day forty-eight...freeing saeed

 
I mentioned this earlier, but the church is raising awareness today to save Saeed Abedini who has been in an Iranian prison for over 300 days. The photo above is of him and his family.

Pastor Saeed is an American Pastor who is serving an 8 year sentence in one of Iran's toughest prisons simply for sharing his Christian faith. Join us as we petition the international community to demand the release of this innocent man.

Sign the petition and raise awareness by visiting this site: http://beheardproject.com/saeed

Breakfast
I woke and realized that we had an all staff meeting this morning right at 8am. It's funny because last month (we have it once a month) I just drank my shake afterwards because I was too shy to bring it in with me...not today! I am getting used to my new lifestyle and am less self-conscious about what I eat and when I eat it. The Lord has definitely helped me gain more confidence. So this morning I made a mocha shake and I also added a packet of Starbucks via...and I brought it with me to drink during the staff devotion.

Morning Snack
I was surprisingly not all that hungry for my morning snack, but of course I still had one. ;) I ended up snacking on some mixed berry cereal crunch.

Lunch
Shocker...I ate a salad for lunch. I love them though! I made a romaine salad and topped it with a chili lime chicken burger, shredded parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of light chipotle ranch dressing. Yum!

Afternoon Snack
For my snack, I made a blueberry soft bake...but I cooked it in a cup so it looked pretty identical to a blueberry muffin.

Dinner
Dinner was a quick and easy one. I made a peanut butter milkshake and drank it right before I had to leave for church. I was a little worried I would have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the service, but I made it all the way through...whew.

Dessert
I chatted with some friends after church and around 9:15 I headed home to eat my last meal of the day. I chopped up a chocolate crunch bar before church just in case I had to eat it at church, but I made it out on time and was able to eat it at home.

Please remember to pray for Saeed and his beautiful family. We all know that the Lord works everything out for good, but it's still tough going through the "before" part...before the "good" comes out of the situation.

Once again...here is the link to sign the petition to free Saeed. http://beheardproject.com/saeed

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-six...possibilities

[source]

The smell of popcorn hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as I walked into the kitchen. I stood there and deeply inhaled and slowly exhaled. It was a delightful smell. One that seems to linger hours after being popped. I quickly filled up my water bottle and made my way out of the kitchen...there was no reason for me to be in there...especially with the popcorn smell lingering and my mind beginning to think about food.

It's funny how just the smells of food can stumble you. Sure, I didn't feel like I had to eat popcorn like I used to, but I am still tempted. Food is not going anywhere. And everyday that I deny my flesh, my spirit gets stronger. It is not impossible to say no. Trust me, it's not. It may be difficult, but you can do it! The Lord always provides a way out. And most of the time it's as simple as walking out of the room.

Breakfast
Well, I'm back to my normal routine today. Woke up around 7am and started getting ready for work. Right before I left, I made a strawberry shake. Lovely start to my Monday. Did you notice the Christmas decorations in my office? :D

Morning Snack
For my snack, I made a oatmeal muffin using the apple cinnamon oatmeal. For some reason, it was really good today! It's usually a hit or miss with the oatmeal muffins, and today it was a hit!

Lunch
I decided to eat a simple lunch today. I cooked a chicken burger and paired it with raw broccoli. I also used chipotle ranch dressing as a dipping sauce for the broccoli. Delish!

Pre-Afternoon Snack
Before my afternoon snack, I had a little bit of coffee with 2 tablespoons of sugar free creamer. I needed a little pick-me-up...

Afternoon Snack
For my afternoon snack I had the cheese pizza bites. I was feeling rather snacky, so these were perfect!

Workout
Upon getting home from work, I changed into my workout clothes and went for an evening jog. Except tonight, I didn't do it alone! My dear friend, Kiera came with me! She is the best...just sayin'. We did 2.18 miles in about 28 minutes. It was a ton of fun having her join me. I had my sister take a picture of us...but somehow it got deleted...I think that was my fault. Bummer. Oh well.

Dinner
After our workout, I made some mac and cheese and brought it with me to go because Kiera and I went dress shopping for a formal Christmas party we are attending on Saturday night. I also added a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese to it and it turned out really good! It thickened up the sauce a bit as well. Loved it! I promise it tastes so much better than it looks. I can never get an appetizing photo of the mac and cheese.

Dessert
I just got home when it was time to eat dessert. I am so happy I saved the lemon meringue crunch bar. It was easy to eat as I watched last weeks episode of the Biggest Loser. Doesn't the lights on the Christmas tree look pretty? I love it.

I pray you have a blessed night and even better day!

xoxo,
Toni