Coolest Jewish Guy Since Jesus

I just love the faith-filled music of my Jewish brother Matisyahu.

His perfect blend of humanity, heartfelt lyrics, and smooth reggae, rock and blues rhythms is like pure honey to my spirit! He inspires me!

Enjoy.

"One Day"

Sometimes I lay
Under the moon
And thank God I'm breathing

Then I pray
Don't take me soon
Cause I'm here for a reason

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around

Because
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play

One day, one day, one day
One day, one day, one day

It's not about
Win or lose
Because we all lose
When they feed on the souls of the innocent
Blood drenched pavement

Keep on moving though the waters stay raging
In this maze you can lose your way (your way)
It might drive you crazy but don't let it faze you no way (no way)

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around

Because
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play

One day, one day, one day
One day, one day, one day

One day this all will change
Treat people the same
Stop with the violence
Stop with the hate

One day we'll all be free
And proud to be
Under the same sun
Singing songs of freedom like

One day, one day

All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play

One day, one day, one day
One day, one day, one day

Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhh...

Shalom!

I love the smell of beets roasting in the morning...(LOL)

Ever since I quit abusing my liver with alcohol and pills (thank you Jesus!), I have been trying to slowly nurse it back to health. One thing I noticed is that it is very sensitive to the foods I eat now! I can’t eat like I used to! Whenever I eat a bunch of refined sugar, additives & preservatives, trans fats and other such garbage, I feel as if I have been run over by a massive truck!

A few months ago, I did a lot of research online about liver health and foods that are essential for maximum liver performance. In case you didn’t know, the liver is the largest organ in your body and it acts as a filter for your body. It is essential to digestion and total body function, because It breaks down chemicals and produces bile, which breaks down fat. Whenever your liver is full of toxins, your whole body is out of wack, and you begin feeling fatigued, achy, grouchy, headaches, insomnia, etc. A lot of psychiatric ills are also linked to poor liver function.

That’s when I decided to start eating better! Within a week I noticed my health skyrocket! I had more energy than I had had in a long time. My mood was better. Everything felt better! But…as with many other good things in my life…I got lax…and slowly, but surely found myself eating a bunch of garbage again. My new position as a VISTA and my other obligations require a lot out of me right now, and I had begun feeling really, really run down.

So, last night I recommitted myself to eating healthy! I went to the market and bought a bunch of fresh, healthy produce, cold water fish, and whole grains.

This is my first liver-friendly meal:




Spiced Vegan Stew
with Roasted Beet & Feta Cheese Salad

Snip the greens off of a bunch of fresh beets and wash them well. Slice them in strips. Shred cabbage and carrots and add them to the mix. Finally drain a can of chick peas and a can of black beans and dump them in! (Note: You can substitute any greens and beans you’d like, depending on preference.)

In a large, covered microwave-safe casserole dish, add 4 cups of water, 1 cube of Knorr vegetable bouillon, 2 pods of fresh crushed garlic, the juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon, 2 tablespoons of turmeric powder, several crushed black peppercorns, and a few generous dashes of Kosher salt. Cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until it begins to boil. Add the greens and beans mixture, recover and microwave on high for another 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, stir 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch into a cup of cold water until it makes a smooth paste. Stir into the broth until evenly incorporated and microwave on high for another 1-2 minutes, or until the broth has thickened nicely. Let it cool, then enjoy!

As a yummy companion to this dish, I made a salad of baby field greens (spring mix) with a homemade citrus vinaigrette. The vinaigrette simply consists of extra virgin olive oil, juice of ½ Meyer lemon, juice of ½ grapefruit, 1 pod crushed garlic, fresh crushed peppercorns and a dash of Kosher salt. Finally, I topped the salad with crumbled feta cheese and some sliced beet roots that have been roasting in my convection/toaster oven all this time.

Yum! It feels (and tastes) so good to be back on track!

More liver-friendly recipes to come. :)

Women Rock!!!

Today is International Women's Day! 

I want to take a moment to thank all the women I know who are making a difference...in my life...in my church...in the body of Christ...in the community...and in the world!

My life has been touched by so many gracious, loving, empowered ladies who have tirelessly listened, laughed, prayed, cooked, loved, hugged, kissed boo boos, served, worked, driven, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc...........

And though we are aliens and strangers in this world in which we temporarily live, don't you just love all the little things women do to make this world a more beautiful, loving place to live in!?

Happy International Women's Day Ladies!

You rock!!!