Happy New Year! (Time for the whole world to jump on board the healthy diet train! Yay!)

I love this time of year. Everyone is excited about healthy eating and ready to make tough lifestyle changes to achieve their goals for the new year. The rest of the year often leaves me feeling obsessive and extreme. But for these first few weeks of the year, I’m just like everyone else. It’s so fun to see everyone’s plans for detoxes, exercise goals, weight loss, and overall health improvement. For those with serious health issues, the changes they make this time of year could not only improve their lives, but save them.

I’m not making any plans for this year, choosing instead to stay submitted to God’s plan. Since I’m not clear on what that is yet, I’m doing my best to be obedient in the moment and take steps as I feel led. I think I have an idea of things He has in store for me, and it’s really exciting, but I’m learning to be patient and not jump the gun in my overzealous enthusiasm.

And since His mercies are new every morning (and apparently I’ve only been taking photos of breakfast lately), here are some paleo breakfasts we’ve been eating.

Fried egg with raw, fermented kraut, uncured bacon, and strawberries.

Eggs scrambled in grassfed herb butter with ham and greens. (with a little cheese, a cheat that left me slightly congested the next morning)

Juice. My cells say, “Ahhhhhhhh.”

And a decent almost-paleo breakfast at IHOP. Garden omelet with sausage, bacon, and fruit. Got lots of nitrates in the breakfast meat, but keeping sugar levels balanced is more of a priority right now. Avoiding grains helps me do that.

I logged so much of my life in this blog throughout 2013. You can see how challenging that year was for me. Hospitalization and steroids and pain pills and bad flares and arguing with doctors and experimenting with healing (and not-so-healing) diets and the all the expenses associated with overcoming a serious disease. 2013 was the toughest year of my life at that point. I was so excited for the fresh beginning 2014 was going to bring. Then my personal world collapsed early in 2014 and the emotional fallout from that has been extensive. Whereas 2013 was all about physical survival and healing, 2014 also became a year of survival, though of a different kind. And 2014 was, by far, the hardest of my life. I had no idea it was possible to experience that much pain without dying. There aren’t words that are dramatic enough to explain the trauma my soul went through this year. But as 2015 approaches, I am stronger and more fulfilled and whole and (dare I say?) happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I’m also sadder than I’ve ever been, but I have a peace and joy in my soul that overshadows all of that. So I know that regardless of what 2015 has in store for me, I am going to be ok- more than ok. Because my peace and joy isn’t dependent on my circumstances anymore. It’s deep in my soul and it’s not going anywhere. So come on 2015! I’m ready for whatever you’ve got! Good or bad! Because my God is all-knowing and all-powerful. He is in control. And He loves me. What do I have to be afraid of?

Pre-Thanksgiving Prayer and Fasting Wrap-up

The final week of the fast went really well. I found it easier to stick within Paleo guidelines (though I wasn’t perfect) and was actually enjoying the changes God was making in my heart through prayer.

Here’s some of what I was eating during that last week.

Paleo egg salad on Bubbie’s sweet pickles.

Bananas with cinnamon fried in grassfed butter. Makes a great fruit topping, but I just eat it straight- as is.

Bacon! Uncured, of course. And eggs fried in garlic herb butter.

Paleo blueberry cobbler. I’m actually amazed that this came out delicious. I didn’t follow a recipe. Just melted gf butter in a loaf pan, threw in several handfuls of frozen blueberries, then poured in a mixture of eggs, almond milk, and coconut flour. Added coconut sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to everything. I had to keep adding extra time in the oven to get all the moisture out, but it ended up being really good. We ate this for desserts and breakfasts for several days.

Peppermint hot chocolate. New obsession. Warmed up a mug of chocolate almond milk then added a drop of peppermint essential oil. Amazing. And with all the digestive benefits of peppermint oil. Love! (If you try this, make sure it’s a high grade oil like Young Living.)

Herbed pork loin and mashed cauliflower (with pan drippings for gravy). Munchkin picked the basil leaves to go on top, and then couldn’t help herself- had to get a finger full of mash.

Deviled eggs. Used homemade paleo mayo and chopped up a Bubbie’s lacto-fermented pickle for relish. Topped with paprika and the anti-inflammatory powerhouse, turmeric. I’ve included my daughter in a lot of my prayer time and devotionals over the past few weeks. In a lot of ways, she is just as mature, spiritually, as I am. We are learning together. When I told her the name of this dish, her jaw dropped. “No, Mommy, we can’t eat that!” Angel-ed eggs it is, then.

So, coming into Thanksgiving, I was feeling pretty good. I was able to get through a long travel day involving a car, train, bus, and plane while wrangling a small child and all our luggage. I was able to eat and enjoy several gatherings with family and friends throughout the weekend. But I could feel the exhaustion of an impending flare creeping up. It hit pretty hard a few days after Thanksgiving, and I’ve basically been in bed most of this week. Unable to talk or eat without intense pain. And the fatigue has been debilitating. I’m grateful that we are in a safe place, surrounded by people who love us and will take care of Munchkin while I rest and wait it out. This forced down time has allowed me to continue to develop my faith, reading, learning, and praying as God keeps making adjustments in my heart. I’m annoyed at being sick again, but excited that God is using it to do work in me. I hope He finishes up quick so I can get on with my life, but I’m learning to be patient and trust His process.