Hi friends! Happy Thursday!

Thank you all so much for all of the birthday wishes over on IG and FB. I am beyond blessed! I spent the majority of the day at work but was able to slide out a little bit early and spent the rest of the afternoon with the husband and my family. I couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon! The weather was beautiful, the conversation was good, the laughter poured over, the wine was refreshing, the food was delicious, the love was present and the company was the best!

And oh my goodness friends… my heart has been touched.

Birthdays always seem like a great time to reflect, and this birthday, gratitude has flooded my heart and mind. Another year older, I have so much to be grateful for.

A few days ago, my sister-in-law shared an article that I can’t help but reflect on and pass along to you. I had a summertime drink recipe planned (as mentioned a few days ago) and ready to share with you today, however, that can wait but this cannot.

Before we go any further, I beg that you read the article, How to Be an Optimist – Regardless of What You’re Facing published by Ann Voscamp on her site, A Holy Experience.

This article literally hits the nail on the head for me. As I was reading the article, there were several moments I felt as though the Ann Voscamp took the words directly from my mouth and heart. This is one of the very few pieces of writing that have ever given me chills nearly the entire time I was reading. 

I’ll do my best to summarize the article in my own words as well as share a few of my favorite quotes from Voscamp, however, there is no way my words will ever do this piece of work justice. Please, please take a few minutes and read it for yourself (either now or bookmark it for later; you won’t be sad you did).

Here we go…

Unlike my optimistic husband, many of us (myself included) have a natural tendency to look at the glass half empty rather than half full. Here are a few of my own examples (not necessarily personal to me):

• “Of course I’m running late” versus “Maybe God is trying to slow me down for a reason”
• “Of course my first career didn’t work out” versus “God has bigger and better plans for my life”
• “Of course he broke up with me” versus “God has someone far more compatible for me to come” or even “I must learn to love myself before I can even attempt to love someone else”
• “Of course I dropped my cell phone in a cup of water” versus “Now I will actually be able to give my full attention to my kids when they are begging me to read them a bed time story”
• Of course I fractured my ankle one month before my half-marathon” versus “Sometimes rest is all we need”

I love this quote from the article…

“Years are ridiculously short and minutes can be relentlessly long and failures can seem eternal.”

How true is that?

Have you ever stopped in the midst of a stressful moment (like a Monday morning when you woke up 45 minutes late, knocked over and shattered a glass candle votive, walked into your office only to realize that you forgot to put your mascara on, not only that but you also forgot your coffee, which by the way, is exactly how my Monday morning went this past week) and asked yourself, “How could/would things be different if instead of looking at the glass half empty, I choose to accept that all of this is happening for a reason and smiled and actually laughed about it?” I bet my morning would have gone a little bit differently, don’t you?

In the article Voscamp says,

“When we fixate on the worst in something, we render ourselves incapable of fixing anything.

But attend to the good in something — and we act towards the best in everything.”

Being an optimist even amongst trying times is key in maintaining a happy life.

She says,

“The cynics donning armor because they’re the aching, the afraid not wanting to be disappointed. It’s the cynics who have a limited, bruised vocabulary of no. It can seem easier to reject the world before the world hurts you again.

It’s the brave who say a prayerful yes, the brave and wise who believe that the faith-filled yes is what heals things.

It’s the brave and free who are the optimists.”

And then Voscamp got even more real.  She explains that in situations like these, it’s actually possible to be both an optimist and a pessimist. In order to be a long term optimist, we can actually use a pessimistic question to change our thinking,

“What is the worst thing that could possibly happen?”

Really though? What is the worst thing that can happen?

“And there aren’t any wolves, trouble, kids, hatred, debts, messes, betrayal, teenagers, disease, lack, hard times, untruths, diagnoses, or disappointment that can possibly separate you from the love of God. Nothing can separate you from Him.”

So what’s the worst thing that could possibly happen? As long as you want nothing more than Christ, the worst thing that could happen is that you, as Vancamp puts it best…

“Live — and He’s using everything to shape you more into Christ and abundant life in Him.

Die — and you have eternal life in Him.

Abundant life versus eternal life — it’s impossible to lose!”

Today and everyday, when things aren’t going your way, I challenge you to pause and ask yourself, “As long as I chose Christ, what’s the worst thing that can happen?”

(Not to be mortal but) I was actually just telling my sister the other day how comfortable I am with death because of this very concept; and although she didn’t like me talking about death (of which is something that I do not fear, nor do I want to happen anytime soon just for the record), it is exactly how I feel. I choose not to fear death because if the worst thing that happens to me is death, then eternal life with Jesus actually sounds pretty awesome.

Truth? Or truth?

How do you view the world? Is the glass always half empty? Or do you view it as half full? Either way, this article certainly makes us think!

Have an optimistic day!

Good health!

The post On being an optimist. Is the glass half empty? Or half full? appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi friends! Happy Thursday! Hope your week has been wonderful! It’s been rather busy for me. I’ve been hanging with my sister this week and we’ve tackled dinner together for the past two nights…

A veggie smorgasbord Wednesday night…

Tri-blend beans, roasted broccoli, cauliflower and onions, flipped corn, balsamic tofu, crinkle cut sweet and regular potato fries.

And crockpot veggie and quinoa soup tonight.

From crockpot…

To table…

Seriously, the easiest recipe ever: throw the following in a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours… 

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• 1 bag frozen veg-all (corn, lima beans, carrots, green beans, peas)
• 1 large potato, cut into small cubes
• 1, 28 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 box unsalted vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning/Herbs de Province 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• additional water as needed
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (added already cooked right before serving)

Anyway, as I mentioned last week, I am currently reading Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst. Each day as I read more and more, I am inspired by yet another line, either directly from the words of the author or from the pages of the Bible, as she references so often. As the title suggests, Unglued is a book about allowing your emotions to work for you, rather than them causing you to come unglued when things are out of your control. TerKeurst puts it best:

“Feelings are indicators, not dictators.”

Or at least they should be…

Yesterday something resonated with me on multiple levels that I want to share with you today. I was reading in chapter 5 when TerKeurst was talking about the difference between self-control and holy constraint. Just so that you can understand a little bit more about what I am talking about tonight, here is what she means by that: “Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit,” she suggests. “It’s the external expression of our relationship with God.”

On the other hand, “Holy restraint is the seed of this fruit. It’s the internal experience of living with Christ and really applying His truths to my life. It’s deciding I’m not going to ingest His truths by taking them in and feeling good about them for a few minutes. I’m going to digest His truths by making them part of who I am and how I live. There’s a big difference between ingesting truth and digesting it.”

Have you ever thought about the difference between those words: ingest vs digest?

There’s something about those words, ingest and digest, that really sat with me throughout the day. Maybe it’s because they tie so easily back to what I do and talk about everyday, but regardless, I couldn’t get those words off of my mind. Moving away from the book and over to nutrition, this concept is so applicable. In today’s world we all ingest more nutrition information than we even know what to do with:

Eat your fruits and veggies!

Eat less meat!

Fat is good, fat is bad!

Coffee is good for you; coffee is bad for you.

Drink more tea!

Stop eating so many sweets!

But what about gluten?!?!?

Tofu? No fu!

How many drinks per day?

So wait? Dairy doesn’t create strong bones?

You get it. We are bombarded and thus ingest more nutrition information than ever before yet over two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese and the majority of us don’t feel well either. Something has got to change, and that something is the digestion.

This is where it all came together for me. 

We know what to do, but we aren’t doing it. We know the simple truth that fruits and vegetables are good for us and that sugar and unhealthy fats are bad for us. We know that we need to move our bodies. We know that slurping down sodas, gorging on candy and losing our cool on ice cream (literally!) aren’t going to help us feel better. We know all of these things but we are choosing not to digest the information that we ingest.

Our health is a privilege and not a right, and therefore, we have to take it into our own hands and make responsible decisions to not only ingest what is good for us but digest it too. Simply put we have to do something with all of the information that we ingest. We have to digest it.

How can you better digest the information that you learn to help you live a healthier life? For me, it’s making sure that I live out the information that I preach everyday! 

Isn’t this concept so applicable in so many different areas of our lives? 

Have a wonderful evening my friends! It’s basically Friday!

Good health!

The post Ingest vs Digest + Crockpot Veggie Soup Recipe appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hiya! Thursdayyyy! One more day until Friday!

First off, holy moly Robin Roberts last night at the ESPY’s.

{Photo Source}

“When fear knocks, let faith answer the door.” – Robin Roberts

A woman who has been through so much and still has the courage to remain strong in her faith. What an inspiration she is to so many, including myself. She is the example of strength, determination, and blind faith.

How can I follow words like that? I truly can’t but I’ll start writing anyway.

—

I have been getting a lot of questions lately about what is next in my life career wise. Not only that but I’ve also shared with you that I am working on something (just haven’t disclosed what that something is yet!). First off, I greatly appreciate your kind words, encouragement and support through this process.

Following my March graduation from the Mayo Clinic, while studying for the RD Exam, I spent a lot of time praying, listening, researching, networking, and pondering about what was next for me. Up until I took and passed my exam, I wasn’t sure what the future was going to look like for me. In the field of nutrition, the options are endless. Did I want to work in a hospital? Did I want to work in school nutrition? What was it that I wanted to do?

I shared with you guys a few weeks ago that instead of making a rash decision and rushing into anything because I was feeling the outside pressure to answer the question, “What are you doing now, Ashley?” I took my time and listened to God. I told Him to take me where ever He wanted too because I would and will follow. If my days should be spent at a hospital bed, then so be it. If my days should be spent in a nursing home, then so be it. If my days should be spent sharing helpful tips with you, then so be that too.

And that’s where I am today. Remember a few weeks ago when I shared this photo with you by Christina at Some Place Wild and told you to stay tuned?

If you will take a second look at her hashtags, you will see #gypsydietitian. So before things start looking all crazy and changing again over here like they are soon, I want to share with you what is next for me and what I have been working on for the past four months.

I have decided to listen to God and the encouragement from my husband and others and take the less traditional route (though it might be challenging at times, but what job isn’t?) and have started my own online nutrition consulting company, The Gypsy Dietitian, LLC. I will still write my blog, which will be the base of the site, but I am going to add in many different services that I am currently working on for you now. I will still pursue other opportunities that align with TGD as they present and look forward to this journey ahead.

I will leave it at that until everything is changed over (like more about why I chose The Gypsy Dietitian if it isn’t already obvious) but I just wanted you to know what was going on for me and what I’m talking about when I tell you I am having a busy day.

Again, thank you for your support in this journey and I hope that you continue to follow along.

I’m off to spend the afternoon with my brother, exploring his town and catching a minor league baseball game tonight! Have a great Thursday!

Good health!

The post Robin Roberts + Answering the Question: What’s Next, Ashley? appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there! How are you? Thursday already!? The week is flying.

Yesterday included a great body weight cardio/legs workout that I’m going to share with you tomorrow, as well as another long day on the beach. And you know that included a family photo since the four of us are here now.

Trying to get these guys to cooperate was like pulling teeth, but we finally got them at least posed enough to take a quick pic – even if Gunner is falling down on me.

After a long day on the beach, we had a delicious dinner including another black bean burger for me and some fish/shrimp for the others.

Black bean burger topped with vegan cheese, mango salsa, cilantro lime corn, garlic roasted asparagus, grilled bell peppers and brown rice.

—

But anyways, last week when I was pondering about what I wanted to write about this week a few things went through my mind. Another recipe? Got it. A workout or yoga pose? Got that too. While those are both two of my favorite topics, I also want to always share more than just surface topics with you. I want you to come here because you can read real stories about real life. I want you to feel like you can connect with me, on more than just a “You must try this delicious dessert!” level – if that makes any sense at all. So today’s post is a little bit different than what I normally write about but I hope you enjoy it just as much.

Let me rewind to 2008- the year that I got married and finished up my first degree in Broadcasting/Journalism (or enough so to be able to finish a distance internship and move to Orlando with my new husband).

I was young (21), in love, and following the path Jesus laid out for me. Following our December wedding, I moved to Florida in order to support my husband who was rehabilitating his shoulder in hopes to return to work (the mound) the following season. Our life was up and down, back and fort, and the only constant in our life was God’s love – we were living the minor league baseball life. (In fact, during that time, I even started writing a book called “A Minor League Life as a Minor League Wife with a Major League God.” I think it could have been pretty good, but that’s beside the point.) We moved often and had to be ready to go whenever Dustin and the coaches felt he was ready. I knew very little about life at the age of 21 (who am I kidding? I don’t know much more now ;-)), but I knew what made me happy and that was being with my husband.

That season, I worked a restaurant job with a college degree simply because we had no idea how long we would spend in one city. Try telling the hiring manager of a full time position that you don’t know how long you will live in that one particular city – see if he still wants you on his team. I had graduated yet had no idea what to do with that degree considering our lifestyle.

As a high school and college student, I was a career girl through and through. I was working in a top 10 market by the time I was 25 and would consider getting married around 30. Kids? I don’t think so. Jokes on me, right? As the first married of all of my friends, you better believe the look on both my close friends and parents face when Dustin shared the news that we were thinking about getting married was a confused one.

“You mean a promise ring, Dustin?,” my mom said.

“No, Mrs. Debby, an engagement ring.”

A few of my guy friends in high school used to tell me that Kelly Clarkson’s “Miss Independent” song was written after me. I don’t think that’s the best compliment but you catch my drift.

During our first few years of marriage, I certainly had my doubts. I would get angry and tell Dustin that I had given up my dreams in order to follow his. I would tell him that I was going to move home and march toward my goals.  He supported every decision and every word that ever came out of my mouth. He would tell me that he wanted me to do whatever it was that I wanted to do and if I wanted to move home then that’s what I should do. But he also told me that my support for him meant more than any additional income, more than a “power couple” status, and more than any temporary job.

We certainly could have lived life apart. Me in Atlanta chasing my TV dreams and him hopping from city to city on a different mound every five days. I wouldn’t have known his life and he wouldn’t have known mine, but we would have both been pursuing what we each defined as success.

But we decided it wasn’t worth it.

We wanted to be together and that’s all that mattered to us. We’ve certainly made it harder on ourselves living on one income the past five years when we easily could have had two, but God had different plans for us and we chose to follow His plan rather than our own. And not only that, life on the go is pretty fun. Watching my husband pitch are some of the best memories I have, and now that it’s over, I would have regretted not being there for the rest of my life. God’s plan for me far exceeds any plan I could have ever written myself. God knew exactly what He was doing when He told me what to do and where to go and I am so thankful that I listened. It was during that time that I was  able to find myself and my true calling. If I had followed my own selfish desires and pushed against God’s plan, I would have never had a quite moment to listen and see what else was out there for me.

Because of baseball, my selfless husband, and God’s impeccable timing, once baseball was over and my husband retired from the game, I was able to return to school in order to pursue my nutrition degree and then my dietetic internship in order to now be a registered dietitian. I would have never done that if our story didn’t unfold exactly as it was supposed to.

Since Dustin is now back in the baseball world (same game, different position), he is on the road a lot, yet again. Following my internship and obtaining my registration, I have again had another “be quite and listen” time in my life. Do I take a traditional job and see my husband very seldom – even though he and I are a perfect team and being together is what makes us the happiest? Or do I follow my heart, choose happiness over a salary and try to map out my own story according to God’s plan?

With a Mayo Clinic seal of approval and a director that always taught me to shoot for the moon, I left there with the confidence to do anything that I wanted to do. Whether it be clinical, community, food service or anything else, I knew I just had to decide what direction I wanted to go in and start walking.

And that’s where I have been these past few months. Trying to be quite and listen. Listening to God’s path. Listening to God’s plan. A few weeks ago I was sharing my story and journey with a fellow Jesus lover and she said it perfectly, “Ashley, you’re waiting for God to show you the way.” She couldn’t have been more right.

Who says life has to be “traditional?” Who says you have to work here first or work there first in order to be successful? Success is defined by you. By me. We each define it differently. What you define as work or success and what I define as work or success can look completely different so long as we are following God’s individual plan for each of us. That is all that matters. It’s taken me nearly twenty-five years to finally understand that but I couldn’t be happier with where I am, praying that I am doing things exactly as He wants me to.

What about you? Have you had a time in your life where you had to be quite and listen to God? As you see, I’ve had quite a few.

I hope you have an awesome Thursday!

Good health!

The post Sometimes It’s More Important to Be Quiet and Listen Rather Than Make Up Your Own Story appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Lately, and I’m not sure why, but an overwhelming, uneasy feeling has come over me.  Sometimes at night I lie awake for seemingly no reason at all, thinking about the things that tomorrow has in store.  I find this usually happens whenever we move (we are moving at the end of this month) or I become overwhelmed or really, whenever life seems confusing – whenever I don’t know what tomorrow holds (tomorrow meaning, my future).  Right now, I have a lot on my mind thinking about mine and Dustin’s future, and during times like these I’m constantly reminded to lean on God.  Although I’m usually not a very open person (this is something that I try to work on), I understand the importance of talking with others during times like these when my mind begins to consume my life and my thoughts become uncontrollable.

Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot of positive things about taking with a professional, like a therapist or counselor, whenever we feel overwhelmed.  I’ve never been to a therapist or counselor before, and I know that some people find this kind of “self-help” to really bring ease, so last night, I said to Dustin, “What if I went and talked to someone, like a therapist or something about calming my mind?”  “Absolutely not,” he replied.  “You have the only therapist that you need in this world.  God.”  And he is so right.  The only being that is possible of calming my mind, my thoughts, and my stress is God, and I know that.  I guess I just needed reminding of it.  I wanted to share this song because it song really helps me let it all go.

“Bring me joy, bring me peace, bring the chance to be free, bring me anything that brings you glory.  And I know the’ll  be days when this life brings me pain, but if that’s what it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain.”  I’ll take the rain so long as it’s for Jesus.

The main reason for my racing mind: my future, our future.

For those of you that don’t know much about the process of becoming a Registered Dietitian (what I am working to become), the process isn’t near as easy as you would think.  A particular undergrad degree is required (what I am doing right now), in order to even apply for a Dietetic Internship (DI), which is required to even sit for the RD Exam (necessary to become an RD).  Oh and I forgot to tell you, snatching a DI is quite competitive.  There are only a few places offering them, each usually having only about eight spots (huge, huh?) and most prefer at GPA of 3.7 plus and as much volunteer experience, clinical experience, work experience, student involvement, leadership positions, etc. as possible: easy, right?  Not so much.

Over the past year, I’ve been hunting and searching for the places that I want to apply to most (I’ll probably apply to about six), and at the top of my list: Bastyr University, the place is AMAZING.  It focuses solely on natural medication: can you imagine anything more perfect for me?  I know I sure can’t… but I guess I’m going to have to.

I’ve been speaking back and forth with a Bastyr Advisor this summer, only to have my dreams crushed through one e-mail yesterday afternoon, and the worst part: it’s nothing that I did or didn’t do.  Yesterday she told my that my GSU degree didn’t cover the prerequisites that they require.  What?  So I can graduate from my university with this degree but really it’s missing key classes that I have to have in order to even be looked at?  Yep, that’s it.  Great.

The only thing I can say now is… all eyes on God, constantly following what it is that He wants me to do.  I’ll go wherever He wants me to go, even if it may not be Bastyr or maybeeeeee it is?!  It’s all in His hands.

The post Bring the rain. appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Today was better than yesterday, that’s for sure.

Last night, I stayed up a little too late (on into the wee hours of the morning) watching Water for Elephants (which was wonderful, by the way…and I am sooo not a movie person either), so our morning started a little bit later as well.  We rolled out of bed and hit the Old City Farmers Market first thing. Organic kale, pickled okra, dried strawberries, dried kiwi, hummus, and vegan stuffed grape leaves were on the list of goodies that we came home with.  Successful day to say the least. After hitting the local grocery store too, the refrigerator is stuffed to the max full of fresh goodness to carry us through the week.

A pickle-on-a-stick and a black Kenyan coffee may or may not have been breakfast.

In this life (and after yesterday…I’ll explain later), it’s easy to feel sorry for ourselves. Really, it is. No matter what the situation. We must remind ourselves however, that it is through the trials and tribulations that God molds us into the people He wants us to be.

Yesterday was not a day that we walked with sunshine over our heads, both figuratively and literally.  And it’s hard to bring this guy down.

Actually…you won’t. And thank God for that or who knows where I’d be.

We definitely had a play date on the nearby playground a few days ago.

Not only was is POURING here all day long (minus about ten minutes) but we also managed to get scammed three times… in. one. day. Our new record.

Let me explain.

Scam number one: We are currently in the process of finding a place to live once we move up to Jacksonville. We have searched and searched and searched. We’ve gone through realtors, classifieds, and now Craigslist too.  Even though I hate the word hate, I hate Craigslist.  There is very little good that actually comes from that site.

After speaking with a man/woman/it over e-mail quite a few times, we thought we finally found the perfect place.  He/she/it told us to drop by the place to check it out (he/she/it was “out-of-town,” so for today we could only see the outside). That alone seemed sketchy to us, so after driving 45 minutes up to check out the house, we decided to ring the neighbor’s door to find out a little bit more about this he/she/it. The place seemed too good to be true. My mom quickly reminded me tonight that “if ever something seems to good to be true, it is.” She was right.  The he/she/it in the e-mail claimed to be a man working in Alabama and that is why he needed to rent out his home. When we asked the neighbor about the owner he said, “Francsis? Oh, HER health started declining so SHE had to move in with HER son a few miles up the road.”

Realllllllyyyyyy……

This he/she/it is still e-mailing me (I haven’t yet let him know that I’m on to his scam), trying to get information to steal my identity and in a few more e-mails I’m going to let him know that he too has been scammed. So tricky, aren’t I?…Muah hahaha. Ha! Yeahhh

Scam number 2: Dustin decided he would go help out at a youth baseball center with a seemingly prestigious name (I’m not going to name names). We drove an hour up to this baseball complex to find a baseball field in the middle of a cow pasture (deep into the projects too). For a 14-15 year old team, the tattoos were pretty impressive (joking) and the language was well, let’s just say you wouldn’t want your children to here the words coming out of these also children’s mouths. Back to square one we go.

Scam number 3: While Dustin was at his incredible youth baseball practice, I decided to find a dog park in order to let Boss and Gunner run around. I Google-mapped a park and found “7 Leashes Dog Walking Park.” Sounds legit, right? I drive thirty minutes there to find a cement side walk…awesome dog park, Jacksonville, awesome.  We did two laps around the “park” (taking all of eight minutes), and loaded up and called it a day.

Enough was enough. Let’s go home.

You know those days where nothing seems to go your way, this was one of them.

Today was much better though, I can happily say. Even though there is so much confusion and so many unanswered questions in our life right now, I am certain and have full trust in our amazing God. I will never doubt the plans he has for us.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

The post Unlucky Ducks appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

As most of you have read, my “slogan” for this blog has been, “A Minor League Life, As a Minor League Wife, With a Major League God” since I started it.  But because I  no longer live the minor league life and am no longer am a minor league wife, I think it’s time to change my title.  I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, for some reason, and it’s not really even that important.  But because all but one of those three things have changed that must mean that my life has changed quite a bit in the past few months; and it has.

I looked to God to give me a new title, something meaningful; and I think he did.  Check it out…what do you think?

Hungry for More.

As we continue to face this world one thing remains constant and that’s God’s love for us.  As long as we are responding to Him in the way in which He intends, we are satisfying Him, and that is most important.

For me, one of the most important reasons I believe in healthy eating and exercise is because this is not my body; this is God’s temple.  I was loaned this body from my Father and directed to take care of it.  Since it is the only earthly body I will ever have, neglecting it would be irresponsible and dissatisfying to God.  I do admit, however, sometimes I fail and sometimes I do neglect it, but then I remind myself that this body is not mine to destroy; if I destroy it, I am destroying one of God’s designs.

If I feed my body with the foods God intended me to, then I am satisfying His desires.  After all, think about how our bodies are made; so complex, so detailed, and so efficient.  God must have worked very hard and long to give me something of such great detail; why should I have the capability to destroy it?  Each day, we should strive to only fill our bodies full of the foods God intended us to in order to keep His machine working properly.

From 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are now your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Think about that.  Have a great Wednesday!

The post Time for a change: Hungry For More appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

I would be lying if I told you things were great down here in Orlando — but things are changing. These past two weeks have been harder than usual, but like always, our God pulled us through :-).

Just shy of two years out of surgery, Dustin is still not healthy. There is a reason for this and only God knows this answer. This entry is a going to be a bit personal, but it is truly straight from my heart.

I always hear the guys (Dustin’s baseball friends) say that it is harder to be down here for a week than with a team for a month, even though the days here are shorter and there is no weekly traveling. Simply put, it’s mentally straining down here for them. I think they consider it a big black hole, kind of a trap. They don’t know how long they will be here because in the minor leagues it’s all about filling spots. Even if they are healthy and cleared to play again, they can’t go anywhere until a spot opens up.

With all of that being said, things are getting a little repetitive down here. Rehab, rehab, rehab… (whatever that means).

Monday night was extremely difficult. Dustin felt that it might be his time to let go and walk away – that maybe there was another plan out there for him. That means walking away from nearly 20 years of hard work and a dream that is closer than ever to coming true. The worst part is I almost let him. No, I’m not his mother, decision maker, agent, or life coach but sometimes in life we need people there to help us through times like these. Someone to tell us to keep on pushing, working and fighting.

This morning as I was reading the Bible, it was amazing – God let me right to this verse,

“When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did.” 2 Timothy

This is exactly what I need to help Dustin do; to keep going when the going gets tough.

After rehabbing for almost two years, now is the time to fight for it, not let it get you down, and often, we all need someone to remind us of that. No matter how tired of this place he is, I need to give him the push he needs to follow his dream.

Another frustrating thing about the minor league life is the minor league salary. Sometimes it’s hard and we will allow it to get to us, but just as fast, God reminds us,

“A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered this world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.” 1 Timothy 6: 6-8

And it truly is. There is not a price tag that can be put on true happiness, and true happiness can only be found through God, not money. During this time, I think that is something we can all take with us and need reminding of.

As I pray for more ways to help rejuvenate Dustin’s soul and remind him that one day, his hard work WILL pay off, on or off the field, I am so thankful God continues to help us through these times of confusion. After all, isn’t that what life is all about?

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Why? Why blog, you ask?

Because I have a story to tell, just like you.

Last week in church, we were reminded that when Jesus captures us we immediately have a story to tell.  The real question is, why are we not telling it?  While everyone’s story is different, in the end, the hero is always the same.

I want to use this blog to tell mine and Dustin’s story. Join me, will you?

I love the fact we never know what tomorrow holds.  We have no idea where we will be living in April, May, June and beyond, but we trust in God and know fully He will always provide for and take care of us. We have no idea where we will be in a year but that’s OK.  We leave all of these questions up to God and simply enjoy the ride. Rather than hoping for some happy future, we can enjoy NOW because of the trust we place in Jesus.

As most of you know, Dustin plays baseball for a living. While this is a true blessing, just like any other job, the game has its own stresses once it becomes your meal ticket. In striving to make it to the next level to keep your family afloat, baseball becomes a mental game. One day you’re up, the next day you’re down.  It’s also a game of who can stay healthy.  It’s one tear away from being over. God blessed Dustin with a talent to throw the heck out of a baseball, and hopefully, he will be able to use his talent to truly glorify God.

Two years ago, Dustin had complete reconstructive surgery on his throwing shoulder. We were upset about it at first, however, over time, we learned to trust God’s plan. That surgery (or really the time spent recovering from the surgery) has been one of the greatest blessings in our lives. Dustin and I developed a triangle relationship with God, allowing Him to be at the top and the two of us at each angle. We learned more in Orlando about ourselves than I thought I could ever know.  We learned that God uses circumstances in our lives to bring us to Him and this was exactly what He did for us.  Sometimes we have to be knocked down to force us look up. Maybe our relationship couldn’t have handled the baseball lifestyle. Maybe we would have given into the pressures that surround the lifestyle and maybe it would have damaged our marriage beyond repair. We needed God’s strength before we journeyed any further.

To wrap this up, I want to use this blog to follow our life. I want to cover everything from God, to marriage, to health and nutrition; from exercise tips, to healthy recipes I find, and to the books I’m reading. I’ll share how Dustin’s arm is feeling, how he’s throwing in his games, musings on spring training, where we are/will be and just simply tell my story.  Basically, I just want to write, regardless of who is listening, even if it may be no one at all.

I’m excited for this journey! I hope you’ll join along!

Ashley

P.S. We found an amazing church here in Orlando called First Baptist Church of Orlando. We feel completely at home here and wish this church could travel with us as we take on another year of minor league baseball. Even though we can’t take the amazing grace of the church with us, we can and will take God… or rather, he will be taking us!

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