As you go about the busyness of your day today, I want to encourage you with this beautiful Advent devotional from John Piper on the gift and importance of remembering Jesus this Christmas Eve. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of making dinner, wrapping presents and welcoming in loved ones, but we must see the worth of Christ and treasure Him in our hearts this Eve.
I pray that this devotional encourages you as much as it did me.
May your days truly be merry and bright!!!
Xox, Rachael Dee
GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. —Romans 5:10–11
How do we practically receive reconciliation and exult in God? One answer is: do it through Jesus Christ. Which means, at least in part, make the portrait of Jesus in the Bible—the work and the words of Jesus portrayed in the New Testament—the essential content of your exultation over God. Exultation without the content of Christ does not honor Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, Paul describes conversion two ways. In verse 4, he says it is seeing “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” And in verse 6, he says it is seeing “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” In either case you see the point. We have Christ, the image of God, and we have God in the face of Christ.
Practically, to exult in God, you exult in what you see and know of God in the portrait of Jesus Christ. And this comes to its fullest experience when the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as Romans 5:5 says.
So here’s the Christmas point. Not only did God purchase our reconciliation through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 10), and not only did God enable us to receive that reconciliation through the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 11), but even now, verse 11 says, we exult in God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus purchased our reconciliation. Jesus enabled us to receive the reconciliation and open the gift. And Jesus himself shines forth from the wrapping—the indescribable gift—as God in the flesh, and stirs up all our exultation in God.
Look to Jesus this Christmas. Receive the reconciliation that he bought. Don’t put it on the shelf unopened. And don’t open it and then make it a means to all your other pleasures. Open it and enjoy the gift. Exult in him. Make him your pleasure. Make him your treasure.
(excerpt taken from “Good news of Great Joy” by John Piper)
*Please take a moment to share this post on your Social Media networks. There are share buttons blow. Holidays can be such a sad and difficult time for many that we might know, and this devotional could be that spark of hope that they might need!
Have an amazing day and love those around you with your whole heart. I am grateful for YOU this Christmas Eve and thank God for your life!
Its true.
I’ve become “that girl”…
You know, the “holistic, all natural, eat as organic and gluten free as you possibly can and tell the whole wide world WHY” kind of girl. That is a HUGE difference from my diet soda addiction, sugar obsession, calorie glutton, processed snack way of life
Yup. That’s me.
Reaching for a NEW kind of normal. In my defense, I have been SICK for over a year now and fed up. Fed up with doctors not knowing how to diagnose me. Tired of the fatigue, mental brain fog, upset stomach and overall malaise. Tired of using pain pills or OTC drugs to numb the ache but never solve the problem. Tired of cancelling plans, calling in sick, and unable to function normally day to day. So I am getting back to basics. Down to the root of health…
I AM SO HAPPY I DID.
I have become ADDICTED to the way juicing has impacted my energy levels, headaches and overall strength and many of YOUasked me what I am doing.
How did I go down an entire dress size, sleep better and lessen my headaches in a matter of just a week?
Well the answer lies in living what God intended for us, naturally. Its about eating what our bodies were created to consume, work on our food addictions and emotional triggers, and ask God daily for strength and help to change for the better. The power of testimony is real, and I am so excited to share with you my top 5 energy boosting, detoxifying juices that have changed my day to day living. Health is about making small changes over time and I want to help and inspire you in any way that I can.
I AM HOOKED!
I got so sick and tired of feeling SO sick and tired, I decided to do what I could on my own to better my overall health. I am only a few weeks in, but have seen such great results I cant go back. When I am passionate about something, I tend to share about it with ENERGY, so I hope my excitement spreads to YOU!
This is my new best friend… The NutriBullet.
Not a traditional juicer and ABSOLUTELY NOT a blender.
This handy dandy little machine is what’s called a JUICE EXTRACTOR.
But Rachael, what the heck is a juice extractor? Looks like a blender to me… I thought the same thing friends, but here is the difference. Unlike your common juicers (which remove the nutrient rich pulp) and basic blenders (which just mush ingredients around) a juice EXTRACTOR actually breaks down your ingredients at their cellular level, creating a juice that is not only nutritious, but it is easily absorbed into your body.
OMG and did I mention its EASY!!?
You just fill the cup with half fresh, raw greens (arugula, Swiss chard, kale, spinach etc) add some nutrient dense berries (or other fruits) toss in some organic, raw almonds, walnuts or pecans, add a couple super-food elements like chia seeds, flax or maca powder, finish it off with a cup or so of filtered spring water, twist on the extractor blade, and BAM, that’s it!. You’ve got yourself a pulverized and incredibly delicious juice (they call it a “nutriblast“… so cute!)
The special blade actually breaks down the tough items, like nuts, root veggies and leaves, and makes it easy to digest for your body.
So easy. So yum!
The reason I started juicing 2x a day was because I consistently felt like garbage. By day 2 and 3 I was feeling better from my body detoxing and by the end of the 1st week I felt better than I had in years! I would eat a light meal in the evenings of fresh veggies and 4-6oz of a clean protein, and it helped SO much!
So where do YOU start!? Here are my BEST energy boosting juices! (Recipes taken from the Nutribullet Natural Healing Foods Book, nutribullet.com)
Toxin Cleansing Blast Flush toxins from your body with this delicious,fruity concoction.
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spinach
• 1 cored pear
• 1 banana
• 1 cored apple
• 1 cup of pineapple
• filtered spring water
The Immune Booster:
Keep healthy even during flu season with this delicious elixir packed with antioxidant goodness.
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spring greens
• 1 banana
• 1 peeled orange
• 1 cup of pineapple
• 1 handful of blueberries
• filtered spring water
Protein Powerhouse
Packed full of protein, this super satisfying blend keeps you energized for hours.
• 2 handfuls spring greens
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 orange
• 1 cup mango
• 1/8 cup cashews
• filtered spring water
Tropical Tonic
Boost your immune system with this vitamin C rich drink.
• 2 handfuls spring greens
• 1 avocado
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 cup mango
• 1 cup papaya
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• filtered spring water
Vita-Berry Blast
Ward off cancer, heart disease, and viruses with this sweet and tasty blast of flavonoids!
• 1-2 handfuls of rinsed spinach
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1 handful strawberries
• filtered spring water
Hope you try some of these out and start feeling better! I would LOVE to hear what you think! Please comment below any questions you might have, and let me know what is your favorite blast! Remember, you are NOT alone in the journey to healthy living!
I will be praying that you have a happy & healthy holiday season.
My journey to healthy living has been long and often lonely, but yesterday I posted that I started juicing a week ago and got a HUGE response from so many friends! My in laws gave us a Nutribullet for an early Christmas gift, and I began using it for 2 meals a day. Crazy thing is I am down a dress size, no longer bloated, my headaches have decreased, I am almost completely off Tylenol and caffeine, I’m sleeping better and my blood sugars are AMAZING! I am a happy girl indeed!
I decided to put some of the details that were asked in the post, yet as I started, I think this will become a mini series on gluten free living, detoxing, juicing and how to naturally shift to a healthy lifestyle.
If you haven’t read my journey as to why I live gluten, grain and sugar free, make sure to pop over HERE. In a nutshell, I have a severe gluten intolerance and I am in the process of shifting my ENTIRE life around to try and get my health back into a better balance. (Easier said then done my friends) I want to make sure that everyone understands that what I explain here on this blog is from my own personal research, my own personal testimony and shared experience. If you are like me and have a medical condition, please consult your doctor!
With that said, I want to share a bit of my childhood, so that you understand the reasond I am so personal and passionate with my health and choice of eating. I tend to be wholehearted and extreme in anything I do, so I hope you find my zeal hope-filled and inspiring!
To understand me a bit, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the young age of 3. I’ve been in and out of the hospitals growing up, with a number of life threatening comas which should have taken my life. The Lords hand was on me, and I see that He saved my life to touch and impact others with His life. I’d like to share vulnerably a bit our my own journey and hope that it meets you wherever you are today.
I started “sneak eating” as early as I can remember. As a diabetic, you are told what you can eat and how much you are allowed to consume at certain times of the day. Yet my sweet little sister was allowed to have all sorts of yummy and decedent food that I “wasn’t allowed” to have, and to my adolescent brain, that wasn’t fair.
I became obsessed with food. Addicted. Consumed. It was often times all I could think of. I would strategically sneak into the kitchen when my mom was out of the room and consume as much as I could in a short amount of time. That lead to constant upset stomach aches, high blood sugars and a mental battle that would follow me into adulthood.
Fast forward 25 years or so and you find me at the ripe age of 28. Migraines were weekly battles and my sugar addiction was out of control. You see, the pesky thing with sugar is that once the cycle starts, it is vicious, aggressive, and near impossible to control. I was about to move to Atlanta Georgia for a semester of school, and before I left, my chiropractor suggested getting off all sugar, grains and gluten. (Gluten, what the heck is that? And how will i survive without SUGAR!)
I decided to try it, seeing as no amount of Tylenol could even remotely touch the headaches. Within the first few weeks I experienced so much energy I was floored to keep going. Just 3 months into living gluten, grain and sugar free, I was 22 lbs lighter, walking with nearly NO headaches and sleeping better than I had in years. I ate a diet of clean & lean animal protein (organic when I could afford), nutrient rich organic vegetables and limited amounts of low glycemic index fruits and berries. It was INCREDIBLE!
I moved back home to finish my last semester of school and life happened FAST when I quickly became engaged to my love & best friend Justin. Throughout that season of graduating college with my him living and serving an orphanage in Brazil, planning a wedding and cross country move, I slipped from eating as clean as I once did and fell back into old habit patterns. We arrived in Atlanta in the Fall of 2012 and a few short months later I was nearly bed ridden with sickness while doctors couldn’t figure our what was going on. I was fighting migraines again, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, malaise, brain fog and social anxiety and felt just downright MISERABLE. Weeks turned into months and months turned into almost a year until we figured out the greatest attack against my system was a teensy little thing called: GLUTEN.
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. (Wikipedia)
At this point we were living almost 80-85% “gluten free”. You know, making sure we “sort of” watched out for it. It made sense to eat ALMOST completely off gluten, but I had never actually researched the affects and symptoms that can come alongside of someone struggling with a gluten intolerance.
The intolerance can be linked with a myriad of symptoms such as:
Autoimmune conditions
Chronic diseases
Skin eruptions, eczema, cold sores, acne
Fatigue
Joint pain
Indigestion
Bloating Gas
Heartburn
Constipation
Diarrhea
Congestion
Anxiety
Moodiness or irritability
Headaches or migraines
When NOTHING else seemed to be working, I had been in and out of meeting with dozens of specialists here in Atlanta and tons of blood work drawn, my husband had the most simple of suggestions one night. He said “well babe, since nothing else seems to be working, what if we just cut out the gluten for a few weeks and see how you feel?”
Made sense to me…
So we did it. But not the 85%. Not even the 96%… NO. We went 100% gluten free. We purged the house. We read EVERY label. We stopped eating out in restaurants (I almost died). And you know what? Within 2 weeks my symptoms had decreased and I was able to function for the first time in MONTHS!!! That’s all it took! No doctor could tell me anything otherwise and as we have now been gluten free for 3+ months, we are never going back.
SO… Why did I share all that??
I want to take the next few posts to develop the understanding and issues that gluten, (sugar, grains, processed foods…) bring. Know that since eliminating it from my diet, so many other symptoms have dissolved, and my body is on its way to healing. Did you know that it takes 7-14 days for gluten to exit your body once introduced, and symptoms of bloating, weight gain, severe stomach discomfort and fatigue can be onset within the hour of ingestion.
Gluten is NO JOKE and not just a “fad diet” gimmick. Even if you don’t suffer from an intolerance like I do, the way gluten is processed in wheat etc these days, most bodies do best in eliminating it from their diet altogether.
SO, that’s a teensy introduction to my journey. It has been long, and I am only in the beginning stages of my healing, but I am on a mission to LIVE as full as I can TODAY. I have struggled with food for my whole life if I am honest, but I know that I am meant to LIVE and LIVE abundantly. At this point I will do whatever it takes to LIVE each day to its fullest. My hope for these posts is where other men and women who are on the same quest for health can come together, share stories, encourage and inspire one another.
I hope you stay tuned these next few weeks as I share a few tips and tricks that I have learned along the way and share your own successes and struggles. We are ALL in this together and none of us are alone. Make sure to comment below any questions or testimonies of your own victory!
Follow up post to come in a few days!
Until next time,
I sure do hope you like a goodlove story… Because this one sometimes seems too good to be true!
What you have to understand about Justin and I is that we have known each other through a mutual friend for over 6 and a half years now. We have a TON of history! I actually remember the first day I met him in the coffee shop when I was visiting before I moved to Kansas City. It was his smile that caused me to take note of him… that smile that can brighten up any room.
Fast forward four years or so, and you find Justin in his fourth year of IHOPU and I was in my second year. The Lord started moving significantly in the midst of our student body and we started to see hundreds of physical miracles in healings, and incredible testimonies of deliverance from fear, rejection & self hatred! It was then that our paths crossed again and the sparks started to fly! I was drawn to him in such a unique way and wondered if he would ever take notice of me…
Well as the weeks progressed, it was obvious to all of our friends that we “clicked” and as ANY of you know, word started spreading among them fast. Many of our friends were talking about how they thought we should start dating, but Justin and I had never talked about that face to face… Well, that is, until he pulled me into a side room at the House of Prayer, and had a DTR (define the relationship) talk. I sat there, as a 28 year old woman, with eyes wide open, as he so graciously & humbly explained that we were amazingfriends and that he didn’t see it EVER CHANGING.
(Now hold on a minute, what does this word EVER mean??)
Though I was crushed & secretly hoping it would move into something MORE, I respected the humility and grace he walked in as he repented and asked my forgiveness for leading me the wrong way through his actions. I was stunned at his decision, but none the less honored by his approach. That was actually the start of a beautiful, deep and lasting friendship that built over the course of the next 2 years.
Fast forward, and now I was entering into my senior year of IHOPU, preparing to move down to Atlanta Georgia to serve at the house of prayer for my senior apprenticeship. I had been there for just over three weeks when one seemingly normal Tuesday afternoon turned everything upside down!
That day, as I was leaving a leadership meeting, I walked out to a box of red roses that were sent overnight to the prayer room, ANONYMOUSLY with a single verse that said “Song of Songs 1:15” which says “you are all together beautiful my love; you are all together beautiful. You have doves eyes.” Frantically I searched for a name, but could not find one. I began to text message and call EVERYONE I thought might send me the flowers to “encourage me” (I had been having a rough week) but no one seemed to know who the mystery flowers were from. I dared not let my heart believe that I could possibly have a suitor, and went home that night thanking the Lord for the sweet gift to my heart. As I unwrapped the flowers and arranged them in the stunning vase it came with, I went upstairs to go to bed.
Literally minutes later I get a text message from, you guessed it-JUSTIN.
It simply said: “Watcha doin?”
Ummm… hold up a minute. Something ANY of his friends know now and absolutely knew THEN was that JUSTIN NEVER SENDS TEXT MESSAGES…
Let alone one so strange as “watcha doin?”
So, thinking practically and rationally, I assumed he texted the wrong Rachael (there were 7-8 at our church then) and reminded him:“Me? I’m in GEORGIA, about to go to bed… what are you doing??”
As puzzled as I was, it was still not clicking for me that the flowers could be from him. We were the dearest of friends, and I never thought he could be a potential suitor!
He responds back “OH, I am just recovering from a long road trip. You have beautiful weather here.”
Now I am just BAFFLED! “YOU ARE IN GEORGIA!?!?!?!” I responded…
(I honestly thought he was on a church ministry trip of some sort and DIDN’T TELL ME he was coming into town. Yup, still no connection to the flowers)
Then he drops the bomb… “Would you like to go for a walk?’
“I am outside”
Justin. Here?IN GEORGIA? I threw on a sweatshirt on a FLEWdownstairs. There he was, leaning up against my car, tears in his eyes, and it started to hit me like waves crashing down on my heart.
“Oh my goodness. OH my goodness. OH. MY goodness…” was all I was able to muster in my head as he walked up and gave me a hug. But the words that were coming out of my mouth were “JUSTIN WHY ARE YOU IN GEORGIA?Why are you in GEORGIA… oh goodness… JUSTIN? Why are you… here??”
Every part of my body was trembling, shaking and I felt like I was floating as I saw the tenderness on his face and tears welling up in his eyes. So much emotion wrapped up in a single moment as he then proceeded to lay his heart BOLDLY on the line, telling me that he loved me, that he always loved me, and that he wanted to serve, honor and love me for the rest of my life. He told me that he knew no other woman that provoked him to love Jesus more than me. He didn’t want to date me to get to know me-we were the best of friends and he knew so much about me. He wanted to spend the rest of his life getting to know the parts about me that he didn’t know. He made it clear that it was NOT a proposal, but that in his intention to date me, he wanted me to know what it was unto, and that was marriage.
I had to sit down due to the utter shock wave that just hit me, but as he told me the story again, and then again a third time just so I could try and wrap my head around what was taking place, I started to giggle. (That part shocked me! My heart was SO open to him!) We ended up talking for hours that night and the next day I expressed to him that I would be honoredif he would pursue me.
(Or first picture together… I was so nervous lol!)
2 weeks after that, I told him that my heart had caught up and that I was falling truly, madly and deeply in love with him. He was the man that I had deep down always loved and cherished for years. We began a long distance relationship as I concluded my time in Georgia, (Which included him flying out to Texas for Thanksgiving with my family) and the weekend I moved back home, he surprised me AGAIN by proposing the night before we went to Minnesota to spend Christmas 2011 with his family!!!!
That night was a beautiful dream. I walked into my house, assuming plans were to meet up with him to go on a date night, and I walked into my house FULLY TRANSFORMED into the most stunning, gorgeous, breathtaking proposal I have ever seen! A hundred candles lined the staircase as I walked in, roses were delicately placed about the room, and there were thousands of paper hearts cut out by hand all over the floor. I thought that I was dreaming as he walked up to me, dropped down to one knee, asking me to be his wife. I said yes breathlessly and we shared our first kiss in that moment, sealing the promise of betrothal as husband and wife. The weeks that followed that were short, but so sweet as we began to dream, and plan and talk about our future lives coming together as one. My best friend. My soul mate. My other half.
I was to become Mrs. Rachael Thomas… and nothing could have made me happier.
5 short weeks later, Justin packed up his things to fulfill his ministry assignment and commitment to the Lord working and serving in a children’s home in Brazil for 6 months. Our wedding date was set for September 27, 2012 and was exactly ONE YEAR to the day from when Justin drove down to Georgia, showed up on my doorstep, and fully won my heart. The road has been long as the majority of our dating relationship was long distance, but it was truly a delight to come so close to the man that I am about to be married to. I am so proud of his hard work and devotion to the Lord as he served and loved on these kids, and I am humbled by the way he loves Jesus in the midst of such difficulties. He truly is a man after Gods own heart.
I was 30 years old when we said our vows to each other, and I have many friends who are in their late 20’s, early 30’s or even their 40’s and still single. My encouragement to your hearts is the fact that when Jesus writes the most beautiful love story, it is truly worth the wait.
When we as women STOP trying to steer or dictate our own happiness and future plans, we allow God to come into those areas of loneliness and write His love upon our hearts. Justin does not bring me fulfillment. He is a conduit of love that points me back to Jesus daily. I cannot look to him to satisfy my loneliness; only Jesus can do that through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is my best friend and provokes me to love Jesus on a daily basis. I couldn’t ask for a better husband and am grateful to the Lords leadership and timing.
I always thought that I would be married young, yet see the perfect purpose in why the Lord has us both WAIT. Let go of control. Repent for trying to steer your own future. Thank God for the season He has you in. Its truly in the waiting that your soul will find rest. Grace grace to you today and remember that there is joy in whatever season you find yourself in.
Little fun fact-We have been married for 432 days now and it has been the most amazing, wonderful and FUN adventure of my life.
But those are stories for another day 😉
I looooooove being married.
I mean SERIOUSLY, the Lord gave me a gift in my husband. (Isn’t he just darling!?)
Something that I am INCREDIBLYgrateful for though is the gift the Lord gave me in the family I married into! I am So thankful for my in laws! They are so wonderful!
My sister-in-law is one of my favorite people on the planet <3
I have a wonderful new Grandmother!
And the BEST extended family!!!
(My wedding was SO dreamy… I will post a few more pics from that special day.)
(Steve Willis is a genius. So grateful for his artistic work!)
OK- Now that my wedding photo BOMB is done… 😉
My In Laws are amazing, compassionate, tender and LOVING parents to Justin and I. They are spending Thanksgiving with us this year and it is actually the FIRST time we have seen them since our wedding! That was almost 14 months ago! (Hence the picture inspiration!!!)
As I am reflecting on family this holiday season, my heart is just so grateful to Ronnie & Brenda for raising up my husband as the man he is today. He is so sweet, kind and sincere, and I know that those traits were passed down from his parents!
I encourage you to purposefully reflect on things that make you GRATEFUL and THANKFUL this week. It is so easy to get caught up in all the holiday hustle and bustle, but really the things that matter are love and family. Think upon these things and tell those around you how much they mean to you and why you love and appreciate them.
So to you Ronnie and Brenda, I am thankful to be grafted into the Thomas family!
Well Friends, it’s been a while, but I felt like it was time for a FLASH SALE!
I want to give you 35% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER!
That’s RIGHT!
All you have to do is pop over to my FB page Rachael Dee
1.LIKE the page (if you haven’t already!)
2. LIKE flash sale photo
3. SHARE the flash sale status!
Check out HUNDREDS of items HERE!
Comment on the photo (or photos) you want to purchase.
Let me know when your order is COMPLETE and leave me an email address.
I will send you an invoice through PayPal!
They are so wonderful!
My sister-in-law is one of my favorite people on the planet <3
I have a wonderful new Grandmother!
And the BEST extended family!!!
(My wedding was SO dreamy… I will post a few more pics from that special day.)
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