Worth Repeating

Posted: July 8, 2011 at 8:00 am

Dinners this week have pretty much consisted of one of two things – Mama Pea’s noodle salad or BALT (bacon avocado lettuce and tomato) wraps. .

I could use leftovers to whip up a slightly different twist on the meal so we don’t have to eat the same thing more than once during the week. Yet some meals are simply so perfect they are worth repeating.

balt wrap 1

Besides fresh salads, I always think of sandwiches or wraps as a perfect summer dinner. A honking (that’s for you Brittany!) piece of grilled corn on the side adds that special touch so you feel like you cooked a masterpiece, when really you just tossed some things in a round piece of bread and called it good. Tomato? Good. Lettuce? Good. Bacon? Good! Avocado? Goooood! And, no it does not taste like feet. <---- Name that reference! 😉

balt wrap 2

Sadly, this meal has had to retire as we are now out of bacon. Sadly, Peter took the last little serving of Mama Pea noodles to lunch with him. Sadly, I will now need to cook again. Time to hunt for another meal worth repeating!

*insert the smoothest of smooth topic transitions here* 😉

Last week I received a particular question from Victoria @ District Chocoholic. She asked how I believe my 20 minutes of daily prayer time affects my health and overall well-being. Where can I even begin? Let’s see if I can express this adequately. And never fear – preaching is not my style. I hope you won’t skip to the end of this post or close your browser. Can you listen to why? Please. Thank you and big hugs!

If you’re here, I assume you enjoy blogs. Reading blogs. Writing blogs. Connecting with bloggers. I also assume you find an interest in healthy living and possibly fitness goals. You have these goals for a healthy lifestyle and you want support, accountability, encouragement, and new relationships revolving around this interest. In order to achieve those things, you check in with blogs through either writing your own posts, reading others’ posts, messaging on Twitter, posting stats to Daily Mile, etc, etc, etc. You dig?

My prayer time is pretty much the exact same thing, but for my faith, how I live my life, and the way I view my life. It’s a time to check-in and receive encouragement, love, and support from the most inspirational dude out there. Yea, I called God “dude”. We’re tight like that.

Before allowing faith into my life, I was a prisoner to myself. I constantly worried about every little thing. I hated my existence and saw no worth or value in my being. I could not find joy because I couldn’t see the bigger picture of life. My faith freed me. Not religionfaith! (Big difference in my opinion!) It gave me the freedom of peace because I have a God I can trust. It gave me the freedom of love because I could finally see my worth and the worth in others. It gave me the freedom of dreams because I could finally recognize my passions as having a purpose. Faith is not about commandments and rules. It’s about freedom. Freedom to lead a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (aka the fruits of the Spirit).

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I don’t ever want to forget the night and day difference between my life before faith and after that relationship. Just as you would always want to stay in touch with a dear friend or loved one, I make my time every day to stay in touch with the dearest of loves in my life. Because without Him I seriously fear where I would be right now. Or if I would even be.

My prayer time brings overall well-being because it keeps me grounded, humble, honest, and thankful. It keeps me centered on the important things in life. It keeps me moving forward with that zest for life I hope to reflect. All of those things which undeniably make life worthwhile. That make life worth living. That inspire a healthy lifestyle so I can live that life out to the absolute fullest. I want to suck out every drop…and hanging out with my dude man gives me just what I need to make that happen.

  • Are you a fan of leftovers? Do you doctor them up or eat them the same way?
  • Does a time of prayer/meditation/reflection/etc improve your health?
  • Of Possible Interest: I shared a post on Abs: Function Over Appearance at Fitblogger this week! Check it out.

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56 Comments to “Worth Repeating”
  1. I totally second that there is a huge faith versus religion difference – loved this post!

  2. i love you. [and bacon.]

  3. I am a huge fan of leftovers! Sometimes I leave them exactly the same, and sometimes I change them. It depends on my mood.

    I take 5 minutes every night and pray and reflect. I do this it improves my health because it has such a positive affect on my mood and outlook on life!

  4. I like leftovers, but will try to do something a little different with them. Something like bean burgers over a salad rather than bread or making baked falafel with hummus.

  5. My quiet time is absolutely what refuels me. What’s even more amazing than the feeling of closeness that comes from spending time daily with Him, is the absence and distance you begin to notice when you skip quiet time for a few days. It’s a reminder that things aren’t as they should be, and a good kick in the butt to get my quiet time back on schedule! Thanks for sharing your faith, Tina!

  6. Angela says:

    I love leftovers! I’ve found that most of the grain-based salads I’ve made lately are so much better the next day! And quiet time… yes, I need it on a regular basis. Can’t wait to have some time to myself this weekend.. only 8 hours to go (not that I’m counting or anything!) 🙂

  7. Mrs. Fish says:

    I have a very hungry husband, we have no leftovers!

    Time spent communicating with God and get into his word is so important to me as well. It’s like any relationship, if you love a person and care about them, you want to spend time with them and get to know them better. That’s my belief of quiet times, the more time I spend communicating with God and studying his word, the better I know him!

    Great post! 🙂

  8. I love leftovers….especially if they’re ones that marinate more the longer you leave them and taste incredibly better than when you originally made them!

    • Tina says:

      We will specifically make almost meatless sloppy joes and certain things like tofu broccoli slaw a day before we plan to eat them so htey have that fully marinated taste. Yum!

  9. Sarah says:

    I’d never thought to mix avocado and bacon. Is that cream cheese or laughing cow cheese on the wrap?

    I don’t pray daily but I do randomly whether I need to thank Him for something or ask Him for something. I’m reading a Beth Moore book which is helping me explore my faith.

    • Tina says:

      Laughing Cow. No surprise since I’m fairly obsessed. They’re just so flavorful, spreadable, and easy. 🙂

  10. Normally I’m not really into bacon (I know–blasphemy)… I just really prefer sausage. But I’ve been seeing bacon a lot on blogs lately and it’s just starting to look so good to me!

    Daily prayer is so essential for me to stay connected to God and not get wrapped up in myself–it’s easy for me to confuse my own wishes/desires/feelings for something from God and that daily prayer is necessary to keep things in perspective. During the school year I’m very good about doing it every morning because I have more of a routine then. But during the summer I struggle a lot more making sure I get that time in because each day is a little different than the one before it and I’m a procrastinator. As much as I HATE schedules, lists, and routines they really can be helpful at times.

  11. I usually eat leftovers for lunch the next day — I don’t usually change much, maybe throw it in a wrap or over a salad. That is about it!

    We had BALTs last night too! They are the best.

  12. I do like leftovers… but it can’t have chicken in it. leftover chicken is the worst in my opinion. It just tastes yucky!

    Daily prayer/meditation is very important. I think it’s important to be focused and centered… focusing on what’s really important first and foremost (may vary for each person).

  13. Oh my goodness–I can’t get past the bacon! It looks so amazing. In the mornings in NYC, so much of the city smells like bacon–one of the only times I wish I wasn’t a vegan!

  14. I do a lot of repeating during the week. It’s easy and time efficient. Plus, when it comes to food in general, I’m not hard to please… 🙂

  15. Anna S says:

    That was a friends reference!! From the thanksgiving episode Rachel made dessert. So funny!

    Great post.

  16. Keren says:

    It’s a F-R-I-E-N-D-S reference. I love that episode! Joey says it about Rachel’s trifle. We use that line all the time at our house. I also agree with you. Bacon-Good, Tomato-Good, Avocado-Good. 🙂

  17. There are some meals I could repeat every single day — wraps are one of them. One of my fave things is to make a stirfry for dinner and then use all the leftover veggies in a wrap for the next day’s lunch!

    I love your perspective on faith and how it has changed your life so dramatically! It’s very refreshing and inspiring! I don’t make enough time for quiet meditation and it’s something I really need to do.

  18. Thank you, thank you, for answering my question *without* getting preachy. This will sound awful, but I actually was reluctant to add your blog to my reader because “faith” is in the title, and I am very off-put but preachy/self-righteous/heavily religion focused writing – it’s just not what I care to read. Of course, after reading several of your posts, I realized that this was totally not the case and have been enjoying reading your blog.

    I agree very much that the benefit of faith is in the personal relationship with God/a higher power/whatever you believe in, and no so much the specific religion or rules you follow. Even though I would classify myself as borderline agnostic right now – there is just a lot I am not sure about these days – I think that it is very beneficial to reflect on these things.

    • Tina says:

      While I know the benefits a relationship with God and Christ have brought me (and do believe it is available to everyone) I also know each person has their own path and I can’t push my beliefs on someone. Nor would I want to! All I hope to do is love others and hopefully reflect what faith has brought to me – a life of fullness, joy, and love. I hate preachy-ness!!!

      And thanks for reading…and for asking such a great question! <3

  19. jobo says:

    Used to hate leftovers! But now love them as long as I change them up. Love grilled chicken the next day on salad. Hence my lunch today 😉 Have a great weekend!

  20. i LOVE fancied up leftovers! it’s kind of one of my favorite things 🙂 and i have to say yes, when i’m in a place of peace in my relationship with God and am able to reflect and be thankful i’m always healthier and happier. it’s just how it works for me!

  21. I am the queen of leftovers and they are perfect in salads/sandwiches during the summer time! YUM! I am so with you on these for summer meals.

  22. I need to designate some prayer time myself. I know it would relieve a lot of the stress and worries in my life. Kudos to you for being on top of it! 🙂

  23. Megan says:

    I totally agree with you about prayer. I know it’s something I need to include in my life, but I keep putting it off, I don’t know why?! I need to work on that…

  24. I agree with you about prayer! Love leftovers…they are so yummy!

  25. Beautifully worded! I know in my life I feel balanced when I take the time to pray and read the bible. In time management, this is one area that I am continuing to work on. When life gets busy, taking out my quiet time seems to be the easiest thing to move but in the long run it hurts me.

    • Tina says:

      I feel you there. It can be so easy to push aside because it doesn’t “have” to get done in our eyes. God’s there but not looming over us with a deadline or something visible. However, everything else becomes so much harder to handle when I let that time slide.

  26. You’re right, prayer and faith are SO renewing. It’s just another aspect of a healthy life for me too.

    I want bacon, badly now.

  27. Great post. Reading about your faith is inspiring. Oh and you already know this but I love bacon and avocado too – I wish I had that wrap for lunch!

  28. such a huge difference between faith and religion. Beautifully written post.

  29. Anna says:

    I love blogs! I secretly want to start one. I love the sense of community.

    Your post made me think of this verse (It was actually a K-Love Word of the Day verse this week!)

    So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
    Galatians 5:1

    Faith freed me from my constant striving to be this and do not be that list. I am free in Christ and that brings me so much joy to live a happy, healthy and abundant life.

  30. Mandy says:

    Love you and your words of wisdom 🙂

  31. My morning prayer time has made a difference in every single area of my life! I hate the random (and thankfully rare) days that I miss – I feel off all day and I truly miss that time with Him.

  32. Colleen says:

    Awesome post! I can definitely feel it if I miss my morning prayer and devotions–and I think everyone else around me can, too! I find myself more anxious and stressed out on days I skip out.

  33. Ana Maria says:

    Beautiful post 🙂

  34. Tina, this post was really good for me. I’ve kind of lost of my faith and it bothers me. A lot of my friends in high school were involved in young life and they preached and pushed their godly views on everyone- they even told me I was a bad person my senior year in hs because I was dating a guy who drank. That, and the fact that my mom and aunt have MS, my bro has Crohns, my g-ma has breast cancer, and my parents got divorced are all factors that make it heard for me to have faith. But I really want to- I just don’t know how to get there. Any suggestions?

  35. Jen says:

    Praying for Lindsay! It will help to get a support group (online or real) of people with a strong sense of faith.

    Love this blog post! My sister says the secret to a happy marriage is: sex and bacon. She cooks her husband great stuff which does include leftovers. Guess the secret for a successful blog post is: God and bacon!

  36. Karen says:

    Great post! It’s amazing how you can put into words so many of my thoughts!

  37. I think its sad how much I love bacon! And turkey bacon! I do not discriminate 😉

  38. I am president of the leftover fan club! lol Leftovers supply my dinner 80% of the time since I am the only vegetarian in my house and there are always TONS left to share!
    I am not that religious, but I do find myself praying to G-d now and again. I believe that everyone is entitled to have their own form of G-d, religious or non. 🙂

  39. Dani says:

    That wrap looks delicious! Definitely worth repeating. I’m not so much a leftover fan – i like variety usually – but they’re so easy and free!

  40. excellent post. and i enjoyed reading your REALISTIC and very well said post on abs!

  41. Haley says:

    FRIENDS is my favorite show 🙂
    haha I can quote the entire series, pretty much. I’ve seen every episode so many times I can’t keep count.
    Anyway, I wanted to let you know that this blog post really hit home with me. I need to start talking to God more. I know it will help me overcome my anorexia/binge eating like it helped you overcome your problems.
    You’re an inspiration, Tina
    <3 Haley

  42. AMEN that true freedom isn’t religion nor rules–but a relationship with the one and only, Christ Jesus!! He offers us eternal life and a life of abundance in Him…And that’s why I live as well!! No other reason. I may be such a joyful and peaceful person according to others, but there is no other source than the LOVE from the Lord. 😀 And I truly believe it makes me healthier in the sense that my mind is constantly cleansed by His Word! After all, every battle starts within the mind. When I start to worry or something like that, my health goes down as well. But, that’s not to say that He makes life easy peasy because He doesn’t promise that! But He promises life that is full and abundant in the midst of dark circumstances. Love you so much Tina!

  43. Avery says:

    Thank you for sharing your faith Tina! I love that you are sharing how your quiet time is beneficial and effects you in such a positive light. As a believer sometimes I find it hard to explain exactly how time in the word and time with God IS so beneficial! It truly gives me a feeling of love, joy and comfort that I can’t get anywhere else. This was not overbearing at all, and hopefully everyone will find this as encouraging as I did!

  44. Sarah says:

    I tend to get into food ruts- I’ll just eat the same thing til I’m tired of it and/or we’re out of the necessary ingredients.

    I do believe spirituality influences physical health. I don’t think human beings are very compartmentalized. Each component (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual) aspects effect the others.

  45. The Chick says:

    Hi, just found your blog for the first time through your post on Fit Blogger. Not sure if I am the typical person who visits as I am just starting out on my health and wellness journey (I have 200 pounds to lose), but I loved the post you wrote and wanted to stop by.

    Love leftovers. As a busy, stay-at-home homeschooling, breast-feeding, blogging mama of four leftovers can save me some nights. I do like to mix it up but some nights it’s just the same old stuff. It’s what works for us. Wraps are one of my favorites too. When my baby had to be hospitalized I got addicted to the whole wheat chicken salad wraps the hospital would bring me. Yum, so good! Almost makes me want to go back…almost.

    I, too, am a non-preachy Christian. And I completely agree with you here-that faith isn’t about following a set of rules and regulations, but it’s about the relationship and freedom to love and really be who we were created to be. I share a similar story as you-as least from the sounds of it-in terms of what my life was like BEFORE. Pretty much hopeless and I NEVER want to go back there again. I am absolutely dependent on God for his strength, grace and mercy when it comes to meeting my fitness goals. I would totally give up and give in if it weren’t for that part of my life. The previous commenter is right-you can’t compartmentalize your life like that. Everything affects everything else.

    Anyway, I would love to have you come visit my blog, http://www.fatchickfedup.com. I am a new subscriber!

    • Tina says:

      Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!!! I will check your blog out for sure! Love connecting with fellow moms, bloggers, and those who want to live a life full of joy. 🙂

      And hey – everyone is welcome here. We all work to motivate and inspire each other. Have a great day!

  46. Groff's Girl says:

    Love the look of those wraps!!! Mmmmm!!! I am sure ‘Joey’ would approve of the amazing flavor blends!!!! I did a post recently about I got ‘faith’ from temple stays in Korea…those thoughts still work for me. We all have our own kind of beliefs, but without them, feeling lost seems inevitable! As long as we can believe in, and garner strength from, a source of inspiration, I think we can feel secure in following our heart’s path!

  47. Erica says:

    I love this post! It is beautifully worded and sums up exactly how I, also, feel about my quiet time. After checking in with God I feel refreshed, lighter, and closer to Him. I fully acknowledge His presence in my life and give Him all praise for every step I run and the ability to just make it through the day! Thank you for this post and for sharing your heart without being preachy…I hope I reflect the same on my blog. Happy Saturday:-)

  48. Haha, LOVE Friends! My cousin actually made a triffle for a get together we had last week, and we couldn’t stop laughing and quoting that episode. “It tastes like feet!” LOL!

  49. […] turn to prayer to keep perspective and peace. I schedule and set up routines to keep things moving as seamlessly […]

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