A Time for Healing

This past weekend I was blessed to be able to attend my 2nd Hope Mommies Retreat.  This is the 4th retreat that Hope Mommies has hosted and I have been so blessed by their ministry over the past year & a half since Jackson went to Heaven.  The team of women that God has called to this ministry is truly amazing!  They step out of their own grief in order to minister to the rest of us in a big way :)  Last year was very different for me in many ways, but both retreats have provided healing for me that I wouldn't have received any other way.  It is so nice to meet with women who truly understand how I feel through the grief of losing by babies!  The pain & emptiness never really goes away, but it can be softened and you can receive some healing along the way.
I also love that we are drawn closer to our savior!  He is the ultimate healer, peace giver, comforter...we just have to learn to trust Him through our grief.  I know I felt very hurt & felt like it was a personal attack from God when Jackson went to Heaven.  It took me a lot of searching and several wonderful Christian friends to understand that my hurt was not a personal attack at all, but that once we allowed Him to, God would use our loss for His glory.  Last year's retreat really showed me that.  We have to give it to Him every day, but when we do He truly turns ashes into beauty!  I know He has done this in a big way in our lives!  This year's retreat really showed me that God is still good, He is still loving, & He loves me & my babies very much!  If you or someone that you know have a baby in Heaven due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or similar issues I encourage you to join our Hope Mommies group.  There is a Facebook page as well as a blog and they are on other social media outlets as well.   http://hopemommies.org

Trying a Healthy Lifestyle

Our family is really trying to eat healthier this year...I've been buying as much organic produce & product as I can find in our local stores and we've been trying to make healthier snack choices.  I've found that if I actually stick to my list & don't buy any junk while I'm in the store, I've been saving a lot of money & we have been feeling much better!  We have also been more consistent with our It Works products again & they have been helping tremendously!  I can't take everything I would like to until after the baby comes, but Cody is back on his normal routine with the thermofit, it's essential bars, greens, & profit.  I can still use the profit & essential bars, which I love, for breakfast or a snack...they keep me full & give me the good energy that I need to make it through my day :)  Anslee takes a very small amount of the greens & profit as well & she loves them!  I'm going to try to share some recipes & food/health tips on a regular basis for those of you who are interested in what we are doing to stay healthy.

Here's your first recipe, a vanilla chai tea smoothie...if you try it, please let me know how you like it :)  We thought it was pretty tasty!  To get your profit, go to http://christinburris.myitworks.com