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.

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! 😉

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 religion – faith! (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).

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.

I have had a little sleeping problem lately. I wake up at some point in the middle of the night and have to fight to get back to sleep. My mind will simply not quiet down. Interesting enough, I’m not awake fretting things or creating mental to-do lists. Instead, I’m honestly laying there in awe of my life and the blessing God has brought to me. I don’t know where this sensation comes from, but I think I can narrow it down to 5 things that truly make me feel complete.

My fitness empowers me. I cannot help but feel empowered, strong, and physically capable after my fabulous 10K race experience on Saturday. Then, I continued to feel strong as I headed to the gym for a great workout this morning – including push-ups all on my toes!!!!

I followed up my plyometrics, chest, triceps, and abs circuit with a great spin class. My legs felt great and I had a ton of energy. I feel complete with fitness in my life.

My healthy lifestyle energizes me. Sure, I can eat donuts in the morning and head to a dinner out with a decadent dessert the same evening, but I also believe I treat my body well. I fuel myself adequately. I stay aware of my emotions. I remain in tune with my body. All of this works together for me to have the energy to live life fully.

Loving others fulfills me. Giving of myself to others brings me such joy. I could not imagine life without those I love so much. My family. My friends. Even people I don’t know well, but have the chance to come across and show kindness. It brings so much back to my life. I feel complete with love in my life.

Blogging humbles me. The way you all support me so I can continue shooting for my dreams and following the path I feel God has laid before me humbles me. Having the chance to pour myself into something I feel so strongly for makes me incredibly appreciative. I feel complete with FFF in my life.

Most important - My faith restores me. Yesterday I made it to church service for the first time in a few weeks after being out of town and having a messed up schedule last weekend. The sermon inspired me. The praise songs revitalized me. The worship, prayer, and community uplifted me. I feel complete with God in my life.

Lately I see all of these things in my life working together and moving me forward in a life I never thought I could have. I love my life and I completely attribute it to each of these things. They complete me.

• What is something that completes you?