The Girl's Fruity Dinner

Orange:
calories 40
dietary fiber: 1g
sugars: 8g
protein: 1g

Brown Crispy Rice: 1/4 cup
estimated
calories 80
 fat: .5g
dietary fiber 1g
sugars 1g
protein: 1g
iron: 2%

Chobani greek yogurt:
calories 140
fat:0
sugars 19
protein: 14g
vitamin c 2%
calcium 20%

Pear: (half)
calories 58
dietary fiber 3g
sugars 10
vitamin c 7%
calcium 1%
iron 1%

Banana: (half)
calories 72
dietary fiber 2g
sugars 10g
protein 1g
vitamin a 1%
vitamin C 12%
iron 1%

honey wheat braided twists: (2)
estimated
calories 55
fat .75g
dietary fiber >1g
sugars 1g
protein 1g
iron 1.5%


The total meal was
About 7 grams of fiber
About 49 grams of sugar
About 18 grams of protein
About 5% daily iron (for a 2000 calorie diet)
About 21% vitamin c (for a 2000 calorie diet)
About 1% vitamin a (for a 2000 calorie diet)
About 20% of calcium (for a 2000 calorie diet)
About 445 calories

It was a little high in the sugar intake but not as bad as I had thought. This meal was also fat free, which I don't think is a particularly good thing for growing toddlers but they made up for the fat missing in this meal in the cupcakes i baked them, scrambled eggs and chicken sausage and ham sandwiches they had throughout the day.

I just wanted to post this for myself, and anyone else who ever considered feeding their kids a meal of just fruit and yogurt. It looks to me like this isn't a bad meal at all, in fact, I feel kind of good about it for an occasional throw together "meal."


PS I'm exhausted, I made no promises that I correctly added or spelled anything.

Failure to Nap

If you have children you know the afternoon routine, crying abounds, sharing stops and it seems as though if you so much as look at your child the wrong way they'll lose every bit of their 2 year old self control and fly off the handle.  It should come as no surprise to me that when this happens in my house I lose all of my grown up 26 year old self control as well.  The crying, the whining, the faces drawn with exhaustion and the iron will to stay awake at all costs.  This afternoon I was wondering why God gave me twins.  Why two?  I often wonder what on Earth He was thinking to give ME two children at the same time.

I guess I'm a little bit like Moses, who after being chosen by God to lead his people out of Egypt began to question God's decision to use him as their leader.  Moses didn't think he was qualified.  Maybe he wasn't but it was Moses that God wanted to lead his people and the Lord was not at all pleased that he didn't think God had chosen the right man.  The fact is, God chose to give me two children at once.  I probably wouldn't have picked the two for one deal myself but its what I got.  

Lord, I don't know what you are thinking, I'm not that patient, I'm not that loving, I'm not that kind, I'm not that gentle. Please, equip for me for the daunting task, and blessing that you have set before me!!

Can I get an Amen...?

And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I [am] not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I [am] slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. Exodus 4:11-13

Faith like a Child

A few weeks ago my 2 and a half year old daughter Kaitlyn had a fever of about 102.5.  We all laid hands on her and prayed for God to quickly heal her and bring down the fever.  I also called the Dr. to make sure that they weren't concerned about it and life carried on at our house.  At lunch time, as Kaitlyn was sitting across from me she sweetly explained that something supernatural was happening, "Mommy, my ear hurts me, but Jesus is healing it. It will be fine." My heart leaped at the adorable statement of my child. "Oh, thats wonderful Kaitlyn. He certainly will heal your ear." When I told her Daddy later in the day he just smiled and said something like, "hmmm, thats awesome. I'm glad." He didn't really seem surprised nor did he question the validity of her faith filled statement.  To be honest, I hoped that Jesus would heal her ear and I, in part, believed that He absolutely would but there was a part of me that doubted.  I tell the children all the time that God loves them, that He loves to heal and work in our lives and the lives our friends.  They've been part of a few miracles already and they have seen with their own eyes the working of the living true God and yet I still held a seed of doubt.   It was a small kernel but it was there.


Kaitlyn's fever broke that same day and no one else in the family got sick with the exception of me.... Though it was a time of learning and prayer for me, and thankfully the sickness passed quickly.


About a week later Kaitlyn was periodically touching her ear and mentioned again about Jesus healing it.  I told her that we ought to exercise wisdom, something that both the girls and I have been learning about asking for more of, and visit the doctor to confirm that her ear was totally clear.


This is the part where things get good.  Kaitlyn and I were sitting in the doctor's office together, enjoying the sweet peacefulness of our company, just she and I.  We prayed that the doctor we saw would be kind and that God would make Kaitlyn brave.  God does not disappoint.  Our doctor walked in and when he asked Kaitlyn how she was feeling she clearly told him, "Jesus healed my ear, I'm fine."  I laughed, almost nervously.  Now our doctor will think that we're religious nut-jobs!  Then I thought... wait a minute, I think we are... I told the doctor the story of her ear hurting, the fever and how we prayed for Jesus to heal it.  He just smiled.  I told him that I wanted it checked to be sure.  Wouldn't you know that her ears were just fine!  The doctor told me that there was a very small amount of fluid in one of the ears that could have been from a slight runny nose or an ear infection that had cleared up.  I was so happy.  I was so proud of my little girl.  I said aloud, "see Kaitlyn! Jesus really did heal your ear! Praise God!"  The doctor replied with a smile as he walked out the door, "I am sure that Jesus can heal you far better than I ever could."


How wonderful is that?  Kaitlyn just learned the lesson of faithful prayer resulting real healing; and the doctor we saw that day was bold enough to confirm it to her.  Wow, just wow.  I want to receive the kindgom of God like a child.  Happy to believe, quick to sing and praise Jesus, and confident that God loves me, wants me to be well and hears MY sweet prayers.  Your prayers are sweet to God, just like its sweet to me when I hear the girls pray for the Caton's or Uncle Matt Getz, God is moved with the sweetness of our big grown up prayers.  He loves us so much.  He loves us so much that I'll never be able to explain just how much that so much is.


My prayer for today is that we can each learn to let go of what the world has taught us about faith, God and our relationship with him, and begin to openly, un-ashamedly, worship him for who He is and believe Him for what He says he desires to do in our lives.

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put [his] hands upon them, and blessed them. - Mark 10:14-16

Let your savior lift you in his arms and hold you. I am confident that He wants to.