The Yummie and Super Healthy Green Smoothie

At church there is the woman who (I think) is a little older than me and she is in amazing shape. She is a fitness instructor who has devoted herself to a healthy lifestyle for herself and her family.

I've been struggling with my weight and with weight loss for about 7 years to the point that I want to change doctors. If I hear him scold me for being overweight one more time, I'm going to scream.

I finally had to be real, I'm a glutton. Not in the obvious way, but in the lonely and secret times. I'm trying to fill a void that only God can fill. I was catching myself more going for the carbs when I was stressed or depressed; like some drug to calm me. Physiologically it works, but only for a short time. It never fills the emptiness that enslaves, leaves me ashamed and feeling hopeless.

For the last few years I've been asking for God's help. I'm so tired of Weight Watchers, Atkins, etc. which I've done a number of times. I've had a measure of success, but I would end up gaining the weight back and then some over a period of time. I also believe it has messed up my metabolism from my constant yo-yo dieting.

Just a side note,  I found through research that diets may work for a time, but if you're not getting at least your Basal Metabolic Rate BMR  (Minimal amount of calories to keep your organs functioning normally aka. the amount doctors calculate if you were in a coma), you can trigger a starvation response and ultimately starve weight loss.

Anyways, back to the cute skinny lady I go to church with; she told me about the green smoothie. She encouraged me just to start with that and my cravings will decrease and my energy will increase.

The next Monday, I went to the market, and bought all the stuff and started my morning smoothie routine. I was surprised how good they were. You don't taste the greens because they are masked by the fruit. However, one of biggest personality flaws is I never finish what I start, so my smoothie swaging mornings faded. When I grew tired of blending, cutting, buying all the stuff, I slowly gave up.

A few months later, I did some research on the internet on diets. It seems the fad is raw food and...blending green smoothies! There was a 21 day green smoothie challenge, and I read and watched some of the video blogs of personal testimonies of the abundant amount of energy these people had.

At that point, I was in bed for 6 weeks prior recovering from pneumonia, so I had to do something to regain my strength. I decided I was going to give these green smoothies another try, and I was going to do it for at least 21 days.

The results were amazing! I feel so good and I'm addicted to them now. I've been doing my morning "cocktails" for more than three months. There was a day or two when I couldn't get to the store and buy my fix. Honestly, I did not notice a surge of energy when I started the challenge, because it happened gradually. However, when I miss a day of drinking my "Shrek Drink" (As my kids call it), I notice a huge difference in my lack of stamina.

In the fall, I planted a winter garden of spinach, chard, collards, beets, and lettuce. Now I no longer have an excuse for not drinking smoothies every day. Not to mention, I'm getting fresh raw organic leafy veggies straight out of my backyard which is even more nutritious.

I now exercise daily, because my energy is elevated due to my nutrition increase. There are no gimmicks, no fad diets, just pure nutrition and all of my daily fruit and vegetable requirements in one glass at only about 180 calories!

We're in the Christmas season, and there is cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator right now as I type, which was a big temptation for me. In the past, I would sneak a spoonful of it until the entire tub was gone. I wouldn't admit that before, because I would be so disgusted with myself. Who does that? Yuck!!

Now I have no desire to get in to that nasty stuff, because my sweet cravings have pretty much disappeared. Don't get me wrong, I still eat sweets, but my intake is more controlled. This will be the first Christmas of frosted cookies in 2 years now that I've conquered frosting phobia.

I'm determined next year to be my year of weight loss. I've already lost a few pounds just drinking smoothies every day. I'm ready to take my diet and exercise to another level. I haven't been dieting and I've only been exercising by walking with my friend for a year about 4 times a week.

I'm going to work harder at eating better and increasing my exercise to 6 days a week. I went out to run the other day, and I thought I was going to die of a heart attack and my legs felt like they were going to explode. I'm not going to let that stop me. I'm going to be a runner this year. It's always been my dream and only I, with God's, help can make it happen.

Well, it's out there. If you are stumbling on this blog, maybe you can join me. We can keep each other accountable! I believe the reason diets are unsuccessful for the most part is we are not fueling our bodies with enough nutrition to maintain energy and kill cravings. Just by drinking these fresh tasting smoothes, I believe I'm well on the way.

The Basic Green Smoothie

3-4 handfuls of leafy greens
1 banana
1-2 cups of frozen or fresh fruit of your choice
water enough to blend

I add the greens first with a little bit of water to make it smooth, then I add the rest of the ingredients with all the water. Enjoy.

Here is more information and inspiration on the Green Smoothie! Also, she uses a high powered blender, so if you only have a cheap Walmart version like I do, it will do.



Note: You can calculate your BMR  and use the Harris Benedict Formula:

To determine your total daily calorie needs to maintain your current weight, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor.. Once you figure this formula, subract calorie intake by diet and/or exercise,  but never go below your BMR.

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2

2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375

3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55

4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725

5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9

Was Jesus Judgemental?

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

The Gospel in 12 Minutes

How to Awaken a Dead and Unregenerate Church? - Steve Lawson

"Peal back and get rid of the vainer, all of the layers of religiosity and churchianity to get down to the live nerve of what it is to be a follower of Jesus Christ."

Is This All?

During the school year I don't have time to write much of anything. What a great reminder by John MacDuff of what happens when we don't set our minds on the things above.

Q&A: How to Reach the Youth Culture? - Steve Lawson

You Might Be a Pragmatist

I’d imagine most of us on the conservative end of evangelicalism—whether you’re part of the YRR crowd or the OBR (Old, Boring, Reformed) crowd—we understand the wrongheadedness of church growth methodology. It’s easy to see how men like the early pioneers of church growth (Donald McGavran, C. Peter Wagner, Robert Schuller) and their most famous disciples (Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen) got it wrong.

The theology of the Bible teaches us God is absolutely sovereign over salvation; He alone predestines, calls justifies, and glorifies fallen sinners who are dead in trespasses and sin. Christ is the sovereign head of the church who receives the elect bride from His Father; He alone directs, equips, and grows the church according to the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the executor of the Father’s will, drawing the elect to Jesus Christ; He alone regenerates the sinner, seals the elect, and empowers the church for growth and service.

We don’t deny the human element, even as we affirm monergism and divine initiative. God uses means and we’re part of the means He uses to do His work, right? As Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” And it’s important to see that the apostolic pattern of planting and watering were not according to a pragmatic, “the end justifies the means” approach. Paul, Apollos, and every other exemplary minister of the apostolic age did ministry according to the means God prescribed (i.e., Eph. 4:11-16) and not according to what seemed reasonable to the culture (i.e., 1 Cor. 2:1-5).

The end goal, as well as the means employed to achieve that end, are important to God. So, when we use pragmatic-oriented church growth principles to plant and water, we go against the grain, planting and watering according to the pattern of the flesh rather than the power of the Spirit. That’s wrong. We, along with Paul, want the faith of those who hear us to rest, not “in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5).

So, here’s my concern: Are we truly squeaky-clean? Are we free from the charge of pragmatism? Do we condemn in our preaching what we practice in our ministries?

At times, I can imagine the church growth practitioners with wry smiles on their faces. They listen to us condemn the methodologies they’ve openly embraced, while using them to grow our churches and ministries. Sure, there’s a difference in degree, but that only makes our public denouncements all the more hypocritical. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

When those of us who claim to be Reformed, or Calvinists, or faithful adherents to the Doctrines of Grace (or whatever the most accurate title happens to be for your brand of biblical fidelity), when we eschew in our preaching and teaching what we practice in our ministries, we unwittingly become one of the strongest arguments in support of evangelical pragmatism.

So, just to help you think it through, to provoke you a wee bit, here’s a quick Top 10 list you can use to evaluate yourself and your ministry for signs of pragmatism.

1.If you see ecclesiology as a subset of missiology, you might be a pragmatist.


2.If you believe evangelism rather than edification is the purpose of the church, you might be a pragmatist.


3.If you are trying to figure out what works in evangelism and church growth, and you’re using resources less than 100 years old to answer the question, you might be a pragmatist.


4.If you turn to sociology and psychology rather than theology to help you understand human response, you might be a pragmatist.


5.If you think the feel of your church, the music you play, and what you wear makes it more/less likely for an unbeliever to believe the gospel, you might be a pragmatist.


6.If you are often counting your numbers (e.g., number of visitors, baptisms, and “decisions for Christ,” visitors to your website, sermon downloads, or any other countable sign of growth), you might be a pragmatist.


7.If you feel the need to quote your numbers to establish your credibility, you might be a pragmatist.


8.If you are more concerned with the opinions and comfort-level of unbelievers who visit your church than you are with the opinions of believers in your church, you might be a pragmatist.


9.If your church youth program is designed to accommodate and entertain young people rather than teach and confront them, you might be a pragmatist.


10.If the young set the tone and determine the culture of the church, you might be a pragmatist.


I know that’s a short, somewhat simplistic, and woefully incomplete list, but hey, it’s a start. If any of those points are true of you or your church, you might need to repent. Start by confessing your sin of relying on the flesh and using fleshly methods, and study the Scripture to set a positive course for your ministry.

•Study biblical anthropology so you understand the truth about the human condition and human response (Rom. 1:18–3:18; Eph. 2:1-3).


•Study the true purpose of the church and the pattern of church growth as laid out in Scripture (Eph. 4:7-16; 1 Tim. 3:1-16).


•Study the ways and means of God until you see how opposite they are of the ways and means of man (1 Cor. 1:18–2:5; Jam. 3:13-18).
Learn to live by faith and not by sight; that is to say, stop counting! God’s work is largely invisible, growth takes take time, and wisdom is generally not recognized by her contemporaries, but by all her children (Luke 7:35).


Travis Allen
Director of Internet Ministry
Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California

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