•2014 Commitments•

Ah, the cliche New Years Eve blog post.

It has to be done. So just sit tight.

This simple statement holds so much powerful truth. 

Have you ever thought that maybe your current, comfortable life isn't all that God has in store for you? I was comfortable. I had everything I needed and almost wanted. I was near to family. I had a babysitter within 5 miles. I had a church that pushed me. So what was the problem?

In 2013, I'll tell you what happened. God smacked me across the head and said, "Kasey, you were designed in MY image. You were designed to DO MORE. You were designed to bring love to those around you. You were designed to make big leaps of faith so others can see how faithful I am. You were designed to leave your own selfish wants and exchange them for my gracious provision; my provision provides MORE than your selfish wants could ever have." 

My commitments for 2014:

•desire less of me, and more of Him

•exploit the goodness of Jesus: because IT WAS DONE ON THE CROSS

•help people thrive by living a healthy life Gods way

•our business venture succeed in abundant prosperity 

•visit Florida 

•love my husband and kids like Jesus loves them 

What are your commitments? Let's go into this year with no limitations! Let's claim the prosperity that is already ours! Let's DO MORE and see a revolution sweep across this nation. 

Praying for your year, friends! 

(So was this cliche enough for you? Phew, it was for me! Lol) 

A HUGE announcement

It's with serious excitement we announce a HUGE opportunity for you from The HomeGrown Lady.  We have been working on a much asked for service that will allow you to become a healthier YOU.

We are offering a unique service for you.  We have decided to offer this for a few reasons, one being that we cannot keep up with the private messages and inquiries about heathy living. But the biggest reason is that God has changed our hearts from eating spaghettios and BBQ chips, to craving to eat the way HE intended. In following His commands about living a healthy lifestyle, He has gifted us with abundant knowledge, resources, and a vision of helping families become the healthiest they can be so they can live out an ABUNDANT life! In return, we want to help YOU!

"There’s a verse in the Bible that says Jesus went into every village preaching, teaching, and healing. I say that preaching is evangelism; teaching is education; and healing is health care. Jesus didn’t only care about getting people into heaven. He cared about spirit, mind, and body. To me, health care isn’t simply helping the sick get well, but helping the well not get sick." -Rick Warren 

We want to work along side you to create a weekly menu plan customized to fit your families needs. We will provide you with a weekly menu, recipes, and shopping list. Along with all of the above, you will be apart of our exclusive Facebook group only open to members. The Facebook group is a valuable resource to share recipes and healthy living tips. On top of all of this and most importantly you will be able to start a pattern of lifelong habits that will create a healthier, more fulfilling life for you and your family.  

The HomeGrown Plan is different than any other dieting scheme out there because we are a lifestyle change, not a diet. We don't put restrictions on what you can eat as long as you're eating what God created! We guide you through health promoting daily living, encourage you, and provide you with resources that you may not be able to find or have the time to find yourself. 

Are you in?

Our desire is to see every family in America support the small business industry by purchasing from your local co-op, natural food store or straight from the farmer himself.  America needs a revolution!  We see too many people in our lives dying of unnecessary diseases stemming from our westernized diet, big Pharma, and too much government control. Did you know Gods plan doesn't include dying young from man made diseases? He has equipped this earth with more than enough resources to thrive. Man decided GMOs and processed foods were better . But we all know God knows best :)

If Jesus came to eat dinner at your house, would you serve Him food God, His father, created? Or would you serve Him food man created? We are positive you would serve Him food that God made, so why wouldn't you feed your own bodies (the Holy Spirits temple) that same food? 

What can you give up for $25 a week to change and possibly SAVE your life? 

In our next post we will share the way this program works. Stay tuned friends... We are so excited!!!! 

The breakdown

(Pictured is Easy Crockpot Vegetable Pasta Sauce over brown rice pasta with sautéed chicken sausage and Cherry and Red Onion Spinach Salad)

Here's the breakdown of the 

HomeGrown Plan:

Member levels

•seed level

$25 weekly//$65 monthly//$700 yearly 

-access to our private Facebook page where we share recipes and tips on healthy living

-a weekly menu of 6 dinners planned for you

-a weekly shopping guide to support the menu

-recipes for the menu

•sprout level

$50 weekly//$185 monthly//$2,000 yearly 

-all of the above in seed level PLUS

-6 added meals and 5 snacks PLUS

-a FREE 15 minute coaching session on healthy living done via phone once a month

•bloom level

$80 weekly//$275 monthly//$2900 yearly 

-access to our private Facebook page where we share recipes and tips on healthy living

-a customized weekly menu plan fit for your life (up to 45 meals and 10 snacks) 

-a weekly shopping guide to support the menu 

-recipes for your menu 

-a FREE 30 minute coaching session on healthy living done via phone once a month.  

•coaching sessions

$75 per hour (in 1 hour increments only) 

-we will share all the juicy details on how to live a fulfilling, ABUNDANT life. 

-we will work through healthy living fit just for you!

-need budgeting help to live a healthier life? We have tips and strategies for shopping and thriving on a budget. 

-have questions about personal care products? We can find the right "safe" products to work for you. 

Once you decide what membership level and/or an hourly coaching session of the HomeGrown Plan will work best for you, just email thehomegrownlady@gmail.com and get started on literally changing your life from the inside out! You will be emailed a few short questions so we can better understand what will work best for you. After your payment has cleared you will be sent a plan, starting on the next Sunday for the week, based on your membership level to begin using. If you signed up for a coaching session only, we will schedule a time via phone. 

Memberships may be cancelled at the end of each payment cycle whether you pay weekly, monthly or yearly, but we are confident you will stay around! :) (weeks are Sunday through Saturday.) 

Let me be real

In an attempt to not be fake, let me be real. 

There are few things that give me more anxiety than not having control. A plan. The unknown.<----they all encompass the same principle. 

It sucks. And this move is one of those things I don't have control over. Sure, we chose where we want to live, shop, etc. But our sole livelihood is in Gods hands. Folks, this is real life. And if I'm being total honest, it can become overwhelming. 

But then I have this thing. I like to call it the sweeping chills of the Holy Spirit. I get goosebumps, like big ole pimples all over my skin when the Holy Spirit is moving. What about you? How do you know when he's talking to you? When this happens to me, it's like a feeling of complete certainty. It's an idle grounding of peace that can't be moved. It's a moment of blissful understanding that you're on His path and not your own. I freeze in that second of sureness and remember it's not my will but Yours. I'm not doing this for me but for You. 

And then all is calm. The unknown dives off into the black abyss and I'm left with confident expectation of provision. 

You guys, God is so awesome. He craves your company and stands there with open arms waiting for you to give over your business to him, your health to him, your marriage to him. Your whole life.  Have you been trying to pursue your own desires only to fail time and time again? I know I had. I did. But when you hand over every aspect of your life to Him, it all falls into place. Your life makes sense and your purpose merges with your passion to develop a life that not only meets your own desires but His desires. 

I just wanted you to know that with obedience comes trails. BUT. A huge BUT, you were made in His image with the tools to overcome them. 

Be encouraged tonight with hope that your obedience will bring blessings and your vats will overflow with abundant riches. :) 

Smell the air fresheners

Sometimes, when a day hands you piles of poop, you really need to stop and smell the air fresheners. 

So here's 10 simple, first world things I'm grateful for today:

1. Fuzzy socks. I have an obsession. Possibly a psychotic one. I have to wear them everyday from October through February. In fact, I have to buy new pairs every year because between those months I wear them out with holes.

2.  Paint. Oh the possibilities...

3.  Crockpots. Cold, busy days allow for warm, home-cooked meals.

4. Sunshine. Even if it's 15 degrees out, the shining sun really rocks.

5.  Alone time. I CHERISH nap/rest time between 1-3 in the afternoon. Don't judge...you secretly can't wait for naptime either 😉

6.  Christmas time. People either love it or hate it. I wish we could have Christmas once a month.

7.  Ranch dressing. It's worthy of its own number, amiright? (By the way, you can buy Mams Jeans homemade buttermilk ranch dressing by the tub. I bought a pound. Heaven!) 

8.  Gift bags. Because after 38 presents wrapped in wrapping paper and fancy bows, Hallmark gift bags saved my sanity. 

9.  Sandi Krakowski. If you have never heard of her, Facebook her. She will change your life. 

10.  Grace. It deserves the number 10 spot because without grace I don't know where id be... Actually I do, and it's super hot there. 

What are some things you're grateful for? Id love to hear! Taking 5 minutes out of your day to think of some things you are blessed with is scientifically proven to boost the serotonin levels in your brain. And we all know serotonin makes you happy. ("And happy people don't shoot their husbands"---name that chic flick!) 

Of course in grateful today for these two, but that's a given. 

Here we go on an adventure!

In my attempts to not be a cliche blogger, I am warning you I will likely post topics about food, my kids, lame jokes, and Jesus.

You have been warned.

My first blog post. It feels like this is about 5 years over due. In my typical perfectionist fashion, I've put off creating a blog because if I can't perfect it, I don't do it. Please don't ask my husband about this quality of mine... (And although I'm a perfectionist, just ask my husband, I an not the most grammatically correct person. Forgive me, unfollow me, stop reading).

I guess I felt I wasn't creative enough, witty enough, or... I don't know enough.

Whatever, that's neither here nor there. I'm here y'all! I'm a blogger! Hi!!!!!

You guys, our lives are changing as we speak. We are leaving our comfortable life here in the Ozarks to become big city folks.

Here's some things I have learned the past 6 months since our hearts were prompted to look into moving:

1. When you are being called to move. You better go. No amount of resistance can keep Gods plan from unfolding in your life when you are actively seeking His will. I've said this before and I'll say it again,  I believe God gives you the desires of your heart, however, the more you follow Him the more your desires align up to His will. Read that sentence again. See how that works out? Ya, Gods clever like that.

2. What you think is best for you, likely isn't. Usually God has something BIGGER and BETTER in store for you. This is a statement you'll hear often, but it's so so so true. Earlier this year we were looking to get into a bigger house so I could expand my in home preschool. We searched all over Springfield and the suburbs without finding anything larger in our price range. So we committed to living at our current house another year and just trusted God had better plans. As spring turned to summer both of our hearts started stirring but we didn't why or what for. All we knew is change is coming, it's going to be huge and it's going to be good. You see friends, when you are following Gods promises and believe them, you know God works EVERYTHING out for our good and for His glory. We knew the change ahead wouldn't be bad, scary maybe, but not bad, harmful, depressing or dangerous.  Then we got the conformation we needed to move, to take a leap of faith an start a new business, and to be involved in a new church.

3. He calls the unqualified and qualifies the called.  Enough said.

What I love about this journey is we are constantly learning, growing and changing. We aren't perfect but we can become more Christ-like.  During my devotion time I was reading about Abraham all the way back in Genesis. I was reading about how Abraham and Sarah wanted a baby so bad. God blessed them with a baby, the desires of their heart, because Abraham had been obedient to God throughout his whole life. So they had baby Isaac and when he was young God spoke to Abraham and told him to leave his city, go to another and sacrifice his son. Um, what?? Like for real?! I mean, what was going through Abraham's head? I'll tell you what... Nothing but obedience. Abraham immediately without hesitation or argument, left his city with his son and built an alter in the new city and tied his son to the wood. He then got out his knife to begin the sacrifice when the angel from God stopped him abruptly and said since I now know you love God more than anything, even your own son, your sons life is spared.

To he honest, this gives me chills. I put this story in my own life and question myself. How much do I love God? How many things/people/places do I place before the Love of Jesus. Too many is my answer. It's not intentional but I like being comfortable. My house, cars, clothes, social media, kids and husband, academics, food, etc. Its shameful when I really think about it.  I want to have Abrahams obedience...this journey is the start of the ride of our lives

I want to document all the awesome things that happen and even the failures. Because after the failures come redemption, come grace, come prosperity.

Here we go on an adventure....Yee-haw!!!