We are busy in the Gorp kitchen this week making bars for the Imagine Marathon in Niverville this Saturday. . .of course I had to enlist a rather loud and demanding persistant helper:)
. . .more Gorp news to come after this crazy week is ova!
If you are from the area, check out this event. . .it's a FANTASTIC cause (mental health) and a wonderful family day. .. clowns, bouncers, BBQ lunch, gorp bars. . .does it get better? O.k.. . clowns aren't my fav. .. but are easily avoidable;)
My loan was APPROVED!!!!!! HEH HEH. .UM. ..OH MAN. . .WAAAAAAAAAA!!!
. .. can't type anymore. . .must go lie on floor and convulse around doing those dorky arm/leg pumps from the '80's while shouting "YES YES YES" WITH A BIG EMPHASIS ON THE SSSSSSSSS:))))
How does that Jack Johnson song go again?? Anyways. .. that's what I've been consumed with over the past week. . .waiting to hear if I get my loan approved so I can push the BIG FAT GO BUTTON on Gorp:)
WELL!!!! I got word yesterday that the loan review meeting was pushed back till today at 2:00. . .so by 3:30 or so TODAY. .. I will know one way or the other. gulp.
IT feels very surreal in these parts this morning. . .I'm pannicky and cold. . .why am I so darn cold? I could hardly sleep a wink last night. . .so if you feel like sending up a few prayers for me today it would mean a lot:)
I started this blog originally to journal the story of launching this energy bar company. . but then things like life, kids, passions, exercise, recipes and various rants on everything from religion to trips to the emergency room because a googly eye got shoved up a nose. . .it all kinda snuck in. (oh and let's not forget the half naked flight across the yard, prego and hanging from a flipping kite!. . .I still have a funny road rashy mark on my butt from that one. . .)
I appreciate my faithful commenter's and emailers more than I can say. . .I also recognize and am grateful for the rest of you who read. . .you are a quiet bunch and that's cool. . I'd be lying if I said I wasn't VERY curious who you are though. . .so if you ever feel like introducing yourselves via email. .. I'd love to hear from you:) Writing this blog has been a strange blessing, I've worked out some shizat for sure. . .met some beautiful people and found a way to let out some angst;) I'm talking like it's all about to end. . .it's not. . .I hope.
I think I'm feeling particularly vulnerable and sentimental today because I've committed to share this journey and now a very big part of it being successful is looming. .. m-o-n-e-y. . .and it will feel like I've failed if I don't get this loan. . .not that it means I'll give up HELL NO. . .but it makes for a kind of embarrassing large bump along the way. . .every once in a while I get an email from a stranger who is embarking on the same journey I am. . setting up some kind of business, usually something to do with food and setting up a commercial kitchen and I have the honour of cheering them on. . .I love it. . .I love seeing people step out and DO IT AFRAID. . .chase that darn dream down, tackle it and give it a good old fashioned noogie. Yup. . .it makes me smile:)
. . .man I'm mushy today. . I should really stop typing before I embarrass myself;) Although it's probably too late for that. . .my plan today is distraction. . . what better way to do that than to go get my mustache waxed off. . see ya sucker, your free ride is OVA. Then I'll probably crank some melancholy music and make some bars. .. but before I go. . I'll leave you with an AWESOME ACCIDENTAL SMOOTHIE I made up this morning. . .cause this is what happened to be in the fridge!
What you'll need:
1 cup of fresh pressed apple cider!
(You can buy it, but if you have access to a tree pick those suckers and bring them on down to the Apple Junction in Landmark , the wonderful girls there will throw them in an apple press for ya. . soooooo good and much more nutritious than the dead juice in the stores.)
1 cup of cold brew rooibois tea
(You must buy one of these cold press tea jugs. . .look here. . .I have this one and it rocks, you can buy it locally at scoop and weigh.)
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
1/2 a frozen banana
4 tablespoons of hemp protein fiber blend
(I'm nuts about this stuff. . .check it out: 14 grams of fiber! 11 grams of protein, no sugar, 3 grams of fat and only 127 calories. . .FANTASTIC!)
It tastes AMAZING plus it's packed full of antioxidants from the fresh cider and berries. Perfect for after a workout. . .
. . .that's it that's all. . .I've got a stash to wax and a phone call to wait for. . .ahhhh!!! (on both counts:)
So the book I recently reviewed (Amish Values For Your Family) inspired my decision to spend some quality learning time with the kids making our own gym bags for the new school year.
I have to admit. . I had big hopes and dreams for this event. . .I envisioned the laughing, giggling, measuring, learning. . .then I'd playfully throw some material at one of the boys and we'd break into an impromptu game of tag around the dining table. . oh yes. . good times would be had by all. . .OR SO I THOUGHT.
It started off alright, we designed and cut out the pattern. Picked our materials. But the kids quickly lost interest when they realized that I was a super slow sewer. . .plus apparently I can't figure out how to sew a lining into a simple bag if my life depended on it?? (I am convinced that I get just a little dumber every time I give birth. . .i'm serious. . )And Youtube. . .YOU were no help at all. .. thanks for noth'in!
My "little house on the prairie-esque" day of joy and educational enlightenment started to resemble a scene from some cheap horror film, except we didn't have to use fake blood. .. we prefer the real deal. . thanks Leo. Slowly the kids started sneaking away from the table to watch cartoons. . .THIS WAS NOT THE PLAN PEOPLE!!. . .I kept my cool and figured I'd give them a few hours off. .. considering this was turning into a ten hour tour anyways. .. .the screaming started when Georgia caught me holding up her beautiful owl bag. .. but the lining was actually the OUTSIDE. . oops. . and no stitch ripper in sight. .. .I'm not ashamed to admit. .. I NEEDED MY MOMMY. . .but she's out gallivanting and hooting it up on the east coast. . .grrrrr;)
There was blood, tears, and gnashing of teeth. No joke. And I'm sorry to admit I had to put myself in a time out. After countless hours I started over. . .I cut the owl graphic we worked so hard on and cut out new material for another bag (no lining this time). . .the plan was to make the owl graphic a pocket on the front. .. but apparently that was a bad idea too. .. man alive. .I never needed a degree in something mechanical or right brainy so bad in my life. . .gawk.
BUT. . AFTER THE STORM. ..
ta da!!
Smiles:) Yes!
So after all that goodness. . I guess I'd have to say that I would do it again. .. except I'd hide the super sharp scissors from Leo and trick my mom into coming over for coffee the next time I attempt to sew:) This morning I sent them off for the first day of school with some super cool gym bags and a bucket-load of memories to boot!
First: Today is the Grand finale of the Dyck Family DIY Gym Bag Project Spectacular. . pics coming tomorrow.
Today is also the day I hope to hear back from Women's Enterprise Center about my loan. . .I've been on pins and needles all weekend. . .this could be it. . .at long last Gorp could launch? What!? Ahhhh. .. I can barely stand the suspense. . .gog.
. ..but I digress. . back to Playing Hurt. Hmmmm. . .I smell an analogy!
I was very excited to be chosen to review this book by Brian Goins. . .most of the marriage/relationship books I read are by women and we all know men and women are two different species;) Typically when reading books by women my internal dialogue is all like "preach it sista". . ."yeah, you said it!" and "oh, yeah, you caught me. .. I'll work on that, thanks. . " But when reading a man's perspective I found myself going "what the?", "As if?", and "you've got to be kidding!". . .. I think we forget just how different men and women are from each other. .. it's HARD work figuring out how to relate to another person, never mind a different sex!
I have to be honest. . .during the first few chapters there were quite a few sports analogies, which was alright but I did find myself going. .. ahhhhhh really? And I have a high tolerance for anything to do with sport. . .BUT. . .dude brings it round in a big way. He knows his Bible and he also knows HOW GUYS THINK. .. I didn't truly appreciate the motivation behind a guys drive and the reality that much of the time our men are "playing hurt" and we don't even know it until I read this book.
One of the light bulb moments for me was seeing just how important it was for a guy to love his wife like Christ loved the church. . .it's profound. Realizing that YOUR marriage is a way for God to be glorified??!!
"If you say "I do", God is using your marriage to paint a work of art to display His glory to the world. If Satan can exploit your conflict to destroy or dampen your love for your wife, it's as if he just sprayed graffiti all over another one of God's masterpieces."
"Whether we knew it or not, when we got married, we didn't sign up for equal rights, but the right to die to ourselves. We signed up to love like Christ loves. We signed up to beautify our brides. We signed up to take the hits and turn the other cheek."
Even though there are tons of tidbits about how and why a husband should act a certain way. . this is by no means a man bashing "pull up your bootstraps. . you aren't good enough" kind of commentary. Brain digs deep and acknolwedges that it isn't easy to lead. To persevere despite the pain. . .to PLAY HURT. He is a straight shooter on big issues like sex, ego, and he tackles hurts like being disrespected in public by your wife to being talked down to behind closed doors. His candor and honesty is absolutely refreshing.
One of my favourite quotes is from a conversation Brain was having with one of his mentors:
"The number one hallmark of great marriages are spouses who are more aware of the damage done to their mate than the damage done to themselves."
He also likens the trials in a marriage relationship to Paul's relationship with the churches he planted. . .Paul was often hurt, rejected and disrespected by the people he cherished and loved, however he always pursued victory instead of vindication. . ."Scripture highlights emotional pain, rather than hiding it. The men and women we perceive as heroes in the Bible have just as many great foibles as great feats of faith."Our modern culture seems to glorify the exact opposite behaviours, hide your pain, don't show your weaknesses. . .BE A MAN? Yeah right. I'm so sick of the pursuit of macho-ism in our culture. . .it perverts the calling of our men to have integrity and replaces it with a propensity to be dishonest and fake. A recipe for empty.
I love these 5 tips Brain gives in the book: Paul's Playbook for Playing Hurt
1. Every husband needs the GUTS to love like Christ.
2. Every husband needs the GLORY of loving like Christ.
3. Every husband needs OTHER GUYS to help him love like Christ.
4. Every husband needs the GUIDELINES to love like Christ.
-Nourish
- Cherish
5. EVERY HUSBAND NEEDS THE GOSPEL THAT EMPOWERS HIM TO LOVE LIKE CHRIST!
I have to say that despite the sports analogies;) This book reached into my preconceived notions about how men think about relationship and replaced them with a new respect and understanding for the unique calling and challenge God sets out for our men to live out.
At the end of it all. .. I found the book enlightening and motivating. . .I love how Brian always comes back to scripture and holds up all the advice and ideals he lays out and measures them against what it says in the Word. Love it!
Check out the blog tour for this book here! As always I was given a free book in exchange for my review. . .so if ya wanna borrow it and live close by just yell:)
. .. ..ahhhhh. .. knees are shaking. . fingers trembling. . I could hardly type today I'm so nervous about hearing back about my loan. .. All I can do is pray LORD YOUR WILL BE DONE. .. but Lord, you should also know that I persevere despite all logic. . .so if you want to send me a message it might have to be rather loud and oh so obvious!
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