Beauty Unfolding

It's only a tiny rosebud
A flower of God's design
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I
The flower God opens so sweetly
Would in my hands fade and die

 If I cannot unfold the rosebud
This flower of God's design
Then how can I think that I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day
And I'll look to Him for his Guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way

For the pathway that lies before me,
My heavenly Father knows
And I'll trust Him to unfold the moments
Just as He unfolds the rose.
- Author Unknown

These beauties are in our front yard today.  Many more are waiting to unfold.  Roses don't worry about how those around them are unfolding, they just patiently wait until it is their turn to bloom.  We can learn a lot from flowers...

Friday Foodie - Acai Bowl

When we were in Hawaii last month we had Acai Bowls for lunch several times.  The difference between an acai bowl and a smoothie is the thickness.  You can drink a smoothie, while you need a spoon to eat an acai bowl.  Acai bowls usually have some kind of a topping as well.  Packed with power foods these are very filling for a meal.  Since we've been home I have experimented quite a bit and the third time was a charm!

Acai Bowl (2 servings)
Ingredients:
1 cup Ocean Spray Lite Cran-Grape Juice (5 calories per cup)
1 medium banana
1 scoop protein powder
2- 4 oz packets frozen Acai Berry puree (these are from Target)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Toppings:
1 medium banana, sliced
2 Tbsp. granola
2 Tbsp. Coconut flakes
1 Tbsp. honey

1.  Add ingredients to blender in order listed.  Blend, using "crush ice" first, then move on to mix and puree until all ingredients are blended.
2.  Pour into 2 bowls.  Place in freezer for 30-60 minutes until firm.
3.  Top with toppings and enjoy!

Nutrition info (without toppings):  210 calories/1.75 g fat/6.25 g fiber/3 WW points
Toppings: 150 calories/6.5 g fat/1.4 g fiber/3 WW points

As you can see the toppings add calories and fat, so you can switch to lighter options if you want.  We just had these for lunch and Les said, "I can see myself eating a lot of these this summer!"  These are a light and healthy option to sandwiches or burgers.

My Hero

 
One of my earliest posts was called "My Hero."  It was about my dear brother, Rod.  He would have turned 54 today.  I can only imagine what he would have been like at this age.  Still singing, encouraging people,  making friends every where he went, and still making people laugh.

I taught our Youth Sunday school class earlier this year and spent quite a bit of time talking about Rod.  While I was working on my lesson, the memories really flooded.  He had more pain, but lived with more determination, joy, and enthusiasm, than anyone I have ever known.

I wrote this in my original post:

What a brother he was! He had an incredible wit. You never got the last word with Rod. He had a comeback for anything you threw his way. I know, because this was the source of many fights between the two of us! As we got older, he knew when he was about to push me over the edge and would say something that would just crack me up.

Hearing him sing was a powerful experience. The second verse of "I'm Just Warming Up" with the words "all my pain and sorrow, up there I will forget", could not have been sung with more power or passion by anyone else.

If anyone had the "right" to question his circumstances or try to find someone to blame, it was Rod. But I can still hear him, not many months before his death, as we spoke about all he had been through in his life. He said, "Kathy, whenever I'm tempted to question or feel sorry for myself, I just read the book of Job. I can't complain."

Happy birthday, dear hero!