Life Update: California here we come!

So a LOT had been happening the last few weeks, but I’ll cut to the chase: this summer Pablo and I are moving to Redding, California to attend Bethel’s School of Supernatural Ministry. Did I know 6 months ago we would be going?: no. Did I know 6 weeks ago we would be going?: NO! Life is crazy, but God is good!

   Basically, we have been sensing that the Lord has something for us this next season of life, but we just were not sure what. We teetered on the edge of putting down roots in Omaha (buying a house, Paul accepting a commercial real estate job, etc.), but didn’t feel peace. Some of my parents’ friends (the Franks) are out at Bethel and have loved it. My parents went out and visited last year and had nothing but amazing things to say about the school and everyone they encountered. Paul and I really didn’t think much of it when we heard about their trip, but everything happens for a reason. A few weeks ago Paul (in the midst of job interviews and entrepreneurship ideas) told me that he felt like we should pray about committing a year of our life to just developing ourselves and our relationships with the Lord. We decided to at least apply to Bethel and see if we got accepted. Two applications, multiple references, and a phone interview later and we were in! Turns out the school has limited openings so we are especially thrilled to have spots.

   The school is from September to May, Tuesday through Friday, 12:30-5:30 pm. Every student is also in a small group and attends service on Sundays. We will be moving out sometime this summer to find jobs and housing. The program includes Bible study, teaching on gifts of the Spirit, praise and worship, missions, the prophetic, signs and wonders, and hands on ministry. There are also guest speakers and teaching from head pastor Bill Johnson. Around 1,000 students attend each year and come from all over the world. This will defiantly be a stretching experience, but we cannot wait to see everything God has for us. We also are looking forward to meeting all our fellow classmates. Want to check out more info on Bethel? Their website is www.ibethel.org. You can go to “Schools” on the top tab and click on School of Ministry tab to learn more about what we will be doing.

CLEAN: Another Perspective (Melinda)

   So I got a lot of questions and feel-back from the 3 week cleanse I did in the month of February. My friend Melinda is in the middle of doing Clean herself and anyone who would like another perspective should check out her blog. She is doing more of the recipes from the book than I did and even posts pictures of several of the meals she makes. Go MELINDA! YOU CAN DO IT :) Plus, she has a really cute blog and is crafy and creative. :)

www.rufflesandstring.blogspot.com

Memories 6: Eleanor and Theodore

   I grew up an AVID dog lover. My bible was "The World Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds Book." I put my poor family through 6, yes! count them: SIX! dogs during my childhood. I was incredibly passionate about training and raising Samantha, Nellie, Daisy, Buster, Max, and Toby and would compete in dog shows. Truth be told: I loved animals more than humans. The problem? I lacked commitment. I gave away every one of my six dogs (for various reasons... In my defense, my family is a little overwhelming for small dogs. Our Maltese, Daisy started loosing her hair she was so stressed.)

   My love for pets and animals was strictly limited to dogs until Paul and I had been married 4 months and our apartment would only allow cats. One date night, I innocently suggested we stop by PetSmart on our way to a movie. Paul (poor guy) and I went in and got completely manipulated by system. "Buy one kitten, get one free". Seriously?! I mean wouldn't any decent human being want to save a poor, helpless kitten from potential euthanasia? I looked at Paul and that's all it took. His famous last words? "Fine, but you CAN NOT give these pets away. These are ours for life." And that's how Eleanor and Theodore became Lanphiers.

      

   Oh life, it's a funny thing and about two years after rescuing Eleanor and Theodore we discovered we were probably going to be moving to Denver (more on our future plans in another post). Even though we loved our kitties, it was evident that our lives are not stable enough to care for any living creature. We are wild and free newlyweds! We cannot be tied down to the state of Nebraska by a pair of cats. I explained this to Paul... how we can not move accross the country with cats who act more like dogs. They are incredibly neurotic and do not respond well to change.

   Maybe the reason I'm blogging this is I need to get it off my chest: It was at that moment I realized I have morphed into my mother. Like her, animals are more a nuisance than a blessing. Like her, I hated having to clean up after their fur and poop. I didn't care about them. My mom has MANY MANY amazing qualities, but being a pet lover is just not one of them. I feel like I should confess to the world: I am no longer an animal lover. This is HORRIBLE! Isn't there some study out about how people who don't love animals are more likely to commit acts of violence and are generally less caring, committed members of society?! THAT'S NOW ME! It didn't used to be, but now it is. 

   So I found Eleanor and Theodore a new home. Don't judge me. I found them such a phenomenal new mother to adopt them that you would probably even consider sending your children to live with this lady.. jk. But seriously, she is a retiree who is home all day long and loves cats as much as I used to love dogs in my childhood. She surely isn't as materialistic as I am and will not mind Eleanor and Theodore knocking hundreds of dollars in home decor items off her mantel... but then again she didn't seem like the kind of lady who is into home decor. Yes, the cats are in a better place... a virtual cat heaven. 

   The pictures below are the last pictures we have with our cats. So long guys. Sorry you are just a statistic, a mere number in my long list of pets. 

Memories 5: Valentines Gingerbread Houses

   So I love Valentine's Day. If I just walk in  a store and catch a glimpse of pink and red streamers endorphins automatically release in my brain. I can't help it. Maybe I just love pink. Maybe I just love red. Maybe I just love decorations, but nonetheless, I LOVE love!
   Something else I love is the Thomas family! I have babysat their kids for 7 years and have many memories with them. This includes (but is not limited to): Kaelynn, their youngest, climbing out of her high chair as a baby and almost toppling to the ground (I was making frozen pizzas, but looked over in time to scream and grab her), me smashing the side mirror of their Escalade 5 years ago when backing out of their garage :( (low point), ninja fights in their basement that I organized (the winner got to kick the loser in the butt (literally)), and around 4 summers of nannying Meghan, Joshua, Cameron, and Kaelynn. We have LOTS of memories together.
   Cameron and Kathy Thomas have  been amazing parents, mentors, and friends to me. I respect them so much and love spending time with their family. What even sweetens the deal is the man I married loves the Thomas' too! We watch the kids for long weekends when Cam and Kathy go out of town and even stayed with them for a week this past summer. It was glorious.
   So this last weekend we were with the kids and it was Super Bowl time. Everyone was particularly hyped up because, well, I don't know: MAYBE, just MAYBE it had something to do with the energy drinks, soda, and candy Paul let them get at the gas station. While I was waiting in the car in the gas station parking lot, I kept praying prayers like "Please Lord, just this once let him be strong and make the kids get Gatorade or something..." but obviously, the Lord had other plans and the energy drinks prevailed. ;) Anyways, the boys were wanting to watch the game and seeing as I could care less about sports, us girls decided to decorate gingerbread houses in a Valentine's Day theme. Because I am not crafty at all, I was feeling pretty happy with myself. To be honest, I'm downright proud of how they turned out and we had a BLAST making them. So enjoy our pictures and be sure that this will not be the last Valentine's Day theme post on this blog.

CLEAN: Completed!!!

   So I realized I need to cap off the end of my detox posts. Clean was finished Sunday night of Jan 23rd. Quite possibly the most joyous and anticipated day of my existence. Ok, well not really, but I was ready to be done!

    Clean was a truly good program. By the end of the third week I felt energetic, healthy, and resumed a normal exercise routine. The third and final week of the cleanse I was a good 6 lbs down from my normal weight. The neat thing is that Dr. Junger says your body adjusts itself on the cleanse and tries to find a state of balance. Therefore, if you need to loose weight you will probably loose more than if you are at a healthy weight and just doing the program for detox purposes. Since I wasn't trying to loose weight, I ate lots of nuts (almonds and pecans) for my snacks and didn't loose substantial weight. I also slept really well at night and felt well rested in the mornings. My appetite was smaller as well.

   The downside: I literally DOVE out of cleansing mode. I ate whatever I wanted in any quantity that I desired. I was so pumped to be able to have dinner, brownies, and white carbs. It was truly like being reunite with a lost love. The truth is though: this is NOT a good idea. All of last week I had a low-grade stomach ache and felt sluggish. My body seemed to be reminding me that it did not appreciate all the toxins I was pouring into it. Many people asked if this defeated the purpose of Clean. For some people it would be counter-productive, but I was doing it more as an experiment in personal discipline. Also, every day on Clean has it's own benefits to my health and are not wasted days. 

   By doing clean I acquired some good habits that I will continue to carry over into my daily life. For instance: SMOOTHIES. So healthy! and because it is blended it delivers nutrients in a fuel-injected way that is easier for the body to digest. Even just having a smoothie for breakfast is a great place to start. Another thing I discovered is AGAVE SYRUP which is healthier than sugars and is added to all the smoothies on Clean as a natural sweetener- very good ingredient to have on hand. QUINOA is another staple. It is similar to rice, but is plant based and a complete protein. I like it as much as rice and eat it with everything. LENTILS are other find. These high fiber babies are delish and easy to eat in soups and pair with anything. WATER is another important discovery. Why? you might ask: because you need to drink a lot! It flushes out the system and is vital for proper body function. I now carry a $7 Target water bottle with me wherever I go to have it on hand.

   So........ am I glad I did Clean? Absolutely. Will I do it next year? I can hope so. Should YOU try it? Yes.