A Bright Idea!!!…Or Not

 You know those times when you come up with a really good idea (for example the time when Annie and me realized setting up a lemonade stand would be a great way to make money)…only to later find that, actually, your "good idea" wasn't so good after all (you mean a lightly traveled dirt road 7 miles out of town isn't the best place to sell lemonade and fill our piggy banks)?

This year for Lent, Taylor and I came up with one of those "bright ideas" - we decided to give up processed sugars and carbs for Lent.
Ok, so I actually do think it is a good idea, and I'm glad we're doing it, but I'll admit, it's been a challenge.
For a while I had planned to take all the things we couldn't eat during Lent out of the pantry, and then I realized that would include nearly everything in it, so I just put away the easily-snacked-upon/most-commonly-used items and left the rest there.

Before...

After removing items from one shelf - excluding the cereal I left there-my box for these items was full. If I had taken everything off the shelf above, I would have only had salt, tea, spices, baking powder and slivered almonds left.

We came up with this idea one night when we were talking about wanting to get a little more fit/trim up  the more problematic areas on our bodies. We wondered how much of a difference it would make to remove the processed sugars and carbs from our diet (we're allowing natural carbs and sugars like fruit and potatoes) while adding minimal amounts of extra physical activity on top what we typically do in a day (a set number of sit-ups, pushups, and squats everyday) So at the beginning of Lent we weighed and measured. Then on Easter we'll check back in and see what the difference is. Hopefully there is a difference - Taylor and I both said we feel like we compensate for the no sugar by snacking more…Oh well. :)

There will be one week during Lent when we don't follow these rules. It was kind of a last minute decision, but we decided we are going to go to South Africa/Botswana. Our good friends, Grant and Landi recently got married here in the states. Landi is originally from Botswana and they are having a wedding ceremony at her parents' home in March. Her parents own a wild game ranch where people come and hunt exotic animals. We're going to be staying at their ranch while we are there.
Taylor and I are pretty excited. It's going to be a completely different experience from anywhere we've ever been before. When we decided to go, we told each other, excitedly and somewhat nervously, it's going to be an adventure!
While on this adventure we want to be able to really experience the culture and the food, so we'll be taking a break from the no sugar/carbs thing.

I tend to be geographically challenged so here's a map of Africa for anyone like me

Last night we got our first significant snowfall of the winter. We probably had about 6 inches or so. Taylor stayed up all night at the feedyard clearing alleyways so feed trucks could feed in the morning. At 5:30 a.m. he came back to the house, dressed in some warmer clothes then we both went back to the feedyard and started shoveling snow out of the feed bunks. With everyone working together, we were able to have them all pretty much done by 10 a.m.
All I have to say is whoever invented the bunk blower (an attachment that goes on a tractor and blows most of the snow out of the bunks) is a genius. It really cuts down on the amount of shoveling you have to do by hand.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15
Here is part of the lesson that accompanied this Scripture: "Satan does not build a church and call it the first church of Satan - he is far too clever for that. Instead he tries to infiltrate the theological seminary and the pulpit - invading the church under the cover of an orthodox vocabulary - but emptying sacred terms of their true biblical meaning or denying their truth."
I feel like this is very true today. I pray that we would study the Bible and know His word so God can guide us and help us to recognize evil in this world, even in its hidden form.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a wonderful week!

Lyndee

Yoga Master

"Flexibile" and "Lyndee" are not synonymous. I can't touch my toes; heck, even sitting up straight while cross-legged is uncomfortable for me. So I decided I should try yoga to help make me more limber. I knew my yoga abilities would be minimal, but I figured it was worth a shot.

So the other day I bought a video for beginners, and I started out by watching the lesson of the correct yoga positions and movements. 

Near the end of the video there were several "relaxation" poses, and suddenly, I felt like I had severely underestimated my yoga potential. Because surely anyone who can relax so well during the "relaxation" poses that they fall asleep, has to be some sort of yoga-master, right? :)

Maybe not, but I felt like there was at least one part of yoga I could do well. :)

Sadly, this is as close as I can get to my toes with my legs straight

Sometimes I become very discouraged by the state of our nation. So often the people who are supposed to be our leaders seem to only be concerned about themselves and/or their bank accounts rather than the real needs of our country, and the rising levels of deception and corruption seem inversely correlated to the levels of the national spirit and pride of most Americans.
That's why I was so encouraged when Taylor and I went to see American Sniper a couple of weeks ago. Even after being in theaters for over a week, we still had to buy tickets online beforehand and get there 40 minutes early to stand in line so we could get a good seat. Not only was the movie extremely well done, but it gave me a lot of hope to see so many people interested in honoring our armed forces and showing a sense of national pride.
I'm so grateful to all our veterans, current and former, for their service to keep us safe and protect our freedoms.

Right after the first of the year Taylor and I went skiing with his family in Crested Butte. It was a fabulous trip with wonderful weather for skiing, amazing food and drinks, and a great time with family.

As enjoyable as the trip was, I have loved the last few weeks because we haven't had to go anywhere or do anything. I've been able to catch up on some paperwork and deep cleaning around the house; I've had time to start a couple of new bucket calves; and Taylor and I have had time where we could truly relax together. One of these times was a Sunday afternoon where we accomplished absolutely nothing. After church and lunch, the movie The Blindside happened to be on, and we just sat together on the couch enjoying a good movie in each other's company. I'm so thankful for simple moments like these.

Western Kansas Fact:  People truly appreciate moisture here. 
Growing up where it rained frequently, a lot of people would get upset about the rain because it might ruin their outdoor plans. But here, rain is simply a cause for joy. Nearly any time we get moisture, even if it is just a quarter of an inch, someone in church almost always makes a point of giving thanks for it.

Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. Colossians 4:1
This Scripture lesson talked about how slavery is not something practiced here in the U.S. anymore, but   the Scripture still applies today. We all need to think about how we treat others, especially those people who serve in leadership or employer positions. Recently Taylor and I hired someone to help us with the grow yard, so this Scripture took on new meaning for us. I pray God would grant us all wisdom every day as we interact with others and help us to always be just and fair.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!
Lyndee