There many reasons to eat, but my top 3 are:

1. Nourishment: something (as food) that causes growth or health
2. Enjoyment: a feeling of pleasure caused by doing or experiencing something you like; the condition of having and using something that is good, pleasant, etc
3. Honor: to regard or treat (someone or in this case, something) with admiration and respect :  to regard or treat with honor

We know that what we eat affects how we feel and how our bodies work: nourishment. We also know how to enjoy food. So let's talk about honor.

Imagine taking the time to make something so beautiful, so amazing, so complex and then gifting it to someone. How would you feel if they threw it to the ground and jumped and spit on it? Broke it? Abandoned it?

Friends, that is exactly what we are doing to God when we don't take care of ourselves. God created YOU. Remember our verse? We are masterpieces! What we think, say and do is to bring honor and glory back to our Creator. Have you ever thought about honoring God with the food you eat/don't eat? And even the attitude you take towards caring for your body? Some would say that is ridiculous. Or that it doesn't matter to God. But I beg to differ.

I believe that we as Christians are to surrender EVERY part of our lives to Jesus Christ. Yet, the enemy has deceived many of us at times (me included) that God is only interested in or needs to take care of/be a part of the big or spiritual stuff. Satan has convinced us that we can handle and control our daily "small" decisions and actions.

WRONG.

Look at the mess we make when we do. I know it may sound ridiculous, but God wants total surrender. He wants to be a part of every little detail of our lives; all the nooks and crannies (even what we eat). We need to be like Elsa and let it go. "It" being the need to "control"  and surrender.
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To honor means to treat something/someone with respect and admiration. Let's shift the mindset of eating and exercising to lose weight and inches towards honoring the gift of life God has given us. Let's choose to surrender WHOLLY to Him.

He started orchestrating new people to enter my life and others to leave. The scales (no pun intended) started falling off my eyes and collecting dust in my bathroom. I experienced His passion for people in the depths of my spirit. My heart was breaking for what broke His....the lost (those who don't know Him or are living free in and through Him).

So, began my REAL transformation. I was now in a position to start really hearing from the Lord and moving forward in His calling for my life and that of my family. He filled me with fresh purpose and passion and showed me my next steps in the journey.

​I am now in a place of true joy and contentment: body, spirit, mind. I love Jesus and can barely get through a day without being overwhelmed by His goodness and the opportunities of sharing that goodness with others. Each time lights a new fire within me to keep seeking, learning, growing, and sharing. I want EVERYONE I meet to find fulfillment and freedom like I have found.

It is possible. There is hope. And it starts with a man named Jesus.

Over the last several years, I have realized the importance of meal planning and the positive effects on my overall wellness. We have been able to save money while sticking to our budget, decrease stress and save this momma's sanity when asked, "What's for supper?" I have learned many useful tips would like to share a few of the basics with you. Meal planning is not meant to be torture (although, when you are first starting out, it may seem that way). I hope you will have a new found peace in this area after you have read through and implemented these tips.

Before you begin:
​1. Grab your UPDATED calendar (yours, hubby's, and kiddos). This is important, so you know which nights need to be a crockpot/easy-throw-together meal with little to no prep or which nights you have more time to put into the meal.
​2. Set and know your grocery budget. (God desires us to be good stewards of our resources and that includes honoring our finances.) There was a time that Team Shuman actually carried a calculator with us through the store and added up our groceries to stay within our budget. Seems silly, but was an instrumental move to get us out of debt!
​3. Gather your favorite recipes that include ingredients and the amounts you will need.
​4. Take inventory of your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. More often than not, you will come home from the grocery store with double or triple of something you already have because you did not check these places.
​5. Have a visible meal planner!
​6. Consider using a grocery list app. I am a pen and paper girl, but have on several occasions, forgotten the list at home or even left it in the van. I always have my phone and therefore will never be without my list again. Another perk to using an app is the ability for other people (your spouse) to add to the list as well via their phone. (Just remember to have auto-sync turned on.) You can check off each item as you buy them, but it saves your list for the next time! 

                                    Favorite Apps: Out of Milk (for Android), Any List (for iOS)

Get Started:
​1. Meal plan based off the food you already have or meals that will require minimal items bought at the grocery store. This is a HUGE money saver!
​2. We all have family favorites in our rotation, but sometimes they can get old. Instead of trying to make all new recipes, try starting with 1-2 new recipes per week. Ask friends or check Pinterest (Be sure to set a timer, so you stay focused and don't spend your entire evening "meal planning.").
​3. Ask the family for suggestions. Any complaining at mealtime will be quieted with the fact that you gave them an option to have input for the meals! :)
​3. As you choose meals and place them on your planner, be sure to place ALL needed ingredients and amounts of each onto your grocery list. When you are done meal planning, you will know exactly how many pounds of chicken you need or how many cans of beans you need, etc.

Understand and recognize your current season of life. Can you realistically plan for a whole month or do you need to start small and plan 3 days ahead? 1 week? 2 weeks? My husband gets paid bi-weekly and therefore I plan 2 weeks at a time.

​I hope this was helpful for you and can relieve some stress and help save you tie and money!