (doesn't dark hair seem like winter?). and thanks to the evil influence of this girl, i made the jump! here are a few quick photos i snapped for y'all this morning... up close and personal, no?

aaaaanddddd enough of my face. i haven't been reading blogs recently due to school and meeting so many new people at my new church, but i seriously love you and all am praying for each and every one of you. fill me in if i've missed anything big or small, they all are important to me!

love y'all! hope to be back soon :)

-rebekah

HI!

hey beautiful (and handsome!) friends -

how are you all!? i miss hearing about your days and what you've been up to. just had to pass on something i found worth mentioning.

if you have a second, would you read this article about body image and disability? it makes you think and might just open up a whole new world to you, one where those with disabilities aren't scary or weird, but beautiful.

thoughts/reactions? any news i need to hear?! i love y'all!
-r

p.s. - i will be back with a product review soon, and hopefully a little update post soon!

thanks are due.

Hey guys! How is everyone!??! I seriously miss y’all like crazy. I haven’t really been able to read many blogs or comment nearly as much as you deserve, but such is life, right? What’s been kickin’ in your neck of the woods the last few weeks?

Unfortunately I’ve still been struggling with getting to school and the pain is fairly poopy at best, but you know what? Praise god for doing amazing things regardless! I seriously have never been more in awe and more grateful for life. If you take nothing else away from this blog, please know your Creator loves you so, so much! It changes your life, y’all.

As much as I wish I could say I’m back, I’m just stopping in to thank a few companies who have been more than generous to me during my little break:

First of all, shout-out to CSN for hookin’ y’all up with an awesome giveaway – how sweet of them, right? As if that wasn’t generous enough, they’ve asked me to do a product review, coming soon! CSN is an awesome collection of websites that has everything from drop leaf tables to kitchen appliances, and I have no idea what to review! I’m thinking a vegetable spiralizer...? yes?

Also, artisana sent me an amazing package packed full of their new raw nut butters, seriously way too kind! please check them out! What an amazing company that runs their business just how i would. They have new flavors out that make me swoon – macadamia nut butter, cashini (cashews and tahini), chocolate coconut butter?!?! Trust me, you won’t regret it grabbing some, and your sammies will thank you.

And today I got the cutest package from larabar! I won their cocoa mole retirement giveaway, and not only did they send a few bars (my mom’s excited about them!), but they also sent the CUTEST t-shirt! I’ll post a picture soon!

Thank you to these incredibly sweet companies, and thank you guys for being such amazing friends!

-rebekah

worst post ever.

hey friends! i hope everyone is having a rockin' weekend. i got treated to lunch at the Whole Foods hot bar yesterday! definitely a highlight of my week.

so i'm finally sitting down to write something i've been avoiding for quite some time... and i don't like it one bit. as i've been alluding for the last month or so, my fibro is moving into a rather poopy place right now, and i've been struggling to accept that. i sleep most of the day, am having a hard time getting to classes, and just have no energy for anything. i'm not trying to whine - i'm really ok with it! it's frustrating, yes, but i'm learning to honor my body for what it is and praise God no matter what is happening physically.

not sure why, but i didn't take into account how draining the process of going back to school would be. in my mind, i think i'm still in denial about how limited i am - i'm 21 years old, for goodness sakes! but i forget that doesn't make me invincible :)

i also have had to own up to the fact that i'm completely wiped out emotionally. each day is an enormous spiritual and physical battle, and i'm struggling to handle it. i cry a lot, i wimp out daily, and i often forget how incredibly blessed i am. i'm realizing i need to allow myself to heal and just learn the lessons God is graciously teaching me - a skill i've never allowed myself to master in the past.

while i'm in this place, though, i don't have a lot to give to you guys... there's just nothing left! and you all deserve the absolute best and 100% of my attention. i won't settle with crappy posts and surface-y, feel-good discussions that don't challenge or encourage either of us!

the funny thing is, now that i'm sleeping all day instead of only 2 or 3 hours, i don't have the time to accomplish everything i want to... and one of those things is blogging. it absolutely breaks my heart because the connection i have with you all is one of the biggest blessings in my life. i seriously can't tell you how much you all mean to me! but right now, i have to get school done and help take care of my family first.

so please know, my heart is with you guys each and every second of the day. you all are constantly in my prayers and thoughts. i seriously wouldn't be who i am without your influence, guidance, and ceaseless encouragement, and i am incredibly thankful for that! i'm not sure how long i'll need to step away from blogging, but know that i absolutely love emailing you guys, and would be thrilled to hear from you - nelsonrr (at) mymail (dot) vcu (dot) edu. and i will try to stop by your blogs when i get the time, but know you guys are constantly on my heart. love y'all!

please keep in touch!
- rebekah

can i say something?

i haven't been exactly too sure how to approach all the drama recently, and honestly? i don't really care about it.

source.

i think everyone is so caught up in "whose side" they're on that they're missing the point. anytime the poop hits the fan, we should try to step back, chill the heck out, and see the nugget of truth in the situation.

so i don't really care how you feel about the article, truthfully, but i do care about you. instead, i'm asking you to really dig deep and consider these questions:

how's your relationship with food? how do you feel about the way you eat and your body? how do others react to your habits?

-rebekah

this made my day.

1 large avocado + 1/3 cup cocoa + 8 soaked dates + pinch salt + shredded coconut for sprinkling = chocolate avocado mousse from heaven.

p.s. - i'm an auntie again! Tanner Leigh, 8lbs 8oz, born at 5:14pm!

p.s.

hi again! forgot to include this last link.

um, i'm not gonna say i told you so... but please read this. oh snap!

sounds familiar? catch my thoughts - part one, two, and three.

what are your thoughts?
- rebekah

gahh i'm drowning.

hey there beautiful people. today i'm swimming in homework, cooking for the family, and fighting off a cold, so no deep blogging thoughts for this noggin'.

instead of my post keeping you entertained, may i give you some suggestions?

- head to your library and check out, or if you aren't a dirt-poor college student, buy, the moosewood restaurant cooking for health cookbook. i finally brought this little treasure home after taking a hint from a very reliable source... check it out! you won't regret it, and you gotta make the southwestern black bean burgers - THEY HOLD TOGETHER!!!

- please read one size doesn't fit all by stacy at the habit of healthy. it's one of the most amazing posts i've ever read, and should be mandatory for EVERY female to read. leave her some comment love while you're at it... this girl is dynamite, y'all.

- the weather this time of year is MADE for long walks. skip the gym (really gotta twist your arm, right?), grab your camera, and hit up your neighborhood or a trail or park near you. listen to your momma and go get some fresh air!

love you guys! how's the weather near you? it's in the 60's here!
-r

my thoughts: make-up.

hey all. happy weekend! and thank you so much for your awesome thoughts on make-up!

some comments that really stood out to me:

Dana's honesty about the fact that we DO get treated differently all dolled up, but true confidence comes from within. amen sister!

Ayla totally owning that she IS pretty without it, and wishes it hadn't been invented because of how it's impacted us.

Katie asking herself if she feels acceptable without it... ohh that got me thinkin, girl.

Hedda pointing out that we can RELAX and be ourselves without it, seeing who are real friends are. so, so true!

Mo stating she feels wearing make-up is expected, so we do. interesting!

and many, many others! thanks again, everyone, for your incredible input!

my thoughts:

i've gotta go get ready to meet someone for tea, so this is a quick-fire version of my thoughts, uncensored. you've been warned!

personally, i've struggled with feeling physically unacceptable for most of my life, and make-up definitely played a part. i have chronic rosacea that for years left my skin blotchy, red, inflamed, and burning. when i looked in the mirror, it was all i saw! people would ask my if i had just been running, or if i was embarrassed. i hated my skin, so when i got old enough, i accepted that i was doomed to cover it for the rest of my life to feel pretty. this was probably around age 15.

since then, i've learned a few things about managing rosacea, but more importantly, i've learned about myself. quitting dairy and processed foods has made a huge difference in the blotchiness, but that's really quite minor in my eyes. in the last few years, i started digging deeper into why i felt the need to cover myself with a mask - why wasn't i acceptable without it, red skin and all?

i know plenty of my issues stemmed from dating a guy who wouldn't hang out with me unless i was in full make-up (yes, he was a keeper... NOT). but really, i wouldn't have listened to him unless i had already believed he was right. honestly, i agreed with him - showing my "flaw" to the world must not have been ok, so i hid behind a layer of foundation day in, day out... even in my dorm room!

the truth is, we all have flaws. it's called being a HUMAN BEING. and our "flaws" are what make us different. i know it's cheesy and we hear it all the time, but do you really believe it? really? and honestly, who was to say that their skin without rosacea was any more acceptable that mine with it? did it make me any less of a person? i think not (you could sub acne here, if that's your struggle).

once i realized that i was just as valuable, flaws and all, i started to relax. i realized that without make-up, you could see who i really was... and shockingly, i was alright! i have some pretty unique navy blue eyes, hair with a mind of it's own, and albino-white skin with a smattering of freckles. when i donned the daily mask, all these things were lost... and consequently, my identity was, too.

does this mean i think make-up is evil? surely not. i still enjoy swiping some mascara on my blonde eyelashes and feeling dramatic and flirty. i still use some shimmer powder to minimize the fibro/fatigue look from my eyes because, well, i get tired of looking tired. and i certainly don't think perfume is evil.

i guess i had to learn what make-up stood for in my eyes. i HAD to own that i was beautiful, unique, and acceptable without it before i could truly benefit from wearing it. and for the love of chocolate, i will beat up any guy who tries to tell another girl to just "put some make-up on." how about i just put my fist in your stomach???

in my opinion, some red flags to watch out for:

- do you feel less beautiful without it?

- do you feel there are situations you have to wear it?

- are you self-conscious without it?

- can you not go to the store, on a date, or in public without it?

- can you take a compliment when you don't wear it?

- are you not "yourself" without your face on?

- do you think other people/men will judge you or dismiss you without it?

if so, you may want to dig a little deeper. what's behind these feelings, and what can you do about it?

just my thoughts... agree/disagree?
-r

make this slaw!

hey friends - i'm running an errand in Williamsburg with my mom today so i'm not sure when i'll get to it, but be looking out for my thoughts on make-up sometime this weekend!

photo: Happy Healthy Life.

in the meantime, make this asian slaw and die happy! i know it's crazy coming from a southern girl, but i'd never had slaw before because, um, i don't do mayo. i thought this mayo-free version sounded much less vomit-inducing, not to mention way more interesting (hello cumin seeds and coriander!). 

i substituted a bag of trader joe's broccoli and carrot slaw for the cabbage, and used homemade tahini in the dressing! don't you guys just love it when you can use homemade stuff in recipes? i feel so domestic :)

am i weird in my mayo phobia? any mayo lovers out there (shudder)?

how do you feel about makeup?

in typical rebekah fashion, i totally missed rabbit write's The No Make-Up Week Experiment last week.

source.

which is a bummer, because i had been planning to participate (i saw the rockin' post on medicinal marzipan, one of my favorite body image bloggers). so, instead of posting my experience make-up free (which is most days), i have a question for you guys.

for most of us, what does our need for make-up indicate we believe about ourselves?

p.s. - thank you all so much for your support yesterday! it's wonderful to finally have another piece to this puzzle of my health figured out. if anyone has any questions about going gluten-free or dealing with food allergies/intolerances, i would love to help you!

Kickin’ in the kitchin’.

hey friends! (and happy tuesday, jess!)

thanks so much for your sweet words about my insomnia. i really appreciated all those who chimed in with personal experiences, but i wish you guys didn't struggle too! it breaks my heart that insomnia is so common these days, ya know?

by the way, if you're interested in extra better sleep tips, check out the expert advice in the comments from tatianna, both melissas, peace be me (what is your first name?), and bitt.

but now that we're all awake, how about a picture/recipe/life update, shall we? i finally found the darn escapist camera cord, so no more excuses for me. in no particular order, here are some recent happenings:

first day of school. look out VCU.

pinto bean and plantain stew, sans parsnip chips

this soup is crazy good! i didn't make the chips because i'm poor and parsnips are like gold around here, but hello - a little recognition for cooking with a plantain!!! they were on sale for 54 cents at waldirtmart, so one magically jumped into my cart somehow.

but no, your eyes don't deceive you - i did finally made a recipe from Veganomicon, one of the cookbooks i got for my birthday. i was super excited about this book specifically because i see jessica, matt, the other jess, the other other jess (haha ok enough), and many others refer to it as "the vegan bible" and cook from it fairly regularly. good enough for me!

... honestly? i hate to say this, but i was a tiny bit disappointed. for someone who doesn't see the appeal in "mock meat" or soy meat substitutes, i wasn't thrilled to see a good portion of the book devoted to seitan, tofu, and bean cutlets.

don't get me wrong - certainly all those things have their place in the freezer section, and if you dig 'em, it's totally cool! i'm just not a fan of eating food that mimics other food... if i wanted meat, i would eat it, ya know? i'm already cool with soybeans and black beans, so i don't feel the need to "transform" them into a substitute. 

i like food that just is what it is. no imitations. but that's just my deal, yo.

spicy coconut curry squash soup

after i just ragged on their cookbook full of homemade tofurkey, i gotta give the ladies at the Post Punk Kitchen a shoutout... those girls can make some SOUP, man. hopefully that makes up for it?

i modified this recipe because, well, i had squash and not sweet potatoes, and can't leave well enough alone!

i made guac. alton brown's guac. no explanation needed.

and what's not pictured? in the last week or so, i've made gluten-free millet and flax crackers (like sami's bakery, but waaay cheaper), mom and i tag-teamed some delicious veggie bean chili, then some enchiladas (with beef for my brother, and without for us lettuce heads), various kitchen sink salads, gluten-free orange sweet potato muffins, quinoa coconut "rice pudding," homemade peanut butter and tahini, chocolate coconut cherry laraballs, pesto, and two kinds of hummus: roasted red pepper and jalepeno cilantro.

um, yeah. i've been busy. if you want details on how to recreate anything i made, comment or shoot me an email! mostly i just throw stuff in the pot and cook, but i'd be more than happy to share my "recipes" with you guys!

................................................................................

to continue on in this insanely random post, remember how i finally got around to a gluten-free trial? yes? well houston, we have a problem.

i gave it a month gluten-free before i "tested" my stomach again with my old foods, and let's just say that yes... it's clear that the remainder of my ibs issues are from gluten.

i won't die if i eat it (like when eating out), but for what i can control, i'm sticking with eating gluten-free. practically, it just means i avoid sandwiches and wheat pasta (almost everything in our kitchen is safe because of my sister), which is cool because i'm not a huge fan of those foods anyway. we have plenty of gluten-free bread should i get the urge for a sandwich, but that's pretty rare.

it's awesome though because i thought i was doomed to being bloated all my life, and hooray - no more! if you struggle with this, you might want to test for a gluten-intolerance... why not? and head's up you guys, unless i mention otherwise, the recipes i post from here on out will be gluten-free.

phew. you guys have been along for quite an interesting journey with me, no? now i leave you with the most hilarious food face i've seen in a while:

mom's blueberry goat cheese english muffin. oh snap, he has a moustache!

Attention.

The best lunch I ever ate…


Cilantro jalapeno hummus + guacamole + quinoa, + side of carrot sticks.

Jesus loves me.

That is all.

sleep, and what to do when it's elusive.

morning, sunshines!

hope my fellow americans are sound asleep right now, and everybody else, well, i still haven't figured out what schedule you guys are on, but i hope this finds you well!

it's about 3:30 AM right now, and i've been up and at 'em for a while now. this is the latest i've slept in quite a few days... strange, right? weirdly enough, i've actually gotten used to it and don't really mind it too much most days (insomnia is a really common part of fibromyalgia).

because of this new habit, though, i've been trying some new techniques to help me sleep, and thought i'd share a bit. so can we talk about sleep real quick?

source

i'm obviously no expert, or i'd still be sleeping right now! but i have tried a battery of different methods to deal with sleeplessness, and thought maybe my experiences would help you guys navigate your own potential issues (that i pray you don't ever have!).

ambien - i tried this drug when i first got diagnosed with fibro. it was a while ago, so i'm not sure how fair my evaluation is but i do remember it not working for me, and the little bit of sleep i did get made me terribly groggy when i took it. however, one of my good friends has used it for years and he swears by it, so i think it all depends on how your body chemistry reacts with it. i don't think i had any other side effects, so i'd say if you're desperate, it's worth a shot at least.

antidepressants - there is a strong connection between insomnia and decreased serotonin levels in the brain, which is also (not shockingly) a cause of depression. while i was on Prozac for a very short while in high school for depression, i recently was prescribed a different one (Lexapro?) to manage my sleep.

i know plenty of people who have amazing results with them for both depression and sleep issues, but my body does not like these kinds of drugs! i become paranoid like someone is "watching me," my heart races, and i sweat a lot... not good! i've always come off antidepressants quickfastandinahurry.

fibromyalgia prescriptions (Cymbalta, Lyrica, etc.) - fibro and nerve issues are characterized by a problem in the same part of your brain depression is, so many medicines prescribed for fibro are also prescribed as antidepressants. i know fibro doesn't apply to most of you (praise God!), but i just wanted to let you know my opinion on these medicines. i've met and heard from many people that thrive on them and feel like the meds have given them their lives back, and i'm very grateful for that! but for me, i would consider these meds a last resort: they are incredibly hard on your body. the process to adjust to them is severe, and the side effects can be crippling. i have never felt more like a zombie than when i was on these. just my thoughts!

melatonin - this is a natural supplement often used to promote healthy sleep patterns. it helps your "body clock" establish a sleep schedule. it took me a few weeks to realize that my problem wasn't my sleep patterns, but that i couldn't stay asleep. while melatonin did help me feel sleepy at the same time each night, i would still wake up after a few short hours. if staying asleep isn't your problem, just getting asleep in the first place, i would definitely recommend melatonin! i didn't experience any side effects, other than frustration :)

5-HTP - this is the supplement i'm currently taking. i just started taking it a few days ago, so the verdict is still out, but i have high hopes for this one. 5-HTP is the herbal version of tryptophan, which promotes raised serotonin levels in the brain (my problem in the first place!). i'll let you know how it goes!

SAMe - this is the next one i might consider trying. it is commonly used to help patients with chronic pain sleep through the night. a few nights i've realized it actually was the pain responsible for waking me up, so i feel it'd be worth a try possibly. SAMe is also a natural supplement, but it's a bit pricier than most supplements so i'm trying it last (college kid!).

tequila - haha i'm just kidding, i'm not getting that desperate!

...................................

i hope my experiences help shed some light on insomnia and the methods available to you, should you need it. we all go through times of struggling to sleep, and that's normal! when you do have that random, restless night, here are some things you should try:

- concentrating on relaxing breathing. take a deep, slow breath for a count of four, then slowly release it for a count of for. repeat ten times.

- don't allow your mind to run away with itself. nighttime is the time to shut off your mind. if you can't stop it from running, keep a notepad next to your bed and jot down all your thoughts before you sleep each night so you don't lay awake trying to remember something important.

- i know i sound like your mom, but establishing a routine is crucial. if you don't regularly go to bed around the same time, your body will constantly struggle to know when to sleep. please, please, please honor your body and its sleep patterns! we're big kids now - let's be responsible if at all possible.

- do something that deeply relaxes you before bed, as well as if you wake up in the middle of the night. meditate, pray, do some gentle yoga (one of my faves), stretch, or read a calming book (no stephen king!).

- don't turn on the light if you can help it, and use a small, soft glow to read by. your computer isn't a great bet because the screen can be stimulating to your brain. bright lights tell your brain it's morning, so this applies to going to pee, too!

- if all else fails and you're still awake 30 minutes later, get up! laying in bed will only stress you out and reinforce that sleepless pattern. do something quiet and non-stimulating until you feel sleepy.

- as much as possible, don't stress. yes, not sleeping sucks, but worrying about it pretty much guarantees you won't sleep, and that you'll feel like crap the next day. take one day at a time, and don't allow your mind to wander about how you'll function tomorrow. you can do this!

source

the best comfort i've had though my insomnia?

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (New International Version)

this has been my battle cry for the last year or so. what a gift to know that even when i am an absolute wreck (which is often!), God still provides the opportunity for me to be powerful! i am capable of living this life victoriously even though i will struggle so much - praise God!

..........................................................

have you tried any sleep remedies?
what are your tips for sleeping well?
-rebekah

pet peeve.

today's what the kale? moment:

"hey girl, i can't talk now, i'm on the way to the gym to earn my dinner. gotta burn some calories before i can eat!"

here's a fact:

if you're a human, you deserve food.

you kinda need it to live.

shocking, i know, but please, please, please just trust me on this.

do you ever hear disordered thoughts like this?
are you oblivious?
-rebekah

oy.

hey rebekah, don't you have a blog?

... oh yeah. oops.

source.

hey friends! long time no see.

although you may have been concerned i fell off the face of the earth (logical conclusion sarah-mae!), rest assured i did not. i didn't really have intentions of abandoning you, i swear. and i've been slowly working my way through my google reader! i think i'm in the 400s now... oy vey.

in the last few weeks, i've been blessed beyond what i ever could have imagined: i went back at school (finally!), got plugged in to a new church i absolutely adore, and have started making incredible new friends. i've studied for challenging classes, worked a church yard/bake sale (thanks for the suggestions!), and met girls for coffee. i've hiked riverside trails in the crisp, fall air. i've laughed, cried, and went on a fabulous lunch date with my mom and sister. and praise jesus, we finally got a new blender! my raw vegan heart rejoices.

really, i'm incredibly, amazingly thrilled with life. 

with exquisite beauty, however, there always comes unavoidable pain. for the last month or so, i've been up well before 4 a.m., struggled to keep food down, battled lonely, depressing days, limped from fibro pain, gotten runner's knee, and haven't ditched this stinkin' headache yet.

i'm still been facing some other pretty testy health issues, too. after going off the pill again, i'm still cycle-free (anyone have a solution to this?!?), and discovered i may not be the one lucky fibro patient without IBS... sigh/burp.

ok, so you're still with me? good. because of all these changes, i'm not really sure what the next few months will look like for me.

i'm kinda at a loss concerning the blog. over the summer, i had so many things i was dying to blog about: accepting our bodies, why i cut my hair, exercising efficiently, food labeling, and animal-free eating, to name a few.

i blogged on bad days, good days, and busy days. i couldn't wait to hop online and channel my passions into a post, hoping to encourage just one person to keep on keepin' on in their healthy lifestyle. but things change, and right now, i feel stuck.

i'm not the same person i was a year ago (phew!), and i'm not sure how the blog will follow that. after spending years researching nutrition and wellness and finally regaining positive body image (most days), i couldn't imagine blogging about much else! i actually still have a few post topics lined up when i'm ready to pull out more tidbits of trivia from this crazy brain of mine.

honestly? life is just different for me now. in case it hasn't been obvious in my posts, let me be transparent: i've sort of gone through a life overhaul in the last year or so. thankfully, i no longer waste my time on abusive relationships, distractions that numb emotional pain, or reckless friday nights "just because it's fun." i wish i could take credit for it, but everything really has been God working in me. seriously y'all, i'd be passed out in a drug-induced stupor in a ditch somewhere if it weren't for God's grace.

do i still love learning about health, exercise, food, and body image? you bet! but i guess my motives aren't in the same place. my priorities have changed.

now i'm rambling, and i don't know where i plan on taking the blog from here, but i do know this: anything i post i want to be straight from my heart to yours. i'm not as concerned with information anymore as i am concerned with people. this means my posts will be different, and i'm totally fine with that. if i post, i want to post on life: what God's been teaching me, lessons i've learned dealing with chronic illness, something that has cheered me up, recipes i've swooned over, and details from a body image workshop i'm taking at school.

i hope this doesn't alienate anyone. i love answering your questions and researching things with y'all more than anything, so shoot ideas/questions/comments for future posts my way!

y'all cool with that?

-rebekah

giveaway winner!

and the winner of the $45 CSN giftcard is.................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The Crave to $ave!

congrats on your win! i'm jealous!

please email me at nelsonrr@mymail.vcu.edu so i can forward you the company's information!

thanks to everyone to participated, and i can't wait to catch up on all your blogs!
-rebekah

last call - giveaway!

don't forget that my $45 CSN giftcard giveaway ends tonight, september 15th, at midnight... get those last-minute comments in to win that baby!

ok guys - i need your help. i'm working my church's yardsale saturday and want to bake things for the bakesale, but am not sure what to make! i've been thinking about making some kind of banana oatmeal muffin, some kind of cookie, and some kind of quick bread...

thoughts? suggestions? secret family recipes? thanks for your help!!!
-rebekah