Tate Cares, a Wedding, A Meal Plan and a Giveaway!!!!!
I know that you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! We did! We got to spend time together as a family, spend time with other family and friends and just relax a little!
Last night, our Sunday School class gathered together at a friends house, and the kids swam while the parents just got to talk. It is so wonderful to be a part of such an awesome group of people who love Christ! We truly fellowship when we are together, and I am grateful for how God has grown our church family over the past year!
This next week is the second time that our church has come together to do Tate Cares. It is a week filled with service projects for our community. They vary from big to small. From very labor intensive to light work. From feeding families to painting band halls. It is a crazy amazing week where we make it a point to love others as God has instructed us to. I am convicted daily and especially since I’ve been digging deeper into the books of 1, 2, and 3 John that love is something I need to work harder at. It’s easy to love those in our close circles, but I want to love more wholly and deeply those I come in contact with. And make a point to seek out new people to love every single day!
And I really want get the boys involved with me as well. Right now, they are my mission field, so I want to show them what the love of Christ looks like in action. Matt and I are the two people in their lives right now that they have the most interaction with, and I want to set and example for them to follow. I say that not to boast about myself or be prideful, but to show them the power of Christ in me!
I am not a compassionate or helpful person by nature (shocker!!! 😉 ), but God has certainly given me the desire to serve Him in a more compassionate way. So! We are going to do a couple of things together this week:
1. Serve Firefighters, Policemen, and Emergency Technicians dinner.
2. Serve lunch to families who are not able to afford food for themselves.
3. Stock bookshelves for a local pregnancy center.
4. Bake cookies for fire department baskets.
None of these things are grand gestures of love, but honestly, it is the small, everyday things that make the biggest impact. Please pray with us this week as there are many other service projects going on in our community! Pray that people would come to know the love of Christ through through this week of service!
So, I know that I keep talking about how crazy our weeks are, and I’m sure so many of you can relate! This week is no different, and I am going to be out of town for the next two weekends!!! I’m so excited about what is coming up, but I want to make sure to stay on top of my nutrition.
This weekend, I will be out of town for my sweet cousin, Lauren’s wedding, and I’m not sure what all will be served at the meals I am attending. But I know there will be options, and I plan to make GOOD choices…but I will plan for a piece of wedding cake!
Sweet Lauren and Aaron |
So, my meal plan reflects my meals through Friday. I will be honest that I have not stuck to my Countdown to Competition meal plan to a T, but I have been more focused on it. And when I’m spot on and eat as I have planned, I can tell a BIG difference!!!! I feel stronger, leaner, and my energy level is great! It’s amazing how eating the foods God created for us in their natural form really is all we need to grow stronger! I love that my workouts are better and more efficient, and it is why I will continue to follow this plan through Summit!!!
I have been so encouraged this week by my challengers. One message in particular really blew me away! Amanda started in May with the 21 Day Fix and Shakeology. She has always been a runner, but since she started my challenge group and has cleaned up her eating and incorporated these workouts, this is what she shared:
- Learning to choose more natural and whole foods
- Practicing portion control
- Incorporating 30 minutes of exercise daily
- Preparing healthy, wholesome foods for our families
- Planning for our weeks to ensure success
- Packing good snacks for vacations, trips to the beach or pool instead of running through drive-thrus and convenience stores
- Digging deeper into God’s word and growing closer to Him through this journey