The week started off in typical fashion with a trip to Hanauma Bay. I’m kidding. There wasn’t anything typical about it. And anyone who lives here would know how much of a pain it can be to get down into that bay. That was just a bit of humor for everyone out there who thinks we spend all our time on the beach sipping drinks out of pineapples and living the high life. Monday just happened to be a State Holiday and my sister Nicole just happened to be down there with her girls.
Since RK is still doing his weight loss challenge, we couldn’t really pack the normal chips and soda for the beach. In the past, we’ve searched in vein for a jerky that doesn’t have too much sugar. Just look at the nutrition information of some of those packs of jerky one day. You’ll be shocked.
But our jerky-less days are over! I found this brand called Epic and they live up to the hype. This particular pack contained grass-fed beef jerky and harvest nuts. This is really good stuff.
What I’m Celebrating
Transforming our world through simple church.
Have you ever had one of those days where everything just falls into place perfectly? I had one of those days. All I can say is that it had to be God. My son decided to potty train himself and went all on his own. My daughters woke up happy. I actually got to do my hair! That is an absolute miracle. We got to the Conference on time. Wonders never cease. And my children got to share what their church plant has been up to.
On Saturday, the girls got up in front of hundreds of people at the Transform Our World Hawaii Conference.
It was a very proud moment for me. They got to share with everyone the simplicity of church modeled in the Book of Acts chapter 2.
I had a lot of thoughts leading up to the moment they took the stage. I thought about the people who have modeled for us what healthy families look like. People like Kevin & Laura Stark, Rudy & Olepa Valle, Cal & Joy Chinen and Ed & Ruth Silvoso. All of them have children who successfully transitioned from childhood into following Jesus in their adult lives.
I’m so thankful for their examples of parenthood and family because let’s be honest, parenthood is ridiculously hard sometimes. Sometimes I feel completely adrift. Lost in a sea of dirty laundry, sniffles & sore throats, soiled diapers and disobedience. And those are just my problems. 😉 And when I feel that way, I’m relieved to see those families. They become my lifeline.
I finally understood some of what Ed Silvoso must’ve felt the first time he saw his grandson preaching. I only hope to one day see my own grandchildren living for Jesus, too.
What I’m Loving
Homemade Keto Vanilla Ice Cream from my VitaMix blender.
Life is sweet. So deliciously sweet! I was really pleased with how this ice cream turned out. Not only does it only have a handful of ingredients, but it was also enjoyed by all members of the Castillo household. Yep. This ice cream is mom made and kid approved. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be able to make ice cream without an ice cream maker.
I used 2 ice cube trays full of unsweetened almond milk ice cubes, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup stevia (I like to mix it up and put Stevia in the Raw, Truvia and Trader Joe’s Stevia powder together.) and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract. That’s it! You just blend it up and it tastes amazing! No joke.
So life is good. It was a very good week for this Mama. One of the deepest desires of my heart is to see my children following Jesus with all their hearts. This week left me feeling hopeful. My heart is full.
